It was around 3 PM the next day.
Click. Crackle.
Leila’s radio picked up a signal. It was routine contact from a noncombat operative waiting in a nearby area.
From that point on, things moved quickly. Their slowing footsteps picked up speed. After walking for a while, they were able to spot a vehicle that had come to meet them.
“You all worked hard, everyone.”
The noncombat operative had a proper face. No, that might sound obvious, but for Kim Yi-hyeon, it was a fairly fresh experience.
‘In the game, most extras’ faces were covered in shadow. They reused voice actors too.’
He still had enough mental room left to be surprised by every little thing. Thinking about it, not even five days had passed since he had fallen into Polaris.
The obvious conversation passed between them.
The Professor, who had lost her memories. And Kim Yi-hyeon, whose identity had not been confirmed. When he introduced himself as a vagrant, Pavl and Leila laughed.
They sure were easygoing.
Clunk.
The military vehicle crossed Tulavia’s roads. The first car Kim Yi-hyeon rode in within the world of Polaris had the worst ride comfort.
The seats were hard, the road was uneven. The vehicle bounced like it was driving along a rural mountain path. The only comfort was that the interior was spacious.
He was looking outside when it happened.
“Hyeon. What do you plan to do from here?”
“I heard that a few days ago.”
“Things are different now.”
Ghost let out a bitter laugh.
“I will not try to persuade you any further. If you are connected to Kushan, then you must already know what kind of place the Lab is.”
“To a certain extent.”
“If you come with us, I would welcome you. First, you would need to speak with Kushan, and HR would also have many things to review. But once you become part of the family, those are only trivial matters.”
“When you put it like that, my desire to go disappears completely.”
“Haha. Have you not already made your decision?”
That was true.
Kushan was not as soft as Leila and Ghost. Kim Yi-hyeon would have to provide all sorts of information, and Kushan would stubbornly try to confirm even the source of that information.
Even if he succeeded in dodging the issue, the fact that his freedom would be taken away would not change. The return was not enough to justify taking that gamble.
It was better to step away here.
“If we meet again, I’ll at least acknowledge you.”
“......Yes. The day may come when we encounter each other again.”
“If both of us still have our heads attached.”
Why is this bastard ruining the mood?
He had thought Pavl seemed a little likable earlier, but Pavl was still Pavl. Kim Yi-hyeon had worked hard to save him, and this was the nonsense he spouted.
‘By the way, they’re all just as much of pushovers as Leila.’
If it were Kim Yi-hyeon, he would have dragged someone along by force and made them face Kushan. Even if there was the debt of having saved their lives, this matter was still serious enough.
But they did not seem to have any intention of doing so at all. Was this truly what one should expect from the player’s faction? Thanks to that, he had been able to adapt smoothly.
‘I should be more careful with my mouth from now on.’
Kim Yi-hyeon turned his gaze back to the window. The scenery outside was gradually changing.
‘Did we finally get out?’
It was difficult to call the cityscape intact. Half-destroyed buildings were still visible, and trash rolled around here and there.
However, it was not to the point that people could not live there. Pedestrians began appearing one by one along the roadside.
Before long, a tilted sign appeared.
[Ulanz]
A small-to-medium city in Cadillac. A region where most residents were either immigrants or the poor. More than half of Tulavia’s residents had also migrated to Ulanz.
That was the setting, at least.
‘It’s not like this place is completely safe either.’
Kim Yi-hyeon’s eyes narrowed. From now on, monsters were one thing, but he also had to mix with people.
People who were not as good-natured as Leila’s group. People who had no room to consider others because their own lives were so harsh. People who preyed on the poor......
‘Maybe the real adjustment period starts now.’
He had to part from characters he had been able to trust unconditionally and act proactively, in his own way. The responsibility would also be his.
‘Well, of course. I’m not some snot-nosed kid.’
It was nothing new.
Not long after they entered Ulanz, the car stopped at Kim Yi-hyeon’s request. While they were exchanging farewells, a problem he had forgotten came to mind.
“Ah, right. Are you heading straight to the Lab?”
“That is what we intend to do. We need to look at the Professor and Mr. Ghost’s injuries too.”
Mm, mm. That was right. Kim Yi-hyeon nodded in satisfaction and continued speaking.
“In that case, you must have some items you don’t need right away.”
“Pardon?”
“You just need to ride this car back to your colleagues, so bluntly speaking, even if you had nothing on you, there wouldn’t be any problem. Food and water should be enough. Isn’t that right?”
“That... should be true?”
“The truth is, I came from very far away. The journey to Tulavia was, oof, really damn rough. Thanks to that, I’m flat broke.”
Leila still did not seem to understand. On the other hand, Ghost sighed, while Pavl had a look in his eyes that said, What the hell kind of bastard is this?
Kim Yi-hyeon did not care.
They had to pay the price for their lives.
“If I ended up starving to death, wouldn’t that leave a bad taste in your mouth? And.”
Kim Yi-hyeon pointed near Leila’s wrist. A bracelet made of some unknown material hung there.
It was what was known as a Limiter. An item that suppressed Spells. It was also one of Selvlogics Lab’s major sources of funding.
“Don’t you have one of those left?”
Kim Yi-hyeon was controlling himself just fine, so he did not need to use one. But he had an important use for it.
***
After finding lodging and checking in, he washed himself with cold water that came out little by little. For clothes, he wore the shabby shirt and pants he had bought beforehand.
Once he even put on a khaki jacket, he felt as if he were wearing a movie costume. He would probably get used to this too after a few days.
Next was food.
The menu was hard rye bread and a mushroom soup of unknown identity. Its quality made him miss the company cafeteria, but it was not inedible.
“Did my stomach get stronger already?”
Perhaps it was because he had bought it with money received from someone else. Leila’s group had generously emptied their wallets to pay the price of their lives.
‘310,000 credits should be enough for a while.’
Credits.
A currency issued by the Shiran Empire, located in the north-central part of Polaris’s planet. It was safe to say it was widely used in every nation.
‘Game-style currency integration.’
What if several countries used different currencies? The categories of game money would become extremely complicated.
It was not as if they could return to a gold or silver standard either. They had inserted a convenience-driven setting.
To add, the meal just now cost 1,500 credits. A truly conscientious price, considering how millions flew away on equipment enhancement in the game.
‘Maybe prices are on the cheaper side.’
It did not particularly matter.
Now that he had resolved food, clothing, and shelter, it was time to move again. He had already set a rough goal.
‘If I want to interfere with episodes from now on... first, identity and affiliation.’
If he had no intention of entering an existing faction, he had no choice but to create one himself. In other words, he had to earn money, but the problem was that this place was a poor district.
It was not as if there were no ways to earn money, but......
‘At most, it’d be pocket change. To begin with, this isn’t a good place to live. Access to other countries is poor too.’
The only advantage was that even immigrants could wander freely. Although everything else was a disadvantage, Kim Yi-hyeon chose to stay in Ulanz.
There was only one reason.
“The timing was probably similar to the tutorial.”
Naturally, Kim Yi-hyeon did not know every region in Polaris in detail. Then how did he remember a backwater like this?
It was obvious. Because it had appeared in the story.
‘Right, the background felt exactly like this.’
The story of Polaris was divided into three categories.
Main, events, and finally, side stories assigned to playable characters of 4-star and above.
And Ulanz was the main stage of the 6-star operative “Asterike’s” side story. A story about visiting Ulanz, where she had lived in the past.
That past was now.
‘......Am I going to see Ast in person?’
Users shortened her name to “Ast.” Among countless operatives, she was a character who boasted especially high popularity.
There was even a diehard Ast cult that spammed “Ast I love you” on every community post.
She was also one of Kim Yi-hyeon’s favorite characters.
***
“Aha, so you’re looking for someone.”
The room was thick with cigarette smoke. Mice and cockroaches ran across the wooden planks. When Kim Yi-hyeon made a sour face, the man chuckled and laughed.
“Well, look at you. Must have come from somewhere nice, huh? Put up with the filth even if it’s dirty. It might look unsanitary to you, my lord, but they’re friends who live here with me. They may not look it, but they’re clever little things.”
“Clever? What part?”
“When they see something to eat, they appear like ghosts and pounce. Watching them is pretty fascinating. They know damn well how to find their own way to survive.”
“How impressive.”
Kim Yi-hyeon answered soullessly. He did not have the room to empathize with rats. Living was harsh enough when he only thought about himself.
“What a boring gentleman.”
Fwoooo.
The man blew out cigarette smoke. He looked Kim Yi-hyeon up and down from where he sat across from him, then spoke as if tossing the words out.
“How much did you come prepared to pay? Ah, haha. I always wanted to say that at least once.”
“30,000 up front. 70,000 as payment.”
“......Look at this punk bastard.”
Information broker Rosco propped his legs up on the wooden table. With one hand, he opened and closed an old Zippo lighter, while with the other, he picked at his ear.
“You think finding people around these parts is easy? Someone you know dies within a few days or leaves for the city, and as many strangers as disappear come flowing into Ulanz.”
“50,000 up front. 100,000 as payment.”
“And the ones who come in swagger around like they still live in a city, then one day disappear. Like you, acting tough in front of me right now.”
“100,000 and 150,000.”
“500,000 up front and 500,000 as payment. Otherwise, get lost.”
Tsk. Clicking his tongue, Rosco lit his cigarette.
“This isn’t a marketplace. What the hell are you sitting there haggling for? I hate violence, so I’m letting this slide, but anyone else would’ve pulled a gun first.”
“......”
“What are you doing instead of getting lost?”
“Haha, you really know how to get under my skin.”
“What?”
Rosco raised one eye. His fierce face, marked by a knife scar, became even more threatening. His hand lowered toward his waist.
“Did you eat something wrong, you insolent little—”
CRASH!
The table fell over, and the chair Rosco had been sitting on also toppled backward. It happened just as he was about to draw the revolver tucked into his belt.
Press.
The cold sensation of metal touched his forehead. The muzzle of a gun, which he had no idea when or where Kim Yi-hyeon had drawn, pressed deep into the creases of Rosco’s brow.
“Hey. Did you think I don’t have a gun?”
“Wh-what the hell is this! I’m warning you, move away right now. If you lay a hand on me......!”
“If I lay a hand on you, what? Are your ancestors going to appear and blow my head off?”
“An-ancestors? What nonsense are you....”
“No? Then how are you acting so confident? Are you saying someone will get revenge for you?”
“Now you’re making some sense. If you shoot me... you’ll have a hole in your head within two days. Do you not believe me? Do you think there’s a madman working as an information broker without any backing?”
“That’s true too.”
His voice was calm. Thinking Kim Yi-hyeon would naturally back down, Rosco let out a sigh of relief.
It was the next moment.
Bang!
A gunshot loud enough to tear his eardrums burst out. Rosco glanced to the side with trembling eyes.
The bullet had pierced the floor. Smoke rose from the muzzle.
“Uh, ah, hah! Did you even listen to me?!”
“I did. In short, it means I’ll be fine right now, doesn’t it? But what about you? Two days? Haha. Are you confident you can survive two days after being shot in the forehead?”
Crazy bastard!
Even with his ears ringing, Rosco could understand the nuance. For someone who looked like a prim gentleman, he was the devil himself.
Rosco squeezed his eyes shut. The riiiiinging tinnitus gradually faded. Trembling his lips, he carefully asked.
“...What do you want?”
“Now you’re suddenly negotiating? Does this place look like a marketplace to you now?”
“Ah, ah! I remember. It was a person. Tell me who I need to find.”
“Hard to say. I doubt you’ll properly find them just because I tell you. I feel like you’ll bring other friends instead. For example, let’s see.”
Kim Yi-hyeon brought names to mind. Minor characters who had appeared in Asterike’s side story. Their roles had been small, but he remembered them.
“Murat, Danchik, Iosif......”
Every time a name continued, Rosco’s complexion turned more earthen. They were all people he paid tribute money to.
“H-how......!”
“What kind of information broker asks his customer questions?”
“I understand! I swear I won’t try anything funny, so please! Please move the gun away.”
That should be enough.
Kim Yi-hyeon stepped back while maintaining his guard. He pretended to be as calm as possible so that the tension inside him would not show on his face.
‘I can’t believe I’m doing this in my life.’
He had made use of the experience of being threatened by Pavl. Conversely, when he became the one pointing the gun, this was not exactly simple either.
He felt confident he could do better next time.
“Hah, hah!”
Rosco breathed raggedly while still lying on the floor.
Kim Yi-hyeon did not miss a single one of Rosco’s movements. There was every chance he might suddenly change his attitude and start shooting.
“Let’s talk about the request.”
He spoke calmly, checking the feel of the 2-star Special Armament [Ivory] in his hand.
Guns really were nice.