Supporting Characters in the Game are Obsessed – Chapter 36

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Simzy
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I launched the game with familiar hand movements. It was the “classic game” I used to enjoy.

No max-level content, and a hidden identity as an underworld network.

After finding that out, I hadn’t logged in unless I needed to gather information.

I didn’t expect to be playing it like this.

Catherine stared intently at the old monitor in front of me.

I pressed the jump key to show her my character, “RealMageHere,” jumping.

“For real?”

“…So it seems.”

Catherine tilted her head but nodded.

Well, it was understandable.

I remember reacting similarly to Catherine when I first met Julia at the restaurant and heard the same explanation.

“…‘Julia.’”

Catherine’s golden eyes turned towards Julia.

While keeping her gaze on Julia, she spoke to me.

“She said she helped you, so I don’t think there will be any problems.”

Then she looked back at me.

“Are you sure about this?”

It was a question with multiple meanings.

But before I could offer any excuses, Julia spoke first.

“Um, I…I won’t do anything to trouble Shiun…”

Julia’s hand, which was holding a white rabbit doll, tightened. Her fingers, which appeared to be cybernetic prosthetics, were choking the doll’s neck.

…I appreciated her saying that, but I didn’t know why she was choking the doll while saying it.

Julia continued.

“…I’ve been a fan of Shiun for a while now.”

“A fan?”

Catherine responded to her words.

Her eyes held a look of disbelief.

Honestly, I was also taken aback.

Apparently, I had a fan I didn’t even know about.

Julia kept her head down, only her eyes moving. Her gaze was directed at me.

A faint blush colored the cheeks that were briefly visible.

“Um, I told Shiun this before, but I’m also a mage…”

““Ah.””

Catherine and I reacted simultaneously.

Our raised voices lowered in unison.

Catherine’s look of disbelief changed to one of fascination.

Honestly, even I, having lived in this cyberpunk world for almost 10 years,
had rarely encountered a “real mage.”

So, her reaction was natural.

I hadn’t learned magic from a video channel for nothing.

For the record, I’d seen plenty of fake mages who shot flames from their prosthetic arms.

“Well, then I can understand the fan thing.”

“…Yes.”

The atmosphere, which had felt like walking on a tightrope, lightened considerably.

The situation seemed to have been resolved for now.

“So.”

“Yeah?”

I asked.

“Why were you standing in front of my apartment?”

Now it was my turn to have my curiosity satisfied.

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Catherine answered first.

“Well, this person was standing in front of your apartment…and you never know, it could’ve been some weirdo looking for you.”

Her tone was slightly defensive.

“You know, with the Smile John thing going on. And even though it’s fine now, you had a bounty on your head before, so I was worried.”

I nodded naturally.

Actually, I already knew why Catherine had stopped Julia.

I’d eavesdropped on their conversation through the Lone Spider drone that Eve was controlling.

This time, I asked Julia.

“Then why were you in front of my apartment, Julia?”

“…I…”

She hesitated before continuing.

“…I got some information about Smile John.”

“Ah, the thing you posted on the bounty board?”

“…Yes, you knew.”

How could I not know?

I’d checked it myself.

The poster who uploaded the bounty post was “White Rabbit,” which was practically the same as using her real name to anyone who knew Julia.

“Well, I appreciate the information, but you could’ve just messaged me.”

“…Well, that’s…just…because we live on the same floor.”

After trying to give a lengthy excuse, Julia lowered her head again.

Since I was currently on the receiving end of her help, I couldn’t really press her further.

“I welcome any information, so what is it?”

At my question, Julia pulled a card-shaped device from her pocket. A graph resembling sound waves was displayed on the surface of the thin device.

“…This, supposedly, was created by analyzing Smile John’s voice data.”

“Oh.”

My brief exclamation was cut short as Julia continued.

“…Even if they disguise their voice, it can distinguish things like pronunciation, minor habits, and pitch.”

Julia pressed a button on the surface of the card.

《Target match probability…0%》

“…Like this. …They say the accuracy is still low, but I brought it just in case.”

“No, I really appreciate it.”

It was much better than grasping at straws.

This was a really useful item.

With my plan of going to the party in the upper levels, my biggest concern was how I would find Smile John.

To put it bluntly, even if I just talked to every single person at the party, this device would guarantee some results.

As if reading my mind, Eve added,

[By analyzing this data, I can increase the probability, I am confident.]

So she said,

If Eve could compensate for the device’s shortcomings, there was a real chance of finding Smile John.

“The timing is perfect.”

“Huh?”

I briefly explained the information I had obtained to both of them.

The corporate executive party in the upper levels.

Smile John’s expected attendance.

And the fact that I could attend the party thanks to the help of an acquaintance (the chairman).

That was the gist of my explanation.

Catherine let out a soft hum.

“…Hmm.”

“What’s wrong?”

She looked slightly displeased.

What was wrong with our precious girl?

“…So I can’t go, right?”

“Probably? I’m just tagging along.”

Leaving behind a disappointed Catherine, I thanked Julia.

“Anyway, thanks. This will make things a lot easier.”

“…Heh, it’s nothing.”

Her voice didn’t sound like that of a vicious criminal.

Then Catherine asked me,

“But how were you planning to find this Smile John or whatever without that?”

“Ah.”

Well, that was…

“That guy seems to really hate and be sensitive to informal speech.”

“So?”

“I was thinking I’d just walk around and talk informally to people until I found him.”

“Huh?”

Of course, I was joking.

I didn’t have any specific plan.

I was just thinking that if Smile John saw me at the party, he might react in some way.

“By the way.”

Catherine, still looking bewildered, asked something else.

“Is that game you play any good?”

“Which one?”

“The weird game you said is connected to the underworld network.”

I slowly shook my head.

I declared firmly.

“No, it’s a garbage game.”

“Then why do you play it?”

I thought for a moment.

I couldn’t tell her I played it out of nostalgia for my homeland, Korea.

What other example would be most appropriate?

Let’s see…

“It’s like pineapple pizza.”

“…What?”

Oops, that wasn’t it.

“I’m going to quit soon anyway. Or rather, I practically already have.”

“Why’s that?”

I sighed briefly and answered.

“I hit max level, but there’s no max-level content, and nothing else to do. I don’t log in except to get underworld information now.”

“…I was thinking of trying it, but that’s a shame.”

…….

Well, that changed things.

“I recommend the Warrior class.”

“Huh?”

“Warrior.”

As the guild master of the Masters of the Warrior Union, it was a natural recommendation.

“You just said you quit.”

“…It’s pretty fun.”

“What classes are there?”

I explained slowly.

“There’s Warrior, Mage, Archer, and stuff like that. They’re all meh, Warrior is the best.”

Julia was giving me a strange look,

“….”

but I tried to ignore it.

“If I play, I’ll choose Mage.”

“Hmm.”

As expected of the protagonist of the original game.

My trap didn’t work on her.

“Mage…is bad. Choose Warrior.”

“Why? You said you quit the game anyway.”

“…That’s true, I did.”

That was true, but the warrior’s soul within me was crying out.

Something felt incomplete.

While I was lamenting this, Eve’s voice quietly chimed in.

[I advise you to wait until tomorrow, I inform.]

“Huh?”

I unconsciously replied to Eve.

To others, it would’ve looked like I was talking to myself.

“…Shiun?”

“Is something wrong?”

“No, nothing.”

I couldn’t ask Eve why I should wait until tomorrow, or what she meant.

What was happening tomorrow?

No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t come up with anything.

It sounded absolutely crazy, but

An update log for the classic game I played had been posted.

Max-level content, specifically raid content.

I couldn’t believe it.

I immediately logged into the game.

“Wow, what is this?”

I was simply astonished.

For a game that didn’t need updates,
to actually receive an update…

It felt like my prayers had been answered by the heavens.

Just then, at the edge of my old monitor screen, a character that looked like a newbie zipped past.

I looked at their ID.

[Eve(Mage)]

Hmm.

Just in case, I asked,

“Eve?”

As if she felt a pang of guilt, Eve quickly responded.

[Hacking this game is ‘not entirely impossible,’ past me stated.]

“…….”

[I explain that an agreement was reached through a non-coercive conversation with the game’s developers.]

“…Uh, is that okay?”

[Affirmative. The underworld network functionality remains intact alongside the game update, I answer.]

…That wasn’t what I was asking.

If it became known that the highly secure underworld network had been hacked, wouldn’t everyone flee?

That was what I was getting at.

Were they hiding the fact that they’d been hacked?

…….

I didn’t know.

Well, whatever.

The game had been updated.

So, I made a request to Eve.

“Then buff the Warrior class.”

[…….]

Why wasn’t she answering?

Anyway, I figured I could now play the game and prepare for the party in the upper levels.

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