Chapter 329: Episode 329_A Family-Like Atmosphere (4)
6.
Han Yeori was, for lack of a better term, an unripe apple.
She had yet to break out of her shell and face the world, but from within that shell, she had already witnessed a great deal of its dirty, sordid reality.
She had eaten warm meals in a warm home and worn warm clothes her parents bought for her. But if she wanted anything beyond that, she had to earn her own allowance. Throughout her school days, she had hesitated over buying something as cheap as tteokbokki with friends, soothing her hunger and resentment in the process. Through these experiences, the smart girl had learned and felt the way of the world.
Her only brother, seven years her senior, had left home four years ago to make a living, and she had never once received an allowance from him. That taught her even more.
It wasn’t that he hadn’t given her money because he didn’t want to.
She knew how much effort and sweat it took to earn even a single $1 bill.
Because of this, she was deeply attached to money.
Especially since there were so many things she wanted to do, so many things she hadn’t been able to.
She wanted to make a lot of money and do everything she had never been able to do since she was little.
Han Simin had been the same. After living that way and becoming rich, he was slowly shedding his old habits and training himself to spend money.
The only difference between Han Simin and Han Yeori was their personalities.
Han Simin was extremely realistic and rational, always putting himself before others.
In contrast, Han Yeori had been overflowing with sensitivity since she was young. She was kind, liked helping others, and cherished life.
It was a simple difference, but a tremendous one.
To exaggerate a bit, you could call them an angel and a demon.
Han Simin wasn’t the sort of man who would walk past a dying person just to make money—not in the real world, anyway. In a game, however, he wouldn’t hesitate.
And as for Han Yeori, she understood the situation. Her head knew that the "right" thing to do was to act with the pragmatism she had learned from her brother. But she just couldn’t bring herself to do it. That was the difference.
That was what led her, on her very first step into Fantastic World, to give what little she had to the old man.
And that choice created a bond.
“Thank you, child.”
“I’m glad you’re okay, Grandpa.”
Strictly speaking, she hadn’t done much at all.
It was just that Yeori’s nature was too kind to leave a dying old man behind, and her sense that this place was truly another reality, rather than “just a game,” was a bit stronger than most.
Besides, she hadn’t given him some legendary elixir. She had just offered him water and bread. It was hardly enough to revive an old man who should have died from blood loss.
Even so, the old man had wet his lips, filled his stomach, and survived. Now, without even glancing at the bleeding that had already stopped, he sat there with the kindest expression in the world, gazing at Yeori with satisfaction.
“What is your name?”
“Yeori. Han Yeori.”
“Yeori, hm. Not a name of this continent. Are you an adventurer?”
“An adventurer? Yes. I’m a User.”
“Heh heh. So at the end of my life, I truly am passing everything on to an adventurer, just as the prophecy foretold.”
“Excuse me?”
“It is nothing. It is just... curious. I had hoped that, even if it cost me my life, my legacy—my master’s power—would be passed on to someone from this continent.”
Yeori tilted her head, confused.
The old man’s words, half a conversation and half a private muttering, were incomprehensible to Yeori, who had only just started the game.
The old man didn’t seem to expect her to understand. After mumbling to himself, he rose to his feet.
Yeori stood up as well.
“Were you on your way somewhere?”
“Yes. I was going to kill rabbits and level up quickly so I could go to my brother.”
“I see. If you have time, would you care to accompany this old man?”
“Excuse me?”
“I wish to repay you for saving my life.”
“Ah, you really don’t have to. My brother said I can buy water and bread just by washing a few dishes in the city.”
“Heh heh. Even if it was only water and bread, to me it was no different from the water of life. Please, let me at least repay the debt.”
“Hmm. Then could you just give me money instead? I need to level up quickly and get to my brother.”
As she stood there with a troubled expression, not even a flicker of suspicion that the old man might be dangerous crossed Yeori’s mind.
He didn’t look the part, and she was still far too pure to start doubting people on sight the way Han Simin did.
The old man saw right through that purity.
“Heh heh heh.”
He just laughed off her blatant demand for money.
Her granddaughter-like cuteness played a large part in that, but in any case...
“I have no money, but I can give you something that will be worth more than money as you travel the continent. How about that?”
“Really? What is it?”
“Something adventurers want but cannot have. A class. More precisely, the legacy of one of the Five Legends of this continent. With that alone, you will have no trouble finding your brother.”
“Wow! Then hang on a second. I’ll ask my brother.”
Even now, Yeori still didn’t grasp what kind of fortune had just fallen into her lap.
As she innocently contacted Han Simin, the old man watched her with the gentlest smile in the world, thinking he had done well to let go of the philosophy he had held his entire life for the sake of this new, adorable disciple.
*
At some point, Kardian had joined Han Simin and the Specialist’s party as they focused on enhancing.
She had nothing else to do and was determined to collect 100 points and escape as quickly as possible. It was her own decision.
Given the ring’s nature of requiring long-distance travel, Han Simin had no reason to refuse.
’Either way, the points...’
It wasn’t a losing deal for him.
He would have loved to play Fantastic World for the rest of his life, but since there was no guarantee he could, it was best to work someone hard while he had the chance.
If she was volunteering to do the grunt work herself, it would be wrong to turn her down.
They were wandering around like that when the call came in from Han Yeori.
The moment he picked up, her bright, lively voice rang out.
—“Brother! I started the game and met this old man, and he says he’ll give me a really good class change. What should I do?”
His little sister was saying something so naive it was infuriating.
Without even thinking to get the full story, Han Simin blurted out,
“What, is he saying he’ll give you a Legendary class or something? What a ridiculous con artist.”
—“Huh? What’s Legendary? He said it’s one of only five classes on the whole continent and it’s really good. Right, Grandpa?”
“...Did he happen to say it was a Buffer?”
—“Buffer? Grandpa, is it a Buffer? Is that it? Gasp! Really? Brother! He says yes! How did you know?”
As the conversation unfolded in the most predictable way possible, the brief flicker of hope he’d felt made Han Simin click his tongue and curse himself.
“Stop wasting time, ditch that scammer, and just come to me. It’s not like you have anything worth stealing. Damn BetaGo, they really did a hell of a job on the NPC AI. Yeori, FW is a world where anything is possible, game or not, so it’s dangerous to wander around alone. If that old man starts staring at your chest with a lecherous look, or if he’s walking in front and you feel like he’s staring at your butt, log out immediately. Got it?”
He offered his advice with genuine concern.
He might never have given his sister an allowance, and he had no intention of ever doing so, but he could give her this kind of free, protective advice 24 hours a day.
Of course he cherished his little sister; she was family.
From Han Simin’s point of view, he couldn’t begin to understand how or why she had gotten tangled up in such a bizarre scam. But he at least had to teach his clueless little sister, who knew nothing of the ways of the world—or rather, the ways of FW—some basic self-defense.
It wasn’t as if he could go to her right this instant.
“Got it?”
—“Okay. He doesn’t seem like a bad person, but... I’ll do that.”
The call ended.
Specialist approached with an intrigued expression.
“What was that about?”
Han Simin didn’t bother hiding anything.
“My sister logged into FW, and some NPC offered her a Legendary class because she gave him water and bread.”
“Because she gave him water and bread?”
“Apparently he was lying in some deep forest, bleeding all over, and he ate that and survived or something.”
“Pfft! What the hell kind of ridiculous setup is that?”
“What else could it be? He’s just some con artist trying to take advantage of a clueless newbie.”
“Then isn’t your sister in danger?”
“She’ll be fine. She’s a smart kid.”
“You said you haven’t seen her in four years. How do you know?”
“Even four years ago, she was the kind of kid who could mooch snacks off me, if not an allowance.”
“Ahh.”
Their worry quickly faded.
Then everyone went back to what they were doing.
As peace settled over them again, Kardian, who had been quietly listening, sidled up.
“Human, there is something I should tell you, just in case.”
“What is it?”
Han Simin listened with little interest, already searching for the next auspicious spot for ring enhancement, as Kardian spoke in her usual flat tone.
“I do not know if this is related, but among the legacies of the Five Legends, the only one that was successfully passed on was the Buffer’s. The Five Legends created ruins by mutual agreement and left this world, but the Buffer could not bring himself to accept the prophecy given to them. He passed his legacy on to a person of the continent and left a will: that his legend be maintained forever by the people of the continent.”
“...So?”
“By now, that person would have become an old man. I do not know if he is the one your sister met.”
“So either way, you’re saying he’s a con artist, right? My sister is an adventurer, not a person of the continent.”
“He was such an eccentric that even I cannot predict that part. I wished only to tell you that the human who inherited the Buffer’s legacy is now nearing death. In the process of seeking a successor, he may not be in a position to honor his ancestor’s will.”
Han Simin remained silent.
Kardian wasn’t the type of dragon to spout nonsense, so a faint frown creased Han Simin’s brow.
But nothing changed.
“She’ll handle it.”
If it was real, it wasn’t a bad situation at all.
His hands itched with anticipation.
It was like buying a lottery ticket, assuming it would never win, only to suddenly feel a spark of hope.
At the same time, he felt a flicker of excitement.
Just a little.
It wasn’t about the profit he could gain from his little sister obtaining a Legendary class.
’Experience penalties are fair to everyone.’
It was already painful enough that Specialist was sitting at number one on the level rankings. Now, he felt a happy certainty that there was no way Han Yeori, who had just started the game, would ever catch up to his level.
A smile spread across his face.
*
Despite being suspected of being a con artist, and with Yeori keeping her distance, the old man didn’t hesitate. He decided to prove himself by bestowing the class upon her.
There was more to the story, of course, but meeting Yeori had been pure chance, pure fate—and his final blaze of life.
Needless to say, it was impossible for an old man who had lost a fatal amount of blood to be revived by water and bread alone.
If he had inherited the legacy of a Legendary Healer instead of a Buffer, the story might have been different. As it was, he had simply squeezed out the last of his strength to temporarily breathe life back into himself.
There was not much time left. If he was doubted by this fated disciple and failed to pass on his master’s will, the legacy would be severed. He wouldn’t be able to face his master in the afterlife.
Being suspected left a bitter taste in his mouth, but what could he do?
He would just have to prove himself and pass it on.
The process of transferring the legacy was not difficult.
He drew upon the last vestiges of his life force and delivered them to Han Yeori, and the old man seemed to age years in an instant.
At the same time, countless holograms materialized before Han Yeori’s eyes.
[You have changed your class to ‘Legendary Buffer’.]
[The amount of all experience you gain increases by 1%.]
That final hologram alone made it clear that the Buffer was a Legendary class far different from what Han Simin had expected.
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