Chapter 56

“Vanetsha? There's no one by that name on this street.”

“Reddish-brown hair? I've been here three years, and I've never seen anyone with hair that color.”

Woojin asked the people on the street about Vanetsha, but not one of them knew her, as though they had all agreed on it beforehand.

'They seem to be hiding her deliberately.'

Their reactions left him visibly uneasy.

“Looks like I underestimated this street.”

“What should we do? Should we look for that child you mentioned instead, Master?”

“No. We shouldn't make a move and draw their attention. We can't afford to lose our last lead.”

Ruen nodded.

“Hmm.”

Woojin recalled Peron's parting words before leaving for the central continent.

[“Drifters’ Street? I'd advise you to stay away if you can... But if you do find yourself in trouble, look for Wang Hwimun. Mention my name, and he'll help you.”]

'They must have gotten their stories straight. It'll be better than poking around at random.'

Woojin decided to seek out the place Peron had told him about.

CREEEAK

A little farther out, beyond Drifters’ Street, the outskirts were lined with buildings so dilapidated they were practically ruins.

“Is anyone here?”

A quick look around revealed signs of habitation despite the mess. Woojin couldn't understand why anyone would choose to live in such extreme conditions in a game meant to be fun.

“Who is it?”

A voice came from deeper inside the building.

“Peron sent me. Are you Wang Hwimun?”

A white-haired old man in round glasses gave Woojin a puzzled look.

“Peron of the Blan Clan?”

“That's right.”

“I see. I heard he arrived in Hundred Flowers Valley recently... Are you a companion of his?”

'There really are no secrets here.'

The more Woojin saw, the more remarkable he found it. Hundred Flowers Valley was a fairly large city with hundreds of people coming and going every day, yet the people here seemed to know every last thing that happened in it.

'So they've done more than just play for a long time.'

Woojin began to take an interest in the failures living on Drifters’ Street.

“Well, what brings you here?”

“There was a murder on the street. Someone killed an NPC.”

“That's a common occurrence here.”

The old man named Wang Hwimun seemed unperturbed. His flowing robe looked like something out of a martial arts novel, decidedly out of place in [Evil Tale].

'I can't tell what his class is.'

If he, too, had set foot on the central continent, he had probably undergone his first class advancement.

'He doesn't look like a mage or a shaman...’

Woojin wondered whether he had a hidden class, but he would have to observe him a little longer.

“Is there any way to bring a dead NPC back to life?”

“Players can resurrect at a shrine, but NPCs are different. Once they die, that's the end. After a certain amount of time, other NPCs are generated to take their places.”

Wang Hwimun shook his head.

“I suppose that's why players are Outlanders in this other world. NPCs actually live here, while we exist outside the law of cause and effect that is death.”

“But mercenaries can resurrect, can't they?”

“Mercenaries have contractors. By spending a certain amount of gold, they can use the same system as their contractors.”

“That complicates things.”

“You can't resurrect a dead NPC, but there is a way to have a brief conversation with one.”

“What is it?”

“Simple. Use necromancy.”

“You mean dark magic?”

“Similar, but slightly different. The necromancy used in dark magic raises corpses to serve as servants. Those raised that way have no sense of self.”

“Then...?”

“I mean the necromancy astrologers use. They call forth souls. They can even converse with a summoned soul for a limited time.”

'An astrologer...’

Wang Hwimun's words gave Woojin pause. It was neither a combat class nor a crafting class, so very few people chose it.

“Would you happen to be an astrologer?”

His clothing gave Woojin a glimmer of hope as he asked.

“No. But I do know someone on this street who can use astrology.”

“Who?”

“Vanetsha. Do you see that large building on the left past the three-way intersection? She's its owner.”

His answer left Woojin speechless.

'... I've been played for a fool.'

There was a good chance she was the one who had killed Grosh, too.

“Do you know her well?”

“Hmm. Anyone who spends time on this street knows her.”

“What sort of person is she?”

“Quite simply, the finest astrologer there is. People even come from the central continent to have her read their fortunes.”

That was an unexpected answer. Seeing Woojin's bewilderment, Wang Hwimun elaborated.

“She's the only person on Drifters’ Street who came here of her own accord rather than being driven out of the central continent.”

“Why? Surely there's far more she could do on the central continent.”

“She said she was under constant threat. For her, this place is safer.”

“Hmm... Astrologers are uncommon, but the class isn't anything special. Why would that happen?”

“She must be special herself.”

'A Rare class?'

It was possible. Astrologer was a normal class available at the first class advancement, and every normal class had a higher-tier Rare class.

'Astrologers aren't in much demand to begin with. A Rare version certainly could be hard to find.'

Woojin nodded at Wang Hwimun's answer.

“Just be careful not to get entangled with her. Someone with that many enemies has plenty of allies, too.”

“I'm afraid I already am. Thank you for answering my questions.”

Woojin took two gold coins from inside his clothes and offered them to him.

“No need. It was hardly any trouble.”

THUNK

When he refused, Woojin nicked one of the coins with his blade.

“Use this when you come to see me on the central continent someday.”

“Haha! Don't tell me you're giving me this as a token?”

“That's exactly what it is.”

Wang Hwimun let out an incredulous chuckle at his confidence.

“Judging by your clothes, I doubt you have an ordinary class either. The more people I have, the better.”

“Back to the central continent, after I've stayed away all this time?”

“You might change your mind once you start hearing about me.”

Absurd as it was, Wang Hwimun seemed to like his attitude. He smiled and tucked the money into his sleeve.

“You have spirit. Just what I'd expect from the man who cleared the Ice Cave.”

Woojin had more or less expected him to know, so he wasn't particularly surprised.

“Peron has left for the central continent.”

“Well, well. That is surprising. After seeing what happened to us, he swore he'd never go there without a backer...”

“Perhaps clearing the Ice Cave gave him some courage.”

“And the one who cleared that Ice Cave... was you? Does that make you his backer? Going to the central continent alone, trusting someone lower-level than himself... That doesn't add up.”

Wang Hwimun cast him a sidelong look.

“I see. That's an alternate account, isn't it? You must have another character on the central continent.”

“This is my only account. I wish I could make another one.”

Creating an alternate account required registering his biometric information with the access device again, and that could only be done in the real world.

“Hmm? Why? What's stopping you?”

Wang Hwimun knew nothing of his situation, of course. Woojin could only give him a bitter smile.

“Anyway, I hope we'll have reason to meet again.”

With that farewell, Woojin left the dilapidated building.

* * *

“Didn't he say it's been years since he fled the central continent? Would someone like that really go back?”

Ruen asked as they walked.

“Why do you think that?”

“If he had the courage to try again, wouldn't he have done it long ago...?”

“You're not wrong, but I see it a little differently.”

They were still playing the game despite having failed to establish themselves on the central continent. At first, Woojin hadn't understood, but talking with them had given him an idea.

'Maybe they still have unfinished business.'

Not failures, but people still waiting for their chance.

If that was the case...

“I think you and I have a lot to talk about, too.”

CREEEAK

Woojin spoke as he opened the door to the building Wang Hwimun had pointed out.

“We meet again.”

The door opened to reveal dozens of people lined up on either side. Between them, Vanetsha sat at a table, waving at Woojin.

“You look far too ready for me to pretend you're surprised.”

“Of course I am. I heard there was a commotion this afternoon. That idiot Miller tried to take your items and ended up killing Grosh, didn't he?” she asked, watching him.

'When she arranged the whole thing herself.'

To Woojin, it was a hopelessly unconvincing act, but he decided to play along.

“Wang Hwimun told me you can summon souls.”

“That's right.”

“As you probably know, I want you to summon Grosh's soul.”

“Astrology requires a lot of materials. Summoning souls in particular requires some that are only found on the central continent.”

“Just tell me what you want.”

Woojin cut her off, knowing she wasn't stalling because she lacked materials.

“Your reason for looking for Grosh.”

“Nothing special. I came after reading Kerga's post on the community board. It said he had some connection to the black fog, that unexplored region.”

“So you're planning to take on the black fog?”

“It's an achievement I can earn in the Dark Forest before moving on to the central continent.”

“What about the quest?”

“There isn't one.”

Vanetsha's expression twisted at his answer.

“You really came just because of Kerga's post? All because of something written years ago?”

“Why is that strange? You're the strange ones, sitting on information about an NPC for years without ever trying.”

“You bastard...!”

“Arrogant little shit!”

“You think the black fog is that easy?”

The people guarding Vanetsha snarled at Woojin's provocation. He regarded them impassively.

“You're hiding something, aren't you? Grosh seems to have an important clue about the black fog...”

Vanetsha sounded unconvinced.

“It seems our negotiations have broken down. Unless you bring me solid information about the black fog, I can't help you.”

“Everyone here wants something for nothing.”

“... What?”

“First you demand my loot, then a black fog quest... Giving me all this shit, telling me to bring you things I don't even have.”

STEP. STEP. STEP.

Woojin strode through the crowd and right up to her.

“You never think of earning anything yourselves. All you think about is taking from others.”

He looked down at her with cold eyes.

“Did it never occur to you that someone could take from you?”

“Us? What do we have to lose? You're the only one who needs something here.”

“Of course you have something.”

Woojin smirked at her answer.

“Your life.”

Vanetsha twitched, her face contorting. Killing intent radiated from the people around them, but to Woojin, who had stood on the threshold of actual death, it was merely laughable.

“Hahahaha! Are you fucking kidding me?”

CRACK...! CRRRACK...!!

At that instant, a freezing chill surged from beneath Woojin's feet and swept over them.

“G-gah!”

“Aaaargh...!!!”

[Activating Cold Wave.]

▶Freezes surrounding living creatures for 1 minute.

In an instant, dozens of people froze solid like statues.

“Ruen.”

At his command—

THWACK!!!!

“...!!!”