CH 355.

Chapter 355. The Conquest Bible (2)

Currently, there was no occupation that could replace a Player. No matter how popular a singer or an actor was, Players climbed up the floors with the survival of humanity on the line. So if there was breaking news about them, celebrities were tossed aside.

Like today…

[Breaking news! 4th Floor Another World Cleared.]

[Seo Jun-Ho of the Korean Player Association Kills 4th Floor Boss ‘Erebo’ Alone.]

[Is This the Re-emergence of Specter’s Past Glory? Big 6 Feeling Nervous About Their Place.]

[All Information About Another World’s Season 1 Released.]

[The 4th Floor Has Been Cleared, but Players Still Seem Frustrated. Why?]

Stories about the past Heroes always caught people’s attention. This was especially true for the Players who had returned to their family’s arms after going missing for a few months.

“What a touching reunion! Look how tightly this Player is hugging his wife after being on the 4th floor for six months!”

“This is like a reunion of a family separated by war[1]! You can’t help but tear up.”

Airports all over the world became overloaded. Meanwhile, Seo Jun-Ho was already sitting on a living room sofa, holding a celebration.

‘I saw that person die in my 185th regression… But they lived this time. I’m glad.’

As he quietly watched the TV, he felt a sense of pride that only he could understand.

“Hehe, you guys should’ve seen how that Black bastard ran away at the end,” Rahmadat mused.

“You guys got to fight in a quiet, empty space. There were so many cockroaches in the city,” Skaya complained.

“I thought my shoulders would break from sniping so much. There were so many special entities…” Gilberto muttered.

“I have healed more than a hundred people today… I think my magic has been completely exhausted,” Cha Si-Eun said.

Okay, maybe he wasn’t watching the TV quietly after all.

Seo Jun-Ho sighed as he watched them chatter. “That’s nice and all, but can’t we just rest in peace today?”

“Never! Whenever we clear a Gate or Floor, we laugh, talk, and party! That’s always been our tradition!” Skaya exclaimed.

“Tradition, my ass. That’s the first time I’ve heard of that,” he said, snorting.

Of course, it wasn’t like he disliked this.

‘...It’s nice.’

Actually, he was so happy he couldn’t describe it. He was stuck for much longer on the 4th Floor than the others, so he especially appreciated these small moments.

‘I wonder where Frost went, though.’

The Frost Queen said that there was something she had to do and scampered to her room. He hadn’t seen her since.

[Breaking news. All Cockroaches Have Disappeared, Each Country Reports…]

“What?” Skaya’s eyes went wide as she stared at the TV. “T-they said all the cockroaches disappeared.”

“Hm? Why’re you so surprised? We killed all of them, remember?”

“Not on the 4th Floor, but on Earth.”

Only then did everyone turn to the TV.

“Ooh, it’s true. They said all the cockroaches in the world disappeared at the same time the 4th Floor was cleared.”

“Is that another clear reward? That’s cool.”

Actually, for the past few hours, the people of Earth were affected by the disappearance of cockroaches the most. Even though the 4th Floor had been cleared, they hadn’t actually experienced it themselves. However, the cockroaches’ disappearance was pure happiness to them.

“What a ridiculous reward.” Seo Jun-Ho snorted and sipped his wine.

“Jun-Ho, there was something I wished to ask,” Mio said.

When he glanced up, he could see that she was holding a bottle of banana-flavored makgeoli[2]. She was weak to alcohol, so there was already a slight flush on her face.

“What is it?”

“What is the ‘Seo Jun-Ho difficulty’?

“I don’t know either.”

“How strange. Seo Jun-Ho does not know what the Seo Jun-Ho difficulty is,” she said.

With their interests piqued, the rest of the party looked at him and started talking.

“Wouldn’t it be the same level of difficulty as what you experienced?” Gilberto asked.

“Even if not, it probably involves regressing,” Skaya added.

“It’s not like I haven’t thought about it…” When he thought about other Players going down the same path, he couldn’t help but feel a vague sense of pity. “Most people wouldn’t be able to survive with their minds intact. Wouldn’t there be a problem of safety?”

“Well, the System has never done anything that dangerous and outlandish.”

“Jun-Ho.” Gilberto looked up from the nightscape from his seat at the window. “How long had you been there?”

Seo Jun-Ho was quiet for a moment. He could feel everyone staring at him.

‘This is a sticky situation.’

He swirled his wine glass and considered whether it would be better to tell them the truth or lie for the sake of their own well-being.

“If you still think of us as your comrades, tell us the truth.”

But when he saw Gilberto’s stern, paternal eyes, Seo Jun-Ho had no other choice but to admit defeat.

“You got me beat. It was seventeen years.”

“...How many years?”

“Seventeen.”

“You’re out of your mind. Do you really think you’re a 30-year Ballantine whiskey or something? Why didn’t you tell us earlier?!” Skaya scolded sharply, immediately tapping on her Vita. “Hello? This is the mental hospital, right? Are you still accepting new patients? Well, you see, I wanted to get my friend evaluated to see if he has any mental problems… Hello? Hello?!”

“If there are no mental hospitals in Korea, let us go to Japan. I know a good hospital,” Mio said.

“Miss Mio, Korea and Japan don’t have much of a time difference…” Cha Si-Eun said.

“O-oh, you’re right. Then what shall we do?”

Seo Jun-Ho let out a long sigh as he watched them chatter.

“Everyone, calm down for now and listen to what I have to say.”

He eased his friends and slowly said, “Sigh, okay. Since it’s come to this, I’ll just tell you everything.”

He started telling them his story between sips of wine. How he ended up killing Erebo. What he did leading up to that, and how he passed through the many crises he had to go through.

Once he was finished, it was already morning.

“So, I really do think I’m okay right now.”

He broke, but he had pulled himself back together. Seo Jun-Ho thought that he had become a stronger person because of that ordeal.

‘I couldn’t have done it if I were alone.’

If it weren’t for his friends, they would still be stuck on the 4th Floor. Even if they managed to clear it, it would have been a painful victory with many sacrifices.

“I’m grateful for you guys.”

Despite the sincerity in his words, the others couldn’t hide the guilt on their faces.

[Breaking news.]

“Geez, don’t they have anything better to talk about?” Rahmadat scowled, taking out his frustration on the TV.

[Several Players Who Attempted the Seo Jun-Ho Difficulty Share Their Experiences For the First Time.]

“...!”

It really was breaking news.

The party stared at the TV intensely.

***

When the 4th Floor was cleared, the Players who had been fighting the cockroaches burst into celebration.

“It’s finally over!”

“God, these fucking cockroaches were so gross! I’m gonna buy a ton of Cesco stock once I go back to Earth.”

“Hm… I didn’t level up as much as I expected, though.”

“I didn’t even get to finish the Quests yet. What happens now?”

The Players thought that the end had come all of a sudden. After all, there were many people who were still in the middle of the Quests.

“What the hell? My final rank is only E?”

“That’s good. Mine is F. Are they for real?”

“Just what are the standards?”

If they had caught a lot of cockroaches, it should have been reflected in their scores. But apparently, they couldn’t get a good score just because of that.

Since they vanquished a lot of cockroaches, it should have been reflected in their scores. But apparently, they couldn’t get a decent score just because they killed a lot of cockroaches.

“...”

Even Shin Sung-Hyun squinted. He had killed hundreds of thousands of cockroaches.

‘My rank is only B?’

He was one of the first people to enter the 4th Floor, and he had probably killed the most cockroaches. However, he was only given a B Grade. He had even unlocked the achievement ‘City Commander,’ but it didn’t matter. Since his grade was low, the additional rewards he received were naturally close to nothing. Honestly, he didn’t even really need them.

“I suffered for months, but I only leveled up thirty times?”

“I can’t take it anymore. Hey, System! Come out! I have business with you!”

The Players couldn’t help but feel frustrated. They had killed at least hundreds, if not thousands of cockroaches. They worked hard to complete the Quests without doing anything that should have lowered their scores. Upon seeing their final scores, though, they were furious.

“And what’s with that ranking list?”

If everyone had received similar scores, they wouldn’t have said anything.

However, there was one line on Another World’s ranking list that made them even more furious.

1. Seo Jun-Ho - EX

2. Shin Sung-Hyun - B

3. Wei Chun-Hak - C

…

There was a huge difference between the 1st and 2nd rankings. Moreover, it had only been less than two months since Seo Jun-Ho entered the 4th Floor. Naturally, the other Players couldn’t even begin to wrap their heads around it.

“This is so unfair. Is the System giving him special treatment because he used to be a Hero?”

“It isn’t just that. He entered the 4th Floor way later than Shin Sung-Hyun, so how is that possible?”

“I can’t take this anymore. I’m going to go see for myself what he did to receive an EX grade.”

The impatient ones went back up to the 4th Floor, not even a day after they went back down to Earth. They wanted to attempt the ‘Seo Jun-Ho difficulty’ for themselves.

And they came back down only a few hours later with pale faces...

“Why do you look like that?”

“What was the Seo Jun-Ho difficulty actually like?”

“What’s so different about it? Hurry up and tell us.”

Under the barrage of questions, the Players couldn’t do anything but scratch their heads and say the same thing.

“Well, um… After going through all that, I think the EX grade is well deserved.”

“After what I saw, I realized just how much of a great achievement Master Specter had achieved.”

Of course, their attitudes changed instantly. Stories about the Seo Jun-Ho difficulty started popping up all over.

“Wait, so what you’re saying is that you do it from Seo Jun-Ho’s perspective, and you have to clear the Floor alone?”

“The only good thing is that the monsters were weaker to match my level.”

“Plus, they gave you all kinds of support skills, so you don’t go crazy.”

“...Wait. Then Specter actually went through that impossible difficulty?”

Thanks to that, the animosity aimed at Specter only lasted for a day. A discussion board for the ‘Seo Jun-Ho’ difficulty was even created in Community.

- I mean, even considering that we start off with the 5 Heroes and the Sword Saint as our comrades, this is way too hard.

- Yeah. Especially because we can’t get rid of this fucking Exterminator Skill. Erebo came and killed me while I was killing cockroaches.

- Fr lol I was panicking and then he started spewing some bs about being his ‘natural enemy’. Then my head went flying;;

- Has anyone tried Mio’s food, though? Am I the only one who thought it was bad?

- You don’t know anything. Mio has taken all sorts of lessons since she was young, so there’s nothing she can’t do.

- Back to the original topic. I think there’s some hidden route. This is impossible to do normally.

Seeing the reactions on the TV and Community, Seo Jun-Ho and the others’ eyes grew wide.

The first one to speak was Gilberto. “This is bad. Now the rest of the world knows about Mio’s cooking.”

“It is but a groundless rumor. You all said it was good,” Mio said.

“...” Skaya avoided Mio’s eyes and changed the subject. “Anyway, seems like our theory on the Seo Jun-Ho difficulty was correct.”

“So the Players take on Jun-Ho’s perspective and clear the Floor.”

“Then shouldn’t we start off by getting the diary?”

The party members started discussing it with hushed voices.

“I’m asking just in case, but you guys aren’t going to attempt it, are you?” he asked carefully.

“...”

“...”

They all stared at him.

Rahmadat crossed his arms. “Jun-Ho, weren’t you the one who said that you became really strong after clearing the 4th Floor?”

“That’s… True. I gained seventeen years of experience, and I leveled up a ton.”

“Then have you ever thought about what our relationship would become if we all go up to the 5th Floor like this?”

Seo Jun-Ho’s eyes narrowed. “Are you trying to say that I’d abandon you guys? Just because there’s a difference in strength?”

“...You don’t have to be so defensive.” Gilberto let out a small sigh. “There was something you told me a long time ago while you were training me. You told me never to stop training so that I can always have your back as a reliable sniper.”

“Gilbe, that’s—”

“I don’t want you to keep carrying me just because we’re friends or because we used to be teammates.”

“Yeah, we don’t want that.”

“...”

Seo Jun-Ho shut his mouth. He had a very strong sense of pride, but so did his friends.

‘Was I… only thinking of myself?’

Because he had suffered through it himself, he didn’t want his friends to go through the same thing.

But now, he realized that his thoughts had been selfish.

‘I didn’t consider how they’d feel left behind.’

Comrades had to have each other’s backs. All five of them agreed on that.

“We’d basically be thieves if we expect rewards after not doing anything.”

“You spent seventeen long years there, but to us, it was only two months. Less than that, actually.”

“If we want to keep fighting together, we have to close the gap between you and us.”

Even though they had almost lost each other after their fight with the Frost Queen, they wouldn’t let it happen this time.

“Because we made a promise...”

A promise to clear the Floors together and an oath to trust each other.

Seo Jun-Ho scoffed.

“...You guys sound so cheesy right now.”

He didn’t want to accept it, but he understood their feelings. He would have done the same thing if the roles were reversed.

“Do whatever you want.” Leaving those words, Seo Jun-Ho left the living room. He didn’t give them any kind of useless encouragement, like telling them to stay strong or that they could do it.

It was all because he trusted them.

“Look how embarrassed the kid is.” Rahmadat snorted and turned to the rest of the party members. “I’m planning to go up right away. What will you guys…”

Just then, there was a click as the door opened. They all turned, thinking that Seoo Jun-Ho had returned, but they could only blink thanks to what they saw.

“What, it’s the shortie?”

The Frost Queen stepped into the room, looking a little tired. She had spent the whole day confined in her room. She collapsed onto the couch and said absentmindedly, “I happened to hear your conversation. You all intend to attempt the Seo Jun-Ho difficulty?”

“Yeah.”

“Hm, it will be difficult…The path that Contractor took was not an easy one…”

“Hey, kid. What are you trying to say?” Rahmadat directly asked.

The Frost Queen tapped on her tablet, and a hologram window appeared. “This is a guide to clearing the 4th Floor. Would you like to buy it? Because you lot are my Contractor’s friends, I shall sell these to you at a discounted price of 300 PP, no further discounts.”

“...”

Seo Jun-Ho was on his way to meet Shim Deok-Gu for the first time in a while, and he blinked.

[You have been gifted 300 PP.]

[You have been gifted 300 PP.]

[You have been gifted 300 PP.]

…

“What’s going on? A bug?”

1. This phrase is often specifically used for families that were separated by the Korean war. They were scattered all over the world due to the diaspora. There were also many families that became split between the North and South, and the two countries have since organized several cross-border reunions.

2. Makgeoli is very weak, typically around 6-9% alcohol by volume.