Chapter 289
Chapter: 289
-----------------------------------------------------------------
>Translator: penny
>Chapter: 289
>Chapter Title: Justitia (1)
>-----------------------------------------------------------------
>Before creating their game accounts, Seongjin first suggested checking the 'full dive machine' that Dexter would be using.
He insisted there wouldn't be any issues, but it was still an object that had been rolling around the workshop unused for years.
It would be a problem if something happened to Dexter, his precious... no, his valuable informant.
[See? What did I tell you? It's working perfectly.]
Dexter, having tested everything from the life support systems to the emergency ejection sequence inside the large capsule, spoke confidently.
But he wasn't using his usual voice—he was communicating with Seongjin through pure thought transmission!
[Hm? Thought transmission?]
[Oh, surprised? Well, I'm not some dragon like you elders, nor a Delcrossian like you, so I don't normally have an easy way to send thoughts like you folks do.]
Hiss.
The capsule lid opened, revealing the dwarf engineer's face, now looking much brighter than before.
[But this is the capsule we used for homunculus engine implantation procedures. It's the pinnacle of Ionian over-technology! Thanks to it, Earth developers who didn't know Ionian could all join virtual conference rooms through these capsules.]
[I see.]
Seongjin nodded.
Not every Delcrossian could casually send thought transmissions, but there was no need to correct that misconception.
In any case, it was great news that Dexter could use thought transmission.
Even if the in-game translation feature allowed rough communication with one guest ID user, the others without translation services would be like fools standing in a rice paddy.
Especially in urgent situations like dungeon runs, the hassle of Seongjin having to interpret for the other silent villains one by one was completely gone.
[Of course, since it's direct thought transmission, important technical documents still won't translate... Huh?]
Only then did Dexter notice something odd and tilt his head.
[Wait, you. Didn't you just read the Impulse Soft site with me? How in the world...]
[Eh, it's nothing. Don't sweat the small stuff when we've got bigger goals ahead.]
[What? No...]
And so the two sat down at the laptop to create their accounts.
The process was simpler than expected.
After generating an ID via email and inputting iris data, a flashy graphic logo appeared, followed by the Pangea Chronicle login screen.
"Hm, there's a first-purchase discount?"
Dexter immediately bought a subscription right there, then tacked on a few cash vouchers too. Quite the committed attitude compared to his initial reluctance.
"Buying cash in advance too?"
"Of course. For adults with money but no time, this is standard."
"Oho."
Our mark's stock was rising steadily.
"You've got money, huh?"
"Well, like I said earlier? I'm a highly paid top engineer. Plus, the inheritance from my mother and..."
Dexter, answering cheerfully, suddenly flinched and turned to Seongjin.
"But why do you ask?"
"Ah, no, just curious."
Seongjin smiled warmly.
Good, my friend. Let's enjoy a fun Pangea Chronicle life together.
"......"
"Hey, hey, I won't scam you. Relax!"
Next came selecting perks based on class.
"You can change classes before advancing, but they give tailored benefits if you pick one in advance."
"Yeah? Then let's decide here."
"Fine. I used to be obsessed with console games back in the day. Time to unleash my Dark Spirit Nodes Run skills!"
Unlike at first, Dexter was brimming with enthusiasm. He cracked his knuckles and vigorously moved the mouse toward the warrior class category.
Click.
But someone stopped his hand—
"Mage."
Dexter looked up at the suddenly interfering Seongjin with round eyes.
"What? But I'm more familiar with warrior classes..."
"Mage."
Unyielding resolve, no room for compromise.
Finally, Dexter tossed his goggles aside and snapped.
"Argh, quit meddling! Isn't this just a game to cool off? At least let me have freedom in my class...!"
"Mage."
"......"
"Mage."
As Seongjin smiled at him, Dexter paled for some reason and quietly selected the mage perks.
After that, everything proceeded smoothly.
They set the starting point near the silent villains' rendezvous spot, created their characters, and were ready to dive.
But they hit an unexpected snag while making characters.
Staring at the avatar scanned directly from himself via the capsule, Dexter brooded with a gloomy expression for a long time.
"Do I really need to show my genetic disease even in a game? Even if I don't mind, it's still uncomfortable if it catches others' eyes."
"Then just make a tall avatar? It's virtual—what's the problem?"
Dexter glared at Seongjin like he was pathetic.
"You ignorant Delcrossian! The effects of full dive on the human brain aren't fully understood yet. Constant physical dissonance could lead to side effects in your real body and nervous system later!"
"Hm. I've turned into a tiny goat before, and it was fine."
Seongjin scratched his cheek, then realized something.
Hadn't he himself entered young Mores's body, and recently undergone rapid changes as his soul synced to it?
'Does the soul get influenced by the body too? Even if it's an avatar, it's a new body in the dimensional world, so it'll definitely impact the soul somehow?'
One thing was clear, though.
Dexter didn't particularly like his genetic disease, but he valued his genius intellect inherited from his mother even more.
He wouldn't tolerate even the slightest risk of side effects.
"But I can't make myself a kid at this age either. There aren't even short races like dwarves..."
Watching Dexter ponder, Seongjin quietly crossed his arms.
Hm.
Short but not childish, and no uncanny valley for others.
A sudden idea sparked, and Seongjin grinned triumphantly.
"Hey, Dexter."
"Yeah?"
"You know about skins? I know a super cute one with tiny avatars."
"......?"
* * *
>And so Dexter appeared before everyone as a little mole.
Fiddling with the adorable goggles on his head, the mole awkwardly waved a hand.
[Uh, nice to meet you all, friends. I'm Dexter.]
At his shy introduction, the silent villains gaped in shock.
Owen was the first to snap out of it, jumping to his feet as if he'd bolt from his seat.
[Thought transmission? What the hell? He looks like a normal user no matter how I look!]
The others chimed in one by one as they recovered.
[Owen, as you said, he has a normal ID above his head. Definitely not a guest ID user. But how is he talking to us via thought transmission?]
[So shocking! I nearly had my guts spill out!]
Now it was Seongjin's turn to be surprised.
Whoa, Guroop. Calm down a bit.
If "guts spilling out" isn't an idiom, that's scary. What kind of body is that?
All the silent villains looked to the tiny goat—the culprit—for an explanation.
Ahem.
Seongjin cleared his throat and spoke.
[No need to be shocked, everyone. Guest ID users can chat via thought transmission strictly because of their individual oracle terminals, right?]
[That's true.]
[So it's possible. This guy's the greatest living engineer I know, the top authority on 'oracle terminals.' And like me, he has an imperfect terminal.]
The mole gazed at Seongjin with a touched expression.
[Guroop. Got the explanation.]
[Understood, Seongjin. But even so, normal users aren't easy to verify.]
Even after Seongjin's explanation, the silent villains couldn't readily welcome a normal user. Painful past experiences.
Times when they'd joined normal parties, only to hand over rare items because they couldn't use high-end facilities.
Moments when claiming ownership made the whole party turn hostile.
Even getting reported as hackers, chased by guards, and banned from green zones for a while.
[You're all right. Why would a normal user want to group with us? No need to bring him in and cause discord. It wouldn't be good for anyone.]
[Yeah. I get why you're suspicious.]
Seongjin nodded at Owen's stiff response.
[But you can verify me, right? If you can't trust normal users, can't you at least trust me, chosen by the terminal?]
Seongjin paused dramatically, then extended his still convincingly petal-shaped hoof forward.
[I don't want yesterday's mess happening again. You're already my precious... friends. I can't just abandon you to those risks anymore.]
[Seongjin...]
[I know Dexter's abilities well, and what a good friend he is. I asked for his help for everyone's safety, and he agreed out of goodwill. So please don't ignore that small kindness.]
The silent villains all looked at Seongjin with moved expressions.
[Hmm.]
[Seongjin has a point. We shouldn't dismiss those approaching with goodwill from the start. If we give up after repeated failures, we'll never succeed.]
[Seongjin scary but kind! So what he likes is good!]
The mole, who had been listening quietly, turned to Seongjin curiously.
[But who's this 'Seongjin' they've been mentioning? Earlier, when your dad called you, it was definite—Ow!]
As the mole hopped around from the stomped foot, Seongjin took center stage at the table with a bright smile.
[Alright then. Everyone did their homework properly, right? Let's take some time to slowly discuss each person's goals and what we need to do next.]
[Owen Rockwood here. My reason for staying logged in is probably to meet the goddess Justitia and get the item I need.]
At the red fox's words, the other silent villains reacted with exaggerated excitement.
[Oh ho, indeed! So that's why you've stuck around Pangea Chronicle so long, Owen!]
[Got the explanation! Seems like a nearly impossible goal!]
They'd partied together often but never shared personal stories much.
[But if it's a goddess, what's with 'probably'?]
[My status window quest just says 'obtain a specific item.' No details on how.]
Owen added that since his status window kept making him log in, it had to be something obtainable only here.
But no drops even from high-level dungeons, and he couldn't even approach the auction house.
So he was aiming to meet the goddess who supposedly gave top rewards.
[For a guest ID user without temple access, there's only one way to meet a goddess: clear the third class advancement quest. That's when she appears to give rewards, from what I've heard.]
[Hm.]
[But first, I need to somehow get the advancement item.]
Advancement item. The thing everyone was desperate for.
Seongjin frowned slightly, thinking it might not be simple to pull Owen out of here.
[Pleased to meet you, normal user Dexter. I'm Hatasu Titi, a pureblood Granbloom Mashunamu.]
At the overly elongated deer's introduction, Seongjin and Dexter exchanged glances.
[......?]
No idea what a Mashunamu is.
Probably a proper noun or translation glitch.
Anyway, Titi continued.
[The reason I keep coming here is to win the power struggle against the Barm trees and put the Granbloom clan at the top. For that, I first need to enrich our lands and boost our potential.]
Rare potions from Pangea Chronicle enriched their lands, apparently.
Of course, how that affected the power struggle was still a mystery.
'Talk about ascetic vibes hiding such worldly ambitions, Hatasu Titi.'
Status Window didn't seem to select guest IDs for grand causes.
[I am Guroopbberapgurub Bberabrup. My goal is to save my homeworld. My planet currently suffers under the Demon King!]
Finally, the five-legged octopus spoke solemnly.
[I train hard. Gather weapons with all my might. Raise comrades and ultimately defeat the Demon King!]
Everyone stared at Guroop in bewilderment.
Guroop, flustered, wiggled his puffy beak.
[Guroop? Why that reaction?]
Well, it's just...
I thought you were some squishy invertebrate, but you're actually on a grand quest.
That's the classic game hero archetype, isn't it? Guroop.