Chapter 35 035

"I rummaged through every log and record but I couldn't find any other companions. There's no way… we couldn't find forty people…"

"Or… I hid them well from the game makers."

"That's impossible!"

Seojin's words didn't make any sense, so BunnyRabbit couldn't help to refute them. The game managers could see all the logs of all the players, from the items they obtained to what they said in chat, and every single detailed log of every battle. It didn't make sense that they could miss anything.

"It's quite simple actually." Seojin, however, explained it as if it was not a big deal. "All contact was done in real life. The distribution of the workload in-game all happened outside. Now it seems possible, doesn't it?"

"You're… not wrong…"

Rabbit could only agree as it was true. The devs could only see what happened inside the game, and there was no way of knowing what players did in real life.

"What about the teammates who were actually with you?"

"They were the weakest, the ones who needed to be looked after. They also helped me by acting as a smoke screen."

"…"

It felt like a punch in the gut. What the once top-ranked player in front of her was saying seemed unbelievable, to say the least.

"Fortunately, I don't have to do that in Midgard. Developers are prohibited from intervening in the game, that's why you're here, isn't it?"

"…Right."

"The Ironbloods will search for you." Seojin tapped his fingers against the table. "You're a hidden class, a blacksmith, who is destined to make some money, at that. I've already caught their attention too."

"…You're right about that as well."

"That's why I'm trying to hide you. My companions and I come first, but we need to remain separated, like a point formation of sorts. Only then can we avoid the prying eyes of the Ironbloods."

The Ironblood Knights were already a major powerholder, and it was clear that they wouldn't let a potential threat grow. Seojin had to lay low and cultivate his strength under the Ironbloods' radar in order to survive. Bunny finally figured out Seojin's true intentions.

'…He's trying to take on the Ironbloods.'

It was apparent that the reason Director Kim reached out to Seojin was, on the surface, to keep the Ironblood Knights in check. Although BunnyRabbit was sure that it was more about Kim's promotion than anything.

'Is it possible, though?'

Bunny couldn't imagine fighting against the guild that could make the entire kingdom of Valaran tremble with their name only.

'I didn't sign up for this.'

Somehow, the whole situation was just getting more and more complicated. She joined her company because she wanted to climb the social ladder, and she was only playing the game because her boss told her to. That was all that she wanted. Her only goal was to get a promotion and have minions of her own while increasing her salary.

'How did I end up here?'

Receiving a hidden class was a good thing. It would still be useful as a side job in the worst-case scenario, and if she hit the jackpot? She'd have economic freedom. However, fighting the Ironbloods was a totally different matter.

"I'm not confident…"

"I'm not commanding you, so you don't have to be nervous. We're companions. Just stay here, learn your trade, and change your class when the time comes. You can do whatever you feel like then."

"I have to report it to my superiors, too…"

"I'll tell you how things are going through text chat every day until your manager is satisfied. Is there anything else that's bothering you?"

There was. Tons of things were bothering her. BunnyRabbit, however, couldn't say them out loud.

"…No, nothing."

Because this game-obsessed nutjob was treating Bunny as his teammate.

* * *

'She must be wondering what to do right now.'

Seojin pondered over the conversation after BunnyRabbit left. His proposal had caught her off guard, and it seemed like he thought his plan was ridiculous. In the end, she almost looked pitiful like she was stuck between two awkward choices.

'I hope she accepts it, but if not, I can find someone else.'

If she did as Seojin said? After some time, it could be said that she would completely move over to Seojin's side. By then, there would be something in the game that she couldn't give up on. But what if she refused? That, too, would not be a major setback for Seojin. He always could find someone else and she would remain as a potential connection. He had given her some time to decide.

'I've gotta do what I gotta do.'

Seojin took a letter out of his inventory.

Letter from Baron Bolton

* A letter filled with appreciation. "Berne's VIP" buff permanently obtained upon opening.

Berne's VIP

* You may return to Berne from anywhere.

* Casting Time: 60 seconds

* Cooldown: 24 hours

* You will be exempt to taxes in Berne.

* You may receive a gift from the Lord upon visiting Berne.

This allowed Seojin to use Berne as his permanent base camp. With this overpowered buff, he could escape from danger under any circumstances.

'I won't die unless I get one-shotted.'

That about summed up the rewards. The thousand gold he invested in Berne would soon return as three thousand, and it wouldn't take long judging by the current situation.

'…As for Flappy…'

Seojin looked slightly defeated as he opened the status screen. There was a new category under his status.

Flappy

* Spirit is undergoing growth

* Time Remaining: 3 days

Seojin had fed Flappy the one-billion-won fruit to Flappy as a result of his own logical deduction..

'Elementalists are a hidden class. They're only as powerful as the elemental spirit they control, but it's very difficult to nurture spirits… I couldn't find the fruit in the auction tab anyway.'

That meant everyone who acquired the fruit had used it instead of selling it. Also, since Seojin had obtained it through a quest instead of buying it, he obtained the full effect.

'I made the right choice… didn't I?'

Of course, his reasoning and emotions were two separate things. Seojin stared at the status screen, feeling a sense of sadness creep up on him.

"So, this is what parents feel like when… no, it's more like how investors feel when going all-in…'

He could only hope that he would make a return on his capital. However, he had to sit and wait for three days to know the result.

Just then, he got a notification from one of his friends.

-Bro! Are you busy?

It was Merhen, one of his old friends from Asgard.

* * *

"So you were the one who rebuilt Berne up from the ground?"

"Can you think of anyone else who could do such a thing?"

"No, but… yeah, it's you. Honestly, it's not that surprising."

Park Minhyuk laughed wryly, looking at the man before him. Han Seojin. He was the legendary top-ranked player of Asgard and was writing new history in this new game, too.

"Okay, I quenched your curiosity, so buy me a coffee at least?"

"That's the least I can do. I'm going to get some bread too, hold on a sec."

Minhyuk smiled playfully and headed to the counter. They were in a café. Seojin stared at Minhyuk's back with his arms crossed.

'It looks like he doesn't even know what I did.'

Minhyuk just said that he wasn't surprised because it was Seojin that did it. However, that wasn't because he expected it to be Seojin.

'Although it's the bottom of the bunch, Ironblood was involved in this project. Anyone who knows anything about this should be surprised out of their wits.'

Whether it was concern, glee, or just plain surprise, Minhyuk's response to the story shouldn't have been just that. At least, Seojin thought so. That response was just like the ordinary users who didn't know or even take interest in what actually happened.

'I guess five years is a long time. I can't believe he's changed this much.'

By the time he had reflected on his thoughts, Minhyuk returned.

"Bro?"

"Oh, thank you."

Minhyuk passed him an iced americano, he seemed to remember Seojin's taste.

"Why do you look so preoccupied? Are you thinking about Midgard again?"

"I have a lot of work to do."

"You're not done yet? You still have stuff to do?"

"I'm not planning to quit the game here."

"That sounds like you." Minhyuk chuckled. "Everyone skims over that part of the game, how did only you find so many things out? The World Quest, Berne…"

"I'm just trying to find out as much as possible. I think this game has a lot of hidden easter eggs. It's better to have information that only a few users know about."

"Of course."

Minhyuk shrugged.

"Midgard is huge, it has around a hundred million players worldwide. Tons of devs will be working on it, so it's no wonder some of them hide features for the players who are built differently."

"Then why aren't you looking for them?"

"I can't, I told you, it's for special players like you. Grinding works much better for people like me."

Seojin twisted his lips in bitterness. Minhyuk was not like this in the past. He had always tried his best alongside Seojin as they collected numerous rewards.

'Midgard is a VRMMO… I think that's the problem.'

People didn't give up easily when it came to games since there were no limits and most importantly, it was fun. However, Midgard felt so similar to reality that he must have drawn limits for himself, just like in real life, even if he didn't realize it.

"Oh, that must be you, too, right? Anti-Mainstream."

That was the nickname Seojin used in the online community. Minhyuk nodded as Seojin just smiled instead of answering."

"I knew it. Are you going to be okay, though? They'll know it was you."

"Who's they?"

"Anyone. It's sure to catch people's attention."

"Yeah, people might figure it out. So what?"

"They'll keep tabs on you. Some people might even come looking for a fight too. What are you gonna do if they spawn camp you?"

"Since when did we worry so much while playing a game?"

"The situation is different now, anyway…"

Minhyuk scanned the cafe quickly and lowered his voice.

"An employee from Hailstorm came to see me, Assistant Manager Kim Joohee from the Strategy and Planning Department."

Seojin leaned forward.

"…To your house?"

"No way, it was in-game."

"What did she say?"

"I'm telling you the facts, so listen carefully. They know you were the top player in Asgard and that you cleared the World Quest. I think they are trying to get you on their side."

"…Really? Why did they contact you?"

"They're targeting me too. I was close to you in the past, so they must be thinking it wouldn't do any damage to keep me around."

The corners of Seojin's mouth curled upward.

"What are the conditions?"

"They'll tell me about events in advance and help me with other requests as much as they can."

"How far does the line go?"

"I don't know, it was pretty vague. Still, considering it's a manager behind all of this, many things should be possible as long as it wouldn't be too OP."

The conditions were painfully obvious. Seojin raised a key question.

"What did you say?"

"I told them I wouldn't. I told them it's been a long time since I cut ties with you and I'm not as great as they think, yadda yadda. She said she'll wait and see if I change my mind."

"Interesting."

"Aren't you surprised?"

Seojin smiled even wider.

He'd already guessed it, so there was no reason to be shocked. He'd smiled because he was glad. Although Minhyuk may have settled for his current position, but he was still putting Seojin first.

"Hey, let me tell you what I went through in Berne."

Seojin began his story.