Ch.92Someone’s Memory(R)+

# 92. Someone’s Memory (R)+

‘Yeah… I can’t help that you’re in pain.’

Actually, I’m so grateful that you thought of me and sent a message in advance despite being in such pain. It’s not like you’re disappearing somewhere; you’re just having surgery. It’s not like I’m really going to be alone.

Let’s not make a fuss and just cheer for a successful surgery.

“Still, I should at least check in, right?”

With no raid members around, I don’t even feel like doing homework… Maybe I’ll just log in and binge-watch some drama series I’ve been putting off?

“Damn, I’m out of beer.”

The joy of sitting on my bed, cracking open an imported convenience store beer, gulping it down while watching dramas is unmatched.

“I’ll leave the game on and quickly run to the convenience store.”

Today is Friday. And I got off work on time!

No one can stop me!

**

“Look, look at that shameless woman!”

“No way, they’re ending it here? Next episode, quick! I’m dying!”

“Ugh, damn it, the plot is predictable but it’s so addictive I can’t stop watching.”

All those dramas that had piled up while I was busy gaming. Time disappeared in an instant as I binge-watched the ones I’d been eyeing.

Suddenly I remembered I’d left the game running. I wasn’t going to play anyway, just logged in for attendance, so there was no reason to keep it on. As I approached to turn it off, my character spoke with perfect timing.

– I’m so fortunate to have all of you. Thank you.

“…Tch.”

“All of you” – they’re not even here right now.

Of course, the “all of you” my character refers to means the spirits, but still.

It made me remember things I was trying to forget, and I felt depressed.

Our raid leader who was strict during raids but usually took good care of the members and sometimes made us laugh with weird jokes.

Yebeob, who might seem cold and indifferent to strangers, but actually watched over and cared for us more meticulously than anyone.

Mulchi, who was chic and aloof at first but softened up as she integrated into the raid team, becoming a good mediator.

The duo Keutjukyeora and Saeaeks, who were great mood-makers and young blood, reliable with their skills too.

And Dwitmunn, who never complained, quietly did his part, and was our cute mascot.

With just one line of dialogue from my character, all those memories and emotions came flooding back.

“Maybe it’s because I’ve been drinking…”

Or is it because it’s dawn?

Let’s just say I’m caught up in that slightly tipsy dawn sentiment!

I was about to turn off the computer but ended up sitting in the chair instead.

Then I controlled my character to head to the guild house.

“Hehe. This is still here.”

We called ourselves a raid team, but in the system, we were a guild. Anyway, if you met certain conditions, you could build, expand, and decorate a guild-exclusive space called a guild house, and our raid team had one too.

The guild house contained many traces of our past.

“This is the first item from our first perfect clear, and this is the first item from our second perfect clear…”

Our raid team’s tradition.

After a perfect clear, displaying the first item you got in the guild house.

What started as self-satisfaction, bragging rights, and the raid leader’s mischievous joke to test everyone’s luck had become preserved memories that now stirred my emotions.

They weren’t just simple items.

Looking at the first items from our first perfect clear, I vividly remembered that time.

The anticipation when we saw the teaser.

The excitement, thrill, and tension before attempting our first perfect clear after forming the raid team.

The surprise at hearing the raid leader’s voice, and being shocked again by his commanding tone.

The memory of slightly trembling after hearing the raid leader’s feedback following our first failed attempt.

How my competitive spirit kicked in since I was also a Spirit Summoner, making me focus even harder.

The exhilaration and satisfaction when we achieved our first perfect clear after about 10 hours.

The memory of trembling because I got the most expensive item during the display that started as the raid leader’s joke, and how I drank coffee repeatedly the next day at work even though I rarely drank it…

And it wasn’t just one memory.

First, second, third… up to the sixth.

We achieved seven perfect clears, but the seventh space was empty.

“Where’s that meticulous man who, despite being the raid leader, always lucked out with trash items, claimed innocence, and even took screenshots as evidence~”

I wouldn’t mind if you dropped another trash item this time.

I wish you’d just pop up.

“Screenshot master Yebeob, Mulchi who always dressed her avatar so prettily, Saeaeks who made us laugh by wearing weird and funny outfits…”

I never thought I’d get so attached to raid members who aren’t even real-life acquaintances, just people I played with for about a year.

Except for the raid leader, I don’t know their voices, names, genders, appearances, or ages.

Anyway, I miss them all.

“Tch. I shouldn’t have come here.”

This is all what? The raid leader’s fault. He suggested displaying these. What? Making me remember all these memories. What? Our Veritas was gathered by the raid leader too. What? And he was the first to disappear without a word. What?

“Ugh. So annoying!”

I’m going to brush my teeth and go to bed.

– Hehe, I’m not afraid when I’m with you all.

“Hmph. Good for you!”

Sigh, what am I doing, talking to my character like this.

Just as I felt a bit embarrassed and was about to quickly exit the game:

[Joandarckisasaintdoyouknow has invited Muleunanseubeuralgoitda.]

[Do you accept the invitation?]

“Huh?”

What? Raid leader? Invitation?

Um… I might be a bit tipsy, but I’m definitely not drunk enough to hallucinate.

[Do you accept the invitation?]

“Raid leader is offline though…”

[Do you accept the invitation?]

I don’t know what this is, but since it has the raid leader’s name, it can’t be anything weird, right? Or can it?

“Um, I’ll accept for now?”

**

[You have glimpsed R’s memory.]

Thud-

“Ow… Huh? What? Eh?”

Um… well.

Before I could say anything, Seyeon, who was closest to me, took out a robe from her inventory and covered the legs of ‘R’, Muleunanseub, who had fallen on her butt and was looking bewildered.

Muleunanseub, who had been chugging beer and binge-watching dramas, was wearing nothing but a white t-shirt with no bra and panties.

How did I know she wasn’t wearing a bra?

That’s not something that needs explanation, is it?

Anyway.

Giving off a slight smell of alcohol, Muleunanseub frantically looked around, then met my eyes, looked down at her body, and screamed.

“Hehe… I don’t need to see… to know who it is… Muleunanseub… right…?”

“Yeah. How are you holding up, Yuri?”

“I feel like I’m dying, oppa…”

“If you survive, you know you’re going to get scolded to death.”

“Aang.”

“What’s with the ‘aang’?”

While I was lying down, exchanging banter with Yuri, the screaming stopped.

“B-but the raid leader definitely invited me!”

Seyeon pointed at me lying down with an awkward smile. Muleunanseub’s eyes met mine again.

Well, I might look a mess, but I should smile?

“It’s been a while, Muleunanseub.”

“Eh, really. Raid leader? Is it really you?”

“Yes. Muleunanseub.”

“T-then say your nickname!”

My nickname, out loud?

“Ahem. Veritas raid leader Joandarckisasaintdoyou-“

“Hehe, good thing oppa likes big boobs…”

“Shut up…”

“Ah? Subin-ah. Subin-ah!”

“Nya! Nyaaa! Nyanyanya!”

[Seonghyun! Suddenly a human! A human female suddenly appeared out of nowhere!]

A thoroughly confused Muleunanseub. Yuri randomly flaunting her chest pride. Subin, who had woken up at some point, reporting her survival in a severely hoarse, gruff voice. Soyu noona who had been unresponsive until now starting to react to Subin’s voice. Danya getting excited again at Muleunanseub’s sudden appearance.

It was total chaos.

Our only sane person, ‘Keutjukyeora’ Seyeon, looked like she might burst into tears if someone so much as touched her.

‘Even in this condition, I guess I need to sort this out.’

I raised myself up with Seyeon’s help. Every movement made me want to cry out in pain, but I held it in. I’d already ruined my first impression; I didn’t want to fall any lower.

Standing up properly, I saw that Muleunanseub was beautiful in a different way from my three girlfriends—though a man with three girlfriends probably shouldn’t say such things.

In one word, she looked pure.

Her state of undress and alcohol-flushed face created an imbalance, but she still managed to look that way. When people gather, some lack individuality, and even those with personality tend to overlap somewhat, but how could everyone be so distinctly different?

Of course, I kept these thoughts to myself.

“I know this must be very confusing, but let me introduce myself properly again. I’m Ban Seonghyun, twenty-seven, the Veritas raid leader.”

“Twenty-seven…!”

I’m not sure why my age was surprising, but I continued anyway.

“To put it nicely, we’re asking for cooperation from a fellow raid member, but to be frank, we’ve forcibly brought you here for our own selfish reasons. We need you, Muleunanseub.”

I spoke only the essentials without going into details. Muleunanseub, who had been staring at me blankly at first, frowned in the middle, but by the end, she was smiling broadly.

Wait.

Smiling?

“Aha! So that’s it?”

“Pardon?”

“To think the raid leader would appear so young and handsome, I must have been really starved for male attention deep down!”

“…Pardon?”

“My goodness. I don’t know why everyone except the raid leader appears as a woman, but wow. Why is everyone so pretty? This makes me the only plain one!”

What?

My eyes met Seyeon’s. She seemed unable to grasp the situation and just blinked.

I turned to look at Yuri. She was the same.

Skipping Soyu noona for now… Subin was sighing.

“I must be missing you all so much that I’m imagining seeing you like this… Alcohol is the enemy. Or is it a blessing?”

“Excuse me.”

“Sigh, this is really complicated. Anyway, even if this is just a dream, I should introduce myself too, right?”

“Muleunanseub. Excuse me.”

As if she couldn’t hear me, Muleunanseub began her self-introduction with teary eyes and enthusiasm.

“Ahem! My nickname is Muleunanseubeuralgoitda! Shortened to Muleunanseub! My job is Spirit Summoner! Age… Tch. Thirty-one! And my name is Ra Yehyun! Nice to meet you all!”

Somehow… an awkward silence fell over us.