C242
I sat in the Lobby square and chatted with Kadia about various topics.
Although it seemed like I was just listening, Kadia kept talking, even about personal things I hadn't asked her.
'She's quite noisy.'
It looks like Jinho still has the game running.
What a waste of battery.
“So, where are you from?”
“From Taonier.”
“Taonier? I've never heard of that place.”
“Of course, because it doesn't exist in Ramoo or wherever you live. I come from another world. I'm only here for a while before I go back.”
Kadia's eyes widened.
I smiled slightly and said, “I'm not a companion you'll be fighting with. Remember that.”
“Oh, so...”
“There are millions of places like this here. I just started in one of them before you.”
“I don't understand. Millions of places like this?”
Kadia looked around the square, visibly confused. Well, there's not much I can do to help her.
Explaining would only confuse her more.
'Better to observe.'
I drew the Bifröst from its sheath.
Crack! As the blade touched the plaza floor, reddish sparks began to flicker violently.
[※Alert!]
[Requesting permission.]
The Bifröst is an interference core.
And Iselle has made some adjustments.
If it's a newly created account...
[Ding!]
[Master, the hero awaits your instructions.]
A holographic panel appeared to the right of my field of vision.
It was Jinho's control screen. This guy has a low level, almost no security. A basic hack was enough to break through.
I ignored Kadia, who was staring at me in shock, and sheathed the Bifröst.
“You said you received a divine revelation?”
“Oh, yes. If I want to go home, I must join forces with a companion and save Ramoo.”
“I see.”
It must be at least 4 stars.
It seems Jinho also has quite a bit of luck.
Tsk tsk. I sighed and sat on the ground. Kadia approached, insisting on knowing what I had done, but I remained silent.
It was more than two hours later when Jinho began to move.
In the game's screen, Jinho went directly to the mission tab.
Clunk.
The door connected to the Space-Time Rift opened wide.
Kadia, who had been chattering like a sparrow, looked away.
“It's the signal! I'll go and come back, sir.”
“...”
“Can't you really come?”
“I wish I could, but I can't.”
“Got it! I'll be back!”
Kadia responded energetically, fixed her clothes, and jumped into the Space-Time Rift.
The door in the center of the square closed quietly.
‘A one-person party up to the fourth floor?’
Not just a novice in games.
He doesn't use paid summons and doesn't even take advantage of the free ones.
He doesn't draw items or build facilities. He only sends the basic hero on missions.
After giving the instructions, Jinho sank back into his long slumber.
I sighed.
‘…’
I drew the Bifröst once again.
As the blade touched the ground again, red sparks leaped once more.
This time it wasn't for hacking. As the current grew stronger, I gripped the handle with both hands and drove it deep into the ground.
Crack!
[Aaaah!]
A small girl appeared in the air, spraying stardust.
Iselle fell to the plaza floor and began to convulse.
[Jo, hold on, hooold on!]
Making strange noises as she rolled around, Iselle finally stood up.
She looked at me furiously with wide eyes.
[What’s happening! I was at the best moment to sell!]
Her hair was as messy as a bird's nest.
She had a black plastic box on her waist.
Smoke was coming out of the box's slots.
[Wait a minute!]
Suddenly, Iselle opened the box's lid.
Inside was a stack of rectangular components connected by cables. I soon realized they were miniaturized graphics cards.
[Why isn't the fan working? Is it... is it broken? It can't be! Is it... broken?]
“...”
[Aaaaah! My Freedom XY-46!]
Iselle collapsed and began shaking her head.
[This bastard, how dare he break my Freedom XY-46!]
Beep.
An alarm sounded on Iselle's wristwatch, and she glared at me.
[Ah, it's time for the transaction... Just wait, if I escape from here, I won't let you off!]
“...”
[So this…]
I grabbed Iselle by the nape as she tried to escape.
“Where do you think you're going?”
Before, I only had to watch Iselle talk and disappear, but now things were different.
“It's your account, and you're showing very little interest. I came to help, and you don't even show your face.”
[I was going to come to help, that's true.]
Iselle looked at me dazedly and then closed her eyes.
[Go away.]
“Eh?”
[Go away. This place is lost. Don't you see? The master has no intention of playing. That guy has auto mode on and is playing another game.]
He's playing another game?
I looked up at the sky.
It was shining, but the control screen remained still.
[If he really intended to play, he wouldn't have even installed it. I graduated from fairy school with excellent grades, but now I have nothing but coins...]
Iselle frowned.
[Anyway, I'm busy, so don't bother me. I need to make money to escape from here. And about that Freedom XY-46 you broke, I'll come to claim compensation later. So...]
I jumped and tripped Iselle, who was trying to escape.
Iselle fell face-first onto the plaza floor.
[Aaagh!]
“I'm not done talking yet.”
[What else do you have to say?]
Iselle turned over and rubbed her reddened nose.
“If he's not playing, we should find out why.”
[Why? Does he need a reason not to play? It's simply not fun...]
“I don't think that's it.”
I smiled wryly.
Well, according to Iselle, he might have tried the tutorial and decided it wasn't to his liking.
Pick Me Up is a game that heavily depends on the player's taste. If he doesn't find it fun, there's nothing to be done. However, something doesn't add up.
“If he doesn't want to play, he could just log out and close the game.”
I had already mentioned that during a conversation with Anything.
His friends called it a cursed game, and according to them, it didn't seem fun.
If that were true, he would have logged out and deleted the game immediately after the tutorial.
‘It's a minor doubt, but still.’
It may seem trivial.
However, I have a bad feeling.
[Pah! No matter what that guy thinks, it has nothing to do with me. Money is the most important thing. I'm going to make a lot of money and start over with an elegant master like Loki. So don't look for me. Then…]
I brought the Bifröst blade close to Iselle.
Crack!
[Waah!]
The effect was immediate.
Iselle began to wriggle like a freshly caught fish.
“According to whom.”
[My Freedom XY...]
The coin mining machine Iselle was carrying was completely damaged.
Overheated, the cables and components had melted together.
“Wow, I've never seen anyone refuse help like this. This is for your own good.”
I kicked the Freedom XY-46 box.
The remains of the graphics card scattered.
[Ah, damn...!]
“Don't cheat. I'm giving you this sincere advice.”
[If it's not that... I have no other means to make money... I need to make money to bribe the boss and change Lobbies...]
Iselle hugged the broken machine and began to sob.
[The boss said he would assign me to a very competent master...]
“You were tricked, that's all.”
[Don't talk like it's none of your business! You, you! You managed to break my Freedom XY-46 Super Strike Custom! Now that this has happened, forget the mission...]
Crack!
[Aaaagh!]
It was exactly as Iselle in Taonier said.
He couldn't concentrate.
“Let's investigate the cause. You need to help me.”
[No, I...]
I partially drew my sword, and Iselle's face turned purple.
[How do you want me to help? My master level is low, I don't have much power...]
“Use this if you lack interference power.”
Shshsh.
I tossed the Bifröst at Iselle's feet.
Iselle flashed a triumphant smile.
[How foolish you are. Without this sword, you are...]
I snapped my fingers, and electrical sparks jumped from the distant Bifröst blade.
“What were you saying?”
[...nothing.]
“Check Jinho's phone usage history. If he's playing another game, find out which one it is. Also, find out what he did before installing Pick Me Up. And who he was talking to on KakaoTalk. Find all that out and report to me in an hour. Don't think about doing anything foolish.”
[Ugh, ughhh...]
Iselle put on a deathly face, carefully grabbed Bifröst, and disappeared in a cloud of stardust.
Once again, I was left alone and turned my gaze towards the plaza's main door.
It seemed that Kadia was still fulfilling the fourth-floor mission, fighting monsters without knowing the situation she was in.
‘How many Lobbies have disappeared?’
Surely millions.
Not that I'm particularly sentimental about it.
Like when I was in Korea and didn't care too much about Africa.
There are some doubtful points in Jinho's behavior.
If I can resolve those, what happens to this Lobby has nothing to do with me.
Kadia hadn't returned yet when Iselle brought the report on Jinho.
I slowly read the words on the paper.
‘The main game seems to be Hellground.’
He doesn't seem to play mobile games much.
He seemed to have little interest in Pick Me Up.
‘If you're not going to play, why did you install it?’
What a waste of data.
I turned the page to the next chapter.
There was organized the KakaoTalk conversation Jinho had a few days ago.
The name of the other participant in the one-on-one chat was...
‘Aunt.’
Aunt?
I blinked.
I decided to read from the beginning.
Aunt> Jinho, are you awake? [12:02 AM]
[12:03 AM] No. What's up?
Aunt> Your aunt has a favor to ask. Could you listen? [12:05 AM]
The KakaoTalk chat between 'Aunt' and 'Jinho' unfolded.
Starting at midnight, the conversation continued until 1:00 AM.
Aunt> It seems he doesn't listen when I tell him. Since Jinho has been friends with that kid for a long time. Could you convince him? [12:57 AM]
[12:59 AM] Alright. I'll try.
Aunt> If you succeed, I'll give you a gift. Have you heard that long coats are in fashion? Don't you want one from Nuspace? [1:00 AM]
[1:01 AM] Really? I'll try harder!
Aunt> I appreciate it. ^^ Cheer up, Jinho! [1:05 AM]
The KakaoTalk chat ended there.
‘So that's it.’
A few days ago, the aunt consulted Jinho.
The topic was about Anything.
Anything, obsessed with the game, was neglecting reality.
‘…It's a valid concern.’
From a parent's point of view.
For Jinho, the aunt.
For Anything, it was the mother.
It seems he spends all day playing.
It seems he doesn't sleep well and suffers going to work.
If you look in the kitchen cabinet, there are only ramen boxes.
She worries because games are taking too much time from him.
Sometimes he skips the nightly greetings he used to do every day.
The aunt also told Jinho more than ten different concerns.
And in the end, she assigned the task with an assault of gifts.
‘Anything…’
She wants him to quit the game.
“How interesting.”
So, is this guy a 'killer'?
Sent to get Anything out of the game Pick Me Up.
‘Planning to interfere?’
I crumpled the report and threw it away.
According to whom.
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