Chapter 9

Chapter 9

The Reason I Must Not Fail (2)

I read.

I picked up countless books and took in every single Comment.

[Would you like to view the next Comment?]

Distrust. Denial. Reverence. Elation.

The emotions contained within each sentence were incredibly intense.

[Would you like to view the next Comment?]

Some were excited by the new world.

Some screamed in denial of reality.

Some tried to record information.

Some simply seemed desperate to survive.

[Would you like to view the next Comment?]

I read sentence after sentence without pause.

Because it felt like I could understand the feelings with which they had written them.

I became intoxicated by the countless scattered fragments of emotion.

I didn't care if a passage seemed trivial. Like welcoming a single drop of rain in a barren desert, I endlessly searched for traces of those from the same homeland as I continued reading.

[Would you like to view the next Comment?]

I turned the page, then another.

[Would you like to view the next Comment?]

I wanted to empathize with the emotions contained in every line, and I could.

I marveled at the information hidden within each passage and wanted to understand the message they had tried to convey.

[You have viewed all Comments.]

How much time had passed like that?

[Would you like to enter a new Comment?]

The last thing that appeared was a single book with nothing written inside it.

Only after staring at the blank pages did I finally speak.

"……Ah."

My first word was one of astonishment.

"They existed."

The next was pure joy.

"They really existed."

The other players.

I looked around the library with a dazed expression.

The shelves were still packed with books I couldn't yet read.

"What a relief."

Perhaps it was relief after all.

I'd only been trapped inside this game for two days. I'd acted calm the whole time, but how could I possibly have been unaffected?

Without realizing it, my heart had been slowly rotting away.

Just as it had when I'd discovered traces of the [Entry Ticket].

'What if I never wake up?'

'What happens to me if I die here?'

'How am I supposed to fight Demonic Beasts? And demons too?'

Hundreds, thousands of stray thoughts assaulted my mind every single day.

That was also why I had been so disappointed when I couldn't find any trace of other players in the [Square].

I thought meeting someone from Earth would at least bring me some comfort.

But in the end, I had finally found them.

"I wasn't alone."

There had been people who entered the game before me.

How could I not be excited after finding their traces?

Only now did I finally understand what Theo Homer had meant.

"The Outsiders were people from Earth. They really were players!"

It didn't matter that every one of those players had perished.

I couldn't talk with them, and I still had to continue this game alone.

"But this is enough."

That was simply how I felt.

That this alone was enough.

'It's not like they can't help me.'

Their words contained tips and strategies.

Reading them made me feel as though I wasn't facing everything alone.

Maybe it was just a defense mechanism.

A way to protect myself from this absurd reality.

'So what if it is?'

As long as I could find satisfaction in it, that was enough.

Finding these traces alone was enough for me.

It felt as though the confidence that had sunk to the depths of hell had shot all the way up to heaven.

It was as if I had found the motivation to keep moving forward.

[Would you like to enter a Comment?]

Drawn toward the flashing words urging me on, I reached out my hand.

"Yeah. Let's write one."

A pen popped out.

I thought about what to write, then instinctively placed my hand down and quickly entered a sentence.

[Comment has been entered.]

After taking one last look at the message with satisfaction, I closed the book.

At the same time, it transformed into light and returned to one of the bookshelves.

As I watched, I quietly let out a breath.

"That was an incredible haul."

I'd learned not only information about the dungeon but also about the Field Boss.

But the greatest thing I'd gained was something else.

[You do not have permission to view this information.]

[If you wish to view it, please pay the required currency.]

For now, I was only permitted to access information up to the first floor, but that didn't mean I couldn't view information about the next floor.

As long as I paid the required "currency," I could read the Comments from the next floor as well.

And that currency was

[Price: 3 PC]

Player Coin.

Coins weren't used only for Review Viewing.

They were also required to view information.

Only after confirming that did I turn around and leave the library.

Maybe it was because I'd found traces of people from Earth.

Or maybe because, for the first time in a while, I'd felt a little of home again.

Whatever the reason, the whole world looked beautiful.

My steps felt light, and I found myself humming without realizing it.

At this rate, it didn't seem like these emotions would settle down anytime soon.

*

[A new Comment has been created.]

The Central Library after Kim Iseo disappeared.

Rumble.

A faint tremor spread through the majestic library.

The brief vibration was followed by a brilliant radiance.

Scratch. Scratch, scratch.

Soon, a single book floated into the air and opened wide, beginning to write on its own.

The moment every sentence had been completed, the writing shone brilliantly.

[Kim Iseo's First Comment]

This was the first trace Kim Iseo left behind in this world as a "player."

[I Somehow Became Humanity's Representative]

And it marked the true beginning of this story.

*

[You have obtained 1 Player Coin.]

[Owned Coins: 1]

Another day had passed.

Thanks to Player Coins recharging one at a time every midnight, I might not lose track of time after all.

As I got up and looked around, a familiar face was staring right at me.

"Hyung!"

"……Theo."

"Good morning!"

"Yeah, good morning."

I greeted him lightly as I sat up.

My body felt perfectly fine.

While splashing some water on my face, I asked Theo,

"Nothing happened, right?"

"No!"

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm hungry!"

"Alright. Let's eat breakfast first."

"Are we going on a Quest after breakfast?"

"No. We're not going out today."

"Huh?!"

Theo's eyes widened.

He looked as though he'd just heard a bolt from the blue.

A mischievous urge struck me. Just as I was about to tease him some more—

"You heard that, right? No matter how much you beg, you can't do it today. No Spirit Possession today."

"……"

Seeing him point accusingly at empty air, I shut my mouth.

As I got to my feet, I tried to figure out the situation.

'Morning, huh.'

I had definitely spent an enormous amount of time inside the Tower.

Yet only a few hours had passed out here in the Field.

How exactly did the time difference work? It didn't seem to be something simple like a fixed ratio.

There was only one thing I could reasonably guess.

'Do I return at the time my body wakes up?'

It was only a hypothesis.

'I'll figure it out after going back a few more times.'

I didn't want to waste time thinking about something that wouldn't be solved just by worrying over it.

"Let's go. I'm hungry too."

"Yeees."

Theo and I headed toward the dining hall.

Even as we walked down the corridor, I remained in a daze.

No, not a daze.

I was intoxicated by the refreshing feeling.

I was in such a good mood that my steps felt light.

Was it because I'd rested well?

No.

I knew exactly why I was so excited.

'I still can't believe it.'

What I'd experienced just now felt like a dream.

Finding traces of players

No, traces of people from Earth.

"Good morning, Jenny."

"You seem to be in a good mood."

"I finally got some proper sleep."

"A comfortable bed is important. Even better if the food tastes good."

"Of course."

As I nodded, Jenny held out her hand.

What?

I hesitated before awkwardly taking her hand.

Smack!

Keeping a completely expressionless face, Jenny slapped my hand away and held out her palm again.

"You need to pay for your lodging, sir."

"……Ah, right."

I'd completely forgotten.

There was an inn fee.

James had let me stay for free on the first night as a favor, but starting today, I'd have to pay

A cold bead of sweat rolled down my back.

Today marked my third day staying at the inn.

That meant the lodging fee had started yesterday.

Yet I had no memory of paying it.

"……Um… wasn't I supposed to start getting charged yesterday?"

"Took you long enough to ask. Master Cream paid it for you."

"Ah. I see."

So when she said she'd cover the meal, that was what she'd meant.

I smiled awkwardly and pulled out some coins.

"How much is it?"

"One Copper Coin per person. Two Copper Coins including Theo."

I took out two coins and placed them in Jenny's palm.

"Thank you, sir."

"……Don't mention it. Oh, what about Theo's clothes?"

"Those are on the house."

"Oh."

No reason to refuse something free.

I readily nodded and watched Jenny walk away to bring our breakfast.

[Name: Jenny]

[Rating 4 (★★★★)]

[Reviews +352]

She had far more reviews than I'd expected.

Why?

My curiosity was piqued.

'I have the point.'

One Player Coin had been restored after midnight.

Which meant I could view Jenny's reviews.

'Should I?'

While I was considering it, a familiar voice interrupted my thoughts.

"Don't you think you've been staring a little too hard?"

"Senior."

It was Cream.

She naturally sat across from us and ruffled Theo's hair.

Then she glanced sideways at me.

I had a rough idea of what she was thinking, so I spoke first.

"It's not like that."

"I haven't even said anything yet."

"Ah, right."

"Do you have feelings for Jenny?"

"……It's not like that."

"I suppose that could happen. But if you want to win Jenny over, you'll have to get James's permission first."

"It's not like that."

After hearing me deny it several times, Cream merely shrugged.

"Do your best. It'll help you in more ways than one. She's more capable than you'd think."

"Huh?"

I was about to ask what she meant, but stopped.

Jenny had returned with the food.

"Oh? Cream."

Jenny tilted her head at the unexpected guest.

Cream spoke first.

"Bring mine too, Jenny."

"Yes."

"He'll be paying."

"Huh?"

"Yes."

I stared at Cream in disbelief.

She silently mouthed, "Payment for the information."

All I could do was force an awkward smile.

Still, there was something she'd said earlier that I couldn't let slide.

"You'll have to figure that out yourself. Or pay me more."

She firmly drew the line.

That only made me more determined.

'Like I can't do it myself.'

There had been a bit of impulse and a bit of provocation.

But in the end, I decided to use my ability on Jenny.

In the smartphone game, Jenny wasn't part of the "Deck."

That meant she could only be obtained through "Recruitment" in virtual reality.

I was curious too.

She had over 300 reviews.

There was a good chance someone had recruited and used Jenny before.

The moment I finished the thought, the ability activated.

[Using Review Viewing on Jenny.]

[Would you like to view the reviews?] [Yes/No]

[Cost: 1 Coin (Owned Coins: 1)]

Reviews immediately began scrolling before my eyes.

Out of hundreds of reviews, which one would be the most valuable?

I didn't have to think about it.

One review was firmly pinned at the very top.

[Recruiting Jenny Review] [♥ +999]

There was no way I could resist opening it.

[Title: Recruiting Jenny Review]

[Content: I got bored and decided to recruit her, and it actually worked. Getting through James was a real pain, but it was worth it. Once you clear the Quest, James gives Jenny a treasure, and it's incredibly satisfying. If she has a class, it'd probably be Battle Priest? Or maybe Paladin? Something around that level. She's especially insane when hunting demons, but the downside is that aggro keeps bouncing to her, so things get pretty dicey. Still worth putting up with. Oh, and she talks like a complete asshole, but she's so competent you can overlook it.]

[♥ +999]

Thunk.

As Jenny set the food down, she spoke.

"Would you stop staring at me already? It's annoying."

"……"