episode_0209

Frog in the Well (3) ― World Train Platform

A city that makes you feel like you’ve returned to the Middle Ages and a wide wall surrounding the city.

I took my first steps into a medieval city that did not fit the modern image of a train platform at all.

[ㅇㅇ (2 minutes late ㅗ)]

Well, I don’t have a biological clock, so I’m having trouble with 2 minutes.

A faint smile naturally formed at the note Seong Ga-eul left in his hand.

This was Seong Ga-eul’s reply to the note announcing her arrival at ‘World.’

I gazed down as I put the note I had left in my hand back into my inventory.

A long queue centered around the train platform.

Waaa!

People wearing extremely practical leather clothes, completely different from the white believers, were welcoming me loudly.

“Welcome to the world, Master!”

Seongju whispers to me with a more excited expression than anyone else.

I responded to his welcome greeting with a grin.

“Now- this way, cult leader-!”

A slight bow towards me and a polite hand gesture pointing towards the stairs.

He was announcing in front of everyone that he was a subordinate.

“Welcome to the world, Master!”

“Welcome, leader—!”

The applause and welcome greetings get louder each time you go down the stairs.

As soon as I came down the stairs, the two little children who had been waiting came running towards me.

We sincerely welcome you to “World!”

The children shouted clearly as if they were giving an oratory speech and carefully held out their flower necklaces.

When I bowed my head slightly, he whined and put the necklace around my neck.

Waaa!

At that moment, the shouts of the world’s citizens became louder.

Even though I smiled brightly at them, I couldn’t help but laugh inside.

A welcome greeting in a way that I have seen many times before.

When I looked back at Seongju with a puzzled look, Seongju, who wore the same flower necklace around his neck as me, shrugged his shoulders with a mischievous expression.

“The flower color was also prepared in the same white color.”

Seongju whispers proudly while slightly lifting her flower necklace.

“Don’t worry anymore, leader. Rather than a group of primitive soldiers who don’t listen to such things, this will be the second sword that protects the leader!”

Seongju politely pointed ahead again with a confident expression.

Center of the world.

A red carpet leading up to the dark gray spiky castle welcomed us.

And the applause that rings louder at the polite behavior of the castle owner.

Under his guidance, I waved at the citizens of the world with a familiar gesture.

Waaa!

The citizens of the world responded to my response with more lively cheers.

However, I could not hide the feeling of heterogeneity in their eyes from me.

Citizens with bright eyes that were completely different from the crowds at Salvation Church that always welcomed me.

Not adoration, love, or respect, but just curiosity and wonder.

They quietly applaud a little away from the loud welcome in the front row, and their secret eyes look at me.

A small circle of five to twenty people were whispering quietly and watching me as I walked the red carpet.

“Those bastards—”

Seongju, who followed my gaze, clenched his teeth and growled.

“I’m sorry, leader. I will take responsibility for those uncooperative bastards and punish them.”

“Are there that many people who are uncooperative with Seongju?”

How could there be some uncooperative people with the ruler of the city?

In response to my question, Seongju shook his head with an expression of great resentment.

Very quickly, as if absolutely not.

“This is nonsense! Absolutely not! I just asked them if they were coming these days, and the hounds started climbing up without even knowing what was going on.”

A hunting dog… … .

Citizens at the back of the procession, who noticed the laser eyes of Seongju, were surprised and began to applaud quickly.

“Are you talking about a guild?”

“That’s right! Taking note of the fact that the religious leader created a group within a group as a prayer circle within the Salvation Church, I also applied it with a little modification, just like the world!”

Isn’t that a great tip that doubles your sense of belonging and stability?!

The sparkling eyes that kept showing as if they were expecting a compliment made me feel uncomfortable.

As he nodded with a displeased expression, the castle lord growled again and glared at the world’s guilds.

“By any chance, a very minor accident caused by those bastards won’t affect the teacher’s scorecard, right?”

“… … Scorecard?”

“Of course, leader! Of course, as a top ranker, you have to give feedback to your fans.”

Because I’m a fan… … .

It definitely felt more real to me to see it with my own eyes than to hear him talk about being a fan all day.

Seongju This bastard was not joking, he was really imitating me and the Salvation Church.

“Those bastards thought they were the real masters when they praised him as the guild leader and guild leader- they will turn him into red pepper paste-”

“Leave it alone.”

Anyway, I could tell right away from the look in their eyes.

In their eyes, the person I am walking through this procession will only see as the president of another country or a celebrity.

There would be no greater feeling than if the ruler of another city, who always raised his voice in neutral power, visited their city.

Even more so for those who still remained in the world even though missionary broadcasts were being carried out so intensively.

I’m just curious.

Guild members enthusiastically welcome the castle lord’s warning with applause.

I looked closely at the angular muscles that were subtly revealed every time they clapped their hands.

“On the outside, they really are no different from the awakened ones.”

“A- Still, it cannot be helped that it is clearly backward compatible. If you just add it to the awakened person, it will be noticeable right away.”

“I guess I added it.”

“Of course. In most cases, the Awakened wins. Still, if it’s just two people, it’s a slightly different story.”

Seongju held up three fingers and continued speaking.

“It’s even different if there are three people. I told you. Our world has almost all the available people.”

Although less efficient than the Awakened, its power cannot be ignored.

Almost all of the parade that is welcoming me are capable of combat… … .

After completing the primary selection out of loyalty to me-

Among them, the number was incomparably greater than that of the Holy Knights, which gave grace to selected talented people or mainly consisted of newly awakened people.

“And it will change even more if our adventurers wear the items they worked hard to farm.”

“… … Item?”

“Yes.”

A sword is created in the hand of the castle lord as he lightly nods his head and opens his hand.

A completely different level of anticipation was visible from the cold weapons that can be purchased at system stores.

Even better than the blacksmith-made sword I got at an auction.

“… … Item.”

“Yes!”

Seongju proudly shrugged his shoulders and put the sword back into his inventory.

“So, do all the citizens you rescue in the world start out as adventurers?”

Is this a city power that works that way?

Seongju smiled slightly at my question and shook his head.

“A- No way. How to become an adventurer. Well, we call it hazing, and this is also closely related to the item I just showed you. Since ancient times, when it comes to the flower of gaming, there is something that is mentioned along with items, Master.”

Since I was not someone who stayed away from games, I knew right away even before Seongju finished speaking.

The man’s finger points slightly further than the procession leading to the castle.

The finger led all the way to a small cave.

“You have to clear the dungeon.”

“Dungeons and items… … This is serious.”

“Yes. When we clear a dungeon, we can choose a reward, and among those rewards is citizen rescue. Is it different in other cities?”

“Similar.”

“Ah, right? We give 100 points for each citizen we rescue. So, there are many guilds that make a living by rescuing citizens rather than using common items.”

We are no different from him.

However, it is not the same.

We clear daily missions and choose between items and citizen rescue.

Most of those items were materials necessary for survival.

However, what Seongju just showed me was ‘a sword’.

A literal ‘item’ often seen in other games.

“Now—! You have eyes and ears to see, so let’s go inside. I prepared really well! Of course- hehehehe-”

Seongju rubs his hands dirty and makes a strange expression.

The guy continued speaking with a confident expression.

“We prepared with all our heart so that there would be no real full course like this. I’m actually looking forward to this more. Hehehe―”

I looked at the spiky gray castle he was pointing at and quietly shook my head.

And he looked at the dungeon he pointed to and muttered.

“Go over there.”

“… … yes? Ah – maybe outdoors – ”

“Seongju.”

Seongju’s expression, which had been struggling at the soft call, hardened.

“Do you think I came to the world to play?”

“… … No.”

“Or do you want to play?”

“… … No.”

“You probably heard everything, so why are you pretending?”

A loud noise that only rang out before and at the end of a conversation with the chief.

Could it be that the guy who noticed Sim So-young’s surveillance didn’t hear the conversation with the chief, who didn’t take any action?

“Seongju, didn’t you boast that you are different from a group of primitive soldiers who don’t listen?”

“… … .”

His eyes were quietly looking at me as if the fuss that had been going on up until now was a lie.

“How is the dungeon structured?”

“… … It’s not much different from the competition for dominance. If we took away the competition between awakened people and included cooperation in that ordeal, it would be the dungeon of our world.”

“Can only citizens of the world use the dungeon?”

“No. If that were the case, adventurer Kang San would not have been able to use the dungeon.”

I caught a glimpse of Kang San, who had remained quiet until now, and looked back at the dungeon.

“Is that the only dungeon you see now?”

“… … no. Even if you leave the center just a little bit, you will see quite a few dungeons.”

“I see. So is that dungeon a good place? Is the dungeon on the outskirts a good thing?”

“That dungeon is a dungeon that also serves as a tutorial that has been around since the beginning of the world. The difficulty and rewards of new dungeons in the outskirts are higher.”

I nodded and walked off the red carpet toward the central castle.

“… … Mr. Kang San.”

“… … .”

The Lord of Seongju’s urging to follow me.

After a very short time, a small wind blew behind me.

When I looked behind me, I was greeted by the face of an old man whom I had not seen in quite some time.

Yeonggam continues to look at Gangsan with eyes filled with worry.

Come to think of it, I forgot about that old man among the traitors.

“Still, we have respect for the world, but we can’t have the leader use his hands directly in the dungeon.”

I don’t know if it was an excuse or if it was really for my benefit – but it didn’t really matter.

“It’s been a while, old man.”

“… … Yes, leader.”

“Oh- I guess I can speak informally to you now.”

“… … .”

Seeing the old man who didn’t answer, I chuckled and quickly walked forward.

In any case, there would be an indefinite wait until the prophesied enemy arrived.

If there were no positive signs – I was even thinking of scouting the surrounding area myself.

So, during this free time, you should know the strength of the people you will be fighting with.

Moreover, if they were inside a dungeon, they would be able to move freely.

Rather, if you betray, there is a high probability that you will do it in a dungeon.

‘The composition is just right. ‘Two traitors, one with a hint of betrayal.’

A place where you can use your time more effectively than just waiting, and where you can throw bait as if you were throwing a bite at them, and if you take the bait, you can deal with them without any interference.

That was more important to me now than the modest full course prepared by Seongju.

First of all, compensation must be received after the crisis has been overcome.

Large-scale events with prophecy enemies and small-scale events with the castle lord came first.

Waaa!

Even as the steps lead towards the outskirts of the world, not the castle, the shouts of the citizens who were cheering passionately without knowing anything become more and more distant.

As we left the center of the medieval city with the World Three, one more person from Dumb and Dumber, a small cave greeted us.

As soon as you step there without delay, a familiar beep sounds.

Tiring—!

[We are searching for adventurers trying to enter the dungeon!]

[Hell difficulty clear record holder has been confirmed! You can enter hard difficulty without restrictions!]

[Would you like to enter the World Hard Dungeon ‘World Botanical Garden’?]

Oh – hell difficulty.

When he looked at Seongju with a small expression of admiration, the guy who had been a bit quiet grinned again and shrugged his shoulders.

“If you are number two, you should do this much.”

“… … Yes.”

“Oh, and I really don’t mean to be condescending – Normally, to enter a dungeon, guild leaders have to gather at the castle and buy tickets through a point auction. In each dungeon, there are things you can enter repeatedly, things you can’t enter – some things disappear when you clear them, some things don’t disappear – well, it’s just at the discretion of the system – ”

ah… … .

This guy started again.

“But of course, our leader can enter any dungeon for free! Even if you try to pay, I won’t accept it! why?! Because you are the religious leader! I must say this-”

Unfortunately, I looked at Seongju, who had recovered his tension again.

Kang San, who was right next to him, had a completely resigned look on his face, and it was obvious that he was listening with one ear and letting it out with the other, and the old man was looking at Seongju with his eyes wide open, as if he was seeing that fluttering mouth for the first time.

Even if a quiet old man intervenes, that mouth cannot be neutralized.

“Just get in quickly.”

“Yes.”

I stepped into the dungeon, seeing Yeonggam and Kangsan nodding their heads quickly.

Tiring—!

[You have entered ‘World Botanical Garden’!]