Chapter 12

Even the types of contents were starting to change in strangely specific ways.

(Alliance) KimFactory: Pre—premium?? You said premium??

(Alliance) KimFactory: You’re telling me you just picked up a premium package on the side of the road...???

(Alliance) BBQ: Where at, I wanna go too, yummy T_T_T_T

One day, it was a bundle of absurdly expensive premium item packages.

(Alliance) ShinJadu: Hey, what’s that in the leader’s storage? There’s a box I’ve never seen before.

(Alliance) Miu: I found it.

(Alliance) ShinJadu: This time what is it???

(Alliance) Miu: A gold box.

(Alliance) ShinJadu: What???????

(Alliance) BBQ: You picked up gold off the road? LOL???

(Alliance) MouseTrap: Huh?!

Another day, it was a gold box.

(Alliance) GoodLuck: Hii hii~

(Alliance) KimFactory: Welcome in

(Alliance) CheersInMyEyes: Hiya

(Alliance) 1Poop1: Hi hi

(Alliance) GoodLuck: But hey, I just logged in, and—what’s that weird rabbit doll thing next to our second outer wall over there~??? Isn’t that a limited intruder alarm~??

(Alliance) ShinJadu: Miu picked that up.

(Alliance) GoodLuck: Whaaaat~~? Again~~~? Didn’t you pick up a rabbit headband last time too~~?

(Alliance) ShinJadu: Exactly.

By now, he’d even started bringing back bizarre interior decorations.

Because it kept happening, everyone grew suspicious and tried to find the person who was leaving the boxes behind—but it wasn’t easy.

The other party would ghost in, placing the box quietly in spots where the alliance members weren’t watching... yet always exactly along Miu’s path.

As the boxes piled up in the storage, the alliance members finally started making guesses.

(Alliance) 1Poop1: Whoever keeps handing this out; seems like they f11king love rabbits

(Alliance) MouseTrap: Right?? I thought that too LOL

(Alliance) CheersInMyEyes: LOLLLLL for real

First: that person clearly loved rabbit-related items. Just counting the rabbit-themed goods so far, there were more than enough to fill an entire box.

And second: everything was sniper-related—and the boxes kept appearing only in front of Miu...

(Alliance) BBQ: But it really feels like they’re trying to give stuff specifically to the leader lol

(Alliance) ShinJadu: Yeah, that’s true

(Alliance) KimFactory: I’ve got a feeling about this

(Alliance) KimFactory: This is DEFINITELY someone targeting my leader!!!!

That the other party was someone with an intense interest in Miu—someone practically desperate to give him gifts.

(Alliance) 1Poop1: Hard to believe but seems legit; we’ve never even run into them, but they’ve given stuff to Miu and dipped a few times already, right??

(Alliance) MouseTrap: Then does that mean Miu has seen their face???

(Alliance) 1Poop1: Probably???

(Alliance) FUNK: Wouldn’t that make sense

(Alliance) Miu: No. Haven’t seen them.

(Alliance) Miu: They run fast.

(Alliance) MouseTrap: Huh?? Really?? If even the leader can’t catch them...;;

What kind of person even was this?

While everyone was speculating, Miu’s gaze stayed fixed on the boxes. Then, as if uninterested, he spoke.

(Alliance) Miu: Just divide the items among yourselves and use them.

(Alliance) KimFactory: Huh?? All of it??

(Alliance) BBQ: Oh, for real?? Nice lol

(Alliance) CheersInMyEyes: LOL jackpot

(Alliance) KimFactory: As expected—so indifferent. That’s hot.

Had the leader ever shown prolonged interest in any one person?

The only times Miu ever moved decisively were when someone had irritated him or crossed a line. Even then, it wasn’t much of a “reaction”—just a headshot, delivered coldly, without any emotional display.

(Alliance) BBQ: Sometimes I’m amazed that Miu even runs an alliance lol

(Alliance) CheersInMyEyes: LOL so true

Honestly, there were times it felt strange that someone like that would even bother managing an alliance.

(Alliance) GoodLuck: Anyway, nothing bad’s happening, so good is good, right~~

(Alliance) FUNK: Yeah, true enough

In the end, since the boxes weren’t causing any harm, everyone just laughed it off.

Miu, too, was about to move out to do a quest when—

(Alliance) BBQ: But, uh, what if...

(Alliance) BBQ: What if it’s something sketchy? lol

At BBQ’s comment, Miu stopped mid-step. The other members all dragged their cursors over to BBQ’s chat and typed question marks.

(Alliance) Miu: ?

(Alliance) BBQ: I mean lol ahem—doesn’t it feel weird? Our alliance doesn’t exactly have the best image on the server, and this isn’t chump change—we’re talking crazy high-priced items being handed out like that...

(Alliance) BBQ: And the way they’re giving gifts specifically to the leader, trying to get close... feels like sooner or later they might start approaching the rest of us too lol

(Alliance) GoodLuck: Even if they do, it’s probably just that they want to join the alliance~

(Alliance) BBQ: LOL yeah, I guess—who spends that much money just to get into an alliance? They’ve already dropped hundreds

(Alliance) BBQ: That’s not exactly a normal approach, is it??

(Alliance) BBQ: What if they’re actually a spy???

For a moment, everyone went quiet—then burst into laughter.

(Alliance) KimFactory: BBQ, haven’t you been watching too many movies?? LOL that spy stuff was from years ago T_T

(Alliance) MouseTrap: LOL right, what kind of spy even is that?? There are no spies in a game LOL T_T

(Alliance) GoodLuck: Come on~ not that far~ sounds like a funny kid to me~~

(Alliance) CheersInMyEyes: LOLLLLL for real

(Alliance) FUNK: LOLLLLL

If it were a small amount, maybe—but spending that much money? Why would anyone do that?

While everyone laughed, only the leader Miu and the vice leader ShinJadu didn’t.

Miu looked like he was thinking something over. ShinJadu glanced sideways at him.

Of course, nobody else noticed that subtle tension. But just as the joking chat began to die down, Miu suddenly made a suggestion.

(Alliance) Miu: Then I’ll bring them in.

(Alliance) FUNK: ??? What? Who?

(Alliance) Miu: The one who gave the gifts.

(Alliance) KimFactory: Huh???

(Alliance) MouseTrap: What?? You’re bringing the person who gave the gifts into the alliance???

(Alliance) GoodLuck: Huh~?~~~ For real??

(Alliance) MouseTrap: What?? You’re bringing the person who gave the gifts into the alliance???

(Alliance) BBQ: Uh... are you really going to bring them in because of what I said??

(Alliance) BBQ: It might not be anything... lol

(Alliance) FUNK: But how are you gonna catch them??? You said they’re crazy fast

(Alliance) Miu: I’ll just catch them.

At first, everyone thought he was joking—but Miu wasn’t the kind of person who did things like that.

Even so, he was talking as casually as if he were just going out for a simple raid, and no one could tell whether he was serious or kidding. Then, after a moment of thought, Miu called out to GoodLuck.

(Alliance) Miu: [N O V E L I G H T] GoodLuck.

(Alliance) Miu: I’m going to take one of our installations.

All of the alliance’s installations were managed by GoodLuck. He handled them carefully—making sure the outer walls looked good while still being sturdy—because he believed that the “feel” of the alliance territory mattered.

(Alliance) GoodLuck: Huh~ sure thing~ what are you taking?

(Alliance) Miu: Just one gun.

(Alliance) GoodLuck: Huh? If it’s a gun, you’ve got more than—

(Alliance) Miu: I’m using a big one.

(Alliance) GoodLuck: ...What?

As if searching for something, GoodLuck—who’d been decorating diligently as usual—trotted over, then stopped short.

Miu’s gaze... was pointed somewhere completely unexpected.

(Alliance) GoodLuck: Hey—no way you mean that one???

GoodLuck followed his line of sight, spamming question marks, while Miu said nothing, clearly confirming that yes—what GoodLuck was thinking was exactly right.

Honestly, it was only natural for GoodLuck to be stunned.

(Alliance) GoodLuck: The mass-slaughter machine gun...???

What Miu was looking at was a heavy machine gun.

*****

Park Taekyun’s advice turned out to be more useful than I’d expected. If I just approached without any signal, wouldn’t I startle him? So I planned to get closer by giving gifts.

If he asked why I was giving them, I’d say it was because I was grateful he’d saved me before—play it like a swallow bringing back a favor—or I’d say that I was actually a fan of <47> and had been hovering around because I wanted to join the alliance.

What should I buy as a gift today. Will I be able to start a conversation?

Mo Yeonhoo’s face was grim—far too solemn for someone about to give a present.

Come to think of it, lately I’d been realizing something. There was no way Miyoung had survived in this game with that fragile body just by luck.

Because...