Chapter 359: The Worst Game (5)

Cale stared intently at the mirror.

‘The blonde hair and blue eyes aren’t bad either.’

He smiled like Crown Prince Alberu.

– Human! Who are you planning to deceive this time?

Cale’s smile faded.

“You’re imitating the Crown Prince, Nya!”

Hong exclaimed excitedly, while On offered a serious piece of advice,

“The important thing is always to be yourself. The Crown Prince’s smile isn’t easy to imitate.”

Cale pondered On’s words, and Raon chimed in with his characteristic enthusiasm,

“Correct, Human! That smile of yours that pretends to be kind isn’t like the Crown Prince’s radiant joy. You’re more… more like someone who seems bad at first but turns out to be good! How do you say that?”

Before Raon could continue, On calmly added,

“A smile suits him more when it says, ‘He seemed like a villain, but he’s actually a good guy.’”

“That’s it!” Raon exclaimed. “Our Human seems distant and cold, but when he smiles kindly, he melts everyone’s defenses!”

With a heavy sigh, Cale put on the baby carrier.
Wiggle.
Eden Miru’s recovery rate had already reached 65%.

“Eden Miru, did you sleep well?”
Wiggle, wiggle.
The egg gave a small shake in response.

“Yes! Did you sleep well? I slept well too!”
Raon beamed cheerfully.
Wiggle.

Cale stared intently at the egg's movements.

Last night, Eden Miru (Status: Egg) had curled up in Raon’s arms, and Raon had slept peacefully, holding him close.
‘…Did Eden Miru really sleep well?’

What Cale saw when he woke up was Raon’s saliva, which had run all over the surface of Eden Miru’s egg (Status: Egg), which was nestled in Raon’s arms, until it dried.

“…Cheer up.”

Cale looked at the egg and, without realizing it, said a few words of encouragement.

Wiggle~
The egg gave a small shake, then stopped.

Cale, who somehow understood that feeling, gently tapped the egg wrapped in a floral cloth and left the room.

And he headed to the dining room on the ground floor of the inn.

– Oh, Human! There are so many people!

As Raon said, most of the seats in the ground floor dining room were occupied despite it being morning.

“They say the Temple of the Sun God was attacked last night!”

“Indeed, there was a commotion until dawn. Have they found the culprit?”

The stories the NPCs were telling.

“Do you know any priests of the Sun God Temple?”

“No. It’s hard to approach the Temple of the Sun God now. I thought I could get a mission, but it seems it’ll be difficult.”

The conversations the players were sharing in groups. Of course, the players spoke in low voices, as they seemed to be watching the surrounding NPCs.

‘Cale. Players try not to reveal their identity as foreigners as much as possible.’

NPCs instinctively recognize foreigners and treat them as such.

However, players try not to use real–world terms or terms that reveal they’re playing in front of NPCs.

‘Because the NPCs’ attitude towards foreigners in this game is becoming increasingly hostile.’

Cale remembered the information Alberu had given him and went to an empty seat.

The girl from yesterday—the Sixth Evil’s subordinate—approached Cale to take his order.

“Haven’t you had breakfast?”

“I’m going to eat again.”

Cale ordered breakfast to his room, which, of course, the children with an average age of ten were eating.

Cale had gone downstairs to eat his share.

“…….”

The girl, both the subordinate of the Sixth Evil and the leader of the inn’s information network, stared at Cale for a moment before continuing to speak naturally.

“They say something terrible happened at the Temple of the Sun God last night.”

“Oh, really?”

Cale’s gaze shifted to the floor—to her feet. She still had no shadow. But now, one was starting to form.

And then, the girl asked him as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

“Do you know anything?”

Cale smiled casually.
“Well, what would I know?”

Nya!
At that exact moment, On leapt smoothly onto Cale’s lap.

Cale stroked her fur as if it were the most natural thing in the world, and continued,

“Ah, yes. Chaos? I heard there’s an organization tied to the God of Chaos.”

“…….”

The girl said nothing.

She knew full well—Cale was a subordinate of the Seventh Evil. That meant he shouldn’t have anything to do with the God of Chaos.

“!”

“……!”

But there were people who reacted to Cale’s words.

The nearby players.

They knew Cale was an NPC.

And yet… his mention of Chaos struck a chord. Rumors of strange happenings and cults had already begun circulating on the Briz–Ane bulletin board. Cale had simply added fuel to the fire—offering just a little more than anyone else dared to.

“Well, what did he say?”
“Did he mention an organization that worships the God of Chaos?”

Incredible.

A quiet murmur spread through the room.

Cale’s gaze shifted—subtle, but deliberate—toward the sound.

And just like that, he knew.

That man… was a player.

“!”

The one who had locked eyes with Cale tried to look away.

But Cale simply smiled. And then, casually said:

“I’m just a vagabond. I hear things here and there.”

Kangseongguwangjumeok — “King of the Iron Fist” — the player who’d made eye contact, stopped pretending to ignore him. Slowly, his gaze turned toward the NPC with two elegant cats seated by his side.

The stories the NPCs were murmuring…

‘This is interesting.’

That kind of line—an offhand remark from an NPC—was often the trigger for something big.

Kangseongguwangjumeok might not be a veteran, but he had a "Flowing River" level—just enough to know that when the river starts to ripple, a current’s about to pull you in.

He leaned slightly toward Cale.

No—
He stood up abruptly.

Now, other players had started to take notice.

I need to get the exclusive information!
No—wait, the mission!

That vagabond… he might be a quest-giver!

An NPC appearing for the first time...!
And not just any NPC.

He was a strange guy carrying two cats and an egg.
Yes—an egg, wrapped in a floral cloth and even wearing a little bib!

Just looking at him made it obvious.

This guy’s definitely important!

Blonde hair. Blue eyes. A face more handsome than the Duke—supposedly the most handsome man in all of the Briz Empire.
And above all—

He’s handsome… in a bad way!

The feeling of soft morning light that blonde hair gives is overshadowed by his facial features, giving him a feeling of bright gold in a dangerous place.

A calm and relaxed atmosphere.

Also, his smile was like that of an experienced adventurer.

But he seems like a good guy!

In the New World, NPCs are diverse too.

They can be divided into three types: evil, neutral, and good, but regardless of their nature, there are bad guys who are good and good guys who are bad.

The nature of the group they belong to, and the individual nature are different in some cases.

And–

Usually, handsome vagabonds–

They’re cunning and mischievous, they seem bad, but it turns out they’re good and they sacrifice themselves for a greater cause.

Kangseongguwangjumeok trusted his instinct and approached Cale’s table.

“Ahem. Can I hear the story in more detail?”

“Oh, for free?”

Cale replied with a relaxed smile.

Kangseongguwangjumeok said to the young waitress.

“I’m going to pay for this gentleman’s meal.”

“Ha, ha. Thank you!”

Cale smiled broadly.

“I’m Kangmek.”

“You’re a foreigner. I’m just a nameless vagabond.”

Cale exchanged light chatter with the player and, at the same time, gave a furtive glance toward the girl.

“…”

The girl, who had been silently staring at him, didn’t say a word.

Cale met her gaze with a relaxed smile.

Then he opened his mouth to speak to Kangmek.

“Free information is useless. In that sense, Kangmek, you’re someone who understands value.”

He was speaking to the player.
But his words were meant for the girl.

Or more precisely—for the shadow swaying beneath her feet.

That trembling shadow…
It quivered as if barely restraining itself, held back only by the presence of too many people around.

The Sixth Evil was displeased with Cale.

That’s why Cale said—

‘There’s nothing for free.’

If you want something, bring a price.’

The girl’s lips parted.

“…I’ll prepare your order as soon as possible.”

It was an odd response for a simple food order.
But Cale was satisfied.

That was the answer he wanted.

“Ahem. Ahem.”

Kangmek let out a series of awkward coughs.
He looked nervous—very nervous.

‘What? Is he a newbie?’

That was Cale’s first impression.
But he quickly dismissed the thought.

There was a reason he’d taken an interest in Kangmek.

‘He’s alone.’

All the other players were gathered in groups.
But Kangmek was by himself.
Whether he was a solo player or just had problems, Cale couldn’t tell yet.

‘And he seems… a little silly.’

Still, the surrounding players seemed to recognize him.
He wasn’t completely unknown.

‘He’s perfect in many ways.’

This player was just right.
The perfect candidate for the experiment Cale had in mind.

– Human, are you finally going to test whether you can give missions?

It was just as Raon said.

Cale was about to attempt something for the first time—
To see if he could assign a mission to a player.

It was something he had been suspicious of for a while.

‘How are the Hunters guiding this RMPAG New World according to their will?’

Could it simply be because the Transparent Blood are the owners of the virtual reality game company?

That didn’t add up.

There were hundreds of millions of players in this world.
There was no way a group of game company executives could manage and influence all of those variables.

‘Impossible.’

Absolutely impossible.

‘And besides… there’s something else.’

According to the system, there were issues with the way ㈜Transparent was managing the game.
It believed that variables were being introduced that violated the original design rules—
and as a result, unpredictable situations were spreading throughout the world.

In other words, the system itself couldn't control how this world unfolded anymore.

‘Of course, it was because of that gap that the system was able to create Won, the AI.’

Mutant NPCs were appearing across the game.
And it was precisely those irregularities that allowed Cale to find footing here.

But still—

‘In the first place, the Transparent Blood, obviously…’

He had to uncover how the Hunters, the divine world, and the demonic world were manipulating this RMPAG world to suit their own agendas.

And the most important factor in all of that—

‘Missions.’

The most powerful tool used to move players.

‘If the Hunters, or the ones from the divine or demonic realms, can give missions to players…’

Then they could increase their influence within the game—without ever revealing who they truly were.

Cale recalled the words of the Fierce Dark Bear.

‘Well, missions?’
‘Should we call them missions, broadly speaking? We call them beliefs.’

Beliefs—missions that had taken root from the moment they existed as NPCs or monsters.

‘With those beliefs, we give missions.’

One of the reasons RMPAG—the New World—had become so wildly popular was precisely because of its diverse missions.

NPCs could assign players an astonishing range of missions, as long as they didn’t stray too far from the system’s established framework.

“Ahem.”

Cale cleared his throat and slowly opened his mouth toward Kangmek, who was glancing around nervously and coughing.

“Do you know much about the underworld in this region?”

Ding.

An alert rang in Cale’s mind.

[Are you going to create a mission?]

“The underworld?” Kangmek blinked, clearly caught off guard by the sudden topic.

“Yes. I heard something while wandering around. Someone claiming to be from a secret group called Arm said they were trying to seize control of the underworld.”

“!”

Kangmek’s eyes widened.

Nearby players subtly leaned in, trying to catch fragments of their conversation.
But Cale and Kangmek kept their voices low.

“T–Those... Arm—”

“Their attire was similar to the ones who attacked the Temple of the Sun God yesterday.”

“!”

Kangmek’s eyes widened even further.
This—this was huge.

This is a great story!

Had the underworld, the rumors whispered in the dark alleys, ever been featured in the main storyline?

‘No!’

Sure, if you traveled to the mercenary nation, you’d occasionally get underworld-related quests.
But those were usually side missions—cleaning up the black market or taking out low-level thugs.

Never an actual organization connected to the Temple of the Sun God.
Never something this big.

Thump, thump~

Kangseongguwangjumeok’s heart pounded.
He realized—this was it.
A crossroads in his gaming history.

“And it seems this group—‘Arm’—worships the God of Chaos.”

The handsome NPC in front of him said it so calmly,
Yet Kangmek’s heart pounded even harder.

This was a main quest. It had to be.

“The problem is... I’m not the only one who heard about it,” Cale added, voice low and composed.

– Human, Human!
Raon suddenly interrupted.

– But, Human… what you’re saying now… isn’t it completely made up?

…It was true.

Cale was crafting a rumor.

But of course—
It was a rumor that would soon become reality.

He was seeding the future—
And doing it through a mission.

“Kangmek. Do you know anything about the Kingdom of Darkness?”

“Yes?”
Kangmek blinked, confused.

There was no such kingdom in the New World.
None at all.

But that didn’t matter.
Because Cale was about to create it.

With nothing more than words.
Like an illusion—without shape, without form.

But—

[Is the main theme of the mission “Kingdom of Darkness”?]

Could an illusion be given substance… through a mission?

“D-Does such a kingdom exist?” Kangmek asked, his voice uncertain.

“That’s right.”

Cale’s voice rose slightly—just loud enough for others nearby to catch his words.

“They say… when a force emerges to destroy the underworld of the New World, a protector appears in response. A protector to defend the underworld… to guard those who can only live in the shadows… and to preserve the shadow itself.”

“!”

The Protector of the Underworld.

Kangseongguwangjumeok’s eyes sparkled with understanding.
He caught the context immediately.

Experience never goes to waste.

“Is the Kingdom of Darkness… that protector?”

Cale nodded Slowly.

“‘Where there is light, there is shadow. They say the Kingdom of Darkness exists—created by those who eliminate the evil that lurks in the shadows, protect those who can only live in the shadows, and defend the shadow itself.’
That legend exists.”

“Wow! A legend—”

Kangseongguwangjumeok shivered.

A major storyline quest…!

This update really is packed with hidden content!

Unbelievable. Absolutely incredible.

Just posting this information on the community forum would rocket him straight to the top.

Best post of the week? Easy.

His heart pounded violently.

Then, the handsome NPC standing before him murmured in a low voice:

“They say Arm and the Kingdom of Darkness are waging an epic battle… to claim control over the entire underworld of the New World.”

Arm.
The Kingdom of Darkness.

Two secretive factions locked in a legendary struggle.

But in truth… both were Cale’s creations.

Both were his.

Only Cale knew that.

And now—
Cale had brought them into existence.

A variable—
One that the Hunters and their enemies didn’t know about.

“…But, you know.”

Kangmek suddenly spoke, his expression turning serious.

“…What’s your name?”

Kangseongguwangjumeok, though not a veteran, had enough experience to know—
This vagabond in front of him was strange.

There’s no way an NPC this handsome was just some random wanderer.

Also—

He’s handsome in a bad way!
But somehow… he seems like a good guy!

If he really had that kind of role—

“…So right now, Arm is stirring chaos and war in the underworld,
and the Kingdom of Darkness is trying to defend it… to protect it.”

The mysterious NPC. The tamer with two cats and an egg.
Kangseongguwangjumeok trusted his instincts and asked:

“Which side are you on?”

At that moment, the handsome NPC smiled.

A mischievous curve to his lips.

“Well—
We’ll see.”

And with that grin, Cale turned his gaze toward the floating system screen…

…a screen only he could see.

===========

[Creating mission...]

[Main Theme: The War Between Arm and the Kingdom of Darkness]

[*Determining mission level...]

===========

At the same time, Kangmek’s gaze shifted to the translucent system window only he could see.

Beyond that glowing pane, the vagabond spoke.

“I’m just a vagabond who leans on the darkness.”

Ding!

A mission window appeared in front of Kangmek.

And then—Cale’s voice echoed softly in his ears.

“But I just know… that sometimes, the darkness is more welcoming.”

==========

[You have discovered the main mission for the first time.]

[Main Mission: Chaos and Darkness]

==========

“!”

Kangseongguwangjumeok felt an emotion that shook his entire body.

==========

[You have discovered a clue about the Kingdom of Darkness.]

[Will you approach the truth of darkness?]

==========

Ah.

Kangmek clenched his fist beneath the table.

The Great First Step.

After the major update, players who hadn’t contributed to the creation of the kingdom had been relegated to mere observers.

But now—
One of those observers had uncovered a brand-new main mission he could actively participate in.

A great mission.
A turning point.

And on the other side of the table, Cale was quietly staring at the mission window he had just created.

==========

[Main Mission: Chaos and Darkness]

[Forming mission details...]

[Branches can be formed in four paths: “War, Politics, Religion, Founding a Kingdom”.]

==========

Oh.

Cale’s smile deepened.

‘I understand now… how the Hunters created their own game inside this RMPAG.’

The enemies were rooted throughout the New World—
Hidden as NPCs, Semi–NPCs, and even as players.

‘If a new and unexpected game starts… they’ll have no choice but to reveal themselves.’

This time, Cale made a decision.

He would be the one directing the game.
He would no longer be a piece moved by someone else.

– Human, but… don’t you think this will make the board too big?

That’s exactly what he intended.

The wandering shadow—
The Semi–NPC named Cale—
smiled quietly in the growing chaos.

===================

<Urgent! New Main Theme Discovered in Briz–Ane!>

– The first underworld main mission!

– And there’s a hidden kingdom?! We didn’t know! Incredible! Amazing!

– What are you even talking about?

– Players in Briz–Ane are going wild trying to find the Vagabond Tamer!

– Hey... are you Kangseongguwangjumeok?

– Friend, tell us more!

– Damn it, I better head to Briz right now.

===================

TL Note:

Kangseongguwangjumeok (강성구왕주먹): A dramatic, over–the–top nickname meaning “King of the Iron Fist of Strong Fortress District.” This name is typically used by players who want to project a tough, powerful persona in the game. It represents an "Iron Fist King"—a player who has a dominant, battle–hardened reputation, though the name itself may be a bit exaggerated.

“Flowing River” level: A term used to describe a mid–level player, not quite a veteran but competent enough to hold their own. It suggests a level of skill or ranking that is steady and reliable, much like a flowing river.

Bib: A small cloth worn around a baby’s neck to protect clothing from drool or food. In this context, the egg is being treated like a baby — wrapped in a floral cloth and even given a bib — creating a humorous and slightly absurd image. This is a common comedic trope in Korean novels, where characters sometimes exaggerate care or affection in unexpected ways (like babying a literal egg).

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Translator's Comment:

Cale just turned a made-up rumor into the biggest main quest of Briz–Ane—this is how you hijack a game from the inside.

***

If you find any errors or have suggestions, please feel free to provide feedback.

Thank you for reading!

[Author – Yu Ryeo Han]

[Translator – Anowa]

[Proofreader – Mayank]