NOVEL WEB Chapter 8 - Selection
Chapter 8. Selection
People were huddled together outside the barricade.
Someone was attracting attention.
As Sion approached, Kyung-soo glanced at him nervously.
“Oh, you’re here? Si-Sion.”
“Yes.”
“You didn’t have any trouble… right?”
“There was no trouble.”
Kyung-soo alternated glances between Sion and Jae-hee.
There were no bloodstains.
There were no traces of a fight.
Only then did Kyung-soo heave a sigh of relief.
“That’s really a relief. I was worried a fight might break out again.”
Kyung-soo was genuinely concerned for Sion.
Sion glanced at Kyung-soo.
Kwon Kyung-soo was a kind person.
Despite his size, he was timid and preferred to avoid conflict whenever possible.
He couldn’t overlook injustice, though, and would act on his sense of justice, even at personal cost.
Just moments ago, when Jin Jae-hee was brought inside the barricade, he had rushed to help her without even knowing who she was.
If Sion had spoken first, Kyung-soo would have likely confirmed the person’s identity first.
Sion wanted to keep Kyung-soo by his side for as long as possible.
Kwon Kyung-soo was essential to his survival here.
His personality and values aside, Sion’s judgment was based solely on Kyung-soo’s physical abilities.
Sion subtly called out to him.
“Kyung-soo.”
“Yes, Sion?”
“…”
Sion hesitated before speaking.
“It’ll be hard to survive… with a personality like that.”
To Sion, it was sincere advice.
Kyung-soo’s eyelids fluttered briefly in surprise before he lowered his head.
“Oh, I see… Do you think so?”
Leaving behind a deflated Kyung-soo, Sion turned his gaze away.
Whatever happened, the rounds would continue.
Ahead of him stood K.
“A spectacular and intense battle. Truly outstanding.”
K clapped her hands as she approached.
Her slow clapping echoed ominously through the room.
The sound was chilling.
The people inside the barricade, startled, rose to their feet and warily watched her.
But despite their hostility, K smiled and spoke.
“Whoa, whoa, calm down. I’m here to manage you, not to threaten you.”
K leaped over the barricade in one smooth motion.
She strolled among the people, clapping her hands.
“Well then, survivors of the tutorial, congratulations! You’ve cleared the first stage. This proves that you’re at least a little different from mere livestock that only consume resources.”
Pop! Pop!
Fireworks burst from thin air, filling the sky.
“Now, the real Round 1 begins. It’s going to be so much fun, everyone.”
K grinned mischievously as she surveyed the crowd.
Then, she began walking on air.
It was as if there were invisible stairs, elevating her so that everyone could see her.
All eyes were on K.
At this point, no one dared to oppose her.
“Well then, since the tutorial is over, let’s officially start the League. The first round has already begun in China; now it’s Korea, Japan, and Mongolia’s turn. Ladies and gentlemen, let me formally introduce myself. I’m Administrator K, in charge of the East Asia branch. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
K bowed politely to the crowd.
No one clapped.
K lifted her head naturally and continued.
“As your administrator, you’ll see me often during the League. If you have any complaints or requests as the League progresses, feel free to tell me—within policy constraints, of course.”
At that moment, a brave man shouted.
“Is that a joke?!”
K turned her head toward the man.
He was sitting alone in a corner, sobbing.
“You’re asking us to voice our complaints or requests? Then send us home immediately!”
Without hesitation, K replied to his demand.
“Hmm… That’s not possible. It violates policy. Didn’t I already give you a chance to opt out of the policy earlier?”
“That wasn’t… a real choice! Rejecting the policy means… killing people… killing people…!”
A nearby woman chimed in angrily.
K shifted her gaze to the woman and spoke again.
“You can only request things that fall within the policy’s scope. What I’ve done so far was entirely legitimate.”
“Why… why are you doing this…?”
A student asked K, his voice trembling.
K replied kindly to the student as well.
“Well, I’m just an employee. All policy decisions come from higher-ups. It’s unfortunate that Earth was designated as Anomalies. You know, when I was younger, Earthlings always seemed adorable at the zoo. Oh! I even have an Earthling doll at home. My father got it for me from a claw machine when I was little. So, believe me, I really like you all.”
Zoo… doll… employee…
Sion mentally noted those three words from K’s speech.
K continued.
“But don’t worry! If you win the League, you’ll gain rewards beyond your imagination. I guarantee it. Now, any more questions?”
Despite her enthusiasm, no one else spoke.
This time, Sion raised his hand.
K looked at him with a smirk and said,
“Yes, Sion?”
“What’s going to happen next?”
“Ah, I can’t tell you that. You’re not qualified yet.”
Qualified.
Sion etched that word into his memory again.
After Sion’s question, silence fell over the room once more.
K scanned the group before speaking again.
“Well, since it seems there are no more questions, let’s prepare to officially start the game.”
Clap, clap—pop!
With two claps from K, a large gacha machine appeared in midair.
It was transparent and round, filled with brightly colored capsules.
It looked exactly like the ones Sion remembered seeing at stationery stores as a child.
“Let me explain the theme of this League. Listen carefully, everyone. Now then, come out, my little helpers!”
At K’s shout toward the sky, winged cherubs appeared from thin air.
They marched in formation.
The cherubs held trumpets and blew them vigorously.
Bwooouuuuummm~!!!!
The cheerful fanfare filled the room.
One cherub at the center addressed the crowd loudly.
“This League’s theme will now be announced, you filthy Anomalies!”
Despite their cute appearance, their words were harsh.
Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom!
Two cherubs on either side beat drums.
Four more cherubs, holding spears, flanked them.
Finally, the cherub holding the fanfare trumpet shouted excitedly.
“It’s the King Game!”
The entire area buzzed with commotion.
The cherubs, seemingly thrilled, spun around in midair.
And then, a 3D hologram map unfolded in midair.
It was a 3D map of this shopping mall.
Moreover, the locations of all the people were marked on it.
Sion quickly examined the map.
A few people were clustered on each floor, in groups of three or four.
On the seventh floor, where they currently were, dozens of people were gathered.
On the eleventh floor as well, dozens of people were assembled.
Most of the other floors had no more than three people each.
Amid the chaotic atmosphere, one of the cherubs spoke.
“Now, we’ll reveal the first official rule of this League! The official rules are immutable! Alright, alright! I’ll now unveil the three immutable rulebooks decided by the Universal Supreme Council!”
Ba-ba-ba-bam!!!
Another fanfare echoed.
To Sion, the cheerful sound was now simply irritating.
Suppressing his annoyance, he focused as a giant book materialized in midair.
Schrrrrrrk!
The book flipped through its pages before stopping at a particular section.
The text was then magnified as a hologram.
Sion read the text carefully.
▶
[Official Round 1 Rules]
[<Ⅰ> Basic Rule: The selected ‘King’ and ‘Citizens’ must protect their designated area and safeguard their King. If the King in a group is killed, all subjects and citizens under that King will automatically be eliminated from the League. If citizens wish to change their affiliation, they may do so with the approval of the majority of their current King and citizens. However, no more than three people can change affiliations in one day, and a King’s designation is final and cannot be changed once selected.]
[<Ⅱ> Disarmament Period: From 11 PM to midnight every day, all acts of aggression, including attacks, confinement, or threats, are strictly prohibited.]
[<Ⅲ> Final Victory Condition: The survival of only one faction in the area. The King and citizens of the surviving faction will advance to the next round.]
▶
Sion quickly scanned and organized the text displayed in midair.
The content wasn’t particularly difficult to understand.
Simply put, it was a game where the designated “King” of an area must kill the other “Kings” while protecting their own.
Citizens and other individuals could be used tactically and strategically to take down opposing Kings.
In short, it was like a game of chess.
Except that one’s “pieces” could switch allegiance to the other side at any time.
‘The first location is this shopping mall.’
A confined space.
A limited number of people.
Monsters closing in.
The people here would have to kill each other and fight over territory until a final victor emerged.
In short, this was a battlefield.
A battlefield filled with death and darkness.
Sion roughly understood the game’s rules.
What remained now was how the Kings would be chosen.
Three avatars emerged from the hologram window.
Each had a different skin color: black, red, and blue.
“When a King dies, all subjects and citizens under that King also die. Like this!”
The blue avatar stabbed the red avatar with a sword, killing it.
At that moment, all avatars associated with the red King also perished.
And they died brutally.
They were hanged, beheaded, or torn apart limb by limb in gruesome ways.
The sight of the tiny avatars dying so horrifically was deeply unsettling.
Inside the closed space, the avatars collapsed one by one.
Then, they began devouring the fallen.
As if foreshadowing their own future, the animation didn’t end.
Sion averted his gaze.
He didn’t want to watch any longer.
Taking over from the cherub, K spoke.
“Well, well, everyone. Now it’s time for the moment you’ve been waiting for: the selection of your Kings! The Kings will be chosen by the Supreme Council.”
K reached into the gacha machine.
She swirled her hand around the capsules inside and pulled out three of them.
Sion couldn’t tell how this method was connected to the Supreme Council’s decision-making process.
The three capsules floated in midair.
Sion stared at the capsules, thinking.
The more he experienced this world, the more it felt like a game.
K picked up one capsule and retrieved a small piece of paper from inside.
“Alright, let’s reveal it now! The first Kings, chosen to lead and save humanity in this ruined world!”
Everyone focused their attention on her.
Not a single person made a sound.
Some looked skeptical, but even they understood by now.
Defying the Administrator meant only death.
Their only way to survive was to win this cursed game.
The expressions of the people were filled with despair.
Seeing this, K smiled.
She held the piece of paper aloft and displayed it to the front.
On it was a single name.