LG Chapter 44

Translator: She.Wee

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Chapter 44

Title: (Trending Post!) Why Is This Guy Dead in the Channel 1 Guild Zone?

Author: Hamster/Sorcerer

Content:

(Photo attached)

Did Sunset kill him…? He doesn’t get up even when poked.

(98 comments registered)

– What the heck LMAO Couple fight? LOL

└ Stop LOLOL

└ Dude what LOLOL

└ Why a couple fight? Are they dating??

└ ㅇㅇ Didn’t you know? It’s been a while LOLOL

└ What…? And I hear he’s super patient?

– Are we predicting a massacre soon…? We’re doomed.

– I thought only Channel 3 was dangerous, but now Channel 1 too?? Wow

– Ji9star: Huh??

– ParkRoach: Huh…???

– neutaaaa: Huh

– HalloweenEggplant: Huh huh

– al0ha: Ehhh

└ What are you guys doing LOLOL

└ What the hell LMFAO

– Is Poseidon’s guild full of flies? Why are they buzzing like this?

– SpadeQueen: Nope? Sunset’s already asleep since 8 PM.

└ 8 P.M WTF LOL. Is he a newborn baby?

└ 8 PM wow. Why so early?

└ If not Sunset, then who did it…

– Hey, delete this post quickly! What if Sunset sees it LOLOL

└ The poster already went to sleep.

└ Why would you even delete it LOLOL

– Are there seriously two crazy people in this crappy game?

– On a human level, you shouldn’t attack someone AFK, especially in Channel 1;;

– Sunset: ㅇㅅㅇ…

—

Title: ★Now Accepting Reports~!

Author: Sunset/Moon Fairy

Content:

(Photo attached)

– Murderer sightings: 100 per word

– Murderer screenshots: 1,000 per image

– Invisible << One-hit kill: 3,000 (photo proof required)

– Doom << Any guild member one-hit killed: 1,000 (photo proof required)

Report sightings >>>> [Sunset] through in-game mail.

[email protected] << Submit screenshots here.

(48 comments registered)

– Sunset’s wild bounty events Part 2 LOLOL

– Calling someone a murderer LMFAO This is hilarious LOLOLOLOL

– Who’s calling who a murderer?

– Shit. Lmao this is so funny LOLOL

– This is so funny now that it’s someone else’s problem. Paying per word for sightings LOLOL If it were me, I’d start writing essays right away.

– What’s this guy up to again….

– Are we supposed to kill the screenshot guy?

└ Sunset: ㅇㅅㅇ?? Then you’ll die by my hand!

└ Sick LOLOLOLOL

└ ???

└ No, find the guy who killed him! LOLOL

—

I had forgotten I left the game running. When I woke up in the morning and checked the monitor, my character was brutally dead. I didn’t know who killed me, but I had a hunch it was InvisiblMan from Doom.

After using a resurrection item to revive my character, the nearby players started murmuring, “He’s alive!” I didn’t understand why they were watching in the first place—it wasn’t the first time someone had died in a guild zone. How strange. Shrugging it off, I moved to Isis in Channel 3.

[Guild] MeowieMeowMeow: Hi

[Guild] HalloweenEggplant: Oh, you’re alive? LOL

[Guild] MeowieMeowMeow: ?

How did they know I died? Narrowing my eyes, I tilted my head in confusion.

[Guild] al0ha: Hi

[Guild] PeaPea: Hi hi~!

[Guild] Honeymoon: Hi

An alert for a new mail appeared. Heading to the village’s red mailbox, I checked the message.

[Received Mail]

Sender: Ji9star

Subject: Funeral Donation

Content: Found this on the way!

Attachment: 100,000 Bell

“…….”

[Guild] MeowieMeowMeow: Earth Star, come out.

[Guild] neutaaaa: What did Earth Star do this time? LOLOL

[Guild] ParkRoach: Sigh….

[Guild] Ji9star: Wah T^T Meowie is always so mean to me…

That’s because you’re always asking for it. He was notorious for getting along the best with Earth Star, and I could already imagine him gleefully sending that mail.

[Guild] PoseidonLeader: Meowie, I heard you died?

[Guild] MeowieMeowMeow: Haha; that sounds weird….

[Guild] PoseidonLeader: Are you okay? T_T

[Guild] MeowieMeowMeow: Yeah, it’s not like I really died;; I’m alive T^T

It wasn’t even a big deal, so I was puzzled by the concern. Was I still dreaming?

[Guild] Ji9star: Hahaha, but Meowie…There’s another bounty on you.

[Guild] MeowieMeowMeow: ?

Hearing about the bounty made me instinctively frown. Earth Star immediately came to mind, but he had no reason to target me now.

[Guild] Ji9star: Oh, not on you. It’s on Doom LOLOL But it’s kind of related to you^ㅅ^bb

[Guild] MeowieMeowMeow: What??

[Guild] Ji9star: Didn’t you check the guild chat?

[Guild] MeowieMeowMeow: My phone’s charging.

I’d fallen asleep on a call, and when I woke up, the screen was dead black. But Earth Star putting a bounty on Doom? Slowly blinking, I tried to deduce the reason.

When I revived, there were spectators everywhere. Even guild members from other channels knew about my death. The killer was probably in Doom.

[Guild] HalloweenEggplant: Meowie is so fascinating… Drama never ends with you hehe

[Guild] PoseidonLeader: It’s because you’re too kind….

[Guild] MeowieMeowMeow: Haha, true.

[Guild] HalloweenEggplant: Oh, okay then;

It was all Sunset’s fault. The chaos followed him, not me. I was just an innocent and unfortunate user caught in the crossfire.

[Guild] ParkRoach: Why does Sunset have so much money… I’m jealous

[Guild] neutaaaa: He’s got to be rich, he gets everything when he PKs people lol

[Guild] ParkRoach: Ah….

[Guild] Ji9star: It’s okay Meowie-nim! Even though Sunset’s personality is a bit (very) like that

[Guild] Ji9star: He has a lot of money, so you won’t starve lol Fighting! (Of course, I wouldn’t take him even if he was offered)

[Guild] MeowieMeowMeow: ㅗ

He could have gone back to his room to get his charging phone, but it was too much effort. Instead, he opened his friends list to check if Noeul was online.

Sunset

Noeul was logged in with his main character, MeowieMeowMeow’s couple.

[Couple] MeowieMeowMeow: Cheon Noeul

[Couple] Sunset: Just woke up?

As if he had been waiting, the reply came in less than 10 seconds.

[Couple] MeowieMeowMeow: What did you do this time

[Couple] Sunset: ㅇㅅㅇ….

Instead of answering, Noeul sent a blank-faced emoticon. He seemed unwilling to answer. He had no choice but to find out himself.

[Couple] Sunset: Aren’t you coming to my house today?

[Couple] MeowieMeowMeow: I’ll go if you agree to add back the thousand years lol

[Couple] Sunset: ….

And I was the one being difficult…. He was going to clam up over this little thing? At first, to get him to sleep early, he had offered to reduce the seven thousand five hundred years by a thousand years, but Noeul had spouted nonsense, saying, “Reduce all seven thousand five hundred years.” In the end, he had agreed to reduce it by seven thousand years, but he felt like he had lost.

[Couple] Sunset: Then I’ll go, so reduce it by five hundred years

Cheon Noeul was shameless. If he reduced it by that much, there wouldn’t be any left!

[Couple] MeowieMeowMeow: Get lost

[Couple] Sunset: 499

[Couple] MeowieMeowMeow: Conscience…?

[Couple] Sunset: T_T 450 years?

[Couple] MeowieMeowMeow: No

[Couple] Sunset: 500 years T_T

[Couple] MeowieMeowMeow: Why is it increasing again?

[Couple] Sunset: ㅡㅡ Then how much can you reduce it by?

Exasperated by the shameless numbers, Kyungsoo changed the hundreds digit.

[Couple] MeowieMeowMeow: No more than 100 years

[Couple] Sunset: lol

[Couple] Sunset: Okay, I’m coming

‘Sunset has logged out.’

“What?”

Kyungsoo was flustered by Noeul’s sudden logout.

‘Then I’ll go, so reduce it by five hundred years.’

“…….”

Focusing solely on the size of the numbers, he had forgotten about the conditions for reducing them. Couldn’t he have just said not to come in the first place?

‘There is no conversation partner.’

“Fuck.”

However, Noeul had already logged out of the game, leaving Kyungsoo with a system message filling the chat window, stating there was no one to talk to.

—

Kyungsoo was already waiting by the front door before the doorbell rang. He heard Noeul’s approaching footsteps. He had planned to extend the deal by another 100 years in exchange for opening the door…

“When’s your birthday?”

Noeul asked after a moment of hesitation.

“April 1st…No, wait!”

Kyungsoo reflexively answered through the door but quickly shut his mouth. The password was indeed 0401. How did he know that? In a panic, Kyungsoo engaged the auxiliary lock, but it was futile, as the door had already been opened. As the door swung open, the lock turned uselessly.

Noeul laughed as he caught Kyungsoo, who almost fell due to holding onto the lock.

“What kind of password is that? Change it to something longer.”

Says the person who just broke into someone else’s house. A hint of wind clung to Noeul’s clothes. The chill radiating from him made Kyungsoo, who was wearing only a thin layer, shiver. Amid the cold air, Kyungsoo subconsciously buried his nose into his shoulder to catch a faint scent of Noeul.

“Hyung?”

“…Get inside, quickly.”

Kyungsoo nonchalantly let go of Noeul’s shoulder and stepped aside. As Noeul took off his shoes to step inside, his gaze fell on a baseball bat leaning against the wall. His expression wavered slightly. While Noeul was briefly in the bathroom washing his hands, he tried to sneak the bat outside. However, Kyungsoo caught him red-handed as the door lock disengaged.

“What are you doing?”

“……”

Noeul froze, holding the door halfway open. Caught in the act, he couldn’t even put up a brazen front. Kyungsoo was too dumbfounded to even be angry.

“I’m not going to hit you.”

“……”

Noeul swallowed nervously, as if he didn’t believe him.

“And why would you throw that away?”

“Your place seemed small…”

Noeul trailed off, realizing how absurd his excuse sounded. He quietly shut the door and placed the bat neatly in the corner of the shoe rack. Kyungsoo’s gaze lingered on Noeul briefly before shifting to the bat.

…Just how scared was he to try to sneakily hide that thing? The thought amused Kyungsoo more than it angered him.

Noeul, puzzled by the situation, glanced at Kyungsoo, who was chuckling to himself.

As soon as Noeul opened his laptop, the email window popped up. Kyungsoo, who had skimmed through the events on the community forum from last night to this morning, quickly realized this was the email account receiving the reported screenshots. Several emails had already arrived.

“So, who’s the one who killed me?”

“Probably that Invisible guy.”

“Did anyone see it?”

“Nope.”

So, it was all circumstantial evidence. The fact that someone placed a 3000 bounty per kill based on mere suspicion was so typical of Noeul that Kyungsoo wasn’t even fazed.

“What if it’s not them?”

“Doesn’t matter. They’ve done other things wrong, so I put the bounty on them anyway.”

“Wrong?”

“They secretly met up with you late at night. Just the two of you.”

Noeul’s nonchalant tone made Kyungsoo blink, unable to respond.

“Minjae said you went to see him yesterday and then disappeared.”

“……”

That son of a bitch. He really didn’t say anything, thinking Kyungsoo wouldn’t give away the item. Kyungsoo had planned to excuse it by saying he woke up early to play the game.

Noeul frowned and asked irritably, “Did you enjoy secretly playing games alone at dawn without telling me?”

Ah, the way he scrunched his nose was cute.

“Did you?”

“……”

Wait, what did I just think? Shocked by his own thoughts, Kyungsoo froze. It was an absurd notion.

“What did you talk about with him?”

“…About you.”

Kyungsoo barely regained his composure and gave a vague answer.

“Really?”

“Yeah. I told him to stop bothering you, so stop being a dick and just log in.”

Hearing that, Noeul’s expression softened completely. How simple-minded could he be? He always acted first and thought later when it came to himself.

…Maybe that’s why he’s so…

Kyungsoo tightly closed his eyes. He had to stop looking at that face. Otherwise, he couldn’t stop his thoughts. He returned to his spot and sat down. Feeling the need to look busy, he chose a random level 200 field and teleported there. As he delved deeper into the map, easily eliminating monsters, he encountered two guild members marked with the insignia of Doom.

[Global] ohmyboy: Whatcha looking at?

[Global] MusicalNote: You can’t kill us here, too bad lol.

Kyungsoo didn’t respond, not wanting to get entangled with them. He moved to the next map to avoid them. However, the two followed him and kept talking.

[Global] ohmyboy: Where’s your boyfriend? Did you leave him at home?

[Global] MusicalNote: Call him over, man!

“……”

Why would I call him over? Glancing sideways, Kyungsoo met Noeul’s gaze. Noeul tilted his head curiously, looking surprisingly adorable. Kyungsoo clenched his mouth shut and averted his eyes.

[Global Chat] MeowieMeowMeow: Just go your way.

[Global Chat] MusicalNote: No, listen, let’s try to talk this out calmly… I can’t whisper him because he blocked me.

[Global Chat] MeowieMeowMeow: Oh, I see.

[Global Chat] MusicalNote: Look at how he talk, geez.

[Global Chat] MeowieMeowMeow: Thanks.

[Global Chat] MusicalNote: LOL.

[Global Chat] ohmyboy: You don’t want your couple’s reputation getting worse, right? Let’s make it a win-win.

[Global Chat] MeowieMeowMeow: His reputation’s already bad, so it’s fine.

[Global Chat] ohmyboy: ….

Not having a response for such a painfully accurate statement, the two remained silent for a moment.

[Global Chat] ohmyboy: Wow, you’ve really become just like that Sunshit.

[Global Chat] MusicalNote: They say you resemble the ones you love, haha.

[Global Chat] ohmyboy: True that, LOL.

“……”

They say you resemble the ones you love.

“……”

Resemble the ones you love?

[Global Chat] MeowieMeowMeow: Solve this with words, no cursing. I don’t even like that guy, so stop talking nonsense—it’s pissing me off.

[Global Chat] ohmyboy: Sorry to rain on your parade, but swearing is words too, LOL.

[Global Chat] MeowieMeowMeow: Damn it.

[Global Chat] MusicalNote: Sunset’s boyfriend is mad, LOL.

[Global Chat] ohmyboy: Don’t be mad—call for that Sunset fanatic, please.

[Global Chat] MusicalNote: Got it!!

Kyungsoo glanced at Noeul out of the corner of his eye. He was still focused on checking his emails. It was baffling why he was so engrossed in something so mundane. Their eyes met again. This time, Noeul’s lips curved into a slight smile.

“What?”

“Just focus on what you’re doing.”

“You’re the one who looked at me first….”

Grumbling, Kyungsoo turned back to his monitor, forcing himself to ignore the urge to glance at Noeul.

[Global Chat] ohmyboy: Did you call Sunset?

Kyungsoo had no reason to deal with these people. Ignoring the chat, he teleported back to the guild zone. Arriving at the clock tower warp point, he noticed players nearby switching their weapons. Over ten people simultaneously drew their weapons, prompting Kyungsoo to reflexively move his fingers toward the attack key.

[Global Chat] MeowieMeowMeow: ???

[Global Chat] SendWitch: Oh no, sorry;;;

One overly eager player accidentally landed a minor hit on Kyungsoo before canceling their attack. The female character immediately used the special New Year’s emoticon, “Prostrate and Bow,” throwing herself onto the ground in apology.

[Global Chat] MeowieMeowMeow: No, it’s fine;;;

Feeling slightly awkward, Kyungsoo returned the gesture with a bow.

[Global Chat] SendWitch: Thank you so much ಥ⁠‿⁠ಥ

[Global Chat] Ji9star: Whoa….

[Global Chat] MermanPrince: That was close….

[Global Chat] BboTH6: My heart, LOL.

[Global Chat] Ahem: Please walk around a little more…T_T

[Global Chat] MeowieMeowMeow: ?

[Global Chat] Neutaaaa: LOL, I nearly had a heart attack just now.

[Global Chat] Ji9star: LOL, Nya, you almost died T_T.

The players sheathed their weapons and either mounted their rideable pets or sat down on the ground.

[Global Chat] MeowieMeowMeow: What are you guys doing here….

[Global Chat] Ji9star: Bounty hunting, haha, it’s fun.

[Global Chat] Neutaaaa: LOL, I’m just here to watch.

It seemed they were camping at the warp point to attack any flagged enemies that showed up. There was no way Kyungsoo’s enemies would reach the guild room today. With this many players lying in wait, it was impossible for anyone to break through.

[Whisper] MusicalNote: Hey, call Sunset for me.

[Whisper] MusicalNote: Please, I just want to talk.

[Whisper] MusicalNote: Come on, call the Sunset you like so much T^T

He knew it was a meaningless statement. …He knew it. Yet, his gaze drifted back to Noeul.

“Do I like Cheon Noeul? Me? Is he out of his mind?”

Noeul was full of flaws. He might try not to show it around him, but no one could deny that his personality was terrible. He was petty, sulking at the slightest thing, always grumbling. And on top of that, he was a man.

Kyungsoo tried to find fault with Noeul’s appearance to refute the idea, but the moment he realized Noeul’s eyes were a light brown, it felt like he had been struck over the head.

Noticing Kyungsoo’s gaze, Noeul raised an eyebrow, his expression determined, as if he was demanding an explanation.

“Why do you keep staring at me?”

“Your eyebrows are pretty.”

The words slipped out before Kyungsoo could stop them. He regretted it the moment they left his mouth, but Noeul only looked more confused. It seemed he was unaccustomed to compliments, especially ones like this.

“Thank you…?”

Noeul touched the eyebrow Kyungsoo had complimented, his expression puzzled.

“Oh, no, I mean…”

“But… are you feeling okay?”

Feeling okay? That was an unexpected response. Wasn’t this reaction a bit much for a simple compliment? Even when Kyungsoo tried to brush it off, he couldn’t help but feel that if he could rewind time, he would go back a minute and clamp his own mouth shut.

He tried to continue speaking, but the words twisted and tangled in his mouth, turning into nonsense.

Noeul stared at him with wide eyes, his expression vacant. Suddenly overwhelmed by the sheer ridiculousness of the situation, Kyungsoo snapped.

“What the fuck!”

“Why are you suddenly yelling?”

Noeul’s expression shifted to one of disbelief.

“You were looking at me like I was an asshole!”

“When did I ever…?”

“It didn’t mean anything. It’s like saying a cloud or a flower is pretty. Don’t overthink it!”

Even as he said this, Kyungsoo silently listed all the things that were objectively pretty and pleasant to look at. In the same way, Cheon Noeul… was pretty.

Despite Kyungsoo’s outburst, Noeul tilted his head, still looking unconvinced. Then, as if he had thought of something, the corners of his lips curved upward. His eyes curved into crescent shapes, hiding his vibrant pupils. It was that smile—the one that came to mind just by saying Noeul’s name.

“Hyung.”

The unsettling thrum in his chest spread to the tips of Kyungsoo’s fingers. Clamping his lips shut, he glared at Noeul. There were plenty of people on TV who were just as attractive and charming. But none of them made his chest feel this horribly stirred.

Even his slightly tousled bangs, his straight nose bridge, his rounded ears, and even his soft voice…

“Am I pretty?”

“….”

Everything about him was pretty.

“Other than my eyebrows? What else is pretty? What do you like about me?”

Everything.

But there was no way Kyungsoo could say that. With a furrowed brow, he turned his head sharply, as if dismissing the thought altogether. Something was wrong. He shouldn’t be feeling this way about Cheon Noeul.

[Whisper] MusicalNote: Forget it. Both of you are hopeless.

There wasn’t a single reason why a guy like that should seem endearing. He was taller than Kyungsoo and far removed from his ideal type. His personality? It was a total disaster. He didn’t even bother hiding it. And he was a master at annoying people.

Not to mention… he was jealous, immature, and stubborn. He’d grin and flirt with people who didn’t like him, cling to others because of his unbearable loneliness, and invade personal space with no hesitation. Every day, it was texts, calls, and even unexpected visits. With those playful antics, he’d stir Kyungsoo’s heart relentlessly…

“Fuck you…!”

Kyungsoo glared at the monitor, gripping his fists tightly as if he might smash the keyboard at any moment. He should hate Noeul. It should feel more and more unbearable, but…

“Which bastard is it this time? I won’t let them off.”

Not even realizing he was the cause, Noeul vowed revenge, biting his lips in determination. The sight was so adorable that Kyungsoo felt the sudden urge to jump out of the nearest window.

“…….”

For the first time, he felt like he might lose this year-long bet that he was destined to win.

And the price for losing… would be his life.

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T/N: My Patreon is back now. You can access it through the novel description. Read 10 chapters ahead on patreon!!