Formation of the Eternal Crew (2)
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I am pleased to present this bonus chapter, which has been made possible thanks to the wonderful review written by Klacky.
Please enjoy this bonus chapter as a small token of my appreciation for Klacky’s contribution to my translation work.
13 steps northeast.
5 steps east.
1 step east.
“How strange.”
I approached my front door, which was located to the northeast.
Opening the door, a capsule the size of an ostrich egg lay outside.
*Rattle*
It wasn’t that heavy.
About 2 kg.
“Wow, it’s really a capsule. I was dying of curiosity over this. Seriously. I was so curious what this could be that even meeting ghosts morning and night, I stayed mentally strong and endured it. Truly. So curious.”
The capsule had a crack in the middle, meant to be twisted open.
*Twist*
As I twisted the capsule, something like a square glass bottle was visible inside.
Judging from the crude finishing, it looked just like a cheap prize from a claw machine.
“What the heck is this.”
“Perfume? This looks like perfume, right?”
Yang Juhui pretended to know. Maybe because she often wore makeup, she seemed knowledgeable about perfumes and cosmetics.
Hearing that, it did look like a perfume bottle.
While staring at the perfume bottle for a while, text appeared.
Subtle Perfume
A perfume said to be made from water that fairies splashed in. Greatly reduces the probability of being detected by ghosts and Watchers. Lasts for 100 hours when used. 2/2 uses.
Reduces the probability of being detected by ghosts and Watchers?
It clearly meant the chances of encountering ghosts would decrease!
Tormented by ghosts morning and night, if I used this, my daily life would return to some degree of peace!
“Yes, this is it! This! It says this will reduce my chances of running into ghosts!”
After a long period of humiliation and persecution.
I was sick of it.
Now it’s time to return to being an ordinary high school student, Ha Youngwon!
*Click*
I pressed the round switch to spray the perfume on my body.
Matching its name, Subtle Perfume, a subtle floral scent wafted. But maybe it was just my feeling, this scent didn’t seem completely unfamiliar.
“Hey, have you guys smelled this scent before?”
Wanting to confirm if it was just my imagination, I asked Yang Juhui and Jeong Seok.
Jeong Seok shook his head, and Yang Juhui buried her nose in my shoulder, sniffing *sniff sniff* and then shrugged.
“Don’t know.”
“Strange. I feel like I’ve smelled this somewhere before.”
“Ha Youngwon, where would a loner like you have smelled perfume? Did your ex-girlfriend Yoo Dahee perhaps wear perfume?”
Yang Juhui brought up Yoo Dahee again.
Curious whether he knew the name of the literature girl Yoo Dahee well, Jeong Seok also showed interest.
“Yoo Dahee, you mean Yoo Dahee from Class A? You and Yoo Dahee dated? Really? First time hearing this.”
Jeong Seok didn’t seem to believe that Yoo Dahee and I dated.
Of course, he’d be hearing it for the first time. There was no such thing after all.
Before the misunderstanding deepened, it seemed best to explain.
“My ex-girlfriend is not Yoo Dahee. I haven’t really even talked to her much. I think the conversation we had today might be the first? Still, if it weren’t for her, I would’ve been trouble.”
The Feng Shui book recommended by Yoo Dahee played a decisive role in driving away the Feng Shui Ghost. If I hadn’t had that book, Jeong Seok and I would have struggled a bit more.
*Whoosh*
I took out the book with the post-it note Yoo Dahee attached from my bag.
*Sniff sniff*
Just in case, I smelled it, but the scent was slightly different from Subtle Perfume.
“…I don’t like that Yoo Dahee.”
Yang Juhui muttered softly.
Then she stuffed all the remaining chicken pieces into her mouth and quickly entered Mom’s room.
“I’m going to sleep!”
*Click*
I heard the sound of the door being locked.
As Yang Juhui disappeared, the atmosphere of the living room suddenly turned dreary.
Jeong Seok asked.
“Did something happen between Yang Juhui and Yoo Dahee?”
“I don’t know either.”
The newly opened Training Room allowed simultaneous training for up to 3 people.
I found this out by experimenting directly.
Jeong Seok - Training List
- Read Books: 0/1000
- Write Book Reports: 0/100
Reward: [Speed Reading]
[Speed Reading]: Allows you to read text 1.5 times faster.
“If I can read text 1.5 times faster, I can use my time efficiently when studying. If it’s real, this is exactly the trait I needed.”
Jeong Seok seemed very pleased that he could acquire the [Speed Reading] trait as a training reward. He said his dream was to become a prosecutor.
To become a prosecutor, you’d have to study a lot and read many books, so having the [Speed Reading] trait would indeed be good.
“Training room traits seem to differ in type and result value for each person. What about in your case, Youngwon? Can you also train in the training room?”
“Kind of.”
Ha Youngwon - Training List
- Reach Level 3: 2/3 Lv
- Achieve 5 Level 5 Players: 0/5
Reward: [???]
[???]: ???
“This is how it is for me.”
“Getting more and more bizarre. Youngwon. You said you don’t know why this kind of ability happened to you either, right?”
“Yeah.”
Jeong Seok stared at the status window note I had written for a while.
Then, as if reaching a conclusion, he said.
“You. You called our group a crew, right? In a way, that may not be wrong. You could be like the mafia in the mafia game or an imposter.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It said this in the shop, right? We sell various items that will aid in battles against the heroes. Heroes are usually the good guys in games and comics, no?”
Hearing that…
Preoccupied with going through many things, I hadn’t paid attention, but Jeong Seok sharply pointed out parts I had been overlooking from a third-party perspective.
“In other words, you may have to engage in battle with these so-called heroes someday. And when your level increased, this text appeared, you said.”
The probability of ghosts and Watchers tracking your existence will increase.
“Right. The Subtle Perfume. I just obtained also said it reduces the probability of being detected by ghosts and Watchers.”
“Honestly, it bothered me. Even if ghosts refer to the ones we encountered together. What could these Watchers be? I don’t think ghosts are the only thing we need to be wary of…”
Are there things besides ghosts to be wary of?
What could this mean?
As I frowned, Jeong Seok kindly added an explanation.
“I think these Watchers might not be human. There’s no guarantee that you’re the only one with bizarre abilities like this, Youngwon. These Watchers could refer to heroes or those on their side. Of course, it’s just my brain fart theory.”
Even though Jeong Seok made room to back out by calling it his brain fart theory, his deduction seemed very excellent and accurate.
Even I, as the person directly involved, hadn’t made such sharp speculations.
“So according to what you’re saying, Jeong Seok, I need to be cautious of people as well?”
“Yeah. For example, what if Yang Juhui, who had no interest in track and field, suddenly broke the Olympic record overnight after acquiring Fast Legs?”
“…She’d get a ton of attention.”
“Exactly. Those Watchers or heroes would have an easier time approaching then. So what I want to say is… we shouldn’t stand out too much. Do you understand so far?”
Jeong Seok’s story contained a lot of information, so I felt the need to organize it once.
Still, I could understand what he was trying to say.
It meant that ghosts weren’t the only thing I needed to be careful about.
“So… in conclusion, what do you think I should do?”
“For now, let’s think of you as the mafia in the mafia game. Then I, who boarded the same boat as you, would be your mafia colleague, like an assassin or spy. I also have special abilities to help you.”
I thought my choice to recruit Vice President Jeong Seok as a colleague was very right.
Honestly, I felt the points I spent to put him in the training room were a bit of a waste. But looking at it now, it was a sufficiently justifiable investment!
“Hey Jeong Seok, but what are these mafia colleague assassins and spies? Are there other roles besides mafia and citizens in the mafia game?”
“You haven’t played mafia games or games like Among Us? Spies and assassins are mafia colleagues, but they can help the mafia with their unique abilities or skills. They also carry out special missions.”
Wow, there’s quite a variety.
Looks like Jeong Seok doesn’t just study but also plays a lot of games.
“Hey Jeong Seok. Do you play League of Legends too by any chance?”
“I do.”
“Oh. What’s your tier and position.”
“Platinum. Jungle.”
“Ooh, shit. Seriously? I’m a plat top. Our meeting must have been fate. Wanna duo queue later?”
It was 11 PM.
I turned on the computer and launched the game.
“My Nasus stacks surpassed 600, right? At this point, the enemy’s monitor probably shatters whenever I use Q, right?”
“Hey! Don’t just take kills and hit the nexus first! Hit the nexus!”
Hanging out with a friend late into the night.
It was very enjoyable.
I felt like I had truly returned to being an ordinary high school student.
The ghosts and the unidentified Watchers and heroes felt like a one-night dream.
Maybe it was all a lie.
Having such thoughts, midnight arrived.
*Tick tock*
A sound like a clock hand moving echoed in my head.
It meant that as midnight arrived, I gained 1 point from my Broken Clock trait.
Now my points were at 362P
*Swoosh*
I turned off the computer and got ready for bed.
Since tomorrow was a weekday, I had to go to school.
“There’s something I didn’t have time to talk about today. There’s this thing called the Nightmare Corridor. I’ll tell you about it all at once when Yang Juhui is here too. In a way, this might be the key point.”
“There’s still more to talk about? Man, you’re going through some stuff.”
My room was small.
Jeong Seok and I had to share the same blanket to sleep.
Honestly, it was a bit uncomfortable.
I was tossing and turning, trying to find the right position.
“Hey. What are you going to do about guys like Kim Geonho and Park Inbae. They bullied you. Honestly, if it were you, dunking on them would be a piece of cake. If it were me, I’d take revenge first.”
“Kim Geonho? For now, it’s probably best to just leave him be. You said it yourself. Drawing attention seems dangerous. So at school too, I should live while standing out as little as possible. Like a hidden celebrity.”
“Hidden celebrity… I think there might be a better term for that.”
That was the end of my conversation with Jeong Seok.
The atmosphere quieted down.
As I was about to doze off.
“Hey. Sorry. For seeing but pretending not to.”
“It’s fine. I didn’t ask for your help in the first place anyway. But from now on, if I ask you to help me, you have to help me no matter what. Got it?”
I don’t remember anything after that.
*Swoosh*
I was awakened by the sound of running water in the morning and realized Yang Juhui was washing up in the bathroom.
Maybe because her hair was long, washing it seemed like quite a task.
“What are you looking at.”
“Looking at Yang Juhui.”
“Yeah. Then close the door now.”
So yesterday wasn’t a dream.
I really gained true teammates!
With a joyful heart, I finished washing up and getting ready for school, and then we exited through the front door together.
“Everyone get in. I’m holding the elevator.”
Jeong Seok, who had gone out the front door first, pressed the Down button on the elevator and was waiting for us.
Yeah, this is the true taste of having colleagues.
This is party play!
While I was marvelling at that, Yang Juhui frowned.
“Hey. Youngwon. But did your house always have an elevator? Why didn’t I know? Wasn’t there no elevator? I remember it being really tiring having to climb stairs to the 4th floor.”
“……”
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