The World I Was Supporting Was Real - Chapter 90



90. You’ll be right back, won’t you?

* * *

[ #UmSseot : How is it?? ]

[ #UmSseot : Did you get the message?? ]

[#NoFuture: I read it but there’s no reply]

[#UmSseot: ㅠㅠ Guild master]

[#UmSseot: I really wish you’d come back…]

[#JyuDyuJyuDyu: Didn’t ShoShot buy almost all your gear?]

[#UmSseot: Yeah, but]

[#UmSseot: Anyway, with this burning event + new area patch, the best gear is being unlocked]

[#UmSseot: With the guild master’s funds, you could definitely get new gear rather than buying ShoShot’s back]

[#Dapdu: Didn’t ShoShot lose out then? ㅠ]

[#ShoShot: Nah, the guild master gave them to me cheaper than market price]

[#ShoShot: And so what if I lose a little… it’s just a game, it’s greedy to try to preserve value]

[#Dapdu: I’d be laying down and protesting on the game forum to preserve value;; [I really respect you]

This was the guild where Igwukgwukgwukgeodon once resided.

After he, the guild master, left, the new guild master ShoShot took over his guild, but-

After that big spender left, they were falling behind rival guilds in various metrics, including raids.

[#NoFuture: Still, I’m gonna keep sending messages ㅇㅇ He’ll have to come back eventually]

[#NoFuture: You know how it is, there’s no quitting this game, only returning fish lol]

[#ShoShot: If you were gonna return, now’s the time though lol the rewards are insane]

[#LobbyGasther: Anyone got a hotdog?]

[#ShoShot: I know…lol]

[#ShoShot: It’d be great if the guild master came back, I hate seeing the neighboring guild making a fuss about being #1 with a setup that’s not even half the guild master’s]

[ #DABDDU : I’m having a hard time too, since I don’t have anyone to reliably buy gold anymore ㅠㅠ It’s killing me with the market crash ]

[ #ROBBYTHEGASTER : Anyone got a hotdog? ]

[ #ROBBYTHEGASTER : Need a hotdog urgently ]

[ #NOFUTURE : Gaster, I’ll put a hotdog or whatever-dog it is in the guild storage, so can you shut your damn trap for a bit ]

[ #ROBBYTHEGASTER : TYTY I’ll shut it ]

[ #ROBBYTHEGASTER : Shut! ]

‘Haa.’

She, using the nickname NOFUTURE, closed the game she had been chatting in and let out a deep sigh.

It was GukGukGukGeodeon.

Someone who had shown her that ‘guild life isn’t so bad,’ even though she’d only ever solo-played MMORPGs because she hated dealing with people.

A solitary woman with no close friends because of her unsociable nature, he was like the first real friend she had made since her early childhood.

The reason she kept playing this game wasn’t so much for fun anymore, but more out of inertia –

and largely because she could always find GukGukGeodeon—Geodeon— whenever she logged in.

Even though she didn’t know his real name, and could only guess from his messenger app profile picture that he was a guy around her age, somehow—

Geodeon felt more vividly real than the people she actually knew in real life.

‘Idiot… are you really quitting the game? This was all a WWE act, wasn’t it… ‘

This wasn’t the first time Geodeon had said he was quitting.

Whenever there was a shitty balance patch, or a pathetic remaster update, or an anti-user patch that punished players for anything fun—he would always firmly declare “I’m done with this crap game” and give all his items away to people he knew.

So, like always, she thought he’d just come back in a few weeks as if he’d never quit, re-gear, and haunt the game again—

But surprisingly, he was racking up the ‘…days ago since last login’ record every day.

Seeing how he sold off even his most prized endgame gear, I figured it would take a bit longer, but still.

I never imagined he wouldn’t come back, even with the game company showering us with literally legendary compensation.

‘No reply… if you read it, can’t you just reply? What’s so damn busy? You always had time to game, though…’

While pointlessly staring out the window like that, a reply finally came from Gungeon.

‘It’s here!’

My eyes lit up, immediately checking the reply and it was-

A scene from a wildly audacious manga, a close-up of naked female characters’ breasts, ready for a hot spring bath.

Sure, the important parts were hidden by steam, but… this alone was a scene that couldn’t be more explicit.

“Ah, that crazy perverted otaku b*stard, seriously!!”

I threw my phone with a burst of anger-

Still, this was the first reply in ages.

She picked up the phone that was tossed onto the bed and checked his reply again.

And once again, she stared closely at the picture he sent.

It was a shockingly explicit manga scene of what looked like a group bath.

Her face burning, she cautiously looked at the picture and thought.

‘Seriously… men, do they really like breasts this size…?’

It should be a moderate size, but this is bigger than their heads!

Of course, the shape and form are incredibly beautiful, and if I had to choose, I also prefer bigger characters to smaller-chested ones, but…

Even so, isn’t this a little… too big?

‘It’s like two watermelons are hanging there.’

Just what part of those *massive* jugs could have captivated that damn Gutter?

Thinking that, I somehow ended up zoning out for ages, staring at the scene of these female characters, each with chests like watermelons, flaunting their respective charms –

“…Look at me, spacing out.”

I immediately fired off a reply to Gutter.

[Hey you, otaku b*stard — stop watching that weeb crap and get youra*ssback here!! Without you the guild’s gonna fall apart!!]

But.

Even after tens of minutes passed, that ‘1’ still wouldn’t disappear.

‘This crazy b*stard, this time he’s not even reading it, he’s just straight up ignoring me?!’

She thought, sprawling on the bed.

Are girl’s boobs *that* great?? Especially cartoon character boobs??

‘… … .’

She aimlessly glanced down at her own chest.

No… It’s not like I’ve ever been told I’m lacking, but compared to those ridiculously huge cartoon tits –

‘Ughhh!!’

From noble mtl dot com

What the hell am I even thinking?!

She shook her head wildly, shifting her anger back onto Gutter.

Is he not satisfied just with game character boobs?!

‘… … No.’

The game we played, the characters were really cute and stylized.

Honestly, it’s not like there was even anything to call boobs, really.

No, even so… how the hell does watching comics mean you can’t play games?

You can just watch comics *and* play games at the same time!

‘I want to play games with you… .’

She hugged her pillow tight, lost in memories.

Memories that were just game chat, really, but they were precious to her, more than anything.

[LeeGweokGweokGweokGeodeon: Gonna make a guild, you should join lol]

[FutureIsNone : I told you I only solo ]

[FutureIsNone : Even partying with me is a big deal…ㅡㅡ ]

[LeeGweokGweokGweokGeodeon: BS ㄴㄴ]

[LeeGweokGweokGweokGeodeon : This dude thinks he can freeload his way through an online game solo, his brain’s legit orangutan level?? ]

[FutureIsNone : ㅗㅗㅗㅗㅗ ]

[FutureIsNone: Anyway, leave me out, not joining a clique ]

[LeeGweokGweokGweokGeodeon : Nope ]

[FutureIsNone: Why lololol Do you need me? ]

[LeeGweokGweokGweokGeodeon : Yeah ]

[FutureIsNone : …? ]

[LeeGweokGweokGweokGeodeon: It’s fun hanging with you lololol]

[LeeGweokGweokGweokGeodeon : Anyway, stfu and join ㄱㄱ I’ll cover all the guild fees ]

‘You said it was fun hanging out with me… ‘

I want to play games with you.

You don’t wanna play games with me?

If you were gonna bail like this anyway, why the hell did you say all that stuff to me when we made the guild…?

She muttered the unanswered question over and over again –

“…If an online friend keeps whining, you get turned off, right?”

Yeah.

Right now, it’s just that I’m a little… burnt out on the game.

And, maybe also, I’m hooked on some weird… comic book with a bunch of big-boobed girls.

Even if I’m wandering outside right now, I’ll definitely come back to the game someday, she firmly believed.

That’s right.

Even if he acts all weird, Gerdun told me that playing with me is the most fun, didn’t he?

Since I joined the guild just because I believed those words, it’s only natural that Gerdun is responsible for me, isn’t it?

“You’ll be back soon, right? I mean, I can wait patiently, for now…”

And so, needlessly biting her nails… with a very sorrowful gesture, she slowly smoothed down the pillow.

* * *

It has been a few days since we all bathed together.

That day, the third proclamation was issued, and at the same time, the devil’s territory had expanded much further.

In fact, now, they were even showing up directly in human villages near the dungeons quite often.

Since the villagers had already been interacting with demons, they didn’t seem to feel much resistance to demons wandering around in their territories.

Coexistence between demons and humans.

Something that seemed impossible, was becoming a clearer reality with the Emperor’s forward-thinking decision and the cooperation of the Demon Lord, who had been backed by the deity’s straightforward facts.

The demon clan, who had feared conflict, were living peacefully without bloodshed, and amid the constant charitable efforts of the Order, the aftermath of the plague that had threatened to engulf the continent was gradually subsiding.

Naturally, the people’s support for the Imperial Family and the Order was skyrocketing.

“All for Iggworguydon!”

“Gwo-men!”

“Long live Empress Eirene!”

This kind of favorable gaze naturally extended to everyone working in the cathedral—

and Linea, too, could feel many people recognizing her.

“Linea-nim. Thanks to the relief supplies you provided, we were able to safely overcome that dangerous period. I will surely come and listen to the word of God sometime.”

“Please come anytime. The cathedral is always open.”

“Ah… How merciful she is. This old woman feels the pure fact of God from the divine power pouch of the paladin, Linea. There must be a reason for Iggworguydon’s choice…”

The old woman’s words, spoken as she bowed her head, were a little unsettling, though.

It wasn’t because she brought up the chest. Actually, she was pretty used to the chest thing by now.

Working day in and day out alongside religious folk who incessantly praised the greatness of her divine power pouch, one couldn’t help but become accustomed to it.

What bothered her was the pure fact thing.

…If they felt a “pure fact” from me, who doesn’t even really believe in God, is that a good thing? Stuff like that.

Ophelia or Luca would be different. They were both far more devout in their service to Iggworguydon than she was.

‘… Might be failing as a paladin. Me.’

She planned to visit Ares again after work today.

He was still the only person she could talk freely, after all, and she was also curious about how his search for the nun had concluded.

But.

The plan to meet, it unfolded in a way slightly different from what she’d imagined – much sooner than anticipated, actually.

“Sis.”

“…Ares?”

Unbelievably… he’d come to Iggwogodan Cathedral again, on his own two feet!

And unlike the last time, where he’d seemed forced to come here just to ask her to find a Sister –

“You’re saying you’ll come to the cathedral every week, on a set day…?”

“Yeah. I’m also a member of the Ainsberg Imperial Family, so I’m going to diligently study Iggwogodan’s blunt truths. The Order already gave me permission a few days ago.”

“When do you say ‘study’…?”

“That’s right, Sis. This time, I’m formally going to convert to the Gwodan faith. I’m not going to deny Iggwogodan’s profound intentions any longer.”

—Sparkle, sparkle.

He wore an expression filled with sincerity, as only a truly devout follower of the Gwodan faith could.