16. Seo A-rin
[Actor Gong Ji-seok suffers cardiac arrest. Fans shed tears at the shocking news… … .]
[Korean Wave star Cha Il-woo cannot wake up from narcolepsy… … . Asia’s star sets.]
[Sim Hwa-yeon, So Yi-hyeon, Gung Seo-jin, etc., major actors die one after another… … .]
[As a result of the survey, only 58% of celebrities who were taken to another world survived.]
[Even celebrities can’t avoid it. Surviving celebrities complain of panic disorder and emotional anxiety… … .]
My fingers skimming the article stopped.
It’s because a message came to mind.
[Hong Seon-ah: Arin-ah. Did you hear the news? Senior Gung passed away?]
[Seo A-rin: Yes… … .]
[Hong Seon-ah: Are you going to pay condolences tomorrow?]
[Seo A-rin: I have to go… … He was a senior who took great care of us while we were acting… … .]
[Hong Seon-ah: Then, I will tell my manager and let’s go together tomorrow.]
[Seo A-rin: Yes, okay.]
Seo Ah-rin let out a long sigh after finishing the message with her close friend.
‘How is the world going… … .’
22 years old.
As I grow older, I sigh more and more these days.
It’s because the world started going crazy.
‘My fellow celebrities are dying one after another… … .’
Among them, senior Gung Seo-jin, who was filming a drama with her, passed away.
I promised to go to condolences with my fellow actors, but that wasn’t the only thing we did.
‘Senior Gong, senior Shim, senior So… … .’
There were more than one person who needed to pay condolences.
Dramas were also stopped one after another.
‘I can’t believe that big players who were better than me died before they could last the first round… … .’
Compared to his seniors, he is a rookie who is now well on his way to growth.
He himself passed the first round, but the other seniors did not.
The reason was simple.
Luck wasn’t on my side.
‘If it weren’t for the fact that I got a good rune, I might have taken the knight’s side… … .’
At that time, a self-mocking laugh escaped Seo A-rin’s mouth.
‘I’ve grown up a lot too. Seeing as you would naturally think that an article would appear. If it were like before, my name wouldn’t have appeared in the article like other unknown actors… … .’
Some people might think that living in a penthouse means you’re wealthy, but that’s not true.
I wonder if it could have become this big without corporate sponsorship.
“What are you thinking, Mr. Arin?”
At that time, a man in a suit who had inspected the house came to my side.
It was Ahn Sang-cheol’s bodyguard who had been his manager for the past six months.
“Oh, no, bodyguard.”
“Tell me. Didn’t you say you can speak openly with me?”
“Ah… I’m just thinking, why has the world become like this, and how will I survive the next round…”
“Don’t worry about the next round. I have you, so what are you worried about?”
“Haha… right?”
The security guard smiled confidently and placed his suit jacket on the table.
Then I took out some wine from the wine cellar and drank it.
“Would you like a drink?”
“Oh, no. It’s okay.”
Seo A-rin was displeased with the bodyguard acting like he was at home, but she couldn’t help it.
‘In a way, it’s not even my house… … .’
The penthouse was just a residence provided by the sponsoring company and did not belong to Seo A-rin.
The bodyguard was also a manpower that Daejun said was needed as a manager in the company.
‘Strictly speaking, they were assigned to monitor rather than guard… … .’
She was also aware, so she didn’t know that it was sent for surveillance purposes.
“Seo Ah-rin is worried too much, so I’m sorry. Trust me now and put your mind at ease. Hasn’t it been more than half a year since I worked as a manager next to you?”
“Of course. Who would I trust if not your bodyguard?”
Seo A-rin did not fall into this world alone.
A 29-year-old bodyguard also went along and completed the quest.
Catching 100 goblins in the first round was not an easy mission, but I somehow managed to catch them.
At that time, thanks to the bodyguard, I was able to kill the goblins relatively easily.
Above all, the effect of runes obtained from random rune pieces was great.
‘I can trust you as a bodyguard.’
When the company first assigned a manager and bodyguard, Seo A-rin was more wary than anyone else.
Aside from the suspicion that he was a surveillance officer, I didn’t like the idea of a man coming in and out of the penthouse.
However, seeing the bodyguard faithful to his duties for half a year gave me some peace of mind.
And this time, as I progressed through the first round, I learned for sure.
The sincerity of a bodyguard trying to protect himself among goblins.
That’s why Seo A-rin trusted her bodyguard more than anyone else.
“I don’t know what the second round quest is, but don’t worry too much. If we work together, we can somehow overcome it, right? I will protect Arin no matter what, so don’t give up.”
“Yes. Thank you very much.”
Seo A-rin smiled as if she was relieved and said, recalling the situation from a little while ago.
“Anyway, I saw you spinning rice cakes earlier, so it looks like you moved in from downstairs.”
“I guess so.”
“Sirutdeok looked delicious….”
“If you eat that kind of food, you will gain weight.”
“But rather than flatly rejecting it, wouldn’t it have been better to accept it even if you didn’t eat it? A neighbor would have been upset when they came to say hello.”
“It’s okay. What about greetings? They’re just trying to get a piece of the beans. You have to go out strong, but if you accept them out of courtesy, they’ll tease you to no end.”
“hmm…….”
Seo A-rin thought of the male neighbors she encountered at the front door.
‘They didn’t seem like such bad people… … .’
It seemed like a good thing that they both appeared.
One of them seemed to have no idea who was not surprised to see him.
Even though, thanks to sponsorship, she is becoming a popular actress among young people.
“One of the neighbors I saw earlier looked to be over 15 years old. I guess he also killed 100 goblins and survived?”
“Well, I guess so.”
“It’s amazing. There are people around me who have gone through such a harsh experience with a calm face….”
“Arin did it too. Is it difficult to catch 100 of them? You’re an idiot for not being able to do that.”
“haha…….”
As he spoke confidently, the bodyguard’s skills were outstanding even in the other world.
So much so that he killed 100 goblins much faster than himself.
From what I heard, it was ranked 153rd in the district.
‘But not as much as him.’
Seo A-rin remembers.
The scene where a player with the nickname Black Scythe slaughters goblins.
‘The goblins looked pitiful in front of that person.’
The bodyguard fought well, but compared to the black scythe, he was only a child.
Even in the eyes of Seo A-rin, who did not know much about fashion, Black Scythe was an overwhelmingly talented person.
Doesn’t the aggregate result of ranking 1st speak for itself?
‘He must be making a living with his day job in real life… … What does this person do? ‘Is it like working in special forces?’
If you work with such a talented person, your chances of surviving the second round will also increase.
If he knew the true nature of reality, he was the number one person he would want to cooperate with, even if it meant bribing him with money.
“I’m thirsty, so I’ll just leave then.”
“Yes. Thank you for your hard work, bodyguard.”
“With the situation being like this, it looks like we won’t have any plans other than condolences for the time being. Until then, rest well. Don’t worry about the next round.”
“Yes, got it.”
The security guard put down the wine glass and left the house.
Only Seo A-rin remains in the spacious 110 pyeong penthouse.
She wrapped her arms around herself as if feeling the chill.
‘I was lucky this time, but I wonder if I can survive the next round… … .’
Perhaps because she was anxious, Seo A-rin’s hands wrapped around her arms were full of strength.
* * *
Time passed and Monday, January 31st.
Ryu Min stopped by Nonhyup Bank and picked up his fifth first prize.
“…Are you here again? Lucky customer?”
The bank president looked surprised, but that was all.
After winning five times in a row, people nod their heads as if they are used to it.
“You won 100 games this time, right?”
“yes.”
“What is the secret?”
“I told you last week. I told you in a dream.”
“…….”
What kind of person’s dream tells me the number 1 in the lottery for 5 consecutive times?
“You’re really amazing. I wish I could have that dream too… Ah.”
The bank manager, who had unintentionally revealed his true feelings, rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment.
“Please come this way. I will guide you personally. You have visited me five times, so you know where to go…”
The bank manager who led the way to the lottery business team said hello and then disappeared.
“Ah, lucky customer, are you here?”
Even the staff, who were surprised when I visited a few times, as if they had seen a ghost, are no longer panicked.
“The winnings this time will be less than last time. The total winnings have decreased by 15% compared to the average.”
Since it is an uncertain situation ahead of the second round, it seems that it is having an impact on the public as well.
Nevertheless, the money in Ryu Min’s VIP account exceeded 12 billion won.
‘Did you earn a total of 68.5 billion through this 5th round?’
Almost 70 billion won was spent through the lottery alone.
Ryu Min left the bank and returned home with a satisfied face.
Not a shabby multi-family house, but a 100 pyeong apartment with a view of the Han River.
“Brother, are you here?”
When I return home, Ryu Won, who was cleaning, welcomes me.
“Did you find the winnings?”
“Yeah. About 12 billion this time? It’s not much.”
“It’s a joke….”
Ryu Won made a disgusted expression.
“Are you going to put it all into your Bitcoin account again?”
“That’s right.”
Ryumin was investing the money he earned from the lottery in coins.
As a result, the current fund has increased to 150 billion won.
Because Ryu Won knew that, he did not stop his brother.
However, because I was so successful, I felt anxious.
“Brother, shouldn’t I slowly lose weight now? I’m afraid I’ll fall head over heels like this.”
“Not yet.”
‘The upward trend will continue until the 15th day after the second round.’
Ryumin’s plan was to sell only after reaching the highest price, up to 4 times.
“Wonah. Don’t worry about anything and let’s go get lunch.”
The brothers spent time at home after eating out for lunch and dinner.
Time passed like that, 10 minutes before midnight.
‘Round 2 will begin in a moment.’
Ryumin waited for him to fall asleep in his bedroom, which was safer than anywhere else.
“Hyung. You must come back alive.”
“Who am I? I am the one who overpowered even Bang Tae-gyu.”
“Yes, but….”
“Don’t worry, just sleep. When you open your eyes, I’ll be awake too.”
Ryu Min smiled after reassuring his younger brother.
It’s time.
“Goes.”
February 1st. As soon as midnight.
Slur-
Ryumin’s body fell onto the bed.
* * *
Flash-
When I opened my eyes, Ryumin was already in a different place.
In the middle of a vacant lot with a forest nearby.
It was a different environment from the grassland in round 1.
This is the starting point of the second round that Ryu Min remembers.
“Did you arrive?”
“It’s an instant, really.”
As I look around, I see survivors from the first round appearing out of nowhere.
Each person has a nickname above their head.
“Huh? That person….”
“No. 1 ranking last round?”
Some people recognized Ryu Min and started whispering.
In the first round, a player named Black Scythe made such a strong impression.
‘As each round passes, my nickname will become more and more valuable.’
It doesn’t take long to become a so-called name.
Anyway, Ryumin waited with stilettos in his hand.
Unlike other people, since he is holding a weapon, no one approaches him readily.
It’s just as Ryumin intended.
Ryumin watched his surroundings while keeping his distance from people.
‘I see some familiar faces.’
It has to be that way.
The people gathered now were survivors who were in that area, that is, at the site of the bell ringing.
Of course, Hwang Yong-min and his friends also showed up.
Because it was a large character, it was definitely easy to find.
Only after about 5,000 people appeared in the forest.
[Has everyone gathered?]
An angel appeared from the sky with a strange voice ringing in my head.
However, it was not the angel I saw in the first round.
“Huh? You’re a different angel, right?”
“I know?”
It’s not that it’s not, because Ryu Min killed Brielle, who was the guide in the first round.
The angel spoke as if he had already heard the commotion.
[The angel I played in the first round had an accident and couldn’t come out. Don’t panic though, humans. I will lead you well from now on. Kihehehehe.]
Despite its beauty, the newly changed angel also has a strange laughter sound.
[Then, since we have all gathered, shall we reveal the 2nd round quest?]
As the angel flapped his wings, everyone stared into space.
