Chapter 82
Chapter 82
What a mess
***
I felt utterly drained. I had even gone so far as to inflict wounds on myself to collect samples, all to find out how the regeneration of immortality worked.
I had expected there to be changes at the cellular level, but the result was the exact opposite.
Perhaps this characteristic was also affecting immortality itself.
If the me of yesterday and the me of today were identical, wouldn’t that be the same as saying I did not age?
Yet it was exceedingly strange that physical growth did not stop. Gaining muscle or growing hair were representative signs of cell division.
It meant that selective, partial evolution had occurred, and yet to find no meaningful difference even then—
“What do you think?”
[We cannot rule out the possibility that localized changes occurred at the molecular level.]
“Fair point. We still don’t have equipment capable of analyzing that far.”
At best, it was only slightly better than what a hospital could do with a biopsy.
[If you wish to derive meaningful results, I recommend long-term observation.]
That was something Ga-on also agreed with.
So far, I had only placed a single dot on a blank canvas. If I truly wanted to understand the flow of change, I would have to wait until those dots formed a line.
On the surface, the body appeared completely motionless, but inside, it was turbulent enough to be called a microcosm.
The number of cells born and dying every day alone amounted to 330 billion.
Within a year, every part of the body’s cells would be replaced anew, so if I observed slowly and kept a record, I would surely discover something within it.
I had never thought this could be uncovered through just one or two experiments.
But—
‘It’s too long.’
Unlike the lifespan given to me, the identity of Baek Ga-on was not infinite. It meant I couldn’t cling to uncovering the cause forever.
I needed a trigger that could drastically shorten the time required.
***
After wrestling with Veda all night, I pressed my throbbing head and left the basement. The moment I entered the living room, chatter rang in my ears. There were only a few people who could come and go from my house.
Especially at this hour.
“Crawling from multiple angles and tracing back the bad sectors that appear to make inferences could also be one approach.”
“So even if you detour like that, you can still extract metadata. As expected of Ri—.”
“That and this are separate matters.”
“What are you two doing?”
I looked back and forth between the two absorbed in conversation—Dobby and Noah—and sat down on the sofa.
“Isn’t it obvious? Since the homeowner won’t come out no matter how many times we call, I was welcoming the guest on your behalf.”
“Well, since Dobby oppa is here, it’s at least a decent way to pass the time.”
“That’s all you think of me?!”
The girl nitpicked, and the hologram was shocked.
Even though they hadn’t met many times, they acted like childhood friends. There was nothing strange about it.
One was a Diver, and the other was a Tuner.
There must have been something that connected those who navigated the sea of information.
More importantly—
“Why is Dobby ‘oppa,’ but I’m an ‘ahjussi’?”
Dobby was twenty, and I was twenty-two.
The age difference between us was only two years. At least, on record.
“Are you upset because I called you ahjussi?”
“As if.”
“He’s mad, he’s mad. But don’t worry. It’s not that you look old—I just look young.”
With a flick of my finger, I punished the cheeky hologram, then let out a quiet exclamation as something came to mind. I realized there was another thing Dobby and Noah had in common.
“Come to think of it, Miss Phytoncide plays Lost Saga too.”
“Really?!”
As a wraith—no, a malicious spirit—of Lost Saga, there was no way Dobby would let that topic pass quietly.
“How many collectibles have you gathered? How far have you gotten in raids? What’s your gear level? More importantly, what class are you?”
“I just play casually, so I’m not really sure what you’re talking about.”
To me, it was almost laughable.
Didn’t she even log in from a space passenger ship? That alone was enough to gauge her level of attachment.
“Hey, it’s not very charming to keep hiding it when you’ve already been found out.”
“Was I supposed to be showing off my charm? I. had. no. idea.”
The veins on Noah’s forehead bulged as she clenched her molars.
“Careful, you’ll crack a tooth.”
Even hearing such a tense exchange, Dobby’s eyes only sparkled brighter.
“Have you joined a guild by any chance?”
“No. Because of my job, my login times aren’t consistent. It’s more comfortable playing alone.”
“Then how about joining our guild? You just need to sign up.”
“No, it’s fine. There’s really no need to go that far…”
“There is. Playing alone gets lonely. It feels weird saying it myself, but our guild members would welcome you too. They’re all nice.”
Feeling burdened by Dobby persistently trying to recruit her, Noah subtly sent me a silent plea for help—but it wasn’t like I had any solution either.
“Just give up. That’s just how he is.”
Noah let out a long sigh before speaking.
“What’s the name?”
“Primal Guild.”
Noah froze for a moment. It was a familiar name. No—it was impossible not to know it.
Ranked No.1 among all guilds in Lost Saga.
A supernova that had never once fallen from the top spot since launch. The popularity it enjoyed was on another level. Unlike other major guilds, it rejected every meta and stuck to an underdog style.
A pure enjoyment-first approach.
They had even caused a stir by clearing the latest raid through a head-on assault.
For anyone who played Lost Saga, it was a guild you couldn’t help but be interested in.
Honestly, it was tempting.
Dobby, having read Noah’s inner thoughts, let out a sly grin.
“You say you’re not interested, but you seem to know quite a bit.”
“That’s not true at all.”
When Noah turned her head away curtly, Dobby casually added,
“What a shame. Ga-on is in the guild too, so you’d get to see him often if you joined.”
“Ahjussi is in a guild too? You don’t look like it.”
“Do you know Shinsin?”
Full name, TheGodofNewWorlds #0001.
A user who had turned down every opportunity to debut as a pro and only operated within the guild.
Ranked 4th in the official PVP rankings.
However, enthusiasts often predicted that he could easily aim for 1st place. His lower rank was simply due to a lack of points, not a lack of skill.
It wasn’t surprising. Not only did he not use skills during matches, he didn’t even equip gear.
A type who relied solely on control.
There were quite a few who were captivated by that perverse concept playstyle.
Thus, he was called—
“Nupangeom.”
In other words, the Ragged Underwear Swordsman.
“You’re really Nupangeom, ahjussi? I heard you’re a total attention seeker.”
“That’s not my preference—I have my reasons.”
“Sure, sure. I’m sure you do.”
“You don’t believe me at all.”
In truth, logging into Lost Saga was a form of training for me. A world where basic physical laws applied became a place where I could freely demonstrate techniques I couldn’t recklessly use in reality.
Not relying on skills or equipment was an extension of that.
It was to create an environment as close to reality as possible.
One could even say it contributed significantly to completing the ancient martial art, Arhat.
Though Noah, who had been snickering for a while now, didn’t seem to understand.
“Anyway, enough idle chatter. What about what Mrs. Ray entrusted you with?”
“Here.”
Noah handed over a small coin.
It was a portable storage device—a package.
Inside it was software created by Professor Ray.
Veda was still an artificial intelligence in its infancy. It was a stage that required care and attention. As such, there were still many aspects that needed adjustment.
Naturally, seeking help from an expert was the logical choice.
Since I had partially revealed Veda’s structure, she must have roughly figured it out. That there was an unlocked artificial intelligence here.
“I don’t know what you’re trying to research, but why not just invite the professor directly?”
“Well, giving orders to someone as busy as her feels a bit much. Receiving it like this is more comfortable.”
“And I’m fine going back and forth between you two? I’m a professor too, you know.”
Come to think of it, I had heard she held eight degrees.
She was such an accomplished talent that one could hardly tell who the real artificial intelligence was when compared to Veda.
It felt to the point of being sorry to keep making her run errands.
But I had no choice but to rely on Noah.
As she said, inviting Professor Ray directly would have been ideal, but the risk was too great. If Jin Geon were to notice something, it would only be a matter of time before the deal I had with her was exposed.
At worst, even the “sacred relic” I had stored in the basement could be revealed.
But Noah was different.
I could use our connection from the space passenger ship as an excuse. If I said we had grown close while crossing the line between life and death, who would question it?
I had more than enough justification.
“What about receiving it by delivery?”
“It’s not that I didn’t consider it, but receiving it in person is more certain.”
Seeing how thoroughly I was trying to control the situation, Noah began to feel uneasy for no reason.
“…I’m not unknowingly involved in some crime, am I?”
“It’s not something you need to worry about.”
“What kind of answer is that? That basically means I am?!”
Noah even pointed her finger as she demanded the truth, but I simply lay back on the sofa with a drowsy expression. Meanwhile, Dobby, who had been watching all along, took the opportunity to urge Noah to join the guild.
“Lunch is ready.”
Amid the chaotic atmosphere, Sera emerged from the kitchen to announce that lunchtime had arrived, but no one responded.
“What a mess.”
***
“Welcome, Master. I’ve been waiting for your visit.”
Seeing the android bow her head in front of me, my eyebrows twitched. I took a step back from the door and checked the sign.
For a moment, I wondered if I had come to the wrong place, but it was indeed Columbus.
The smiling girl had short, vividly bright green hair that almost dazzled the eyes. A primary color no human could possess. It was proof that she was an android.
Her outfit was no ordinary thing either.
It was a modified maid uniform that boldly revealed her collarbones.
“And you are?”
“My name? You already want to know that much about me?”
Her slightly smug attitude made me wave my hand.
“No, it’s fine if you don’t want to say.”
“Hehe, you’re shy. My name is Juicy.”
“Alright, Miss Fresh.”
“Fresh? Wow, you’re the first one here to give me a nickname, Master.”
She might think differently if she knew it was the name of a chewing gum. I muttered quietly and got to the point.
“Where is Mr. Pepe?”
“Ah, so you’re one of Master’s guests.”
Following her guidance inside, I saw Fernandez’s face, smiling like a mischievous frog—no, like a prankster.
“You look quite surprised.”
“I thought you’d changed your line of business. What possessed you to buy an android?”
“Didn’t you go around looking to buy an android last time? Thinking about it, I figured having one more employee in this shop would make things easier.”
“So it was an impulse purchase.”
“At least call it a wise investment.”
Fernandez was entering old age past his middle years. Juggling roles as a bartender, server, and broker must have been physically demanding.
I understood the motivation.
But—
“You’ve got some awful taste.”