Debuff Master-Chapter 1044

Chapter 1044
— I’m almost there, oppa.
“Already? Got it. I’ll be right out.”
Hearing that Yong Seol-Hwa was nearby, Tae-Sung got ready to leave his house, but...
“Excuse me, Young Master?”
His chief bodyguard blocked his path.
“Yeah?”
“Are you really planning to go out like that...?”
“Why? What’s wrong?”
“Your outfit is a bit...”
Tae-Sung’s outfit looked extremely basic. He was wearing a matching tracksuit with a cap pulled low over his head, making him look like some neighborhood bum heading to the convenience store.
“
Ah,
it’s fine. It’s not like we’re gonna go anywhere special,” Tae-Sung replied, casually waving his hand as if it was no big deal.
“But you have to maintain your dignity. There is always a chance the paparazzi could tail you, sir.”
“Well, that’s true...” Tae-Sung mulled over it for a moment. Then, he shrugged and said, “Nah, it’s too much hassle. I’ll just go like this.”
“...”
“Besides, Seol-Hwa is already here, so I can’t keep her waiting.”
And so, Tae-Sung headed out to meet Yong Seol-Hwa looking like a total bum.
‘
Ah, I’m tired...’
Tae-Sung would have to wear outfits picked out by his stylists and spend time at salons to get his makeup and hairstyling done whenever he appeared in public. The preparations alone would take at least an hour, sometimes two if necessary.
He found that time wasteful, cumbersome, and even suffocating, which was the reason he preferred to dress comfortably whenever he could.
“Dressing up from head to toe with designer brands is not going to change anything. If someone wants to appear luxurious, then they have to be luxurious themselves,” Tae-Sung said with a grin.
“T-That is true, but still...”
“And I’m the embodiment of luxury, so it’s fine.
Kekeke!”
After spouting a bunch of nonsense, Tae-Sung turned and stepped outside.
“If you say so...”
The chief bodyguard couldn’t argue anymore.
After all, Tae-Sung was a world-renowned pro gamer and a billionaire. He had even become a major shareholder of the beehive recently, so with credentials like that, it was not exactly wrong for him to say that he was
luxury embodied.
Perhaps that was why, but—
“It’s been a while, oppa.”
Even though Tae-Sung showed up in his tracksuit and was dragging his slippers, Yong Seol-Hwa didn't show a hint of displeasure.
She would accept him the way he was, regardless of his outfit.
“It’s been a while for you too, Seol-Hwa,” Tae-Sung replied with a smile, waving his hand.
“Hop in, oppa.”
“Okay.”
Yong Seol-Hwa told him to get into the Ferrari she came in, and they drove somewhere right away.
“Where are we going?” Tae-Sung asked.
“Are you busy today, oppa?” Yong Seol-Hwa asked in response.
“Not really? I don’t think I have anything going on today or tomorrow.”
“Then just follow me.”
“
Huh?
”
“I’ve been feeling a bit suffocated lately, so I want to go get some fresh air.”
“
Ah,
I see,” he replied with a nod. Then, he shrugged and said, “Oh well, let’s go wherever you want today, Seol-Hwa.”
“Okay, oppa!” she replied enthusiastically.
Tae-Sung figured she would take him to a nice, quiet cafe somewhere in the suburbs of Seoul—but he was wrong.
“
Eh?”
he murmured, tilting his head in confusion after seeing the self-driving Ferrari merge onto the highway heading toward Chuncheon.
“Seol-Hwa...?”
“Yes, oppa?”
“Where are we going?”
“Chuncheon.”
“C-Chuncheon? Why...?”
“I booked a pension.”
“
Huh?
”
“You said we can go wherever I want today, right?”
“I-I did...?”
“Then it’s settled. I wanted to hang out at a pension today.”
“Oh? Okay, I guess?”
“Ah, just one more thing. We will be there overnight.”
It was then.
‘
E-Eeeh?!’
Tae-Sung doubted his ears.
Why?
It was all because an overnight trip meant that he would be spending a night together with Yong Seol-Hwa at the pension.
***
The pension was tucked away deep within a mountain with no name in Chuncheon. It was so isolated that there was not a single trace of human presence to be found around it. In truth, it was not even a pension. It was a private villa that Yong Tae-Pung had purchased with some spare money back when he was still an active pro gamer.
“Oh my, our Miss Seol-Hwa has brought Han Tae-Sung here with her?”
“Yes, uncle. Have you been well?”
“I’ve been doing great.
Hahaha!”
“Sorry for dropping by out of the blue.”
“Not at all!”
It seemed that Yong Seol-Hwa and the caretaker who managed the villa were quite familiar with each other.
“Oppa! You must be hungry, right?” Yong Seol-Hwa asked.
“Y-Yeah, I am,” Tae-Sung replied.
“Just a moment. Let’s have some charcoal-grilled dak-galbi[1].”">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dak-galbi[/ref].”
Without really knowing what was happening, Tae-Sung found himself at Yong Seol-Hwa’s private villa, where he was treated to some charcoal-grilled dak-galbi.
Afterward, the two of them strolled around the villa’s surroundings, chatting about this and that, before sitting down for some coffee together.
When night fell, they lit a charcoal fire, grilled dak-galbi, and shared a beer afterward.
“It feels nice to finally get some rest again,” Yong Seol-Hwa said, sipping her beer.
“Yeah, it really does,” Tae-Sung replied with a nod. He couldn’t even remember the last time he spent such quiet time at a villa hidden away deep in the mountains.
Then, Yong Seol-Hwa suddenly looked at him and said, “What do you think of the world inside games, oppa?”
“That’s quite out of the blue,” Tae-Sung replied, looking surprised.
“I was just curious.”
“Hmm...
It feels like reality. Like a completely different world—another world. I guess?”
“
Ah...
”
“But why do you ask?”
“I was just wondering. Whether you've ever struggled with the gap between the game world and reality.”
“
Ah,
that?” Tae-Sung said with a nod.
The confusion between the game world and reality was something he had spent a long time struggling with himself.
“I used to struggle with it too, but not anymore.”
“How did you get over it?”
“The game world is the game world. Reality is reality.”
“Sorry?”
“Think about it,” Tae-Sung said with a smile. Then, he continued, “In the game, I’m an emperor. Tons of people bow their heads to me, right?”
“That’s true.”
“And I’m so insanely strong that I can do anything I want. But that’s the story of Siegfried von Proa inside the game—it’s not the same as the real me.”
“
Oh?
”
“The real me? I’m a pro gamer, a businessman, and a gym rat who loves working out.”
“I see... Then, what about romantic relationships?”
“
Hm?
”
“You married an NPC in the game.”
“
Oh,
that’s just... in the game. It’s not like Siegfried von Proa doesn’t love his wife. But if Han Tae-Sung in the real world were to fall in love with a game NPC. Then, do you think he could live a normal life?”
“Well, I guess you have a point.”
“I have to separate them completely. Otherwise, I would go crazy. You know that too, right?”
Just as Tae-Sung said, confusing virtual reality with real life was indeed considered a serious societal problem, often leading to severe mental health issues. Obsessing over a game could make someone lose themselves, becoming addicts who could only live inside a virtual world.
“I see that you’ve already found your answer, oppa,” Yong Seol-Hwa said.
“That’s right,” Tae-Sung replied with a nod. Then, he asked, “But why? Did you have the same kind of worries?”
“
Huh?
What do you mean?”
“Did you maybe... fall in love with an NPC in the game or something?”
“No, I don’t have any particular romantic interest in NPCs in the game.”
“Then? Are you having trouble separating games from reality?”
“No, not at all.”
“Then why are you asking all of a sudden?”
“I was worried about you, oppa.”
“Me?”
“Yes, you.”
“About what?”
Yong Seol-Hwa lowered her head and murmured, “That you... might get so immersed in the game that...”
“
Hm?
What did you say?”
“...that you would get so immersed in the game that you would never form a relationship in real life.”
“What are you even talking about?”
“
Um...
I want to be your girlfriend, oppa,” Yong Seol-Hwa whispered, gently leaning her head against his shoulder.
“...?!”
“I’ve liked you for a long time.”
It was a sudden confession.
‘
W-What the fuck is going on?!’
Tae-Sung shrieked inwardly, and his mind went completely blank.
Why?
It was all because Han Tae-Sung had never been in a relationship. In the game world, he had gotten married, played mommy and daddy, and even had a beloved daughter he treasured like no other.
But in real life, he was a completely different person. He was a late bloomer among late bloomers—someone who had not even held a girl’s hand before.
Thus, it wasn't strange that he had no idea how to respond to the sudden confession.
***
While Tae-Sung was in utter shock from the sudden confession he had received in the real world, the Holy Alliance was burning with rage over their defeat at the Battle of Pallas Fortress.
— Incompetent fools! How can you allow this to happen?! What do you expect us to do now after suffering such a devastating loss right at the start of the war?!
The Holy Alliance had lost a staggering eight hundred thousand troops in the battle.
But that was not all...
Their naval fleets defending the supply bases, the fleets carrying reinforcements, and the massive stockpiles of supplies loaded aboard them were all wiped out, too.
In other words, the Holy Alliance had suffered a massive economic blow from the Battle of Pallas Fortress.
“Y-Your Holiness! Please compose yourself!”
“The army is being reorganized as we speak. Please, have patience and quell your anger!”
The top brass of the Holy Alliance desperately tried to calm Bismarck II.
— Useless vermin! What could I possibly expect from the likes of you?! Get out of my sight! All of you, begone!
After dismissing all of the high-ranking officials, Bismarck II met with the four kings for a private meeting.
— This won’t do. I believe we have no choice but to open the Celestial Gate once more.
Of course, it wasn't the
true
Celestial Gate. It was a smaller version of it that was once used to summon tens of thousands of Fallen Angels.
“I completely agree.”
“I fully support that notion.”
“What needs to be done, has to be done.”
“We do need more angels on the ground.”
The kings of the four other nations immediately voice their full support for Bismarck II’s proposal. Given the devastating losses to both manpower and resources, they needed to summon more Fallen Angels if they hoped to turn the tide of the war.
— Very well. Let us then find a city to offer as a sacrifice to open the gate.
Thus, the Holy Alliance’s leadership resolved to perform another mass human sacrifice to open a small Celestial Gate and summon additional Fallen Angels. Of course, this information reached the Allied Forces almost immediately.
“...That is what I have heard. Please it to my master.”
Ragdoll IV, one of the Irradiators, rushed to inform the Allied command as soon as the meeting ended.
***
Badump! Badump! Badump!
Tae-Sung’s heart was pounding like a war drum after Yong Seol-Hwa’s confession.
Of course, he wasn't the only one whose heart was pounding.
‘
W-What do I do?! But I had no other choice. If I didn't do it like that, then...’
Yong Seol-Hwa thought her own heart felt like it might explode at any moment. However, she gritted her teeth and steeled her resolve.
There was, in fact, a very good reason why she had chosen to do such a sudden and out-of-the-blue confession.
Yong Seol-Hwa had liked Tae-Sung from the moment they met, and she planned to take things slow, moving carefully toward him, step by step. Unfortunately, their relationship hadn't progressed at all, even after knowing each other for over a year.
Why?
It was all because Tae-Sung was just too busy.
Forget about any relationship, he was so absorbed in the game all the time that it was hard enough just to see him for a second. Thus, the more distant they became, the more desperate Yong Seol-Hwa grew.
Which was why—after agonizing over things for so long—she decided there was no other way but to dive in headfirst with a bold confession.
“I understand you, oppa,” Yong Seol-Hwa said.
“Understand what...?”
“My dad was a pro gamer. And he was one of the world’s most famous—just like you.”
“Yeah, that’s true.”
It was a well-known fact that Yong Seol-Hwa’s father, Yong Tae-Pung, had once been one of the world’s legendary pro gamers.
“I've been watching my dad since I was young.”
“
Hm?
”
“So I know exactly what it’s like. What kind of life do pro gamers live? I know that there isn’t even enough time for them to sleep properly. How it’s hard to spare even a moment for your own family.”
“
Ah...
”
“I know that kind of lifestyle, and I understand it...”
“...!”
“S-So... that’s why... I can...” Yong Seol-Hwa stammered. Then, she summoned all of her courage and finally said, “I can confidently say that... I'll be the perfect girlfriend for you.”
1. I decided to just leave this as it is. It’s basically marinated chicken grilled Korean style. More info here: ☜