In the city, the fifteenth day of each month marked the gathering of evil spirits. My routine was more or less the same every time.
¡Vwing!
First, I turned on my computer and logged in before checking how many people were in the chat room «Long live Korean independence».
There was still no one.
Afterwards, I go to the bulletin board and look through some of the messages to catch up on current events. Afterwards, he would enter the chat room to chat with Baekho for an hour. As he left, I would chat with Hyeonbyeol before excusing myself when it was time to open the Round Table.
Clac, chlac.
There was nothing particularly different about my routine today. As always, my monitor displayed the bulletin board. I began to read the titles of the entries that had already begun to appear like someone reading the morning newspaper with a coffee in their hand.
No stress, just casually...
«…¿Eh?»
I looked at the first entry of the day again and, when I read the title, the sound came out of my mouth without me realizing it.
[Rafdonia Palace: Basement One Soon to Close.]
What was this?
Clic, click.
Even though I expected it to be a simple troll post, I clicked on the link repeatedly. It was news I couldn't afford to ignore.
As expected, there was nothing in the main body of the message. Typically, these types of messages were written to claim the honor of being the first of the night and then expanded with more information thanks to the editing function.
The important thing was the comments, and reading them was enough for me to verify some things.
arolf5205: Man, this time I wanted to be the first.
NIKAMOTO: It seems that this post is going to go viral.
AI_DIDIGO: Fact 1: A review of the first forum posts each month shows that 56% of them have more than 100 comments and go viral.
└Ki11Humans77: Wow, it's digigo. Please let me get a rank 3 essence during my next adventure.
└MarkG: but what's so good about having a viral post?
└Pawel: admins give you a little GP. but I don't think that's the main reason people do it.
Users were not reporting the post for being bait and were instead talking about other topics. His reaction told me one thing.
Maldita sea, es real.
The palace had declared that Basement One would close soon. The information was not only true, but was in the public domain.
I quickly updated the post and scrolled down. The most productive comments tended to come later, as they took longer to write.
Darkrealm93: But I honestly don't understand the palace game here. Why are they stopping other people from exploring the place next month?
└Akaistos: Haven't you heard? They say it's too dangerous.
└Darkrealm93: Did you think I was asking because I didn't know? I'm saying there must be a different reason
└WhyDoYouSniffShit: It's obvious. They're in the middle of a war but everyone talks about going to the basement instead so they got pissed.
└funkinthetrunk: But most of us still don't even know how to get to Basement One Plant. Why bother giving the order not to go if we can't anyway?
└WhyDoYouSniffShit: Because they want everyone to stop wasting time looking for it and become moving targets of arrows again.
In essence, the point was that only two months had passed since the existence of Basement One Plant was made known to the outside world, and in the last cycle, two more clans had managed to enter it as well.
And many people from those two clans had not been able to enter either.
There were quite a few adventurers who had personally seen their allies pass through the portal before returning to the city. They would have spread even more news about Basement One Plant to the world. People with good information networks might even have already figured out how to get in. Not even «could»: they almost certainly already knew.
So everyone must have been preparing to enter again, and so the palace intervened to stop them.
That, and if the information was something a large clan could get, the palace would definitely already know how to open the portal.
«Hmm ... »
This was getting very interesting.
Afterwards, I continued scrolling through the comments and other messages flooding the bulletin board before finally releasing the mouse.
Tap, tap.
Thoughts crowded into my mind. If the palace prohibited it, then people would not be able to enter this floor for some time. So should I change my plan and wait?
I went through several scenarios in my head.
«Oh, right, they're waiting for me».
After a while, I realized that I had spent quite a bit of time lost in thought, so I hurried into the chat.
«Hansu, are you here?»
«Oh brother! Late again, huh?»
Hyeonbyeol and Baekho greeted me as I entered.
«I'm sorry. Today I'm quite late».
«Nothing happens. I wasn't worried.»
"...¿Which?"
When I tilted my head, Baekho smiled.
«The protagonist always comes last, or something like that, right? Not that that's bad. No, actually, it's pretty cool...»
What was this guy about? I shouldn't have given him any kind of reaction. I smiled satisfied as I sat on the couch. «Well, how did it go for both of you?».
«I've been fine, Hansu».
«¿Y tj, Baekho? ¿Do you be?»
It was a simple question that ignored the need for a detailed answer. However, while I was doing it, I couldn't help but look at Hyeonbyeol, suspicious of her presence in the room. It seemed like Baekho had noticed too.
«Alright. Hyeonbyeol already knows who I am anyway».
«…¿Eh?»
«Hey, Big Brother! I'd say I'm a pretty smart guy, so how could I not know? You can mention that I'm outside the walls right now in front of her. Alright».
«...Heh.» When Baekho Lee declared what he was doing as if it were nothing special, excitement flashed in Hyeonbyeol's eyes.
«...Baekho, do you really agree with this?» asked.
«Why wouldn't it be? All three of us have common roots. I do not care. Honestly, I didn't like how we kept sister in the dark. And it's more fun to chat with three people than two».
That left the question of whether it really seemed right to him unanswered, but since he said there was no problem, it wasn't my place to argue with him. I also agreed with some parts of your argument.
Yes... When the three of us talk together, it's almost like a spiritual experience...
To be more precise, it felt like being back in Korea. Talking about the army, politics and our desire to eat kimchi was something we could only do here. Although I was really satisfied with my life in this new world, there were times when I missed being able to talk about the one that came with people who understood it.
«Well, how about there? Have you found the Noarkians?».
«Yeah, it's been about a week now, and for now I'm just wandering around and seeing what I can find. As for Auril Gavis, I haven't found him yet».
«¿Auril Gavis ...?»
«Ah, Hyeonbyeol probably doesn't know. The reason I left town was to find that bastard».
«Oh... ¿In series?»
Hyeonbyeol usually had an air of confidence and self-assurance, but she seemed nervous when we pulled something so important so casually in front of her.
It's been a while since I've seen her like this.
This also made me feel nostalgic, and Hyeonbyeol turned to look at me as if she could feel what I was thinking in my gaze.
«I wasn't laughing».
«I didn't say you were».
I made the wise decision to shut my mouth.
In any case, I asked Baekho the questions I had about life outside the castle walls, and he kindly updated me on everything he discovered. Every little detail seemed interesting to me, since even in the game the area was inaccessible, but if I had to choose the most interesting thing, it would undoubtedly be this:
«Here you can plant things and grow».
Unlike Rafdonia, the outside world could function without mana stones. However, that raised even more questions.
«So why do these people keep crawling through the dungeons?»
Why was Noark still at war? Why did they refuse to leave the labyrinth alone, to the point of creating their own portal out there?
Unfortunately, Baekho was not able to give me a direct answer. «I don't know. But there is definitely a reason for that. And I think Auril Gavis is deeply involved».
«That seems to be the case. Alright, tell me more when you find out more later».
«Sure, Big Brother».
By the time the conversation ended, we only had about ten minutes left before Baekho Lee logged out, so we spent the last few minutes talking about nothing in particular.
«Hah, I think I was the one who talked the most today. Next time, please tell me what you've been doing, brother. I'm also quite curious. You know what I mean, right?»
«Yes, you are. Tell me next time».
«Then see you later!»
With that, Baekho left when his time ran out, and nothing important happened when I was alone with Hyeonbyeol.
«Considering how curious it seemed, it seems like you've been up to something interesting.»
«Ahaha... Nada de eso...»
«You are avoiding the question. But it doesn't matter, now I'm going to read... Do you want a book?».
«Oh, sure. Thanks.»
I happened to pick up the book Hyeonbyeol gave me. I had had to stop at a pretty interesting point last time, so I wanted to see where I was going to go next.
Why is it so good?
Sometimes I laughed to myself while reading and tears came to my eyes in the most emotional parts.
With how immersed I was in the story, I was startled when Hyeonbyeol, lying on the other end of the couch, kicked me in the knee.
"¿Hey, what?"
«Isn't it time?»
«Oh, sure». With a little regret in my heart, I closed the book and stood up.
«If it's that good, come back later. I'll lend you the book again...»
«No, no need. I have GP, so I'll buy it and read it myself».
She didn't respond.
«See you later».
With that, I left the chat room and stretched my arms over my head. To be honest, I probably didn't need to stretch in this place, but it was kind of my habit every time I finished reading. I also found it refreshing, as if it awakened the mind.
«Alright, let's go.»
Today I had a lot to do at the Round Table.
***
When I put on my usual suit - a lion mask that covered my face completely and an elegant navy blue suit underneath - and stood in front of the mirror, I felt a mysterious sense of self-confidence.
It was as if I had become someone capable of doing anything. However, that feeling aside, I took a moment to do a sincere self-assessment.
This is hard work.
i sighed. Having to keep up with so many different characters was exhausting. Were my own characters going to devour me?
Not that I intended to stop.
Step step.
After looking at my clothes in the mirror, I walked down the hallway to the Round Table room. As always, everyone had arrived before me.
«Pshehe, you're here».
«Heh... Welcome, Mr. León!»
«Today you are also the last».
As I ignored his greetings and headed straight for my seat, I suddenly remembered something Baekho said earlier.
«The main character always comes last, or something like that, right?»
Honestly, in the context of the Round Table, at least, he was right. I decided to arrive last on purpose. However, to be fair, it's not that I liked the attention I received for being last, but that it couldn't be helped.
It would be even weirder if it had arrived earlier.
Those who arrived earlier spent their time talking to each other. There was no point in me joining them. It wasn't like I was going to joke and exchange trivial conversations, and things would get awkward if I sat next to him without saying anything.
So I did this instead.
«So... since everyone is here... let's start the meeting...»
All I had done was sit back, lost in my own thoughts and ignoring everyone else, but Wolf turned carefully to me.
«Is... a... problem...?».
«In the especially».
«So... let's get started. We are all busy».
For some reason, Wolf was the one leading the meeting today. Well, I didn't really care who did it-
Wow, why do I start thinking like that every time I put on the mask?
Although I thought it was good to keep my guard up and distrust others, I decided to return to this thought later and focus on the procedure for now.
Deer was the first to leave.
«It has been officially confirmed that the palace prohibits entry to Basement One Floor. Anyone who attempts to lower and ignores this decree will be mercilessly executed».
«A terribly severe punishment.»
«Ah, of course, this severe punishment only applies to clans larger than a certain size. We suspect that the punishments will not be as severe for individual adventurers or groups.»
Well, that was understandable, then. Only by preventing the clans from entering could they prevent their front lines from collapsing.
Damn, these palace guys. They have never done anything useful for anyone.
In any case, once Deer's turn was over, the other members quickly walked down the line, and a total of two had something memorable to say.
«If you use distortion magic on the Third Floor Unnamed Sculptures, you can get fragments with one of three different markings on them. They are the key to entering Basement One».
Queen shared the method of entering Basement One Floor, the Records Files.
«Pshehe, in a sense, this may be good news for you. Unfortunately, the squad we had clearing the eighth floor failed and took a big hit».
Then came Clown.
His statement was something I normally would have overlooked without a second thought, but this time it struck me like lightning.
Did your eighth floor operation fail...?
Although he had no concrete reason to think so, it didn't seem like a mere coincidence.
Without thinking, I unconsciously spoke out loud.
«Kalheum ».
Kalheum, the City of Light, was one of the eighth floor Cracks, the same one whose Guardian was Milayel.
«Pshe... he...?» Clown's empty laughter stopped. «Mr. León... How...?»
But what...? Was it really that specific Rift? Did that mean there was some kind of connection between his failure and Milayel's appearance in the basement?
As my mind began to spin, Clown suddenly backed away. «Ah-Ahem! That was a stupid question. Without a doubt, Mr. Lion also has ears in Noark».
He hadn't even had to say anything, and he made excuses for me by himself. Was this one of the advantages of having influence?
In any case, everyone's eyes were now on me while Clown was clowning in the background.
It's my turn. What should I share?
Today I didn't even have to ask him. Normally, even when interesting information appeared, I would feign indifference and beat my turn with random information that supposedly corresponded to its quality.
But today I didn't come to look for information.
Well, actually, that was my original intention, but that was before an unexpected obstacle stood in my way. The palace had thwarted all my plans. At this rate, the additional forces would stop coming down to the basement completely.
That's why I had no choice but to be proactive.
Since the Queen already told them how to open the door, I can't use that...
And although the palace had announced the death penalty, he wasn't that worried. After all, he knew a thing or two about adventurers, and this was a well-known fact.
«On Basement One Floor, the Log Files...»
The adventurers didn't care about their lives.
«Bjorn Yandel has obtained two single-digit Numbered Items in the last two months.»
Not when there was money to be made.