Chapter 103
Glancing around,
he scans the surroundings.
A freshman, still clinging to a freshness that somehow survived a whole year of attendance, passes by.
Then a freshman who has already lost all his university dreams and romance.
And upperclassmen who tossed theirs aside long ago pass him just the same, crossing through the main gate.
Students of every stripe.
And right here, right now.
Jeon Jae-hun—known in *For Justice* by his nickname, the World's Greatest Swordsman—was frowning for an entirely different reason.
He scanned the area once more.
Pulling the hood of his coat over his head and hitching his mask up to his mouth, he looked around. The sight was undeniably threatening, and he knew it, but he didn't care.
The greatest university in Korea, Hanguk University.
*'A monster lives here.'*
And he didn't mean that figuratively.
The Swordsman thought that as the crosswalk light changed and he melted into the surging crowd, entering the campus.
*'To think I have to go through all this just because I skipped one day...'*
Waking at six in the morning, heading to the gym, and working out for about an hour—that certainly counts as a virtuous act.
Just exercising is good, too.
But a morning workout does more than just wake you up. Once it becomes a routine, the routine itself becomes a powerful force. No one can deny that it's beneficial for him.
However, humans cannot live on good deeds alone!
If human beings could sustain life by doing only what is profitable, then global fast-food franchises would have gone bankrupt long ago.
The game market would have collapsed, and the food industry would have been restructured around health.
Therefore!
The conclusion was drawn: his skipping the gym this morning was as natural and inevitable as the worldwide success of the gaming market.
*'Just hold out a little longer.'*
The one whose name must not be spoken said he would take a leave of absence soon.
So, all I have to do is be careful for just one month and not get caught.
[What's up?]
[If you're hurt, get some rest.]
[Resting well is a kind of exercise too, so don't feel too guilty!]
The older guys he'd become friends with at the gym sent worried messages.
They thought he loved working out.
But that wasn't quite true. Somehow, he had reached the state of one who enjoys it. And if he actually goes, he does end up working out. But that's a separate matter from actually setting out to go.
*'Still, hearing encouragement like this makes me want to hit legs though.'*
This is an addiction.
Exercise also releases dopamine and becomes addictive.
There's a reason gym rats are made. Surprisingly, this sense of accomplishment can be a driving force for success, and because of that, it is powerfully addictive.
It's a substance essential for human survival.
Of course, even that addiction can be cured completely just by seeing the single message that came this morning.
[Jin Seo-jun: ?]
No other words, just a single question mark.
That one question mark, sent and left alone, was terrifying.
Yes.
It is now time to sever the bond between master and disciple.
Hadn't the war already concluded successfully?
Among the crowd, he scanned his surroundings.
He noted the terrain, the features of buildings, and the faces of people emerging from doorways—so he could take cover at any moment.
*'Wild animals must live like this every single second.'*
He finally understood why it's so damn hard to feed squirrels and other wild creatures.
They must constantly be on guard.
Some might say, "The campus is huge—why worry about running into him every day?" but the same principle applies in nature.
Even after surviving for years, a single moment of carelessness or one mistake can lead to death. That is the fate of the prey.
That's why they are always vigilant.
But then.
Tap, tap.
Someone tapped his shoulder.
He turned around.
And met the eyes of an obnoxious-looking sunbae, just slightly taller than himself.
Right. I was being careful today precisely because of this risk, but I didn't think I'd actually run into you.
I should have just come early or started running from tomorrow.
"What are you up to?"
So this is the wild.
It really is hard to survive.
He felt that fact bone-deep just now.
* * *
"Ah... well. A body cold, you see..."
"Ah. And that's why you're wearing the mask?"
"Yes...? Yes! Ah, of course. Because I shouldn't pass it on to others."
"Right. Then you'll probably be all better by tomorrow, won't you?"
The Swordsman felt as though Seo-jun was speaking in a tone that said, "I know everything, but I'll let it slide this once."
Who gets over a body cold in just one day?
So, this was clearly a threat.
He nodded his head.
Once.
Twice.
Faster and faster.
"Alright. I'll see you again starting tomorrow."
"Yes, sir!"
And his gut feeling—that Seo-jun had seen right through him—was correct.
Chuckling inwardly, Seo-jun told him to enjoy his lecture, and then walked out of the main gate.
*'As if I'd let you slip away.'*
Seo-jun stepped into a nearby restaurant.
It was two o'clock, a bit late for lunch, but schedules aren't always convenient.
He'd eat at his leisure, and then head out to his appointment.
*'Come to think of it.'*
Lately, he kept feeling eyes watching him.
On campus, around the street.
You could chalk it up to his imagination or paranoia, but Seo-jun trusted his senses.
And, in fact, his feeling was correct.
Because posts like this occasionally popped up on the university community:
[Hanguk University's Greatest Output. Heavenly Demon 14. Right???]
- That demon cultist again...
- What's that even mean lol
- To think there are so many walking the path of evil heresy at Hanguk University. Go!
- On YT, checked the link and he's freaking handsome.
- Entrepreneurs from Hanguk University? Investors? Developers? So lol, are they better with a sword than the Heavenly Demon?
└ Fr lololololol
- Crazy bastards
The defining feature of these posts was that the number of comments was absurdly small compared to the views.
Because, strictly speaking, *For Justice* was on the niche side.
Nevertheless, Seo-jun's name recognition within the school kept rising as these posts piled up.
But for Seo-jun, who hadn't even done any social media until he started streaming, there was no way he could know.
*'Huh? This guy took the day off too.'*
As Seo-jun scrolled through YouTube while eating, Tae-woo's notice popped up on his screen.
He was subscribed, so that's why.
[Because the weather was nice, because the weather wasn't nice, because the weather was just right. I'll be taking the day off today.]
That was Tae-woo's break notice.
He said he'd be heading out earlier. Is he coming back late or something?
Figuring he should ask what the plan was for after the meeting, Seo-jun naturally checked the comments.
Were they like his?
- First... blood.
└ lololololol so nostalgic
└ Tae-woo, be careful on the streets at night lol
└ insane lololol
- Then I am seriously dying to know what kind of weather actually makes you *not* take a day off.
- When is this bastard gonna find his original passion? He's always off.
└ Didn't you watch his early streams? He'd get mom aggro and had emergency endings and breaks every day. Tae-woo, you absolutely must NOT find your original passion.
Similar.
Very similar.
*'As expected.'*
Seo-jun thought he was walking the right path.
Though lacking a bit, Tae-woo was a successful streamer.
He'd been growing steadily since seven years ago, the early days of the capsule.
And so:
*'I need to learn more.'*
In that moment, Seo-jun felt his own inadequacies and ignited a fervor for learning—or something like that.
Looking at this, he realized just how infuriating his own break notice from today must have been from the viewers' perspective.
[Today's broadcast? Ahh, I left it behind in the new era!]
- Looks like you left your conscience behind there too.
[Hello, viewers. Are you all having a good day? I don't think my day is so good because my stomach hurts. In that spirit, you know about today's broadcast, right?]
- Give me your home address and I'll send you probiotics. Hehe, come on, give it up?
[The sparrow I raise at home pecked through the internal wiring of my capsule. I'm sorry.]
- ??? That's just absurd.
- Raising a sparrow is illegal. I'll report you so you can enjoy a nice permanent leave.
└ lolololol
└ Infinite break, I'm jealous.
*'I should be careful from now on.'*
It was an excellent cautionary tale.
* * *
"Hello. I'm Park Hyuk-soo from the indie game developer, Monster."
"Hello."
"First, I'd like to beg your pardon. Our CEO truly wanted to come herself, but with only three days left until the launch of the new title, she's extremely busy."
"That's fine."
There wasn't even anything to understand or not understand.
No matter how small the developer, when comparing the two options—the CEO coming or not coming—it somehow felt more fitting for her *not* to come, at least in a situation like this.
"Yes, yes. So then... um. Shall we begin the explanation once the other person arrives?"
There were still about two minutes left.
"Let's do that."
Seo-jun sucked up the drink sitting on the table through a straw.
And then two minutes passed.
No one came.
Park Hyuk-soo tapped at his phone with a flustered expression.
"Haha, it seems the other streamer will be a bit late. Something came up."
"Oh? How late?"
"About thirty minutes..."
"Hmm..."
Well, that could happen.
"In that case, can you at least tell me who the opponent is now?"
"Wouldn't a surprise be better?"
There are three days left, and you want a surprise? Really?
"If I don't like the opponent, I really might not stamp the contract. I mean it."
"Don't worry! It's someone you know well, Seo-jun-ssi!"
Hmm. Is it Alpaca-nim?
Or was there someone I'm reasonably close with, from *For Justice*, who is a streamer?
Bang-ju said she doesn't really play these games directly, I think.
It feels ominous.
That's only because Tae-woo came to mind.
But if it really is that bastard,
that would mean Tae-woo started getting ready this morning for a four o'clock meeting.
It's already surprising that such a guy could prepare that early, but he prepared that early and then shows up thirty minutes late?
*'Nah, come on. Even a human wouldn't do that.'*
Seo-jun thus excluded Tae-woo on the minimum grounds of common sense.
"Alright. Don't blame me later. Please explain the game first."
"Yes, sir. First, as you saw in the email, our game's title is *Two Heads are Better*."
Thanks to Han Ji-min sorting and summarizing countless games, he had a general idea of most of the games that had come by email.
But since he had chosen this game, he needed to hear a more detailed explanation from the developer's perspective.
Two Heads are Better.
Strictly speaking, it was a title trimmed from the English proverb, "Two heads are better than one."
In a Korean equivalent, it's like 'even a sheet of white paper is easier to carry with two.'
A title that perfectly captures the spirit of a cooperative game.
"The basic story begins when two friends who were developing a game get into a huge fight, development halts, and a magical force traps both of them inside the unfinished game."
Developers.
At this point, Seo-jun voiced a question he'd been wanting to ask.
"Is that half biographical?"
"...I can't say there's no personal element involved. Haha. Anyway, the progression is quite standard."
You cooperate to solve gimmicks and move forward.
The very essence of a co-op game.
And typically with these kinds of games, you can avoid losing your mind only if your partner is smart or has good physical control.
Just then.
Jangle.
The café’s glass door opened with the sound of a bell.
"I'm sorry. I was late..."
And as he confirmed the arrival, Seo-jun nodded with a pleased smile.
What do you know.
It really is Tae-woo?
"I'm not doing it."
He reached a conclusion instantly.
"Sorry? Excuse me?"
I'll say it once more: for a cooperative game not to be infuriating, it requires a partner with an above-average level of intelligence and skill.
I won't say any more.