9. First return

[This morning, something unbelievable happened at Bosingak in Jongno-gu, where a bell-ringing event was held. More than 10,000 people collectively lost their minds. Let's watch the video first to see what happened.]The video contained an unbelievable scene.

A winged woman appeared with light from the sky.

[People are taken aback by the appearance of a woman with the appearance of an angel. They move their lips as if they are saying something, but cannot hear it. After a while, a young man asks the angel a question, and her head explodes like a firecracker.]The scene of the murder of a human being was broadcast in its entirety.

Even though it was covered with a mosaic, the brutality was vividly felt.

[Tens of thousands of people at the scene fall into panic. Soon, the angel muttered for a long time as if explaining something, and then people lost their minds. Approximately 10,000 people fell asleep.]The people seen in the video fall unconscious, like dolls whose strings have been cut.

Soon, the police are seen investigating the remaining people.

[According to eyewitness testimony, it is claimed that angels took people aged 15 to 29 to another dimension. It was truly an absurd sound, but since there were many eyewitnesses and the image of an angel was captured in the video, I had no choice but to believe it.] [In particular, this phenomenon occurred throughout the country. There were reports of angel sightings and people suffering from narcolepsy all over the place. After researching, as mentioned earlier, it corresponds to the age range of 15 to 29.] [As a result, it is not limited to Korea. Japan, China, Russia, USA, etc. There are over 128 countries where narcolepsy has been confirmed. Indeed, people all over the world have lost their minds.]1.8 billion people were kidnapped to another world.

Of course, not the body, but the soul.

Shocking articles were posted one after another in the news section of portal sites.

Netizen comments were divided into two reactions.

└What is it? Did the reporters take drugs as a group?

└Why do only absurd articles like this come up?

└Today is not some kind of April Fool's Day.

└1.8 billion souls kidnapped? ㅁㅊ Fake news scale is crazy.

└ㅋㅋㅋㅋ ㄹㅇ The unity among the reporters is amazing.

└Looking at the video, it appears to be mana manipulation.

There were many people who could not believe the article, which made them doubt their eyes.

└Are the kids above all elementary school students? Are reporters going to start publishing false articles starting from the new year because they have nothing better to do?

└My words. Don't you know that it's posted on other portal sites besides here?

└Even if the guys above tell you to run because there is a war, they won't believe you and will just run away and run away.

There were more people who believed than expected.

However, when the same content was covered everywhere, including on the airwaves, radio, and Internet, people had no choice but to be convinced.

It's not a joke, it's the real reality right in front of us.

└I thought it was old, but it was real… … .

└ㅁㅊ What the hell is this? Merson 129

└If you look at the article next to it, it is detailed. It's a survival game that requires up to 20 rounds.

└What, then I am also being captured by an angel?

└There is no need to worry unless you are between 15 and 29 years old.

└Why can't I worry, gay man? A whopping 1.8 billion people can't wake up… … .

└My friend was said to have lost his mind as if he had really been captured. They say I'm breathing... … .

└I am a 49-year-old father. My only middle school son won't wake up no matter how much I try to wake him up. I don't know what to do. Please tell me how.

└My younger brother is also sleeping, but he doesn't wake up. What should I do? ㅠㅠㅠ

└ㄹㅇ What should I do now? Isn't the world going to end?

└LOL That's good. What a fucking world. Be ruined.

Ryumin, who was reading news comments on his cell phone, sighed.

'It's finally started.'

The Internet was abuzz with stories about survival games.

I felt like I had returned to Earth again.

'But this is just the beginning.'

Ryumin glanced at another article.

[Around 5:20, about half of the people who had fallen into narcolepsy woke up… … .] [The other half stopped breathing and suffered cardiac arrest... … Virtually dead.] [The death toll in Seoul is approximately 900,000. Nationwide, the number is estimated at 4.5 million.] [An unprecedented situation in history where 11% of the population died.] [The number of deaths worldwide is approximately 900 million. The whole world is confused by the shock of death from narcolepsy.]Obituaries followed, but the real problem was different.

[Survivor reveals that he created a character and performed quests as if he were in the game... … .] [I had to fight against monsters called goblins bare-handed in the grassland... … .] [Breaking news! Survivors who call themselves players. It is understood that weapons and armor can be pulled out of thin air... … .]'The real problem is that the players' abilities have been translated into reality.'

Even though the angel died and the people at Bosingak did not hear the explanation, when he returns to Earth, he never comes empty-handed.

It comes fully equipped with the player's abilities.

'Because the system itself is an ability derived from the soul, it can be used even if the body changes.'

Of course, this information could have been found out by torturing the angel in the previous episode.

'It won't have much of an impact since my stats aren't high right now... … .'

Later, as the level increases and becomes stronger, the player becomes a truly transcendent being.

'At that time, some senseless players start to exert their power on reality like outlaws.'

A weapon is created that cannot be controlled even by the military or various modern weapons.

'At that time, I couldn't focus on quests like I do now. Even after returning, many problems arise.'

Otherworld and reality.

In both places, a world full of chaos is just a few months away.

We cannot just sit back and watch a world like that.

If that were to happen, the Earth would be destroyed before even 20 rounds.

'There is only one way. You must control the players with overwhelming power. 'Because a disobedient animal only succumbs to strong power.'

Ryumin was planning to unite the players by force, just like he always did.

That way, we will be able to calm the confusion and even look at the final boss.

Of course, a different course of action was needed than before.

Because he had to lead four people other than himself to the final round.

'It would be best to take Priest and Buffer with you. A boss room that requires at least five people will be that strong.'

Several candidates came to mind and a plan was made on how to roast them as allies... … .

'It's not time to act yet. 'There's something more important than anything else going on right now.'

When Ryu Min returned to Earth after the first round, he immediately left the bell-ringing ceremony.

The place he was heading to was none other than home.

A multi-family house in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul.

Titi-titi- Beep!

The first thing Ryumin saw when he entered the house was the cup ramen container placed in the sink.

'I guess I had cup ramen for dinner again.'

It was a familiar scene that we had seen in previous episodes.

This is the scene I see every time I come home.

Ryumin opened the closed door.

One person was sleeping soundly on a blanket on the floor.

It was his younger brother, Ryu Won.

Now we are one and only family.

"Wonah. wake up."

As Ryu Min shakes him, Ryu Won turns over and closes his sleepy eyes.

"… … brother?"

"wake up. "It's morning."

"What time is it?"

As Ryu Won spoke, he looked at the wall clock.

"what? "It's only 6 o'clock."

"I don't have time to sleep any more."

"What? "What's going on?"

"I'll explain later, so get dressed first. "Let's go out."

"Where are you going? If I'm going to see the sunrise, I'd rather sleep... … ."

"Listen to me bro."

Ryu Won closed his mouth at the low voice and looked at his brother.

Ryu Won's expression became serious as his brother's mood was different from usual.

"Brother, what's wrong? What's going on?"

"Now is not the time to sleep peacefully. "The whole world is in chaos."

"why? "You said you were going to watch the bell ringing event, what happened?"

"Come out first. "Talk while you walk."

The brothers passed through the narrow kitchen and came out.

My younger brother's shoulders trembled in the cold morning air that had not yet subsided.

"Let's take a walk."

"huh."

The brothers walked down the dark alley in silence.

Ryu Won turned his head and glanced at his brother.

'What's going on with such a serious face?'

Ryu Won couldn't even ask a question because he couldn't normally see his older brother, so he just glanced at him.

I thought he would say it on his own, but his mood was strangely different from before.

'No, it's completely different?'

The chin is held high, the eyes are strong, and the gait is unhesitating.

He almost wondered if it was his older brother, who shrugged his shoulders and looked small.

"you."

After walking for a while, Ryumin opened his mouth.

"You don't know what's happening in the world right now, do you?"

"Of course I don't know. why? "What happened while I was sleeping?"

"Look into Internet news."

Ryu Won did as he was told and browsed the Internet on his cell phone.

"omg… … what?"

Ryu Won suddenly stopped walking and couldn't take his eyes off his phone for a while.

"Is this real? "An angel appeared and a group of people were taken to the other world?"

"To be exact, only the soul was taken."

"Surely you too?"

Ryumin nodded.

"I was able to kill 100 goblins in this world and barely come back alive."

"… … ."

Even though I told him the truth, my younger brother still looked like he couldn't believe it.

"Then why wasn't I caught?"

"You are not yet 15 years old."

Ryu Won is entering his third year of middle school this year, but his birthday has not yet passed, making him 14 years old.

It was the fortunate part of a hopeless situation.

Ryu Won continued to read the article, as if the reality had not yet hit him.

The comments section was filled with the lamentations of people who lost brothers and children.

There were too many witnesses for it to be a lie.

"under… … How could this happen... … ."

Ryu Won sighed and looked back at his older brother.

It was amazing how my brother managed to live despite his small body.

"Is your brother okay? "Is he hurt anywhere?"

"Don't worry about me."

"How can you not worry? "The only family I have is my brother."

The day my parents died in a car accident one morning.

It was none other than his older brother who comforted Ryu Won, who was crying and covered in tears and snot.

'My brother is stronger than anyone else.'

He looked so weak that anyone would think he was a fellow middle school student, but Ryu Won thought differently.

'My brother is like a father to me.'

Although he was so shy that he could not speak, Ryu Won followed and relied on his older brother like a father.

But it is still true that I am worried.

'Because mental strength and fighting skills are two different things.'

I admit that he was mentally strong, but that doesn't mean I could say he was good at fighting.

Not only was he small in stature, but he also got hit by someone on a random day.

'I told him not to worry because I would take care of my own affairs even if he questioned me every time.'

So how can you not worry about getting hurt somewhere?

While I was thinking about that, Ryumin hinted.

"I know what you're thinking."

"huh?"

"don't worry. In this world, there is a system called stats, so physical conditions are meaningless. "Women can fight goblins on equal terms."

"ah… … Was it something like that?"

"And if you see me moving after a while, you won't worry about that, right?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"If you want to know, follow me."

"no. "I won't move a single step until you tell me where I'm going."

The younger brother was stubborn, but Ryu Min just laughed.

Even this reaction was something I had already experienced in the previous episode.

"I want to know?"

"If I say it twice, it's nagging!"

"Bang Tae-gyu."

My younger brother's face hardened at the three letters of his name.

"I'm going to your manager's hideout now."

"what?"

"You were bullied all through school. To an iljin named Bang Tae-gyu."

"Hyung, how did you do that… … ?"

Ryu Won could not help but be surprised.

Because I've never once heard of being bullied in my life.

Instead, I said it with a smile.

I have a lot of good friends and going to school is fun.

The reason was simple.

Because I didn't want to be a burden to my brother.

Because I didn't want to be a burden to my older brother, who was already working part-time to support himself.

But for some reason, my brother knew.

"all… … Did you know?"

"Then you thought I didn't know?"

"… … ."

Ryu Won bit his lower lip at Ryu Min's words.

'I thought you didn't show it... … .'

Ryu Won thought he had been caught because of his own mistake, but in fact, Ryu Min didn't know.

The fact that my younger brother was beaten at school.

'At that time, I was also getting hit on by Hwang Yong-min and I had no time to worry about my part-time job.'

It was a few hours after Ryu Min returned from the first round that he learned the truth.

My younger brother, who had gone out early in the morning, suddenly returned blind.

'It turns out that it happened because I was beaten by a group of people named Bang Tae-gyu.'

It was a shocking incident for Ryu Min, who was unaware that he was being harassed by Iljin.

'I can't believe my younger brother was being bullied just like me.'

It bothered me that I couldn't protect him as an older brother.

I felt sorry that I had passed on my weakness to my younger brother for no reason.

Therefore, Ryu Min had no choice but to get involved in his younger brother's affairs.

Because it was my one and only family that was more precious than anything else.

"But brother. What did you say earlier? "You're going to that guy's hideout?"

"uh."

"why?"

"Why?"

Ryumin raised one corner of his mouth.

"Can I just leave the guy who bullied my younger brother alone? "I should at least break my arm."

Just break it?

'I'll make you a dead body so you can't even think about bothering me again.'