Overgeared, page 97
“…”
“Hey, why are you pale all of a sudden? Why are you sweating?”
“…I am one.”
“…?”
“I… I have been playing Satisfy for one year since it opened…”
“What? Pff! Puhahaha!” Huroi grabbed his belly. He laughed until tears fell, then raised his thumb as he barely managed to stop. “That is one of the funniest jokes I have ever heard. Isn’t this a good gag? Ah, are you perhaps a comedian in real life? Do you want to be friends? Friends?”
“…Get lost.”
It wasn’t a joke. I really was an early user who had been playing Satisfy for one year. I even took a leave of absence from school to play Satisfy. But I had no idea about such a tip. Did I ever obtain my own know-how while playing Satisfy for a year?
No. I relied on the mundane information that anyone could get from websites. My understanding of Satisfy was so low, I couldn’t believe I was an early user.
‘I am pathetic… I am very ashamed of myself.’
Tears flowed down from my eyes.
“Damn! Damnnnn!! Daaaaammm~nnnnnn! Logout.”
“H-Hey! What, why are you acting like this?”
Huroi was baffled after I left so suddenly.
***
“What is with that person?”
Huroi was stunned when the person called Grid suddenly logged out. He was an Asian user and had a good sense of humor, so it would have been nice if they could be friends.
“Pfft.”
He chuckled when he thought about it again. Grid declared himself an early user while not even knowing about how to induce a quest.
“Why did he feel the need to impersonate an early user? He truly has an unusual personality. Then, shall I go?”
Huroi thought it was just a passing relationship. After meeting Grid, Huroi didn’t feel anything special. It was just a funny story that he dismissed lightly.
But the two men were already approaching the whirlwind of destiny.
Chapter 33
Chapter 33
‘Let’s do the quest.’
It was the very first time Huroi had received a hidden quest since he first started Satisfy almost a year ago. He had been playing Satisfy since the day it opened, but he never had such great luck.
‘The skill called Unbreakable Justice isn’t known so its effectiveness can’t be determined. However, I’ve heard about the courage state in rumors. Every time the courage stat increases by 10 points, attack power and defense will permanently increase.’
Huroi trembled.
‘If I succeed in this quest and receive the Apostle of Justice title, I can grow using the courage stat. Then I can become a ranker.’
Huroi was currently level 127. Compared to the average level of users, it was very high and he was treated as a high-level user wherever he went. But it wasn’t so high considering that he was an early user.
He was only level 127 despite playing 18 out of 24 hours a day for one year because of his class. Huroi’s class wasn’t a combat or production class, it was an ‘orator.’
An orator’s weapon was talking!
Combat classes and production classes could raise their levels relatively easy by hunting or making items. However, an orator only competed with words so it had a weak combat ability and couldn’t make any items.
The reason Huroi managed to reach this level was due to always receiving quests from NPCs through talking. But that method had now reached its limit. The higher the level, the higher the difficulty of the quest and the less experience that was gained. While other people were hunting monsters or selling items, he was going back and forth carrying out unprofitable quests.
Thus, Huroi desperately needed to gain experience through hunting.
However, the weapons that an orator could use were extremely limited. Their health was the lowest of all classes, while their basic combat stats and skills were poor. It was a cycle he couldn’t escape from. It was hard for him to even catch a monster 15 levels lower than him.
One of his flagship skills, ‘Spiteful Tongue’, WAS a powerful skill that causes all stats of the target to decline. But it wasn’t easy to use in a life and death fight, as obviously, there were limits to its use.
‘The fatal weakness of my class is that my combat strength is weak… I can overcome this weakness with the courage stat.’
He had to succeed in this quest in order to earn the Apostle of Justice title and gain the courage stat. After reaffirming his determination, he arrived at the street in front of the western gate.
The gate was relatively quiet. It was because the lord of Winston strictly monitored and managed the residents, so the residents couldn’t leave Winston. Even now, there were no residents of Winston going through the gate, only travelers.
“Thank you for your hard work.”
Huroi approached the soldiers guarding the gate and greeted them before presenting his ID card. As a simple traveler who wasn’t a resident of Winston, he could easily pass through the gate.
But strangely, the soldiers didn’t let Huroi out. Huroi noticed the danger as the soldiers blocked the gates.
‘Is the Mero Company already aware of my betrayal?’
It was serious. If he delayed, he would be caught by the Mero Company and fail the quest. This was the biggest opportunity he received in one year, so he couldn’t miss it.
“What reason do you have for stopping me? Surely there wasn’t a mistake?”
“……”
Huroi tried to talk with the soldiers. He intended to persuade or deceive the soldiers by using his weapon, his eloquence. But the soldiers kept their mouths shut and didn’t speak a single word to Huroi. They blatantly avoided conversing with him.
‘This is ominous.’
Huroi decided that he should leave this place at once. At that moment, he heard a familiar voice behind him.
“No matter what you say, the soldiers won’t respond. I told the soldiers not to react no matter what you say until they receive a signal from me.”
Huroi was so surprised it felt like his heart stopped. It was due to the sudden appearance of Rabbit, a top employee of the Mero Company and commissioned Huroi to persuade the Winston inhabitants.
Huroi tried to conceal his confusion and greeted Rabbit. “Aren’t you Mr. Rabbit? Shouldn’t you be busy doing business in your office?”
“I had a headache so I went out for some fresh air.”
“Haha, relaxation is important. You can’t work efficiently if you are in a bad condition. Rabbit, why did you instruct the soldiers not to talk to me? Are you trying to take away the joy I get from talking to other people? I feel really sad.”
Rabbit grinned at Huroi and said.
“Mr. Huroi, you have an obligation to instigate the residents of Winston, according to your contract with me. It is natural to visit me after fulfilling the contract. But you didn’t do anything and are trying to leave Winston, so I don’t know how to take this.”
Huroi calmly explained, “In order for my words to serve as a weapon, there must be a small gap in the minds of the opponent. I have to wait for the right time to incite the people. This isn’t a problem that can be solved by hurrying, as I have to wait until the right time comes. The scenery near Winston is famous, so I wanted to see it while waiting. I am leaving Winston? It is just a misunderstanding.”
Rabbit made a surprised expression and said,
“Is that so? I misunderstood your intentions?”
As an orator, Huroi had a passive skill called ‘Persuasion’ and the ‘persuasive power’ stat. Both his Persuasion level and persuasive power stat were currently very high, so he could move NPCs according to his will if he used it well.
“Yes, it is a misunderstanding. So Rabbit, can you direct the soldiers to let me pass through the gate?”
Huroi was sure that he succeeded after seeing Rabbit’s response. However, he was mistaken. Rabbit was an NPC with very high intelligence. He had a lot of experience from growing the Mero Company to be one of the best in the north. It meant that Huroi wasn’t at a level to manipulate him yet.
Rabbit made a sorry expression. “I thought that Mr. Huroi’s eloquence was very good. So I believed that you could easily incite the residents. But now you look incompetent. I admit that I misunderstood your abilities.”
“… Huh?”
“This morning, the Mero Company distributed flyers across the village as scheduled. There will be a big gap in the minds of the residents who read the flyers. They will be wavering and confused. Now is the right time for you to enter and dazzle them with your words, making their hearts lean towards the Mero Company. But you lack the ability to read this mood. Otherwise… you must’ve betrayed me.”
“Kuk!”
Rabbit’s eyes were like a hawk’s. The sharp gaze penetrated Huroi and provided enormous pressure.
Huroi realized it. “Rabbit, did you predict my betrayal in advance? You expected me to try to escape by misleading the soldiers, so you gave the soldiers instructions not to talk to me!”
Rabbit shook his head.
“I have met and managed many people. So I never believed in anyone from the beginning. Rather than anticipating your betrayal, I just made assumptions that you might betray me and prepared for the worst. Now, come over here. You will be locked up for a while. Instead of persuading the residents, you have joined them. Therefore, I can’t let you go and meet Earl Steim.”
Rabbit gestured and the soldiers ran towards Huroi.
‘This is the end. I can’t escape from this place with my battle skills. I will clearly be trapped and fail the quest. No… I can’t give up!’
He might never have another chance at a hidden quest. It was an opportunity that must never be missed.
‘Forget about acting rashly. Let’s log out and get rid of the immediate crisis. I need to think carefully about how to handle this crisis.’
Huroi made a swift judgment and tried to log out. In the case of a quest in a specific place, it was impossible to log out during the quest. However, this was the center of a village. There were users curiously watching the situation.
This was a public place so Huroi believed he could log out.
“Logout!”
[You can’t shut down the game here.]
“What…?”
Huroi was astonished. It was due to an unexpected notification window.
“Stop your futile resistance!”
“Ugh!”
After failing to log out, Huroi was captured and tied up by the soldiers.
Rabbit said cynically, “Logout. It is a mysterious spell that takes your immortal bodies to an unknown place Don’t you know that we have the power to neutralize it?”
NPCs were clearly aware of the difference between users and themselves. So Rabbit intended to keep Huroi alive. Huroi would resurrect somewhere else if he was killed, so it was better to imprison him.
Rabbit directed the soldiers.
“Lock him in the castle’s dungeon. Tell the lord that he should be watched closely for a while.”
“T-This…”
The first quest he received in a year, only for him to fail! Huroi was in hell. As he felt despair, a notification window flashed before him.
[The quest ‘For the Residents of Winston (A)’ has changed to ‘Wait (S)’.]
[Wait]
Difficulty: S
Having played into the hands of Rabbit, you have failed the commission to report the Winston lord and Mero Company’s evil deeds to Earl Steim. Fortunately, hope still remains.
Winston Castle’s dungeon is known to be impossible to escape from! In the dark, cold and unsanitary dungeon, you must somehow survive until the end. If you can endure the cold and hunger, the Apostle of Justice will surely come and rescue you
Quest Clear Conditions: Don’t log out for 50 hours in real time.
* This is an extremely dangerous quest. For the elderly and those with a weak health, please give up on this quest.
[Would you like to accept the quest?]
‘What type of quest is this?’
The unfamiliar information window that popped up caused Huroi to feel confused and tense.
‘I can’t log out for 50 hours in real time, not Satisfy’s time? What is this absurd condition?’
Huroi was confident of his physical strength in reality. Thanks to that, he could play Satisfy for 20 hours in the capsule. But the limit was 20 hours.
This was because the capsule’s safety system didn’t allow access for more than 20 hours. After connecting to Satisfy for 20 hours, the users would be forced to log out and they couldn’t connect again for six hours.
In other words, the S.A Group that manufactured and distributed Satisfy’s capsules strongly warned of the danger of connecting to Satisfy for more than 20 hours. Yet there was a quest to stay connected for 50 hours? It was also one where he was stuck in a dungeon, waiting.
‘50 hours in reality is equal to 8 days and 8 hours in Satisfy. Will my spirit be able to endure staying in prison for that whole time without doing anything?’
This really was a dangerous quest. It was a quest where he might go crazy without being mentally prepared. But it was also an opportunity.
‘This was an A-grade hidden quest. It is upgraded to an S-grade quest. This is an opportunity that I absolutely can’t miss.’
Huroi decided to accept the quest. But before that, he decided to think about it. Did he have any unavoidable schedule in reality? No. He had no schedules recently. Did he have any family who would be concerned and forcefully shut down the capsule? No. He was single right now.
Was the front door locked? He had stayed home for four days without going anywhere. In the meantime, his front door had been firmly locked. When was the last time he went to the toilet and ate? Three hours ago. In any case, if he converted the capsule to the sleep state, his body would be able to endure for three days without eating or drinking.
Did he have a history of problems when connecting to the capsule for a long time? No. His health was second to none.
‘Okay, my body is at its peak physical health. I shall challenge it once. The S.A Group made this quest, so they won’t let the user die.’
Huroi made a firm decision to accept the quest.
“I won’t give up the quest.”
[This is the last warning. Are you really sure you want to proceed with the quest?]
“Yes.”
[The quest has been accepted.]
[Wait]
Difficulty: S
Having played into the hands of Rabbit, you have failed the commission to report the Winston lord and Mero Company’s evil deeds to Earl Steim. Fortunately, hope still remains.
Winston Castle’s dungeon is known to be impossible to escape from! In the dark, cold and unsanitary dungeon, you must somehow survive until the end. If you can endure the cold and hunger, the Apostle of Justice will surely come and rescue you.
Quest Clear Conditions: Don’t log out for 50 hours in real time.
* This is an extremely dangerous quest. For the elderly and those with a weak health, please give up on this quest.
* From the moment you accept the quest, the system will thoroughly manage and supervise your brain waves and health status in real time. If a critical level of anomalies is detected, the system will force you to log out.
* If you are forcibly logged out, the S.A. Group will send executives and medical staff to your home to prepare for the worst.
* Even if you complete the quest and log out successfully, the S.A. Group will send executives and medical staff to visit you and check your status.
* You need to endure 200 hours of Satisfy time to complete the quest. In the worst case, because you are connected to virtual reality for a long time, you can confuse reality with virtual reality. Please don’t let go of your tension until the last moment and show a strong mentality.
Quest Clear Reward: A second class called ‘Apostle of Justice’s Partner.’ Title ‘One who Overcomes Hardships.’
*Apostle of Justice’s Partner: The ‘Courage’ stat will be opened. If you are with the Apostle of Justice, all stats will increase by 20%. The skill ‘Unbreakable Justice’ will be generated. The skill ‘Sacrifice for Justice’ will be generated.
* One who Overcomes Hardships: The ‘Indomitable’ stat will be opened. The skill ‘Strong Will’ will be generated.
Quest Failure: There is no penalty.
[From now on, the capsule will switch to sleep mode.]
[It is impossible to shut off the power of the capsule from the outside.]
[If there are any external shocks or attempts to shut off the capsule, an employee of S.A. will be sent to your residence to protect the capsule.]
[We applaud your challenge. Good luck.]
“It feels like I’m a VIP customer.”
That was the impression Huroi got after checking the emerging information windows.
‘Don’t worry anymore. My spirit can endure for 200 hours.’
Huroi’s remaining worries were completely dispelled because he trusted the thorough management and supervision of the S.A. Group. He firmed up his heart.
‘I’ll be waiting. Apostle of Justice. If he saves me and helps me clear the quest, I will be loyal to him, even if he is an NPC.’
Huroi pledged to meet with the unknown Apostle of Justice as he was imprisoned in Winston Castle’s dungeon.
Chapter 34
Chapter 34
11:33 p.m.
Lim Cheolho, the head of Satisfy’s development team and of the S.A. Group, was working all night. Satisfy was a game with over two billion users, so there were always countless variables. Satisfy’s overall flow, whether small or large, depended on what each of the two billion users were doing. The system was impossible to maintain if errors kept occurring.
Lim Cheolho was always enthusiastic about building a complete system.
‘I can’t allow even a single error.’
He had unmatched concentration whenever he focused on his work and only heard his ringtone after 40 seconds or more. It was a call from the operations team.
“What’s going on?”
