The community of evil spirits opens at midnight on the 15th of every month.
Time flows differently within Ghost Busters than outside.
‘One hour here is one second outside.’
Simply put, even if you use all 12 hours that the community is maintained, only 12 seconds will have passed outside.
But…….
‘They wouldn’t wait that long.’
The Marquis’s intentions are clear.
He has an unconfirmed question about me, and he will try to confirm it tonight.
The only problem here is:
How much time do I have?
For now, the spare time I’m hoping for is 4 seconds.
That’s enough time to participate in the Round Table that opens in 3 hours and come out.
It will also prevent suspicion due to the Lion’s absence, and there will be no loss of information that would occur from skipping a Round Table session.
Damn it.
‘4 seconds is cutting it too close.’
I suppressed the creeping greed.
Okay, let’s cleanly give up what we planned to give up.
Click, click.
The computer finished booting at the same time as I made my decision.
I quickly manipulated the mouse and checked the chat room first.
[Long Live Korean Independence] – 1 person is online.
I immediately entered the chat room without wasting any time.
[HS123]
The player online was indeed Hyun-byeol.
I wondered if the GM had lifted Lee Baek-ho’s ban as I requested, and if he had come.
Well, there’s still time for that.
“You’re here?”
Hyun-byeol, who was sitting on the sofa, only raised her head and stared at me, her legs still crossed.
A white blouse and a suit skirt.
Her outfit is the same as always.
“What’s with that tone? As if I might not have come.”
As I sat on the opposite sofa and naturally responded, a back-and-forth reminiscent of the old days continued.
“I thought you might not, Oppa [older brother/term of endearment]. You always ran away whenever something even slightly uncomfortable happened, didn’t you?”
What are you talking about, running away.
“If it’s not something that absolutely needs to be resolved, it’s more energy-efficient to do so.”
It’s the rule to skip events with low rewards compared to the difficulty.
Seeking efficiency means reducing waste.
Just like right now.
“Hyun-byeol.”
There’s no time to waste on pointless small talk, so I immediately got to the point.
“Did you meet the GM last time?”
That was the real reason I came into the chat room without going out right away, even though it wasn’t time to participate in the Round Table.
Because I was going to check this from this position.
Hyun-byeol, who slightly frowned at my question, opened her small lips.
“……How did you know?”
A positive answer, not a denial.
I calmly explained the basis of my suspicion.
“It was strange that a message came when we were talking. I looked into it a bit.”
The first time I felt a sense of unease was after I parted ways with Hyun-byeol.
As I was fiddling with the mouse after returning to my room, I remembered the GM who was very interested in this chat room.
Even if the GM couldn’t eavesdrop on the chat room content, they could check who was in the chat room.
I suspected that the GM might have sent the message to Hyun-byeol, so I searched a chat room and watched the number of people.
And soon, I was able to confirm it.
“The number of people in the secret chat room that the GM often uses was small, but it increased to 3. I thought it was you because the timing was coincidental.”
“…Then why didn’t you call me back then and waited until today?”
“The GM might be spying on the messages.”
“Then you could have just told me to come to the chat room.”
“You might think that’s strange too.”
“……Annoying.”
Hyun-byeol glared at me and sighed.
“I’m saying this in advance because I think you might misunderstand, but I had no intention of deceiving you, Oppa.”
“I know.”
“I was going to tell you today. Of course, it’s hard to believe from your perspective… Huh? What did you just say?”
“I know. That you had no intention of deceiving me.”
Hyun-byeol’s expression became strange at my words.
“It’s good that you said that, but… on what basis?”
The basis is simple.
“If you had intended to hide it, you wouldn’t have so easily agreed to my question.”
Knowing her personality, she would have hidden it more thoroughly.
Even while thinking that she might have been caught, she would have denied it until the very end, just in case.
“But, I could have been acting, right?”
“If we go that far, there’s no end to it. If you still don’t understand, just think that I wanted to believe you.”
As I chuckled and spoke jokingly, Hyun-byeol shut her mouth.
And after looking at me for a long time…….
“……Oppa, did you get a girlfriend here?”
She asked such an unexpected question.
Misha came to mind as soon as I heard it, but I decided to check the reason first.
“But why all of a sudden……?”
When I asked back, Hyun-byeol trailed off in a slightly strange voice.
“It’s nothing. I just thought your way of speaking has improved…….”
Is this a compliment or a criticism?
Deciding to take it as the former, I changed the subject.
It’s not a topic I want to continue for long, and I don’t have the time to do so.
“But Hyun-byeol, I don’t have time, you know?”
“Is that the efficient avoidance you were talking about earlier, Oppa?”
“It’s not that, I really don’t have time. I’m just going to check what I need to check and leave, so just answer that.”
“Okay. What is it?”
“What did the GM offer you?”
“They asked me to be a spy, saying they’d give me GP or whatever.”
“I knew it.”
“What have you been doing that made that person so obsessed with you? That person’s nickname is weird too…….”
“It just happened. It’s nothing much.”
As I vaguely glossed over it, Hyun-byeol didn’t dig any deeper.
“……Anyway, so what do you want me to do, Oppa?”
“If I tell you, will you do it?”
“Have I ever not done what you’ve asked, Oppa?”
Uh… a lot?
No, but she did almost everything important while grumbling, right?
Whatever, let’s just talk about it for now.
“Leak the information I want to leak to that side.”
“Okay. So, is there something this time too?”
“When I leave the chat room later, I’m going to log out right away, and the GM will probably be curious about the reason. Then tell them that I’m in the middle of a battle and can’t talk for long, and that I left in a hurry, promising to meet next time.”
“Okay. But I’ll ask you one thing.”
“What is it?”
“What’s the real reason you’re logging out?”
“That? It’s similar to what I told the GM.”
“Does that mean… you really came from fighting? Even though the labyrinth hasn’t opened yet?”
“I told you, it’s similar.”
It’s not like fighting is only about hitting and getting hit, right?
Anyway, that should be enough of an answer.
“Then I’m going! See you next time!”
I left the chat room before Hyun-byeol could say anything.
***
A quiet study filled with furniture she designed and placed.
“If you’re done, I’ll be on my way…….”
“Yes, the GP we promised will be credited immediately.”
“Okay, then…….”
As the East Asian woman, who had an intellectual aura but was somewhat clumsy, left the room, the GM quietly murmured.
“That man is in the middle of a battle…… This is quite strange. If that man is someone who has to save even a second, it means the opponent is of a similar level.”
The GM’s voice was filled with a sense of emptiness. However, Soul Queens, who had been with him for a long time, couldn’t possibly not know the reason for that emotion.
In fact, she felt the same way.
Nickname HS123.
A Korean woman who asked to be called ‘Black Star’ if it was uncomfortable to call her by her nickname.
Until that woman told them, they didn’t know.
Literally nothing.
They were usually confident in their information gathering, but they hadn’t even felt a sign until such a big shot was clashing in the shadows.
“…Still, it’s fortunate that we’ve secured Black Star. If a clash occurred that made that man struggle, there must be traces left behind. Let’s focus on finding those traces for the time being.”
While nodding at the GM’s words, Soul Queens didn’t hesitate to bring up one question.
“But there’s something strange. If it was really such an urgent situation, there’s no reason to have entered the chat room, right?”
“But it’s that man. And his expression didn’t look that urgent. He might have been that confident.”
“That’s… true.”
It’s a strange thing, but Soul Queens thought that might really be the case.
No, she was sure that was the case.
She couldn’t imagine the Lion looking impatient.
He was like a giant.
Because he had absolute faith in himself, he always took his steps leisurely, but still left a big mark.
“More importantly… Soul Queens, isn’t it time for you to start preparing?”
“Preparing for what?”
“Isn’t it almost time to enter the Round Table?”
“But, the Lion isn’t coming anyway.”
“Still, quite useful information is discussed there. And above all, there’s the corpse collector who is a connection to Noah Arc. Why don’t you go and take a look? You might be able to get information about the clash that might be happening somewhere right now.”
“Since you put it that way… okay.”
Soul Queens complied with the GM’s instructions without complaint and left the chat room. And as soon as it was time to enter, she entered the ‘Watcher of the Round Table’.
“You’re here early?”
“Yes. I had some time left over.”
The one who arrived before her was the Fox Mask.
As they were exchanging simple greetings, the members entered one by one.
Goblin, Crescent Moon.
And…….
“Hehehe, what’s with the deer antlers not showing up today?”
Even the Clown.
A total of five people gathered at the Round Table, and this continued until the door slammed shut, signaling the end of the entry period.
“I don’t care if that deer antler guy died somewhere, but this is a bit of a problem. The Lion not coming.”
The Clown got up without any hesitation.
Even so, he didn’t stop grumbling.
“Really, it’s because you guys bring the same useless things every time that he doesn’t come! Ugh, just thinking about these things strutting around outside…….”
The Clown, who was grumbling and heading towards the door, trailed off and stared at Soul Queens.
“Huh? Queen, aren’t you leaving?”
“No. I’m just going to attend this time.”
“If even I leave, only those small fries will be left?”
At the Clown’s arrogant words, Soul Queens covered the area where her mouth would be and laughed softly.
“Oh my, what a funny thing to say. Actually, you’re not that different from them, are you?”
“Are you saying that I’m on the same level as them?”
“Hmm, seeing as you believe that the Lion didn’t come because he wasn’t satisfied with our information, I guess you’re somewhat similar?”
“……It’s as if you know why the Lion didn’t come.”
“Well, I can’t just tell you for free. Ah, if you’re really curious, shall we go around once?”
“……Hehehe, what a bluff. I almost fell for it. There’s no way you know anything about the Lion.”
“Are you really sure? Then you can just leave.”
Even though she spoke mockingly, the Clown’s stopped feet didn’t move.
It was somewhat expected.
The Clown’s blind interest in the Lion wasn’t something that started yesterday or today.
Thud.
The Clown, who had turned his feet that were heading towards the door and sat back down, murmured as if making an excuse.
“……Well, it wouldn’t be bad to watch and leave, to see how ridiculous your words are. Hehehe.”
It was a rude way of speaking, but it was still as she intended. It was true that high-level information came out when the Clown was there.
“…….”
“…….”
As the Clown sat down, gazes naturally gathered.
Looking at those eyes full of anticipation and curiosity, she raised the corners of her lips behind her mask.
She hadn’t planned to go first, but there didn’t seem to be any reason to avoid it.
“Hehehe, why are you just standing there when the stage is set? Well, I guess you couldn’t possibly know what even I couldn’t find out—”
She cut off the Clown’s words and murmured briefly.
“The Lion is currently in battle with someone.”
As soon as those words were spoken, the Clown couldn’t even get angry about being interrupted and shifted his gaze to one place.
Right there, where the gem that hides the truth was.
Not only the Clown but all the members were staring at that place with their eyes shining brightly.
And…….
Whoosh.
Soon, light flowed from the gem.
“I-It’s green.”
Starting with the Goblin breaking the silence, a commotion erupted.
“Queen, did you perhaps find out the Lion’s identity?”
Crescent Moon was so excited that he kicked the table and stood up, and the Fox Mask also murmured quietly.
“It’s not the Queen. The GM must have found out.”
“M-More importantly… for the Lion to not be able to attend the meeting because he’s fighting, who on earth is his opponent…….”
The Goblin also trailed off, as if sensing that something unusual was happening.
And…….
“…….”
The Clown was silent.
“Clown, you’ve suddenly become quiet—”
“How…….”
“……?”
“How could you have found out……? Did that person perhaps tell you? But, if so, why? Why you first, and not me?”
The Clown’s words, which had been relaxed just a moment ago, were filled with excitement, and his eyes, which were revealed through the gaps in his mask, were staring at her as if they would pierce through her.
A gaze of more fervent interest than ever before.
“Hmm, I wonder why.”
She unknowingly raised the corners of her lips.
“If you tell me something interesting, I might tell you the reason?”
It felt like she was going to get addicted.
***
「The character moves to Lapdonia.」
***
About 20 minutes in Ghost Busters.
About 0.3 seconds in real time.
That short amount of time, when something could happen to you in an empty room.
However, after finishing the conversation with Hyun-byeol, I didn’t hesitate to press the log out button.
After all, I had decided not to go to the Round Table anyway.
If I stayed, I would just be looking around the bulletin board and giggling, so I decided it was better to get out a little earlier and prepare for the situation.
But…….
‘It’s quiet.’
When I opened my eyes, I was greeted by the same darkness as before.
No sound could be heard, and the window frame was also tightly closed—
Click.
At that moment, the locked door opened.
And at that moment.
Swoosh.
Even though my eyes were closed, the body of a warrior who had entered the realm of a superhuman sensed someone unknown quickly approaching my body.
‘If I had come out leisurely, I would have been in big trouble.’
The time it took for the door to open and for the guy to arrive here was only about 1 second.
This is like a cockroach.
I immediately got up and reached out my hand.
Whack-
The neck was instantly grabbed.
“……!”
I got up from the bed in that state and checked the identity of the uninvited guest in the middle of the night.
The person I had caught in my hand, struggling, was someone I had not expected at all.
“Eltora Terserion.”
I never thought the Prime Minister’s son would come himself.
Of course, there was no reason to be flustered.
Even if it was his grandfather, not his son, what I had to do wouldn’t change.
“……I hope you came prepared to die.”
I plan to get my money’s worth for being called out and not being able to participate in community activities.