Chapter 9: End-game Content is Bullying Newbies?

Let’s put aside the problem of how to handle the gathering crowd for a moment. I switched my chat tabs. The guild chat, which had been silent yesterday, was now lighting up.

[Guild] VeggieSteamedBun: OUR EONHA><!!!!!!!! [Guild] VeggieSteamedBun: It’s Seonhwa Noona><!!!!!!! [Guild] BlueberryWhiskey: Hi Noona, it’s been a while. [Guild] JustOneHitOppa: ㅡㅡ Senior, why do you only favor Eonha? [Guild] VeggieSteamedBun: Change your nickname if you’re salty ^^

Bong Seonhwa, who apparently took a half-day off just to play, welcomed me. Seeing Han Kyutae act so flip, they must have gotten close in-game while I was gone. Back in school, Seonhwa Noona was close with me and Seongjin, while she and Kyutae were barely on speaking terms.

[Guild] VeggieSteamedBun: Eonha-ya~ [Guild] VeggieSteamedBun: Noona will carry you>< [Guild] VeggieSteamedBun: What level do you want to hit? [Guild] JujiyukLim: Hey, Eonha cleared Nightmare. Do you think you’re even capable of carrying him? LOL [Guild] VeggieSteamedBun: Shut up, Im Wonjae. [Guild] BlueberryWhiskey: Wonjae Hyung is here too? [Guild] JujiyukLim: Yep ㅋㅋ [Guild] VeggieSteamedBun: Eonha, just ignore him ^^

Im Wonjae was the same age as Bong Seonhwa, but because he took an extra year to get into college, he was one academic year below her. The two of them, who were always bickering in the department lounge like sworn enemies, hadn’t changed a bit in the game.

By the way, is this a department reunion or something?

[Guild] BlueberryWhiskey: Does this guild only have people from our school? [Guild] VeggieSteamedBun: Akkkk LMAO No, nooooo ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ [Guild] VeggieSteamedBun: We did start it with department friends [Guild] VeggieSteamedBun: But there are other people too ㅋㅋㅋㅋ [Guild] VeggieSteamedBun: Eonha, our guild is ranked 3rd! >< [Guild] BlueberryWhiskey: Noona, are you playing from work? [Guild] JujiyukLim: ㅋㅋㅋ [Guild] JujiyukLim: Did you hear that, Bong Seonhwa? [Guild] JujiyukLim: Just quit your job at this point. [Guild] VeggieSteamedBun: *** Shut up ^^ [Guild] JustOneHitOppa: Go Wonjae Hyung! ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

They seem to be getting along well.

As I watched the bickering guild chat, a sudden chill ran down my spine. I widened my field of vision, which had been focused on the chat, only to find the surroundings silent once more. An extreme stillness where not even a mouse could be seen.

‘Sephiroth is currently slaughtering in Jerome’s Field at the Newbie Zone village entrance! Escape immediately!’

The timely fanfare shout made my blood run cold.

[Guild] VeggieSteamedBun: So, where is our Eonha ><?? [Guild] VeggieSteamedBun: Jerome’s Field? I’m running there now ><!! [Guild] BlueberryWhiskey: Uh… wait a minute, Noona. [Guild] BlueberryWhiskey: I think Sephiroth? That crazy guy is right here. [Guild] JujiyukLim: ? [Guild] JujiyukLim: Sephiroth?

“What are you staring at?”

I didn’t have time to answer Wonjae Hyung’s question. A voice that sounded like it was echoing from the depths of a midnight cavern approached me while I stood blankly typing. I didn’t even need to ask who it was. It was a voice I had heard enough to be sick of yesterday.

I slowly straightened my back. As expected, it was Sephiroth.

Sephiroth’s head was about a full head higher than mine. I’d never been told I was short, but looking up to talk felt incredibly awkward.

I wanted to make eye contact, but I couldn’t find his eyes hidden inside the helmet. I settled for staring at the dark, hollow slits where I assumed his eyes were.

He doesn’t actually plan on following me around like this every day, does he?

He couldn’t. I had no use for a stalker in my gaming life. I had to persuade this madman somehow and say goodbye.

I cleared my throat. I felt unnecessarily nervous. Now was the time to put the Psychology of Persuasion lecture to good use.

“Excuse me, Sephiroth-nim.”

Ignoring my call, Sephiroth gave a completely unrelated answer.

“You haven’t leveled up yet.”

“As a ranker, aren’t you ashamed of bullying a low-level player? Huh?”

“Nope. Not ashamed.”

I had questioned him politely, but this unrefined bastard was even more shameless than I thought. He even added more nonsense.

“And I’m not bullying you. I’m suggesting a fair fight.”

“When a college student asks a kindergartener for a ‘fair fight,’ we call that bullying.”

“So, our BlueberryWhiskey is a kindergartener?”

“Since when was I your BlueberryWhiskey?”

As Sephiroth lightly stroked his chin, his heavy armor clanked with a bizarre metallic sound. I knew he was a guy you couldn’t talk sense into, but I didn’t realize it could be this bad. I cut him off before he could spout more nonsense.

“Whatever, none of that matters. You don’t actually plan on following me around every day, right?”

“If you log in every day, then probably?”

“Why don’t you go do your own quests?”

“I’ve already seen all the end-game content.”

So you’re saying bullying me is your end-game content.

I was speechless. My Psychology of Persuasion professor said you could persuade anyone if you followed the lessons, but I should have realized that class was a failure when I couldn’t even persuade him as to why I deserved an A+.

Simply put, we weren’t communicating.

“What the—”

I was contemplating how to deal with him when suddenly, the pressure radiating from Sephiroth changed.

The way he gripped his axe reminded me of yesterday’s trauma. I instinctively took a defensive stance. Step. Sephiroth moved. I twisted my body to dodge.

…Or at least I tried, until Sephiroth dashed right past me toward something behind my back.

“…Where is that bastard going?”

[Guild] VeggieSteamedBun: Ugh, it really is Sephiroth ㅠㅅㅠ [Guild] VeggieSteamedBun: Ah, f*ck; I died instantly ㅠㅅㅠ [Guild] JustOneHitOppa: Lol Noona, that emoticon really doesn’t suit you.

The answer to my murmur erupted in the guild chat. While Seonhwa Noona was spewing curses about being killed by Sephiroth, the man who had vanished behind me returned leisurely to my front.

“…What did you just do?”

“Pest control.”

A calm, steady voice offered a shameless answer.

[Guild] JujiyukLim: Want a revive? [Guild] VeggieSteamedBun: Do you even know the ‘Fanatic’? ㅋㅋ [Guild] VeggieSteamedBun: If you come near here, you’ll get your head taken too ^^ [Guild] JujiyukLim: I know ㅋㅋㅋ [Guild] JujiyukLim: Let’s just lie here together ㅋㅋㅋ [Guild] PoongPoongieLove: No, no, Noona, I’m coming.

Seeing even Park Seongjin’s chat—who had been quiet all day—made my blood boil.

Why the hell is this guy messing around after killing my precious friend? Someone who even took a half-day off to come carry me.

Forget the Psychology of Persuasion; I no longer hid my displeasure. I could imagine my face scrunched up in annoyance, but I had no intention of smoothing it out. I realized once again that being polite to a madman only makes you look like easy prey.

“That person is my friend, you know?”

“So?”

“She came here to carry me, you son of a b*tch.”

“Ah, is that so?”

Asking back nonchalantly in a monotone voice, Sephiroth started walking toward the direction where Seonhwa Noona’s body presumably was.

Wait, why is he going back there? Panicked, I chased after him.

“Hey! Are you going to dismember her or something? Seriously, knock it off!”

Can you actually mutilate corpses in this game? Isn’t that too dangerous? Doesn’t the ESRB need to re-evaluate the violence?

Seonhwa Noona finally came into view. The lying corpse was an Elf Archer with a bow. I thought it was just like her to pick something pretty, but then, fearing he might actually desecrate the Elf, I grabbed Sephiroth’s shoulder.

“Hey, you really—!”

Then, Sephiroth pulled out a purple Resurrection Scroll and ripped it.

[Guild] VeggieSteamedBun: Woah. [Guild] VeggieSteamedBun: Unreal. [Guild] VeggieSteamedBun: The Fanatic just revived me!!!!!!!! [Guild] JujiyukLim: Are you dreaming?

“Happy?”

“Uh, yeah… Thanks.”

“Not you.”

Sephiroth, who had coldly answered Seonhwa Noona—who thanked him in a daze—turned toward me. I couldn’t see his face at all, but for some reason, I felt like I was looking at a cat that had brought a dead mouse and was waiting for a compliment.

This guy… he doesn’t actually think he did something good, does he?

I was so flabbergasted that I grabbed Sephiroth’s wrist. I couldn’t bring myself to tell Seonhwa Noona in front of her face that Sephiroth killed her because of me. Sephiroth stared blankly down at the wrist I was holding.

“Hey, come over here.”

[Guild] VeggieSteamedBun: WTF HUGE NEWS Eonha is dragging the Fanatic away by the wrist [Guild] VeggieSteamedBun: And the Fanatic is actually just… going along with it? [Guild] JujiyukLim: They say when people die, adrenaline causes them to see hallucinations. [Guild] VeggieSteamedBun: Shut up ^^

The guild chat was flashing constantly, which was distracting. Once I judged we were far enough away from Seonhwa Noona, I let go of his arm. Sephiroth tilted his head.

“Are you moved?”

“Please, if you’re going to spout nonsense, just shut up.”

Harsh words burst out before I could stop them. I clenched my teeth and forced a smile. Eonha. You are an intellectual. You are an intellectual.

“You… do you plan on killing every player who approaches me?”