Chapter 13

Chapter 13
The soul entity residing inside this band plainly recognized Luna Moon and Hayden. If it did not, the designation Luna Moon’s Friend would never have activated, nor would it have responded to Commander Hayden at all. Still, that was the limit of my deduction. Among the non-player characters familiar with Luna Moon and Hayden, I could not picture a single one trapped inside such an accessory. An acquaintance of Luna Moon who was likewise pleased to encounter Hayden, no less… No such character existed within the Safe Zones. At least, not in the version of the game I played. This realm clearly deviated from the original software in various aspects. This universe was not an exact match to Safe Zone. I needed to bear that distinction in mind moving forward. Those convinced they possess total awareness are invariably the ones destined to shatter everything. For the moment, I chose to park the dilemma and analyze it later. Aside from the way it had illuminated and hovered upon our initial discovery, plus the rising heat whenever I encountered Hayden, the artifact possessed no notable traits. Beyond that warmth, I remained unconvinced it held any tangible power, making it unlikely to pose a threat. I swept thoughts of the band aside, stretched out on the bed, and reviewed the system interface once more, only to recall an entirely neglected detail. I had left Home Protector’s partnership overture marked as read all day. We had been thrust into a digital simulation where casualties occurred without a second thought, yet someone had engineered a gentle, cozy little system feature labeled friend requests. Whoever dumped us into this setting possessed a deeply sarcastic sense of humor. I clicked open the community message board. The remaining participants had apparently typed very little since morning. Hang on… once users establish a mutual connection, direct private messaging becomes accessible, correct? Home Protector had already dispatched an invitation. The others might have linked up with each other and conversed privately the entire time. When I checked the pending request roster to accept Home Protector’s, applications from several other users were sitting there as well. A partnership invitation has arrived from Home Protector. Accept? A partnership invitation has arrived from Shin. Accept? A partnership invitation has arrived from ImNotCrying Thats JustSweat. Accept? A partnership invitation has arrived from Dentist. Accept? Dentist. That individual had come across as highly defensive, making it surprising that he initiated the contact. Ssapasuble and Druggy transmitted no connection requests. Either they saw no need for private dialogue, or they maintained a quiet suspicion toward me. One or the other. I approved solely Home Protector’s petition, then, following a brief hesitation, attempted to dispatch one to Tibalom. Negative. System notification: Tibalom has declined your connection request. Immediate rejection? This stubborn jerk was monitoring events the entire time while feigning detachment. I clicked my tongue as a direct message arrived from Home Protector. What were you so busy with that you are only accepting now? Busy with a route. Cola Area, so you are running the illegitimate son route? He had previously followed my online channel, so naturally he anticipated my chosen paths. Meanwhile, I understood precisely which track Home Protector would be managing within the Tobacco Area. You on the disciple route? Yep. Even while executing that path I worried I would land in the exact same sector as you lol. So your possessed identity is Heydam Goodman? Yep. What identity did you choose? Sherlock Holmes lmao. This unemployed leech possessed zero shame. So why were you circulating the convenience store location? It was fascinating! Never imagined broadcasting a convenience store address would result in mass possession. Fair point. That outcome fell well outside predictable variables. The other players assume I was the one who distributed it. A misunderstanding. You hold broad recognition, so your handle is simply the only one that stuck in their minds. True… reflecting on it, what would Home Protector even have known? I was the original poster regarding the convenience store, after all. Most participants in the general chat room displayed no genuine hostility toward me either. At least, not outwardly. The sole real complication was that Tibalom had dropped into a sector practically engineered to harbor a grudge against me. Come to think of it, Shin harbors no grievances despite occupying the Love Area. The non-player characters of the Love Area were universally unhinged, essentially. A distinct brand of lunacy compared to the Knife Zone characters, but unhinged nonetheless. And what had he meant by claiming the other participants agreed to serve him? Among the Love Area walkthroughs I published, a cult leader route existed, but that strategy functioned exclusively on non-player characters. Anyway, what are your intentions? Regarding what? Unicorn. Unicorn. My primary base zone. The sole participants who had activated the system so far comprised the eight representatives from Candy, Cola, Tobacco, Beer, Chicken, Cocaine, Love, and Knife. It remained possible the Unicorn Area participant simply had not accessed the system yet. Yet given the circumstances, an unowned sector appeared far more probable. It was regrettable that no user was actively grinding levels in my place to expand the territory, yet the strategic terrain advantages persisted regardless. In Unicorn, one needed only to defend against airborne beasts, rendering it entirely worthwhile to claim as an auxiliary stronghold. Home Protector was likely calculating along identical lines, which prompted his inquiry. Yet I feigned ignorance regarding his implication. Why are you asking me what to do about Unicorn? Do not play dumb. The moment the Second Apocalypse initiates, you intend to absorb it entirely, do you not? If you already grasp the plan, why ask? Come on, bring me along when you secure Unicorn. Hmm. I had previously stated that low-difficulty sectors proved difficult to transform into functional sanctuaries. Home Protector recognized the Tobacco Area remained unsuited for that purpose as well, which explained his eagerness to latch onto me. Even so. Is there any obligation for me to look after you? Damn, you are ice cold. No wonder people label you a sociopath on the forums. You will require someone to manage the sector anyway. My handle literally translates to home security. I am a Safe Zone veteran. If you qualify as a veteran too, why freeload? Try capturing it independently. You possess the authorization. Nah. I prefer to coast beneath your authority rather than spark a conflict with you. I am being serious. His response brought a mild sense of letdown. I anticipated that clashing with this fellow over Unicorn would deliver high-stimulation entertainment. Disappointment aside, the reality remained that I needed an administrator for the zone. I had originally intended to assign that responsibility to my surrogate father, Commander Hayden Goodman. Yet securing insurance is hardly a poor strategy. Furthermore, someone who feigned alignment with me only to betray me down the road could provide its own unique brand of high-stimulation amusement. Just so you are aware beforehand, I harbor zero intention of betraying anyone. If I possessed ambitions that grand, I would never have remained unemployed. Disappointing. You lunatic bastard. This older brother will still offer you one valuable insight. One valuable insight? I inquired, but rather than a reply, a system notification materialized. Item trade request: Home Protector has requested an item trade. Trade item: Cigarettes (12). Accept? An exchange window! I pressed accept immediately. I was no smoker, but I sought verification as swiftly as possible that trading with Home Protector—who operated within a completely isolated sector—was genuinely feasible. The instant I confirmed, a cigarette symbol manifested inside my inventory interface with the numeral 12 displayed above it. Thus, resource exchange remains functional even across disparate territories. On the surface, this appeared to be a mechanic implemented to assist users in mutual survival. Yet if food supplies constituted the sole realistic trade commodities, the asset disparity between low-tier and high-tier sectors remained immense. In other words, even if commerce was possible, participants stationed in low-tier zones possessed no alternative but to surrender assets unilaterally to those in high-tier regions. Which participant would aid another individual gratis? Even Home Protector transferred commodities from his personal sector solely because he desired something from me. Figured this out while chatting privately with the other users while you were ignoring my connection request. Be grateful. Thank you, hyung. You little shit lol. Anyway, I am counting this as your acceptance of me. Heading to sleep. You retire remarkably early, hyung. Rejuvenated into a ten-year-old, nicotine addiction cured, now I am a model youth of the new society who hits the pillow at ten PM. Later. Following Home Protector’s departure for rest, I attempted to dispatch another connection proposal to Tibalom. Immediate rejection once again. If he is shutting me out coldly, at least that indicates his continued survival. Even Home Protector sought to ride my coattails, so why was Tibalom spurning my assistance? I required his survival if I hoped to acquire that single-shot-elimination item… Hmm. Perhaps he was turning me down precisely because he recognized I harbored an ulterior motive. The following morning commenced with immediate frantic activity. The commander intended to introduce me into the officer assembly and officially proclaim me his offspring, and upon mentioning my need to greet the remaining commanders, the domestic staff meticulously groomed me right down to my fingernail cuticles. This constituted a somewhat novel sensation. Within the game, once a player completed the illegitimate son route, the system simply notified the non-player characters that you were the commander’s spawn without requiring any tedious introductory ceremony. We will enter midway through the officer conference. Meursault functioned explicitly as the commander’s adjutant, yet somehow he wound up managing my preparation and essentially serving as my assigned handler. He briefed me regarding the day’s schedule. The officers currently possess zero awareness of your existence. The objective of this procedure is to secure their acceptance before they possess leisure for reflection and judgment. Therefore, feel free to behave as impulsively as you did during our initial encounter. That said, overly ostentatious actions might attract excessive scrutiny, so maintain polite greetings, but… While I was being dressed, Meursault appeared less concerned with my outward appearance than with regulating every psychological nuance, persistently attempting to inject standard scripted responses into my mind. I disregarded him. Once it became evident I was ignoring every syllable, he promptly surrendered, appraised me head-to-toe upon completion, and muttered to himself. With your hair brushed back, you are truly the spitting image of His Excellency. Only Western-style characters hold that perspective. For the record, aside from the dark hair and dark eyes, I bore zero physical resemblance to Commander Customization. It is fortunate you inherit fewer traits from your mother. No one will question the lineage. Fortunate that I escaped maternal resemblance. The commander himself had appraised me once and remarked that I resembled Luna Moon. Come to think of it… The sole visual reference I possessed of Luna Moon was the skeletal remains within that sepulcher. If the commander insisted I mirrored her appearance, perhaps she originated from East Asia as well. An East Asian rarity within this world’s framework… paired with restorative abilities on top of that. Was Luna Moon also like us… No, the hypothesis that Luna Moon was a user remained difficult to sustain. At least for those of us who arrived via that convenience store, the starting point matched identically even if arrival schedules varied. If Luna Moon had been a user, she would have materialized a full decade prior to us. That left unresolved why she alone manifested ten years early, and why she appeared as a non-player character inside the simulation. Well, considering her clear connection to whatever the secret of the apocalypse entailed… If I continued advancing through the routes, the truth would eventually surface. As we approached the command conference hall situated on the mansion’s uppermost level, Meursault issued a final caution. Mind your speech and behavior within the officer council. Every single attendee functions as a viper. You must avoid projecting excessive arrogance, yet appear equally resistant to dismissal. I had disregarded his commentary entirely from the outset, but he maintained his effort with admirable persistence. As though my internal skepticism registered upon my expression, Meursault offered a mild glare and appended, You must also exercise discretion regarding facial expressions reflecting your internal thoughts. Comprehended? Comprehended. Yet if I must avoid supreme arrogance while remaining unyielding against dismissal, what precisely am I expected to execute? Navigate the boundary without transgressing it, yet withhold nothing that demands articulation. That fails to answer the question. What does that approach actually resemble? You are executing it admirably right now. Maintain that exact demeanor. This fellow possessed a surprisingly sharp tongue. Regardless, the adjutant had granted his blessing… Time for an agreeable round of self-introductions alongside the commanders.