There was a saying that time healed all wounds. That no matter how much you are suffering now, everything will be fine if you give it time.
So, following that logic...
One two three...
After counting to three, I opened my eyes again.
The pause helped calm me down a bit, but unfortunately it didn't help to change the scene in front of me.
A double bed. A computer on a desk. A living room and kitchen visible through a wide open door.
It was, without a doubt, Hansu Lee's bedroom, the same place I always returned to on the fifteenth of each month at midnight since I ate that pill. The place where I could access the player community forum: Ghostbusters.
I could be dreaming... But probably not.
I considered that possibility, but immediately shook my head. I didn't know why this had happened, but it had happened. What I had to do now was not live denying it, but find out what had happened and find a solution.
«Why am I here?» I grabbed a loose sheet of paper to take notes and began to go over my thoughts out loud.
First of all, the flow of time between the maze and the city was different.
It didn't matter how many days you spent inside the labyrinth: only thirty-six hours would have passed in the city. Therefore, even when I spent more than two months in the maze with my expedition team, I was never summoned to the Ghostbusters.
And yet...
«I'm still here».
I abandoned the question of whether this was really possible or not, and instead chose to think another way, which soon led me to an answer. As unrealistic as that answer seemed.
How did it make sense that the forums had opened while I was in the maze? An incredible event required an incredible cause.
«It's time... Time has to be flowing in the outside world».
If that was the case, that would explain how I was able to enter the forum even while inside the maze.
«Maldite sea».
Still, as the pieces of the puzzle began to fall into place, my overwhelming anxiety about the unknown disappeared. Instead, more concrete and practical problems surfaced on the surface of my mind.
Did this mean he was trapped in the maze forever? If the maze closed as usual, word would have spread that he had died.
How was I going to solve it?
I sighed. I was going crazy, but it wasn't a problem I could solve by just sitting here in a spiral. I sat in front of the computer and picked up the mouse.
[Long live Korean Independence – 2 people are online].
It seemed like Baekho and Hyeonbyeol were already inside the chat room. I was late as I took some time to organize my thoughts, but I still checked the bulletin board before entering the room. I didn't even have to search for messages about myself as there were a lot of threads right away.
Clic.
I clicked on the post with the most comments and found a ton of answers below.
[Did the Giant really die?]
Isn't he up to something with the palace and playing dead again?
BurtusMaximus: I think he really died this time. There are witnesses who saw him enter the portal on the 1st floor and enter the new hidden area.
└OP: Really? How do you know?
└BurtusMaximus: When Yandel opened the portal, there were other people there who entered after him, but the portal closed, so some stayed behind.
└OP: Thanks for the information. But is it really okay to post that here?
└BrutusMaximus: I mean, everyone who needs to know everything already knows anyway.
└Nyacreeps: It seems like only one of them is back alive, and he may be the luckiest bastard in the world. Not only did he not go after Yandel, but he even managed to survive Berzak by crawling across the first floor.
True... I expected people to think he was dead, but it seemed to be true. The forums were the only place I could find out what was happening in the outside world, so I kept reading the messages. The reactions of the other players were incredibly varied.
[You must read: Three proofs that Bjorn Yandel is still alive].
Futuralis: Why is this post blank?
└NEXTlevel: Are you brainless? That means there is nothing.
└Futuralis: What do you mean there is nothing?
└NExtlevEL: Pues que no hay nada en tu cerebro, por lo visto.
A few lightened the situation with jokes, while others spread false rumors and made things up.
Furthermore...
[Friends, this is the method to open the portal.]
Everyone knows that the dark area of the Crystal Cave has a new portal stone, right? Bjorn Yandel opened it a few weeks ago and it came to an end.
Alright, so the question here is what is the condition for opening the portal...
To put it simply, there is a high probability that whatever it is is on the third floor. There were many adventurers who saw Yandel on the third floor this month.
Ok, so that was already common knowledge too.
These99: What you say may be true. Maybe he went up to the third floor before going back down to the first to open the portal.
ionboii: Tsk tsk. Look what bait. Saying you would share information and then just giving us theories.
└EdwardBless77: This isn't the kind of information you'd get from a random rumor. There are many other people who saw it on the second floor too.
└AI_DIDIGO: Fact 1: Bjorn Yandel went back down to the first floor after seven days and immediately opened the new Crystal Cave portal.
Actually, it wasn't just the fact that we went up to the third floor-it was certain that everyone knew the route we took during our search this month...
└EdwardBless77: Mr. DIDIGO, do you have a Fact 2 today too?
└AI_DIDIGO: Fact 2: The portal was closed immediately after the entry of sixty people. Estimated maximum occupancy limit for the new hidden area: sixty people.
Even people who hadn't been there seemed to know all the little details.
I think I've already seen everything it had to do with it...
With that, I stopped actively browsing and debated between entering the chat room with Baekho and Hyeonbyeol now. However, out of habit, I turned to the next page and a message caught my attention.
[i'm an adventurer who sneaked into the hidden area behind Bjorn Yandel].
...Who was it?
I'm one of sixty people you're talking about.
I can't reveal who I am, but everything I will say from now on is the truth, so please trust me.
currently, we are on the first floor of the basement, in a place called the archives.
this apartment is very peculiar...
Who was the author of this post? The first person that came to mind was Versyl. However, after thinking about it, I came to the conclusion that it was impossible for it to be her. He was the only person who knew for sure that he was a player.
It wouldn't be ridiculous to imagine that there could have been one more player in the group of sixty who came down with us.
Plus, the more I read, the more I could narrow down the list of suspects. To give credibility to the story, the author added more and more details.
after separating from Bjorn Yandel, we began to venture out on our own...
In other words, they were not part of the Silver Lion Clan or any of the small parties that moved with them. This meant that the only suspects left were the group we ran into leaving Library Island.
that being said, I don't know where Bjorn Yandel is right now. Suddenly monsters started falling from the sky, so our expedition was put on hold and we ended up separating.
I learned one more thing thanks to this post: the rainy season was not limited to just that island, but it was an event that occurred all over the ground.
In that case, he had no idea how he had survived. Couldn't monsters enter the library or something?
currently, we are trapped on an island. Although the island is still full of monsters, the real problem is that our ship was destroyed and now we are stranded here. The only thing we can do now is hold on until the maze hopefully closes...
but since I woke up here today, I guess that's a wish. That's why I'm publicly sharing valuable information about our search.
those who wish to enter this area or plan to venture here in the future, please listen to me. If you come down here, please come to our island and rescue us. We will give you all the information we have gathered and anything else you want from us.
the island we are currently on is at a nineteen degree angle to the stone island you start on...
With that, the author revealed his position regarding the stone island. Although I didn't know much about navigation, considering how complicated the road was to get there and how long it had taken us, it didn't seem like they were already on the island with the library.
also, if he escapes first and you meet him in the city, or if he is still trapped here and you meet him here, please tell this to Baron Yandel.
that we are waiting for you here...
That was the end of the post. As I went over the list of possible suspects for who the perpetrator might be, I remembered how uneasy the leader of the Hektz Clan had seemed that day.
«As I thought... You haven't found a way to get out of here yet either».
Human intuition really was a terrifying thing. I never expected to get caught up in a situation like this, but he clearly had a sixth sense that I didn't. Although I felt a little uneasy, I continued reading the comments on the post.
Darulus: What? This is real?
rafal: I moved to the bottom as soon as I saw «sixty people». Try again, buddy.
MarkG: No one is naive enough to believe this, right?
Pawel: You should have spent your time and energy on something more productive than writing this garbage...
Most people assumed the post was a troll, but not everyone.
TheRobson75: But it's too detailed to be false... Maybe time really flows inside the maze even when it's closed?
Some people seemed to be undecided, and there were even some who totally believed the post.
Bling0_0: I think this person is telling the truth. Honestly, I can't even imagine that guy dying. I prefer to accept OP's story....
└AI_DIDIGO: Fact 1: There is nothing in this post that indicates that the poster is lying.
└EdwardBless77: So what's your conclusion?
└AI_DIDIGO: Conclusion: The probability that this post is true is 72.8811%.
└Pnec: Nah. That barbarian bastard is dead for sure.
└Bling0_0: ¿Eh? Otra vez ese capullo?
└Pnec: And who are you again? Do I know you?
└Bling0_0: Do I know you? Wasn't having 2 cm down there enough? It seems that your memory is also 1kb.
└Pnec: Ah, now I remember. You're that idiot lol
└Bling0_0: What's the point of remembering when you're going to forget in 1 second anyway?
Why were these two here?
Don't you have anything better to do?
I reviewed the rest of the comments, but the author did not respond to any. Maybe you thought that if you got defensive, the post would seem less believable. I couldn't know for sure, but since thirty minutes had passed since the forums opened, I closed the thread and went to the chat room.
[Long live Korean independence – 2 people connected].
Luckily, those two were still there.
Click, clack.
Thinking that I had already made them wait long enough, I quickly entered the room and found Hyeonbyeol and Baekho Lee a few steps away from each other, facing each other with frowns. The two seemed to be arguing.
«Oh, Big Brother! You're here!»
«…¿Eh?»
As soon as the two of them felt my presence, they swirled towards me.
«...¿H-Hansu?»
«Sorry I'm late. But why were you so hot?»
«I-that's it...» Hyeonbyeol hesitated at my question. Seeing an opportunity, Baekho quickly intervened.
«She keeps asking if you are Bjorn Yandel or not».
"¿What?
«Even though I told her I didn't know, she kept asking me, so I told her you weren't, but she doesn't regret it. I mean seriously, if you weren't going to believe me anyway, why did you even ask in the first place, right?»
«Hyeonbyeol, ¿es verdad? »
«...Hansu, do you really believe this guy?»
Okay, so it was true. Why else would I respond like that when I could have just said no?
I felt a chill.
If I was being so stubborn about it, that meant I was very close to discovering my identity...
This was a bit sudden, but a potential crisis could turn into an opportunity if you played your cards right. «Why did you think I was Bjorn Yandel, anyway?» Ever since word spread that Bjorn Yandel had died, Hyeonbyeol was probably starting to think he was wrong, so there was a high chance he would tell me the truth here.
«...Do you really believe what he said?»
«I won't be mad, so just tell me».
Clearly grasping the fact that he wasn't going to let this go, Hyeonbyeol stopped trying to buy time. With a voice as calm as that of an ant, she said: «I... wasn't very sure».
«But?»
«...But I know exactly when you ended up in this world.»
«Go on.»
«Of all the adventurers who came of age at that time, Bjorn Yandel is the one who became most famous. If I had to compare him to someone, I would say that he is at the level of Blood Spirit... but she is a woman, so you can't be her».
Ah, so she had suspected that I was Bjorn Yandel all along.
«...You also talked a lot about the game around me. Talking about how the Shield Barbarian was the best or whatever.»
«Do you remember that...?»
«Of course. You told me», Hyeonbyeol responded as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Clearly noticing my inability to respond to that, Baekho let out a whistle from his place in the band. «Wow... you are amazing, Hyeonbyeol. Brother, you have to reconsider. If I were you, I would never let someone like her...»
«Shut up. Please.»
Hyeonbyeol and I were on the same page here. Was this guy unable to keep his mouth shut for more than two seconds or something? When I glared at him, Baekho shrugged and closed his lips.
Now that Baekho had managed to spoil the atmosphere, Hyeonbyeol avoided eye contact as he continued. «Anyway, that's why I thought you were Bjorn Yandel... but he died...».
I didn't respond, letting her speak.
«And... I waited here, but you didn't come... so I got worried and asked him, since I know this guy knows who you are...».
Ah...
«So why were you so late today? I was so worried!» Hyeonbyeol shouted, raising her voice a little exaggeratedly as if in an attempt to lift her spirits.
I ended up apologizing without thinking. «Sorry.»
«I didn't apologize, I asked you why you were late».
«I wanted to enter immediately, but there were some quite interesting posts on the forum. I was late because I was reading them».
«Oh yeah? Interesting posts? What have you seen?»
That clearly caught Baekho's attention, so I decided to tell him the truth. He could read them himself later if he wanted. «Something about how time in the maze and in the city can be flowing at the same pace?».
«¿In series? Eso es interested in».
«Wait! So doesn't that mean Bjorn Yandel could still be alive?»
«Um, I guess so.»
As I tried to get that off my back, Hyeonbyeol's eyes locked onto mine. Although he didn't say anything out loud, he could practically hear what he was thinking.
«Why do you talk like this is someone else's problem? That means you could still be Bjorn Yandel'.
Something like that, probably?
When I looked Hyeonbyeol in the eyes with a cheeky smile, Baekho laughed. «Wow, so you have to be at least as mysterious as you to get a girlfriend like her, huh? You have all my respect, brother».
What was he talking about? The guy had many more secrets than me.
I couldn't imagine him calling me mysterious, but I didn't have a chance to say anything before he continued. «But still, this is a little depressing. I wish I had been as smart as you when I had the chance...»
Hey... Seriously, stop killing the humor.