Even Today, the Ranker Dreams of Retirement

Meanwhile, Kang Taeseo, sitting opposite Errata, was preoccupied with managing his expression.

‘It’s Hyun Habin.’

Of course, he couldn’t fail to recognize her.

The photo Errata had shown him.

Despite the blurry and dark background, he could make it out. That face undoubtedly belonged to his former classmate, Hyun Habin.

Having confirmed this, Taeseo immediately answered without showing any reaction.

“I don’t know. I told you I don’t know her.”

“Really? Are you sure you looked properly?”

The black creature sitting on Kang Taeseo’s shoulder chimed in.

-Geng, geng! (It’s that woman again! Why is she everywhere?)

“Your round friend seems to know her though?”

‘Why now of all times.’

Kang Taeseo, without batting an eye, immediately opened his mouth.

“He has occasional seizures. He probably got startled because you came close and showed him that.”

-Geng? (Human? You’re quite good at turning words?)

‘Shut up and get back inside.’

Taeseo roughly shoved the round creature back in. When had it come out this time? Its frequent, untimely appearances were starting to irritate him.

It’s not even helpful, should I just get rid of it?

Pressing his brow, he snapped at Errata again.

“And if you’re done with your business, get out.”

“Why so harsh? I’m just trying to get along, since we’re in the same boat.”

“We’re not in the same boat, so scram.”

“Hmm. Treating me like this, I don’t think the Administrator would like it. You should think carefully.”

Errata leaned towards him threateningly. As she drew closer, a thick scent of blood wafted over. Errata opened her mouth with a chilling smile.

“Nasty Kang Taeseo. I really don’t understand why the Administrator favors you. You keep failing and you’re uncooperative not just with me, but with other apostles too.”

“You’re one to talk. Didn’t ‘Minor Patch’ get crushed by Fides?”

“We’ll rise again. You’re the one who’s been twiddling your thumbs on the 26th and 50th floors. What have you accomplished?”

“……”

“Plus, you won’t even tell us what happened there. I can never tell what you’re thinking. I wonder if you’re planning to stab us in the back?”

“If you’re going to spout nonsense, get out.”

“You’re so uptight. Can’t take a joke?”

Errata smiled coyly and stood up. Kang Taeseo glanced at her.

Errata.

Although she had been annihilated once by Fides, she was still the head of ‘Minor Patch’, the world’s largest criminal organization.

While not praised by all due to being a villain, she was undisputedly ranked 3rd in the world.

Moreover, ‘Errata’ was just a nickname. No one knew her real name. Not even her subordinates, or even Kang Taeseo.

All that was known was that she came from some slum, and that she had an unforgivingly cold and cruel disposition.

Tap, tap.

Errata approached the window and smiled darkly as she looked at the night view outside.

“I saw your billboard on my way here. Kang Taeseo, still as popular as ever. I hear you’re called a national hero in your homeland? Ha, a hero. Haha.”

A short, high-pitched scoff echoed through the room. As if truly finding it pathetic, Errata sneered with a distorted eyebrow. She continued, raising her hand elegantly as if greeting.

“While I dirty my hands like this…… You alone pretend to be clean, receiving all sorts of respect. Praise. Have you been enjoying playing the hero all this time?”

“……”

“Hypocrite.”

Errata whispered the single word briefly and smiled with her eyes.

“I’m already so curious about how other humans will react when they learn your true identity someday.”

She continued, licking her lips. Her chilling voice, spoken softly, settled in the room.

“That the reason you’re strong is because you betrayed humanity and sided with the Administrator. That you pretend to be good on the outside, but you’re trash with the same purpose as me.”

It’s too precious to keep to myself.

Errata tilted her head as she looked at the status window. Unlike others, her status window had red text written on it.

-You are the second apostle chosen by the System Administrator.

-Carry out the Administrator’s hidden missions.

-Reward: Administrator mode usage rights, cheat play. Others vary depending on the mission.

A special status window that only appears to players who have directly contracted with the Administrator.

The reason she had grown strong so quickly was due to carrying out these hidden missions, and thanks to using the cheat play she received as a reward.

“And you’re the same. Moreover, you’re not just trash. You’re worse than me. You’re the ‘first’ apostle after all. Aren’t you receiving the most love from the Administrator?”

Though her tone was provocative, it didn’t seem to stimulate Kang Taeseo much. He retorted in an annoyed tone.

“Is that all you have to say, just listing out your inferiority complex?”

“No, I want to give you a warning.”

Errata brought her face close to Kang Taeseo’s. She added coldly.

“If you’ve received benefits, do your job accordingly. When are you going to catch the ‘Guardian of Deception’? What are you going to do if the Administrator gets angry?”

“I’m looking too. You’re the one who hasn’t found anything, so don’t get in my way.”

“What do you mean get in your way? When have I ever interfered?”

“If we’re caught together like this, it’ll hinder my image and plans. You know that, right?”

They were in the Caligo exclusive guesthouse set up at the SPES Kill Screen branch.

It wouldn’t be strange if someone, even Fides or Chae Jise, walked in through the door right now.

But what if they were caught with Errata, the head of Minor Patch, having some kind of relationship with Kang Taeseo, the head of Caligo?

“If someone comes in here, I’ll kill you without hesitation. And I’ll hand you over to Fides.”

“……Hmph, you’re so unpleasant.”

Tap tap. Errata turned her head, raising her eyebrows with a disgusted expression.

“Still, Taeseo, don’t forget that I’m always watching you. If you ever defect, I’ll be the first to beat you up and deliver you to the Administrator.”

“That won’t happen.”

“Oh, is that so?”

Errata pressed her white hand firmly on a nearby sofa. Her hand sank softly into the luxurious leather.

“Living such a luxurious life…… and being used to being revered as a hero. I’m saying this in case you might misunderstand. In case you might decide to become a real hero. You hypocrite.”

“I know my place.”

“Right. You must also know that there’s no turning back now.”

Errata, who had muttered the last words quietly, snapped her fingers with a thwack. Her form vanished from sight with a whoosh.

She had truly left now.

“……Ha.”

Kang Taeseo, finally relaxed, let out a pained sigh and rested his head on his interlocked fingers.

‘You hypocrite.’

‘You must also know that there’s no turning back now.’

“……I know better than anyone.”

A belated soliloquy filled the dark room.

-Geng? (Is the guest gone?)

The round creature, not missing this gap, poked its head out again.

-Geng. Geng! (Why such a gloomy face? Cheer up, human!)

Pat pat. The creature suddenly patted his shoulder.

“……”

Taeseo glanced at the creature sideways.

He had been wondering since before, but he couldn’t tell if this thing was perceptive or not. Just now, he had almost gotten into trouble because of it.

It keeps coming out without being told to.

‘Should I get rid of it now?’

Taeseo gripped the creature’s round form tightly with both hands.

-Geng! Geng? Geng geng! (Ack! Let go, human! I can’t breathe! Let go!)

The creature flailed and gasped for breath with difficulty.

-Geng! Geng! (Wh-why are you doing this even when I’m trying to comfort you? Ungrateful human! I’m going to throw up? I’m going to throw up?)

“……”

Flail flail. Tap tap tap.

The small, dull movements urgently tapping his hands. Taeseo, who had been staring blankly at this, released his hands again. The creature belatedly inhaled with a whoosh.

-Geng!

“……Please, just learn to distinguish when to butt in and when not to. Don’t interfere.”

-Geng! Geng!

The creature seemed to be sulking, upset. Seeing this, Taeseo sighed.

“Ha, what am I even doing? It’s not like it understands everything I say anyway.”

-Geng! Geng e! (I do understand! You’re the one who doesn’t understand me! Stupid human!)

“Why did you do that earlier?”

-Geng! (Insensitive human! I’m fed up with you now!)

The black creature, still sulking, hopped onto the table with a thud thud thud. It munched on the pretzel snacks placed on a plate on the table with a crunch crunch.

-Geng, geng

Munch munch munch.

‘That thing…….’

Didn’t it shout when it saw Hyun Habin’s photo earlier too?

Kang Taeseo recalled the creature’s pattern. It had made a fuss when it saw a face similar to Hyun Habin on the 50th floor, and it had made a fuss again when it saw Hyun Habin’s photo just now.

“Could it be that it saw Hyun Habin on the 26th floor too?”

The creature that had drawn a woman’s picture.

26th floor, and 50th floor.

Hyun Habin and a Demon God resembling Hyun Habin had appeared in those two places.

Not only that.

Moreover, as soon as that Habin-like Demon God obtained the ring, the conquest of the 50th floor was completed.

Of course, Fides had claimed that he had conquered it, but Kang Taeseo didn’t believe that.

‘What if Hyun Habin is conquering the tower?’

Plus, the precognitive ability user in the photo Errata had shown was also Hyun Habin.

Kang Taeseo frowned as his thoughts reached this point.

‘Why of all people……!’

Why did it have to be Hyun Habin?

His former classmate. The last remaining human relationship.

He knew she had become an Awakened, and even knew she was quite a powerful Awakened, but.

What if she was actually an unimaginably strong person beyond that level?

The only key for humanity to overthrow the system.

If Hyun Habin was the ‘Guardian of Deception’ that the System Administrator was desperately searching for.

“Ah……”

Taeseo closed his eyes tightly, letting out a groan like a sigh.

If that’s the case, what on earth should he do?

◆◇◆◇◆

“What do you mean what to do! Let’s just quit!”

“Hey, what do you mean quit!”

Hyun Habin, holding a barbecue skewer. Wearing animal ear headbands and even glow-in-the-dark bracelets, in perfect tourist attire, she asked.

“Can’t we quit the training institute? Didn’t you say last time that you’d help me take a break from the institute for as long as I want?”

“Even I can’t do that. Taking a few days off is one thing, but you need to finish the training itself. It’s legally mandatory.”

Chae Jiseok, also holding a barbecue skewer, looked at Habin as if to say ‘isn’t that obvious?’

“What, Chae-ssi, you’re surprisingly powerless?”

“Even if the Minister of Education came, they couldn’t exempt you from the college entrance exam and let you into university! This is that kind of domain.”

“Aha!”

Habin, who had casually taken a bite of her skewer, turned her head.

“Sigh, then I guess there’s nothing we can do…… Oh, Chae-ssi! Look at this, there’s fish cake soup! A food stall isn’t complete without hot fish cake soup!”

“……Aren’t you full?”

Habin, who had already gotten fish cake soup to go, shook her head.

“The stomach for snacks is separate, you know!”

“Aren’t you going to sleep? It’s already 10 o’clock.”

“Huh? Nope. We still have to go see the fireworks at 10:30! Here, look at the guidebook. Enjoy the brilliant fireworks decorating the night sky with Kill Screen as the backdrop!”

“They even have fireworks here?!”

“Only today! I’m so lucky. Last time when I came to see the 26th floor, it wasn’t happening.”

“……”

‘This girl who always said she wanted to go home seems to have unlimited energy when it comes to playing?’

The spicy and stimulating smell of food spreading from food trucks and street stalls. The sound of excited people haggling, the purple-tinged night sky and yellow lights.

And Hyun Habin’s back, already running far ahead.

“Chae-ssi, what are you doing! Here, they say this is strawberry rice cake made with milk! Let’s buy this too!”

“……Alright, alright.”

It seems unlikely that we’ll be getting home early today.