“Eun-Ho!”

The roar of the Rocket Punch thundered through the air.

Through his Third Eye, Eun-Ho examined the man—or the creature—before him. Apparently, it did not possess any innate powers at all. That meant every ability it had shown until now had come from equipment-based skills, which was exactly why he had taken it.

The Bomber’s Gauntlet, Eun-Ho thought.

“It’s you, isn’t it! Hand it over right now!” the creature shouted furiously.

Eun-Ho smirked inwardly.

At least he’s not completely clueless. He actually realized I took it.

Of course, he had no intention of returning it. Instead, he ignored the shouting and calmly assessed the situation.

[0:31:59]

Roughly thirty minutes remained, which was plenty of time.

If I play this right, I might be able to keep them trapped here, and even take the American fortress for myself, he mused.

“Uh, look over there!” someone cried out in alarm.

“Forces are coming!”

“They’re heading toward the Americans! Are they reinforcements?”

A group was moving past their fortress, advancing toward the American side. There were maybe five or six hundred people at most. They appeared battered, as if they’d already fought one battle, and didn’t seem particularly threatening.

“It’ll be troublesome if the battlefield spreads too wide,” Eun-Ho muttered.

“What do you mean, it spreads?” Bo-Ra asked, confused.

[Death Swamp]

- An orb imbued with the boundless power of sand.

- When activated, the designated area turns into a deadly sand pit.

- Warning: the maximum range and duration depend on the user’s rank.

- Use Limit: 1 time

The spell’s range, meaning the area swallowed by the sand, depended entirely on one’s rank. He had no idea how large it would be.

I guess I’ll just have to try it and find out, Eun-Ho thought.

He grasped the cold sphere in both hands.

As soon as he did, a familiar voice pierced the air from the distance.

“Shadow Clone.”

“... What?!”

Pababababat!

The enemy force, which had barely numbered five or six hundred, instantly doubled.

“Did he say Shadow Clone just now?!”

“Then those aren’t Americans at all!”

Eun-Ho couldn’t even count how many there were now. Even though he couldn’t see their faces or heads, but he knew who they were. He’d fought against that power just yesterday.

“They’re Japanese! It’s Saito!”

“There are Turks and Indians mixed in too! Wait, are those ones the same ones from yesterday?!”

“Why are they here?!”

The swarm of clones, nearly a thousand now, began to move. Their steps slid smoothly across the ground, light as though walking on water. Weapons gleamed in their hands.

Clang—! Clang!

Thousands of ninja stars flew through the air, but not toward Eun-Ho’s side. They rained down on their enemies.

“W-wait a second! Instead of attacking us, why don’t you join in on the assault against Korea! Ugh!”

“I decline,” Saito replied curtly.

It was hard to believe, but the newcomer had apparently come to help.

“They came to help us.”

“No way! Did they come because he saved us at the Silvery Blade last night?”

“Yeah right! That idiot even gave them a place to stay,” Swear-Master added.

“Looks like he felt pretty thankful, huh!”

Eun-Ho’s side had killed the demons for the Welfare Points, and offered simply because there had been a spare.

“When this training is over... I’ll become your blade.”

Eun-Ho had refused the offer outright, but the fellow had still wanted to repay him in his own way. Besides, most of the people from Turkey and India had died to the demon the previous night.

“We won’t be much help, but we came to repay the debt!”

“We’ll at least try tying up their feet for a bit!”

Yet, despite being few in number, they had gathered and fought their way here.

Watching the group’s reactions, Bo-Ra waved her hand and asked, “But don’t they have their own fortress? What about that?”

Park Gong-chan answered for them. “They already gave up.”

“Gave up? They gave up their fortress?”

“Either that, or it’s already been taken.”

Following Gong-chan’s gaze, they all saw the Japanese stronghold. The flag that had read “JP” was now replaced by one that read “RUS.” Japanese forces numbered seven hundred, and apart from the clone technique, they didn’t appear to have anything special. That gap was something Saito alone couldn’t have overturned.

“You mean, their trial is already ruined, so they came to help because they can’t win anyway?” Bo-Ra asked.

“Yeah, it seems that way.”

Though he didn’t ask for help, Eun-Ho still appreciated it. “Ji-Eun.”

“Yes?”

“I’ll need your help. Could you lift me a bit?”

He had his own plan, after all.

With Ji-Eun’s help, he hovered over the heads of the reinforcements standing between the fortress and the siege army.

Then, inhaling sharply, he shouted, “Halt!”

The cry fell over the hundreds of Saitos and the auxiliary troops at once, and they froze.

“Thank you, but please step back for a moment,” he said.

Saito slid his ninja stars into his chest as if tucking a handkerchief away, then retreated. It took less than five seconds to open a gap. When Eun-Ho gestured in thanks, the clones’ gazes all snapped to him at once, as if asking what he was planning.

The Americans were panicking in the distance. When they noticed the figure floating in the sky, they began murmuring among themselves.

“That man is!”

“It’s Eun-Ho!”

“He came alone? Does he want to die?”

Some raised weapons and growled, but Eun-Ho didn’t worry. He was high enough that even the Giant’s jump wouldn’t reach him.

“Can you even kill me?” Eun-Ho replied.

“What did you say?!”

“You don't even have long-range attackers,” Eun-Ho said.

“What? How would you know whether we do or don’t?”

“If you did, you would’ve used them during the siege. You wouldn’t just rely on Rocket Punch and wait in the back.”

“How dare you! Shut up! Wanna get shot in the head?”

“Well, you guys haven't been using them.”

There were many with guns, but few actually fired them. They’d probably tried to press the attack early and seize the fortress in one go, only to be stopped by Bo-Ra’s mud wall.

Maybe they already used most of their cards, Eun-Ho thought.

If they had faced gunmen in earlier trials, those teams would have had to expend their strongest plays already.

With the silenced enemies staring up at him, Eun-Ho said, his voice calm but sharp, “I’ll give you a warning. Leave. Now.”

“You think we’ll listen to you?” one of them shouted back.

“Why the hell should we?!” another barked.

Of course, Eun-Ho’s words had no effect.

“Well,” he said with a shrug, “can’t be helped, then.”

“What are you talking abo—”

“Activate,” Eun-Ho whispered.

The word drifted out softly, dissolving into the air like smoke.

Shrrrk—

Almost immediately, a low hum filled the space. Yellow dust gathered and compressed, swirling together into a massive sphere. It was like a storm cloud made of sand, even just looking at it made their eyes sting.

The air grew painfully dry, scratching their throats and cracking their lips as if all moisture had been sucked away.

“Up there! Look up there!”

“What the hell is that?! What are you doing?!”

Then, as if responding to the strange sphere, the orb in his pocket vibrated with a low hum. Finally, a long-awaited message appeared before his eyes.

[The Death Swamp has been activated.]

[Please designate the area of effect.]

He raised his index finger, pointing straight toward the Americans’ last remaining main force.

[The area has been selected.]

[Borrowing the boundless power through designated user Lee Eun-Ho.]

[Power has been significantly reduced due to insufficient rank.]

[Current charges: 4/5]

“You little rat,” the Giant growled, “What trick are you trying to pull this time—”

Then, a deep vibration rippled through the ground, and the Giant’s expression hardened instantly.

Ssss—

The earth itself rippled like water and someone lost their footing and fell.

“Kuuh!”

Another collapsed at the same moment, clutching at his throat.

“I-I can’t breathe!”

“My legs! What’s happening to my legs?!”

“W-what is this?!”

Even the Giant had gone pale, lifting his head in panic.

“What the hell did you do, you bastard?!” he roared, trembling with rage.

He tried to wrench his feet free, but it was too late.

Shhhhhhk—!

The churning sand had formed a vast vortex, locking around his ankles.

“I can handle this!” he grunted, struggling.

Quickly, his knees sank.

“No, wait! Stop!”

His waist disappeared beneath the swirling sands.

“Aaaargh!”

Soon, even his chest was swallowed.

That was the nature of a swamp. The heavier the build, the harder it fought and the faster it sank, just like that fool.

“Pull me out! Get me out, damn it!” the Giant screamed, his voice breaking, his face twisted with desperation and rage.

“Oliver! Shrink your body!” someone yelled.

“I can’t! It’s not ready yet!” came the panicked reply.

Ah, Eun-Ho thought, so it takes time to shrink back once he’s enlarged.

[Subject Oliver]

- Gigantification(Lv. 12)

- Hardening(Lv. 5)

Eun-Ho had already confirmed that the Giant had no movement skills.

“You won’t die from this,” he said coolly. “So just stay there and rest until the trial is over.”

“H-how dare you!” the Giant rasped, his voice muffled beneath the sand.

In no time at all, Eun-Ho had calculated the limits of both his enemy’s power and his own!

Saito, who had already dispelled all his clones, stared at him in disbelief. “Just how far does your ability go?”

Eun-Ho gave a faint shrug. “Who knows.”

Strictly speaking, it wasn’t his power, but the item’s. He decided to leave it at that.

“W-what the hell are you doing?!”

Several people were clambering up the sinking Giant, using him as a stepping stone to escape the swamp.

“Stop climbing, you worms! You’ll drag me down!”

“We can’t just all die here!”

“We’re not staying trapped before even reaching the fortress!”

“Yeah! Oliver, you’ve already had your turn out there anyway!”

Maybe they’d been waiting for a chance to vent their resentment. They stomped on the Giant’s arms, shoulders, and even his head, scrambling upward in panic toward solid ground.

“There! Over there!”

Tap!

A couple of them managed to reach the firm edge of the swamp. Seeing that, the rest surged forward in a frenzy. They stepped on the heads of the drowning, flailing others as if crossing a river of human stepping stones.

“This is insane! What the hell are you doing?!”

“If we want to make the top hundred, we have to fight eventually!”

It was a brutal, selfish chaos, each one thinking only of survival. China had thrown themselves into battle to protect Sun Ming, but this scene was no better. Every nation, it seemed, was rotten in its own way.

“You filthy maggots!”

“Let go of me! Aaaah!”

[Teamwork is great and all, but shouldn’t you worry about your own future first?]

The line from the hostess’ earlier announcement echoed mockingly in Eun-Ho’s mind. Just as the producers had wanted, the Subjects were putting on a fine display of passionate competition: trampling, clawing, and dragging one another down in desperation.

Then, a sudden thought struck him.

“Looks like we won’t need to fight after all.”

“What do you mean?” Saito asked, lifting his head.

Eun-Ho was pale, but there was a flicker of hope in his eyes.

“I’ve found it,” Eun-Ho said. “Their weak spot.”

He was done playing along.

***

Sarah hummed softly to herself, unable to suppress her good mood. “Hmm. Hmm.”

When she had first been called into the executives’ meeting, she’d been nervous, but it turned out they had simply wanted to commend her for the recent new employee training.

They were all thrilled with the results, lavishing praise, talking about how promising her work was. A bonus, maybe even a promotion, seemed almost guaranteed.

Still humming, she stood before the mirror in the restroom, adjusting her hair. Just then, someone stepped up beside her to wash their hands.

“Hmm?”

The girl was so short she had to stand on the footstool. She was wearing a frilly dress with twin braids, her face unmistakable.

They hadn’t interacted much, mostly because the girl was infamous for her prickly temperament, but today, Sarah was in too good a mood to care.

“Oh my! You’re Lady Harona, isn’t it?” Sarah greeted brightly.

Harona inclined her head slightly. “Congratulations, Miss Sarah. You handled the report very well.”

“Oh! You saw it?” Sarah smiled shyly. “I just told the truth as it was, and everyone seemed to love—”

“You really do know how to sell the light,” Harona said softly.

“... Excuse me?” Sarah froze, her smile faltering. “What did you just say?”

Harona tilted her head. “Oh, it’s your first time hearing that? I meant you’re good at wrapping things up nicely, making them shine more than they are.”

“... Are you implying I embellished something?”

“Ah, well,” Harona said casually, drying her hands, “You said the Subjects were ordinary, but the session itself was extraordinary. That was quite the spin, wasn’t it?”

Sarah bit her lower lip hard. Now that she thought about it, Subject Lee Eun-Ho had been one of Harona’s discoveries.

So that’s it. Harona must’ve thought I’ve stolen credit that rightfully belonged to her.

Sarah sighed inwardly. Sure, in her report she had emphasized her own performance over the Subjects’ abilities, but that was just standard practice.

After all, interdepartmental competition was nothing new, and in her view, a little presentation polish was more of a professional skill than a sin.

“I’m not sure what you’re trying to say,” Sarah said lightly, lifting her shoulders in a polite shrug, about to leave.

Ding!

Just as she took a step, a notification popped up.

[You have one new post tagged with the keyword, Sarah.]

[Would you like to check it?]

Hmm. Interesting.

Sarah paused, giving Harona a sharp, assessing, sidelong glance. That prickly little woman obviously wanted her to check it, just to see how she’d react.

Harona hesitated, curiosity finally getting the better of her. “Why? Did something interesting pop up?”

“Oh, it’s just another post about my channel,” Sarah said with a bright, practiced smile. “Want to see?”

Before Harona could answer, Sarah opened the post, her tone full of fake modesty.

[Looking for Sector 13 Channel Recommendations]

- Are there any notable Subjects to watch? Should I just check out Sarah’s channel?

Sarah giggled. “You know, I’m actually the most popular hostess in the history of our trainee programs. They’re calling me record-breaking, can you believe it?”

Harona tilted her head, smiling faintly. “Oh? I thought they were referring to a record-breaking Subject, and not a hostess.”

“... What?”

Sarah frowned and scrolled down through the comments.

- The guy who made the trainee oath looked sharp.

- Lee Eun-Ho, hands down. No one else even compares.

- Eun-Ho is insane! Even our department head said he wants to recruit him already. I’m putting in a request in advance!

- Too late, I’m taking him as my junior!

Sarah’s eyebrows twitched. There was not a single comment about her. Every line was filled with praise for Lee Eun-Ho!

Then, the notification repeated, one after another, as the watchers poured out of her official feed like a receding tide.

[An observer has left the channel.]

[An observer has left the channel.]

[An observer has left the channel.]

“W-what? Why are they all leaving?”

Ding! Ding! Ding!

Another sound cut through her confusion, and Harona glanced at her own screen, feigning surprise. “Oh my, looks like they’re all coming here instead.”

A new system alert flashed across the air.

[The feed on Subject Lee Eun-Ho’s Eye has been selected as the Top Rising Channel!]

Sarah’s beautiful face twisted in disbelief.

This is impossible.

A single Subject’s raw, unedited live feed was outperforming the official composite broadcast! The same one she’d painstakingly edited, narrated, and enhanced with effects! It had never happened in the entire history of new employee training before!

“What the hell is going on?!” she burst out.

“Ah, maybe it’s because of this,” Harona said, pointing at one particular comment.

- Breaking news! Lee Eun-Ho just discovered a guaranteed-win siege strategy. It’s time to come up with another trainee trial!

Sarah’s forced smile vanished. “A-a guaranteed-win strategy? Who spread this ridiculous rumor?!”

Panic rose in her throat as she waved her hand to pull up the live footage.

Then, the screen filled instantly, and she froze. “W-what is he doing?!”

Eun-Ho’s antics played out before them in real time.

Harona sighed, shaking her head. “Ah, yes. That’s just how he is.”

“Why would anyone give away their fortress?! Did they lose their minds?!”

“There’s a reason for everything,” Harona murmured.

“And what’s with the magic circle! Why is he touching that?!”

“Hmm. Clever move, actually. Don’t you think so?”

Sarah let out a strangled scream, clawing at her hair. “This is insane! There’s no one like him anywhere in the world!”

“Well,” Harona said, a small, satisfied smile tugging at her lips, “It is your first time seeing a Subject like this, isn’t it?”

Just then, the system voice rang out from the screen.

[Time is up.]

[The final trial, Siege Warfare, has terminated.]

[Due to unexpected performance results, evaluation grading will be delayed.]

[Please stand by.]