CHAPTER 84………………..
“I guess that bastard Isidore showed up.”
So it wasn’t my imagination that his voice had sounded dark earlier. The tone of Hwanseong’s voice in my ear wasn’t the kind you say just to be polite—it really didn’t sound good.
Since he had progressed through the main quest first, he already knew Isidore would reappear on the Dobaeseo Coast. That’s why the moment we entered the area, his voice turned heavy.
I realized a beat too late and forced out an awkward excuse that wasn’t much of an excuse.
“Haha… it’s not that I was happy, it’s just—I didn’t expect to run into him again so suddenly, so I reacted without thinking.”
“You looked really excited, though.”
“D-did I?”
“Yeah.”
It seemed I needed to be more careful when playing with Hwanseong in duo code.
Hadn’t it been like this before too, when Isidore left? Humans are supposed to be creatures who learn… so why was I making the same mistake again?
Maybe because he was so committed to his “concept,” but he actually got jealous—even over game characters, not real people. I should’ve responded flatly, like, “Oh, who was that again?” the way I used to with Isidore…
‘I’m doomed…’
But it was already too late—the situation had already played out.
I was wracking my brain for something to say to smooth things over when suddenly, a strange noise started coming from Hwanseong’s mic.
‘What is that?’
It wasn’t his voice. I couldn’t hear it well, so I turned up the volume and focused on the sound.
What I heard was—
Thud.
Thud…
What?
I couldn’t be sure, but it sounded like something being hit.
The really strange thing was… I didn’t even know what exactly it was, but my whole body broke out in goosebumps without me realizing it. At first it was just light tapping, but the longer it went on, the louder and heavier it got.
“…Hey?”
When I called to him carefully, the sound stopped dead, like a lie. After that, I heard him exhale deeply, followed by the sound of something being tossed aside.
What the hell was that…?
Then Hwanseong spoke again.
“Let’s hurry up and finish this quest and move on to the next region. The vibe here’s bad. Why else would God have abandoned it?”
His voice wasn’t as dark as I’d expected. Just before, he’d sounded really off, but after that noise, he suddenly seemed like a different person.
Not that he exactly sounded cheerful—it was more like… his voice carried the feel of someone relieved, like a weight had been lifted.
I asked him about the sound I’d just heard, my voice trembling slightly.
“Didn’t you hear something just now?”
“What sound?”
He said it like he hadn’t heard a thing.
“Uh… how do I put this…”
It had sounded like something being struck, but I wasn’t sure how to explain it.
“I didn’t hear anything. Maybe you just misheard?”
“Well, but…”
It was too vivid to be a mistake…
But Hwanseong seemed genuinely unaware, like he really hadn’t heard a thing.
Or maybe he was pretending? But there didn’t seem to be any reason for that. His reaction was so natural, it almost made me think maybe I had misheard.
Then I heard him mutter under his breath.
“Just hold on for now. Anyway, he’s bound to…”
“What was that?”
“Oh, I said let’s hurry. You know what they say—it’s better to get a beating over with quickly.”
A beating…? Was he talking about Isidore?
Something about it felt off, but either way, the two of us continued the quest on Dobaeseo Coast with the priests in tow.
[Isidore: You always walk around with that genuine smile. Isn’t it exhausting?]
[Isidore: …Well. I can’t even remember the last time I truly smiled. It’s been that long.]
[Isidore: Hm? You say you saw me smile genuinely? On the ship…? Ugh! Stop talking about that…!]
Isidore, who usually didn’t show much emotion, snapped in embarrassment, his voice rising slightly.
On-screen, Isidore and my character sat on the ground by the sea, catching up and chatting about this and that.
Looking at him again, I understood what Sook-yi had said about many female players liking this character. Isidore was different from the other main quest characters.
How should I put it… He felt more like a character from one of those otome games my classmates used to play.
The twist, though, was that it didn’t feel like I was targeting Isidore—it felt like he was targeting me.
With his striking design, strong abilities, and now this personality… it would be stranger not to like him. He was practically built to appeal to female players.
But unlike before, Isidore sometimes said things I couldn’t quite understand.
[Isidore: What would you think if someone you didn’t even know lived their life entirely for your sake?]
[Isidore: This world is unfair. The ones whose deaths wouldn’t matter just sit back and run their mouths. Meanwhile, the ones who mustn’t die can’t stand injustice, so they’re always the ones at risk of death.]
[Isidore: Do you know what’s the scariest thing of all? Faith. Faith convinces people that even when they’re on the wrong path, it’s right, that it’s just how the world works. Isn’t it terrifyingly blind?]
The last time we met, he hadn’t smiled, but he’d been more expressive, more honest. But now… this Isidore looked darker, emptier somehow.
I still had my suspicions that he might be connected to the “big bad.” And the more he spoke like this, the stronger that suspicion grew.
Was he losing his mind…?
[Isidore: Do you believe in God? If God exists, why doesn’t He help His faithful followers? Why let them starve, why plunge them into suffering?]
[Isidore: That’s no God. The one I believe in is…]
A priest saying such things was dangerous—fatal, even.
And this wasn’t just anywhere, this was among priests directly under the Vatican. If another priest overheard, Isidore wouldn’t live long. He’d be executed in the name of divine punishment.
I murmured to Hwanseong that Isidore seemed different, somehow changed.
“Well, he’s not wrong.”
“…”
What a mess—whether player or NPC, these “priests” were practically blaspheming. What was the Vatican even doing, not managing them?
Just then, I heard someone enter Hwanseong’s room and begin talking to him. From the tone and fragments of the conversation, it sounded like his mother.
The exchange dragged on a bit, until at last, Hwanseong told me, in a reluctant tone, that he’d have to step away for a while.
“How long?”
“About ten minutes. It won’t take too long.”
“Alright. I’ll wait.”
He told me not to spend time alone with Isidore while he was gone, then left.
I waited for the sound of the door closing. Just in case, I counted a few extra seconds, then quickly moved my hands.
It wasn’t to advance the quest. The reason I was suddenly so busy was…
‘Time to check his affection!’
I’d wanted to use the item last night, but my brother had distracted me, so I hadn’t gotten the chance. I’d been watching for the right moment ever since I logged in today. With Hwanseong away, this was the perfect chance.
I double-clicked the affection item and quickly typed “Hwanseong” into the input box.
[Analyzing. Please wait a moment.]
An hourglass spun on the screen as the analysis began. My heart pounded, thinking I’d finally know if his behavior was just part of his “concept” or if it was real.
[…30%]
‘Please, before he comes back!’
Playing in duo code, I knew I might accidentally react like I did earlier with Isidore, so I wanted the results before Hwanseong returned. Fortunately, it didn’t take long before the result screen popped up.
[Analysis complete. Would you like to check the results?]
[Accept / Decline]
But despite how badly I’d been waiting for this moment, when it finally came, I couldn’t bring myself to click “Accept” right away.
Because suddenly I thought: If it turns out he really does like me—not as a concept, but for real—how am I supposed to face him?
It felt like I was staring at Pandora’s box.
And wasn’t Pandora’s box opened because of curiosity?
With my chest full of curiosity, I carefully clicked “Accept.”
