Chapter 55
Chapter 55
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 55
Chapter Title: A Home in Another World
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For now, he started with the most pressing question on his mind.
"Are there people in this world?"
[Of course.]
"I don't see any around here?"
[This place is quite a distance from any settlements. You'd have to drive for about ten minutes before spotting any signs of human life.]
"I see."
He wondered why he'd been dropped in such a remote spot all by himself, but soon decided it was for the best.
'If I'd landed right in the middle of people from the start, it would've been total chaos.'
He might've even caused some kind of incident.
Yuseong glanced back and forth between the TV and the front door.
'What should I do?'
He only had one hour in this other world. And once he returned, there'd be another week-long cooldown. That meant he had to make the most of every minute.
'Should I step outside? Or ask the Strategy Guide about this world?'
He was dying to feel the natural world of this place with his own body. He'd already gotten a taste of vibrant nature in Arc, but that was artificial, after all.
He wanted to experience the real thing.
Still, gathering info on the other world was crucial too. What if he wandered out clueless and something went wrong?
Sure, anywhere here had to be better than his trash heap of a world.
'If only I could get info on the other world from over there.'
But wishing for the impossible was pointless.
'No time to agonize over it.'
Time marched on mercilessly.
Yuseong made up his mind.
'Info first.'
He cast a longing glance at the trees swaying beyond the window, beckoning him like they were waving him over, then turned back to the Strategy Guide.
"Strategy Guide."
[What is it?]
"Tell me about this other world."
[Please narrow down the scope of your question. That's too broad for a proper response.]
'Fair enough.'
But he had no idea what to ask. He needed to know what he didn't know first.
All he had was what the Strategy Guide had told him before: this was a parallel world to his godforsaken one, specifically a country called Korea.
'Let's start close to home and work from there.'
One thing had been nagging at him anyway.
"Whose house is this?"
It was clearly well-maintained. The kimchi container he'd carelessly left on the kitchen table last time was gone. Someone had cleaned up.
Which meant people came here. Running into a stranger like him out of nowhere could cause a scene.
'They might even try to kill me.'
People judged situations based on their own experiences.
If they were really Korean, they'd probably just freak out and call the cops on a random intruder, not shoot first. But Yuseong was different.
If a stranger popped up in his hideout, he'd shove a gun in their face on instinct.
Fortunately, that wouldn't be an issue.
[It's your house, Player.]
"Mine?"
[Yes.]
"How?"
He'd never built a house here, and he had zero knowledge of this world. Hell, the house had already been standing when he first arrived.
[No information available.]
"I see."
His enthusiasm deflated.
It'd boasted about its other-world database, but apparently it didn't have everything.
Yuseong looked around the house. Compared to his filthy hideout, it was spotless and impressive.
The disappointment from the Strategy Guide's answer faded quickly. This was his? His mood lifted.
'I’ve got a base in the other world now.'
Having a foothold in unfamiliar territory made all the difference. But more than that, the house felt like official permission to relocate here, which thrilled him.
Yuseong bombarded the Strategy Guide with more questions. And he realized something.
'I still have no clue.'
It was a whole world, after all. Even if it mirrored his world's past, he barely knew anything about that era.
'Guess I need hands-on experience.'
Yuseong eyed the door. The front entrance linking the house to the outside. Stepping through might be the only way to truly set foot in this world.
'But that'll have to wait.'
He checked the clock on the living room wall. Nearly an hour had passed since he'd noted the time upon entering.
'Time to eat something first.'
Regret hit him. He could've eaten while questioning.
'My mindset's shifted.'
Back then, food came first, no question. Now he had the luxury to prioritize differently.
Yuseong yanked open the fridge and pulled out a pile of containers. He shoveled the food in greedily. Every bite was delicious.
Anyone else would've been horrified at him scarfing side dishes without rice, but to Yuseong, this was a feast fit for heaven.
He ditched the containers and scooped it up with his hands.
That was when he was lost in the flavors.
[Aren't you going to tackle the city?]
The Strategy Guide spoke up out of the blue.
"Uh, what? City攻略?"
It rarely initiated conversation, so he froze for a second.
"No plans for that anytime soon. Too risky. Arc covers most of what I need anyway."
[…….]
The Strategy Guide went silent. Had it gotten the answer it wanted? Yuseong shrugged it off and focused on polishing off the food.
Then return time hit.
Whoosh!
His vision blurred for a moment, and Yuseong was back in his hideout.
He'd expected it, but exhaustion crashed over him. He almost doubted if the other world had been real. But the sauce still on his fingers proved it wasn't a dream.
He sucked the sauce off his fingers. Worlds changed, but flavors didn't.
'I'll live in that world no matter what!'
He reaffirmed his resolve.
First, he needed to boost his visibility. Yuseong logged into the Virtual Reality Device. He was debating whether to head to the next area for broadcasting gear or grind more levels when—
"...What the hell."
A voice laced with dismay and creeping dread escaped his lips.
The Virtual Reality Device wouldn't turn on.
Yuseong jammed the power button again. Nothing.
His heart pounded, cold sweat beading, but he didn't panic yet.
'It's just missing something.'
Plenty of reasons an electronic wouldn't power up. Dead battery, busted generator, or something blocking the sun so the generator couldn't charge.
He checked one by one.
Battery was fine. No frayed wires. Generator intact.
With each potential issue ruled out, despair swelled in his chest. His hands shook, sweat soaking him.
No external problems. Had to be internal.
Thud!
Yuseong collapsed in defeat. Crushing despair pinned him down.
The nightmare he'd imagined—but never wanted to—had come true.
The Virtual Reality Device was broken.
That meant losing everything he had now.
Back to meat that cramped his gut every bite, polluted water, trembling at every bullet while checking if beasts were dead or playing possum.
Before his current comforts, he'd endured it all doggedly. But he couldn't stomach going back.
And his dream of moving to the other world? Dead.
'Fix it. I have to fix it.'
But how? No proper parts even for a normal device. And this wasn't ordinary.
'Still, I have to try!'
He crawled—legs too weak to stand—to grab the spare parts he'd hoarded for this exact scenario.
No room for self-pity. This hellhole world hadn't let him afford such luxuries.
He finally dragged over the parts and tools.
Crash!
The box tipped, spilling everything with a clamor. Rushing had made him clumsy. He scrambled to gather them, staring at the device.
'Where do I even start?'
Peel off the casing first. As Yuseong rummaged for the right tool—
A translucent window popped up. He froze.
Quest: Urban Exploration
Explore the abandoned city and recover useful lost tech from the fallen civilization, like the hologram laser scanner.
Reward: Varies by tech value. Arc access.
Yuseong's eyes locked on four words: 'Arc access.'
"Ha, haha...!"
Laughter bubbled out, sounding almost like sobs. Relief? Hope? He wasn't sure. Maybe both, or something else.
One thing was clear: a chance to fix it without tearing it apart.
'No, not fixing. Accessing Arc.'
He glared at 'Arc access' in the reward.
'Calm down first.'
Heart still racing like it might burst. Yuseong summoned the Purchase Window. Nothing soothed him like black bread.
'It works.'
If Arc and all its mysteries were gone, the Purchase Window wouldn't appear. He'd guessed it from the quest, but seeing it was a relief.
He bought black bread. Chewing the squishy stuff settled his nerves, just as expected.
Feeling his heartbeat slow, he pondered.
'Why won't it connect?'
It could be broken. That mystical power could fix a busted machine in a blink.
But somehow, no.
'Come to think of it, the Strategy Guide asked about city攻略 right before I left that world.'
And the moment he said no, Arc access cut off. What were the odds?
'Did the Strategy Guide block it?'
Suspicion coiled in his gut. He considered asking outright, but if it realized he suspected it—and if it had malicious intent—that could backfire.
But he dismissed that fast.
Unlike the other world, here the Strategy Guide could read his thoughts.
So he asked directly.
'Strategy Guide, did you cut it off?'
[No information available.]
It didn't bare its teeth like he'd feared. But no clear answer either.
That 'no information' reply, once just frustrating, now felt like something hiding ulterior motives.
'...But nothing's certain yet.'
For a moment, he questioned if he really believed that or just wanted to. But his mind was still sharp.
Maybe from experience, or the lingering hope of Arc access.
'Doesn't matter.'
As long as he could think straight.
'Either way, next move's set.'
Yuseong opened the Purchase Window. Below the items, the massive haul from the Hers Guild battle glared back.
He'd thought it'd last awhile. Now, it didn't feel like enough.