Translator: Wan ED/PR: Personal Ghost
[1]
Player’s Association, Korean Branch.
Regulation Enforcement Department Office.
Association’s Players received a report about the approximate outbreak time and location of the ‘Otherworld without warning phenomena’ beforehand.
They worked even on the weekend to stare at the holograms.
The person who had confirmed the information about this and had a neat appearance, which made it unbelievable he was overworking for the past couple of days, Hong Gyubin asked:
“Senior-nim. How are the results of the observation of the ‘Otherworld without warning phenomena’?”
The Satellite Management Team mobilized all their possible resources with the intention of observing the otherworld.
But the Satellite Management Team’s leader, Im Jihwa, shook her head after she read all the reports she received from her team members.
“It’s a failure. We couldn’t find anything.”
“Ah…”
“I thought at least one person would succeed.”
“I want to cry.”
“When will we be able to leave work?”
Everywhere sounds of sighs came out.
Im Jihwa rolled up the sleeves of her underblouse, while asking:
“Anything about the ‘Supernatural Poison’ the Ho tribe’s head tipped us about? Was it observed?”
“None. Even all the resources we pulled out from ‘that project’ were useless. The satellite couldn’t catch it at all.”
In the middle of the screen, a digitized flow of observable power on the Cymopoleia unfolded.
Every employee stared at the screen with anxious expressions, but they weren’t able to find a number expressing Supernatural Poison.
They saw no difference even after the Supernatural Poison disappeared thanks to Crow Mask using a SSR+++ rank item.
“Otherworld without warning phenomena, Supernatural Poison, and in addition, even the Don tribe’s head… It’s completely hopeless.”
“It’s shocking that Zhu Bajie betrayed humanity.”
“He was a complete cancer even in the Journey to the West, you know? He is showing his true colors.”
“He was exactly the same even when he lost his position as Heavenly Navy Admiral. Didn’t that pig rape the Moon Palace’s Heng’e-nim at the Peach of Immortality Competition hosted by Queen Mother of the West-nim[2]?”
The team members cursed Zhu Ganglie with angry voices.
Amidst the team members dropping down out of exhaustion, Im Jihwa quietly asked Hong Gyubin.
“That Crow Mask who smashed the Don tribe’s head… Is he a Jin? If not, a descendant?”
“Informant’s identity cannot be revealed.”
“Uuuum, I’m curious. It can’t be helped, right?”
Even within the Association, people aware that the Crow Mask was Unknown Supernova Jo Uisin were three.
Hong Gyubin and his subordinates, manager Yun and employee Jeong.
According to Hong Gyubin’s instinct, it seemed that something bad would happen if many people knew Jo Uisin’s identity.
‘It’s not that Foresight skill activated, but I just have such a feeling.’
Hong Gyubin thoroughly managed the information provided by Jo Uisin.
Recently, the PR team 2’s leader, who regarded Hong Gyubin as a thorn in an eye, was paying much more attention to him as if he was digging around.
‘Anyhow, Uisin, how do you instead know where and how to move?’
This world was facing a new threat, but countermeasures against that were also prepared.
‘The Ho tribe and To tribe proposal of technological partnership is also probably related to Uisin, right?’
But thanks to that, his overwork didn’t end.
“Then let’s decide our next course of action.”
Hong Gyubin faced the hologram screen again.
***
Inside of Hwang Myeong-ho’s mansion.
Hwang Jiho was waiting for me with a none too happy expression.
It was Hwang Jiho, who didn’t even greet me, who quickly came after he called me.
‘Are you angry because I carried out an operation with a high risk of failure without a word?’
Even so, it was an operation with much greater returns compared to risks.
It would be good to think of an excuse as we move to the living room.
‘Before that, I have to greet our Snare.’
I was waiting for Snare to run towards me while barking brightly, but… [3]
Snare was sitting at the gifted by me mat and looking up at me.
“Snare?”
Snare who looked up at me, while wagging its tail.
Snare who looked up at me with gleaming eyes and quickly wagging tail, it was a sign it was happy that I came.
However, our Snare showed no signals of running towards me and asking to be hugged.
“Hey, Snare.”
I approached closer and tried to stretch out my hand.
Kuung….
Snare turned its head to avoid my hand.
I blinked a few times in case I was seeing things, but Snare had its head turned as before.
Was it a dream?
I didn’t dream, why was I daydreaming?
When I was escaping reality, I heard Hwang Jiho’s voice.
“I informed the divine beast about what you have done, you know? It’s the first time I saw the divine beast so sad and angry.”
I guess Hwang Jiho was the main culprit.
“The divine beast won’t bother you until your injuries recover. It worked out well, huh?”
“My injuries are all healed.”
“Your superpower wave is more unstable than usual. You consumed quite a lot of power, you know? The divine beast should also feel it.”
Our kind Snare looked at me as if saying it was worried about me.
As I thought about Snare’s deep meaning, even though it was praiseworthy, loneliness pierced my heart.
Was there anything I could do to soothe Snare?
While I fell into half-panic, Baek Ho-gun appeared.
‘If it’s my Playable Character, he may mediate the relationship between me and Snare!’
That expectation was immediately crushed.
“…”
Woof woof!
After Baek Ho-gun stretched out his hands, he immediately hugged Snare.
Holding Snare in his arms, Baek Ho-gun headed towards the living room.
When I couldn’t move because of the shocking scene.
“I didn’t tell Seoho, Niho and Jaeho. You won’t be able to meet with the three of them today. Let’s go, Jo Uisin.”
At Jeok-ho’s words, the shock grew bigger.
No Eun-ho’s three siblings’ greetings and no Snare’s charms today.
Then why did I come here?
Feeling doubtful, my feet entered the living room.
‘All of it is healthy food.’
Today’s tea was white sandalwood leaves tea.
Refreshments were brown rice gangjeong[4] entirely filled with perilla.
And in front of me was a medicine boiling pot filled with a liquid of strange color.
There was also something which appeared to be an onggi bowl to drink with it.
‘Won’t I die after drinking it? Why did you put something like poison in front of me?’
Even the smell faintly wafting from the medicine boiling pot was manifesting the power of ‘Disgustingness’.
Snare sniffed it and sneezed lightly, then it hid in Baek Ho-gun’s arms.
“Tell me what you were thinking when you did that.”
The moment I sat down, Hwang Jiho got to the point straight away.
White sandalwood also had an additional effect of calming down anger, but his voice was filled with fury as if it didn’t work on that guy.
‘It’s better not to make excuses.’
I concisely summarized the details of the strategy I came up with.
The three Ho tribe members and one divine beast were attentively listening to my words, while sipping tea without a sound.
After all my words were finished, Hwang Jiho opened his mouth.
“You know it very well.”
“What?”
“You’re saying that you don’t think you did anything wrong.”
It wasn’t like that.
I decided to quickly apologize.
“Sorry for carrying out a risky operation without consulting you beforehand.”
“… Jo Uisin.”
Hwang Jiho pressed his temples as he closed his mouth.
Jeok-ho aided with a word.
“If you say it like this, Hwang-ho will be more angry.”
“Jeok-ho, it’s not a sound you should be making.”
After Hwang Jiho glared at him, Jeok-ho got embarrassed as he smiled.
Did I make the same mistake as Jeok-ho?
However, my and Jeok-ho’s circumstances were completely different.
“Jo Uisin, you’re a benefactor who has saved the descendants. And though short, exchanges[5] piled up. Among humans, there are not many people who are this close to the Ho tribe.”
After Hwang Jiho lowered the finger, which was pressing his temples, he looked at me.
“Value your body.”
I knew Hwang Jiho didn’t talk like that out of pretense.
Even so, I didn’t know what would be good to say.
Hwang Jiho, who stared at me, who didn’t reply, gestured with his chin.
“It’s an elixir made at my request by the Nok tribe[6]. Drink it.”
It seemed that he was talking about the Nok tribe game shop, a secret shop managed by the members of the deer family.
In the game, if one solved a uselessly complicated, annoying and long quest, they could use a secret shop.
But it looked like Hwang Jiho already had connections.
“Can Jo Uisin bear that taste as a human?”
“Relax. Because of that, I asked for it to be made for humans.”
When seen beyond the screen, it was just a good and expansive elixir item.
Both the smell and Jeok-ho’s words.
I guess the elixir of this Nok was truly extremely disgusting.
‘You prepared it for me out of worry, huh?’
Even if it was disgustingness that was painful to experience for me, I could bear it, right?
“Thank you. I’ll drink well.”
When I said that and took a sip.
I looked into the abyss of taste.
‘What is that taste!? Is it poison!?’
I covered my mouth, because I almost unknowingly spit it out.
It seemed that Hwang Jiho was planning to kill me with taste.
Woof woof!
Snare, who was dead quiet in the living room, barked for the first time.
It seemed to mean to continue to drink.
“If I drink it all, will you play with me again?”
Keuung…
It seemed Snare was worried.
Even if I drink all of it, Snare’s sadness and anger may not disappear.
It couldn’t be helped.
I could do nothing but drink all of this painfully strange poison mixture and think of the next move.
“I got it. I’ll drink all of it.”
Woof…!
Snare barked a bit brighter and wagged its tail.
It seemed that I could endure the disgustingness as I had Snare thoughts.
“Well said, Jo Uisin.”
Bang!
Hwang Jiho put a paper shopping bag laid with golden dust on the table.
The insides of the disposable pouches were full of the liquid of the same color as the Nok tribe’s elixir.
“Drink ‘all of it’ as you had said.”
The said ‘all’ wasn’t just this one cup?!
Hwang Jiho delivered a follow-up punch to me who was horrified.
“Drink it every day for a week without skipping. You don’t think about breaking a promise made with the divine beast, right?”
Drinking sayak[7] for the entire week.
Seeing my frozen appearance, Hwang Jiho smiled with a satisfied face.
Ruined bastard.
Immediately after that, I planned to talk about a follow-up response, but I heard words saying to go rest.
It was a fact that I was tired and as I drank elixir with disgustingness beyond my imagination, I didn’t have the energy to talk.
As I was holding the shopping bag filled with sayak and Snare didn’t play with me, the energy dropped even more.
“I told you to be careful.”
Baek Ho-gun, who was walking back with me to the dormitory, suddenly spoke up.
I guess Baek Ho-gun was also worried about me.
Baek Ho-gun said only that without context and then shut his mouth.
When we were parting, he added a word.
“The next time it sees you, the divine beast will also be relieved.”
At those words, my mood got a bit better.
‘Every time I come back from Hwang Myeong-ho’s mansion, the dormitory room seems wider.’
My dormitory room.
It was a feeling of being alone for a very long time.
Boat party and then Hwang Myeong-ho’s mansion.
‘Excluding when I was fighting, there was no time when I was alone, right?’
Those trivial thoughts immediately ended after I heard the system sound.
‹Skill ‘Power of Fate’ activated.›
***
At the same time.
Wings Council Building, recreation room.
Bak Seung-hyeon and a student in gym clothes were playing chess.
Before participating in the beginner chess class held by the Stalemate tomorrow, Bak Seung-hyeon’s friend said he wanted to practice and Bak Seung-hyeon accepted.
When he was explaining movement range while playing a simple opening.
“Right. The pawn cannot capture the horse straight in front of it.”
While adding a comment to Bak Seung-hyeon’s explanation, Yong Jegeon appeared.
“Uh, teacher Yong-nim! Hello!”
“Hello.”
“Yeah, hi.”
“I heard that teacher Yong-nim is commuting to work… ah, did you come to see teacher Sinrok-nim?”
“Haha, today it’s because of a different kind of business.”
Yong Jegeon asked Bak Seung-hyeon.
“Seung-hyeon, were you at the dormitory the entire time yesterday?”
“Yes, I was doing homework in the Wings Council Building’s reading room until late.”
“Doing homework and playing a game. We stayed up the entire night together with the screen in split-screen mode to get to the ending.”
“Is that so, huh?”
The expression of Yong Jegeon, who heard Bak Seung-hyeon’s answer, changed strangely.
It was Yong Jegeon’s special ecstatic expression which was described by many Eungwang School students and faculty members as ‘It broke’[8] or ‘It would be better if that handsome face wasn’t used like that’.
“Thanks for answering me. Then I’ll be going. I’ll see you at the chess training.”
When Yong Jegeon was about to leave the recreation room, the children, who had been playing, caught him.
“Can’t you play with us a bit more and then go? Where are you going?”
“I have a person I have to ask something.”
“In the dormitory?”
Yong Jegeon nodded as he spoke.
“Yeah. I’m curious where Gyeong-gu was during the weekend.”
It seemed that Yong Jegeon was searching for the 2nd year member of the Student Council, Gwak Gyeong-gu.
After the 2nd year students told him Gwak Gyeong-gu’s location, Yong Jegeon thanked them and then suddenly disappeared.
*~*~*
[1] No chapter title – The title of this chapter is ‘Weapon’s voice (1)’ =-=
[2] Queen Mother of the West – It’s a long title so I may use ‘Xiwangmu’ to refer to her in the future when she comes up.
[3] I was waiting for Snare to run towards me while barking brightly, but… – there is a comma at the end of this sentence in raws, making it feel as if Jo Uisin’s narration was suddenly cut off.
[4] gangjeong – a type of hangwa (korean cookie) made from puffed rice, usually filled with a sweet filling or mixed with it.
[5] exchanges – in the meaning of exchanging thoughts, ideas, culture… In korean this word literally means ‘streams/waters mixing together’.
[6] Nok tribe – for hanja standing for ‘deer’.
[7] sayak – a poison given as a death penalty.
[8] It broke – I’m not sure which exactly is the meaning here. 깨다 used here has two basic meanings, one to become awake (in the meaning of waking up or becoming clear-headed) or something being broken. It also has the meaning of hatching from an egg. Now, I’m inclined to believe it refers to many proverbs about ‘breaking things’. For example: ‘Breaking a bowl after eating white porridge’. It has the meaning of gaining small pleasure, only to lose something. There are many such proverbs of various intensity. So my interpretation is ‘It’s a face that is good to look at, but I’ll suffer because of it.’
Translator’s note: … Wait, Baek-ho doesn’t call Snare ‘Snare’ but ‘divine beast’? Then Jo Uisin is really the only one who calls Snare ‘Snare’?
And author, why do you specify ‘at the same time’? That’s highly unusual. So unusual I was completely distracted from making a joke about a dragon detective!
Did you see a mistake? 🐞
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