Episode 84
Chapter 17 Laying the cornerstone (9)
– K: If someone hears it, they will know that I threatened to come out unconditionally. Don’t come if you’re scared.
‘If you look closely, you’ll find that he has a rather rough personality.’
Of course, after hearing that, Cello came to the meeting place far away.
Then he repeats what he said in the chat room.
It was hard for Ethan to understand her way of thinking.
Why are you bringing up such a boring topic?
Do you believe that someone will agree with you?
‘I don’t think there’s anyone like that.’
The people here are all one-of-a-kind.
It means that you are confident in your own abilities.
Even if Kei ran into it, he wouldn’t be terribly beaten.
In case of emergency, I have enough skills to run away with my own body.
There’s no way people with that level of confidence can say that they’re anxious about being beaten by Kei.
‘I would have formed an alliance behind the scenes just in case.’
In fact, an offer had come to Ethan as well. Just in case, let’s work together to get out.
I refused with a reasonable reason, but if you think about it, that amount of preliminary work is natural.
‘It’s a place where people who don’t know who they are gather as a group, but it’s stupid to go there without thinking.’
It’s just that it’s just not a good way to openly acknowledge your insecurities like a cello.
It will be seen as a lack of self-confidence.
As a result, Cello was shunned by the other players and left alone.
And just in time, a new player arrived.
“Hey, by any chance, we decided to meet today in the group chat room… … .”
“What is your code name? I am Fabian.”
“ah! It is called Plumeria. nice to meet you.”
“This is Ethan Rembrone.”
“I am Lily.”
As a result, 9 people came to the meeting place.
The number of players in the group chat room created under Kay’s leadership is 13.
Even if you subtract the dead, there are 12 of them, but 9 of them.
The majority of those in the chat room showed up in person.
Ethan suddenly thought that this situation was strange.
‘Could I have brought these people together?’
No, that would have been impossible.
‘I could have tried.’
Like Kei did, he could have reached out to several players and created a group chat room.
However, this level of participation could not have been achieved.
The reason why today’s meeting was successful was because it was Kay who spoke up.
One of the reasons they came here must be to get information from Kay.
Because he was not a leader who was similarly ahead, but an incomparable target who overwhelmingly beat out.
It is not a competition target, but a target point to catch up.
‘He probably thinks he knows something more.’
It’s funny to say it’s not true.
The level of magical power required for each skill is divided, the background where evolutionary species appear, and the hole between Bihar and Earth.
It’s all information I wouldn’t have known if Kay hadn’t told me.
He was always one step ahead of others.
Rather than chasing after someone, a person who first clears the path that someone has no choice but to follow.
A lot of people have appeared because such a person stepped forward and prepared a place.
When the server was connected, Ethan took out the second hand watch that he could bring in and checked the time.
‘Next 10 minutes.’
It was time left until the appointment time.
I still have time, but just in case, I opened a chat window and sent a message to Kay.
Because the organizers who actually created this event haven’t come yet.
– Ethan Lembrone: Where are you?
– K: Robole, why?
– Ethan Lembron: It seems like everyone who can come has gathered.
– K: Already? Has everyone’s butt caught on fire?
– Ethan Lembron: They said they came quickly because they were nervous.
– K: You must be scared to catch a boss mob hahahahaha
– Ethan Lembrone: Actually, I’m a little scared too.
I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t scary.
Because they decided to catch the evolved species today.
He was a fearsome guy who might have destroyed the leading party.
‘I’m not sure, but maybe.’
Yesterday, the number of chat rooms suddenly decreased. The name that disappeared is Zebla.
I tried adding a friend through another player, but the message that the player died just popped up.
Finally, all the party members who did the mission together.
It was concluded that they were annihilated, and an opinion was suggested that they may have met an evolutionary species.
“You have to accept the risk.”
“I hope there is something going on with this power.”
“Then why did Zebla’s party get wiped out yesterday? You don’t mean to say you’re out of luck, are you?”
“You need to listen to Jelly. If their killings are really due to evolutionary species, you should be nervous.”
“I admit that it is somewhat risky. But no matter how it is, it doesn’t make sense that the party is annihilated.”
“That’s right, Zebla’s party cleared level 2 4 times. You can’t die easily.”
Those who are absent today are most likely frightened by the event yesterday.
However, instead of comforting them, Kay pushed ahead with the hunting schedule as planned.
The purpose of today’s hunt was not simply to catch evolutionary species.
‘More precisely, to warn the Russian government.’
The origin of the incident goes back to a message posted in the chat room a few days ago, while the server connection was in progress.
– Maxim: The atmosphere is strange right now. It looks like the government is trying to train players into soldiers.
Maxim had already been exposed to the Russian government and was in the process of being managed.
So it was quite reliable information, but Kei’s reaction when he returned was light.
– K: Oh, it’s hot?
– Maxim: It’s nothing to laugh at. The government is in control even of my family!
What kind of country is Russia?
They are pushing ahead with things other countries would never dream of because of opposition from human rights groups or political factions.
There was no doubt about their actions recorded in history.
Maxim, who knew this fact better than anyone else, could not hide his nervousness.
– Maxim: He said he wanted to create an organization that would represent and protect the player’s position. How about protecting me right now?
– K: Is it really necessary?
Maxim, furious at the sullen answer, fired at him, but when Kei’s words were over, the atmosphere in the chat room changed.
– K: Don’t make a fuss. Because the player itself is already an army. When we are active on Earth, we are no different from soldiers.
– K: I don’t think it’s bad to create an army of players in advance. Administrative procedures, unit establishment, and other miscellaneous tasks can be finished. It’s better if you get a seat there.
– K: Of course, we need to lay the groundwork to move proactively without being swayed by the government’s instructions.
All sorts of questions poured in. It’s because Kay hasn’t revealed information about the hall to them yet.
It was feared that it would be misused. Because there might be people who dare to bring monsters to Earth.
‘I can’t stop someone from finding out and causing an accident.’
Kei thought about it in many ways, saying he didn’t want to cause a tragedy by adding his hand.
‘But I won’t be able to hide it forever.’
To build a foundation for players on Earth, we needed the cooperation and help of many people.
Here and there, if you want to inform the player’s need, you can’t unconditionally hide information about the hole.
Kay eventually revealed information about Hall in a chat room.
Players were agitated when they heard that the monsters that had taken over this world could come over to Earth at any time.
Among them, there were people who distrusted Kay’s words and argued.
Kay did not appease him. Rather, he showed a strong attitude, as if he were about to kick him out.
– K: If you don’t want to believe it, don’t believe it. I answered the best, but look at what I say.
– K: The red half is also oily. Because I don’t want to give information to a guy like you.
After a long silence, it was Maxim who spoke again.
– Maxim: How are you going to create a foundation for players to take initiative and ignore the government? Is there such a way?
– K: There is a hole. What’s difficult?
In other words, Kay meant to instill a sense of awareness among government officials that mistreatment of players could lead to serious trouble.
What I had to do for that was simple.
– K: Let’s go catch evolutionary species sometime.
Because if you want to send the evolved species beyond the hall, you have to catch them first.
‘Because it’s really hot.’
What the hell are you thinking, can you plan to throw an evolutionary species into Russia to prove the player’s worth?
– K: I tried it, but it’s not dangerous if you cut off all the limbs and take it. As a warning, as a protest, it’s a pretty good method.
The moment Edan shook his head and laughed, a light came from a moving magic circle not far away.
Someone else had arrived at the outpost.
When the light faded and I found a masked man standing on top of it.
Players with detection-type magic stiffened.
“her… … ?”
The masked man approached as frighteningly as Fabian’s gasp, obviously embarrassed, was over.
‘That’s Kei.’
He had so much magic that he had already completed the joining mission.
It would be natural for those with detection-type magic to be surprised.
“Are you here early? Can you briefly introduce yourself? K.”
Sure enough, it was the voice that remained clear in my memory.
Ethan wanted to greet Kei with a wide smile.
But it won’t work. It was because the relationship between him and Kei had already been talked about so as not to be revealed.
I had to consciously harden my expression so as not to show a welcome feeling, let alone a smile.
Whether you know his patience or not.
– K: It was so far-fetched that someone did it. Are you not going to cry today?
– Ethan Lembrone: Don’t cry!
Kei was busy teasing Ethan, whom he had reunited with after a long time.
Unlike the first time we met, that laid-back attitude was a bit unfamiliar to me.
On the one hand, it was also embarrassing. Few players are this close to him.
While Ethan chatted with Kay proudly and a little shyly, Kay finished talking to the others.
And as if there was no need to delay, he began to check what he needed for hunting.
“Are you Maxim? Did you find a suitable mission paper?”
“Okay, 03-332, average mana is 40, and as you said, I picked the one with no overlapping numbers in the mission list.”
“Direction and distance?”
“About 40 minutes to the east.”
“Okay, then you go back to Earth and enter that way. We will move on like this.”
“alone? And if you meet a monster… … .”
“You can catch it. You just have to hold on until you join, can’t you even do that?”
“… … .”
“Until Maxim enters, we simply try to match the same positions as we move.”
Kei added a word, saying, “Shouldn’t team killing be avoided?
“What are you doing? Don’t waste your time and move quickly.”
Right after that, the players started to move in perfect order according to Kay’s instructions.
* * *
The Russian government did not take lightly an anomaly that began a few months ago.
Thanks to this, we were able to secure a considerable number of players right after the first selection.
One day, the time to manage and supervise them has become longer.
The government thought while looking at the ever-growing players.
– How about raising them as human weapons?
There was no end to the greed of those who wanted stronger national power.
In order to gain an upper hand in a globalized society, strength was needed.
So, one day when the movement to train the players into troops while controlling them more strongly was in the works.
“Keee!”
Shouts resounded through the military facility where the players’ entrances to other worlds were gathered.
It was the roar of a monster with its four legs cut off and its jaw ripped off, pouring out black blood.
The confusion caused by the sudden incident was short-lived.
Soldiers deployed for vigilance and surveillance moved quickly.
In the meantime, Maxim, who came over to Earth with the evolutionary species, hesitated and stepped back.
‘It’s real… … ?’
I was dubious, but that what Kay said was true.
Maxim’s complexion was white.
“Back off! Maxim Bugaev, get out of here!”
He was so shocked that he couldn’t even react to repeated warnings.
However, when the bang, bang, bang, warning shots started, I had to force myself to recover.
– That one probably won’t stick well.
– Bringing it up, make them calculate for themselves how much the player’s influence will grow later.
– We should think that the vested interests should join hands with us, not use us unilaterally.
In the moment of taking a step back, Kay’s warnings and advice quickly passed through my mind.
Thanks to this, Maxim raised his hands above his head and shouted in a hard voice.
“Hole, there’s a hole!”
But instead of listening to his words, the soldiers pointed their guns at him and arrested him.
Nevertheless, Maxim did not give in and repeated what he had to say.
“Those freaks can come over here!”
The expressions of the soldiers who subdued Maxim in accordance with the orders of the superiors hardened.