Chapter 96

“Okay.”

Waiting for his mother’s message, Leeha accessed the internet.

Browless told him to come back in 3 days, and in terms of time, if he logged in tomorrow, 3 days would have passed in Middle Earth.

‘How long has it been since had time to relax?’

Even after logging out, he had no time to spare.

As if being chased by someone, he searched for information through the internet and then logged back in again to get things done. In general, it was not advisable to go back to reality while doing a time-limited quest.

It had been 2 weeks now since the Middle Earth connector had been installed, and the creation of the character Ha Leeha. It seemed like a short time ago, but it didn’t feel that way.

Because he had spent more than two months on Middle Earth.

“It can certainly be used for the treatment of mental illness……”

That’s right.

Even a simple thought can be five times more useful if it was on Middle Earth.

What if they made a copy of a book in reality and put it on Middle Earth? Reading 2 books a day, in reality, is equivalent to reading 10 books on Middle Earth.

The ‘Great Library’ was built in Aelstock, but Leeha did not visit it yet because he had only been hunting and questing.

Although the real name was not used, Leeha knew what the painting, drawn in the large library, meant.

‘They were talking about it loudly from the start. There were three open books. With the word VERITAS written in it……

The Great Library was built by Harvard University, one of the most famous universities on the planet, and had many older players.

They were people who accessed Middle Earth, not to enjoy the game, but to read more effectively than reality.

‘That was why there were so many subscribers. The more of them are, the better for me’

The reason he was able to evade his mother’s questions was that there were so many users. Leeha had a bright smile.

Because of what awaits him in the future.

Riing—.

“Oh, it’s here.”

As his heart beat, his cellphone rang as well. Leeha quickly checked the account her mother sent.

‘Well then……

Ah! Suddenly, a person came to Leeha’s mind. Leeha immediately called his cousin, Kijeong.

– Hello? Huh?

“Hey, Kijeong. Are you busy?”

– No, I’m not busy, I can’t access Middle Earth, so I don’t have anything to do. By the way, what happened, why are you in reality?

Kijeong’s voice had laughter mixed in.

After being beheaded by Agromni Igor, he wondered if he was still depressed, but it seems he is feeling much better now.

Being high-leveled in Middle Earth might mean getting used to death.

“I thought you might still be weeping, so I called you for some meat. Do you have time for dinner?”

– Dinner? Haha, you’ll treat me meat?

“Yeah…… Come to our house at 8 o’clock. Let’s eat some meat.”

-Ohh, really? What’s with you today?

“Haha, don’t be shy. Let’s talk about it later. Come on time.”

– I want to know!

Hearing Kijeong’s shrill voice, Leeha ended the call.

After the accident Leeha didn’t want to remember, Kijeong was one of the people who helped Leeha regain his liveliness, who until then had lived with dead eyes. The first celebration party(?) cannot happen without Kijeong.

‘Haha…… it’s a celebration party.’

It should be enough to call it that.

Leeha accessed the bank’s site. I have to prepare the meat we would eat before mother and Kijeong arrive, so I think I will have to move quite a bit.

“Kim! Kim! Have you finished setting up?”

“There are still two more hours to come to the dinner time, unni.”

“What if the customers come earlier? Wouldn’t it be better if you prepare in advance?”

“But the other guests-”

“Are you talking back now?”

“……No, I will do it now.”

‘Why is she twisting my words? Phew, I’m still glad that the paycheck comes on time. In today’s world……’

‘It is not easy to find a new job, and it’s not a bad job as long as one could endure the hysteria.’

Leeha’s mother comforted herself while setting up the dinner table.

Riing, riing—.

‘Oh my, a text message?’

She put the towels and cups aside as the phone in her pocket was ringing.

– Is the money deposited now? I also called Kijeong. Should I go and buy meat for later? Call me when you get off to work, mom! Let’s fill our stomachs with delicious beef!

‘There’s no way he could go out……. How much should I buy if he called Kijeong? But why did he call Kijeong all of a sudden?’

Even her son, who was obsessed with “beef”, felt a bit strange today.

And she checked the second text message. Bank deposit and withdrawal notification text.

‘I think it’s about 100,000?’

[Hanil Bank]10/5 16:53

097601* * *334* * *48 Ha Leeha deposit: 9,999,990 Balance: 10,474,886

“Huh?”

Is the text wrong? She rubbed her eyes and looked again.

However, the numbers did not change. Judging from the fact that the text message contained her debit card number, it was definitely a text message from the bank.

“This is my account number…… right?”

The name of the depositor was Ha Leeha. Her son’s name was there. But what was with this deposit……? “Nine……. Nine……. Nine, nine……”

She was not imitating a pigeon’s voice.

“N-nine million won! Nine million won? Nine hundred? No, how, nine hundred, what?”

Leeha’s mother was bewildered and tried to check the account through telebanking, but neither the deposit amount nor the balance changed.

“Unbelievable…… where did my son……

“Kim! What are you doing, why are you not working?”

She did not hear the middle-aged woman’s annoyed shout at that moment.

Nine million nine hundred ninety-nine thousand nine hundred ninety-nine.

That was the money Leeha had earned in two weeks of playing Middle Earth.

“Hehe, I knew this would happen.”

Leeha checked the caller and smiled. Of course, it was unbelievable.

“Yes, mom.”

“Son! My son!!! What is this?”

“What do you mean? It’s money. Haha.”

“Is it from a giveaway? What kind of giveaway gives this amount of money? Did you do anything illegal?”

“What? What do you mean illegal?”

“You didn’t do anything strange and bad?”

“Mom! You don’t believe in your son that much?”

Aigoo, even at this time Leeha’s mother was concerned for her child. Somehow, Leeha’s eyes seemed to turn red.

“No, anyway, this money…… I can’t. I have to give this back. If we receive such a large amount, we might get into trouble later.”

“Ah! Ah! Mom, don’t worry. You can use that. In fact, it’s not a giveaway prize. I earned it.”

“What? Earned?”

“Yes.”

Leeha couldn’t hold back a warm smile.

He was even proud of her mother that had lived a life like this.

‘How? Aren’t you going to ask?’

Was she afraid that her son might get hurt?

“I’ll tell you how I earned it when you get home later. Together with Kijeong.”

“Hmm, o-okay.”

Leeha’s mother had a trembling voice.

In case his mother gets sad, Leeha quickly and energetically said.

“I’ll prepare everything so you have to come home quickly! I’m hanging up!”

“Okay. Wait for us, even if you’re hungry.”

Phew.

As soon as he hang up the phone, Leeha sighed. He suddenly remembered his past sorrows.

The days when he failed to find a job, being ignored because he was disabled. The organizations that refused to hire him using vague reasons.

And when he did not have any motivation until he started Middle Earth.

“Now…… those times are over. The only thing left to do is move forward.”

He did not know what he could do before. But he knew now. Once one knows how to do it, isn’t it going to be faster from then on.

“In order to make money…… I have to get stronger.”

The Kobold Chieftain’s Eonwoldo is a rare drop, and the item could be used at around level 50, so its value was high.

He received 110 gold from selling it. After deducting the fee, he got 100 gold, and he sold the gold for cash.

After deducting the fees, 1 to 1.64 million won.

Leeha transferred about 10 million won to his mother.

‘He still had 10 gold left…… in Middle Earth …it was because he didn’t need a lot of gold.’

It was enough money to buy a lot of gunpowder.

For a brief moment, he thought about buying a new weapon, but after thinking about it carefully, he felt that it was not yet the time.

He had just changed weapon recently, so he couldn’t waste money to buy another one.

‘And…… what if I caught another boss?’

Because Kobolds are not the only ones that have a chieftain.

There were also goblins and orcs. No, there are also a lot of beast monsters aside from those.

What if he hunted while looking for those boss monsters?

Of course, there was no information on when, where, or how to get them to come out. It would be nice if he could find some information on that. No one else could find it, but Leeha had a way.

“I can do it. Hehe……. I can do it.”

It suddenly became more realistic to earn 2 billion won or 20,000 gold. Leeha smiled happily and started to open the newspaper.

A little over 8 o’clock, Leeha’s mother came home.

Both hands were full of meat and fruits…. The plastic bags in both her hands are so full that they are on the verge of being torn.

“Mom! You should have called me if you have bought so much-”

“Son! What is going on?”

“Aaak! I-I’m suffocating!”

Leeha’s mother hugged him and shed tears.

Even though she promised to herself not to cry again, she couldn’t hold back her tears.

One drop went down to Leeha’s cheeks.

“Calm down, mom. Have you been worried all this time? Don’t worry, I will work harder in the future.”

“As long as you’re healthy, I don’t have any worries……. How did you earn it? Yes? You really are not doing something bad, are you?”

“Absolutely. I was able to earn money using the machine Kijeong told you to install.”

“With that machine? Right, Kijeong told me that you can make money off of that……. It’s quite expensive.”

Leeha’s mother came to her senses and wiped her tears.

“Just wait. I will work hard to save money for the surgery. You will see me walking again soon.”

“Yes…… If that’s the case, your mother won’t have any regrets.”

“What do you mean! Mom will also be going to travel abroad a lot, and you also have to enjoy it. Please wait a little longer.”

“Don’t be greedy. You only have to think of your body.”

Even though Leeha was still sitting in the wheelchair, people will change their mood according to their determination.

Leeha’s mother felt proud of her son’s change in attitude.

“Oh……. Auntie? Hyung?”

And another familiar voice came from the front door.

“K-Kijeong!”

“I think I came at a very awkward timing…… may I come in?”

“Come in, come in. Look at me, I need to prepare the food. Kijeong, you brought something too?”

“Yes, I bought this meat for us to eat… auntie, you bought a lot too.”

Kijeong was also holding two bags that are about to burst open.

“You’re here now.”

“You look good? Did something good happen?”

“Aren’t you looking good as well!”

“Haha, for a person who got his head cut off, right? After all, you’re the only one who cares about me. Did you know that none of my guild members called me?”

Kijeong and Leeha who were organizing their stuff shook hands obviously blood was thicker than water.

(To be continued…)

TL Notes: Nine in Korean is Gu, so Leeha’s mom is saying Gu.. Gu.. Gu. Hence the joke that he was not imitating a pigeon.