Chapter 22
Chapter 22
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 22
Chapter Title: Arrival in Utopia
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[SYSTEM MESSAGE]
[The third round begins.]
Whiiiiiing—
A fierce sandstorm swept through the desert, turning everything before my eyes a dusty yellow.
Amid the swirling sand, glimpses of an apartment complex came into view.
It was the "ruined village" that players of Land of Ruin called Utopia.
I covered my mouth with my hand and pressed forward.
Even if they were waiting here, I wouldn't run into the other group members.
[Kim Cheonjae’s Group]
[Please select the story progression for the upcoming third round of Land of Ruin.]
A. 31 days.
B. 10 days.
C. 365 days.
This was a crucial moment deciding how many days we'd spend in this village.
Staying short didn't mean we'd complete the mission faster.
Staying long didn't guarantee greater rewards either.
The best course was to finish what I needed to do quickly and get out.
Without hesitation, I chose option B.
Ten days would be enough time for all of us to grow sufficiently.
[SYSTEM MESSAGE]
[All players have made their story progression selections.]
[Selection: B]
The sandstorm cleared, revealing the apartment complex.
Every building in sight looked like it had been bombed—the upper floors of the high-rises had all collapsed.
The only ones that seemed somewhat intact were the low-rise villas buried under sand.
At the entrance to the complex stood soldiers wearing gas masks.
They'd converted the guard booth into a sentry post, complete with machine guns and sturdy metal barricades.
Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud.
As I approached, one of the soldiers guarding the entrance leveled his gun at me.
"Halt!"
I raised both hands high and called out to them.
"We're friendlies."
"What?"
"I said, friendlies."
The one who looked like the squad leader watched from behind.
Two soldiers who seemed to follow his lead stepped forward and scanned me from head to toe.
"Where'd you come from?"
"Across the river."
"Across the river? That's no place for humans."
"That's why I came here."
"No. I mean, how'd you survive over there? Everyone downstream from the river got wiped out ages ago."
This was weird.
Normally, entering the village just involved checking for infection.
These NPCs were saying things beyond their scripted lines.
"......"
"How'd you make it across from downriver?"
"By boat."
"Liar!"
"Liar? Why do you think that?"
"We scouted the south side of the river five years ago. No way there were boats left there."
Five years?
Something was seriously wrong.
"Five years, you say?"
"Yeah."
The time between the end of the second round and the start of the third should have been exactly one year total.
That was because the system had the 19th Airborne Special Forces Brigade secure the village first before players entered.
The gas-masked soldier thrust out his belly and stood right in front of me.
Hoo— ha— hoo— ha—
I could hear his ragged breathing through the mask.
"By the way, you sure talk casually."
"...... Who's your commanding officer right now?"
"What do you need to know that for? You wouldn't know him anyway."
I furrowed my brow.
"Is Major Kim Juncheol not here?"
At my words, the faces of the sergeant, staff sergeant, and master sergeant's changed.
They were all NCO ranks, but officers were a different class altogether.
And Major Kim Juncheol's position was far above theirs.
"Kim Juncheol... Major.... How do you know him?"
"Looks like he is here, then. Get me Major Kim Juncheol."
"What? Who the hell do you think he is?"
"Kim Cheonjae. Tell him that name, and he'll know."
"...... Kim Cheonjae?"
The one who seemed like the squad leader grabbed the shoulder of the gas-masked soldier I'd been talking to.
"Please wait a moment. I'll contact headquarters."
"Yes."
The squad leader moved back to the sentry post to make radio contact.
The soldier who'd been talking to me cautiously spoke up.
"How do you know Major Kim Juncheol?"
"Who knows."
"And why are you only talking casually to me?"
"You started it. The master sergeant who just arrived used polite speech with me, so I responded in kind."
"......"
The squad leader finished his radio transmission and returned.
"Mr. Kim Cheonjae."
"Yes."
"We'll escort you inside. On behalf of my subordinate's rudeness earlier, I apologize."
"No need. It's fine."
"Sergeant Kim Naksoo!"
The soldier who'd argued with me snapped to attention.
"Sergeant Kim Naksoo!"
"Apologize to him. He's the one who saved Major Kim Juncheol's life."
"What?!"
"Do it now!"
Sergeant Kim Naksoo hesitated, glancing at the squad leader, then stepped forward and bowed deeply to me.
"I'm sorry."
"Don't do anything worth apologizing for next time."
"...... Yes, sir."
I patted Sergeant Kim Naksoo's shoulder and turned to the squad leader.
"Right this way."
* * * * *
They gave me a mask.
Just in case I'd brought the virus in from outside.
I had to spend the next day in their designated quarantine facility—a civilian hospital.
Clang. Clang. Clang. Clang.
We descended metal stairs to a row of rooms with barred doors.
It was dark and musty, like a prison.
"Sorry you have to stay in a place like this."
"No problem. If the virus spreads, it'd be disastrous. Can't be helped."
"We'll bring bedding and food shortly."
"Bedding even during quarantine?"
"Normally no, but Major Kim Juncheol made a special request. Said to provide it even if we have to burn it later...."
Major Kim Juncheol.
Glad he remembered me.
Even after five years in game time, he still recalled my name.
Creeeeak.
Thud.
The bars slammed shut.
It was the first cell in the basement.
I headed to the corner of the prison-like room.
Thud. Thud.
A dull sound.
Tapping with my finger, it was solid concrete—not thin drywall.
‘...... Even the terrain settings have changed.’
"Group."
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[Kim Cheonjae’s Player Group]
-Kim Cheonjae: Good (Blue)
-Ma Jeongwoo: Good (Blue)
-Yoo Sora: Good (Blue)
-Michael Beach: Good (Blue)
[Good (Blue): Vitality 90%+]
[Fair (Green): Vitality 75%+]
[Poor (Yellow): Vitality 50% or less]
[Critical (Red): Vitality 15% or less]
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Good.
Everyone was still fine so far.
Wondering if any players had arrived before me, I called out.
"Is anyone there?"
A familiar voice came from the far left end.
"Nick Jin's here."
"Hey! You beat me here?"
"Yeah."
"Anyone else?"
"Three more."
I stuck my face through the bars and continued.
"Who?"
"...... Hard to say."
"Uh.... Okay."
That one phrase told me everything.
The fact that no group member's name came up first meant Yoo Sora and Michael Beach hadn't arrived.
Three more meant three out of the high school girls' group and the gangsters—four total.
And since Jeongwoo couldn't name them, one of the gangsters had to be there for sure.
The high school girls arriving before me—despite starting later—meant they understood this game pretty well too.
After hesitating for a while, I raised my voice enough to echo through the basement.
"Anyone who doesn't want to be enemies with us, speak up now."
No one answered.
Whew—
I continued.
"You all seem like veterans of this game. How about we help each other out once we get out of here? We're all just trying to survive, right?"
A high school girl's voice came from not far away.
It seemed like the cell to the left on the opposite side.
"Mister, you mean team up?"
"Not quite an alliance. Just help each other out when things get tough sometimes."
"Like what?"
"No attacking each other. Share info—that's what I mean."
She paused as if thinking, then spoke.
"Isn't that an alliance?"
"Similar, but different. Alliances swear to achieve the same goal. I'm saying we just don't fight each other."
"Uh.... Okay. Deal! Our group's allied with yours starting now!"
Not an alliance—
"You. What's your name?"
"Me?"
"Who else would I be asking? A ghost?"
"...... My name's Kim Yeonhee. Kim Yeonhee."
I'd heard that name somewhere before.
"...... Kim Yeonhee. I'm Kim Cheonjae. Nice to meet you."
"Cheonjae? You smart, mister?"
"Probably."
A 'pfft' escaped her lips.
As soon as the conversation wrapped up, a gravelly, thick voice cut in.
"I'll ally up too."
Only one person had a voice this sinister.
The gangster.
But before that—not an alliance?
"Uh... you mean share info with us?"
"Yeah."
"Then... pleased to work with you."
"Why not ask my name?"
"Oh, what's your name?"
The gangster cleared his throat a few times, then answered.
"Jo Youngki. Jo Youngki."
No idea why, but the name felt intimidating.
"I'm—"
"Got it. Kim Cheonjae."
"...... Yes."
"I don't have a group. Mind if I join yours?"
He proposed joining.
We already had four out of five spots filled in this game.
Adding him would max us out—no room for new talent.
I turned him down flat.
Hesitating would just make me look weak.
"Sorry. How about joining Kim Yeonhee's group instead?"
"You want me to run around with kids like that?"
Kim Yeonhee let out an irritated voice.
"I don't wanna hang with a tattooed old fart either!"
"What? You little—!"
Clang!
The sound of bars being struck rang out.
I raised my voice to stop them.
"Stop! Cut it out, both of you. We can't be fighting among ourselves."
Jo Youngki growled low and sharp.
"...... Hoo. Kid, we'll settle this after we get out."
"Why? Gonna propose or something?"
"You bitch...."
I'd started the conversation hoping it'd help.
It turned into chaos.
To change the subject, I spoke to them.
I'd pretend to share info while making them realize how great I was.
Any Land of Ruin player would acknowledge me as a genius.
Hearing my nickname would shock every player here.
I was combat ranking #1 in the game, after all—a heavyweight.
"Everyone calm down. Let's share info now."
Kim Yeonhee grumbled back.
"Info?"
"Yes, info about this game we want to share."
"I got none."
"Then I'll start—"
As I began, Jo Youngki's smug voice interrupted.
"Hold up. Let me go first."
Unexpected.
The quietest one volunteering info first.
And he sounded thrilled, like he couldn't wait.
"Oh. Go ahead, then."
"First off.... I was a top ranker in Land of Ruin."
Oh ho.
That's why he jumped in—to brag.
"And I challenged the 15th round that no one could clear."
My eyes lit up.
Only my Transcendent Group had challenged the so-called "end of Land of Ruin"—the 15th round.
That meant he was a gamer who'd played Land of Ruin alongside me.
My heart raced.
Someone I'd gamed with was here in person?
And from the same group, no less.
"...... What's your nickname, by chance?"
"My nickname?"
"Yes."
"My nickname is...."
Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.
Who could it be?
Excluding Jeongwoo and me from Transcendent Group.
There was the sturdy orc palace hunter 'Jigun.'
The merciless blood assassin troll 'Goti.'
The cute elf mage beauty 'Chakan i.'
My guess: this guy was definitely 'Goti.' He looked heartless enough.
No answer came, so I carefully asked again.
"What's your nickname again?"
He hesitated, kicked the bars 'clang clang' with his foot, then spoke.
"...... My nickname's 'Chakan i.' Leader of the elf race."