Chapter 79
Chapter 79
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 79
Chapter Title: The Torn Map
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In the quiet hours of the early morning, Yoo Seokwoo sat hunched in front of his monitor, absentmindedly scratching his messy hair as he focused on the task at hand. His fingers moved with practiced skill, clattering against the keyboard in a rhythmic cadence that mirrored his concentration.
Search results flickered onto the screen immediately.
[Remus (PC Version)]
[Search Results...]
[Del Mark (541 Matches)]
‘There it is,’ he thought. He had a nagging suspicion that the name was significant, and seeing the sheer volume of data confirmed it. However, a specific prompt stopped him in his tracks.
[Would you like to view this information?]
[Grade: Level 3]
[Price: 1,000 Coins]
The classification of the data was higher than he had anticipated, and the price tag was substantial. Coins were the exclusive currency of the Remus information app, earned through grueling activities, and a thousand was not a small sum to part with.
‘I knew the name rang a bell, but I didn't expect him to be important enough for a Level 3 classification,’ Seokwoo mused, a piece of half-eaten toast hanging from his mouth. He thought back to the map he had recovered from a corpse the previous day—a rare-grade item simply labeled "Del Mark's Secret Map."
The reason for his hesitation was the physical state of the item. He only possessed exactly half of it—the upper portion. The map had been cunningly torn straight down the middle, leaving the illustrations and geographical markers unrecognizable. Until he secured the lower half, the map was essentially a useless riddle. Despite the bind it put him in, the professional etiquette of a dark gamer demanded he take the risk.
He moved the cursor over the purchase button and clicked.
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Del Mark was a man of many titles: the Prime Minister of the old kingdom, a renowned millionaire, a legendary merchant, and ultimately, a notorious traitor. His rise from a simple merchant to the highest administrative office was the stuff of legends, but his insatiable greed led to a failed coup that resulted in the execution of his entire family.
While the kingdom strictly controlled all public mention of the traitor, the real value of the information lay in his hidden legacy. Del Mark had been a cautious man and had allegedly secreted away his vast fortune somewhere on the continent before his downfall. Seokwoo wondered if his torn map led to that specific treasure, but he still had no lead on the missing half.
Transitioning back into his avatar, Luke, he observed the city guards swarming the alley where the corpse had been discovered. Residents peered down from a nearby bridge, whispering about the murder. He managed to overhear a conversation that provided a vital lead.
"Oh, goodness, isn't that Mr. Reric from the west district? The bakery owner who lives with his wife, Minet, and their daughter?"
‘Reric, the west district baker,’ Luke noted, his eyes flashing with interest. He realized that the other half of the map might still be stored at the man's home. He decided to investigate the residence before the guards could officially spread the news of the baker's death.
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A short time later, Luke arrived in the densely packed west district of Jermi. He found Reric’s house easily, and to his surprise, the front door was slightly ajar, as if someone had fled in a state of great haste. He seized the opportunity to sneak inside.
⚠️ WARNING! ⚠️
You have unlawfully trespassed into a private residence! Your Infamy is increasing in real time! There is a high probability of a report if you are witnessed!
Luke ignored the system warning, trusting his ability to remain undetected. The interior of the house was in a state of total chaos—furniture was smashed, clothes were discarded, and household items were spilled everywhere. It appeared as though a violent struggle had taken place. There was no sign of Reric's wife or daughter.
He began to rummage through the mess, looking for the missing map half, but found nothing of value. Instead, he noticed peculiar traces left behind: dents in the broken furniture and a faint white powder sticking to the wood. In the game world, bloodstains were often rendered as white powder, especially for non-player characters. He also found long strands of hair strewn about the floor.
His eyes followed a set of muddy footprints that led toward the open back window. ‘This wasn't just a simple scuffle,’ he realized. ‘Something far more sinister happened here.’
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Meanwhile, at the Rover Company headquarters, Operations Team Leader Park Kwangho was descending to the restricted underground level. It had taken a month to secure permission to meet the person residing in this high-tech isolation.
He was headed for the office of Yong Hoseop, the creator of Agas. Kwangho knew that the developer could not be unaware of the recent string of hidden scenarios and the enigmatic user at the center of them. The upper management was growing anxious because they still couldn't break the encryption on that specific user's code, and a major Level 20 battle had recently been skipped entirely—an anomaly that defied standard glitch logic.
Kwangho approached the mechanical door at the end of the corridor and spoke into the CCTV. The door whirred open, revealing a dark, cluttered space filled with piles of papers and dozens of glowing monitors. It was the messy sanctuary of a genius.
He saw a black chair turn around, revealing a man lounging with shaggy hair, deep dark circles under his eyes, and a coffee can in his hand. This weary wreck was the man hailed as the father of virtual reality.
"It has been a long time, Team Leader," Yong Hoseop greeted him, his voice as tired as his appearance.