Chapter 970

EP.970 Part 2 Chapter 9 Scene 26 – Midsummer Night’s Dream, Busan Date

Date with Seok Harang.

Ro, I’ve arrived in Busan.

“Harang, where’s this full-course Busan experience?”

“What’s so special about a full course? Just a plate of sashimi and some soju, right? But do you even like that kind of thing, bro?”

“You don’t really enjoy it either, right? So why force it?”

“Do you not want to eat what you like, bro?”

“Eating what the person I love enjoys is my favorite cuisine.”

“Ugh… That wasn’t funny. Stop saying things like that elsewhere.”

She huffed, crossing her arms, but her face turned red as she pulled her cap lower over her head.

Currently, she was dressed as usual, trying to cover herself as much as possible with her hat.

It wasn’t because Seok Harang feared being recognized by other players—it was more that her striking appearance naturally drew a lot of attention, which made her nervous. To avoid drawing stares, she wore her hat low and a black mask to hide her face.

Is this what they call “celebrity posture” on the internet?

I felt somewhat disconcerted by all the glances people were giving us. When I was with Shin-ra, she carried herself so confidently that I never paid attention to our surroundings. However, Seok Harang seemed unusually aware of her environment.

“Harang, should I call you something different?”

“Huh?”

“Your name ‘Harang’ isn’t exactly common.”

Seok Harang…

Even if her game character’s name became globally famous, no Korean parent would ever name their child “Seok Harang.” After all, naming your kid after an adult-rated game character—how would that make them feel?

It’s not an easy judgment to make, but searching for her name online later wouldn’t yield pleasant results.

“So, what should I call you?”

“Hmm… Seoyea?”

“That’s insane! Are you serious?”

Her reaction was intense.

Seoyea was her alias, though here in this world without heroes…

“Then… how about this?”

I took her hand and whispered softly into her ear.

“Rusalka.”

“Wh-what?! What did you just say?!”

An even stronger reaction than before.

But I believed this name would attract less attention from others.

“Doesn’t it sound Russian? Rusalka Kyukkyukski.”

“What…what is that?”

“Tsk.”

I lowered her mask and kissed her lips gently.

Seok Harang frowned but when I pulled back, she readjusted her mask while muttering under her breath.

“Just call me Rusalka…”

At this moment, Seok Harang looked more foreign than ever.

The half-human, half-spirit genes flowing through her body unmistakably evoked images of someone descended from Russia. Her silvery-white hair wasn’t dyed or aged; it was naturally radiant. Her exotic features, average yet slightly above-average bust size compared to Korean standards, and legs that inspired artistic admiration rather than lewd thoughts—all these combined made her truly remarkable.

Today, she wore jeans to cover her legs, but her lower body was nothing short of a masterpiece meant only for those lucky enough to see it.

“Let’s go, Rusalka. I’ll introduce you to the full Busan experience.”

“What…?”

I led Seok Harang around various spots.

Our journey wasn’t like typical sightseeing.

“That place exists here too?”

“Wasn’t it there?”

“Yeah, it got criticized as an eyesore but somehow became a landmark. But then everything got destroyed during that chaos.”

“When?”

“The whales.”

“Oh.”

There was fun comparing Earth from twenty years ago to the present day.

If Seok Harang didn’t know something, I explained it to her. If she knew something, I listened to her explanations. Both Seok Harang and I had seen Busan multiple times in the game world of twenty years ago, but the real-world Busan differed significantly.

“Can they really build such tall buildings near Haeundae? If the wind gets strong and the building sways, wouldn’t it cause chaos?”

“It’s almost like humanity’s attempt to build the Tower of Babel, isn’t it?”

We visited one of Haeundae’s iconic skyscrapers.

Standing so close to the ocean that if it toppled over, its nose might touch the sea, this structure was undoubtedly unfamiliar territory for Seok Harang.

“If monsters break out from the coast, this building would be the first target, right?”

“But there are no monsters here.”

“Who knows? Lately, I’ve been watching movies where strange creatures emerge in Busan and bugs invade Mars or something.”

“In this world, those things don’t exist.”

Out of commercial interest or curiosity, humans develop significant fascination with things that don’t exist in reality. Just as people in the Earth of twenty years longed for peace and created content centered around pure love, the real world compensates for its lack of excitement by imagining diverse scenarios.

“Isn’t it the same with live-action films? Thrillers and explosions are thrilling experiences confined to movies. In reality, we can’t enjoy those things, right?”

“That’s true. Humans yearn for what they cannot possess…”

Seok Harang smiled sweetly and held my hand.

“So that’s why I wanted you so much, huh?”

“What nonsense.”

“Because I couldn’t have you, my desire kept growing. Didn’t they teach us in elementary school that human desires are infinite while resources are limited?”

“Did you learn that too?”

“Hehe, no matter how much the world changes, education remains the same.”

The divergence point between Earth twenty years ago and the current reality was December 25th, 1999.

From that day forward, many things changed due to the opening of the dimensional gate in Tera. Yet, the fundamentals of human life remained unchanged: cultivating land for future generations, educating for posterity, adults protecting children.

“So, are you satisfied, Harang?”

“Satisfied with what?”

“With this life here.”

“Don’t you understand it better than I do?”

Seok Harang countered my question.

“As Phoenix, you possessed unparalleled power worldwide. Even though using your powers transforms you into a monstrous form and forces you to live as a woman, you still gave up everything for greater gains, right?”

“That’s true.”

Blazing Phoenix.

The strength and assets accumulated within a single year in the Earth of twenty years surpassed everything else.

When I first installed the DLC and was sucked into the game, I chose meeting Chang-yeom over 20 billion won.

And even when reviving myself in the Earth of twenty years, I let go of everything.

20 billion won?

Not billions, but trillions, quadrillions—I could’ve lived extravagantly on a planetary scale, yet I relinquished everything.

“I still retain my special abilities, but you’ve lost yours now, haven’t you? Do you know how painful it is for those who lose their powers?”

“I know well.”

There’s no denying it.

Returning to ordinary life after possessing omnipotent powers capable of incinerating half of the American continent with a flick of a finger is undoubtedly tormenting.

“Now that I think about it, there’s one thing I truly miss since losing my powers.”

“What’s that?”

“When I bump my toe against a doorframe, it really hurts now. Back in the Phoenix days, I didn’t even feel such minor things.”

“…Are you serious?!”

Seok Harang attempted to kick my leg but retracted her foot mid-motion.

“Aw, I’m powerless now.”

“We’ll definitely have a proper match later.”

“In three hours, right?”

“…Not the bed, fool. I mean playing games.”

Special ability users don’t feel pain even if they step on LEGO bricks or bite their tongues.

Having lost those privileges, I returned to being an ordinary human and currently possess no extraordinary powers in this reality.

“But at least we can regain our powers in Tera, so isn’t that okay?”

“Going to Tera was something decided later. What about the time in between?”

“To say it wasn’t hard would be a lie. Adapting to life back in Korea after living abroad takes time, so imagine transitioning from another dimension’s Earth. Losing the life of a superhuman all at once… But.”

I can affirm:

“I sacrificed everything I had built up until now to save the person I love. Did you see this?”

I clasped my hands together.

Unfortunately, Seok Harang shook her head, and I missed a golden opportunity to explain succinctly.

-“Even without Phoenix, Blazing Flame lives on.”

-[Correct.] Blazing Phoenix!

Had she seen it, I could’ve summed it up in one sentence. A little disappointing.

Still, it’s fine to use it occasionally.

“Whether it’s special abilities or anything else, I was originally just an ordinary person. Someone who couldn’t even meet the person they loved…”

“Ah, that line’s from there, isn’t it?”

“Caught me.”

“Almost everything you say comes from there, doesn’t it?”

Seok Harang placed her hand on her forehead and sighed.

“When I realized it was true, I was embarrassed beyond belief. If my hometown folks found out that the world-saving strongest strike was actually a line from an anime…”

“Eh? It wasn’t officially released here anyway. There are worlds where cards conquer or save the world, so showing respect by referencing great techniques isn’t bad, right?”

“How do I deal with my limbs shrinking every time?”

“Just enjoy the moment they shrink.”

“Ugh… There’s something scary I really fear, you know. That even the things I come up with might be plagiarized from somewhere else.”

“…”

If someone revealed that Suhyeon Nanyeong was used elsewhere first, would Seok Harang get mad or try to create a new technique?

“Have you any idea how much I suffer? Every broadcast, people drop random jokes, and whenever they’re different from what I know, it stresses me out. Like, ‘Sacred Flame Bullet’? I nearly flipped when that popped up.”

“…”

“Apparently, it’s preserved on my wiki as a clip. Seriously?”

“Relax, it’s fake news. That’s actually the ultimate move of Blazing Phoenix.”

“Wouldn’t that be spoilers?”

“Anyway, you’re not officially affiliated with any streamer group, right?”

She broadcasts pretending to be 3D-modeled while doing 2D signboard streams, but aside from our private moments, she dedicates most of her time to streaming.

“In a way, yeah. Speaking of which, bro, the president mentioned something about Discord.”

“What did he say?”

“Since we’re all here now, why don’t we start the first season of VirtuBer KKKK?”

“……What? Is that baldy serious?”

Crazy talk.

“How can three people form a first-season group? We need at least five members.”

“Why? We just need one more, right?”

“Wait. There are only three of you?”

“…”

Seok Harang pointed at me.

“You, bro?”