Episode 67
Suddenly, the stadium was abuzz. What was it. Who the hell was Dia.
With something unknown appearing, eyes naturally turned toward Gang Je-gyeong. When they did, this time, without watching the video, my eyes met his as he was staring intently at me. Not expecting him to be looking my way, my shoulder twitched of its own accord. Ah, shit—it was mortifying that I’d flinched just from making eye contact.
I thought he’d been focused solely on the trailer all this time, so why the hell was he suddenly staring at me like that.
— “I could not contain my curiosity upon hearing that you have been honing a new technique, so I have committed a discourtesy.”
“Why?”
Gang Je-gyeong, who couldn’t possibly know my inner thoughts, spoke to me nonchalantly. Afraid I might snap at him for no reason, I regulated my breathing first to calm myself down.
“Who is Dia?”
“Ah. The high priest of the Jeopa Clan.”
Aha.
“…….”
……Why is a high priest in the Aideas faction?
Looking back at the screen, while I was talking to Gang Je-gyeong, Dia had tossed aside a large hood, radiating an overflowing divinity, and greeted Abrea with a gentle smile.
— “It is a pleasure, Brother.”
After that smile, the screen cut to black as if snuffed out. And the final line echoed lowly throughout the stadium.
— “I am Dia Seira, high priest of the Jeopa Clan and Supreme Overseer of Aideas.”
Once the lingering voice faded completely, white letters reading ‘UPDATE November 24’ rose upon the screen. Immediately after, purple and golden light flared from the silhouettes of the new classes drawn beside the central screen, revealing the illustrations. Redeemer and Sorcerer. The representative NPC for the new scythe-wielding class, the Redeemer, was Abrea.
* * *
Title: The Door Sound Heard in the Mirror Maze Was Foreshadowing
Author: [Jeopa] ForbesSelectedThisIsMyDaughter
The sound you always hear 2 minutes after clearing a dungeon came out in the trailer
And the broken ceiling in the 2nd maze was also foreshadowing that it connects to the Silver Spider, damn
(43 Comments)
- 【Best Comment】People going “there was such a thing?” —> https://utu.ve/srGxtKPnbI The sound is so quiet, listen with your volume cranked up
└ It’s so fucking quiet; if it were me, I’d just think it was background BGM and skip it
└ If you listen from inside the maze, it’s a bit louder
└ 【Best Comment】You pervs, lol
- 【Best Comment】Defining trait of Kimchi gamers: the moment a dungeon ends, it’s GG then a swift exit
└ Lmao there are hordes who skip even that GG and leave rofl
- I didn’t even know a sound like that existed
└ Same
└ This bait only came up recently; even rerunners probably didn’t know
- If it’s 2 minutes, that’s after clearing the dungeon and even after finishing the investigation quest, so if the timeline in the trailer is: Dungeon Clear > Finishing Investigation of Cleared Dungeon and Returning > Abrea Opens the Door, is that the order?
└ Seems like it
… (View more comments) …
* * *
Flashy effects erupted on the massive electronic display. At the same time, ear-splitting screams and the commentators’ voices, brimming with excitement, filled the stadium. The match, fought between those considered the strongest of each class, was fiercely back-and-forth, with neither side yielding an inch. Though it was content they were seeing for the first time, the rule was simple—you fought and earned points—so the crowd immersed themselves in the match without a hint of awkwardness.
I should have been included among them, without a doubt.
“Faction war?”
Because I was trapped, unable to escape from the time spent watching the trailer video and the showcase, I still couldn’t focus on the arena match. If I had been struggling alone, it might have been one thing, but there was a comrade beside me who was also unable to break free from the moment he’d watched the trailer, which made it even worse.
Naturally. Gang Je-gyeong was a user who immersed himself in the story far more seriously than I did.
“They said that besides the Redeemer and Sorcerer coming out this time, two more new classes will be released later…….”
After discussing the main quest story for quite a while—rather than discussing it, it was closer to me simply listening—the topic was gradually shifting to content updates. Gang Je-gyeong, who was pouring out every possibility he’d predicted while watching the large-scale update showcase after the trailer ended, was more excited than anyone here, if not more.
“Except for the Assassin, whose faction isn’t set in stone yet, there are two Witheraheat faction classes and two Aideas faction classes. If two Aideas classes come out this time, next time it will most likely be Witheraheat’s turn. Then it becomes 4:4 again. If they make it possible for Assassins, who have the largest player pool, to choose a faction, it becomes 5:5, which makes faction war possible.”
“Yeah.”
“There was also the part in the trailer where Aideas joined hands with the Jeopa and Via Clans. Isn’t it a strong possibility?”
“Plausible.”
“Right?”
Gang Je-gyeong met my eyes with a gaze full of expectation.
“I think it would be really nice if faction war comes out just like I said.”
As he spoke, he leaned his body completely against me, already close due to the noisy surroundings. At his completely uninhibited gesture, I involuntarily held my breath for a moment.
Whether he was naturally sociable or just thick-skinned, even I, who rarely felt burdened no matter how familiar others acted, felt awkward and averted my gaze. Vaguely, I envisioned large, burly dogs slobbering all over my face as they charged at me.
Bothered by his close face and gaze, I made the excuse that my waist was twisted and sat him upright. Gang Je-gyeong grinned at me regardless, keeping his eyes fixed on me.
“I want to fight on the same team as you, Go Yeong.”
His words were full of expectation, and reflected light flickered and shone in his eyes. That appearance suited Gang Je-gyeong, brimming with anticipation, so well that the corners of my mouth twitched slightly. Like a child, really.
By the way, Gang Je-gyeong seemed to sincerely want to run a war with me……. Rather, if faction war came out and we fought on the same side, I felt like I would be a bit worried. Since we would both be in positions to give orders whenever there was war, a struggle for leadership could break out. Even if I took a step back, the way Gang Je-gyeong gave orders that I’d seen on stream was distinctly different from my own style, so before fighting the enemy team, I was afraid we might end up fighting each other first.
“Who gives the orders? Unless you’re using voice chat, only one person can do it.”
“Of course, me.”
That matter-of-fact tone annoyed me. I knew how to give orders too.
“What about me?”
“Orders should be given by someone smart.”
“So I’m dumb?”
“No, that’s not it. Go Yeong, you’re just…… like a field leader.”
“Whether it’s a field leader or a strategist, war in a game is about push and pull, so it’s better for the person commanding from the front to give orders.”
“The person who can read the overall flow should be the one giving orders. If someone who only knows the frontline gives orders, what about the rear? In other games, it’s always the ranged dealers, supports (*supporters), or healers in the backline who do the calling.”
“There are plenty of cases where tanks or melee DPS give orders, and even from the front, you can know what’s happening in the back.”
It wasn’t baseless. Up until now, when I fought in wars, people in the back had reported the situation separately, and I had issued orders based on that.
Gang Je-gyeong seemed to know that to some extent, but he still looked doubtful.
“You’d know better than someone in the back?”
“What if we need to retreat and the orders come late, leaving our tail cut off?”
“Calculating that is my job.”
“While healing too? The DPS will focus you unconditionally, and if you get targeted, it’ll be hard to even type in chat.”
“I’ve been doing it all this time. You don’t trust me?”
“It’s not that I don’t trust you, but I can’t easily hand over orders.”
“Why?”
“……I hate following someone else’s orders.”
Of course, that was the truth. Gang Je-gyeong was capable of giving trustworthy orders, but I wasn’t the type to follow obediently. Even if orders were given, I’d end up doing what I wanted out of necessity. I was worried that might cause friction.
“Plus, you…… no, Je-gyeong, you talk in a commanding tone. I can’t stand that.”
“I talk in a commanding tone?”
“Then what the hell is it?”
“I thought I was speaking as gently as I could?”
“Where the hell is that gentle? You’re nothing short of an authoritarian.”
At the word “authoritarian,” Gang Je-gyeong immediately clamped his mouth shut and made a sullen expression, seemingly hurt. I belatedly blundered. Had my words been too harsh? ……No, they hadn’t been that bad. Was he trying to guilt-trip me?
Unable to shake off my suspicion, I glanced sideways at Gang Je-gyeong. Perhaps because of that look, Gang Je-gyeong made an even more wounded face, said “Forget it,” and turned his body to stare at the screen. This time, I really had to tread carefully.
“No, I mean, if I had to compare, it’s like that.”
“The very fact that you compared means I’m something like an authoritarian. For example, like a dictator.”
I firmly closed my mouth. Sorry, but I couldn’t deny it. Most people who had heard him give orders would probably agree.
As I stayed silent, Gang Je-gyeong’s eyebrows twitched. Seeing that, I forced myself to continue.
“Nooo……. It’s not really like that, just kind of that feeling.”
“I see…….”
I carefully gauged his mood. He was thoroughly sulking. This was exactly why white lies never disappeared from the world. On stream, he’d laugh off whatever viewers said, so why was he like this with me?