After returning home, I hung up the laundry and spent some time relaxing. Even while watching TV, I got bored, so I pulled out my laptop. For the first time in a while, I logged into the game’s official homepage. On the free board, among the ordinary posts, I spotted several threads trash-talking ShutUp.
They were all about taking ShutUp down, and not a single word mentioned the Goddess or the Relax scam. I had a pretty good idea who wrote them.
“Did Yot Seller really drop to Level 1 that day? Brutal bastard.”
But judging by the comments, quite a few people held grudges against ShutUp. Killing other players on a PK server was common enough, yet the fact that he stood out so much probably meant he really was vicious.
My stomach was full and I’d finished everything I needed to do, so I logged into the game for the first time in a while. I put on the helmet access device and sat down on the sofa.
<<Welcome to Blood Planet.>>
<<Moving to your last login location.>>
I spawned above the swamp where the last trade had taken place. Since I needed to list the items I got from the Goddess on the auction house, I had to return to a village. I checked what town Return Scrolls I had, but only the Adventurer’s Village one was available.
<<Moving to ‘Adventurer’s Village.’>>
I went ahead and warped. The screen shifted, and a fluttering banner came into view.
“Ah, seriously, can’t they get rid of that thing alrea—, huh?”
To my surprise, the banner had been replaced—not with ShutUp and me, but with someone else entirely. The matching rate read 92 percent. One of them was a user I recognized.
“Huh? SunlightAngel?”
When I’d opened the official homepage earlier, a pop-up for the #1 couple appeared, and I ignored it thinking it was me and ShutUp again. Looks like a new couple had taken the top spot.
“Is that them? The Rank #1?”
A user standing beside me was chatting with someone else while looking up at the banner. I had a rough idea of SunlightAngel’s level—it had been similar to mine until recently. That meant the Rank #1 they were talking about must be the female Psychic next to him, labeled [Demeter].
Rank #1? Wow….
ShutUp was Rank #5—just how strong did you have to be to be #1? If ShutUp fought her, would he lose? I couldn’t tell much just from her outfit, but she looked something like a warrior.
Back then, after getting brushed off by ShutUp, SunlightAngel ended up partnered with someone that amazing. It really was a case of “the junk car leaves and a Benz arrives.”
After staring at the banner for a while, I headed toward the auction house. Then I began listing the items the Goddess had given me one by one. Some sold instantly, while others sent whispers trying to haggle. As I tapped through the floating menu to pull up a calculator, someone’s face appeared between the menu windows.
“Huh?”
“Long time no see, Gentle-nim.”
The very face I’d just seen on the banner appeared right in front of me. SunlightAngel, whom I hadn’t seen in a while, now clearly gave off the vibe of a high-level player.
“Looks like your level went up a lot….”
“I’m 65.”
“Wow….”
I hadn’t even hit Level 50 yet, but SunlightAngel had blasted through the hellish Level 50–60 range in just ten days. It was honestly impressive.
“Your level really shot up.”
“All thanks to my partner. I used to get carries here and there, then tried matching… I never expected it to turn out like this, though.”
Wasn’t his match rate with ShutUp around 87 percent back then? Maybe match rates really were just innate character luck. SunlightAngel glanced above my head and trailed off. “Gentle-nim is….”
“Ah, well… yeah.”
Even with my vague reply, SunlightAngel seemed to understand immediately and gave a bitter smile.
“Then you can head to the next town, ‘Rakvere Castle,’ based on your level.”
“I should stop by Velvet Town and buy a Return Scroll.”
You couldn’t walk to Rakvere Castle because you had to cross a volcanic region.
<<‘SunlightAngel’ has requested a trade. [Accept / Decline]>>
Suddenly, SunlightAngel sent me a trade request and placed a Rakvere Castle Return Scroll into the window before pressing accept.
“Huh? I could’ve bought it myself.”
“It’s extra. I’ve already progressed as far as Snowfield Village, so I won’t be coming back here. I only came to this town today to carry someone I know.”
“Thanks.”
“Gentle-nim, um… would it be okay if I added you as a friend? I’d like to get along.”
“Sure. I don’t really know any other Guides in the game either. It’d be nice to keep in touch.”
Back then, because of SunlightAngel, I’d failed to kill ShutUp—but thinking about it now, I could understand. He just had too soft a heart.
“Then see you next time. Thanks.”
<<Moving to ‘Rakvere Castle.’>>
After parting ways, I used the Return Scroll, and a cinematic played. It was probably something you’d understand after finishing the questline, but people like me who relied on carries didn’t really need to do quests. The titles or reputation rewards weren’t exactly game-changing anyway. No matter what, in this game, higher levels were everything.
<<You have entered ‘Rakvere Castle.’>>
Since it was called a castle, I’d expected something beautiful and grand, but when the screen changed, I arrived inside a dilapidated fortress. It looked like ruins left behind after a massive war.
NPC soldiers lay scattered across the ground where I stepped, while attendants hurried around tending to them. As I walked along the path, I saw people coughing up blood or screaming with severed limbs.
As expected, among them floated [!] icons signaling available quests. I approached to accept one when someone grabbed my shoulder.
“Hey.”
“Yeah?”
When I turned around, a woman was standing there.
“You alone?”
“Yeah, more or less.”
“Trying to do this quest?”
I gave a small nod, and she immediately sent a party request, saying we should do it together.
<<‘Maxova’ has invited you to a party. [Accept / Decline]>>
I was hesitant at first, but she explained that the quest required taking down a boss, and it’d be hard for a Guide to handle it solo.
Well, there wasn’t really any downside to partying up, so I pressed accept. The party window displayed the name [Maxova] beside mine.
“GentleTouch looks like a newbie? Your outfit’s kinda… yeah. At least your weapon looks decent.”
“I’ve mostly been getting carried, so I didn’t pay much attention. I’m Level 47—are we going with just the two of us?”
“No, wait. We need more teammates. I’m only Level 55 myself.”
I accepted the quest and checked the objective. Just like she said, to make medicine for the wounded, we needed [20 Giant Centipede Legs]. You’d probably get twenty legs from a single centipede, but…
That word “Giant” is what worries me.
The name probably meant it was huge, and the thought crossed my mind—maybe I should just get ShutUp to carry me like usual. Trying to act all proactive with quests felt like I was asking for trouble.
But then again, I’d started playing this game to actually enjoy it. Maybe it was time I got used to standing on my own two feet.
I wasn’t some pet meant to trail behind someone forever just getting carried. Besides, ShutUp already knew who I was now… In real life I could refuse him, sure, but in-game, if he came charging in asking to link, I’d have no way to stop it.
While I looked around for other helpful quests nearby, I heard Maxova calling me from behind. A male Psychic stood next to her.
“Let’s go as the three of us. Should be enough. But after we kill it, give me a link sometimes.”
“I’ve got Relax too, so I’ll do it every now and then.”
“You have Relax? With how you look, I figured you’d be useless.”
The man, who had an even blunter mouth than Maxova, went by the name [Let’sSmash]. Without even using a portal, he said we could reach the Giant Centipede habitat by leaving through the castle’s main gate and climbing the hill, then told us to follow him.
“By the way, what attributes are you two?”
Unlike ShutUp or Moment, neither of them glowed with power or dragged summons around. Maxova pointed at Let’sSmash and introduced them.
“He’s Telekinesis, and I’m Totem Summoning.”
“Telekinesis?”
Hearing our conversation, Let’sSmash showed off by pushing aside a nearby rock without even touching it. It looked impressive, though I wasn’t sure about the destructive power.
Still, telekinesis was clearly convenient. The path to the Giant Centipede area wound through rocky terrain, and whenever something blocked our way, he casually cleared it using his ability.
“Neither of you has destructive skills, right…? Will this work?”
“Who says we don’t? Totems come in all kinds. You’ll see.”
The higher we climbed, the more small centipedes appeared scattered around. The growing numbers made it obvious the Giant Centipede waited at the summit.
Let’sSmash occasionally flung away the ones that approached us using telekinesis. The path ran along a cliffside; when he sent them tumbling off, a dull splattering sound echoed up from far below after a long delay.
“Eek! Ugh!”
The higher we went, the more of them there were. Just imagining those things crawling up my body made my skin crawl.
Around Let’sSmash, faint waves of telekinetic force seemed to stir, sending small gusts that pushed things aside. Naturally, I found myself walking closer to him.
When we were almost at the top, Let’sSmash told us to wait for a moment.
“Maxova, you’re setting the totem first, right?”
“Yeah. If we want the jaji to come out, we need to set bait first.”
At her words, Let’sSmash and I both stared at her, thinking we’d misheard. She just looked back like, “What? Why?” and finally Let’sSmash couldn’t hold it in anymore.
“You suddenly said ‘jaji’….”
“What are you even thinking? It’s short for Giant Centipede.”
“Even as an abbreviation, that sounds kinda… you know.”
I nodded in agreement with Let’sSmash, but Maxova pretended not to hear us.
