Agatram (1)
“Is what I’ve just heard true?”
The person who came to see me as I was resting in the quarantine zone was none other than Park Sung-hyeok.
Unlike the Park Sung-hyeok I had met during my second run, his face had become considerably gaunt.
It was a little pleasant to see him again, yet also mixed with a feeling of complicated emotions.
This was the fallen visage of Genesis, one of the once-reigning three major guilds of Seoul.
Still, Genesis was relatively better off.
They maintained some of their power and still could be considered a major guild.
However, Outrising and Pianhua had disintegrated.
Outrising split in half due to members revolting against the guild leader, Gang Tae-sung, who had a strong autocratic temperament, and Pianhua disbanded after the death of its leader, Lee Ah-young.
It was only natural since all the guild members had gathered for the sake of Lee Ah-young alone.
“It’s an honor. The guild leader of Genesis coming to see me in person.”
“…We’re just a shadow of our former selves now.”
His expression was bitter, almost completely devoid of the composure he used to exhibit.
His anxious and unwell appearance was totally different from the Park Sung-hyeok of the past.
“But what you just told me, is it true?”
“What did you hear exactly?”
“That you killed Kim Tae-hun.”
Rumors had spread that fast?
I had just returned to the quarantine zone an hour ago, yet the news had already reached Park Sung-hyeok.
“It happened somehow.”
“Somehow? You ‘somehow’ killed Kim Tae-hun?”
“Pretty much.”
To be factual, I had won the fight by taking advantage of the enemy’s carelessness and striking with an item I had been preparing through severe hardship, but such things needed some exaggeration. That way, they would overestimate me as well.
Currently, my speech influence was not bad, but still weaker compared to the guild leaders of the major guilds.
In this faction, it was clear that I was one of the strongest players, but there were those who disregarded me because I hadn’t made any noteworthy actions before.
Maybe this event would spread my name wider, allowing me to take a stronger stance.
‘The hardest part was certainly preparing Mistilteinn.’
Mistilteinn was a known weakness of Baldur.
It can be equated with Kryptonite to Superman.
It’s merely a sprig of mistletoe, but due to its considerable achievements, the item’s acquisition difficulty was nearly S-Rank.
Normally, even if someone knew Kim Tae-hun’s weak point, they could not obtain this item.
That’s because Mistilteinn is the branch that became the starting point for Ragnarok in Norse mythology.
That’s why, despite merely being a branch, it’s considered one of the most potent weapons in Norse mythology.
What I procured was just one of the thinnest branches of Mistilteinn.
Even with that alone, I succeeded in penetrating Kim Tae-hun’s skills and inflicted a wound.
However, its power was exhausted and it vanished afterward.
Securing even that much was my limit at that time.
Because of that, in my past life, I had no choice but to conserve Mistilteinn.
I couldn’t afford to make another before time ran out, and if I were to lose it by mistake, I’d have no way to kill Kim Tae-hun.
I saved it until I could ensure his downfall, and in the end, successfully took him down with a surprise attack.
But by then, we had suffered significant damage too – it was a victory that left scars.
“You’re stronger than I thought.”
“Yes, I didn’t know either. Turns out, I’m stronger than I thought.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. At least…”
I gazed firmly into Park Sung-hyeok’s eyes.
He swallowed nervously under my stare.
“It looks like I’m capable of facing all the executives of Agatram by myself.”
“…”
He would have dismissed it as nonsense in the past.
But what I had done was no joke—I had killed Kim Tae-hun.
Effectively, he was Agatram’s number two, only second to the guild leader, and I had killed him instantly.
With several witnesses to the event, it wasn’t possible for him to think it was a lie.
Therefore, Park Sung-hyeok had no choice but to believe my words.
“Is it truly possible? That you can face Agatram alone, like you said. You’re not lying, are you?”
“As you know, I’m not one for empty talk.”
“Yes. I’ve heard a lot about you being an overly cautious player.”
Nodding his head, he appeared thoughtful, and I took the opportunity to propose.
“Since you’re here… may I suggest something?”
“Let’s hear it.”
He was assessing what my opinion might be.
There was a trace of nervousness and impatience, but he was still Park Sung-hyeok.
It seemed he hadn’t been in contact with God for some time, but a sharp mind didn’t just disappear.
“I would like to ask you for three days.”
“Three days? Are you asking for time because there’s something you need assistance with?”
“No, not at all.”
“Excuse me?”
As he looked confused, I let out a slight chuckle.
“I plan to complete this quest within those three days.”
It was no surprise that Park Sung-hyeok was speechless after what I said.
***
After finishing the conversation with Park Sung-hyeok, I immediately headed out.
The person I was going to meet this time was someone I already knew well, so there was no reason to hesitate.
He had been regularly involved with me even before this quest.
“I’m really shocked this time. Really shocked. What on Earth did you do?”
Right upon seeing me, he started to mock, poking his finger into my chest.
“Killing Kim Tae-hun wasn’t enough, so you brought his body to me? What are you thinking?”
“The reason is that you’re the most skilled healer among all players.”
“…Thanks for the compliment.”
She sat down slowly in a small chair, opening her eyes wide disdainfully.
We were in the relief shelter set up in the quarantine area.
Since it was a space she could use personally, the only people nearby were her, me, and Kim Tae-hun’s corpse.
“So, can I ask why you left this body—or rather, not a body—with me?”
“There’s no big reason. Just wondering if you can revive it.”
“Are you crazy? Just because they call me a holy woman, you think I can bring back the dead?”
“Can’t you revitalize him? I thought the holy woman Shin Yu-hwa could.”
“Don’t keep calling me a holy woman. It’s annoying.”
Her tone was full of irritation.
It was funny that such a woman was called a holy woman. The irony was that despite showing such annoyance at being called a holy woman, she seemed to actually enjoy it quite a bit.
If not, she wouldn’t have let those self-proclaimed believers hang around with her fiery personality.
“So, you really can’t revive him? Can I ask why?”
“Why ask? He’s dead, so I can’t bring him back. The fact that all of my healing skills aren’t working proves he’s definitively dead.”
“Are you certain?”
“Yes. You’ve really managed to kill this monster quite cleanly. How did you heal that wound in his chest?”
“I applied an elixir at the last minute.”
“Ah, that’s how…”
As she answered indifferently, her eyes suddenly went wide.
“You applied an elixir?”
“That’s right.”
“And he died?”
“That’s the question, isn’t it?”
As I smirked, Shin Yu-hwa’s eyebrows shot up.
“Have you been experimenting on me again?”
“No.”
“Don’t lie to me! You think I’d fall for that again?”
Remaining silent, I simply shut my mouth. Shin Yu-hwa flicked her hair back and mumbled.
“If you say elixir was involved, it means he was alive. But he’s dead now, even after you applied the elixir. If he had been alive when you put on the elixir, the wound should’ve healed completely, and he should’ve revived. But he’s dead? The whole situation contradicts itself.”
“Exactly.”
“What do you mean ‘exactly’? There you go again. Acting like you don’t know when you do.”
Grunting in exasperation, Shin Yu-hwa poked my forehead.
“You’re plotting something again, aren’t you? And leaving me this not-body is so I’ll leave it alone, right?”
“There’s no one else I can trust but you.”
“…You do know how to talk sweetly. But are there going to be more of these?”
“There’ll be more, but I will deal with them all at once, so they won’t come here.”
“That’s a relief.”
Shin Yu-hwa unhooked her finger from my forehead and smiled briskly.
“Alright, I’ll take care of him.”
“I’m counting on you.”
“So how about speaking a little more politely?”
“Didn’t you tell me to drop formalities first?”
“You really expect me to believe you’d talk so stiffly like this!”
Shin Yu-hwa was two years younger than me.
That means she was one year younger than Ji-su.
When we first met, because I used this way of speaking, I somehow always spoke like this when meeting Shin Yu-hwa.
“You can also speak informally. I don’t mind.”
“Forget it. I prefer this.”
It was already a mix of half-respectful and half-informal speech.
With the conversation ended, Shin Yu-hwa waved her hand.
“Next time you come, at least give me a heads up so I can be prepared.”
“Sure. Next time I’ll even bring a gift.”
“Just don’t bring problems.”
I couldn’t respond with a smile to Shin Yu-hwa saying we’d meet again.
Once this quest ends, in the next quest, Shin Yu-hwa dies.
And already, the future of this dreamlike quest doesn’t exist.
Once I leave the dungeon, everything ends.
‘Even then, I couldn’t even say goodbye last time.’
After fighting and getting injured by Min Su-ho, Shin Yu-hwa took care of me for a long time.
After healing, I never saw her again.
That was the last time my past self saw Shin Yu-hwa.
“A gift…”
I muttered to myself and headed back to my room.
The sky had already turned dark, with a white moon hanging in it.
The night seemed to crave a drink.
***
While the players’ morale soared with the news of Kim Tae-hun’s death, Agatram was in a grave mood.
The death of Kim Tae-hun, not just any player, was a significant loss for them.
As the members of Agatram quickly gathered, they all sat silently without saying a word.
The first to speak was Kang Jun-sik.
“…Could that bastard really be that strong?”
He had always bickered with Kim Tae-hun but didn’t hate him.
Perhaps the term ‘frienemy’ fit well.
Although he spoke somewhat calmly, his eyes burned fiercely as if he might turn the surroundings into a sea of flames at any moment of lost control.
“He probably knew Tae-hun’s weakness. It’s very likely he used Mistilteinn.”
“Ha, to think he would have had such a thing.”
“It’s said he always prepares to take on any player he fights.”
“That guy’s a freak.”
Kang Jun-sik clicked his tongue and looked at a quiet young girl.
Even through this crisis brought on by Kim Se-han, she just observed the situation quietly.
“Little girl, aren’t you surprised?”
“Yes. He killed my father, after all.”
“Luke Taylor, huh? Yeah, he became famous for that.”
The Seoul Collapse event.
The day Aldebaran, the ruler of the Golden Ox of the Zodiac, descended on Earth.
Just when no one seemed to be able to stop him, a player emerged who defeated Aldebaran.
That was Luke Taylor.
And right after defeating Aldebaran, Luke Taylor was killed by Kim Se-han.
According to the witness at the time, Luke Taylor started to go berserk, so he had no choice but to kill him.
Anyway, by killing Luke Taylor, who had defeated Aldebaran, Kim Se-han gained fame for a while.
It did fade quickly once the person of interest went into hiding.
“Afterward, the goddess chose me as her contractor, but she hasn’t spoken to me ever since my father died. It feels like she’s been watching, though.”
Lynn said so while drawing an image of a man in the air.
A man in black, the enemy who killed her father.
Kim Se-han.
“I will kill him myself.”
“It’s possible someday since you have some aptitude. But we can’t wait for that.”
Kang Jun-sik smiled viciously, his white teeth flashing.
Lynn Taylor had some decent talent as a player.
She was forced into an executive position in the guild by the guild leader who wanted to fill a vacancy—that was obvious.
Kang Jun-sik acknowledged her somewhat satisfactory talents and even supported her claim to someday grow powerful enough to kill Kim Se-han.
That was until Kim Tae-hun died.
“Because I’ll be the one to kill him.”
There was no intention of letting the one who killed Kim Tae-hun live.
That was the sentiment shared by all the executives of Agatram.
The guild leader of Agatram, Cheon Sang-hwan, looked around and spoke.
“Don’t do anything alone for now. Two days from now, once preparations are complete, we’ll get our revenge.”
At Cheon Sang-hwan’s command, Kang Jun-sik scoffed, and the guild members nodded in agreement.
All eyes of Agatram were focused on the one man, Kim Se-han.
Understandably so, as they believed there were no players capable of facing Agatram’s executives. They had been complacent until Kim Tae-hun was taken down in an instant.
“…”
Lynn watched the guild members converse and simply remained silent.
Sitting calmly, her bright blue eyes sank into a deep shadow.
Into a deeper, darker abyss.
Agatram (1)
“Is what I’ve just heard true?”
The person who came to see me as I was resting in the quarantine zone was none other than Park Sung-hyeok.
Unlike the Park Sung-hyeok I had met during my second run, his face had become considerably gaunt.
It was a little pleasant to see him again, yet also mixed with a feeling of complicated emotions.
This was the fallen visage of Genesis, one of the once-reigning three major guilds of Seoul.
Still, Genesis was relatively better off.
They maintained some of their power and still could be considered a major guild.
However, Outrising and Pianhua had disintegrated.
Outrising split in half due to members revolting against the guild leader, Gang Tae-sung, who had a strong autocratic temperament, and Pianhua disbanded after the death of its leader, Lee Ah-young.
It was only natural since all the guild members had gathered for the sake of Lee Ah-young alone.
“It’s an honor. The guild leader of Genesis coming to see me in person.”
“…We’re just a shadow of our former selves now.”
His expression was bitter, almost completely devoid of the composure he used to exhibit.
His anxious and unwell appearance was totally different from the Park Sung-hyeok of the past.
“But what you just told me, is it true?”
“What did you hear exactly?”
“That you killed Kim Tae-hun.”
Rumors had spread that fast?
I had just returned to the quarantine zone an hour ago, yet the news had already reached Park Sung-hyeok.
“It happened somehow.”
“Somehow? You ‘somehow’ killed Kim Tae-hun?”
“Pretty much.”
To be factual, I had won the fight by taking advantage of the enemy’s carelessness and striking with an item I had been preparing through severe hardship, but such things needed some exaggeration. That way, they would overestimate me as well.
Currently, my speech influence was not bad, but still weaker compared to the guild leaders of the major guilds.
In this faction, it was clear that I was one of the strongest players, but there were those who disregarded me because I hadn’t made any noteworthy actions before.
Maybe this event would spread my name wider, allowing me to take a stronger stance.
‘The hardest part was certainly preparing Mistilteinn.’
Mistilteinn was a known weakness of Baldur.
It can be equated with Kryptonite to Superman.
It’s merely a sprig of mistletoe, but due to its considerable achievements, the item’s acquisition difficulty was nearly S-Rank.
Normally, even if someone knew Kim Tae-hun’s weak point, they could not obtain this item.
That’s because Mistilteinn is the branch that became the starting point for Ragnarok in Norse mythology.
That’s why, despite merely being a branch, it’s considered one of the most potent weapons in Norse mythology.
What I procured was just one of the thinnest branches of Mistilteinn.
Even with that alone, I succeeded in penetrating Kim Tae-hun’s skills and inflicted a wound.
However, its power was exhausted and it vanished afterward.
Securing even that much was my limit at that time.
Because of that, in my past life, I had no choice but to conserve Mistilteinn.
I couldn’t afford to make another before time ran out, and if I were to lose it by mistake, I’d have no way to kill Kim Tae-hun.
I saved it until I could ensure his downfall, and in the end, successfully took him down with a surprise attack.
But by then, we had suffered significant damage too – it was a victory that left scars.
“You’re stronger than I thought.”
“Yes, I didn’t know either. Turns out, I’m stronger than I thought.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. At least…”
I gazed firmly into Park Sung-hyeok’s eyes.
He swallowed nervously under my stare.
“It looks like I’m capable of facing all the executives of Agatram by myself.”
“…”
He would have dismissed it as nonsense in the past.
But what I had done was no joke—I had killed Kim Tae-hun.
Effectively, he was Agatram’s number two, only second to the guild leader, and I had killed him instantly.
With several witnesses to the event, it wasn’t possible for him to think it was a lie.
Therefore, Park Sung-hyeok had no choice but to believe my words.
“Is it truly possible? That you can face Agatram alone, like you said. You’re not lying, are you?”
“As you know, I’m not one for empty talk.”
“Yes. I’ve heard a lot about you being an overly cautious player.”
Nodding his head, he appeared thoughtful, and I took the opportunity to propose.
“Since you’re here… may I suggest something?”
“Let’s hear it.”
He was assessing what my opinion might be.
There was a trace of nervousness and impatience, but he was still Park Sung-hyeok.
It seemed he hadn’t been in contact with God for some time, but a sharp mind didn’t just disappear.
“I would like to ask you for three days.”
“Three days? Are you asking for time because there’s something you need assistance with?”
“No, not at all.”
“Excuse me?”
As he looked confused, I let out a slight chuckle.
“I plan to complete this quest within those three days.”
It was no surprise that Park Sung-hyeok was speechless after what I said.
***
After finishing the conversation with Park Sung-hyeok, I immediately headed out.
The person I was going to meet this time was someone I already knew well, so there was no reason to hesitate.
He had been regularly involved with me even before this quest.
“I’m really shocked this time. Really shocked. What on Earth did you do?”
Right upon seeing me, he started to mock, poking his finger into my chest.
“Killing Kim Tae-hun wasn’t enough, so you brought his body to me? What are you thinking?”
“The reason is that you’re the most skilled healer among all players.”
“…Thanks for the compliment.”
She sat down slowly in a small chair, opening her eyes wide disdainfully.
We were in the relief shelter set up in the quarantine area.
Since it was a space she could use personally, the only people nearby were her, me, and Kim Tae-hun’s corpse.
“So, can I ask why you left this body—or rather, not a body—with me?”
“There’s no big reason. Just wondering if you can revive it.”
“Are you crazy? Just because they call me a holy woman, you think I can bring back the dead?”
“Can’t you revitalize him? I thought the holy woman Shin Yu-hwa could.”
“Don’t keep calling me a holy woman. It’s annoying.”
Her tone was full of irritation.
It was funny that such a woman was called a holy woman. The irony was that despite showing such annoyance at being called a holy woman, she seemed to actually enjoy it quite a bit.
If not, she wouldn’t have let those self-proclaimed believers hang around with her fiery personality.
“So, you really can’t revive him? Can I ask why?”
“Why ask? He’s dead, so I can’t bring him back. The fact that all of my healing skills aren’t working proves he’s definitively dead.”
“Are you certain?”
“Yes. You’ve really managed to kill this monster quite cleanly. How did you heal that wound in his chest?”
“I applied an elixir at the last minute.”
“Ah, that’s how…”
As she answered indifferently, her eyes suddenly went wide.
“You applied an elixir?”
“That’s right.”
“And he died?”
“That’s the question, isn’t it?”
As I smirked, Shin Yu-hwa’s eyebrows shot up.
“Have you been experimenting on me again?”
“No.”
“Don’t lie to me! You think I’d fall for that again?”
Remaining silent, I simply shut my mouth. Shin Yu-hwa flicked her hair back and mumbled.
“If you say elixir was involved, it means he was alive. But he’s dead now, even after you applied the elixir. If he had been alive when you put on the elixir, the wound should’ve healed completely, and he should’ve revived. But he’s dead? The whole situation contradicts itself.”
“Exactly.”
“What do you mean ‘exactly’? There you go again. Acting like you don’t know when you do.”
Grunting in exasperation, Shin Yu-hwa poked my forehead.
“You’re plotting something again, aren’t you? And leaving me this not-body is so I’ll leave it alone, right?”
“There’s no one else I can trust but you.”
“…You do know how to talk sweetly. But are there going to be more of these?”
“There’ll be more, but I will deal with them all at once, so they won’t come here.”
“That’s a relief.”
Shin Yu-hwa unhooked her finger from my forehead and smiled briskly.
“Alright, I’ll take care of him.”
“I’m counting on you.”
“So how about speaking a little more politely?”
“Didn’t you tell me to drop formalities first?”
“You really expect me to believe you’d talk so stiffly like this!”
Shin Yu-hwa was two years younger than me.
That means she was one year younger than Ji-su.
When we first met, because I used this way of speaking, I somehow always spoke like this when meeting Shin Yu-hwa.
“You can also speak informally. I don’t mind.”
“Forget it. I prefer this.”
It was already a mix of half-respectful and half-informal speech.
With the conversation ended, Shin Yu-hwa waved her hand.
“Next time you come, at least give me a heads up so I can be prepared.”
“Sure. Next time I’ll even bring a gift.”
“Just don’t bring problems.”
I couldn’t respond with a smile to Shin Yu-hwa saying we’d meet again.
Once this quest ends, in the next quest, Shin Yu-hwa dies.
And already, the future of this dreamlike quest doesn’t exist.
Once I leave the dungeon, everything ends.
‘Even then, I couldn’t even say goodbye last time.’
After fighting and getting injured by Min Su-ho, Shin Yu-hwa took care of me for a long time.
After healing, I never saw her again.
That was the last time my past self saw Shin Yu-hwa.
“A gift…”
I muttered to myself and headed back to my room.
The sky had already turned dark, with a white moon hanging in it.
The night seemed to crave a drink.
***
While the players’ morale soared with the news of Kim Tae-hun’s death, Agatram was in a grave mood.
The death of Kim Tae-hun, not just any player, was a significant loss for them.
As the members of Agatram quickly gathered, they all sat silently without saying a word.
The first to speak was Kang Jun-sik.
“…Could that bastard really be that strong?”
He had always bickered with Kim Tae-hun but didn’t hate him.
Perhaps the term ‘frienemy’ fit well.
Although he spoke somewhat calmly, his eyes burned fiercely as if he might turn the surroundings into a sea of flames at any moment of lost control.
“He probably knew Tae-hun’s weakness. It’s very likely he used Mistilteinn.”
“Ha, to think he would have had such a thing.”
“It’s said he always prepares to take on any player he fights.”
“That guy’s a freak.”
Kang Jun-sik clicked his tongue and looked at a quiet young girl.
Even through this crisis brought on by Kim Se-han, she just observed the situation quietly.
“Little girl, aren’t you surprised?”
“Yes. He killed my father, after all.”
“Luke Taylor, huh? Yeah, he became famous for that.”
The Seoul Collapse event.
The day Aldebaran, the ruler of the Golden Ox of the Zodiac, descended on Earth.
Just when no one seemed to be able to stop him, a player emerged who defeated Aldebaran.
That was Luke Taylor.
And right after defeating Aldebaran, Luke Taylor was killed by Kim Se-han.
According to the witness at the time, Luke Taylor started to go berserk, so he had no choice but to kill him.
Anyway, by killing Luke Taylor, who had defeated Aldebaran, Kim Se-han gained fame for a while.
It did fade quickly once the person of interest went into hiding.
“Afterward, the goddess chose me as her contractor, but she hasn’t spoken to me ever since my father died. It feels like she’s been watching, though.”
Lynn said so while drawing an image of a man in the air.
A man in black, the enemy who killed her father.
Kim Se-han.
“I will kill him myself.”
“It’s possible someday since you have some aptitude. But we can’t wait for that.”
Kang Jun-sik smiled viciously, his white teeth flashing.
Lynn Taylor had some decent talent as a player.
She was forced into an executive position in the guild by the guild leader who wanted to fill a vacancy—that was obvious.
Kang Jun-sik acknowledged her somewhat satisfactory talents and even supported her claim to someday grow powerful enough to kill Kim Se-han.
That was until Kim Tae-hun died.
“Because I’ll be the one to kill him.”
There was no intention of letting the one who killed Kim Tae-hun live.
That was the sentiment shared by all the executives of Agatram.
The guild leader of Agatram, Cheon Sang-hwan, looked around and spoke.
“Don’t do anything alone for now. Two days from now, once preparations are complete, we’ll get our revenge.”
At Cheon Sang-hwan’s command, Kang Jun-sik scoffed, and the guild members nodded in agreement.
All eyes of Agatram were focused on the one man, Kim Se-han.
Understandably so, as they believed there were no players capable of facing Agatram’s executives. They had been complacent until Kim Tae-hun was taken down in an instant.
“…”
Lynn watched the guild members converse and simply remained silent.
Sitting calmly, her bright blue eyes sank into a deep shadow.
Into a deeper, darker abyss.
