Chapter 133
Chapter 133
Chapter 133
I decided to draw a new picture. If it was dangerous for me to move on my own, then I had to move the Guardians, with an emphasis on the ‘s’ in Guardians.
“Are you streaming right now?”
“No.”
I thought so. Senia had grown to the point where she couldn’t even be compared to her former, newbie self, and she had long since learned the directing technique of cutting the footage right at the climax, called a ‘sudden cut’ or ‘sudden cliffhanger’.
“If you had been streaming, I would have been disappointed.”
“…”
Normally, a Player couldn’t say this sort of thing to an Intermediate Administrator without getting in trouble, but that wasn’t the case for us. Senia didn’t look particularly bothered. In fact, she seemed to have taken my words as a compliment.
“I am in the process of learning many things thanks to Player Kim Hyukjin.”
The arrogance she’d shown in the past was gone. Her humility and readiness to learn had grown in spades.
“You’ll be able to learn a lot this time, too.”
Senia’s wings quivered for a moment, a sign that she had immediately picked up on the meaning behind my words.
“What do you plan on doing?”
“As I’m sure you saw, I got the Red Eyes. That’s probably why you ended the stream.”
“Yes.”
“So watch carefully. See what I do moving forward.”
I had to discuss things with my Intermediate Administrator a little before enacting the plan. I gave Senia a fairly detailed explanation so she could understand what kind of picture would be unfurling and how I would get there.
“…is how I’ll do it.”
After thinking for a long time, Senia slowly opened her mouth.
“If a regular Player had come to me with this sort of plan, I would have refused without hesitation.” The angel closed her eyes for a moment. She was as expressionless as usual, but I could feel that she was struggling to make a decision.
“…However, Player Kim Hyukjin is not a regular Player.”
She closed her eyes again. A little more time passed.
“So I will participate in this potentially very reckless plan of yours.”
It seemed she was aware that we were already in the same boat. I was surprised. I thought she would try to stop me a few times.
“You’re not trying to stop me?”
“If I did, would you listen to me?”
“Nope.” She was well aware. “Are you not trying to stop me because I wouldn’t listen even if you did?”
If that was all, it was a little disappointing. It would be great if my Streamer, Senia, had grown as much as I had since my regression.
“No. I tried weighing the profit to be gained from proceeding with the scenario vs. the loss from blocking it. It is certainly dangerous and reckless, but I made the judgment that there is indeed a great deal of profit to be made.”
Her words were right. It was, as I always said, high risk, high return. After pausing for a breath, Senia added one more thing.
“All of this is something I could conclude because it is Player Kim Hyukjin, my exclusive contracted Player.”
I had dinner with my family
It wasn’t anything special, but I enjoyed it. Noona’s cooking skills were improving by the day. She said cooking was fun, and she was telling the truth. I knew because I once examined Noona’s back while she was cooking.
State: Having Fun / Curious / Excited / Anticipation
The act of cooking itself was enjoyable to her. Come to think of it, I had a faint memory of Noona wanting to become a chef a very long time ago.
‘Was that really her dream?’
I didn’t know. If her dream was to become a chef, then I would actively support her. I now had the ability to make whatever she wanted a reality. Because in this world ruled by new culture, I was capable of becoming one of the rulers of new culture.
“Noona. Your kimchi stew today is killer.”
“Shut up and eat.”
“No, it’s super delicious. You could totally become a chef.”
I saw Noona’s face through the steam coming off the pot of stew. Our little miss Kim Ahyoung’s face was a little red. She fanned her face awkwardly.
“Tch, making a stew made it all hot in here.”
Noona got up and opened the window. Unfortunately for her, I was an Observer, and I could clearly see the flush on the back of her neck. I decided for her sake to pretend I hadn’t seen anything.
After dinner, Sunhwa came to my room, a frequent occurrence after eating. She would probably rattle off everything that happened at school again. Though it was annoying sometimes, it also made me happy. Even though it was annoying, if she didn’t come, I’d probably miss her bubbly chatter.
“Sunhwa. I’ll say something first today.”
“Really?”
Sunhwa’s eyes widened. To my fascination, her ears actually perked up like a little puppy. There were people out there who could move their ears, and she was one of them.
“What is it?”
She sat on my desk chair and stared at me, waiting for what I had to say with bated breath. Her bright and shining eyes were full of curiosity.
“I’m going to go into a dungeon by myself this time.”
“A dungeon?”
“Yeah.”
“What kind of dungeon?”
I started talking with Sunhwa. When our discussion was mostly at its end, Sunhwa’s state changed.
State: Trust / Faith / Worry / Fear
Summary: Worried Brocon
The ‘weak’ or ‘slight’ modifiers disappeared. How come her summary was getting stranger and stranger as time went on? When would this girl’s puberty be over?
‘In any case, her worry is sincere.’
Getting your family’s worry wasn’t a bad feeling. Although she was inwardly worrying a lot, my admirable tank was as diligent as ever.
“What should I do then?”
“I need you to…”
I would clear the Gwanghwamun Dungeon on my own. But there was something that Sunhwa had to do for me.
The foundation was all set.
* * *
One day passed. My physical and mental preparations were complete.
‘Gwanghwamun Dungeon.’
I would be entering the Gwanghwamun Dungeon, the ‘flower’ of the beginner period.
‘Though it hasn’t opened yet.’
I needed to look around a little and get my bearings. Another day passed, and my exploration finished as well.
TN: This is a good time to give a little more detail about the Gwanghwamun. It is the largest gate of the Gyeongbokgung Palace, the main royal palace of the Joseon dynasty. Now, it is a cultural and historic monument and a tourist destination in Seoul.
–October 19, 2018. Gwanghwamun Dungeon is generated.
A dungeon gate would be activated in Gwanghwamun, leading to a dungeon that would be cleared by 108 Players, including Taeguk Shield. That moment marked the beginning of Taeguk Shield’s wave of success.
‘The day after tomorrow, huh.’
I decided to rest for two days to recover my stamina and reach the best condition possible. If the U-Plex Dungeon was a ‘nearly impossible dungeon to break’ in the beginner period, the Gwanghwamun Dungeon was ‘a dungeon you needed to clear’.
‘I won’t… tell anyone about the dungeonization.’
I had learned my lesson from the U-Plex Dungeon. We’d been lucky and had been able to prevent the disaster back then, but that was all luck.
‘I can’t always bank on being lucky.’
I couldn’t save everyone anyway. There was no way to block off the Gwanghwamun, and even if it was blocked off, that would very likely only result in greater loss of life. Forcefully twisting the flow of history would also create many variables.
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‘Yes. This is the right path.’
I saw laughing and smiling couples passing by, enjoying a joyful time. They were lucky and visited today, but those who visited tomorrow might end up dying.
‘As much as I would like to protect them, if possible…’
That was outside of my ability. But just then, I heard a notice.
[A trace of the ‘Will Incantation’ remains intact.]
[The weak influence of the ‘Hand of Salvation’ remains within you.]
I still had the power of the Will Incantation in me, which allowed me to retain a weakened version of the temporary ability I was granted.
‘Because it’s the Hand of Salvation…’
It reacted to my brief ‘will to protect’. And I intuitively knew what it was I had to do.
‘I have no proof.’
I didn’t have any concrete proof. It was just a hunch, something I had felt many times while Playing.
‘I’ll find it.’
I didn’t even know what it was I was supposed to find. It just occurred to me that I had to find something. Sometimes, even without concrete proof, trusting my intuition and gut was the answer. No, that was the case countless times. Was it simply luck? No. This was the ‘talent’ of intuition.
[Observing with Observer’s Eye.]
[The weak power of the ‘Incantation of Salvation’ is assisting Observer’s Eye.]
[The weak influence of the ‘Hand of Salvation’ is assisting Observer’s Eye.]
The abilities in my arsenal joined hands, bolstering each other.
‘What do I need to find?’
I didn’t know. I stood there, taking in the unknown and invisible flow around me, the energy I could sense only with my thoughts, the smell of the wind, the fragrance of the sky, the concentration of the light, the density of the crowd. The sand on the ground, the sound of honking cars, the many buildings standing along the road.
Each of those things was one element making up a whole, the world.
[Observing with Observer’s Eye.]
I kept hearing that notice. It wasn’t one I often heard. It was only triggered when I was focusing very intently. And this notice was telling me something.
‘Focus.’
I cast my eye inward. I had the feeling that if I focused, if I really focused, I would be able to see a path. That I would be able to see something faint become clear.
‘Focus.’
I didn’t know how much time I spent like that, but when this sort of thing happened, quite a lot of time passed without me realizing it.
‘Ah.’
I started to make out something I hadn’t seen before. I picked up a weak flow from the rightmost of the gate’s three doors.
‘I can feel the distortion.’
A weak distortion. A very slight irregularity I could only barely, barely see after constant observation with an Observer’s Eye boosted by the ‘Incantation of Salvation’.
‘A distortion of power.’
I approached it, and the closer I got, the clearer it became.
‘I can’t let my focus be broken.’
I needed maximum concentration. Everything else faded from view.
The smell of the wind. The fragrance of the sky. The concentration of the light. The density of the crowd. The sand on the ground. The honking cars. The many buildings standing on the road.
I perceived none of those things. My entire being was focused on one thing, the distorted flow of power that could only be seen with Observer’s Eye.
‘I can…’
I reached out.
‘…touch it.’
In that instant, I felt something.
[You have discovered the entrance of the Gwanghwamun Dungeon.]
[The entrance of the Gwanghwamun Dungeon has not yet been officially generated.]
[The Gwanghwamun Dungeon’s Open Beta Scenario is beginning.]
The notices continued.
[The scenario ‘Early Adopter – ver. Gwanghwamun Dungeon’ can be progressed.]
[Proceed with the scenario ‘Early Adopter – ver. Gwanghwamun Dungeon’?]
Today was October 16th. Originally, the Gwanghwamun Dungeon shouldn’t be open yet.
‘I’m in good condition.’
I was going to rest for about two days, but the situation had changed. I called Sunhwa.
–Hello?
–Sunhwa. We’re moving the plan forward by two days.
–Huh?
It didn’t take long to get Sunhwa to understand.
–Got it! Oppa. You have to be super careful. I trust you. Don’t get hurt.
After a round of worrying from Sunhwa, I focused my attention on the Gwanghwamun Dungeon.
[Proceed with the scenario ‘Early Adopter – ver. Gwanghwamun Dungeon’?]
‘Proceed.’
I entered the Gwanghwamun Dungeon. I might just be able to accomplish my desired picture faster and more perfectly than originally planned.
Inside the dungeon, I found myself on a black field. I didn’t see anything yet. It hadn’t fully activated yet.
Senia came out and went out of her way to tell me that she was starting her stream. That was her cue to begin the scenario we had planned. She said one other thing.
“Player Kim Hyukjin. The Gwanghwamun Dungeon’s maximum capacity is 120 people.”
That essentially meant that 120 people could challenge the dungeon at the same time. Put in another way, it also meant the dungeon was hard enough that 120 people were necessary to clear it.
“I recommend waiting here for other Players.”
I had instructed her to say this for the Guardians to hear. To show the Guardians exactly what kind of Play I was doing.
“I said it in the past, didn’t I?”
Like when I killed a Lycanthrope as an extremely low-level Player, and when I cleared minibosses or boss monsters…
“I’ll show you how I Play.”
I intentionally waited a little longer, until Senia gave me a small nod. That meant a ‘sufficient number’ of Guardians had entered her channel.
“I’ll show you what kind of Play I do.”
I would show how crazy I could make the Guardians. The pieces were aligned.
‘Let’s begin.’
I decided to progress the System-created ‘Early Adopter’ scenario as well as the one I had created with my own two hands.