Chapter 14
What’s the Big Deal About +5 Enhancement
Beodeul wanted to proceed with enhancement right away that day, but unfortunately something came up and he had to postpone it.
‘I can do it tomorrow.’
The enhancement stone and equipment were in his inventory, not going anywhere. After consoling himself with that thought, Beodeul logged in the next day before Sinu could even ask about his login time for the first time.
When the loading finished, he saw the town where he had logged off yesterday, while the attendance check event tab and all sorts of notifications filled his screen.
“Huh?”
When he clicked on the blinking mail tab, his usually quiet mailbox was filled with as many as three pages.
“What is all this?”
As Beodeul checked each mail one by one, he couldn’t help but laugh. All the mails were from the same sender.
[Girmu-nim you didn’t block me right?O.O -SaltySalt-]
[I’m so scared I’m using *stealth login and running away from Sinu hyung T.T T.T T.T T.T T.T T.T T.T T.T T.T please explain when you come onlineT.T T.T T.T T.T T.T T.T T.T -SaltySalt-]
[There’s a bounty on meT.T T.T T.T T.T T.T T.T T.T T.T T.T T.T T.T T.T T.T T.T T.T T.T T.T T.T T.T T.T T.T T.T T.T what do I doT.T T.T T.T T.T T.T when are you coming?T.T T.T T.T T.T T.T T.T -SaltySalt-]
Instead of putting all the content in one message, they had sent it line by line like a chat, which is why the mailbox was so full.
What on earth had happened after he logged off? Beodeul put on a serious face and read each message SaltySalt had sent.
He had definitely said goodbye before logging off yesterday, yet despite knowing this, SaltySalt had sent so many messages that could only be checked when logging into the game.
‘They must have been really desperate.’
It seemed Sinu had somewhat interrogated SaltySalt about yesterday’s incident. Beodeul successfully made a guess that was close to the truth, but much milder.
“I thought I explained enough yesterday…”
But if Sinu had questioned SaltySalt further, could it be for a different reason?
[Oh Sinu hyung persuaded the guild master and they even issued a bountyT.T T.T T.T T.T T.T T.T T.T T.T T.T I can’t even enter the Central Fortress nowT.T T.T T.T T.T T.T T.T T.T T.T T.T T.T -SaltySalt-]
The Central Fortress probably referred to the guild-owned fortress, which became more important for larger guilds. They could hire NPCs with functions only available in big towns, and occasionally, when rare merchants visited, they would charge entry fees to let non-guild users in.
The probability of merchant visits was determined by the fortress management level, so for a max-level guild with high member login rates like “Grace,” by an incredible coincidence, a merchant might have visited exactly when SaltySalt was placed under bounty…
‘No way.’
When he checked the sending time, it was 11 PM last night. Beodeul lightly checked the next mail and gasped.
[FortressT.T T.T T.T T.T T.T T.T T.T T.T T.T Reagan came to the fortressT.T T.T T.T T.T T.T T.T T.T T.T T.T T.T T.T T.T T.T T.T T.T T.T T.T T.T T.T I was going to buy special potionsT.T T.T T.T T.T T.T T.T T.T T.T T.T T.T T.T T.T they won’t let me in those cra1zy peopleT.T T.T T.T T.T T.T T.T T.T -SaltySalt]
[It’sT.T T.T T.T T.T my faultT.T T.T T.T T.T T.T it’s all my fau1tT.T T.T T.T T.T T.T T.T T.T T.T T.T T.T T.T T.T T.T -SaltySalt]
SaltySalt, who had been apologizing for some unknown reason and sobbing, completely changed their attitude in the mail sent 10 minutes later.
[O.O I’ve decided to fall to the dark side now -SaltySalt-]
[Should have donel this from the beginningl I’m not Sinu’s natural enemy for nothingl… SaltySalt
[Is there room in that Daljam or Dalbam guild?O.O If there’s room please write me a recommendation letter -SaltySalt-]
It’s Dalkeum… But more importantly, why the sudden mention of a guild? Beodeul hesitated a bit before checking the next mail due to his rapidly rising anxiety.
[Never mind come talk to me when you log in^0^ SaltySalt
What the hell, that’s even scarier… Beodeul closed the mailbox with a pale face. Suddenly, there was one more person on the screen that had previously shown only Girmu.
[General] SaltySalt: Did you read all the mail?O.O
Gasp. Beodeul caught his breath when he saw the speech bubble above the unfamiliar character’s head. How did they know… no, how are they here?
[General] SaltySalt: T.T~~~~~I’m pitiful, right?
[General] Girmu: Pardon…?
[General] SaltySalt: Abandoned by the guild… having to go around looking this ugly because of the bounty…O.OT.T
Ah, that’s why they looked unfamiliar. Looking closer, SaltySalt had thrown off the splendid coordinated items briefly seen yesterday and was now wearing some dark black clothes. But that actually made them look more suspicious and noticeable.
[General] Girmu: Sinu-nim hasn’t canceled the bounty yet…?
[General] SaltySalt: NoT.OT.T
[General] SaltySalt: I can’t stay here long either, using general chat I’ll probably get caught soonT.T T.T T.T T.T
[General] Girmu: Sinu-nim isn’t even logged in right now…
[General] SaltySalt: Haven’t you seen the forum?
Forum? They must mean the free board on the homepage? Of course he hadn’t seen it. The only thing Beodeul had ever clicked on the homepage was the game start button.
[General] SaltySalt: I’ll come on my alt accountO.O;; Nobody knows about that one!
Then couldn’t you have fled there from the beginning? While Beodeul was thinking this, SaltySalt earnestly asked him to wait here and logged off.
In the brief moment while Beodeul was checking enhancement stone prices while waiting for SaltySalt, an unfamiliar character appeared in front of Girmu.
[General] WangBamBbangWangBbang: hey
[General] Girmu: Yes?
[General] WangBamBbangWangBbang: SaltySalt was here, right?O.O??
What is this now? Beodeul quietly observed WangBamBbangWangBbang bustling around and asked.
[General] Girmu: Salt-nim?
[General] WangBamBbangWangBbang: O.O!
[General] WangBamBbangWangBbang: Can you tell?
[General] Girmu: Haha…
[General] WangBamBbangWangBbang: But in times like this you should deny it and play dumb, you’re going to be in big troubleO.O;;
To Beodeul, WangBamBbangWangBbang, who wasn’t even trying to hide being SaltySalt, seemed more likely to be in trouble.
[General] Girmu: Shouldn’t WangBamBbang-nim have been the one to deny it?
[General] WangBamBbangWangBbang: Oh that’s right too!
SaltySalt sometimes gave people chills but then appeared careless in moments like this. Beodeul still didn’t know much about SaltySalt, including which side was closer to their true nature. Or why they were acting this way toward him.
[General] Girmu: But why did you come to me?
[General] WangBamBbangWangBbang: Huh?
[General] Girmu: I could tell Sinu-nim about this, you knowhaha
[General] WangBamBbangWangBbang: That’s true too…
[General] WangBamBbangWangBbang: Are you going to snitch on me?T.OT.T
Snitch? This makes it seem like he’s backing Sinu and stirring up discord among Grace guild members. But Beodeul didn’t immediately deny it and instead said something else.
[General] Girmu: I’ll think about ithaha
[General] WangBamBbangWangBbang: T.T T.T T.T T.T T.T T.T T.T T.T T.T T.T T.T T.T T.T?
[Whisper/WangBamBbangWangBbang] Girmu: If you’re honest with me, I won’t tell Sinu-nim
WangBamBbangWangBbang fell silent, as if anticipating what was coming next. Beodeul typed while recalling the content of each mail he had read and the curious situation between SaltySalt and Sinu with himself in the middle.
[Whisper/WangBamBbangWangBbang] Girmu: I did receive whispers from Salt-nim yesterday, but I told Sinu-nim that you were helping me
[Whisper/WangBamBbangWangBbang] Girmu: That’s right, isn’t it? Salt-nim was telling me about the dungeon patterns and helping me
[Whisper/Girmu] WangBamBbangWangBbang: Yes…O.O
Why? Why did that short answer seem somehow tense? Beodeul continued chatting while thinking about this.
[Whisper/WangBamBbangWangBbang] Girmu: When I told Sinu-nim that, he seemed to let it go, but did something else happen between you two afterward?
[Whisper/Girmu] WangBamBbangWangBbang: Between me and Sinu hyung? Hmm nolol
But why did it end up like this then? Beodeul, with a faint smile, moved his hands faster than before.
[Whisper/WangBamBbangWangBbang] Girmu: Then among the mails you sent me, there was one where you apologized to me
[Whisper/WangBamBbangWangBbang] Girmu: Was that because you actually had something to apologize to me for
[Whisper/WangBamBbangWangBbang] Girmu: Or was it because the guild members made you send it, even though you had nothing to apologize for
[Whisper/WangBamBbangWangBbang] Girmu: Which one is it?
A silence fell. They were probably choosing their words carefully.
[Whisper/Girmu] WangBamBbangWangBbang: Ah…lol
[Whisper/Girmu] WangBamBbangWangBbang: You’re not as easy as I thoughtO.O
They seemed to have made up their mind. Beodeul relaxed and crossed his arms, watching the screen. He thought that Sinu’s concern yesterday might not have been entirely unfounded.
*
Shin Wooseok removed his uniform permeated with the strong scent of coffee, put it away, and changed into clothes he had kept in the cabinet. Finally, he put on his coat and checked the accumulated notifications on his phone, which he had put in his pocket first thing.
“…?”
Out of habit, he opened the VoiceCode app and tilted his head when he saw that the chat with Girmu was blinking.
“Why would they contact me first?”
Although they were registered as friends, Girmu had never sent a message first. Curious, Shin Wooseok immediately checked the message, and his eyebrow shot up.
[Girmu: Sinu-nim I have something to show you when you come onlinehaha]
That one line was all there was to the first message they had ever sent. With a gentle and soft tone and voice, they seemed squishy but subtly left no room for discussion.
If someone else had said this, he would have demanded to know what it was immediately, but somehow it wasn’t easy to do that with this person. Or perhaps “didn’t want to” would be more accurate. Shin Wooseok found himself smiling as he replied.
[SN: You logged in early today]
[Girmu: Yes!]
The reply came right away, but again, it wasn’t easy. Normally when responding like this, wouldn’t they at least hint at why they logged in early?
‘Even though they checked my message right away.’
Wondering if he had become too accustomed to the TMI flow of conversations from his guild members, Shin Wooseok replied again.
[SN: What are you going to show me?]
[Girmu: When you come onlinehaha]
*stealth login: Logging in privately. Refers to logging into the game secretly without notifying guild members or friends.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
