Chapter 85 : Teaser Trailer
Chapter85: Teaser Trailer
There was only one conclusion that could be drawn.
Someone was doing the same thing as the research facility that made the custom Etinel.
Meaning they were attempting to copy Baek Woohyun and birth a being with the same combat capabilities as him.
And even more, this time the someone attempting it─though it was unclear if they could even be called ‘someone’─was in a position to even lay hands on beings from another world.
At that level, it was fair to say they were in a different class from the research facility that merely tinkered with mechanical devices.
‘No, wait a moment.’
It was at that moment a flash suddenly crossed through Baek Woohyun’s mind.
‘What this bastard copied wasn’t me from PVE. It’s me from PVP.’
The fact that the copycat Invader before his eyes referenced PVP rather than PVE had tremendously significant meaning.
Whoever they were, it meant the being that created this bastard could reach beyond PVE into PVP to obtain his combat data.
Of course, both PVE and PVP were merely branches under the game called ‘Reverse Planet,’ but there had never been such interconnection at this level.
‘Is this also part of the story progressing within the game “Reverse Planet”? Or else-‘
“······.”
Baek Woohyun’s contemplation didn’t last very long.
Because he realized from here on it could only enter the realm of speculation.
That could be done slowly with more leisure later. A brief thought during battle wouldn’t produce proper answers anyway.
Shaking off his thoughts, he approached the Invader and faced the bastard with its still expressionless face.
The bastard that had shown no emotion from the start was still not revealing any agitation even facing death.
That was probably why the Invader’s alien aspects entered his eyes even more prominently.
“······.”
‘Is it··· really an Invader?’
The Invaders Baek Woohyun knew were beings from another world but thought similarly to humans.
Meaning before death they would be gripped by fear, or sometimes grit their teeth trying to overcome it.
Not acting like they didn’t know death itself, like this bastard now.
Frowning at the subtle displeasure, he placed his foot on the Invader’s neck. Even until then, the bastard was still just quietly looking up at him.
Soon a crack sound of breaking bone rang out, then messages announcing level up and mission completion floated up before him in a rush.
As always, he quickly selected one element according to his set build and swiftly passed it by. There was no reason to keep looking at it.
“Hmm.“
‘At this level, roughly 30 percent by peak standards?’
As missions kept gradually raising his level and he selected elements accordingly, it had somehow become like this.
Of course, he was using a complete build in PVP, but that side was heavily downgraded to match PVP limits, so it couldn’t be said he had fully regained his power.
Even as a complete build in PVP, compared to his peak ‘over there,’ it fell far short despite being the same complete build. Around 60 percent seemed appropriate.
“Junior!”
-“You’re too late!”
-“That’s the standard protocol.”
-For real lol
-They always come after everything’s over~
-That’s why we need to adjust dispatch time appropriately lol
-Huh? Really?
Finally, with all situations ended, Kim Hana and Otherworld Management Bureau agents arrived on scene. An arrival one step, no, two steps late.
Though they came looking triumphant after clearing everything around them, despite the weapons they were holding, the fight had just ended here too.
The ones who had rushed over hurriedly soon glanced around with embarrassed expressions.
“That’s··· an Invader?!”
“Oh!” “An Invader!”
In the midst of that, Kim Hana shouted in shock seeing the Invader’s corpse, and the agents also examined it with astonished expressions.
Regarding Invaders, beings also called Otherworlders, the Otherworld Management Bureau was aware, and several agents who came here had directly fought and killed them.
But even they hadn’t thought Baek Woohyun would have killed an Invader, so they couldn’t help being this shocked.
“Sieun! Quickly collect the corpse first!”
“Yes!”
“Jeonghyeon and Seongun, you two go around together and check if there are more Invaders!”
“Understood!”
Kim Hana swiftly commanded the other agents who came together, handling the situation.
She was a senior agent like Lee Yujin, and someone who would rise to team leader position in the future. Therefore, she had quite a bit of authority even now.
Meaning if an active team leader hadn’t come here directly, it was quite natural for her to give instructions to others.
As the agents who heard the orders began moving briskly, she approached Baek Woohyun with an expression of catching her breath.
“Good work, junior. I was right to trust and assign you. You even caught an Invader.”
“Thank you. You also worked hard, senior.”
“Me? Compared to your work, I practically played.”
“That can’t be true.”
“I think so. Anyway, as soon as I return after this work ends, I’ll submit your official agent promotion request, so be prepared.”
Saying if she submitted the promotion request together with Lee Yujin it would be processed quickly, Kim Hana patted Baek Woohyun’s shoulder.
Actually, it was a natural judgment for her. With him having eliminated even an Invader, it would be ridiculous to keep leaving him just because probationary period remained.
Rather, if you looked at it, there was a sense he was already late in not yet becoming an official agent.
Of course, it was difficult to call this entirely the Otherworld Management Bureau’s fault.
Expecting them to work briskly matching the out-of-spec Baek Woohyun was an excessive demand.
What probationary agent would conversely repel an attack by Hunting Dogs, subjugate a Reverse World, and not even satisfied with that, face an Invader alone and achieve victory?
“So junior was the one who eliminated the boss entity too.”
The Hobgoblin corpse discovered belatedly was handled amid reactions completely different and indifferent compared to the Invader.
That was natural, since it was far less important, and there was no reason to be surprised that someone who alone killed even an Invader caught a boss entity.
It was also already known the boss entity was dead from seeing the portal to the other world already closed.
“At this level, you practically handled the Bukhansan Reverse World rampage alone, junior?”
“No. It’s thanks to everyone working hard.”
“At best they’re Goblins. The rest of the cleanup will be done by me and other agents, so junior, you can go back to headquarters and rest.”
“Ah, it’s fine-“
“Wait. I misspoke.”
Kim Hana cut in, interrupting Baek Woohyun’s answer.
She spoke in a firm tone as if she wouldn’t hear objections.
“It’s not that you can rest, go and rest. If you work more here, you’re stealing work from other agents, junior.”
“Mm.“
“Really~ Will you make me say it twice?”
“No, it’s not that- I came here in your car, senior.”
“Ah.”
-lololololol
-Ah seriously lololol
-He can’t go without a ride!!
-Trying to send off someone on foot, how cruel
Kim Hana, who laughed awkwardly, called another agent.
Since he was also planning to go to the Otherworld Management Bureau anyway, telling Baek Woohyun to ride in his car together.
Thanks to that, Baek Woohyun, who caught a ride in another senior agent’s car, could return to Otherworld Management Bureau headquarters quickly.
Perhaps because of rampage incidents still unresolved, headquarters was still in a busy state.
“You worked hard today!”
“Yes, senior.”
“Please work well with us from now on too, junior!”
“Yes, please work well with me.”
The senior agent who gave him a ride gave Baek Woohyun a thumbs up.
On his face, there was no sign of jealousy toward the achievements Baek Woohyun had established. Rather, the feeling of wanting him to be even more active was strongly evident.
If they knew the Otherworld Management Bureau’s situation, though he spoke casually, they would have noticed he was asking quite desperately.
When asked to name the advantages of being an Otherworld Management Bureau agent, people mentioned a fairly good salary for a civil servant and stability at iron rice bowl level.
The problem was the fact that everything else besides that was all disadvantages. Slow promotion, lots of work, life danger. Even the advantages sometimes faded before the disadvantages.
For the same life price, compared to Awakeners scouted by corporations, the salary Otherworld Management Bureau agents received was at most ultimately only at civil servant level.
Perhaps because of that, the Otherworld Management Bureau suffered from chronic manpower shortage.
To the extent that excessive missions beyond their capabilities were being imposed on some capable agents.
Lee Yujin didn’t pour out complaints to corporations about taking away Awakeners for nothing. It was all because there was a good reason for it.
“Really please! Really! Don’t go anywhere and let’s work well together!”
-“So earnest.”
-“Honestly, agents’ work environment is really too bad just looking at it.”
-Typical 3D industry
-Ugh tsk tsk that’s why I devoted myself to a corporation
-Rather be an honorable agent than a Hunting Dog with a collar ㅅㄱ
-Yep~ My monthly salary is your annual salary~
Therefore, the appearance of a strong agent was a situation existing agents should welcome with open arms.
Achievement or whatever, in any case, if an agent could reduce the pouring workload, even if a rookie, it was the same.
Right now, even the agent grabbing Baek Woohyun’s hand repeatedly saying please work well must have suffered considerable hard labor, as fatigue was deeply settled on his face.
“······.”
Baek Woohyun, watching the departing agent’s back, soon turned his body and entered headquarters─
***
“Alright, that’s it!”
-?
-What is this
-Where did PVP go
-Are you kidding??
─The streaming video ended there.
Today Cha Seongcheol had external schedules, so this ‘Hack Tour’ content was planned to proceed briefly without PVP.
Naturally, this was content announced in advance. Though those burning up the chat now were acting as if hearing it for the first time.
-No
-(fire emoticon)(fire emoticon)(fire emoticon)(fire emoticon)(fire emoticon)(fire emoticon)
-Ah lol totally behind lol ah lol totally behind lol ah lol totally behind lol
-Hell
-Turn it back on quickly~ What are you doing~ Turn it back on quickly~ What are you doing~
Blazing fire emoticons and various spam including ‘hell.’
Anyway, the firepower of viewers who got angry saying they didn’t know was truly tremendous. Enough to say slow mode didn’t work at all.
Especially since rumors circulated that this broadcast might challenge Battler’s win streak record, the reaction was even more intense.
“Everyone, everyone! Calm down! If you do this, I can’t make my major announcement!”
-Major announcement?
-What the hell is it;
-If it’s nothing special, straight to hell
-For real if it’s not big, you know??
Jeong Nayeon barely calmed them down with the major announcement as bait, but if the content she mentioned was below standards, it would quickly revert.
Of course, she was confident. Confident that even the current public opinion would immediately switch stance and return to praise after hearing her announcement.
“You know Hackphysical decided to proceed with content teaching disciples, right?”
-Don’t tell me it’s canceled??
-No way! I sent 3728471 recommendation emails!
-Recommendation (without his consent)
-No way it’s canceled lol come on, no way lol no···way···
“-would it? Of course it’s not canceled! Rather it’s better news!”
‘Gre-gi’ donated ‘10,000 won’!
[Then what the heck is it, say it quickly]
“Thank you Gre-gi for the ten thousand won donation! It’s nothing other than, after me and Seongcheol persuaded hard, we decided to hold a disciple selection audition that Hackphysical also participates in!”
The disciple selection audition program they had subtly broached while showing disciples to Baek Woohyun!
As they said, Jeong Nayeon and Cha Seongcheol had persuaded hard and obtained confirmation that Baek Woohyun would participate in it.
While at it, they also sounded out those selected as candidates among those who expressed intention to participate in disciple content.
-Audition?
-Content preparing content ㄷㄷ
-Why is that a major announcement? Want more fire?
-Wait, him participating means we can communicate?
“One person got the answer right. That’s right. During the audition program, direct communication with Hackphysical is possible.”
-What
-Is this real?
-Crazy lololol I had so much to ask lololol
-Will there be QNA time too? Answer quickly. I’m urgent
Viewers naturally went wild.
They already had tons they wanted to ask while communicating with Baek Woohyun.
About builds, about skills, or even trivial personal details like his hobbies.
Many had become fans falling for his overwhelming physical display, but could be said to be quite frustrated with absolutely no way to communicate.
But since he had publicly stated from the beginning he had no intention of broadcasting, they could only be grateful even for ‘Hack Tour’ content.
In the midst of that, proceeding with content enabling direct communication, naturally they’d be happy.
Jeong Nayeon and Cha Seongcheol, relieved at the instantly reversed chat opinion, subtly exchanged glances.
‘Should we reveal that now?’
‘Yes, now seems good.’
And so.
The disciple selection audition program─’Superstar N (meaning Nuclear~)’ teaser trailer was released.
***