“My name is not Yong Yong.”
Now what’s this now, straight out of the blue.
“Hey, Yong Yong, would you like to eat a hotdog?”
“Yes!”
It seemed Yong Yong was happy about the thought of eating hotdogs. He smiled adorably for a moment, but then he suddenly put up a stern face and yelled again,
“My name is not Yong Yong!”
[I knew this would happen.]
The clone b.a.s.t.a.r.d was sitting next to me. He tried to get on my nerve, but I ignored it.
“Yong Yong. If your name is not Yong Yong, then who is Yong Yong?”
“It’s not Yong Yong!”
Ugh.
Well then, that Benedictus… Raocones what not… Are you talking about that?
“My name is Benedictus Raylisia Piakhan Raokones Nafplion Nistiamat Karusearin Valakas Shyanso Karuddanthes Nesaria the Third.”
That’s a super long name, yet you had no difficulty p.r.o.nouncing each and every syllable. I think my Yong Yong could be a news anchor when he grows up.
You didn’t get tongue twisted. You didn’t smudge any of the p.r.o.nunciations either. Have you been practicing?
[It seems he had been doing it before sleeping every night.]
Ah, he really was practising.
“That’s right. My Yong Yong’s name is Benedictus Raylisia Piakhan Raokones Na.s.s Timat Karusearin Shyanso Karuddanthes Nesaria the Third.”
“No! It’s Benedictus Raylisia Piakhan Raokones Nafplion Nistiamat Karusearin Valakas Shyanso Karuddanthes Nesaria the Third!”
Which part did I get wrong?
I can’t even figure that out.
“Of course, of course. You are right.”
How else am I supposed to console him?
[Just memorize the Benedict-whatever name. Won’t that be faster?]
I don’t want to do that.
“Yong Yong. Do you know what your daddy’s name is?”
“I know. Daddy’s name is Daddy!”
“No. Daddy’s name is Lee Ho-jae.”
Yong Yong’s large eyes started to panic.
“That cannot be… It’s Daddy…”
“My name is Lee Ho-jae, Yong Yong. Daddy is a t.i.tle that a son calls the parent by.”
“A t.i.tle?”
“Yes. Of the parents, man is Daddy, and woman is Mommy.”
Yong Yong tried mumbling the words Daddy and Mommy. It seemed he deep in contemplation.
“So, my Yong Yong, your name is Benedictus Raylisia Piakhan Raokones Nafplion Nis Tiamat Karusearin Valakas Shyanso Karuddanthes Nesaria the Third… However, I am calling you Yong Yong as a nickname.”
“Is that why you call me that?”
“That’s right.”
It seemed Yong Yong was satisfied with the answer. He smiled adorably again.
He smiles so photogenically.
While I had the chance, I nudged a fairy worm in Yong Yong’s mouth.
Fortunately, he didn’t complain. Instead, Yong Yong chewed the worm and swallowed it.
Oh my, you are eating well.
Yong Yong, even if it is something as simple as watching you eat deliciously, these things brings smiles to your Daddy.
“Daddy.”
“What is it, Yong Yong?”
“Then who is Mommy?”
It was an unexpected question. My face, which was smiling, was now petrified in horror.
[That ruined it. You just activated a trap card.]
Hey, help me.
[How am I supposed to help in this situation? You want me to pretend to be the Mommy? You already told him that a female parent is the Mommy?]
Hey, clone b.a.s.t.a.r.d…
[What, original b.a.s.t.a.r.d.]
You, do YOU want to try s.e.x change operation?
[PR Note: I used all caps on “you” above because I don’t have any other method of making him emphasize these words and it sounds too casual if I left it as it was]
[You crazy b.a.s.t.a.r.d.]
In the end, I told Yong Yong that his Mommy will come when he grows up a little longer. I cleverly placed hotdogs and pizza on top of the lie to turn away Yong Yong’s interest in the subject.
[Have more excuses prepared for the future or try making a female homunculus.]
If possible, I would prefer not to make an intelligent being.
If my symptoms of schizophrenia act up again, then that could be a serious problem.
Especially when I even have Yong Yong now…
[Well, that’s true.]
Yong Yong was sitting at the table and noisily munching on pizza. I wiped the cheese from below Yong Yong’s chin as I looked around.
This was a family restaurant that the clone b.a.s.t.a.r.d, Yong Yong and I built a few days ago.
I could still smell the paint from the wall, but I didn’t bother to erase the smell from the wall using magic.
The paint was harmless to the body to begin with. Also, it wasn’t like there was paint in existence that could harm me, the clone b.a.s.t.a.r.d or Yong Yong.
Although it was not a pleasant smell, it somehow made me feel like a normal person in society.
The scenery definitely had changed.
I can see the world in different color.
It’s a good thing.
I stroke Yong Yong’s head once and brought out this month’s newspaper from the inventory.
The clone b.a.s.t.a.r.d saw me do this, and he also brought out a book.
It was a book that I wrote by recalling a fantasy novel that I read back in school days.
It had been 20 years since I read the book. Of course, it would normally be impossible to write it all down from memory without getting anything wrong.
However, I could remember things from my past at will, even the ones that I thought I forgot due to pa.s.sage of time.
As a reward for babysitting Yong Yong while I restored half-destroyed residential area, I allowed the clone b.a.s.t.a.r.d to stay and I wrote the novels for him to read based on the memories of what I read in the past before I entered the Tutorial.
Yong Yong addressed the clone b.a.s.t.a.r.d as uncle and followed him as well.
I was concerned that Yong Yong might find this confusing because the clone b.a.s.t.a.r.d looked exactly like me. However, Yong Yong used mana to identify the differences between me and the clone and distinguished us apart.
It had been a while since Yong Yong, my clone b.a.s.t.a.r.d and I have started spending days like a family.
Also, what I had been thinking lately is…
[Oh my, you sure are sensitive.]
Ugh, this G.o.d d.a.m.n telepathy.
Do you really have to intrude in my private life?
“You think I’m hearing them because I want to? Yong Yong, eat up.”
The clone b.a.s.t.a.r.d gave another slice of pizza to Yong Yong before returning to reading the book.
Ugh that rascal.
I should just read the newspaper.
[Kim Min-hyuk, former leader of the Order of Vigilance, is forming a new Awakened Warriors Clan?]
Um…
I thought this rascal would go to the Blue House, but he is making a clan…
[TL: Blue House is Korea’s version of White House.]
Well, I’m sure he will do well.
Kim Min-hyuk is one of the two people who know about my plan.
He even promised that he will have things prepared for my plan. The Awakened Warriors Clan must be also related to that.
This is different from what I heard before, but if he changed his mind after seeing the situation in the outside world, then I trust his judgement.
I’m sure he will handle things well on his own.
[A newly developing rivalry in h.e.l.l Difficulty? Brian from America and Lee Yun-hye from Korea. Their similarities and differences?]
Brian from America was a h.e.l.l Difficulty player who was known to have cleared the 31st Floor.
The 31st Floor is not an easily cleared. He is one amazing guy.
Now that he cleared 31st Floor, he cannot return to the 30th Floor’s residential area.
It means he must charge toward the 60th Floor no matter what.
Alone.
I’m sure he probably knows what this means. After all, he is a player who got past the 30th Floor in the h.e.l.l Difficulty.
I am not sure if this will give him courage or make him reckless.
Lee Yun-hye had been receiving much attention lately from the outside world.
She seems to be compared to me more often than to Brian.
She was called the second Lee Ho-jae or given a t.i.tle with a similar idea.
Personally, if I am to compare Brian and Lee Yun-hye, I would evaluate her more highly than Brian.
Even the newspapers are a.s.sessing her to be superior to Brian despite the fact that she was at a lower floor.
Of course, that’s how it should be. After all, I was the one who guided her.
She is practically my successor.
Also, I don’t think she has an objection to being called my successor.
To be fair, Lee Yun-hye has a negative side too. Although her progress is very steady, her clearing speed is very slow.
[That’s still pretty fast.]
If you consider the power she has, it is actually on the slow side.
She grew up to as a dual-cla.s.s warrior that merges the archer and spell caster. She even mastered hidden skills and developed ways to use them when the method of obtaining them were completely unknown.
She uses potions like water. Even in a slightly dangerous stage, she carries a lot of expendable items.
She now has over twenty summon spirits and monsters.
She even has two Power Skills.
However, she is still only at the 13th Floor.
Does that make sense?
Honestly, she should be at 40th Floor by now.
[Not everyone is like us.]
Frustration was slowly creeping up on me. Yong Yong seemed to read my emotions. He stopped eating pizza and looked at me.
I told him it was nothing and redirected his attention to the pizza.
I think I should eat some pizza too.
[Lee Jun-suk, 90th Floor: Big Bro, were you looking for me? I was on my way to the 91st Floor, so I didn’t get to see the message.]
I put the pizza down again.
I left Yong Yong in my clone b.a.s.t.a.r.d’s care and left the family restaurant.
I contacted Lee Jun-suk because, as Park Jung-ah said before, I wanted to try convincing him that it was time for him to go to the outside world.
It has been a very long time since he started his isolated training at the 90th Floor.
Now, the time he spent at the 90th Floor exceeded the time he spent going from the First Floor to the 89th Floor.
Isn’t it really about time you returned to the outside world?
There are families and friends waiting outside for him, and he even has a contract with the Korean government.
Actually, in the outside world now, the media have been yapping about a conspiracy theory on Lee Jun-suk. They claimed that the Hard Difficulty player named Lee Jun-suk died a long time ago and that the Order of Vigilance is hiding this for the their own benefit.
Now, it is really time for him to go.
Repeatedly, I told him that it was time to go for ten minutes.
[Lee Jun-suk, 90th Floor: Is that so… Is it really time for me to return?]
[Lee Ho-jae, 60th Floor: That’s right you rascal. Please go back to the outside world. Other than the NPCs, the only first-year members who still remain in the Tutorial are just you and me. Aren’t you sick of this place?]
As for me, I would like to leave the Tutorial, but I cannot.
In the past, I felt that he and I were similar when he stayed at a residential area for the sake of growth. I was sympathetic toward him.
He made me feel better. I was thankful as well.
However, now, it really was time for him to return to the outside world.
Lee Jun-suk was silent for a moment. He then sent me a message that detracted from the topic.
[Lee Jun-suk, 90th Floor: Big Bro, I thought I was the main character. I think I’ve been living that way.]
Was that the reason why?
I already know well enough about his goals and the things that he had been agonizing over.
[Lee Jun-suk, 90th Floor: Big Bro… You and I… We are very different, right?]
Of course.
Fundamentally, you and I cannot even be compared.
[Lee Jun-suk, 90th Floor: In that case… what if you made comparison based on your former self when I met you in person before?]
[Lee Ho-jae, 60th Floor: As of now, you are a little stronger in comparison to my former self.]
Lee Jun-suk paused for a long time again.
[Lee Jun-suk, 90th Floor: When I got to the residential area and learned that the effectiveness of training in this place is not adjusted based on the difficulty, I thought about this.]
[Lee Ho-jae, 60th Floor: What did you think about?]
[Lee Jun-suk, 90th Floor: I thought that, if I stayed at a residential area and continued to grow for a long time, I might be able to catch up to you someday. However… As the time went by, the gap in our abilities only widened.]
That’s unfortunate.
[Lee Jun-suk, 90th Floor: Big Bro. In your case, it’s probably difficult to expect any more growth at the 61st Floor. It’s the same here for me. There is nothing for me to gain at the 91st Floor now. The only thing I can still do is train by myself at the residential area. I know that there is no growth acceleration effect at the residential area, but… I wonder why…]
It’s a sad story to hear.
Lee Jun-suk probably isn’t asking me these questions because he doesn’t know.
He knows the answers, but he just does not want to acknowledge them.
People always treated me like an outlier.
They didn’t even try to compare themselves to me.
Because of this, I always welcomed Lee Jun-suk, and I was thankful.
He saw me like a normal person like him and tried hard to catch up to me.
At first, he probably thought that the differences between us was due to the fact that I entered the Tutorial a few rounds before him.
He probably still believed that up to around 40th Round.
After that, he probably thought that it was the difference in the difficulty.
He probably continued to believe that for another 40 Rounds while I got stuck at this residential area.
The next reason could be found not in me but Lee Jun-suk.
After his long pause, he sent me a response as if he organized his thoughts.
[Lee Jun-suk, 90th Floor: Big Bro, I’ll go back to the outside world in the next round.]
I don’t know what to tell him now.
Based on personal experience, I knew that it will become a huge scar for him if I said anything to console him in a situation like this. I just kept my mouth shut.
Now that I think about it, something like this has not happened ever since I stopped being a professional gamer.
Ever since I gained power in Tutorial, Lee Jun-suk was the only one who would seriously consider me as a rival.
There may have been others who were qualified to stand next to me, but they didn’t bother revealing themselves.
[Lee Jun-suk, 90th Floor: Big Bro, I’ll be leaving the Tutorial first. I’ll wait for you, so you have to clear the Tutorial and return too.]
[Lee Ho-jae, 60th Floor: Yes. See you at the outside.]
Other than that, I couldn’t say anything else.
The good memories we shared, my grat.i.tude, apologies, how I enjoyed his friendship…
I had many things to say, but I only had a few words that I could actually tell him.
If we get another chance to talk before he leaves the Tutorial, then I hope that I’ll be able to ease up and give him my heartfelt farewells.
Of the five bracelets on my arm, one of them made a cracking noise and shattered.
These were the safety devices I made after I half destroyed the residential area.
In the past, this was not a problem for me since I lived alone. However, now that I had Yong Yong, I had a need to be careful with my power.
I think I should go make another safety device.
Even if it is bothersome, I should maintain five of them.
I suddenly got worried about the clone b.a.s.t.a.r.d.
He probably got the shock from my emotion too.
I quickly entered the family restaurant. The first thing I saw immediately was the clone b.a.s.t.a.r.d crying in unsightly manner and Yong Yong consoling that pathetic clone b.a.s.t.a.r.d.
“[I… Iruril… Uuuuhurrrrrrng…]”
[TL: Iruril is a beautiful female elf character from Dragon Raja, a famous Korean fantasy novel by Lee Young-do that started the fantasy novel boom in Korea.]
Ah, that lunatic…
What is he doing with my face.
“[The book… The book is over… The Autumn of Magic is over… Uhuhuhunghuk…]”
Concerned, Yong Yong was still looking at the clone b.a.s.t.a.r.d. Yong Yong was licking his hand. I had Yong Yong sit on my lap and asked the clone b.a.s.t.a.r.d.
“Was the book that sad?”
“It’s a masterpiece… Amazing masterpiece! The author is a genius! Even Shakespeare cannot be compared to him.”
“But you never read Shakespeare before.”
[TL: Clone b.a.s.t.a.r.d, I totally agree with you.] [PR: d.a.m.n right it’s better than Shakespeare.]
The clone b.a.s.t.a.r.d completely ignored what I just said and continued yapping away.
“Hey. Is there another work by this author? Hey, there are, right? There must be, right? You read it, right? Write it too, please.”
“There is one, but…”
“Hey, do I have to get on my knees and beg? Should I? Should I take my clothes off and prostrate?”
Take clothes off? Why? Are you a pervert? Stop it already, you lunatic. What do you think you are doing? Don’t you see you are in front of a child?
“Just wait a day. I’ll write you a story about a bird that died quickly.”
“What’s that about? A journal about a bird?”
“It’s a masterpiece on the level of a nuclear explosion, so just shut up and wait.”
[TL: The author is talking about “The Bird that Drinks Tears” and “The Bird that Drinks Blood,’ both written by Lee Young-do.] [PR: I feel like I should read Lee Young-do’s works now.]