The Player Who Can't Level Up

Gi-Gyu left the conference room and was ushered back to the waiting room. The waiting room remained peaceful, as he didn’t have another falling out with Ironshield, and everyone else kept their curiosity at bay. 

By noon, the head honchos of the meeting got a break, and an exhausted Tae-Shik came to find Gi-Gyu. 

The meeting was far from over. It was to continue until everyone, or at least the majority, reached a satisfactory conclusion. It would be such a long meeting that the attending players had to take short breaks every once in a while.

“Are you all right?” Tae-Shik asked the moment he saw Gi-Gyu. He muttered, “It was very unlike you to act so emotionally. Was it because of Ironshield?” 

Until now, Gi-Gyu had tried his best to avoid confrontations. So how he behaved when he saw Ironshield was very unlike him. Tae-Shik seemed displeased by Gi-Gyu’s action, but he was actually just worried. 

Gi-Gyu replied, “Yeah, partly, but… There is just something I can’t understand.” 

Tae-Shik asked, “What is it?”

“Actually, there are some things I want to ask. Will you answer all of my questions?” When Gi-Gyu asked, Tae-Shik replied, “Sure.”

The entire morning, Sung-Hoon had been worried that Gi-Gyu would explode at any second, so his mental fatigue was at an all-time high. Once Tae-Shik arrived, he dumped Gi-Gyu onto him and left for his hotel room to rest. 

Gi-Gyu began, “Okay. Firstly, this is an emergency, right? Twenty unratable exceptional gates might sound a bit scary, but they are actually waaay more terrifying. After all, they aren’t normal gates and could break whenever. Yet everyone here is just sitting around and talking. I just don’t get this.” 

Gi-Gyu’s question was a justifiable one. With a smile, Tae-Shik asked, “Do you really think we aren’t doing anything?” 

With a shrug, Tae-Shik explained, “Just like our association sent scouts into the gates, the other countries have already taken some actions as well. If any country felt like this was something they could handle internally, they would have by now. Also, discussing the current gate situation isn’t the sole purpose of this meeting. After all, these 20 gates might seem terrifying, but if every country is willing to bring out their secret weapons, these gates can be closed.” 

“Then what is the main point of this meeting?” When Gi-Gyu asked, a serious look appeared on Tae-Shik’s face. 

“There will come a time when a situation much worse would rear its ugly head. We’re here to decide which country to help then, which player to send, and how many to send. We’re preparing for the future, Gi-Gyu. This meeting will decide the fate of billions,” explained Tae-Shik. Looking into Gi-Gyu’s eyes, Tae-Shik asked, “You know that Korea holds quite a sway in the player world, right?”

Gi-Gyu nodded. Indeed, Korea was considered a major powerhouse in the player world. The Korean Players Association especially was a force to be reckoned with. Only a few associations in the world could defy the Global Players Association—KPA was one of those few. 

Tae-Shik stated, “We suggested this meeting.”

“Pardon?” 

“And it was because of you, Gi-Gyu,” Tae-Shik answered. 

Gi-Gyu had no idea that the KPA asked for this meeting.  

Tae-Shik explained, “The new gates mean that the demons are finally active. We learned that they have powers we couldn’t even anticipate, powers that can threaten humanity. We’re here to come up with a solution to this problem.” 

“Then I’m even more confused,” Gi-Gyu murmured, dying to know the answers to his next few questions. 

“You want to know about Ironshield's demon attache, right?” Tae-Shik asked before Gi-Gyu could. 

“Yup.” Gi-Gyu nodded and explained, “Michael and the Vatican pope clearly showed hostility toward demons. Everyone I met seemed to know that demons exist, yet an important figure like Ironshield brought a demon to the waiting room. What surprised me was that except for Michael, no one else objected to this. I just don’t understand this. Why did everyone stand by when a demon appeared? And why did Ironshield bring a demon in the first place?” 

Weren’t demons their enemy? Someone they had to kill? Monsters? How could someone go around with a monster that threatened humanity? But, the leaders of the player world ignored the demon's presence. 

Tae-Shik replied, “I think you’re mistaken about some things. Well, it hasn’t been long since I learned about these things too, so I can’t tell you too much.”

Gi-Gyu nodded in understanding. Tae-Shik only recently learned about the existence of demons, and Gi-Gyu had no idea why this was the case. Was it because Tae-Gu wanted to spare his son the details? Or did Tae-Gu not trust his son?

Tae-Shik continued, “Not all demons are our enemy.”

“What?” Gi-Gyu couldn’t help sounding surprised. 

“Think about it. Is Baal your enemy?” When Tae-Shik asked, Gi-Gyu couldn’t answer.

“Well, that’s…” Gi-Gyu paused for a moment. In theory, he should consider Baal, a demon, his enemy, but he never felt any hostility toward Baal. Baal actually helped him and worked for Soo-Jung, who may or may not be human. 

Tae-Shik continued, “See? Do you know what my old man told me? He said that demons are sad creatures we should pity. They used to be the rulers of hell, but things changed for them after the Tower and hell… Well, merged. Some survived and joined the rulers of the Tower, but most were abandoned or executed. They say that’s why the gates are appearing.” 

Tae-Shik added quickly, “That is why many demons side with humans. The upper echelons keep this a secret from non-players. Since this is a win-win situation for both sides, the world leaders turn a blind to the demons who help us. We even provide these demons a place to live. In a way, they are refugees to us. After Ironshield lost his leg, I heard that he got help from a demo—Gi-Gyu?”

Suddenly, Tae-Shik noticed that Gi-Gyu hadn’t said a word in a while. When he turned to look, he saw that Gi-Gyu was on the floor with his mouth foaming.

“Ah, dammit!” Tae-Shik yelled, “I forgot about the penalty!” 

Gi-Gyu was on the floor, unconscious from the pain of the penalty.

***

Gi-Gyu couldn’t attend the next part of the meeting because he was still recovering from the penalty. He was officially Tae-Shik’s bodyguard, but that was only a formality. The meeting place was a gathering of the most powerful players, so he didn’t really need the protection. 

“Pfft!!! Ahh… Gosh… Tae-Shik hyung is so…” Gi-Gyu burst into laughter as he rested in his hotel bed. Sung-Hoon was away in the waiting room as his replacement, so he was all alone in the room. 

“How could he forget about the penalty? But, it makes sense on second thought,” Gi-Gyu murmured. 

Tae-Shik hadn't known about the demons for long, so he probably didn’t know which part would trigger the penalty for Gi-Gyu. And Tae-Shik alone wasn’t to blame since the triggering of the penalty was reliant on three conditions. 

“Ugh…” Gi-Gyu groaned and sat up. This wasn’t the first time he suffered the gruesome pain, but he still wasn’t used to it and probably never would. 

“Really gotta reach the 50th floor.” Gi-Gyu was told that he would be almost free of the penalty once he passed the 50th-floor test. 

‘50th floor… Just what on this floor could bring such a change? The secondary job change? Does that free the players from the penalty?’ 

Gi-Gyu thought aloud, “Firstly, I need to think about the demons that took humanity's side. Having met Baal, I have to admit that this can’t be wrong. Perhaps many demons are even keeping a neutral stance.” 

Slowly, he considered the information Tae-Shik gave him. After enduring so much pain for that information, Gi-Gyu wanted to make the best use of it. 

“So, what part exactly triggered the penalty? Most likely, that gate’s secret part. I already knew the bits and pieces, but no one ever told me the details. Oh, and there was something about the Tower merging with hell, which replaced the rulers of hell.” Gi-Gyu organized his thoughts, summarizing what he had heard from Tae-Shik. 

-Are you okay? 

When Lou asked, Gi-Gyu replied, “Of course.” 

Fwoosh.

El suddenly transformed into her human form. She had collapsed after meeting Michael, so Gi-Gyu asked in worry, “Are you okay now?”

“Yes, Master. I’m fine.” 

“You can tell me about what happened later. Right now, I have a few things I need to do.” When Gi-Gyu suggested, El replied, “Of course. I’ll tell you when you have more time, Master.”

“Okay.” Gi-Gyu patted El affectionately. Surprisingly, El’s energy seeped into his hand and removed the penalty’s remaining pain. Gi-Gyu had Life, but he wasn’t as experienced with it as El since she was once the master of life.

Gi-Gyu exclaimed, “This is amazing!” 

El blushed quietly. 

Gi-Gyu was fully recovered now. He suffered the gruesome penalty, but he also gained some valuable information. 

“And I even got some free time.” Now, Gi-Gyu didn’t have to make an excuse to leave the meeting. Right now, all the major players were either in the meeting room or in the waiting room except Gi-Gyu. The other players were probably laughing at him for getting sick, but it was all worth it. 

“Michael, the Vatican pope, and… Ironshield and his demon,” Gi-Gyu murmured, trying to list the figures he needed to be wary of. 

The Vatican was destroyed a long time ago, and the lost country then formed its territory somewhere in the world, effectively putting itself in exile. Still, this lost country gave birth to someone as powerful as Michael, so Gi-Gyu realized he couldn’t underestimate the pope either. 

“And there is something odd about the relationship between Ironshield and his demon. Knowing how evil Ironshield is in real life, I can understand his affinity for demons. And I get that he needed help with his missing leg, but… isn’t he still a player who holds holy swords?” 

A holy sword wielder allying with a demon was something hard to comprehend. 

And his leg…

“Ha.” Being curious about that was of no help to Gi-Gyu, but he couldn’t help it. 

“I want to have a look at his holy swords, Master. I have a bad feeling about this,” El wondered. 

Looking down at his ring, Gi-Gyu asked, “Lou, do you know anything about Ironshield’s demon?”   

-I don’t know. Come on! I was their king! You expect me to know every small fry? Still, I can tell you he is one of the weak ones.

“Hmm, so Lou’s going to be useless in this situation.” When Gi-Gyu muttered, Lou replied.

-Wait, I know one more thing—You’re a gargantuan asshole! 

For some reason, Gi-Gyu felt much less burdened now. After confronting Ironshield yesterday, he should have felt angry. But, he decided to take his problems one at a time, feeling a lot more productive now.

“Now! It’s time to go!” Gi-Gyu announced as he stood up from the bed.

***

The hotel was filled with powerful players, but they were either in the meeting room or the waiting room, so Gi-Gyu could easily leave the hotel. Taking care of the hotel guards was nothing difficult; he didn’t have to worry about the non-players and the reporters.

“I got rid of my guards, so I’m free now!” All important figures were being followed by a few members of their country’s association branch, but Gi-Gyu lost his tail easily. After all, his ability to sense other players was incredible. Except for high rankers like Michael, no one could sneak up on him.

After leaving the hotel, Gi-Gyu didn’t get into a cab.  

“Thank goodness for cell phones,” Gi-Gyu murmured as he looked at the navigation app. He had decided to keep this little trip a secret, so he couldn’t take a cab this close to the hotel since it increased his chances of getting caught.

“Let’s go,” Gi-Gyu announced.

-You talk too much.

Lou muttered. El was back to her ring form, and the rest of his Egos were asleep. With a grin, Gi-Gyu began to run. He began to float high in the sky with a quiet wave-like vibration. After all the progress he had made, he couldn’t actually fly, but he could stay in the air for an extended period. Gi-Gyu was sure he could sense others and hide his energy from them, so he moved quickly with confidence. Sometimes, he stepped on the building to run, while at others, he rode Bi. 

And finally…

“We’re here.” Gi-Gyu, wearing a cap to hide his face, grinned. In front of him, a high rise stood proudly. Many people could be seen around the structure, and Gi-Gyu could feel countless players inside the building. 

“I better hide,” Gi-Gyu murmured. Many of the players inside the building were fairly powerful. This meant that Gi-Gyu needed to make more effort to hide his presence. 

“Elemental Water.”  When he whispered, his body turned into water drops. Thanks to Lou’s evolution and Bi’s Elemental Water skill, Gi-Gyu could easily sneak into the building. The water drops that were Gi-Gyu slowly flowed into the sewer. Once inside the smelly and filthy sewer, Gi-Gyu returned to his human form. 

“I wonder if this will work.” Gi-Gyu felt uncertain about what he was about to do. In a way, this was a huge gamble. But, he was also very confident in himself. After opening his gate, Gi-Gyu called out to Old Man Hwang, “Sir.” 

“Are we finally here?” Old Man Hwang asked as he left the gate slowly. 

“Yes. Do you think you can really do it?” 

“Hmm… Of course. This is a piece of cake.” Old Man Hwang groaned a little, but he was clearly very interested in Gi-Gyu’s plan. Gi-Gyu smiled and announced, “Then we’ll begin now.” 

“All right.”

Gi-Gyu murmured, “Gate lock in,” raising one of his hands. 

[You have one last coordinate you can lock your gate into.]

[Would you like to lock in your gate here?]

The familiar system voice announced. Gi-Gyu and Old Man Hwang were standing underneath the Iron Guild’s headquarters. His plan involved placing his gate underneath this building. When they discussed this earlier, Old Man Hwang reassured Gi-Gyu that he could hide the gate. 

If things worked according to his plan…

Gi-Gyu grinned in anticipation and answered, “Yup.” 

He believed that someday, this gate would become the dagger that stabs Ironshield in his heart.