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Episode 354 – Lost Technology (4)
Human extinction.
It was a short statement, but it carried considerable weight. It left both the protagonist and the viewers dumbfounded.
-What about humanity?
-Look how the scale suddenly gets bigger lol
-What on earth is going on with this worldview?
Alfonso quickly looked at the protagonist's expression and shook his head.
“Oh, I got so excited. Phew… I’m at a loss as to where to begin explaining this.”
He stroked his white beard as if trying to catch his breath and gather his thoughts.
"It'll be easier to understand if we start with what you already know. You know that the seas are swarming with pirates and sea monsters are on the rise, right?"
"Yes, of course. That makes our role, the Navy's, even more important."
Alfonso took a deep breath at the protagonist's answer.
“Yes, but that is only a phenomenon.”
“The word ‘phenomenon’…”
"Pirates and sea monsters can be dealt with with force. But more importantly, the cause of this phenomenon is."
As he spoke, Alfonso turned his gaze to the large chart hanging on the wall. The protagonist's gaze naturally followed his.
“The fact is that the land on which humans can set foot is shrinking.”
“What do you mean?”
The protagonist's eyes widened. Alfonso continued in a bitter voice.
"It's true. Sea levels are rising rapidly. The population continues to grow, but the available land is shrinking. The same goes for the resources we can harvest."
Alfonso pointed to a small dot on the map.
“Do you know what this is?”
“Isn’t this a reef area?”
"Yes, it is now. But it was probably around the time you were just starting to walk. Back then, there was a small fishing village here."
“A fishing village?”
The protagonist looked back and forth between Alfonso and the other, seemingly uncomprehending. However, Alfonso's expression was very serious.
"The swollen seas have left fishermen stranded. This isn't the only place like this. Those living inland aren't affected, but the small villages on the outskirts have been swept away."
“That can’t be…”
"The problem is what comes next. Those who lost their villages became refugees. But the inlanders couldn't afford to take them in."
Alfonso closed his eyes as if to hide his regret.
"Those who have lost their homes have put their feet on boats instead of on earth. What can they do to survive?"
“Captain, surely…”
“That’s exactly it. Becoming a pirate.”
The shock spread not only across the protagonist's expression but also through the chat window.
-Were you a pirate for a living, Imaringa?
-Can't you just keep being a fisherman?
-There are pirates too, so will that be okay?
-Yeah, right. Even pirates fight each other.
Alfonso nodded, as if understanding the protagonist's feelings. But then he spoke with a stern expression.
"Despite this situation, the Navy cannot accept the legitimacy of piracy. It's impossible to distinguish between good and bad pirates. Therefore, to the Navy, pirates are simply 'evil.'"
-This is something the Navy did well lol
-How do you tell the difference between those who were plundering from the beginning?
-Really lol I ended up getting hit in the head instead
-This setting came out because there are some pirates
-Yeah lol If you treat all pirates as bad guys, then what happens to pirate players lol
As the viewers agreed with his explanation, Alfonso continued.
"That's why we humans desperately need Atlantean technology. With this technology, we could conquer even the depths of the ocean."
“Conquer the seabed…?”
"If there's no reason to cling to land, there's no reason for pirates to increase. And sea monsters will be easier to eradicate!"
Alfonso explained, looked at his watch, and let out a short breath.
“Oh my, time has already passed so quickly…”
He opened a drawer, pulled out a document, and quickly flicked his pen. He then stamped it and handed it to the protagonist.
“Captain, what is this?”
"It's a permit to explore the ruins. It's an Atlantean ruin secured by our navy. Internally, they call it the 'Missing Link.'"
“Missing link…”
“You’ll understand better if you go there and see for yourself rather than just listen to my explanation.”
As he spoke, Alfonso organized Horatio's records on the desk. He also handed the bundle of records to the protagonist.
“Perhaps this map left behind by Horatio can also be interpreted from those ruins.”
At those words, the protagonist's eyes lit up. He politely folded his papers and saluted Alfonso.
“We will proceed with the mission.”
"hmm."
The screen slowly faded to black as Alfonso answered.
After the cutscene ended, Lee Kyung-bok and Park Joo-ho returned to the front of the headquarters building.
“Ah, so this is how the story unfolds.”
“The next destination is a historic site.”
"Right. Well, then there's no reason to wait. Let's go right away!"
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-There's more content in this than I thought lol
-Really lol I thought it would be boring because I only thought about sailing
-Let's go find Godfather!
-???: There is no time to hesitate!
Viewers immediately responded to Lee Kyung-bok's declaration of continuation.
* * *
Lee Kyung-bok and Park Joo-ho arrived at their destination.
“Oh? This isn’t a normal port?”
“Judging by the NPCs’ attire, it looks like a naval base.”
It was a coastal base controlled by the Navy. As I moored my ship and disembarked at the dock, a man in uniform approached me.
“Excuse me. You can’t go any further in without a permit.”
“Does this make sense?”
The squire tilted his head and glared at the commander.
“Oh, surprise. I’ll leave the perm for a moment and go.”
-Is that Gemalcon there?
-The timing of the Permusae's intrusion was so funny lol
-I think it's because it doesn't progress through cutscenes lol
-Scene stealer level lol
Lee Kyung-bok laughed in vain at the viewers' reaction and summoned Permusae.
“Ahem, here it is.”
Lee Kyung-bok handed over the permit he'd received from his inventory. The man quickly rolled his eyes and then saluted.
"Thank you for your cooperation, Purple! I'm the base commander here. I'll help guide you to the ruins."
“Oh, thank you.”
The commander immediately walked ahead and explained to the two people.
"As you know, this is a top secret area. Ordinary sailors are not permitted to leave the base. In other words, only captains are permitted to enter the ruins."
“It seems like this is content that can only be conquered by players.”
Lee Kyung-bok nodded at Park Joo-ho's words. A moment later, the two arrived at the entrance to the historic site.
“It has a similar design to the manufacturing device.”
It was a metal structure that emitted a soft blue light. It was covered in dirt and vines, as if it had been abandoned for a long time, but the entrance seemed to have been cleaned up beforehand.
Armed sailors stood guard on both sides of the entrance.
“You need an Atlantis Crystal to enter the ruins.”
Meanwhile, the commander handed over the blue crystal.
-WA! Free crystals!
-You don't buy crystals for a fee, do you?
-5252, is it okay to spread it like this? LOL!
-If you guys like bald heads, it's free!
-What the hell are you talking about? LOL
While the viewers cheered at the situation, the commander continued his explanation.
"The ruins are connected deep underground. Pass through the entrance and you'll find an elevator. To operate it, you'll need this crystal. Crystals are only available to those with a permit."
He handed the crystal to Lee Kyung-bok and continued speaking in a relaxed posture.
However, the Navy's crystal supply is limited, so it cannot be issued indefinitely. If you wish to re-enter, you must bring your own crystals.
The commander soon laughed and shook his head.
"But once you go inside, you won't want to go back again. Even just one visit will drain your spirits. The ruins are connected to the sea, so monsters can appear."
“That means there will be battles.”
"Yes. Still, there's ample reason to take the risk. You may be able to recover valuable resources or equipment from fallen soldiers remaining within the ruins. Ownership of all items discovered within the ruins is guaranteed to the explorer who takes the risk."
Everyone was able to guess the identity of the relics through his explanation.
“Oh, I was wondering what it was, and it turns out the ruins are like a daily dungeon.”
-Right, lol I thought of that as soon as I heard it
-Looking at the fact that you have to use paid items to enter additionally, it's a must-have lol
-I can't stand the lack of resources!
-Wow ㅋㅋ This is also designed to be linked to the story, just like gacha.
-I think it's because the original capsule game was converted into a mobile game.
-This is better for immersing yourself in the game lol
Since it was content commonly found in mobile games, everyone was familiar with it. Meanwhile, the commander finished his explanation.
"You never know what might happen, so please be thoroughly prepared. That's all."
The commander returned to the base with a salute. Lee Kyung-bok clapped his hands lightly, drawing the viewers' attention.
“Well, it seems like you need to clear it at least once to progress the story.”
“It seems like only players can enter, so wouldn’t it be better to buy some equipment?”
When Park Joo-ho asked from the side, Lee Kyung-bok rolled his eyes. But the thought was brief.
"No, why don't you just go in? It'll take a while to go back."
The viewers laughed at the nonchalant answer.
-Immediately turn on the perm!
-Ah haha the basic equipment is enough haha
-Godple doesn't have any equipment lol
-Doesn't this guy only have a cutlass and a musket?
-At least Punisher has bulletproof armor so it should be okay lol
Park Joo-ho also did not recommend it further.
“Yeah, if you’re confident, it doesn’t matter.”
“Okay. Then let’s get right into it!”
The two entered the entrance. A slot appeared in the wide elevator where crystals could be inserted.
As Lee Kyung-bok put on the crystal, a choice appeared before his eyes.
[High-rise (Easy)]
[Normal]
[Hard]
The difficulty of the ruins was divided by depth. And without hesitation, Lee Gyeong-bok chose "Deep."
“No, wait…”
-?
-???: What happened?
-WA! You really know soda!?
-What is the condition of the listener's age?
-Oh my gosh, at least think about it a little bit, lol
Park Joo-ho and the viewers were shocked, but Lee Kyung-bok didn't care.
"The higher the difficulty, the better the reward, right? And since you can only enter once, you have to collect them all while you can."
“That’s true, but… yeah, you’re right.”
Park Joo-ho said nothing more.
It was also because the elevator began to descend with a dull, groaning sound.
-Furniger, quick approval lol
-Ah haha this is how you maintain your mental health!
-Is this the life of a black employee?
-Clear the highest difficulty level with basic equipment, that's common sense, right?
-Furniture-nim, good luck!
-Will Perpago be able to survive!?
-It's become the manager's survival content?
-Godple will take care of it for you, lol
-As long as it's not me!
For the viewers watching, it was just fun.
* * *
As the elevator descended, a guide to the ruins appeared before my eyes.
"Well, regardless of difficulty, the method is the same. A total of ten doors appear in the passage, and you can check up to five of them, each of which triggers an event."
Park Joo-ho gave him a brief summary.
“Up to 5?”
"Oh, you don't have to open them all. It's up to the player to stop and come back."
“Oh, then I just have to look at the results each time and decide whether to open it again or not.”
The viewers also came to understand through the conversation between the two people.
-It's a fee to come back in, so I have to go and get my fill lol
-Really lol I need to get 5 invincibility tickets!
-If it's Godple's Unjikal, it seems like it'll be possible to suck honey lol
-This is also a kind of gacha, Imari.
As the chat window filled with anticipation, the elevator's descent rate gradually slowed and then stopped.
Then the door opened, revealing a dark passageway. A soft blue light provided the light, but only barely enough to distinguish the outlines of objects.
“I guess I’ll have to take this as a light.”
Park Joo-ho calmly pointed to the crystal stuck in the elevator. Lee Kyung-bok agreed.
“Oh, you can carry that.”
“If you’re going to take the lead, you should take care of it… Ah, that’ll be fine.”
Park Joo-ho was about to say more, but then he looked at Lee Kyung-bok, who was taking brisk steps forward, and picked up the crystal.
Meanwhile, Lee Gyeong-bok stood right in front of the first door.
'This is a dud.'
I could guess the internal situation just by the feeling I sensed with a new sense of wonder. Although it was a random event, it wasn't the kind that changed in real time.
But Lee Kyung-bok didn't move straight to the next door. He pressed himself against it and closed his eyes.
Park Joo-ho and the viewers wondered what he was doing.
“It seems like there are deep ones inside.”
"…what?"
I couldn't help but question his subsequent words.
-What is it? How do you find out?
-Can you see through the crack in the door?
-Oh my gosh lol Can you see it lol
-If it's a perfect child, then maybe it has the potential to be a king?
-How did it happen? How did it happen!
-Any hints?
Lee Kyung-bok added an explanation at the viewers' urging.
"If you listen closely, you can hear the sound of fins moving. And if you concentrate a bit, you can smell the seawater."
Of course, that didn't diminish the surprise. Instead, while viewers were left bewildered, Park Joo-ho added:
“Wait a minute, I heard that if you look at the mobile interface, there are text hints?”
“Oh, do you have any more hints?”
Lee Kyung-bok immediately launched the mobile interface.
[I smell water coming from inside the door. Maybe it's seawater leaking in.]
The viewers also checked the hint and laughed.
-Wow lol this is really creepy lol
-Oh my gosh, this is even more sloppy than the explanation in Godple!
-There's a god on top of the system, isn't that common sense?
-Ah, this is what they call perfect sense.
-Don't trust the system! Trust Godple!
-How did you even hear the sound? LOL
-It's dark so I feel like I have a different sense of humor ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
Park Joo-ho let out a sigh and nodded.
“Do as you see fit. I will do as you say.”
“Let’s move on from this for now.”
Lee Kyung-bok checked the door again as he walked down the hallway. Then, for the first time, he pointed to the door.
“I think it would be okay to open this?”
Park Joo-ho nodded at those words, but then looked puzzled.
“Wait a minute, isn’t the hint here the same as the first room?”
“Oh, right. There’s also Deep One.”
Lee Kyung-bok answered, dropping a hint for the viewers. It was the same message as Park Joo-ho had said.
-?????
-5252, So you've finally become bloodthirsty?
-Is this the new overlord?
-Unprovoked violence engulfs Deep One!
-Humans are so patheticㅠㅠㅠㅠ
As the viewers looked puzzled, Lee Kyung-bok laughed and waved his hand.
“No, that’s not it. Hey, give me the crystal for a sec.”
“Ah, here.”
Lee Kyung-bok received the crystal and rubbed its surface with his thumb. He heard a crunching sound as it rubbed against his skin.
“This one sounds a little different because I rubbed it with my own hands, but I heard a similar sound inside.”
Most people didn't immediately understand what it meant, but those with experience knew better.
-A crystal supply room?
-What the heck lol is that the difference?
-Information) In the ruins, there is a room where you can obtain rare crystals.
-Wow lol this is really cool lol
-Imariya, you get luck with your physical strength
Since crystals are used in many places, the developer has prepared a supply and demand source to maintain the gap between paying and non-paying players.
The ruins were one of them.
However, obtaining the crystal was not an easy task.
-If what Godple said is true, there will be a lot of Deep Ones here, right?
-I don't have to worry about this guy, but I think Punisher is in danger lol
-Ah haha Godple is handling it all by himself!
-Pupago: We set the running angle by referring to big data.
-Right, lol. It seems like it would actually help if I left.
Lee Kyung-bok laughed at the viewers' chat, returned the crystal to Park Joo-ho, and drew his weapon.
“Are you going?”
"okay."
The conversation between the two was very brief. As soon as Park Joo-ho answered, Lee Kyung-bok pressed the on/off switch next to the door.
Deep ones popped out with a swoosh, the sound of air escaping.
The number is 5 in total.
“When you look closely, you can see more details.”
However, neither man panicked, as they had already been prepared. Lee Gyeong-bok immediately killed one with his musket and then cut down the two charging forward with his cutlass.
-Cut now!
-Look at the speed of the reflection of the weapon.
-Just kill me lol
-What about the manager?
-2:1, right?
-Are you alive?
Viewers weren't entirely thrilled with the skill. Could Park Joo-ho truly handle the two on his own?
Lee Kyung-bok added a word to the chat that was so worrying.
“I don’t know why everyone is so worried.”
He continued, turning his gaze towards the swaying crystal light.
“I tease my friends, but I don’t put them in danger.”
The viewers were puzzled, but soon understood what he meant.
A shadow fell amidst the blue light. Park Joo-ho stood before him, holding a cutlass.
-oh?
-what?
-Why do you fight so well, Mr. Punisher?
-You're faster than I thought?
-Is this the quality of a black company employee?
Although he wasn't as fast or accurate as Lee Kyung-bok, Park Joo-ho calmly blocked the attacks from the onrushing Deep One and counterattacked.
"Just because you're good at studying, you're not physically strong? That's all just prejudice."
Lee Gyeong-bok folded his arms and said that he didn't need help.
-Wow lol Looks like Funniger has been exercising a bit too
-Wow haha somehow the fit is good!
-Is this the level of things you have to do to become friends with Godple?
-Is this the perfect friend?
-Your friend's standards are too high!
Park Joo-ho wasn't just a friend who was good at studying.
“He used to be a good player too.”
He was a friend who was also good at studying.