"Pygmy."
The moment I uttered that word, I coughed violently, feeling intense pain. It was like someone had rammed into my solar plexus.
'Gugh!'
It was difficult to breathe. Kneeling on the ground, I could do nothing else but clutch my stomach.
'That's right. Get worked up.'
Neptune was definitely a Streamer of a race called the 'pygmies'. Everyone acknowledged that. Even the Guardians watching right now used that term. But Neptune really disliked the 'pygmy' appellation.
'Whether you dislike it or not, I'm not the one who attacked you first.'
Neptune came closer.
"I dare you to keep mouthing off, you lowly little shit."
"…"
"Go on, bark. I'll end your miserable life for you."
It was difficult to talk. A heavy pressure was crushing me. Fear that I might even die at this rate began to swell within me.
'No, he can't kill me.'
A tremendous amount of bloodlust needled my skin. If Eye of Perception hadn't been temporarily disabled, that bloodlust might have given me vivid images of my head being cut off. Just like the last time I was here on the 2nd floor of D-Tower, when I was getting attacked by the Magic Troll.
"I said, bark."
I raised my head with difficulty. He couldn't kill me anyway. Right now, many Guardians were focusing on me, and I had even received sponsorships from many of them. If he were to kill me here, he would become the enemy of the Guardians who had sponsored me.
'You can't kill me.'
I was the one in the right.
"I only talked down to you because you did so to me first. I only put up an appropriate resistance because you threatened me with a wrongful method first. I only called you pygmy because your race is pygmy. Just what did I do to suffer this kind of treatment?"
If you were ignorant, you couldn't fight back. If you knew nothing, you could only become a victim. But I knew. I knew that my words were in line with the 'Commandments' in this System. My actions weren't just 'self-defense', but straight-out 'justified'.
"At this point in time, I shouldn't be a criminal yet. Is it right for the strong to persecute the weak without justified reason? To persecute a Player doing a justified Play?"
[The 'Lady of the Scales' deeply sympathizes with your words.]
[The 'Lady of the Scales' applies the special power 'Innocent Until Proven Guilty'.]
The pressure crushing me disappeared, and I was able to breathe again.
[Due to 'Innocent Until Proven Guilty', the effects of 'Forced Submission' are removed.]
That was only natural—a Guardian's power was far higher in authority than a Streamer's.
[The 'True Master of the Heavenly Demonic Mountain' nods.]
[The 'True Master of the Heavenly Demonic Mountain' has contempt for cowards.]
[The 'True Master of the Heavenly Demonic Mountain' applies the special power 'Strong to the Strong, Weak to the Weak'.]
Be strong to the strong, and weak to the weak. It was a buff that amplified my strength when facing a strong opponent.
[Due to 'Strong to the Strong, Weak to the Weak', all abilities of the Player will be temporarily sharply increased.]
The True Master of the Heavenly Demonic Mountain followed on the heels of the Lady of the Scales to take my side. They probably took my side for different reasons, but they were both helping me all the same.
Neptune's face filled with visible bewilderment.
[Eye of Perception has been reactivated.]
With my increased parameters from 'Strong to the Strong, Weak to the Weak', I could now read Neptune's information.
[Intermediate Administrator]
Name: Neptune (Pygmy)
Age: 9
State: Bewilderment / Shock / Panic
Disposition: Headstrong / Competitive
Summary: Very Competitive Pygmy
The disposition/state/summary only show the most representative and can change according to the situation.
Because Eye of Perception's proficiency is not high enough, viewing more detailed information is impossible.
I tried taking a look at Senia's info as well while my abilities were boosted, but it failed. Apparently, the 'Strong to the Strong, Weak to the Weak' power the True Master granted me only worked on Neptune.
'Right now, I feel like I wouldn't lose in a 1 on 1 against Neptune, but…'
A Player directly fighting a Streamer wasn't very desirable. The Guardians didn't really welcome that, unless they were courage-lovers like the Courageous Lion King.
"It seems the Guardians think the same as me."
Right on cue, a notice came in.
[System Scan Result: No bug values have been discovered.]
[System Scan Result: No illegitimate methods have been used.]
I came this far using my knowledge of the future and by putting my life on the line. This was merely the starting line, but it was absolutely not the case that I got this far with zero effort. Starting with the lycanthrope, I had been Playing with my life on the razor's edge.
"It's fine to accuse me. That's well within your right. But you forcibly persecuted me without any proof whatsoever simply based on your conviction, for the sole reason that I am weaker than you."
"…"
Neptune was unable to muster a response.
State: Bewilderment / Shock / Panic
It was because of his competitiveness and headstrong personality that he was unable to apologize to me right now.
"If I hadn't been able to speak up for myself earlier because I was scared of you… this situation would have gone your way."
It was because I formally raised an objection, because I rightfully spoke up, that the situation turned out like this. If I hadn't done anything, I would have become a literal punching bag.
"Don't you think it's cowardly?"
"…"
Neptune bit his lips. From the way he tightly clenched his fists, it seemed he was very enraged. He still didn't want to acknowledge his fault, but Guardians stronger than him were watching, so he wasn't able to say anything.
'I didn't lose in a battle of wills.'
This was actually an unexpected win, seeing as I could direct the situation to my benefit.
"Apologize."
"Why?"
"Because you were in the wrong."
"You're also…!"
He was about to say something like "you're also in the wrong", but stopped short because he had no rationale for such an accusation.
I saw him wracking his brains, but I didn't give him the tiniest bit of ammunition to work with. I may have called him 'pygmy' in order to provoke him, but that wasn't actually a mistake. It wasn't derogatory—I just called him pygmy because he was from the pygmy race. Just like how calling a human a human wasn't an expletive, this was the same logic.
"…rry."
I heard him say something very quietly. I scowled.
"What did you say?"
"I said, …rry."
Neptune's greenish-blue face turned bright red.
"I said, I'm… sorry!"
Only then did I nod. An apology was an apology.
"You should give a token of your apology."
Basically, cough something up.
I couldn't let a perfectly good opportunity to carry out some lawful extortion slip through my fingers.
After having Neptune close his channel, I got him to write a memorandum that he wouldn't attack me.
That was a possibility, after all. Not just that, but I also got a 'Pygmy's Ring' from him.
[Pygmy's Ring]
A ring made by a pygmy blacksmith.
Grade: Rare
Durability: 50/50
Effect: +5 fire resistance
Equip restriction: Level 20
He probably gave me the most useless thing in his possession, but even this was a real boon at my current level. Its grade was even 'rare', one step over 'common'. Considering that most beginners weren't able to invest in accessories, this ring could be called quite a big harvest.
I went back home. Sunhwa was the first to run over and greet me. The savory smell of soybean paste stew wafted in the house.
"…"
My sister glanced furtively at me when I walked into the living room.
State: Welcoming / Relief / Happy / Expectant
Her feelings were as clear as day from her state, but her speech was the epitome of bluntness.
"Mom's coming back home soon too. Mom said she already ate, so eat, or don't, I don't care."
From her attitude, it was like she was trying to say 'Who cares if you eat or not, I made it for Sunhwa and me anyway', but the four sets of utensils on the table were very telling.
'Ah. Is that why there was 'expectant' in her status window?'
I washed my hands and sat down at the table.
"Thanks for the food, noona."
"…"
State: Expectant / Restless / Anxious
It looked like I'd have to make a big ado about this stew being super delicious.
Come to think of it, before, my sister hardly ever cooked. After I came back from the Tutorial Field alive, she had apparently changed a lot as well. She was even cooking, something she'd never done before.
"But noona, what's the big occasion? Why're you cooking and all?"
"I didn't do it for you. It's just that the kitchen is so big, so I just gave it a try. It's a waste to let that kitchen rot."
Ah, uh-huh. Her state was too transparent for that to fly. It was obvious that she was devoting every ounce of her concentration onto my spoon.
'It's not tasty.'
It was pretty much her first soybean paste stew ever. Being tasty would be more unusual. However, I lied through my teeth.
"It's good, noona. Where did you learn to cook, noona? Why's it so tasty?"
"Shut up, I know it's not good."
State: Embarrassed / Happy / Relieved / Joyful
It was fun to watch her state change by the minute. And this 'embarrassed' part was particularly amusing. I wouldn't have been able to tell had I not been looking for it, but her ears were ever so slightly red. Her expression was a block of ice, but her ears were red.
'I should feign ignorance.'
The quick-witted Sunhwa also professed the stew's deliciousness as she chattered, and when our meal was almost over, Mom came home. She had a few pieces of bread in her hand, and I was suddenly struck with the feeling that today's meal was extremely joyful.
"Ahyoung made a stew? Goodness!"
Mom was surprised, too.
"Just 'cause. The kitchen's too pretty, so I just gave it a try."
Mom slapped my sister's butt, saying, 'Well done! Our Ahyoung's ready to get married now'. I sat at the table and savored this feeling of leisure. My sister was here, and so was Mom. It wasn't very tasty, but we had this warm soybean paste stew, too. There was bread and milk in Mom's hand, and now, Sunhwa was here as well.
'They're all very small pleasures, but… it feels great.'
Would it be too much of an exaggeration to call this happiness?
'I have to protect it.'
Be it this happiness, or this leisure, or these small pleasures. No matter what it was, I would protect this way of life, and achieve greater success while doing so. Because now, I could do the things I hadn't been able to do in the past and had the ability to draw out my own future.
I went to my room and reviewed my plans again and again, something I'd done every day since returning to the past. To prevent any possibility of information leak, the notebook I'd regressed with was safely stored in my Inventory.
'Next…'
The next step could be summed up as two plans.
'This is better, but…'
Gates were appearing all over the world, along with dungeons of an even higher difficulty. At the same time, 'breaks' were also occurring, and people were slowly getting used to such phenomena.
'Let's think about it a little more.'
I had to extract the greatest efficiency from the least amount of time. I went onto the Internet and pulled up the newly started 'Real Player' forum. This place, the beginnings of the future full-fledged 'Real Player' website, was currently a gathering place for Players, as well as a place for exchanging information.
I could even see quite a few threads like 'LF Raid Party Members' here.
'Even though… there's no structure or rules yet.'
Even so, mankind was slowly adjusting to this world.
'Will I find what I'm looking for?'
After around 10 minutes, I found a certain post. The title was very closely related to one of my two plans.
'Could this be…?'
I looked at the poster's name. If my prediction was correct, then the poster was definitely someone I knew.
[Poster: JayangdongFireMaster]
'As I thought.'
JayangdongFireMaster was the nickname of Choi Sung-gu. Even though his nickname was a little silly, his later moniker wasn't silly in the least. His moniker was Flame Lord.
'Found you, Choi Sung-gu.'
I clicked on the post.
____