Chapter 83
Chapter 83
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 83
Chapter Title: The Sewer Dwellers
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Yoo Sora recounted how she and Ri Kuolana had fallen into the sewer.
They had dramatically split off from the group, gotten lost, and tumbled into an open manhole.
And foolishly enough, that spot turned out to be connected to the sewer system running beneath the entirety of Gyeongseong.
“……So you’re saying there are people living down there?”
“Yeah. I’m not sure if they’re real people or just game characters, though.”
“Meaning you don’t know if they’re NPCs or players?”
“Oh, yeah. That’s exactly it.”
People living in the sewers.
‘Hmm….’
After finishing her explanation of the sewers, Yoo Sora healed Jeongwoo and Michael’s curses.
Thanks to her leveled-up skills, curses like this were a piece of cake now.
Even the soul fish, about the size of a doctor fish, had grown considerably—it was thumb-sized now.
Freed from the curse, Jeongwoo twisted and turned his body this way and that before asking me,
“Phew……. Kim Cheonjae, time to go get some revenge now, right?”
I shook my head.
“No, there’s something I need to check first before revenge.”
“……Like what?”
“What Hanjo said about how to leave this game. Gotta verify if it’s true or not.”
* * * * *
Having wrapped up our business in Gyeongseong, I prepared to head to the Ruined Village.
Ri Kuolana said to me with a resolute expression,
“We’ll stay here and keep an eye on things.”
Confident words, backed by the transparent aura rippling behind him.
It was an aura he’d just learned after shedding his beginner status, but it still inspired trust.
“You’ve grown a lot while we were tackling the sixth round.”
Ri Kuolana and his crew looked embarrassed.
They all had faces rough enough to pass as gangsters, wrapped in pirate-like headscarves, but their loyalty was top-notch.
At least from my perspective.
“Then—off I go. We’ll guard this place with our lives.”
“You sure you’ll be okay?”
“Of course.”
“……I’ll leave you plenty of jen for now, so make sure you eat well.”
“Got it. Respect, Boss Kim Cheonjae.”
I handed Ri Kuolana ten thousand jen, along with the task of cleaning up the remaining traitors in Gyeongseong.
There wouldn’t be any strong ones among the betrayers anyway, so his crew could handle it.
Plus, using the loot from them to pay Jo Younggi as promised was killing two birds with one stone.
“See you later, then.”
“Yes, sir!”
Ri Kuolana’s bald-headed headscarf squad lined up in front of the village.
-Take care!
I gave a casual wave with my index and middle fingers.
Vroom!
The car roared to life.
Jeongwoo, who’d hopped in first, settled into the driver’s seat.
“I’ll drive this time.”
“……Okay.”
Thanks to Jo Younggi’s group, we had two vehicles now, so Vulcanus could tag along too.
We’d gone with cheap jeeps, but Jo Younggi had surprisingly snagged a pricey pickup truck.
Something about loading it up with anything valuable.
‘……This guy’s gonna make my ears bleed.’
-Shibal! Shibeol!! Shiberoo!!!
I rolled down the window and yelled,
“Shut it, Vulcanus!”
Vulcanus, sprawled in the pickup’s bed, was huffing and spitting curses.
“You shitty bastard! Back when I was on Olympus, I never got treated like this. You fucks stick me in the cargo hold!”
“You been drinking?”
“I’d drink if you gave me some! You goddamn owner.”
“……Want me to unsummon you?”
At the threat of unsummoning, Vulcanus clamped his mouth shut mid-grumble.
If he didn’t want to vanish, he had no choice. Damn right.
Jeongwoo clucked his tongue and said to me,
“Ignore that guy and get some rest. Who knows what’ll happen the second we arrive.”
“……I’m so tired, but I can’t sleep.”
“Then at least close your eyes.”
“Sigh….”
I leaned back in my seat and stared out the window. Bumpy road aside, virus-infected animals dotted the landscape.
Should I grab them? I pondered briefly but didn’t stop the car.
Stronger ones would be prowling near the village anyway.
Crossing the jungle into the desert, a sandstorm enveloped us.
[Welcome to the ‘Perua Desert.’]
The ochre winds blew fiercely, visibility near zero.
Screech. Screeek.
The wipers struggled.
“Ugh…. Kim Cheonjae. Feels like the wind’s picking up even more?”
“Must be since we finished the sixth round.”
“Think the path to the advanced dungeon’s open?”
“……Not yet. The advanced dungeon path only opens once the winds die down.”
Whoooosh—!
A gust battered the car’s left side.
Even at speed, we rocked hard.
Vulcanus’s dialect exploded again.
“Uwaaaah— you damned shits! You all ride in comfort, and you stick me back here to rot? If you’ve got mouths, answer me, you rotten fucks!”
We pretended not to hear and kept driving.
As the profanity escalated, Yoo Sora in the back seat plugged her ears with a queasy look.
Michael, fed up, aimed his gun at Vulcanus’s head.
Click.
“Vulcanus, shut up.”
Vulcanus glanced at the barrel and went quiet again.
We soon reached the entrance to the Ruined Village. Kim Juncheol’s soldiers came out to greet us.
-Dan! Gyeol!
Stopping the car, goblin-masked figures rushed to either side to take our luggage.
-Good work.
How’d they know we were coming?
Anyone who’s played this game knows it’s standard.
The system has the government welcome back sixth-round completers—it’s a given.
Kim Juncheol removed his mask, beaming.
“You’re finally here.”
I nodded lightly and said,
“Thanks for the welcome.”
“No need. It’s just respect for heroes.”
Vulcanus hopped out of the pickup, drawing gasps from everyone.
-Wow! That guy’s ugly as hell.
-Shh, quiet. How you gonna say that to his face?
Vulcanus growled like an angry dog, glaring at the soldiers.
-That monster next to Kim Cheonjae looks even uglier, doesn’t he?
-Don’t make eye contact…. Looks virus-infected.
“Wooaaargh!”
Vulcanus threw his arms up and roared.
[The soldiers of the ‘Goblin Unit’ feel threatened by Vulcanus.]
[*Warning: Your summon’s actions may affect you as well.]
I kicked Vulcanus’s shin and whispered in his ear,
“Shut your trap. One more yell, and it’s mute mode.”
“Ugh…. Those bastards are ignoring me.”
“Let it slide. Why’s a god like you so hung up on human words?”
Vulcanus gnashed his teeth, eyeing Kim Juncheol’s men.
I had to keep high affinity with them, so no choice.
I ordered Vulcanus to fall back, then asked Kim Juncheol,
“How’s the village?”
“Oh, yes. It’s more peaceful here than anywhere else.”
Judging by his reply, the mid-story hadn’t changed.
Safely inside, we headed to Jang Yu’s mansion—the temp lodging from clearing the third round.
[System: Enter the mansion?]
[Number of groups currently in the mansion: ‘4.’]
Four groups of Korean players had cleared the sixth round, huh.
I opened the door without hesitation. The moment it swung wide, all other players vanished from sight—except our group.
[Entering the mansion.]
A circular barrier snapped up, turning the whole place into our private space.
One group per mansion, no disturbances from others.
A real hideout at last.
Yoo Sora bounced around in delight.
“Wow! This is really our place to stay?”
“Yeah. The layout’s a bit different from Jang Yu’s mansion, so check it out. Pick whatever room you want.”
“Okay!”
“Sora, take another shower and come out. And wash your clothes too.”
“Oh…. Yeah….”
Michael glanced at the second floor and asked me,
“I’ll head to the second floor, yeah?”
“Second floor’s locked until the tenth round.”
“Oh, okay. This floor’s post-tenth round too.”
Two rooms on the left.
Two on the right.
Facing each other.
Jeongwoo and I went left; Yoo Sora and Michael went right.
No real trick to picking—just the closest ones.
In my room, I stripped off my armor and flopped onto the bed.
Bliss.
Snowy, fluffy blankets and a plush pillow.
Things I took for granted before this game—didn’t know they felt this good.
“Phew….”
I got up and checked the mirror. In no time, my face looked aged. Fine lines, tanned skin.
“……Kinda badass, huh?”
Manly charm?
A ruggedness I hadn’t noticed before was starting to show.
Made sense—guy who gamed indoors daily, now out in the wild nonstop.
I showered, shaved with the bathroom razor. Trimmed my shaggy hair with scissors too.
While at it, I fetched my armor and scrubbed it with hot water.
The foul stench clinging to it—missed it amid the tension—now assaulted my nose.
‘……Maybe dilute some shampoo.’
Foaming it up washed away mystery fluids and enemy blood down the drain.
* * * * *
Shower done, I stepped out.
A familiar kid sat on the bed.
Transparent body, clutching a bear doll.
“……Specter.”
[System Message]
[Specters begin wandering the ‘Ruined Village.’]
System message too late, no? Popped up after I spotted him.
I toweled my hair casually and approached, expression neutral.
“Scram. No one you’re looking for here.”
“……Mister.”
“Not mister. Call me bro.”
“Okay, bro.”
“……What?”
Specter’s lips curled into a creepy grin. Chills. First time seeing a kid pull such an eerie face.
Like a horror flick kid possessed.
Eyes normal, just the mouth smiling.
“Bro, where’s that sister?”
I knew who he meant but played dumb.
“Sister?”
“Yeah. The one with the huge eyes.”
“Dunno. No idea who you’re talking about.”
“……Yoo Sora. Yoo! So! Ra! Player.”
I ignored him, went to the mirror, and fixed my hair.
“……What’s with the bear?”
Specter’s bear doll—never questioned it before.
In the PC version of ‘Land of Ruin,’ I’d dismissed it as nothing.
Now it threw me off.
In the mirror, his bear doll looked like Yoo Sora’s head.
Specter floated over, showing off the doll.
“This?”
“……”
Up close, just a bear doll. Only in the mirror did it look like her head.
I touched it. Definitely soft-furred toy.
Checked the mirror again.
Yoo Sora’s head wore a serene expression.
“Specter, why are you looking for Yoo Sora?”
“……Just wanna talk to her a bit.”
“Then go to her yourself. Why come to me?”
“‘Cause I don’t know where she is.”
“……Liar.”
Whoosh—
My fist sliced the air.
Specter’s body split like smoke, parted briefly, then reformed.
“B-bro! What the hell!”
“You know exactly where Yoo Sora is. Tell me why you really came to me.”
“……”
“Fine, don’t. Conversation over. Don’t talk to me again.”
I shot up, donning my armor piece by piece. Boots, breastplate, gloves.
Specter started wailing.
“Waaah!”
“……”
“Hate you, bro! I came to give this to your friend!”
“……What?”