In Hansu's room there was a double bed, a wardrobe, a desk and a computer.
First I turned on the computer and entered the chat room.
[Long live Korean independence] – 0 people connected.
He was the same guy who thought I was dead just from hooking up a few minutes late.
And we only have an hour together, too.
Since there was a pretty big incident this time, I planned to get as much information out of Baekho as possible.
Today I arrived first.
Before I could even sit on the couch in the spacious room, filled with antique furniture, Baekho walked in after me. There were no problems until that moment. «Brother!» But what was this? Just from his face I realized it was urgent. «I'm in battle right now so I have to go right away».
"¿What?"
«I don't have time to explain to you.»
«Wait...»
«You've heard of conquest, right? Do not join her under any circumstances, not even in the future. I'm just here to tell you that».
"¿What mr.?.? ⁇
«See you next month!»
That was the end of our conversation. After just a few seconds of seeing his face, Baekho disappeared in an instant.
«What the hell...?» For a moment, my mind went blank. But to calmly reconstruct the situation... Was he in combat?
An hour in the community was a second in reality. Leaving in such a hurry meant that he was fighting a strong enemy. A second here would only be 0.02 seconds out there, proof that even that short moment couldn't be wasted.
What the hell is he fighting?
I did not know. Only one thing was certain, which was closely related to the conquest of Noark.
Is that hooligan in the underground city?
It was night and we weren't in the maze, but was he fighting an enemy? No other scenario came to mind. It was yesterday when the army of conquest went to war. From the alliance of the king's army and the scouts to the army of paladins sent by the temple, watching them go into formation through the sewers was quite a spectacle.
And his last words... Should they mean that he believes the conquest will fail?
He told me not to join under any circumstances. Interpreting this meant that the first conquest would fail and a second conquest army would be formed.
Ugh, this is so frustrating...
Nothing was going to come of being here so I went back to my room. There were three hours left until the Round Table Watchers opened. With nothing to do, I started surfing the Internet. First I checked the bag, then I walked around the chat rooms that had no entry restrictions. They were all the same. Everyone was talking about the conquest of Noark.
...There is already chaos.
Among the players, there were many who participated in the submission.
«I'm in the back, so I can't say, but the atmosphere is not good at all. I can't stop hearing explosions at the front, but the fucking commander doesn't tell us anything...»
«Why are there so few participants today? Are they all dead?»
Listening to his words it seemed that even at this moment, a fierce battle was unfolding underground. Honestly, I couldn't even imagine how fierce it was there, especially after reading the messages on the community bulletin board.
[I'm about to die. Asking questions.]
They stabbed me in the neck, but when I opened my eyes, I was here. I'll be alive for 12 seconds, right? Fuck this.
EdwardBless77: I hope it's not an eternal dream. I hope you wake up at home.
└OP: I really hope so.
godFLEXyou: You've done well. Rest a little.
└OP: Thank you for your comfort.
StevenCastle: I assume you were with a frontline unit. I heard it's hell to live there right now. Have you met Hercules?
└OP: I don't know. I heard someone shout that something had arrived, but I don't remember. Maybe they saw it wrong. We couldn't see even a meter ahead because of the bastard dark wizards.
Teckmonkey: What do you want to do most?
└OP: Create.
└Teckmonkey: Oh, um... I'll talk less.
Tunaboot: Where are you from?
└OP: I don't know where you're asking. On Earth, Canada. Here, Clan Aribeten. I was executive level.
└Tunaboot: Of course I was referring to the hometown. But executive Aribeten? You were a big man.
└OP: It doesn't matter now that I'm about to die. Bye bye.
└Ionboii: Wow, to reveal so much information I guess you're not a troll. I sincerely hope you rest in peace. Good job. And don't listen to the idiots who talk nonsense above.
There were dozens more below as well. Even as comments were added up in real time, the original poster responded to each one. As if in a trance, I read all the comments and made one myself.
Elfnunna: Why are you giving up now? You should try to disconnect and live this moment.
As long as you don't give up, there's still a chance. Even if the possibility was infinitely close to zero, it was not yet zero. I was the proof. But after posting that I realized it might sound rude, so I added an explanation.
└Elfnunna: They stabbed me in the neck too and I went into a countdown state like in the game. But my body kept moving. In the end I killed the enemy and narrowly survived. So why don't you try it too?
With my experience in the Land of the Dead and the Bloody Citadel, I wanted to give hope to this stranger.
└OP: I know what you mean. But I'm an archer. I won't be able to use the method you said.
The response he received was one of complete resignation.
└Elfnunna: Can you try it though?
I commented in a trance. The response was immediate.
└OP: Sorry, if I have to die anyway, I want to die like myself. Not this cursed body, but like my parents' son.
My head went numb as soon as I saw that. I removed my hand from the keyboard. What could I say here? That, even if that were the case, it wasn't his real body? Was it just his sense of self manifesting? Well, no one could argue with the cartel's decision. They shouldn't either.
Without knowing it, I stared at the closet; to be precise, the mirror that hung next to him. I saw Hansu Lee.
Type, type.
I typed on the keyboard again. «I wish you a peaceful rest», «I hope you wake up in the real world», I repeatedly typed and deleted these consolations, but I couldn't press enter easily.
Type, type.
Even as I pounded the keyboard without being able to send anything, the players kept adding comments and the OP responded to each of them.
Branbran_Helmet: Fucking flop game garbage.
└OP: Ikr, this fucking flop game crap!
After that comment, there was no more. I hit update. Before I knew it, the operator's nickname at the top was blurry. It meant he was dead.
I did not know why. I didn't know his face and had never spoken to him in person, but my heart kept beating wildly.
Hit hit.
I had seen death countless times since I woke up in this world. However, today he felt that his weight was greater. What could be the reason?
Drag.
As if searching for the answer, I scrolled up and reread it all from the beginning. Thanks to many people asking about their true selves, it was possible to take a look at a person's life.
Drag.
He was from Canada. Born into a farming family, his real name was Mac Davis. His first kiss was when he was 17 years old. With your girlfriend's best friend? He looked like a weirdo, but he didn't do anything in his life worth dying for.
Drag.
His dream was to be a veterinarian. Watching his childhood dog drown in his vomit was the catalyst. But since he had no brain for it, he failed. He ended up helping his parents with fieldwork and playing from time to time.
Drag.
Yes, he was a normal person, moderately nice, but sometimes remembered as a bad person to some... a normal person in one way or another.
Drag.
Soon, I stopped scrolling through a point on the screen. Seeing it again, I realized there was a new comment below mine.
└OP: I keep thinking about your words. In some ways, I think you are a strong person. I hope you can clean up this game and come back. Although of course, that's your decision.
He left me words of encouragement as I repeatedly wrote and erased those few phrases of comfort. I could feel how thoughtful this person was by his use of the word «choice».
Type, type.
I wrote a new comment on the keyboard, although he couldn't see it now.
└Elfnunna: If I come back, I will be sure to write a letter to the address you wrote above.
└Earnings: Trabajare duro.
Leaving behind meaningless comments, I left the position. Then I lay down on the bed for a while and continued thinking about this and that in a daze. How much time had passed?
Soon there were only three minutes left until the registration period for the Round Table Watchers closed. But what was this?
Un crujido.
The Round Table room I hurried into was empty. Crescent Moon, Goblin, Fox, Deer and Clown were not here. Only I was sitting at the Round Table.
Had everyone joined the conquest?
No other scenario came to mind. Three hours in the community was just three seconds out. What could stop them from spending those three seconds to come here?
I didn't think they would abandon me here either...
Following Baekho, I was left alone once again. With no time to even feel discouraged, the surroundings flickered and when I came to, I was back in my room.
[Minimum number of participants not reached. This meeting is over.]
A message floated on the monitor. This was what happened if the registration deadline was met without participants. With this, the value of community activity was lost.
Still, I should take a look before I go.
In the end, I had no choice but to surf the Internet and consult trivial news. Time passed like this and it was time to finish.
[You are transported to Rafdonia.]
Bjorn's family room and body felt a little unfamiliar today. Was tired?
Vete to sleep.
I cleared my head and lay down on the bed.
Crujido.
As always, the bed sank with a moan. This is how another day ended.
Three days later, the troops heading to Noark returned. «Bjorn! Get out quickly! The army of conquest returned from beneath the earth!»
Only a third of them had survived. The soldiers passed us down the street in silence and with their shoulders sunken. That was enough to know the result.
Really failed.
Things were getting ugly.