Chapter 10
Chapter 10
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 10
Chapter Title: Uninvited Guest (1)
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People transforming into playable characters from Season Off Fantasy, and monsters pouring out from fissures of light in the sky—an unprecedented phenomenon.
It had been about two days since this scientifically inexplicable disaster struck.
I had no idea what was discussed at the meeting between the top four guilds 48 hours ago, but afterward, the situation in Korea was accelerating like a train picking up speed, growing faster and more urgent by the minute.
"Announcement..."
...In the sunset glow as night approached, I blinked Selverion's crimson eyes and peered intently at the screen of my battered old smartphone.
The cracked display showed the full text of the government's newly released announcement from a few hours earlier.
📄 Official Announcement [Disaster Safety Countermeasure Headquarters Official Announcement] Released at 17:00 / Ministry of the Interior and Safety - Disaster Safety Countermeasure Headquarters Title: Government Response and Cooperation Guidelines on the Collapse of Reality-Virtual Boundaries Phenomenon Regarding the ongoing materialization of monsters based on Season Off Fantasy observed in multiple regions nationwide, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety hereby officially announces the following to the public. The currently appearing aberrations partially ignore conventional physical laws, making it difficult to fully suppress them with existing physical forces such as the military, fire departments, and police. Therefore, the need to supplement our disaster response system has been raised internally for more effective countermeasures. In response, the government has formalized cooperation with confirmed 'Players' among civilians and established a new government-wide response organization, the 'Season Off Fantasy Phenomenon Response Headquarters (SPR)', to operate alongside them. This agency will oversee practical responses including aberration suppression, regional defense line construction, special forces operations, damage recovery, and intelligence analysis. To effectively counter the regional spread of these alien lifeforms, command and control authority has been delegated to key Players and guilds. The nation is divided into four zones, each managed by the following guilds and Players. Below is the list of regions and responsible Players/guilds. • Capital Region: 'Yoon Sol (Sol-sol)' – Ace Guild • Eastern Region: 'Kim Deok-su (Typhoon Man)' – Diamond Guild • Central Region: 'Jeong Hyun-jun (Dark Ghost)' – Fate Guild • Jeju & Southern Region: 'Han Yeon-hwa (YH)' – Legend Guild The above four guilds will participate in operations and public order maintenance under government cooperation, with overall operations jointly commanded by Legend Guild's Han Yeon-hwa (YH) and Defense Minister Lee Deok-chun as co-chairpersons. Citizens who have awakened as Players are requested to proceed to the nearest military base or SPR-designated safe zone for official certification. Certified Players will receive government combat support, supplies, and minor rewards upon deployment, and participate in operations under the command of SPR and the regional responsible Players/guilds. However, in addition to cooperating Players, numerous instances of Players indiscriminately threatening or looting civilians have been reported nationwide. These are regarded as separate threats from aberrations and constitute serious criminal offenses under criminal law, subject to immediate arrest and isolation. If encountering aberrations or armed individuals outdoors, citizens must verify government certification and, in suspicious situations, maintain absolute distance while immediately reporting to the SPR Unified Reporting Center. Outdoor activities are strongly discouraged; remain indoors until official guidance is provided. Further announcements will follow as the situation evolves. Please check official channels from SPR and regional disaster response agencies regularly. We deeply appreciate your cooperation and pledge to respond alongside you to the end. "Hm..."
After reading the full announcement, I scratched my chin. I'd wondered what the top four guilds had discussed two days ago, but it seemed they'd talked about cooperating with the government for effective response and establishing a new department.
"SPR, huh..."
Setting up a new department was probably inevitable. Specialized agencies were always created for pandemics or other disasters.
Besides, at this point, only Players who underwent transformation could handle monsters, so requesting their cooperation was a given.
In novels or comics, you'd always see hunter associations or guild federations pop up under related organizations.
Players could now join battles more systematically without logistical issues, and receive government support and rewards to boot. Seemed like a win-win.
"..."
Still, there were always those who preferred solitary freedom, no matter the support offered.
No matter how much backing the government provided, those who hated belonging to groups or taking orders would continue solo raids outside the new SPR agency.
...Like me, for instance.
"Guilds and government oversight? No thanks..."
I skimmed the announcement again, tilting my head.
They were enticing Players to join SPR with support and minor rewards, but Selverion was far stronger than all four top Korean guilds combined.
I didn't need their combat support, and any rewards they offered could be obtained through Selverion's abilities anyway.
No matter how I thought about it, I couldn't see the merit in heading to a military base and joining this SPR organization.
On the contrary, taking orders or moving at someone else's whim in Selverion's body felt like the greatest insult and stupidity to myself. So I resolved to keep doing things my way, on my terms, to navigate this crisis.
...Plus, the government was riddled with corruption from the start, and Players suddenly gaining immense power and influence would get arrogant.
It might not happen now, but eventually, massive rifts and conflicts would arise between those two groups. No way did I want to join SPR and get dragged into that mess.
"...Well, at least real combat kicks off now."
Regardless of my choices or future events, with SPR established as a specialist agency and major guilds consolidating, Korea was entering full-scale war.
Legend, Diamond, Fate, Ace.
Under these top four guilds' command, everyone would bleed and fight fiercely to reclaim major cities nationwide.
Thinking of the monster roars, screams, and battle cries assaulting my eardrums nonstop made my head ache already.
"Player looting and threats against civilians..."
...The lengthy government announcement warned not just about SPR establishment and Player cooperation requests, but also about rogue Players' crimes.
"That's inevitable too..."
Not every Player would be righteous and kind-hearted. Human motivation boils down to 'desire,' and with superior power and opportunity now, some would pursue their desires by any means necessary.
In a situation where police and military couldn't arrest or suppress Players, rogue Players running rampant was all too predictable.
Unless God remade humanity, selfish humans willing to cross any line for personal gain would keep emerging endlessly.
I hoped the new SPR would crack down effectively on those rogues—but if SPR itself committed such crimes, no one could stop them. That was a problem.
...Maybe humanity's true enemy wasn't the monsters from the fissures, but fellow humans standing on the same ground. The thought crossed my mind briefly.
"Busy times..."
From the SPR department set up by the government and Players, to the monsters pouring down, to rogue Players exploiting gaps for their desires.
In the roughly two days since the incident, Korea had been plunged into massive chaos, moving at frantic speed.
"......"
Of course, it wasn't just the government and major guilds that were busy.
I'd spent those two days quite busily investigating Selverion's body, uncovering several new facts about her.
...First off—and somewhat obviously—Selverion's stamina far surpassed human limits.
Despite not sleeping a wink for two days, I felt no fatigue whatsoever, nor any urge to sleep.
No hunger, no emptiness. All the chronic fatigue and ills from my original body were absent in Selverion's.
"Guess I'm technically a monster now..."
I muttered, scratching my head.
Though her appearance was that of a lovely girl, Selverion was ultimately a 'boss monster' from Season Off Fantasy. At her core, not human, but monster.
Becoming another race brought an odd sense of emptiness, but it didn't mean I missed my old body or hated this one.
It just felt awkward having this overflowing stamina and strength.
"Ugh..."
......But even Selverion wasn't flawless. She had one fatal weakness: she couldn't eat vegetables.
"S-so gross..."
Bored, I'd pulled out some salad I'd saved and took a bite of tomato. An overwhelming stench and fishy reek assaulted my mouth and nose.
Thinking it spoiled, I switched to greens and kimchi, resetting the table. But stuffing my mouth with greens brought the same horrific taste, like shoving food waste inside.
"What’s with this smell..."
I spat everything out and rinsed my mouth, but the rotten odor lingered in my mouth and nostrils.
Rice and instant foods tasted fine, so Selverion simply couldn't handle vegetables.
An unimaginable flaw for her.
...To assassinate Selverion, maybe hire a chef to force-feed veggies or juice.
"Chefs are scary..."
Conveniently, Season Off Fantasy had a supporter class called 'Chef.' Better steer clear.
"......"
Aside from this random vegetable weakness, December's final boss Selverion had a flawless body.
Her senses were insanely heightened beyond human levels.
Her red eyes could clearly read distant signs even in pitch-black night without a speck of light.
Her smell caught faint gunpowder from far-off shells and minute scent changes in detail.
Her sense of touch went beyond tactile—it felt like an extra instinct. Threats or attack trajectories registered automatically, body dodging instinctively. The realm of 'instinct.'
...But the most strikingly felt was hearing. Selverion's ears were leagues beyond human.
— S-save, save me, ugh!! — …Shut up, you fucking bitch. No one's coming, so quiet down. — Bro, hurry and finish so I can have a turn too. — Shut it, you loot the valuables first. "Rogue Players' looting, rape, murder..."
Muttering from the announcement, I quietly stood.
Then, I morphed the Phantasmal Tiara on my head into a black mask and donned it. Chains of Death and Frost shifted to greatsword form.
"......Fearless bastards everywhere."
Poor neighborhood or not, I'd lived here five years; it had a sense of community. I'd nodded to some residents, so I couldn't just let rogue Players rampage in my home turf. If ignored, they might even break into my place.
...If you had power, it was right to use it properly. I wanted to protect what I could, what I wanted to protect, for sure.
I never wanted to relive the experience of losing everything in an instant five years ago.
"......PVP practice. Not bad."