8-Squad. Battle Above the Clouds.
"Is that even possible?"
At Kichan's skeptical question, Seowoon replied firmly.
"Not unless you've got eight overwhelmingly strong players."
"What do you mean by 'overwhelmingly strong'?"
Lilingyu asked provocatively, clearly challenged by the remark.
"Somewhere above Yehao but below Namsagwang, maybe."
Both names referred to top-tier martial artists in the world of Jianghu. One was a post-retirement expert hailed as the strongest of all time, and the other was a near-legendary master with the ability to reverse aging.
With such an unreasonably high standard set, Jinryung stepped in.
"Then what's the best play we can realistically make?"
"There are two main choices: do we go to the main island or not? Each choice changes how we play."
As expected, Juriel was the first to catch on.
"So, it's a matter of whether we aim for the top tier or not."
As Seowoon nodded at her sharp observation, Dump blurted out his thoughts.
"Of course we aim high. Just surviving means we're only stacking up rounds without any real progress."
"That's true, but this game's a bit different. If any squad meets the clear condition, then just holding a single rally stone puts us in the reward pool."
Before Dump could reply, Seowoon stepped in at limin's point.
"Everyone understands the rules, so let's vote quickly. If you agree to taking the risk and aiming aggressively for the top, raise your hand."
After some hesitation and eye contact, the players started raising their hands one by one—led by Dump.
Even Limin, who had voiced caution earlier, raised his hand, making Seowoon smirk slightly.
These were players who had already tasted high-tier rewards. Naturally, as high-ranked players, they were inclined to advance rather than play it safe.
"Now, let's talk strategy. There are two main ways: roam the sub-islands for rally stones or head straight to the main island and establish a position."
"I don't think heading to the main island early is a good idea. We'll need to go eventually, but why rush?"
"I agree," said Juriel in support of Jinryung.
Everyone nodded.
"Alright, we'll focus on looting and activating rally stones on the sub-islands. One last point remains…"
Pausing to look around at the players, Seowoon continued with a heavy tone.
"Let's discuss whether we split the squad."
The atmosphere instantly tensed.
"You mean a survival party?"
Seowoon nodded at Jinryung's question.
"Yes. The question is whether we assign members to guard sub-islands or be sacrificial backups if things go south."
If this squad had just formed today, or lacked mutual trust, this would've been a hard topic to broach.
But Seowoon trusted his team and didn't shy away from difficult conversations.
"I support preparing a survival party. But I oppose assigning a team just to defend sub-islands—it would weaken our main force. We don't have to clear the game outright, do we?"
Several players nodded at Juriel's opinion.
It was a fair reaction—staying behind on a sub-island, possibly alone, was a heavy burden.
"I think it's better to decide now who might stay back, just in case. We can't waste time deciding in the heat of the moment."
As Limin spoke, Lyle stepped forward nervously.
"I-I'll do it! I'll stay back, if it comes to that!"
Maybe it was lyle's youth or bravery, but Dump messed up the kid's hair and stepped up.
"What are you talking about? That's my job. Who else but me can protect our mage and the team?"
"I'll support that. If the situation arises, I'll stay too," added Lilingyu.
With that, Seowoon nodded.
"Alright. Dump, Lilingyu, lyle. The three of you will hold the rear and be our last line, guarding the rally stones and enduring the enemy and the storm—if it comes to that."
Juriel and Jinryung looked unhappy, but seeing Seowoon's cold determination, they didn't object.
They understood the core rule of any squad—respecting the main order's authority. More than that, they trusted Seowoon.
"Now, the final point. What do we do about the Rally Dragons? There's no clear plan yet. Any thoughts on how to handle the main quest?"
"If we're focusing on sub-islands, we should minimize the number of Rally Dragons we activate."
"I agree. With 800 players and 400 Rally Dragons released, we don't know how many players can board each one. If it's only one per dragon, the competition will be brutal. The fewer dragons active, the fiercer the PvP."
Everyone nodded at Juriel and Lilingyu's comments, and Seowoon summarized.
"Then it's settled. We'll focus on sub-islands and reduce the number of Rally Dragons."
Everyone nodded, mentally preparing for the strategy ahead.
"What about the survival party?"
"That…" Seowoon began, but Juriel interrupted.
"If we need one, I think the main order—Seowoon, Kichan, and Jinryung—should be our survival core. For balance and other reasons, keeping those three alive increases our chances in worst-case scenarios."
It was something Seowoon couldn't easily say himself, so Juriel stepped up to voice it.
No one objected—it was an entirely rational suggestion.
"Then, let's begin."
With that, Seowoon placed his hand on the rally stone again, and the entire team grew tense, eyes fixed on the stone.
–Activating Rally Stone. Do not remove your hand.
–Clunk! Clunk!
With a heavy metal sound, a gray dragon carved into the glowing blue orb began to stir.
It slithered across the orb's surface, then let out a mighty roar.
–KUAHHHHHHH!
As the beast roared with its jaws wide open, the orb began to radiate blinding light.
–ZZZIIIIIIING!
An ear-splitting sound followed, and monsters began appearing around the orb.
Blue goblins, just over a meter tall with horns on their heads, emerged, sending a wave of tension through the squad.
"Damn it! It's a trap!"
Shield in hand, Dump stepped forward, eyes scanning the goblins that began to surround them.
"There's too many."
Jinryung drew his sword, tense.
–Ding! All guardians of the Rally Stone have been summoned.
Had it not been for that announcement, Dump would've likely charged into the least-crowded direction, true to his impulsive nature.
"These freaks…"
"They seem to be guardians of the rally stone."
As the squad watched the goblins—each shouldering a massive hammer or axe—circle the rally stone, they were momentarily left speechless.
"No way. So activating the Seondong Stone summons monsters like that?"
At limin's words, Seowoon, with a stern expression, finally opened his mouth.
"We haven't seen any items or farming spots on this island, have we?"
"No way…"
Hearing that, Kichan seemed to catch on and trailed off.
"Well, 'no way' just caught us off guard. Farming on this island seems to mean hunting monsters—specifically, taking down the guardian mobs of other squads' Seondong Stones."
"And the main quest tells us to destroy the Seondong Stones, yet only half the players even get one to begin with."
"Whoever designed this system is truly vicious."
Seowoon also looked toward the goblins with a somber gaze.
"This is labeled 'high-intermediate' difficulty…"
A passing thought crossed Seowoon's mind—had the previous Cloyd game difficulties, which had strictly enforced cold-blooded survival rules, actually been easier by comparison?
You find an empty house, enter it, and rapidly grow using the items you discover.
You gain an edge over other players through this growth and improve your ranking. That once simple gameplay structure now felt like it had skyrocketed in difficulty—not just for Seowoon, but for everyone.
-Clap!-
With a sharp clap to draw the team's attention, Seowoon spoke.
"Let's move. We know what we need to do."
Pushing past the goblins, he led the charge, and his team followed.
Opening his map, Seowoon quickly placed a waypoint on the eastern edge of the island and sprinted off. Jinrong, keeping pace behind him, asked,
-Priest. One squad is still on this island. Are you sure we should move in immediately?-
-Yes. Right now, securing a Seondong Stone is critical. We absolutely need to avoid being trapped on the island without one.-
Having assessed the nature of this game, Seowoon judged that securing a Seondong Stone was more vital than any early-game item farming.
Once the team reached the eastern edge of the island in search of the precious Seondong Stone, their jaws dropped.
"Whoa!"
Despite his large build, Dump recoiled in horror after peeking over the edge of the island.
The cliff was so high that the mountaintops piercing the clouds below looked smaller than ants.
"Even if this isn't one of those games where falling means instant death, you'd still definitely die here."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Just then, as he turned his head toward the setting sun, Seowoon opened his mouth.
"That must be the Seondong Cloud."
-Ookkiha!-
A horned monkey gleefully soared through the air, riding a cloud beyond the island's boundaries.
"Are we supposed to… steal that?"
"No way, that's impossible!"
Dump staggered back in shock.
Snatching a fast-moving cloud flying through the sky would mean a single mistake could lead to a fatal fall.
'The difficulty can't be that high…'
While lost in thought, Seowoon's contemplation was broken by Kichan's sudden shout.
"Watch out!"
Snapping to attention, Seowoon saw the monkey—somehow now wielding a red staff—charging straight at the squad.
-Whoosh! Keehaaa!-
He ducked just in time, feeling the wind whip past the top of his head.
The monkey screeched with glee as it flew past and soared upward again.
Crack.
Seowoon felt his veins swell—his blood pressure spiking.
The monkey came spinning around for another pass, much faster this time.
-Kkihaaa!-
It zeroed in on Seowoon and swung its staff. But just as the blow should have landed, the monkey's expression twisted in confusion.
Its target had vanished like a mirage.
-Oohkki! Boom!-
Appearing directly in front of the monkey, Seowoon unleashed a piercing strike with his Bloodbone Technique. The monkey vanished into smoke—its body disintegrating as if it had never been there.
In its place, the Seondong Cloud hovered in place.
"So this is what the Seondong Cloud really is…"
Kichan trailed off, staring at the small cloud, barely wider than a few feet. Seowoon stepped onto it and smirked.
"It's the Kintoun!"
(Note: A reference to the "Flying Nimbus" from classic Eastern mythology and pop culture.)
-Shoooosh!
The Seondong Cloud moved in response to his thoughts.
As Seowoon rode it, slicing through the air, a wide grin appeared on his face.
But just as he soared across the island, the Seondong Cloud abruptly came to a halt.
-Ding! You cannot enter the island's interior while riding the Seondong Cloud.-
"So that's how it works."
Only about a quarter of the island's perimeter was accessible via the Seon dong Cloud.
Quickly returning to where his team waited, Seowoon addressed them:
"I'll scout the area and look for another Seondong Cloud."
"Be careful, Priest!"
He replied to Jinryung's concern with a smile and took off again.
Riding the wind high above the deadly drop, Seowoon soon spotted a cluster of Seondong Clouds in the distance.
A group of monkeys was gleefully attacking a giant sky-shark with red staffs.
With a punch, Seowoon fired a blast of energy at them.
-Ukkiya! Kyak!-
The monkeys dodged it easily but grew enraged and turned their attention toward him.
Turning the cloud around, Seowoon fled back toward his team while giving a quick report.
-I'm bringing five of them your way. Get ready.-
Unlike before, his teammates stayed calm and prepared their attacks.
As the five furious monkeys chased Seowoon overhead, the squad launched a coordinated strike.
-Boom-boom-boom-boom-BOOM!
"They're not too tough to take down."
Kichan remarked, having just taken out three monkeys in one go with Chain Lightning. Seowoon nodded.
"They're just tools for moving the Seondong Clouds. They don't even drop items. They're not much of a threat."
Kichan, riding up onto the Seondong, widened his eyes in awe as he moved the cloud around here and there.
"This is insane!"
"We don't have time to be amazed. We've got to move quickly to claim the nearby Seondongs"
Even before he finished speaking, Seowoon took Kichan and headed off to hunt the next Seondong .
— The rest of the team is standing guard nearby!
"Hi-ya!"
Kichan shouted while spinning around as if reenacting a scene from an anime. Seowoon closely followed behind.
"If you fall, it's game over."
"Strangely enough, even when I hang upside down, my feet don't slip! It moves exactly how I think!"
Watching the excited Kichan, Seowoon smiled.
He considered nagging him more but reminded himself—Kichan was still just a high schooler.
Together, they lured another monkey riding a Seondong and stole it. That left three Seondong remaining.
"How do we destroy them?"
Everyone pondered as they floated on the clouds, and then Hamit spoke up for the first time in a while.
— I sense a core at the front of the cloud.
As he said that, he extended his hand to an empty Seondong while spreading his bone armor.
— CRACK!
With the sound of a glass orb shattering, the Seondong dispersed into the air. Seowoon spoke up.
"There's a core at the front. Destroying that core ends it."
— Ding! You have destroyed a Seondong.
Remaining Seondong: 389/400
The team members grew anxious seeing the remaining Seondong count flash briefly before disappearing.
"There are other players riding Seondong besides us."
"The sun's already setting. It's actually surprising that only 11 have been destroyed so far."
"Let's move on to the next island. If we spot any Seondong on the way, we destroy them."
With that, Seowoon took the lead, flying forward, and the others followed.
— Same formation. React to changes as they come, but stick to the basic strategy.
They continued flying for a while. Just as darkness settled in completely, Seowoon raised a hand and came to a halt.
— Enemies ahead!
Far off in the distance, enemies also riding Seondong spotted them and came to a stop, staring back.
— They're coming! Get ready!
As the wind howled with their approach, Kichan was the first to react.
Instead of using a barrier, he fired a thunderball, testing the enemy's defenses. One enemy warrior at the front had his barrier shattered.
Then Juriel and Lyle followed up with spells. As the enemies scattered to avoid the attacks, Seowoon launched forward on his cloud shot .
Jinryung and Limin closed in behind him, maintaining a triangular formation.
— Let's split up in three directions. I'll break through the center. You two circle around and go for the mages!
With the enemy right in front, Seowoon now held Hamit, transformed into a chainsword.
Fighting bare-handed on a seon dong wasn't ideal, so a weapon with longer reach, even if unfamiliar, was better.
He poured his inner energy into the chainsword, extending it, and swung it.
As Seowoon slashed through the enemy formation with his elongated chainsword, the two following him quickly flanked in a wide arc.
— BOOM!
Seowoon withstood the concentrated attacks with his chainsword and pierced through the enemy.
If this had been on land, he wouldn't have broken through without killing some enemies. But on Seowoons, maneuverability allowed him to break their line quickly. The enemy mages, flustered, tried to scatter.
"Don't split up! Stick to me!"
The enemy's main caller shouted when he noticed some were falling behind, but it was already too late.
One of the four mages was surrounded by Seowoon and the others, and fell without much resistance.
Right behind Seowoon, delayed enemy attacks rained in.
Among them, a knight's lance charge looked especially dangerous.
— CLANG!
A heavy, glowing yellow lance collided with the raised chainsword, sending Seon dong sliding back.
If they were on horseback on solid ground, the enemy's charge would've been easier to handle, but here, the sheer force of the lance pushed him back on the cloud.
— CLANG CLANG CLANG!
Jinryung and Limin slashed their swords, deflecting the attacks aimed at seowoon.
— Focus on the mage on the right!
At Juriel's sub-order, Lyle and Kichan fired spells at the mage who had scattered to the right.
With three charging into the enemy formation and disrupting it, liringwi and Dump stood in front of the mages, defending against possible counterattacks.
While the allied mages focused on casting, the enemies, unable to do the same, quickly lost control of the fight.
When one more mage was taken down, the remaining six enemies scattered and tried to flee.
Even so, Seowoon managed to snipe two more enemies with arrows.
— Don't chase them any further!
They could've hunted down the remaining four if they kept chasing, but there was something more urgent.
Spotting a chest placed neatly on top of a Seon dong, Seowoon called out:
"Let's loot first."
[T/L: Read extra chapters on my ko-fi page "Pokemon1920" : https://ko-fi.com/pokemon1920