Chapter 217
Chapter 217: Chapter 217
“We can’t go with you…? Why not?” The elf asked.
“Are you tired of us?” The cat creature looked at Min Sung with teary eyes as she asked.
The women were shaking after hearing that they couldn’t follow him anymore, but Min Sung’s opinion remained unchanged.
“I heard that if you leave Newtie City with this ticket, you’ll end up dying after only a few days.”
Min Sung spoke in a calm voice, but the content of his words was heavy.
The elf and cat creature’s pupils shook with fear.
After seeing them ponder, Min Sung made it clear.
“To be honest, with your lack of fighting ability, the chances you’ll survive is next to zero. To me, you’re just going to be a burden.”
The cat creature shed tears, and the elf looked into the distance.
Ever since they lost their home, Min Sung was the only person that gave them hope.
For them, who had nothing in their possession, Newtie City was nothing but a cruel place.
While the cat creature cried, the elf walked toward Min Sung and stood in front of him.
Her eyes looked determined.
“I have no interest in becoming a burden after what you’ve done for us. All we can do is pray for you. I’m so sorry… And thank you for everything.”
The elf spoke with tears and sincerity.
The cat creature ran over to the elf and opened her mouth in tears.
“Thank you!”
Just as the cat creature had learned from Ho Sung Lee, she bowed her head down.
Min Sung took turns looking at the crying cat creature and elf and smirked.
“I was able to find my way easily thanks to you. I appreciate it.”
The elf wiped her tears away and bowed to Min Sung as well.
“Ho Sung.”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Give them enough to survive in Newtie City.”
Ho Sung Lee flashed a smile.
“Yes, Sir.”
After looking around to check that no one was watching, he took the cat creature and elf to the inside of an alley.
He then called Ssol. He took out what he thought could sell for money and handed them to the cat creature and elf.
The cat creature and elf widened their eyes at the items.
“W-we can’t take this.”
“These look so expensive…”
The cat creature and elf sounded taken aback.
Ho Sung Lee laughed bitterly.
“They’re gifts from Min Sung. Please repay us by living well.”
The cat creature and elf accepted the items. They swallowed their tears and bowed their heads.
“Oh, also. Let’s end our farewell here. We don’t have much time. If we get a chance… I hope to meet you again, but take care for now!”
Ho Sung Lee said his goodbye and returned to Min Sung with Ssol.
The cat creature and elf stood in the alley, unable to take their eyes off of the party preparing to leave.
The elf and cat creature sincerely prayed for Min Sung’s party to be well.
***
Min Sung checked his ticket one more time.
The ticket indicated the number of people that could use it.
A total of 8 people.
Min Sung’s party had no problem using the portal together.
As soon as he opened the system in front of the warp gate and input the code, the portal began to appear.
Once the portal completely opened, their surroundings began to bustle.
That was because a player leaving Newtie City appeared.
While their surroundings were filled with whispers, Min Sung walked toward the completed portal with a stiff face.
He could only prove his worth by facing danger head-on.
Just like right now.
Min Sung walked toward the portal surrounded by the mystical blue light first.
Zap!
Along with a strong shocking sound, Min Sung disappeared.
After that, Ho Sung Lee, Bowl and Ssol went through.
The players around them watched where Min Sung and his party disappeared with blank looks on their faces.
***
The first thing they saw once they arrived in a new place through the portal was a message.
[Welcome to “Ranker World’.]
A welcome message.
And a world completely contrasting of the vibrant world they came from before the portal spread out in front of them.
It was a small village.
And this village looked worse than any place they had seen.
It was full of insects and flies, and they saw dead bodies, as well as starving children hanging on to their dear lives.
The adults were all hunched over.
“What kind of place is this…?”
Ho Sung Lee scanned the area with shocked eyes.
As for Min Sung, he looked around the village with calm eyes.
“Um, Sir…”
Min Sung lifted his hand.
Ho Sung Lee closed his mouth.
Min Sung knew exactly what Ho Sung Lee wanted to say.
He wanted to hand out the food they had to the children.
“Ho Sung.”
“Yes, Sir.”
“It’s time to eat.”
Min Sung spoke in a flat voice and Ho Sung Lee flashed a smile.
Bowl and Ssol looked up at Min Sung and Ho Sung Lee with curious eyes.
***
Ho Sung Lee took out a table from the item window. He put it down in the middle of the streets and began cooking.
He thought the starving children around them would rush over as soon as he started cooking, but that was his misunderstanding.
Despite all the good smells and the food that was spread across the table, none of them approached.
“This isn’t what I expected,” said Ho Sung as he prepared the food.
Min Sung, who was sitting on a chair, looked around in response.
He certainly sensed desire.
Although they were all looking at them with hunger and thirst, none of them dared to come up to the table.
He also heard kids crying and the adults sobbing.
They were in pain from smelling the food.
“It’s one of two things,” said Min Sung.
Ho Sung Lee looked around Min Sung in the middle of cooking.
Min Sung continued, “Someone is controlling them, or they’re scared of players.”
Ho Sung Lee nodded in understanding.
“Phew… Should I talk to them?”
“If you’re not going to take full responsibility, stop the useless sympathy,” Min Sung said in a cold manner.
“… Yes, Sir.”
Ho Sung Lee focused back on cooking.
People continued to stare.
Min Sung ignored them. He crossed his arms and closed his eyes.
He comfortably smelled the food being cooked and waited for it to be complete.
A moment later, he sensed someone.
He slowly opened his eyes and looked down.
An unsightly girl who looked to be 7 years old stared up at him.
Min Sung lifted his eyes and looked around him.
The adults, who were watching with their children in their arms, quickly hid away.
This child either didn’t have parents, or her parents left for a while.
It was one of those two things.
The girl stared at Min Sung but didn’t say anything in particular.
Min Sung closed his eyes again.
***
It wasn’t just starving Beatrice natives that were in Royce Village.
There were also players, as well as players with great strength, who were no different from the owners of Royce Village.
They were free.
As long as they didn’t bother each other, they were able to enjoy freedom.
They stayed at the accommodations for free and even raped women as they pleased.
They also used the crops to eat food, and when they were in a bad mood after drinking, they even killed some Royce Village natives for fun.
But that didn’t mean there were no conflicts between the players.
They were aggressive by nature, and the rule was not to get in the way of each other, but that rule wasn’t all that important.
As a result, the players fought often.
The guild containing rankers also provided food for Royce Village.
But once the support team disappeared, the players pounced like hyenas and stole just enough food so that they wouldn’t die.
For that reason, the way Min Sung’s party prepared food in the middle of Royce Village stood out to them.
Among them, two players who were watching from an alley chatted.
“I think he’s new here.”
“He’s brave to come here without a guild.”
“What should we do with him?”
“I’m not sure. We should explain the rules here, and if he doesn’t understand, we’ll report him to the superior office.”
***
The food was complete.
He had no intention of staying and eating for a long time, and since Ho Sung Lee knew that, he made what was appropriate.
For that reason, he made a meal that was quick and easy to eat.
And that menu was Japanese mixed rice.
After seeing the signature visuals of Japanese mixed rice, Min Sung looked at Ho Sung Lee in awe that he knew how to make such a thing.
“Were you always talented at cooking?”
In response, Ho Sung Lee laughed.
“I’ve also been surprised by my own cooking skills.”
Min Sung looked back at the food.
The Japanese dish contained rice with beef, onions, and other boiled ingredients on top.
Seeing how the beef was covering the rice made his stomach grumble with hunger.
“Sir, here’s a spoon.”
Ho Sung Lee handed him a large and long spoon big enough to eat udon.
Min Sung used the spoon to mix the rice.
The sauce was well-distributed, and thanks to that sauce, the rice mixed incredibly well.
He smelled something sweet.
While he mixed the rice, he felt someone staring, so Min Sung looked down to his right.
The girl around 7 years old was staring at him.
“If you want some, I’ll share,” said Min Sung.
When he said that, the girl opened her mouth in desperation and nodded up and down.