Chapter 112
Chapter 112
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 112
Chapter Title: Off to Steal Again Today
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"Whoa, renting out this whole place was pretty tough. Money wasn't an issue, but it's right in the heart of the shopping district..."
A thickset face.
Clothes decked out in luxury brands.
And nonstop bragging to top it off.
Just as the rumors said—a guy with a massive ego.
"Y-yeah."
"As expected from our organizer."
The classmates nearby forced awkward smiles and chimed in as best they could.
After all, Hyun-tae was the one hosting the reunion.
Without him, it would've been hard to get all the high school friends together like this.
'It's a bit overwhelming, but he rented out the whole place.'
'Yeah, we're just here freeloading...'
They didn't really have a say.
So they played along with his mood for now.
That was the general sentiment among the classmates.
But Hyun-tae either didn't notice their forced responses or didn't care—he even started bragging about his family.
Arrogant to a fault and completely oblivious.
The atmosphere was unbearably awkward.
A few people were stuck handling him, but his booming voice echoed through the entire restaurant.
It was enough to make anyone grimace.
The classmates who'd just joined in shot awkward smiles at Seokwoo and Dosik, whispering low.
"He's a bit much, right?"
"Yeah, kinda."
"Right? No change from back in school. Still strutting around like when he was student council president."
"Is that so?"
Truth be told, neither Seokwoo nor Dosik knew much about Hyun-tae.
They hadn't mingled much with the others back then, so why would they know about the student council president?
Personality, speech, behavior—it was all new to them.
But one thing was crystal clear, regardless.
No one would like a guy like that.
Seokwoo felt the same.
'What a tool.'
He had a strong aversion to types like this.
Well, not to this extreme.
People who lived off their own hype were all pretty similar.
Seokwoo had seen his share over the years.
But there was one thing.
A surefire way to crank his dislike up to eleven.
When they caused harm to him or those around him.
That changed everything.
And this was exactly that case.
'Looks like he invited us just to use as punching bags.'
What a pain.
He wouldn't have come to a place like this normally, but now that he was here, there was no choice but to roll with it.
Ignore as best he could and enjoy the reunion.
"He's the organizer, though? Give him a break—he put in effort to set this up."
"Yeah, fair enough."
"Not like we have much choice anyway."
They all nodded with wry chuckles, agreeing.
"Kuh, Seokwoo's right."
"Right?"
"Uh, yeah?"
"Then drink up, you punk."
Seokwoo wasn't one to miss the opening—he quickly filled their empty glasses.
"Puhahaha, nice!"
Laughter erupted from all around.
The initial awkwardness was gone; now they were casually knocking back drinks.
"No, seriously, I stayed away from you guys because of those rumors."
"Yeah, about that..."
Misunderstandings cleared up naturally in the flow.
Other classmates, now hooked on the stories, started gathering around Seokwoo and Dosik one by one.
The crowd skewed heavily to one side.
Hyun-tae, mid-brag, turned his head that way.
"......"
His eyes full of displeasure.
'Those bastards.'
Hyun-tae scowled.
This wasn't the picture he'd painted.
Yoo Seokwoo. Cha Dosik.
No big reason for inviting them.
Just extras.
Or maybe scapegoats to mock for being outcasts.
That was the plan.
But what the hell was this?
Everyone was supposed to steer clear because of the old rumors.
Yet here they were, classmates flocking to Seokwoo and Dosik like it was nothing.
Ignoring him, the host.
'Punks who could only throw punches...'
It grated on him.
He was the star here.
How dare they steal his spotlight.
He couldn't stand it.
So Hyun-tae barged right into the group.
"What's the fun talk? Don't leave me out—include me too."
He stuck his face in.
"Oh... Seokwoo was sharing old stories, so we were listening."
"Ah?"
A classmate up front gave a quick rundown.
Hyun-tae chuckled lightly and turned.
There was Seokwoo, soaking up all the attention.
Yoo Seokwoo, who was supposed to be the extra.
"Guess my intro's late. I invited you personally, after all... Anyway, good to see you?"
"I'm the grateful one. Thanks for inviting me to a reunion I might've missed."
"Hahaha, no big deal."
The light laugh didn't last.
"No big deal? Dosik said you even reached out personally and begged. Can't ignore that kind of effort."
"......Khm."
Seokwoo's detailed recap killed his smile.
Stronger reaction than expected.
And dredging up stuff that didn't need mentioning.
Hyun-tae cleared his throat awkwardly and turned away.
A huge frame caught his eye.
Dosik, dressed sharply in a suit—he'd clearly put thought into it.
"Ah, right. Cha Dosik. You're here too."
"Yeah, hey. Good to see you."
"You too. Damn, you dressed up nice for the reunion?"
"Hahaha, too much?"
Dosik laughed awkwardly.
Hyun-tae's eyes lit up.
"Looks good. But this brand..."
"Huh?"
"Well, it's just..."
"Something wrong?"
"Nah, but I've never heard of it. Total unknown label..."
He scanned Dosik up and down with a dubious look.
"Phew, thought it was some shady brand. As long as it's not, fine. Glad it looks good!"
"Uh? Yeah?"
"Suits you perfect! Looks high-end—jealous!"
"Uh..."
Dosik's praise instead shut him down.
Conversation stalled dead.
Nothing like he'd intended.
Silence hung heavy.
"...Hey, let's not. Back to that Agas talk from earlier. Cool?"
A classmate, fed up, switched topics.
The world's most popular VR game.
Catching on quick, the others jumped in.
"Right, we got sidetracked."
"Weren't Seokwoo and Dosik playing Agas too?"
"Just casually sometimes."
"Me too."
"Kuhuhu, everyone's on it."
"Told ya. Even my parents are thinking of buying capsules..."
The vibe livened up again.
Classmates already playing or interested swapped stories eagerly.
Ranker news, game content, streams, videos.
Agas topics dominated.
Smiles all around.
Seokwoo and Dosik blended right in.
Hyun-tae was the one left out.
He'd opened his mouth and ended up isolated again, no gains.
The distance grew.
From the classmates.
He could feel them drifting away bit by bit.
This wouldn't do.
Realizing it, Hyun-tae thought of the Ban Do-gaebi Alliance.
'Don't screw up. Don't blab about the alliance.'
His older brother's warning echoed.
Scary, but he'd be shut out otherwise.
"Hey, Agas? Can't leave me out. Don't talk without me!"
"Ah, sorry."
"Was gonna skip this, but my bro's basically the head of the Ban Do-gaebi Alliance..."
Once he started, it poured out.
The Fallen Zone.
The alliance fighting the goblins.
His brother, practically their leader.
Now he was bragging about Agas creds.
Classmates forced awkward agreement again.
But one person.
Watching Hyun-tae with keen interest.
'...Is that so?'
The thief who knew the Ant Den's secret.
Seokwoo.
That day.
The reunion stretched late into the night.
Fun times.
Hyun-tae disrupted it midway, but overall satisfying.
'Don't forget to stay in touch.'
'Yeah, let's keep in contact more.'
'Okay, get home safe!'
Old grudges cleared.
Exchanged contacts mid-event, expanding his circle unexpectedly.
Maybe that's why.
As they parted, Dosik—buzzed and grinning—headed home happy.
'Good call going to the reunion.'
Recalling that, Luke opened his eyes.
From reality to the game.
Morning after, he bolted straight to the capsule room.
Time to clock in as his Agas-working self.
"Whew, guess I pushed hard yesterday. Body's stiff."
Luke rolled his shoulders, loosening up.
He was in the Fallen Zone now.
Out of the Ant Den he'd sneaked into before, back in Small City Chandler.
'Can't miss that essential quest.'
A permanent stat boost reward.
Random stat, but equivalent to a level-up.
Stats high for his level.
Mana boosted too from absorbing the Dimensional Orb.
'Not bad at all.'
Perfect status screen, Faith aside.
'Hit 100, then prep for mid-tier zones... Huh?'
Then it hit him.
Poko, forgotten briefly.
'Right, gotta grab Poko first.'
Luke looked around.
Deserted alley.
Glancing about, he pressed a hand to the wall.
Shrrrr!
The wall rippled like water.
A blue door appeared.
Mysterious, portal-like.
But Luke stepped in calmly, no hesitation.
His form faded inside.
As he vanished fully, the blue door dissolved.
"Poko!"
Scenery shifted instantly.
Poko's cry hit first.
Luke petted the wagging-tail greeter.
Then checked the messages.
Dimensional Fortress.
The legacy skill from Del Mark.