Chapter 152
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 152
Chapter Title: Victor's Dilemma
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Victor wanted to tell his family everything.
About the brutal humiliations he suffered while captured by IS for a year, and all the atrocities he witnessed.
He wanted to pour out everything he had endured, holding nothing back.
But he couldn’t do it now.
“Sophia got first place in the zone ranking again, can you believe it?”
“She’s so impressive. And her class is Guardian, some rare job too.”
His little sister, whom he’d worried might get eliminated in the rounds, was thriving more than he’d imagined.
‘No, thriving doesn’t even cover it. She’s completely turned her life around.’
She claimed she’d taken first in the zone ranking like it was nothing, something even he had never achieved.
‘It’s probably not a lie. Sophia’s always hated lying anyway.’
Seeing her doing so well eased his worries but left him feeling strangely hollow too.
He glanced up at his parents and noticed their faces glowing with joy.
How could they not be happy that their daughter was making it big in another world?
‘They’re so thrilled. How could I possibly tell them? That I was captured by IS and went through hell…’
It felt like throwing dirt on a perfectly good meal. He just couldn’t bring himself to say it.
Then his parents brought it up themselves.
“Victor. What happened all this time? Why no contact for a whole year?”
“Ah… well, you see…”
Torn between spilling the depressing truth or not, Victor finally made up his mind.
Better not ruin the mood.
“I… I went on a trip overseas.”
“What? A trip?”
His parents shouted in disbelief at the unexpected answer.
“You’re serious? I thought you’d been kidnapped by IS or something and died!”
“Haha… IS? Come on, what kind of world do we live in these days…”
“So you were just gallivanting around on vacation?”
“What about staying in touch? Why didn’t you?”
“I lost my phone…”
“Lost it or not, you can’t just go dark like that! We were worried sick!”
Victor hung his head low.
“I’m sorry. I was thinking about whether to keep going as a doctor, and I had all these worries piling up. My head was a mess, so I just took off. You know how it is sometimes—wanting to drop everything and run away.”
His parents’ faces shifted to concern as they picked up on his tone.
“…Depression or something?”
“Yeah… I was pretty messed up inside. It’s pathetic getting like this in my late twenties, not even puberty.”
“So you went traveling to cope?”
“Yeah. I just wandered wherever my feet took me. When money ran low, I’d find a job, save up, then travel again…”
Once he started, the lies flowed easily.
His parents, initially stunned, seemed convinced as his story went on, nodding in understanding.
‘Yeah. Better they think I traveled for depression than got kidnapped by IS.’
It was a white lie, meant to spare his family some worry.
“Well, you’re back now, that’s what matters. Feeling better?”
“Yeah. I’m never leaving home again, no matter what. There’s no place like it.”
“About time you realized.”
“Sophia’s doing great as a Player too, so pull yourself together and work hard.”
“Got it.”
Victor’s response carried a bittersweet edge.
“Where’s Sophia, anyway?”
“She got some ad offer and went off to shoot it.”
“Oh… right.”
“She’ll be over the moon when she hears you’re back. Heh.”
Seeing his beaming parents, Victor felt reaffirmed in his decision.
“Mind if I check out my room? It’s been a while.”
“Go ahead.”
Back in his room for the first time in a year, Victor closed the door and let out a deep sigh.
‘It worked out fine. My sister and family aren’t struggling like I feared.’
He’d just wanted to see them one last time before dying, and now his wish was granted.
No more regrets left in his heart.
If anything, it was even better.
He could leave without lingering attachments.
‘Survival games and all that crap—I’m sick of it. I just want to rest now.’
Struggling to survive seemed worse than spending his final days quietly with family.
That was how worn down and broken Victor’s spirit had become after a year in captivity, despite appearances.
“Son! You must be hungry. I made food. Eat up.”
“Coming!”
He finally had a proper meal and caught up on lost time with his family.
Then, that evening…
Victor reunited with his late-returning little sister.
“O-Onii-chan!”
“Sophia!”
They hugged, tears welling up.
They were unusually close siblings—fights were rare enough to count on one hand.
“Where the hell were you, bro! I looked everywhere!”
“Ahaha, well, you see…”
Sweat beading on his forehead, Victor spun another white lie.
Naturally, it earned him a scolding from his sister.
“Even if it was a trip, who just vanishes like that! Couldn’t you at least text?”
“Urgh. You and Mom and Dad, all the same.”
“We were worried! We thought you were dead for sure! Especially with that massive upheaval hitting!”
“I was worried about you too. No way I expected you to survive to round 9…”
“Bro, haven’t you heard? I’ve been number one since round 1. Well, zone ranking, anyway. Overall, it’s that Black Scythe Player taking the top spot. You’re a Player too, right? You know Black Scythe?”
“Uh? Y-Yeah…”
Know him? He’d talked to Black Scythe, been saved by him, and witnessed his terrifying power firsthand.
He was far closer to Black Scythe than his sister, who only knew the name.
“That Black Scythe guy—he’s incredible, right? Supposedly his level’s insane.”
“Y-Yeah, incredible. Totally.”
“I heard he’s a Korean Player. Did you go there on your trip? Too far?”
“K-Korea? Black Scythe’s Korean?”
“Yeah. Didn’t you know? It’s all over the news. He’s the unit leader for CPF in Korea, the squad that hunts criminal Players.”
“I-Is that so.”
He hadn’t known.
He’d spent a year in conditions where even glimpsing a phone was impossible.
‘Even back home, he’s taking down criminals?’
A fresh wave of respect hit him for Black Scythe’s efforts to stamp out crime.
“So, bro, how’d you survive? What’s your class?”
“Me? Alchemist.”
“Alchemist? That’s a thing?”
“I could ask you the same. What’s a Guardian do?”
As they swapped stories about each other’s unknowns, time flew by.
Already tight-knit, their bond deepened with the shared Player experience.
The happy hours passed until past midnight.
Lying in bed, Victor pondered his path forward.
‘Talking to her, Sophia doesn’t need my worry. She’s handling everything fine.’
She was valued in both worlds.
While he’d been clinging to life in IS.
‘Ricky’s parents—Marcus promised to find them. The other kids are safe. Black Scythe wiped out all those IS monsters tormenting me.’
Everything was falling into place smoothly.
No worries left.
‘So why does my heart feel so empty?’
Was it the brutal hardships under IS?
Or had witnessing those beasts’ daily atrocities ground his soul down?
Staring blankly at the ceiling like a man unhinged, Victor sank into deep thought.
He didn’t even hear the tapping at his window.
Tap-tap-tap.
“Huh?”
Reacting late, Victor looked and jolted in shock.
‘B-Black Scythe?’
Gesturing for him to come out, Victor scrambled outside.
Sure enough, Black Scythe stood there.
“H-Hi. What brings you to my house… Oh! If you need potions…”
As Victor rummaged in his inventory, Black Scythe shook his masked head.
“No. I have something to tell you.”
“Something to tell me? Wait, is it about IS…”
“Don’t worry about IS. It’s handled. You’ll hear good news on tomorrow’s broadcast.”
“Oh, that’s a relief. So, what did you want to say…”
“Victor Jafire.”
Black Scythe’s voice turned deadly serious.
“…Don’t give up.”
“Pardon? Didn’t catch that.”
“Don’t give up on life.”
“…”
“I know. What you went through in IS. Must’ve been hell. But…”
Ryu Min paused, glancing at the house before continuing.
“Don’t you have family to protect?”
“I don’t know why you’re saying this out of nowhere… but my family’s fine. My sister too. They’re doing great without me. I achieved my goal. No regrets left…”
“Arrogant.”
“Huh?”
“Goal achieved? You think life’s some simple game you clear a mission and quit?”
“…”
“Life goes on until you die. It’s a game that never ends until death. Same with this survival game.”
“…”
“Whether you conquer round 20 or die before, you keep moving until one hits. But you meet your family on some minor goal and call it quits? No regrets? How lightly do you take life to say that? If not arrogance, what is it?”
Victor silently took the barrage.
It wasn’t wrong.
“Don’t give up on life. If you quit the survival game, what happens to your family?”
“Who knows. Probably keep living fine like now…”
“Really think they lived worry-free without you? An absent son, unknown if dead or alive—didn’t they pace the doorstep anxiously?”
“…”
“What kept them going was hope you’d return. If you die next round, that hope vanishes. Then what? Can they live normally?”
“…”
Ryu Min drove the final nail, sensing it was time to wrap up.
“Victor. You just want rest. After a year of hell, death seems like sweet relief.”
The words hit like a hammer to the head.
“I get it. But that’s not for your family. It’s the opposite. Selfish, for you alone.”
“…”
“I want you to endure to the end. To round 20. Your sister, Sophia—I know she’s a famous ranker in Nigeria. But can you swear she’ll make it to 20 without you?”
Victor’s resolve wavered visibly.
Ryu Min wrapped up, deeming the persuasion nearly complete.
“Protect Sophia yourself. Alchemist is the world’s only support-specialized class, right? With you, she won’t drop before 20. I’ll help conquer when I can. Call it fate. So survive.”
“Th-Thank you, but can a guy like me protect her…”
“You can. Proof?”
Ryu Min pulled an item from his inventory.
Victor gaped at its info.
A legendary revival item: Potion of Life.
“Got it by chance. Revives dead Players. Means you can guard Sophia.”
“A-Alchemists can make potions like this?”
“Probably. Potions of any kind, I’d bet. But check the restriction: masters only. Means level 60 minimum to qualify.”
“Oh…”
Just as Black Scythe said.
At 60, he might craft a Potion of Life.
Then, even if Sophia fell, he could save her.
“If you want to shield Sophia from death, hit 60. Find new goals instead of resigning like some enlightened old man.”
Victor’s eyes sparked with new life.
Seeing the potion birthed purpose.
“Thank you. My heart was a mess, but now it’s clear. You’re the only one who’s said this to me. Truly grateful.”
“Glad it helped.”
“How’d you read me so well?”
“I’m good at reading people. Insight, you could say.”
Insight?
It wasn’t so simple.
Like finding light in darkness.
Like being pulled from drowning mire.
‘Black Scythe’s incredible. Like Allah descended.’
“That’s all I came to say. Didn’t want my rescue going to waste with you quitting.”
“Sorry… for showing weakness. No worries now. New goal. No more dumb thoughts.”
“Good. I trust you.”
Confirming the turnaround, Ryu Min smiled under his mask.
“One last tip before I go: Tell your family everything, no holding back. It’ll solve your stuffiness.”
Victor’s eyes widened hugely.
“You saw through even that…? How…?”
Then—
“Bro!”
Sophia appeared out of nowhere, sword and shield in hand.
“Who’re you talking to this late?”
“Oh, he’s… Huh?”
Victor turned, but Black Scythe was gone.
“Bro, who was it? Some shady masked guy just now.”
Pondering her question, Victor murmured.
“…Scythe.”
“Huh?”
“…Black Scythe.”
“What?”
Seeing her shock, Victor resolved.
To heed Black Scythe’s advice.