140 – Training by the Returner (1)
[Cleared the 11th floor.]
“Wow, it’s really so hard.”
As soon as I returned to reality, I crawled into bed. Since I had been forced to sleep out in the open for the past few days, I desperately wanted the softness of a bed.
“Ugh…. I’m here?”
“Uh. Sleep more. I need to get some sleep too. “Let’s talk tomorrow morning.”
“… Okay.”
It was late in the morning. I lay down next to Choi Ji-won, who was sleeping, and enjoyed the feel of the soft pillow. Ha, I guess I’ll buy something now.
I’ll think about the details tomorrow… I think I need to get some sleep first. I’m so, so, so tired…
**
The next morning.
“What’s wrong?”
“No, something…” “Because it’s awkward.”
I didn’t know it when I just got back, but now I see a large sword standing next to the bathroom door. Various types of armor are a bonus.
Should I say that there is cognitive dissonance in the presence of a cold weapon in an ordinary modern home, or that it does not fit in? Anyway, I feel a subtle sense of discomfort. I thought this would be true when the background was a forest or a cave, but seeing it in real life is really strange.
“The dwarves said they would give me the equipment for free, so I brought my share as well.”
Choi Ji-won smiles during the banquet. Certainly, if you have dwarven armor, there will be fewer cases of absurd regressions. Since it is an item, the fact that it can be worn under a top is a bonus.
“Um… good job. And I also want to rest, Jiwon. “But I’m saying this because I feel like I need to point something out before that.”
It’s not something to talk about as soon as you wake up, but now is the time to bring up this topic.
“Shall we return this time? “Shall I?”
That is, it is a matter of deciding whether or not there will be regression.
“You know, I wasted some time going up to the 11th floor… “
I was so disgusted with staying on the 10th floor that I rested a lot and went up to the 11th floor… Originally, my goal was to climb the tower as quickly as possible, as efficiently as possible, and as perfectly as possible.
And the 11th floor… Since the environment was not as disgusting as the 10th floor, it didn’t matter if it was repeated a few more times. In fact, there were quite a few regressions.
“Uhm… “
Choi Ji-won is silent in response to my question.
“I think this episode is the best outcome. “It’s not that there aren’t some regrets, but I don’t think it’s necessary to repeat the regression.”
“… “Definitely, the results came out good.”
“But, there’s one thing left that we haven’t solved, right?”
Choi Ji-won turns on Google Maps and displays Beijing, China.
“Jang-roe. I need to find this guy. “If it’s for that purpose, I don’t think it’s okay to go back.”
That’s right. Even though the problem on the 11th floor has been resolved, the person responsible for ruining the 11th floor still remains.
“That’s right. It’s clear that we need to trouble him… “
If we don’t find a way to properly deal with this guy named Zhang Lei, all the trouble we went through on the 11th floor will be meaningless. How do you know if that bastard will mess up again on the 12th or 13th floor?
“How do I find it?”
The problem is that this task is no different from finding Mr. Kim in Hanyang.
Other than her name, Zhang Lei, I knew nothing about her. At least she’s a top tier player? If you look for that as a clue, you might find something.
“First of all… I’ll look into the Chinese community. “What if I have a VPN and a translator?”
So, I carefully turned on the computer.
“Uhm… “
And soon after I started surfing the web, I realized that this task was impossible.
First of all, the name Zhang Lei is said to be extremely common in China. Since China already has a large population, the number of people with the same name is so high that it’s almost explosive.
And in the Chinese community, there is very little mention of players. Even the few mentions were all compliments, and even if you washed your eyes and searched, you couldn’t find the story about who said something or who said something.
“Hmm…”
Is there really no way to find Zhang Lei? I sighed and was about to give up.
“The association also exists in China?”
We discovered in the Chinese community that a players’ association has been established in China as well. Maybe the association will be the answer.
“Jiwon, we have to go back.”
If I cannot find Zhang Lei, I am ready to return. And what I am going to do from now on is based on the premise of that return.
“Where is my cell phone?”
“Who are you trying to contact?”
“The person I mentioned before.”
I picked up my cell phone with a determined gesture and dialed the number in my memory. After the call tone continued for quite some time, I heard the male voice I was looking for.
[Yes. This is Joong-Hyeon Yoon, Manager of the Player Management Department.]
“Hello. “This is Kim Jun-ho.”
[…] Yes?]
The attitude of ‘I am Kim Jun-ho’ is a cocky attitude that is only allowed for Choi Ji-won, but it is different for Yoon Jung-hyun. This man already knew my name.
Yoon Jung-hyeon, a former National Intelligence Service agent and currently the head of the player management department.
We had our ups and downs together on the 4th floor. Of course, in the last episode, I just unilaterally led the others to clear the 4th floor, but I remember exchanging names with each other. I probably look like a mysterious and crazy player to Yoon Jung-hyun.
[Perhaps on the 4th floor… ]
“Yes. You’re right.”
[Please wait a moment.]
Yoon Jung-hyun’s voice cuts out for a moment, and the sound of something rattling is heard. He probably has something to prepare.
If I didn’t have any intention of returning, I wouldn’t have done this. My number was exposed, my location was exposed because of my cell phone, and even my purpose was exposed… This is a move that is completely opposite to my policy of working in secret without being revealed to the public.
But since you have made up your mind to return, what is there to be reluctant about? A regressor whose reversion is confirmed cannot be stopped. It is similar to a berserker holding an ax in both hands.
[Yes, Junho. Nice to meet you. Why did you contact me?]
“… “You’re not asking how I got the number?”
[hahahaha, that’s not important. Didn’t you contact me first because you had some business to do?]
“… “
What is it? Why are you taking your time? It’s not that we’re hostile to each other, but we’re also not this close. Do you know something about me? I had my doubts, but since I had something to check for now, I decided to get to the point.
“I want to find one player.”
[Player? Anyone registered with the association can do this. I also happen to be in the ‘player management department.’]
“But it’s a Chinese player. “I heard there is an association there too.”
[Hmm. I think it would be a little difficult in China… ]
Yoon Jung-hyun blurts out his words. The voice that was full of confidence just a moment ago gradually weakens.
[That is… The Chinese branch is a bit different from other countries.]
“… “It’s different?”
[Yes. Although it nominally carries the name of the ‘Association’, it is strongly influenced by its own government… Communication with us is not smooth.]
“Is that possible?”
[All dictatorship countries are similar. We take care of the cause of expanding the association all over the world, and we should say that this is a transaction in which our know-how is passed on.]
“Write… “
If this happens, it will be very difficult. Yoon Jung-hyun is the last bastion, and he contacted me, but even he doesn’t have any effective means. Should I really give up like this?
[Still, we occasionally receive news, so if you tell us your name, we will remember it. When we find out, we will contact you immediately.]
“… “
That… It doesn’t mean much. Since I was planning to return anyway, there was no ‘forward’ for me.
“Jang-roe. This is a player named Zhang Lei. “They say she has a pretty nasty temper.”
Still, I mentioned Jang Lae’s name just in case.
From Noble mtl dot com
[…] Lightning? Are you sure?]
For some reason, Yoon Jung-hyeon’s reaction was unusual. The embarrassment that he couldn’t erase was evident in his voice.
[Chinese player Zhang Lei… I know. Instead, I have to ask you this. Why are you looking for him?]
Yoon Jung-hyeon asks in a meaningful tone. There could be a way to gloss over it here, but since I was planning to regress anyway, I decided to just be honest.
“… I just cleared the 11th floor. But that bastard named Jang Roe had set up a trance board. Oh, have you cleared the 11th floor? “You can’t hear me.”
[…] No. I can hear it. I think it’s probably because you didn’t provide detailed information.]
“Really? Anyway, I plan to find him and take appropriate action.”
The appropriate measure here… Was a word that kept the last resort in mind.
[Uhm… Well sir. I understand what Junho intends.]
Because it was a phone call, I could only hear his voice, but I somehow got the feeling that Yoon Jung-hyun was nodding his head.
[But unfortunately, I don’t think Junho’s wish will come true.]
“… Why?”
[Jang-roe. How do you think I know that player?]
Tiring. When I heard a sound on my phone, I opened my ears and checked the screen, and there was a community link sent by Yoon Jung-hyun.
-Aren’t you guys called Shinigami? He’s a crazy guy who posts pictures of dead bodies on the deep web.
-Reaper? The name is so f*cking sick of middle school students.
-He calls himself his envoy. But what’s special about this guy is that he kills someone and then carves the word ‘death’ on that person’s head with a knife. Then I took a picture and uploaded it to the deep web.
-Aren’t you crazy?
-I know him. That bastard only killed named players and verified them. This is a bastard who has turned into a bastard.
-I posted a picture of Indian player Riya a while ago, and it was disgusting…
– Didn’t he go missing from the Riya Tower? Are you dead in real life? I liked it because it was pretty.
-The guy who bothered to look for that must have been disgusting.
“… What is this?”
I was verbally asking what this was, but in reality, I had already noticed it.
[Jang-roe. He died a week ago.]
“… “
[To that guy called ‘Reaper.’]
Chinese player Zhang Lei.
He was already dead.