Chapter 96

Ian-na finally completed all the handover tasks as of today.

Of course, she hasn’t completely stepped away from Mars Korea, but unless something major happens, she won’t have to take direct action anymore.

“Are you really okay with this?”

“No problem at all. You’ve been helping me so well until now.”

“Still, suddenly taking the position of the Korean branch representative feels like a heavy burden.”

“It’s not sudden. We’ve been doing the handover for almost three months now, right?”

“My goal was to step back a little from such a heavy responsibility and work comfortably behind Ian-na, but suddenly I’ve become the representative…”

The former deputy representative, now the current representative, sighed as he thought about the path ahead of him.

Others might say that being the representative of Mars Korea is a good thing, but he had seen firsthand how much work Ian-na had been handling.

That’s why he couldn’t just be happy about it.

Even now, thinking about how flustered he was when Ian-na suddenly announced she was stepping down sends a chill down his spine.

—

With a lighter heart, Ian-na headed to the hospital room where Arang was staying.

The handover took a long time due to the nature of the position, but Ian-na was thrilled that from today, she could spend time with Arang without any worries.

However, she was a bit anxious because she had never played games before and wondered if she could enjoy gaming with Arang.

When she heard from Sunchoo, Arang’s only friend, that Arang was at a very high level, it seemed almost impossible to catch up.

But Ian-na wanted to share the same hobby as Arang.

—

“Welcome back. Did you finish your work well?”

“Yes. How’s Arang?”

As Ian-na entered the hospital, Kim Hyesun, Arang’s attending doctor, greeted her.

“She’s been playing Leore diligently since early this morning.”

“How’s her condition?”

“She’s as happy and cheerful as always.”

“That’s a relief.”

—

Ian-na nodded as she looked around the room next to Arang’s hospital room, which she had prepared for herself.

Though much smaller than her home, this place felt more comforting than anywhere else.

—

“Wow…”

Ian-na marveled as she moved her body, adapting to Leore.

She thought about asking Arang for help, but she didn’t want to disturb her while she was having fun.

She planned to get used to Leore on her own first and then talk to Arang later.

—

‘It’s a bit different from the virtual world.’

Ian-na had only tested basic virtual worlds through the access device and hadn’t played any virtual world games.

Because of that, she was amazed by Leore’s medieval fantasy setting.

—

‘Arang would love this.’

Arang’s activities had become very limited after falling ill. She started enjoying manga and anime, particularly the isekai genre.

It seemed she envied the protagonists who adventured in fantasy worlds, wishing she could do the same.

Leore allowed her to fulfill that desire, which made Arang happy.

—

Leore has a much higher ratio of male to female players, largely because it’s an RPG.

Players need to defeat monsters and level up, which requires courage even in a virtual world.

Of course, there are life skills for female players who prefer non-combat roles, like gathering and crafting, which don’t require combat leveling.

[Arang has no interest in life skills, so Anna, you’ll have to support her from behind!]

After talking with Sunchoo, Ian-na decided to focus on life skills and started moving to acquire them.

—

The serene water reflecting countless stars in the pitch-black sky gave the feeling of standing in the middle of the universe.

Eight players had just defeated a raid boss and were now staring at the auction window instead of preparing to leave.

—

“Phew… phew… here goes…!”

I clasped my hands as if praying and stared at the bid button.

—

Leore has pets.

Unlike the old Maple Story pets that provided buffs or special abilities, these pets simply follow the player around.

But there are countless types of pets, and collecting them all is nearly impossible.

Some players don’t care about pets since they have no abilities, but after living as Arang, my tastes have changed, and I really wanted the pet in the auction window.

And everyone in the raid felt the same.

—

One reason is that it’s ridiculously expensive.

There are many ways to get pets: quests, field monster drops, bosses, etc.

But each pet has its own unique method of acquisition.

That’s why rare pets are sold for high prices in the auction house.

Pets from raids are especially expensive due to their low drop rates and the competition among raid members.

Among them, the Shiny Morpho, a pet with a different color scheme, is so valuable that it could cover an entire season’s equipment, potions, and even a house.

And that Shiny Morpho just dropped in our raid.

—

“Wow, it’s so pretty.”

“This is insane.”

“Wait, a Shiny Morpho just dropped!?”

“I heard a Shiny Morpho sold for 10 million gold in the auction house.”

“10 million gold!?”

At the current illegal exchange rate, 10,000 gold is about 5,000 won. So… that’s 5 million won!?

—

I’m not short on money, but I’m always short on gold.

Even if I have 100 million won in the cash shop and come from a wealthy family, there’s no way to convert money into gold, so I’m always struggling with gold shortages.

—

Morpho.

The pet from the final Abyss raid is the Morpho.

This Abyss raid series is heavily insect-themed, and the final raid features the most beautiful insect pet, the Morpho.

—

Butterflies are pretty, but the Morpho, with its unique blue shimmer, is especially stunning.

The Shiny Morpho alternates between blue and red hues, making it even more desirable.

Plus, its game design avoids any creepy elements, making it look cute and appealing.

—

After the World First Kill, the Morpho hadn’t dropped for months, and now a Shiny Morpho appears.

The Shiny Morpho is so rare that it’s only appeared once in the auction house.

—

“After not dropping for so long, it finally appears.”

“Did our luck improve after the server merge?”

“Thinking that 10 million gold is riding on a single dice roll gives me chills.”

“Right? 10 million gold would cover my expenses until the next season.”

“Ahhh!!! I rolled a 5!!!”

“Pfft, a 5? Seriously?”

“Ugh… I got 32.”

“Hey, I got 83.”

—

Everyone started rolling the dice.

The problem is, I have terrible luck in Leore.

Except for the Tashim Sword I used as a Soma, I’ve never won any significant drops.

—

I finished my prayer and carefully, smoothly pressed the bid button.

And the number that appeared…

—

“Wow!!! 98! I got a 98!”

“Finally, Arang rolled a high number!”

“The guild master might take this one.”

“Ah—”

A sigh echoed from afar.

And then, the Shiny Morpho, which I thought would surely go to me, didn’t appear in my inventory.

—

“A 99 just rolled!? Wow… everyone, do you see this? The Shiny Morpho worth 10 million gold in the auction house! This is the first time I’ve ever gotten a Shiny pet while streaming!”

Kang Hangeul, the uncle, was happily streaming his excitement.

—

I stared blankly at the window, where it read:

[Arang rolled a 98 on the Shiny Morpho.]

[Kang Hangeul rolled a 99 on the Shiny Morpho.]

—

This was the first time I rolled above 90 in my Leore life, and of course, someone else’s luck had to strike at this crucial moment…

It’s unfair.

—

Normally, I’d just laugh it off, but for some reason, emotions welled up inside me.

Huh?

I wiped away something flowing from my eyes.

‘Tears?’

—