Chapter 156 - Mr. Lion (2)

Ghost Busters, the evil spirits' community.

My own source of information, one Misha and Aynar knew nothing about.

'All right, let's do this.'

I forced myself to look away from Lee Hansoo's invitingly soft bed and turned on the computer first. There was information I absolutely had to uncover within the twelve hours this community remained open.

'Orculus, Noark, the Dragonslayer.'

Once, they had been distant concerns. Now they were intimately tied to my survival. The library's books could only tell me so much. By their very nature, books were bound to lag behind the latest developments.

[1–140,000 GP] Any and all information concerning Orculus.

After posting a request to buy information on the Trade market, I opened the chat room. I figured this might prove far more useful than the market.

[Long Live Korean Independence] - 1 user online.

Lee Baekho seemed to have entered the chat room the moment the community opened. He had been terribly reluctant to log out last time, after all. He had even worried that I might not come back next time, like a little kid who didn't want to be separated from his parents.

'Still... I can't afford to take him lightly.'

For some reason, it left a bitter taste in my mouth.

The very picture of bad luck, dragged here on the day of his discharge, and a veteran who had survived in this world for nearly ten years. Lee Baekho bore me a great deal of goodwill...

But I couldn't trust him completely.

["Ah... Well, I'm actually in hiding, so I'm not very up-to-date on things, you know?"]

Back then, he had told me he was in hiding. That was why he wasn't up on the latest information, he said, before introducing me to the Observer of the Round Table. I had let it pass without much thought last time...

But I couldn't rule out the possibility that he belonged to Orculus or the underground city of Noark.

'Fellow Korean or not, in this world, I don't even know his face or his name.'

I soon settled my thoughts. Maintaining my relationship with Lee Baekho offered more benefits than risks. So I would gently probe his identity without pushing too hard, and discreetly fish for information about Orculus.

With that decided, I double-clicked the mouse.

"Brooooo!!!"

It was a large room reminiscent of a noble's mansion. Before I could even take a proper look around, Lee Baekho came running toward me.

"Hansoo, bro! What took you so long?!"

"What? I came right away..."

"I was so worried you were dead!"

He apparently wasn't just saying that. There was a frightening intensity in his eyes, and his hair was a mess, as though he'd been tearing at it. The community hadn't even been open for five minutes, and this was his reaction.

Just how starved for affection had he—

"Bro, you can't die yet! We haven't even talked about idols, or bitched about politicians and the military! You're the only one I can do that with...! We still have to talk about Dungeon Fighter!"

Oh, uh... So that was the problem.

Well, expecting normal sensibilities from someone who had survived here for ten years was a little ridiculous. I chuckled and sat down.

"Knock it off. I'm not dying."

"Yes, sir. So what should we talk about first? Oh, LoveLove's third studio album? That's the best choice, right?"

Who the hell was LoveLove...?

I had never been interested in show business, so I smoothly changed the subject. I had a feeling he would turn deadly serious if I admitted I didn't know them.

"... Let's talk about the military."

"Hell yeah! Huh? Wait, weren't you in public service, bro?"

"I still went through basic training, you punk."

"Hmm..."

Were stories about basic training not all that appealing? Lee Baekho gave me a strange look, then cautiously spoke.

"Bro, maybe we should just talk about Dungeon Fighter after all..."

"Never played it."

"Whaaaaat?!! Didn't you say you were in public service?!"

Lee Baekho nearly keeled over, as if he'd heard something unthinkable. Then, perhaps finally coming to his senses, he said,

"Oh! Sorry, bro. I didn't mean it like that. You know that, right?"

"... Sure. Let's go with that."

"Yeah..."

The atmosphere turned awkward in an instant. Lee Baekho scratched his cheek, looking somewhat deflated. I could understand how he felt. He'd been thrilled to meet another Korean, only to realize we didn't actually have much in comm—

"Pfft! Pffhahaha..."

"What are you laughing at?"

"Come on, bro. Wasn't that kind of funny? The conversation we just had."

Was it? I honestly couldn't tell what part of it he found so funny.

"I can't really explain it, but just now, I honestly felt like I was back in Korea."

Oh. That.

"... Then I think I get it. More or less."

"Right?"

Lee Baekho chuckled and leaned back in his chair. Then, rather than forcing ourselves to find topics, we let the conversation flow naturally. Starting with what we'd done for a living, we talked about whatever came up, and somehow ended up discussing the military after all.

"Basic training was pretty funny too. I had no idea our country had so many lunatics."

"Well, given the environment... They all go back to normal once they're out."

"I guess... You've got a point. We never imagined we'd turn out like this either, right? If we get back, we'll probably need to check into a psychiatric hospital first."

"I don't think we should talk about this."

"No, but haven't you thought about it, bro? Killing people because they get in the way, killing them because they're suspicious, worrying whether every new person you meet might hurt you. People's lives... start to feel like they're just game characters. That's completely fucking insane, isn't it?"

The air grew so heavy it was hard to believe we'd been laughing together just moments before.

"We'll adjust soon enough. Just like we did when we came here."

"... You think so?"

"Yeah."

Silence lingered for a while. Lee Baekho was the first to speak.

"Anyway, that's why I'm grateful to you, bro. Honestly, lately I'd been wondering if I even needed to go back. Not because I like it here... You know what I mean, right?"

"Yeah."

"You might not think it's a big deal, but it gives me motivation, at least. Laughing here with you gives me faith that we could do the same once we're back."

Faith...

Something about that word felt inexplicably off. But I didn't pry. I couldn't be sure of anything yet, and I saw nothing to gain by needlessly stirring things up.

"Oh, by the way, do you know much about this group called Orculus?"

I naturally broached the real subject, speaking casually, as though I simply wanted to dispel the heavy mood. Having tossed out the question, I watched his expression closely.

There was no notable change.

But...

"Orculus? Why are you curious about them?"

Lee Baekho asked why first. Until now, he had readily answered whatever I asked. My questions about him only kept growing.

Just who was he?

* * *

"You need the Six Treasures to reach the final floor, right? I wondered if they might have stolen them. Oh, you heard someone stole them, didn't you?"

I delivered my prepared answer without a moment's hesitation, and Lee Baekho nodded.

"Yes, I know. So that's why you asked... What a relief."

"A relief?"

"Oh, it's nothing."

Lee Baekho brushed it aside and continued.

"Anyway, I'm impressed you thought of that, bro. Actually, I used to think the same thing."

"But not anymore?"

"No. I checked through various means, and I don't think it was them after all. I mean, all the Six Treasures were stolen about six months ago, right?"

"All of them?"

"Oh, you didn't know that. All six races were robbed. On the exact same day, too."

So the elder had been right when he said the other races might be in a similar situation.

"It just isn't realistic. The other races, maybe, but stealing from the dragonkin and humans too? No matter how capable those guys are, they couldn't pull that off. Still, I investigated just in case, but I didn't turn up any real leads."

"So you don't know who stole them either?"

"No. If you find any leads, bro, please let me know. As you know, if there's any way to get home, that's got to be it, right?"

I had asked out of curiosity about Orculus, but learned something unexpected. He didn't know anything about the Six Treasures either. And here I'd briefly entertained the wild idea that he might be the ultimate mastermind.

"Bro, you're not getting any funny ideas, right? Like thinking we're competitors. Up to five people can open the door together anyway. I'll be useful to have around."

"No, that's not it..."

I couldn't tell him to his face what I'd actually been thinking, so I improvised an excuse.

"It just feels a little strange hearing that from you. How am I supposed to find leads even you couldn't find?"

"Uh, I can't really argue with that... But somehow, I feel like you're a little special, bro. I've thought so since we first met, actually."

"... I'm the one who doesn't know what to say when you put it like that."

"Come on, you said you cleared it on ten times difficulty too, right? Give it ten years and won't you be about as strong as me? I've practically run out of ways to get stronger now..."

Leaving aside his claim that he had no room left to grow, the casual way he said it spoke volumes about Lee Baekho's mental fortitude. He already expected finding the Six Treasures to take at least another ten years. Yet he wasn't even considering giving up.

What kind of relentless determination was that?

"Oh, right. Want to hear something interesting? I bet even you don't know this one. It wasn't part of the game's setting."

"What is it?"

"There's a massive underground city beneath the sewers. It's called Noark."

"... Noark?"

I struggled to maintain my composure. This was something I'd longed for but hadn't dared ask. To think he'd bring it up himself.

"Yeah. Mentioning Orculus reminded me. That's actually their home base too. You know the Ormi Revolutionary Front, right?"

I chuckled at the rather unexpected name.

The Ormi Revolutionary Front, huh?

"They showed up in occasional events, right? Get a little Fame and they'd come asking you to turn the world upside down with them."

For the record, accepting that event always led to a death ending. I'd tried countless times in case there was some hidden condition, but it was baked into the game's structure. There was no changing it.

"Those bastards built Noark too. After their rebellion failed, they all fled underground."

"Interesting. Anyway, go on."

"That's about it. Their goals are similar, right? So apparently the two groups are down there working hand in glove."

The alliance between Noark and Orculus. That much I'd already learned from the letter High Priest Ludwig had left behind. In other words, what came next was what mattered.

How could I ask about the Dragonslayer without arousing suspicion?

As I was pondering that...

"Bro, I'm only saying this just in case, but even if the royal family or the Guild sends down a request later, don't go anywhere near anything involving them."

"I think I'll need to hear why first."

"Ah, this is going to take a while to explain..."

Lee Baekho looked at me, heaved a sigh, and launched into a rapid explanation.

"There's this guy called the Dragonslayer, and the bastard really fucked up this time. Apparently, he kidnapped a high priest and dragged him around, then lost him. Supposedly someone happened to find a letter and took it to the temple or something."

I swallowed hard and asked, "... How the hell did that happen?"

"I don't know the details either. They say he lost his memory and doesn't even know what hit him."

He lost his memory?

Could that have something to do with one of the vines breaking?

I wanted to ask for more details, but Lee Baekho gave me no opening, finishing his explanation in a rapid-fire burst.

"Anyway, my point is, they broke the agreement first, so an expeditionary force might be formed to wipe them out. Whatever you do, don't join it."

"..."

"There's a reason they've survived down there unscathed all this time. If you get involved, you'll just get hurt. Got it? Shit, time's already up. Bro! See you next—"

Lee Baekho's voice dissolved into a garble, and he vanished without a trace.

"Fuck."

Logged out.

In other words, his time had run out and he'd been kicked off.

* * *

After Lee Baekho disappeared, I returned to my room and spent a while gathering my thoughts. Or, more precisely, going over one sentence he'd said, again and again.

["I don't know the details either. They say he lost his memory and doesn't even know what hit him."]

Considering the pill that psycho bitch had made me swallow back then, it was certainly possible. The problem was that I didn't know whether it was true. Lee Baekho might simply have passed along a rumor fabricated by Orculus.

But if it was true...

'That would explain the vine breaking.'

It did make a certain amount of sense.

This ring didn't sever the ill-fated connection between us. It merely postponed it.

'So it's only a matter of time before I'm found out.'

If they started by tracing who had delivered the letter, they would eventually learn about me. There was also the matter of disposing of the Dragonslayer Sword. Even without that, there was still the possibility that Noark had some way to restore his memories.

Which meant...

'What I need to do hasn't changed.'

I sat back down at the computer and got to work. I checked for posts selling information and, whenever I found any, met the sellers and bought it at a reasonable price. I didn't limit myself to information about the Dragonslayer. Assuming they might all become my enemies, I gathered every scrap of information I could.

How much time had passed?

[03: 09]

It was time for the Observer of the Round Table to open.

I deliberately waited until only one minute remained in the entry window before entering the secret chat room. After all, the beauty of playing a persona lay in the details.

CREEEAK

When I put on the male lion mask lying on the table, the closed door opened. A red carpet stretched all the way to the room containing the Round Table. As I slowly walked along it, I heard voices conversing in the distance.

"Is he not coming this time?"

"It wouldn't be surprising. Someone of his caliber hardly has any need of us."

"Seriously, who is this guy? Why are you all acting like this?"

An unfamiliar voice had joined the conversation. It seemed to belong to a member who hadn't attended last time...

"It's difficult to explain."

"He's an eccentric. So if you ever meet him, be sure to watch what you say. Otherwise, you'll have a very difficult time."

To that experienced member's hard-earned advice, the newbie replied,

"Ha, I seriously don't get it. You're all messing with me, right? Physical force doesn't work here, and he doesn't know who I am. What's there to be so afraid of?"

"Pheehee. There is one thing, isn't there? Bloodlust."

"What...? No matter how strong his Bloodlust is, people at our level can fend it off easily enough, can't we?"

The newbie muttered in disbelief. So I resumed my halted steps and made my presence known.

THUD

At the loud footstep, everyone seated around the Round Table turned toward me at once. I quietly walked behind them and took the same seat as last time.

"It's been a while, Mr. Lion."

Everyone except Clown remained silent, watching for my reaction. Perhaps displeased with that atmosphere, the newbie gave an awkward laugh, acting every bit the rookie.

"Oh, uh... S-so there really was a new member? Haha."

I quietly stared at the newbie. Then I unleashed the Bloodlust I had been diligently practicing.

"...!!"

Of course. When a newbie showed up, you had to establish dominance.

Wasn't that the tradition here?