The Very Next Day

The very next day, Yujun arrived at the place he had arranged to meet Hong Yeji.

This time, in the Kingdom of Sitahel, he meant to put Paranet to real use. Creatures taken by the plague ought to be hunted more efficiently by an undead, and Corpse Explosion could be used without a second thought. It was, in short, the finest stage Paranet could have asked ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠for.

Where is Hong Yeji?

He was glancing around when two figures in black cloaks, hoods pulled low, hurried toward him.

"Yujun! It's me! It's been forever, hasn't it?"

One of them was Hong Yeji.

"Yes. It hasn't even been that many days, but it does feel like a while. And the person beside you?"

"Let me introduce you. A friend I met two years ago, while we were clearing a dungeon together. I mentioned her in yesterday's message."

"Oh, hello! I'm Shin Jiwon."

"Good to meet you. Shin Yujun."

Hong Yeji's eyes went wide, as if she had ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠only just stumbled onto something astonishing.

"Whoa, you two have the same surname! What are the odds!"

"...It's not like Shin is a rare name. Why are you making a fuss?"

Shin Jiwon flushed, plainly embarrassed by her.

"Yujun, you're wondering why I brought Jiwon along, aren't you?"

"Yes."

"Jiwon has a Purification skill. S-rank, no less. She's got a fire magic skill on top of that, so she's practically good for everything."

"Ah. So that Purification skill is how we handle the plague—or the curse, whichever it turns out to be."

"Exactly. With Jiwon here, we can actually go into the Kingdom of Sitahel without losing our nerve. So what's the plan?"

"We go straight through the front."

"Ah... ha."

"You're not afraid of the plague, are you?"

"I'm not."

Since the subject had come up, Yujun drew three items from his inventory.

Perfect Injection. Shaped like a small syringe, the item kept its user from contracting all manner of illnesses and curses. War of the Gods had been that realistic a game—realistic enough that you had to tend your character constantly, or sickness would take them. His stock of Perfect Injections was more than ample. There was no need to be stingy.

"What is that?" Hong Yeji asked.

"See for yourself."

Yujun handed one to each of them. Shin Jiwon was the first to react.

"W-wow... An item like this actually exists?"

"First time I've seen one, too."

The S-rank Purification Shin Jiwon used was a remedy after the fact—something you cast once the sickness had already taken hold. The injection Yujun had produced could prevent the plague before it ever began. It depended on the situation, of course, but purely in terms of safety, his injection was the more efficient of the two.

Yujun held Hong Yeji's gaze for a moment, then spoke.

"Don't sell it. Use it right before we enter the Kingdom of Sitahel. Money isn't worth more than your life, is it?"

"W-well, I mean... yeah."

Hong Yeji looked away, as if the remark had pricked her. Yujun moved on to the matter at hand.

"We leave now."

"And how are we getting there?"

"First a portal to a kingdom near Sitahel. Then we ride."

The party set off at once. As Yujun made for the portal, a thought stirred, bright and unashamed.

Just thinking about cleaning out the royal warehouse has me excited already.

Sitahel was a wealthy kingdom. Its storehouses were bound to hold rare items beyond mere equipment.

Well. I'm hardly a man who needs to live by the law.

The Tower of Infinity had nothing you could really call a legal code, and it wasn't as if he had settled in any one kingdom. Still, if a kingdom put a warrant on his head, he might find himself on the run.

So long as I don't get caught.

From what he had heard, the Kingdom of Sitahel was throwing every soldier it had at holding back the plague-stricken, and neighboring realms had begun sending players to reinforce it.

That doesn't mean the situation will actually improve.

Without a high-rank Purification like Shin Jiwon's—or an item of the same kind as his injection—you were helpless against the plague. Even low-rank Purification skills were said to be utterly useless.

Yujun's party took the portal. A single use cost five hundred thousand points, a steep price, but up to four people could travel at once, so he split the fee with his two companions.

They arrived in the Koruna Kingdom. The moment they stepped off the portal's magic circle, a commotion reached them from nearby. Fully armed players had gathered in one place.

"Looks like the relief force."

Yujun nodded at Hong Yeji's words. That was exactly what it looked like.

"There aren't that many of them, though, are there? For a plague breaking out in the kingdom right next door."

"Yeah. This place doesn't exactly feel safe either."

Yujun narrowed his eyes and looked around. Something about the kingdom felt ominous.

"Why the face, Yujun?"

"I've got a bad feeling."

"Huh? Why?"

"Starting with the kingdom's name."

"Huh? What's wrong with the Koruna Kingdom? It's cute."

"Just a feeling."

"...?"

Shin Jiwon tilted her head as well.

"Let's not stand around. We should get moving. Every moment might count."

"Right."

"Ah, before that..."

Yujun stopped short and drew a black robe from his inventory—a cloak to hide his identity.

"We'll run."

He had meant to take horses, but he had changed his mind. Now that they were players, running to the neighboring kingdom themselves would be faster and more efficient. He explained as much to the others.

"Jiwon's physical stats are a bit low. She'll have a hard time keeping up with us."

"Then someone ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠can carry her."

"Who? You?"

"No. Paranet."

Yujun summoned Paranet. When that enormous frame suddenly took shape before them, Shin Jiwon flinched hard.

"U-undead? Is that a Death Knight?"

"He is not a Death Knight."

"He's your summon?"

"Yes."

"I heard summons themselves are rare, and an undead on top of that..."

"Get on his back."

"...Okay. I-it'll be all right, won't it?"

Shin Jiwon hesitated.

"You there, human. Mount, and be quick about it. Did the master not give an order? I am hardly pleased about this myself. Dawdle any longer and... I may take your head where you stand."

"Y-yes. Yes..."

Left with no choice, Shin Jiwon climbed onto Paranet's back. Yujun kicked off the ground first and broke into a run. He already knew where the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Kingdom of Sitahel lay; he had checked the map, and his years in War of the Gods had left him thoroughly familiar with the geography of the Continent's residential zones.

Nearly an hour had passed since they set out. Shin Jiwon, riding on Paranet's back, looked downright comfortable. Hong Yeji watched her with open envy.

"You okay?"

"Y-yeah. It's surprisingly cozy. I might fall asleep without meaning to."

They were clearly moving at speed, and yet Shin Jiwon's body didn't so much as sway. For reasons she couldn't quite name, Hong Yeji found herself envying her. Yujun, meanwhile, was rather surprised. He was matching her pace, yes—but Hong Yeji was running at that speed without showing the slightest sign of fatigue. Paranet's stamina was practically infinite, but he hadn't expected Hong Yeji to hold up this well.

Are all her physical stats just that high across the board?

Her level couldn't be all that high. She had taken part in the Species Tournament.

A lot of titles, then?

Come to think of it, he knew very little about her. Not that he was particularly curious.

After another three hours of running, the Kingdom of Sitahel came into view.

"Use the injections."

"Okay!"

"Mmm..."

"Wake up over there."

"Huh? Ah! Right!"

With the injections administered, their preparations were complete.

"By the way—if you use Purification, can you restore a player who's already been corrupted?"

"I don't know. I've never tried. We'll find out once Jiwon uses the skill."

"It's S-rank, so I'll have high hopes."

"Yes!"

Shin Jiwon answered brightly. Everything was ready.

The high walls of the Kingdom of Sitahel rose before them, and a strange, unpleasant smell drifted over.

"What is that smell?"

"Corpses... no. It smells like zombies."

"Ugh..."

The gates were shut tight, but that didn't mean there was no way in. Yujun ran straight up the wall and reached the top in an instant. Hong Yeji and Shin Jiwon gaped.

"Can a person even move that fast?"

"...Right? What is he, really?"

Hong Yeji started up after him. Slower than Yujun, but she made the top as well. That left Paranet and Shin Jiwon, and once again she solved the problem by riding on his back.

Yujun's face hardened as he looked down. The sight spread across the Kingdom of Sitahel was the reason.

"This is worse than I thought."

Corpses lay scattered everywhere—thousands of them, easily—and figures with awkward gaits wandered among them. Their builds were no joke. They were so grotesque it was hard to believe they had once been dwarves: short, stubby arms and legs, and yet the bodies themselves swollen huge. That was the only way to put it. The fires were just as bad. Smoke rose from building after building.

"It already feels like the place has fallen."

"Did everyone flee? Why isn't there a single living player in sight?"

"Hm."

There was no way Yujun would know. Not unless he jumped down there and saw for himself.

They were still surveying the city from atop the wall when it came.

A rapid patter of feet.

One of the dwarf zombies wandering below had spotted them and was closing in at speed—running up the wall, just as Yujun had. Impossible, unless its stats were considerably high. The moment it reached the top, the sword Yujun swung took its head off.

"Krrk..."

The headless body twitched a few more times, then went still. Whatever power the plague held, it seemed even that could not bring something back once the head was gone.

"It looks awful."

Shin Jiwon shuddered at the sight of the dwarf zombie.

"Grotesque, certainly. And bloated, at that."

"Its physical ability was no joke either."

Strange, almost, that it had died in a single blow.

"I'll need to fight a few more. As things stand, they don't look all that dangerous."

"..."

"..."

At the deadpan remark, both of his companions looked utterly dumbfounded. By his standards, maybe. To anyone else, a dwarf zombie was anything but an easy opponent. Otherwise the dwarves themselves would never have fallen.

"Yujun."

"Yes?"

"I feel bad about us getting carried like this, so... how much should we pay?"

Hong Yeji asked it with a playful look on her face.

"Two million points each."

"...What?"

"And every item that drops from a monster, or that we find, is mine."

"..."

Yujun's expression was perfectly serious.