Chapter 151
Chapter 151
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 151
Chapter Title: A World Made for You
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The elevator stopped automatically on the first basement floor.
Just in case, Lee Si-woo tried pressing the button for the second basement floor, but the elevator didn't budge.
Upon closer inspection, he saw that the B2 button had that familiar keyhole.
It seemed he would have to find another key, like the green one, to go down any further.
“Let’s get off, old man.”
“Right.”
Unlike Si-woo, who cautiously surveyed his surroundings in this unfamiliar place, Luktator seemed to have no such concerns, fiddling with a chocolate bar.
He appeared to be in deep thought, seriously contemplating whether to eat it now or later.
‘What is this place…?’
His first impression of the first basement floor was a hotel suite.
A luxurious living room with a holographic TV.
A kitchen fully stocked with all sorts of cooking utensils.
A bedroom with several plush beds.
There was even a conference room furnished with a table and sofas.
In the center of this opulent suite, which seemed to be a perfect replica of a hotel suite one would only see on TV, stood a woman with ash-gray hair, a faint smile gracing her lips.
“Welcome, Survivor. No, welcome, Lee Si-woo.”
An androgynous voice. Sculpted features and thick eyelashes.
Faced with this charming beauty, to whom the word ‘perfect’ seemed to fit, Si-woo raised an eyebrow and spoke.
“You know me?”
The gray-haired woman gently traced her pink lips with her index finger and said.
“Yes. As much as I’m permitted to know.”
“And how far does that permission extend?”
“Not very far. I’m a sort of helper, you see. Yes. A helper with the duty to explain this world to you and support you, should you find this place, whether by chance or by fate.”
“A helper… Are you an NPC, by any chance?”
At Si-woo’s sharp observation, the woman answered with a clear laugh.
“As perceptive as ever. Yes, that’s right. I am an NPC. A character created to make this world more vivid and lively, and at the same time, prepared so that you can purely enjoy this world.”
“So that I can enjoy this world? What do you mean by that?”
“You must have realized it by now, haven’t you? Lee Si-woo. This is a world prepared for you by your origin and past life, the Ancestor Demon.”
“…A place I prepared for myself? This place?”
The woman spoke with a meaningful smile.
“To be precise, it’s a place the Ancestor Demon prepared for you. Strictly speaking, it’s difficult to consider you and the Ancestor Demon to be completely identical beings.”
“Difficult to consider us completely identical? What does that mean?”
“Ah, I’m sorry, but even if you ask, I can’t answer that. The Dev of this world and my creator, the Ancestor Demon, has put a lock on me. So, if you’re curious, you’ll have to find out by playing yourself. That’s what this game, this world, Residuum, was prepared for.”
As the woman openly called this world a game, Si-woo muttered in a bitter tone.
“A game… you say.”
“There’s no need to think so hard about it. The Ancestor Demon wanted his future self to know his own origins. Residuum is simply that story, told in the form of a game.”
“He wanted me to know my origins? Then was there any need to complicate things like this? Couldn’t he have just left it in a book or as data?”
“Huhu, just as he predicted, you ask the very question he expected. He asked me to pass on a message. ‘Because that wouldn’t be fun.’”
Si-woo shot back with a soured expression.
“Not fun… That’s such an unfunny answer I’d like to smack him on the back of the head if he were alive.”
“Smack him on the back of the head? Huhu, I’d love to see that. Imagining him getting hit is quite a meaningful thought for me. Now, that should be enough for you to understand what I am and for what purpose this world was created. Shall we move on to the quest completion reward?”
[Hidden Prologue Complete]
[As a reward, the Waypoint system is now available.]
“Hmm, a waypoint. Does this mean I can return to places I’ve already been?”
“That’s the kind of system it is, but it’s not without restrictions. The places you can set as waypoints are limited. For example, only special areas like hub cities or chapter regions can be designated. Here, take this. It’s a teleportation ring that lets you instantly travel to waypoints. Ah, and the coordinates for the hub city are already saved, just so you know.”
She handed Si-woo a gold ring with a ruby embedded in it and continued.
“When you arrive in an area that can be designated as a waypoint, the ruby on this ring will glow. That means the location has been saved to the ring, and from then on, you can teleport to that area whenever you wish. See? The ring is glowing right now, isn't it?”
Just as she said, the ring’s ruby gem emitted a brilliant light.
It seemed the coordinates of this hotel suite had been saved.
“So, from now on, I can return here whenever I want.”
“Yes. It’s a special privilege not granted to other users. So, if you’re ever in danger, you can always return here. Ah, but don’t get too complacent. The ring won’t function while you’re in the middle of a Secret Chapter.”
Hearing that the ring wouldn't work during a Secret Chapter, Si-woo, who had been tapping his chin with his index finger in thought, opened his mouth.
“You said this world is a game, right? Then what happens if I die in here?”
She twisted her lips as if asking why he’d ask something so obvious.
“You die, of course. Remember this. This world was made for you, but it was also made by the Ancestor Demon to satisfy his own amusement. And… he is not a very nice person. Why would he be? He’s a demon, after all. Isn’t that right?”
Si-woo spoke in a flat voice, as if he hadn't expected anything else.
“I had a feeling that would be the case. So, from now on, I just have to find and clear these so-called Secret Chapters? And if I clear them all, I’ll see the ending and be able to get out of here?”
“It’s always a pleasure to converse with someone who understands quickly. Yes, that’s right.”
“And this place… it goes down to a third basement floor. To go further down, I’ll have to find other keys?”
“Yes, that is correct.”
While the two were talking, a loud crash of breaking porcelain echoed from the kitchen.
Luktator, who had caused the accident while rummaging through the kitchen shelves for something tasty, spoke with an awkward expression.
“Ahem, my apologies. I became overly excited upon seeing my milk chocolate. Had it been mere regular chocolate, I would have caught the dish with my artistic reflexes, but it was soft, moist milk chocolate, and in my elation, I simply… ahem!”
Clearing his throat awkwardly, Luktator looked at the two and said.
“Ah, but are you done talking? The breaking of this dish is, strictly speaking, your fault as well. Why must you carry on such a long and boring conversation that I can’t even understand? It made me so distressed and sleepy that I started craving sugar. Tsk, tsk.”
The woman glanced at Luktator, who was now blaming his own mistake on others, and spoke.
“Your companion seems bored. In that case, you can use the ring to go to the hub city. You’ll be sent to an alleyway near the main square, so you won’t have to go through the security checkpoint.”
Si-woo nodded and said.
“Understood. I’ll see you next time, then. Ah, before that, what should I call you from now on?”
The ash-gray-haired woman smiled, her eyes curving into crescents.
“Kinis. You may call me Kinis.”
* * *
Using the teleportation ring, Si-woo entered the hub city and, along with Luktator, emerged from a deserted alleyway.
Si-woo’s first impression of the hub city was not a good one.
It was as if the city itself was dead, or on the verge of dying, as the faces of everyone on the streets were cast in deep shadow.
Worn down by life, they sat listlessly on the ground, begging, while someone else had a sign stuck in the ground next to them that read, ‘Will work for one can of food per hour.’
And that wasn’t all.
There was even a woman who had put herself up as a commodity, promising to do anything as long as she was fed and sheltered.
Si-woo frowned at the wretched sight, no better than a slum.
He had a rough idea of what was going on.
‘Are these the ones who couldn’t get logout items?’
Those who had lived their own lives as other races in the outside world had become powerless humans overnight in this world, so it was no surprise they couldn’t adapt properly.
On top of that, they couldn't even leave this world without a hard-to-obtain item called ‘logout.’ How desperate must they be?
They had no choice but to beg, or failing that, to sell themselves for a pittance.
‘But this is strange. No matter how bad things are… one can of food for an hour’s work? If you have a logout item and can freely enter this place, getting food shouldn’t be that difficult, right?’
To clear his doubts, Si-woo took out some portable rations from his bag and traded them for information with a few of the vagrants on the street.
The moment they saw the food Si-woo offered, their eyes went wide, and they explained the entire situation.
A ‘Secret Chapter’ had suddenly opened, making it impossible to log in or out, which had pushed the city’s food situation to its worst.
And, all the clubs were searching for the newbie who had opened the Secret Chapter.
Luktator, who had been listening with his ears perked up, whispered to Si-woo.
“So… this is all your fault?”
“Yes. It is.”
Luktator said with a reluctant expression.
“Goodness, what’s going to happen to all these people then?”
“What do you mean? It’s not like I did this knowingly. They need to fend for themselves.”
“Hmm, that’s true, but…”
Si-woo said with a bitter smile.
“Well, if I didn’t know, I wouldn’t care, but now that I do, it leaves a bad taste in my mouth, so I’ll try. All restrictions should be lifted once I clear the ending, so I’ll have to do my best. However, I don’t have the ability to take responsibility for all of them, so I’ll refrain from doing anything presumptuous. I’d rather try to fill a leaky bucket. How could I possibly take care of all of them?”
“True, you have a point. Well, it’s your business, so you handle it. I just need to do my best to help you as promised. So, what’s the plan now?”
“We’ve reached the hub city sooner than I expected. I think we’ll head straight for Chapter 1.”
Starting the chapter wasn’t difficult.
If the tutorial, called Chapter 0, was the research facility building, then Chapter 1 was a small village not far from the hub city.
“I heard earlier there’s a bus that runs to the village where Chapter 1 is.”
“Yes. They even operate a bus to encourage people to clear the chapters. It makes sense. Looking at their state, it seems the only way to get food is from chapters that can be cleared repeatedly.”
“What are you going to do? They say you need an ID to use that bus… Technically, we’re illegal residents, aren’t we?”
As Luktator said, since they hadn’t gone through the security checkpoint and hadn't made IDs, they were no different from illegal immigrants.
Si-woo shrugged and looked around.
He gestured to the vagrants scattered across the street.
“What’s the problem? There are plenty of IDs right here.”
* * *
“Please place your ID on the scanner.”
At the bus driver’s words, Si-woo placed the ID on the scanner.
A beep sounded, and Si-woo’s stats appeared before the driver’s eyes.
After checking Si-woo’s status, the bus driver scowled openly and said.
“One star? Look here, sir. I know food is hard to come by these days, but the chapters aren't easy enough for a one-star to clear. Don’t throw your life away. Go back. I’m not just saying this; I’m saying it because I feel sorry for you.”
Si-woo replied in a flat tone.
“Starving to death, dying in a fight… what’s the difference?”
At Si-woo’s firm attitude and irrefutable logic, the bus driver sighed deeply and said.
“Sigh, that damned Secret Chapter or whatever is ruining a lot of lives. Tsk, do as you please. But… is that person with you?”
When the bus driver pointed at the blue-haired girl, the targeted Luktator pouted and said.
“‘That person’? This rude young punk has some nerve.”
The bus driver’s face soured in bewilderment at Luktator’s disrespectful tone, and Si-woo scratched the back of his head.
“Please bear with her. She may look like that, but she’s a 3-star talent who can take care of herself. As you know, sir, the bodies we’re given in this world are random, aren’t they? She’s a bit older than she looks, so I ask for your understanding.”
As soon as Si-woo finished speaking, Luktator placed her ID on the scanner.
After a beep, the bus driver confirmed the 3-star status on the screen, smacked his lips, and said.
“…True, the trial world is a bit unfair. Tsk, it must be tough for you too, being in a young body. My apologies. Please, go on in.”
It was a relief that the bus driver was both flexible and reasonable.
Si-woo congratulated himself on the divine move of trading all the food in his bag to rent a 3-star ID as he and Luktator sat in the back seats.
Just then, Luktator stared intently at the person who boarded the bus after them and said.
“That one. Be careful. He’s a real piece of work.”
At the words of Luktator, who had recognized a formidable individual with his ‘Insight’ Talent, Si-woo fixed his gaze on a man with red eyebrows who looked to be in his mid-thirties.
Soon, the red-eyebrowed man placed his ID on the scanner, and the bus driver, after checking his stats, exclaimed in shock.
“W-what? An 8-star?”
The red-eyebrowed man spoke in a cynical tone.
“I suppose bus drivers these days are taught to shout other people’s ranks so loudly.”
“Wha? Ah! I-I’m sorry. My apologies, Sir Adrian.”
Hearing the name that came out of the bus driver’s mouth, Si-woo’s eyes twitched.
‘Adrian? Adrian Vampir?’
Adrian, the eldest son of the Vampir family who had entered the trial world with Ha-yun, silently took a seat behind Si-woo.
Feeling the uncomfortable presence behind him, Si-woo moistened his dry lips with his tongue.