novel
| ← Ch.071 | Ch.073 → |
"Since his main weapon is the sword, don't you think he'll definitely have a vibrating weapon?"
He did have one. Until he dismantled it to put it in the cyborg's stomach.
Woong!
The summons gate opened. Cha Jun Sung is entering. If a party is formed and the members enter a mission, they cannot break up the group or quit.
Is that why? The Lifers did not worry about this aspect.
"Hello. I am Overload. I'm embarrassed to meet you all in real life."
"Hello!"
When Cha Jun Sung gave his introduction first, the others greeted him.
Awkwardness is the first emotion that Cha Jun Sung feels. For him to be the operator of the bus feels like he is wearing clothes that are not his.
The Lifers look all over Cha Jun Sung's body. What could it be? They are examining his body to take a look at the famous Cha Jun Sung's gear.
They look confused. His gear is mediocre. It is okay, but it is the type that can easily be found among large guild executives.
It does not fit in with what they had imagined and wished for the famous Overload.
'His gear is.... . '
'Is it because virtual and reality are different?'
'Maybe his gear isn't much but he wins with control? It'll be possible with Overload. '
They did not express it, but they had negative thoughts. Cha Jun Sung noticed this. He does not care. They will soon be shocked.
The cyborg comes through the summons gate. The Lifers' eyes widened. The members entering the mission are a total of 10 including Cha Jun Sung.
"Huh? 11 people?"
"Overload, no Odin, who is that? Our party is full."
The summons gate closed. The Lifers were more confused because it came out of the same gate that Cha Jun Sung did. How did 3 of them come from the same place?
"You were disappointed when you saw my gear? Let me give you an introduction. This is my cyborg, Hercules. It's because I put all of my points into fixing this guy up."
He had given the cyborg a name. Hercules, half god and half human son of Zeus and Alcmene. It is perfect for something that fights with strength.
"Wow!"
"Cyborg!"
The Lifers made a fuss, thinking 'Of course! It's Overload!' Then they went to Hercules and started touching it.
It feels like steel or a rock. Not even a needle would penetrate it.
"It'll be a lower cyborg since you opened level D, but will it be helpful?"
One Lifer threw a sharp question. The cyborg sold in level D is of a lower level. Even if it is well armed, it cannot take on more than a few level 2 mutants.
"It is of middle class. I was completing a mission when I was given the opportunity to get it."
It is too early to say that he went into level C. There are chances of experiencing windfall in a mission, and he made sure to emphasize that point.
It is true that he did pick it up. He had taken something that was going to be disposed of.
"Wow! Middle class?"
"Then the abilities of a middle class?"
"After testing it, it seems to be able to take on a strong level 3 one-on-one."
The Lifers did not have the energy to be surprised anymore, and their jaws were dropped. They have never seen a level 3 mutant because they are in level E missions. How strong does that mean it is?
A low class cyborg costs 150, 000 points. Its efficiency is low compared to the price so even in the virtual version, it is only used as a shield or to carry the owner's gear.
Starting with the middle class however, it has a lot of uses. Its price is incredible as well.
"I guess it's only sold in the level C store?"
"I guess so since it's not in level D."
"400, 000 points went into just fixing it. I'm sure it will."
Cha Jun Sung responded to the Lifers. It is better to release some information rather than trying to hide it all. Word of it will spread anyway while he goes through missions.
"We will go in now."
"Good!"
The Lifers cheered. The storm surrounding Hercules was tremendous.
"Hercules, go out and kill all mutants within a 1km radius."
"Mission confirmed!"
Hercules went outside the building. The Lifers did not need to follow. If they hang around safe spots, the mission will be over.
Attainment or escape is difficult for Hercules with its limited artificial intelligence. The order to kill resolves everything.
"I've never ridden a bus like this!"
"How could this be! If the cyborg takes care of all of the mutants, there's nothing for us to do?"
Cha Jun Sung is used to level E missions. If they get past the regular radius, there is the chance for a special mission. They need to decide on a distance and play within it.
"Is there anyone here who is willing to ride the bus long term?"
"How are you going to operate long term?"
"I intend to go periodically once a day at a decided time."
4 Lifers held up their hands. It is a bother even trying to look for another bus. The other 5 did not speak. They were just going to ride the bus a few times and rest for a while.
There is one reason why he wants fixed passengers. He can buy the cheaper parts with a couple hundred points, but they can go up to a few tens of thousands later.
If Cha Jun Sung takes this on all alone, there is no reason to let other people on his bus.
He could figure out a few tens of thousands, but he will need external power beyond that. If he is to do that, he needs to find as many long term passengers as he can.
He is thinking of receiving a large part and letting them ride the bus a few times, or letting them ride a few times and then getting the large part. He is estimating that it will take 2 to 3 months to make 3 million.
It is a level E mission now, but if he gets back about half of Hercules' abilities, he will go into level D. The power he is aiming for is that of a weak level 4.
If it is at that level, it can be left out to go kill on its own. The limit of an advanced cyborg is level 4. Even if it is armed well, level 5 is asking for too much.
It could catch it if it self-destructs, but one goes for 5 million points. They need to act according to their own abilities. If they go beyond it, they are at a disadvantage.
"Do you all just ride the bus and not participate in the mission?"
"Because it's dangerous."
"The points we have after kickbacks come out to the cost of an entire house."
Hearing their reasoning, most do not have much ambition, are scared of the danger, or have families to take care of. They are the typical bus Lifers.
Bus Lifers are separated into 2 categories. Those trying to make money, and those trying to advance quickly. There is nothing to be done about the first, but the latter is a misjudgment.
There is a clear difference between advancing with external forces and advancing through effort. Even if the outside is gold, it is all worth nothing if the inside is hollow. It is as bad as not doing anything at all.
-[You have earned 20 points and 2 achievement points. ]
The points are coming in. Hercules had started to catch the mutants.
They need to wait a day. The mutants could approach them, so they need to set up booby traps. A few claymores will block all of the passageways.
"Would you like to hear a sermon?"
"Sermon?"
"Shall I say it's a sermon regarding staying alive in the mission? It should work until you get to level D."
Hercules will catch the mutants. It is a waste to throw away the remaining time.
These are people who gave him strength for a long time while he was running the blog. They will go in starting with 300 points. He hopes it becomes a well-slicked foundation for them.
When there is free time, he teaches the Lifers how to survive in the reality version. Official figures say that there have been over 10 million deaths and people are still dying.
Once level C opens up, more people will die. They are on the ride now to make money, but they need to have some basic skills just in case they ever come across a solo mission.
"If you keep this in mind, you'll reduce the threat of danger and you'll be able to complete solo missions of low points. Then you won't need to find a bus."
"Aren't you losing customers?"
"That's right!"
Hah!
Losing customers? He does not care. He will not be operating the bus forever. Once he gathers the basic amount he needs, he will be doing this less and will attack a level C mission.
The Lifers listened up. It is what their idol, Overload, is saying. If they listen, it will all become flesh and blood.
It was only in the virtual but of these people, there is even a Lifer who reached a decent level.
"To survive in a mission.... ."
The lecture proceeds.
***
***
Cha Jun Sung is pressing buttons on the calculator. He is calculating the points he earned with his bus. He had been expecting it, but the additional income is pretty good.
With the 3000 reward, 30, 000 with taking all of the mutants and the 5400 points worth of parts and necessities from the Lifers, he had made close to 40, 000.
It is not the exact 600 that he needs for Hercules. There are 540 and 550 as well. He used this for bullets.
If he gathers small parts to manufacture, they become a big part that is necessary to Hercules. He only purchases what cannot be produced.
"At this rate, I'll fill the 3 million within 3 months. I'm sure it'll be faster once we cross into level D. If I estimate with more time, I can even get the battle shoot."
Accepting bribes in level E is 160, 000 in 1 month. That's 500, 000 in 3 months. Personal reasons why he cannot go into missions can arise, but the estimate is that much.
It is an amount that cannot be underestimated. He could understand why large guilds go through so much trouble to take points. It does not mean that they are better off than Cha Jun Sung though.
Cha Jun Sung takes everything by himself, but large guilds need to take care of the master, vice master, cadres, and guild members. They leak through as much as they earn.
-[If everything goes favorably, you will be able to finish within the time you allotted. ]
"Right?"
-[The thing that holds you back are achievement points. Even though you are the owner of the cyborg, the amount of achievement points you earn are low because you don't lift a finger. ]
Odin is not wrong. The achievement points needed to purchase items it 20% of the price. If he catches mutants now, he only gets 10%.
If he leaves it the way it is, he could run into trouble at the very end.
"I know."
-[Do you have a way to resolve it?]
"If I think too much into it, there's no end. I'm going to use Hercules as a defense for a few months to get gear and go through the 4th stage of body modifications. Then, I'm going to start getting involved too."
When he dismantled the vibrating function from the Wolf Kill, he had lost the will to fight.
Honestly, he is also tired from working so hard. Since his body will not be deteriorating from taking a break, he is going to rest and start the engine up again later.
-[Do as you please. ]
Odin responded bluntly. Cha Jun Sung just went past it. That is his helper. Even if it talks like that, it is because it is worried about him.
"I should go in with my colleagues as a party too sometimes since they're meaningful people to me."
The reality version will become a level too high to complete as solo missions as time goes by. Points are important, but there is no point if he does not have a party.
***
Today is Friday. As 9 days passed, he ran his bus 10 times. Including the mission he went in with his colleagues, he made about 400, 000 points.
It is enough to get him through the 3rd stage of body modifications, but he is falling short in achievement points.
He invested greatly in Hercules. Thanks to this, defects in small aspects of it disappeared. Of course there are still a lot of places to work on in the bigger parts.
Cha Jun Sung will be taking a break from the bus for 1 day tomorrow. He has an important appointment.
It is the day he was supposed to meet with Lim Si Hyun and Han Chang Jin. He is iffy about revealing his face, but they already knew enough about him and he felt like he would need to meet with them at least once.
| ← Ch. 071 | Ch. 073 → |