Chapter 166

Dead?

He had turned deceased beings into game characters?

I stared blankly at the pixelated characters.

I wanted to know more.

What these people meant to Kwak Han-mook.

Why they were so precious.

I wanted to dig everything up and verify it.

Even if they were already dead, their significance could not outweigh their feelings toward me.

For subordinates must look only upon their master.

As I glared intently at the screen, a speech bubble containing an eyeball-shaped pixel graphic appeared above Kwak Han-mooks head.

He made a circle with his fingers and held it over his eyes like glasses.

[Kwak Han-mook wonders if the God wants to pluck out his eyes.]

That... I do want to do that, but...

However, I knew I shouldn’t.

As if reading my hesitation, Kwak Han-mook burst into laughter.

A laughing speech bubble appeared, and his character approached my hand.

Then, he patted it.

It was a touch that felt like encouragement.

[Kwak Han-mook feels gratitude toward the God who saved him. He believes this is something only a Young God could do.]

[He thinks it is a good thing to trust and follow the Young God.]

I read the words once more.

It was only natural for my subordinates to like me.

They had clearly come to realize my greatness further.

Even though it was natural... I couldn’t believe it. I felt a sensation that was difficult to put into words.

Kwak Han-mook’s character looked up at me.

[Kwak Han-mook wants to know if the Special Task Team is safe.]

Mo Hae-in had already been cleared; only Je Hyun-oh remained.

As I contemplated whether to inform him via a message, words appeared.

[Kwak Han-mook is certain that ’Han Goyo’, as the Young God, will rescue them.

Just as he rescued him.]

I stared at the pixelated letters for a very long time.

I looked and looked again at the letters composed of tiny squares.

While I was unable to tear my eyes away, Kwak Han-mook gestured to me.

A speech bubble with a cake pixel graphic popped up over his head, and he made a motion as if punching the air.

[Kwak Han-mook wants to go eat cake with the God.]

My lips curled upward involuntarily. I couldn’t help but smile.

I wanted to grant my subordinates wish.

And I wanted to achieve what the Special Task Team hoped for.

Slowly, I withdrew my hand.

My hand vanished from the screen as well.

Kwak Han-mook’s character waved as if saying goodbye.

The other characters were politely expressing their gratitude to me.

This was especially true for the opposing player and the pixel characters who had been his hostages.

Some knelt as if praying, while others stretched out their arms in praise.

When Kwak Han-mook said something to his former teammates, they gave me a crisp, formal salute.

Finally, the young boy...

He held onto the hem of Kwak Han-mook’s clothes before waving slightly at me.

The screen changed.

An electronic fanfare rang out along with pixelated fireworks.

[CLEAR!]

I had been worried because it ended somewhat abnormally, but fortunately, it was cleared successfully.

Text announcing a new record appeared on the screen, showing my time.

Once again, it was a record that differed significantly from the second place.

But for some reason, I wasn’t interested in the record.

I picked up the fluorescent light-blue coin rolling out of the coin return slot.

It was a Clear Coin with Kwak Han-mook’s pixel character’s face drawn on it.

Suddenly, I pressed my hand to my eyes.

The color of my pupils, which had changed since I played Mo Hae-in’s game, had not yet returned.

I realized that the Young God had merged with me.

Normally, I would have been afraid.

Because I wouldn’t know what I might do, I would have been terrified that I might do something harmful to my team.

But right now, it was just fine. In fact, it felt quite good.

Even though I had merged with a god, it didn’t feel like a disaster.

I was still trusted as a member of the Special Task Team.

’I have to do this.’

As Kwak Han-mook said, the current situation could only be resolved by me both as ’Han Goyo’ and the ’Young God’!

I gripped the Clear Coin tightly. I could feel a slight warmth from the flat coin.

"You have become much more proficient in using your power, Roasted Chestnut."

Dominic’s praise reached me. His voice was full of satisfaction.

He even clung to my cheek, squishing softly as if pleased.

It seemed he had greatly enjoyed the way I intervened in the game world.

I wondered how Dominic looked right now.

He probably thought I had become much closer to a god.

"Mr. Dominic."

"Yes, Roasted Chestnut."

"I think I only need to clear one more. Let’s get out of here quickly."

At that, for some reason, he chuckled lowly.

"I can wait."

It was an answer that felt somewhat meaningful.

I let the pudding slime wander around my face as it pleased and searched for the game machine where Je Hyun-oh was trapped.

I was in a hurry.

The words Je Hyun-oh had said to me kept coming back to me.

’I hate waiting.’

Unlike the captains, he was someone who might do anything.

Knowing his history of tearing through a trial to follow me when he and CEO Cha were trapped in the PTB, I felt even more anxious.

’Surely he hasn’t already broken out?’

I scanned the surroundings with that thought, but no black figure was visible.

Thinking that he must be very angry, I diligently wandered between the arcade machines.

And finally, I found Je Hyun-oh in the machine placed in the furthest corner.

It was a flight shooting game.

A game where the player controls a fighter jet, moving forward while dodging attacks pouring in from all sides and killing enemies. Like a classic arcade game, the screen used a top-down view.

However, the fighter jet the player was supposed to control was nowhere to be seen on the pixelated screen.

Likewise, Je Hyun-oh was not visible.

Looking at the screen, I was momentarily speechless. Dominic described the situation in a refined tone.

"It seems Roasted Chestnut’s subordinate has caused some trouble."

The world inside the game was a shambles.

The space of the universe, which served as the background, was sharply torn in several places.

Beyond the torn gaps, other games were visible.

Fighting games, racing games, action, sports, puzzles...

Countless varieties of games were partially revealed through the cracks.

They were traces of attempted escapes.

However, despite having ransacked everything, Je Hyun-oh had not been able to get out.

’Where did he go?’

I scanned the screen thoroughly.

Because the background was space, the pitch-black figure was hard to spot.

I searched as if playing a game of hidden pictures while sitting in the chair, but I simply couldn’t find him.

Just as I was thinking it was strange that he was this invisible...

In the upper left corner of the screen, I spotted a black figure emerging from a gap that had been hidden by the health bar.

He had entered another game and came back out.

I quickly checked the status of the flapping pixel character.

Since it was a small pixel character, I couldn’t be sure, but outwardly, he didn’t seem to be injured.

Feeling a sense of relief that I had finally found Je Hyun-oh, other thoughts then occurred to me.

’Were the games connected to each other?’

By tearing the space in the universe, he had connected to other games and moved between them.

As I examined the game background, which had become little more than a rag, something felt off.

Je Hyun-oh’s flapping character was staggering.

Then, at some point, he stopped moving.

Since the background was space, he didn’t fall just because he stopped flapping.

But Je Hyun-oh simply remained still, without a single movement.

As if it didn’t matter if he fell.

The moment I saw the pixel character floating alone on the screen, I quickly inserted a coin into the machine.

Then, to make my presence known, I moved the joystick on the control panel.

Je Hyun-oh’s character moved up slightly.

But there was no reaction.

Not even a speech bubble with an exclamation mark or a question mark appeared over his head.

I tried manipulating the joystick more to move him a longer distance, but the result was the same.

Dominic let out a "hm," showing signs of displeasure.

From his perspective, Je Hyun-oh must have been very arrogant, but he didn’t bother mentioning it to me.

Even if he had, I probably wouldn’t have heard him. That was how panicked I was.

I hurriedly tried everything I could.

First, I cast Protection.

A golden veil of pixel graphics draped over his head, but Je Hyun-oh remained silent.

I tried sending a message by pressing the joystick and buttons to combine letters one by one.

[ITSGOYOIMHERE]

But it was the same. There was no reaction; no speech bubbles, nor letters appeared.

Even when I tried applying a Restriction, it was the same.

Was this related to the fact that he had destroyed the game world so thoroughly?

Since I hadn’t anticipated this situation, I was flustered.

That was when text appeared beneath Je Hyun-oh.

[Je Hyun-oh does not want the God’s touch.]

In that moment, an uncontrollable emotion surged.

’Why?’

Even if he didn’t want me, he was my possession. He must not refuse or push me away.

"Haa."

I let out a short breath and closed my eyes.

I tried to compose my heightened emotions.

I struggled to think more as Han Goyo, rather than as the Young God.

Having regained my composure, I began to assess the situation again.

Je Hyun-oh had clawed everything to pieces.

Because cracks had formed everywhere, normal game progression seemed impossible.

I felt I had to resolve this first.

After taking a deep breath, I inserted my hand into the screen.

Then, Je Hyun-oh’s pixel character moved very slightly.

He lifted his head and looked at my hand.

But that was all.

After looking for a moment, he averted his gaze as if he had lost interest.

Leaving Je Hyun-oh alone, I diligently repaired the game world.

At first, I wondered if I could do such a thing, but my hand moved instinctively.

Just as I had changed Mo Hae-in’s sky, I gently caressed the torn gaps.

Then, the torn spaces slid back together.

The repairs took quite some time.

It was because Je Hyun-oh had torn too many spaces.

Moreover, it took even longer because I was careful not to touch Je Hyun-oh, even by mistake.

Once I had mended all the marks, it returned to a sparkling space background.

Even though it was my first time doing this, I seemed to have fixed it well.

Feeling satisfied, I secretly checked Je Hyun-oh’s reaction.

He was still just staying still, as if his power had been turned off.

I couldn’t leave him like this if I wanted to get him out of the game.

Left with no choice, I reached out to Je Hyun-oh very slightly.

It was a gesture hoping for any kind of reaction.

But the moment I reached out, I flinched and trembled all over.

Je Hyun-oh, who had flown up in an instant, slammed a metallic hand into mine. And then he dragged it down.

Along with a stinging pain, a long wound appeared.

The option of him attacking me hadn’t crossed my mind at all. Not knowing how to react, I simply recoiled my hand.

In the meantime, Je Hyun-oh attacked my hand mercilessly.

When I became like a hedgehog, pierced by black crescents, it hurt enough to bring tears to my eyes.

Still, I was somewhat relieved that he didn’t cut off my fingers.

He only stopped attacking after he had made my hand bloody.

A speech bubble with ’...’ appeared over Je Hyun-ohs head.

It was the first reaction he had shown. Just as I was about to try anything without missing the opportunity...

The pixel character slowly flapped its wings and landed on the back of my hand.

Then, as he drove a metallic feather deep into my skin, text appeared.

[Je Hyun-oh wants the God’s protection. He thinks the God must grant his wish.]

Despite flinching from the pain, I cast Protection over him.

After donning the golden veil, Je Hyun-oh slowly pulled out the metallic feather he had embedded in the back of my hand.

Text appeared beneath Je Hyun-oh, who was wearing the veil of protection for a brief moment.

[Je Hyun-oh does not want to wait any longer. He thinks the God must grant his wish.]

’I’m sorry I’m late.’

As I apologized fervently in my heart, pixelated letters continued to output.

[Because he had waited for so long. Je Hyun-oh waited. He continued to wait.]

[Waited. Waited. Waited. Waited. Waited.]

[Waited. Waited. Waited. Waited. Waited. Waite...]

’Waited’ continued endlessly.

I looked at those letters with bewildered eyes.

It was true that I had come to Je Hyun-oh late because I was clearing Mo Hae-in’s and Kwak Han-mook’s games.

But it wasn’t to the extent that my subordinate would act this unstable.

The pixelated letters that had filled the screen vanished all at once.

All that remained was Je Hyun-oh’s pixel character standing on the back of my hand against the backdrop of space.

The pixel character, with its metallic hand hanging down, slowly moved its wings.

After a moment of silence, pixelated text appeared again.

It was a single line.

[Je Hyun-oh has always awaited the manifestation of the God.]