BIRDS OF A FEATHER(2)
I returned to my home base for the first time in a while.
"It feels so cramped now."
The C-Tier dorms are about the size of a three-room apartment, so the reverse culture shock is quite significant. I’ll likely move up to A-Tier in the next re-evaluation, and at that point, I suppose tiers will become meaningless anyway.
"Oof, my back…."
I flopped onto the bed and turned on my smartphone.
The trending posts were all about Labyrinth Exploration NaN. Even on communities unrelated to the show, it was everywhere.
I clicked on "It was these guys all along lol."
The two guys who’ve been carrying since the Cargo Labyrinth are carrying again.
It was a photo of Kang Hyun and me facing each other during the Cargo Labyrinth. A well-captured A-cut.
Next was a popular post collecting only the scenes where Seer and I were suspicious of each other. This one had thousands of upvotes, too.
"The editing is insane."
Honestly, it wasn't that much of a noir. It wasn't some deeply serious personal drama, either.
It was just me glancing sideways, Seer glancing back at me to maintain distance, and me scanning him because that made me even more suspicious...
That was all it was.
But looking at it like this, it looks like some mind-blowing psychological warfare.
The stage greeting for the theatrical release of episode 9 is out, whoa.
Lee Jun-ho, Seo Ji-woo, Jo Woon, Yun Hwa-rim, Kang Hyun, Kate, Seol Ha-woon, Ryu Yeon-hwa.
This time, I searched for "Seol Ha-woon" on social media.
Quite a few fancams focusing exclusively on me were uploaded. I scanned the comments with a detached eye.
"...Is that so~?"
I looked in the mirror.
For one, my skin is, even by my own standards, quite good. Thanks to consistently using up all those skincare sets.
...I'll save the self-praise for later.
I put the generator, laptop, and everything else into my subspace.
Now, it was time to meet my first pet, the penguin who must have been all alone.
"Have you been doing well?"
In the subspace, I asked Astroal—the penguin.
I have.
The penguin answered briefly. It was expressionless as always, but its complexion seemed particularly poor.
Did it get sulky because I left it alone for so long?
It probably realized the reality of the situation.
In this subspace, it can't meet anyone, and it can't sell any goods. It has no choice but to be alone for a long time.
I feel bad for no reason. Even though I can't return it.
"Just wait a few more years."
If I successfully finish this job and, by some stroke of luck, become a Mage, I’ll be able to bury the origins and processes and get it officially registered as a pet.
"Until then."
I set up the mana stone generator. I connected the power strip. I placed the laptop on the penguin's counter.
"Here. A gift. It's a laptop. You're a robot, so you know how to use it, right?"
I am capable of handling almost any machine, hardware or software, with excellence.
"Right. I'm envious. Use this to watch OTT or something when you're alone."
Beep. The penguin's expression shifted. It reached out with a stubby hand and pressed the power button on the laptop.
It knows how to use it well.
"So... hey, Aro. Where did the potato chips go?"
"Aro?"
"Yeah. Your name. 'Astroal' is too long. Let's go with Aro."
...Understood.
It doesn't seem to like it much, but it should learn to obey its master.
"Wait. Maybe 'Arolo' is better?"
Arolo.
It kind of reminds me of someone who wears glasses.
Aro seems much more appropriate.
The penguin seemed strangely desperate.
"Fine. Then Aro, where did those potato chips go?"
The potato chips on the shelf were gone.
Did it eat them?
No, a robot wouldn't eat.
They are sold out.
"Sold out?"
I let out a dry laugh.
Even a robot lies.
"You shouldn't be throwing away food like that."
They are sold out.
Look at this guy. It’s surprisingly stubborn.
"Hey. If they're sold out, you mean you sold them?"
Yes. That is correct.
"Are robots programmed to lie?"
It is not a lie.
"Attention."
I narrowed my eyes. The penguin was already standing at attention.
"Fine. What did you get in exchange for selling them?"
Then, Aro lifted something from underneath. It was a crude wooden box.
Calling it a box is a stretch. It was just a few pieces of wood assembled together... trash?
This robot acts like it can do anything, but its craftsmanship is a total disaster.
"A robot that lies, honestly..."
I opened it, thinking it would just contain twigs, but.
"......."
I closed it immediately.
More than the radiance spilling out, it was because of the item window popping up in my vision.
I swallowed hard.
"...Did you kill someone?"
No matter how I think about it, the only way to acquire this much loot in such a short time is through pillaging.
This time, Aro narrowed its eyes.
It is the result of a fair trade.
Then, it flashed its panel and projected something. It was a transaction video and a ledger recording it.
"Aha..."
I understood how Aro had attracted customers.
Due to the Mana Coefficient, my mana circuit is open to this penguin. In other words, it can use my skill, Subspace.
Aro had utilized its long-range observation and mana collection abilities to install switches in dangerous areas, luring in explorers who were in crisis.
"So... you earned it like this?"
That is correct.
There's a lot of loot. There's even B-grade loot.
Adding it all up, it looks like it's worth about 100 million won.
Yes. Master's permission is required for disposal.
"......."
I looked at Aro. It seemed a bit dim-witted until just a moment ago, but suddenly it felt quite sharp.
"Right. You worked hard."
I put my arm around Aro's shoulders.
"Aro, I actually believed in you."
Thank you.
"Is there anything you need?"
Constructing a hotel that can provide better service would help with profit generation and the shop's reputation.
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Gorgeous. Sometimes when "My Words Are Right" goes berserk, he hogs the screen time like a maniac, but even when she's with him, she doesn't get overshadowed; she actually shines. Her combat power doesn't lose to Kang Hyun's, either. She's kindly teaching the ignorant viewers what a "Destroyer" is every episode.
They're having fun among themselves in the West, but they got swept up in the Seol-Kang natural disaster. She's B+, but I'm giving her an A because I feel bad for her.
Just a piece of trash lol. It was fascinating that he appeared out of nowhere, but he just got crushed by Seol Ha-woon and his screen time evaporated. I think I know why they didn't edit him out. Showing "Incompetent-gyeom" as he is makes him look even more pathetic and makes the catharsis feel even greater.
Gorgeous 2. She's grabbing the East by the collar and dragging it along when it was about to be buried by the West. Her visuals are enough to slap most actors in the face. And her luck is just hilarious. Every time she draws something, she only gets the good stuff, and she checks her fortune 10 times on the road and 8 of them are "Great Luck"—does that even make sense?
We aren't seeing the legendary form he showed during the previous Situation Labyrinth where he slaughtered all the Plaza NPCs like a human butcher. Of course, if he showed that form in this world, he'd be a psychopath, but he set the bar so high back then that it feels a bit lacking these days. I wonder if they'll show at least one more scene where his rage explodes.
Still, he's effectively leading the East. He's consistently performing above average. But the West is just too overwhelming.
He has the most screen time in this world. The impact is less than "My Words Are Right," but he feels like he appears a bit more often? The scene where he and "My Words Are Right" mutually respect each other was cool as hell, and when they had their duel, it was just pure goosebumps.
He won against "My Words Are Right" in the second half, but it felt like he lost in the battle, so SS.
How did the 96th place get this far... A performance that will shut up all the "My Words Are Right" haters. It feels like he clearly showed what the "high point" that High-ranker Kim Se-jin mentioned is really like. His performance in the urban combat was insane, when he had the duel with Kang Hyun it was fucking crazy, and the fact that he was the only one who didn't trust Seer and was suspicious of him from start to finish is just a legendary judgment call.
At the ending, it felt like I got struck by lightning in my head.
There's an expectation that he'll explode with something more in this labyrinth.
If it weren't for that one guy below, this episode would've been the GOAT...
GOAT - Seer