Chapter 34
v55It took me a moment to remember, as if I had to retrieve that forgotten memory from the depths of my mind.NMWdum
UJ0w0IIt had been far too long since I had last thought about it.aeJF4j
0EfyG‘Maybe I really have seen him…’XoHBD
i9BLRFsTo be more precise, it wasn’t that we had known each other, but that there was a possibility he knew me.FWNd
KdU‘But that doesn’t make any sense.’y8UFm72
YiDGinIt had happened a very long time ago.iECe
aj9FAnd I wasn’t someone who had left a memorable impression.3sR3R
Ov8VWgCSomeone like the Chairman of the Cheongang Group would be surrounded by extraordinary people.9v03y
AOA4MC9He had no reason to remember me, nor the time to do so.4kaK9
pWHHe was someone who stood at a height far beyond my reach.a9C
Z2mMfqx“If that is your wish, Mr. Han Goyo, I will arrange a meeting with the Chairman of the Cheongang Group.”QIQ0B
Qz16H8“With… the Chairman?”e4KRawO
67p“Yes.”ujm
8PAGGP3Samra looked at me as though he didn’t understand what the problem was.UwIqr
nyICould I really meet the Chairman of one of the country’s largest conglomerates simply because I wanted to?QFM5myB
ghkFiI didn’t know whether it was thanks to the authority of the Trial Response Agency or Samra himself, but I was completely bewildered.hzncYw
X96w5J0In any case, I needed Proper Appearance.t0cjb
vpIMjIt was an item that would be tremendously helpful in Clean! Clean! Clean!EzLM
PHSqBack when I used to play that Trial, I had thought countless times,Rny92Q2
KB4‘I wish I had Proper Appearance.’c5D7gV
h4rXSI finally made my decision.cISDT
6xbCQUW“I want to meet him.”mR4xIcK
fW6“Understood.”zbaW7M
sWCdSamra stared into empty space for a few moments.07io
MN67HZ9He seemed to be contacting someone.MrCN4
ZlM1XXnThe light in his holographic pupils glowed softly.Lwc3
G3ZTAs I watched him, a question suddenly came to mind.PCrvU
VidedyY‘How does he go outside?’mgA
I06He would probably cover himself up completely like Lieutenant Colonel Je did.NrhOo
1XlYxaOBut even with protective goggles, there was still the problem of his hair.AAp6O
LrW4To completely conceal the holographic light, he would have to wrap his head in something like a cloth.AtV
fmjXv4LWhile I wasted time on such pointless thoughts, Samra finished the call.wn3W
VG7j“In two days. Lunch at twelve.”vbpHD
KlUU“…Can you really arrange an appointment with the Chairman that easily?”hxe
wXP“Why not?”gv4ylcF
wy8uIt seemed my reaction was what he didn’t understand.yhjX
BK1BYxL“At this moment, there is no one in South Korea more important than Mr. Han Goyo.”R6EjMV
65HHearing him naturally place me above the Chairman of the Cheongang Group, I could only smile awkwardly.LvSsu
WLIZSamra was probably the only person who thought that way.nP92yW
VelAfter confirming the meeting, he looked at me once again.t8Oz0
uOzDy“How are you feeling physically?”AtAD
B8Fp“I’m fine.”V82CA
tPKykSamra knew all of my biometric data.483Yf
D6zNyJjHe probably knew my condition better than I did.4w8ZN
REnj4KAs expected, the real question came next.qScP5ny
3inXPT“I would like to know why you chose to approach the Trial in such a reckless manner.”IQxlIq5
7Yw7There was no point in lying to him, so I answered honestly.QHzAMw
Guo8“I wanted to become the greatest contributor. I wanted to prove to the Trial Response Agency that I’m necessary.”ovk69I
df1SM“Was my testimony not enough?”ROff
tHlK9V3“No, that’s not it. Thanks to you, I was able to become a recruit… I just… wanted to make absolutely sure. It was purely my own ambition.”AeC
0jYAs I hurriedly tried to justify myself, Samra watched me without blinking even once.ZbQNhp9
gBDrf3There was a silent reproach in that inhuman gaze.UKKeqW7
HPB8LIEven before entering Dead Zone Delivery, Samra had made the priority perfectly clear to me.Z1yZ
1KxN“At this moment, Mr. Han Goyo is a unique and irreplaceable existence.”GU1o8MU
4XQhwRemembering those words, I put on the most remorseful expression I could manage.6gxJq1
zKlHcg“I’ll be more careful from now on.”YD142D
60mSamra continued looking at me for a few more seconds.QKA
fw2lFortunately, he decided to change the subject.fj0
oiIkH“There is something I need to confirm regarding the items you obtained.”2Wl
RKaNaWWI waited attentively, ready to cooperate.aeocxZn
GrjEY“It is not possible to extract the items you obtained. Is this an ability unique to you?”td95L
3ZKjMr“…Excuse me?”dlsmwg
jvGZmoIt was a completely incomprehensible question.JzaDS
rZkExtract items?sd4Fs
DrCtDHI had never heard of such a thing.1EU
5pQSeeing my bewildered expression, Samra immediately realized I knew nothing about it and began explaining.MC3KCq
MaItouA“The Trial Response Agency extracts the items obtained by its Awakened when they complete a Trial.”mQq
pFIySwGIt was completely new information.SQyOLy
u1Kz5r‘Extract…?’X8V8A8o
Oc9BjCHow exactly did they do that?7AC
wvTzfThe word itself made me feel somewhat uncomfortable.CYi4hC
FDMuAlthough, if the items became state property because they belonged to military personnel, I could understand it.D2dh
TBu3NsM‘Even so, if they obtain a good item, I suppose they receive some kind of reward.’pGnS8K
yApwHiIAfter all, Lieutenant Colonel Je and the Captains risked their lives every time they entered a Trial.WwEdP
ra5viSIt would only be logical for there to be some kind of compensation.5vkr
SGgOnce my initial discomfort faded, another question came to mind.ztsYz4B
DuDetIIt was strange that I knew nothing about this.bnLaVol
xkG5While playing Archive World, I had gathered all kinds of information.f3aH
1m1El6sI even knew numerous secrets that could be considered classified.PFo
nRTiaBIt made no sense for me to be ignorant of something so basic that even an administrative employee of the Trial Response Agency would know.h2VO3RD
1i3Even assuming the Developer had deliberately hidden that information, the reason still wasn’t clear.tzKe
oGgbKY‘Hide it from the player because it was a negative aspect? But why?’K5q2I
aAdOYLIt didn’t seem sufficient as a strategy to keep players engaged.AvJ8
1vJKmTJ“I knew absolutely nothing about extraction. Likewise, I don’t know why the items I obtained can’t be extracted.”sFJyd
aW7HSamra’s pupils expanded before contracting again.K2iOtq
TCkBased on my physical reactions, he seemed to have concluded that I was telling the truth.ueX
NkuR“When (Happy Smile Factory) was completed, the extraction failed. We attempted a second extraction, but Director Han Jiwol requested that it be suspended in order to collect physiological data, and I agreed.”NjnQ
1V2GnDAnd when they attempted to extract the items after completing (Dead Zone Delivery), it failed as well.JeekT
BTCrIt was something I had been completely unaware of.vkfNBFp
IopDIt had probably happened while I was still unconscious.Wjy
eRZAfter finishing his explanation, Samra asked,9Lq8
KPXj“Could you show me the items you obtained?”4sBqMK
6fuPerfect.Vaf
9QR7I thought it was a good opportunity to ask him to listen to the music.M5S8o
Gz43I took the small candy and the portable music player, with its wired earphones carefully wrapped around it, out of my inventory and handed them to him.UijIKVj
uzQr2K“Happy Smile Candy and a Portable Music Player.”jEF
ijGyQPWHowever, upon receiving them, Samra wore a strange expression.wFBDN2N
gfW“These…”rxykU
b7MJHe looked at me as though he couldn’t believe it.euMU
4wP“They are bound items.”D1H1
RxanIKItems obtained as rewards for completing a Trial would sometimes become bound to an Awakened.ux9QIu
DtcnXWhen that happened, only that Awakened could use them.Z063I
QGDKHowever, such cases were extremely rare; only a handful had ever been documented worldwide.qFh7T
CB0QIAnd every item I had obtained belonged to that category.BrspH
lmZrTwo in a row.2fxAnA
LyV8A1Unlike me, who was bewildered, Samra seemed to grow increasingly interested.LBOG
mPiM3I1“There should be no connection between completing a True Ending and an item becoming bound. What kind of items are they?”Eq1GZdU
06pY“Ah… well…”3lr9i
rV8ypNbSomewhat embarrassed, I read the descriptions aloud.0SgepYc
Ldx“A candy that makes the person who eats it feel happy and smile, and a music player containing a cassette with 666 cheerful songs. According to the description, listening to the music makes you feel happy.”nBU2W1R
YS0WWI was just about to try convincing him that the items could be useful, before he concluded that I had brought back nothing but useless junk.i6p4Y
pjsH0But I stopped.H0X40
gQItSamra’s eyes were shining intensely.LFei
6ojyl7So intensely that the small room seemed to be completely illuminated.fze6P
b1B2“Samra, could you lower the brightness of your eyes a little…?”Dlu6
ca01jI almost had to close my own because of the intensity of the light.SVwFzJy
dKOBYSamra blinked for the first time since entering the room, and the glow returned to normal.8DElMU
nSOo“This is the first time an item capable of affecting emotions has appeared. It undoubtedly has some significance.”ogP
q3IAfter carefully examining both items for a while, he returned them to me.OfSFKJ
5GPwAfter all, they were bound to me.IWUPyVI
zkpX3lAnd there was also the possibility that I would have to use them inside a Trial.V147qu
0cGyIn return, I promised to provide him with any information I discovered once I used them.UbzNl5C
lHTigTw“Also, regarding the creator, we have located a user who watched his broadcasts and played the game.”DptVWLM
EkqKNEI“…!”i96C6
XWSThat truly caught me by surprise.bIR7bA1
0VENIf my eyes emitted light as well, they probably would have shone just as brightly.SI6
Of2N“However, this person is extremely difficult to obtain testimony from, so we are exploring various methods.”pfqPS2
flnVThey could arrange a lunch with the Chairman of the Cheongang Group, yet they couldn’t manage to speak with this person?j5d
NLBtdWho in the world was this person for even Samra to say it was difficult?PDKwN7
HwiEven so, I was convinced that even if I asked, he wouldn’t tell me.Wlan
bu6Ic‘If he could tell me, he would have already done so.’dsL
q1XOWXSo I decided not to press the matter.7PD6Dx
25edKzSamra then asked whether I needed anything else.5D8HLc
Xj80I replied that I didn’t.AwjI
eLBsLEI simply took the opportunity to make one request.yLkmY7v
aXic0gWhen they gave me a mobile phone, I wanted him to prevent my MTube algorithm from recommending AI-generated videos.qg7
47JI sometimes watched animal videos to pass the time, but lately almost all of them were fake.LHwZXyS
iHTPAfter saying goodbye to him, I remained alone in the room, staring at the closed door.QREL
chIf‘Isn’t he going to ask about my eyes?’QgULZZG
mKayVSamra never once mentioned the change in my eye color that had occurred inside the Trial.vLI
cs0Dk8I didn’t know whether he had simply decided not to bring it up or whether those who had entered with me had never reported it.1QYI
GLgKGArAs for me, I had no interest in stirring up a hornet’s nest.glTwi
4p1Pv4vSo I remained silent.TqWUzY0
eeIAI‘I’d better get some rest.’hYIW
WIl8LtRight now, recovering was the most important thing.9id9o
dPqEJ1f***i0Nb20
DfQjz9PUntil the day of my lunch with the Chairman of the Cheongang Group, Han Jiwol appeared in my room several times.nenq
ahNskFortunately, every time, Samra found a different and surprisingly effective way to drive her away.t2cw1g
GB2WFA1Sometimes the door would lock automatically.n3Gw
xD0E3fqOther times, an urgent call for the Director would come over the speakers.Lf024c
nsoThanks to that, I was able to focus on recovering without losing a single additional gram of fingernails.1rGqtv
ofmmzxmOn the day of the appointment, Samra came to pick me up.gUzXZ
lzITupI had already changed into the civilian clothes they had provided.gXS
ktY4The moment I saw him, my eyes widened.tlQYTk
hRcWJfkHe was wearing a light-colored suit.N8ikMj
2MzF7Both his hair and his eyes were beige.iUW5KpI
BfZEven now he still stood out, but compared to the usual colors of his hologram, he looked like a model student.xIYay
QYAE“How did you do that?”J3fH
v2PYSamra smiled faintly at my reaction.BAWp
vhurE“I used an item.”JFdH
3dr“Wow…”ZeiVGP7
2Q0I had an overwhelming urge to ask him which Trial he had obtained it from and exactly what kind of item it was.jMXVt
sS9zBut I restrained myself.ALDiM
T2LBc“Lieutenant Colonel Je also possesses a similar item.”99HDF
wTKzjThat only made me even more curious.ropNKx
6UtEven so, I didn’t ask.0aC
m20BcThere was another person from the Trial Response Agency accompanying us.im30ml
vrpbzsIt could have been classified information.jMy
OuMeWe arrived in a black sedan at a place that made me feel an overwhelming sense of pressure.n9vI
kktim“Uh… are we having lunch… at the Chairman of the Cheongang Group’s residence?”rmbw
qDq“That’s right.”7kscW
4Fpam2hWhile Samra saw no problem with it, I stared at the enormous mansion in Hannam-dong.hV5M
YAUiXhI had imagined something much simpler.Nj5h
AQ4HzuI thought we would eat in a private room at a traditional restaurant, like in TV dramas.Nnoxd
onFI had never imagined a situation that was far more intimidating.OqUbW
fqkUcRKAs I stood frozen in front of the gate.sv2r7r
DKqnJA large van, the kind celebrities usually rode in, came to a smooth stop.vTkBcAo
zkVzThe door opened.iyn4g62
KN6XUAAnd the first thing I heard was an irritated voice.V0DlN
FA1aVwA“What kind of charity event is Grandma trying to put together this time?”W5N6
96TAMhxA woman in a suit stepped out first.PaLB2uE
xlHZtHThen another strikingly beautiful woman got out, frowning in obvious annoyance.V8L
Mb7eI5cIt was Kang Byeokrin.cZuKE1
dmJERThe great-granddaughter of the Chairman of the Cheongang Group.TKBYj1
fFTntShe was well known even among ordinary people.21A
deFht5Her extraordinary beauty had made her a genuine social media celebrity.IyDppd6
uMQVAlthough I also knew she wasn’t exactly kind-hearted.kLpF
fIFpRN“I already told you I’m not going to associate with ordinary people!”jvWC
QFGP…That definitely seemed to be true.6TBu
97LJG“If you hire mediocre people, you’ll get mediocre results. I’m already in a bad enough mood lately without Grandma making me…”35VzW
0KhRWYSuddenly, Kang Byeokrin stopped mid-sentence.gExx8
nZ3iOliShe had just noticed Samra and me standing in front of the gate.O3PKRps
OiyAuI tried to greet her first.xKmaQm
IXBqPmGBut I never got the chance.nQ6Xygg
1awUFor some reason, Kang Byeokrin was staring at me as if she had just suffered a devastating shock.046W2p
WzMNot even running into Lieutenant Colonel Je in the middle of the night would have produced such a stunned expression.9ag4
YEAu94She stood frozen, staring at me as though she had lost her soul.LPlbXE
m1mThen she suddenly shouted,ggxLTkC
DoUOA“W-wait! Just a moment! My clothes! I’m going to change! I’ll be right back! No, actually, come in! Director Woo, please escort them!”lJvxgd5
NdLioThe next instant, she ran into the house.B1OCHU
dyIwI stood there motionless and looked at Samra.6APG
8vXWUj2I tried to convey with my eyes,IXjYy1
1tW8‘This hasn’t all fallen apart, has it?’GgKfTb5
cu39ZyBut Samra simply replied with a meaningful smile.INB2C7
tWqXC“Everything is proceeding as planned.”wI8Z2
wcjys***6Mwhl
zUbC7IKang Byeokrin raced up the stairs.yPD
yb7Normally, she took the elevator to the third floor, where her room was.uqHsWX
zUhfoBut the thought never even crossed her mind.pSM
3fQAHFuShe sprinted up all three flights in one go.GMN
aM3fmBreathing heavily, she reached the door of the room at the very end of the hallway.3aEBZL
PhP7Neither the cleaning staff nor even Director Woo were allowed to enter it freely.f8Jj
hzXYnDWith trembling hands, she grasped the doorknob.SAv1FTx
3xkThe door slowly opened.TSI4O
50mThe room inside was revealed.cX3dqi
Rlv4hfIt was filled with posters, photographs, photocards, plush dolls, and all kinds of official and unofficial merchandise.4CM6wcr
hdWEvery single item belonged to one person.ZlB
qZSN0AAlthough there weren’t many different kinds of merchandise, there were enough duplicates to completely fill the enormous room.O5NCf
KRkFalStanding before a display case where the same item was repeated dozens of times, Kang Byeokrin staggered closer.WqE
ssw“M-my goodness…”EFqcoi
xKj6IHer face completely red, she murmured,16BE
27E“What is Goyo doing in my house…?”sxSgF
M4jFftNKang Byeokrin was a fan of the professional gamer Goyo.2rj4HS
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dihnblls 300
Golden Coresaying this to an AI is so funny but yes
dihnblls 300
Golden Core👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀
dihnblls 300
Golden Core👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀
Sara Mos
MortalOmg they didn’t say he was THAT famous