Chapter 6: The Veteran Reduced to Rags - 5

My base is a spaceship, and I call this massive structure a villa. Despite its name, its size rivals that of a nobleman’s mansion.

In terms of game scale, it’s large enough to fill two 20-inch screens and still have some parts extending beyond the top and sides. Oh, if you consider the height, you’d need four screens.

Just as my spaceship grew to tens of kilometers, the villa also expanded to match reality.

My tendency to see things through to the end, once I set my mind to something, meant that the ‘villa’ I decided to build was also completed.

However, once it was all done, it turned out to be less fun than decorating the spaceship, and the accessibility was inconvenient, so I ended up leaving it abandoned.

‘I’ll install facilities there.’

I’m not sure if I’ll get approval for a change of use, but if not, I can always sell the villa.

‘Lucky me.’

I had no idea that setting aside some real estate without much thought would become a lifeline.

“Anyway, I need capital to buy materials for the facilities, so I’m planning to return to mercenary work.”

“Mercenary work… Didn’t you quit because you were short on money?”

The last update before the developers of GalaxyBound got involved in an incident and stopped updates included a new content feature: bounty hunting.

For someone like me who had exhausted most of the content and was barely surviving on mods, this new vanilla content was a godsend.

I didn’t care if the quests were trivial; I would rush to any yellow exclamation mark I saw.

After all, in games, quests are there to be completed!

I got so absorbed in mercenary work for a while that once I finished all the exclamation mark quests, I quit right away.

It wasn’t as profitable as hydroponic farming and running production facilities on the ship.

To others, it probably looked like I quit because I was short on money.

“At that time, you jumped into very dangerous jobs, which was really worrying.”

Ena smiled gently. It was the kind of smile you can only have when there are no bad memories.

I never died or respawned while doing bounty quests because I had already maxed out my tech by then.

“And I still owe the mercenary guild some money, so if I can get some initial capital, it should be easy to pay it off.”

This was something in my memory but not in the game.

After completing a quest, I was told, “We didn’t think you’d catch him,” and that they hadn’t prepared the bounty. It was clearly a lame excuse, but since I was rich at the time, I didn’t care about the small amount and left the rest as a debt.

‘Who would have thought that this debt would function like a bank?’

Angela nodded in approval of my plan.

However, the more I looked at Angela, the more I felt a strange sense of discomfort.

Originally, the AI assistant portrait in GalaxyBound was just a plain, mannequin-like round face.

Disliking that, I chose a portrait I liked from an AI portrait mod, but the problem was that the character whose face I used was a traitor in another game.

I thought it was pretty, but when I later searched the story of the game where the face came from, it was quite a shock.

‘Oh well, it’s just a face from another game. No need to overthink it. That would be rude.’

“Ah, when we escaped, the graphics were messed up. Is everything okay now?”

A woman with long sky-blue hair, dressed in a white lab coat and suit, similar to Ena, placed her hands on her hips and chuckled.

Turning to Ena, I saw her glaring at Angela, but then she smiled gently as if nothing had happened.

“But, Captain, why did you shoot the gun?”

“Ah, I was just a bit angry.”

“I’m sorry… I’m so sorry…”

“Why? Why are you sorry?”

“Because I didn’t manage things properly as your secretary. If I had been more attentive, this wouldn’t have happened.”

“If we’re going to blame someone, it’s more my fault for installing the indoor boosters. Even with the best intentions and good management, accidents can happen.”

“No, no! It was a bit dangerous, but it was really beautiful!”

Was she really saying that, or was she trying to argue that I wasn’t at fault? Ena raised her hands in strong denial.

“Alright. Calm down. Even if we knew the exact cause, Angela couldn’t have done anything about it, so the result would have been the same with anyone else. Don’t feel too guilty.”

I’m the one who feels the most guilty.

Oh, I should have tolerated a bit of lag in the game!

Her face brightened as if my words were a kind of absolution.

“Thank you, Captain…”

For a moment, she seemed to shed her usual timid nature and suddenly hugged me.

‘She must have been under a lot of stress.’

This accident must have been quite a shock. Her voice was moist, and she might have been on the verge of tears.

“Yeah, hang in there.”

I gently wrapped my arms around Ena’s shoulders and patted her.

Ena is my first crew member.

She has seen the ship’s entire history, just like Angela. Her affection for the ship must be special.

It’s no wonder she was shocked. Right now, the best thing is to support each other.

‘If a 5-star crew member breaks down and runs away, it would be a big problem.’

Something about Angela’s expression as she watched us didn’t sit well with me.

“Why are you looking at us like that?”

…It’s like the look someone on a diet gives when they see chicken.

***

Tirado-78

Thanks to the successful terraforming, this planet is a lush, green world.

The sight of vegetation between the cities, as seen from the escape pod, was incredibly welcoming.

“Welcome to Tirado-78. Thank you for your hard work.”

Airport officials, recognizing the escape pod’s unique signal, came out to greet us with an ambulance.

“Yes, thank you. No one is seriously injured, so the ambulance isn’t necessary. However, since this is my first time on this planet, could you share a city map with me?”

“Sure. Do you have an AI system?”

“Yes. The code is…”

Those who travel in space or work in related industries can receive the city map through their management AI.

“Can this escape pod be scrapped?”

This escape pod lacks a faster-than-light engine, making it unsuitable for travel.

I’ll use it as a temporary shelter, but since the mother ship is gone, I’ll need to sell or dismantle it to make some money.

“There’s a repair center near the airport. You can go there.”

“Thank you. Have a good day.”

“Thank you. I don’t know what you’ve been through, but I hope you can get back on your feet.”

I gave a bitter smile and nodded at the employee’s words, which were directed at the escape pod.

***

Tirado-78 had no mercenary guild branch. It seemed to be a rural planet, fitting for an agricultural world.

Just as cities and rural areas are distinguished by their level of development, space is also divided into urban and rural areas based on star systems or even larger, stellar systems.

The nearest mercenary guild branch is on a city planet in a neighboring star system, about 140 light-years away.

If it were within the same star system, it might be different, but for such a long distance, using a communication relay station is faster.

With Angela’s guidance, I visited the airport’s communication relay station.

A black screen displayed the mercenary guild’s emblem and a brief introduction.

Soon, the screen brightened, and the face of a bald, hairy man appeared.

Perhaps because I was somewhat famous in the mercenary industry, the branch manager was very formal. He seemed so stiff that he looked like a log.

“Hello, Branch Manager Senorac.”

He mentioned the achievement title given for completing all bounty missions: “Felon Hunter.”

I knew about it, but hearing it after the possession made my face flush.

“Ah, I’m in a bit of a difficult situation.”

I said this, but I didn’t think he would try to take advantage of me. At least in the mercenary world, they wouldn’t.

Mercenaries carry knives and guns.

I gave a bitter smile and explained that my ship had been lost in an accident and that I needed to make money quickly.

I told the truth because I knew he wouldn’t believe it.

This was an unwritten rule in the mercenary world.

When you need quick money, you make up an unbelievable excuse.

‘I need money because of this unexpected incident. It’s definitely not because I wasted it on alcohol or women!’

The branch manager’s expression was one of ‘You’re lying, but I’ll play along.’

“So, are there any lucrative and nearby jobs that can be resolved quickly? I’m open to taking multiple jobs at once.”

The branch manager’s eyes widened slightly. He must have seen this as an opportunity to clear some of the unresolved jobs he had been holding onto.

“Of course, nothing too trivial. I might have to leave for other places if necessary.”

In fact, I don’t have a single credit for space travel.

His expression didn’t change, but I wondered what he was thinking.

I tapped my wrist to bring up the information window.

A small window floated up, holographically displaying information about Branch Manager Senorac, who was 140 light-years away.

However…

—–

Name: El-Muntasir (48 years old)

Race: Ephar (pointy-eared)

Occupation: Spy, Mercenary Guild Branch Manager (temporary)

Emotion: Confused, shocked, happy

Status: Disguised, leg injury

Thoughts: A Felon Hunter… Can I use this guy?

—–

‘What is this?’

After a moment of confusion, a good idea came to mind.

Great. I can gather funds faster than I thought!

***

After ending the communication with the guild branch manager on Alaspa, I wandered around the city.

With two different sets of memories mixed together, even the familiar cityscapes of the space age felt new.

In the game, NPCs were few, and the buildings were mostly smooth, metallic structures that vaguely represented a futuristic world.

But this was real.

The diverse people filling the streets, the unique devices they carried, the flying cyberpunk-like vehicles, the neatly finished buildings contrasting with the messy communication lines.

All my senses were satisfied.

The bustling sounds of people tickled my ears, the flashing neon signs stabbed my eyes, the mouthwatering smells from street vendors filled my nose, and the heat from outdoor units and engines scratched my skin.

‘This is the real space age.’

The messy parts were also exposed, making it clear that, despite being the future, human settlements are still similar.

Unfortunately, I had no money to enjoy anything, so I just looked around. Ah, that looks delicious.

I compared the game and reality, and by the time evening approached, I returned to the spaceport.

When I entered the escape pod, I was greeted by a table full of food.

“Captain, you’ve worked hard today.”

“Did you make this yourself?”

The storage was already full of preserved food, but I couldn’t ignore her effort, so I praised her generously.

“Hehe, I just added a few touches.”

Not bad?

How did she know my taste? Oh, we lived on the ship together for years.

Is this red thing kimchi? Wow.

I wonder how likely it is that traditional Korean food would still exist in the 34th century.

…Is this because of a mod?

I had installed a Korean ingredient mod.

Angela added.

Ena gave the hologram a look that said, “Don’t delete it,” and Angela stuck out her tongue in response.

Maybe it’s the difference between homemade and store-bought. I don’t mind either way. After all, she made it for me.

“Why didn’t you eat first?”

“We should eat together. I just got back from shopping.”

She glanced at Angela again, which was quite intimidating. Angela whistled in disappointment.

I’ll pretend I didn’t see that.

“Delicious!”

That evening was warm and delicious.

A 21st-century meal in the 34th century.

The warmth of tradition could be felt on my tongue and in my nose. For a moment, I could forget my worries.