Chapter 10

In any game, there are times when it works well and there are times when it does not.

The same was true of the Bern Chronicle.

At its peak, it was very popular, but it also got a lot of flack for a series of patches that made one wonder if it was right.

Season 2, called the Dark Ages.

'The Kingship Patch.'

A patch to allow users to become kings in the high-freedom Bern Chronicle.

The benefits to the king were great.

And so, many have made power and established kingdoms. The more you have, the more you want, and that's human greed.

Players who became King waged wars to expand their territories and consolidate their positions.

For about a year.

Hundreds of kingdoms were born, hundreds of kingdoms fell. And many have left the Bern Chronicle.

The community was on fire every day.

There was a lot of smear campaigning, disinformation, and back-and-forth that rivaled real-world politics.

Afterward.

They removed the kingship patch and continued with a new story that utilized the concept of the six last remaining kingdoms.

Six kingdoms with countless stories to tell.

A fresh patch and a compelling story brought many users back, and Bern Chronicles entered its second golden age.

Memes and buzzwords born along the way.

The developer has left them as Easter eggs throughout the Bern Chronicle.

[Dharman].

Strength: B

Agility: B

Stamina: C

Mana: C

Luck: B

Talent: A

-Possesses: Owl's Eye (C), Mask of Two Faces (A), Hatred (A), Threaded Eye (B), True Wave Bodywork (B), Stone Body (B)....

'Owl's Eye (C)'

When the Bern Continental Flag was in full swing. In the community, there were those who promoted certain games while swearing at the Bern Continental Flag, such as Manggem¹, Ttonggem², etc.

-I'll be damned.

-The ship to the Outer Worlds is departing. All aboard.

In fact, a lot of Bern Chronicle users went over to a game called Outer World.

The mark for that game is an owl.

Half joking, half serious. The game makers have created an owl mark for one of the seven major criminal organizations.

Naturally.

Redin know that organization.

Magnes

They're three of the seven largest organizations, and this owl's eye is a skill you get when you join an organization called Magnes.

In a nutshell.

Dharman is a mole for Magnes.

*Ssik*

Found it

'A sacrifice that will become my performance.', Redin thought while smiling.

* * *

"Are you okay? Get up."

"Th-thanks"

Dharman picked up the fallen trainee. At the same time, the prisoners' laughter rang out again.

"Ha ha ha ha ha!"

"Woo! Woo! Woo!"

Bang! Bang! Bang!

"Stop! Stop!"

Vergo subdued the prisoners and turned to look at the fallen trainee, a murderous grin tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"I'll see you later."

"Sor- I'm sorry."

"We're moving again, follow me."

The trainees moved down the hallway again.

Redin followed suit.

From Building 1, where model inmates gathered, Until the 4th building where silence flowed, A short break was given after half the rounds.

Redin settled into a corner.

Silently, I closed my eyes and recalled the images of Dharman I had just watched. He was smiling the whole time.

The vibe is laid back.

He was also friendly with the trainees.

'If I hadn't seen the owl, I wouldn't have recognized it either. You'd think it was a good guy.' Redin pondered to himself.

It is only possible because of the two-faced mask.

But.

Redin wouldn't waste his effort racking up a stellar record even when the ship got sunk, even when unexpected variable happen to appear.

This makes sense to some extent.

Conversely, Redin thought about why Dharman was killed off in the original story and shook his head.

What's done is done.

It's a lost cause.

What's important to Redin is that he now has a goal that he can set a reasonable performance for.

"But what are you guys aspiring to?"

Vergo looked around.

The trainees exchanged glances, but none of them answered his question.

"Don't look at me, just tell me, and see if I'll be nice to you."

Let's lighten the mood.

One by one, they began to open their mouths.

"Medical department is good. Not much to do, comfortable, a few quick fixes for the occasional screw-up, And you're from the Holy Empire?"

"I'm a member of parliament."

"Then you're going to have a hell of a time getting promoted. Even if you declare your neutrality, the medical department has a tight grip on the Holy Empire, so if you're not looking for advancement, the medical department is the place to be."

Then the trainee who had fallen earlier raised his hand.

"I want to go to the operations department."

"It's a good job, just keep an eye on the bastards to see if they're doing a good job or not, and if you get to know the inmates, they'll occasionally throw you some money and you'll take it."

"… …"

"I saw a lot of men who went to gaol³ . The one who freaks out at the sight of prisoners in cages, and you want to manage them?"

Another trainee cleared his throat.

"Hmmm… what about the General Department?"

"Hey!. General Department. Once you get in there, you're set for life, but do you know anything?"

"no"

"Then don't even dream about it."

"then… What about the arrest department?"

"It's an arrest division… you get to go out and eat what you want, drink what you want, and if you catch criminals, you get promoted fast."

"Then I'll go to the arresting department."

The corner of Vergo's mouth quirked up at the trainee.

"But there's a fatal flaw."

"yes?"

"Cause the God of Death is out there watching"

*Gulp.*

The trainee swallowed hard and clenched his fists.

"I've been trained in hell, who am I to be afraid of the God of Death?"

"What did the kids say after that?"

"That hell training was when they were most comfortable...."

"Yeah. It's like an appetizer before the real thing. Well, you go if you want to."

Vergo trembled and laughed.

"I'll tell you what, there's nothing like being a security guard. No shifts, no rotation, lots of free time. It's not dangerous."

Working to attract cadets to the security department. Seems like I've already got a couple of them hooked. They're about to get a real taste of hell.

The Security Division is called the worst, along with the Arrest Division.

*Tsk*

Seeing Vergo chattering away, Dharman, who had remained silent, spoke up.

"Then, how about the special task force?"

Burning Hell Task Force.

A special organization that exists in Burning Hell.

A place where not just anyone can get in, and new people are only hired when there are openings in the organization.

also.

It's also the place you have to go to become a captain.

"It's a rumored place. One thing's for sure, only the super-elite go in. There was not a single rider in the ranks." Dharman continued.

"…."

"I'm here in the security department…", Vergo answered back.

"Aha. So we can get in this time?" Dharman answered with half hearted voice.

"I don't know about that. Why would you care? Look. But the security department is the best..", Vergo returned the topic to the Security Department.

"Because it's my dream to catch criminals on the front lines."

"Some guys are like that… well. Catch them. Because even if you don't, if you go somewhere like arrest, they'll do something similar."

"The way you're so insistent on asking questions about the special task force, are you trying to get in there as a spy?", Vergo replied to Dharma

"What? Never mind." Dharman ended the conversation with Vergo

'Because if you reveal your identity, you won't be able to accomplish whatever you want.', Redin who was watching in the corner smirk at Dharman

* * *

Keeping an eye on Dharman is good. But,

The most important thing to do is to gather Harungel's heart.

"Do you mind if I take a quick trip to the restroom?" Redin asked to Vergo

"Okay. Just go there and walk out the door you see over there.", Vergo replied back while turning and pointing at the aforementioned door.

"okay"

With permission from Vergo.

Redin picked myself up and moved to the nearby restroom. He waited outside for a moment to see if anyone was coming.

After making sure that there wasn't anyone going to follow him, He went inside.

Redin could see the inside of a clean restroom with the scent of jasmine. There was a urinal on the right and a toilet on the left.

Five compartments.

There was no need to use Arrakis's eyes. He stepped into the center cubicle and locked the door. He turned and looked down at the toilet.

Redin opened the water tank cover.

Then, letters began to be engraved in the water.

He reached out.

[You have obtained Harungel's heart 4].

[You realized some of Harungel's insights].

[The theory of swordsmanship is imprinted in your head].

In his mind's eye, he saw Harungel's childhood.

A model sword made of wood.

With that, Harungel began to be intrigued by the idea of a sword, and as he held the real thing, He fell in love with it.

Countless battlefields.

The theories of swordsmanship that Harungel had accumulated through thousands and thousands of swings of his own sword. They melded with Harungel's swordplay and melted into his mind.

Harungel's swordsmanship was difficult.

First of 3 Secrets.

The swordsmanship that only he practiced felt familiar, as if he'd invented it himself.

"Now there are two left."

'Heart 5 is easy to get, but I can only get it by getting Heart 3.'

Heart 3's reward is Mana Breathing.

'How much stronger would I be when I have that.', Redin mused.

"I'm looking forward to it."

With Redin's heart pounding in his chest, He left the restroom and headed out through the door to the activity center.

The center of the basement floor.

There was an activity center for the prisoners to enjoy their free time, and the sun was shining in the sky.

Open skies.

Prisoners who came for the first time would think that they could escape through that place, but it was impossible because it was blocked by a magic circle.

also.

Each departmental office on the ground floor has a clear view of the activity on the basement floor, allowing for immediate reaction to incidents.

He lowered his gaze again.

The barbed wire fence in the foreground and the prisoners taking their places in it and enjoying their rest. The trainees watching them from the outside.

The moment Redin is about to take a step.

"You bastard!"

One prisoner grabbed the other prisoner by the collar and punched him.

And soon after.

It escalated into a brawl.

"Aaaaaaaaa!"

"Stop! Get off me now!"

The guards rushed to break up the fight. Vergo, who was leading the trainees, ran, followed by Dharman.

A tangled, intertwined state.

In the natural situation of prison guards stopping prisoners, an awkward figure caught his eye.

Dharman.

Redin could see him handing something to one of the prisoners, his face in front of me.

Nailed it.

Walking over to where the brawl is, I pick up the riot baton on the ground.

Prisoners fighting back and forth.

"Fuck, you're all dead today!"

In Redin's excitement, he hit a prisoner in the stomach with his baton who was blocking his path.

*whack*

*keugh!*

"Get out of my way."

** ** **

TL/N:

1. 망겜(Manggem) This slang phrase combines the words "망" (mang), which means "failure," and "게임" (geim), which means "game."

2. 똥겜(Ttonggem) Slang for shit game

3. A person who is or has been in prison, especially a criminal who has been jailed repeatedly.