Chapter 152 - Victor's Concerns
Victor wanted to talk to his family.
He wanted to tell them without reservation how much he had suffered and how many atrocities he had witnessed during his year in EI.
But now he couldn't.
"Sophia, did you hear that I became the number 1 in the area ranking this time again?"
"He's so proud. He also has the Guardian profession, a rare profession."
His sister, who feared that she might be defeated in the round, was living better than he thought.
"No, he's not living well, he's literally living the best life!"
That was Sophia's claim, who was doing what Victor couldn't, being the number 1 in the area.
"It must not be a lie. Sophia has always hated lies."
Seeing that she was doing well despite the concerns, a sense of disappointment and relief invaded him at the same time.
Suddenly, as he raised his head, he noticed that his parents' expressions brightened.
How could they not be happy that their daughter was succeeding in another world?
'How can I tell them that I suffered so much being captured by EI?'
He couldn't say it because he felt it would ruin the joy of the reunion.
But his parents asked him right at that moment.
"Victor, what happened to you during this time? Why was there no contact for a year?"
"Ah, yes... that, that's..."
Victor, hesitating between telling a sad story or not, finally made a decision.
Better not to ruin the atmosphere by talking about sad things.
"Oh, I went on a trip abroad."
"What? A trip?"
The parents, surprised by an answer they didn't expect at all, exclaimed.
"Is that really true? I thought you were kidnapped by EI and died!"
"Haha... EI? In these times?...."
"So, did you really go on a trip so cheerfully?"
"And the contact? Why didn't you call at all?"
"I lost my phone..."
"Even if you lost your phone, how can you not call? We were worried!"
Victor bowed his head deeply.
"I'm sorry. I thought about continuing with my medical career and had many concerns. My mind was complicated, and I wanted to leave. Sometimes, you just want to leave everything behind and go, right?"
Seeing his parents' worried faces, he understood his mistake.
"... Depression, or something like that?"
"Yes... my heart was a bit restless. It wasn't adolescence, and it's strange to feel this at the end of your twenties."
"So, you went on a trip everywhere for that?"
"Yes. I just went wherever my feet took me. Then, when I ran out of money, I got a job and started working. When I accumulated money, I went on a trip again..."
Once he started lying, the lies came easily.
At first, his parents were surprised, but as his explanations lengthened, they seemed more convincing, and his parents began to understand.
"Yes, it's good that you came like this. Now, have you calmed down a bit?"
"Yes. Now I won't leave here. Even if I do this or that, our home will always be the best."
"Now that you know, it's okay."
"Sophia is also thriving as a player, so you should also strive as a player."
Hoping that his family would worry a little less, it was a white lie.
"Yes, I will."
It was Victor who responded with a bittersweet feeling.
"But, where is Sophia?"
"She said she was going to shoot because she received an advertising offer."
"Ah... understood?"
"Imagine how happy she will be to know that her brother has returned. Haha."
Seeing his parents smile with satisfaction, Victor felt that his decision had been correct.
"I'll take a look at my room after so long."
"Yes, go ahead."
Closing the door to his room after a year, Victor sighed in relief.
"Everything went well. Didn't I live as hard as my sister and family were worried?"
Before he died, his wish had been to see his family just once, and now it had come true.
There was no regret left in his heart.
In fact, everything had turned out better.
He could leave without a trace of regret.
"I'm tired of survival games and all that. Now I want to rest a bit."
It seemed better to spend time with his family and finish life rather than desperately fighting to survive.
After all, during the year he was kidnapped, Victor's heart was much weaker and more shattered than it seemed.
"Son, I prepared food because you must be hungry. Eat."
"Yes."
While enjoying a meal he hadn't tasted in a long time, Victor shared untold stories with his family.
And when night came.
Victor was able to reunite with his sister, who arrived late.
"Oh, brother!"
"Sophia."
They hugged, and tears welled up in their eyes.
Although strange, they were siblings who hardly argued.
"Where were you, brother? I looked for you so much!"
"Ahaha, well, that's..."
Victor, sweating nervously, also told another white lie.
Of course, the expected response was his sister's scolding.
"Who goes on a trip without leaving a single message? We were so worried, thought you were dead, especially with all the drastic changes that happened!"
"Stop complaining. You and our parents, everyone says the same."
"Of course, we worried! We thought you died without a hitch, especially with all the chaotic events that happened!"
"I thought you died without a hitch. Did you really expect to survive until the ninth round...?"
"Didn't you hear what I said? I won from the first round. Oh, of course, I'm the first in the ranking of that specific area. Brother, are you also a player, right? Black Scythe."
"Uh, umm..."
He knew, right?
He had talked to Black Scythe, had been saved by him, and had seen his terrifying power with his own eyes.
He was much closer to Black Scythe, whom he knew by name, than to his sister, whom he only knew by name.
"Speaking of that player called Black Scythe, don't you think he's incredible? His level is extraordinarily high."
"Y-yes, of course."
"It seems he's a Korean player, did you go there on your trip? Or was it too far to go?"
"Korea... Black Scythe is a Korean player?"
"Yes, didn't you know? It's already confirmed in the news... he's active as the commander of the unit that captures criminal players, known as CPF, in Korea."
"A-ah, I see."
He didn't know.
He had lived in an environment where he couldn't even see a phone for a year.
"Was he also involved in eradicating criminals in Korea? What else haven't I known?"
Black Scythe's progress in his efforts to eliminate crime in his own country sparked renewed admiration.
"But how have you survived until now, brother? What is your profession?"
"Me? I'm an alchemist."
"An alchemist? Does that profession really exist?"
"I wonder the same. And what does a Guardian do?"
As they questioned things they were unaware of each other, time quickly passed. The shared connection as players made the already close relationship between the brothers deeper.
So a happy moment passed until the clock struck midnight.
Victor lay on the bed, deep in thought about his future moves.
"After talking, it seems Sophia has nothing to worry about. She's handling it well on her own."
His sister was being treated well both in reality and the other world.
"Ricky's parents also decided to take responsibility and look for him. The other kids are safe too. The EI monsters that tormented me were eradicated by Black Scythe."
Everything was in place, with no more worries.
"But why do I feel this emptiness in my heart?"
Was it due to the difficult experiences under the EI? Or was it because he helplessly watched the atrocities of beasts for so long that his soul wore thin?
With a vacant gaze and stunned eyes, Victor fell into deep thoughts.
He couldn't even hear the sound of knocks on the window next to his head.
Tap, tap, tap...
"Hmm?"
Finally, noticing the sound late, Victor looked towards the window and was surprised.
"B-Black Scythe?"
As he stepped out in response to his gesture, he met the figure of Black Scythe standing outside.
"Oh, hello. What brings you to our house...? Oh, maybe you need potions or something?"
While trying to rummage in his inventory, Black Scythe shook his head while still wearing his mask.
"No, it's not that. I came to tell you something."
"Something to say? It's not about the EI, is it...?"
"Don't worry about the EI. It's already under control. Tomorrow, through the news, you'll hear good news about it."
"Oh, that's a relief. So, what is it that you want to say...?"
"Victor Jafaile."
Black Scythe's voice turned serious.
"Keep fighting. Don't give up."
"What? Didn't I hear you right?"
"Don't give up on life."
"..."
"I agree. You may have suffered a lot under the EI. But..."
Ryu Min looked up as he examined the house.
"Don't you have a family to protect to the death?"
"Why are you suddenly talking about this? But my family is fine. My sister and the others are living well even without me. My goal was fulfilled, and there are no more regrets..."
"Too much arrogance."
"Excuse me?"
"Fulfilling a goal? Do you think life is a simple game that ends when you complete a mission?"
"..."
"Life continues until death. Until you die, the game called life doesn't end. Even the survival game we're playing now is like that."
"…….”
"By reaching round 20, whether by completing the strategy or dying before, you have to move on to one of the two options. But, do you think you've fulfilled the small purpose of meeting your family and it's all over? No more regrets? How can you belittle life that way unless it's an act of arrogance?"
Victor only heard stormy words without saying a word.
He wasn't completely wrong.
"Don't give up on life. If you give up on the survival game, what will happen to the family you have left?"
"Well, maybe they won't live as well as they do now..."
"Do you really think your family lived without problems while you were away, Victor? A son they don't know if he's alive or dead, waiting eagerly in front of the front door, haven't they faced that?"
"..."
"The reason your family could endure it was because of hope and faith that Victor would return. If you die in the next round, what about that hope? And your family? Can they live normally?"
"..."
Ryu Min decided to drive the nail while thinking about how to end the conversation.
"Victor, you just want to rest, don't you? After a year of suffering, now you just want to rest in death."
The impact of a hammer hitting his head resonated in Victor's bones.
"I understand. But that's not the way to take care of your family. It's rather the opposite. It's also a selfish decision, only for your own well-being."
"..."
"I hope you endure until the end. Until round 20. For your sister, Sophia. I know she's a famous classifier in Nigeria. But do you really think she can survive until round 20, Victor, even without you?"
Victor's heart seemed to tremble like the wind.
Ryu Min thought persuasion was almost complete and concluded.
"Protect Sophia. An alchemist is the only class specialized in the support world. If you're with her, she won't be eliminated before round 20. Of course, I'll also help with the strategy when possible. It's fate, after all. So please, stay alive."
"Thank you for your words, but can someone like me really protect his sister...?"
"You can protect her enough. I'll show you the proof."
Ryu Min took an object from his inventory.
Victor was surprised to see the information on the object.
It was a legendary potion that resurrected people, the Potion of Life.
"It's an item I obtained by chance. If you use it, you can revive even a dead player. It's a way of saying that you can take care of Sophia by her side."
"C-can an alchemist make a potion like this?"
"That's right. Why couldn't an alchemist make any potion? However, keep in mind that, according to usage restrictions, only Masters or higher can use the potion. That means you have to reach at least level 60 to qualify for potion-making."
"Ah..."
It was as Black Scythe said.
When he reached level 60, perhaps he could make the Potion of Life.
Then, even if Sophia died in an unexpected situation, he could protect her.
"If you want to protect Sophia from death, level her up to 60. If you don't have a goal, just find a new one. 'I won't give up like an old man who has mastered life.'"
When Victor saw Ryu Min's gaze, he felt an energy he had never experienced before.
As he observed the potion, a new goal arose.
"Thank you for your words. My mind was confused and complicated, but now I feel everything is clearer. Only Black Scythe has spoken to me in this way. Really, thank you very much."
"I'm glad I could help."
"But how do you know my feelings so well?"
"I have a certain gift for understanding people. Could it be called perception?"
Perception.
It wasn't something that could be summed up with such a simple word.
It was like finding light in the darkness.
It was like being pulled out of a swamp where you struggled.
"Really, Black Scythe is an amazing person. I would almost say he's the incarnation of God who has descended to this world."
"That's all I wanted to say. I came here to express that. It's regrettable that someone who rescued me disappears without enthusiasm."
"I'm sorry... for my pitiful appearance. But now, don't worry. I have a new goal, so I won't have futile thoughts."
"That's good. I can trust that."
Ryu Min, confirming that Victor's heart had completely changed, smiled slightly behind his mask.
"Before I go, let me give you one last piece of advice. With your loved ones, be honest and share everything without hiding anything. That will resolve awkward situations."
Victor's eyes widened even more.
"Can you even see what I haven't told my family? How...?"
At that moment.
"Brother!"
Sophia suddenly appeared holding a sword and shield.
"Who were you talking to at this early hour?"
"Oh, this person is... huh?"
Victor turned his head, but Black Scythe was already gone.
"Brother, who is he? You were talking to some suspicious person wearing a cloak."
"Oh, he's... Black Scythe?"
"What?"
Looking surprised at Sophia, Victor made a decision.
To heed Black Scythe's advice.