Escape - Chapter 14.1
Chapter 14.1
Adeline stared blankly at the information window that had appeared before her, a bewildered expression on her face. The name indicated it was information about her. But….
“Sis? Why are you suddenly looking at an information window?”
“Uh… Woo Yune, is that ‘Lv’ thing the level you were talking about?”
“Yep. Sis, you’re not going to say you just found out about this, are you? Please….”
“I just found out.”
Ignoring Woo Yune clutching her head, Adeline glanced at the empty glass bottle. How was all of this even possible? It couldn’t simply be the potion; the energy surging through her was too intense. Adeline’s current state was beyond mere health recovery. It defied simple explanation. ‘Awakening’ was a more fitting term than ‘recovery.’
It felt like her strength was overflowing, far beyond her normal capacity. She felt as if she could tear down a ‘door’ with her bare hands. Adeline stared at her hands, lost in thought, then turned back to Woo Yune.
“What’s considered a normal level, on average?”
“Huh?”
“You said you’re level 27. And the quest participation level is 90. So, what’s the average for other people?”
“There’s no normal or abnormal. But if you’re asking about the average, hmm… around mine is average? Ah, of course, the top 100, called rankers, are at least level 90.”
“Really? Then what’s the highest level?”
“Someone called Shade2002 is ranked first, and I think they’re around level 240.”
Adeline didn’t respond, lost in thought, her gaze fixed on empty air.
Time passed. Woo Yune and Luce, clueless and increasingly anxious, watched as Adeline finally shouldered her bag. They assumed she was finally planning to hide.
Moments later, that assumption was spectacularly shattered.
“I’m going to District 12.”
“Eh?!”
“What?!”
Their exclamations were simultaneous. Adeline gave a small smile and continued.
“You two go straight in this direction, and at the first corner, turn right. Then, at the three-way intersection, take the furthest right path. If you keep going, you’ll see a dead-end alcove on the left. Hide there for a bit. I’ll be back soon.”
“Sis, are you crazy? Even if it’s a game, you feel all the pain when you die. And there’s a rumor, a lawsuit even, about a user who died of shock from it. Why would you…?”
“I think I can do it.”
“…Huh?”
“I’m not sure, but I think I can help.”
Woo Yune gaped in disbelief. Adeline certainly didn’t look weak, but this quest was different. The minimum participation level of 90 meant it was practically designed for rankers.
In the corner of her vision, Woo Yune saw the comment section of her stream exploding. Woo Yune hadn’t ended her game broadcast yet; it was still running. Adeline’s bombshell announcement hadn’t just shocked her. Comments of support and ridicule for Adeline were sharply dividing the chatroom.
Viewers: 603,479
The number of viewers was changing by the second. This was the first main quest in a year. When a main quest started, logging out—and even logging in—became impossible. Those unable to access the game were flocking to watch the broadcast.
Viewers: 632,103
Another 30,000 viewers in just a few seconds.
Woo Yune considered her options. She hated pain, but viewer count was important. In this era, a well-chosen game broadcast could be a goldmine. The donations she’d received today alone were substantial. Woo Yune made up her mind. Her low level prevented her from participating in the quest, but spectating was possible.
“Then I’ll go too.”
“…Well, if you’re going, how can I stay behind?”
But at this point, none of them had the slightest inkling of what they were getting into—what kind of current they were diving into. Nor did they know what kind of rapids Damian, the one Adeline sought, was caught in.
It was now impossible to go against the flow.
***
12 was endlessly hungry. A hunger that remained unquenched no matter how much he ate. In the distance, he saw another entity bringing him food. A human, limbs torn off, dangled and swayed in the air as the entity moved.
“Just, just, kill me, kill me already, you snake b*stard!”
The human screamed in agony, blood and tears mixing on his mangled face. 12 tilted his head. Bringing him alive had been a good decision. For the first time, 12 felt something other than hunger. Curiosity.
“What, what, who are you? Player or NPC?”
The man, gushing blood from his severed limbs, spotted 12 and his eyes lit up with a mixture of hope, terror, fear, and hesitation.
12 rested his chin on his hand, pondering the human’s question. Was he a player, or was he an NPC?
“Ugh… f*ck… this hurts so much…. Please just kill me already….”
He didn’t know. But 12 didn’t want to kill the man. He found the man’s ramblings amusing.
