Chapter 33
Chapter 33
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 33
Chapter Title: Unrelenting
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Saturday dawn.
*Thump, thump!*
In a dark park, where the streetlights had yet to turn on, Lee Shin was running hard.
Despite the chilly weather, Lee Shin's body was covered in sweat.
Lee Shin stopped running when the timer he'd set for twenty minutes went off.
*Beep, beep, beep, beep!!!*
"Hoo..."
Lee Shin turned off the loudly ringing alarm.
Then, wiping the sweat from his brow, he checked the app.
*'How far did I run?'*
The distance displayed on the screen was 3.87 km.
The distance Lee Shin had run in twenty minutes.
This wasn't a bad pace.
No, by the average person's standards, it was an exceptionally good run.
Most people would find it difficult just to run that distance without stopping.
But after checking the results, Lee Shin smacked his lips with a look of disappointment.
*'I've really slowed down.'*
His stamina was lower than expected.
Even though he'd run quite seriously, he was much slower compared to a few years ago.
It was what happened after he quit gaming and stopped exercising to prepare for his exams.
It seemed it would take some time to get back to his old condition.
It was a pain, but it had to be done.
*'Stamina is important, after all.'*
Avala Online was a game, but one's actual physical condition was also important.
This was because the avatar in virtual reality was ultimately based on one's real body.
Thanks to this, if one's physical condition fluctuated, they could feel a sense of disconnect with their avatar, which always maintained a constant state.
Of course, for the average person, the difference wouldn't be significant enough to cause major problems...
But for top-tier players like Lee Shin, this level of disconnect could be a huge factor.
In the highest echelons of play, the slightest difference could determine the overall outcome.
It was especially important in the Arena, where battles of extreme control took place.
*'The Arena opens at level 100, right?'*
His current level was 84.
He didn't have much further to go before he could enter the Arena.
So, Lee Shin wanted to get himself into peak condition before then.
"Hah."
After chugging some cold water, Lee Shin walked home slowly to cool down.
When he got home, he saw Lee Si-eun, who looked like she had just woken up, making coffee with puffy eyes.
"Me too."
Lee Shin said as he walked past her.
Rubbing her sleepy eyes, Lee Si-eun looked at the sweat-drenched Lee Shin and asked.
"Ugh, where have you been?"
"The park."
"You went for a run... hmm?"
Sensing something was off, Lee Si-eun quickly turned her head to check the time.
The current time was 6:40 AM.
She asked in surprise.
"Don't tell me you stayed up all night and are just going to bed now?"
"No. I woke up early."
"Oh...? What's the occasion?"
As if surprised by the unexpected answer, Lee Si-eun's eyes widened.
"It gets crowded if I go later. I have to go before the streetlights turn on."
"...You'll get hurt that way. Go after the sun comes up."
"I'm familiar with the path, so it's fine."
"What if you run into someone dangerous..."
"I'd probably win."
"..."
Lee Si-eun glared at him.
But despite her words, she wasn't seriously worried about him.
She knew very well that Lee Shin wasn't just making an empty boast.
*'Then again.'*
She had also seen videos of Lee Shin from the Avala Online 1 days.
They were so famous online that she had stumbled upon them naturally without even having to look.
Lee Shin, who had many enemies even back then, appeared with his face covered in all the videos, but...
That didn't mean she wouldn't recognize a family member she saw every day.
*'Isn't this Shin?'*
*'What is he doing, never going out and just playing games in his room?'*
Always curious, she played the video with an intrigued expression.
And she received a huge shock.
-Please, spare me!
-*Sob*! Why are you doing this...!
"......!"
This...
This is my little brother?!
Most of Lee Shin's highlight videos with high view counts were of him hunting rankers.
Videos of Lee Shin beating down rankers with flashy skills and good gear, using his even more superior skills!
The players were thrilled by his brilliant mechanics and high-level combat, but...
*'How could he do that to someone...'*
Lee Si-eun was shocked in many ways by how different he was from his usual self.
To the point that she had awkwardly avoided him back then.
Of course, not anymore...
Recalling that memory for a moment, Lee Si-eun looked at Lee Shin.
Feeling her gaze, Lee Shin turned his head.
"What."
"It's nothing. Here."
Letting out a small laugh, Lee Si-eun approached Lee Shin and handed him the coffee.
But Lee Shin added a bit of cold water to it and downed it in one go.
Lee Si-eun shouted in horror.
"Hey!!!"
Do you know how expensive those beans were!?
"...Ugh, bitter."
"Of course it's bitter when you drink it like that...! And after I went to the trouble of making it for you!"
But Lee Shin just brushed off her words and answered casually.
"I was in a hurry."
"Huh?"
"Because of a quest."
"...Ah, the game?"
*Then that makes sense.*
Knowing how serious Lee Shin was about the game, Lee Si-eun understood and nodded.
"Oh, right. Keep your schedule free next weekend."
"Why."
"Mom said to. She wants you to come to the hospital for a quick consultation."
"...Suddenly? Why?"
Lee Shin asked back, looking puzzled.
Sure, he'd gone to counseling sessions ad nauseam when he was younger, but...
He hadn't been recently, had he?
*'Have I been acting weird lately?'*
Lee Shin's expression turned serious.
He wondered if he'd played the game so much that his in-game persona was starting to show on the outside.
"No. It's not that."
"?"
Seeing Lee Shin's expression grow more serious by the second, Lee Si-eun quickly added an explanation.
"It's not that, it's because of your military service. She said you need to get your diagnosis papers and counseling records in advance so you can use them later."
"Oh... is that so?"
"Yeah. It might be hard to get a full exemption with this, but you could at least get public service... hey, wait. How do you know less about this than I do!"
Realizing something was off mid-sentence, Lee Si-eun shouted with a look of disbelief.
*...Am I the one going to the military!?*
"You should look into these things yourself. You're supposed to take care of this stuff on your own."
"Right, so next week, then?"
Lee Shin swiftly cut off the nagging that seemed poised to continue.
And before she could say another word, he hurried up to his room.
*Slam! Click.*
Lee Si-eun let out a small sigh and muttered.
"...I told you not to lock the door."
***
The open sea.
A player closed his eyes and muttered.
"I seriously want to beat him to a pulp."
"..."
At this, the other nearby players all nodded unconsciously.
Their gazes were fixed on where Lee Shin was standing.
The reason they were glaring at Lee Shin was simple.
*'You are the vanguard.'*
*'Huh?'*
*'From now on, you will always be on the front lines.'*
After abruptly showing up and saying this, Lee Shin had really pushed them to the forefront of every battle.
Meanwhile, he himself just stood still in a safe position, only giving orders to the players who had been dragged along.
*'Go!'*
*'What about you?'*
*'I have to command from here.'*
*'......?'*
*'It's dangerous over there.'*
*'......'*
The absolute epitome of selfishness!
With just a few words, Lee Shin had made the players clutch the back of their necks in frustration.
*'...Damn it.'*
*'That bastard's definitely a psycho.'*
The players grumbled and complained.
Still, up to this point, it had been manageable.
Everyone here knew who was in charge and who wasn't, after all.
Lee Shin, who had Drake's trust, was in a position they couldn't touch.
Honestly, if they were in his position, they would have enjoyed this level of authority too, so the orders were acceptable enough.
*'...Well, can't be helped.'*
The players reluctantly accepted it.
However, this atmosphere quickly dissipated with Lee Shin's next actions.
*'Charge!'*
*'Waaaaaah!'*
[You have defeated the pirate.]
*'Charge again!'*
*'W-Waaaaaah...!'*
[You have defeated the pirate.]
*'Again, again, again, charge...'*
*'...Alright! We're going! We're going!'*
[You have defeated the pirate.]
[You have defeated the...]
*'Pant, pant...'*
*'Go! Charge!'*
*'...Hey, you bastard!!!'*
The battle never seemed to end!
No matter how much time passed, Lee Shin didn't let them rest.
Instead, he harshly reprimanded the players who complained about being tired.
*'You there. I can see your feet. Aren't you going to move faster?'*
*'...Pant pant! W-Wait! Our health hasn't fully recovered yet?'*
*'I know.'*
*'!?'*
Eventually, not long after, the players couldn't take it anymore and exploded.
*'...This fucking bastard! Cut it out! Why are you doing this to fellow players!?'*
*'Let us rest! I told you we have no health!?'*
*'We're seriously going to die at this rate...!'*
At this, the reaction they hoped for was for a flustered Lee Shin to let them rest in the face of such harsh backlash.
They thought that if they pushed back with these numbers, he would get scared and give in!
But this was a gross underestimation of Lee Shin.
Lee Shin was a player who had always maintained a top ranking in Avala Online 1, even after making enemies of half the rankers.
There was no way such a person would be flustered by the rebellion of a mere thirty or so players.
Lee Shin approached the shouting players and asked nonchalantly.
*'You're going to die?'*
*'Yeah!!'*
*'Then die now.'*
*'...Huh?'*
Without hesitation, Lee Shin swung his sword.
*Stab, stab!*
[You have suffered a critical attack!]
[Your health has fallen below 3%...]
[...Your health has reached 0. You have died!]
*'...!?!??!?'*
*'A-Are you crazy!? What are you doing...!'*
His opponent's health was already at rock bottom, so they were logged out after just a few hits.
Lee Shin pointed his sword at the horrified and raging players and continued.
*'You said you were about to die, so I sent you on your way.'*
*'......!!'*
*'......!'*
*'Anyone else here so tired they're about to die? If so, step forward. I'll fix it for you.'*
Naturally, no player was brave enough to open their mouth in this situation.
*'None, I see.'*
Lee Shin smiled with satisfaction and continued the subjugation.
He wiped out the pirates at a rapid pace.
Whenever an allied fleet appeared, he would lure them in and destroy them, just like before.
In this process, countless players died, unable to withstand the harsh treatment.
To the point that almost half the players had died here!
And so, it had come to this.
"Huh? Over there..."
Just then, Lee Shin, who was gazing out at the distant sea, narrowed his eyes.
"...!!"
The players flinched in surprise!
By now, the players had reached a point where they would start praying the moment Lee Shin opened his mouth.
Since they were never properly healed, every single battle was a life-or-death struggle.
*Please, let there be nothing...!*
Fortunately, their wish was granted; it wasn't pirates or an allied fleet that had appeared.
"Hmm. Just a reef."
"Phew..."
"?"
"...Ah, it's nothing!"
While the players hurriedly composed their expressions, Lee Shin was lost in thought.
At some point, the number of pirates appearing had started to drop sharply.
This meant he had killed almost all the pirates he could fight in this vicinity.
An achievement accomplished through the support of Drake's fleet and the sacrifice of the players!
Thanks to this, Lee Shin's contribution rank had been holding the number one spot for some time.
Barring any unforeseen variables, first place in the pirate subjugation quest was pretty much guaranteed.
So, what Lee Shin was contemplating wasn't related to his rank.
*'It's not showing up.'*
The remaining quest item that hadn't appeared despite him killing every pirate in sight.
He had a feeling this would happen, but at this point, it was safe to assume he couldn't obtain it this way.
The last one was definitely with Drake's enemy faction.
*'Alright, this is as far as I go for now.'*
Lee Shin cleanly let go of any lingering attachment.
"Captain. I think it's time we headed back."
"Is that so?"
"Yes, it seems unlikely we'll achieve much more by wandering around any further."
"...That's true. Understood."
After returning to their base.
Lee Shin secretly called Arthur over.
-Come here for a sec.
-?
All that remained was to make Drake lead his entire force out, and Arthur's role in this was crucial.
"Me?"
"Yeah, you said you'd do anything I asked."
Arthur readily nodded.
He even spoke, full of motivation.
"Of course! What do you need me to do?"
At this, Lee Shin gave Arthur something with a satisfied expression.
...And then gave an order that no ordinary person could ever imagine.
"Let's go set the island on fire."
"...!?"