Player (5)
“Did you properly retrieve the computer that was handed over to the police?”
“Yes, we erased all memories and traces, so there won’t be any articles or anything like before.”
The old man nods at the woman’s report and then slowly reads the document on the desk.
It’s a document that summarizes a man’s life.
It doesn’t take long to read the entire page.
“He’s strong against misfortune.”
The old man mutters a brief observation and continues,
“But that’s all.”
The woman nods in agreement.The man’s life has been full of twists and turns, to the point where saying he’s strong against misfortune is an understatement.
However, there’s nothing else noteworthy.
His job is ordinary, his education is ordinary, his relationships are ordinary.
Everything is ordinary.
Except for this game.
“I don’t understand at all.”
That’s why the man seems even more peculiar.
[Dungeon and Stone], Auril Gabis’s legacy, is a failure. Everyone came to that conclusion after much deliberation.
Although there’s no disagreement that it portrays that world better than any other work…
…it was impossible to clear.
So it was abandoned 5 years ago.
“…But to think that someone would clear it now. Could it be that it wasn’t a failure after all?”
The old man mutters and shakes his head.
Even if someone clears it, everyone agreed that there’s no guarantee it would produce better results than other works.
His decision wasn’t wrong.
But…
“I’m a bit curious about what would have happened.”
The old man then opens his laptop and types in the man’s name.
[Lee Hansu]
The name of the only player who cleared his legacy…
…which everyone said was impossible.
____________________________
[GP Owned: 139,000]
After selling information about the 1st floor Floor Master and Skull Island, I stop selling information.
There are two reasons.
First, it takes more time than expected per transaction.
It’s because buyers are suspicious of me since I have no transaction history.
Well, both of them bought the information after I answered a few questions…
But it’s more accurate to say that they trusted this community rather than fully trusting me.
If you dare to scam someone and get kicked out of the community, there’s no coming back.
And the second reason…
Actually, this is the bigger reason than time.
‘If I sell everything I know, I’ll definitely attract attention.’
There’s a saying, ‘the nail that sticks out gets hammered down’, right?
I want to avoid attention from anyone.
It’s not like I desperately need GP right now—
Ding!
That’s when I receive a message.
[Sender: Ghost master.]
It’s a nickname I’ve seen a few times in announcements.
In other words, it’s a message from the community administrator.
My heart skips a beat as if I’ve been caught red-handed, but when I open it, it’s nothing special.
[Elfnunna has made 10 or more transactions. EXP +10]
[Member rank is adjusted.]
[Deadman -> Goblin.]
It’s an automatic message sent when your community rank increases.
Although there aren’t any major benefits to having a higher rank, it doesn’t hurt to level up.
There are occasionally chat rooms with rank restrictions.
Tadat, tadadat, tadat.
First, I use the GP I earned to post a question.
The reward I offer is between 10,000 and 100,000 GP.
It’s a way of showing my willingness to pay that much if it’s valuable information.
[Your post has been registered.]
After registering the post, I spend my time browsing the community as if I’m surfing the web.
Looking at the jokes and humor posts on the free board, it almost feels like I’m back in the real world.
That’s when…
‘100,000 points for 2 million stones?’
While browsing the exchange, I learn the real-world value of GP.
I currently have about 140,000 GP.
‘Crazy, so I earned 2.8 million stones just by answering two questions?’
My jaw drops at first, but when I think about it carefully, it’s not that unbelievable. It’s not like the information I sold is worthless.
‘I could make a fortune just by selling information here?’
I even have the thought that maybe there’s no reason to enter the labyrinth anymore.
But…
‘Let’s not have strange thoughts.’
The act of exchanging GP for money still feels risky to me.
‘Let’s not get greedy and just use it as a place to gather information.’
Therefore, I set a new rule and gather my resolve.
That’s when, as I’m browsing the community…
Ding!
I hear a notification sound.
I check the monitor, and a new message has arrived.
[Elfnunalove has requested a 1:1 chat.]
Elfnunalove.
It’s a nickname that makes me feel uneasy for some reason, but I accept without hesitation.
Because there’s only one reason why someone would contact me.
‘I was worried, but they appeared within the day.’
The information seller has finally shown up.
_____________________________
In a study with a classic interior…
I’m slightly surprised as I smell the faint scent of books.
‘It’s quite well-decorated. How much did they spend on this?’
It’s on a completely different level compared to the clearing that was the background of the Newbie Room or the desolate field that appeared when I initiated a conversation.
It must have cost a lot of GP.
However, I don’t think it’s a waste of money.
‘Indeed, this alone creates a certain level of trust…’
I briefly look around and spot a white man, and I greet him.
“Hello.”
“Yes, hello. You’re Elfnunna, right? Have a seat.”
As soon as I sit down, the man gets straight to the point.
“You want to know about Chernal Pergan, the mage from the Tarutein school?”
“That’s right.”
The dimensional collapse phenomenon.
If I only ask about this, it will be difficult for me to distinguish whether he’s telling the truth or not.
But it’s different if I ask about Chernal Pergan.
Just like this.
“To be precise, I want to know more about his recent activities.”
“Hmm, is it because of the rumors about the dimensional collapse phenomenon?”
The man immediately connects the name Chernal Pergan with dimensional collapse.
This increases the reliability of the information that will follow.
Therefore, I also ask directly,
“Is that rumor true?”
The man asks for 20,000 GP in exchange for the answer, and I accept, so he continues.
“If you’re asking whether such a story came from him, then yes, it’s true. But if you’re asking about the truth of the rumor… it’s actually not true.”
“What do you mean?”
The man pauses for a moment as if to organize his thoughts, then says firmly,
“It means that the dimensional collapse phenomenon will not occur.”
“What’s the basis for saying that?”
“That’s because it involves high-ranking individuals and political conflicts…”
In short, it means it’s high-level information that’s not worth sharing for just 20,000 GP.
“I’ll give you another 20,000 GP.”
“If you’re that eager to hear it.”
The man nods and continues speaking without hesitation.
“The Tarutein school is a school that focuses on the study of labyrinths, specifically magic related to dimensions. And their master wanted to conduct an experiment.”
“Experiment…?”
“I can’t tell you the details, but it’s not a dangerous experiment. It just requires that there be fewer explorers entering the labyrinth than usual.”
So the Tarutein school spread rumors through their mages.
They judged that if rumors of a dimensional collapse circulated, it would deter explorers who are susceptible to superstitions.
“…Is it okay to tell me this kind of information?”
“I didn’t just blurt it out, I sold it for GP.”
His confident attitude leaves me speechless.
The man chuckles and continues,
“In the first place, is it any of my business? I’m not the master of that school. And besides, the royal family will soon issue an official statement denying the rumors.”
“…The royal family?”
“Would the Lafdonia royal family just stand by and do nothing? If there are fewer explorers, the amount of magic stones they receive will also decrease.”
Hmm, he has a point.
I listen to him for a while longer, and the situation makes sense. The evidence he presented without hesitation is also convincing.
He doesn’t seem like he’s lying.
Just as I’m about to complete the transaction and tell him that I’ll send the remaining 20,000 GP separately, the man shakes his head.
"On second thought, it's fine. You seem like a fan of that person."
20,000 GP is equivalent to 400,000 stones, but to not accept it just because I'm a fan of the same person...
I thank him, but at the same time, I'm curious.
I wonder what year he's in?
'5th year? 10th year?'
Whatever it is, one thing is certain.
He's firmly established himself in this world to the point where 400,000 stones isn't a big deal.
'That's why he knows all the details of the information that I didn't know even after struggling for days.'
I'm reminded of my beginner's spirit once again.
15x? 20x? 30x? Or even 100x?
Well, no matter what mode they cleared, it's none of my business.
This isn't the game world.
It's a harsh reality governed by barbaric principles where the one who survives is the strongest.
'Little Balkan or whatever, in the end, I'm just a newbie here...'
I realize once again that the road ahead is much longer than the path I've already traveled.
But why is it?
It was just a moment ago that I renewed my beginner's spirit.
'This is fun.'
The man who bought the 1st floor Floor Master strategy.
The woman who wanted information about Skull Island.
And this man standing in front of me, who must have reached that place after years of effort.
Smirk.
I don't have the slightest doubt that I can't get there.
_______________________________
The black DOS screen.
After a short loading time, the player's log, filled with beeps, fills the monitor.
Beep, beep beep, beep-
The log's rules are simple.
Only actions are recorded here.
That's why...
「The coming-of-age ceremony has been successfully completed.」
「New equipment has been equipped.」
Choosing a shield at the coming-of-age ceremony.
「Character has stepped on a goblin trap.」
Falling into danger as soon as entering the labyrinth.
Stepping on a goblin trap and crawling on the ground for several hours while bleeding.
Killing a person for the first time.
Becoming companions with a fairy encountered by chance.
And starting with nothing but bare hands, reaching the 2nd floor on the first entry.
"He's a crazy bastard."
The more the old man reads the log, the more dumbfounded he becomes. It's even more so because it's a log that only records actions.
There's a reason for every action.
The old man, who has seen the logs of many players, can clearly see the reasons behind this player's judgments in each moment.
Because that's what he had to do.
Because that was the right choice.
So this man took action.
As if he were really playing a game.
It's truly astonishing.
How many players have made irrational choices, caught between the gap between the game and reality?
"...How many people have reached the 2nd floor on their first entry?"
"As far as I know, 117."
117 people.
It's quite a large number to be considered few.
But the old man is certain.
That among the 117 players, there was no one who faced such adverse conditions.
'He's a strange one.'
As the old man continues scrolling down and reading the log, he freezes at one point.
「Killed Vampire Duke Cambormier. EXP +5」
「Higher Variant Kill Bonus. EXP +1」
「Guardian Kill Bonus. EXP +3」
「The essence of [Vampire-Guardian] seeps into the characte…….」
The log on the screen has now reached recent events.
「Bjorn Yandel」
Level: 3 (New +1)
Physical: 155(New +75) / Mental: 90(New +44) / Ability: 115(New +85)
Item Level: 98 (New -104)
Total Combat Index: 381.5 (New +204)
Acquired Essences: Corpse Golem - Rank 7, Vampire(Guardian) - Rank 5 (New)
Character information that would be hard to believe even for someone who's been playing for years.
It's something he achieved in just two months after waking up in an unfamiliar body.
Of course, luck must have also played a part.
But…
‘If it were something achievable solely through luck, there would have been at least one similar case.’
The old man raises the player's monitoring level to the maximum.
That's what statistics are about.
The more samples and data you accumulate, the fewer possibilities there are, and uncertain information becomes clearer facts. And the ‘probability’ derived through that process is surprisingly accurate, regardless of how many samples you add.
In other words, ‘luck’ is a negligible variable in statistics.
However, there are occasional cases like this.
The first.
Something that was impossible becomes possible.
Simply put, 0 becomes 1.
An irregular that deviates from statistics, where the cause can't even be determined because there are no comparable samples.
Click, click.
「Abnormal growth rate detected.」
「The administrator will monitor this character.」
Suddenly, he also remembers…
The words he left behind when everyone called it a failure…
[I simply made a rational judgment. Even if it’s just one person, if I can send them off properly, that has a higher chance of success.]
Maybe, he was right.
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