Chapter 21 – Appreciated and Resented (2)

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Translated by Heavenly Cat

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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Thud-

No. 1, Lee Eun-hye.

President Lee Jun-wook, Madam Choi Kang-hee.

The only married one among the four siblings.

“A-rang. You should say hello to Uncle Ho-yeol~.”

“Hello Uncle Ho-yeori!!”

My eldest sister held her daughter, A-rang’s hand tightly and opened the door to my studio apartment.

No. 2, Lee Ji-yoon.

No. 2 followed behind and said to me as she entered.

“Ho-yeol, your dye job turned out amazing. You’re totally an idol. An idol.”

No. 3, Lee Ye-rim.

That enemy of mine looked at me and flashed a rotten smile.

“Idol, my foot. If Mom finds out, she’ll faint. Just how much did you suffer to have your hair already turn white. The dear son’s hair turned white earlier than Dad’s.”

Four women storming through the front door.

If it were the old me, I would have panicked.

Because the situation was practically like having what I’d been hiding exposed.

But the current me was brazen.

“It’s been a while since I saw your faces. Have you all been well? Sisters.”

A polite greeting, bowing not just my head but my waist.

Sincerity welling up from that formality.

It was my sisters who turned serious instead at my greeting.

Poke, poke- No. 2 poked the enemy’s side.

“Hey, I don’t think this is an act.”

“Tell me about it. Where did our rude Ho-yeol go.”

“When he called me sister I was half in doubt but.”

I had explained most of the circumstances over the phone.

I recently became a Player.

Because of that, my speech and appearance changed.

I quit my job due to those unavoidable circumstances.

And lastly, the Lee Ho-yeol in the news was indeed me.

Then, they came running here in a single breath.

Saying they couldn’t believe it without seeing it with their own two eyes.

Naturally, I had no right to refuse.

‘Because I’ve committed sins, you see.’

Even if I hadn’t committed any sins.

When surrounded by No. 1, 2, and 3 and suffering from their glib tongues, even their loud personalities become my fault.

In a word, it means it’s an irresistible Natural Enemy.

However, as I said, I have changed.

Meaning I could act brazenly even in front of natural enemies.

“The wind is cold. What kind of tea would you like?”

At my words, they exchanged glances.

“You, what’s with you?”

“Did our Ho-yeol get a girlfriend?”

“It’s nice that you’re sweet, but what’s wrong? Ho-yeol, older sister wants coffee~ A-rang, do you want to drink something warm too? Uncle~ Please give some to A-rang too~”

With skillful dexterity, I took out teacups and prepared the tea.

Looking around everywhere, No. 2 and the enemy whispered to each other.

“That guy got a girlfriend. Otherwise, there’s no way a house where a guy lives alone could be this clean. And what’s this, look at that teacup. It’s just so delicate.”

“Even so, isn’t the house too clean? Not a single strand of hair can be seen.”

“This, this, look at the fridge. You’re totally busted. Lee Ho-yeol.”

The enemy took out lettuce from the fridge.

No. 2 picked up a chicken breast.

“Seeing as there’s only stuff like this in the fridge, your girlfriend must be on a diet, huh? Tell your sisters honestly. What does she do? How old is she? Is she pretty?”

It seems I have a lot of misunderstandings to clear up.

After that, we sat down and talked calmly.

Thanks to that, most of the misunderstandings were cleared up.

Because there was solid evidence.

“You’re saying you’re the one eating the lettuce and chicken breast?”

“Seeing how your body got better, it kinda looks like it, hey.”

“Does that make sense? Do you know how annoying it is to take care of your own meals while living alone?!”

“Lee Ye-rim. Don’t judge the world by your standards. Because you were making a fuss over nothing, even I thought our youngest got a girlfriend.”

“Then did Ho-yeol pick out these teacups too? You have a pretty good eye~”

It’s a good thing I prepared refreshments observing formality.

As expected, is it thanks to the warm and sweet things going in.

Their reactions became much milder.

Except for the enemy who seemed somewhat aggrieved, that is.

But there was a topic that couldn’t be avoided.

My eldest sister asked me.

“So how is it? Is it doable?”

It was a short question, but.

I know well enough that the hidden meaning within it wasn’t simple.

Because it was common sense that Player activities are dangerous.

So I couldn’t bring it up first either.

Saying that what is dangerous isn’t dangerous.

Because I couldn’t tell a lie either.

The enemy warned.

“You, look us straight in the eye and speak.”

Is there a reason a natural enemy is called a natural enemy.

Come to think of it, they were amazingly good at catching lies since we were young.

However, at this moment, there wasn’t a speck of falsehood in me.

“It suits my aptitude.”

It wasn’t to prevent my blood relatives from worrying.

It was purely an expression of confidence.

In the Count Ascura Raid, I realized my potential and my limits.

Because I knew my own vessel.

At least when it came to beating up demons, it truly suited my aptitude.

So I could answer without the slightest hesitation.

“Well, it doesn’t seem like a lie.”

“Lee Ye-rim, it’s you again. Didn’t I tell you? Are you Ho-yeol? Unlike you, Ho-yeol has been good at taking care of things on his own since he was young, okay? Since it suits his aptitude, the news must be talking about Ho-yeol every day.”

“Really? Since the youngest says so, sister feels a bit relieved.”

It passed easier than expected.

Is it thanks to the attitude overflowing with confidence.

Anyway, I asked my eldest sister.

“Do Father and Mother know as well?”

“Dad and Mom? They’re busy making dumplings since dawn again today so they don’t know yet. But, since it’s all about you on the news all day, won’t they find out soon? Well, your hair color too. And your physique too. Even if you’ve changed a lot, there’s no way Mom and Dad wouldn’t recognize you.”

“Me too, me too! I recognized Uncle Ho-yeori!”

Pat, pat-

I stroked A-rang’s head and said.

“I should tell Father and Mother the truth as well.”

“It’s fine. We’ll tell them.”

You will?

The enemy looked at me and continued speaking.

“Mom and Dad are different from us. Even when we go on a trip somewhere, they worry until we get back home. If you tell them like you told us. How much would they worry if you said it that plainly and matter-of-factly.”

So she meant they would take care of it and tell them instead.

Yeah, it seemed better that way to me as well.

Thinking that, I was nodding my head.

Suddenly, I heard a snickering laugh.

“But Father, Mother, sisters, eldest sister. Saying that reminds me of the old days.”

“Right. I’m not the only one, right?”

“?”

“Let’s see, has it been about 10 years? Lee Ho-yeol got totally hit with chuunibyou. Suddenly started speaking strictly formally to us. Going as far as saying he’s offering morning greetings to Mom and Dad.”

“!”

“Still, he was cute back then. For starters, his face was cute. Back then. He went through a downgrade now but. Wait, no. Looking at him now, it seems that face from back then is coming out again?”

“Thinking about that. Ho-yeol, didn’t you throw a huge tantrum saying you wanted to dye your hair silver?”

My dark history being recited one after another!

No matter how I think about it, they were natural enemies.

It was certain they were enemies beyond a Demon Hunter and a Demon.

.

.

.

I carefully handed over A-rang who had fallen asleep in my arms.

Whisper, whisper-

“I’ll get going. I’ll contact you.”

“I wanted to nag you a bit. But there’s nothing to nag about, tsk.”

“I’m going.”

I politely bowed my head.

Just as I was about to close the door.

Thump-

The enemy stuck her foot in.

“This older sister has one last nag.”

“?”

“If it gets hard, quit right away. Actually, we came to say that.”

Although the older sisters seemed unable to say it until the end.

Even without explaining, I know the meaning contained in those words.

When I nodded, she added one more word.

“And really for the last time, one more thing. Save well while you have it. Most importantly, absolutely no acting as a guarantor. Got it?”

At that sound, it suddenly occurred to me.

Right, acting as a guarantor is an absolute no.

Why did our house get plastered with red seizure tags in the past.

‘Wait, not that.’

Rift clear reward money!

Integrity and innocence aside, I need to claim what’s mine!

*

Rift clear reward money.

It could be called the main source of income for Players.

The amount of the reward money was measured according to the requested level of the Rift, and the reward money was paid differentially to the Players according to their contribution.

There were cases where nations provided that reward money.

Time bombs that could lead to transnational disasters, Rifts.

Because it was a natural thing to pay reward money to the Players who handled such Rifts. However, the reward money at the national level was literally salty and stingy.

“Since the national budget has limits, I understand but.”

“Still, shouldn’t they increase it a bit?”

“At this rate, we wouldn’t even get labor costs, this.”

Then.

Who is it that pays massive reward money to Players?

Arcana’s developer, ‘Cosmo’.

No, it’d be unreasonable to call them Cosmo now.

Everyone had resigned except for a single person.

Because they had moved to AAU.

So, a single person.

It meant Cosmo’s CEO, ‘Raymond Sean’.

As if knowing Arcana would become reality.

Arcana’s website changed in line with that cataclysm.

The reorganization of the ranking system, of course.

New update announcements.

Even the Rift clear status.

The Cataclysm.

The world that had literally changed like a game could be maintained like this now because Arcana’s website existed.

Thanks to that, re-evaluations of Raymond Sean were also taking place in various parts of society.

“Let’s assume Raymond Sean is indeed the main culprit of the Cataclysm. Would there be a reason for him to still be running the website? Hasn’t humanity progressed rather than regressed compared to before the Cataclysm thanks to the website?”

It was a plausible opinion.

The social system maintained thanks to the website.

The Arcana civilization that invaded reality.

Due to the synergistic effect of mutual exchange, the world had actually progressed more than before the Cataclysm.

“That is an undeniable fact but. I think we need to definitely point this out before re-evaluation. Whether Raymond Sean is really running the website to prepare for the Cataclysm. Or if he’s running it simply to turn public opinion like now.”

Of course, the difference in opinion wouldn’t be easily narrowed for a while.

However, at least the Players had no choice but to defend Raymond Sean.

Because the Rift clear reward money paid by Cosmo, Raymond Sean, was astronomical.

“The throbbing pain is all disappearing.”

“Yeah. This is financial therapy.”

“I can’t quit my Player life because of this. Me.”

Where did that massive reward money come from, you ask?

If you ask, you only had to think of the vicious monthly subscription fee for the Arcana Continent Chronicles.

Hundreds of thousands of won a month.

On top of that, the price of the dedicated connector reaching ten million won.

It was an undeniable fact that Cosmo had earned astronomical money.

For decades to come.

Even if they paid massive Rift reward money to Players, the principal would be preserved.

So it was natural that attention was focused on the new Rift clear reward money.

Even just looking at its Recommended Level, one could expect it to be an all-time high.

Guild, Berserker.

Bushy reddish-orange bobbed hair twitched.

She counted the numbers that appeared on the screen and muttered.

“What’s this?”

“What’s wrong. Is the number too big so it’s hard to read, Unni?”

“Darn it. Shut up for a sec. I’m recounting.”

One, ten, hundred, thousand, ten thousand.

Counting the zeroes, Leonie swallowed her astonishment.

Wh-why is there so much? Is this real?!

Guild, Gaon.

Nam Tae-min and Nam Chul-min also couldn’t help but flinch.

“Even considering the Recommended Level, this is no joke.”

“It’s an amount that can be understood. Thinking about it, it was incredibly tricky, this time’s Rift. Even just us and Inazuma almost suffered a crushing defeat in the Count’s territory.”

“Is that so? Even thinking about it like that, it’s my first time seeing this kind of unit so.”

Similarly, questions poured onto Jesse as well.

“Jesse, can’t you just tell us the first digit?”

“No.”

“I’m curious~ If we received this much, how much must you have received.”

Yes, each had their reasons.

Berserker, first clear of the new Rift.

Gaon, broke through the trickiest trap Rift among the same Rift.

Since Jesse defeated Count Ascura.

In that case, curiosity naturally arises.

For Ho-yeol, who was involved in all those incidents.

Indeed, what unit of reward money was assessed?

For now, one thing was certain.

“.”

That just by looking at his expression, one couldn’t even guess.

.

.

.

I counted the numbers.

“.”

One, ten, hundred, thousand, ten thousand, hundred thousand, million, ten million, hundred million, billion, ten billion, trill.

In front of that astronomical number, I brazenly opened my mouth.

“This too is utterly natural.”