Chapter 200: Master Key (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 200: Master Key (5)
The player nicknamed Elfnunalove, who more often used the name Ghost Master publicly and whose identity was the subject of many rumors, slowly opened his eyes and checked the time. It was just past midnight. His location was a private laboratory located on the upper levels of the Magic Tower. As always, he sat in his chair to get his thoughts in order.
What will he do now?
Today, as soon as he entered the community, he placed a permanent ban on a player. The target: a Korean user with the unique nickname of Sergeant Lee.
I'm sure that by now he's on a rampage looking to kill me.
He hadn't wanted to make an enemy of Sergeant Lee. He wasn't just the person closest to the key, but the player who possessed the most influence, at least among those from Earth.
He's the one who doesn't listen when you talk to him.
The man was a bit worried that he may have plucked a nose hair from a sleeping tiger, but it had to be done. Sergeant Lee was the one who had refused his last attempt to smooth things over before banning him. Of course, the man understood Sergeant Lee's situation, which was why he had left him alone until now, but he couldn't be that considerate forever. He too had to make a choice.
Still, that's too bad for him.
As he let his mind wander, it naturally landed on a certain man—a Korean user who used the nickname Elfnunna.
Looks like he's a fan of his too.
Having encountered several Korean users before now, he knew how small their number was. The number of Koreans among the player population was less than 1 percent. It wasn't for nothing that Sergeant Lee, who had desperately searched for someone from his homeland for years, begged for a chance to say a few words to him before he left.
He's a funny man, now that I think about it. If he misses his homeland that much, he should be looking to team up to beat the game and return together.
The man smiled and rose from his seat. His mana crystal was vibrating, announcing an incoming call. "I never thought you would call me first at this hour. I guess something has happened on your end, Soul Queen."
"Yes. I was getting ready to leave work, but I noticed something strange in the connection log."
"A strange connection?" The man's posture straightened. This woman's understanding of this place was as deep as his, so nothing she said here would be trivial.
"The log shows someone connected, but it doesn't state who they are. And more importantly... the connection time is recorded as 3:00 a.m."
"So they entered the community in the middle."
"Yes. I thought that was very strange too."
"Can you give me some time to think this over?"
The man cast a spell on himself while still on the line. Meditation was a combo spell he had created himself by adding several spells to Thought Acceleration. Once he cast it, one person immediately came to mind.
"The Watcher of the Round Table."
"Oh! That suspicious man who was banned a year ago!"
They had learned of his existence a year ago. His username was 0720. None of the guides who helped newcomers enter the community ever recalled helping him. When the admins stepped into his inner world, they saw him dressed in clothes from this world, so they deemed it suspicious and banned him. That was because most people wore modern clothes in their pocket dimensions. They deduced that he had to be a spy from the palace who had secretly infiltrated the place by obtaining a pill from somewhere. If not, he was possibly a player from someplace other than Earth.
Above all, he looked like an old man.
Most players were young, which made sense. These were people who had enjoyed a sadistic game like Dungeon and Stone, after all. It was hard to imagine an old man over seventy clearing it.
"Perhaps the Watchers of the Round Table is a gathering he created to avoid detection."
"But didn't you deem the remaining members normal back then?"
"Yes. I did then. But just in case, Soul Queen, will you go check for me?"
"I believe that is a private chat room."
"Don't worry about the invite code. It will take a few months, but there are ways for you to get in."
"Well, in that case..."
Soul Queen accepted the task, and with that, the man moved to end the call. More detailed instructions would follow after figuring things out next month. There was nothing that could be done right now. Then he paused. For some reason, a certain nickname popped into his head, and he found himself involuntarily asking, "Soul Queen, do you remember the player Elfnunna?"
"Oh, him? He joined a few months ago, but I remember him clearly because he was unique. Not only his nickname, but there was something else about him that left an impression on me."
"What was it?"
"I couldn't see his inner world at all. I've never seen someone with such a thick mental wall in my entire career."
"...I see."
The man felt like something was off. A strangely thick mental wall could be written off as everyone being different, and Soul Queen also hadn't been a guide for all that long. However, he still had the feeling that he was missing something. His Intuition stats rose when Meditation was active, so he didn't attribute this feeling to just his current mood, either.
"Please excuse me for a moment."
The man excused himself to run through the notes he had made in his head. Or, to be more precise, he checked the list of people who had been sent letters around the time Soul Queen mentioned Elfnunna joining.
They were all newbies.
Considering the possibility that Elfnunna took the pill later than he'd received it, he increased the range to three months, but the results were the same. None of those players had gone beyond the fifth floor, either. So how could his mental barrier be that high?
"...Bjorn Yandel?" Widening the range even further, one name stood out in his eyes, a barbarian who peculiarly chose a shield. He had sent him a letter in hopes that he may be a certain person, but he suspiciously did not join the community.
"Soul Queen." The man handed out new instructions. "Investigate the user called Elfnunna, what posts he's made, how much GP he has, and what information he's purchased. Even if you have to restore everything that's been deleted."
There was reason to check this out.
***
The morning after the community opened, Amelia woke me up.
"...What's going on? It's only morning."
"Morning? It's already noon."
Geez, can't a barbarian wake up late?
I poured a glass of water down my parched throat and asked, "So, why are you here?" Amelia usually came in the evening. That was when we had agreed to see each other yesterday too. So why was she here to see me now?
Above all, he looked like an old man.
Most players were young, which made sense. These were people who had enjoyed a sadistic game like Dungeon and Stone, after all. It was hard to imagine an old man over seventy clearing it.
"Perhaps the Watchers of the Round Table is a gathering he created to avoid detection."
"But didn't you deem the remaining members normal back then?"
"Yes. I did then. But just in case, Soul Queen, will you go check for me?"
"I believe that is a private chat room."
"Don't worry about the invite code. It will take a few months, but there are ways for you to get in."
"Well, in that case..."
Soul Queen accepted the task, and with that, the man moved to end the call. More detailed instructions would follow after figuring things out next month. There was nothing that could be done right now. Then he paused. For some reason, a certain nickname popped into his head, and he found himself involuntarily asking, "Soul Queen, do you remember the player Elfnunna?"
"Oh, him? He joined a few months ago, but I remember him clearly because he was unique. Not only his nickname, but there was something else about him that left an impression on me."
"What was it?"
"I couldn't see his inner world at all. I've never seen someone with such a thick mental wall in my entire career."
"...I see."
The man felt like something was off. A strangely thick mental wall could be written off as everyone being different, and Soul Queen also hadn't been a guide for all that long. However, he still had the feeling that he was missing something. His Intuition stats rose when Meditation was active, so he didn't attribute this feeling to just his current mood, either.
"Please excuse me for a moment."
The man excused himself to run through the notes he had made in his head. Or, to be more precise, he checked the list of people who had been sent letters around the time Soul Queen mentioned Elfnunna joining.
They were all newbies.
Considering the possibility that Elfnunna took the pill later than he'd received it, he increased the range to three months, but the results were the same. None of those players had gone beyond the fifth floor, either. So how could his mental barrier be that high?
"...Bjorn Yandel?" Widening the range even further, one name stood out in his eyes, a barbarian who peculiarly chose a shield. He had sent him a letter in hopes that he may be a certain person, but he suspiciously did not join the community.
"Soul Queen." The man handed out new instructions. "Investigate the user called Elfnunna, what posts he's made, how much GP he has, and what information he's purchased. Even if you have to restore everything that's been deleted."
There was reason to check this out.
***
The morning after the community opened, Amelia woke me up.
"...What's going on? It's only morning."
"Morning? It's already noon."
Geez, can't a barbarian wake up late?
I poured a glass of water down my parched throat and asked, "So, why are you here?" Amelia usually came in the evening. That was when we had agreed to see each other yesterday too. So why was she here to see me now?
The answer that came out of Amelia's mouth was rather simple. "I thought I should give you a heads-up before I leave."
"So you're leaving."
"Yes, so you can stop your search now."
Based on what she was saying, it didn't seem like she was leaving because she had found Auril Gavis. I tried casually probing her. "Looks like you have something to do."
Amelia didn't answer, but even that was enough for me. This woman was always scurrying around in the city.
"Right before Noark went into lockdown, they sent a few people aboveground. Their goal is to kill one specific adventurer! Shocking, huh?"
Maybe the assassination operation Clown had mentioned was beginning today. I had no intention of intervening—not that I could stop her anyway. Instead, I made a friendly offer. "Are you going to come look for him again? I can leave word here if you need."
That was because she was sensitive about favors and grudges. I had a feeling that clearing my debt with her would help me in the future.
"There's no need. It'd be difficult to find him this way, anyway."
"I see." I didn't bother offering again after she refused. The conversation came to a natural stopping point, and I gave her a brief farewell. "Then I'll see you next time."
Amelia stared at me silently for a moment. Then, she asked, "When you say you'll see me next time, what do you mean?"
Oh, so that's what you were curious about.
Well, I was the one who had been making such a big deal about never seeing each other again. I was sure this sounded a bit strange to her. I decided to answer honestly. "Somehow, I have a feeling we will meet again." How many times had we already run into each other by chance? I had no idea how long it would be before I could return home. I was sure I'd run into her again at least once before then.
"...You weirdo."
After that, Amelia disappeared from sight swiftly as usual. Now, then, it was time for me to start my day too.
Ding!
First, I slammed my hand down on the bell I had made next to the bed.
"Did you call, boss?" My right-hand man, Jingjing, appeared in less than a minute.
To start, I gave him orders to stop the search, then had a light lunch before going out with him. This was my daily after-lunch walk. In Bifron, there wasn't much else to do.
"Let's go to the distribution center."
"The distribution... center?"
"Is there a problem?"
"No, boss. I will guide you to the nearest one."
Today's destination was one of the twelve distribution centers in Bifron. When we arrived, there was a long line of people waiting to receive the food rations provided by the city every morning. Even just a few days ago, this had been a rare sight. Originally, the distribution centers were occupied and monopolized by each faction.
"As you ordered, minors are free to take as much as they please."
"Good, keep this going."
I watched the line of children with a satisfied smile before turning around. Then I wandered around the city, going wherever my feet led me. As I did, I spotted a familiar little boy—the kid who had acted as my guide on my first day in Bifron and brought me to the inn.
"Come here."
"Yes, sir!" The kid, who had begun to shuffle backward as soon as our eyes met, soon stood at attention in front of me.
The answer that came out of Amelia's mouth was rather simple. "I thought I should give you a heads-up before I leave."
"So you're leaving."
"Yes, so you can stop your search now."
Based on what she was saying, it didn't seem like she was leaving because she had found Auril Gavis. I tried casually probing her. "Looks like you have something to do."
Amelia didn't answer, but even that was enough for me. This woman was always scurrying around in the city.
"Right before Noark went into lockdown, they sent a few people aboveground. Their goal is to kill one specific adventurer! Shocking, huh?"
Maybe the assassination operation Clown had mentioned was beginning today. I had no intention of intervening—not that I could stop her anyway. Instead, I made a friendly offer. "Are you going to come look for him again? I can leave word here if you need."
That was because she was sensitive about favors and grudges. I had a feeling that clearing my debt with her would help me in the future.
"There's no need. It'd be difficult to find him this way, anyway."
"I see." I didn't bother offering again after she refused. The conversation came to a natural stopping point, and I gave her a brief farewell. "Then I'll see you next time."
Amelia stared at me silently for a moment. Then, she asked, "When you say you'll see me next time, what do you mean?"
Oh, so that's what you were curious about.
Well, I was the one who had been making such a big deal about never seeing each other again. I was sure this sounded a bit strange to her. I decided to answer honestly. "Somehow, I have a feeling we will meet again." How many times had we already run into each other by chance? I had no idea how long it would be before I could return home. I was sure I'd run into her again at least once before then.
"...You weirdo."
After that, Amelia disappeared from sight swiftly as usual. Now, then, it was time for me to start my day too.
Ding!
First, I slammed my hand down on the bell I had made next to the bed.
"Did you call, boss?" My right-hand man, Jingjing, appeared in less than a minute.
To start, I gave him orders to stop the search, then had a light lunch before going out with him. This was my daily after-lunch walk. In Bifron, there wasn't much else to do.
"Let's go to the distribution center."
"The distribution... center?"
"Is there a problem?"
"No, boss. I will guide you to the nearest one."
Today's destination was one of the twelve distribution centers in Bifron. When we arrived, there was a long line of people waiting to receive the food rations provided by the city every morning. Even just a few days ago, this had been a rare sight. Originally, the distribution centers were occupied and monopolized by each faction.
"As you ordered, minors are free to take as much as they please."
"Good, keep this going."
I watched the line of children with a satisfied smile before turning around. Then I wandered around the city, going wherever my feet led me. As I did, I spotted a familiar little boy—the kid who had acted as my guide on my first day in Bifron and brought me to the inn.
"Come here."
"Yes, sir!" The kid, who had begun to shuffle backward as soon as our eyes met, soon stood at attention in front of me.
"Where are you going?"
"I-I'm coming back from the distribution center..."
"You've gained a little weight since the last time I saw you."
"Yeah..."
Was it because I was now the top dog in Bifron? Even on that first day, I never did anything to hurt him, yet the kid continued to shudder when he saw me. Well, I was just happy to see him again. Was this the loneliness that came with being on top?
"How are you doing these days?"
"I-I read books in my free time. I-In the library that you made..."
I hadn't made the library; it was more like I'd revitalized a library that was gathering dust. Many of the books had been used as kindling so there were still more empty bookshelves than filled ones, but since I'd given my underlings instructions to collect as many books as possible to fill the shelves, that would get better with time.
Growing anxious about the way I was staring at him, the kid started offering excuses for things that I didn't even ask about. "I-I'll never do anything like I did back then again, I promise! Now if I need money, I register at a labor camp and earn it myself!"
"Come to think of it, your dream is to be a scholar."
"Y-Yes!"
I smirked and offered him some advice. "Keep living like this, then. If you stab people in the back for money, you'll end up having problems with your head, and one day it'll disappear."
"...Pardon?"
"If you don't have a head, you can't be a scholar."
"Sorry? Ah, yes..." Although he looked like he didn't understand what I was talking about at all, I didn't bother launching into a lengthy explanation. I refused to be a boomer barbarian.
"Let's go."
After that, I continued my walk with Jingjing through different distribution centers, libraries, residential facilities, labor camps, etcetera. With nothing else to do other than look for Auril Gavis, I tinkered with some silly projects here and there, leaving the city much livelier than when I first arrived. The dissolution of the gangs was the biggest contributing factor.
It'll go back to normal once I'm gone, though.
On that note, I led Jingjing to the sewers. He began to tremble, and his voice came out strange as he asked, "Um, boss, why are we...?"
Wow, you'd think I came to kill and bury you here.
"I'm going to the city for a while, do you need anything?"
"...Pardon?" Jingjing, who rarely repeated the same words twice, asked, looking puzzled. "G-G-Going to the city...?"
"Oh, didn't I tell you? There is a passageway leading to the city."
"Th-th-that's... not possible?"
"Why are you stuttering? Is there something wrong with your head?"
"No... Boss." Jingjing's head, which must have been filled with the thought that he'd be free in a few days, now dropped miserably, but I guessed he belatedly realized it could be a bluff.
"Anyway, since you don't need anything—"
"No! I do!"
"Really? Tell me."
Jingjing requested one thing from the city: a skewer from a shop in District Nine.
"It will be cold by the time I bring it back."
"That's fine!"
I smiled and nodded my head. It was clear what this guy was thinking. He was trying to check whether I had a way to get into the city. "Then you head home."
"Yes, boss."
Afterward, I let Jingjing go and entered the sewer. Then I headed toward the secret passage Amelia told me about.
Bzzzzzz.
It was then that the message stone I carried in my clothes, outside of sub-space just in case, started to vibrate. It was the one I had received from Mr. Dragon. A while back, he promised to contact me if a decision was made as to whether they'd give me the Dragon's Blessing or not.
He said it'd take a month or two and it took exactly two.
I wondered what their answer was. When I clicked on the button that protruded from the bottom of the stone, a voice rang out from it. "Tear the paper I gave you back then."
"I want to know your decision before that."
"The elders will decide when they see you."
"I see." I tore the paper that I had thrown into my sub-space as instructed.
Decide when they see me, huh?
That wasn't the yes I was hoping for, but I wasn't too worried. Making things happen even when they didn't work out—that was the spirit of a K-Barbarian.
"Where are you going?"
"I-I'm coming back from the distribution center..."
"You've gained a little weight since the last time I saw you."
"Yeah..."
Was it because I was now the top dog in Bifron? Even on that first day, I never did anything to hurt him, yet the kid continued to shudder when he saw me. Well, I was just happy to see him again. Was this the loneliness that came with being on top?
"How are you doing these days?"
"I-I read books in my free time. I-In the library that you made..."
I hadn't made the library; it was more like I'd revitalized a library that was gathering dust. Many of the books had been used as kindling so there were still more empty bookshelves than filled ones, but since I'd given my underlings instructions to collect as many books as possible to fill the shelves, that would get better with time.
Growing anxious about the way I was staring at him, the kid started offering excuses for things that I didn't even ask about. "I-I'll never do anything like I did back then again, I promise! Now if I need money, I register at a labor camp and earn it myself!"
"Come to think of it, your dream is to be a scholar."
"Y-Yes!"
I smirked and offered him some advice. "Keep living like this, then. If you stab people in the back for money, you'll end up having problems with your head, and one day it'll disappear."
"...Pardon?"
"If you don't have a head, you can't be a scholar."
"Sorry? Ah, yes..." Although he looked like he didn't understand what I was talking about at all, I didn't bother launching into a lengthy explanation. I refused to be a boomer barbarian.
"Let's go."
After that, I continued my walk with Jingjing through different distribution centers, libraries, residential facilities, labor camps, etcetera. With nothing else to do other than look for Auril Gavis, I tinkered with some silly projects here and there, leaving the city much livelier than when I first arrived. The dissolution of the gangs was the biggest contributing factor.
It'll go back to normal once I'm gone, though.
On that note, I led Jingjing to the sewers. He began to tremble, and his voice came out strange as he asked, "Um, boss, why are we...?"
Wow, you'd think I came to kill and bury you here.
"I'm going to the city for a while, do you need anything?"
"...Pardon?" Jingjing, who rarely repeated the same words twice, asked, looking puzzled. "G-G-Going to the city...?"
"Oh, didn't I tell you? There is a passageway leading to the city."
"Th-th-that's... not possible?"
"Why are you stuttering? Is there something wrong with your head?"
"No... Boss." Jingjing's head, which must have been filled with the thought that he'd be free in a few days, now dropped miserably, but I guessed he belatedly realized it could be a bluff.
"Anyway, since you don't need anything—"
"No! I do!"
"Really? Tell me."
Jingjing requested one thing from the city: a skewer from a shop in District Nine.
"It will be cold by the time I bring it back."
"That's fine!"
I smiled and nodded my head. It was clear what this guy was thinking. He was trying to check whether I had a way to get into the city. "Then you head home."
"Yes, boss."
Afterward, I let Jingjing go and entered the sewer. Then I headed toward the secret passage Amelia told me about.
Bzzzzzz.
It was then that the message stone I carried in my clothes, outside of sub-space just in case, started to vibrate. It was the one I had received from Mr. Dragon. A while back, he promised to contact me if a decision was made as to whether they'd give me the Dragon's Blessing or not.
He said it'd take a month or two and it took exactly two.
I wondered what their answer was. When I clicked on the button that protruded from the bottom of the stone, a voice rang out from it. "Tear the paper I gave you back then."
"I want to know your decision before that."
"The elders will decide when they see you."
"I see." I tore the paper that I had thrown into my sub-space as instructed.
Decide when they see me, huh?
That wasn't the yes I was hoping for, but I wasn't too worried. Making things happen even when they didn't work out—that was the spirit of a K-Barbarian.