I Became the Hidden Mastermind

023 – Formation of the Eternal Pirate Crew #2

023 – Formation of the Eternal Pirate Crew #2

『13 steps to the northeast.』

『5 steps to the east.』

『1 step to the east.』

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.

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“It’s fascinating.”

I approached the entrance door located to the northeast.

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As I opened the door, something like an ostrich egg-sized capsule was placed outside.

Clack.

It wasn’t that heavy.

About 2kg.

“Wow, it’s really a capsule. I was so curious about this that I felt like I was going crazy. Really. I was so curious that even if I met ghosts morning and night, I would have kept my cool. Seriously. I’m so curious.”

The capsule had gold in the middle, so it was twisted to open.

Creak.

When the capsule was twisted, something square like a glass bottle was inside.

Looking at the shabby finish, it felt like a cheap doll prize.

“What is this?”

“Perfume? Does this look like perfume?”

Yang Ju-hee pretended to know. She seemed to be sharp about perfumes and cosmetics because she did makeup often.

It looked like perfume when I heard and saw it.

When I looked at the perfume bottle for a while, the words came to mind.

“Faint Perfume: A perfume made from the water that fairies first fluttered in. It dramatically reduces the probability of being discovered by anomalies and observers. Lasts for 100 hours when used. 2/2 times.”

It clearly meant that the probability of being discovered by anomalies and observers would be reduced!

I’ve been tormented by ghosts morning and night, but if I use this, my daily life will be somewhat peaceful again!

“Yes, this is it! This! This reduces the probability of meeting ghosts!”

A long time of humiliation and persecution.

It was a tiresome tea.

Now it’s time to return to being an ordinary high school student, Hayoungwon!

Tick-tock.

I pressed the round switch and sprayed perfume on my body.

True to its name, “Faint Perfume,” a subtle floral scent wafted through the air. But for some reason, perhaps due to my mood, this smell felt unfamiliar.

“Has anyone else smelled this scent before?”

Thinking it might be my imagination, I asked Yang Ju-hee and Jung-seok.

Jung-seok shook his head, while Yang Ju-hee sniffed my shoulder and wrinkled her nose.

“I don’t know.”

“That’s strange. It smells like a scent I’ve smelled somewhere before.”

“Hayoungwon, how would a nerd like you have smelled this perfume? Did your ex-girlfriend, Yoo Da-hee, perhaps wear perfume?”

Yang Ju-hee brought up Yoo Da-hee’s name again.

Whether Jung-seok knew the literary girl Yoo Da-hee’s name or not, he seemed intrigued.

“Yoo Da-hee from class A? You and Yoo Da-hee dated? Really? I’ve never heard of that before.”

Jung-seok’s expression showed disbelief at the idea of me dating Yoo Da-hee.

Of course, he’d never heard of it. It wasn’t true, so it was only natural.

It seemed best to clarify before the misunderstanding deepened.

“My ex-girlfriend isn’t Yoo Da-hee. We barely even talked. Maybe today was the first time we had a conversation. But if she hadn’t been there, it would have been awkward.”

The book “Feng Shui” recommended by Yoo Da-hee played a crucial role in dispelling the “Feng Shui Ghost.” If the book hadn’t been there, Jung-seok and I would have had a harder time.

Swish.

I took out the book with a post-it note labeled “Yoo Da-hee” from my bag.

Sniff sniff-.

Just to be sure, I took a whiff, and it smelled a little different from the “subtle perfume.”

“…I hate Yoo Dahee.”

Yang Juhee muttered quietly.

Then she stuffed the remaining piece of chicken into her mouth and swiftly went into her mother’s room.

“I’m going to sleep!”

Click-.

I heard the sound of the door locking.

As Yang Juhee disappeared, the atmosphere in the living room suddenly became cold.

Jung Seok asked,

“What happened between Yang Juhee and Yoo Dahee?”

“I don’t know either.”

# # #

Up to three people could train at the newly opened “Training Ground.”

It was information I had discovered through personal experimentation.

“Jung Seok – Training List!”

“Reading books 0/1000”

“Writing book reviews 0/100”

“Reward: ‘Speed Reading'”

“‘Speed Reading’: Allows you to read text 1.5 times faster.”

“If you can read the characters 1.5 times faster, you can efficiently use your study time. It’s the talent I really needed.”

Jeongseok seemed very pleased that he could acquire the skill of “Speed Reading” as a training reward. It was something he had dreamed of as an inspector.

To become an inspector, you had to study a lot and read a lot of books. Having the ability of “Speed Reading” would be beneficial.

“The training characteristics vary for each person in the training ground, with different disciplines and results. Hayoungwon, how about you? Can you train in the training ground too?”

“Well, I can.”

『Hayoungwon – Training List!』

『Achieve Level 3: 2/3 Lv』

『Achieve 5 Level Players: 0/5』

『Reward: 《???》』

『《???》: ???』

“In my case, it’s like this.”

“It’s getting stranger, Hayoungwon. You said you don’t know why you have this ability, right?”

“Yeah.”

Jeongseok stared at the status window note I wrote for a while.

Then, as if reaching a conclusion, he said,

“You mentioned a pirate crew when you talked about our group. In a way, that statement might not be entirely wrong. You could be like a mafia or an imposter in a mafia game.”

“What are you talking about?”

“It’s written in the shop, right? ‘Selling various items that can help in battles against warriors─.’ Warriors are usually the good guys in games or comics, aren’t they?”

Come to think of it…

Amidst various experiences, I hadn’t paid attention, but Jeongseok sharply pointed out the aspects I had overlooked from a third-person perspective.

“So, there might come a time when you have to fight against warriors. And when your level goes up, this kind of story comes to mind.”

『The probability of monsters and observers tracking your existence increases.』

“That’s right. It was written that the ‘Faint Perfume’ we acquired earlier also reduces the probability of being discovered by monsters and observers.”

“To be honest, it worried me. Even if we consider monsters as the ghosts we encountered together, I wonder what these observers are. It seems like there’s more than just ghosts to worry about….”

More than just ghosts to worry about?

What does this mean?

When I frowned, Jeongseok kindly added an explanation.

“I think these observers might not be human. After all, there’s no guarantee that there’s only you with strange abilities like Hayoungwon. Maybe these observers refer to warriors or their allies. Of course, it’s just my speculation.”

Jeongseok created an opportunity to step back by saying it was his own speculation, but his deduction seemed very excellent and accurate.

Even as the person involved, I couldn’t make such sharp guesses.

“So, according to what you’re saying, Jeongseok, it means that I should also be cautious of people?”

“That’s right. I couldn’t say it earlier because I was too excited. For example, what if Yang Juhee, who had no interest in track and field, suddenly acquires the ‘Fast Legs’ and breaks the Olympic record overnight?”

“…She would definitely attract a lot of attention.”

“That’s exactly it. Those observers or warriors would find it easier to approach. So, what I mean is… we shouldn’t stand out too much. Do you understand so far?”

Jeongseok’s story had a lot of information, so it seemed necessary to summarize it.

But I could still understand what he wanted to say.

It meant that I should be cautious not only of ghosts.

“So… in conclusion, what do you think I should do?”

“For now, let’s think of me as a Mafia in the Mafia Game. As someone who shared a boat with you, I’ll be like an assassin or a spy. I also have special abilities to help you.”

I thought that recruiting Vice Captain Jeongseok as my teammate was a very good decision.

Honestly, I felt like the points spent on putting this guy in the training camp were somewhat wasted. But now, looking at it, it was an investment that can be fully justified!

“Seok, by the way, what are assassins or spies who are Mafia colleagues? In Mafia games, are there roles other than Mafia and civilians?”

“Have you never played Mafia games or GooseDucks? Assassins and spies are Mafia colleagues with their own unique abilities and skills to help the Mafia. They also perform special missions.”

There are so many different roles.

It seems Jeongseok not only studies but also plays games a lot.

“Hey Jeongseok, do you happen to play League of Legends?”

“I do.”

“Oh. What’s your tier and position?”

“Platinum. Jungle.”

“Wow, really? I’m Platinum and play top. Our meeting must have been fate. Shall we duo later?”

It’s 11:00 PM.

I turned on my computer and started the game.

“I’ve exceeded 600 Nasus stacks, right? With this, I can demolish the enemy monitor every time I use Q, right?”

“Hey! Don’t focus on kills, hit the Nexus! Hit the Nexus!”

I played games with my friend late into the night.

It was so much fun.

It felt like I had returned to being an ordinary high school student.

The mysterious deity and heroes also felt like a dream from one night.

Was it all just a lie?

Such thoughts crossed my mind as midnight arrived.

Tick-tock-.

I heard a sound as if the hands of a clock were moving inside my head.

It meant that at midnight, 1 point had been added due to the special feature of the “broken clock”.

Now, my points were “362P”.

Swoosh-.

I turned off the computer and prepared myself.

I had to go to school tomorrow because it was a weekday.

“I didn’t have time to talk about something today. There’s something called the ‘Nightmare Corridor’. I’ll tell you all about it when Yang Ju-hee is here. In a way, this is also crucial.”

“You still have more to say? You’ve been through quite a lot.”

My room was small.

I had to cover myself with a blanket just like in a textbook.

Honestly, it was a bit uncomfortable.

It was the time when I tossed and turned to find the right position.

“Hey. What are you going to do about Kim Gun-ho and Park In-bae? They’re the ones who tormented you. Honestly, it doesn’t seem like it would be a big deal for you to retaliate against them. If it were me, I would have sought revenge first.”

“Kim Gun-ho? For now, it’s better to just leave him alone. You said it yourself. It’s dangerous to attract unnecessary attention. So, just try to live as inconspicuously as possible at school. Like a silent observer.”

“A silent observer… There must be a better term than that.”

That was the end of the conversation between me and Jeong-seok.

The atmosphere became quiet.

It was about time for sleep to take over.

“Hey. I’m sorry. Pretending not to see you even though I saw you.”

“Never mind. I never asked for your help in the first place. Instead, from now on, if I ask for your help, you must help me no matter what. Got it?”

After that, I couldn’t remember anything.

Swoosh-.

When I regained my senses from the sound of water in the morning, Yang Joo-hee was in the bathroom, washing up.

Maybe it’s because she has long hair, but it seems like she’s the only one who can tie her hair.

“What are you looking at?”

“Looking at Yang Joo-hee.”

“Okay, then close the door now.”

Yesterday’s events weren’t just a dream.

I’ve gained a real comrade!

With a joyful heart, I finished washing up and getting ready for school, then we walked out together through the front door.

“Everyone, get in. I’ve called the elevator.”

Jung-seok, who was already outside the front entrance, pressed the “down” button on the elevator and waited for us.

Ah, this is the true taste of camaraderie.

This is what party play is all about!

Just as I was exclaiming in admiration, Yang Joo-hee frowned.

“Hey, Ha Young-won. By the way, did your villa always have an elevator? Why didn’t I know? Wasn’t there no elevator? It was so hard to climb up to the 4th floor with the stairs.”

“……”