RE: Player again

308

[Chapter 099] [A Decision Without Reversal]

After occurred, the National Museum of Korea came to play a role different from traditional museums.

Currently, the National Museum of Korea was serving the role of storing artifacts.

This was because relics with cultural and historical value had transformed into artifacts containing mana due to the influence of the anomaly.

It wasn't so surprising that relics that had been handled by people over a long time and imbued with emotions transformed into artifacts.

After the great calamity that destroyed this world, artifacts containing mana appeared in various places.

The problem was that about half of the 180,000 relics stored in the National Museum of Korea had transformed into artifacts.

In response, Players at the time used relics as materials to create new artifacts or devices.

The weapons created in this way all possessed power suitable for stabilizing the destroyed world.

Representative examples include the gauntlet of Moon Jun, leader of the Twelve Seats.

The spear of Nam Gung Seong-un and the twin swords of Baek Seo-jin of the Twelve Seats were also processed from relics with historical value.

Nevertheless, the National Museum of Korea still stored numerous raw materials.

Therefore, after the Mana Management Bureau was established, the bureau bestowed relics from the National Museum of Korea, which had become a repository for artifacts, to Players who had rendered meritorious service.

Rewards for those who achieved merit.

Punishment for those who committed crimes.

This was a part that didn't change much even after the Fairy government was launched.

"The Republic of Korea was destroyed once. In a world where monsters exist, the country became unable to avoid war, and history became meaningless. We came to a situation where we had to think about our own survival first before thinking about where our roots lie."

Due to the great calamity that shocked the whole world, exchanges between almost all countries were cut off.

Now, Korea had close exchanges with China and Japan, while occasionally interacting with geographically close countries, and that was all.

In this world, America was a distant country, and North Korea just above was now nothing more than a country under monster rule.

In such a situation, we had to do whatever we could.

Ignoring poverty and wealth.

Creating discrimination.

Sometimes selling people.

We had to abandon history and culture.

To survive this moment.

This country overlooked, abandoned, and left to fester too many things to survive from destruction.

That's how it could survive.

With many chronic problems.

"Cultural properties that we enjoyed for our history and culture no longer exist. Everything sleeping in this museum is just raw material for devices and artifacts for Players who have rendered meritorious service to possess."

2nd year middle academy students came on a field trip to the National Museum of Korea.

Students who heard explanations about Player history on the 1st floor moved following the direction guided by the curator.

Pottery fragments in glass cases.

Rusty bronze pieces.

Swords and scabbards with blades all fallen out, which someone would have used in the Joseon Dynasty.

The students looked around the exhibited relics without any enthusiasm.

Even listening to the curator's explanation, they felt no emotion from the cultural properties.

It couldn't be helped.

For students born after the great calamity, what mattered was not products of the past but this very moment.

"Tch... There's nothing great like you said, Noh Eun-ha? What help is there in looking at things like this..."

"This is an area that ordinary people can view too. A space exhibiting cultural properties that couldn't become artifacts."

Eun-ha replied to Parang who was grumbling while passing by relics.

He was too impatient even for his impatient personality.

Not knowing how much value the treasures stored in the National Museum of Korea held.

Would they really exhibit raw materials for artifacts in a passageway where people walk by?

Except for some exhibited in the innermost space, most could only be viewed through special procedures.

Not knowing what tremendous artifacts are stored below this...

Artifacts stored underground in the National Museum of Korea that only those who rendered meritorious service in protecting the country could obtain.

Artifacts were stored divided into five grades.

From top to bottom: Taegeuk, Eulji, Chungmu, Hwarang, Inheon.

But even receiving the lowest grade Inheon required rendering high merit.

Since the Fairy government was launched until now, only up to Hwarang had left the National Museum of Korea.

This is just the story known until I graduate from the academy.

Eun-ha followed the curator explaining the history of Players starting to check each other in a somewhat stabilized world.

Jin Parang and other kids also seemed interested in the history of people grasping for power.

Regardless, Eun-ha gave his attention to relics containing faint mana.

Relics reaching about Inheon level.

Relics exhibited everywhere all contained similar mana.

But Eun-ha had directly seen better relics than this before.

In his previous life.

"...At a time when the Gift wasn't discovered in this country, Players tried to grasp political power. So they committed various schemes to assassinate people with opposing wills. One of those is the spider web of the 5th rank Ghost Spider exhibited here."

The time I graduate from the academy.

From then on, all sorts of calamities strike this country.

The monster army's invasion of Seoul, which could be called the first calamity.

Those called the Golden Generation show that much power to the people.

Eun-ha was the same.

Though he didn't achieve brilliant merit, he and Yoo-jeong received the Hwarang Medal.

On Taeyang's party received the Chungmu Medal right after graduating.

"Generally, Ghost Spider webs are not easily visible to the eye. But Ghost Spiders can see connected threads by flowing mana to their web-making organs. Even if the thread is cut, it emits faint mana if you're close enough."

""""......"""""

"Players at the time used Ghost Spider threads to assassinate opposing forces on moonless nights. Because the moment you infuse mana into the web-making organ, the thread attached to the assassination target shows a reaction. It's a well-known method now, but it was an innovative means at the time."

The 2nd Uijeongbu Recapture Battle.

The Fog Flower party received recognition for the merit of recapturing Uijeongbu and received the Chungmu Medal.

On Taeyang's party received the Chungmu Medal, and later received the Eulji Medal for killing the 2nd rank monster Maegu, but.

"...The reason it's not used these days? Simple. Because the Fairy government was established. When the government was weak, they couldn't restrain people even if they used mana stones to create monsters, but now they have that much power. You've probably all heard about the death sentence given for the terror incident caused at this Dawn Department Store."

The appearance of the Nine Demons.

At that time, the Fog Flower party received recognition for the merit of defeating Beelzebub and received the Chungmu Medal.

And Eun-ha and Lee Yoo-jeong received recognition for the merit of defeating Lilith and received the Chungmu Medal.

At that time, On Taeyang's party received recognition for the merit of defeating Agares, Samael, and Mastema and received the Eulji Medal, but.

"So you won't have to be wary of such assassinations."

The Fog Flower party achieved numerous merits but was always overshadowed by On Taeyang's party who achieved even higher merits.

But it will be different in this life.

Fog Flower will not exist, and On Taeyang's party will not exist either.

Just wait a little longer.

The artifacts sleeping below this.

Eun-ha living his current life knew what artifacts were sleeping underground, what would suit him.

☆

We decided to take care of lunch on our own.

There were many restaurants lined up within the National Museum of Korea grounds.

But Eun-ha decided to eat boxed lunches outdoors with friends.

We can't eat restaurant food when Ha-yang's father packed lunches.

It was fortunate it was free activity time.

If not, he would have had to eat lunch with classmates from the same class.

Eun-ha who was licking his lips tried to go to the meeting place after leaving the class.

If only classmates from the same class hadn't caught him then.

"Hey! Eun-ha! We're going to eat hamburgers, come with us too!"

"Ye-in said she'll buy! Eun-ha, you come too!" "You should eat with us sometimes too! We're friends too, right? Right?"

Class 7 of 2nd year.

Students who became classmates this year weren't afraid of him.

Rather, they approached him who often acted alone and spoke to him in a friendly manner.

"Are you going to eat with them again? Why don't you eat with us today?"

"Yeah, that's right! And Eun-ha, don't you have a team project too? Wouldn't it be good to build friendships while we're at it?"

Eun-ha looked at the students approaching him who had stopped in his tracks.

Their intentions were obvious.

Greed is teeming in their eyes.

Classmates who can't even properly hide their own emotions.

They were trying hard to somehow build connections with him who was known as the protagonist of the 031st class.

Since the Player industry was so small, it was good to get along widely with everyone without unnecessarily making enemies.

But he didn't want to do that.

"Why should I?" """"...What?""""

"Sorry, I have friends I promised to eat lunch with."

Eun-ha answered curtly.

Some of the students who had been grinning put away their smiles completely.

Then he let out a faint laugh.

Looks like you didn't think you'd be rejected?

If you're going to hide your expression, you should know how to hide it to the end.

It was also an excessive response.

Perhaps they had really spoken to him for pure reasons.

But he didn't feel the necessity to become close with them.

"Th-Then! We'll definitely eat together next time, okay?" "...Sorry. If I have time later."

I know the industry is small.

I know bad rumors spread if I reject like this.

But to Eun-ha, their friendship had no value at all.

Eun-ha who knew the future knew that they wouldn't leave any footprints in the future.

Is there really a need to spare time for them?

Moreover, is there a need to spare time for those who will be obstacles in the future?

Let's eat our meal comfortably, okay?

I don't need friends anymore.

What I need are just chess pieces.

Depending on the situation, I will use even friends as chess pieces.

Eun-ha had been considering the practical benefits of everything since deciding to become a Player again.

"What's with him. Isn't he really unpleasant?" "...Ah, my pride is hurt. Does he really have to go this far? Who does he think he is that I have to grovel like this?"

"He's probably like that because everyone praises him. But what can we do. It would be convenient for us in the future if we become close with him..."

"That's true. I want to become Eun-ha's friend too."

Just in case, I expanded my detection network and sure enough, as expected.

Eun-ha who left to meet friends soon gave a bitter smile.

Since becoming 2nd year, all the people who approached him were like this.

I didn't intend to criticize them.

That was also a kind of social skill.

And whether it was acting or not, he had no intention of becoming close with them.

The kids will probably have bugs swarming around them too... I wonder how they're handling it.

It wasn't just him that students flocked to.

He had seen several times students flocking to friends who hung out with him too.

Since they were also protagonists of the 031st class.

They probably wouldn't treat them as coldly as himself.

Clumsy people would just become friends, use those who could be used, and keep distance from uncomfortable people.

For the sake of their reputation.

Nevertheless, it was inevitable to receive criticism.

Admiration and jealousy are just a paper-thin difference.

Friends who became objects of admiration would simultaneously become objects of jealousy.

Since I'm getting criticized anyway, I should take their share too.

Protruding nails get hammered down.

The more he acted like this, the more criticism that should go to his friends would be directed at him.

He was used to being criticized, and if he was going to be criticized anyway, he thought he would take it all.

In exchange, he hoped his friends would be strength for him as he wished.

"Noh Eun-ha! Are you not coming quickly!? This is why I said I should tell him a different meeting time."

"Hey! You find a big rock over there! While you're at it, get a ton of cider and cola from the vending machine too! Of course the last one to arrive has to pay!"

Eun-ha spotted his friends who had secured seats first spreading out a mat.

Min-ji grumbled from far away, and Parang spoke loudly.

"You came?"

Meanwhile, Bae Soo-bin who briefly looked back at Eun-ha placed items on the mat.

Though her attitude was extremely curt, he was proud to see her getting along with friends.

Then Eun-ha suddenly voiced a thought that came to mind.

"Come to think of it, isn't Hoshimiya Kaede in your class too, Bae Soo-bin?" "How do you know that?"

"Why wouldn't I know that."

Bae Soo-bin answering indifferently.

Eun-ha who shrugged while glossing over it vaguely asked about Hoshimiya Kaede who became her classmate this year.

The woman called in his previous life, and On Taeyang's fifth wife.

Eun-ha had tried to recruit her after entering middle academy, but strangely never had a chance to meet her.

But this year, she and Bae Soo-bin became classmates.

"You're probably not close with her..."

"You're not picking a fight with me now, are you?"

Eun-ha casually tried to find out if she was close with Hoshimiya Kaede.

But as expected, the returning answer was negative.

Bae Soo-bin glared at him with a vicious face.

He thought he had found an opportunity to meet Hoshimiya Kaede, but at this rate it seemed he would have no results like last year.

Eun-ha sighed softly.

"Try talking to her sometime when you have time later."

"Why should I." "She has good grades too, so she'll surely be helpful to you?"

"...What should I say to her?" "Um... that's..."

Come to think of it, it wasn't just Bae Soo-bin's fault.

Eun-ha also lacked social skills just the same.

"...Hey, but you're in the same class, so you can just speak naturally, right?" "So what exactly is speaking naturally?"

"No, that's just appropriately..."

Though he seemed to vaguely understand in his head, when he tried to actually speak, nothing came to mind.

Eun-ha just mumbled hesitantly.

He realized once again that while rejecting others was very simple, forming connections with others was such a difficult task.

But he had friends.

Since he had friends with excellent social skills around him, he would get an answer if he asked them.

Eun-ha decided to ask his friends with that thought.

Just as he was about to speak to Min-ji and Ha-yang who were nearby─

[─Sigh, this fool.]

Seo-na sent telepathy.

She who clicked her tongue twitched her triangular ears.

[Just stay quiet when eating. Let's eat our meal comfortably, okay?]

Somehow it felt like he was getting back the words he had said just earlier.

Soon Seo-na wagged her tail and passed by slapping his butt.