The day before the execution, my escape plan fell apart.
Because there was no longer any reason to escape.
After Auril Gavis left, all the discharge procedures proceeded smoothly as if water flowing downstream.
“My opinion is that you are well enough to return to society.”
The doctor judged cured.
“Congratulations on your discharge, Hansoo.”
Team Leader Kang, who brought news from the police, didn’t say much either.
Of course, Hyunbyul and my mother showed signs of surprise at such a sudden change...
“That’s great, Oppa. Really. It’s so great.”
“Let’s go ho... ho, Hansoo...”
Both were happy, saying it was for the best.
And in just one day, the discharge was complete.
Finally out of the hospital where I had no idea how long I’d been locked up, I headed to my room with my mother.
“I tidied up a bit when I stopped by last ti... It’s pretty ssy, huh? If I’d known you’d be discharged so soon, I’d have cleaned everything in advance...”
“...You’re not leaving?”
“For a while, Mom will stay and help you... If it’s uncomfortable, I won’t sleep and just co and go—”
“Hah... That’s fine. It’s over two hours away. No need to co and go... Just stay here.”
Since it was only a matter of ti before I would leave anyway, I judged it would be more botherso to kick her out.
So I started living with my mother.
Still, having Mom around had plenty of conveniences.
“Hansoo, dinner’s ready...”
als would be served on ti.
‘...How long has it been since I last ate?’
And the food suited my taste perfectly.
“I’m thinking of buying so laptops.”
“I’ll give you Mom’s card. Use it.”
Money copying was possible.
Well, I didn’t use it because it felt off.
“No, it’s not the card. I want to ask if you could drive there.”
Anyway, after tidying the house, I imdiately went to an electronics store and bought five laptops.
“The heck, Hansoo... Why so many laptops?”
“Yes. The ga needs five computers running to play properly.”
“...Is that so?”
My mother made a confused face, but that’s just because she didn’t play the ga.
The core of [Dungeon and Stone] is luck and grinding.
You have to retry constantly—how could one computer manage that?
‘If I use tools to run four accounts per computer... that’s twenty characters running simultaneously.’
I actually played like this for nine years in the past.
Since it’s a ga that mostly doesn’t require detailed control, except in so situations.
I raised multiple characters, and if a particular stat or item popped quickly, I judged the chance to clear had co and focused on managing that character more closely...
“Okay, setup complete.”
Filling all twenty characters as barbarians, I began the ga in earnest.
Click, click, click.
Tap-tat, tap-tat-tat.
Tap! Tap! Tap! Thud!
The first floor was hard to automate, so my hands were very busy.
I used the ESC skill here and there to adjust tempo and endured.
And then...
「Character recruited a warrior as a companion.」
「Character recruited an archer as a companion.」
「Character recruited an archer as a companion.」
「Character recruited a warrior as a companion...」
After the first return, recruiting companions one by one from the Explorer’s Guild made things a bit easier.
Well, I still had to monitor carefully.
“Yeah, in the early floors, warriors and archers are king.”
Maybe because I hadn’t played in a while?
Even the boring early floors were quite fun.
Of course, those tis didn’t last long.
「Character stepped on a trap and died.」
「Ga Over.」
Starting from the third floor, characters began dying one by one.
Raising twenty characters with a hardcore ‘if you’re gonna die, just die’ playstyle...
「Unbearable blow!」
「Character died.」
No regrets.
The ga was impossible to clear by playing safely and steadily.
Survival of the fittest.
No, that’s not enough.
The pain of surviving where anyone would die only made you stronger.
Characters who miraculously survived going to places where everyone dies beca stronger.
「Critical hit!」
「Character died.」
「Character died due to raider attack.」
「Ga Over.」
「Character died due to troll.」
「Ga Over.」
Faster than any other characters.
「The soul of the character is infused with [Troll’s Essence].」
「Character entered the Great Maze on floor 5.」
「New equipnt equipped.」
「Character’s equipnt total item level increased by 799...」
One week, two weeks, three weeks...
The ti since I locked myself in this house passed like an arrow.
“Hansoo! Ti to eat!”
My mother cared for devotedly as I locked myself up all day playing gas.
“Oppa, what’s this? Doesn’t look like a monster.”
“A human. I’m trying to raise this character by raiding.”
“Wow, so cruel.”
Hyunbyul sotis ca, sat on the bed, watched play, and talked about the ga.
Like a class president ordered to help a kid who couldn’t fit in.
“Oppa, then I’m off! I have work tomorrow. Bye, Mom!”
“Oh, okay Hyunbyul! Take care!”
Anyway, such days continued, and living with my mother beca familiar.
At first, I locked the door tightly even to change clothes because I felt uncomfortable being seen.
Even when going to the bathroom, I took all my underwear and clothes with ...
‘But I’m going back anyway, why bother?’
Now, I live comfortably without much thought.
Still, playing gas day and night without discomfort inevitably brought thoughts.
In short, I felt pointless dips in motivation.
[Unlike what you say, you seem to have grown fond of this place.]
What that old man said kept coming to mind.
The parts where I said I shouldn’t get confused kept flickering in my head.
‘Is this really a dream?’
Was the witch who told not to co back just a hallucination from my subconscious?
I’m tired of worrying, but the thoughts kept coming.
So I organized them.
[Hansoo, no matter what you believe, this is unquestionably reality. Even if it’s different from where you ca from.]
According to Auril Gavis, this place is a kind of parallel world.
[There is no ‘cheat mode’ in this world as you said.]
No cheat mode exists, so only I was pulled into Rafdonia, another world.
[If you want to go back, there’s no need to persuade you.]
Auril Gavis wants to return to Rafdonia.
[That is the wish.]
The only way back is by wishing for it earnestly.
The reason I stayed a shut-in basent dweller playing gas daily was this.
「You may not be able to return again.」
「Do you really want to enter?」
Seeing that phrase again.
If I could press ‘Yes’ then, my will and wish would prove true.
‘Maybe... it really is another reality...’
I no longer take the drugs that clouded my mind, but I’m more confused because of that.
More clear evidence catches my eye.
If this isn’t a dream world.
The warm ho-cooked als shoved down my throat like cattle feed make sense.
The over 60 X’s drawn on the calendar do too.
I’ve never seen a dream of the ‘Dreamfall Waterfall’ last this long.
And it explains the motive.
[Don’t open the Abyss Gate.]
Maybe the earth witch who said this to wanted to send away to another world before I could open the Abyss Gate.
Besides...
‘Even the unease I felt thinking this was a dream is explained.’
It’s not just about Hyunbyul and my mother’s kindness.
The police station and hospital were all unnatural in so way.
Unrealistic, you might say?
To summarize, that’s exactly the feeling.
But...
‘Auril Gavis.’
If that old man got involved, it also makes sense.
That old man made magicians make expressions ordinary people would make when seeing magic.
He might have influenced from behind the scenes, or brainwashed with magic to look out for my convenience.
Just like the doctor suddenly pronouncing cured the next day.
‘If I believe this is a dream world, it’s a thank-you to him.’
Ah, of course, I only organized these thoughts because they kept coming to during free ti.
My goal hasn’t changed.
Even if a huge power intervened and I ca to a parallel world’s ‘reality.’
So what?
Nothing changes.
No, it’s clearer than ever.
Friends and companions are all there.
I will live there.
Maybe soday I will have a family there too.
So...
Tap-tat, tap.
Click, click, click.
I move the mouse and press the keyboard to return to where I belong as soon as possible.
「Character died.」
「Ga Over.」
Die.
「Character died.」
「Ga Over.」
Die again.
「Character died.」
「Ga Over.」
Fighting the countless unfair losses [Dungeon and Stone] creates.
「Character died.」
「Ga Over.」
Using all my knowledge, I climb higher.
「Character died.」
「Ga Over.」
Of course, it wasn’t without stress.
“Ahhh!! Why are you giving him healing there!!”
I scream in a vacant room as my well-raised party is wiped out.
“Phew...”
Spending all my ti on the ga except sleeping, I found it hard to keep my sanity, sotis cracking open a beer.
“Hansoo, maybe you should stop playing that ga a bit...”
“There are people inside here!”
Those days went on, and I could clearly see my mother and Hyunbyul growing tired.
“Mom... this can’t go on, right?”
“But you said clearing the ga would help you co to your senses.”
“Yes, that’s right. But I feel like I’m getting worse day by day... Maybe I should stop by the hospital and get so dicine...”
“I’m sorry, Hyunbyul... It’s all my fault...”
“No, Mom. I’ll help you well.”
Once I opened the door to go to the bathroom, I overheard their conversation in the living room and felt like I was truly broken...
But nothing changed.
Clench.
I just have to do what I have to do.
Like a barbarian.
「Character died.」
「Ga Over.」
「Character entered the Dark Continent on floor 7.」
「Character died.」
「Ga Over.」
「Character entered the Land of the Won on floor 8.」
「Character died.」
「Ga Over.」
「Character entered the Star Grave on floor 9.」
「Character died.」
「Ga Over.」
「Character entered floor 10...」
.
.
.
.
「Gate of the Abyss」
「Do you want to enter?」
“Waaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!”
Standing in front of the monitor, I yelled out loud.
Hyunbyul, lying on the bed reading, frowned and ca over.
“...Why are you yelling suddenly?”
“I’ve arrived! I’ve arrived!!!”
“...You’re awake?”
When I nodded slightly, Hyunbyul’s expression beca very strange.
“It’s been a while since I’ve seen Oppa this excited.”
“Well, of course I’m excited! I wasted months trapped in this room!”
She said nothing to my reaction.
“Oppa, you’re so cruel, calling it a waste.”
“...Huh?”
“Most people would call what I did a waste, Oppa.”
Uh...
“Of course, I never thought so.”
When the usually strong Hyunbyul made a weak face, even I had nothing to say.
She did help in every way for months.
Honestly, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t get attached during our talks—
“Don’t I have to press it?”
“...What?”
“That ‘YES’ button. Can’t I just... not press it?”
“Hyunbyul...? What do you an? Don’t press it?”
Calmly I asked again, and tears welled up in Hyunbyul’s voice.
“You know. Oppa thinks if he presses that button, he’ll return to the real world.”
She never believed I entered the ga, but maybe now, at this mont, she’s a little worried?
I thought that for a mont but was wrong.
“Do you hate us that much?”
Hyunbyul was sad.
About my choice.
“Do the tis you spent with us just make you miserable?”
In truth, no.
I was sowhat happy and comfortable.
In a way, these days were my long-ti dream.
No, to be exact...
‘Because it was once what I wished for.’
My dream had changed.
Sothing more precious appeared, and I had sothing I wished for more desperately.
So...
“We could just start anew here—”
“You have to go back.”
No matter how uncomfortable, I made my intentions clear.
“...”
A heavy silence fell.
“Hyunbyul, I’m sorry. If I go back, I’ll really help you... okay? Because if I’m to send you back over there, I have to go.”
I awkwardly smiled and joked; Hyunbyul sighed.
“...What are you saying, you fool? I don’t care anymore. Do whatever you want. I just told you not to press it because I’m annoyed.”
After that, Hyunbyul lay on the bed with a sulky face and opened a book.
I sat back in my chair and looked at the monitor.
And then...
Click.
Carefully pressing YES, another ssage appeared.
「You may not be able to return again.」
「Do you really ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ want to enter?」
From the player’s perspective, this seed an unnecessary prompt.
But sothing felt strange.
“...”
Unlike before when I clicked without hesitation, my hand wouldn’t move easily.
“Why? Not going to press it? Worried I’ll be upset? Too late now anyway.”
Hyunbyul whispered in a sulky voice.
“What are you two talking about in there? Co out for dinner! It’s ready!”
The warm sll of food coming from the kitchen.
[Unlike what you say, you seem to have grown fond of this place.]
I now accept what that old man said.
But still, my hesitation didn’t last long.
The childish Hansoo who wanted to hold onto everything with both hands was all grown up now.
「You may not be able to return again.」
「Do you really want to enter?」
Click.
“Yes.”
It was ti to wake from the dream.
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