Attrition

Just as different chefs can create vastly different flavors using the same ingredients, different outcomes can emerge from using the same cards depending on how they’re played.

Yuseong had two cards in hand.

One was the three items he was set to receive from the rankers while impersonating an administrator, and the other was the worsened atmosphere due to the fake hidden piece.

Yuseong’s original plan was to create conflict by randomly distributing the items received from the rankers to both rankers and non-rankers.

However, this plan had one issue, or more precisely, one shortcoming.

‘No matter how much I fan the flames and add fuel, the scale of fighting won’t grow beyond a certain point. At best, they’ll fight for a day or two, or in the worst case, it might end up as individual disputes.’

It’s not like his values had changed after spending years in another world, nor had he grown accustomed to killing people.

Except for some unusual individuals, for most people, a few items weren’t enough motivation to fight to the death.

The purpose of this plan was merely to make them waste time that should be spent hunting monsters, not to make them kill each other.

However, everything changed the moment a new card called regressor was added.

‘…A fight to the death. It might actually be possible if done right.’

A few items aren’t enough reason to risk one’s life.

But what if he combined selling false information, distributing fake hidden pieces, various scams, and everything else he had done so far?

If all those incidents were planned by certain people, and if those certain people were few enough to count on one hand, would people still try to avoid fighting then?

‘There’s a chance.’

This plan could only proceed when the regressor wasn’t in the village.

After waiting all day without seeing any sign of the regressor’s group, Yuseong headed to the southern area just in case, and seeing them head straight to the eastern area where the only remaining boss monster was after defeating a boss monster, he immediately put his plan into action.

“Did you hear? Someone saw the beggar in the northern area.”

“Beggar? What beggar?”

“You know, that beggar who appeared on the third and fourth days.”

“What? That bastard appeared? Really?”

“I only heard rumors so I don’t know. But what’s interesting is that they say he wasn’t alone but had companions.”

They just didn’t know who the culprit was.

People already knew that all the incidents so far were caused by someone with malicious intent, and they were searching desperately for the culprit.

Yuseong began spreading information about the culprit – that is, information about the regressor – to such people.

Normally, rumors without substance wouldn’t get much response, but as he had done so far, Yuseong skillfully mixed truth with lies.

“The boss monster in the northern area was defeated?”

“It’s true. I saw it with my own eyes.”

“That’s impossible. Who could have defeated a monster that even high-ranking rankers don’t dare challenge?”

“Those scammers might be able to. Even being conservative, the total damage from their scams so far is at least 2 million gold. If they invested all that money in skills and items, a boss monster would be…”

A mysterious scammer and a suddenly appearing mysterious powerful party.

When these two facts were combined, there was only one conclusion.

“Those bastards are the scammers!”

People’s reactions were truly explosive.

And Yuseong drove in the final nail to the atmosphere that was about to explode.

“It’s been a while.”

“……”

“Why are you looking at me like that? Is there something you want to ask?”

“Ah, no. There’s been a lot going on lately, so I unconsciously… Ahem, did you come to enhance items?”

“That’s right. Only three items are possible.”

“I would like these enhanced.”

“Enhancement takes place in a special space that only administrators can enter. Since it will take a long time until the enhancement is complete, wait here.”

Perhaps because they had been deceived too many times?

Though some people hesitated occasionally, the rankers all handed over their items without exception, seemingly not even considering the possibility that someone would impersonate an administrator.

What followed was simple.

Using the items as bait for the regressor’s group, spreading stories about seeing a bandaged person fleeing to draw the angry people to a specific location, and instigating conflict between the two groups.

Stab!

“Nooooo!”

Honestly speaking, it was so easy it was disconcerting.

The regressor’s group, who had too much confidence in themselves, took the bait disappointingly easily, and the people blinded by rage fell for the instigation simply.

‘I need to maximize the damage.’

For Yuseong, who was aiming for a high ranking, it wouldn’t do for either side to win easily.

Using Thorny Vine to bind their feet in the first battle was just the beginning.

Yuseong controlled the balance by helping the rankers when the regressor’s group seemed to be gaining the upper hand, and helping the regressor’s group when the rankers seemed to be winning, resulting in exponential growth of casualties on both sides.

What he was doing now was also part of balance control.

“Wait, could that be an item over there?”

“What nonsense… Oh?”

Two men who appeared to be friends spotted items on the ground and made dumbfounded expressions.

Not cheap items that just looked fancy on the outside, but items of considerable performance.

Originally, they had been thinking of returning to the village, frightened by combat that was far more intense than expected.

Though losing the items was regrettable, it wasn’t worth risking their lives over.

However, when they actually obtained items they had given up on, their thoughts changed slightly.

‘It’s similar performance to what we used to have. If we can get two more, we can recover our losses.’

‘If we can pick up dropped items like this without having to fight…’

After exchanging meaningful glances, the two men who had divided the armor and boots between themselves turned around and returned to where they had been.

Watching this from a distance, Yuseong lowered his bow with a satisfied smile.

He had been planning to shoot an arrow if they tried to just collect items and return to the village, but thanks to these quick-witted friends, he fortunately avoided bloodshed.

Afterward, Yuseong continued running around everywhere, encouraging people’s fighting spirit in various ways.

‘I’ll end it tonight.’

Though the preliminary stage’s time limit was fifteen days, it wasn’t clear exactly when it would end.

In an extreme case, the preliminary stage might end the moment it turned to the fifteenth day, so everything needed to be wrapped up before the fourteenth day – today – ended.

Finding the regressor’s group wasn’t difficult.

Actually, there wasn’t even a need to search.

The place where most people gathered was where the regressor’s group was.

No matter if he was a regressor, unless he had the ability to fly into the sky or sink into the ground, it was impossible to escape or hide from the gaze of hundreds of people.

‘They’ve completely given up on disguise.’

At first, they searched for places to hide like trees or between rocks, but after three days and nights of pursuit made them realize such efforts were useless, the regressor’s group started just resting in convenient places.

There were three of them total.

The young man who was the regressor and a boy and girl who appeared to be siblings.

The middle-aged man who had been acting as tank had exceptional defense, but unable to withstand the accumulated damage from numerous rankers’ attacks, he had fallen this morning.

‘It was good to kill the priest first.’

The moment they lost their priest, the regressor party’s combat sustainability was greatly reduced.

Moreover, while this side could rest in shifts and recover from fatigue due to their numbers, the regressor and his party had too few people to even properly rest.

Though the young regressor still seemed to have some stamina left, the siblings looked like they might collapse at any moment with dark circles under their eyes.

Creak.

Yuseong aimed his bow at the regressor’s group.

He didn’t target the regressor.

Attempting a clumsy ambush against someone with senses keener than an animal’s would just waste arrows.

Naturally, that left the siblings.

After looking back and forth between the boy and girl, Yuseong soon decided on his target and released the bowstring.

Swoosh!

A satisfied smile spread across the girl’s face as she deflected the arrow aimed at the boy’s heart.

However, that smile changed in less than a second.

Because the deflected arrow exploded, creating thick fog in the surroundings.

Whoosh whoosh whoosh!

Countless special arrows flew through the fog.

Though he couldn’t aim precisely due to the fog, that level of error could be sufficiently covered by the special arrows’ abilities.

“Kyaaah!”

“Now’s our chance!”

“Everyone move! I’m going first!”

When the girl’s scream rang out, people who had been waiting like hyenas for an opportunity began charging in.

The first to arrive was Ha Seo-jun carrying a huge spear.

“Die!”

The spear that flew in with a terrifying cry.

Its speed and force were on a completely different level from a few days ago.

This was because he had somewhat recovered his abilities using items obtained from defeating members of the regressor’s group.

Clang!

A sword shot out from within the fog to block the incoming spear.

The speed and force of Han Sang-jin’s sword were also on a completely different level from a few days ago.

However, unlike Ha Seo-jun, the difference was for the worse.

This was because his stamina had nearly hit bottom due to three days and nights of pursuit and repeated battles.

“Tired, are you? Felt like a fly landing on my spear.”

Han Sang-jin showed no reaction to Ha Seo-jun’s mockery.

If he had strength to speak, it would be more beneficial to save that strength to swing his sword one more time.

The rankers who arrived after Ha Seo-jun began launching coordinated attacks against Han Sang-jin calmly.

Though he looked like he might collapse at any moment, no one let their guard down.

This was because they had seen Han Sang-jin display unbelievable abilities and break through encirclements several times before.

“Hmm.”

Watching the life-and-death battle between the regressor and rankers, Yuseong fell into brief contemplation about which side to help.

‘Though the regressor is at a disadvantage, there’s a high chance he still have hidden cards. If I help carelessly and the rankers get swept away while the regressor preserves his strength, things will get annoying later. But if I help the rankers, too many people will survive. The best outcome would be mutual destruction, but the chances of things working out so nicely are nil. For now, I should just observe the situation…’

Tap.

A small footstep.

Yuseong reflexively aimed his bow toward the source of the sound.

Beyond the darkness appeared a familiar girl’s face.

“…So this is where you were.”