novelraw Chapter 109 : I Don't Obey the Orders of the Weak (1)
Chapter 109 : I Don't Obey the Orders of the Weak (1)
I Don't Obey the Orders of the Weak (1)
Early lunchtime.
Lee Gyeongbok and his friends gathered for a meeting.
But unlike usual, the location wasn't a café.
"Can I help you with your order?"
The place they visited was a dakgalbi restaurant. And that wasn't the only thing that was different.
"We'll order slowly, one of our party's in the restroom."
Besides the three of them, one more person was attending the meeting.
"Ahaha, sorry about this. My stomach started hurting all of a sudden. Did you order yet?"
It was Genome.
Lee Gyeongbok looked at him and offered a faint smile.
"Not yet. What do you want to eat?"
"Just order whatever you want. Since it's a celebration for winning the event, I'll treat everyone."
At those words, Choi Byeonghun shot a glance around. But Lee Gyeongbok waved his hand.
"No, I'm the one who got the prize money, so why should you pay, hyung? I'll get this. So you do the ordering."
"Sounds good. Didn't you treat last time at our team dinner anyway?"
Park Juho chimed in. Genome replied with a playful laugh.
"Hey, if you put it that way, then I really have to buy. Next time my employees come, treat them with me. If I just eat for free and wipe my mouth, people will talk."
"Man... Fine, then you pay again today."
"Sure, sure, just order."
As soon as things settled, Choi Byeonghun raised his hand high.
"Order here, please!"
After the usual pleasantries, their meal arrived. Yellow cheese and red dakgalbi blended together, and in no time, the table was cleared and fried rice was placed on top.
"Oh, it's good here."
"Park Juho, I'll have the crispy bits stuck to the pan, okay?"
"... Go ahead."
Like a typical meal among men, only after filling their stomachs did the real conversation begin.
"So, you all at least read what our manager sent by email, right?"
"You mean GunG event's schedule is set."
It was the event contracted by providing Lee Gyeongbok's personal data to GGG, the developer of Gunner Ground.
The schedule had finally been decided.
"But why did we suddenly get the right to select our own members? Wasn't GGG originally supposed to decide?"
Park Juho adjusted his Anqing and asked, and Genome wrinkled the tip of his nose.
"I thought it'd end with me as team leader and picking you as a wildcard. But apparently, things got complicated."
"Complicated how?"
"GGG didn't just recruit from Tri, but also from SerengetiTV BJs. But as you know, the two platforms have different moods."
"Really?"
Lee Gyeongbok opened his eyes wide. He had little interest in other streaming platforms, so this was new to him.
"Tri and Serengeti are pretty different. To put it kindly, serengeti is freer. To put it bluntly, it's less regulated. Think of it as wild, like the name."
But Choi Byeonghun, as an editor, knew the platforms' moods well.
"Well, not all BJs are like that, it's case by case. Anyway, looks like some of the recruited BJs caused trouble."
"Trouble?"
"They didn't tell me the details, but seems it wasn't just one or two."
Hearing this, Park Juho's eyes narrowed.
"That means GGG must have completely withdrawn their Serengeti side recruitment. The news will go public soon, and being associated with Serengeti might even have a negative effect."
"Exactly. That's why the event schedule was delayed this time."
Genome nodded.
The three of them now understood the situation.
"Fortunately, the event itself isn't canceled, but recruiting the rest of the team is now the problem, right."
"That's why I called you today. The schedule's gotten tight, so they switched to a referral system. If the team leader recruits influencers he knows, it saves time."
"Isn't that fine? Hyung, you've got good connections."
To Lee Gyeongbok's question, genome lifted his chin slightly.
"You're right, but I can't just bring someone in without consulting you all. Anyone you have in mind? Say the word, and I'll connect you."
"Did GGG set any separate requirements? It was supposed to be two variety streamers."
At Park Juho's question, genome tilted his head.
"They asked for someone with entertainment sense, but for now the event's the priority, so it's not a big problem."
"'Entertainment sense' just means anyone who can make the broadcast fun, right?"
With Lee Gyeongbok's question, all three turned their eyes toward each other.
Did anyone come to mind?
They all harbored the same question.
"There's actually someone I'd like to recommend."
Lee Gyeongbok responded with a bright smile.
* * *
Lee Gyeongbok and Genome got out of a taxi.
Noisy sounds filled their ears. Vintage clothes and all sorts of items were on display, and crowds of people went back and forth, browsing.
"This place never changes, never,"
Genome chuckled awkwardly.
They had come to Dongmyo Market.
"Let's see... ah, this way."
He led the way, checking a hologram navigation. Lee Gyeongbok followed, scanning the area.
'It feels a bit different.'
Maybe because he'd learned to read thoughts while playing Escapers, he could sense various energies from the old goods displayed at the market.
'It's as if they're sharpened.'
His divine energy, which used to be blunt, now felt razor-sharp. However, there was no backlash.
An improvement not in quantity, but in quality.
'I wonder if Grandma used to feel this sort of thing too.'
He thought of his grandmother—not the gentle side but her stern demeanor.
'Rewrite it and bring it here.'
'Pardon?'
It was not long after his grandma brought Aunt Yang Gyuri. She'd ordered her to write a talisman.
'Do you think your fate changed just because the cleansing ritual is done?'
Her voice was calm but tinged with anger.
'N-no.'
'Do you still not understand what it means for me to tell you to write a talisman?'
'That is...'
'Fortune and misfortune aren't determined by objects. It's always due to people's karma and causality. The same knife can be a cooking tool used to feed loved ones, or a weapon that takes a life.'
A burning smell filled the air.
His grandma was burning the talisman Aunt Yang Gyuri had written.
'But you neither put in sincerity nor heart; these are no better than children's doodles. Are you thinking of letting yourself become a beast under a false god again?'
'No, no! Never!'
'Did being reborn make you as naive as a newborn? You should know items imbued with intention leave their mark. Don't even think of resting until it has that pattern.'
Back then, he simply couldn't understand what she meant. He even suspected her grandma was just nitpicking to discipline his aunt.
But now, he understood.
'The owner's goodwill or malice gets inscribed upon objects.'
From the displayed items, he could feel both auspicious and ominous energy. Of course, not from every object.
'So this is what she meant by "pattern."'
The objects with a "feel" to them shared certain characteristics only he could sense.
It was either the traces of time embedded in them or the marks left by a previous owner's habits.
"Mmm, it's here...?"
Genome's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. When Lee Gyeongbok looked back, there was an antique store in front of them.
Not just antique furniture, but items from various cultures filled the shop.
"Huh? It's a store, not a home?"
"Is this the right address?"
"Yeah, this is it."
Genome looked flustered as he showed the map. The hologram navigation unmistakably pointed to that shop.
Just then, the shop door burst open and an elderly man, presumably the owner,
stepped out.
"Are you looking for something in particular?"
Two burly men lingering in front of the shop must have caught his attention.
Genome bowed awkwardly.
"Ah, sorry, sir. We're not looking for goods. We're looking for a person, and... is there someone here who does personal broadcasting..."
"You from a TV station?"
The owner frowned.
Genome quickly waved his hands.
"No, no, not from TV. It's just, we personally do live streaming."
"So, you're from a TV station, right?"
Genome blinked, momentarily speechless, then bowed sheepishly.
"No, sorry for the trouble, maybe we'll come back..."
"Hyung, this is the place."
As Genome tried to turn away, Lee Gyeongbok brushed past him and stepped in.
Genome looked shocked, but Lee Gyeongbok, with a smile, walked right in past the owner.
The bell on the door jingled.
"Welcome."
A deep voice greeted him.
A sturdy man stepped out from the back.
He looked to be in his mid- to late-thirties and regarded Lee Gyeongbok with a blink.
"Anything special you're looking for?"
"Nice to meet you."
Lee Gyeongbok greeted him with a smile.
"Nice to see you offline, Eclipse-nim."
At his words, both Genome and the sturdy man, Eclipse, widened their eyes.
* * *
The three of them went upstairs to the shop's second floor.
"So that's it! The living space is on the second floor. A real live-work hybrid!"
Genome laughed cheerfully, looking around in wonder.
"Wow, this really is the same place from your broadcast."
It matched the place where Eclipse filmed his sword training video for Q-tube.
"You always wondered where he got those knight armors—Dongmyo, I believe it."
"Hyung, you're too rowdy—just sit."
Lee Gyeongbok joked. Genome cleared his throat and sat down.
"Come on, don't you know how to break the ice?"
"You're the one making it awkward."
"Ahem. If so, then I apologize."
At Genome's words, Eclipse waved his hand with an awkward smile.
"No, not at all. If anything, I should apologize for not greeting you at the door."
"No, we didn't contact you before arriving, so it's on us."
"So, how did you recognize me right away, Purple-nim?"
To Eclipse's question, Lee Gyeongbok replied casually.
"Your build in-game was the same, but it was your walk that really stood out."
"My walk?"
"You walk like someone who wields a sword, even in real life."
Eclipse burst out laughing.
"Ah, excuse me, but that's just so like you, Purple-nim."
"I do pride myself on my observational skills."
Lee Gyeongbok smiled as he replied.
But that wasn't the only reason.
'No need to explain that I sensed your energy.'
He had felt the same energy from Eclipse in real life as he did in the game.
"You run this shop with your father, right?"
"Ah... well, the man earlier is my grandfather, not my father. Both my parents live out in the countryside."
Eclipse laughed sheepishly at Genome's question.
They both widened their eyes at his answer. No matter how you looked, the elderly man and Eclipse didn't look like grandfather and grandson.
"I'm actually twenty-seven. People always get it wrong because I look old for my age."
"Huh? But you've got fifteen years of gaming history, don't you?"
Genome asked incredulously. That would mean he started playing Fromme's games at age twelve.
"Well... yes. As you probably know, console gaming isn't strict with age limits. Luckily, the capsules weren't around until I was of age."
"And your sword training...?"
"I started Q-tube at fifteen, so it's been twelve years now. Since I've been active since I was young, maybe I aged faster."
Eclipse laughed heartily. Genome laughed along, glancing at Lee Gyeongbok.
'He's not much different...'
Both had been athletic since the same age, but their appearances were totally opposite.
Of course, genome kept that thought to himself.
"Ahem, anyway, as I mentioned in the message, we visited about the event."
He shifted gears to the main topic. Eclipse straightened up as well.
"It could be a tough decision for you, Eclipse-nim, since you've only played Fromme's games, but the pay is—"
"Money doesn't matter."
Eclipse raised his hand, cutting him off.
"Ever since I lost to Purple-nim, I've been thinking a lot."
"Me?"
"Yes. I thought I was at the top of my field. But maybe I was just a frog in the well, stuck in a rut."
Eclipse had pride as a top player. But the showdown with Purple had taught him otherwise.
He realized the place he ruled as number one was just a larger well.
"I was just considering taking on a new challenge, and this is a good opportunity."
Genome and Lee Gyeongbok both brightened at those words. But Eclipse wasn't done.
"But, there is one condition."
"A condition?"
"Yes."
Eclipse nodded, turning to Lee Gyeongbok.
"I'd like to spar with Purple-nim once, offline."
"Huh? A spar?!"
Genome's eyes almost popped out. Why a spar, out of nowhere?
Eclipse's competitive spirit was beyond his imagination.
"Wait, that's..."
"Let's do it."
As Genome hesitated in shock, Lee Gyeongbok replied. Genome's eyes grew even wider.
Why are you like this too?
His expression practically screamed the question.
"You really do know how to make things interesting."
Lee Gyeongbok ignored Genome's reaction and smiled.
Of course, part of it was his own competitive spirit.
'If my divine energy really has been honed, then I must have changed too.'
It was the perfect chance to see just how much he himself had changed in reality.
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