The Novel’s Villain

37. Kim Emperor and the Warriors (2)

The Army of Chaos was quickly cleared away by the players. The sight of them smashing the army that burned down the Village of Peace offered a sense of thrill. Everyone watching enjoyed the catharsis of seeing the monsters pummeled. Kim Emperor’s performance was more dazzling than anyone else’s. Along with him, the players who had endured amid numerous Soldiers of Chaos smashed into the enemy lines relentlessly.

‘Umm?’

Jin-woo found a female warrior cutting the monsters down. She stood out just as much as Rundalf and Crazy Demon, thanks to her skill.

Potato Chips: Oh, that’s the Cutie Swordswoman Hee-yeon.

Wasabi Flavor: She’s high-class, LOL.

A smile came out thanks to the childish nickname.

The fiercely burning flames were gradually extinguished. The number of the Soldiers of Chaos also decreased rapidly, and by the time the flames were completely gone, everything was cleared up.

“We won!”

“Eaaargh!”

The players clenched their fists and shouted. Jin-woo put down his shield. The moment the shield touched the ground, it was shattered into pieces. The players, who protected the NPCs with Jin-woo, approached him. As they went through life and death together, they became very close. It wasn’t unreasonable to say they were comrades, with Jin-woo at the center of it.

It was all acting, but it still felt like everyone had become friends.

“The village…”

“It’s completely gone.”

All the buildings in the village were burned down, and it was the same as if the village had disappeared. The players who were with Jin-woo liked the Village of Peace and chose to stay there. It was a half victory, so it was hard to be happy about it. NPCs came out of the shelter. Their faces, of course, weren’t bright either.

“Should we work on the restoration?”

“I think so.”

“Let’s see if there is anything left.”

The players who looked at the miserable scenery began to move. Jin-woo was planning to remove the Village of Peace altogether, but naturally, opinions were gathered that the players should do the restoration work. Come to think of it; it would be okay to recover the village. That way, it would be more memorable.

“For now…”

There was something that they had to do first. All players agreed. Before restoring the village, it was decided to build a cemetery for the NPCs.

‘It’s over.’

Although the wasteland was half-occupied by the Army of Chaos, everything Jin-woo had to do in the main scenario of Chapter 1 had been completed.

* * *

A cemetery with the names of NPCs who had ‘perished’ was built in the Village of Peace. A memorial service was also held. It was originally held only in the Village of Peace, but the wave spread online and offline. Users of Maze Net held a large-scale memorial service with the permission of the Seoul Metropolitan Government. It was very strange when looking at the situation calmly, but no one opposed it. Rather, the city used the memorial service as an opportunity to hold various events.

Seoul City was very envious of the collaboration between JW Gate and Anyang City, but when the opportunity came, they quickly seized it. The promotional phrase ‘New World Seoul’ was also created in an instant. People attending the memorial service marched with pictures of the deceased Karen and other beloved NPCs. Even though everyone was clumsily dressed up in New World’s clothes, the situation was even reported overseas.

Several guest singers appeared, and a large festival was carried out. It even led to a bizarre scene where the mayor came out. It felt like the dream of leaping into a world-class tourism city came true through New World. It was no exaggeration to say that the influence of The Maze: New World was that great.

Jin-woo stayed in the Village of Peace with the players and participated in the restoration work. All the donated money was converted into dimensional gold coins and put into the village. Both players and viewers were surprised by the large amount. Since Jin-woo made such a donation, many people, including Rundalf and Crazy Demon, participated in the donation relay. The village had grown particularly bigger than before as Rundalf donated a huge sum.

When the players asked if it would be possible to revive Karen and the other NPCs, the G&P developers said they couldn’t do it. It was said that they couldn’t intervene because it was already a small world and an elaborately operated system. There were even opinions among players that NPCs should be respected as human beings. That discussion was still going on with no end in sight.

Meanwhile, Jin-woo was resting at his mansion.

‘It is more effective than I thought, huh?’

It was also carefully reported on TV. Karen quickly became a celebrity. She was traveling around the Earth disguised as a human, but he heard that she felt a little bit complicated about it. How did it feel to see your memorial portrait when you were still alive?

‘Anyway, the Village of Peace has been restored….’

If only the Army of Chaos occupying the wasteland were driven out, the main scenario in Chapter 1 would be over. After that, the scenario was also scheduled to proceed in line with the growth of the players. After the village restoration, there was nothing to do, but Jin-woo occasionally logged on to New World to broadcast. He thought it was okay as a hobby.

“Young Master.”

“Umm?”

Yoo-na checked the schedule and looked at Jin-woo.

“Didn’t you say that there would be offline meetups?”

“Umm? Right.”

“The meetups would probably be called Kim Emperor and the Warriors.”

As they worked together to restore the village, Jin-woo became quite close with the other players. He even remembered how he felt when he used to play online games. It was pretty good to just stay in character and talk about various things regardless of status. No one would have been able to treat him so comfortably if he came as Lee Jin-woo.

‘It reminds me of the past, so it was nice…’

Jin-woo smirked. Some people also talked to him, so Jin-woo was logged in longer than he thought. However, it seemed unreasonable to go to offline meetups. It was because it would be a big deal when Kim Emperor became known as Lee Jin-woo. No, it wasn’t just a big deal. It seemed like news would turn the Maze upside down. It was clear that arguments about his preferential treatment would arise.

“I think you’d better go get some fresh air.”

“You want me to go?”

“Is there any particular reason why you can’t do it?”

“Umm? Reason…?”

Jin-woo looked at Yoo-na.

“Ah! That’s right.”

As he was immersed in New World, he forgot one fact. Although New World was presented as a game, it wasn’t a game. It was reality disguised as a game. Of course, Kim Emperor’s character could also be moved to Earth. Moreover, a fake identity had already been created when making the character.

Kim Gun-joo, 26 years old. The name of his ID was Kim Gun-joo, which meant Emperor in Korean.

‘Kim Gun-joo was a pretty normal setup.’

It was a setting where he graduated from a high school abroad and was currently running a business at the Cultural Center. Not only his grades but also the story of his high school life were all forged.

‘Offline meetups, huh… I think it’ll be fun.’

Jin-woo remembered participating in them when he played online games in the past. He was a recruit in a company, but he remembered that he earned quite a lot. It seemed nice to participate in the meetups to test whether the avatar worked well on Earth.

“Clear my schedule.”

“Understood.”

Actually, his schedule had been empty. Yoo-na smiled softly and pretended to change it, however.

When the day of the meetup came, Jin-woo brought Kim Emperor’s avatar from Heaven. He put it in the subspace and brought it. However, when he took out the avatar, it felt like he was taking out a dead body. Fortunately, the avatar looked like a clay doll when it wasn’t connected to his will. Jin-woo looked at the avatar for a while and then lay down on the bed and put on the Login Device.

Kim Emperor was a special avatar made by Luna, and Jin-woo’s divine power was connected to Luna, so there was no need to go through any special procedures. As soon as he put on the Login Device, he was immediately connected to Kim Emperor.

“Oh…”

Kim Emperor, who was lying down, got up from his seat. It was amazing to see himself lying in bed. Furthermore, the feeling of connecting to Earth was very different. Jin-woo looked in the mirror. Kim Emperor, still wearing crumpled armor, stood in front of him.

‘Is there a function that works?’

The several functions that were put in for the convenience of the players still worked. However, information notifications and system windows couldn’t be seen. It was probably because it had to be connected to the central control room. Yoo-na came in, carrying clothes.

“I’ve prepared some clothes. It feels new to see him on Earth.”

“I know, right?”

[Woman of Five Virtues (Kim Se-yeon, Other Force) secretly connects with the avatar. As the Constellations cheer, she gestures to be quiet.]

[Actress of Vanity (Ahn Heo-young, Earth) says it would be big trouble if they get caught, but she doesn’t stop them. She looks interested.]

[Two Great Emperors?! Bloody Dragon (Arcana, Middle World) vomited blood and fainted. Her heart stopped for 3 seconds, but the Shadow of Loyalty (General Manager, Earth) took emergency measures, and she is still alive. That’s a relief]

The Constellation system was also working. However, Jin-woo couldn’t see it because the information window didn’t appear. The Magic Eye of Information was also weakened, so detailed information couldn’t be seen unless he was deeply conscious of it. Neither the Emperor of Gold nor the Incarnation of Evil reacted except in special circumstances.

‘I like it.’

It felt like complete freedom after a long time. There was no problem at all when he moved his body around. Except that there was no mana, it was the same as when he moved in the Maze. Jin-woo changed into the clothes Yoo-na gave him.

“Oh, you look much better dressed up.”

It was a character from The Maze: New World, but the modern outfit suited him better. He was taller and sturdier than Jin-woo, and his muscles were thicker. He was a manly, handsome man. It looked like he would appear in a perfume CF. Jin-woo liked the manly appearance.

‘Right, what would I ever do with a body like this?’

Jin-woo decided to enjoy it.

“It’s fine, but I think your original look is better.”

“Really?”

Jin-woo looked at his body for a while.

[Actress of Vanity (Ahn Heo-young, Earth) says this is an opportunity.]

[Dark Shadow (Delu, Elonti) has departed for the mansion. She’s looking for a chance.]

[Shadow of Loyalty (General Manager, Earth) has grasped the situation, but he won’t stop it. He just smiles happily.]

[Woman of Five Virtues (Kim Se-yeon, Other Force) takes a hologram camera.]

[Dark Musician (Arina, Other Force) opens a portal. Fallen Goddess of Light (Luna, Heaven) pretends to stop her and tries to follow.]

[Bloody Dragon (Arcana, Middle World) could not overcome the agitation and changed to her main body. Shadow of Loyalty (General Manager, Earth) quickly overpowered her.]

Yoo-na suddenly looked behind her and took a combat stance. Her expression was very serious, and drops of cold sweat flowed down her back. Jin-woo was startled as he watched her.

“What’s the matter?”

“…Somehow, I feel filthy gazes…”

“Huh?”

Jin-woo looked around, but he couldn’t feel anything.

“I will protect your body, so please go ahead.”

“Do you need to protect it? Anyway…”

“Trust me.”

Jin-woo had no choice but to nod at Yoo-na’s serious expression. He thought it would be better than just leaving it alone. When a great shock was applied to the body, it would be automatically logged out, but a difficult situation would occur if Kim Emperor logged out on Earth.

Yoo-na even took out her weapon and sat down next to Jin-woo, who was lying there. She looked like a samurai preparing for battle. Jin-woo watched her while tilting his head but soon enough left his room.

‘As for the car…’

Jin-woo paused while looking at the car keys on display. Then he chuckled.

“There’s no need to drive.”‘

The subway was the best when going to offline meetups! He left the mansion and walked to the subway station. He felt much freer because he wasn’t Lee Jin-woo. He heard a few comments about how he looked like Kim Emperor. Although many eyes gathered on him, it was a different feeling than when he was Lee Jin-woo.

It was when Jin-woo approached the subway station.

“Oh, good looking over there. Can we talk for a moment?”

A man with a shabby cross-body bag approached him. Jin-woo tried to refuse, but he continued without even giving him a chance.

“Are you a college student? You seem to be blessed by your family. It is all thanks to the protection of our ancestors.”

“I’m a little busy…”

“If you don’t listen to me now, you could be doing something wrong. Don’t do that and listen to me. There’s a cafe over there….”

Jin-woo even felt glad to see such a person after such a long time. It was when Jin-woo tried to refuse once again.

[Shadow of Loyalty (General Manager, Earth) is furious. Worship the Great Emperor, the Ruler of the Dimensions.]

“Huh? Ah…! T-the Great Emperor… agh.”

The man trembled and sat down on the spot. He looked up at the sky as if he was looking at something enchanting and began to cry.

[He was given the Great Emperor Bible, an extended version of Lee Jin-woo’s Biography.]

A book appeared in his bag. Jin-woo just passed the man as many eyes gathered on him. It had been a long time since he had been to a subway station. Jin-woo stopped for a while, looked at the scenery, and smiled. After checking the destination, he got on the subway.

‘Now, this is also a distant memory.’

Jin-woo had never dreamed that the subway would become only a memory when Jin-woo took out his cell phone.

“The end is coming! The end is approaching! Watch out for the demon’s scheme!”

He saw a man screaming while flinging saliva from his mouth, wrapped in a white, rag-like cloth. The people in the subway frowned.

“Demon, go away!”

When the religious man got up from his seat, people tried to avoid him, but he persistently followed and shouted at them. It was a nuisance.

[The Empress of Flaws (Sarah Vriac) shows the false prophet what the true end is. She showed him the appearance of evil demons and the scenery of the Demon Realm. There, the Great Emperor is the only salvation.]

“Uh-huh?! Uwaaargh!”

The man suddenly fell to the floor and trembled. Jin-woo escaped to the next compartment. Amid the commotion, he smelled the strong scent of people.

‘Well, it’s nostalgic.’

Jin-woo wiped his nose gently. When he saw people asking about believing in the Tao, religious people who were radically evangelizing, and miscellaneous merchants around the station, he was reminded of the past, and his nose twitched.

* * *

The nickname, ‘Hammer Given By Mom,’ headed to the meetup place. Kim Emperor and the warriors called her Hammom. After getting close to the angel in charge of the avatar creation by raising her favorability, she could change the avatar gender if she paid a lot of money. Her avatar was a tall, muscular man with thick hair. It was the result of spending all of two month’s part-time salary on the avatar. Her true appearance was a small college student.

Hammom looked at her smartphone. There was a group chat room, and everyone except Km Emperor had joined it.

Hammom: I’m here. When are you coming?

Pink Fairy: Are you there, Hammom? I’m almost there too!

Hammom: Then let’s go together from Exit 1! I’m carrying a large bag. You’ll know when you see me.

Pink Fairy: Okay

Hammom was looking forward to it. She was the beloved youngest. Kim Emperor and the warriors took care of her a lot in New World, so she brought them many gifts in her large bag to repay them. They often talked in chat rooms linked to the New World Login Device, but it was the first time they would meet offline.

Pink Fairy was a very cute and adorable girl in The Maze: New World. She was so cute wearing a cane larger than her that Hammom even hugged her a few times.

‘She must be similar to me!’

She had a strong feeling that she would become her best friend. It was when she was standing at Exit 1 like that.

“Hammom?”

“Yes? Huh?!”

Hammom was so startled that she almost fell back. A man with a shaggy beard caught her as she almost fell. His physique was so big that Hammom had to bend her neck to look up.

“P-P-Pink Fairy?!”

“Oh, Hammom. You look completely different.”

“Ah, no. You are more different, aren’t you?”

“Am I?”

It was almost as if they completely exchanged their appearances. It was awkward at first, but they had spent a long time together. In no time, they were able to get as close to each other as in The Maze: New World. Pink Fairy carried Hammom’s bag, opposite from in the game.

“Ah! Thank you.”

“Let’s go in first and wait.”

“Yes!”

The two went into the bar that had been reserved in advance. The entire second floor was booked for their group, so there were only two of them at the moment.

“What does Sincere Soccer Kick look like?”

“Who knows. Their avatar was a complete corpse…”

“Could it be that he’s also the same in real life?”

Speaking of the devil, Sincere Soccer Kick came up the stairs.

“Ah?! Sincere Soccer Kick?!”

“Huh? Who are you?”

When Serious Soccer Kick found out about the two, he burst into laughter on the spot. Sincere Soccer Kick looked about the same. He looked even gaunter. So, everyone took their seats one by one. Some people looked similar, such as Sincere Soccer Kick, but most of them were very different. It was like taking a quiz every time someone showed up.

“Now, only Kim Emperor is left.”

“Yeah.”

“I thought he wouldn’t come, but I’m so glad that he said he would. What does Kim Emperor look like?”

Sincere Soccer Kick nodded at Hammom’s words and fell into thought. The same was true of the others.

“Kim Emperor, wouldn’t he unexpectedly be a girl?”

“I think he’ll just be an ordinary person. His avatar looks so handsome, right?”

“Right. I think he paid too much. Our store staff loved him, too…”

“Could he be an athlete or a talented person?”

“Umm…”

The others talked while imagining the identity of Kim Emperor, who hadn’t yet arrived.

Tap! Tap!

Someone was heard climbing the stairs. Hammom, Pink Fairy, Sincere Soccer Kick, and everyone sitting in their seats had their ears pricked up. Everyone’s eyes focused on the stairs. Finally, someone reached the top.

“Hello? Nice to meet you; I’m Kim Emperor.”

Everyone’s faces went blank, then soon morphed into astonishment.

Kim Emperor was here!