Until the full moon rose, I instructed the tiger-hunting soldiers who had volunteered to learn, focusing primarily on Wolyeong.
As they were already skilled warriors, the key was to impart techniques they hadn’t yet mastered.
With the evolution of modern combat, the understanding of where to strike, and how to strike effectively, had become standardized.
Simply sharing this knowledge was enough; the tiger-hunting soldiers absorbed it readily, like sponges.
At the center of it all, however, was Byeongson, who, after a clumsy stumble, was immediately flipped and sent rolling on the ground.
“My… my world…”
He had been overconfident in his endurance, only to be taken down by the very tackle I had taught him.
His shoulder looked tattered, having been caught in an armbar.
“Byeongson, the dancers are coming in two days, right?”
“Yes…”
“Good. Then I’ll be off for a bit.”
The sun was about to set.
Wolyeong had absorbed all my tips like a giant sponge.
It was time for me to prepare as well.
What kind of preparation, one might ask?
It was simple.
Whenever one entered a new online community or space, it was customary (TL Note: ‘Gukrul’ refers to an unwritten but widely accepted rule or norm, often used humorously) to lurk and observe first.
****
Precisely when the full moon ascended, I sat in a meditative posture, steadying my breath, unsure of what to do.
My priority was to calm my mind and body, avoiding any unnecessary actions.
I neither drank water nor ate.
Should my body be transported via ‘warp,’ I wanted to avoid any potential motion sickness.
A moment later, after a faint tingling sensation on my tattoo, the air around me completely transformed.
‘Oh?’
Opening my eyes, I felt as though I had stepped into a medieval ballroom.
Black curtains, red carpets, and antique candles lining every corridor created a dim yet refined ambiance.
Yet, not a single person was present, only a profound silence.
Having arrived in my meditative posture, I first rose to my feet.
Just then, something shimmered and approached from down the distant corridor.
I braced myself, but the entity soon chuckled, gesturing for me to relax.
“Please do not be alarmed. I am the Manager. Welcome.”
The one addressed as Manager was a flame.
A rather peculiar flame, white yet glowing with a violet hue, resembling a candle, handed me a piece of paper.
[Welcome to the Grand Ball!]
[Indulge in drink, seek connections, and savor the day.]
[Guests lacking manners will be ‘punished’ without mercy, so please conduct yourselves with decorum.]
[All ‘Skills’ and ‘Stats’ of Awakened individuals are restricted.]
[We ask for your understanding in this matter, and let us strive to avoid any unpleasant confrontations.]
[All who possess an invitation may enter freely, so let us all be considerate of one another.]
[After-rooms are available within the ball.]
[Approach anyone you desire, regardless of gender or race, and enjoy the night.]
[All acts are permitted within the after-rooms.]
[Before your invitation is verified, please follow the instructions of the Manager, Kolorado Alfirs.]
[…]
[This concludes the rules, and we wish you a magnificent evening.]
“So, hardly any real-world time passes here?”
“Yes, one day here is equivalent to one minute in reality.”
“Hmm… this is entirely an escapist haven, too.”
Both the shop and this ball, for some reason, seemed to take the form of ‘havens for escape,’ leaving me with an unsettling feeling.
Kolorado Alfirs.
Kol, for short, claimed that one’s mind would remain perfectly sound, allowing for a lifetime’s stay here without issue.
A profound weariness drained my spirit, and a foul laziness seemed to beckon me.
However, I soon shook my head and inquired about other aspects.
“Does ‘all acts’ include murder?”
“Pregnancy, murder, robbery, and #$^1!@ are all included.”
“What the f*ck did you just say…?”
As I tried to replay the words I had just heard in my mind, an inexplicable headache began to throb.
[Mental fortitude is above a certain level.]
[Resisting entities.]
I suppressed the urge to vomit for a moment.
Kol shrugged, continuing, “It seems, honored guest… you’ve overcome a ghost story? How peculiar. Typically, one must resolve five or more to even perceive the existence of this space. It’s a pleasure to host such a special individual.”
“…Well then.”
Accepting the handkerchief Kol offered, I understood it was for requesting an ‘after-room.’
And so, guided by them, I walked.
“A mask will appear the moment you step into the ballroom. It will embody the word that best describes you. Perhaps, it might even be a glimpse of your future self.”
No matter how they phrased it, it only complicated things in my head, man.
I decided it was information to be unraveled later, neatly folded it, and tucked it away in a corner of my mind.
“Hmm. But is it really true that no fighting breaks out here?”
“All stats, save for mental fortitude, will have been suspended. This space, in essence, is merely a part of a ‘ghost story’ itself. I simply happened to become both its caretaker and manager.”
My mental fortitude was 25.
I wasn’t sure if that was high or not, but I made a mental note of it.
“So, because it’s within a ghost story, rules exist, right? Hmm, are you a Gyeoeui (TL Note: ‘Gyeoeui’ refers to a mysterious or supernatural entity, often with malevolent intent)?”
“Only half correct. There are beings in this world known as ‘doppelgangers.'”
Entities that possess the will of their original but exhibit entirely different personalities and behaviors.
They are said to be created by mixing the souls of Gyeoeui.
Kol, who referred to them as doppelgangers, hummed a tune as their flame flickered.
“‘Doppelganger,’ you say…”
I suddenly gazed at the marking on my palm.
‘This bastard… something’s fishy.’
Kozmo immediately came to mind.
No matter how I thought about it, they were a strange fellow.
That frivolous and petty bastard, utterly unlike the image I had imagined.
‘Perhaps?’ the thought struck me.
‘Should I try to find out…?’
Since the ball was an ideal social venue for exchanging information, I even considered trying to pry some information about Kozmo, but then,
[— Don’t mention my name inside the ballroom!!]
That memory resurfaced.
Still, a promise is a promise; I should probably keep it.
Hmm, I wondered if simply not mentioning their name would suffice…
“We’ve arrived.”
While lost in thought, we reached a door.
It was a wooden door, adorned with a perplexing mix of strange patterns.
‘This looks like a door straight out of the Bible.’
A man was reaching out to something.
Next to him… was it a mirror? I couldn’t quite tell.
As I admired it for a while, Kol gently inquired, “Before you fully immerse yourselves in the festivities, there is one final verification step. Your invitation, if you please?”
The invitation, that thing, the tattoo.
Damn it, I had momentarily forgotten where my invitation was etched.
“…….You’re a man, right?”
I asked cautiously.
“That’s a question I’ve never been asked before. Well, if I had to say, I was a woman before I became… this. My voice is like this now, out of necessity, you see?”
…
A man or a woman?
It was ambiguous to say neither, but theoretically… a woman, then?
I pondered for a moment.
Then, with a ‘who cares’ attitude, I revealed my tattoo.
…
After a long silence, “…Whoa. You’re carrying a Gyeoeui (TL Note: ‘Gyeoeui’ refers to a mysterious or supernatural entity, often with malevolent intent) with you. H-how frightening.”
Their flame, now tinged with red amidst the violet, flickered intensely.
“If it’s confirmed, can you maybe tone down the reaction a bit?”
*Whoosh!*
As if embarrassed, Kol flared up even more.
“Ahem, ahem… In any case, it’s confirmed. Please proceed inside and enjoy yourselves.”
After glaring at the quickly sidestepping Kol for a moment, I opened the door.
A rich aroma of wine, as if entering a high-end restaurant, filled the air.
Everyone was dressed in luxurious attire, as if at an exclusive banquet.
Dresses, suits, and more.
Suits… I, for some reason, was proudly wearing a black hanbok (TL Note: Traditional Korean clothing), which made me feel I would stand out even more.
As it was my first time in this place, and I was a newcomer, my intention was to be as cautious as possible.
Without drawing attention.
My plan was to gather as much information as I could, leave, and then make a proper move on my next visit.
After all, only those who understand the atmosphere truly know how to stir up trouble.
But something felt off.
‘?’
Animal masks, plain white featureless masks, and even entirely black masks—a throng of masked figures, stared at me, emanating palpable hostility.
“Look at that…”
“It seems another big shot has arrived.”
“Oh my, what kind of person could they be? Or perhaps, not a person at all.”
I was momentarily flustered, then checked my own mask.
Looking into a mirror, I understood why they reacted that way.
“A Dokkaebi (TL Note: A Korean mythical goblin-like creature)?”
I was wearing a Dokkaebi mask, featuring red skin, a fierce expression, and green horns.
****
No matter where I went, damn it, no one welcomed me.
“Those who arrive wearing masks of mythical creatures typically ascend to the second floor.”
A clear and pure voice.
Just as I thought someone had finally spoken to me, “Who are you?”
An unfamiliar figure entered my sight.
“It’s Kol. A little different from before, wouldn’t you say?”
A woman with purple hair streaked with white highlights, wearing a gentle smile.
Her voluptuous figure made it hard to know where to look.
She pointed around and whispered to me, “The first floor is typically used by those who come for recreational purposes.”
Recreational purposes?
Were all those people who had been eyeing my thighs earlier thinking such things?
‘This is truly disorienting.’
“If you’re ever in doubt, just ask. An after-room can be requested by multiple people at once, you see.”
“Please, would you kindly refrain from sharing such information with me?”
“Just a jest. In any case, it seems you have no recreational intentions… Shall I guide you to the second floor?”
The first floor was a space less for profound discussions and more for fleeting desires.
Was there a hierarchy even among the masks?
The animal masks looked down upon the plain, colorless ones.
Seeing those animal masks fear my ‘Dokkaebi’ mask, it seemed the hierarchy was: plain masks < animal masks < mythical creature masks.
“Would you like to proceed to the second floor?”
I nodded.
Kol then led me to the second floor.
As I reached and ascended the stairs, the gazes from below abruptly ceased.
As if I were someone they no longer had any business with.
And once I had fully ascended the stairs, ‘This is seriously intense.’
Groups sipping wine, groups engaged in serious discussions, and even those I couldn’t quite identify, all looked at me, then quickly turned their heads away to resume their own conversations.
Horned figures, earless figures, and even those who appeared to be aliens.
As I endlessly turned my head, searching for a group of humans, ‘Wow, that one would be easy to identify.’
A woman with an unusually shaped pelvis caught my eye.
She wore a Chinese qipao with high-waisted black stockings.
A golden dragon was embroidered on her dress, trailing down from her chest.
Her mask depicted a white-skinned Ghost Sword.
‘Hmm… the atmosphere here is quite unusual. Why is the second floor so vast?’
Just as I was about to move elsewhere, “So, have you found any information about that child?”
The voice, by chance, struck my ear.
‘That child,’ she said. My interest was piqued.
My initial goal, after all, was to lurk and eavesdrop on conversations.
I quietly blended into my surroundings, finding a spot.
“They haven’t even set a nickname, so I couldn’t find them at all. The only remaining information is that they’re ‘good at drawing aggro’… that’s about it? They barely leave any comments either… truly.”
“Explain it in a way I can understand.”
“Ugh…”
Aggro, nickname?
It seemed they were discussing the ‘gallery’ (TL Note: Refers to an online forum or community, often a ‘DC Inside gallery’ in Korean web culture).
“Fox Hater, that wretched woman, I must quickly catch her before she steals my disciple… It frustrates me that she doesn’t even respond to my hints.”
A Kappa (TL Note: A Japanese mythical water imp) masked figure muttered in a barely audible voice.
‘Disciple, my ass, she just decided that on her own,’ I thought.
“What did you say?”
“That woman might also be here. I merely suggested you speak cautiously.”
“Do you truly think this lady (TL Note: ‘Bonnyeo’ is an archaic, formal way for a woman to refer to herself) cannot handle such a ruffian?”
“Well, not exactly, but…”
Seeing her with a hunchback wearing a Kappa mask, acting as if in a historical drama, she seemed quite insane.
Then, the nickname ‘Fox Hater’ vaguely came to mind, prompting me to search my memories.
‘Ugh… I don’t specifically remember anything.’
Then, suddenly, ‘Weren’t they those troublemakers who kept fighting amongst themselves, saying ‘this lady’ and that?’
My memory finally returned.
Ghost Sword and Fox Hater had probably fought over such matters.
Ghost Sword, in particular, was someone who used to send me private messages.
They were usually long messages starting with, ‘To my disciple.’
Hmm, I had been ignoring them (TL Note: ‘Byeongmeokgeum’ is a slang term meaning to ignore or not feed trolls), but I never imagined they were like this.
“Truly… I’ve never encountered a child with so little information. Even Kozmo ignored me…”
“Perhaps it would be best to go gather some information first.”
“Yes, you are right.”
It seemed that her talk of a ‘disciple’ directed at me was sincere after all.
Seeing her move with the Kappa and converse with various people, she seemed to have a wide network.
It appeared she knew many people.
Which meant she possessed a lot of information.
And seeing her like that, ‘She might be useful?’
I felt saliva gather on my tongue.
Typically, in situations where one could gain an advantage through words, through their tongue, this symptom would manifest.
*Smack, smack.*
Representatively, “I, for one, possess a little information about that individual, you know?”
“…Huh?”
When one is about to con someone, that is.
