Episode 25
What Ultimately Matters
He wasn’t sure if it was a sense of duty or something else.
As always, he was the first.
The first to charge into the deepest part.
As if in the game, as if death held no fear.
His body, which had died and resurrected hundreds, thousands of times in the game, could not forget that sensation of immortality.
That became the tragedy that held him back—no, the despair of all mankind.
The strongest warrior, Kang Moo-jin.
And so, humanity lost Kang Moo-jin in such a futile manner.
‘What a shitty deal. Damn it…’
Just as the bitter memory flashed by, the TV screen changed again, and an economic expert appeared.
[The influence of Lepyon has now moved beyond the realm of a mere game. Recently, seven of the top ten domestic conglomerates have established new business divisions related to Lepyon, signaling a massive shift across society, the economy, and culture.]
Familiar corporate logos flashed across the screen. They were offering massive sponsorship deals to famous rankers, creating guilds, and diving directly into the item trade market.
[Particularly in the case of the top-ranked player, Kang Moo-jin, the fact that he is the grandson of Chairman Kang Tae-hyuk of the prominent HS Group has added to the buzz. HS Group has already made significant investments in the ‘Reverse Heaven” guild…]
“Everyone knows Moo-jin is loaded…”
A so-called golden spoon. In his past life too, Kang Moo-jin had stayed several steps ahead of others with his overwhelming financial power. Of course, his skill backed it up, but the fact that his starting point was different remained unchanged. Many criticized him for it, but Geumson paid no mind. He just thought,
“Just get strong, quickly. The stronger you get, the safer humanity will be. And… this time will be different, so don’t worry.”
golden hand made a resolve known only to himself. A faint smile played on his lips.
Slurp.
Geumson swallowed the hot noodles and focused back on the screen. The anchor was delivering the final lines with a regretful expression.
[While Repion is causing a global syndrome like this, information about the game’s developer remains shrouded in mystery. Some even speculate it might be a state-level project. Here at ‘Dailypion,’ we await any tips from our viewers regarding Repion’s developer. That’s all for this report…]
He turned off the TV. There was no need to see more. In his past life, even at the moment of humanity’s extinction, Lepyon’s developer was never revealed. All sorts of conjectures flourished—whether it was a prank by God or an alien simulation—but nothing was ever confirmed.
“What ultimately matters… is that I get stronger. That’s all I need to do!”
Geumson exclaimed, as if making a vow. He threw the empty cup noodle container into the trash.
The top ranker, Kang Moo-jin, was already level 100. In contrast, Golden Hand was only level 20. The level gap was vast. But Golden Hand wasn’t anxious in the least.
‘This is about building a foundation. You have to solidify the groundwork so it doesn’t collapse.’
Geumson was satisfied with what he had achieved in Lepione. Others might see it as merely level 20, but the foundation he had built was more solid than any other ranker’s. Titles, achievements, skills, and unlocked stats. All of it would serve as groundwork for the future.
*’Speaking of which, that guy Kang Moo-jin, it’s impressive he made it to level 100 with that greatsword. Or should I say, it’s a good thing that low-tier weapon broke now?’*
Geumson clicked his tongue and got up. Having roughly satisfied his hunger, it was time to return to Lepione. But at that moment, a gurgling sound came from his stomach.
‘A bit lacking? But… is it okay to only eat stuff like this?’
Cup noodles, convenience store lunches, energy drinks. That was the entirety of Geumson’s meals while playing Lepioneer. The anxiety about the impending doom left him no room to care for his own body.
But this wasn’t a sprint. It was a long race he had to endure for five long years.
‘If I end up struggling when the Gate actually opens, I’m screwed. I should pay a bit more attention to eating properly from now on.’
Making this resolution, Golden Hand stood up. Suddenly, he felt his body was strangely light. Despite pulling all-nighters for days and not eating properly, he felt more energetic than tired.
Feeling odd, Geumson stood in front of the bathroom mirror. His face still looked haggard, but something had changed. His dry skin now had a slight glow, and his dull eyes were shining brightly. Most surprising of all was his body.
Lifting his loose t-shirt slightly, he could see the faint outline of abdominal muscles. His soft arms seemed to be filling out with firm muscle.
‘Was my body always like this? I thought I’d have gained more weight…’
A thought instantly flashed through his mind.
‘Could it be… the synchronization has already begun?’
The phenomenon where the Lepione character and the real-world body gradually synchronize. In his past life, that had started in earnest only after the Gate opened. But golden hand quickly shook his head.
‘No, there’s still five years left. It can’t be happening already. It must be… just my imagination.’
Geumson shook his head. It was probably just a misconception. He had probably gained weight from seriously starting his game broadcasts, not before.
‘Was this the pre-weight gain period? Hmm, I guess it was.’
A seed of doubt seemed to sprout in a corner of his mind. But Geumson convinced himself he was being overly sensitive and headed back towards the capsule.
Bzzz—
At that moment, a vibration rang out. It was his smartphone, which he had buried in a corner. golden hand checked it absently.
“What’s this? Why are there so many notifications?”
Missed calls, various messenger alerts, text messages—everything was marked with +999. Thinking it must be spam, Golden hand checked a few messages anyway.
[Bro! Golden Hands bro! That Lepione thing, is that you? Awesome! Turn on your stream!]
[Geumson! Long time no see! How are you? The video on LepheNet, is that you? Let’s get in touch!]
[Bro, you’re not streaming? Did you quit? Think about the fans waiting for you ㅠㅠ]
[Hey Geumson. Did you think I wouldn’t find you if you went into hiding after taking my money? If you don’t contact me right now, I’m coming to unplug your capsule.]
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From old acquaintances who barely remembered his name, to fans begging him to stream, even threatening texts demanding repayment of debts that didn’t exist—it was dizzying. But that wasn’t all.
[Web Alert] [Emergency Disaster Alert] User golden hands, your heart is in danger. Log in immediately! -Lepyon Operations Team-
*[Web Alert] (Advertisement) Legendary items on special offer just for you! Click the link below for a 100% chance +13 Enhancement Ticket! [Block Sender]*
[International Call] Hello, User Golden Hand. I am Prince bin Salman of Saudi Arabia. I was impressed by your play. Join my guild and I will give you oil.
*[Web Alert] [Loan] 24/7, 365 days! Rankers OK! Unemployed OK! Your gaming capsule can be collateral! -Godtte Capital-*
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Spam, phishing, ads, mysterious love calls from overseas—every kind of message was bombarding his smartphone. Geumson placed his phone face down on the desk with an exasperated expression. The noise of the world didn’t matter to him. The only thing that mattered now was Lepion.
Lying back in the capsule, a message appeared before his eyes.
[Logging into Repion.]
[TIP. Time passes in Repion even when you are not logged in.]
Seeing the message as soon as he was about to log in, Geumson couldn’t help but frown.
“…’Time passes, so log in more’? What kind of tip is that?”
Geumson grumbled at the tip message. In a normal game, you’d expect a conventional phrase like ‘Excessive gaming is harmful to your health’ or ‘Please play with adequate rest.’
But Lepione was different. It gave off a strange nuance, as if urging golden hand not to rest for even a moment.
‘Am I being too sensitive?’
Worrying about synchronization before logging in, thinking like that—he seemed to be getting overly nervous. It felt like he was sensitive to everything because of the aftereffects of experiencing the apocalypse.
Shaking his head, Geumson pushed away the complicated thoughts. Now was the time to focus on the goal before him. Picking up Iron Walker, he said,
“Iron Walker, you ready?”
“Wal, ker!”
“Good, let’s go. Destination: Kratum.”
golden hand left Neman Village with Iron Walker. Their next destination was Kratum, known as the ‘City of Fire and Mines.’ True to its name, it was a city built in a vast volcanic region, responsible for over 30% of the mineral production across the entire Lepion continent.
‘If you want to make proper use of the Mining skill, there’s no place like it.’
Around Kratum, mines of varying difficulties, from low-level to high-level, were abundant. Furthermore, the entire city was practically a city of blacksmiths, filled with countless forges and skilled artisans. There, it would be easier to obtain rare special materials and learn new crafting techniques.
‘Plus, there’s… Paracelsus. I wonder if I can find him this time?’
The alchemist Paracelsus. An NPC that appears randomly in Kratum. He’s notoriously elusive, making him hard to meet. But if you do meet him, he sells high-quality items you can’t find anywhere else.
‘It would be great if I could get the potions Paracelsus sells… but it’s unlikely, right?’
