A community of evil spirits, the Ghostbusters, was my source of information that Missha and Ainar were unaware of.
Well, let's do it.
Forcing my eyes away from Hansu Lee's plush-looking bed, I turned on the computer first. This community only lasted for twelve hours. There were things I needed to learn at that time.
Hercules, Noark, Dragon Hunter.
It used to be the story of a distant nation, but now it was closely related to my survival. Library books had a limit. The medium of books itself could be slow with recent information.
[1~140,000GP] All information related to Hercules.
First, I put up a post looking for information and opened a chat room. I judged this might be more useful than the exchange.
[Long live Korean Independence] – 1 person is online.
Baekho seemed to have entered the chat room as soon as the community opened. It's true, he was very sad when he disconnected last time. He even worried that he wouldn't come back, like a child who doesn't want to be separated from his parents.
Still, he is not a child who can be easily met.
Somehow, it left a bitter taste in my mouth. He was an icon of misfortune brought here on the day of his discharge, and a veteran in this world who had survived almost ten years. Baekho looked very favorably on me, but... I couldn't fully trust him. Last time he said he was hiding. Telling me that I was weak with the latest information, he introduced me to the Round Table Watchers. So I let it go, but I couldn't rule out the possibility that he was a member of Hercules or the underground city of Noark.
Whether we are both Korean or not, here we are nothing more than strangers who don't even know each other's faces or names.
Soon, I organized my thoughts. Maintaining a relationship with Baekho had more profits than losses. So, while I was digging into his true identity, I should probe some information about Hercules without going overboard.
«Brooooooo!!!»
The moment I double-clicked the mouse, I found myself in a large room reminiscent of an aristocratic mansion. Before I could take a good look around me, Baekho ran towards me.
«Brother! Why did it take you so long?»
«Come here blind...»
«Do you know how anxious I was that you were dead?»
It seemed like it was true, because his eyes were sharp and his hair was messy, as if he had been pulling on it. Not even five minutes had passed since the community opened and this was your reaction? Was he so hungry for affection?
«Brother, you can't die yet! We have not yet talked about K-pop singers, nor have we insulted politicians and the military. I can only do that with you! We also need to talk about Dungeon Fighter!»
Oh... So that was the problem. Well, expecting the sensitivity of a normal person from a guy who had survived ten years in this place would be laughable. I smiled and sat in the chair. «Enough is enough. I'm not going to die».
«Okay. So what should we talk about first? Oh, Lovel Lovel's third full album? That would be best, right?»
Wait, who the hell was Lovel Lovel? Since I had no interest in the entertainment industry, I changed the subject naturally. He had the feeling that if he confessed not knowing them, he would be angry. «...Let's talk about the army».
«Of course! Hey? But now that I think about it, weren't you in public service?».
«Maybe I went to the training center, man».
«Mmm...» Maybe talking about apprenticeship days wasn't so appealing. Baekho put on a strange expression and spoke cautiously. «Brother, maybe we should talk about Dungeon Fighter».
«I haven't tried that».
«What?! Didn't you say you were in public service?!» Baekho screamed as if he had just heard something he shouldn't have. He came to his senses a moment later. «Ahh! I'm sorry brother. That's not what I meant. You know that, right?»
«Yes... let's say yes».
«Wrong...»
The atmosphere became instantly uncomfortable. Baekho scratched his cheek, looking somewhat discouraged. It wasn't that he couldn't understand his thought process. He was so happy to meet a fellow Korean, but realized we didn't really have much in common.
«¡Pft! Hehehehe...»
«Why are you laughing?»
«No brother. Isn't it funny? The conversation we just had».
Was it? I wasn't sure which part was so fun.
«I can't really explain it, but for some reason I felt like I was back in Korea.»
Ah, that. «...I think I know what you mean. And more or less what it feels like «.
«True?» Baekho giggled and leaned back in his chair.
Instead of forcing a topic, we had a natural conversation. Starting with our original works, we exchanged stories with the current and somehow ended up talking about the army.
«The training center thing was a lot of fun. I didn't know there were so many crazy people in our country».
«I guess it's the atmosphere. Everyone becomes normal outside».
«Well... that's true. We didn't know we would end up here either. Once we get back, we'll probably have to go to a mental hospital».
«I think it would be better not to talk about this.»
«No. Haven't you thought about it? Killing people if they get in our way, killing them if they are suspicious, wondering if every person we meet is going to hurt us or not. Human life... seems like a game. We are crazy bastards».
As if the humorous atmosphere of before had not existed, the air calmed down.
«You will adapt quickly. Just like when you arrived».
«...¿Eso crees?»
«Sí.»
A moment of silence passed after that. Baekho was the first to speak. «Anyway, that's why I'm grateful. To be honest, these days I've been wondering if I really need to come back or not. It's not that I like being here, but... You know what I mean?»
«Sí.»
«You may think it's not that big of a deal, but at least it motivates me. Laughing here gives me faith that I can do it when I get back».
Faith, huh? I felt a strange incongruity in that word, but I didn't delve deeper. I wasn't yet in the phase where I was sure of anything, and I judged that I didn't gain anything by touching on the subject.
«By the way, do you know anything about Hercules?». Naturally, I brought up the main theme in a carefree tone, as if I intended to end the heavy atmosphere. After asking that question, I focused on Baekho's change of expression.
There was no notable change. «Hercules? Why do you want to know?» Baekho asked the reason first. Until now, he had answered everything easily no matter what I asked him. That created more questions. Who really was this guy?
«Do you know that you need a Genesis Treasure to reach the top floor? I was wondering if it had been stolen. You know about the robbery, right?». I recited the lines I had prepared without pause.
Baekho nodded. «Yes I know. That's why you asked... I'm relieved».
«Relieved?»
«Oh, it's nothing». Baekho overlooked it and continued: «Anyway, you managed to think like that too. In fact, I used to think like that».
«Do you mean not now?»
«Yeah. I've checked here and there, but that doesn't seem to be the case. It makes sense, since the Genesis Treasures were all stolen half a year ago».
«All of them?»
«Oh, you didn't know that. All six races were stolen. The same day, too».
Huh, the old man said that the other races might be in a similar situation. Was right.
«Realistically, it doesn't make sense. I don't know about the other races, but how could they steal from the Dragon People? No matter how skilled they are, it is not possible. I tried to investigate just in case, but couldn't find any clues».
«So you don't know who stole them?»
«Yeah. If you find out anything, let me know too. Since there is no other way to return home without one».
I asked the question because I was curious about Hercules, but instead I learned an unexpected fact. This guy didn't know anything about the Genesis Treasures either. I even had the illusion for a moment that he could be the final boss.
«Brother, you're not having any other thoughts, are you? Like competition or whatever. You can open the door with up to five people, anyway. I can help».
«No, it's not that...» Since I couldn't say what I thought to his face, I overlooked it. «It's just a little strange that you tell me that. How can I find traces that you couldn't even find?».
«Hey, the truth is that I don't have much to say to that... But for some reason I have the feeling that you are special. Actually, I had that thought since I first saw you».
«That leaves me with nothing to say...»
«Come on, didn't you say you beat it by 10x? In ten years, you will be similar to me. Realistically, I have no further areas to improve».
Aside from saying that there was no room to get stronger, I could feel Baekho's willpower from those casual words. This boy thought it would take another ten years to find the Genesis Treasures, but he didn't give up. How does one become so tenacious?
«Oh, right. Do you want to hear something interesting? I'm sure you don't know either. It is a scenario that did not exist in the game».
"¿What are you?"
«There is a huge underground city under the sewers called Noark».
«...Noark?» I tried to maintain my composure. I couldn't bring myself to mention it, but I expected it. To think he would mention it first.
«Yeah. Talking about Hercules reminded me. In fact, that is its basis. You know the Ormi Revolutionary Corps, right?».
I laughed at the slightly unexpected name. «The guys who sometimes come out as events. They approach you to turn the world upside down with them as soon as you get some fame».
Accepting the event always ended in a dead end. I tried countless times to see if there were any hidden conditions, but there was nothing I could change because it was a problem with the structure of the game itself.
«Noark» was also created by those bastards. They failed in their rebellion and fled underground».
«That's interesting. And then?»
«That is. They have similar goals, right? That's why they ally».
An alliance between Noark and Hercules was what I learned from the letter left by High Priest Ludwig. In other words, everything from now on was important. How could he ask for information about the dragon slayer without being suspicious?
«Brother, I'm telling you just in case, but if an order related to this arrives from the palace or the guild, don't even come near it».
«I think I need to hear the reason first».
«Ah, that makes for a long story...» Baekho sighed and quickly continued. «There's a bastard named the dragon slayer who did something really stupid recently. He kidnapped a High Priest, but lost him. Apparently someone picked up his letter and took it to the temple or something».
I swallowed while asking: «But how?».
«I don't know the details. I heard he lost his memory and doesn't know what happened to him».
Did you lose your memory? Could it have something to do with the fallen vine? I wanted to ask for more details, but Baekho kept talking quickly and didn't give me a chance.
«Anyway, what I wanted to say is that they broke the alliance first, so that a conquest can be formed. So never participate. They're not doing very well down there. Getting entangled in that will only get you hurt. Okay? Damn, time is up. Brother! Until next time...» Soon, Baekho's voice broke and he disappeared without a trace.
«Damn sea.»
In other words, he bounced because his time was up.
***
After Baekho disappeared, I returned to my room and took a moment to organize my thoughts. To be precise, I chewed over and over a sentence he said.
«I don't know the details. I heard he lost his memory and doesn't know what happened to him».
Considering the pill the psycho bitch had given me, it was very plausible. The problem was that I didn't know if it was true. It was possible that Baekho heard rumors created by Hercules and passed them on to me. But this was true...
It makes sense that the vine would break.
It was understandable to a certain extent. This ring didn't stop the sick encounters with the bastard, it just postponed them.
After all, it's only a matter of time before they catch me.
If I tracked down who delivered the letter, one day he would hear from me. There was also the question of getting rid of the sword called Dragon Slayer. Even if that wasn't the case, the possibility that Noark had a means to restore memories was also open.
My job would remain the same.
I sat down at the computer again and did what I had to do. I checked to see if there were posts selling information, and when there were, I got together to buy it at a reasonable price. Assuming anyone could become my enemy, I gathered more and more information, not just about the dragon slayer.
Finally, it was 3:09, almost the opening time of the Round Table Watchers. I deliberately waited until there was only a minute left to enter the chat room. The beauty of playing a character was in the details.
¡Crujido!
When I put the lion mask on the table, the closed door opened. A red carpet led to the Round Table room. As I moved slowly, I could hear the sound of conversation in the distance.
«That man, won't he come this time?»
«It won't be strange. Someone like him doesn't need us».
«Who the hell is he for you to act like this?»
There was a new voice between them. He seemed to be a member who didn't attend last time.
«It is difficult to explain.»
«He's crazy. So if you ever meet him, watch your words. Otherwise, you will have a very bad time».
Responding to the veteran's experienced advice, the rookie said: «Ha, I really don't understand. You're making fun of me, right? Physical strength doesn't work, and it can't even learn our identities, so what are you so afraid of?».
«Psh. There is one thing, killer energy».
«What...? No matter how strong yours is, we are strong enough to defend ourselves against it», the rookie murmured in disbelief.
I resumed my steps and made myself noticed.
Step.
Hearing loud footsteps, the members sitting at the Round Table turned their heads in unison. I walked silently behind them and sat in the seat I had used last time.
«Long time no see, Mr. León».
Except Clown, they looked at me in silence.
Apparently, this environment was not to his liking. The rookie acted like one and laughed awkwardly. «Oh, um... I guess there really is a newcomer. Haha».
I stared silently at the rookie and released the murderous energy I had been practicing hard. If there was a rookie, it was necessary to get ahead. Wasn't it tradition here?