With just one day left until the Chinese support arrived, I checked my equipment.
Hwaryeon Flying Dagger, bombs... Potions are properly stocked too... Well, if things get dicey, I can always pull items from another world. And... I should bring my game console to kill time...
I had no intention of actually working hard in China. Performance points would accumulate naturally if I just did enough to get by.
If I die in China, I'm the only one who loses.
My life was far more important than performance points.
I'll just play it safe and coast.
I was about to head to Han Harin's house when I picked up my smartphone. It suddenly occurred to me that today was the day I could refresh the quests on the Pleasure World App.
Quests can be refreshed every 50 real-world days.
Last time, I took on the "Kill the Gay King" quest. ...Fuck. Those gay bastards... Just thinking about it makes my blood boil.
If the reward hadn't been [ You and My Sex Doll ], I would never have accepted that quest.
I clicked the refresh button, clicking my tongue.
Currently, you can only select 1 out of 2 quests.
50 days remain until the next refresh becomes available.
Last time there were three quests, but this time there are only two. It seems the number of selectable quests varies with each refresh.
Ghost Hunter
Countless ghosts torment humanity in this world.
Save the humans possessed by ghosts, unable to live their own lives.
Enter the world of "Evil Spirits" and vanquish 666 Evil Spirits for humanity.
Quest Reward: 666 Points
This is a rip-off.
Killing 666 Evil Spirits only grants a measly 666 Points. One Point per Evil Spirit.
Evil Spirits. This is just a ghost-hunting drama. Finding hidden Evil Spirits is no easy task... and 666 of them?
It was too much trouble. Plus, this quest could take months to complete.
Unless the reward was better, I'm not doing it.
I checked the next quest.
Protagonist's Guardian Angel!
Enter three worlds and help the protagonists achieve happy endings. They desperately want to be happy.
The three worlds will be randomly selected.
Quest Reward: Skill Enhancement Ticket.]
What the hell do you mean, "help the protagonists"? Wait a minute the quest reward is a Skill Enhancement Ticket?!
Skill Enhancement Ticket
Enhances one skill in the Pleasure World App. A skill that has already been enhanced cannot be enhanced again.
I can't believe something like this exists! I can't let this opportunity slip away!
Who knew when another chance like this would come along? And unlike the previous Kill the Gay King quest, there seemed to be no hidden penalties. As long as the worlds weren't utterly dystopian, completing this quest should be a breeze.
Quest accepted.
Game starting.
I stood on a rain-soaked street in Seoul, drenched to the bone.
"Damn it. What's this right from the start?"
I looked around. Cars were moving on the road, but there were far fewer than I expected. The streets were deserted, and most of the shops were closed. It was nothing like the Seoul I knew.
I ran toward a nearby shop with lights on. It specialized in men's suits. Though light streamed through the windows, a sign on the door read, "Closed for Business."
Knock, knock, knock!
I pounded on the door.
"We're closed!"
A man's irritated voice shouted from inside.
"One million won! I'll give you one million won! I'm desperate! Please! Just open the door!"
"...Come in, sir! Welcome!"
I had been prepared to smash the door down and kill him if money didn't work, but thankfully, the door opened.
I stepped inside, greeted by the distinctive scent of a clothing store and the sight of neatly arranged suits.
Before the door opened, I had retrieved one million won from my Inventory. I handed the wad of cash to the Mister and said, "Just give me a decent suit. Oh, and bring me a towel too."
"Of course, sir! Right away!"
The Mister quickly tucked the money into his pocket, bowing repeatedly as he led me to a seat.
I stripped off my wet clothes without hesitation, dried myself with the towel, and glanced at the TV mounted on the wall. The news was playing.
Breaking News!
- Hundreds of monsters have emerged from the Han River and are spreading across Seoul!
The TV screen switched to footage of the Han River, where torrential rain poured down like a waterfall.
In the river, where no human could be seen, pitch-black monsters rose from the water and crawled onto the shore. There were dozens of them.
I realized where I was.
- The Republic of Korea's military has mobilized to protect citizens! Please remain indoors and await further instructions!
I pulled out my smartphone and checked the Pleasure World App.
Currently undertaking the 'Protagonist's Guardian Angel!' Quest.
The active Game World is 'Miracle on the Han River.'
Miracle on the Han River... it's a Creative Work within a Creative Work.
Miracle on the Han River is a South Korean film.
This was a film from the world of Vampire Detective, not the real Republic of Korea. It was a creative work within a creative work.
In reality, with monster hunters openly existing, movies like this would flop miserably and never even get made.
But the world of Vampire Detective was different. Vampires existed, but they looked and spoke like humans. Moreover, this world was dominated by humans.
"Aish... those damn monsters... The army needs to wipe them out so we can run our shops properly..."
The man who brought the suit shook his head while watching the news.
"...Mister, why did you bring a Silver Cutlass Suit?"
"Sir, this suit was imported directly from England. It's worth every penny of the million won..."
"Alright, alright," I said dismissively, stripping off my underwear and putting on the Silver Cutlass Suit. Retrieving clothes from the Inventory required returning to reality and then storing them back, a process I found tedious.
"...You're not wearing underwear? I'll give you a pair as a service."
"No need. My thing's strong enough without it."
"...It certainly looks strong."
Rough movements would make my thing dangle, but I was used to it and didn't mind.
Bang! Tatatatatatatang! Boom!
Gunshots and explosions blared from the TV. It was footage of the military fighting monsters. The creatures took dozens of bullets without falling easily. A grenade made them stagger, but it took over a thousand rounds to finally bring one down. Even then, it didn't die, its body still twitching on the ground.
"How did such a monster even appear in the Han River...? No, it's strange for it to even come out of the Han River... The end is near. The end is near."
The Mister muttered, his face grim. I could sense his fear.
"Those US Military bastards dumped poison into the Han River, and that's how these mutated fish bastards came to be. Ah, I'll take that raincoat there. Give it to me as a service."
"What... No, more importantly, are you planning to go outside now? Stay inside until things calm down. If you run into those monster bastards out there, you'll die! You'll die!"
"They're the ones who'll die."
Ignoring the Mister's warnings, I stepped out of the store.
I didn't have time to linger here. The military's involvement meant we were already in the mid-to-late stages of the "Miracle on the Han River" scenario. To complete the Quest successfully, I needed to move.
I spotted a mid-sized car speeding down the road and walked toward it.
Screech!
The car screeched to a halt, and the window rolled down.
"You fucking lunatic! Get out of the way right now!"
I approached the car door, punched the driver unconscious, and dragged him out. After roughly tossing him onto the street, I slid into the driver's seat and slammed my foot on the accelerator.
In the movie Miracle on the Han River, the protagonist is a family. Right now, that family is being held captive in the monsters' lair. The latter half of the film revolves around their escape.
During that escape, two members of the protagonist's family die: the son and the wife.
The Quest's completion condition is to help the protagonist achieve a happy ending.
In short, I can't let a single member of the protagonist's family die.
Screech!
The car screeched to a halt. I retrieved my rifle and Hwaryeon Flying Dagger from my Inventory, armed myself, and stepped out.
Before me lay the ruins of a massive collapsed bridge. The monsters had gathered the debris to build their lair, which was now filled with their captured food, dead human corpses, and other gruesome remains.
The protagonist's family hadn't been captured so much as forced to seek refuge inside to survive. Now, with the monsters scattered across Seoul, they would attempt their escape.
The problem is the monsters guarding the lair.
I enhanced my vision with Mana, revealing a monster lurking behind the rubble. Without hesitation, I pulled the trigger.
Bang!
The bullet flew and struck the monster's body. But to bring it down with bullets, I'd need to land at least a few hundred shots.
The monster turned its gaze toward me.
"Disgusting creature," I muttered.
Bang!
I pulled the trigger again.
As if enraged, the monster began charging toward me, moving far faster than any human could run.
Still slower than me, though.
I leisurely squeezed the trigger, deliberately taunting the creature. This wasn't a single shot; it was full auto. The rifle spat fire continuously, emptying an entire magazine without slowing the monster's advance.
I casually tossed the rifle to the ground.
Manroe.
Crackling!
Thunderbolt gathered in my palm, compressing into the shape of a swastika.
The monster opened its jaws wide, revealing rows of teeth sharper and more numerous than a shark's. A nauseating stench of vomit wafted from its maw.
Fire.
KABOOM!
Lightning bolts streaked toward the monster. Crackling! Electricity arced across its convulsing body.
Thud!
The monster collapsed sideways.
One down... wait, what?
The fallen creature shuddered and began to rise.
It's resistant to electricity? At this level... it must be a high-tier D-Rank monster.
I drew the Hwaryeon Flying Dagger. Without even channeling sword qi, I plunged the blade into the monster's skull. With a firm grip, the blade easily pierced through the bone.
Hiss!
I swung the dagger, splitting the monster's skull in two. The creature crashed back to the ground, its body finally still, confirming its death.
"Nothing special."
Confident that I could handle multiple monsters simultaneously, I strode toward their lair.
Two monsters ambushed me along the way, but their heads were severed by my blade, ending their lives.
I dug through the rubble and entered the lair. Surprisingly well-constructed for a dwelling built from the wreckage of a collapsed bridge, it was dark and damp. However, the cramped space made it difficult for two monsters to enter at once.
"Is anyone here~?"
I illuminated the darkness with my smartphone's flashlight as I ventured deeper, discovering clusters of monster eggs clinging to the ceiling and walls. Even at a glance, there were dozens of eggs. Considering all the eggs within the lair, there must have been at least several thousand.
It's pointless anyway, since the monsters will eventually be wiped out by the military.
I stopped walking deeper into the cave, sensing a presence.
When I shone my smartphone ahead, I saw a swarm of small, dog-sized monsters.
The monster pups charged at me in unison.
Pzzzzzt!
Crimson lightning crackled from my blade, electrocuting the pups instantly.
They're not even as big as adults... and this isn't ordinary thunderbolt, it's Crimson Lightning. They won't be getting up.
I nudged the pups with my toe. No reaction. Stepping over their corpses, I ventured further into the cave.
"Is anyone there~?"
"Quiet! Be quiet!"
An elderly man's voice echoed from within.
"Oh, you're here."
"Didn't you hear me say to be quiet?!"
The place was filled with human corpses. In a corner among the debris, the protagonist's family from the "Miracle on the Han River" was hiding.
An elderly man, a middle-aged man and woman, a young man and woman, and a boy around ten years old.
Six in total. It was indeed the protagonist's family.
"Wow, you're all alive! That's fortunate."
I examined the protagonist's family.
"Ah, please! Be quiet!"
The grandfather snapped at me. I glanced at the protagonist's wife. Her plain appearance quickly extinguished my interest.
My gaze shifted to the protagonist's daughter. Her wary glare suggested a strong-willed personality. Though grimy, I suspected she'd be my type if cleaned up.
Originally, I planned to take the protagonist's family outside immediately... but I'm changing my plans!