Chapter 52
Chapter 52
52
DLC [Professor of the Heroic Tale]: Hotfix Ver2.3.1a (3)
< Time remaining until Ver.2.3.1a patch completion…… [6 minutes] >
Not much time left.
“How do you get into the [End Ocean]?”
“Just go in?”
“Into the sea?”
“Uh-huh.”
Entering the sea directly, I feel a sense of resistance for no reason.
The water looked clear, but it was so deep and dark that I couldn't tell how deep it was.
"Why? Are you scared to go in?"
"It's not that."
“It’s the sea, but you’ll be able to hold your breath for a long time. Anyway, you won’t be able to go in too deep. Because you haven’t seen the ending yet.”
'Will be able to hold my breath for a long time'?
Not able to breathe?
Sounds frustrating as hell….
"Should I help you? I have a good way."
"What is it?"
As an Offline helper, does he have a way?
Immediately after thinking.
“Um. What it is is….”
Dino did a body slam. Thud.
Splash ―
Ah! You little bastard.
Looking at his slyly smiling face, it seemed he was harboring resentment for being hit in the back of the head.
But I'm no slouch when it comes to being petty.
I'm going to sentence you to 200,000 meters when you get out.
Until the jump button breaks.
“Glug glug…!”
……That word was not conveyed.
< Time remaining until Ver.2.3.1a patch completion…… [5 minutes] >
While falling into the water so unsightly.
My consciousness also began to sink.
* * *
Only letters continued in the darkness.
< ⧉ [End Ocean] connection complete. >
< ⧉ [Hell Difficulty] Accessor: 1 / 1 >
< ⧉ You have not yet seen the ending of the game. Direct interaction is restricted. >
< ⧉ A crowd gathers at your appearance. They don't know who you are, what you look like, or what your name is, but they are thrilled that you have come here. >
It was amazing.
I can't see them because it's just darkness.
Maybe they can't see me either.
Nevertheless, I had a strange feeling, a feeling that I was close to them.
I was now among people.
In the middle of a lot of people.
< ⧉ 1,821 [Easy Difficulty] players are interested in you. >
< ⧉ 255 [Normal Difficulty] players are interested in you. >
The ending players of the two difficulties responded. The number was beyond imagination. But there was no [Hard Difficulty].
After that, stories about me seemed to pour out.
Like Dino said, they were very interested in me.
< ⧉ Attention is pouring in for the first visitor to the End Ocean. >
< ⧉ Some are curious about your [Name] and [Ending Number]. >
< ⧉ Many are curious about your [Job], [Overall Combat Power], [Otherworld System], [Equipment Setting]. >
Since a strong guy suddenly came, they are curious about what I would be curious about.
But there was no way to answer. Because I have neither mouth nor hands.
< ⧉ Many are curious whether your [DLC] is a Chairman, Professor, Student, Graduate Student, Faculty Member, or Outsider. >
A pretty shocking status window also came to mind.
Maybe other people have different DLCs.
Among them, was there actually a DLC [Graduate Student]?
Oh my god.
I mourned for the player, whoever it was, who was stuck in the lab and exploited by the Professor even in the game.
< ⧉ Some are curious about what form the [Hell Difficulty] [2.1.5] bug takes and how you handled it! >
< ⧉ Many agree. >
2.1.5 bug?
Come to think of it….
Was the current Hotfix [2.3.1]?
Huh?
What.
It seems like there were other versions and other bugs.
I don't know what that is.
So I decided to hold on to the thoughts that came to mind a little more and watch.
< ⧉ Someone objects. He argues that the bug appears later in [Normal Difficulty] than in [Easy Difficulty], and later in [Hard Difficulty] than in [Normal Difficulty], so it would not have appeared yet in [Hell Difficulty]. >
< ⧉ Many are interested that there is still a very big threat to you! >
< ⧉ Advice pours in to be careful of the person closest to you. >
Be careful of the person closest to you……. huh.
This seemed to be the only hint for now.
Meanwhile.
< ⧉ Someone praises that a new era has come. >
< ⧉ Someone is happy that the disgusting atrocities of the [Hard Difficulty] players will finally end. >
< ⧉ Many are laughing, saying, 'Look at the pathetic Hard bastards, they were talking about being kings, but now they're keeping their mouths shut.' >
Since they are also people.
Apart from seeing the ending of the game, it seems like something happened among themselves.
Isn't it a long-standing tradition of our organisms that strong guys try to oppress and dominate the weak?
< ⧉ Words of praise continue, saying that the true king has arrived here. >
< ⧉ Some [Easy Difficulty] players argue that Easy = Normal = Hard, isn't it? >
After that, the reactions of agreement followed one after another, so I was a little dumbfounded.
Who's going to take your side?
As part of a disgusting organism, I also have the intention to join hands with the oppressors of [Hard Difficulty] and move towards a dirty tyrannical dictatorship.
Roughly 30% of Koreans are North Koreans. If you are North Korean, you know how to praise dictatorship.
In other words, aren't we all living with about 1/3 of the artificial flag in our hearts?
I will become Kim Jong-un of [Hell Difficulty].
Hell Jong-un.
……I was just watching the reactions while thinking about such dog-barking thoughts.
< ⧉ Someone is curious about your [Overall Combat Power]. Would you like to answer? [YES] / [NO] >
Oh.
For the first time, I had the opportunity to express my consciousness.
[Overall Combat Power].
Should I reveal it or not?
After hesitating, I decided to reveal it.
< ⧉ You have revealed your [Overall Combat Power]. >
< ⧉ Overall Combat Power: 157,440 >
Then there was a commotion.
In a negative direction.
< ⧉ All players are in great shock! >
< ⧉ The majority of [Easy Difficulty] players are greatly disappointed with the lower-than-expected Overall Combat Power! >
< ⧉ Some [Normal Difficulty] players are puzzled by the too low Overall Combat Power. >
< ⧉ Some [Easy Difficulty] players argue that Easy = Normal = Hard = Hell, isn't it? >
It was understandable.
150,000 is not a low number, but.
From the perspective of users who have seen the ending, it will be ambiguous.
To give an analogy, it's like the richest man in the United States came to Korea.
When asked about his wealth, he says it's 100 billion won.
Huh…? Of course, 100 billion won is a lot of money…. But you're the richest man in the United States…? That's what people are saying.
In fact, if you raise it well in [Normal Difficulty], you can reach 300,000 near the ending. And there will be plenty of people who reach 150,000 even in [Easy Difficulty].
Even though I knew this reaction would come, I deliberately revealed my combat power. It was out of hope.
< ⧉ One [Hard Difficulty] player appears. >
As expected.
< ⧉ One [Hard Difficulty] player laughs. >
< ⧉ He mocks you. >
You were hiding. [Hard Difficulty] player.
I don't know his name, gender, or face, but.
Since everyone was cursing, I wanted to see what kind of person he was.
< ⧉ One [Hard Difficulty] player accuses you of being a bug that got lucky and saw the ending. >
< ⧉ He is elated that he had already achieved 140,000 when he started the main story 4 times. >
You raised it well.
Even if it's [Hard Difficulty], 140,000 at the starting point of the main story 4 times means you've raised it quite well.
So you must have seen the ending without dying even once.
< ⧉ He is harshly mocking the [Easy Difficulty] players, saying that they are foolish pigs and dogs, and he doesn't know how much they have no place to rely on in their defeated lives, so they are entrusting their egos to you, who just appeared. >
But the words are a bit harsh.
Does he not have a mother?
Come to think of it, if you clear this game's [Hard Difficulty] without dying, you're definitely a problematic human being.
He doesn't have a mother.
Or he's a cancer patient.
Or he's a cancer patient without a mother.
That's my story.
< ⧉ One [Easy Difficulty] player whimpers! >
< ⧉ He is deeply despairing! >
< ⧉ Because he actually entrusted his ego to you until just now! His world is currently collapsing!!! >
While there were so many disappointed people.
Someone raised a question.
< ⧉ One [Easy Difficulty] player, who cannot accept reality, asks about your progress. Would you like to answer? [YES] / [NO] >
Another opportunity to express my opinion came.
I pondered again.
Should I reveal it or not?
It doesn't affect me whether I reveal it or not.
And hiding a penny of power is the virtue of an assassin.
< ⧉ You have revealed your [Progress]. >
But I'll just reveal it.
Isn't [Hard Difficulty] being too cocky?
< ⧉ Progress: Main Story 1 >
Then another commotion exploded.
Of course, in a positive direction.
< ⧉ All players are shocked! >
< ⧉ Someone shouts! >
< ⧉ The crowd is in great shock!! >
In Main Story 1, the combat power is at most 40,000.
Even in [Hard Difficulty], that's how it is normally.
But I have over 157,000 in Main Story 1…… The gap is vastly different.
< ⧉ One [Normal Difficulty] player demands a statement. >
< ⧉ One [Hard Difficulty] player is silent. >
The Hard guy who was talking so well is silent.
It was funny for some reason.
< ⧉ One [Easy Difficulty] player laughs loudly! >
< ⧉ He is happy with the reality that he can entrust his ego to you again! >
< ⧉ He urgently looks for someone to curse. Then he starts to mock the silent [Hard Difficulty] player with high intensity, your mother…… >
Uh-oh. Keep that in your thoughts―
Unfortunately, it was time to go back.
< [Hotfix] Ver.2.3.1a patch complete. >
< [Overworld] transmission begins. >
* * *
The Professors' gazes were focused on one place.
Towards Professor Dante, who went alone on the Airship to assassinate Jinxite.
While everyone expected a big battle.
After Dante was placed in front of Jinxite.
Surprisingly, without any signs, the huge four-armed monster returned to the crack and disappeared.
The Professors were greatly horrified.
Professor Ludenbach of Gait Studies, who followed Dante to assist him, trembled inwardly.
'Ah!'
It was as he said!!
Jinxite disappeared! The process itself was solved so easily that it was absurd, but whatever the case, the fact was that Jinxite had disappeared!
“…What is this, Professor Dante?”
“He avoided the spot. He must have felt burdened by the battle with me and fled far away.”
Was that so!!
I heard that Professor Dante was active in the previous battle. Was Professor Dante so strong that even such a monster from another world felt fear!?
Professor Ludenbach, who belatedly had a daughter at the age of forty-eight, thought about naming his soon-to-be-born daughter Dante this time…….
He only had the thought, but he didn't know why Professor Dante gave him a disgusted look as if he were looking at a bug.
* * *
After Jinxite disappeared, the situation was quickly resolved.
The Faculty highly evaluated Professor Dante's abilities.
Roughly, the abilities of a man in his thirties were judged to be on par with those of the senior Professors.
Therefore, it was decided to hide Dante Hiacapo's abilities as much as possible.
Originally, an assassin should hide a penny of his abilities, but Professor Dante came to be regarded as the pillar of the next academy.
Meanwhile, everyone saw the wings unfold and glide from the crashing Airship.
Many Professors and Students wondered.
Who unfolded the wings?
In response, the Faculty carefully examined the situation and subtly leaked the position of 'Gray Habanero'.
"Gray! You're really amazing."
"I knew you were a genius, but I didn't know you were that good!"
Gray, who opened his eyes in the ward, blinked at the praise from the Black Path Students who suddenly gathered.
"Me…?"
"Yes! You did it!"
"……??"
Gray felt a headache while his head was blank.
Did he really do that?
I don't know.
It was because his memory was hazy due to being drunk, having the flu, being overworked, and finally [Overload] at the time.
"Gray is the best!"
While dumbfounded, Gray chased everyone out, saying he wanted to rest. Then he thought alone.
'...Gray, the best...?'
"The best, really!"
Around that time, Dominic was peeking around the intensive care unit when he saw something shocking.
"The best my ass…. The world knows that Hiaka's medical level is low…."
"Shut up! It's the best right now, Professor Gula! It saved you!?"
"Don't shout so loud……. It's ringing in my head."
"It's a miracle, a miracle!"
Professor Gula, who had a hole in his stomach and had already been in cardiac arrest for several hours, regained his heartbeat and woke up perfectly fine in the ward.
“…….”
When their eyes met, Dominic hid behind the wall. Because he never dreamed it would come true.
His prayer.
"Let us pray."
Meanwhile, Rebecca, as the Saintess of the Palace, went to every funeral ceremony, knelt down, and prayed to the Virgin Mary. Commemorating the pitiful dead Students and Professors.
At the same time, she watched the survival of the neutral Professors who were clearly killed by her own hands.
She didn't understand. When did Hiaka's medical technology become so excellent?
"Princess? It's time to go to the 2nd district memorial hall."
Rebecca had a personality that felt great annoyance at everything that didn't go her way, and recently, that had been happening more and more often.
“…Yes. I will go.”
Up to this point, the short war ended.
DLC [Professor of the Heroic Tale]
Hotfix Ver2.3.1a
END