“I really don’t know anymore.”
This thought crossed my mind as I watched Kessler, who had fallen asleep holding my waist tightly until morning. His nine tails were spread out at even intervals, providing an extreme softness that enveloped us. Perhaps because of this, Kessler’s expression was very peaceful, to the point of making one think he was smiling in his sleep.
[Are you listening! The manager must come out and take responsibility, listen to our voices right now!]
…Kessler wasn’t listening.
The users’ condemnations, which had briefly stopped at dawn, resumed as soon as the sun rose.
[Do we have to smash Skeleton Village with clubs for them to listen to us?]
“…It’s noisy.”
Kessler layered shadows over every gap in the window, and soon the outside noise was completely blocked.
“Give me your breath.”
“Your breath?”
“Breathe into my ear.”
“…”
Kessler slowly crawled towards me, pressing closely without any gaps, and leaned his ear against my nose as if hanging it there.
“Baby fox, lullaby.”
All around was quiet, and Kessler was putting me to sleep. I had no choice but to close my eyes. It was a rare late morning sleep.
* * *
On the fifth day since the quest began, in the late afternoon, I was sitting on the rooftop terrace waiting for Jung Da-hoon. As time passed, public opinion worsened, and the atmosphere among users became ominous, so I took a seat in the least noticeable corner to avoid attention.
Before long, Jung Da-hoon, with a handkerchief over his face and wearing sunglasses, cautiously looking around, approached and sat down.
“It’s me, sir.”
“Yes, I know.”
“Huh… Did you recognize me?”
“Yes, I recognize my fans.”
“Ugh… As expected.”
Anyone could see it was Jung Da-hoon, but I praised my keen eyesight to acknowledge his effort in disguising.
“It’s chaotic right now.”
“Yes, it certainly looks that way.”
“Two users were exiled today. Not to prison, but exiled.”
“Why those two?”
“They were arrested on the spot for rampaging and destroying the stable in their anger.”
With a worried expression, he lowered his voice and continued to advise.
“Your bank information has been leaked. I don’t know how, but you’re being suspected of being a speculator.”
“It’s probably a lie. And well… I somewhat expected this.”
“The public opinion is really bad. Since the castle managers are ignoring them, the anger is now turning towards the landlords. They’re desperately trying to find out who first raised the stable price to 2,000. You’ve been pointed out as a candidate. For now, it would be better to go around as a fox.”
“I understand.”
I was planning to do that anyway. Seeing the users who sometimes kowtow, begging to stabilize real estate prices, and other times burst into curses, it seems it’s really time to lay low.
“And, currently, ten stables have been sold. As you said, we’re selectively selling to people.”
“You’re doing well. Those arrogant old-timers who boss around the users should take this opportunity to fall.”
“And today, I attended the Bone Density Enhancement Center’s board meeting for the first time.”
Actually, I was waiting for Jung Da-hoon because I was curious about this. The few nobles within the castle who own shares of the Bone Density Enhancement Center had a board party…
“Why, is there a problem?”
“Well… I met the Lord.”
“Ah, did Kessler go there?”
“Yes, he has a 10% share…”
“For us to have more shares than Kessler one day.”
But Jung Da-hoon’s expression wasn’t good.
“Actually, he kept staring at me, so I left as if fleeing. I got indigestion, and Bori bought me some digestive medicine.”
“Oh dear. But he didn’t harm you, did he?”
“Yes, he didn’t… but…”
“Then it’s probably a misunderstanding.”
“Huh?”
“He’s actually a kind person.”
He’s usually expressionless, and with the shadows around, he might seem intimidating, but he doesn’t actually kill people or anything.
“But I felt an incredible killing intent.”
From the start, he’s a guy who trembles in fear of going to the shadow prison and goes around collecting petitions, so what’s this talk about murder?
“Don’t worry too much.”
“…”
It might be a bit odd for me, who once had my neck broken, to say this, but he’s actually a kind person.
‘He just lacks a bit of empathy.’
I recalled the memory of making frail people move heavy furniture, but I deliberately blurred my vision and moved on.
“…Anyway, I couldn’t go there twice.”
“Yes, it’s best if you feel at ease, Mr. Jung Da-hoon. …Now, I should probably go.”
After hearing Jung Da-hoon’s insignificant review, I sent him off first and ordered a lemonade. Since I was at the rooftop cafe, I thought I might as well get Kessler’s favorite drink.
“Make it strong, please.”
After receiving the lemonade, I headed towards the less crowded back corridor. It was because the probability of encountering people was low.
‘I was going to transform into a fox and go, but then I wouldn’t be able to hear properly. Cafe drinks don’t go into the inventory either.’
As I took the back alley, the noise from the protesters’ loudspeakers also significantly decreased.
However, there was an unexpected problem. People who had taken refuge to escape the protesters’ noise were leaning weakly against the corridor walls.
‘Oops.’
As I tried to go down the stairs and naturally take another path, there was someone at the bottom of the stairs as well.
Moreover, it was a protester who had collapsed in a big X shape, wearing a headband that read ‘Absolute Opposition.’
Eventually, I came back the way I had come. I never thought that people I usually met without any issues would become this scary.
“…This won’t do.”
I was about to transform into a fox, following Jung Da-hoon’s advice.
Just as I carefully placed the lemonade on the ground, a shadow loomed over my head.
When I looked up, it wasn’t just one person. There were three men wearing masks. Moreover, they were holding clubs and sickles, looking down at me with terrifying gazes.
“No, wait a minute. Just 1 minute.”
In just 1 minute, I could go to a corner, transform into a fox, and pretend to be innocent.
“Please try this.”
I quickly picked up the lemonade I had bought for Kessler and handed it to them.
“There are three of us, but only one glass?”
“Try it first, and if you like it, I’ll buy two more glasses. Should I go now? Let’s go…”
Just as I was trying to slightly escape from the position of being cornered like prey.
One of the masked men grabbed my collar and threw me against the wall.
“Ugh…”
Although I was flustered, I quickly turned on the location setting in the couple tab and took pictures of them with the camera.
“Please, please.”
The three of them took turns savoring the lemonade I had offered, and one of them said,
“This guy always dresses in shabby clothes and pretends to be a beggar, but he drinks the lemonade with the highest lemon content?”
“That’s not mine, it’s the Lord’s.”
“Where does this guy dare to talk back?”
[Couple Tab]: Would you like to register a new feed?
‘Yes, Yes.’
I quickly uploaded the photos of the masked men that I had taken.
“Yeah, anyway, since you can’t become a resident and your life is ruined, let’s all go down together.”
“If you don’t want to go down together, sign here.”
[Transfer Consent Form
By signing this contract, your real estate will be transferred.]
“You have a lot of stables, don’t you? You can afford to lose one, can’t you?”
“Can I have a little time to think about it?”
In an instant, the masked man’s fist rushed into my vision and hit the back of my head so hard that it cracked against the wall.
Cute stars and moons spun above my head.
“Oh, do you need more time to think?”
I’ve always been most afraid of people who have nothing to lose. Because you never know what they might do.
“I’ll sign the transfer document, so don’t hit me.”
“You should have done that from the beginning.”
As I was fumbling to find the transfer document that had fallen to the ground, my vision darkened like late evening.
“Bro, this guy is unconscious, isn’t he? His eyes are out of focus.”
“What? He fainted with his eyes open?”
“…It seems like he’s dead?”
“We hit him lightly… Is his blood weak? Rather, it’s good. Quickly search his bag and take out the land deed.”
“Bro, I can’t see the bag.”
“Then he’s not dead, just unconscious.”
“The effect of the stars above this guy’s head isn’t going away. What’s this? It’s the first time I’ve seen this…”
All the sounds seemed to reach my ears, but then they faded away. I felt a shaking sensation like someone slapping my cheeks, but beyond that, I couldn’t feel anything more.
Dizzy. The world spun around as if I had vertigo.
I was in space. Smoothly orbiting like a satellite following the moon’s trajectory.
“Wake up. Hey, hey.”
After a while, all the lights went out. The flickering world completely turned off.
“Shouldn’t we just kill him and take his bag?”
“Gogogok!”
At the moment the youngest of the masked men drew his sword, I felt a tremendous gust of wind from the side.
In the next instant, the three men flew away simultaneously and hit their heads against the wall, tumbling down.
The strong wind rushed in so suddenly that they couldn’t even scream. I had never felt such pressure while playing the game.
“B-blood…”
Above them loomed a black shadow. The moment they saw the enormous and dense shadow surging up to the sky, the masked user sensed death.
Crunch. A foot stepped on his neck. Beyond the blur, one thing was clear.
Lord Kessler’s dagger-like gaze falling upon him. And the force pressing down on his neck increased.
Crack. With the sound of his neck breaking, the user’s eyes flashed open.
[System]: You have died and logged out.
He was no longer a macho man with a shaved head, bulging muscles, and scars all over his face. And the two users who always followed him like underlings were no longer there. He was just a scrawny freshman in college.
He sat blankly for a moment, then got up in a panic and went looking for his mother.
“Mommy, cock-a-doodle-doo…!”
That was the end of ‘Gangster Chicken,’ the boss of the gangsters.
