Chapter 22
[General] ororo: But as we’ve been talking about before, I really wonder why someone would join a social guild if they’re going to be all secretive and not say anything.
[General] ororo: You’re not even in our guild chat room, Mu-nim…
[General] MakeAWishBuang: But I think Mu-nim mentioned that
[General] MakeAWishBuang: When they first joined the guildㅠㅠ…
[General] TangShuShuk: And the guild master still accepted them?
[General] WatchingChicken: Our guild master barely logs in these days, so they probably didn’t care?
[General] TangShuShuk: The fact is, they’re like that with us, but then going to Grace… hehehehehe
[General] WatchingChicken: So I’m glad we finally figured out they’re just sucking up to the top players
Bullshit. Shin Wooseok let out a light snort. Girmu had never given any indication to either the Grace guild members or to him. If he had known this was happening, he wouldn’t have left Girmu alone with the guild members for days.
[General] YucaPrinciple: But I think Mu-nim was trying to get along with us…
[General] TangShuShuk: If throwing money around to buy our favor counts as effort, then sure haha
[General] WatchingChicken: Agreed, agreed. That was super obvious, honestly;;
[General] WatchingChicken: Flashing cash in front of us every time, that was just showing off
[General] TangShuShuk: And they strengthened their weapon to +15 recentlyㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Who would strengthen THAT weapon to +15ㅠ Isn’t that just proving they’re an idiot
[General] WatchingChicken: Didn’t Sinu tell them anything about that…
[General] ororo: Ahㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
[General] TangShuShuk: They’re probably sucking up to that guild too, just like they did with us
[General] WatchingChicken: I bet even Grace and Sinu will eventually use them and then dump them… Wouldn’t they be embarrassed to keep someone like that around?
When no one strongly objected, they gradually stopped holding back from crossing the line in their comments. As Shin Wooseok watched the conversation, his gaze grew increasingly cold.
*
As the invisibility cloak’s duration was about to end, Sinu and SaltySalt finished capturing screenshots and recording before withdrawing. This was partly because of the invisibility cloak’s cooldown, and partly because some Dalkeum guild members were trying to change the subject, so the conversation had gradually shifted to other topics.
‘I’m worried about Girmu-nim too.’
He still hadn’t replied to the earlier voice code message. Shin Wooseok wasn’t sure how to tell him about the issues within the guild in a way that would make him comfortable enough to open up. For now, Shin Wooseok had just sent a message letting him know he was still logged in.
[Party] SaltySalt: Huh, Girmu-nim is at the same location as the guild master
[Party] Sinu: Oh yeah, the acquaintance who called Girmu-nim earlier was Youngglory hyung
[Party] SaltySalt: But their location isㅇㅅㅇ…
When SaltySalt trailed off vaguely, Shin Wooseok finally opened his friends list to check both their locations and immediately sent a whisper to Youngglory. Of course, after changing his status to online first.
[Whisper/Youngglory] Sinu: ? What are you doing with Girmu-nim at the mine
[Whisper/Sinu] Youngglory: Are you done?
[Whisper/Sinu] Youngglory: The tunnel here is a good place for counseling^^
Shin Wooseok and SaltySalt teleported to ‘Kalatan Mine’ with suspicion. In front of the dark, gaping tunnel entrance, SaltySalt sent a panicked message.
[Party] SaltySalt: This is the ant tunnels…
[Party] SaltySalt: This place is really complicated and if you get lost you’ll have to use emergency escapeㅇㅅㅇ;;
Going a little further into the tunnel, they could see rails branching off in multiple directions. Shin Wooseok calmly typed out a curse in the chat window before promptly deleting it.
[Whisper/Sinu] Youngglory: I sent a cart, so ride that one^^
Right. This hyung wouldn’t do something as troublesome as SaltySalt was suggesting. Shin Wooseok relaxed a bit and relayed the same information to SaltySalt.
[Party] SaltySalt: Cart? Is that it???
After waiting a bit, they heard a rattling sound from somewhere. In the distance, an empty cart was approaching, rattling as it came.
[Party] SaltySalt: Look how the lights turn on every time it comes closer to us, sh1t this is so scary…
SaltySalt anxiously moved left and right, forgetting even the speech pattern they had been maintaining for their character concept.
[Party] SaltySalt: Isn’t this like the beginning of a horror movie?
[Party] SaltySalt: If we get on… we’re going to the afterlife
[Party] Sinu: Stop talking nonsense and get on
[Party] SaltySalt: Okayㅇㅅㅠ
When they boarded the cart with SaltySalt, it started rattling along the rails again. While absently watching Sinu’s hair fluttering in the wind, Shin Wooseok saw a whisper from Youngglory and couldn’t believe his eyes.
[Whisper/Sinu] Youngglory: Sorry it’s taking so long^^; The cart should arrive at the entrance in 2 minutes
…What? Then whose cart did we get on…?
[Whisper/Youngglory] Sinu: Why are you telling me this now
[Whisper/Youngglory] Sinu: anyway ♡♡
[Whisper/Sinu] Youngglory: Huh…?
Shin Wooseok, momentarily losing his composure, urgently tried to relay this news to SaltySalt, but quickly realized the cruel reality. SaltySalt had rushed to the bathroom as soon as they got on the cart, saying they’d been holding it in for a while.
“Sigh…”
With a hollow sigh, Shin Wooseok shifted his gaze to the front of the cart. It was so pitch black without a single light that it really did look like the road to hell, just as SaltySalt had said.
There was never any choice to begin with. Shin Wooseok got off the cart without hesitation. The cart carrying SaltySalt quickly disappeared into the dark void.
A while later, SaltySalt, who had even managed to cook a cup of instant noodles during their bathroom break, wailed:
[Party] SaltySalt: What the hell;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; Where am I?ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ
[Party] SaltySalt: Where did you go and why am I aloneㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ
[Party] SaltySalt: Who are these peopleㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ Why are they casually giving me a pickaxeㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅜㅜㅜㅜㅜㅜ
[Party] SaltySalt: Why is there no cart hereㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅜㅜㅜㅜㅠ
Shin Wooseok, who was walking back to the entrance after riding the cart, calmly replied:
[Party] Sinu: I can’t go to hell with you
[Party] SaltySalt: S1nu, d1eㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ
[Party] SaltySalt: D1eㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ!!!!
When he returned to the mine entrance, the cart Youngglory had sent was waiting. Shin Wooseok departed without waiting for SaltySalt. He neatly resolved SaltySalt’s flood of curses and swears by leaving the party and blocking them.
[General] Sinu: ㄷㄷ
The rattling cart eventually stopped somewhere. It was a place filled with the enthusiastic sounds of mining: clang! clang!
Shin Wooseok was surprised to see Youngglory and Girmu dressed in mining *avatars, looking very serious as they mined. It’s not like they were people with a passion for mining…
[General] Youngglory: You’re here? Where’s Sogeumi?
[General] Sinu: Got on the wrong cart and now unreachable;
He would never admit that he had blocked SaltySalt himself.
[General] Youngglory: Really? It’s dangerous to get lost here…
[General] Sinu: They’ll use emergency escape
[General] Youngglory: If you use emergency escape here, won’t you fall into the furnace over there?;;
[General] Sinu: …
[General] Youngglory: Strange, whispers aren’t going through either?
Whatever. They’ll figure it out. SaltySalt was the type of person who would find a way to survive even if dropped in the middle of the ocean. Shin Wooseok ignored the situation and searched for Girmu, who was swinging a pickaxe in a corner.
[General] Sinu: Girmu-nim
[General] Girmu: Oh, Sinu-nim
[General] Girmu: You’re here?ㅎㅎ
Seeing Girmu after a long time, he looked no different from before. He didn’t look like someone who had just been having unpleasant conversations with guild members, nor did he appear to be someone who had unwillingly become the center of an uncomfortable topic.
Why doesn’t this person show any signs? At this rate, there’s no way to even check if he’s really okay or not.
[General] Sinu: How did you end up here
After some consideration, Shin Wooseok chose a topic that could flow naturally.
[General] Girmu: Youngglory-nim said he would take me to a nice place
A nice place? Shin Wooseok moved Sinu to look around. What part of this damp, narrow, and suffocating map could possibly be considered nice?
‘Is he cross-eyed?’
When he should be showing him magnificent and beautiful places instead, this crazy guild master hyung…
[General] Girmu: But it really does clear my head to do simple laborㅎㅎ
[Whisper/Youngglory] Sinu: Good
[General] Girmu: I think I made a good choice following Youngglory-nim
[Whisper/Youngglory] Sinu: Well done
[Whisper/Sinu] Youngglory: ^^
Youngglory, having no way of knowing Shin Wooseok’s train of thought, just looked pleased.
[General] Youngglory: I often come here when I’m feeling complicated too^^
[General] Girmu: Oh really?
[General] Youngglory: Yes^^ Like when guild members cause trouble…
While the content Youngglory brought up wasn’t great, the flow of conversation was fine. If they could shift the topic to the Dalkeum guild from here…
[General] Girmu: Oh… then maybe todayㅠㅠ
[General] Youngglory: No, today
[General] Sinu: That’s enough
[General] Girmu: ㅎㅎ?
[General] Youngglory: Huh?
Judging from the conversations the Dalkeum guild members were having earlier, Girmu seemed like the type who didn’t like to talk about himself. If they tried to subtly lead the conversation, he might quickly catch on and find it unpleasant.
‘It looks like that’s what happened on their side too and they got burned.’
They almost stepped on a landmine. After brief consideration, Shin Wooseok decided to be honest about the situation.
[General] Sinu: Youngglory hyung, party invite first
Youngglory, seeming to understand the situation, immediately sent a party invitation. Not long after Shin Wooseok accepted, Girmu also joined the party.
[Party] Sinu: I’ll talk in party chat just in case
[Party] Girmu: Pardon?
*Avatar: Refers to equipping cash shop outfits.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
