Chapter 117 – Non-Player V

[Proofreader – Gun]

Chapter 117 – Non-Player V

Now, the appearance of void became poignant.

Once, the graphic of flowing rivers was beautifully rendered in “virtual reality games,” elevated to “AAA games,” then downgraded to ordinary “3D games,” and further regressed to “90s console games.”

Ultimately, it degraded to the level of “dot games.”

Here in this void, no seas, no rivers flowed. Shades of blue, sky blue, and white dots remained fixed.

Hillsides were adorned with modest shades of green and deep green. Trees were hues of dark brown and amber. Rocks were grey. Clouds were white.

Players, now, had transformed into mere dots of flesh color with slight decorations.

“...”

Every 1 year, 3 years, 9 years, 20 years, 50 years when Sim Aryeon logged in, her ‘graphics’ had deteriorated.

From a character that seemed painstakingly crafted by a graphic designer in AAA games, to one that could appear in any typical 3D game, and finally resembling designs from low-resolution games of the 90s.

By the last encounter, if one didn’t know her as Sim Aryeon, she would have appeared as nothing more than a polygonal figure with ‘green hair,’ ‘long hair,’ and ‘a large wooden peg leg (easel).’

SGnet also met its end.

-KoreanVillage: Today, the guild leader NPC enjoyed a mocha.jpeg

-KoreanVillage: Today, the guild leader NPC enjoyed a mocha.png

-KoreanVillage: Today, the guild leader NPC enjoyed a mocha.jpg

-KoreanVillage: Today, the guild leader NPC enjoyed a mocha.jpeg

On the first page of the bulletin board, there was only one post left.

Even that was an old post from quite some time ago.

In the past 100 years, Sim Aryeon had not logged in. Perhaps she too had thought she couldn’t endure this “dying game” any longer.

Seo Gyu had become a player hundreds of years ago, yet SGNet still persisted. This suggested that those “logged out” awakeners hadn’t simply died; they might have been drawn into the realm of the isolated god.

[Service Closure Notice]

Finally.

[Hello, players. This is the Administrator of “Metaphysical Play.”]

[Unfortunately, we have decided to end the service for “Reality Online.”]

[We sincerely thank all players who have enjoyed and loved “Reality Online” up until now.]

[The server for “Reality Online” will shut down in 72 hours.]

Three days.

Until now, it had been an eerie being, concealing its true form for centuries, but now it would emerge from its sanctuary at the moment of global destruction.

I had waited. For over two hundred years, I had clung to the undamaged Dao sword, crossing the river.

And exactly 72 hours later,

[Hello, everyone. This is the Administrator of “Metaphysical Play.”]

Suddenly, in the mosaic sky made of dots, a vivid blue butterfly appeared.

The butterfly had a distinctly different “resolution” compared to its surroundings.

I tried to strike at the being as soon as it came into view, but unfortunately, it didn’t reach the sky. Perhaps that mosaic sky didn’t occupy space at all.

Without concern for my attack, messages continued to appear before me.

[We are considering embarking on a new journey.]

[It may take a very long time to reach a new destination, but we hope to meet you again somewhere at the twisted end of the Möbius strip.]

[Thank you.]

[I really hope to see you again.]

Then.

“Ah, ah, ah, ah!”

From behind, a mechanical sound was heard. It was strangely unfamiliar yet somehow familiar.

With a chill of resentment, I gazed up at the alien-grade being and couldn’t help but turn around in surprise.

There.

“Guild Leader!”

Green dots for hair.

A flesh-colored dot for a face. Eyes and mouth made of black dots.

A dot mass much smaller than myself stood there.

“I’ve come!”

Dot by dot, with exaggerated movements of its arms back and forth, it walked towards me. Step by step. Step by step. Each time its shoes touched the ground, a faint sound effect of footsteps echoed.

The mass of dots embraced my waist tightly. But it was just a sound effect. I felt no sensation on my waist.

I hesitated for a moment before speaking. It had been so long since I conversed with a person that my tongue moved awkwardly.

“...Aryeon?”

“Yes!”

Dot smiled. Perhaps broadly.

Each time it spoke, there followed a digital, buzzing sound effect. The mechanical tones, barely mimicking human voices, rose and fell.

“How did you, no. Why are you here...?”

“Why not! The server’s closing notice came out! I hurriedly logged in! And, well, I wanted to see Guild Leader one last time with you!”

“...”

“Sorry for being late, Guild Leader. Hehe.”

I...

[Notification.]

[The server will automatically shut down in 30 seconds.]

One sentence.

At that moment, I sensed it. This laptop and the Notepad file were nothing other than a supernatural entity left behind by the Outsider, the “Manager of Infinite Amusements,” to me.

Was it a reward for the winner who survived to the end in the game he hosted? Or was this enigmatic Q&A itself another game?

As the 135th version of me, I couldn’t judge.

It was clear, however, that another item was being allocated to my return, following the staff and the staff sword Doha.

“Hmm.”

I typed a response in the Outsider’s Notepad without hesitation.

[ F U C K Y O U ]

....

There was no response from the laptop.

What was the problem?

After a moment’s thought, I realized it was my mistake. The question was in Korean, and I answered in English.

Clearly my fault. I quickly deleted the response and banged the keyboard again.

[좆 이 나 까 잡 수 세 요 개 씨 발 새 끼 야]

[PR/N: ‘F U C K Y O U’ is what the text says, not me tho, im a good person ???? ]

Tick—

The laptop went black. It had turned off on its own.

After that, the laptop remained inactive until it moved on to the next turn, where it turned on again.

It seemed that I only had two chances per turn to answer questions.

10

Here’s the second afterstory.

As I mentioned earlier, even though I obtained the item known as the laptop, I hadn’t succeeded in subduing the Outsider.

Therefore, a temporary solution was necessary.

I gathered Noh Doha and the Saintess and issued a solemn directive.

“If the status window appears, under no circumstances should you ever open it. We must now proceed with the groundwork to ensure this.”

“Hmm...”

“We must be decisive in our means and methods. Under the authority of the Highway Control Bureau and the whispers of the Constellations, continually indoctrinate how harmful the ‘status window’ is.”

“Alright, understood...”

“If the Saintess detects any awakened individuals obsessed with the status window, notify us immediately. The Highway Control Bureau will step in to arrest and imprison these awakened individuals.”

“Yes, Doctor Jang.”

“Those arrested should be sentenced to lifelong imprisonment at hard labor. If necessary, they can even be treated as capital offenders. Creating rumors that they spread like a virus due to mental anomaly should minimize backlash.”

Seventy-two death-row inmates mobilized to eradicate the Inunaki Tunnel. Many of them were awakened individuals imprisoned for the crime of ‘status window viewing.’

My strategy didn’t end there.

“The power of the Logout Game ultimately stems from the fulfillment of rising desires. Inflicting damage visible in numbers, gaining experience points, and leveling up.”

Simply suppressing awakened individuals wasn’t enough to prevent the spread of the ‘status window.’ Where there’s demand, supply inevitably follows.

An alternative was needed to somewhat satisfy people’s desires.

That was the ‘Cafe Hideout.’

-KoreanVillage: (1000m) This gentleman likes quiet cafes but doesn’t dislike bustling ones either. However, the lack of customers at the cafe left him reluctantly renting the place. Come down quickly since you’re bored.

└Baekhwa High School 9th grade: (1200m) ????;;

└KoreanVillage: Idiotᄏᄏ Whether it’s 1000 meters or 1200 meters, there’s not much differenceᄏᄏᄏ

└Baekhwa High School 9th grade: (1200m) The fish is pretty ????;;

└KoreanVillage: Fish? What fish?

└Baekhwa High School 9th grade: (1200m) ᄏ ????;;

└KoreanVillage: ???

Depth system.

I quantified each awakened individual’s grade.

The difference between Level 10 and Level 11 was difficult to discern. However, I clearly designed the depths of 100 meters and 200 meters in the Cafe Hideout, again 300 meters and 400 meters, so everyone could easily see ‘how luxurious the interior and service were.’

That was my strategy.

Establishing a hideout in the Undersea Tunnel to prevent mental aberrations from invading.

Designing the depth system and cafe to fulfill the rising desires of awakened individuals.

Continually spreading awareness about the ‘status window’ through the Highway Control Bureau’s laws and the Constellations’ warnings.

This rigorous defense succeeded, and after completing all precautions by Turn 197, we never faced annihilation by the Logout Game again.

Now, as a regressor, my task is to wait until the exact strategy is developed.

There were no significant problems. As proven in this turn, I was very accustomed to waiting.

Therefore.

“Aryeon-ah.”

“Yes, heh? What’s the matter...?”

“I found a slime on my walk, so I brought it. It’s yours now.”

“Wha-at? I was just feeling like looking for a slime, how did you know...?”

“And this is a donut from your favorite Haeundae bakery. Here.”

“Ho-at? Huh? Is today my birthday? Guild Leader, you’re so kind! A miracle that might last one day out of 700 days...”

Today’s afterstory concludes with us watching over our troublemaker happily eating a donut after playfully bopping a slime with a bat.

“Hehe... Thank you, Guild Leader!”

[Proofreader – Gun]