[Morning, a company break room in Seoul.]
“Ye-eun, it must have been tough after your team disbanded.”
“Not at all.”
In a break room of a company a bit far from a certain studio apartment, a group of men and women gathered in small groups, chatting away.
“Thanks to you, Manager, I didn’t end up stranded like an abandoned duck. I really appreciate it.”
“It’s weird hearing you call me ‘Manager’. If that guy hadn’t run off, I wouldn’t have gotten this promotion.”
“Come on, Manager. Be specific. Who are you talking about? One person left, and there are two beasts.”
“Oh, is that so? Haha.”
The broad-shouldered man scratched his head at the female employee’s remark.
“Beasts… The former manager and deputy manager were certainly beastly. One would get drunk and turn into an obnoxious old dog, while the other left after winning 40 million won in the lottery, not even bothering to treat their juniors to a beef dinner.”
“Was it really 40 million won?”
“Huh?”
“Maybe the lottery win was just a cover to hide the fact that they awakened as a Hunter.”
“…Now that you mention it, that does make sense, doesn’t it?”
When someone leaves a company, the gossip often lasts for days, but in cases like this, the stories linger far longer.
“One quit out of embarrassment for mismanaging their subordinates, and the other resigned in frustration after being unfairly targeted by higher-ups… Still, it’s a shame.”
“What is?”
“That guy. He was truly talented.”
The manager sipped his instant coffee, clicking his tongue regretfully.
“Honestly, watching him work, I thought, ‘This guy could be a full-time streamer.'”
“A streamer?”
“Yeah. He had a good mask—his face wasn’t bad either—and if he went all out as a pro gamer, he’d do great.”
The manager gestured toward the office.
“It’s such a loss. Whenever a new release came out, he was the go-to guy for tackling high-difficulty content.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. The high scores in Deep Beta were based on his data. Right, Ye-eun?”
“Uh… actually.”
A woman who had once been part of the same team hesitantly raised her hand.
“Manager, I’ve never seen him game outside of work…”
“You wouldn’t know, Ye-eun. That guy was incredible at games. Of course, he wouldn’t play other companies’ games during work hours. He probably played after hours or binged on weekends.”
“He did mention wanting to game full-time after quitting…”
“Of course. It’s a shame. He could’ve been a rising star in streaming before he even got started. If he uploaded videos of himself clearing bosses without taking damage using a basic 4-star character, he’d hit trending pages instantly. Should I try recruiting him? My sister is an editor; she’s great at making viral clips. Ye-eun, do you have his number?”
“Uh, well.”
The woman frowned.
“He either blocked me or deactivated his number. Starting the day he quit, it’s been saying it’s disconnected.”
“Disconnected?”
“Yes. I tried looking it up, but there’s no trace of it, as if he’s vanished into thin air.”
“…Could he have awakened as a superpowered Hunter, made contact with another country, and erased his citizenship? Haha! That’s the kind of thing I mean.”
With an exaggerated laugh, the man drained his paper cup of coffee and disappeared.
“I wish I could quit my job and just play games at home. If only I had his skills, I’d quit in a heartbeat and go full gamer…”
“…”
Just like any other company.
“Oh, did you hear? The government gathered the S-rank Hunters at the Blue House. Looks like they’re officially preparing to conquer an S-rank Tower.”
Unless someone causes a massive stir, stories about former employees remain nothing more than passing gossip in the break room.
Later, if they pop up on the news or the internet, people might say, “Oh, that’s them!” Until then, no one knows if they’re alive or dead.
For those living their daily lives, it’s all about surviving day by day and collecting a paycheck.
“Manager….”
Ye-eun pulled out her wallet and retrieved a lottery ticket from a plastic bag.
“Surely, you’re not just gaming at home, are you…?”
* * *
[Let’s launch an all-out attack!]
[Princess Attaaaaaack!!]
[This is strange.]
[Yeah, I’m a pro….]
While Elaine and Kiharu were traveling to Ganghwa Island, I used my spare time to log in and complete my various “homework” tasks across multiple games.
Homework. Completing daily quests, converting accumulated stamina into resources by clearing stages, and completing missions related to bond or main storylines.
‘This is one thing that’s more convenient after quitting.’
When I was working, I had to squeeze in three hours of gaming after work, but now I could play more leisurely.
Of course, most of my time was still dedicated to Elaine.
Through an alternate account, I honed my control by pitting Elaine against game bosses at the lowest specs, which gave me a sense of confidence.
However, I couldn’t just stay glued to Elaine’s world forever.
‘I need to look into Kiharu’s side too.’
Though I hadn’t actively engaged with it or explored much of its content before, summoning Kiharu meant I needed to familiarize myself with this world’s lore—especially its community.
– Hey, doesn’t this ‘person’ seem strange?
– This one is definitely suspicious. Just their name screams they’ll betray the protagonist.
– Typical bait-and-switch character.
– ???: An impostor daring to use the saint’s name. Perish.
“…”
Why didn’t I notice these posts when searching for information on Kiharu?
It was obvious.
‘Completely buried.’
A detailed post analyzing Kiharu’s lore had garnered only 39 views and a mere two upvotes.
Despite its thoughtful and extensive breakdown of various hints, it hadn’t even attracted a single “Nice analysis!” comment.
Curious, I looked into what had overshadowed it at the time.
– What the f*uck, the new leaked character is an old man?! How does this make sense?
“…Got drowned out by other speculation.”
The post had laid out compelling insights and plausible theories about Kiharu’s identity, but it had been completely eclipsed by leaked data from someone at the game company.
“A gacha game releasing a grandpa character, huh? Unless he has some serious elder-style charm, that’s a tough sell.”
If a gacha game introduced an elderly character, regardless of their in-game performance, their lore presence would likely rank somewhere between mid-tier and lower high-tier.
Otherwise, there’d be no point in making them a playable character in the first place.
‘And no reason for me to summon them.’
There’s no need to summon an old person.
I wouldn’t bother summoning an old man. Even if it was a wheelchair-bound grandma who could stand on the wheelchair’s handles, dual-wielding rifles in both hands…
…Okay, maybe I would.
…….
“Hah.”
Pausing my game, I got up from my chair.
“Now that I think about it, I haven’t done that in a while because of Elaine’s constant presence.”
No wonder my thoughts were drifting.
“Elaine’s arrival… still some time left.”
Alright.
“To regain focus, there’s nothing better than that.”
With my current distracted state of mind, I wouldn’t be able to properly support Elaine and Kiharu in tackling the S-rank Tower.
“A healthy mind, a clear heart.”
I burned through the remaining stamina in my games, setting them to auto-battle.
“…As quickly as possible.”
Raising my right hand, I quietly focused.
* * *
A while later.
Near the bridge leading to Ganghwa Island, a woman in a black suit stopped near a park with a decisive “tap.”
“That’s the S-rank Tower of Ganghwa Island, the [Tower of Storms].”
Whoosh.
The gusts emanating from the Tower whipped across the concrete bridge. The few cars crossing it moved cautiously, as if worried the wind might flip them over.
“What do you think, Goddess?”
“Calling me ‘Goddess’ at a time like this? How amusing.”
A cat peeked out from a briefcase—Kiharu.
Stretching like an actual cat, she gracefully hopped out.
“I have no particular thoughts. Trials like this one are fundamentally no different from those humanity faced back on my side.”
“Fundamentally the same?”
“Regardless of which being imposes the trial, it’s still a test from a transcendent force directed at humanity. Whether it’s due to power constraints or something else, it seems even I struggle to perceive the entity behind it.”
“…”
“Is this too difficult for a mere maid to grasp?”
“Not at all. It’s perfectly clear.”
Despite Kiharu’s taunting tone, Elaine responded with a composed smile.
“No matter the trial, even if it’s something beyond my ability to overcome, as long as my Master guides me, I can surmount anything.”
“And if it’s truly impossible?”
“At that time…”
Elaine grabbed Kiharu and held her up.
“With your help, or perhaps the aid of another summoned being, we’ll find a strategy to overcome it.”
“For someone from a medieval fantasy, you’ve adapted to this modern world better than me, who’s actually from it.”
“That’s because you’re not human, are you?”
“I’m still learning to understand humans.”
Elaine and Kiharu stared at each other for a moment.
“Whatever it is you’re hiding from Master, I will protect him. That is the duty of a servant.”
“Isn’t hiding things mutual between us?”
“…”
“In fact, it feels like you’re hiding much more than I am. I could just pretend to be a simple yokai cat, but you—”
“Silence.”
Elaine leaned in close to Kiharu.
“If there comes a day when the truth must be told, I will be the one to tell Master directly.”
“It doesn’t seem like such a big deal.”
“…”
“Honestly, if he’s your partner and your Master, he might have other things to worry about.”
“Other things?”
“Exactly. I already know the answer, but I won’t say— Meowch!!”
Elaine seized Kiharu by the scruff and shook her fiercely.
“Speak. Now. Or I’ll contact Master immediately to discuss measures against you.”
“Tsk tsk… Even I, still learning about humans, have noticed.”
“…What could I have possibly overlooked about Master?”
“You’re… a v*rgin, aren’t you?”
“…!!”
Elaine’s grip on Kiharu’s neck tightened instantly.
“You…!”
“See? You wouldn’t understand. Tsk tsk. Sometimes men need their private moments.”
“…Th-There’s no way Master would look at me in that way…!” “Did I say your Master thinks of you like that to deal with his desires?”
“…”
“If anything, he might think about the goddess’s beauty and—Nyaahh!!”
Thud.
“This is animal abuse!”
“Silence.”
“Hmph, this is why naïve girls are so predictable.”
“As if you have experience to speak of!”
“Wh-What?!”
Kiharu’s fur bristled as she unsheathed her claws.
“This body is a sacred vessel! Only those I deem worthy may even dream of laying a hand on it!”
“Then how many worthy beings have there been so far? Considering how boastful you sound….”
“…No one has ever tarnished the immaculate purity of this body. I’ll leave it at that.”
For a moment, silence.
“…You, perhaps.”
“…”
Bzzzt, bzzzt.
A smartphone vibrated, breaking the tension.
“…Yes, Master.”
[Where are you? You should be arriving soon.]
“I’m at the bridge leading to Ganghwa Island.”
[Alright. Let me know when you’re at the Tower entrance. I’m ready on my end.]
Click.
“…Master speaks with such a clear and calm voice. We shouldn’t be arguing like this.”
“Indeed. This body agrees.”
“As comrades, we should work well together.”
“Agreed.”
But what did “comrades” mean?
Most likely, it referred to fighting alongside each other as allies.
“No matter who comes next…”
“Let’s not fight among ourselves for now.”
With an implicit agreement between them—
“But Elaine, what makes you think more will come?”
“Master is already protecting about eight worlds.”
Elaine clenched her fist briefly.
“…There may also be worlds he once protected but can no longer do so.”
“Hmm?”
“Master must not know this. But I’ve looked into it through the account linked to his secondary phone. I suspect he’s somewhat aware of my research.”
“What are you implying?”
“I wasn’t Master’s ‘first.’ Even though he gave me a full limit break and full refinement.”
“…What?”
Elaine looked up at the sky and let out a deep sigh.
“I am not Master’s ‘favorite’.”