Chapter 65

Chapter 6 In the Name of Glory (1)

***

Thud. Thud. Thud.

A marble corridor without a single ray of light. A man in a crisp white suit held a small lamp and was crossing the corridor where he couldn't see even an inch ahead.

Thud. Thud.

Click—

The man stopped and set up a new candle next to the many melted ones, lit it, and then bowed deeply toward the small cage made of candles where a girl was sleeping.

"I'm back. Collector (Collector: Gatherer)."

The girl, wearing something that seemed to be a cross between a patient's gown and a dress, slowly opened her eyes. Her long eyelashes trembled as if rejecting the surrounding light.

"W. You're late."

"I'm ashamed."

"It's strange that you, who can reach any corner of this desolate world in an instant, have trouble returning. How odd."

W bowed even deeper at the girl's gentle reprimand.

As she yawned and stretched cutely, the many wires connected to her back moved and made a creaking sound. To W, who had been taking care of her for a long time, she seemed much more lively than usual.

"Are you enjoying yourself?"

"Yes. I had many special dreams."

Rustle—

As she raised her hand, a large screen began to float in the pitch-black air.

A small shelter in the wasteland.

Three men sitting inside, shouting 'We're rich now!' and dancing with joy.

Sector 43.

A sign that read 'Ujin Urology' lying on the ground, riddled with bullet holes, and a crowd of men in black uniforms surrounding it. In front of them, a man with his face nearly half-covered in burns was smiling contentedly.

The Dome.

A document stamped with 'Level 2 Secret' and a man with a steel jaw, who was alternately looking at the document and the sketches in his notebook with a serious expression, while wearing a tilted hat.

Sector 32.

Many worshippers with their eyes covered by thin cloth, standing in front of a frail old woman with piercingly blue eyes, who was delivering a passionate speech and shedding tears with them.

Sector 7.

Boom. Boom.

Beyond the thick fog, the intermittent flashing of fluorescent lights and the footsteps of a giant creature that shook the earth.

And, inside a marble building without a single ray of light, a place where only the flickering of candles and machinery could be seen, a man in a white suit and a girl were having a conversation.

W, who had taken in all these screens, finally spoke in a heavy silence.

"The wind... is blowing."

"Yes. It never tires. And."

As if agreeing with her words, a wind blew through the marble corridor, passing by them.

The flickering candle, which had been swaying precariously in the strong wind, went out, leaving only the light of the machinery flickering in the corridor, devoid of the man in white and the girl.

***

+ Player `professor` has connected.

- Jokass: Oh, who's this! Isn't it our successful professor?

- Namabtsuri: Sir! I heard you opened your own clinic! Congratulations! If you ever come near the southern clock tower in Sector 47, please look me up!

- NoruDrug: Isn't that the leader of BDSM? Hahaha, the first perverted group in this crazy era, with a name like that on their door!

- takealook: A man among men. I decided to respect the professor after that day.

Upon entering the chat room for Sector 47, a flood of messages greeted me. Everyone was laughing and congratulating me, but the uncomfortable name kept catching my eye.

- professor: It's not BDSM, damn it. I wouldn't use that name just because I'm crazy. It's officially registered as 'Big Dream,' so remember that.

While typing, I felt a bit uneasy. Well, it was obvious, wasn't it? The community would be plastered with harsh criticisms, calling me a traitor to democracy, a communist to the core, and saying that if I stabbed that guy, red blood would spurt out.

- Hooligan: ?

- Holly: Huh?

- Speed Wagon: ?

- Jokass: ?

- NoruDrug: What do you mean?

But their reactions were a bit strange. What's going on? This isn't what I expected.

- professor: What's wrong? What's the problem?

- Jokass: No, professor. Isn't BDSM the group you created?

- professor: What are you talking about? Of course, I created it. And it's not BDSM, it's Big Dream.

- takealook: You're talking nonsense. I saw it on the community post this morning. Your name was officially listed as BDSM in 'D - Times.'

- professor: Put your words in order. There's no way that's true. I talked to a Dome employee and met an inspector! I did everything—

.

.

.

Wait a moment. A very unpleasant suspicion just flashed through my mind.

.

.

.

‘Hmm? Why are you sweating so much, Ezel? Oh, you have hyperhidrosis, right?’

‘Eh, eh, eh! That's right!’

The guy who seemed noticeably flustered when I called him. I thought he was just scared, but what if he was still worried about something?

- professor: Hey, where did you go?

- Holly: Hmm... I don't know? You were talking just fine a moment ago....

- GanjangGaybar: Holly, shut up!

+ Player `GanjangGaybar` has left the chat room.

“Huh, huh, huh, huh, huh.”

His reaction proved my suspicion was true.

I see. Our friend Ganje, it turns out you worked for the Inspectorate. Since they deal with external information, the Delmar I called must have been from the Inspectorate. He definitely heard it as 'Big Dream.' And then, our snake-like Ganje whispered something nasty. 'Their name isn't Big Dream, it's BDSM! The most perverted group in the wasteland!'

“Huh, huh, huh, huh, huh.”

A world-weary, defeated laugh escaped my lips.

I was wrong. 'D - Times' is like a newspaper published by the Dome. It contains almost all the information that can be accessed normally in the area, so it's a comprehensive information source that people in Sector 47 and other regions don't miss. That means our name, BDSM, has already been introduced across the wasteland, and no matter how much I struggle from now on, I can't escape that name.

‘Hyde.’

[Hmm? Why?]

‘Last time, I mentioned a list of people from the Dome who owe me something, right?’

[Oh, yes. That's right. The names of all the people in the file your old colleague handed you were listed there.]

‘Right. Then can you add one more name to that list?’

[What, not difficult. What should I write?]

“Ezel. Grind! Rayden.”

The professor, lying on the connection device, clenched his teeth and vowed.

I'll kill you next time. I'll kill you! I'll kill you!!! GanjangGaybar! Ezel! Ezel Rayden!!!! You piece of trash!!!!

Game start +0 seconds.

The professor's stress level had already reached its limit.

***

[Character synchronization complete]

[Rescuer, please save the Gedroyts continent....]

Whoosh—!

Blinded by the light, the professor stepped back into the world of GG.

Chirp chirp chirp chirp—

Whoosh—

The warm morning sunlight seeping through the window and the cool morning breeze rustling the trees. The chirping of small birds emphasized the peace of this moment. The anger that had been boiling inside him began to melt away.

‘Ah, it's purifying. Yes, this is it. When you connect to the game, it should be like this!’

I must have been through a lot. The fact that I'm moved by something so obvious shows that. The wooden walls, the slightly shabby but clean white bed. I didn't need to check to know. It was the ordinary background and sound effects I saw every time I opened my eyes when playing a normal character in the past. This is an inn.

‘In Turan, I just collapsed on the battlefield, so everything was handled automatically. But in Tobrun, it was different. I had all the tedious tasks taken care of, and I asked a reliable friend to take me to an inn, so I didn't need to go to an inn to log out, and I was saved in a safe place!’

In GG, a safe logout generally means logging out in an inn, the bedroom or campsite of an allied force, or a proper campsite (with a chance of ambush) that includes a campfire, tent, or blanket. When you log out in a place free from immediate threats, your character's time in the game pauses while they sleep, and when you reconnect, you wake up to a refreshing morning.

‘Even if I asked another friend to move me, this system would still apply. So when I played a warrior and had to travel long distances, I would rent a carriage, set the destination as an inn, and log out roughly. ’

This game has been out for over 11 years. It's a game where all kinds of strategies have been discovered by countless veterans.

“Well, now that the outside problems are solved and the Tobrun tower is taken care of, it's time to start the cleanup—”

Squish—

“...What?”

As he tried to get out of bed and stretch, his hand touched something strangely soft and elastic.

A touch that instinctively drew him in. On the side of the bed, where no one else should be, what are these smooth curves hidden under the blanket?

With superhuman willpower, the professor retracted his hand and began desperately trying to sort out the chaos in his mind.

Thump— Thump—

‘No, no. There's no way such a ridiculous thing could happen. This kind of novel-like, unbelievable plot only happens in third-rate manga—!’

Rustle—

“Darling? You're up early? Good~ morning~?”

Ah, even the heavens are indifferent.

Like a monster emerging from a nightmare, Rakshasha slowly pulled back the blanket, revealing a silk nightgown that barely covered her. She smiled softly and waved, her nightgown swaying with her movements.... No, I can't! The curves! I have to close my eyes—

Snap!

Instead of closing, his eyes snapped open like a blind man seeing light for the first time. Some transcendent will, not his or Hyde's, refused to let him close his eyes at this moment.

Thump, thump, thump, thump!

‘I, I have to run. Where? How can I run in this situation? When I wake up after losing consciousness and find myself in bed with a beautiful, half-naked woman?’

I need to stay calm. I'm Professor Park, a man who has fought through countless battlefields and injuries. I've successfully escaped from being isolated among enemy soldiers and running through hundreds of mutants! This is just another common crisis. Recall those many moments of escape! I can do it! After a grand escape, I'll stand tall and shout! This is my escape route—’

“Last night... you must have been really exhausted, didn't you? You know, you have a really cute side.”

Puff—!

“Cough!”

As Rakshasha slowly stroked her tanned, bronze skin with one hand, each word she spoke felt like a fatal dagger piercing his heart. Indeed, a great assassin. Every attack is lethal.

‘Last night? Exhausted? What did we do? What, what did I do? Pleasure without responsibility? To that beautiful woman from the south, I, I, I—!!!’

Thump, thump, thump, thump— Bang!

Beep—

Situation terminated. Maintaining composure in this situation is impossible.

‘Hyde! Switch! I, I can't take it anymore!’

[O, oh! Leave it to me, shell! This independent will is incomparable to the weak mental strength of mere humans—]

Thud—

All his senses were instantly blocked, and peace began to return to his mind.

‘Pant, pant, I, I survived. Thanks to that guy, I overcame the crisis (??).’

If he had stayed in that room with Rakshasha any longer, who knows what he might have done. I'm a healthy young man, after all. Of course, I was moved, but, well, it's a game character, and Rakshasha might be an NPC based on someone's play data, so... it feels a bit... inappropriate. Most importantly—

- takealook: Don't run! Face it!

- Holly: Ahhh! This is too explicit! What are you showing to growing teenagers!

- Speed Wagon: Fact - If you turn off your screen, you can't see it.

- NoruDrug: Oh wow~ Lucky★! When you wake up, a beautiful foreign woman is next to you~? Oh, oh, oh, were you popular?

- HighWayNachoman: Professor, do, do you need money? I, I'm actually a billionaire? How much? How much would it take?

- GanjangGaybar: ㅇ

- HinganMandu: The way of the martial world! The way of the martial world! The way of the martial world! The way of the martial world! The way of the martial world! The way of the martial world! The way of the martial world! The way of the martial world! The way of the martial world! The way of the martial world! The way of the martial world! The way of the martial world!

Look at that crazy chat room. Am I the one who's crazy? Make them strip and do a striptease in front of me.

In the slowly flowing time, the professor decided to calmly sort out the current situation while Hyde held it together.

‘I definitely lost consciousness, and Rakshasha must have brought me to the inn. This much is certain. From the outskirts of Tobrun to the inn. It means the game progressed on its own while I was being moved. If I had woken up during that time, it might have taken a bit longer.’

But my stamina and mental strength were completely drained, and I was utterly exhausted. The probability of waking up was extremely low, so even if Rakshasha tried something, my character wouldn't have woken up. Although she woke up next to me in a nearly naked state, nothing must have happened—

Whoosh—

At that moment, a white light began to shine in the pitch-black space of his consciousness.

‘What, what? Already? It hasn't even been 10 seconds—’

[Screech—!]

With Hyde's scream, the professor's consciousness was abruptly thrown back into the real world.

***

“I see, you're back.”

The first thing he saw upon returning to his body was Rakshasha, who had grabbed his face with both hands and leaned in close.

“How can you be so precious... Two souls in one body, ah... I want you...”

“B, back? What...”

“Don't pretend, Hyde. I'm talking about the cute soul that just ran into your body.”

“How did you...”

“Hmm... a woman's intuition?”

Rakshasha, with a radiant smile, stroked the professor's forehead with her sparkling eyes.

“Your eyes are different. Hyde's eyes have a fiery, meteor-like light, but yours... are like...”

As she swept back his jet-black hair and stared at his eyes for a long time, Rakshasha turned around with a mischievous smile.

“Well, aren't you going to tell me?”

“Huh, huh, huh, huh—”

As she got out of bed, the professor made a deflated balloon-like sound, and she laughed softly, walking like a butterfly.

“Ah, really. I could play with you all day, but since we just took over the tower, we have more work to do. Me, and you?”

“W, work?”

Creak!

Rakshasha, covering the professor's mouth with her index finger, pulled out a slightly damp piece of paper from her pocket and said,

“Formal again! How long are you going to call me so stiffly? Come on, say Rakshasha~ Rakshasha~”

The professor, ignoring the seductive Rakshasha who was waving her hand at him, took the paper she handed him.

“This is... a wanted poster?”

“Yes. A wanted poster for the 'fugitive professor.' But check who put up the bounty below.”

The professor followed Rakshasha's instructions and looked at the bottom of the paper. The letters were blurred by water, but they were still readable.

“Tobrun Castle, the Kingdom of Rodric... all normal—