Vol 1 Ch 4

“Alright, as soon as I get to the village, I’m taking the ring off.”

Back home, I pulled the helmet over my head with a solemn determination.

<<Welcome to Blood Planet.>>

After practicing opening the status window a few times, I took a deep breath. Please, just let me slip by unnoticed. I picked the [Adventurer’s Village] as my destination and logged in with a nervous twitch of my hand.

<<Moving to ‘Adventurer’s Village.’>>

The screen brightened, and in an instant, the village came into view. I quickly opened my status window to remove the ring, but just as I did, someone shouted from behind. The voice was so clear it had to be another nearby player.

“Whoa! Angel wings!”

‘Ah! Crap!’

I yanked off the ring and bolted into a dark alley. The player’s voice faded as I ran farther away. Panting, I crouched in the corner and opened the regional chat. Everyone was already talking about the Elf’s Breath Ring.

[ThisWayThatWay: I just saw angel wings.]
[KingOfKings: Where??]
[KoreaGoldExchange: Gold farm 100:1]
[ThisWayThatWay: Some newbie in Adventurer’s Village showed up with wings.]
[ThisWayThatWay: Holy crap, I just got a whisper from ShutUp.]
[qwerqwer1: Popping popcorn lol]

Thankfully, no one mentioned my name. The player who saw me must’ve missed it.

‘Phew… thank god.’

Still, I figured the longer I stayed, the more people would crowd around, so I decided to just log out. I hit [Exit Game].

“…Huh? Why isn’t this working? Why won’t it log out?”

I panicked and spoke out loud before realizing it. Talking in-game meant everyone nearby could hear, so I should’ve stayed quiet,  or at least used mute settings, but I didn’t know how yet.

When I opened the system menu to check why I couldn’t quit, I saw that someone had sent me a trade request. I was grumbling under my breath, not knowing what it was about, when a deep voice growled from behind me.

“Hey.”

The voice was so low and heavy it could’ve drilled straight into the earth’s core. I flinched and turned my head slightly.

“Give it.”

“W-What? …Give what?”

He stepped closer, and I immediately recognized him ,  the player who’d died in the water explosion earlier. Floating above his head was his username: [ShutUp]. Some flashy title shimmered beside it, but all I could see were his sharp, intimidating eyes.

“The ring. Hand it over.”

“I-I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

I had taken off the ring, so why was he after me? How did he even know I had it…?

As I looked around in panic, I caught my reflection in a nearby shop window ,  wearing nothing but in-game underwear, wings still spread wide behind me. The feathers shimmered faintly before fading away like holograms.

“…”

Normally, removing the ring made the wings vanish instantly, but maybe a bug or leftover buff kept them visible after the area transition. Early games are always full of glitches like this.

While ShutUp was momentarily distracted, I tried hitting the logout button again ,  but the trade window kept popping up, blocking the command. Another bug, probably.

“Open the trade.”

“N-No way! It’s mine! I picked it up!”

I didn’t know how old he was in real life, but judging by his level, I couldn’t help using polite speech.

Sure, it was a PK server, but whoever picks up dropped loot owns it. This was so unfair. Just because he’d lost it didn’t mean he could take it back.

Our argument got loud enough that nearby players started murmuring and laughing. Regional chat exploded ,  apparently, everyone was watching the newbie and ShutUp fight over the Elf’s Breath Ring.

So many people tried logging into our area that others who couldn’t get in started commenting through world chat instead. Judging by the chatter, the crowd was split evenly between his supporters and mine.

“Isn’t ShutUp being a bit shameless? He dropped it himself, now he wants it back?”

A player named [Human] spoke up for me. ShutUp immediately turned and snapped at him to shut up,  fitting, considering his username.

The irony wasn’t lost on anyone. Even the chat joked about how “Human” was being the most human of us all.

Finally, ShutUp lost his temper and conjured lightning in his hand,  not that it mattered. Combat was disabled in this village, so all it did was flash dramatically and make some noise.

“Hey. That’s blinding. Cut it out.”

“Hey. If you wanna play nice and easy, you better make the right choice.”

“Then you should’ve given me money or something! I don’t even have any items. I got killed the second I logged in, dropped all my newbie gear, and now I’ve got nothing. If you take even this away, how the hell am I supposed to play?”

Honestly, I had no reason to take it out on ShutUp. It wasn’t even him who killed me and took my stuff, but I was venting like some frustrated rookie. Muttering to myself, I grumbled, “If you’re gonna leave me in just my underwear, you could’ve at least made it leopard print instead of plain white.”

Maybe they pitied me, because the spectators who’d been watching started pulling items out of their inventories and dropping them on the ground. I ignored ShutUp’s glare and began picking them up one by one, not forgetting to mumble, “Ah, thank you. Bless you.”

I picked up every single thing, potions, armor, weapons, not leaving a single scrap behind. Even junk items could fetch some cash at the shop if I sold them all.

Watching me scrape the floor clean, ShutUp sighed. Then Human, who’d been watching, spoke to him.

“Give him something too. Then he’ll give your Elf’s Breath Ring back.”

“It was mine to begin with.”

“You think that excuse works on a PK server? You never looted anyone else’s stuff? Would you give it all back if they asked?”

The way they talked sounded like actual friends.

As I equipped the items one by one, I threw in, “Yeah, yeah, he’s right,” agreeing with Human’s point. Around us, other players were whispering among themselves about how much the ring was worth. They’d even started betting on how much a newbie like me would get for it.

“Follow me.”

ShutUp must’ve gotten tired of the noise because he told me to come with him.

I ignored him and checked my character window instead, feeling proud of how adventurer-like I looked now. Someone must’ve given me buffed items, there were a lot of pluses.

“Ah, the world’s still warm after all.”

“Shut it and follow.”

“I’m not going outside the town!”

Seeing me on guard, ShutUp curtly replied that we were going to the guild room. I hesitated, not entirely trusting him, until Human came up.

“ShutUp’s the type who enjoys slaughtering people, but he doesn’t lie. You’re good.”

Human had been on my side since earlier, a decent Psychic. If I’d been a female Guide, I could’ve partnered with someone like him and leveled up easy.

After walking for a bit, we reached a portal. The guild mansion could be accessed through it, though not just anyone could enter.

“Jun, invite me back to the guild too.”

Human’s name instantly appeared with the guild mark above his head, he must’ve been a member before. Then it was my turn. ShutUp stepped closer.

<<‘ShutUp’ has invited you to join the guild. Accept? [Accept / Decline]>>

I hit [Accept]. The same guild mark appeared above my head.

ShutUp didn’t say a word, just sent the invite and walked inside. The guild name [Silence] floated over me as I stepped on the glowing platform, and the scene shifted into the guild mansion interior.

“The guild storage is on the second floor. Let’s go.”

“Uh, can I… talk casually too?”

“How old are you?”

Seriously? They hadn’t even asked my age before talking down to me, but now that I wanted to drop honorifics, they were asking mine first.

“Twenty-eight.”

“Then talk casually, hyung.”

“How old’s ShutUp?”

“Us? Twenty-three. Oh, and ShutUp and I are real-life friends.”

“…Unbelievable.”

Maybe he heard me, because ShutUp came right up to me, pointed at my mouth, and snapped, “Watch it,” before dragging me somewhere. I guess in this game, stats really were everything, my low-level character was yanked along like a paper doll by a high-level one.

“Pick.”

ShutUp jerked his chin toward something.

He’d brought me to a storage room filled with weapons and gear. Everything glittered, weapons, armor, accessories, you name it. I touched one and saw it was Guide-exclusive gear.

“Take whatever equals the ring’s value. No complaints then, right?”

As I swallowed hard and reached for the loot, I heard Human quietly chuckling behind me.

‘…Wait, is this a scam?’

You develop instincts like that after enough time in the real world. Whenever someone says “I’m giving this at a loss,” you better doubt it. We live in a world where people don’t even share chicken drumsticks with family, no one gives away something for nothing.

“Eh. Not interested. I’ll pass.”

I said it as nonchalantly as I could.

Truthfully, I wanted everything there. That red-glowing cape, especially, if I wore that, maybe I’d even meet a nice Psychic girl. People met and got married in games nowadays, right? As I was lost in that stupid thought, ShutUp suddenly slammed the storage door shut.

The sharp sound made me flinch.

“Then what do you want?”

His eyes were full of irritation, electricity practically sparking in them.

“Hmm… I’ll think about it, yeah.”

It’s not like I was scared of a guy five years younger. It’s just that, in games, level decides who’s older. While I was awkwardly glancing around, a whisper panel popped up at the top left of my screen.

It was from Human. Weird, since he was standing right next to me.

[Human: Just tell him to be your partner. You’re a Guide, pairing with a Psychic like him will make you level up fast.]

[Human: Don’t reply. Just insist it’s him or no deal.]

Hmm…

Pretending to do something else, I read the whispers. Getting carried by a high-level player like that didn’t happen often.

This could be my chance.

Guides could hunt monsters far below their own level, gaining the same gauge as their Psychic partner. Solo hunting wasn’t efficient, and compared to Psychics’ wide-range magic, Guides’ abilities were more like support. So forming a party with a Psychic was the best option.

And if I managed to team up with a top-tier Psychic like this, I could level up fast.

“Hey, ShutUp.”

He tilted his head slightly, arms crossed, as if to say, “Speak.”

Meeting his arrogant gaze, I stood my ground.

“Be my partner. I’m a Guide.”

“…You serious? I don’t hold back when I link.”

He asked again if I was sure. Instead of answering, I nodded firmly.

ShutUp clenched and unclenched his hands, sparks crackling as something sizzled. He kept doing it, electricity building up more each time.

“What are you doing? Trying to intimidate me?”

I stepped back, but Human quickly explained.

“He’s charging his gauge. Testing if you two can link.”

“Ah, got it.”

“But if your matching rate’s under fifty percent, partnering won’t mean much. You know that, right?”

I didn’t really get all the details, but I nodded anyway, standing there trying to look serious. ShutUp just looked bored.

“If it’s under seventy percent, I’m not accepting. Got it?”

“Yeah, yeah, just hurry up and check.”

Nothing to lose anyway. If the rate came out below seventy, I’d just clean out that shiny storage for the ring’s worth and leave.

“There.”

Before long, ShutUp stepped closer. Then a notification popped up in the center of my screen.

 

***

<<The opposing psychic ‘Shut Up’ has proposed a match. [Accept / Decline]>>

I hesitated for a moment, unsure if I should really accept it, and looked at Human, who gave me an “OK” signal with his fingers.

Right. Since Human said Shut Up wasn’t a liar, I trusted him and pressed [Accept]. Once the text that had been covering the center cleared, I could see Shut Up facing me. Then, he suddenly interlaced his fingers with mine.

‘His hands are big. Just like that guy.’

A countdown voice began, and Shut Up and I were staring at each other. I was annoyed that psychics were taller than guides. He arrogantly rolled his eyes and looked down at me. I, not to be outdone, lifted my chin as high as possible to meet his eye level.

<<…3. 2. 1.>>

As soon as the countdown ended, the hands we were holding were roughly pushed away. Honestly, being partners with a guy like him was the last thing I wanted. Neither Shut Up nor I looked particularly expectant. We simply looked away, each in our own direction, waiting for the results.

<<Matching Results.>>

At that moment, large text appeared in the center of the screen. Suddenly, the text turned into numbers, and the percentage began rising steadily.

When it surpassed about 40%, I heard Shut Up chuckle mockingly, “Oh, really.” By the time it went over 50%, I thought, “Huh, anyone can hit 50%,” and didn’t think much of it.

But when it exceeded 70%, even Human’s eyes widened. Shut Up, who had been ignoring me, shifted his gaze toward me, and when it went past 80%, he slightly opened his mouth.

When it goes over 80%, if either party has no partner, a partner is automatically assigned. Suddenly, a “Ding” sounded, and the top panel displayed <<Partner: Shut Up.>> before disappearing again. A heart appeared next to my name.

The percentage kept climbing, endlessly, and my heart pounded as if it would burst. Human, who had been sitting and watching, now stood to observe.

Suddenly, fireworks exploded on the screen, and a congratulatory message appeared:

<<Matching 1st Place Achieved! 91% Partner Formation! Congratulations!>>

A male-male partner pairing in first place!

I wondered if the game developer had programmed this wrong. Or maybe they had deliberately restricted such high percentages for same-gender pairings.

“Uh?”

Shut Up blinked in surprise.

91% was practically fate. To put it in perspective, partners over 80% were less than 5% of all matches, and it was rumored that any partner over 90% would have their character name and appearance displayed on a giant banner in the town. There hadn’t been anyone over 90% on this server yet.

At that moment, whispers came from everywhere. The lower-left chat window filled with [ㅋㅋㅋ] at the speed of light. It seemed the town’s banner had already gone up.

“Wow! Congratulations! Hehe, Jun, oh, I shouldn’t be laughing.”

“Shut up, seriously.”

Shut Up probably thought 50% was already fine—just enough to impress a newbie and then exclude them as a partner—but this was 91%. I had never even scored 91 in karaoke, so seeing that number and all the whispers left me stunned. I couldn’t even tell if I should be happy.

[Ten-Won Life: Wow, you hit the jackpot. How did you get Shut Up?]
[Guide to Life: ★Gay Couple Formed★]
[Guide with Dildo: I’m jealous]

Then, a guild member named [Enlist] appeared on the second floor and made eye contact with me. He pointed alternately at Shut Up and me while speaking to Human.

“Oh, you actually became partners. Gentle Touch? Who’s that? Do I know them?”

“No, a newbie.”

“Wasn’t it supposed to accept only real friends?”

“Yes. Something came up for a moment.”

In Blood Planet, guilds could only form with up to four members, like a party. This was to prevent imbalance and avoid guilds slaughtering other players. So, it was meant to be 4 vs 4 battles.

Human told Enlist to change his nickname, and Enlist replied that he’d change it to [Discharge] after returning from the military.

“Just looking at your name makes me sad.”

“Want to enlist together?”

Meanwhile, Shut Up and I weren’t just partners—we had now become the server’s top male-male couple. Behind us, something crashed, and curses were heard. Then the partner status on top showed [OFF], probably because someone disconnected.

“Guess he got mad and left.”

I was dumbfounded, but only I seemed surprised. Enlist and Human congratulated me briefly before leaving for hunting.

After they left, I quietly approached the guild warehouse. I tried touching it, wondering if I could open it, but nothing happened.

‘What a shame.’

Before logging out, I sorted my thoughts. Should I level up quickly, hunt in high-level areas, and sell the items? Or use this as capital to develop my psychic character?

Having a goal in mind, the situation didn’t seem so bad. Things felt like they were getting more tangled, but I felt relaxed, thinking, “Oh well, what’s the worst that could happen?”