Chapter 100 – Branch Point

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Translated by Seoulbound

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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Anton just gaped and stared at me, seemingly unable to even find words to reply to my confident declaration of usurpation.

‘I must seem like a crazy person.’

Since I confidently confessed that I would usurp my father’s position to an executive of another faction rather than Meursault, such a reaction was only natural.

But the timing was too good.

‘The time to start the “usurpation” walkthrough has come.’

First of all, I had no intention of choosing a quiet option such as inheriting the position after the commander died.

Now that the barrier was gone and we didn’t know when the guys from other zones would invade.

I couldn’t just wait for the commander to grow old and decrepit to hand down the position to me.

Of course, even if the barrier was gone, official exchange between zones was blocked due to SsapPossible’s submarine hostage crisis, and since they would be busy clearing their own zones, they wouldn’t have time to care about other zones right away.

Unless it was a zone made of a warlord group where you could do anything as long as you took the commander’s seat like the Cola Zone, or a zone like Shin Eun-jo’s where players colluded from the very beginning to possess bodies, they would be distracted until the Second Apocalypse.

Therefore, at least before the Second Apocalypse struck, I had to become the commander and be able to control the zone.

Right now, I am exerting a certain amount of influence in the zone by appealing to the commander with my regressor declaration, but I cannot resolve matters by convincing the commander in this way forever.

Furthermore, before I put this zone in my grasp, if the commander realized that I was not a regressor but a ‘player’ instead of ‘Haydam,’ things would become more complicated.

Not that I had any intention of casting ‘I am inheriting the throne, father’ like a hero in some game.

The picture I desired was for the commander to realize that handing down the position to me was more efficient, stepping down quietly, and helping manage the zone as my father, Hayden Goodman.

For that, the executives had to support me anyway, and with Josef—who was the top executive of the pro-Hayden faction—gone now, Anton was the only one who could persuade the other executives.

Moreover, since Anton harbored no small amount of grudge against Commander Hayden,

he might be dumbfounded right now, but if I, the son, said I would usurp that seat, it was something he would welcome with open arms.

Once he regained his senses, he would quickly calculate how beneficial helping my usurpation would be for him.

“Are you in your right mind?”

After a brief silence, Anton spoke with a shocked face.

“The moment you say that to me, even if you are his real son, you are a traitor.”

‘He’s speaking without meaning it.’

I know Anton all too well.

This was merely pretending to be shocked on purpose to calculate the usurpation in his head and test how sincere I was.

“Go tell the commander-in-chief.”

I replied without erasing the smile from my lips.

“That his son is planning a coup d’état. Though I don’t know if he will believe you.”

“I will at least be able to plant suspicion.”

“We’ll see.”

As I stared straight at him, I saw Anton swallow his dry saliva.

I stared at him for a moment, then placed a hand on my cheek and spoke in a theatrical tone.

“There’s no way a usurpation could be sincere. If I didn’t say it like this, I felt like Anton would entrust Plato to me and die at any moment.”

At the suddenly changed tone, Anton flinched and stepped back.

It seemed he anticipated the words that would flow from my mouth next.

“—If I say that, could my father really not believe me? Because right now, you… don’t seem to have much will to live by any standard.”

“Not everything will go as Lord Haydam wishes…!”

Thinking Anton’s resistance might stretch a bit longer, I cut him off.

“I’m sorry, but Anton, you have already lost. You lost the moment I caught you caring for Plato a while ago.”

Perhaps even Anton couldn’t keep his expression from crumbling at these words, as a flash of despair swept across his face.

“Are you saying you will hold Plato as a weakness… to make me live?”

I nodded without hesitation.

“At least as long as you cooperate with me, no harm will come to Plato. I like competent humans. I like humans loyal to me even more.”

“…….”

Anton was now openly showing a face of contemplating which choice would be more beneficial to him in front of me.

After rolling his brain for a long time, Anton asked me carefully.

“Will you really… truly make my son your adjutant?”

“Making Plato my adjutant is not an empty promise.”

Here, I softly added words that Anton would like to hear.

“It would also be better for you to see Plato become the commander’s adjutant while you are alive.”

“…….”

Anton after contemplating for a moment, Anton quickly gave his answer.

“For now… I will pretend I didn’t hear it.”

I grinned.

Pretending he didn’t hear it ‘for now’ meant he wouldn’t deliver the story of my dreaming of usurpation to the commander.

In other words, he wouldn’t interfere with my usurpation.

Although he hadn’t said he would actively cooperate yet, as long as he was the reasonably clever Anton, he wouldn’t be able to side with the commander while leaving Plato to me.

With this, the usurpation walkthrough took its first step.

Anyway, I said I would protect Commander Hayden, but I never promised to protect the commander’s seat.

Even if he isn’t my real father, my father whom my mother must have loved,

making efforts so he can retire and rest comfortably a day sooner.

Isn’t that true filial piety?

* * *

[Woonyang…]

When Luna, who was being petted by Shin Eun-jo, suddenly shuddered,

Shin Eun-jo, who was petting Luna, lowered her head to look down and asked.

“What is it, Lady Luna?”

[Somehow… I feel like my younger brother is having ominous thoughts again.]

Having spoken so, Luna stood up and began to stretch as if to shake off the unpleasant feeling.

Shin Eun-jo quietly looked down at that and thought.

‘Younger brother… must refer to Dopamine Addict.’

Ever since Dopamine Addict allowed her to stay in the Cola Zone, the agent of god named ‘Luna’ had not left her side.

It was obvious that Dopamine Addict placed her as a CCTV because he didn’t trust her, but life with Luna wasn’t bad.

Of course, it was good because Luna was a white and soft kitten with squishy toe beans, but…

it was also because with Luna, who was known as Haydam’s cat, by her side, the NPCs of this zone didn’t suspect her or treat her carelessly.

So to speak, Luna was a means to monitor Shin Eun-jo herself, but also a means of protection from the Cola Zone NPCs.

‘If it weren’t for Lady Luna, I wouldn’t have understood half of what CornerHoney said.’

Shin Eun-jo was able to obtain information about the Unicorn Zone player in exchange for handing over the Meteor Pistol to Dopamine Addict, but…

the problem was that it was CornerHoney who delivered the information in the middle.

The more she talked with the player named CornerHoney, the more frustrated she felt inside.

‘To think he has the ability to make a person burst with frustration and die without any malice…’

Fortunately, Luna, who was listening to all those conversations, said ‘my younger brother’s scamming is excessive’ and provided brief information in place of CornerHoney, allowing her to at least obtain information on the appearance of the Unicorn Zone player.

Therefore, Shin Eun-jo didn’t feel much dissatisfaction with life with Luna, but…

she always harbored questions about Luna calling Dopamine Addict ‘younger brother.’

Not wanting to appear suspicious for no reason, she had held back from asking about Dopamine Addict, but…

this time, Shin Eun-jo also couldn’t hold back and asked.

“But Lady Luna… why do you call Dopamine Addict your younger brother?”

Though she asked carefully in her own way, Luna opened her blue eyes roundly and answered as if asking why she was asking something so obvious.

[Because he is my younger brother?]

‘It doesn’t seem she calls him younger brother simply because Dopamine Addict is younger…’

If that were the case, she wouldn’t bother attaching the possessive ‘my younger brother’ to call him.

‘A player whom the agent of god calls younger brother…’

In Shin Eun-jo’s thought, Dopamine Addict was definitely connected to that man,

the CEO of Cthulhu Games.

Their appearances were too similar, as well as the vibe they radiated,

and even their speaking style was so similar that she became more convinced while staying in the same zone.

At first, she suspected they might be the same person, but…

‘If Dopamine Addict is the son or avatar of the Cthulhu Games CEO, everything is explained.’

That absurd stat level, the unbelievable walkthrough speed, and even the agent of god calling him younger brother are explained.

‘Because the CEO of Cthulhu Games… that man seems to be an existence no different from god, who made this world.’

No.

Thinking about it, the CEO of Cthulhu Games babbled about ‘father’ in front of her, so that person called ‘father’ might be the real god.

That was also why she didn’t doubt Dopamine Addict’s words that Luna was the agent of god.

Because she thought Dopamine Addict was the son of god.

“Lady Luna.”

[Woonyang?]

“By any chance, do you know a man with black hair, black eyes… and a somewhat crazy atmosphere?”

At Shin Eun-jo’s question, Luna blinked her eyes a couple of times and then answered full of confidence as if she naturally knew well.

[Dopamine Addict!]

“No, no. Not that crazy person. A slightly less crazy person.”

[Commander Hayden.]

“Not an NPC of this game!”

[Woonyang… Both you and Dopamine Addict keep using the word NPC, but I know nothing other than that you guys are players possessed in this world!]

‘Oh dear…’

Since she talked about players so naturally, she thought Luna also knew about the real world to some extent, but that didn’t seem to be the case.

Since she was called the agent of god, did she only know exactly as much as she represented?

‘Then she might not know the CEO of Cthulhu Games either…’

Even so, Shin Eun-jo did not give up and asked again.

“I’ll summarize it for you. Black hair, black eyes, pale skin, a smiling face, not one-eyed, not a child, looks to be in his mid-30s… No, forget the age. Since a lot of time has passed since then, it could be different. Anyway, his way of speaking is similar to Dopamine Addict or Commander Hayden, but with a slightly more cheerful feeling! And he is not a person of this world.”

[It… is hard…]

Seeing that Luna found it difficult, Shin Eun-jo, who was contemplating if there were other characteristics, spoke as if she suddenly remembered something.

“His habit of speech is ‘father.’”

[What does a habit of speech being father mean?]

“A feeling of saying whatever he does is according to father’s will… or because of father?”

[Similar to Bones.]

“Completely different!”

Does Lady Luna also not know after all?

‘I wanted to meet him once more…’

The reason Shin Eun-jo, who originally came only to observe Dopamine Addict, suddenly changed her mind and decided to stay in the zone was

because she felt that man would appear again if she was by Dopamine Addict’s side.

Shin Eun-jo muttered in a half-resigned mind.

“That man told me that the reason I didn’t receive the divine possession was because I caught the ‘father’s’ liking… I want to hear properly what on earth that meant.”

She had just spoken it like a complaint to herself, but Luna’s ears perked up.

[Ah, that father.]

“’That’ father?”

“Could it be you know?!”

[I don’t know that man, but I know the ‘father’ who took a liking to you.]

“H-how do you know? What kind of person is that father?”

At that, Luna tilted her head.

[Father is not a person, though!]

“N-not a person? Ah, is he a god? Is he really the god of this world?”

[Not really. Because Father is an Outer God.]

As soon as she heard the word Outer God, Shin Eun-jo realized this was some kind of Cthulhu mythos story.

But there was a problem.

Shin Eun-jo didn’t know much about the Cthulhu mythos.

‘It would be strange for a Korean shaman to know the Cthulhu mythos well anyway!’

Still, Shin Eun-jo felt cheered by the thought that she had taken a step closer to that man.

“Anyway, ‘father’ was definitely a god, not a person. A god famous enough that even Luna, the ‘agent of god,’ knows about him… If I didn’t receive divine possession because such a god took a liking to me, doesn’t that mean my shamanic talent is actually immense?”

[…You seemed to have at least some sanity, but now I know why you were possessed.]

“What does that mean again?”

[Woonyang—you wouldn’t know even if I told you anyway! Just pet me more.]

“Sure, sure…”

Luna lay splayed out on Shin Eun-jo’s lap again, receiving pets.

She slightly looked up at the undulating beam of light connected to the top of Shin Eun-jo’s head from the unimaginably distant universe, and then closed her eyes, pretending not to know.

Hoping that when these children grew up and learned everything, they wouldn’t hate her too much.

* * *

Six years later.

The spring of seventeen.

“Commander Haydam.”

As Luna and I, who were looking at documents, raised our heads in unison to look toward the door,

Major General Plato, wearing a pure white military uniform, spoke.

“All players are on standby for deployment.”