Chapter 37: Deep Web
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 37: Deep Web
[You have earned the title: 'Legend of Soloing'. All stats increase by 5% during solo play.]
In his previous life, he had experienced the end as a lingering soul watching his own corpse, but this time, his physical body remained perfectly intact.
Naturally, his hands moved with frantic speed as he absorbed vitality and rummaged through the supply boxes. He tried to grab several items and shove them into his Subspace, but it refused to open.
[The game has ended. Farming is no longer permitted. Item indexing is complete.]
At those words, Seo-un slumped to the ground.
[Ding! You have obtained 240 Reward Coins.]
[You achieved the most kills in this game. Kill Bonus! An additional 100 coins have been awarded.]
[You have placed in the Top 5 for two consecutive games. An additional 15 coins have been awarded.]
'355 coins?!'
His jaw dropped at the staggering gap between first and second place. Even excluding the kill bonus, the reward for first place was double that of second.
'Is it really okay for the gap to be this large? Well... I suppose it is.'
Reaching first place wasn't something that could be guaranteed by skill alone. Luck was just as crucial as one's playstyle.
[Summoning Item List.]
[Martial Arts Manuals: Seven Star Blade Technique (50 Coins), Seven Star Spiritual Art (50 Coins), Seven Star Steps (50 Coins), Fragmented Secret Manual (60 Coins), Cloud Soaring Step (50 Coins)]
[Magic Books: Ice Lance (40 Coins), Wind Blade Grimoire (40 Coins), Flame Bird (55 Coins), Lightning Chain (55 Coins)]
[Skill Books: Rush (5 Coins), Rapid Fire (15 Coins), Wheel (10 Coins), Endure (10 Coins), Arrow Enhancement (5 Coins)]
[Accessories: Cursed Brooch (5 Coins), Askro's Necklace (1 Coin), Toka's Ring (60 Coins)]
[Miscellaneous: Throwing Dagger (1 Coin), Broken Cloak of Stealth (1 Coin), Lightning-Struck Cottonwood Bow (15 Coins), Subspace Quiver (15 Coins), Power Glove (15 Coins), Mana Explosion Scroll (5 Coins), Awakening Potion (10 Coins), Shield Scroll (5 Coins), Philosopher's Stone (50 Coins), Artisan's Black Iron Blade (30 Coins), Unsim Pill (20 Coins), Tear of Lamia (1 Coin), Cloak of Stealth (70 Coins), Jeokgong Pill (90 Coins), 3rd Circle Stone (25 Coins), 4th Circle Stone (50 Coins), Dakan's Chainsword (30 Coins), Plasma Orb (10 Coins), Troll Leather Vest (15 Coins), Flame Orb (20 Coins), Golden Weapon Box (150 Coins), Self-Willed Hamit (100 Coins), Air Board (30 Coins), Beef Jerky (1 Coin)]
Seo-un shook his head as he scanned the extensive list. There were many minor items, and while some were decent, many were useless to him.
'More importantly... they're expensive!'
-My Lord. I pray you do not commit the folly of failing to choose me.-
Seo-un tilted his head at Hamit’s voice, which had been quiet until now.
"I don't know. 100 coins seems like a bit of a luxury considering your performance."
As he joked with Hamit, he felt the weapon wrapped around his hand tremble.
-My celestial Master! A mere 100 coins for my worth is a stroke of divine luck!-
Sensing Hamit was suppressing his anger, Seo-un decided to tease him further.
"I don't know. I'm thinking it might be better to spend 50 more coins and try my luck with the Golden Weapon Box again."
-You—you heartless Master! Do you have no affection for me after all we've been through?! To hell with—!-
"One more word and I'm definitely not picking you."
-Ah, my Lord. Your grace is immeasurable.-
Once they finished their banter, the system notification Seo-un had been waiting for finally rang out.
[Ding-ding-ding! A draw ticket is awarded to the final five survivors.]
[You may spin the wheel three times.]
Seo-un took a deep breath as the wheel appeared.
"Whew."
As if sensing his tension, Hamit also waited in silence.
[Spinning... Ding! You have obtained Askro's Necklace. Congratulations.]
"Ah..."
A dizzying sense of déjà vu washed over him, and the strength drained from his limbs.
"Whew."
Taking another deep breath, he repeatedly clenched and unclenched his trembling fists before spinning the wheel again.
[Spinning... Ding! You have obtained Self-Willed Hamit. Congratulations.]
"Yes!"
-Yes!-
The draw was already a success just by obtaining a 100-coin essential item for free.
"But I still have one more chance left."
[Spinning... Ding! You have obtained a Fragmented Secret Manual. Congratulations.]
"Oh..."
His expression became complicated.
The Fragmented Secret Manual was an item he had planned to ignore because it was too expensive for its utility. Since he couldn't use it immediately, he had no intention of spending 60 coins on it. Even though he got it for free, his reaction was lukewarm.
'Well... I got Hamit... and it's free, so it's not bad.'
He tried to console himself, though he couldn't help but look longingly at Toka's Ring, the Cloak of Stealth, and the Jeokgong Pill as they disappeared with the list.
"I had 4 coins left from last time, so that's a total of 359 coins..."
Seo-un hesitated for a moment before reaching for a Circle Stone to boost his magic resistance.
He had to. Even if he took the 4th Circle Stone now, if a 5th Circle Stone appeared next time, he would be forced to choose it again. That would make this purchase feel like a waste.
'But I can't just not take it... What should I do?'
After some deliberation, Seo-un finally selected the Circle Stone and Ice Lance.
Those two items alone cost 90 coins. Furthermore, he couldn't possibly leave the Jeokgong Pill behind.
In an instant, 180 coins vanished as he picked three items.
After thinking it over, Seo-un chose one Toka's Ring and the Cloak of Stealth.
The Cloak of Stealth had poor durability, making the 70-coin price tag a bit burdensome. He considered taking a second Toka's Ring instead, but given the cloak's utility, he couldn't pass it up.
'It's not an item that drops very often, anyway.'
He had 49 coins remaining, but Seo-un ended his selection there to save them for the next round.
[You have selected: 4th Circle Stone, Ice Lance, Jeokgong Pill, Toka's Ring, and Cloak of Stealth.]
[You have spent a total of 310 coins. Remaining coins will accumulate. Would you like to finish your selection?]
The moment he pressed the 'O' button, his vision was filled with a light so bright he couldn't see an inch in front of him.
[Well done. Good luck in the next game. You may retrieve your acquired items from your Subspace.]
Simultaneously, the familiar sight of his cramped studio apartment came into view.
As soon as he confirmed he was wearing Cameron's Necklace and that his torn clothes had been restored, Seo-un opened his Subspace and pulled out the Jeokgong Pill and the 4th Circle Stone.
He felt perfectly fine, with no trace of fatigue. He immediately popped the Jeokgong Pill into his mouth.
As he began to absorb the pill's burning energy in a meditative posture, heat began to fill the room.
He couldn't tell how much time had passed, but upon opening his eyes, Seo-un proceeded to use the Circle Stone.
"Ugh!"
As expected, the tightening of his heart, the headache, and the nausea that accompanied using a Circle Stone hadn't improved in the slightest. His entire body became drenched in sweat as he rolled across the floor, struggling to breathe.
After a long period of endurance, he finally spoke.
"My Info."
[Name: Jin Seo-un]
Race: Human
Trait: Demonic Human (Mage)
Strength: 55
Stamina: 40
Agility: 40
Tenacity: 63
Magic Resistance: 20
[Trait Stat - Internal Energy: 360]
[Trait Stat - Mana: 60]
Seo-un’s lips curled into a smile at the sight of his satisfying stats.
Through this second round of play, he had grown exponentially. Seeing his growth reflected in stats back on Earth made it all feel real, filling him with an indescribable sense of achievement.
He opened his Subspace and put on Toka's Ring, causing his magic resistance to jump from 20 to 60.
Next, he pulled out Hamit.
-You heartless Master! What on earth were you doing that you're only taking me out now?!-
"I was thinking about not taking you out at all, but I changed my mind."
-What?!-
Watching the squishy Hamit throw a tantrum, Seo-un pulled his phone from his pocket.
"Seri."
-Did you call?-
Hamit flinched as the AI responded in a soft voice.
"I'm hungry."
-I can help with that. Here is a list of nearby restaurants available for delivery.-
"See that? What can you do for me when I'm hungry?"
-I—I am a weapon.-
"Exactly. You're a weapon, so there's absolutely nothing you can do, right?"
Hamit could only tremble, unable to find a retort.
"But here's the problem. In the world I live in, it's hard to carry weapons around. Even a common sword requires a permit. What should I do with you?"
-I—I can wrap around your hand like before...-
As he spoke, Hamit quickly transformed.
"No. Hardly anyone walks around like that. People will think it's weird."
-Th—then... I can turn into a cool cloak. It is a disgrace for a weapon like me to become a cloak, but since it seems my Master likes them...-
Hamit quickly transformed into an ornate cloak.
"No. In the world I live in, no one walks around wearing a cloak like this."
Hamit grew increasingly desperate at Seo-un’s firm rejection.
-Then! How about this?!-
This time, Hamit transformed into a simple necklace and spoke.
-Is this not much sleeker than the one you are currently wearing?-
Seeing Hamit point specifically at the overly designed Cameron's Necklace, Seo-un stopped teasing and nodded.
He figured he had made the weapon sufficiently submissive. He even considered that if Hamit acted up again, he could just replace him with a service provider's AI.
"Well then... shall we eat first?"
After confidently ordering delivery through Seri, he turned on his old laptop. Hamit began asking questions about everything, seemingly intrigued.
Seo-un gave half-hearted answers and focused on his search.
Deep Web.
The words Kang Gi-chan had said while being overwhelmed kept echoing in his mind. Because they were both Korean, it stuck with him even more.
"An internet space that doesn't show up on normal search engines..."
From his search results, he learned that the Deep Web was a hidden virtual space accessible only through special browsers. Due to its nature of constantly rerouting IPs to leave no trace, it was mostly used for illegal transactions and sharing.
"They mostly trade drugs, weapons, and hacking data? Is this for real...?"
The idea of trading drugs or weapons online didn't feel very real to Seo-un, a Korean.
"It says I need a special browser... Where and how do I get one?"
He continued searching deeply, moving from the major Korean portals to global search engines, until his food arrived.
After paying and setting the food down on a small table, Seo-un began to eat.
-The world my Master lives in is truly convenient. You say a few words and move your fingers a few times, and food is brought to you. Looking at this house, you don't seem particularly wealthy, yet you live like a noble.-
"Why? Do you hate having a poor Master?"
-Well, looking at my Master's abilities, I think you will become wealthy soon enough.-
Seo-un let out a short laugh and began inhaling his jajangmyeon.
After finishing his meal, he moved to YouTube and searched for terms like 'superhuman.' No matter how much he searched, he couldn't find the video he had seen before.
However, after watching a YouTube video explaining the Deep Web, he managed to find a link for a browser to access it.
Below the link, the uploader had written a warning.
-I advise you not to access this out of mere curiosity.-