Chapter 227: Broken (2)

"That makes sense..."

Ethan nodded.

Then Verso suddenly stepped closer.

"More importantly! Tell me, how did you figure out I was a transmigrator like you when this is our first meeting?"

He asked with obvious excitement.

Ethan stared at him with a frown for a while.

"Are you seriously asking me that? Anyone with a quarter of a brain could’ve figured you out."

"Ehhhh?! You’ve got to be kidding!"

"I’m serious."

Ethan answered before beginning to explain the clues that had exposed Verso’s identity.

"I first started suspecting there was another transmigrated player like me when those rumors about me began circulating, especially when Ishizaki’s name was mentioned."

"Then meeting you confirmed my suspicions."

"The first thing that gave you away was your talk about vampires. You said your curse forces you to drink blood."

"I could’ve accepted you calling yourself a vampire, but then you pointed at your fangs. That’s what exposed you."

As he spoke, Ethan gestured toward one of his own canine teeth, imitating the exact motion Verso had made earlier.

"As far as I know, this world doesn’t have the same concept of vampires who suck blood through their fangs. That’s something that exists only in our world."

"Then you started talking about games. You mentioned levels, the system, and other things, treating them as concepts commonly found in games and novels."

"In this world, knowledge of the Player System is largely limited to the Heart Clan, who can actually use it. But you connected it to novels. That was another dead giveaway."

"And then there’s your strange way of speaking, which doesn’t sound like it belongs in this world at all..."

"In short... Everything about you screams that you’re not from this world, Verso."

"Ah! All right, all right, stop... I get it."

Verso sighed in disappointment, having been exposed so quickly.

"I was trying to confirm whether you were a transmigrator like me when I spread those rumors. I wanted to test your reactions."

"But I never expected the whole thing to backfire on me... Man, your powers of observation are terrifying."

"Even a ten-year-old would’ve noticed, you know."

Ethan replied indifferently.

Verso let out a weak chuckle.

"Listen... Am I imagining things, or have you gotten a lot ruder to me ever since you found out who I am?"

In response, Ethan smiled as well.

"My apologies if I offended you unintentionally... But you used to call yourself Square Dick. How exactly do you expect me to take you seriously?"

"The disrespect is real!! And After All The Money I donated To You!! give me my money back!!!"

"I doubt that money would do you much good here, even if I gave it back."

Ethan burst into laughter without even realizing it.

Talking to Verso had become considerably easier now that he’d discovered his true identity.

The two spent some time chatting about random things before eventually settling down on the edge of the tower’s lofty summit, gazing out over Ashvarn as they enjoyed the cool breeze and tranquility of the night.

"I can’t believe I ended up in another world with one of my craziest viewers..."

Ethan spoke quietly, and Verso nodded beside him.

"Iconic, isn’t it?"

"Tell me... What happened after I died? Did it cause a stir? Did the world remember my name?"

Ethan hesitated before asking those questions.

Truthfully, he’d been afraid to ask.

Verso fell silent for a while, considering what he should say before finally opening his mouth.

"Your collapse came completely out of nowhere. It was absolute chaos. Your stream blew up after you finished the game, and the viewer count just kept climbing until it eventually reached hundreds of thousands..."

"It was strange, you know. All those people watching, but the very person they’d come to see was lying there, completely motionless."

"Then the news of your death started spreading. It stayed in the headlines for a while, with titles like: ’The Gamer Who Beat the Impossible Game, but Paid for It with His Life.’"

Ethan smiled involuntarily at that last part.

"Not bad..."

"Yeah. What happened to you would’ve made a pretty good story. But the attention didn’t last long, and the world soon moved on to the next big thing."

"But..."

"Your story brought Ordeal back to life. A huge number of players returned to the game, determined to beat it."

Although his name had gradually faded from people’s memories, the story of the Moon You channel had inspired countless players to give the game another chance.

Previously, they’d convinced themselves that Ordeal was impossible to complete.

That it was nothing more than a trick devised by the developer, a game that no one could ever truly finish.

But Ethan’s victory had shattered that excuse.

His achievement proved that conquering the game was possible, not impossible.

And so, encouraged by his success, many players returned to Ordeal, experiencing at least a fraction of the suffering Ethan had endured.

"So... I left something behind, at least."

Ethan’s eyes trembled slightly as he spoke those final words.

A young man who had accomplished nothing throughout his entire life had finally achieved something that inspired countless others to follow in his footsteps.

"Not bad..."

Raising his head toward the sky, Ethan felt something strange.

It was as though a tremendous weight had finally been lifted from his chest.

He had no idea what consequences his encounter with Verso might bring in the future.

But at that moment, at least, Ethan was grateful they’d met.

Without Verso, he never would have heard the news that had relieved him of a burden he’d been carrying for so long.

"Did anyone manage to beat the game after me?"

"Not as far as I know. Nobody had managed it by the time I died. Most people gave up pretty quickly... though a few came really close."

Verso answered while gazing up at the sky himself.

"Oh, and another thing... That four-eyed guy actually kept his promise, surprisingly enough. He paid out the prize money he’d offered."

"But since you were dead, the money went to a charity that specializes in treating people suffering from the same illness you had."

"Who would’ve thought that bastard Ishizaki had some decency in him..."

Ethan remarked sarcastically, letting out a quiet chuckle.

Then he closed his eyes.

"Now, with that... I’ve finally severed every tie I had to my old world."