FVN Chapter 342: Comeback (1)
Chapter 342: Comeback (1)
Chapter 342: Comeback (1)
Lee Hansu's room.
'It's been a while...'
I looked around and then immediately turned on the computer.
Whirrr!
My goal for today's community session was simple.
Gather information.
But unlike usual, there were two years and six months' worth of information to catch up on.
'Let's start with the forums.'
The main event, the Round Table, wouldn't open for another three hours, so I browsed the forums.
It was a tedious task.
I had to scroll through countless pages to get a sense of the atmosphere over time.
[Has anyone been to Bjorn Yandel's house?]
-I went with some people who were helped by him on the 1st floor. It felt strange seeing all the flowers piled up in front of his door.
-It finally hit me that he's really gone.
-His companions were completely devastated.
Okay, it seems like I should start reading from here.
[tetyys: What's the big deal about one NPC dying?]
[ᄂSogeking33: Well, no one would care if a nobody like you died, right?]
[ᄂSoDamnToxic: He was a candidate for barbarian chieftain, the first explorer to receive a noble title in 10 years, and even the royal family sent knights to his funeral procession... It's natural for people to feel jealous.]
[Ki11Humans77: It's a shame. I was curious to see how his new clan would turn out.]
I skimmed through the comments and then clicked the back button. And I continued browsing the forums, page by page.
One month, two months, three months...
Each month, the forums were filled with posts about the hottest topics of the time. My death was one of them.
After just one month, the number of posts about me had drastically decreased.
But then it started increasing again the next month.
Someone had added fuel to the fire.
[Is the rumor that Bjorn Yandel is an evil spirit true?]
-It's all anyone's talking about these days. There must be some truth to it.
[Three reasons why Bjorn Yandel is an evil spirit]
-Like and subscribe!
[Is he really an evil spirit?]
-If you disagree, you're a newbie who's never even seen him.
-If you agree, you have a beastwoman girlfriend.
[arolf5205: This guy is right. Only newbies would think he's an evil spirit.]
[1spring: Bjorn Yandel is not an evil spirit. So, can I be his beastwoman girlfriend now?]
[Bling0_0: Hmm, I still think he's an evil spirit...]
Two months after my death.
The forums were filled with debates about whether I was an evil spirit or not.
Most people still considered it a rumor.
Well, there was one comment that caught my eye.
[teckmonkey: It might not be just a rumor. I heard the rumor started with one of his closest companions.]
I ignored it because it didn't mention any names. It was common for attention seekers to post vague comments like that when a hot topic emerged.
Click, click.
Three months later, the topic had lost its momentum, and my name was rarely mentioned.
But...
Six months later.
My name, which had almost been forgotten, started appearing everywhere again.
The royal family had made an official announcement.
That Bjorn Yandel was an evil spirit.
[Is the royal announcement real?]
[Bjorn Yandel is an evil spirit?]
[He was a candidate for chieftain, a noble, and everything... how can he be an evil spirit? Something's wrong, right?]
At first, everyone was confused, but then people started posting evidence, and the atmosphere shifted towards accepting it as truth.
There were many suspicious things about me, if you assumed I was an evil spirit.
[It was strange from the beginning.]
-How could he have gotten so strong in such a short time? It was too suspicious.
[ᄂtunaboot: Fact 1: It's still impossible, even if he was an evil spirit.]
[ᄂBrutalizerX: Fact 2: Bjorn Yandel was living with three women.]
[ᄂWingPizza: Fact 3: Bjorn Yandel was known to be over 2 meters tall. In height, of course.]
But the topic died down quickly.
It was shocking, but there wasn't enough fuel to keep it going.
Bjorn Yandel is an evil spirit?
That's surprising.
But so what? Why are we still talking about someone who's dead?
That was the general sentiment.
Some people speculated that there was a hidden reason behind the rumor and the royal family's announcement, but...
That was all.
Those kinds of secrets wouldn't be revealed on a public forum.
Click, click.
I continued browsing, but there weren't any other major events for a few months.
It was just a typical forum, filled with random posts.
But...
One year after my death.
Something happened that set the community on fire.
[Did you guys hear about the Nartel Clan?]
They would probably show up.
But they would just check the members and leave before the meeting began.
Just like they had been doing for the past year.
"Well, at least we have four people, so we can actually have a meeting today."
"...Last time, Stag Antlers wasn't here, so we couldn't even start. Why didn't you come?"
"Goblin, do I have to explain myself to you?"
"Well... no. I was just curious."
They chatted idly as they waited, and then the door opened again.
This time, it was a woman.
"Oh, it's been a while, everyone."
Queen.
She wasn't as influential as Lion, but she had proven her worth in this gathering by outsmarting Clown.
"Are you going to leave again today?"
Crescent Moon asked politely, and Queen smiled awkwardly.
Her intentions were clear.
'She doesn't see the point in participating without Lion.'
Queen had continued to share information even after Lion disappeared.
But at some point, she started leaving before the meeting began, just like Clown.
"Pfft, is everyone here again?"
"Clown..."
Two minutes until the meeting began.
Everyone looked at Clown as he arrived.
Most of their gazes were hostile.
They had been clashing with Noark a lot recently.
Even though he wasn't as deeply involved as Crescent Moon, they couldn't be friendly with a member of Noark.
"What? Are you going to kill me with your eyes?"
Clown ignored their gazes and sat down. He stared at the clock on the wall, waiting for someone.
It was a familiar scene.
"Sigh... it seems like he's not coming again today."
"...I heard there have been sightings of Noark explorers trying to enter the 6th floor. What's going on?"
"Huh? The meeting hasn't even started. Why would I tell you?"
"Well, you're not participating..."
"Stag Antlers, really... You should have brought something interesting then. I keep leaving because it's so boring."
"...Do you think you're Lion?"
"Pfft, I didn't mean it like that."
Clown chuckled and stood up, and Queen followed suit.
"Well, it seems like he's not coming again, so I'll be going."
"Me too..."
Bersil sighed as they left.
She felt the need for Lion's presence.
'Where did he disappear to...?'
At first, Clown and Queen had speculated about Lion's disappearance.
That he had lost interest.
That he had been banned by the GM.
There were many theories, but the most memorable one was Goblin's.
That Lion and Bjorn Yandel were the same person.
The timing of their disappearances was too coincidental.
But...
[Pfft, Goblin, you should be a writer, not a paladin.]
Goblin was ridiculed for his theory.
The other members didn't take it seriously either.
Lion had first appeared when Bjorn Yandel was a rookie explorer.
It would be impossible for a low-level explorer to act like that.
But...
'Maybe... he was right...'
Bersil thought it was a possibility.
There were many contradictions, but if it was true, it would explain why Lion hadn't appeared for two years and six months—
Creak.
The door opened, and everyone flinched.
It was a simple reason.
Clown was about to leave, but the door opened before he could even reach it.
"...?"
There were no more visitors.
Or rather, there shouldn't be.
Except for one.
Thud.
A man stepped through the open door.
And...
"...!"
"...!"
The man, whose presence alone froze everyone in place, spoke.
As if he had just stopped by on a whim.
"It's been a while."
Lion had returned.