Chapter 75
Chapter 75
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 75
Chapter Title: Answer
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There's a term called 3D.
But the 3D here isn't the kind you use when saying, "How do you see this situation? It looks totally 3D to me!" referring to the third dimension.
It's slang derived from the first letters of Difficult (difficult), Dirty (dirty), and Dangerous (dangerous).
This term is typically used to describe jobs that are so grueling in intensity that people avoid them, and it's one of those bits of slang that's become almost standard vocabulary through widespread use.
Japan has a similar expression called 3K, and in Korea, there's a new coinage PRI with a comparable nuance, even if the initials differ.
And in Ias, there's a term called 3G.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Like most such precedents, this 3G isn't used in a positive sense either.
Getting your ass beat (G from jiral),
boring as hell (G from jiru),
and a total shitshow (G from jijeobeun).
You might call it a forced, nonsensical mashup, but hey, if it sticks in your ear, it's an earring; if it hangs from your nose, it's a nose ring.
If a smart person says it, you think, "Huh, maybe?" And if the masses say it, you go, "Yeah, that makes sense." That's human psychology for you.
As a result, it didn't take long for 3G to spread widely among Ias players.
And here, Parcus's Labyrinth is one of the contents slapped with that 3G label.
The labyrinth is a dungeon where four players team up to navigate a maze packed with riddles and traps,
find treasure deep inside, and then escape.
It's a clichéd premise that's been done to death,
but it's a tasty cliché with enough demand, and if executed well, it had the potential to be popular content.
And—
The Ias devs nailed the execution.
With innovative ruin structures and puzzles, they perfectly maximized the fun of cooperation and exploration for players.
In fact, when the labyrinth first launched, the player response was overwhelming.
— Anonymous Player "Make more of this stuff!" — Another Player "Ias is a god game!" ⭐ Top Comment — Excited Fan "Kuhhh— Console-level cinematics and atmosphere!" The vibe was so electric it made you want to shout "Hail to the devs!!" three times in a row. That says something about its polish.
However, there were a few issues that couldn't be ignored—
This is an MMORPG, and this content wasn't a one-and-done dungeon but a weekly dungeon you had to clear once a week.
The overwhelming grandeur of the ruins?
Like I've said a million times, people build tolerance to stimuli after one exposure.
The romantic thrill of labyrinth exploration stirring your sense of adventure?
Would any sane person feel exploratory excitement about visiting a buddy's place once a week?
The head-scratching puzzles you barely solve together?
Sorry, but no matter how you rotate the puzzles, eventually all the solutions get spoiled online.
In short, the labyrinth was fun once, but nobody wanted to do it twice.
Now imagine forcing it weekly. How do you think players reacted?
In reality, it wasn't just tagged 3G—it became the poster child for 3G.
To give you an idea of the level—
— Frustrated Player "Fuck, just delete the labyrinth already." — Desperate Plea "When the hell are they removing this shitty labyrinth???" — Even Big Fans "Hyung Kang-seop, I love you to death, but the labyrinth? Nah..." Every reset day for entry attempts, the boards would flood with pleas to "delete the labyrinth."
Even players who enjoyed it at first reacted this way, so yeah, it was basically a failed content.
Of course,
— Defender "If you don't like it, don't do it lol; I'm having fun, why delete it?" There were counterarguments, but—
— Majority Response "Then I can't get the rewards, you fuck." — Suspicion "You're a dev, right?" — Rage "You think this is fun? Fuck off, troll." In the face of majority opinion, minority views get squashed like bugs.
That's the grand glory of democracy.
Of course, humans always find new answers, and the labyrinth had its own ways to make it fun.
Like going in with three friends you know and just shooting the shit while playing.
This ridiculously simple method became the most common way players enjoyed it,
turning Parcus's Labyrinth into a dungeon that rarely fills via matching.
These days, anyone queuing for labyrinth matching is either a total loner without friends (Lee Min-ji),
or bored folks hunting for new connections.
And there are two scenarios these people dread most.
— Dreaded Match [Saintess Nice] [White Dragon Pavilion] One is matching with famous players of high notoriety.
"Oh, it's Saintess Nice and White Dragon Pavilion."
The other is—
[Saintess Nice : Hey, Dragon Pavilion!] [Saintess Nice : Dragon Pavilion...?] —when the matched players don't get along.
"Huh?"
[Wakjajikkel Tteodeolssok], hyped for laughs and chatter with strangers this week, let out a groan.
Ah...
This week's a bust, they thought.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ — Viewer So embarrassing — Another Party leader... you can still come clean now... — Curious But aren't both priestesses? — Skeptic Isn't that not White Dragon Pavilion? 💰 DONATION ALERT 💰 [Saintess Nice? donated 1,000 won!] "Give me White Dragon Gwak and real friends? Dragon Gwak! Hey hey Dragon Pavilion? Why ignore my room heuk heuk" ⭐ LOL Chat — Laughter Crazy bastard lololololololol — Echo Hey hey — Moon Eyes (Moon eyes) Should we kick her? — Grape Candy It's fun, let's let it slide~ — Shocked Total special treatment ㄷㄷ Min-ji got royally ignored in greetings, while the chat gleefully roasted her.
Min-ji muttered in a pathetic, whimpering tone like an abandoned puppy.
"This can't be happening..."
It wasn't an excuse for her viewers.
Min-ji was a pro at admitting faults outright and hitting back with "So what're you gonna do about it?" to leave opponents dumbfounded.
So her current state wasn't some fake act for show.
She was genuinely stunned, her mind blank.
'Ignored...?'
White Dragon Pavilion...
Me...?
She didn't know what White Dragon Pavilion thought, but to Min-ji, he was close to a 'good friend.'
Why?
Because he was on her friends list. (Note: Min-ji has 5 friends total—countable on one hand. Wow!)
Back when she got called a gold farmer due to her nick and treated like public enemy,
most acquaintances quietly distanced themselves and eventually deleted her.
But White Dragon Pavilion was different.
He was one of the few who treated her the same despite public opinion,
so he held a special place in her heart.
Always messaging first on login,
being her plaything when bored,
lending gold when needed,
carrying her on buses,
...Huh?
Thinking about it... it wouldn't have been weird if he'd cut ties ages ago... right?
And... there was something else too...
What was it...
Min-ji's tiny brain started spinning furiously.
And with an "Ah!" she remembered a past incident.
The PC bang time running out mid-whisper from White Dragon Pavilion—she hadn't heard it all.
Too lazy to recharge and reboot, she'd thought, "Eh, tomorrow."
But damn, she'd completely forgotten about it!
"Ah, you idiot... moron..."
— Chat ? — Agreement Idiot checks out — Insight Sudden self-reflection ㄷㄷ Thumping her empty little head, Min-ji pondered inwardly.
'But why's he ignoring me?', she wondered.
Of course, anyone hearing this would think, "Are you actually brain-dead?"
No reason for someone pissed to listen to their offender.
But in Lee Min-ji's world, common sense like that didn't exist.
One of her many pointless beliefs was that communication must never break down.
Lee Min-ji saw herself as a warrior drifting through the small world of online communities.
Reality: a toxic troll. But she fancied herself righteous, hence mentally ill.
The problem? Her "righteousness" twisted whimsically by situation.
Even arch-enemies mustn't ignore words.
That's shameful for a warrior—like fleeing from the foe.
Thus, Min-ji felt oddly pouty at White Dragon Pavilion ignoring her.
So while normal people would apologize and seek forgiveness—
[Saintess Nice : Dragon Pavilion?] [Saintess Nice : Answer] [Saintess Nice : Answer] [Saintess Nice : Answer] [Saintess Nice : Answer] [Saintess Nice : AnswerAnswerAnswerAnswerAnswerAnswerAnswerAnswerAnswerAnswerAnswerAnswerAnswerAnswerAnswerAnswerAnswerAnswerAnswerAnswerAnswerAnswerAnswerAnswerAnswerAnswer...] [WhiteSerpent : Aren't we solving puzzles?] [Wakjajikkel Tteodeolssok : What the hell is this...] This lunatic, far from reflecting, started demanding answers from him.
It was autumn.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "...Huh?"
This left White Dragon Pavilion even more confused.
He'd panicked at first seeing [Saintess Nice].
Wait, why's she here? Uh, um.
Normally, he'd greet warmly without awkwardness,
but [Saintess Nice is offline.]
Still, isn't this worth getting mad about? he thought.
PvP rank 1, godlike control, top perfect clear recruit—
Glamorous titles kept others at bay.
But in truth, contrary to image, he had a surprisingly fragile personality.
Streamers called him often since he was famous, skilled, and good for views.
Viewers assumed he loved attention from his guest spots.
Actually, bad at refusing + skill led to missed clarifications, birthing the misunderstanding.
[Saintess Nice : Answer] "Uh, well... um... still... kinda..."
With his old friend Saintess spamming demands, White Dragon Pavilion's brain whirred.
Honestly... not mad at her. Um...
He wasn't angry.
Just not the type to initiate like, "Hey, continue that talk from before?"
But pretending nothing happened felt... lame. He hated that.
Fragile didn't mean no competitive spirit.
Without it, no one reaches #1, talent or not.
[Saintess Nice : AnswerAnswerAnswerAnswerAnswerAnswerAnswerAnswerAnswerAnswerAnswerAnswerAnswerAnswerAnswerAnswerAnswerAnswerAnswerAnswerAnswerAnswerAnswerAnswerAnswer...] From the fuss, she'd clearly forgotten that incident.
A twinge of emptiness—but he knew she was like that, so he accepted it.
"Fine, whatever..."
She's always been that way...
Not like he befriended her unaware.
Thus, White Dragon Pavilion's magnanimity forgave Min-ji's heinous act once more.
Without such generosity, they wouldn't be friends—
Being Lee Min-ji's friend vouches for your character.
Just as he was about to actually reply to the barrage—
[Saintess Nice : If no answer in 3 seconds, I'll expose your biggest secret] [Saintess Nice : 3] [Saintess Nice : 2] [BlackTigerFist : No] [BlackTigerFist : Hell yeah] [BlackTigerFist : Hey you crazy bitch] [Saintess Nice : Nooow~] "Hey, you fucking lunatic—"
Lee Min-ji's trolling could make even the mild White Dragon Pavilion curse.
A truly remarkable discovery.