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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 16
Chapter Title: Seo Ah-rin
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[Actor Gong Ji-seok suffers cardiac arrest. Fans devastated by shocking news...]
[Hallyu star Cha Il-woo fails to wake from narcolepsy... Asia's star has fallen.]
[Shim Hwa-yeon, So Yi-hyun, Goong Seo-jin, and other major actors die one after another...]
[Investigation reveals only 58% of celebrities taken to the other world survived.]
[Celebrities are no exception. Survivors report panic disorders and emotional instability...]
Her finger, scrolling through the articles, came to a halt.
A message had popped up.
[Hong Sun-ah: Ah-rin. Did you hear? About Mr. Goong's passing?]
[Seo Ah-rin: Yeah...]
[Hong Sun-ah: Are you going to pay your respects tomorrow?]
[Seo Ah-rin: I have to... He was a senior who took great care of us when we were acting...]
[Hong Sun-ah: Then I'll tell my manager. Let's go together tomorrow.]
[Seo Ah-rin: Okay, sounds good.]
After finishing the messages with her close colleague, Seo Ah-rin let out a long sigh.
'What is happening to the world...?'
Twenty-two years old.
At such a promising age, her sighs had become more frequent lately.
It was all because the world had started to go mad.
'To think that my fellow celebrities are dying one after another...'
Among them, Goong Seo-jin, a senior actor she was currently filming a drama with, had died.
She had arranged to pay respects with her colleague, but he wasn't the only one.
'Mr. Gong, Mr. Shim, Mr. So...'
There was more than one person she needed to mourn.
Drama productions were being halted one after another.
'To think that major senior actors, far more successful than me, couldn't survive the first round...'
Compared to them, she was just a rookie who had recently started to rise.
Even she had passed the first round, but those senior actors hadn't.
The reason was simple.
Luck hadn't been on their side.
'It was a good thing I got a good rune. Otherwise, I might have ended up in one of those articles too...'
Just then, a self-deprecating chuckle escaped Seo Ah-rin's lips.
'I've really come a long way, to think I'd just assume an article would be written about me. In the past, I would've been like the other unknown actors, not even getting a single line with my name in the news...'
Some might think she was successful because she lived in a penthouse, but that wasn't the case.
She doubted she could have come this far without corporate sponsorship.
"What are you thinking about, Ms. Ah-rin?"
Just then, a man in a suit who had been inspecting the house approached her.
It was Ahn Sang-chul, her bodyguard who had also been serving as her manager for the past six months.
"Oh, it's nothing, Mr. Ahn."
"Please, tell me. Didn't I say you could speak freely with me?"
"Ah... I was just thinking about why the world has become like this, and how I'll survive the next round..."
"Don't worry about the next round. Why worry when I'm here?"
"Haha... I suppose so, right?"
The bodyguard smiled confidently and draped his suit jacket over a chair.
Then, he took a bottle of wine from the wine cellar and poured himself a glass.
"Would you like a glass?"
"Oh, no. I'm fine."
Seo Ah-rin was displeased by how her bodyguard acted as if the place was his own, but there was nothing she could do.
'In a way, it's not my house either...'
The penthouse was just a residence provided by her sponsoring corporation; it wasn't truly hers.
The bodyguard, too, was personnel provided by the corporation, assigned to be her manager and whatever else was needed.
'Strictly speaking, he was probably assigned more to watch over me than to protect me...'
She wasn't oblivious; she knew he had been sent to keep an eye on her.
"You worry too much, Ms. Seo Ah-rin. It's about time you trusted me and relaxed a little. I've been your manager for over half a year now, haven't I?"
"Of course. Who else would I trust if not you?"
Seo Ah-rin hadn't been sent to the other world alone.
Her 29-year-old bodyguard had gone with her and completed the quest.
Killing 100 goblins in the first round was no easy mission, but they had managed it somehow.
Thanks to her bodyguard, she had been able to deal with the goblins with relative ease.
Though, above all, the effect of the rune she obtained from a random rune fragment had been a huge help.
'I can trust him.'
When the corporation first assigned her a manager-bodyguard, Seo Ah-rin had been warier than anyone.
Aside from her suspicions of him being a watchdog, she was uncomfortable with an unfamiliar man coming in and out of her penthouse.
But after seeing him diligently focus only on his duties for half a year, she had been able to relax to some extent.
And this time, going through the first round, she came to a firm realization.
She saw her bodyguard's sincere desire to protect her amidst the goblins.
That was why Seo Ah-rin trusted him more than anyone.
"I don't know what the second round's quest will be, but please don't worry too much. If we work together, we can clear it somehow, can't we? I will protect you no matter what, Ms. Ah-rin, so don't give up."
"Yes. Thank you so much."
Smiling as if reassured, Seo Ah-rin recalled the earlier situation and spoke.
"By the way, seeing them handing out rice cakes earlier, it seems someone moved in downstairs."
"It seems so."
"The steamed rice cakes looked delicious..."
"Eating things like that will make you gain weight."
"Still, wouldn't it have been better to accept them even if you weren't going to eat them, rather than refusing so coldly? They came all the way to greet us as new neighbors; their feelings must be hurt."
"Forget it. What greeting? They're just trying to cozy up to you, hoping to get something out of it. You have to be firm. If you accept out of politeness, they'll just keep pestering you endlessly."
"Hmm..."
Seo Ah-rin recalled the men she had met at the entrance.
'They didn't seem like bad people...'
They both had kind faces.
One of them didn't even seem surprised to see her, as if he didn't know who she was.
And this was despite her rising popularity as an actress among the younger generation, thanks to her sponsor.
"One of the neighbors I saw earlier looked like he was over fifteen. He must have survived by killing 100 goblins too, right?"
"Well, I suppose so."
"It's strange. To think someone who went through such a harsh experience is right here, looking completely normal..."
"You did it too, Ms. Ah-rin. How hard can it be to kill a mere 100? Anyone who can't is just an idiot."
"Haha..."
Just as his confident words suggested, the bodyguard's skills in the other world were outstanding.
He had killed his 100 goblins much faster than she had.
She heard he had ranked 153rd in their zone.
'But he's not as good as *that* person.'
Seo Ah-rin remembered.
The scene of the player nicknamed Black Scythe slaughtering goblins.
'The goblins almost looked pitiful in front of him.'
Her bodyguard fought well, but compared to Black Scythe, he was like a child.
Even to Seo Ah-rin's inexperienced eyes, Black Scythe was overwhelmingly skilled.
Didn't his number one rank prove it?
'He must have a day job in the real world... I wonder what he does? Is he in the special forces or something?'
If she could team up with someone that skilled, her chances of surviving the second round would surely increase.
If she knew his real identity, he was the number one person she would want to recruit, even if it meant buying his cooperation with money.
"Now that I've quenched my thirst, I'll be on my way."
"Okay. Thank you for your hard work."
"With things as they are, it seems you won't have any schedules for a while, aside from paying respects. Rest well until then. And don't worry about the next round."
"Yes, I understand."
The bodyguard set down his wine glass and left the house.
In the spacious 110-pyeong penthouse, only Seo Ah-rin remained.
Feeling a chill, she wrapped her arms around herself.
'I was lucky to survive this time, but will I be able to make it through the next round...?'
Anxious, Seo Ah-rin's hands tightened their grip on her arms.
* * *
Time passed, and it was Monday, January 31st.
Ryu Min stopped by Nonghyup Bank to claim his fifth first-prize lottery winnings.
"...You're here again, our lucky customer?"
The bank manager looked surprised, but that was all.
After five consecutive wins, he now seemed used to it, merely nodding his head.
"It's 100 winning tickets this time as well, right?"
"Yes."
"What on earth is your secret?"
"I believe I told you last week. The numbers came to me in a dream."
"..."
What kind of dream gives you the winning lottery numbers five times in a row?
"You're truly amazing. I wish I could have that dream too... Ah."
Having unintentionally revealed his true feelings, the bank manager scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.
"This way, please. I'll guide you myself. Though I'm sure you know where to go, having visited five times already..."
After escorting him to the Lottery Business Team, the bank manager bowed and departed.
"Ah, our lucky customer is here!"
The employee, who had previously stared at him as if he'd seen a ghost, was no longer flustered.
"This time, the prize money will be less than before. The total jackpot has decreased by 15% compared to the average."
It seemed the anxious atmosphere ahead of the second round was affecting the general public.
Even so, the amount deposited into Ryu Min's VIP account exceeded 12 billion won.
'Does this bring my total earnings to 68.5 billion won after five rounds?'
He had raked in nearly 70 billion won from the lottery alone.
Leaving the bank, Ryu Min returned home with a satisfied expression.
Not to his shabby multi-family house, but to his 100-pyeong apartment with a view of the Han River.
"Hyung, you're back?"
When he got home, Ryu Won, who was cleaning, greeted him.
"Did you get the prize money?"
"Yeah. About 12 billion this time? It wasn't much."
"You and your jokes..."
Ryu Won made a face of disgust.
"Are you putting it all into your Bitcoin account again?"
"I have to."
Ryu Min had been investing every bit of his lottery winnings into cryptocurrency.
As a result, his current funds had grown to 150 billion won.
Knowing this, Ryu Won didn't try to stop his brother.
However, his brother's unchecked success made him feel a little anxious.
"Hyung, don't you think you should start pulling out? I'm scared it's all going to crash."
"Not yet."
'It will continue to rise for fifteen days after the second round ends.'
Ryu Min's plan was to sell only after it peaked, reaching up to four times its current value.
"Won. Stop worrying about pointless things and let's go get some lunch."
The brothers ate lunch and dinner out, then spent their time at home.
Time passed, and it was ten minutes to midnight.
'The second round will begin shortly.'
In the safety of his own bedroom, more secure than anywhere else, Ryu Min waited to fall asleep.
"Hyung. You have to come back alive."
"Who do you think I am? I'm the guy who overwhelmed even Bang Tae-gyu."
"I know, but..."
"Don't worry and get some sleep. When you wake up, I'll be awake too."
Reassuring his brother, Ryu Min grinned.
It was time.
"Here I go."
February 1st. As soon as it struck midnight.
*Swoosh-*
Ryu Min's body slumped onto the bed.
* * *
*Flash-*
When he opened his eyes, Ryu Min was already in another place.
In the middle of a clearing with a forest nearby.
It was a different environment from the grasslands of the first round.
This was the starting point of the second round, just as Ryu Min remembered.
"D-Did we arrive?"
"That was instantaneous."
Looking around, he could see the survivors of the first round who had suddenly appeared.
Each had their nickname floating above their head.
"Huh? That person is..."
"The number one ranker from the last round?"
A few people recognized Ryu Min and began to whisper.
The player named Black Scythe had left that strong of an impression during the first round.
'As the rounds go on, my nickname will become more and more valuable.'
It wouldn't take long for him to become a so-called "named" player.
Regardless, Ryu Min waited with a stiletto in his hand.
Unlike the others, he was holding a weapon, so no one dared to approach him.
Just as Ryu Min intended.
Keeping his distance from the others, Ryu Min observed his surroundings.
'I see a few familiar faces.'
It was only natural.
The people gathering now were the survivors from this specific zone—the ones who had been at the bell-tolling site.
Of course, Hwang Yong-min and his friends were also present.
With his large build, he was easy to spot.
Only after about five thousand people had appeared in the forest clearing,
[Is everyone here?]
did an angel descend from the sky, a strange voice echoing in their minds.
However, it wasn't the same angel from the first round.
"Huh? It's a different angel."
"You're right."
It made sense, since Ryu Min had killed Briel, the guide from the first round.
As if hearing the murmurs, the angel spoke.
[The angel in charge of the first round had an accident, so she couldn't make it. But don't you worry, humans. From now on, I will lead you well. Kyhehehet.]
Despite her beauty, the new angel's laughter was just as bizarre.
[Well then, since everyone has gathered, shall we reveal the quest for the second round?]
As the angel flapped her wings, everyone stared into the empty air in unison.