Wig Retrieval Operation

I slipped out the back path of the Bandit Camp and gathered the zombies and dogs at the cabin. If I wanted to lure the bald giant outside the map, I had ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to start by choosing the right location. At this point, the most ideal boundary was the starting point—the cabin itself.

‘I don’t know anywhere else anyway…’

With the execution point decided, it was time for the preparatory work. The trees forming the boundary stood three meters tall. Even if I successfully stole the wig, it would mean nothing if I couldn’t get over that wall of trees. I grabbed an axe I’d taken from the camp and began hacking at a chosen spot. The zombie joined in beside me. Training him had paid off; he showed no signs of fatigue despite swinging the axe repeatedly.

Thwack—thwack—

While we chopped, the dogs took on scouting duty. Fortunately, the giant still had no idea I existed. So until the preparations were finished, the dogs would quietly roam the forest and track the giant’s position. If he approached the cabin too quickly, I was prepared to sacrifice a few dogs to buy time.

Roughly an hour later, luck was on my side—the giant never showed up near the cabin before I finished clearing the path. I collapsed onto the ground, nearly exhausted.

“Haa… This is rough. Am I out of shape?”

Preparations complete, it was time to carry out the most important task. After a short rest to recover my stamina, I followed the dogs’ guidance toward the last place the giant had been spotted. Under the blazing sun, we moved stealthily. I’d heard Stage 2 was a world without night. I hadn’t planned on staying long, so it hadn’t mattered—until now.

‘It would’ve been easier if it were dark…’

The giant was closer than expected, near the stream where the wild dogs had lived. He was sleeping in the shade nearby. The odd part was how he sat upright, back straight, as if meditating. His eyes were closed, and he hadn’t moved in ten minutes, so I judged he was asleep. Maybe he slept like that to protect the wig. Didn’t most bald guys refuse to take their wigs off even when sleeping?

‘Looking at him like this, the guy’s got an absurd amount of greed.’

His hairstyle was downright primitive—thick enough to cover his scalp and cascade all the way to his waist. Even Park Gibeom’s greed hadn’t reached this level.

I crept closer and grabbed the end of his curly hair. Then I turned, planted my feet, and pulled with everything I had. The more I moved, the more resistance I felt—until a sudden, powerful tug yanked back.

‘What the—why isn’t it coming off? Don’t tell me… it’s not a wig?’

I glanced back in disbelief. The giant was staring at me, one hand covering his exposed crown while the other clutched the wig. His eyes burned crimson. His mouth twisted in a snarl. He was furious.

‘Huh? He was awake?’

The pressure from his five-meter frame was overwhelming. Without thinking, I shouted.

“A-all of you, attack!”

The giant yanked the wig, and my body was dragged forward. I let go in a panic. He lost his balance and fell on his rear, momentarily releasing the wig. Zombie dogs immediately leapt onto him.

‘The wig—I have to grab the wig!’

While the dogs distracted him, I threw myself at the wig and rolled away with it. In that brief moment, three dogs were crushed flat under his palm, reduced to lumps of meat.

‘Insane…’

“Everyone, run now!”

I sprinted for my life with the wig in my arms, desperate not to become the next pile of meat. Behind me, I could hear the giant shaking off the dogs.

Thud, thud, thud—

A quick glance over my shoulder showed the crimson-eyed giant charging straight at me, one hand still clamped over his head. I had no time to laugh. If he caught me, death was certain—no resistance possible.

‘Aaaah!’

The giant was faster. Every time he closed in, zombie dogs threw themselves at him to buy me seconds. For every ten steps I took, another dog became a puddle. “Run, run, run—don’t stop!”

Giving up the wig wasn’t an option. Once it left my hands, I couldn’t think of any way to take it back. The giant was simply too strong.

Finally, the cabin came into view.

‘How many dogs died?’

I didn’t know. No time to look back.

Thud—

A sound rang out right behind me. A chill raced down my spine. The sound of zombie dogs charging had vanished.

‘Huh? Don’t tell me…’

A crushing weight slammed into my back—like being hit by a truck. The next instant, I was flying through the air.

‘Damn… it…’

Still clutching the wig, I sailed several meters before crashing down.

Thud—crack—

‘Hrk…’

The pain was immense. My body refused to obey. Face pressed to the ground, I barely managed to lift my head and saw the giant stomping toward me. His mouth split into a wide, mocking grin.

‘Right in front of me…’

At that moment, a zombie burst from the side and snatched the wig from my hands. She sprinted past me toward the edge of the forest.

“Ah… no…”

What happened to summons that left the map? If this world was a game, regular mobs and users were treated differently by the system. Users who got flung outside usually returned. Mobs that left were deleted. The rules here weren’t much different. Users could last a little longer, but summons and dwarves never came back. Beyond that boundary lay annihilation for her.

The zombie ran with the wig clutched to her chest. The moment she crossed the tree wall, her steps faltered. But she didn’t stop. She kept going.

‘No! Move! Body, move!’

What had I been training and leveling for all this time? My entire body trembled like a leaf.

‘Just… just at Stage 2…!’

Thud, thud. Crash—crunch—

The giant charged past me, no longer interested. The massive monster smashed through the trees, chasing the tiny zombie out of the world. I dragged myself after him on all fours. I didn’t know what I could do, but I had to go after her.

The instant my foot crossed the boundary, an entirely new kind of agony tore through me. It wasn’t physical pain. A hollow, alien sensation—like my very existence was being erased—flooded my body.

‘Haa… haa…’

But I endured. Probably because I was a user. Feeling the world fade around me, I forced myself forward step by step.

The zombie lay not far from the passage. Her body was undamaged, yet she didn’t move at all. I pulled her into my arms. Up close, it looked as if her form was turning to dust and drifting away.

‘We have to… go back.’

The giant? I wasn’t sure. I’d seen him leave the map, but after that he vanished. Given the stream nearby, maybe he’d chased the wig downstream. Either way, I had to return. If I didn’t go back now, everything would disappear.

One step. Another. Each felt like lifting a mountain. The moment I finally crossed back inside the boundary, I lost my balance and collapsed.

Scrape—scrape—

A dragging sound came from behind.

‘No… that can’t be…’

I barely turned my head. The giant was crawling back toward the boundary on his arms alone. The wig, soaked with water, sat crookedly on his head like some grotesque ghost.

‘This bastard… you’re a mob, so why are you still alive?!’

His vitality and obsession were terrifying. Then, from far away, I heard barking.

Woof, woof—

‘Some dogs survived? How many?’

I had no ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠strength left to check. I squeezed out my final breath and shouted.

“Bite him—tear him apart!”

With that last cry, my world went black.

“Ugh…”

The system alerts woke me. Someone kept sending messages. I opened my eyes to the cabin ceiling—and the last face I wanted to see.

‘Haa… the first thing I see after waking up is that lunatic’s message…’

I closed my eyes again, but the alerts kept coming.

‘Is there no mute option? I’m seriously going insane.’

I spoke with clear irritation.

“Leave me alone for now.”

Come to think of it, he wasn’t wrong. Clearing a round removed all my minor wounds and left me feeling refreshed. The fact that I couldn’t argue made me unreasonably annoyed.

“Haa…”

I sat up. Distracted by the entity, I hadn’t noticed until now—I was lying on the bed. That meant something important.

‘The zombie… she’s alive.’

Relief washed over me. As if answering my thoughts, the cabin door creaked open and the zombie walked in.

Creak—

She was a wreck. After all the training and potions I’d used to restore her, her face and body were once again in tatters. Our eyes met.

“Ah… you’re awake.”

‘Huh…?’

Before I could respond, another message from the lunatic cut in.

Irritation flared again. I had something to say to this guy.

“Hey, was that difficulty level really fair? You weren’t trying to kill me, were you? Anyone could see it was a dead-end route!”

“Bullshit…”

Complete nonsense. How was I supposed to know that kind of information?

‘So the reason he kept touching his head wasn’t because he was bald…’

I got the explanation, but it wasn’t satisfying. ‘Wait a second…’ Something didn’t add up. After thinking it over, I asked again.

“But even with one hand on his head, that guy was strong enough to slaughter all of us. Even if I’d known about the wig, it still felt like an unwinnable fight…”

A strange, eerie silence followed.

‘What? Why aren’t you answering…’

‘This damn bastard…’

I couldn’t answer. Thinking back, what this strange being had always demanded from me was the same thing—amusement. Not my growth, my effort, or my achievements. Only entertainment.

“…”

‘Crazy bastard. What’s he on about now…’

But honestly, the offer of a gift was tempting. Given how unhinged he was, maybe he’d actually give something worthwhile.

“What are you giving me?”

In a way, it was a blank check. He probably assumed there was a high chance I’d just die and never collect. ‘But I definitely felt goodwill from him… This is confusing.’

Still, the proposal was on the table, and now it was time to ask for a reward. The problem was what to request. Items or growth? If I asked for something like that, he’d probably say it wasn’t fun and give me something weird instead. I was almost certain of it. My “lunatic radar” was blaring.

‘Growth? Sure! The best growth comes from experience!’ He’d probably summon three giants or something. I needed to ask for what I wanted without spoiling his ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠mood. And there was one thing I did want.

“Then… Department Manager Park Gibeom. You know him, right? You said you saw my memories. I want to teach that guy a lesson.”

‘This should be fine. Specifying someone else as the target should prevent any weird surprises.’

Suddenly, my body was engulfed in light with no warning. It was the sign of spatial movement.

‘Huh? Wait, just like that? Right now?’

This was bad. I still hadn’t fed the dead dwarves to the zombie or turned them. There was even the giant’s corpse left behind.

“W-wait! Hold on!”

But the world darkened again regardless of my protests. I hadn’t lost consciousness—this was darkness from the absence of light.

‘Haa, where am I now? Wait…’

As my eyes adjusted to the dark, a chill ran down my spine. I recognized this place. Cardboard boxes stacked up, an old desk, a chair, a computer. This was Barosoft. Specifically, the makeshift courtroom Park Gibeom had set up just to torment me.

At that moment, a single message appeared.

A twenty-four-hour countdown began. My hands trembled. In my current state, I wasn’t capable of finding and punishing someone within twenty-four hours.

‘This… this lunatic?’

I sat in the defendant’s seat out of habit, then jumped up in alarm and moved to another chair.

‘Ha, PTSD. Park Gibeom, you’re really dead meat.’

But first, there was something only I could do right now—something very important.

Ding—

I opened the community on my phone and finally created the fixed username I’d been putting off. Did you know? The community automatically registers your current location when you upload a post. So if I posted now?

When I clicked [Write Post], the top right corner automatically displayed [Republic of Korea, Seoul].

‘Heh. Just as I thought.’

I quickly typed the title. No one was going to snipe it, but I felt rushed anyway.

Tap, tap—tap, tap—

Being able to take revenge but choosing not to might be the virtue of a gentleman. But being able to troll and choosing not to—that in itself was a sin. I was still getting used to the community these days.