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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: Rankings and the Madness Merchant
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'Score acquisition ranking?'
A system even veteran Kang Seol didn't know about.
It seemed like something newly added.
Beep.
The crowd, which had been as noisy as a bustling marketplace, suddenly fell silent all at once, everyone staring at something floating in their vision.
It was a ranking of adventurers' scores, displayed alongside two lines of text.
[Information is private.]
[Your score is 327,600 points.]
1. Private (327,600)
2. WhatIsThisHappening (150,030)
3. Private (137,120)
4. FireAnt (110,570)
5. YahooSekai (104,200)
Exposed in the rankings.
More than that, the fact that everything was translated into Korean suggested all the players around him were Korean.
'Or maybe only Koreans were transferred, or it's a Korean server….'
Recalling what Cordon had said, the latter seemed more likely.
He had spoken of the merging of worlds, which implied something on a scale far beyond nations.
"3rd place, 320,000 points?"
"I barely hit 50,000!"
"That guy over there! He's the one behind this! How else do you explain that score?"
"My party lost more than three members… We fought that hard and didn't even break 100,000…"
People who had come through an asura field.
How terrifying it must have been to be dropped alone into the Eternal World, Pandea.
They had confirmed each other as players and wept bitterly.
And at the same time, eyed each other warily and with jealousy.
No one here guaranteed survival.
But there was one absolute truth.
The smart or the strong had a higher chance of surviving.
Everyone gathered here must have realized that truth.
"Who is it? Hiding because they've got something to hide, right?"
"Does anyone know why this happened?"
"The people on that ranking board must know!"
Clothes soaked in blood, faces marred by severe burns, arms severed—people of all kinds.
They had all survived hell.
As sharpened blades pointed uncertainly, unable to trust anyone, another message appeared.
[Rest begins.]
[Base camp rest begins.]
[Rest 1. Free City Kongori]
Rest 1. 'Free City Kongori'
A southern free city in the Eternal World, Pandea. Abundant in resources, with high citizen happiness.
Recently plagued by the Rock Fang trolls—demons of Pointy Rock Mountain—but with all five leaders dead, the crisis has been resolved.
Adventurers must rest and train here sufficiently before preparing for the next adventure.
Objective: Rest and regroup.
Failure: Fatigue.
Remaining time 「About 30 days」
[You acquire an Adventurer ID.]
[You have remaining adventure points. Visit the Adventurers' Association to convert them to rank.]
"Rest? S-suddenly?"
"A whole month? What the…"
"At least it's not telling us to die."
People stood around dumbly near Kongori's main gate walls.
The Adventurer ID served as identification for entering the city, so there shouldn't be any issues with everyone going in.
The only problem was their numbers.
'Just how many did they dump into the same city?'
Kang Seol watched the situation for a moment, then seemed to realize something and headed straight for the gate.
"W-where's that guy going?"
"Is Private here somewhere?"
The gate guards saw Kang Seol approaching but showed no particular wariness.
Kang Seol presented his new Adventurer ID, and the guard, without suspicion, thumbed over his shoulder to let him through.
Seeing this, the other players rushed toward the gate in a swarm.
"Let's get in and rest first!"
"Yeah, we can talk important stuff tomorrow!"
"D-don't push!"
"Move!"
The roads were well-maintained for carriages, and the city's residents went about their daily lives.
'Those who just transferred are probably the last ones?'
In Kang Seol's second adventure, the incident had occurred due to differences in transfer times.
Rest phases likely had varying transfer times too. In that case, those who finished adventures first would have swept up every available room.
But given the city's size, some rooms might still be left.
Until the horde now surging toward the gate snatched them up.
Kang Seol quietly opened the door of an inn labeled "Barley's Haven."
Creeeak—
"Who's there?"
"I'd like a room…"
"ID first."
Thud.
Kang Seol handed over his Adventurer ID.
"Any rooms available?"
"There's one expensive one left…"
As expected.
A little later, and he might have spent the night on the streets.
"I'll take that one."
"Just one night?"
"A month."
"A—a month? Well… the guests earlier said the same… Ten gold coins."
"Expensive room, huh."
To Kang Seol, who knew this world's currency value, it felt a bit steep, but it was too late for alternatives.
"That's why it's still available, right? Add two more gold, and I'll throw in meals and baths."
"Deal."
"Haha! Quite decisive! Top floor, right side!"
Jingle…
Kang Seol took the key and climbed the creaky stairs.
The bushy-bearded innkeeper hurriedly pocketed the gold and asked.
"The bath?"
"Morning, please."
"Got it."
Click.
Entering the room, Kang Seol took in the interior at a glance.
Clean, hygienic bedding—nothing more, nothing less.
Given the circumstances, that was luxury enough. As long as he didn't catch something in his sleep.
Kang Seol postponed everything until tomorrow.
Today had been utterly exhausting.
Over 24 hours awake, starting with a filthy nightmare, and now his jaw ached from the game he'd played for 17 years.
Rustle.
Karuna's shadow emerged as Kang Seol shed his outer clothes and lay down.
"Keep watch while I sleep."
"…Understood."
The moment his head hit the feather pillow, sleep crashed over Kang Seol.
[A comfortable bed. Chance of sufficient rest increases.]
[A clean bed. Chance of peak condition tomorrow increases.]
Suddenly, unease stirred.
'No way I end up there again, right?'
Probably not.
If they meant to kill him, Cordon wouldn't have stepped in from the start.
Unable to fight the encroaching drowsiness any longer, Kang Seol drifted into sleep.
* * *
Dreams are strange things.
They can paint the longed-for illusions, filling you with elation, or show horrifyingly grotesque scenes, plunging you into nightmares.
Right now, Kang Seol opened his eyes in pitch-black darkness.
He knew it was a dream but couldn't wake up.
A lucid dream.
His chronic affliction, suffered for 17 years.
Could it really vanish overnight?
'At least I didn't wake up in the heavens this time.'
Then, a message appeared before his eyes.
[Someone takes interest in the madness you've collected.]
[The Madness Merchant 'Jannet' appears.]
"Madness… merchant?"
Unfamiliar phrasing, unfamiliar system.
Kang Seol was full of surprises today.
Creeeeeeeeeeak—!
Followed by a hair-raising screech, the surroundings slowly brightened.
No, "brightened" was wrong—it was too gloomy a blood-red hue.
The crimson light filled the space as someone with horns on their head and a demon mask pushed open the door and entered.
They sniffed the air immediately upon entering.
"Sniff sniff… sniff… What a fine aroma. Did I find you first? Faster than that Therad bastard."
"…Who are you?"
"You don't seem particularly shocked to see me. Human… was it?"
"Hu… man?"
Anyone saying it like that clearly wasn't human.
Kang Seol tensed, focusing on the conversation.
Jannet snorted and bowed at the waist.
"Oh dear, scaring a customer? A fine merchant I'd be then. Pleased to meet you. I'm Jannet, one of the merchants handling mid-tier trades in this world merger."
"Mid-tier trades? World… merger?"
Even Kang Seol—the only human who knew of the world merger—struggled to grasp Jannet's words.
"See, this is why dealing with you sold ones is such a hassle…"
"You're saying I was sold? Not human?"
"Listen closely. Your owners sold off the inhabitants of both worlds amid the merger."
"What? Sold to who?"
"The inhabitants of yet another world. They were probably cackling at you until moments ago. In short, you're slaves or gladiators sold to a circus troupe."
"...So?"
"They pay with madness for the spectacle. The driving force opposite faith that keeps the worlds turning."
"And you?"
"I sell goods to you in exchange for the madness you gather. Of course, a cut goes to your former owners as commission."
Now Cordon's words made perfect sense.
- Snowman, there's only one way to save you and your kind. Reach the final adventure, Ascension. Standing out as much as possible will help. Madness is useful to the gods too, but it'll serve you as well.
The gods were selling humans and Pandea's residents to collect madness.
His eye-catching actions entertained another world's inhabitants, earning madness.
The emotion stirring in Kang Seol wasn't betrayal or humiliation.
He'd already drowned in those once before.
He still remembered the black line scarred across his throat.
'Now the system makes sense.'
Relief washed over him instead.
Knowing the setup clarified priorities—unnecessary actions versus vital ones.
'Escaping this hell really all comes down to Ascension… But I've gathered madness?'
Kang Seol asked Jannet.
"Since you came all this way, I must have some madness, huh."
"Hmm… Straight to the point: yes. And quite a lot."
"A lot? How much?"
Did madness accumulate that easily?
Kang Seol pondered briefly, then nodded, recalling his far-from-smooth adventures.
Jannet mumbled, flexing fingers.
Bad at math, apparently.
"Three thousand. Exactly 3,000 points."
"Is that a lot?"
"To me, immersed in this business, it's so-so. To you all, it's plenty."
"No sense of scale…"
"Put it this way: you've gathered the most madness so far."
"...."
Jannet grinned.
"Second place was hot on your heels but died in the last adventure. Such a shame. Anyway, care to trade?"
"What can I buy?"
Whoosh!
A massive info dump flooded Kang Seol's vision instantly. Enough to make his head throb.
Kang Seol picked out two that caught his eye first.
[Various Spice Jar]
Grade: Unique
Level Requirement: None
Weight: 0.1kg
Special: Holds large quantities of spices in a small jar. Basic spices only.
[Fresh Ingredient Pouch]
Grade: Unique
Level Requirement: None
Weight: 0.1kg
Special: Prevents ingredients from rotting or spoiling. Temperature adjustable per compartment; holds considerable volume. Only cookable ingredients; some specific types cannot be stored.
"…You pick the odd ones?"
Kang Seol had browsed the purchasables with madness.
Immediately useful ones were overkill, and future-useful ones demanded hefty madness.
"Nothing catches my eye."
"Grrrr… That wounds my pride as Jannet! Fine! How about this?"
Jannet pulled something from their bosom, emanating strange light.
"Hmm…"
Kang Seol nearly gasped upon seeing it.
It was something he knew.