Chapter 76
Now a 15-year-old middle school student, he didn't even ask, but he poured out every word of his story as if he were complaining to Jae-young.
“...I ran away like that, and since I was caught back here, I've been here all along.”
okay.
Chains restraining both feet. On top of that, Jung-shik, who was so sloppy and rags-like that no user could see it at all, looked like a beggar to the point that anyone would throw a coin at him. The situation is pitiful, but as other users did, it was the result of my wrong choice. Jaeyoung smiled bitterly and asked him.
“...Why the hell did you come up with such a contract? A little bit of reading would have made it clear how absurd it was...”
Even if you read or watch a little carefully, you can see that it is a slave contract that sells the soul. However, like most users, Jungshik did not take a close look at the contract in front of him.
“That's.... I signed where I was asked to sign without thinking.”
“How many companies do that in real life? Do you really not read properly when someone on the Internet asks you to agree to the terms and conditions?”
“...Who's going to read that?”
Even if it's not a game, even if you try to sign up for something on the Internet, companies that threaten you to agree to it with extremely densely written terms and conditions. There were plenty of cases where unfair clauses that were unfavorable to consumers were hidden in the tightly written terms and conditions and used to cheat. And the situation of Chinese food is not at all different from that case.
“I don’t fall for these ridiculous scams because I don’t read those things carefully.”
“That's...”
I want to refute something, but I have nothing to say. Isn't there a slave contract that he personally signed? He said he didn't know because he didn't read it properly, but Jung-sik didn't have a thick face to the extent of saying that as an excuse.
“.....”
That's why Jae-young's blow made Jung-sik die. Looking at his sullen expression, Jaeyoung thought to himself.
‘Is this all because of me.....'
A mission system that encourages those who are related to you or influenced by you to be your helpers, whether by chance or inevitability.
Angelina, who asked for help in a crisis, and Casillas, who unintentionally gave a chance in the middle of a fight. And even Jung-shik, who was being exploited by the monster of capitalism he corrupted. All three of these people were somehow connected to him.
“So... what do you plan to do next?”
“Once, during the contract period, if you dig more than the quota of iron ore without missing a day, you will be released again as a free body.”
Lunch waiting patiently for the contract period to end. However, the baron Mikhail whom Jaeyoung met had become a monster of capitalism that was terrifying even to see him, so even if the contract period ended, he wondered if he would let go of the faithful slave who had been so obediently in his hands.
“Hey, manager?”
Shylock, who was quietly watching the conversation with Jungsik from the side. He bowed down at Jaeyoung's words calling him and replied with an overly kind smile.
“yes! Why are you calling me?”
“This child... how long does it have to be free?”
“Ah, this slave...? Eh... Let's see...”
He looked at Jung-sik with sharp eyes for a moment at Jae-young's question, and then began to calculate something.
“If I dig iron ore diligently for the next two years and two months, I will be free.”
“yes....? Two years and two months?”
Joong-shik was shocked by the words and shouted. He questioned him in a much louder voice, as if he had no idea.
“How can it be two years and two months? It was a one-year contract, and two months have passed, so now you have 10 months left!”
Shylock glared at the lunch with cold eyes at those words and said.
“That was before you ran away. The contract says that if you try to escape in the middle, the contract will be extended by multiplying by twice the remaining days. And it is supposed to include the cost of catching you, so the remaining period is 2 years and 2 months! You stupid bastard!”
“Where is that!”
“That's all in the contract. If it's unfair, you shouldn't have read it straight!”
“I can’t believe this...”
Joongshik collapsed into his seat as if he was shocked. An expression full of despair fell on his face, as if the hope he had believed in had all been blown away. But at that time, L approached Jungshik with strange eyes and began to examine him closely, sniffing here and there.
“Sniff... this smell...”
L muttered to himself with a more serious expression than ever before, twitching his nose. Tan looked at her with an absurd look and asked.
“what? Were you like that?”
“Shut up, you dirty devil. In any case, everything that the devil sees is that way.”
L, who also pours out bitter vitriol in response to Tan's question. Then, with a completely different face, he said to Jaeyoung.
“I smell strongly of this human fire.”
“The smell of fire...?”
“It is the smell of fire spirits or those who have an absolute affinity for the fire attribute. People like this usually have a natural talent for blacksmithing... It's been a long time since I've smelled such a strong and thick scent.”
At the same time, L keeps sniffing around the luncheon with his nose twitching. At her words, Jaeyoung looked down at Jungshik, who was sitting in a daze, as if his soul had escaped, with an expression of surprise.
‘If you take care of him and raise him... he'll be useful...'
El's assurance that he's still a good guy. In addition, the mission had pointed out that this guy was to be a helper anyway, so in fact, Jae-young had only one option to choose.
“If I could make you free right now...”
Startled.
Joong-sik reacts violently to the word that he will make it into a free body and opens his eyes wide. Jaeyoung gave him a sticky smile and whispered an offer he could never refuse.
“Are you prepared to do anything?”
“What the hell do you want from me?”
The urge to answer yes right away was the middle of the day, but he couldn't do it. It was because he was smiling strangely in front of him, as if he was shouting out of instinct, as if he had an inexplicable anxiety. Jungshik stuttered to the end and asked.
But Jaeyoung didn't answer his question. It just turns around with a relaxed attitude.
“no? Don't do that.”
Meanwhile, Jae-young slowly walks to the exit of the mine. Looking at his back, Jung-sik was restless with an expression of ‘Isn't this?'
“Wait... wait a minute!”
Jae-Young, who has gone far away because of Jung-shik's hesitation. Joong-sik hurriedly called Jae-young and walked in front of him, banging his head on the floor and shouting.
“If you just get me out, I will devote my whole life to you! older brother! please take me I don't want to mine iron ore anymore. Huh...”
Joong-shik put his head on the floor and desperately shouts a new slave pledge to devote himself to his body and soul. but he didn't see The face of Jaeyoung, who looked down at him and grinned as if he had been waiting for this.
* * *
[The exclusive contract for the player ‘I'm a wildcat' has been terminated.]
Rurirrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.
The contract in question that turned Jungshik into a slave. Looking at the contract, which had been turned into ashes by the lapse of its validity with Jaeyoung's help, he muttered with a relieved expression.
“I can’t believe I went through such hardships because of this...”
“When signing a contract in the future, read the contents carefully before signing. Don't recklessly sign. This is the gem-like advice you need in life, so heed it carefully.”
“...From now on, I will read and agree to each and every one of the terms and conditions...”
Jung-sik muttered with a very serious expression as if he was carving out his own beliefs. Jaeyoung nodded his head as if satisfied with his promise.
“First of all, I need to check your situation, so don’t leave anything out whether it’s stats, skills, or quests, and share everything with me.”
“Yes..... Wait a minute.....”
Joong-sik was manipulating something in the air with his finger. And not long after, his details appeared in front of Jaeyoung's eyes.
“Let's see..... Level 24. I've been stuck in the mine all this time, so it's worth it... Weapon crafting is C rank... Armor crafting is D rank, mining skill.... 2nd rank. ...?”
Jaeyoung looks at the lunch with startled eyes. Seeing his genuinely surprised eyes, Jung-sik murmured with a shy smile.
“That's... it's been a while
since only mining is dying...”
2 rank.
Arcadia's skill rank system is divided into two.
Alphabetical ranks from F to A.
and numerical ranks from 9 to 1.
Although the exact figures or training methods have not been disclosed, it is a system in which the level of proficiency increases significantly when a specific skill is used repeatedly or when special conditions are met in various situations. However, no matter how hard you focus on one skill, it is not easy to go beyond rank 9.
In fact, one of Arcadia's core developers even affirmed it during an interview.
[How long does it normally take to master a skill? Hmm... Maybe there's a little bit of variation for each skill, but there won't be anyone who raises the skill rank to Master for at least 6 years.] [Why
? ]
I can somehow raise it up to the rank, but... the master's level... How can I say it... A miracle? No, it would be more accurate to say that it can only be climbed with a chance.] It is
a state that cannot be reached by simply ignorantly using skills repeatedly. That's why people used to call rank 5 or higher like this.
It is called the realm of enlightenment.
However, it was not enough to overcome such a demonic state, and Jung-shik achieved a 2nd rank that was almost close to Master. Jaeyoung's gaze at him had to change because he couldn't help but look at it lightly.
“Wait a minute...but what is this?”
“What?”
Jaeyoung continued to check his abilities. He was horrified at what he found in the title he had casually opened.
[Closed beta tester.]
[First user.]
[Oldest fire-attractor.]
“Closed beta tester....?”
Virtual reality game Arcadia. It is a joint project of global conglomerates, and it was a top-secret project that no one even knew existed until the official announcement. In addition, Jae-young was shocked to learn that the first user of this game, which was first launched in the United States, was this dumb-faced middle school boy.
“No... how the hell did you become a beta tester?”
“That’s...”
Joong-sik is making a puzzled expression as if he’s uncovered a secret that should never be revealed. He hesitated for a while, then spoke in a small mumble.
“My friend gave it to me.....”
“Friend...?”
With Jae-young's common sense, he couldn't understand what kind of friend could give him permission to be a beta tester for a top-secret virtual reality project. That's why I asked the Chinese in a sarcastic tone.
“Is your friend some kind of Argos or the hidden chairman of Silicoff? Or something like Sunja hidden by the chairman of Ajin Electronics.”
“It's not like that. I have a friend who is a little bit smart... Anyway, it's a secret, so I can't tell you at all.”
Chinese food, as if embarrassed, talking gibberish. Jaeyoung, who watched him for a moment, nodded his head as if he understood and walked away.
“Yeah... well let’s say that”
But Jaeyoung didn’t know. It means that the story of Joongshik, who seems to be sweating profusely and talking gibberish, is 100% true without a single lie.