Chapter.5 Inside Out (2)
***
The professor was floating in the water and calmly organizing the situation.
‘The game side is well organized. ‘The reputation of the Red Mute spread throughout Tobrunn and instilled much needed fear into the people.’
The seed I’m playing with right now is going in a very unique direction.
First of all, the rate of large-scale raids is overwhelmingly small. The cause was, of course, the queen’s lack of resource supply due to Edeorna’s defeat. First of all, this alone is a great achievement. If you think of it as a strategy game, as soon as the game starts, you start by capturing three of the opponent’s workers. Thanks to this, Mute’s advance speed will be greatly slowed down… It was obvious.
However, the result was the fall of the three frontline cities of Pelas Moludic Castle Turan. The city was even captured at a much faster rate than other typical flares. If the cause and effect do not match, it means that I missed something.
‘Mute is a species that evolves organically depending on the situation. And what determines the direction of evolution is the same for any living thing. Stress pressure promotes the subject’s evolution. In this case, did scarce resources lead to this kind of evolution?
The world I am currently playing is different from normal play in many ways.
First of all, the most noticeable thing is the small elite play that actively utilizes the mute side’s named and special objects.
Although they take a lot of resources and time to produce, they are special objects that, when used properly, are several times more efficient than the invested resources. At the most opportune time, the Queen captured Turan through a tunnel operation using only a few Pale Faces, and was using the Insomnia Crab to control an extremely valuable target, a 6th rank wizard. Although we are unable to increase our supply due to the selection of these high-end units, we are definitely seeing benefits equivalent to our investment.
The existence of the Salvation Church is also worth considering. It’s a group that worships Mute. Of course, with this crazy game, such a religion could naturally arise. But it’s certainly questionable that something of that scale could have been turned on in such a short period of time.
thud! thud!
hmm. I hear a loud noise outside.
Anyway,
‘The surest way for a pseudo-religion to increase its power is to directly show miracles or objects of faith… These guys believe in mutes, right?’
The problem is the evidence. No matter how ignorant people are, they would not say that a level 8 mute bought on the black market was a miracle. This means that there was a show that clearly created the perception that Mute was an ally. Maybe this really has something to do with warlocks or mutes. It’s still time for the warlock to control the Mute Queen. There are many cunning warlocks among them, so it would be better to assume that they are plotting something.
And one last one. Now all of Mute’s attacks are focused on Roderick. As almost all of the northern permafrost is Mute’s territory, there are quite a few countries bordering that area, but they are focusing all of their power on Rodrik.
‘Thanks to this, other countries except Rodrik are watching this situation like they are watching from across the river. Rather than a crisis for all of humanity, I came to like it, thinking of it as just a natural disaster that occurred in a neighboring country. If Rodrik’s power weakens, there will be more opportunities for neighboring countries to gain political advantage. If you ask for reinforcements, they will try to intervene and demand all sorts of benefits.’
An attack that took on strategic, political, and even religious forms. This is definitely not the stupid mute from 124 that I know. Even the queen who is squeezing resources grows slower than the average seed, so her intelligence must have grown significantly less.
There is something. There is someone, either the warlock or the mute, who is leading the war right now. He is also a master of very dirty tricks.
Once they realized that there was a command tower on the enemy side, they moved in a direction to counter that side. Creating a sense of fear by moving with a red mute in Tobrunn was part of that plan.
The story of a mute breaking into the city alone, killing a sixth-rank wizard, collapsing the tower, and then running away would be a good snack for luxury lovers.
Objective indicators such as 6th rank wizards and magic towers will let people know how powerful Mute is and will make people wary of Mute.
‘I’m already tired of being this complicated… Where did this really come from? Wasn’t it okay to beat Edeorna?’
I don’t know. Where did it go wrong? I didn’t go around beating up warlocks like everyone else, but the world has become so ruined –
boom, boom, boom!
‘But what is this sound from earlier? ‘What’s so loud?’
Annoyed by the sound that was disturbing his quiet peace, the professor opened his eyes and saw Corduroy’s drone rushing towards the shower booth, which was filled with water and had become like a water-colored pipe.
Jump up –
Wow!
“Puh-haa! “Oh, I’m out of breath.”
When the professor opened the door and walked out of the pouring water, Corduro froze on the spot.
“Master? are you okay?”
“It’s okay, it’s okay, what’s your problem? “I was trying to take my time taking a break and organizing my thoughts.”
“But I thought you were attempting suicide again!”
“Attempted suicide? “What nonsense?”
“That’s right! “What kind of crazy person in the world can dive for more than 7 minutes?”
what?
The professor also made a bewildered face at Corduro’s words. I’ve been around that long? In there?
“How did this… happen?”
It seemed like the problem that needed to be sorted out wasn’t just in the game.
***
After drying himself and getting dressed, the professor returned to the living room and calmly composed himself.
‘7 minutes. If you think about it, it is not at a post-human level. They say that diving has a physical aspect, but the mental aspect is also important. They say that when you become anxious as your breathing becomes disrupted underwater, your heart beats faster and your diving time becomes shorter. Let’s say it was psychologically affected.’
However, if the psychological and mental aspects followed that in the game, there was one thing that made me uneasy.
The professor was very careful and thought it was nonsense, but he called out to the guy in his heart just in case.
‘Hey parasite.“
.
.
.
‘helminth! Infectious agent! hey! idiot!’
…. There was no reaction, but the more it happened, the more anxious the professor became. I don’t know why, but it became more and more clear to me that it was in his head. It seems like there is a part of my mind that has a strange border.
‘…Hyde?’
[You’re finally calling me by my name, shell?]
“Damn it.”
also. I couldn’t believe it, but this guy is actually following me.
According to the professor’s common sense, this is impossible. No matter how realistic it may be, Gedreutz’s game is ultimately just an array of data and programs. Could such a game have such a direct impact on reality?
[Shell: Haven’t we talked about this issue several times? It’s my personal opinion, but I think your learning ability is a bit lacking.]
‘I didn’t ask you.’
[That’s because it’s so frustrating. I told you this last time. What is the meaning of really fake? In the first place, I am not an entity, but a kind of consciousness triggered by an infectious agent, right? Just because you turn off the game, the emotions and memories you experienced in the game don’t suddenly disappear, right?]
‘Is this… is that what it is?’
[That’s right.]
The wrinkles between the professor’s eyebrows deepened at the parasite’s sly tone.
[Anyway, this place is really interesting, isn’t it? I knew that there was another world based on the knowledge in your head, but seeing it in person was quite amazing.] The
three fingers of his left hand scratched the crotch of his pants as if to annoy the professor.
[gun! I want to shoot a gun! Let’s shoot!]
The professor held onto the leg of his pants and forcibly removed his sagging left hand, then sighed as he felt the ground disappear.
“Corduro.”
“yes?”
“I have to go visit Old Man Woojin.”
The professor decided to cure this ‘mental illness’.
***
Woojin.
As for this senile old man, he must be a doctor living in District 43.
When you live a rough life in the wasteland, battles are a daily occurrence and it is even more difficult to find a day without injuries. The problem is that if you get scratched by something like rusty metal without any usable antibiotics, you have to prepare a suicide note and a one-shot pistol that day.
Therefore, [Woojin Urology], run by Woojin, a wilderness doctor in District 43, is a place where survivors from this area regularly visit, so much so that it can be said to be the meeting place for District 40.
[Woojin Urology], which I arrived at after braving the harsh sandstorm of the wasteland for two days, seemed to be bustling again today as numerous cars were parked in an orderly manner in front of the building.
There is one reason why so many rough survivors of the wasteland keep order here.
Weeing-
weeing-
It’s because of the dozens of old-style automatic turrets surrounding this parking lot. Likewise, this automatic turret, with its archaic combat AI, was capable of reacting to almost any type of aggressive action. The moment you raise your voice with someone you run into at the hospital,
you hear a loud bang! Grumble!
Even inside the hospital, you have to face the stinging glare of automatic turrets installed every five steps.
If you want to be examined by a doctor, it is natural to entrust your life to the doctor. The structure is based on the medical philosophy of Dr. Woo Jin.
‘You have a lot of money.’
Well, there is a reason for this. If the few doctors left in the wasteland die, they are the ones in trouble. For various reasons, Old Man Woojin’s hospital was treated as a kind of extraterritorial jurisdiction.
Suddenly-
“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!!”
A deathly scream is heard as soon as the door is opened.
Injured people who are forced to moan in the long line of “huh”
and “big” .
Surprisingly, at this hospital, moaning due to injury falls under the scope of ‘aggressive behavior’, so even moaning must be suppressed until entering the treatment room.
‘I wonder if I can get treatment by this evening.’
The professor put down the backpack he was carrying at the end of the line, then sat down against the wall and closed his eyes. If you lined up with your bags like this, there was no need to worry about being cut in line. Cutting in line is also considered an ‘aggressive behavior’ that causes discord among patients. Someone will wake you up when it’s your turn to move.
Even though there was no attack, crossing the wasteland for two days was very tiring. Although this place was noisy and filled with the smell of blood and alcohol, it was at least the safest place in the area.
‘It means it’s a good place to lay down your tired body and rest.’
The professor quickly felt drowsy and slowly fell asleep.
***
[Shell]
…….
[Shell! Wake up! Hey!]
‘Uhm…. What is it? ‘What is it again this time?’
[I can’t see because my eyes are closed, but someone touched my body!]
‘What? here?’
[okay! I feel like he was poked with a finger or something, but I tell him to get up quickly!]
The professor quickly came to his senses after hearing the parasite’s words. As expected, just as he said, there was a figure crouching in front of the professor, staring intently at his face.
“ah.”
“oh.”
“wow.”
A muscular, bearded man with a large body and an even larger iron bag, and a short man with a sallow face.
Ian and Bex, who were crouching in the hospital hallway and staring at the sleeping professor’s face, smiled brightly when the professor opened his eyes.
“Hey Brother. So you didn’t come when I asked you to come, but you came on your own? “Is it a push and pull?”
“Hepburn! It’s been a while, Brother!”
“What is it? “What are you doing here?”
When the half-asleep professor asked in confusion, Ian laughed heartily and tapped the professor on the shoulder.
“what? What happened? Wahahahaha! That’s what we should do! Because we are the ones who live in District 43, and you are the ones who live in District 47! Coming to the hospital-”
Wieeing- Clap!
Along with the sound of the automatic turret taking aim, Ian’s voice, which had been so loud as if he had boiled a train barrel, suddenly became calm like a housewife’s.
“…What better reason to come to the hospital than to get treatment?”
“I’m hurt. A little while doing business. “This idiot recklessly lunged forward and even me.”
“That’s because you’re immature. “Usas should have already been killed before the enemies could react.”
The two, who were sitting next to the professor and quietly arguing, held out their fists toward the professor.
“Anyway, welcome to Area 43, Brother.”
The professor looked at that and smiled without realizing it, putting his fists together.
“Hey, nice to meet you too, you idiots.”
[hey! Nice to meet you too! I wanted to see these guys too!]
The professor thoughtlessly stretched out his left hand and was about to make a fist bump, but suddenly the three fingers of his left hand started to flutter wildly and pounded Bex and Ian’s fists.
“Uh… Hepburn? “What does this mean?”
“Are you here because you have a problem with your hand? “Are you just shaking?”
“Oh, that’s it…”
The professor hesitated for a moment, then sighed and opened his mouth. I guess I can tell these two.
“I think I’m mentally ill.”
“What?!”
Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeese
Up!
The two people were shocked and covered their mouths as the turret turned this way once again.
***
