Seo Jiwoo

After exiting the corridor, and stepping into the wide spread area—which was almost two hundred acres wide. We made our way towards where our fort stood, to secure a strategy and select who will hold onto the key to the fort.

All of us stood on top of a cliff, which displayed the broken structures, and concrete buildings in the distance.

The blades of grass swayed with the soft breeze, as I scanned the surrounding area. The cliff wasn’t too high—about forty feet high. And there were several oak-trees aligned behind us, whose branches covered the area, creating a good blind spot.

My eyes landed in front of me where a tower stood which was a total of twenty metres away from where we were. The tower was fifteen metres long, and the hind of the tower had a small slit from where the key would enter to disable the tower.

There was a dim light emanating from the the small switch near the slit of the tower which indicated its workability.

‘So this is our fort,’ I thought as I darted my eyes up and down.

I scoffed. ‘They should have named it tower guarding or something.”

Currently we were in the north side of the land, and the best thing about this was that, we didn’t know who our opponents’ were.

I was currently waiting for the email which will provide us with the information of our opponents. Just names and photo’s.

This was one of the aspects, which made the fort holding close to a real battlefield. Where you didn’t know who your enemies were till last minute, and you also had to work together with complete strangers on your team as well.

‘Well shit, ain’t that nice,’ I took a deep breath, and soon the watch over my wrist vibrated twice.

I tapped over it once and saw the names of our opponents, and I was not delighted to see who our opponents were.

Turning over my heel, I saw the others looking at their watches. I saw the boy, Derek Maer’s face turn a shade darker, after he saw the members of the opposite team.

“Okay, now we have exactly fifteen minutes before the match starts, so let’s do a short introduction and form a strategy?” I asked.

Everyone nodded their head, and Han was the first to speak up.

“Han Shu-hui, rank-4, current rank , no weapon.”

“Park Jiyoung, rank-2, current rank , I use a sword.”

“Felix Blúte, rank-39, current rank , I wield a rapier.”

“D-Derek Maer, rank-398, current rank , s-sword.”

I looked at the boy with ash-brown hair, and it felt like I had heard his name before, somewhere. But I didn’t give it much thought.

“Seo Jiwoo, rank-2290, current rank , I also wield a sword.”

Just as I spoke, I saw from the corner of eyes, Jiyoung’s brows slightly risen as she stared at me incredulously.

I mean she already knew about my strength. And among all of us, I was the strongest. But in the matter of official ranking, I was the lowest ranked in the team.

My strength was on pair with a rank hunter, or almost a .

“Who has the key?” I asked.

Just as I asked, Han extended his arm forward, and I saw a black titanium card in his hand.

‘So the key was a card,’ I inwardly said. I took the card from Han’s hand and touched the surface of the card. It was as hard as steel, but flexible.

“Alright, if anyone has any plan to present, then go ahead,” I muttered as I exchanged glances with each of them.

Jiyoung crossed her arms, and looked at me, as if she was waiting for me to elaborate some ingenious plan which I already had.

But none of them spoke up, so I began to elaborate a strategy I had came up with.

“If none of you have anything, then listen up,” I pulled my hand upwards and showed them the card, then pushed my hand towards Jiyoung.

She grabbed the card and held it firmly in her hand.

“Our opponents are, Aogiri Ryuya, Lucas Claymore, Stephen Mayer, Haris Olter and Karan Singh,” I recited their names, as I brought their attention towards me.

“So, Jiyoung will hold onto the key, and she will go solo,” just as I elaborated further, Felix interrupted and asked.

“Why are you giving her the key and making her go solo? Don’t you think it’s too risky?”

But I already knew he would say that.

I tapped over my watch and a small hologram came to life in front of us. It hovered in the air and displayed the names and photo’s of our opponents.

“That’s precisely why I’m sending her alone,” I pointed towards Ryuya and added. “Jiyoung would go solo having the key in her possession, while Han Shu-hui will go with Derek.”

My plan was to confuse our enemy by making them believe that Han had the key, since Jiyoung went solo.

Because the highest ranked individual in our team was Jiyoung, and Han being only second.

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But in terms of raw strength, Han was stronger than Jiyoung, I think.

So sending the strongest alone while giving them the card was a risky move, but it could also confuse the enemy, and make them believe that Han had the key, with the stem of doubt of Jiyoung having it.

Because if we left the key with Jiyoung and made her go alone, who the hell will believe that she has the key, regardless of their doubts or not. Because she was the highest ranked in our group.

So their attention would go towards Han and Derek.

Because if we consider the strongest members of the enemy team, then it can also work against them. And we had two people in our team who were in the high ranks.

“And the chances of them instigating a fight with Jiyoung as a group is high, but, if Ryuya is in their team then the chances of that happening are dim, but not zero,” I explained. “But even if Jiyoung is engaged in a fight with a group, I’m confident she can hold on by herself until we arrive to back her up,” I looked at Jiyoung and she gave me a determined nod.

Because everyone had seen Jiyoung and Ryuya fight, and judging from that, I was about seventy percent sure that the enemy team would send Ryuya to distract Jiyoung, while the other members engage in a battle with the Han and Derek group, same with Me and Felix, to find the real key-holder.

But in the end, this was simply an analysis, which I had made based on the construction of my team, and the opponent team.

Two people in the top ten—Ryuya and Lucas—, one in the top forties—Stephen Mayer—, one in the early four hundreds—Karan Singh—, and the last member being in the late fifteen-hundreds—Haris Olter.”

I turned my head towards Jiyoung, and she met me with a nod.

But the chances were 50/50. But not zero. Because if I remember correctly, Lucas Claymore is hot-headed guy, and had a kind of one-sided rivalry with Ryuya.

That's what I found out about Lucas, after I investigated the top ten.

So there may be be cooperation problem in their team. With the disturbing factor being Lucas.

And we couldn’t hide the key inside our dimensional storage, as far as the rules go. So the key-holder had to keep the key physically on them.

But I looked at the others and they had already caught now with my train of thoughts.

“Okay, so you want them to think that either Me or Derek has the key, while we stall for time and find out their key-holder, while making them doubt whether Park Jiyoung has the key or not?” Han commented.

I turned my head towards Han and replied, “Exactly!”

As sharp as ever. I already knew Jiyoung's battle prowess after fighting alongside her, and the same with Han. Both of them were quick to catch up.

“Then what about you and Felix?” Jiyoung asked.

“Both us will work as scouts, while maintaining some distance from you,” I said whilst taking a thin stick from the ground and started making six circles on the ground. One in the middle, two on the left and two on the right side, and one behind the circle in the middle.

“B-But isn’t it kind of risky?” Derek asked.

I turned my head towards him and saw the boy with ash-brown hair and amethyst eyes. His features were sharp, but he looked kind of awkward and shy.

“What do you mean?” I asked Derek.

I already knew the flaws of this plan. But the possibility of it failing were low. But who knows, anything can happen on a battlefield. And I speak with experience.

“If you maintain some d-distance from Park Jiyoung while scouting, they might figure out she b-being the one who has the key,” he looked away from time to time, avoiding eye contact with me.

I traced a line beside the circles on the right, and with a turn of my wrist, I traced the line towards the circle in the middle. Then again, I traced a line from the left side circles and brought the line back towards the single circle, behind them all. “That’s exactly what I want them to think.”

“Because, the ability to confuse your enemy on the battlefield can give you a big advantage. And if we maintain some distance from Jiyoung, they would doubt Han Shu-hui or you possessing the key, but not completely, so they will be on their toes, " I tapped over my watch and the hologram disappeared.

I looked Derek straight in the eye, and asked. “And why will they think that Han Shu-hui has the key?”

“Because I’m going with Han Shu-hui, while Jiyoung goes alone,” he said.

“That’s exactly why. You and Han will go as a group of two, while Jiyoung goes alone,” I added.

“But what about us? Won’t they consider the possibility of one of us having the key?” Felix asked.

I turned in his direction and explained. “Because our opponents will take in account that we are scouts, and also our ranks, and our position, so they will doubt whether we have the key or not,” soon I finished explaining and went to give them their respective positions.

I pointed the stick towards the circles.

“Jiyoung will go from the rear, Han and Derek from the west while maintaining some distance from our fort, and both Felix and I from the east, as we keep some distance from Jiyoung, okay?”

Everyone nodded their head in response.

This plan could work, even if Ryuya didn’t engage in a fight with Jiyoung, because the enemy team’s strongest members were, Ryuya and Lucas.

And if she was cornered by a group, I knew she could hold her own against them.

“But how are we supposed to find out who on the opponent team has the key?” Felix asked.

I glanced at Han, Jiyoung and Felix. “Well, neither they or we will have our key on display, so, we have to defeat them first and steal the key from whomever has it, and that’s where your speciality in fighting comes in as the high rankers.”

“Of course, me and Derek will fight as well, ” I added.

I checked my watch and there were only two minutes left until the start of the match.

I tapped over my watch, and send Jiyoung a private message secretly, without anyone noticing. She tapped over her watch and saw my message, then looked at me with her brows knitted.

But I didn’t give her another glance.

I stepped forward and made my way to the edge of the cliff. “Felix lets go.”

I withdrew Bleak Star from my inventory and hung it above my hip.

I stepped to my left and made my way down the hill and towards the east direction with Felix, who followed me from behind.

***

Soon both us reached our designated position, and the wrecked structure came into my view. Tall buildings crumbled, and destroyed, giving this area an apocalyptic vibe. The slabs of concrete fallen all over the place, with many holes in the concrete walls of the buildings, and a few craters in the ground in front of me.

'Well the world became just like this place, after the second cataclysm arrived,' I thought as I saw the structures in front of me.

A mild breeze blew past me as I stepped forward.

“Jiwoo let’s go,” Felix said as he picked up his pace.

I followed him from behind and soon both of us reached past the area of the broken structures.

We stopped and climbed up a tall tree which was almost thirty foot long. I climbed on a nearby branch and scanned the area.

“Is everyone in position?” I brought my watch close to my mouth and asked.

Soon the others voices echoed from my watch. “Yes!”

I ducked down and again scanned the area. Both Me and Felix were now close to the enemy fort.

‘Now let’s see if what I have predicted is true or not,’ I thought as I looked at Felix from the corner of my eyes.

His eyes darted across the open area in front of us. My eyes landed on the necklace he was wearing around his neck, which had an emerald stone attached to a silver chain.

Out of curiosity I asked. “That necklace looks nice.”

Felix grabbed the emerald of the necklace tightly and replied, “someone important gave it to me as a gift.”

I nodded my head in response. “Oh, I see.”

But something seemed weird. But I shrugged it off, and simply scanned the area in front of me.

A minute or two later, my watch vibrated and Jiyoung’s voice echoed out from it. Her voice was rushed and she was gasping.

“They know I have the key! What should we do now, Jiwoo?”

My eyes shot wide, as I jumped down the tree's branch, and I started racking my brain.

Felix had jumped alongside me down the tree, and was ready to rush in the direction where Jiyoung was. But I grabbed him by the wrist and stopped him.

“Jiwoo, why are you stopping me? Shouldn’t we go and help her?” Felix quickly spoke.

But what I had predicted was right all along.

I let go off his wrist and stared at him with an emotionless cold glare. “You really thought I wouldn't know, Felix?"