Chapter 23
Chapter 23
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 23
Chapter Title: Player (3)
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‘They’re throwing this at us since the update’s done?’
I scowled as I fiddled with the interface.
Fortunately, it didn’t take long to find the settings menu.
The update hadn’t been a half-assed job—every feature I’d expect was there.
‘Friend request block, friend search block.’
Only then did the ear-piercing notification chime finally stop.
‘Can’t turn this off, huh?’
I poked around the settings some more, but even after the update, there was nothing for notification sounds.
‘This half-baked system…’
Who designs something in this day and age where you can’t even control your alerts?
Clicking my tongue, I grumbled at the system one more time before heading to the roof of the tallest studio apartment nearby.
I hunkered down in a corner and dropped my invisibility.
My mana was running low anyway, so I figured I’d rest up and skim the community boards.
Posts and comments had exploded since the first wave of players flooded in.
It was plenty to kill time with—picking up on other players’ thoughts and intel.
About two hours passed as I recovered my mana.
That’s when I spotted a post that gave me pause.
「Title: Mana - Author: Kal
Content: Holy shit, I gathered some mana. Just in case, I killed a fish in my home tank and got 1.2. Wonder if bigger animals give more?」
- Billy: Careful, you’ll get caught. Animal abuse is a hot-button issue these days.
⌎ Kal: I wasn’t planning to run outside swinging a knife. Just asking. Tutorial gave 7 for a dog, right?
⌎ Billy: For real. Thanks. Guess I’ll clean out my tank too.
- Kj: Clink clank, that’s your future.
⌎ Kal: What’s that mean?
⌎ Kj: Handcuffs. Or bars.
⌎ Kal: Oh, got it. But I wasn’t seriously gonna do it. Just curious.
⌎ Kj: Yeah, that’s what it means. Clink clank.
⌎ Kal: I said I won’t!
It was a post realizing you could gather mana outside mission zones.
Not that the content itself caught my eye.
If you’d cleared Tutorial targets, or paid attention to the absorption mechanic, it was obvious enough.
What hooked me was one of the comments.
From this Kj guy. More precisely, the words ‘clink clank’ and ‘ㅇㅇ’.
‘…Korean?’
The system doesn’t paraphrase.
If it said “going to prison,” it’d translate straight.
But what I saw was definitely “clink clank.”
And that ‘ㅇㅇ’ looked way too familiar.
Do other languages even use shorthand like that?
‘Okay could be shortened, maybe…’
A weird feeling settled in as I scanned the comments. I typed Kj into the search bar.
A few posts and replies later, my brief doubt vanished.
‘Korean for sure.’
No arguing once I saw “halmal ha anh” shorthand.
‘Well, over 10,000 players—bound to be some Koreans.’
Nothing special about shared nationality, but it felt oddly welcoming.
‘Wonder if they’ve connected with the government.’
I searched a bit more on Kj.
‘Active guy.’
Unlike me, he was all over the community.
His first post was right after first-wave Tutorial, so probably a first-waver.
And he’d posted 24 threads himself.
‘Mostly info-gathering stuff over chit-chat.’
Questions, follow-ups, cross-checks.
His posts and comments screamed intel collection on this game.
I checked the mission clears just in case—and blinked.
「01-12 (7/10) - Closed Contributor: Bunnygirl, Yokai, Best Under Heaven, Kj, Assa, Sleep Mask, Lotto」
‘Already cleared a mission?’
Only five days since Tutorial ended.
Partying up for missions already? Gave me a read on his nerves.
And succeeding? Meant he had some grit.
‘Would’ve died frozen if he’d panicked at the monsters.’
I traced Kj’s tracks, mentally calculating.
Right now, I was playing solo, keeping my profile hidden.
Barely posting or commenting to avoid traces.
But how long could that last?
From experience, mission levels meant wider mana restriction bands.
‘Level 1 was 1,000, Level 2 was 3,000.’
Stuck at Level 2 buying Invisibility, but past 3,000 triggered entry limits again.
Mana thresholds for restrictions were climbing.
So eventually, I’d hit missions matching later waves’ levels.
‘Solo play might hit a wall eventually.’
Might need a party someday.
Thinking ahead, being too reclusive wouldn’t help.
‘As long as my real identity stays hidden.’
K being male, 20s, Korean? No big risk.
Plenty of people fit that.
‘As long as K isn’t tied to Kang Hyun-woo.’
Then I could blend into the crowd.
Staying isolated forever wasn’t smart anyway.
And Kj sharing nationality? Better direct help than with Ethan if shit hit the fan.
Calculations done, I sent Kj a friend request.
‘He’s info-hungry—won’t refuse.’
Plan was give a little, take a little.
He was online—accept popped right up.
Chat opened real-time too.
- Kj: Lmao no way hyung hi thx for friend req. Saw ur mission log n copied ur codename, srry if it pissed u off.
- K: Don’t care. Mine’s lazy too. How old? Am I really hyung?
- Kj: Flower of 17
- K: Guess I’m stuck with hyung.
- K: Felt Korean so friended u. Right?
- Kj: Whoa? East Sea water?
- K: Baekdu Mountain
- Kj: Bu vs Dip?
- K: Dip. btw prefer kimchi jjigae over doenjang.
- Kj: Insaneㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Korean?! So pumpedㅋㅋㅋㅋ
- K: Saw ur comment n felt the same.
- Kj: No way K’s Koreanㅋㅋㅋ National pride maxㅋㅋㅋㅋ
- K: What national pride.
- Kj: Ur on top rn. Soloing lvl2, ain’t it obvious? Lvl2 hard? I barely looped lvl1 once, when lvl2? Can I pick?
No hesitation—I replied straight.
- K: Entry limit by mana. Probably 1,000.
I’d planned to drop some basics first.
Build rapport, then ask my stuff easy.
‘Even if he’s got nothing now, seems worth knowing.’
His track record said associating wouldn’t hurt.
‘And what I’m sharing? Everyone’ll figure it out eventually.’
Nothing crucial or hard to get.
Better to share, gain goodwill.
Then he’d tip me off later if news broke.
- K: Means build ur body b4 lvl2.
- Kj: Whatchu mean?
Kj’s question got my take from repeating Level 2.
- K: Graduate lvl1 at 1k mana. That’s where body changes stall.
- K: Safe bet they want u finished before lvl2.
Thought it was placebo at first.
Then no changes led to wondering if more mana needed.
High levels need more XP, right?
Nope.
Pre-Invisibility, I’d topped 3k mana—pure physicals barely budged from 1k days.
My body now matched that bipedal adult fox monster.
Mana use gave me strength edge.
‘That thing had 80 mana.’
Polar bear, top predator? 20.
Average human? Early teens.
Fox monster vs human: 70 innate mana gap.
‘1k mana to bridge that.’
Raw talent laid bare.
Missions leveling up difficulty? Honestly daunting.
But no escape from this game.
Just thrash to survive.
Long sigh, then back to Kj chat.
- K: Not sure if next change band exists or stalls forever.
- Kj: Whoa… 1k mana’s unimaginable.
- K: Collects faster than u think. At 1k, won’t die lame in lvl2. Can beat fox pups.
No Materialize? Clearing’s a grind tho.
- Kj: Fox? Lvl2 monster?
- K: Random. Bipedal fox pup toughest. Three tongues—spot it easy.
- Kj: Got it got it, note! Three tongues, fox monster!
- Kj: But far offㅋㅋㅋ I’m at 130.
- K: Saw ur mission clear.
- Kj: Yeah 10 in 7 out.
- K: Ah, split the mana.
- Kj: That n purifiers… Slipped first tut anyway. Hyena fail second. Tiger third tougher? Nah second worse. Hands shake thinking back.
Yeah, Kj wasn’t like the scared lurkers.
Bumped my eval of him, asked back.
- K: Hyena?
- Kj: Yeah beta had lioness n polar bear rite? Comm buzz says main first wave easier than beta. First was Doberman. U? Beta?
- K: Yeah Kangal. First full clear when?
- Kj: 249
My hand twitched.
Didn’t know—low community time.
No reason to check.
But hearing it? Shocking.
Difficulty down, yet 200s?
‘Under 3%?’
Betas hit 7% stats.
Knew gammas dominated.
Concrete number? Speechless.
While I froze, Kj kept going.
- Kj: Wtf just searched Kangal. Why so huge? Real dog?
- K: Hate seeing dogs now cuz that fucker.
- Kj: U had it rough too….
Flow going long if I let it.
Cut in before he added.
- K: My turn to ask. Govt news?
- Kj: Got some! In a Koreans-only party now. NIS ties—not me direct, party mates.
Fist clenched tight.
Eyes locked on chat, unblinking.
Long message soon followed.
Damn System