Chapter 91

"Hmm."

After stepping out of the capsule, Jinho stretched.

"Ouch. I'm so stiff."

The joints in his body creaked. It was inevitable to feel some strain after lying in one position for nearly 10 hours.

Even the Artemis capsule, which was designed with the utmost ergonomics, couldn't prevent this. He thought it must be even harder for those who played in regular capsules.

'I really need to start working out.'

It was something Cheonma always said, but maintaining good health was essential for a long-term player in Lase.

Right now, he could manage with the recovery power of his early 20s, but there was no guarantee it would last forever.

Moreover, studies showed that real-life exercise could improve in-game performance, making it a necessity rather than an option for those who made a living from Lase.

'Hmm. Let's see. Which gym around here is good?'

He decided to take action instead of just talking about it.

Jinho picked up his phone to search for a gym.

Despite the stiffness from long hours of gaming, he felt very good. After all, the problems that had been bothering him for days were all resolved.

'The class change quest and the audience are both resolved at once.'

Of course, it was bound to be extremely difficult, being a quest related to a Mythic-class, but even that difficulty had been significantly reduced with Gillian's help.

'I didn't have time to check the details, but...'

At a glance, nothing seemed absurd.

The thought of a new adventure starting tomorrow made him a bit excited.

Just as Jinho was about to search for a gym with a happy heart, his phone vibrated with a strange notification.

Rat-tat!

It was a notification from the Lase-Backling app, which he had installed but never used.

"Huh?"

The main purpose of the Backling app was to respond quickly to quests given by Backlings. However, it didn't apply to Jinho since Cheonma was his only Backling.

That meant the notification wasn't for Cheonma.

<TaDoToShin>: [Ahem. This is our first contact, so I'm a bit nervous. I saw the notification that you logged out and decided to contact you. ToShin. Do you have a moment?]

‘Ah, right. The app has a messaging function too. I completely forgot about it.’

Jinho had never contacted her since they added each other as friends in front of the Ruana Castle, so he had forgotten all about it.

He felt a bit indifferent and decided to apologize to himself as he replied.

<Me>: [Sure. What's up?]

<TaDoToShin>: [Hmm. As expected, ToShin. Your reply is sharp. I have a favor to ask.]

<Me>: [A favor? Wouldn't it be better to contact me in-game for something like that?]

<TaDoToShin>: [It's a real-life favor, not an in-game one.]

"Huh?"

In real life?

It was something he hadn't expected, so Jinho hesitated to reply.

Hanjo, not receiving a reply from Carpe, sent another message out of concern.

<TaDoToShin>: [I'm sorry. Now that I think about it, it was rude of me to ask for a favor right away...]

<Me>: [No, it's not that. I'm just surprised. What kind of favor? Let me hear it.]

<TaDoToShin>: [I plan to live in Korea from now on.]

Her situation was as follows:

She had been living with a Korean friend, but her friend had to return to the U.S. due to family issues.

<TaDoToShin>: [So, I was planning to take over the lease when my friend left...]

But that wasn't possible.

The lease was expiring, and when she tried to renew it, the landlord decided to give the room to a family member, making it impossible to renew the lease.

<TaDoToShin>: [So, I need to find a new place. However, as a foreigner, the process of buying a property is quite complicated... I heard there's a Jeonse system in Korea...]

<Me>: [Ah, I see.]

In other words, she was asking for help in finding a Jeonse.

<Me>: [I understand your situation, but I'm not an expert in this area. I've only gone to real estate agencies a few times with friends... Nowadays, they handle everything well, so a foreigner should be able to get help.]

<TaDoToShin>: [That's true, but... going alone is a bit nerve-wracking.]

"Hmm..."

Jinho nodded. He understood her position.

A foreign land in the East, with her friend returning home, leaving her alone. It was understandable to feel disoriented.

Everything must be scary.

And in a situation where she had no family or friends... it was natural for her to contact him, her only acquaintance.

<Me>: [I can go with you to the real estate agency... but, if it's too far, it might be difficult. I need time to play the game.]

<TaDoToShin>: [I have a place in mind. It's near Gangnam, Seoul.]

<Me>: [Really? That's pretty close to where I live.]

<TaDoToShin>: [Is that so? What a coincidence. We must have a connection from a past life...]

After that, Hanjo got excited, talking about how they were rivals from a past life and how it must be the will of heaven, so Jinho paused the chat for a moment.

<TaDoToShin>: [Phew. I got a bit carried away. ToShin, how about tomorrow afternoon?]

<Me>: [Sure.]

<TaDoToShin>: [Then, around 1 PM...]

Jinho made the appointment with Hanjo and closed the app.

Then, he thought of something.

"Surely, she doesn't use this speech style outside too, right?"

It would be quite embarrassing if she did.

Just as he was regretting making the appointment, the alarm went off again.

Rat-tat!

"Huh?"

Did she have something else to say?

He checked the notification, but it wasn't from Hanjo.

<ChunmaJijon>: [This is a cool feature. Can we contact each other?]

"Really?"

Surprisingly, the person, or rather the ghost, who contacted him was Chunma.

Jinho tilted his head in confusion but quickly replied.

<Me>: [What's going on?]

<ChunmaJijon>: [Wow, it really works? I don't know what this game is...]

<Me>: [No, explain it to me instead of keeping it to yourself.]

<ChunmaJijon>: [After you logged out...]

After Carpe logged out, Chunma, as usual, moved to his room in the game and was lounging on the bed.

Suddenly, the capsule in the room started glowing and vibrating.

Surprised, Chunma entered the capsule and realized a new program was installed.

<Me>: [It was the Lase app program?]

<ChunmaJijon>: [Yeah. When I checked, you were the only friend added. I sent a message just in case, and it worked.]

<Me>: [That's really amazing. What's the principle behind it?]

<ChunmaJijon>: [It's probably similar to how you get notifications when a Backling gives you a quest. Anyway, now I can contact you even when you're logged out.]

<Me>: [That's a bit creepy.]

An app that allows chatting with a ghost.

It felt like something from a movie.

<ChunmaJijon>: [It's good for emergencies. Hmm, can I send photos or videos? Maybe I'll send a video of Mokhyang.]

Chunma, excited by the new feature, seemed eager to explore it.

<Me>: [Ah, bro. I might log in late tomorrow.]

<ChunmaJijon>: [Why?]

<Me>: [I'm meeting Hanjo in person.]

<ChunmaJijon>: [What?]

Carpe explained the situation.

<ChunmaJijon>: [I see. Alright. Be careful.]

<Me>: [Surprisingly, you're not scolding me for going out and saying the game is a joke.]

<ChunmaJijon>: [What do you think of me? Man, real life is just as important as the game.]

Chunma's message had a hint of complexity.

<ChunmaJijon>: [If you get too absorbed in the game, you might miss out on what's really important. It might sound like old man's advice, but it's based on experience. Remember that.]

<Me>: [That's profound. Thanks for the advice.]

<ChunmaJijon>: [By the way, Hanjo? She's American and a girl, right?]

<Me>: [Yeah.]

<ChunmaJijon>: [So, it's a date?]

"Huh?"

Jinho's hand, which was tapping on the phone, stopped.

Now that he thought about it, it could be seen that way.

<ChunmaJijon>: [Wow, this guy, burying the old bro in the game and going on a date. It makes me angry. What a disloyal guy.]

<Me