Chapter 169
Chapter 169
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 169
Chapter Title: Wish Village, Ideaya Peninsula (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
3.
I still vividly remember the day I first met Jeong Cheol.
My level was 27 back then.
I was a fresh newbie in this insane-difficulty trash game.
In simple terms, a noob.
I knew nothing about the game.
“Whoa, big bro!”
That’s when a [Lv: 31] knight appeared in front of me.
What the hell...?
Our levels were similar, but the gear gap was insane.
“Big bro, your gear is amazing.”
I knew right away.
This guy... he’s a vet player’s alt account, rotten to the core with experience!
So what did I do? I started begging.
“Can’t you give me something? Just share a little. Please?”
I had a knack for being irresistibly cute, so it seemed like a piece of cake.
“You want money?”
“Money’s good. Gear’s good. Anything works.”
“No.”
“Aww. This cute high school boy will be your secret friend── Ow! Why’d you hit me!”
[For the Princess].
It was a VR game, but the pain sync rate was super high. So it hurt like hell.
“High school boy? Secret friend? You little punk who hasn’t even dried off yet, learning weird crap like that... No means no.”
Tch, if you don’t wanna, fine.
Why hit me and make a fuss? As I turned away grumbling.
“I can’t give you a fish... but I can teach you how to catch one.”
What?
Oh shit~ I knew in that instant I’d hit the jackpot.
He’s gonna carry me, right?
I immediately stood on my head in front of him and performed a grand salutation (Grand + bow; the ultimate bow done on your head, expressing the greatest gratitude).
“I’ll serve you like my own brother from now on, bro!”
“I don’t need a little brother like you. What’s your usual login time?”
That was the start of my connection with the elite sorcerer, Edelweiss.
“If you’re a mage class, start by getting the Little Sage’s Staff from <Tripol>.”
He seemed cold-blooded at first glance.
But inside, he was surprisingly meticulous and kind, patiently explaining everything to a newbie like me.
“Skill tree? Flame attribute is the best way to go.”
“Why?”
“You know if you can’t beat the bosses and the players all wipe, the round ends, right?”
“Yeah. [For the Princess] is a real-time progression MMORPG.”
All rounds proceed in cycles.
That’s why once the game starts, no newbies can join.
How to explain it?
3,000 people fill a waiting room, the game starts, and it runs until the ending?
There were 10 waiting rooms total.
One game round averaged about 50 days (730 days in-game time).
“Before the apocalypse, you have to face the five bosses called [The Forgotten Kings]. The difficulty is brutal.”
“Oh shit~ The name’s badass.”
“All those guys are Abyssal attribute.”
Abyss.
For some reason, even in VR, chills ran down my spine at that word.
“But flame is the natural counter to Abyss. It’s also the counter to the final boss, the Ice Dragon Skesari.”
Flame...!
Man, is there any attribute more perfect for a fire guy like me?
“But I can’t teach you magic itself. You have to learn it from NPCs or scrolls.”
“Why?”
“Magic requires complex math calculations.”
“So?”
Jeong Cheol scratched his cheek awkwardly, looked away, and muttered low.
“I’m a liberal arts major.”
“......”
“.........”
“............?”
“.............!”
“You little shit... why are you staring like that?”
“I can’t wrap my head around not being good at math... Sigh... This is why humanities majors are useless── Ow!”
I always got hit (for mouthing off first), but time with Jeong Cheol was definitely fun.
“Let’s rest here a bit.”
Day by day, day after day.
With each passing day, I grew closer to Jeong Cheol. I came to respect him more.
“<Tripol>. This port city has sea breezes that are truly... warm.”
If Jeong Cheol had been just an ordinary pro gamer, I probably wouldn’t have followed him this much.
“For real.”
“Lie on the white sand like me. And close your eyes.”
“Oh my, what are you gonna do? Ack! Fine! I’ll lie down! Lying down!”
Jeong Cheol didn’t just give me攻略 tips.
“Listen quietly.”
“......?”
“The sound of ships crossing the ocean... the boatmen’s songs... and the waves rolling onto the sand.”
He showed me how beautiful this world was.
Which cities were stunning.
Which villages were cozy.
Which landscapes were more fantastical than real-world nature.
I listened, watched, and memorized.
Hidden gems not on any wiki.
Memorable NPCs, delicious food, festivals in backwater towns and villages.
It was fun.
Really fun.
Truly fun.
“You some kinda naturalist, bro?”
“Why?”
“You know all this stuff like you’ve researched it. And you log in every day.”
At that, Jeong Cheol silently turned his head, gazing at the distant horizon where waves crashed.
“I thought maybe you’re exploring in-game nature for some thesis or something.”
I grinned playfully.
Jeong Cheol responded with an unusually somber smile.
“I was a soldier.”
“Soldier? Whoa! Did you fight in the Unification War? Enlisted? NCO? Officer?”
“Officer. Lost one ankle for it.”
“......!”
“I’ve got a prosthetic now... but the nerve toxin means I live on painkillers when awake.”
I had to shut my mouth.
And curse my damn tongue and curiosity.
“That’s why... I come to this world every day.”
Even now, it’s a bizarre thing to think about.
“This world is definitely hell... but it’s heaven to me. It’s given me everything.”
Jeong Cheol.
He often called this place, this game world.
[This world]. Not [this game].
“No pain here. Both legs intact. No mental breakdowns.”
He knew this world better than the natives... maybe because it let him endure his PTSD?
“You know? This world has no happy ending.”
That explains why Jeong Cheol always had that sad look.
“What kinda trash game is this?”
“Trash game... yeah, that fits perfectly.”
“......?”
“This world is destined to perish. No matter how hard players struggle, no matter what they do, it can’t be changed.”
If anyone else said that, I’d dismiss them as a game-obsessed shut-in.
“Not yet, anyway.”
“Not yet...?”
“Yeah. I’ll find a way someday. A way to reach the happy ending.”
But for some reason, I couldn’t dismiss Jeong Cheol.
I started to empathize.
With that sadness. That rage. That lament. And that hope.
“Let’s all make it to the ending alive.”
He cherished raid members more than anyone.
“You all know this trash game has no respawn on death... so just follow my instructions, and we’ll be fine.”
A truly human person who cared even for this data-only world.
Yeah.
The Jeong Cheol in my memories... was that kind of guy.
He definitely was... right?
“Lend me your sword.”
“It’s an honor.”
Huh?
A woman named Livione held out her wakizashi hilt-first, and Jeong Cheol slowly drew it.
Shiiiing...
The metallic sound of the blade unsheathing sent chills down my spine.
“Iron Brother?”
“......”
“What’s wrong? Scared I prepared a welcome cake or something? Want me to cut it?”
The uneasy atmosphere made the murmuring players burst into laughter one by one.
“No need. Relax. You know there’s no cake to cut.”
“.........”
“If you know how to make one, teach me. The owner here’s pretty good. So relax!”
Did my advice get through?
Finally, Jeong Cheol cracked a faint smile and spoke.
“Tae-yeop.”
“Yeah, bro.”
The moment I thought that.
Jeong Cheol spun the wakizashi and pointed it at me.
“Remember how you were late to raids every day and suddenly logged off?”
“D-Did I? Whew! Man, I don’t remember a thing?”
“You were like six hours late to the Alkaios raid... Brings back memories, huh?”
“..............?!”
“What was it you said? ‘Bros, it’s cram school time. I’m out, poof’?”
Then Jeong Cheol started listing my misdeeds one by one. What kinda memory... you a machine?
“I promised I’d settle it with you someday, you little shit?”
“B-Big bro! I was a senior in high school! You know seniors have a ton going on, why──!”
“Yeah, yeah. My philosophy: kids need beatings to grow up right. That’s how they learn.”
“Heh, hehehehehehe.”
This bro and his jokes.
I chugged my booze, laughing it off... but Jeong Cheol’s eyes gleamed with murder.
“C’mon, big bro! Cut the joking!”
“Not joking.”
Instant reply.
I stammered.
“B-Bro. Y-You’re gonna hit me with a s-s-sword? Swords are for cutting, right? It’s a weapon?”
“Flat of the blade.”
“W-W-Wait─── KyaAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa...!”
That day.
Ideaya Peninsula almost lost one skull.
4.
“Drink.”
Jeong Cheol poured me a drink.
I accepted the glass politely with both hands.
Maybe because of the commotion.
All the other players had left. Now, in this huge tavern, it was just Jeong Cheol and me.
“What you wanted wasn’t really venting anger... but this situation, right?”
Jeong Cheol just gave a faint smile at my question.
“What was your tutorial?”
“[Borderland Mercenaries]!”
“Lucky.”
“Yeah. No faction affiliation, super easy too. You?”
“[Writhing Chaos].”
What?
Jeong Cheol said it flatly, but I couldn’t help widening my eyes.
“Whoa... that’s the zero-clear-rate tutorial, right?”
“Strictly speaking, not zero. Can clear with a bugged play.”
Bugged play?
Seriously... elites are elites. Totally different league.
“But bro, why’d you enter Battle Royale?”
A brief, awkward silence.
Jeong Cheol downed his glass in one go and sighed.
“You wouldn’t get it if I told you. Just gonna make the mood heavy.”
“Really? Same as me then.”
My hand trembled suddenly.
Jeong Cheol glanced at it, then waved his fingers.
“If it’s hard to talk about, don’t. No need.”
He patted my shoulder, and I stared at the booze in my glass with a weak smile.
“You’re the same as ever, bro. Acting oblivious but always considerate.”
Always had been.
Truly a human person.
That’s why I’d always respected him. That’s why I found the courage to speak.
“Dad didn’t come home for a week.”
“......?”
“One day, a detective came to school and told me.”
“.........”
“Dad... killed himself.”
A stabbing pain pierced my chest. Jeong Cheol took a sip and replied.
“My mom passed away. Because of me... all my fault...”
I see.
Jeong Cheol came to this Battle Royale to save his mother.
“Let’s go to the end of this Battle Royale, Tae-yeop.”
Shared pain, maybe.
No need for words of comfort. We just quietly shared drinks for a long time.
“Go... I’ll meet my mom again. You meet your dad.”
At those words, I think I smiled brightly for a moment.
“Hell yeah, that’d be great!”
I grinned, then froze.
Because the nickname floating over Jeong Cheol’s head... was weird.
“Nickname... Edelweiss? You had a name like that, bro?”