Chapter 17
Chapter 17
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 17
Chapter Title: The Community Board
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“To use the community feature, you’ll need to set a nickname first.”
The assistant flicked her hand, and a system window appeared before me.
[Please set the nickname you wish to use in the community.]
“Once you set a nickname, you can’t change it, so please think carefully.”
Can’t be changed, huh…
I hesitated for a moment, then called out the nickname I usually used.
“Wise Bear.”
Wise Bear.
My name, Hyeon-ung, is written with the characters for ‘wise’ and ‘male.’
But many viewers thought the ‘ung’ was for ‘bear,’ and they told me to use it during donations, so it just stuck.
[This ID already exists.]
…?
I’d used it almost exclusively when I was streaming and never ran into a duplicate before. It’s strange that it’s taken here.
Could one of my subscribers be in Elsia?
I called out several other nicknames that came to mind, but surprisingly, many were already registered.
Names like God of War, Sword King, Ghost Soul, Light, Dark—all the slightly childish but cool-sounding ones were taken.
Are there really that many people in Elsia?
Based on the number of people who came out of the labyrinth today, it seemed like there were less than ten thousand.
Ah, but of course, there are also the Summoned who chose the Tower or the Sea of Trees, so there would be more…
“Hyeon-ung? If you really can’t think of anything, you can use your real name, but I wouldn’t recommend it.”
She’s stating the obvious.
No fool uses their real name in an online community.
Ah, wait. Could that work?
“Bio.”
[This nickname is available. Would you like to set your nickname as Bio? Y/N]
It’s also a singer’s name, and since it’s my companion’s name, I thought it might not work, but thankfully it did.
Not wanting to think any harder, I tapped ‘Y’.
“Bio. That’s a nice nickname.”
“I just couldn’t think of anything else.”
“Then I’ll explain the community features in detail.”
During the basic training, they had only briefly mentioned its existence, saying it would take at least three months to reach level 20 anyway, so I nodded.
According to the assistant’s explanation, it was similar to a typical online community, but with a few differences.
Just like with the status window, you could access it by saying “Community.”
I wondered if they gave you a laptop or a smartphone to write posts, but she said it was all done by speaking.
Well, this isn’t a real game, after all.
I preferred speaking over writing anyway, so I had no major complaints.
What was surprising was that you could even upload photos and videos using the Video Recording and Editing Orbs sold at the Summoner’s Shop.
Next, the available forums were limited depending on your starting point.
That was actually a good thing, as it would prevent information from getting mixed up if Summoned from different starting points were all together.
There were two forums available to Summoned in the Labyrinth City.
The General Board and the Verified Board.
She warned me to be careful, as posts on the General Board would be displayed with my nickname, while posts on the Verified Board would show my real name.
I thanked her and left the shop.
“Community.”
[Verified Board]
[General Board]
I tapped the Verified Board first.
Most communities were anonymous, so I was curious what kind of posts people would make using their real names.
[Trade) WTB Five-Colored Branch.]
[Trade) Will reward information on where to find a Spirit’s Tear.]
[Trade) WTS Magic Scroll: Lightning Bolt. Can trade for Ice Bolt.]
[Promo) We are the Blue Flower Guild, newly joined the Alliance. Currently recruiting new members.]
I thought it might be empty, but there were surprisingly quite a few posts.
I clicked on one, and sure enough, the author’s real name was displayed next to it, though it didn’t seem to mean much since the post itself specified which guild to visit.
It made sense that using real names would be better for trading items or information.
Thinking it was a pretty useful feature, I tapped on the General Board next.
[Why were the Golden Lions running a checkpoint today?]
[Are the Golden Lion Guild members all fucking brain-dead? What’s with this checkpoint bullshit?]
[Seriously can’t stand those Golden Lion pricks acting all high and mighty. You feel me?]
The first few posts were complaints about the Golden Lion Guild’s checkpoint today.
Everyone had seemed fine with it earlier, but as expected of an anonymous space, the criticism was scathing.
I was about to think this board was also useful in its own way, but the posts below quickly changed my mind.
[Anyone see the lord’s daughter at that event the other day? Damn, she’s hot, right?]
[Come and Play, the best establishment on the 1st floor of the Labyrinth. We’ve recruited this cycle’s dropouts! Restocked with new faces by choosing 10 companions.]
[Proof that I wiped out two parties in the labyrinth this time.]
The titles alone were disgusting just to look at.
The first post was blatant sexual harassment, but it was tame compared to the others.
The second was an advertisement for prostitution using summoned companions, and the third was a post with a picture of an actual murder scene…
I felt a wave of nausea and quickly returned to the list.
I drank a glass of water to calm my stomach and looked at the list again. Below the Golden Lion Guild drama, the majority of the posts were just as vile.
When she was explaining it earlier, she didn’t say anything about how it was managed…
It seemed that, unlike in the real world, Elsia’s community had no moderators.
No, but even without moderators, how could this be…
The people summoned to this world couldn’t all have been prisoners dragged out of jail.
How could people proudly post things like that for others to see…
It was truly an abyss… No, such a decent word didn’t fit.
A garbage dump.
Yes. That seemed to be the most fitting description.
It seemed I had been thinking of this world too lightly, all because I had gotten a good trait and was cruising along with good companions and items.
In fact, during the basic training, they had drilled it into our heads that there was no law or police here, so we had to be careful.
And I had actually met scumbags in the labyrinth who treated their companions like tools.
Of course, the trash who wrote those posts could just be a minority, but…
I closed the community window, thinking I needed to get a grip.
I might use the Verified Board, but I would probably never use or look at the General Board again.
****
*Knock, knock—*
“Come in.”
When the door opened, a familiar face appeared.
“Good morning, Hyeon-ung!”
It was Luke, with a meal cart and a bright smile.
“You again?”
“I came in for my shift and saw another employee preparing room service. I asked just in case, and it turned out to be your meal, Hyeon-ung. I brought it up myself so I could say good morning.”
It was probably because of the tip I gave him yesterday.
“Right. Just leave it there and go.”
Luke brought my breakfast again today.
“Hyeon-ung? You don’t look so well today.”
“I’m just not fully rested.”
“Ah, what a stupid question for me to ask. Please eat and get some rest.”
Luke bowed and left.
He looks like a bear on the outside, but he has a surprisingly sharp side to him.
I’d had a nightmare, probably from seeing that awful stuff before bed last night.
After a simple breakfast, I left Kabisa.
A few employees gave me strange looks, probably because of my shabby clothes.
I had several sets of casual clothes that Luke had bought, but today I wore the ones I’d worn in the labyrinth.
The clothes Luke bought were too high-end and didn’t suit a newbie Summoner of the 34th cycle.
I planned to move inns once my paid period was over.
Kabisa was a high-end inn that guaranteed privacy, but I might still randomly catch the eye of other Summoned.
Today, I planned to sort out the byproducts I’d obtained in the labyrinth, pay my taxes, and stop by the Silver Wolf Guild to settle my debt.
If I had time, I’d look around the city a bit.
First stop, the general store.
I’d learned that while some items could be sold to other Summoned for a higher price, they also tended to lowball you, so most people used the general stores.
There were twenty general stores scattered throughout the city, and one was just a five-minute walk from Kabisa.
I’d stopped by once to prepare the day before entering the labyrinth, so I arrived without getting lost.
[Arnold’s General Store]
It was early, so I was prepared to come back later if it wasn’t open, but thankfully, the door was.
“Oh? Dad! A customer’s here! Welcome.”
“Yawn, at this hour? What a diligent Summoner.”
A brown-haired girl with a similar build to Rina, sitting on a chair, woke up the dozing man and greeted me.
The owner’s daughter… was her name Latina?
The man was the owner, Arnold. One of his arms was as thick as my torso, a mass of incredible muscle.
“Hello. I’m here to sell some byproducts from the labyrinth.”
“That’s what most people who come to my shop are here for. Go on, take them out.”
His expression was indifferent, and he didn’t seem to remember me at all.
Well, I wasn’t a regular and had only been here once.
I nodded and took the junk items out of my inventory one by one, placing them on the counter.
It was quite a large amount, but he nonchalantly checked the quantity and started moving them.
His daughter helped, and despite being short and thin, she was surprisingly strong, moving the items quite well.
“That’ll be 1 gold, 86 silver, and about 50 copper. You’re my first customer of the day, and it’s a big haul, so I’ll round it up to 87 silver.”
As I took the pouch Arnold held out, a notification window appeared.
[You have acquired 1 gold and 87 silver.]
“And take that back with you.”
Arnold pointed to the troll hide and blood left on the counter.
“You don’t buy these?”
“You’ll get a much better price for troll blood and hide at the Mage Tower, so sell it there.”
I’d heard that while the people of this world were generally unfriendly to Summoned, the general store owners were an exception. It seemed to be true.
“I understand.”
“Last time you were here, you only bought basic equipment, so I thought you were a rookie. But seeing as you’ve brought green troll and red lizardman hides, you must be a pretty capable Summoner. Come by often.”
So he did remember me.
“I will. Thank you for the compliment. My daughter helped too, so please buy her a snack with this.”
One good turn deserves another.
She reminded me of Rina, though they didn’t look alike besides their height, so I took out 1 silver from my inventory and handed it to him.
“Seems a bit much for a snack, but I won’t refuse something like this. You’re a man of fine character.”
“Thank you. I’ll see you next time.”
He smiled brightly as he said goodbye. As I left the general store, I couldn’t help but think it would be nice if Rina was a little more like that.
Next destination, the Administrative Office.
I had been there ten days ago, but my memory was fuzzy. Luckily, I had bought a city map before entering the labyrinth.
After walking for nearly thirty minutes, I finally arrived and told the person at the desk I was there to pay taxes. Without a word, they took my gold and identification, returning it about five minutes later.
The returned ID card had a red stamp on it, indicating the tax had been paid.
Worried it might smudge and I’d have to pay again, I asked about it. The employee told me with an indifferent expression that it was made with magic and wouldn’t come off.
They assured me that the payment was also recorded in their documents, so I left the Administrative Office feeling relieved.
I debated whether to go to the Mage Tower or settle my debt first. A look at the map showed the latter was closer, so I decided to clear the debt first.
It was a clear rip-off and semi-coerced, but I had signed the contract, so it was better to deal with it quickly. I took out my map again and started walking.
It was quite a distance from Kabisa, but close to the Administrative Office, so I arrived in the vicinity in about twenty minutes.
Turning down an alley, I saw a street lined with five to six-story wooden buildings packed tightly together.
Guild Street.
This was where most of the guild hideouts were located, including those of the Alliance guilds.
The entrances to all the buildings were open, and there didn’t seem to be any guards.
The area was part of the territorial soldiers’ patrol route, but the Guild Alliance also conducted its own patrols, so it was said to be quite safe.
There were also quite a few restaurants, likely due to the large number of Summoned. I figured I could grab lunch after settling my debt.
Most of the buildings looked similar, but thankfully, there were nameplates at the entrances.
Not wanting to attract trouble by looking like a newbie, I checked each one myself instead of asking people.
Oh, there it is.
It was said to be one of the two powerhouses of the Alliance, alongside the Golden Lion Guild. The building stood in the center of the street, a seven-story structure, a full floor taller than the others.
The inside felt more like an inn’s dining hall than an office.
I figured I could just go to the counter and tell them I was there to pay off a debt.
As I started to move, I saw a man and a woman coming down the stairs on the opposite side.
Come to think of it, they were from the Silver Wolf Guild too…
I turned my head, trying to walk past and pretend I hadn’t seen them, but it was too late.
“Hey? You there, hold on a second. It really is that piece of trash. See? I told you I saw him right.”
It would have been nice if I could have just walked past without them noticing. What rotten luck.
“Hey? When you see someone, you should say hello. Why are you ignoring me?”
Sigh. If I had just pretended not to see them, none of this would have happened.
Ah! Of course, when I say rotten luck, I’m talking about that guy, Ju Yeon-seong, not me.
After all, no one avoids a piece of shit because they’re scared of it.