Chapter 40
Chapter 40
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 40
Chapter Title: The Guild Master Needs More Than Just the Game
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[Warning!]
[Warning!]
[A gate will open within a 1km radius.]
[Would you like to check the location?]
Gripping the toilet, I retched up sour stomach acid.
“Ugh—!!”
It felt like I was dying from the dizziness.
I'd played the game too much and ended up with psychosis.
Ding!
[Fullminak guild members are calling the guild master.]
[Will you respond?]
Even after puking and puking again, the nausea showed no signs of stopping.
“Huff, huff.”
The hallucinations kept coming, and the status windows floated before my eyes.
On top of that, my max level was gone, and the stat screen I'd poured years into had been completely reset.
“Crazy...”
Tears welled up from the frustration.
It wasn't because my precious stat screen had reset—no, that was just a hallucination, so it wasn't really that.
Knock knock knock.
The knocking at the door brought up another wave of nausea.
I heaved out my empty stomach, gasping for breath, then groped the floor with trembling hands.
“Ha...”
I found a water bottle and took a sip.
Rinsing my mouth, I swallowed a few gulps and wiped the tears from my eyes.
Ding! Ding!
[Fullminak guild members are calling the guild master.]
[Fullminak guild members are calling the guild master.]
[Will you respond?]
I closed and opened my eyes over and over, trying to deny reality, but the auditory hallucinations persisted, and the illusions didn't fade.
All sorts of game interfaces.
Insane. I could even see the exclusive hero skill window.
Lately, the free board on the game I'd devoted my life to had been flooded with posts from users claiming they were seeing hallucinations.
Seeing game stat screens in real life.
We'd laughed it off as a systematic psychosis among gaming addicts, mocking them with my guild members—but who knew the guild master herself would catch it.
Creak—
The bathroom door behind me opened.
“Ga-hyun, are you really okay? Shouldn't you go to the hospital? I told you to ease up on the gaming.”
“Shut up.”
“B-but what about your aunt—”
“Are you deaf?!”
Kim Je-hyun apologized in a deflated voice from beyond the hastily shut door.
“...Sorry.”
You bastard. I wanted to kill him.
This is all your fault. Have some shame.
I swept back my hair with trembling hands and lifted my head. The game status window still hovered before my eyes.
I might have gone mad. Seeing this stuff in reality.
[Name] Kaisha (lv 1)
[Strength] 10 / [Vitality] 10
[Agility] 10
[Mana] 99999999+
[HP] 100%
<[View More]>
Even if it's a hallucination, why is my level 1?
It's been ages since I hit max level on Bipa, so why level 1, and why is mana normal, making it feel so real?
[Slash lv1]
[Thrust lv1]
[Block lv1]
Why is the skill window reset too? These are the total basics you see at level 1.
Annoying hallucination.
Stress hit along with another wave of nausea.
“Urgh—!”
Nothing left to come up, but my stomach kept churning.
I shoved my fingers down my throat to force it all out.
“Gag. Urk. Gurk!”
[Warning!]
[Warning!]
[A gate will open within a 1km radius.]
[Would you like to check the location?]
Every alert made my skull throb.
Kim Je-hyun opened the door again.
“Hey, you okay for real? Want me to call my doctor? You didn't take any weird meds, right?”
“Get out, urk, I said, urgh—!!”
All because of that damn Kim Je-hyun.
If he hadn't told my mom I'd quit my job, I'd be enjoying the climax of my life in the game right now.
I'd left my phone behind, cutting off all contact, but right now, everything about the game just disgusted me.
I didn't want to do anything.
* * *
Chronic stress weakening the immune system, plus a shocking external event creating this massive meltdown collaboration.
And getting caught in the rain on top of it?
“Not hurting would be weirder.”
The attending physician muttered with a sigh, while Kim Je-hyun rubbed his hands obsequiously beside him.
“Hyuuung. You won't bite the big bro, right?”
“In a job where privacy is life, how could I?”
Of course, he'd called Je-hyun's doctor because he was trustworthy.
Dr. Park Tae-seong glanced at Je-hyun.
He was from Je-hyun's maternal side, same age as his eldest brother, and they'd been close since childhood.
Tae-seong said,
“Get your act together, Je-hyun. You've been using Ga-hyun too much. If Dowon had done that to me, I'd have punched him ages ago.”
Je-hyun, who had nearly died from Ga-hyun's golf club on day one, nodded meekly.
Words etched into his bones.
“Yes, hyung-nim.”
“Take good care of Ga-hyun. She's raising her widowed mom alone.”
“Y-yeah, sure.”
Je-hyun averted his eyes slyly.
The words barely stirred him emotionally, having nearly been beaten to death by Ga-hyun herself.
The mess Ga-hyun had made of the living room had been cleaned spotless by pros in a day.
So Tae-seong had no idea what had gone down here.
Not that Je-hyun wanted it known.
‘They have no clue how scary Ga-hyun is.’
Je-hyun grumbled inwardly.
But in another sense, Tae-seong was spot on.
‘There's that saying about not messing with someone who has nothing to lose. If they've got nothing left, nothing's off-limits.’
One wrong move, and you're dead.
People with nothing to lose are the scariest in the world.
Tae-seong said,
“You've got sins to atone for, so look after her properly.”
“Yeeess...”
Not out of morals, but submission to the rampage—Je-hyun replied soullessly.
Then he asked Tae-seong,
“You'll keep it secret, right?”
“Yeah. I won't say anything, but Kim Dowon already knows Ga-hyun's here.”
“What?! How?!”
“Probably asked the housekeeper.”
“Ah, damn it!”
Startled by Tae-seong's words, Kim Je-hyun jumped.
“He probably doesn't know the details.”
“You don't know how smart my big bro is?! If he pieces it together, I'm done for!!”
“If Kim Dowon's that scary, why not treat Ga-hyun right from the start.”
“You don't know shit, hyung!”
Tae-seong chuckled wryly at Je-hyun's outburst.
Know what? He knew plenty.
Finishing up and packing his bag, Tae-seong peeked into Ga-hyun's room.
She was asleep with an IV.
“...”
Poor girl.
Always seemed so tough on the outside, which made her pitiable.
Her aunt and Dowon doted on her, but she clashed hard with her own mom and bore the brunt of Kim Je-hyun's jealousy, always suffering.
No wonder she was distancing herself from the maternal family.
How could she like a family that only reached out after her dad died?
What a dramatic life.
‘I'm rooting for you.’
You don't know it, but so many people are cheering for you.
Swallowing words he couldn't say, Tae-seong quietly closed the door.
* * *
The chaebol family's maknae son.
That's what they called Kim Je-hyun's position, but contrary to the world's fantasies, his life wasn't easy.
The genius, perfect eldest brother.
The second brother, talented but overshadowed, who developed an inferiority complex and practically fled overseas to study arts and athletics.
Then the third son, hoped to be a daughter but born utterly average.
Last was Kim Je-hyun.
“Don't ever tell our aunt, no matter what. You know Ga-hyun's situation.”
[“You watch your own mouth.”]
The perfect, outstanding eldest brother had called the maknae directly.
It was about Ga-hyun.
“Of course I'm being careful.”
Je-hyun's little brain was spinning today too.
A master at pretending.
Truth was, his brothers' one-sided love for Ga-hyun was beyond words.
If they knew how he'd tormented her, the second brother might fly back and grab him by the collar.
Dad, mom, brothers—all adored Ga-hyun.
No matter how hard Kim Je-hyun tried with the family, he couldn't beat Ga-hyun, who was born a real girl.
On top of that, Ga-hyun's looks and vibe eerily resembled his eldest brother.
Maybe that's why Kim Dowon treasured her like his own shadow.
[“Have her call when she's better. I was about to bring her over anyway, but hearing she got sick suddenly, even Grandpa's worried. Got scolded for overworking her.”]
“Uh, yeah. I'll pass it on.”
Je-hyun's spine chilled.
Naturally, he hadn't told his big brother about Ga-hyun quitting.
Since she'd resigned to him directly, he'd swept it under the rug, telling staff she was working from home.
The family's top achiever, the eldest, was swamped working directly with Grandpa these days.
[“Take good care of Ga-hyun.”]
“Of course.”
Je-hyun's mood lifted a bit.
His chest ached.
Amidst the mounting guilt, the jealousy toward Ga-hyun bubbled up as always, deep in his heart.
‘Not the time!’
He scolded himself inwardly and pulled it together.
“I'm nursing her personally. She was stressed about aunt stuff, so make sure aunt doesn't come looking—watch your words.”
[“Got it. I'll call and handle it smoothly.”]
A reliable promise.
When big brother stepped in, nothing was impossible.
“Thanks, hyung.”
With the pretext of it being for Ga-hyun, trust poured endlessly—Kim Je-hyun smiled bitterly and ended the call.
* * *
Naturally, Kim Je-hyun hadn't hated Ga-hyun from the start.
Not a bastard child, but the daughter of an aunt disowned for marrying against the family's wishes, and the same age as him.
From young Je-hyun's view, she was bound to pique curiosity.
In middle school, at the funeral hall, those eyes he saw first. So empty and lonely, he wanted to befriend her.
‘I'm older since my birthday's early.’
‘And shorter than me.’
The relationship went wrong from the first button.
Ga-hyun was never easygoing, and just by existing, she effortlessly had what Je-hyun couldn't.
Je-hyun's mom, who'd wanted a daughter, paid special attention to Ga-hyun.
The interest and affection mom showered on Ga-hyun even got rewarded unexpectedly through Grandpa.
Because Grandpa highly approved of mom treating Ga-hyun well.
Mom doted on Ga-hyun more.
His brothers liked Ga-hyun too.
Je-hyun envied Ga-hyun for drawing the family's attention.
‘You have it good.’
‘What?’
‘Grandpa likes you.’
Winning over Chairman Grandpa was what every relative yearned for.
Ga-hyun scoffed at Je-hyun's words.
‘What's to envy? He might dote, but he doesn't give me real scraps.’
‘?’
‘He was just waiting for my dad to die, ugh, forget it. Pointless telling you. Anyway, I don't trust your grandpa.’
Ga-hyun looked at Je-hyun.
‘You have it good as the chaebol maknae. Honestly, the one I'm jealous of is Dowon oppa.’
‘...’
‘But I envy you too.’
That ticklish feeling when the person you envied envied you back.
Je-hyun felt a strange superiority mixed with an inexplicable oddity.
What did she want?
What was she even looking at?
Kim Je-hyun gazed at Ga-hyun with complicated eyes and suddenly asked.
‘What do you want?’
Ga-hyun hesitated a long time before finally speaking.
‘Someday, everyone... will look up to me from the heavens. Not looking down from above. I'll make it so even my mom and I have no choice but to acknowledge it.’
Je-hyun, already spaced out, looked even more dumbfounded.
It felt weird.
That unfamiliar desire he'd given up on so early it left no trace, those dreams—Ga-hyun still held them intact.