Translator: Wan ED/PR: Solarin
53. Second attempt (8)
Up till now the level of dimension understanding had raised four times.
First time, when I communicated with the Transcendent Universe not long after coming to this world.
Second time, when witnessing the 12 Zodiac Alliance’s meeting.
Third time, on Teacher’s Day, when I heard about the principle of otherworld domination through the superpower wave link from Geun Chansol and Wang Chansol.
Fourth time, when I learned that Sinin and Cheong-ho are currently humans and use the names Gong Cheong-hwon and Han Yi.
In all of those four cases, the level of the ‘Suitable Other Dimension Future Modification Exclusive Menu’ level had raised.
‘Now it’s not the Exclusive Menu, but the Replay’s phase that raised. Is it because I found a clue related to Replay?’
Each time the menu’s level raised, a new function opened.
If so, wouldn’t something change on the Replay’s side?
Finishing that thought, I called the menu straight away, to check the Replay function.
[Replay]
Future recorded in a different dimension in a form of a game, reenacts the record through the dream. (Phase 2)
Besides the phase raising, there was no addition to the description.
I discovered the difference from last time when I used Replay and opened the list.
‘Characters had numbers attached behind their names. The number seems to be attached to the Playable Characters and NPCs, who appeared in the events, which prompted the Replay question.’
Among the character list distributed like a chess board, there were characters marked with numbers.
Most numbers were three digits.
But among them, there were the rare single digits.
‘Jegal Jaegeol has a single digit, and Yong Jegeon had three digits like most of the Playable Characters. What is the difference?’
When I thought about the option called ‘Replay’ and the connection between the two, the answer immediately came out.
‘No way, this… Isn’t it the number I Replayed the event, when the question of whether to Replay or not came out?!’
In the case of Jegal Jaegeol, there was nothing I could do in the event promoting Replay.
This event occurred in the central library’s basement stockroom, and although the ending was different, it was an incident that occurred both in PMH and this world.
It was the case when the students of the School Editorial Magazine Club couldn’t resist Choe Pyeondeuk’s followers’ temptation and cheated on the mid-term exams, and had ‘Stains of Guilt’ planted in them.
Choe Pyeondeuk’s followers took the School Editorial Magazine Club’s students hostage and threatened Jegal Jaegeol to take their curse.
Jegal Jaegeol accepted it straight away.
‘There was nothing I could do.’
All the Player could do was to move Jegal Jaegeol.
But Jegal Jaegeol did nothing but walk forward to receive the curse on behalf of the students.
Even if I tapped the screen to move in a different direction there would be zero response, and usage of Gwangrim or skills was impossible.
Because fans of Jegal Jaegeol couldn’t stand to see teacher-nim die, most of them forcibly quit here and uninstalled the game.
If one embraced the vain hope and kept watching that scene, they would end up watching Jegal Jaegeol being engulfed by the curse in front of their eyes.
Just after that, a message window asking ‘Will you Replay?’ would pop out.
‘I thought there was some way, but after trying a few times, I thought it was a forced event because no command was effective. So I replayed just a few times…’
On the other hand, Yong Jegeon had some room.
At the time of the concrete collapse incident, Yong Jegeon could move somehow freely besides the ‘Teacher contract’ limitations.
After dozens of attempts, I brought him to the outskirts of Eungwang School, but Yong Jegeon refused to escape, saying he hated to leave right now.
‘Then I thought that if not an escape, I have to endure or find the answer inside. Unlike with Jegal Jaegeol, I could move, and although there was constraint, I could use skills and Gwangrim, so I believed there was a chance and replayed through the end of the year.’
The Replay numbers were different, but in the end I couldn’t save both of them.
When I blankly looked at the number written behind Jegal Jaegeol and Yong Jegeon, a cup of red tea was suddenly thrust in front of my eyes.
Hwang Jiho warmed and served red yeast rice tea in front of me and Kim Sinrok.
“Jo Uisin, your complexion became bad, eh? Are you under that Replay’s influence? But your state wasn’t bad when Kim Sinrok woke up and until we finished talking.”
At Hwang Jiho’s words, tigers’ gazes poured from Kim Sinrok to me.
“What is it? Speak.”
Not everything about the Replay was explained yet, but anyways, it rose from phase 1 to phase 2.
When selecting particular characters in the Replay, the notice ‘Cannot be selected at the current phase’ would appear.
Those words could also be interpreted as if the phase raises, I’ll be able to select them.
“The Replay’s phase raised. The possible usage targets probably increased.”
“… Is that so, eh?”
I didn’t know if it was possible to use it on Hwang Jiho, but I would be able to use it on someone.
I tried to test it right away, but Hwang Jiho threatened:
“Don’t think of testing it right now. You’re banned from using of it for at least a few days. It’s not like you can recognize mental damage right away.”
When using Replay, I was secondary, but the other party was influenced.
I had no problem with using it on the bastards like Son Mingi, but I need to get the other party’s approval.
As I thought of preparing, like when using it on Kim Sinrok if possible, I needed to kept receiving help from the Ho tribe.
I didn’t really feel like resting for a few days, but I decided to follow the words of the helper and dropped a tail[1].
“You’re unwilling, but are planning to follow, eh? You thought well.”
Woof woof!
The geezer using a tone as if he looked into my head was particular, but thanks to the kind Snare praising me, my mood got better.
After it, we had a tea party for a while.
I relaxed while stroking Snare, Jeok-ho nagged Kim Sinrok, while Hwang Jiho kept adding a few words from the side.
When the bottom of the tea cup showed and there were not even a few red grapes left, Hwang Jiho spoke:
“Then I’ll tell you about the Long Tail’s clue.”
Hwang Jiho unfolded two holograms in front of himself.
One was the report organizing the results of the Woo tribe investigation, and the other was of the Sa tribe[2].
‘… Both are strange.’
Woo tribe contacted a person in high position in the Player’s Association’s Korean Branch.
On the other hand, the Sa tribe was attempting to have a secret meeting with the TC Group and Namkung Group.
In the report, it was clearly stated that the Woo tribe and Sa tribe showed no such movements ‘for the last 20 years’.
‘But I can’t determine who is a traitor or not with just that.’
It seemed that Hwang Jiho had the same opinion as me.
“It’s annoying as both are taking action they didn’t take before, eh? We can’t draw a conclusion, but I judged it would be better to inform you.”
According to the future scenario, there would be incidents involving the Association, and the Four Groups.
It seemed we still needed to keep observing both sides, the Woo tribe and the Sa tribe.
* * *
My dormitory room.
After eating dinner at Hwang Myeong-ho’s great mansion, I stayed until late and then came back.
I wanted to go back straight away after finishing the meal, but exhausted from the exam stress, Eun Saeho and Eun Niho, and Eun Jaeho who was sad because his hyung and noona were busy, asked to play, I couldn’t just refuse and go.
While playing a game, the children dozed off and finally fell asleep.
— It’s late, so do you have a reason to trouble yourself going to the dormitory?
As I put Eun-ho’s descendants to sleep in their rooms, Hwang Jiho asked.
Looking at Snare, who cried softly ‘Keung….’, while holding onto me, my heart was shaken.
But even so, I decided to go back.
‘I should go out to be alone if I’m going to organize my thoughts.’
In my days as a chess player, there were many times when I acted on edge towards my family, because I was always mentally sensitive when coming up with a next move.
Moreover, once you get use to having someone around, it becomes difficult to be alone.
So I wanted to decrease the time I stayed at the tiger mansion if possible.
— I’m going.
— … I understand. Go back for just today.
The word ‘today’ was a bit bothering, but anyhow, I returned to the dormitory without any particular problem.
‘Ah, thinking about it, it seemed that Kim Sinrok had something to say to me.’
Because Jeok-ho thoroughly interrupted the conversation between me and Kim Sinrok, I wasn’t able to hear what he wanted to say.
But whether I heard it or not, the content probably was a request about using Replay again.
Ding.
Just when I was about to sleep, I saw a message arrive at the device.
[Tao Sihu] What’s sup? ㅎㅎ
What sound is that bastard suddenly making in the middle of the night?
As Jang Namuk was nagging though a long message today too, it didn’t seem like there was some problem with Jang Namuk.
‘It doesn’t look like an urgent matter.’
I checked Tao Sihu’s message, and decided to read other messages before replying.
Besides the message that arrived a moment ago, there were still several unread messages pilled up.
‘Almost all of them came from the people related to the Student Representative Meeting, huh?’
Hope of Yeom Junyeol, who hadn’t officially took office yet, but started work as the Student Council president.
Greetings from the Earthly Wings Council president Seong Siwan to take good care of Gye Idam in the future.
Greetings from the Guideline Club’s president Oh Hyeji and the next Guideline Club’s president Cheon Dongha, and an indirect offer to briefly introduce me to how Guideline Club works.
When I replied to the messages of all the seniors, a new message notification arrived.
[Lee Lena] Uisin-ah, can you text now?
The moment I checked the name, I sent a reply straight away.
[Me] Ye, I’m fine.
[Lee Lena] So, I… I want to talk with Seeum tomorrow, can you do it with me?
[Lee Lena] I also asked senior Kwon Jane-nim, but I think Seeum will be uncomfortable with senior Kwon Jane-nim, so…
It seemed that Kwon Lena planned to talk about the Fantasy Auction with Sawol Seeum tomorrow.
My Playable Character asked for help, so I naturally have to go.
Even if she called me out during class time I planned to go.
[Me] At what hour and where you want to go tomorrow?
[Lee Lena] I plan to skip classes and go to school in the afternoon.
Kwon Lena sent a plain message, but I guessed how much deep thought and courage it took.
I confirmed the time and location Kwon Lena sent through a message and closed the message window.
‘But [Lee Lena]… When will I be able to correct it to Kwon Lena?’
I hope the day to change the name registered in the device address book to ‘Kwon Lena’ would come quickly.
As this matter was deeply intertwined with Kwon Jane and Kwon Lena’s family history, there was a limit to how much I could help, so I felt sorry.
Instead, I decided to concentrate on the matters I could do.
‘… Then should I simulate what could happen tomorrow?’
I have no plans of forcing Sawol Seeum and Kwon Lena to reconcile.
But I at least planned to leave no misunderstandings between the two.
While I chewed what I should say and what action to take, a new message arrived once again.
This time the message which arrived was also sent by my Playable Character.
[Seong Gukeon] Junior-ah.
It was 1 on 1 message.
Even while Seong Guekeon was busy, he would sometimes talk to me and Seong Siwan, and he always used the group chat.
‘There would be a reason why Seong Gukeon spoke up to me, avoiding the group chat with Seong Siwan… No way, did he find it?!’
There was a time when Seong Gukeon spoke up through 1 on 1 messages instead of the group chat before.
At that time Seong Gukeon mentioned ‘Death of Imoogi’.
[Seong Gukeon] I found the current whereabouts of ‘Death of Imoogi’.
The expected topic came out.
The Death of Imoogi, which was sold overseas thanks to the excommunicated students of Hong Gyeongbok and middlemen.
It seemed he at last uncovered its location.
*~*~*
[1] dropped a tail — idiom to put on a subservient attitude. (Why is it so funny.)
[2] Woo tribe, Sa tribe — ‘Woo’ for cow, ‘Sa’ for snake.
Translator’s note: *shakes Jo Uisin with all their might* NOOO! Speak to people when they seem like they want to say something!!
Also.
Memorial: I wish for all to remember that this chapter was published a day before raws chapter 1300, as this is the day I had the most vivid experience of relativity of time
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