The new mission appeared before them all, a stark, unwelcome message.
You Must Select a District Representative in 3 hours
Participants: 900,514,645
Achievers: 0/900,514,645
A wave of confusion rippled through the survivors who had gathered for the second round.
"What's this? Selecting a district representative?"
"I thought we'd be hunting monsters again."
"So, we're not fighting?"
There were other inconsistencies that set them on edge.
"Wait, look at the number of achievers."
The counter, which should have been set to half the total participants, now seemed to imply that every single person could pass.
"Does that mean everyone can survive this time?"
The mission message raised more questions than it answered. They needed an explanation.
[Hehehe, it seems my guidance is required, seeing how confused you all are.]
As if on cue, the Cheon-sa’s voice descended, dripping with smug satisfaction.
[As you can see, this round is not about fighting. You must simply select a district representative.]
"A district representative?" someone echoed.
[Precisely what it sounds like. A representative for this district. They will be granted basic authority to command others and significant power to compel humans to do their bidding.]
The crowd murmured, a chill running through them. Compel others? The Cheon-sa’s words hinted at a terrifying level of control.
[In three hours, each of you will be granted the right to vote. You need only select one person as the district representative. That is all.]
A young man, bolder than the rest, raised his hand. "Is that really it? Is there nothing else?"
[Yes. If you vote, you will be counted as an achiever and may return home. Consider this a rest round. That is why the achiever count is at one hundred percent.]
The goal, in short, was to choose a king for each district.
"So we just have to vote to pass?"
For most, a wave of relief washed over them. The quest was far easier than they had dared to hope.
However, a few remained suspicious, unable to shake their anxiety.
Lee Jun-ho and his friends were among them.
"Something's not right," Lee Jun-ho muttered. "They said only half of us could pass each round, but now they're just handing everyone a free pass?"
"The Cheon-sa called it a rest round," one of his friends pointed out.
"Even so, it's weird. We came geared up for a bloodbath, and all we have to do is vote?" Lee Jun-ho clicked his tongue in frustration.
"Just go with it, Jun-ho," another friend sighed. "They said we'll survive if we vote. What's the problem?"
"The problem is I've put in all this effort for nothing! I was ready to use my strength."
Nearby, Park Jin-ho overheard their conversation, and the corner of his mouth lifted in a private smirk. Wants to use his strength, does he? He must have gotten the Him-ui Rune again.
As someone who had lived through this day dozens of times, Park Jin-ho knew nearly everything about the upcoming rounds. Of course he knew about Lee Jun-ho’s Rune. The situation was unfolding exactly as it had in every previous regression.
Now comes the debate, he thought. For the next three hours, they'll do nothing but argue over who to vote for.
The Cheon-sa had made it clear: the district representative would have the authority to command others. It was an absolute power, one that could force anyone in their district to obey. Order them to kneel, and they would kneel. Order them to die, and they would die. Demand an item, and it would be handed over without hesitation. Need a lure for a pack of monsters? They would volunteer.
Compliance wasn't optional; it was enforced by the system.
It was the power of a king. A position everyone here would covet.
Naturally, they'll argue over who is most worthy of that power, Park Jin-ho mused. And in the middle of that argument, the name Huk-yeong will inevitably come up.
It was no surprise. He could already feel their gazes on him, a mixture of awe and calculation.
The atmosphere is already shifting. They want to nominate me.
When choosing a leader, it was only logical to pick the strongest. As the top-ranked participant from the previous round, he was the obvious choice.
But Park Jin-ho had no interest in being their representative.
The position was a poisoned chalice.
That kind of authority isn't worth the trouble. It would only lead to problems down the line.
He knew what the Cheon-sa had conveniently left out. The representative's authority had a critical weakness: it didn't work on anyone who had a job. Once a person reached level 10 and completed their class change, they were immune.
In the end, it's a half-baked ability.
Worse, from the third round onward, the representative was saddled with immense responsibility. Every failure, every death, would fall on their shoulders. Knowing this, Park Jin-ho had no intention of taking the position. It was a dangerous, thankless burden.
Of course, they can still nominate and vote for me without my consent.
But Park Jin-ho wasn't worried. After dozens of regressions, he knew he wouldn't be chosen.
Besides, selecting a representative isn't the real objective. The sub-quest is far more important.
Anyone with a keen eye would have noticed something odd in the mission description: the word "main" prefixed the quest. And where there was a main quest, there were always sub-quests.
The sub-quest—the hidden objective of this round—was to acquire a job.
Anyone could do so upon reaching level 10, provided they possessed the appropriate class item.
Fortunately, I already have the Sasin's job item from the last round.
Therefore, Park Jin-ho had nothing to worry about. He just needed to get to level 10.
I don't have three hours to waste arguing with them. I'll hunt, hit level 10, and change my job.
That way, he would be free from the representative's authority before one was even chosen.
Park Jin-ho’s gaze shifted to a message glowing faintly in the corner of his vision.
[2nd Round Limited Experience 3x Buff is now in effect.]
[This effect will be removed at the end of the 2nd round.]
He still had the 3x experience buff from his first-place finish in the last round. Leveling up wouldn't take long at all.
With a final glance at the debating crowd, Park Jin-ho slipped away, heading across the field and toward a nearby forest.
He had no interest in their politics or their choice of leader.
He didn't care who became the representative.