Chapter 4 – I Am the Dopamine Addict

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Translated by Seoulbound

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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Although I had posted the guide to the Cola zone bastard child strategy in the Safe Zone community.

I hadn’t written down and uploaded everything I knew.

In my guide, it was written that you could just dig up the grave and take ‘Luna Moon’s belongings.’

Probably, the player who stopped by this grave before me read my guide and thought those belongings were the ‘dog tag.’

Of course, even if you only took this dog tag, it was sufficient to be recognized as the bastard child as long as you had an Asian customization.

Because Commander Hayden, who was suffering from the guilt of abandoning his lover and child, would accept an Asian child holding Luna Moon’s belongings without much suspicion.

One thing to be careful of was.

That the commander I knew was merely an in-game setting, so the commander of this place might suspect the self-proclaimed bastard child.

However, I knew of a token so perfect that the commander wouldn’t be able to suspect me.

The real ‘token’ that Commander Hayden gave to Luna Moon was a ring, not a dog tag.

A ring with a moonstone, said to be made from a part of it, embedded in the center.

A genuine token that could not be forged.

The reason I didn’t write this in the guide was… simple whim.

The token ring was inside the mouth of the skeletal Luna Moon.

That meant Luna Moon had died with the ring in her mouth.

She probably didn’t want to lose the ring even if the grave was looted later.

Therefore, even though I knew this was the real token, I didn’t write it in the guide, and after benefiting from this token just once when I first discovered the ring, I never used it again.

…In the first place, if I only needed the dog tag, I had nothing to say if asked why I opened the mouth of a skeletal corpse.

It wasn’t that I searched it on purpose, but because when I was digging up the grave, the moonlight shone on the white bones and something flashed between the closed teeth.

Feeling slightly uncomfortable, every time I cleared Cola after that, I visited this grave, paid my respects to her spirit, and poured alcohol.

In Safe Zone, if you performed repeated actions, you obtained a ‘title,’ and so much so that I even obtained the title ‘Friend of Luna Moon.’

“Anyway… originally, I also intended to just take the dog tag. Since someone beat me to it, there’s nothing I can do.”

I gathered my hands for a moment and offered a prayer containing my apologies to Luna Moon.

I had never done this much when playing the game, but facing the actual white bones, I felt that I should apologize properly.

“I’m sorry for disturbing your eternal rest, Luna Moon. I also apologize for planning to pretend to be your child in the future. In return, once I become Hayden’s successor, I will truly regard him as my father and try my best not to die even during the apocalypse.”

As I finished the prayer of apology and reached toward the mouth of the skeletal Luna Moon, a bizarre thing happened.

Luna Moon’s skeletal remains seemed to glow brightly, and the ring began to float up through the hollow eye sockets.

The moonstone in the center of the ring, which usually emitted a dull light, was shining brilliantly.

“W-what is this?”

‘There had never been an event like this before?’

Fearing that people might flock over if they saw this light, I quickly grabbed the ring with both hands, trying to block the light.

And the moment the ring touched my hand.

A whispering voice was heard.

[You have taken a step closer to the secret of the apocalypse…]

Before I could even react, messages began to pop up one after another in front of my eyes.

[The system is partially opened.]

[A perk for clearing all zones exists. Would you like to check it?]

“This…”

This simple UI was unmistakably the Safe Zone’s system guidance message.

I had thought that no perks were given until I talked with CornerHoney.

Was it that both the system and the perks were meant to be opened only after achieving specific conditions?

I still didn’t know why acquiring Luna Moon’s ring was among those specific conditions.

First, I examined what systems had been opened.

[System Message (Activated)]

[Character Inspection (Available)]

[Inventory (Available)]

[Chat (Unopened)]

‘There’s a chat function too? Once this opens, will I be able to chat with other players?’

At that moment, a message flickered, urging me to check the perk.

Although I wanted to look further into how much of the in-game system I could use…

‘Confirm.’

As I thought to confirm in my mind, the message opened, and I could check the perk.

[Player ‘Dopamine Addict,’ welcome to this world.]

[Title inheritance is permitted to Player ‘Dopamine Addict,’ the only player to clear all zones.]

[*Title effects cannot overlap.]

‘Oh.’

The perk for clearing all zones was title inheritance.

As I said earlier, in Safe Zone, if you performed the same action repeatedly, a thing called a ‘title’ would be created.

When starting a new clear, the stats, skills, and inventory accumulated from the previous clear were all reset, but this title alone was maintained.

The effect of the title was related to the repeated action that led to obtaining that title.

For example, if I wore the ‘Friend of Luna Moon’ title, I could easily gain favor from NPCs friendly to Luna Moon.

[Friend of Luna Moon]

[Poisoning Expert]

[Eternal Commander]

[Natural Enemy of the Goodman Family]

[Hero of the Subjugation Battle]

.

.

.

‘Since I have to meet the commander tomorrow, it would be good to equip the Friend of Luna Moon title.’

Since I could only equip one title at a time, I activated the ‘Friend of Luna Moon’ title from the endless title list.

‘I thought clearing it without a title would also be fun, though…’

Seeing how they even provided such a perk to stop the apocalypse.

Perhaps whoever possessed us here also wished for us to stop the apocalypse?

‘But if it is only a perk for the all-zone clearer… it means the rest have to figure it out the hard way…’

For now, I decided to think about the intention of whoever possessed us later.

In the meantime, the flashing ring had lost its glow and returned to its original dull color.

Without much thought, I tried putting the ring on my finger.

Since it was sized for Luna Moon’s finger, it was naturally loose on me… but at that moment, a message activated.

[The ‘Friend of Luna Moon’ title effect is applied to the target.]

‘…?’

Such a message only popped up when an NPC who could be influenced by the title was nearby.

Yet my surroundings were as silent as a dead mouse, and only I and the skeletal Luna Moon were here.

Tilting my head, I pulled the ring off my finger, then put it on again.

[The ‘Friend of Luna Moon’ title effect is applied to the target.]

The message that popped up again without fail.

‘…?’

A strange feeling crept over me, but if I stayed at the grave any longer than this, there was a possibility I would stand out to others on my way back.

In any case, if this title effect was being applied, it must be an NPC who felt favorable toward me.

After confirming that the coffin lid was properly covered, I carefully covered it with soil again and left the graveside.

‘But did the guy who took the dog tag already head to the commander’s residence?’

Having to expel a pitiful, discerning, and diligent player who merely tried to follow because they knew the perfect strategy, from the commander’s residence with my own hands.

It pained my heart.

I should sleep in the abandoned cathedral tonight, and go to the commander’s residence as soon as day broke.

* * *

Two soldiers were guarding the front of the commander’s residence.

Even so, entry was not difficult.

Because these soldiers had received orders from Commander Hayden to let anyone in if they said they knew about Luna Moon.

Even as I approached the main gate, the soldiers did not show any signs of wariness.

“Stop right there. What is your business at the commander’s residence?”

I recited the exact same lines I had recited when playing the game.

“I heard that His Excellency is looking for a certain woman and a child, and I have something to tell him about that.”

“Hmm?”

The two soldiers looked at each other’s faces and exchanged glances.

They didn’t seem to suspect me, but they had rather troubled faces.

“His Excellency originally told us to let anyone in, regardless of their status, if they know about the two of them, but…”

“Things have turned out strange. Yesterday, a boy about your age came in saying the same thing as you. But…”

The soldier stopped mid-sentence, looked around, and whispered softly to me.

“He hasn’t come back out since. It seems something happened inside… I wouldn’t recommend going in right now.”

Oho… Are they worried that I won’t be able to come out either if I enter?

Although the characters of the NPCs in this zone were high-grade because the difficulty was low, they were still kind soldiers.

‘By the way, as expected, the guy who took the dog tag beat me to it.’

In any case, the fact that the player who went in first hadn’t come back out meant that the bastard child strategy worked in this world too.

I had wondered if he might get kicked out even after bringing the token because it might be different from the game…

Then there was no reason to hesitate further.

“Thank you for the advice, but if that’s the case, I must go in even more. The boy you mentioned seems to be someone I know.”

“Oh dear, did you come to find a friend?”

“Not a friend, but if I tell His Excellency what I know, I should be able to bring him out.”

Though it was expelling him rather than bringing him out, anyway.

Although the two soldiers still seemed worried about me and hesitated slightly, they had to adhere to the principle of ‘letting in anyone who knows about Luna Moon and the child,’ so they nodded as if they had no choice.

After patting me down to check if I was carrying any suspicious objects or blades, they opened the small visitor’s door at the edge of the main gate.

Unlike last night, Luna Moon’s ring had lost its glow and looked like nothing but a cheap ring, so the soldiers did not show much interest even though I was wearing a large ring that didn’t fit my finger.

They likely thought the guy who entered earlier was also just a kid who enlisted early without looking closely at the dog tag.

Because the NPCs in this zone had good personalities, but their intelligence was generally low…

Upon entering through the visitor’s door, a sign indicating visitors should go this way was visible.

Following the sign, the path led toward the back of the mansion, and I could feel the soldier sitting in the small booth at the back of the mansion startle upon seeing me.

“…How bizarre. To welcome such a young visitor two days in a row.”

He must be talking about the player who came first yesterday.

“Kid, for what purpose have you visited the commander’s residence?”

“I know about the people His Excellency is looking for.”

At that, the soldier’s expression turned strange.

“…What the young master said is true. You really came.”

“…?”

This was not the reaction I had expected?

‘Young master…? Really… came?’

Did the ‘young master’ part refer to the player who entered first yesterday?

The soldier pointed inside with his chin and spoke.

“Go inside and wait. I don’t know why, but he told me not to just send you back.”

“…”

It seemed… the player who took the dog tag was also waiting for another player.

Since I was also interested in the existence of a player other than CornerHoney, I meekly went inside and waited for him to come.

Unexpectedly, the ones who entered the room were not just one person.

A guy with the same black hair and black eyes Asian customization as me, and a guy with a prominent red-haired, freckled Irish customization.

The guy with the Irish customization already looked quite large, to the point where it was hard to believe he was a ten-year-old starting character.

Nevertheless, the reason I recognized that guy was also a player was because I inspected their information using ‘Character Inspection’ among the opened systems.

[Name: SafetyZone8

Title: None

Starting Zone: Cola

*This player has not opened their system; friend requests are unavailable.]

[Name: Taejeongtaesebeyonce

Title: None

Starting Zone: Cola

*This player has not opened their system; friend requests are unavailable.]

Both of them were guys I knew.

The guys who commented even when I uploaded my final guide.

For both of them to drop into Cola… Well, indeed, bottled cola was irresistible.

But leaving aside Taejeongtaesebeyonce, didn’t this bastard SafetyZone8 clearly say that my guides were just read for fun?

Why is he following my guide instead of enlisting?

“Hello.”

As I just stared the two blankly, ‘SafetyZone8,’ who probably took on the role of the ‘bastard child,’ spoke to me first.

Around his neck hung a dog tag that appeared to be Luna Moon’s.

“You are a player, right?”

As I nodded my head, SafetyZone8 smiled and added.

“There’s no need to be on guard. I don’t know if you know this, but this place has no language patch, so if we talk in Korean, we won’t get caught that we aren’t from this world.”

Seeing how he shared information, he seemed to be a player-friendly guy, but…

“Why were you waiting for another player?”

“You are quite impatient. It wouldn’t be too late to do that after we introduce ourselves.”

At those words, I suddenly realized.

‘Since these guys haven’t opened their systems, they won’t be able to see my information.’

Then I can just deceive them by pretending to be T-Bastard, like with CornerHoney.

—Or so I thought.

“I’ll introduce myself first.”

This SafetyZone8 guy started making a statement that was completely out of his mind.

“I am Dopamine Addict.”