Chapter 236 - Special Rules
Have you waited long enough? If you're ready, let's start the game right now!
With the angels' cry, a message appeared.
[Wave 1]
[Players: 4,608 vs Skeletons: 9,216]
[Next wave will start in 30 minutes.]
"Skeletons?"
The players who confirmed their opponents chuckled.
"They must be easy since it's the first time."
Even if around 10,000 skeletons appeared as opponents, the players wouldn't feel intimidated.
Would a cat fear a crowd of mice?
Maybe before, but the skeletons now weren't any different from mice in front of a cat.
After all, there wasn't anyone among the players who wasn't a master rank.
"Skeletons are our opponents?"
"Are they underestimating us?"
"Even if three times more skeletons appeared than usual, it wouldn't be a problem."
Though people scoffed as if they were dealing with goblins, Ryu Min showed no change in his expression.
Because he knew this wasn't the end.
And it didn't take long before his thought was confirmed.
[Special rules will be applied for 30 minutes to adjust the balance.]
[Special rules for Wave 1 are revealed.]
<Special Rule: Physical damage inflicted on skeletons is reduced by 70%.>
When the new message appeared, the players' demeanor changed.
"What... what is this? This message!"
"The damage skeletons receive is reduced by 70%?"
"Are they insane?"
"These rules were never mentioned before."
Basically, it meant someone who would normally die from one hit now would need three hits to die.
It was a moment when insignificant bones instantly strengthened like diamonds.
Though Ryu Min and the followers of the Church of the Four Gods already knew, unlike those who were bewildered.
"The angels were aiming for this. To see the players' reaction."
Maybe they were laughing in the sky seeing the confusion, but it didn't matter.
"Even if they reduce the damage by 99%, skeletons will still be vulnerable to a single hit."
While Ryu Min looked confidently forward, the monsters were summoned.
Snap, snap.
Thousands of skeletons suddenly filled the meadow.
Though players staggered at their imposing presence, it was only for a moment.
"Let's not retreat before these weaklings!"
"Let's go!"
"Aaah!"
Was their pride wounded by fearing the skeletons?
The players clashed with the skeletons with confidence and enthusiasm.
Clash, clash!
Clink, clink!
Crack, crack!
All sorts of skills flew between the monsters and the players.
They didn't have to worry about their allies getting hurt.
After all, they were in a group and wouldn't take damage.
"Let's attack without worrying about hurting each other!"
Though they were full of confidence, melee dealers were more surprised than expected.
The mages behind them were more relaxed.
"A Fireball is coming! Be careful... Oh, why should you worry?"
Kwakwakwakwang!
To them, the skeletons were just low-level enemies.
Since only the reduction of physical damage applied.
"In short, it's an ideal wave for mages to contribute."
Ryu Min, laughing, swung his scythe towards the approaching skeletons.
Kwajijijik!
With one swing, twenty skeletons turned into bone dust.
This was made possible by the [Black Scythe of Thanatos], a god-rank weapon.
"What, what just happened?"
"They all suddenly turned into dust!"
The players looking back finally could see it.
Ryu Min's extended scythe swept the battlefield like a giant's hand.
Kwaddudeuk!
Kwajajajak!
Kwajijijijik!
Each swing wiped out dozens of skeletons.
After ten swings, hundreds had disappeared, and after a hundred, thousands.
"Is the damage reduction being applied, right?"
"But he's sweeping them all away at once!"
"They must be equally massive damages."
"Phew..."
Some looked on in awe as Ryu Min cleared out the skeletons.
It was such an incredible scene that it was overwhelming and made one forget about the battle.
[Time remaining until next wave: 00:24:20]
[Remaining monster count: 97]
Players who opened the mission progress window were perplexed.
Not even five minutes had passed, and barely a hundred remained.
Kwajijik!
Even those disappeared in less than five seconds.
[No monsters remaining on the field.]
[Dead players: 0]
[Please wait for the next wave.]
The remains of the skeletons lying on the meadow vanished without a trace.
The meadow, now clean as if it had been swept, left the players with an empty laugh.
"Bro, how many did you kill?"
"Just five..."
"Wow, you killed more than me! I got three?"
"Probably half of the monsters were taken out by the Black Scythe, right?"
"This time sure will be the top contribution."
"Anyway, since we're a team, we should leave some for ourselves..."
Ignoring the murmuring players, Ryu Min looked for Min Juri.
"You were here. Also, Seo Arin."
"Oh... Black Scythe."
Surprise filled Min Juri and Seo Arin's faces.
"You're amazing. Defeating so many alone..."
"It's no big deal. But seriously, I was expecting to receive some buffs."
"Oh, I should've come to give them to you! I'll put them on you right away!"
Min Juri bestowed a set of three buffs onto Ryu Min.
Actually, he was already strong enough without the buffs, but it was better to be prepared for any eventuality.
"Like last time, maybe an archangel will appear."
Ryu Min was preparing to use the devil's blessing, so he wanted to have the buffs beforehand.
After 25 minutes, the second wave began.
[Second Wave]
[Players 4,608 vs. Gargoyles 9,216]
[Next wave will start in 30 minutes.]
[Special rules will be applied for 30 minutes to adjust the balance.]
[Special rules for the Second Wave will be revealed.]
<Special: Gargoyles' movement speed doubles.>
This time, the monsters to face were Gargoyles, considered weaker than skeletons.
"However, the conversation changes when movement is doubled."
There's a saying that the best offense is the best defense, but in reality, the best defense is to avoid being hit.
If you're never hit in the first place, it's zero damage, and being fast means you can strike the opponent first.
In short, underestimating double movement speed can be a grave mistake.
"This time, even mages will have trouble. Enhanced gargoyles can easily dodge magic."
Mages already have enough trouble, not to mention melee fighters.
How easy is it to deal with flying monsters?
Of course, all of this didn't apply to Ryu Min.
"Kyaaah!"
"Keek!"
As he threw his scythe towards the flying gargoyles, dozens fell dead.
Trying to dodge Ryu Min's attacks by flying higher was futile.
"Area-wide emission."
Fshhhhh!
All gargoyles within a 30-meter radius were annihilated without a trace.
"With lightning runes, it's easy to catch them."
Attacks using darkness runes were also quite useful.
Kwakwakwakwak!
As if memorized, the darkness dagger flew, piercing through the heads of the gargoyles without giving them a chance to escape.
As a result, it didn't even take 5 minutes to clear around 10,000 gargoyles.
"Hey, how many have you killed?"
"None..."
"I'm not the only one who hasn't killed any..."
"It doesn't seem like we need to be here, right?"
"It looks like we're going to have to sit tight for another 25 minutes."
The players secretly sighed at Ryu Min's dominant behavior.
Although it was easy to clear thanks to Black Scythe, if everything continued like this, they could be wiped out.
"I've almost cleared up to the second wave by myself."
At this point, being the first to contribute was practically the same.
"From now on, while we take things easy, we'll join forces in the most important wave, the tenth."
With that thought in mind, Ryu Min turned his head.
There were many familiar faces where he looked.
Min Juri, Seo Arin, Christine, Jeffrey, Yamti, Joo Sung-taek, Heo Taeseok, Eom Jun-seok, Jo Yong-ho, and many others.
There were even members from various nationalities who had recently joined.
They had all gathered here following Ryu Min's orders to gather at the end of the second wave.
"Everyone has come as promised. Since we're a group, fighting together should be safer and more efficient."
Everyone paid attention to Ryu Min's words.
"As I predicted, I've cleared almost everything up to the second wave. However, I plan to leave the rest to you starting from the third wave. I'm not foolish enough to take away your contributions, you know?"
The sect members who had already received instructions in reality nodded their heads.
"Sometimes, I'll take care of the monsters that seem more dangerous and evaluate the situation. So, please, do your best to accumulate contributions calmly. The most I can do is up to here. It's up to you whether you get wiped out or not. Understood?"
"Yes."
After a vigorous response, Ryu Min took a break.
Although there were many waves ahead, there was no risk of any of his companions being eliminated.
That was because they were all talented and skilled.
"Mr. Black Scythe."
At that moment, a familiar face approached Ryu Min.
"Victor, Russell, Sophia."
Victor, an alchemist, and Russell, a blacksmith, had come to find Ryu Min.
Victor's younger sister, Sophia, was also present.
"What's going on here?"
"I'm about to offer you some freshly made potions."
"Potions?"
Victor pulled out a bunch of potions from his inventory.
"These are potions I've created after becoming a master, so they should be more effective than the ones I gave you before."
They were high-level potions that increased stats by 16.
"Thank you. They're sure to be helpful."
"You're welcome. Compared to the favor Black Scythe did for us, this is insignificant. Haha."
Victor laughed, and Sophia also looked at Ryu Min with admiration and respect.
After all, he had saved her from a dangerous situation.
At that moment, Russell looked at Ryu Min and spoke.
"Mr. Black Scythe, I see you've changed your weapon. Can I bother you for a moment? I'll give you a buff."
"Of course."
Russell applied buffs to the weapons and armor.
Reading his mind, Ryu Min realized they had only come to give him a buff.
"Why are so many people coming to me for something so trivial...?"
He recalled his appearance in the previous cycle.
The solitary fight he had experienced for dozens of cycles.
"Now I have many companions compared to back then."
Ryu Min smiled unknowingly.
"Well, now that I've given them everything they need, I'll be off."
"Oh, wait a moment. Why don't you join the Church of the Four Gods while you're here?"
"The Church of the Four Gods?"
"Yes, Master Heo."
"Yes."
When Heo Taeseok ran towards them, Ryu Min introduced him with a smile.
"They're people who helped me. Explain to them about the Church of the Four Gods and help them join if they want."
"Understood. It shouldn't take long. Follow me..."
After listening to the explanations, the three of them accepted to join without hesitation.
Given the good feeling they had towards Ryu Min, it was a natural outcome.
"Now all my friends are in the Church of the Four Gods."
Now he could look after them in every round, thanks to the Church of the Four Gods.
After the trolls came the Blood Orcs, golems, the minotaur, and finally the High Orcs.
Although several stronger monsters gradually appeared, no players were injured.
They had Black Scythe, who could be considered their last line of defense.
"Kuiiiik!"
The High Orc who had been the boss of the fifth level was easily defeated by the joint attack of the players.
Master-level players, with their vast combat experience, were no match for a simple High Orc.
"Wow! It's finally the tenth level!"
"What kind of wave will be the last?"
"Mr. Black Scythe, do you know anything about it?"
"All I can say is that you shouldn't participate."
After giving them a quick advice, Ryu Min prepared for the final wave.
"Now, I must prepare to complete the secondary mission."
They had managed to overcome the waves up to the ninth, but the tenth was difficult to overcome.
Even for Ryu Min.
"That's why I chose invincibility as a special reward."
It's not that his opponent was strong enough to need invincibility.
It's just that it was so dangerous that it was better to be prepared.
"But shouldn't the archangel appear?"
While fighting frantically, Ryu Min kept his senses alert in his surroundings.
But the archangel showed no signs of appearing.
"They're not the ones to retreat like this..."
Or maybe they're sensing a crisis and planning some strategy?
Is this an advance or rather a retreat?
"It's an unknown matter. We can't let our guard down until the end."
We have to handle the Tenth Assault effectively to complete the secondary mission.
While thinking about that, Ryu Min turned his head and saw a man who hurriedly avoided his gaze.
"What are you doing? Wait a moment."
Ryu Min carefully examined the man who seemed to be wandering.
His nickname seemed familiar in some way.
"Nickname... something related to food?"
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