Chapter 6 – Three Rewards

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Translated by Seoulbound

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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“Then the living brother, not the dead one, is Dopamine Addict…?”

Since Taejeongtaesebeyonce didn’t have a system, I thought he wouldn’t be able to believe that I was Dopamine Addict all at once.

Rather than the ‘Dopamine Addict’ he believed in absurdly failing a clear and retiring, perhaps it was more plausible to him that I, who had just been recognized as the son by the commander, was the real Dopamine Addict, so he accepted it easily.

“N-no wonder it felt strange.”

“What felt strange?”

“Things like his tone…”

That was a relief.

So he didn’t think my actual tone of voice was really that annoying.

“But how did you know that person was SafetyZone8?”

“Ah, I have a system. I saw it through Character Inspection.”

“A system?! Nothing came out even when I shouted ‘Status Window,’ but you have a system, big brother?”

“It seems it opens only after meeting certain conditions.”

The system message that appeared right before the system opened.

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

Considering this message and the situation at that time.

The condition for a player to open the system was related to the ‘secret of the apocalypse.’

Even though I had never seen a script about a secret tied to the apocalypse while playing Safe Zone.

I knew that Luna Moon’s ring, which I obtained while opening the system, was an item made of the ‘meteorite’ that brought destruction to this world.

In other words, the ‘secret of the apocalypse’ was related to the ‘meteorite items.’

Besides the ring, I knew of about eight other items made of meteorites.

Indeed…

Meteorite items existed exactly in the number of safe zones.

And all of them were items necessary for clearing each zone.

If only those who obtained these items could open the system, the players who could open the system would number nine in total.

The reason I revealed to Taejeongtaesebeyonce that I had a system was to show that I was a player ahead of him, so that I could manage him more easily.

But I did not intend to tell him that only nine people would be able to open the system.

Since it was still merely my speculation.

“Oh…! A system… As expected, the real big brother is somewhat different…!!”

He might be looking at me with sparkling eyes like this now, but human greed was endless.

Event items of which only nine existed in the world?

Any Safe Zone player would want to get their hands on one.

By the way, although I let him know that I was Dopamine Addict… I had to swear him to secrecy.

“As you experienced firsthand, a player who hasn’t opened their system yet cannot know another’s information. Therefore, I don’t intend to reveal that I am ‘Dopamine Addict’ for no reason.”

“Why is that?”

“Because not all players are friendly to me like you. If the opponent has already opened their system, it can’t be helped, but when they haven’t, I don’t want to reveal my identity for no reason. So from now on, you too should call me ‘Haydam Goodman,’ not by the nickname Dopamine Addict.”

“Ah, yes. I understand what you mean. But it’s okay to tell someone who is on big brother’s side, right?”

That was exactly why I was trying to swear you to secrecy.

“Hmm… Actually, besides you, there is already one more player helping with my clear.”

“Oh, who is it?”

“A guy named CornerHoney.”

“Ah, that foul-m… no, that rough-tongued guy!”

So that guy was also a named user in the community in his own way.

Although it seemed he was a celebrity in a bad way.

“Due to circumstances, I’ve told him that I am ‘T-Bastard.’ So don’t reveal that I am Dopamine Addict yet. I plan to tell him directly later.”

“Ah… true, you blocked that person after uploading the final guide…”

Taejeongtaesebeyonce nodded as if convinced, then spoke up as if he remembered something.

“But T-Bastard might be here too, you know?”

“What?”

“Ah, not here in the Cola zone, but he should be in another zone. I saw him.”

“What do you mean you saw him?”

“Ah, after big brother uploaded the final guide, heavy users started disappearing, right? But a strange rumor was circulating.”

“A strange rumor…”

“That the reason the heavy users started disappearing was because of the convenience store address you distributed. Since such rumors circulated, everyone said they would get that address and visit the convenience store.”

No, why did these guys come crowding to the convenience store instead of just playing games, getting possessed as a group and causing a fuss.

“I was one of them, and there was one more person at the convenience store at that time, so we introduced ourselves. And he said he was T-Bastard.”

Ah… So that was why he said he ‘saw’ him.

Then it was confirmed that T-Bastard was also possessed.

Seeing that he wouldn’t be in the Cola zone, did he also see what T-Bastard bought?

“What did that person buy?”

“Uh, I think that person bought a knife…”

A knife?

Then T-Bastard is dropped in Knife right now?

…In that psychopath den?

“Why on earth would anyone buy a knife at a convenience store?”

“He said it looked cool because it was the symbol of the hidden zone. Since the Knife guide was uploaded, he said he would try clearing it from now on. Though he probably didn’t mean he would clear it by getting possessed…”

He twisted his own fate.

“Then that guy’s starting zone is Knife… Is he alive?”

“In that sense, it is indeed right for big brother to hide that you are Dopamine Addict. I dropped into the Cola zone, but if I had started in a place like Knife, I think even I would have resented you…”

No, in the first place, I only told the location to one person, HomeProtector.

Just how many guys went to that convenience store?

‘Still, since that convenience store was in Korea, foreign users probably wouldn’t have been possessed, right?’

I disliked foreign users.

Because I had seen those bastards unauthorizedly reposting my guides and translating them at will as if they were their own.

“But if T-Bastard bought the knife first, you could have avoided getting possessed, right?”

“Huh? How?”

“When getting possessed, you get struck by a barcode scanner. If you saw T-Bastard getting struck on the head, you should have just walked back out…”

Taejeongtaesebeyonce replied with an even more bewildered face.

“Struck on the head with a barcode scanner? I was possessed on my way out of the convenience store.”

What?

The other guys didn’t get struck by the barcode scanner?

Then what kind of grudge did that clerk have to strike my head?

Could it be that CornerHoney also got possessed gently like these guys?

I feel somewhat wronged.

“By the way…”

Taejeongtaesebeyonce asked me cautiously.

“Is the deceased big brother… no, is SafetyZone8 really dead?”

“Well… wouldn’t it be more comforting to think he just logged out?”

“Hmm…”

He had a face showing that he couldn’t feel comfortable no matter how he thought about it.

“For now, only think about clearing. We have to survive right now. We must prepare for the apocalypse too.”

“That is true… I also don’t want to be a burden to you, big brother, so I will do my best.”

“Good. If the commander suspects you, say you thought SafetyZone8 was the real Haydam Goodman. Say you were deceived too. Got it?”

“Yes, I understand.”

Not long after instructing Taejeongtaesebeyonce, the commander entered the room, unable to hide his flustered complexion.

Since a child who was perfectly fine just moments ago suddenly died, he must be flustered.

However, perhaps because he was a guy who impersonated his son and tried to deceive him, the light of pity was not strong.

‘Here, it would be natural to ask what happened to that kid.’

“What about that boy? What happened to him?”

“…He didn’t look well, so I sent him back.”

Surprising.

He lied instead of telling me that he died.

Was it because he thought I would feel guilty if he said that boy died?

Or was it out of fear that I might think the boy died because he badgered him?

Or else he might just do it because he was worried I would be scared.

Whichever it was, lying meant he cared about me, so it seemed certain that the commander had accepted me as ‘Haydam Goodman.’

As if Taejeongtaesebeyonce was completely out of his mind, the commander addressed me while staring only at me.

“The situation has become a bit strange, but… you are indeed Haydam, Luna Moon’s child, correct?”

I nodded to confirm.

The commander seemed greatly relieved, and soon looked down at me with a warm gaze.

“I don’t know if you’ll believe me, but I have been searching for you and Luna Moon all this time… But that kid earlier said Luna Moon passed away long ago… Is it true?”

“That’s true.”

A flash of disappointment crossed the commander’s face.

“Mother’s grave is at the back of the slums. I wish you would visit it once.”

“Why did you only come looking for me now?”

The commander asked as if he couldn’t understand.

“Did she resent me? Did Luna Moon tell you not to look for me even after she died…?”

Why did I only come looking for you now… That’s because I got possessed yesterday.

And I’m not even your real son.

There was no need to answer such a thing.

I just had to keep my mouth shut and look down as if there were some circumstances that prevented me.

“…”

“…Never mind. It couldn’t have been easy to come find me. You probably thought you were abandoned by me.”

He interpreted it favorably on his own.

Indeed, silence is golden.

“Since I failed to keep my promise and caused you to lose your mother, I want to compensate you for those years.”

“…!”

Oh.

This was the line that came out when succeeding in the bastard child strategy.

The commander’s promise of reward.

The subsequent line would be a declaration that he would make me his successor.

“While staying here, if there is anything you want, speak comfortably. From now on, I will make you my successor and hand over everything of mine to you.”

As soon as the commander’s line finished, a system message popped up before my eyes.

[You have succeeded in the clear.]

[Having succeeded in the clear, the ‘Three Rewards’ clear has become available.]

[Please, choose your rewards carefully.]

[Three Rewards 0/3]

Three Rewards.

This was a clear connected with the bastard child strategy.

The commander said he would grant whatever I wanted and make me his successor, but in truth, that was not sincere.

Since I was his son, he would care for me even if I didn’t become the successor, but.

In order to become his successor, the commander of the Cola zone, one had to succeed in the ‘Three Rewards’ clear.

Depending on what I wished for as a reward, the commander would gauge my character and ability and judge whether he should make me the successor or not.

First of all, the very first reward to wish for was decided.

“What I want… is for you to visit Mother’s grave often.”

“Now that I know where she is, I will naturally do so.”

[Three Rewards 1/3]

As soon as the commander’s permission fell, one of the three rewards was used.

The commander never broke a promise used for a reward.

However, if one wished for a reward the commander couldn’t grant, the clear would fail immediately, so it must be requested carefully.

Requesting him to visit Luna Moon’s grave frequently was partly to act like an innocent child, but.

It was because the more frequently the commander stopped by Luna Moon’s grave, the more widely known it would become that he favored me.

In addition, sending the commander to Luna Moon’s grave frequently had the effect of inspecting the slums’ situation and even managing public sentiment.

So to speak, it should be seen as a reward for successor legitimacy.

The remaining two rewards must be ones that could show my character and show my ability, respectively.

In the game, no matter how high the degree of freedom, there were limits to what could be demanded, so the deliberation wasn’t long…

Now that it has become reality, the options have increased, making me contemplate a bit.

If only there was a loop system, I would have tested them one by one; it is regrettable.

“More importantly, we should have a meal. You probably haven’t been able to eat properly until now…”

When the commander spoke like that.

I felt a sense of incongruity.

‘Huh…?’

I realized that ever since I got possessed into this world, I hadn’t felt hunger to an strange degree.