Chapter 214
For Yor, the past three months was a period that passed in the blink of an eye, but for the Users, those three months had been truly eventful. The World, quite literally, was undergoing a drastic upheaval, and not for the better. Users could feel the reality of it almost immediately. First, martial law was declared. Just one month after the Monsters appeared, a national emergency was proclaimed. Unlike the martial law described in ancient history books, this was a genuine emergency, so everyone was somewhat understanding. From then on, armed Soldiers began patrolling the City Center. As if reverting to an older era, everyone's curfew was set at 6 PM. Naturally, Users' Access/Login frequency to *Demon's Saga* decreased. Since they never knew when or where a Monster might appear, they couldn't easily enter their VR Capsules. Moreover, the frequency of Gates opening was gradually increasing, so even with preparations, people's anxiety showed no signs of abating. In such rapidly changing circumstances, the only comfort was the existence of the internet. With deliveries impossible after 6 PM, the internet was practically the only thing left to do. Thanks to this, various communities were experiencing an unexpected boom.
[Breaking News - 53 fatalities were reported in Yeongdeungpo-gu today due to an ogre appearance...]
This is insane. What is this world coming to, seriously?
Naturally, half of the news was related to Gates; tragic reports detailed where Gates had appeared and how many casualties it had caused.
The other half consisted of absurd posts, written with forced cheerfulness, as if to forget such news.
[If you feel like you're crazy right now, hit recommend lol] If you can't tell if this is reality or a dream, hit recommend lol
[Recommend lol]
[So the Monsters from the game are popping out into Reality now? They weren't just Polygon Masses after all...?]
[My head is still spinning]
[There was always that one guy posting that Gaia was the real world. He was a prophet after all...]
[No wonder the Game Company was acting weird, damn it]
Three months had already passed since the Gates first opened. No matter how strange the events seemed, if they unfolded with clear causality over such a period, everyone had no choice but to accept them. As a result, Users had all come to terms with it.
Demon's Saga was no ordinary game; perhaps it had a tangible reality. And just as Basin had said, they were crossing over from the game into Reality. For now, it was just Monsters, but someday, Demons might cross over too.
And at the same time, there was another topic heating up the Communities. The fact that Monsters had crossed over meant—
[But doesn't that mean NPCs could cross over someday...?]
Such expectations were bound to arise.
Hey, damn it, what era are we in to still call them NPCs? Reply Seriously. Lol. Call them Gaians.
Definitely, definitely, they'll cross over someday Reply Ha, will we finally get to see our Kyle from the Guild Counter in real life? Reply Yeah, you can see him, but he won't associate with you Reply Take that back, you bitch
Forget Kyle or whatever, I just want to have a drink with the Adventurers I've become friends with. I've grown attached to them...
Among the Otherworlders, many harbored affection for the NPCs. They were so vibrant and lifelike that it was impossible not to treat them as real people. There were even Players who had married NPCs within the game.
In such a situation, for the virtual to become real, even though many misfortunes had struck because of the Monsters, Users couldn't help but hold onto hope.
As they indulged in such fantasies, a possibility finally appeared before their eyes. One day, three months later, a person suddenly emerged in the middle of a Monster-infested Region.
A plow covered in dirt, a crude, handmade straw hat, and so on.
“*Hee-eek*?! Wh-where is this...?!”
The Summoned Person was none other than a Farmer.
*
“I heard he was plowing his field when he saw something strange, went inside, and when he opened his eyes, he was here.”
That farmer must have quite the strong heart to just step into a space he knew nothing about...
“Unfortunately, I don't know anything more than that... The National Intelligence Service took him away as soon as he appeared. Wow, I thought the National Intelligence Service only existed in movies.”
After finishing her explanation, Haneul Im let out a long breath. Though she herself might consider it trivial, the mere fact that a person had appeared Beyond the Gate was incredibly significant.
What if the Farmer discovered by the Otherworlders was truly a Gaian? What if there was nothing abnormal about his mind or body?
That would now transform into hope. Earth might request support from the Nation level, and those curious about Earth could bravely go sightseeing. The unreachable boundary was crumbling.
Perhaps Haneul Im knew this too, as a strange anticipation filled her eyes.
Honestly, I couldn't help but feel excited too. I had so many questions: what she looked like in modern times, where she lived.
“Hmm?”
As I briefly looked at Haneul Im's face, I noticed her dark circles were particularly prominent. She usually had them, but they seemed especially bad now. I asked her.
“You haven't been sleeping well lately, have you? You look especially tired today.” “Huh? Oh, right. I haven't been able to sleep lately... Actually, a gate opened recently in our neighborhood. Luckily, it was suppressed quickly, but...”
I nodded, listening to her words. Indeed, if one opened so close, it would be unsettling. Unlike This Place, she wouldn't have any power in Reality.
Anyway, it was good news for me.
The problem is how to find a Gate...
That seemed a bit difficult. The Empire's Investigation Team had only found a few Gates over dozens of days. Even those would only appear briefly before disappearing again, making it quite hard to seize an opportunity.
That was a bit disappointing, but... I figured it wouldn't matter much. It wasn't like I was pressed for time, anyway. If I keep looking, an opportunity will surely arise someday.
Having heard what I wanted, I was about to end the conversation.
“Anyway, thanks. You've cleared up my questions—”
And then it happened.
[WARNING! WARNING! WARNING! WARNING! WARNING! WARNING! WARNING! WARNING! WARNING! WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!]
A crimson warning window appeared before my eyes. No, it didn't appear for me. To be precise, it appeared before Haneul Im's eyes. I merely glimpsed it through my 'Player's Eye'.
Yet, I described it as “before my eyes” because the warning sign was so enormous. Dozens of blood-red signs flickered before my eyes. I felt as if I were hearing an alarm that shouldn't be heard.
Haneul Im's pupils began to tremble.
“Uh, uh?”
[WARNING!][An abnormal impact was detected outside the device!][Connection Cannot Be Maintained!]
An abnormal impact occurred outside the Device. That alone was enough to guess what was happening. Something had happened to Haneul Im.
And it was not within the game, but in her 'Reality' outside of this world. Naturally, I was flustered.
“Haneul? Haneul?”
What on earth happened? Did a Monster invade, just as she feared? Or was it another incident? If she encountered a Monster, what would happen to her? What means did she have to fight back?
In that brief moment, various possibilities flashed through my mind. Many of them were not good.
But unfortunately, there was nothing I could do. I couldn't reach her Reality yet.
This was the first time I'd seen such a phenomenon since meeting an Otherworlder. It seemed Haneul Im felt the same, as her usually stoic demeanor showed noticeable agitation.
“Yo-Yor? What is this... What do I do?!”
However, even that agitation couldn't be seen for long.
[Forcibly Terminating Game!]
Pop! Only the chilling silence of the Cave remained because she disappeared before that could happen, as if the previous situation had been a lie. As if the previous situation had been a lie, only the chilling silence of the Cave remained.
Thump- thump-
My heart pounded rapidly with unease.
*
──*BANG! BANG! BANG!* Sounds echoed wildly, like someone was pounding on sheet metal.
“*Gasp!*”
The first thing Haneul felt upon waking from her VR Capsule was the merciless shaking of the capsule itself. It was as if someone was causing a ruckus outside.
And then came the familiar cries of Monsters.
“*Kilik! Kirruk!*”
“*Kikikik!*”
Pshhh—
Soon after, the Capsule Door opened.
Outside the VR Capsule, about four or five Goblins were looking in, grinning hideously. She didn't know how they got in, but the situation she had feared had finally come to pass.
A Gate had opened near her studio apartment, and Monsters had finally invaded.
Why her House, of all places...? A slight sense of injustice welled up, but there was no time for it.
*Swoosh!*
“*Ugh!*”
Because a goblin had swung its dagger first, she managed to see and evade it somehow, but for a mage... no, for a regular shut-in, evading an attack perfectly was no easy feat.
As a result, a small scratch appeared on her shoulder blade. Blood beaded up, and a burning pain shot up from her shoulder.
Only then did Haneul truly grasp this absurd reality. Her life was genuinely in danger.
Death.
As this two-syllable word flashed in her mind, fear washed over her.
*I have to run!*
Regaining her senses, she immediately got up from the VR Capsule. At least they were Goblins, so she could manage that much. Goblins, with the strength and agility of a Middle School Student, were the quintessential low-level monsters.
But that was in the game. Even a middle school student could kill someone with a bladed weapon.
“*Haa... haa...!*”
She began to run aimlessly around her studio apartment. Her breathing grew ragged perhaps due to fear even though she hadn't moved much.
Now she saw that the Front Door was completely shattered. It seemed they had entered through there.
Haneul Im tried to head towards the Front Door, which seemed to be the only Emergency Exit.
However, one of the Goblins was quicker to pounce.
“*Kirruk!*”
“*Ugh!*”
A single Kick from a Goblin sent her sprawling inelegantly to the floor.
Like predators seizing an opportunity, the Goblins approached, brandishing their bladed weapons.
The sense of the Grim Reaper pressing a scythe against her back was present. In this hair-trigger situation, Haneul's time seemed to slow down.
*...Really?*
She thought.
*Am I really going to die like this...?*
The sense of the blade against her neck was chilling. The scene before her eyes felt like a dream. More than regret, she felt utterly dumbfounded.
Just moments ago, she had been chatting pleasantly with Yor, and now, her situation has turned into this in a matter of minutes.
If This Place were a game, this wouldn't be a problem at all. Haneul instinctively waved her hand.
“...Ah, no!”
And at that moment, a strange sense formed at her fingertips. A feeling of something heavier than air, yet lighter than water, was condensing at her fingertips. It was an unfamiliar yet familiar energy. She had experienced similar senses countless times in the game.
Haneul's moving that 'energy' was closer to an unconscious action than a conscious one. As Haneul had the sole thought of pushing her opponent away, the energy gathered in her hand reacted.
And the next moment—
*CRUNCH!*
“*Kuek!*”
One of the Goblins in front of her was sent flying into the wall, transforming into a mass of flesh. It was crushed.
“...Huh?”
In the stunned silence, Haneul looked at her hand.
“...Eh?”
The Pure White Particles she had seen in the game were shimmering from her hand.