# 30
Starfish (3)
“…How did you know?”
“There’s always a way to know.”
“You’re quite relaxed. If you don’t answer me properly, I have no choice but to harm you.”
Chang-woo, who had been speaking in a light and benevolent voice up until now, was gone. Only an endlessly cold and chilling energy remained.
“You’re going to harm me, huh…”
Se-han stroked his chin with his thumb.
“There was something I wanted to ask, but I guess I’ll have to step back.”
“What do you mean?”
“It means, try attacking me with all you’ve got.”
Se-han smiled crookedly with a wry smile lifting the corners of his mouth.
“Let’s see what level you’re at.”
Of course, Chang-woo couldn’t see that smile.
Swish!
As soon as the words ended, Chang-woo’s sword was swung. The blade’s presence was sharp enough to feel it cut through the air.
‘Not bad?’
Chang-woo was not an avatar.
And yet, he was truly strong.
Especially his swordsmanship, which hardly needed any explanation for its excellence. It was as if he could see with his swords, so detailed were his techniques.
‘Could it be?’
Se-han thought of one particular skill.
Not as rare as Heavenly Killing Star, but still very rare.
‘Mind’s Eye (心眼)?’
It was a skill usually acquired by those who had reached the pinnacle in martial arts.
However, Chang-woo, while undeniably skilled, wasn’t at that level.
Perhaps due to his disability, a special skill had manifested.
‘Come to think of it, there was someone like that in my past life.’
There was someone with a hearing disability whose vision had become exceptionally developed, manifesting as a skill.
This seemed like a similar case.
“You talk so arrogantly, yet you’re only dodging.”
Barely dodging the attack, Chang-woo perceived Se-han as barely escaping his swings.
It was natural for him to think so.
Chang-woo had a lot of confidence in his swordsmanship.
With the skill Mind’s Eye and his refined swordsmanship, even those who had become avatars of gods would be helplessly defeated.
“If you’re not going to talk, then I have no choice but to kill you here.”
The sword swept a smooth arc, slithering like a serpent, aiming swiftly for Se-han’s neck.
“Oh.”
Admiring the fierce swordsmanship, Se-han murmured.
“The swordsmanship is quite something…”
Clang!
Just when it seemed his neck would be sliced, the sword stopped.
It had been halted by Se-han, with just two fingers.
“…Good heavens.”
Chang-woo could not comprehend the situation.
His sword was caught? By just two fingers?
“Try pulling it out.”
Se-han spoke nonchalantly, as if he was completely unconcerned by Chang-woo’s confusion.
“Let’s test what your power level is.”
“Huh.”
What in the world was happening?
Chang-woo didn’t understand.
He couldn’t tell if the information his Mind’s Eye sent was true or not.
‘Caught by just two fingers…’
His sword was caught.
No matter how much strength he applied, the sword wouldn’t budge. It was as if it was wedged in a thick crevice of rock.
“Gah!”
“About E 50 in strength, maybe?”
Se-han murmured as if measuring something.
‘How did this happen?’
Not understandable.
It was strange that the swung sword was caught, stranger still that the caught blade could not be removed, as if glued, the blade Se-han held did not move at all.
“Just now, agility seemed to be between 60 and 70.”
That would be quite high among non-avatar players.
By comparison, the other stats seemed to be bottoming out.
In other words, it was a power and agility all-in state.
‘Not as good as Ji-soo, though.’
Due to the effects of the Multi-Play Package, Ji-soo got a certain percentage of the points Se-han earned.
And with all the items Se-han provided, all the points obtained were poured into stats, allowing him to have exceptional stats that overwhelmed most avatars.
Thud.
“You, just who on earth…”
As he let go, Chang-woo’s body tilted.
His balance was disturbed for a moment because he had been putting strength into his sword.
But Se-han waited until Chang-woo was able to regain his stance.
“Haap!”
Chang-woo resumed his stance and lunged at Se-han once more.
Se-han simply flicked the snaking blade away with a finger.
“What is this!”
“I have some pretty good items.”
Se-han mentioned the gauntlet he obtained after defeating the Dark Night Archer, with adaptable orichalcum applied, so Chang-woo’s sword couldn’t leave a scratch.
Se-han hadn’t even brought a weapon.
He felt no need for one.
Clang!
“Huk, huh, hah.”
No matter how desperately Chang-woo swung his sword, he couldn’t so much as touch a thread of Se-han’s clothing.
Watching Chang-woo pant heavily, Se-han realized there was no further need to fight.
“You have remarkable skills.”
As Se-han spoke with a sense of admiration, Chang-woo was stupefied.
Who is calling whose skills remarkable?
“…Compared to you, my skills are insignificant.”
Chang-woo’s sarcastic words made Se-han shrug. At that point, there were no players stronger than himself, so the comparison was off.
‘He might be stronger than Min-ah, though.’
Comparing Chang-woo and Ji-su, Ji-su was superior. Although Mind’s Eye was an impressive skill, Ji-su’s natural talent and Heavenly Killing Star made it seem Chang-woo would struggle to win.
But compared to Min-ah, Chang-woo appeared stronger.
That Chang-woo was stronger than the avatar Min-ah was extraordinary.
‘After all, combat is just a sideline for Min-ah.’
It was, in truth, meaningless to compare them in simple combat terms.
‘And having a basic combat ability is an advantage anyway.’
There was definitely an air of talent about him.
Surely, the future top players all have exceptional beginnings.
“With such skills, why are you sending information to Cheol-woong?”
“…”
Chang-woo did not open his mouth.
He just gripped his sword tightly.
“Is it because of Si-u?”
More force was applied to the hand holding the sword.
Finally, Se-han completely understood the situation.
So that was it.
“Cheol-woong promised to keep Si-u alive in exchange for your help.”
“…Yes.”
Chang-woo’s laugh was bitter.
“The first day I fled from Cheol-woong, it was just me against him. Well, not exactly a confrontation. I was just a plaything to him.”
He remembered that day.
The tragedy that struck while he carried out the second main quest.
His parents were murdered before his eyes, and in desperation, to at least allow his sister Si-u to escape, Chang-woong attempted to deter Cheol-woong.
“The fight was hopeless. From that fight, I lost my sight.”
Left alone willing to face death, Cheol-woong proposed a deal to him.
Would he consider being his servant?
With the promise Cheol-woong made to ensure Si-u’s survival, Chang-woo had no choice but to join hands with him.
That power Cheol-woong possessed was truly monstrous.
“That bastard is a monster that cannot be killed by any means. So I just wanted to ensure Si-u survived at all costs. Even if it meant falling into hell myself.”
“How long have you been sending information?”
“Ever since we arrived at Safari. Mostly it was about the movements of people.”
After talking up to that point, Chang-woo sighed lightly.
“So, what are you going to do now?”
“About what?”
“Are you going to tell everyone about this?”
If the spying was revealed, Chang-woo could no longer stay with other players.
He might even be killed.
That wouldn’t bother him, but he feared for Si-u’s safety.
“I don’t plan to do anything right now.”
“Eh?”
“If you’ve only been providing information since coming to Safari, it doesn’t seem like there’s been any real harm done. I’m more interested in how we can use this situation.”
“Use this situation?”
Chang-woo couldn’t understand how this situation could possibly be used.
“Well, we’ll know how that guy moves, won’t we?”
“That’s… true.”
Reluctantly agreeing to Se-han’s point, Chang-woo watched him stroke his chin.
“What exactly is his goal? Keeping getting information and doing nothing suggests there must be a reason.”
“Perhaps because he doesn’t need additional personnel yet.”
“Additional personnel?”
“Yes. As you know, there are many people in this amusement park. Most are sacrifices to the games played by someone named Karas. The main areas are the attraction zones far from Safari, overhead in the top part of the park. A place reserved for ordinary people, not players.”
Se-han finally understood at Chang-woo’s explanation.
“When the number of people there dwindles, they will come to Safari to bring in more people.”
“Probably. That’s why he told me to report if there’s any sign of people moving or trying to escape. Based on what I heard, it seems it will happen soon.”
“Soon?”
“Yes, probably in about a week.”
So the remaining people are there.
It was something he had anticipated, so there was no surprise.
‘It’s a battle against time from now on.’
They needed to finish preparations before the guy made his move.
Luckily for Se-han, having learned the exact timing from Chang-woo was a relief.
If they hadn’t known when to expect movement, they might have dawdled.
“If it comes to fighting that guy, then that will be when.”
“You mean fight! I know you’re strong, Se-han, but that guy is on a different level! Nothing can hurt him!”
“I know. I just met him earlier.”
“…What?”
What now?
Chang-woo’s mouth dropped. Nothing Se-han said made sense to him.
“You just met him? That Cheol-woong?”
“I did. And I have to say, he’s quite sturdy, so I couldn’t kill him on the spot.”
“That, that’s right.”
“Well, not being able to kill him right now is different from not being able to kill him at all.”
“What are you saying?”
Se-han’s calm words only complicated Chang-woo’s thoughts even more.
It sounded like Se-han implied he had a way to kill Cheol-woong.
“Just continue what you’ve been doing, Chang-woo. But I’d appreciate it if you could also give me some information.”
“So, Se-han, what will you…”
“I’ll explain in detail when we get back.”
A sense of confidence tinged Se-han’s words, and Chang-woo slowly nodded.
Truth be told, he couldn’t see how he could deal with Cheol-woong, but given the current situation, he had no choice.
“Oh, and you need to tell everything to Si-u as well.”
“To Si-u? Why?”
Chang-woo’s face turned pale again.
It made sense. He had sold information to Cheol-woong for Si-u’s sake.
He wouldn’t want her to know about any of this more than anyone else.
However, there was no choice.
“Because she is the most important person for this affair.”
For Se-han to kill Cheol-woong, he needed the help of Song Si-u more than anyone else.
***
Chang-woo and I immediately went back to Min-ah and Si-u to explain everything.
It was better to talk to those two in advance than anyone else.
Min-ah expected such a thing and silently nodded with a sigh, but Si-u’s reaction was explosive.
She had been disinterested when the story began, but now she was furiously questioning Chang-woo.
“Why didn’t you tell me about this earlier!”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t want to cause you worry.”
“What am I supposed to do if something happens to you too? Would you be happy if I…”
“…I’m sorry.”
As the two indulged in a melodramatic scene, Min-ah murmured.
“Is that why big brother told us to keep an eye on those two?”
“That’s right. I had a bad feeling.”
“You really have good instincts. Or perhaps…”
Min-ah tilted her head slightly, looking up at me.
As if scrutinizing me like a curious cat, she shrugged and stepped back.
“Well, it’s not bad for me. More importantly, what’s next?”
“Of course, kill him.”
“Who, that monster Cheol-woong?”
I nodded without replying directly.
Min-ah let out a hollow laugh, seeming bewildered.
“That’s what I thought you’d say. Well, I’d better handle the quest…”
“Sorry, but it’s better if you don’t go collecting stamps for a while. Cheol-woong might be looking for me.”
“What exactly did you do out there?”
Well, I had a scuffle with the guy and got away.
Since I had only provoked him and escaped, he was undoubtedly searching for me.
It would be too dangerous for Min-ah to wander outside during such a time.
# 30
Starfish (3)
“…How did you know?”
“There’s always a way to know.”
“You’re quite relaxed. If you don’t answer me properly, I have no choice but to harm you.”
Chang-woo, who had been speaking in a light and benevolent voice up until now, was gone. Only an endlessly cold and chilling energy remained.
“You’re going to harm me, huh…”
Se-han stroked his chin with his thumb.
“There was something I wanted to ask, but I guess I’ll have to step back.”
“What do you mean?”
“It means, try attacking me with all you’ve got.”
Se-han smiled crookedly with a wry smile lifting the corners of his mouth.
“Let’s see what level you’re at.”
Of course, Chang-woo couldn’t see that smile.
Swish!
As soon as the words ended, Chang-woo’s sword was swung. The blade’s presence was sharp enough to feel it cut through the air.
‘Not bad?’
Chang-woo was not an avatar.
And yet, he was truly strong.
Especially his swordsmanship, which hardly needed any explanation for its excellence. It was as if he could see with his swords, so detailed were his techniques.
‘Could it be?’
Se-han thought of one particular skill.
Not as rare as Heavenly Killing Star, but still very rare.
‘Mind’s Eye (心眼)?’
It was a skill usually acquired by those who had reached the pinnacle in martial arts.
However, Chang-woo, while undeniably skilled, wasn’t at that level.
Perhaps due to his disability, a special skill had manifested.
‘Come to think of it, there was someone like that in my past life.’
There was someone with a hearing disability whose vision had become exceptionally developed, manifesting as a skill.
This seemed like a similar case.
“You talk so arrogantly, yet you’re only dodging.”
Barely dodging the attack, Chang-woo perceived Se-han as barely escaping his swings.
It was natural for him to think so.
Chang-woo had a lot of confidence in his swordsmanship.
With the skill Mind’s Eye and his refined swordsmanship, even those who had become avatars of gods would be helplessly defeated.
“If you’re not going to talk, then I have no choice but to kill you here.”
The sword swept a smooth arc, slithering like a serpent, aiming swiftly for Se-han’s neck.
“Oh.”
Admiring the fierce swordsmanship, Se-han murmured.
“The swordsmanship is quite something…”
Clang!
Just when it seemed his neck would be sliced, the sword stopped.
It had been halted by Se-han, with just two fingers.
“…Good heavens.”
Chang-woo could not comprehend the situation.
His sword was caught? By just two fingers?
“Try pulling it out.”
Se-han spoke nonchalantly, as if he was completely unconcerned by Chang-woo’s confusion.
“Let’s test what your power level is.”
“Huh.”
What in the world was happening?
Chang-woo didn’t understand.
He couldn’t tell if the information his Mind’s Eye sent was true or not.
‘Caught by just two fingers…’
His sword was caught.
No matter how much strength he applied, the sword wouldn’t budge. It was as if it was wedged in a thick crevice of rock.
“Gah!”
“About E 50 in strength, maybe?”
Se-han murmured as if measuring something.
‘How did this happen?’
Not understandable.
It was strange that the swung sword was caught, stranger still that the caught blade could not be removed, as if glued, the blade Se-han held did not move at all.
“Just now, agility seemed to be between 60 and 70.”
That would be quite high among non-avatar players.
By comparison, the other stats seemed to be bottoming out.
In other words, it was a power and agility all-in state.
‘Not as good as Ji-soo, though.’
Due to the effects of the Multi-Play Package, Ji-soo got a certain percentage of the points Se-han earned.
And with all the items Se-han provided, all the points obtained were poured into stats, allowing him to have exceptional stats that overwhelmed most avatars.
Thud.
“You, just who on earth…”
As he let go, Chang-woo’s body tilted.
His balance was disturbed for a moment because he had been putting strength into his sword.
But Se-han waited until Chang-woo was able to regain his stance.
“Haap!”
Chang-woo resumed his stance and lunged at Se-han once more.
Se-han simply flicked the snaking blade away with a finger.
“What is this!”
“I have some pretty good items.”
Se-han mentioned the gauntlet he obtained after defeating the Dark Night Archer, with adaptable orichalcum applied, so Chang-woo’s sword couldn’t leave a scratch.
Se-han hadn’t even brought a weapon.
He felt no need for one.
Clang!
“Huk, huh, hah.”
No matter how desperately Chang-woo swung his sword, he couldn’t so much as touch a thread of Se-han’s clothing.
Watching Chang-woo pant heavily, Se-han realized there was no further need to fight.
“You have remarkable skills.”
As Se-han spoke with a sense of admiration, Chang-woo was stupefied.
Who is calling whose skills remarkable?
“…Compared to you, my skills are insignificant.”
Chang-woo’s sarcastic words made Se-han shrug. At that point, there were no players stronger than himself, so the comparison was off.
‘He might be stronger than Min-ah, though.’
Comparing Chang-woo and Ji-su, Ji-su was superior. Although Mind’s Eye was an impressive skill, Ji-su’s natural talent and Heavenly Killing Star made it seem Chang-woo would struggle to win.
But compared to Min-ah, Chang-woo appeared stronger.
That Chang-woo was stronger than the avatar Min-ah was extraordinary.
‘After all, combat is just a sideline for Min-ah.’
It was, in truth, meaningless to compare them in simple combat terms.
‘And having a basic combat ability is an advantage anyway.’
There was definitely an air of talent about him.
Surely, the future top players all have exceptional beginnings.
“With such skills, why are you sending information to Cheol-woong?”
“…”
Chang-woo did not open his mouth.
He just gripped his sword tightly.
“Is it because of Si-u?”
More force was applied to the hand holding the sword.
Finally, Se-han completely understood the situation.
So that was it.
“Cheol-woong promised to keep Si-u alive in exchange for your help.”
“…Yes.”
Chang-woo’s laugh was bitter.
“The first day I fled from Cheol-woong, it was just me against him. Well, not exactly a confrontation. I was just a plaything to him.”
He remembered that day.
The tragedy that struck while he carried out the second main quest.
His parents were murdered before his eyes, and in desperation, to at least allow his sister Si-u to escape, Chang-woong attempted to deter Cheol-woong.
“The fight was hopeless. From that fight, I lost my sight.”
Left alone willing to face death, Cheol-woong proposed a deal to him.
Would he consider being his servant?
With the promise Cheol-woong made to ensure Si-u’s survival, Chang-woo had no choice but to join hands with him.
That power Cheol-woong possessed was truly monstrous.
“That bastard is a monster that cannot be killed by any means. So I just wanted to ensure Si-u survived at all costs. Even if it meant falling into hell myself.”
“How long have you been sending information?”
“Ever since we arrived at Safari. Mostly it was about the movements of people.”
After talking up to that point, Chang-woo sighed lightly.
“So, what are you going to do now?”
“About what?”
“Are you going to tell everyone about this?”
If the spying was revealed, Chang-woo could no longer stay with other players.
He might even be killed.
That wouldn’t bother him, but he feared for Si-u’s safety.
“I don’t plan to do anything right now.”
“Eh?”
“If you’ve only been providing information since coming to Safari, it doesn’t seem like there’s been any real harm done. I’m more interested in how we can use this situation.”
“Use this situation?”
Chang-woo couldn’t understand how this situation could possibly be used.
“Well, we’ll know how that guy moves, won’t we?”
“That’s… true.”
Reluctantly agreeing to Se-han’s point, Chang-woo watched him stroke his chin.
“What exactly is his goal? Keeping getting information and doing nothing suggests there must be a reason.”
“Perhaps because he doesn’t need additional personnel yet.”
“Additional personnel?”
“Yes. As you know, there are many people in this amusement park. Most are sacrifices to the games played by someone named Karas. The main areas are the attraction zones far from Safari, overhead in the top part of the park. A place reserved for ordinary people, not players.”
Se-han finally understood at Chang-woo’s explanation.
“When the number of people there dwindles, they will come to Safari to bring in more people.”
“Probably. That’s why he told me to report if there’s any sign of people moving or trying to escape. Based on what I heard, it seems it will happen soon.”
“Soon?”
“Yes, probably in about a week.”
So the remaining people are there.
It was something he had anticipated, so there was no surprise.
‘It’s a battle against time from now on.’
They needed to finish preparations before the guy made his move.
Luckily for Se-han, having learned the exact timing from Chang-woo was a relief.
If they hadn’t known when to expect movement, they might have dawdled.
“If it comes to fighting that guy, then that will be when.”
“You mean fight! I know you’re strong, Se-han, but that guy is on a different level! Nothing can hurt him!”
“I know. I just met him earlier.”
“…What?”
What now?
Chang-woo’s mouth dropped. Nothing Se-han said made sense to him.
“You just met him? That Cheol-woong?”
“I did. And I have to say, he’s quite sturdy, so I couldn’t kill him on the spot.”
“That, that’s right.”
“Well, not being able to kill him right now is different from not being able to kill him at all.”
“What are you saying?”
Se-han’s calm words only complicated Chang-woo’s thoughts even more.
It sounded like Se-han implied he had a way to kill Cheol-woong.
“Just continue what you’ve been doing, Chang-woo. But I’d appreciate it if you could also give me some information.”
“So, Se-han, what will you…”
“I’ll explain in detail when we get back.”
A sense of confidence tinged Se-han’s words, and Chang-woo slowly nodded.
Truth be told, he couldn’t see how he could deal with Cheol-woong, but given the current situation, he had no choice.
“Oh, and you need to tell everything to Si-u as well.”
“To Si-u? Why?”
Chang-woo’s face turned pale again.
It made sense. He had sold information to Cheol-woong for Si-u’s sake.
He wouldn’t want her to know about any of this more than anyone else.
However, there was no choice.
“Because she is the most important person for this affair.”
For Se-han to kill Cheol-woong, he needed the help of Song Si-u more than anyone else.
***
Chang-woo and I immediately went back to Min-ah and Si-u to explain everything.
It was better to talk to those two in advance than anyone else.
Min-ah expected such a thing and silently nodded with a sigh, but Si-u’s reaction was explosive.
She had been disinterested when the story began, but now she was furiously questioning Chang-woo.
“Why didn’t you tell me about this earlier!”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t want to cause you worry.”
“What am I supposed to do if something happens to you too? Would you be happy if I…”
“…I’m sorry.”
As the two indulged in a melodramatic scene, Min-ah murmured.
“Is that why big brother told us to keep an eye on those two?”
“That’s right. I had a bad feeling.”
“You really have good instincts. Or perhaps…”
Min-ah tilted her head slightly, looking up at me.
As if scrutinizing me like a curious cat, she shrugged and stepped back.
“Well, it’s not bad for me. More importantly, what’s next?”
“Of course, kill him.”
“Who, that monster Cheol-woong?”
I nodded without replying directly.
Min-ah let out a hollow laugh, seeming bewildered.
“That’s what I thought you’d say. Well, I’d better handle the quest…”
“Sorry, but it’s better if you don’t go collecting stamps for a while. Cheol-woong might be looking for me.”
“What exactly did you do out there?”
Well, I had a scuffle with the guy and got away.
Since I had only provoked him and escaped, he was undoubtedly searching for me.
It would be too dangerous for Min-ah to wander outside during such a time.
