Offline (3)
“Welcome.”
The convenience store was as loud and chaotic as the neighborhood around it. Amid the handful of drunks wandering the aisles, Kang Yuhan—Sulpang—felt relief for the first time that night.
It was hardly a place anyone would call healing, but for the moment, it was the only spot where he could settle his nerves.
Once the mood at the restaurant had peaked, he’d excused himself with the excuse that chocolate milk after drinking was basically law. It wasn’t that the seats were uncomfortable, or that he disliked the company. His heart was simply racing far too hard. He needed a little time to calm down.
Han Daeun, spacing out as she sucked on her spoon. That face of hers—beaming with a happy little hehe, as if she had no idea what expression she was making…
No. Stop being pathetic, Kang Yuhan. What kind of look is that for a girl you just met?
And not just any girl—Gawol herself. He simply could not accept that his heart was pounding this wretchedly over her.
The Gawol of the game had been a vicious creature. A disaster that arrived without reason or cause. The kind of malice every PVP-focused streamer ran into at least once. Lately, especially, there had been something oddly sticky about her—something deeply twisted, yet radiating a quiet heat. That eerie quality had left Sulpang with a complicated impression in more ways than one.
She’d targeted him back-to-back before, so their beginning had never been a good one. If not for Elderin, they never would have gotten tangled up like this. And yet now… he couldn’t bring himself to hate her outright.
He could say with certainty that it wasn’t simply because of her looks.
— Cute…? No, I’m not. I’m not cute at all…
— Pfft. It’s delicious. Thank you.
— I feel like it’s been so long since I smiled like this.
— Why—why are you teasing me all of a sudden…? Hic. Hhk…
Those hands that had clawed at her own throat hard enough to draw blood during the finals. That mouth murmuring something under a dark expression—whatever she’d said hadn’t been recorded. That unstable look, obvious even to someone as dense as him, had given him at least a little room for sympathy.
Had she been tearing at her own throat with that pitiful face?
The Gawol Sulpang had seen today laughed easily, got swept up in the mood in no time, found happiness in the smallest things, and even cried like a child. Han Daeun had been shy at first—and yet she was a girl who desperately craved another person’s touch.
He didn’t know her circumstances. He couldn’t ask, and he shouldn’t. Gawol hadn’t committed any crime, and the people who disliked her weren’t wrong either. But somewhere in the world, there were people like that—people who gripped a blade because they couldn’t even bring themselves to ask for help. People who cut their own hands on that blade, who endured harsh stares, and still felt grateful simply not to be alone.
…Was that too much of a stretch? Yuhan let out a sigh.
He set five chocolate milks and a few other items on the counter.
“Can I check out, please?”
“Sure. That’ll be 13,950 won. Any points or rewards to use?”
“Nope. Just ring it up.”
“I’ve got points. Want to use mine?”
“Huh? Uh—sure, I guess. Didn’t even notice you came in.”
A voice he hadn’t expected cut through the checkout. Sulpang startled so hard he barely managed to steady his trembling body. That distinctive clear tone told him who it was immediately.
A flush of alcohol coloring skin white as first snow. A face more beautiful than anyone he’d ever seen—and yet somehow fragile, almost mournful. Tears still clung between her lashes, and still her lips curved in a faint, soft smile.
Gawol. No—Han Daeun.
“You were going to head straight back. You should’ve just stayed.”
“I, uh—I felt bad. I kept getting scolded for crying.”
“That’s not something you need to feel bad about. I’m the one who messed up.”
“Well, yeah. You did mess up.”
“……”
If there was anything the same as in the game, it was this aggravating way of talking—and that distinctive little laugh of hers, giggling like she was teasing him. Her build was basically Gawol stepped straight out of the game… and while her features looked similar, something about the impression was strangely different.
Standing this close, her soft, distinctive scent rose thick around him. Even through the alcohol on her breath, that warm fragrance never lost its presence. Daeun could look sensual with nothing more than the pale line of her throat, not a scrap of skin exposed. That a real person could be as pretty as a game character—it went past surprising and into the realm of the miraculous.
But there were more differences between Gawol and Daeun than similarities.
“You can walk a little faster. I can keep up.”
“It’s fine. Let’s take it slow—helps sober me up.”
“Okay.”
The Gawol he knew was an assassin who moved faster than anyone. Always overflowing with confidence, a mischievous smile that never left her face—a powerhouse. Cheerful, aggressive, the kind of woman who looked like she could handle anything alone. That was Gawol.
But Daeun needed him to match her pace the whole way back to the restaurant. Nestled against San-sae, her expression had been like finding a campfire in the middle of winter. Han Daeun was shy, struggled to manage her own emotions, and looked somehow precarious.
He remembered when she’d first stepped into the restaurant. Bandages far too clean compared to the braces and crutches that looked like they’d been used for a very long time. She’d said she’d just gotten hurt, but that was probably a lie. Unlike in the game, she seemed to have a bit of a clumsy streak in real life.
And those legs, though…
Had she strangled him to death with those slender legs? The thought sent heat rising to his face, and Yuhan fanned himself with his hand. A low laugh from behind seemed to tickle his ear.
“What, are you hot?”
“A little.”
“Want me to grab some ice cream from that convenience store earlier? Hyung’ll buy it for you.”
What are you even saying. You’re not my hyung. You’re younger than me, and you’re not even a guy.
Yuhan laughed in disbelief.
By the time they made it back to the restaurant, the rest of the group was waiting. All five of them rode the momentum straight to a karaoke room. True to their social-butterfly reputations, San-sae and Elderin sang incredibly well.
The problem was Daeun.
How could someone with a voice that lovely be so bad at singing? Even if she just roughly hit the beat, that voice should have sounded decent. Worse still—her taste in songs was terrible.
Hello, adventurers.
The new season “Pioneering” patch has gone live.
……
3. Bounty System
As previously announced, there will be changes to the field PK system.
The entire new continent has been designated a conflict zone, and field PK penalties have been significantly reduced. Conversely, penalties on the existing continents have been increased. Please check the [link] for full details.
On the new continent, the various nations’ public authorities have yet to establish a proper foothold. However, no one wants the frontier to become a complete lawless zone. To that end, those in power have implemented a bounty system to stabilize the pioneering lands.
Adventurers who commit murder in the field may have a bounty placed on them for three days. Bounty registration can be completed at the guard post in Zephyrion Harbor, and rewards are deposited directly into your inventory upon eliminating a wanted target.
Even while under a bounty yourself, you may still kill other wanted targets and claim their rewards.
……
But take heed.
The bounty system was not designed to protect you—it was designed to kill criminals.
If you are not confident you can survive, do not set foot in the frontier lightly.
A great ship crossed the Unrelenting Storm. In game lore, the voyage took three weeks; in real time, fifteen minutes. The ship that had weathered the gales lowered its gangplank at a hastily built harbor.
The new region, reached the moment the patch went live. The southwestern frontier of Zephyrion was a continent that reeked of barren wasteland. Landscapes and people he’d never seen before. Every structure looked thrown together in a rush, and merchants who’d crossed the open sea were openly gouging prices. Consumables were the worst of it—goods far worse than those on the main continent were selling for twice the price.
What bothered him more was the complete absence of any guards. He filed that question away and stepped into the village—and the moment he did, a red warning window snapped open at the top of his vision, as if it had been waiting.
You have entered a Conflict Zone.
Warning: Outside of safe zones, you may be attacked by other adventurers.
Warning: Upon death, you will lose up to 20% of the gold you are carrying.
“Heh. Nice.”
Maybe it was the dry wording, but the notification felt rather cold as he dismissed it. Some people would find those warnings chilling. His story was different. He’d been treating ordinary fields like conflict zones from the start. That lost gold would end up in a killer’s pocket—which meant, for him, PK now came with a reward. The field had suddenly turned into a gold mine.
Once the bounty system went live, it would become a whole new revenue stream. Sure, bounties would pile up on him too eventually.
Go ahead and try to kill me, then.
He was looking around the village when a commotion broke out nearby. Flame magic blazed, summoning a red blast of heat. No matter how you looked at it, that was a player’s doing. Drawing a little closer, he caught raised voices.
“You crazy bastards! PK’ing in the village?!”
“Can’t you see there’s no guards, you dumbass?”
Some guy in a magical-girl costume was committing terrorism right in the middle of town.