Inhuman Outing...! # 3
Inhuman Outing...! # 3
It'd been ages since I played an RPG. We kicked things off with the prologue. Typical story setup. I was skipping through the dialogue, but Kitty was reading every single line of text.
"..."
Reading that intently meant she was serious about enjoying it. So I went at Kitty's pace.
And then the prologue ended. The thing about RPG prologues is they don't matter. I was about to warp straight to the starting point and get on with it, but the game told us to kill some local mobs first and hit level 5.
"Geun-cheol. Do we just hunt now?"
"Yeah. Which server? I'll come to you."
"Server 7."
I hopped to server 7 and sent Kitty a party invite. Monsters were packed in all around us.
"Let's kill these together and hit level 5."
"Okay."
Keyboard and mouse, killing rabbit-shaped monsters.
—Whack!
—Whack!
We were still level 1 beginners, so our only weapon was a club. Simple, repetitive grind, but that's the charm of an RPG, right? And at level 1, three kills and you level up just like that.
[Level Up]
"Alright, Kitty. Let's assign stats."
"Okay."
We allocated our stats and went back to hunting.
"Ah, Geun-cheol. I got a little stronger."
"Right? That's the kind of game this is. You make your character stronger."
"By raising stats when you level up?"
"Yep."
"It's a little weird."
"What is?"
"Just a second ago my Attack Power was 10, and the moment I raised my stat it became 12. Is that actually possible?"
Well, it's possible because it's a game.
"It's a game conceit."
"Even so, shouldn't there be a reason? It doesn't make sense to get stronger just because you killed a rabbit."
"Well, I mean, that's..."
She wasn't wrong. Does raising a stat making you stronger make any sense? Unless some transcendent power intervened, there's no way you'd actually get stronger... I don't know how to explain it.
"Kitty, if you worry about that stuff you can't play games."
"Okay."
We went back to hunting.
"Oh, a weapon dropped."
About ten minutes of hunting and we were level 4. A rabbit dropped a normal item. A dagger, better than the clubs we were using.
"A weapon?"
"Yeah. You take it, Kitty. It's a dagger."
"Why would a rabbit be carrying a dagger?"
"This is also just a game conceit."
This kid is full of questions.
"Take it and equip it."
"Okay."
Kitty equipped the dagger and immediately pounced on a rabbit.
"I am stronger."
"That's exactly it. Collect weapons. Collect equipment. Pick skills. Level up. That's how you get stronger—the whole point of the game."
"There's no ending? The zombie game was cleared by surviving or reaching the destination."
"RPGs don't really have that. You just keep building your character until you get sick of it."
"I see."
We hit level 5 together, went to town, and got the main quest. I skimmed through the story and we focused on hunting again. And as we did, it actually started feeling fun.
Kitty was locked in.
"An internet café means ramyeon. Kitty, let's eat while we play."
"Okay."
And so we ate ramyeon and played. By the time we noticed, we'd even reached our class advancement.
"Geun-cheol. I think this is more fun than I expected."
"Heh heh heh, really? I'm having fun too now that I'm into it. Kitty, wanna play at home too?"
"Can I?"
When I said she could play at home, Kitty's ears perked right up. She must've really liked it. That's the appeal of RPGs.
"Yeah. But if you play at home, you'll have to play solo. I don't really use the computer much when I'm resting in the dorm."
Aside from looking up news or reference materials, I barely touch it.
"Okay. I still want to try."
"Then I'll message you the ID and the site address. Just punch those in and you're good. Looks like this game suits your taste, Kitty."
"It's kind of fascinating. And I think leveling up is fun."
That's how everyone gets sucked into RPGs. I shot her the info right away.
"This is a game where you get stronger the more time you put in, so go hard."
"Heh heh heh, I will. I have a lot of time on my hands at home anyway."
"Yeah? What about your sister?"
"She's busy all the time."
She's an Awakened, so I guess she would be busy.
"I help my sister with work sometimes... but we don't have a lot of time together. I think I can do this with that time."
"Oh yeah?"
I gathered she lived with her sister, but that situation...
"But why don't you go to school?"
"Should I?"
Kitty tilted her head and brushed her lips with a finger.
"It might be good?"
"I mean, I can't interfere with your family's policy, but... isn't it illegal not to go to school?"
"I see. Anyway, Geun-cheol. Let's go do the dungeon."
"Sure."
Setting the question aside, we played for two hours in the internet café.
* * *
After we finished gaming, we went upstairs to the pool hall in the same building and played a relaxed game of pool. It's a private-room pool hall, so a kid can come too.
"So, Kitty. What does your sister do?"
—Clack.
I took a shot and handed the cue to Kitty.
"Geun-cheol. You're too curious about me."
"Tell me before I get arrested."
"'Get arrested.' Do you really want to know that badly?"
Kitty laughed like she was having fun, took her shot, and passed the cue back.
"Yeah."
"It's a secret."
"Agh, why are you playing so hard to get? How much? How much do I need?"
I kept asking as we played pool, but Kitty would just dodge the question with a coy little act every time.
Which made it more and more suspicious.
I was certain Kitty was hiding something. I'm so damn curious. What is this cute little squirt up to? I walked outside with that light question lingering after the game ended.
"Geun-cheol. Next time I want to try a café."
"Café sounds good... Ah."
But.
"Pshhhht."
"Tzzzt."
"Kiiiiiiit."
Stepping outside, it was even more of a shitshow than it had been that morning. Otherworldly species had popped up from somewhere else again and were occupying the street.
"Aigo! When are they ever going to clean this up?!"
"When's the military coming?!"
"Where are the hunters?!"
"Forget that, we need people to haul the bodies..."
The local business owners were making dying-animal sounds while hacking up otherworldly bugs with spears, katanas, and baseball bats, shoving them around with push brooms.
"This is insane. It's even worse than this morning."
"This is a real problem lately, Geun-cheol."
"A huge problem. Ugh."
Should I do some pest control while we're here? But still, with Kitty right next to me in plain sight, brutal extermination work feels kind of wrong, doesn't it?
"When you see this."
"Hm?"
"How does it make you feel? Geun-cheol."
"How do I feel? We just have to kill every last one of them."
"Ohhh, really?"
"That's my job. I'm a hero cadet, remember. When I see this, I gotta go scrap them."
"Pfft, right. Because you're a hero, Geun-cheol."
Kitty covered her mouth and giggled. I'm not a full hero yet, but cadets have their duty too.
"But Geun-cheol. If we kill these guys, will we get stronger like in the game?"
"There's no way that—"
For a moment the thought of coins crossed my mind, but heroes do actually get stronger by fighting and killing things. Because they accumulate real skill. Thinking of it that way, you could say stats aren't a completely fictional concept.
"Anyway, Geun-cheol. What do you want to do? Go to a café? Or clean up?"
"Since we saw it, let's clean up a little."
"Aww, Kitty doesn't like cleaning. Let's go to a café, Geun-cheol."
Kitty put on a cute act and hugged my arm.
"No...! My blood is boiling! Just let me do a quick cleanup!"
"Can't be helped. Then I'll go over there for a bit, okay?"
She's going to rest? No, it's definitely the bathroom.
"Do that. Rest up a little."
"Okay. Clean hard, Geun-cheol."
"You got it."
Kitty turned around.
And I.
—Boom!
Kicked off the ground right then and charged at the otherworldly species straight ahead.
"You little bastards!"
Drew my sword and thrust.
—Shk!
"Phsshk!"
The dog-sized otherworldly bug put up zero resistance, chopped to pieces like a Chop-Chop Fruit user, wriggling as it sprayed bodily fluids everywhere.
[Coin acquired: 1]
This is kinda profitable.
"Heh heh heh, die, all of you!"
Just the ones scattered right in front of me numbered in the dozens. I'll casually slice them up and then go chill at a café with Kitty.
"Whoa!"
"Long live the cadet!"
"Nice!"
I was getting showered with praise by the local business owners while cutting down otherworldly species.
—Fzzzt.
"Huh?"
A weird, ominous energy.
—Fzzzzt!
—Ziiiiing!
"Oh, you fucking shit!"
A gate suddenly manifested and started opening right there in front of me! A warningless gate! The famous one going around lately!
"Quick! Everyone run! I said run! Do you all wanna die?!"
"Gyaaaaaaah!"
"Aaaaagh!"
I shouted at the top of my lungs to drive back the people who were out! No, seriously, what is this? How is this bullshit happening every time I step outside?
I was startled, but I'm calm right now.
"Kurrrrrk!"
From inside the gate, an Antazora—an F-rank monster, a sea anemone with legs—came walking out. At my level, that thing is just a meat shield. I immediately kicked off the ground, closed in, and delivered a clean slash.
—Shaaak!
The Antazora got bisected way too easily.
"Alright!"
At my current ability, I could hold out until other heroes arrived... that's not the point, fuck!
"Kitty!"
The person I have to look after right now is Kitty, nothing else!
I sprinted straight toward where Kitty had gone.
"Ah, Geun-cheol."
Kitty walked out from behind a wall with her hands behind her back. You nearly gave me a damn heart attack!
"Heh heh heh, you came looking for me first. You really do take care of me so well."
"It's just the obvious thing! Kitty! Let's get the hell out of here first!"
"Should we?"
Whether it was absolute faith in me or confidence in her own power, Kitty had zero sense of danger.
Actually, now that I think about it, she was the same way when we first met.
She'd been walking through a place like that totally casually. Whatever it is, I need to get this carefree kid out of here fast. No sense of fear means she won't grow up to be a solid adult.
"Kitty! Piggyback, now!"
"Ehh?"
"Hurry!"
"Ah, okay."
I threw Kitty on my back and sprinted through the city.
—Whoosh!
First, get far away.
"Geun-cheol's back is warm."
"There's nothing warmer in this world than my back."
First, I'll put Kitty somewhere safe, then fight or whatever. No, actually, I could just take her all the way home.
—Aeeeeeeeeeeng!
The emergency siren started blaring too.
"No but seriously, Kitty. Why don't you have any fear? Is it because you're an Awakened?"
"Maybe? Honestly, I don't really feel a sense of danger. Because monsters like that aren't a big deal."
"At your level?"
"Yeah. Geun-cheol, you're overreacting. They're only F-rank monsters."
"How do you know what's gonna come out? You probably don't know, Kitty, but this stuff is totally random. You never know what'll appear. If some strong motherfucker suddenly emerges, we're screwed... I mean, it's a huge problem. You get that?"
"A strong one... like that?"
"What?"
While I was running, I looked where Kitty was pointing.
—Ziiiing.
A gate opened in the sky.
"Kurrrrrk."
Something the size of a city bus, like a stingray, was crawling out of it...!
In times like this, running like a madman is the best play!
"Crazy fuck! That's clearly a D-rank or higher monster! Fuck everything, holy shit! Kitty! From now on, I'm protecting you!"
"Thanks for protecting me."
Kitty still sounded like she had no sense of danger and hugged my neck. And so I put every ounce of stamina I'd ever built to use and sprinted to a safe zone.
—Thud thud thud.
That safe zone was where the soldiers were.
They were already appearing over there. The 5th Standby Unit from a nearby military base. The 5th Standby Unit in this world seems seriously hardcore, I gotta say.
"Hoo! We got here!"
"Geun-cheol. Let's slip to the side for now."
"Yeah. Talking to soldiers is kinda a hassle."
We dodged the soldiers and ducked into an alley next to a building.
"Hah, hah."
I let Kitty down there and caught my breath.
"Can't I stay on your back longer?"
"I'm tired, man. Ugh, I'm out of breath."
I steadied my breathing and took in the scenery. I feel this every time, but the streets after a siren goes off are truly desolate. Not a single pedestrian, every window and door sealed by shutters, nothing but a dead silence hanging in the air.
"Guess we can't go to a café."
"Let's go next time. Next time. Want me to take you home?"
"Mmm... I don't think that's necessary, Geun-cheol."
Kitty had a strange smile as she said that.
"Really? Damn, but seriously."
"Hm?"
"Both you, Kitty, and me have crazy bad luck with gates. How come every time we're out together, monsters pop up?"
Was this the third time now? I've got this image of being a guy who calls gates, but Kitty's the same way.
"Well, they come out all the time. Every single day. Gates."
It feels like every time I meet Kitty, they show up.
Could it be that Kitty and I are both gate magnets, constitution-wise? While I was having that silly thought.
Suddenly.
A thought occurred to me.
"Oh."
A thought that this is a little suspicious.
"Geun-cheol?"
—Flinch.
I flinched at the sound of Kitty's voice from behind me.
"Uh..."
Gate.
Gate.
Gate.
Gate.
Maybe it's not that Kitty and I are unlucky with gates... but that they're related to something. That the gates aren't appearing on their own, but someone is making them appear.
—Shiver.
My heart went cold, and my skin went cold with it.
"Oof, Kitty. Then let's stick together until we reach the military unit and then part ways. I want to hang out more, but the monsters are making it impossible."
I didn't voice the question that had surfaced. I just forced my usual tone and spoke casually.
"Geun-cheol."
"Y-yeah?"
Kitty was suddenly right in front of me.
"What were you just thinking?"
And she was looking at me with a huge eye-smile, like she was deeply entertained... What was I thinking? I'm thinking about nothing but going home right now.
A cold sweat was seeping through my forehead.
"Thinking? What thinking? I wasn't thinking anything?"
"Heh heh heh, Geun-cheol."
"..."
"It's already all over your face."
—Sssss.
A chill ran down my spine.