Assess everything.
Whether it was an Arena or a Dungeon, you had to understand its characteristics precisely if you wanted to survive.
That was Player Lee Dojin’s ironclad rule.
It remained unchanged whether Dojin was a Magic Spearman or a Necromancer.
‘My current situation.’
Dojin had no intention of revealing his identity inside the Arena .
If it were only himself, that would be one thing.
But he had absolutely no intention of dragging Test Guild—and by extension, Hangang Group—into an illegal gambling den like this.
‘I can’t bring out my Minions. Then what Skills can I use?’
Dojin had four Skills, which he had obtained before his regression., the Necromancer’s Class Skill , which he had acquired during a Quest.
And finally , which he had obtained as a reward.
If he wanted to conceal his identity, he would have to rely on the newly acquired .
‘Even when I first used it in the Arena , Hong Jingu’s group never realized I was a Necromancer.’
What Items did Dojin currently possess?
‘Pyramid (B+), Hecate’s Bracelet (A), Mithril Spear (A), and…….’
The reward he had received from the first Arena he logged into after regressing.
[Whispering Robe (E)]
Description: Generates a barrier centered on the wearer, weakening enemy attacks by 30%. Also has a low chance of restoring the wearer’s depleted mana.
Classification: Wearable-Type
Effect: Barrier Generation, Increased Mana Recovery Rate (+0.0001%)
Restriction: Magic-Type Players Only
‘Not bad for the first-place reward from an F-Grade Arena.’
But Dojin had never used the Item.
There was only one reason.
‘It’s annoying. It’s easier to just run around with my undead like a team.’
Even though he was a Necromancer now, Dojin had originally been a Magic Spearman.
To someone like him, equipment such as robes was simply cumbersome to move around in.
But what about Haewon?
“Haewon.”
“……?”
Haewon was gritting her teeth to keep herself from falling out of the chariot.
She could barely even answer after hearing Dojin call her.
“Put this on.”
Item Ownership Transfer Request Confirmed
Target Item: <Whispering Robe (E)>
Owner: Player Lee Dojin → Player Seo Haewon
Do you agree?
Yes / No
Items obtained through the Store System or as Quest rewards were different from objects made by people in reality.
Regardless of whether a Player possessed an Inventory, once an Item was acquired, only the Player who obtained it could use it.
Therefore, if another Player wanted to use someone else’s Item, ownership had to be transferred entirely with the consent of both parties.
Just like when Dojin had transferred an Item to Tyron not long ago.
“Agree to it, hurry!”
“……!”
Haewon stared in confusion at the window that had appeared before her.
Seeing that, Dojin shouted again.
“Hit ‘Yes’ with your head!”
“……Yes!”
Startled by Dojin’s completely unexpected instruction, Haewon reflexively slammed her head toward the selection window.
……The fact that she managed to hit the ‘Yes’ option safely atop the shaking chariot was probably sheer luck.
At that moment—
“Huh?”
The Whispering Robe, an Item created by the System, activated the instant ownership transferred to Haewon.
Like a three-dimensional image unfolding in midair, it suddenly appeared around her and automatically wrapped itself over her body.
Player Seo Haewon has acquired an Item.
Item: Whispering Robe (E)
Player Seo Haewon, Item Effect Activated.
External Impact Reduced by 30%.
“W-What is this?”
“You can handle it now, right?”
Dojin grinned beside her.
“…….”
Just as Dojin had said.
Until moments ago, the violent shaking of the chariot and the pressure of the air had made it difficult even to stand or breathe……!
‘With this…… I can endure it!’
Seeing the change in Haewon’s expression and bearing, Dojin nodded.
‘She should be fine for a while.’
At the same time, Dojin swept his left arm out in a wide motion.
And with such speed that no Player could see it, he pulled a small Crow Skeleton out of the Pyramid.
Before the Crow Skeleton could fully reveal its original form, he slipped it beneath the sleeve of his coat and transformed it.
Bone wings and green mana twisted together in an intricate interlocking pattern.
When it was finished—the only thing remaining around the Necromancer Dojin’s forearm was protective armor formed from bone and mana.
That was the power of .
CLANG!!!
And the armor created by effortlessly deflected his competitor’s attack.
“Huh! An armor Item?”
The Player spoke as he swung the chain back and reeled in the axe attached to its end.
He was one of the members of Bandit.
On his team’s chariot, one person held the reins while another carried a large shield.
“A team with a clear division between offense and defense.”
Dojin calmly evaluated Team Bandit.
At the same time, his eyes inspected the other chariots.
Every chariot in the Arena was racing violently forward.
The chariots belonging to the two Players eliminated immediately after the race began had disappeared, but the remaining four showed no sign of stopping.
Still, the ones pulling ahead and the ones falling behind were gradually becoming clear.
The chariots belonging to the two-person and three-person teams that had been named favorites by the announcers were clearly taking the lead.
Meanwhile, the chariot carrying Dojin and Haewon, along with the final remaining chariot, was gradually falling behind.
“They’re pulling ahead despite carrying more weight. As expected of veterans who’ve cleared Quests multiple times.”
The chariot horses were puppets.
In other words, wooden horses created by the Quest.
They ran along the track exactly as prescribed by the Quest.
But Groups 1 and 4 were different.
They were clearly controlling the wooden horses as they drove their chariots.
That was the difference between them and both Dojin’s team and the remaining solo Player, who were merely holding the reins and trying to stay aboard.
‘I need to figure out the trick.’
The trick to controlling the wooden horses!
At that moment, one of the chariots that had appeared to be pulling ahead suddenly slowed.
“……!”
No.
It had not slowed down.
One of the Players watching the surroundings had simply used an Item.
BOOM!
“Kyaaah!!”
A considerable impact slammed into Dojin and Haewon’s chariot!
Player Park Donghun of Group 1 had swung an iron mace Item that expanded in size, aiming directly at the wooden horse.
The only reason the horse was not smashed apart was because Dojin leaped from the chariot and kicked the mace aside, managing to reduce the force of the blow.
“……Ha! So he’s a top-tier D-Grade Player.”
Dojin landed beside Haewon, clicking his tongue at the fact that he had failed to stop the attack completely.
The favorites ahead of them sneered.
Judging by their expressions……
‘They think Haewon and I are going to be eliminated anyway.’
Then again, gambling on a competition could take all kinds of forms.
There was probably even a bet on how many competitors a team would eliminate.
“That’s not happening.”
A mediocre Player might already have been intimidated by such a rough tactic.
But Dojin was no ordinary Player.
He had already witnessed the destruction of the world once.
And even in a world where everything around him had tried to kill him, he had survived until the very end.
What was Dojin’s greatest strength as a Player?
“……!”
Dojin’s eyes flashed, saturated with green mana.
His fierce gaze swept across the entire chariot-racing field in an instant.
And where did his eyes turn next?
“…….”
Toward his own teammate.
***
Meanwhile, the emotion filling Haewon’s mind as she watched everything unfold before her was—fear.
A fear so intense that, if she had not already been gritting her teeth against the chariot’s vibrations, she might have bitten her tongue.
It was completely different from the fear and helplessness she had experienced until now from adults’ violence and coercion.
Rather than slowly erasing her thoughts, it felt as though someone had pressed a blade directly beneath her chin……!
“Haewon.”
But almost immediately, a large, warm hand patted her shoulder.
“…….”
Haewon wanted to answer somehow.
But not even a single word came out, as though someone were choking her.
The frustration made her feel as though she might burst from the inside, yet the pressure crushing her entire body left her unable to move.
And still—the man before her looked calm and confident.
“Damn. Looks like I’ve been a little too quiet in front of our Guild’s junior.”
“…….”
Why was he smiling?
In a situation where she could not see what lay ahead at all.
“Don’t worry.”
As though he understood exactly what Haewon was feeling, Dojin smiled even more brightly.
“We’re going to win this race.”