FAR - 3

My expression quickly turned grave. Choosing Belsus came with much greater risks than the simple fact that he was a beggar.

He wasn't just a beggar; he was a wanted fugitive who had been chased by the Royal Knights for twenty years.

'The only reason he's managed to survive, despite having low stats from a lack of proper training, is purely thanks to his innate ability.'

Even at the exact start of the game, Belsus is already being hunted by the knights. This means Belsus is the only character who can trigger a 'Death Ending' within minutes of starting the game.

'Getting past this early phase is the real challenge.'

Belsus faces a life-threatening crisis one second into the start. No, it's safer to say he starts the game already on the run.

His pursuer is another playable character: the Royal Knight, Calain.

Belsus and Calain have a terrible history. It's not just because Calain, a royal knight, is chasing Belsus under a royal decree.

Calain's innate ability is "Predation." If he kills a Hunter, he can absorb all of their levels and experience points.

Calain discovered that the fugitive Belsus was a Hunter and harbored a dark ambition to devour all of his talents.

For that reason, if you chose Calain in the original game, Belsus simply became a disposable extra who died in the early stages. But if you chose Belsus, he would resist, eventually kill Calain, and survive.

'It means one of them has to die. By the other's hand.'

In scenarios where you choose a character other than these two, Belsus dies. That means Belsus has lower base stats than Calain.

"......"

I recalled the system description I had seen earlier.

[Transmigrators can share the innate abilities of their chosen character.]

I just need to find Belsus first and smuggle him out before Calain catches up.

After all, I can use Belsus's innate ability too.

---

As I stepped out of my farm, I found myself in a damp, deserted back alley.

It was a musty slum teeming with rats and people dressed in rags. This was definitely it. Belsus's starting location.

'Belsus must be nearby.'

And, of course, Calain, who had come to kill him.

There was no time. I immediately tested Belsus's innate ability.

His ability was "Reading." Five times a day, for about one second each, he could read the minds of others.

One second isn't a long time, but if you observe people carefully and time it right, you can steal the exact thoughts you want. Moreover, since it activates as an Area of Effect (AoE), you can receive the thoughts of everyone within that range.

'So it should be useful for finding people too.'

Until now, Belsus had only ever used this ability to survive. Mostly, he used it to check if he was hated by the people around him.

Anyway, if you ask whether it's actually possible to pinpoint someone just by reading minds, it's surprisingly easy. The thoughts heard through Reading are broadcasted in that person's actual voice.

'And I know Belsus's in-game voice.'

Furthermore, the people in these slums don't harbor complex thoughts. Their voices are also lethargic and entirely drained of energy.

{...}

{I'm hungry...}

{It's so hot and humid...}

{How long has it been since I last ate...?}

Sifting out a game character's thoughts from among these would be incredibly easy.

I intentionally feigned a slight limp with one of my perfectly fine legs, walking slowly. In a place like this, someone walking completely normally would stand out more.

As I walked down the filthy alley, I activated the Reading ability. The thoughts of countless people flooded into my mind for a single second.

{I'm hungry...}

Suddenly, I stopped dead in my tracks.

'...That voice was Belsus's.'

Belsus was the last bloodline bearing the deep resentment of the fallen royal family. Enduring thousands of humiliations, he crawls up desperately from rock bottom without ever losing his righteous spirit. Ultimately, he overthrows the current tyrannical king, restores the old dynasty, and even succeeds in conquering the Tower, becoming the most benevolent and powerful king in history.

And such a great man was...

'Is all you can think about right now how hungry you are?!'

I turned around and arrived at the spot where I had heard the voice.

Two people were slumped against a wall. A scrawny, small beggar was lying down, using a huge beggar's leg as a pillow.

Imagine a mountain deity appearing above my head and asking: Is this small beggar yours, or is this huge beggar yours?

I would answer without a second of hesitation: The huge beggar is mine.

Belsus had his head covered with a foul-smelling, ragged hood, peacefully letting some stranger use his leg as a pillow while they slept. It was a perfect disguise.

'...Well, it's probably his actual reality rather than a disguise, though.'

Standing at a slight distance, I activated the Reading ability for the third time.

For one second, nearby thoughts rushed in.

{...Found him.}

{There he is. The big one is Belsus, right? He looks exactly like he did in the game.}

Suddenly, alongside Calain's voice, another voice echoed, almost overlapping it.

I focused all my nerves and barely managed to distinguish the two.

The low, raspy voice dripping with killing intent belonged to Calain.

But the other one was a voice I didn't recognize...

'Was what I just heard real?'

Even after hearing it, I doubted my ears, no, my mind. That voice had definitely said 'the game'.

Depending on whether a thought was faint or clear, I could estimate the distance between the person and myself. And if multiple voices were heard at once within the range, I could gauge their relative positions based on the volume of their voices.

The new voice was heard at almost the exact same volume as Calain's.

'There is a high probability that the two of them are together.'

I swallowed a heavy sigh down my throat. I was afraid that sighing here would draw someone's attention. A matching wave of tension encroached upon my entire body.

It was a possibility I hadn't bothered to consider until now.

'The possibility that I'm not the only transmigrator.'

When I chose one of the nine Origin Characters, there was a chance that the remaining eight characters might have also been possessed by transmigrators...

'Crazy system. You didn't say a word about this!'

Let's think for a moment. I transmigrated here as a Farmer, and just when I thought my peaceful, healing life was about to begin, the system told me to participate in the tournament to determine who conquers the Tower. When I asked what it meant, what did the system say?

[The #1 ranked Druid was supposed to transmigrate, but you transmigrated instead. It is an error.]

The foreshadowing was already there.

It meant several people were meant to transmigrate, not just the #1 Druid. Something got twisted in the process, resulting in an error where I was transmigrated instead.

Druid is a combat class.

'But I, a life-skill class, was transmigrated by mistake...'

It became highly probable that all the other transmigrators were combat-oriented players. They might even be the #1 rankers of their respective classes. Just like I was.

Reaching this conclusion, I bit my lip hard.

'Later. I'll think about this later.'

The unknown number of transmigrators weren't right next to me right now. I only needed to keep an eye on one person: the guy presumed to be Calain's partner.

Securing Belsus's safety came first.

I calmly steeled my nerves and used the Reading ability once more.

This marked the third activation of the ability today.

{I have no confidence. No confidence that I'll miss Belsus, that is. I am the very reincarnation of Jumong.}

It was merely a second, but I extracted crucial information from that transmigrator.

'What the hell is up with this guy spouting nonsense...'

Right. He transmigrated with a combat class, so of course he'd be overconfident. He wouldn't even know I existed. Judging by his joyful rambling about Jumong...

'His class must be Archer.'

Of all things, a long-range sniper. Dealing with any combat class would be a disaster, but an archer was particularly severe. I tightly furrowed my brow.

'I thought there might be a chance, but... it's impossible. For me and Belsus to kill Calain.'

The odds of winning a straightforward 2-on-1 were already slim, but with an archer backing Calain up?

Running away was the best-case scenario. And I couldn't even guarantee that we'd successfully escape. All the Archer had to do was hide out of sight and shoot Belsus.

"......"

I remembered the explanation I had seen earlier.

[Transmigrators can share the innate abilities of their chosen character.]

In other words, the Archer also shared and utilized Calain's overpowered "Predation" ability.

He might be helping Calain use Predation on Belsus, or perhaps, since he possessed the same ability, he intended to devour Belsus himself.

From the Archer's perspective, there were absolutely no obstacles. There was no need to hide, nor were there any hindrances. Belsus simply lacked the strength to threaten Calain.

But I had to prevent Belsus from dying without exposing my presence. The fact that the other players didn't know I existed was my only weapon.

'...Right. The players don't know I exist.'

Neither Calain nor the Archer knew I had attached myself to Belsus. They wouldn't have the slightest suspicion.

And what was even more chilling...

Was that the voices from this Reading were significantly clearer than the ones before.

'They are too... close.'

They sounded as if they were right next to me. The thought of Calain drawing his sword and approaching, combined with the thought of the Archer hiding somewhere and watching this spot, made my palms sweat.

Even I, who was nothing but a corporate slave in reality, could immediately pull weeds and plant unfamiliar seeds perfectly right after transmigrating here. If so, it was only natural that the other rankers could wield their weapons without needing any practice.

'He will definitely hit his mark. The Archer will shoot Belsus with his bow.'

My hands and feet trembled from the tension.

The Archer's arrow must be aimed squarely at Belsus. Right now, in the time it takes to draw a single breath, Belsus's body could be pierced.

I had to hurry. I stepped a little closer to Belsus.

Belsus was sprawled out as if he were dead, seemingly trying to expend the absolute minimum amount of energy. He didn't even appear to notice me.

However, if I made any sudden movements, Belsus would try to Read my mind to determine if I was a threat.

I needed to nail that exact timing.

In that brief one-second window when Belsus Read me, I had to project a specific thought into my mind and coax him into reading it.

'Belsus. There is a sniper targeting you.'

If I thought that, Belsus would undoubtedly spring to his feet immediately.

...No.

I didn't know if Belsus had the strength to run. Could Belsus, who was so weak after starving for a whole week, dodge an incoming arrow?

I needed a phrase that would give Belsus an even greater motivation. A phrase that would force him to squeeze out strength he didn't even have, making him leap up and run this instant.

'Provocative words? Threats? Fear-mongering? Lying?'

"......"

After a brief moment of contemplation, I decided what to say to him.

Even after making the decision, I felt a surge of fear.

I didn't know if it would work out. The Archer's presence was an anomaly that didn't exist in the game. I felt helpless and afraid at the thought that the future was already so unpredictable.

However.

'Even if mind games aren't my forte, and gambling isn't my style...'

I had to trust my judgment. My life depended on it.

I lightly kicked the end of Belsus's leg.

"Hey, this is my spot."

Twitch. The filthy cloth covering Belsus's mouth and jaw shifted.

'Right now.'

I locked eyes with Belsus, whose pupils were as murky as a drying mud puddle. Then, I made my thought echo clearly within my mind.

{Belsus. There is a sniper chasing me. Please save me.}

...A fierce glint of light returned to those unfocused, dead-fish-like eyes.

Belsus shot up. In one fluid motion, he hoisted me over his shoulder like a sack.

Thwack! An arrow streaked in like a flash of lightning and lodged itself into the exact spot where Belsus had just been.

But Belsus was already far away from that spot.

It was an unbelievably fast speed. Kicking off the ground, Belsus stirred up an unseasonable tempest in the quiet alleyway.

I muttered softly.

"You really are an unparalleled pushover."

Belsus had no idea who I was. He didn't know whether I meant him harm or not. He didn't even know if I was in any position to repay him.

Yet, he stepped up without hesitation, picked me up, and ran. From a sniper.

With a speed and power that he could never have mustered even if I had told him the sniper was aiming for him.

'A guy who helps others so unconditionally you'd think it was a disease. With a massive frame like that, he's had his money and bread stolen hundreds of times, and he's taken countless beatings simply because he couldn't bring himself to strike a fellow beggar.'

This was the character I had chosen to mold into an Emperor.

Amidst the rushing wind, I made eye contact with Belsus. He looked surprised, having caught my mutterings. But his legs didn't stop.

My fourth Reading activated.

{Nonsense, how is a starving bastard that fast?!}

{Damn it, he couldn't have gone far.}

Sequentially, the thoughts of the Archer and Calain flowed into my mind.

And another voice, too.

{What did this boy just say to me...?}

Without waiting any longer, I snapped my fingers. Snap!

Belsus and I vanished.

[Moving to the Farm.]

[Guests: 1]

From here on out, the real game begins.​