LG Chapter 33

Translator: She.Wee

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Chapter 33

As he skimmed through a dull question and a perfunctory response, he scrolled back up and hit play on the video. The voice had been altered, and the video, filmed from just below the speaker’s neck, was about ten minutes long. It even showed the person actively playing as the Berserker character. With a fierce look on his face, Noeul meticulously watched every second of the video, determined to beat that “bastard.” But suddenly, his eyes widened.

He rewound the video by ten seconds and pressed the space bar at exactly 7 minutes and 38 seconds to pause it.

“……”

Just before the loading screen transitioned into a one-on-one PVP match with the GM, a faint image of MeowieMeowMeow’s face appeared in the darkened screen.

“……”

Noeul’s pupils trembled ever so slightly. He kept rewinding and replaying the video, intently studying the blurry face that refused to become any clearer. He wanted it. His mind, previously filled with thoughts of defeating that guy, began to overflow with other thoughts.

[Guild] Sunset: Does anyone know where MeowieMeowMeow is right now?

[Guild] Aslen: I think I saw him by the path leading to the Milky Way earlier. Why?

[Guild] Sunset: Just to send him a friend request.

After all, every relationship starts with friendship, right? The thought of rejection hadn’t even crossed his mind.

[Guild] Aslen: ???

[Guild] Aslen: You mean Mushroom Guy wants to be friends?

[Guild] SpadeQueen: Haha, just marry him. It’s faster.

[Guild] Seolyoung: And what did Mushroom Guy ever do to deserve this? Haha.

[Guild] Anamato: Are you gonna dump him the moment you become friends?

No one seemed to take Noeul’s words seriously.

[Guild] SpadeQueen: Yeah, like he’s actually going to accept a random friend request out of nowhere.

[Guild] Sunset: Right, he even ignores whispers… sigh

[Guild] Anamato: ??? Why do you want to befriend him if you want to PVP with him?

[Guild] Sunset: Then what should I do?

[Guild] Seolyoung: Just do what you always do. No need for all this extra effort…

[Guild] SpadeQueen: No way, are you crazy? He’ll go straight for the kill as soon as he meets him.

[Guild] Seolyoung: Haha, as if Mushroom Guy isn’t way stronger than him anyway.

[Guild] Sunset: Anyway, once we’re friends, I’ll bring him into the guild.

[Guild] SpadeQueen: Why?

[Guild] Sunset: And from now on, all new members have to reveal their faces.

Noeul stared blankly at the paused image of the face in the video. Blood rushed through his veins, driven by curiosity—was this a mere trick of angles and coincidence, or did he really look like that? Thinking back, MeowieMeowMeow’s in-game custom character even seemed to resemble him a little. Noeul searched the freeboard for his username and saved screenshots as his desktop background.

[Whisper] SpadeQueen: Hey, what’s going on? Is there another net-kama in the guild? Who the fuck is it?

He sent a screenshot of the paused image through messenger. It was faint, but Minjae, who had listened to Noeul’s endless talk about his ideal type, seemed to catch on instantly. The moment the “1” beside the photo disappeared, Noeul called him without saying a word.

– “Hey. Are you seriously analyzing that barely visible picture?”

“That’s exactly why I want to know.”

– “So, are you going after another ‘flower bunny’ lookalike?”

“If he really looks like that, I wouldn’t mind.”

– “You crazy asshole. Weren’t you just talking about killing him?”

Until a moment ago, Noeul had been thinking, “Why is that Berserker stronger than me? How do I bring down that jerk?” But now, all he could think about was how to get a proper look at that guy’s face.

[Guild] Aslen: Bringing him in is fine, but… he’s from Poseidon’s guild. Will they just let him go?

[Guild] Seolyoung: No way… If he joined even as a side character, they’d probably beat him up for being a dual-guild member.

[Guild] Sunset: I’ll negotiate with him. ^^

[Guild] Seolyoung: This sounds risky…

Noeul’s resolute determination turned out to be useless. Exactly two days later, Melody lost his guild master position indefinitely due to GM Pudding’s disciplinary ban.

—

Bored without his account access, Noeul was dragged to a PC café by Minjae. On the new account, Minjae created a warrior character for him. When Noeul saw the nickname “ThousandSunsets,” he smacked Minjae on the back.

“Hey, what was that for! No one will know it’s your real name anyway!”

“I wanted MoonFairy; why’d you make a warrior?”

“Why level up MoonFairy? That’s trash-tier!”

“Then why are you always losing to trash?”

“Shut up and level the warrior. That’s the strongest class anyway… Oh, look, it’s Mushroom Guy.”

“Where?”

Noeul skipped all the beginner’s guides and entered the starting village. MeowieMeowMeow, dragging a little goldfish accessory, was wandering back and forth in the Oak Tree Forest, where players under level 20 typically hunted.

“What are you doing?”

“Taking screenshots.”

“……”

Jumping Meowie, ladder-climbing Meowie, hunting Meowie, fruit-eating Meowie… Noeul followed him around, snapping screenshots diligently. Watching this, Minjae sighed, realizing Noeul had no intention of leveling up.

[All] MeowieMeowMeow: CharismaS, ThousandSunsets.

Noeul inhaled sharply, genuinely surprised that he was spoken to by MeowieMeowMeow, as he never expected such a low-level character to receive any attention.

“What’s up?”

“Meowie just spoke to me.”

“Since when did he become ‘Meowie’ to you?”

Noeul captured this moment of glory. He felt a bit confused about his own behavior, but his curiosity about who MeowieMeowMeow truly was kept him from fleeing.

[All] MeowieMeowMeow: ??

[All] ThousandSunsets: Yes?

‘MeowieMeowMeow has invited you to a party. Do you accept?’

What was this? Bewildered, Noeul clicked accept. Besides him and MeowieMeowMeow, there were two other party members.

[Party] MeowieMeowMeow: It’s both of your first times here, right? I saw you struggling earlier.

[Party] ThousandSunsets: Oh… yes.

[Party] CharismaS: The path is too hard… crying emoji

“What’s so hard about it?”

The Oak Tree Forest was a very simple map, with no reason to get lost.

[Party] MeowieMeowMeow: For a beginner’s map, it can be a bit confusing.

Instead of reprimanding them, MeowieMeowMeow empathized, and Noeul felt an odd possessiveness. It felt like he was losing someone he didn’t even have to that guy.

[Party] MeowieMeowMeow: Anyway, I’m helping a friend with their quests, so if we end up in the same hunting area, it’ll help you finish your quests faster too.

“……”

Was he really talking to me? Noeul was dumbfounded by the kindness a beginner was showing him. He had never given anyone a “ride” in-game, and had never taken a ride from anyone either. He couldn’t comprehend why MeowieMeowMeow, who he’d only met today, would go out of his way to help.

“……”

[Party] DirtGoat: I’ve got thirty slimes left.

[Party] MeowieMeowMeow: Got it.

“Hey, Jung Minjae.”

“What now?”

“This guy’s giving me a boost.”

“Who the hell is doing that? Huh… Why?”

“I have no idea.”

Was he just kind-hearted, or maybe overly concerned with others? When Minjae saw that MeowieMeowMeow was the party leader, he announced in the guild chat that “Mushroom Guy is giving Sunset a ride.”

“Can I watch, ThousandSunsets?”

“If any of Melody’s guildmates show up in the Oak Tree Forest, we’re all dead.”

“Come on… just a joke?”

“Try it, and see what happens. I’m curious too.”

“I’ll tell them all to back off.”

Minjae seemed busy trying to turn away the guild members who were keen on spectating or who had already gathered nearby.

[Party] CharismaS: I still have two more wild dogs left… crying emoji

“…Just kill them yourself.”

[Party] MeowieMeowMeow: Alright, I’ll be right there~

“……”

Not long ago, there was talk about a newbie getting taken advantage of, yet some people still hadn’t learned their lesson. They were practically begging to be scammed. “MeowieMeowMeow” kept asking Noeul and CharismaS how many monsters were left.

Unlike Noeul, who only answered with the necessary information, CharismaS, clearly new to the game, kept getting lost and confused, sometimes even asking MeowieMeowMeow about the wave effects above her head. MeowieMeowMeow gave CharismaS extra attention, guiding him through the basics.

Noeul felt annoyed by the attention CharismaS was receiving. He secretly plotted to bring CharismaS to the guild zone once he got a bit more accustomed to the game.

[Party Chat] MeowieMeowMeow: “Ah, I think I’ll log off~ I’m heading home.”

[Party Chat] CharismaS: “Thanks so much for everythingㅠㅠ”

[Party Chat] ThousandSunsets: “Haha, thanks for your effort~”

As MeowieMeowMeow logged off, CharismaS asked Noeul if he wanted to keep hunting together. Instead of replying, Noeul simply left the party. Just then, he heard voices coming from the other side.

“How’s it going? Think you can manage? Let’s play together, yeah?”

“I don’t know… I’m not into RPGs. Why are you trying to drag me in? Don’t you have Han Doyeong? You devil.”

“Ugh, Doyeong quit because of some insane person. He was my only game friend…”

“Then what the fuck is up with your nickname?”

“Oh, isn’t ‘DirtGoat’ even more fucked up?”

“What’s MeowieMeowMeow? What were you thinking?”

“It’s Meowie like the cat. Do you think I put much thought into it? I just typed what came to mind.”

“Yeah, that’s obvious.”

MeowieMeowMeow? Noeul suddenly stood up without realizing it. The face he’d long imagined seemed to materialize right in front of him. MeowieMeowMeow’s real self was there, moving in front of him. He looked even better in person than in the faint video image he’d seen. His expression was sharp and tired as he rubbed under his eyes and yawned. Noeul found himself captivated by the way his dark eyes flicked around like a cat’s.

Sensing Noeul’s unwavering gaze, MeowieMeowMeow scowled, narrowing his eyes.

“What are you staring at? Look away.”

“…”

MeowieMeowMeow muttered, his eyes half-closed, but instead of averting his gaze, Noeul only stared harder. MeowieMeowMeow ran a hand down his face before quickly exiting the PC room like he was running away.

Noeul, who’d instinctively started to follow him, suddenly snapped back to his senses and collapsed back into his chair. This wasn’t mere chance; it was destiny. Living so close… The first words Meowie had said to him were, “What are you staring at? Look away.” The words lingered in his head. Look away, look away… How could such simple words sound so sacred? Noeul, still dazed and on his feet, was noticed by Minjae.

“What’s up with you?”

An angel, Noeul mumbled absent-mindedly.

“If he were an item, I’d buy him right away.”

“What would you buy? Want me to lend you some money?”

“A person…”

“Sorry.”

Sadly, he wasn’t an item one could own just by wanting. Noeul began to imagine ways to start a conversation with him. It seemed MeowieMeowMeow was friendlier toward beginners, lowering the bar for getting close to him. Setting his goal a bit higher, Noeul made a decision.

“I’m going to marry Meowie-nim.”

“…Mushroom picker? Where did that come from?”

“Because he’s cute.”

“You okay? Did the part-time job poison you?”

“Hey, send me that money I left with you.”

“What, all of a sudden?”

“He’s so cute, damn it… Since he likes noobs, I should practice playing with my keyboard upside down.”

“……?”

Minjae couldn’t keep up with Noeul’s thought process. Not that he really understood his friend anyway. Noeul had this knack for achieving anything once he set his mind to it. Even things that seemed impossible were accomplished eventually.

Sure enough, Noeul flipped his keyboard and began to move his character, “ThousandSunsets,” around. The character stuttered left and right before eventually plummeting off a cliff. Noeul grinned as he watched his character fall.

—

Noeul joined beginner parties a few times to tail MeowieMeowMeow. But each time, MeowieMeowMeow treated him as if it was their first meeting.

Still, Noeul didn’t mind. He figured MeowieMeowMeow was simply maintaining professionalism, which made him seem even cooler. While Noeul alone quietly grew closer in his mind, an incident occurred.

[Whisper] Aslen: “Hey, are you waiting for the mushroom picker again?”

[Whisper] ThousandSunsets: “Yeah.”

[Whisper] Aslen: “That guy’s in the aquarium right now LOL No point in waiting; he’s not coming today.”

For Noeul, the message was like a thunderbolt from the blue. After waiting for MeowieMeowMeow all day, he received only disappointing news.

[Whisper] Aslen: “And you probably won’t have to wait for a while HAHAHA”

[Whisper] ThousandSunsets: “Why? What’s Meowie-nim doing?”

[Whisper] Aslen: “Poseidon’s playing in the aquarium, and I saw that mushroom picker talking in world chat earlier.”

[Whisper] ThousandSunsets: “Yeah?”

[Whisper] Aslen: “The guild leader asked if he wasn’t going to help his friend today, and it turns out that friend’s been gone for a while… Apparently, some newbie kept picking fights with the mushroom picker.”

[Whisper] ThousandSunsets: “lol? Who?”

[Whisper] Aslen: “No idea, but he swore he wouldn’t bus any newbies ever again LOLOL Said he’d bark like a dog if he ever did free volunteer work again, damn lol?”

“……”

Frozen, Noeul opened the forum and searched for “MeowieMeowMeow.” As expected, there was a post from yesterday criticizing MeowieMeowMeow’s lack of responsibility. Other users agreed in the comments, including a few usernames Noeul recognized. Ironically, those users were people MeowieMeowMeow had helped before.

There’s no way. He couldn’t really mean it… He must have said it out of anger. If I just wait a little longer, he’ll show up. With that in mind, Noeul waited by the town monument for three days without venturing into the field.

“…Not here again today.”

“What?”

“I’m heading home.”

“What? Then why did you even come?”

He even showed up at the PC room every day where he’d first seen MeowieMeowMeow. But since that initial encounter, MeowieMeowMeow hadn’t reappeared. It was all because of those guys. While leaving the PC room and trudging along, Noeul’s frustration suddenly flared. It only took a few minutes to act on his resolve for revenge.

The culprits were hanging out near Nike’s Shrine, chatting in the open. Noeul subtly interfered with their hunts, resulting in them sending him a few choice words.

[Party Chat] Seolyoung: “Got screenshots, now what?”

[Party Chat] ThousandSunsets: “Go to Support > Help > 1:1 Inquiry > Report for Inappropriate Behavior. Attach the chat logs with unedited screenshots. Make the title catchy and the content as dramatic as possible. If you can’t write it yourself, I’ll do it for youㅇㅅㅇ~”

[Party Chat] Seolyoung: “Too lazy, write it for me.”

[Party Chat] Aslen: “I’m busy breathing.”

[Party Chat] supercool: “I’m not busy, but I still don’t wanna write it.”

[Party Chat] SpadeQueen: “Do mine too, please.”

[Party Chat] ThousandSunsets: “ㅗ”

[Party Chat] Seolyoung: “Dementia at such a young age? Didn’t you just offer? ㅠㅠ”

[Party Chat] Aslen: “If you don’t do it, I won’t report them, later~”

[Party Chat] ThousandSunsets: “Oops, typoㅎ”

[Party Chat] ThousandSunsets: “I’ll write it in guild chat. Grab one each^^”

Noeul quickly wrote ten different reports and submitted them. For his own case, since he’d been personally insulted, he filled two whole pages with his report.

“Title: My Parents Are Alive.”

If a stranger read it, it was dramatic enough to bring them to tears.

[Party Chat] Aslen: “Sunset, the master of writing complaints—I submitted mine too.”

[Party Chat] Seolyoung: “Me too LOLOL You’re incredible… You really have a knack for this…”

[Party] Seolyoung: Me toooo lolololol, you’re amazing… Of course, having experience taking down Sorcerer Mages…

As a result, the name of the reported player appeared in the weekly notice a week later. They were banned from logging in for a month due to “malicious slander and abusive language.”

However, even though the troublemakers who harassed MeowieMeowMeow were gone, he still didn’t return to the beginner’s village. In the end, Noeul decided to find him on his own, leveling up until he completed his first class change. Finally, when he encountered MeowieMeowMeow in the Snail Room at the Aquarium, Noeul’s heart felt like it was soaring.

In his excitement, he kept following behind him closely, until MeowieMeowMeow, who had been walking his own way, finally stopped in his tracks.

[Global] MeowieMeowMeow: Do I know you? -_-

“……?”

He’s joined his party over ten times now. He’s even called him “ThousandSunsets” by his username multiple times…

[Global] MeowieMeowMeow: Who are you, and why do you keep following me?

But hearing him say he didn’t recognize him was a huge shock. Was his presence really that unnoticeable? Noeul stared at MeowieMeowMeow in disbelief for a while, then made a big decision: he was going to make sure he remembered him, for better or worse. Anything was better than being forgotten.

Without a response from Noeul, MeowieMeowMeow, seeming to decide to avoid him, disappeared to a place Noeul couldn’t follow.

The moment he vanished, Noeul went straight into the fashion shop and bought a server mic.

[Server] ThousandSunsets: If you DM me the location of <MeowieMeowMeow>, I’ll reward you.

[Whisper] Donkatsu Powder Coat: Mermaid’s Breath, Area 3 go go go!

[Whisper] Madonna: Hey, how much will you pay if I tell you?

[Whisper] MeowieMeowMeow: Who are you?

[Whisper] Aslen: If I tell you, will I get paid too? haha

[Whisper] Seolyoung: If I see him, can I kill him?

[Whisper] ThousandSunsets: Can you?

[Whisper] Spade Queen: What the heck are you doing, lololol you even put a bounty on him lololololololol

For a whole month, Noeul persistently chased MeowieMeowMeow around, slamming his keyboard and doing his best to track him down. It reached the point where MeowieMeowMeow, completely fed up, finally proposed an offline showdown.

[Server] MeowieMeowMeow: ThousandSunsets, you motherfvcker, let’s meet up for a fight this time lol, drop your number

The moment he saw his message through the server mic, Noeul’s mind blanked. An offline meet-up meant he wanted to meet in person, right? Covering his mouth with his hands like someone just proposed to him, tears filled his eyes. Finally. His efforts paid off. He managed to arrange a meeting with MeowieMeowMeow.

That night, too excited to sleep a wink, Noeul went to school the next day half-awake and was advised to leave early three times.

When Friday finally arrived, Noeul, busier than ever, put extra effort into his appearance, even considering styling his hair up and meticulously ironing his uniform. Once he was ready, he set off for school, buzzing with anticipation.

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[T/N: Guys how would I know whether you guys liked The Perfect Game Mate or not if you don’t tell me? ༎ຶ⁠‿⁠༎ຶ Please tell me if you liked it or not and as I said I am looking for one more novel so please recommend me more as well.]