Chapter 68
Chapter 68
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 68
Chapter Title: To the New World (7)
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Repay swung the mop in his hand, and with a sharp crack, a bursting sound echoed through the air.
The wooden handle snapped, sending splinters flying, and the mop head sailed far away.
Right after, Repay froze in place.
The one who had blocked his swung mop with a single arm was a woman with striking features.
But the real problem was bigger than the fact that he'd attacked someone based on a split-second judgment.
The badge pinned to her collar.
‘Communist Youth League……!’
The youth organization run by the Chinese Communist Party.
‘There’s no schedule today, though?’
The Great Hall of the People had no events that would warrant its use today, yet she was wearing that badge and coming all the way here?
It meant the other party was a true loyalist to the government.
How the hell had they tracked him down? He hadn’t done anything that could make him bolt.
In his injustice mixed with the urgent situation, he turned to a radical approach.
Repay immediately drew up his mana.
Even if it meant killing the woman right then, he planned to escape.
The server connection would end soon anyway.
He could hide out in the remote mountains for a few days, buying bread to eat.
Better to flee like that than get caught here, he thought.
Just as Repay, red haze wreathing his hand, lunged at the woman—
“You really weren’t a figment of my imagination back then!”
“I thought it was weird how you kept staring into space.”
“How many playthroughs have you done?”
“The tutorial definitely ends after three times, right?”
“Can I use the community once it’s over?”
“You’re not just hunting animals all the time, are you?”
The sudden barrage of questions shattered his focus, scattering his mana.
Before he could even process her words, an unfamiliar face thrust right up to his nose.
“You’re chosen like me, aren’t you?”
In the woman’s eyes, sparkling excessively, he caught a glimpse of madness.
* * *
With vacation in full swing and it being the weekend too, Jae-hyuk decided to take a break from studying for the first time in ages.
His mind was a mess, but sleeping in until late morning had left his body refreshed.
‘I’ll just skim some books lightly this week and relax.’
But as he yawned his way into the living room, Jae-hyuk froze, flinching with a shiver.
Kang Hyun-woo, dressed head to toe in black—cargo pants and a tight short-sleeved workout top—was sitting on the sofa, watching him.
The culprit cluttering up his head right now.
“You’re up?”
Jae-hyuk swallowed dryly without realizing it, then forced himself to sound casual as he opened his mouth.
“……You on steroids or something?”
His voice trembled slightly, but Hyun-woo brushed it off lightly, unconcerned.
“You think drugs can make a body like this?”
He couldn’t bring himself to say yes.
‘Damn, those abs are no joke…….’
Through the tight top, finely chiseled muscles stood out vividly.
Hyun-woo’s physique wasn’t just good—it was intimidating.
‘One hit from that and I’d break, right?’
No way could drugs alone sculpt a body like that.
Jae-hyuk eyed Hyun-woo with unfamiliar feelings.
In the meantime, Hyun-woo stood and approached.
“Vacation means you’re living it up, huh.”
His voice was the same as always, crumpling Jae-hyuk’s expression slightly.
It pissed him off. But he couldn’t figure out why.
Why? What made Hyun-woo’s utterly normal attitude so irritating?
Instead of snapping back, Jae-hyuk furrowed his brow and headed to the kitchen.
He took a sip of water and turned, only to find Hyun-woo watching him quietly.
“What.”
He hadn’t meant to sound accusatory, but a brusque tone slipped out anyway.
Regret flickered for a moment.
“I won’t be coming back for a while.”
Hearing that, he almost wished he’d just thrown a fit.
The guy who’d ghosted for nearly ten days with zero contact was doing it again after just a few days.
He suddenly understood why Hyun-woo’s normal demeanor from moments ago had grated so much.
He’d instinctively grasped the meaning behind acting like nothing happened, despite being tangled in something far from ordinary.
‘He still has no intention of explaining.’
But he couldn’t pry either. The guy’s stubbornness was tougher than steel wire.
Push too hard, and he’d double down on hiding it.
‘Looking at him, that bastard’s got dictator vibes.’
No explanations, no accepting counterarguments—just shut up and obey.
Hyun-woo had maintained that attitude from the start until now.
Even when he’d come back covered in blood the other day, or when he’d been found drenched in gore out of nowhere, and even now.
‘Dad seems to know something.’
But his lips were sealed as tight as Hyun-woo’s, refusing to spill.
It was truly bizarre.
The guy who’d always been open with him, never keeping secrets from Jong-hoon his whole life.
Wasn’t Hyun-woo acting the opposite now?
“It’ll take a bit longer this time.”
As expected, not an explanation—a notification.
A firm attitude and decisive tone that brooked no disagreement.
Jae-hyuk let out a deep sigh.
“……How long?”
It wasn’t that he didn’t care about what was going on with Hyun-woo.
He was holding back because he knew prying wouldn’t work in situations like this.
“Not sure, but if things go smoothly depending on the situation.”
“How much?”
“Minimum two, three months.”
If the minimum was that, what was the maximum he had in mind?
Before the doubt could settle, Hyun-woo added,
“Even if it drags on, I’ll come back at least once every half year. I cleared it with Uncle.”
Being left out of that discussion stirred a sense of exclusion.
Jae-hyuk eyed Hyun-woo with furrowed brows mid-conversation.
Even while talking, the guy was staring into space.
Ever since that abrupt discovery of him covered in blood in his room, days like this—talking while gazing at nothing—had increased.
It wasn’t a habit the old Hyun-woo had.
And that wasn’t the only change.
Yet the fact that he couldn’t ask why frustrated Jae-hyuk to no end.
“……Got it.”
“Sorry for dumping it on you like this, but take care of the kids.”
“They’re not a burden or anything. What’s there to dump? They’re like my siblings too.”
Right after Hyun-woo’s parents passed, they’d lived together for about four months.
Even without that, he’d known the twins since birth.
Just as Hyun-woo was like a brother to him, the twins were like his own siblings.
Jae-hyuk truly felt that way, so Hyun-woo’s apologetic demeanor stung a little.
But he couldn’t call him out on it.
“……Thanks.”
Hyun-woo’s expression as he said that was so unfamiliar it momentarily stole Jae-hyuk’s words.
‘What was that just now?’
It looked relieved, maybe apologetic—an odd mix.
It left a bad aftertaste. Before he could dwell on it, Hyun-woo’s face returned to normal as he waved his hand.
“And this.”
What flew across the air toward Jae-hyuk was a small vial no bigger than a finger.
A common glass bottle with its neck tied with string to wear like a necklace.
Inside was some unknown red liquid.
“I gave it to Uncle and the twins this morning when I said hi.”
“……What is it?”
“No point explaining—you wouldn’t believe it anyway. Just carry it around like usual and drink if you get badly hurt.”
“Huh?”
With that, Hyun-woo turned toward the entryway.
“I figured I should at least say bye to you too, so I waited. I’m heading out.”
“Hey, hey, Kang Hyun-woo!”
Jae-hyuk scowled and chased after him.
But at the door, Hyun-woo slipped on black sneakers and spoke a touch coldly.
“I know it’s frustrating, but let’s just leave it unknown.”
“…….”
“Ending this with no one knowing what happened to me—that’s for the best.”
Jae-hyuk’s face crumpled further.
“I’m off.”
Jae-hyuk glared long at the empty space left by Hyun-woo, who’d left without waiting for a reply.
* * *
Last night at dawn, the progress bar filled up.
「Patch completed. Servers connecting.」
「Cult management program activating.」
「Player synchronization program (interpretation and translation) activating.」
「Player support program (storage and shop) updating.」
「Player interaction program (community and party) updating.」
「Hole management program (allocation and closure) updating.」
「Item management program updating.」
「Mission list updating.」
…….
So many messages popped up it was hard not to sigh.
And at the end, the window that had blocked my view from last dawn until now.
[Set entrance? (Y/N) (Achievements required to reset entrance. Choose carefully.)]
My choice was obvious.
A place where, no matter what happened over there, I could take action immediately upon returning to Earth.
The safest option among my current choices: Jong-hoon’s lab.
“How’s Jae-hyuk?”
Jong-hoon asked as I arrived after greeting the late-sleeping Jae-hyuk.
I turned off the alarm I’d set last night and replied.
“He didn’t say much, but he seemed pissed.”
“……All three of them must be frustrated. Maybe it’d be better to just tell them.”
“No, I want it to end with them not knowing.”
What would change by telling them? They’d just worry more.
‘Telling Uncle is enough.’
I hadn’t planned to tell him originally either.
I already felt uneasy about dragging Jong-hoon into this by changing plans— no way was I pulling in the twins and Jae-hyuk too.
Better to leave them frustrated in ignorance.
At least that way, they wouldn’t imagine me torn apart by monsters or eaten alive.
I started my final checks before heading to Vihar, hearing Jong-hoon’s sigh.
No separate gear or weapons equipped.
Some players had already crossed to Vihar, and real-time reviews were posting.
No need to draw eyes by exposing equipment from the gate.
After skimming possessions, skills, titles, and the updated interface, I turned to Jong-hoon.
“If I don’t come back after half a year, please handle my assets.”
Just in case, I’d had a lawyer Jong-hoon knew draft a will.
All cash in my accounts, managed funds, upcoming deposit refunds—everything divided equally among the twins.
“……Always keep the doors locked so no one can come and go.”
No intentions of that, so make sure to return no matter how long, he’d said in a roundabout way.
With his farewell like that, I hit yes and said,
“Then I’ll be off.”
In that instant as the system window vanished, I couldn’t help feeling reluctant to go.
Being human, the things I was leaving behind weighed on me.
Worried what hardships awaited over there.
Still, I didn’t hesitate.
‘This is right.’
To protect what I want to protect, I have to step up myself.
Life after my parents died had taught me that.
Salvation doesn’t come just because you wait—it’s not some nice guy who drops by on his own.
To safeguard my people, my world amid the war raging beyond, I had to dive in personally.
Maybe then, that salvation with the heavy ass might take an interest in my life and drop by once or twice.
[Entrance successfully created.]
As I steeled myself, a brightly glowing door appeared before me.
“Let’s go.”
I muttered softly, almost a whisper, and stepped into the radiant light.
Then, against a field of white in my vision, a system window appeared.
[Welcome to Vihar!]
Damn system