SWNOVELXO Chapter 27
Main Quest is a BS #6
-Ding!
[Strength has increased by 1.]
“Whoa! What’s this!”
As soon as I opened my eyes in the morning, a wave of extreme joy enveloped me! What a refreshing surprise. I checked my status window right away to see my strength had indeed increased.
“Heh heh heh.”
All that diligent effort at the gym paid off. It seems my muscles have recovered while I slept. Starting the day off in a good mood, huh?
Wait a minute.
Did my strength actually increase?
If my strength keeps breaking limits, wouldn’t I literally become a ‘Martial God’? Already I’m beginning to worry. My ‘strength.’ If it becomes overly powerful, wouldn’t everything just become meaningless?
“It would surely be hollow. Life as the strongest would be.”
Such thoughts brought down my elated mood. I’ve always believed that being an absolute being is a lonely affair. I’m seriously afraid of becoming so powerful that I find everything meaningless. The thought of gaining strength is frightening…
Anyway.
“The main quest?”
[???????]
It’s still riddled with question marks.
There must be some condition for it to unlock. Do I need to use the shop again? But no particular quests have appeared since then.
I need some way to earn coins, for goodness’ sake. It would be great if I could hunt something down for coins. Aren’t there places where monsters appear?
If I actually looked, there would probably be quite a few.
Just checking the news on my phone, reports of gate occurrences spill out like traffic accident news. It seems gates open almost as frequently as traffic accidents occur. Nationally, it’s a daily occurrence.
“Now that I think about it.”
Is tomorrow Saturday?
A day off. Come to think of it, I haven’t been outside since the entrance ceremony? After that debacle, I’ve been cooped up in the dorm. Great. Tomorrow I’ll take Sihu out with me.
I’m not particularly interested in internet cafes. I’d rather go to a billiard hall or a karaoke room, have a meal, and come back home.
Thinking along these lines, I was about to dismiss the main quest window when—
*Ding!*
That familiar notification sound.
[????****]
“Huh?”
[********]
“Wh-wh-wh-what?!”
Something!
As the question marks disappeared, words began to appear!
-Ding!
__________________________
[Main Quest: Prelude]
[Signs of an F-rank gate occurrence have been detected near the city. Eliminate the monster leader.]
[Date]
[Reward: 2,500 Coin.]
___________________________
“What the—?!”
The quest window suddenly filled with words!
My gosh…! After the initial shock subsided, I read the details. A gate is going to appear near the city.
And by defeating it, they’ll give coins.
“I’ve got to do this for sure!”
If it’s an F-rank gate, then it’s the kind where creatures like Antazora, which I decimated at the training ground, come out.
From what I’ve learned in class, the grade of a gate is determined based on the creature with the highest energy level that comes out. Apparently, that can be understood by the waves emitted when the gate appears… but let’s skip that for now.
I’m not sure how many will appear, but if it’s an F-rank monster and the scale is small, even I could handle it.
“I can do this.”
Plus, they’re offering 2,500 coins. Just another 500 and I can increase another attribute.
“But what about the date?”
[Date]
Upon clicking the date.
“Whoa.”
It was scheduled for tomorrow afternoon.
Don’t they know the exact location?
“Shouldn’t I at least be told where it is?”
Anyway, since I planned to go out tomorrow, it wouldn’t hurt to check it out while I’m there. But the name of the main quest is [Prelude]. It certainly sounds like it heralds some significant event…
“Anyway.”
“I’ll go with Sihu.”
This is definitely something to do with a friend.
What are friends for?
“Exactly.”
Sihu is truly strong.
With that guy, I have no worries.
And if things seem to go south, we just run for it. Since it’s a main quest, it does feel a bit ominous, but if we can’t handle it, then it can’t be helped.
Time to head out.
It’s about time to go to school.
*Screech*
I immediately opened the door and stepped out to knock on Sihu’s door.
*Bang bang!*
“Sihu! Let’s go to school!”
“Ah…! Wait a minute!”
His voice coming from inside.
*Screech!*
“I’m not ready yet!”
Then the door opened just slightly as a freshly-showered Sihu, peeking out with just his face, yelled out. Judging by the glimpse of his bare shoulder, he just finished showering.
His hair is still damp. I can smell the shampoo. Maybe he was drying his hair, but I can just wait inside.
“Really? Then just open the door. I’ll wait inside.”
But just as I tried to push the door open.
“Whoa?!”
*SLAM!*
The door shut with tremendous force!
“Hey dude, open the door!”
“No! Just wait out there, Geun-chul! I haven’t put on clothes yet!”
“What’s the big deal! It’s just among us guys!”
“Geun-chul…! It’ll be troubling if you want to see my body this much! You’re my friend, but I don’t know how to deal with someone who’s interested in my body!”
I have ZERO interest in your body!
“Frickin’ heck! What the hell, man! Fine, I won’t go in! Happy now?”
Such a fussy guy! Never seen someone so prickly, male or female, like why so conscious?
Mumbling under my breath, I waited, and eventually, the door opened.
“Geun-chul? You waited, right? Let’s go.”
“Man, you’re so fussy… Just open the door, why make me wait?”
“No choice. It’s your fault for coming so early, Geun-chul. How can I? Next time, let’s meet at a set time.”
“Little punk. Fine. From tomorrow, we’ll set a time.”
Got to avoid any absurd suspicions about wanting to see Sihu’s body – he might look a bit androgynous, but I’m not interested at all.
Anyway, Sihu and I left the dormitory together.
“Hey, Sihu.”
“Hm?”
He tilted his head questioningly as I called out to him.
“Wanna hang out tomorrow, it’s the weekend?”
“Huh?!”
“Why are you so surprised?”
“You’re asking to hang out?!”
“Yeah. Why? You busy?”
“No! No, I’m good! What time shall we meet?!”
He seemed overly excited, almost sparkling. Has he never been out before? Why’s he so happy?
“Let’s meet in the morning. I don’t really know my way around here. So I thought we could take a tour.”
“Ah, I see. Honestly, it’s my first time around here too. So, I guess we’ll do a little exploring with Geun-chul tomorrow.”
“Heh heh heh, sounds like a plan.”
I didn’t mention the gate thing.
Sorry, Sihu.
But help me out.
I’ll even buy you chicken.
“Heh heh heh. Hey, Geun-chul, been to a karaoke room?”
“Have I ever?”
“I haven’t… how about a coin karaoke room? If there’s one, let’s go together. It’s fun, right?”
How could someone never have been to a karaoke room? But he’s so keen on it, looks like I have no choice.
“Sure, let’s go. There’ll be one around.”
“I’m excited. I’ve always wanted to go.”
“Just go by yourself.”
“Nah, that would be awkward.”
With Sihu still grinning, we headed to the academy. But just as we approached…
-Clack clack clack
A swanky limousine pulled up and out stepped Leona, heels clacking.
No way…!
A high schooler commuting in a limousine!
“Hey! Archangel Leona! You’re rolling up in a limo to school? That’s not just arrival, it’s a descent of some sort!”
“Huh? What’s happening? Surely not….. did Kim Geun-chul the Monster appears first thing in the morning! Where are the heroes when you need them! Prepare yourself!”
“Don’t call people monsters!”
What a master of roasting, oh truly.
“Besides that, a limo to school? Aren’t you staying at the dorm?”
“Dorm?”
Leona stood with legs shoulder-width apart and a hand on her chest, donning a proud expression.
“Hmph. A dormitory? As if Leona Kainaros could live in such a confined, uncomfortable place without any servants.”
“Talk about rich!”
“I see I’ve surprised you.”
Leona announced with an enhanced air of affluence.
“That’s the class difference between you, Kim Geun-chul, and me. So give up on your foolish aspirations of meal ticket redemption and meekly fill that hungry belly of yours.”
“How did it come to this?! Whatever it takes, I’m giving those tickets back, so give it up! Just take it already.”
“I have no intention of receiving until Kim Geun-chul’s tragic state of hunger is alleviated, but anyway. Let’s go. It’s almost time for school. And Lee Sihu? Good morning.”
“Oh, uhm, good morning to you too, Leona.”
With that, the three of us went to school together.
Commuting with friends—feeling like a high school student is the real deal.
-Thunk.
As I opened the door to the classroom, a different scene awaited me compared to yesterday. To my surprise, habitual absentee Ryu Cheon-hwi was sitting there, right behind me.
That little punk, after picking up that cola yesterday, seemed like a decent guy. If he’s that approachable, we could easily become friends.
“Hey, Ryu Cheon-hwi. Decided to come to school today?”
As I approached to strike up a conversation—
-Flash!
Ryu Cheon-hwi’s eyes snapped open like an enlightened Taoist master and, ripping out his earphones, he hurled them aside.
“You!”
He sprang to his feet growling like a tiger.
“What’s wrong? Why?”
“I’ve been waiting just for you!”
“Waiting for me?”
WHY?
“How dare you give me a bomb!”
“What?”
A bomb?
“Your cursed proletarian canned drink exploded! You dare to terrorize me? Today I will end you!”
The cola exploded?
Did this dude shake it?
Ah.
It must have happened since he dropped it.
But no matter what, he took the cola and didn’t even return to school? Did he seriously go straight home, try to drink it, have it explode, and then just went back?
“You reckless nutjob! Hey! You shook the cola, didn’t you?”
“What are you on about?”
“Cola explodes if you shake it, dude! Why’d you self-sabotage by shaking it, spouting nonsense this early morning!”
“You’re the one spewing nonsense, you Taliban-esque cretin!”
Who’s calling who a Taliban!
“Stop yapping nonsense, ah jeez! Hey! Wait a sec!”
“Ah! Geun-chul!”
I rushed back outside and grabbed a can of cola from the vending machine. This guy keeps yapping about proletarians as if he doesn’t even know what a fizzy drink is?