Chapter 9

T-Bastard

[User ‘Dopamine Addict’ has entered the public chat room.]
[User ‘T-Bastard’ has entered the public chat room.]

The person who unlocked the system… was T-Bastard?

Although I had impersonated T-Bastard, I did not actually know him very well.

From the moment he first read one of my strategy guides until he read the last one, all we ever exchanged were formal questions and answers.

Even so, the reason T-Bastard was the first person who came to mind when I tried to deceive Stay-at-home wifey was that he only ever asked straightforward questions. I figured no one would know what his personality was really like.

T-Bastard had read every one of my guides, so it would not be surprising if he had unlocked the system after me.

According to Taejeong Taese, T-Bastard had supposedly landed in the Knife Zone.

Assuming he really had landed there—and that he had unlocked the system by obtaining the meteorite item—it meant he was currently attempting the zone-resident extermination route.

The Knife Zone’s meteorite item was a dagger forged from meteorite metal, an indispensable tool for that particular route.

It was a weapon that allowed even a ten-year-old child to achieve one-shot, one-kill.

Wait. If he only obtained it now, does that mean he survived in the Knife Zone for two full days on his own?

I had written the strategy guide, but even I had not cleared the Knife Zone on my first attempt.

I had only managed to complete the route after being murdered by the psychopaths there countless times.

It was not a zone where anyone could survive for two days, weaponless and trapped in the body of a ten-year-old child…

T-Bastard was the first to send a message.

[T-Bastard: Dopamine Addict?]

Ah.

It seemed there was no way to conceal one’s identity within the chat system.

And if T-Bastard had unlocked the system, he would also be able to use Character Inspection. The moment he saw me, he would know that I was Dopamine Addict.

How am I supposed to reply?

Opening and closing the system worked through thought alone, so did I just have to think of the message I wanted to send?

Apparently, I was right. The moment I formed the words in my head, text automatically appeared over the system window.

[Dopamine Addict: Yeah.]

As soon as I awkwardly sent the message, T-Bastard replied.

[T-Bastard: I see. So you were possessed too.]
[T-Bastard: Dopamine Addict…]

I was about to ask whether he was carrying out the resident extermination route and whether he had acquired the meteorite item when another message from him appeared.

[T-Bastard: I’m going to kill you.]

Huh?

[Dopamine Addict: Huh?]
[T-Bastard: Once I survive this place]
[T-Bastard: and escape the zone,]
[T-Bastard: I’m coming to kill you.]
[T-Bastard: Just you wait.]

“……”

So he really did resent me.

This guy… He must have gone through absolute hell in the Knife Zone during the two days since he was possessed.

It was a little unfair for him to resent me when I had not been the one who sent him into this world, but I could understand how he felt.

The residents of the Knife Zone were homicidal maniacs.

They traveled in groups and took pleasure in murdering anyone weaker than themselves.

T-Bastard must have been threatened with death immediately after being possessed, and he was probably hiding somewhere even now while sending these messages.

In other words, he could not possibly be in his right mind.

It was impressive enough that he had survived and unlocked the system without receiving any special advantage.

That also meant T-Bastard was an exceptional player.

And that made him someone I needed.

He was a person who could survive the Knife Zone and bring me another meteorite item.

For the moment, I tried to calm him down.

[Dopamine Addict: First of all, I’m not the one who possessed you.]
[Dopamine Addict: The same thing happened to me.]
[Dopamine Addict: We’re in the same situation.]
[Dopamine Addict: You’re doing the resident extermination route right now, aren’t you?]
[Dopamine Addict: I’ll help you with anything I can.]
[Dopamine Addict: I’d like to come and help you in person, but as you know, we can’t leave our zones until the Second Apocalypse arrives.]
[Dopamine Addict: Ask me if you have any questions.]

[Dopamine Addict: Aren’t you curious about anything?]
[Dopamine Addict: Hey.]
[Dopamine Addict: Hey.]
[Dopamine Addict: Hey.]
[Dopamine Addict: Hey, are you dead?]

However, even after a long time passed, T-Bastard did not reply.

Was he deliberately ignoring me?

Or had he fallen asleep?

[Dopamine Addict: Hey, are you sleeping?]
[Dopamine Addict: Aren’t you curious why only you and I were able to unlock the system?]

Even that cheap provocation failed to make T-Bastard react.

“Hmm…”

It would be troublesome if I could not communicate with the only other person besides me who had unlocked the system.

It seemed I would have to reveal at least one useful piece of information to get a reaction out of him.

[Dopamine Addict: Here’s one thing I can tell you.]
[Dopamine Addict: You’ve probably already noticed that you don’t feel hungry, right?]
[Dopamine Addict: Players don’t need to eat.]
[Dopamine Addict: Instead, consuming food allows us to heal our injuries.]

Only then did T-Bastard finally reply.

[T-Bastard: That’s useful information.]

This bastard had been pretending to sleep while reading every message I sent.

[T-Bastard: It will increase the chances of survival.]
[T-Bastard: If I]
[Dopamine Addict: So you’re finally willing to have a proper convers—]
[T-Bastard: survive,]
[T-Bastard: I’m coming to kill you.]
[T-Bastard: I’ll definitely kill you.]
[Dopamine Addict: ……]

Does everything have to end with murder?

T-Bastard did not seem mentally stable enough to hold a proper conversation right now.

He had declared that he would kill me, but considering his circumstances, I could only feel sorry for him.

Now that he had chosen the resident extermination route, all that remained for him was a battle of slaughter.

Perhaps the goal of surviving long enough to kill me was the only thing keeping him going.

I suppose it could not be helped…

[Dopamine Addict: I’m in the Cola Zone.]
[Dopamine Addict: Make sure you survive and come kill me.]

After sending that message, I waited a while for T-Bastard’s reply, but he appeared to have gone silent again.

No reply came.

Eventually, I drifted off to sleep.

***

The next day, I had to wake up early in the morning.

I’m sleepy…

I was exhausted, but just as expected, I did not feel hungry.

Even though this body did not need to eat, the fact that it was difficult to wake up in the morning meant it still needed sleep.

What kind of principle had this body been created on?

In any case, the reason I had to get up so early was none other than Major General Meursault Pendleton, the commander’s adjutant.

After the commander had hinted that he had found his child, Meursault had come to see me at the crack of dawn.

With the servants’ help, I washed up, changed my clothes, and headed toward the rear courtyard of the commander’s residence.

There was a shooting range in the backyard, and that was where Major General Meursault had summoned me.

One might wonder who would dare summon the commander’s son, but Meursault was the commander’s closest confidant, having served Hayden for the past ten years.

For now, that meant Meursault held more influence than I did, despite my being the commander’s son.

It would do me no good if word reached the commander that I had ignored Meursault’s summons merely because I trusted in my status.

When I reached the shooting range, I saw Meursault standing with his back to me, his ash-gray hair neatly tied back.

“Good morning.”

When I greeted him first, Meursault turned around.

He stared down at me for a moment before speaking in a stiff voice.

“Yesterday, I met someone here who claimed to be His Excellency’s son.”

Ah. So he had come to meet SafeZone8 yesterday morning as well.

“And yet, this morning, I find myself meeting yet another person claiming to be His Excellency’s son. I must say, I find the situation exceedingly bewildering.”

Would you look at this guy?

There was not the slightest trace of goodwill in Meursault’s attitude.

It was unlikely that he doubted me when even the commander believed me…

Is he trying to establish dominance?

Well, if the lord he had served suddenly gained a son out of nowhere, it was only natural that he would be wary.

But still, against a ten-year-old child?

Even in the game, I had been kept in check by both the adjutant and the commander’s wife, but seeing it happen in reality was not a particularly pleasant sight.

I looked at Meursault for a moment, then glanced around.

Apparently, Meursault did not want our conversation leaking outside either, because the two of us were the only people at the shooting range.

Good.

No matter what I said, it would not reach the commander’s ears.

I looked up at Meursault with a crooked expression.

“So? What do you want me to do about it?”

“…!”

Meursault’s expression cracked slightly.

“What did you just say?”

“I asked what you expect me to do about the fact that you’re bewildered.”

Meursault had evidently not expected such a response. Looking both highly flustered and deeply offended, he pulled out a handkerchief and wiped his forehead.

“You are considerably different from what His Excellency described. He said he was worried because the young master seemed far too softhearted.”

Rather than answer him, I stood there crookedly, wearing an expression that clearly said, You dragged me out this early just to say that?

I even put my weight on one leg—the slouched posture that military superiors supposedly hated most.

Meursault stared at me, looking utterly speechless.

The commander had probably told him that I was a ten-year-old brat who wanted to host meals for children my own age.

In other words, a naïve little fool whose head was full of flowers.

He must have assumed that acting slightly overbearing would be enough to frighten me.

More importantly, the reason this man was not favorably disposed toward me was…

“No matter how much you may be His Excellency’s biological child, you would do well to show proper respect. Lady Daphne remains His Excellency’s lawful wife. You are nothing more than an illegitimate child.”

Exactly the same as in the game.

The reason he was trying to crush my spirit was because I was a bastard.

In front of the commander, he never openly objected to my illegitimacy, but inwardly, he refused to recognize me as the rightful heir and even dreamed of rebellion.

In the original illegitimate-child route, I was supposed to humor him to a reasonable extent.

That way, no one would suspect me later when I poisoned him.

For the same reason, I had maintained a good relationship with the commander’s wife as well.

If two poisonings occurred in the commander’s residence, it would be impossible to avoid suspicion. But once one of them died first, my position would grow too powerful to reverse.

This time, however, I had no intention of doing that.

In a world where educated NPCs were rare, both Meursault and the commander’s wife were valuable human resources.

Meursault Pendleton looked exceedingly difficult to deal with, but fortunately, handling him was actually quite easy.

You could call it a fatal trait.

Or perhaps a weakness.

There was an absolute strategy for winning him over.

He was a simple man who did not even require polite treatment, so long as one agreed with a certain belief of his.

Smiling at Meursault as he looked at me like I was an insect, I replied,

“But you’ve been waiting for a bastard like me, haven’t you?”

“Me?”

“I heard about you from His Excellency too.”

Of course, I had not heard it from the commander. I had seen it while playing the game.

The moment I claimed that the commander had spoken to me about him, Meursault began to look visibly shaken.

There was a reason for that.

This man, Meursault Pendleton, was responsible for one of the game’s more scandalous storylines.

Because this man…

“Meursault, do you still intend to marry Daphne Goodman?”

I tossed out the question with casual indifference.

To the disloyal man who loved his superior’s wife.