Episode 102
102. The Ultimate Question
Whether Geumson looked dazed or not, Chang-soo continued speaking. About bunkers.
“A bunker that won’t break no matter who comes. Or maybe one buried so deep underground no one can find it would be better?”
“So no one can find it?”
“Yeah, it’d be a headache if all sorts of people swarmed in. And also… stockpile a ton of food, right? Hide like that for 10, 20 years, then sneak out later—surely something would have sorted itself out by then.”
Chang-soo began outlining a bunker plan tailored for an individual. But what Geumson was thinking about was not on an individual scale.
‘A bunker… Not a bunker just for me, but what if we built a massive fortress capable of housing tens of thousands?’
golden hand’s heart began to race. He thought the answer lay only in Lepione. But that wasn’t it. The answer had to be sought on both sides.
In Lepione.
And in reality.
Like Astrid said, he didn’t need to bear it alone.
“Hey, how much money would it take to build such a bunker? Really wide, on a shelter scale.”
At golden hand seemingly nonsensical words, Chang-soo chuckled. It was an interesting topic, even if he’d never considered it before.
“Who knows. Might not know for sure, but hundreds of billions? No, maybe even trillions? Trying to build it in Seoul, though… Ugh, no answer. It’s horrifying.”
He thought money was meaningless. But he was wrong. Money, in itself, was power. It could become the strongest shield to protect countless lives in the coming calamity.
Vitality began to return to golden hand’s eyes. The emptiness that made him seem like he owned the world vanished, replaced by a burning desire towards a new goal.
“Hey, what’s with you suddenly? Your eyes look weird.”
“Nothing. Just… had a good thought. But are there companies in Korea that can build something like that?”
“Look at this guy, underestimating Korea? Say what you will about our country, we’re top-tier in construction. We win overseas construction contracts, build nuclear plants—you think there isn’t a single company that can handle something like that?”
“Oh, really?”
Chang-soo spoke as if needlessly offended. He seemed to ponder for a moment, then appeared to recall an answer.
“We could just ask that person.”
“Who?”
“Who else? Future Group’s Cha Yoo-kyung. Future Group has Future Construction too, so if we ask, they could probably give a rough estimate, right?”
At Chang-soo’s answer, a smile formed on Geumson’s lips. It seemed his connection with Cha Yoo-kyung might become a bit deeper than he anticipated.
“Anyway, Mr. Geum, stop the nonsense and eat the meat. Beef gets tough quickly.”
Chang-soo, eating the beef he bought himself. Watching him, Geumson began to form a new plan. For that plan, it seemed he needed to gather funds more proactively.
[Logging into Lepione.]
[TIP: Sometimes a plausible lie is more effective than the truth.]
Geumson, logged into Lepione once more. Now, tips like that just seemed like obscure quotes from famous people. So, such useless tips didn’t even register with golden hand.
The casual remark Chang-soo had thrown out. It wouldn’t leave Geumson’s mind. He believed becoming overwhelmingly strong in Lepione was the only answer. But it wasn’t. Preparing in reality was also a crucial task that shouldn’t be neglected.
‘Like Chang-soo said… Money. I need to earn money more desperately.’
Wallet: ~7,000,000 gold.
Bank account: ~4 billion won. Including recently accumulated donations, about 4 billion was in the account. 11 billion earned in an instant. He thought that was more than enough, even excessive.
But now it was insufficient. A pitifully small amount for building a bunker, no, a shelter. So, it seemed he needed to gather money desperately from now on.
Tia! Tiaaa!
“Worker? Wooorrker!”
While Golden Hand was planning, Iron Worker and Tia greeted him. Iron Worker stood behind Golden Hand as always, and Tia flew to his shoulder and rubbed against his cheek.
Iron Worker and Tia hadn’t changed. But the city’s atmosphere was completely transformed. Every corner of the streets bustled with players and NPCs practicing magic.
“The mage boom is back! Selling tips for Magic Tower admission!”
“How to become a mage! Teaching tips to quickly clear quests! Whisper me!”
“Hey, my magic manifestation isn’t working? It’s Levitation magic, right?”
“That’s because your magic concentration is insufficient. Tighten your core, gather all your energy to your fingertips!”
“ Lady Matella, please look at my fire magic posture! It feels a bit awkward.”
“Practice is more important than theory! See that dummy over there? Hit it a hundred times and you’ll get the feel!”
The overwhelming majesty Astrid had displayed. That spectacle, overturning the battlefield’s dynamics with a single spell. That sight was enough to leave a strong impression on all players. Thanks to that, everyone was clamoring to become a mage.
‘Is this a butterfly effect too? Not bad.’
With a satisfied smile, Geumson logged into ‘Repinet’. He was curious about the reactions to Airtos.
[Real-Time Popular Search Terms]
Astrid
Golden Hand Contribution
Airtos Defense Battle Rewards
Kang Moojin 2nd Place
Wizard Class Change Quest
Scroll of the God’s Whistle
Arachnae Guild Recent Status
Chinese Sword Guild
Golden Hands Connections
.
.
.
golden hand already dominated the real-time search terms. No, Repinet’s was completely filled with stories about Golden Hand and the Airtos quest. That much was clear just from looking at the best post titles.
[Analysis Post] Is Kang Moojin outdated? The shocking 2nd place of Yeokcheon Guild, the shifting power dynamics of Lepyon centered on Golden Hand!
Guys, is golden hands connection lineup for real? (feat. Archmage, Magic Tower Lord, Crown Prince…?)
Honestly, what did golden hands even do? He just rode Astrid’s coattails, right? (Indisputable, I’m unconditionally right)
I’m a player who fought directly at the South Gate. Those insulting golden hands, do you even know him? (Includes enhancement proof)
Airtos participants must read) Bowing three times and kneeling nine times to Golden Handed brother ㅠㅠ (Quest reward verification.jpg)
Characteristic of Geumson haters: People who are salty because they couldn’t get enhancements ㅋㅋ
Does the server economy shake when Golden Hands moves? ‘Golden Hands Effect’ summary.txt
[Speculation] Regarding the true identity of Archmage Astrid and the ‘Last Guardian’ hypothesis.
.
.
.
‘It’s utter chaos.’
Repinet was literally a madhouse. It had become a chaotic place where everyone aired their own claims. However, among those posts, one caught Golden Hand’s interest.
[Title: [Speculation] Regarding the true identity of Archmage Astrid and the ‘Last Guardian’ hypothesis.]
Author: Lepion historian
Content:
Did you see Astrid this time?
I didn’t even know such an NPC existed.
My speculation is, Astrid is likely not just an NPC but an existence like a ‘Last Guardian’ who exists to prevent a city’s crisis.
In short, it’s highly likely that such NPCs are hidden in other major cities as well.
└ [Yes]: Whoa… It’s just speculation, but why does it sound so plausible?
└ [Conspiracy Theorist]: So, is there one such guardian hidden in each city?
└ [Analyst]: A sufficiently plausible story. Lepyon worldview is far deeper and vaster than you think. The core NPCs of each city aren’t just quest givers but play important roles in maintaining the region’s balance. They could very well be the ‘guardians’.
└ [Realist]: Then even if China does stupid things, those guys will block it all, right? That’s sweet!
└ [CoolAnalysis]: Far from it. It’s highly likely Astrid stepped in directly because there was Golden Hand, the ‘Inheritor of Stars’. In other words, for the guardians to exert their power, a player with suitable ‘trigger’ or ‘qualifications’ is needed.
└ [ConclusionMaker]: In the end, everything depends on golden hand~ That’s what it means!
└ [Golden HandPraise]: Just bow three times and kneel nine times in golden hand’s direction!ㅋㅋㅋ
[Title: Hey, where did all the golden handed antis go? ㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
Author: LifeIsTiming
Content:
Just a few days ago, there were guys foaming at the mouth calling golden hands a traitor.
Where did they all go?
└ [AirtosSurvivor]: I saw it myself, one of those antis got an enhancement from Golden Hand hyung and was bowing three times and kneeling nine times. ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
└ [EnhancementSuccess]: I got enhanced too. I learned for the first time my weapon could become this strong. Geumson brother is a god. Don’t diss our brother. Seriously, I’ll kill you.
└ [Yes]: ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ One round of free enhancements unites public opinion. The world is truly give and take.
└ [OnlyPatriot]: (Quietly deletes post)
└ [PoppingPopcorn]: ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Caught the panty runner!
.
.
.
Geumson looked at the flood of posts and raised the corner of his mouth with interest. Particularly, the rumor about ‘guardians’ was deeply embedded in his mind.
‘Guardians on Astrid’s level exist in each city?’
Thinking quietly, something felt off. The calamities that led the Age of Ruin. Those are calamities that exist in Lepione too. About how the world of Lepione is maintained, then.
‘It was enough to make humanity go extinct… How is Lepione holding on?’
The ultimate question. It complicated golden hand’s thoughts.
