Chapter 42
It was when Beodeul decided to follow Paguk after much deliberation.
“Girmu-nim. Tell him not to hide in one place but to keep moving.”
“Pardon?”
“There are Bankruptcy guild members gathered in front of the airship boarding area right now. Paguk might be colluding with the Bankruptcy people.”
“Colluding?”
“For example, Paguk could reveal your location to Bankruptcy and have them tag you.”
While Beodeul thought that surely they wouldn’t go that far, he couldn’t dismiss Sinu’s words lightly.
“But with shared inventory, if they tag me, wouldn’t they lose the treasures too?”
“Yes. They could take them and divide your share among themselves.”
It was a chilling assumption. The fact that he thought it could actually happen.
“In this map, you can only use general and party chat. They probably did this to prevent pre-communication with raiders coming from outside. But Bankruptcy guild members are waiting in front of the airship? That means they must be communicating via external messenger like we are…”
Beodeul listened to Sinu while watching Paguk. He was heading somewhere alone, regardless of whether Girmu followed him or not.
“I’ve already told my guild members. I think you should be careful too, just in case.”
“Yes, yes.”
“And try to keep moving. I want to get closer, but the map doesn’t even show up here.”
“It’s okay. Don’t worry about me.”
Though he said this hoping to ease Sinu’s concern, unexpectedly he heard a sigh.
“How can I not worry? It’s like I’m being forced to avoid responsibility now.”
“Ahaha, it’s not your fault, Sinu-nim.”
“…Tell me that again next time.”
“What?”
“And just in case, don’t use stealth to enter bushes. The bushes rustle and you’ll be discovered.”
“Oh! Okay.”
Even in the midst of everything, Beodeul took the tip to heart and called out to Paguk who had gone ahead.
[Party] Girmu: Let’s not hide and keep moving instead
[Party] Paguk: ??
[Party] Girmu: I think it would be safer
[Party] Paguk: Okㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
[Party] Paguk: I don’t mind, but are you confident?
He wasn’t confident. But he couldn’t just sit back and take whatever might happen. Beodeul typed as he watched Paguk coming back.
[Party] Girmu: ㅎㅎ
[Party] Paguk: OK
[Party] Girmu: Then shall we set some rules?
[Party] Paguk: ?
[Party] Girmu: You use skills first, then I’ll use mine
[Party] Paguk: Taking turns one by one?
[Party] Girmu: No, all three skills
[Party] Paguk: ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ OK
Just as they finished this coordination—if it could be called that—a warning message appeared.
[Raiders have arrived on the island! Protect your treasure until the airship arrives in 15 minutes!]
Beodeul scrolled his mouse wheel to get the widest view possible. To identify where the raiders were approaching from.
“The PK is still not enabled even with raiders coming.”
“Please calm down…”
“I think I’ll be busy once I get out of here.”
Beodeul’s heart pounded at Sinu’s PK warning. Despite Grace and Bankruptcy still being in hostile terms, they hadn’t seriously clashed since that day.
As Beodeul was searching for a response, Paguk, who had climbed up a tree, jumped down swiftly.
[Party] Paguk: Run
[Party] Girmu: ?
[Party] Paguk: 3 o’clock direction
Already spotted? Beodeul turned the screen to the 3 o’clock direction and saw two users running toward them with red crossed swords marks above their heads.
‘So that’s the raider indicator.’
Of course, there was no time for leisurely observations. Beodeul moved Girmu to follow behind Paguk.
[Party] Paguk: Go to 1 o’clock
There was a reason Paguk suddenly ran in the 1 o’clock direction. Other users hiding in the bushes had spotted the raiders and moved in a fluster.
One of the raiders thought it would be better to chase the new users and changed direction. The remaining raider still pursued Paguk and Girmu. But even that remaining raider soon fell behind, distracted by another user who appeared in the middle.
[Party] Paguk: ㅋㅋ That was easy
Beodeul clicked his tongue at the ruthlessness of unhesitatingly sacrificing other users. But that ruthlessness had been helpful, that was a fact.
‘We don’t have any items anyway.’
After that, whenever raiders closed in, Paguk chose to move to places where other users were likely hiding. After surviving for 10 minutes, the only skill he had used was Booster.
[Party] Paguk: Oh crap
But when a raider suddenly popped out right next to them, even he had no choice but to use the Shield skill.
[General] Hwasan: ?
[General] Baekdu: ?
[General] Paguk: ?
[General] Baekdu: Okㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ It’s Bankruptcy
The raiders who suddenly appeared were Grace guild members.
[Party] Paguk: ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
[Party] Paguk: Don’t tell me
[Party] Girmu: What?
Beodeul responded while frantically searching for an escape route. Fortunately, there were other users at 7 o’clock.
‘I can go there.’
Having learned the treacherous escape method from Paguk, he used it perfectly in this crisis.
[Party] Girmu: Shield is about to break, using Booster
[Party] Girmu: 7 o’clock
[Party] Paguk: ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
[Party] Paguk: OK
[General] Baekdu: No don’t run
[General] Baekdu: We won’t hurt youㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
The Baekdu and Hwasan duo chasing while claiming they wouldn’t hurt him seemed quite frightening to Beodeul.
“Girmu-nim.”
“Yes?”
“Is something happening? Your typing suddenly got faster.”
“Ah, you’ve been listening all along?”
He had forgotten he was in a voice call with Sinu, and after speaking, he realized his mistake. Of course Sinu would be listening; they were in the middle of a call.
“You seem flustered.”
“Yes… I’m being chased right now.”
[General] Baekdu: We’re not even using skills right nowㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
[General] Baekdu: Have a little faithㅠㅠㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
He wanted to trust them, but simply couldn’t. Their persistence in chasing only Paguk and Girmu, even after seeing other users escaping late, bordered on madness.
Beodeul glanced at Baekdu’s chat messages and inadvertently asked Sinu:
“Sinu-nim, what kind of person is Baekdu-nim?”
“…Why suddenly?”
“Ah. No, it’s not that.”
“Are you being chased by Baekdu hyung right now? Hold on. Let me look at your shared screen.”
What if Sinu gets in danger because of this? Beodeul tried to dissuade him, but Sinu had already seen the screen and went silent.
“Sinu-nim?”
“Ah, one moment. I’m nearby.”
“What?”
The answer appeared on the SOG screen. Coming from the opposite direction of where Girmu and Paguk were running, Sinu could be seen.
[General] Sinu: Hi
[General] Paguk: ?
[General] Hwasan: ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Hey;
[General] Baekdu: What are you doing;
When Sinu threw a rope item at Baekdu and Hwasan, they fell into an immobilized state. Just before the debuff wore off, Sinu threw a magic bomb this time.
[General] Baekdu: Come on;;;;;;;;;
[General] Hwasan: Where do you think you’re going
[General] Baekdu: ♡♡;;; Why aren’t the commands working
[General] Hwasan: Ahㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
What Sinu used were those items that Beodeul had only been able to drool over after seeing they were sold out.
“Go now.”
“Um… will you be okay?”
“Yes. There’s not much time left, so just hold out a little longer.”
[General] Girmu: ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠThank you
Beodeul left a message of thanks and escaped with Paguk.
*
Sinu, who remained behind, continued to throw ropes and bombs once more to bind Baekdu and Hwasan as he watched them.
[General] Baekdu: ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ This is seriously too much
[General] Baekdu: What did we do
[General] Baekdu: Of all things, you’re saving Paguk?
[General] Sinu: ㄷㅊ I’m having a reality check too
[General] Hwasan: ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
[General] Baekdu: S1b I think I’m developing immobilization neurosis
Baekdu, who had already been immobilized more than ten times today, was wailing. His ordeal that started from the PVP showed no signs of ending.
[General] Hwasan: Does that Paguk guy know
[General] Hwasan: That he’s walking around with a human talisman
[General] Baekdu: What kind of good deed did that guy do in his past life to not only get a ticket but also party with Girmu-nim and be saved by Sinu
[General] Hwasan: His luck is disgustingly good
[General] Baekdu: By the way, where’d you abandon your party member?
[General] Sinu: Idk they’ll survive somehow
[General] Baekdu: What kind of personality is that;
[General] Sinu: It’s Janaetwoe;
[General] Hwasan: You mean Capitalism?
[General] Sinu: Yeah
[General] Sinu: So I found the merchant and Janaetwoe found the treasure
Meaning they were a fantastic solo player combination.
[General] Baekdu: ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Ah, so there’s one more country-saving jerk
[General] Baekdu: Nasty ㅠㅠㅠ luck-based trash gameㅠㅠㅠㅠ pft
[General] Hwasan: Ah time’s up, we’re leaving
As the timer reached 0, those who had engaged in the chase on the island were transported inside the castle, whose doors had been tightly shut. This included Girmu and Paguk, who had spent peaceful time after the chase with the Baekdu-Hwasan duo.
[You can exchange the treasures acquired on the island for rewards.]
The number of treasures required varied by reward. Among them, all users’ attention was drawn to the reward that required 500 treasures.
[Basic Reward – ‘Ruler of Treasure Island (Permanent)’ title]
[Random Rewards – ‘Weapon-Exclusive +15 Enhancement Scroll’, ‘Armor-Exclusive +15 Enhancement Scroll’, ‘Accessory-Exclusive +15 Enhancement Scroll’, ‘Guardian’s Brilliant Radiance Exchange Ticket’, …(omitted)…’Mysterious Crafting Box’, ‘Designated Teleportation Scroll (10 uses)’, ‘Invisibility Cloak (3 days)’]
[General] Hwasan: What is this reward…
[General] Baekdu: Ranㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋdomㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ excluding the title, ranㅋㅋㅋdomㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
The World megaphone chat was also in complete chaos.
[World] [Child of the Stars] karna: I hope the devs also receive random salaries^^77777
[World] [Steeped in Memories] Chuchu: Some rewards are genuinely good deals but randomㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
[World] [Fair] Unluckyone: This event’s rewards may be trash or life-changing depending on your luck.
*Solo player: A player who plays alone.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
