A Village Appeared on My Desktop

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Chapter

20th – The Beginning of Advancement (10)

[The World Eroder Bug is a substance that exists solely to consume the world. When Erosion was discovered, the power of a single world could not resist it, so a counter-program was developed using the world’s drop. The administrator of the program, the Master Program, helps users and guardians to carry out bug defense missions.

1. Bug: Its form is not fixed, but it has the habit of mimicking creatures of the world. Each type has certain characteristics.

2. User…]

“…What?”

I read and reread. I think it was at least five times. But even though it was clearly written in Korean, I couldn’t grasp it at once. Or was I perhaps refusing to understand?

The long text was filled with settings that sounded like something out of a fantasy novel, making it difficult to comprehend.

‘Users are those who face the bugs that erode the world using the Master Program.’

The part I found most incomprehensible was this. Users are those who confront these bugs, these monsters. From the explanation or context, it seems that I am the user handling the Master Program, but why?

‘Guardians are collaborators who fight alongside the users against the bugs. Though they exist in a different world, the bond of souls that connects them powers the Master Program.’

What kind of nonsense is this? If this is the level of setting, it deserves to be criticized.

According to the explanation, the guardians mentioned here refer to the residents that appeared on my desktop. As I connect with them, I can operate the Master Program, but of course, it makes absolutely no sense to me.

[Once a bug recognizes a user, it is programmed to seek and eliminate the user first, regardless of the situation. If the bugs manifest in the user’s world and start to multiply, then the user must work with the guardians to stop it.]

However, I stopped scrolling as the next line caught my attention. The bugs kill the users. Even if they try to escape, they will chase and kill them. No matter where they are, they will certainly find them and kill them.

‘No way?’

I desperately denied the fact that I had been thoroughly caught up in this crazy situation without even realizing it. With trembling hands, I scrolled down to read everything else.

Yet nowhere does it say that all this content is indeed fiction. Just a few minutes ago, I had nearly died for real.

If I were to disregard all of this and toss the computer away, would that truly resolve everything?

[Current Status]

My mouse naturally moved to another item. The purpose was already somewhat clear to me.

[Program Operation Day 9. Current User on Earth: 01, No Additional Awakening, No Deaths.]

The current status was straightforward, displaying the situation.

Short and succinct sentences. My gaze lingered on the figure 01. While there was mention of more awakenings possibly happening, it did mean that right now, I am alone.

‘Why is this locked? Is it because I’m alone?’

Staring blankly, I clicked back and selected the last item. The community feature that was locked. It seemed rather unnecessary since it was just me.

[User’s Master Program level is too low to unlock this.]

“Ah, jeez.”

I clicked in annoyance, and something suddenly popped up on the screen. Words appearing in an otherwise blank space.

It even blinked as if asking for input. With nothing left to surprise me, I swallowed hard and placed my hands on the keyboard.

– Who the hell are you?

[I’m the assistant of the manual. You can hear the stored answers to questions that users have often asked, such as: 1. Who are you? 2. Please save me! 3. Go away! 4. Oh, God! 5…]

An automated response program. Disappointed, I chuckled at the responses that seemed no different from mine. I had hoped to have a serious conversation with someone who understood this situation.

– If there’s a manual, shouldn’t you have recommended this first?

[The original procedure is to guide users to the manual first, but often the situation of the guardians is urgent, so we recommend necessary programs immediately, which pushes the manual down the priority list.]

I decided to test the most irritating point. Surprisingly, the answer was valid.

– Why me of all people?

[This is the third most frequently asked question by users. The answer is destiny.]

– You wanna die?

Of course, not all the answers were satisfactory.

It seemed there were far more irritating answers, and after a few more exchanges, I began to feel my heart calm down. It was as if I had burned away all the pent-up frustration; now, I felt absolutely nothing. Or perhaps I had simply resigned and let go.

– So what am I supposed to do now?

[Don’t feel burdened. As long as you can prevent the bugs from appearing, your world and surroundings will be safe, allowing you to enjoy a life just like before. The first thing you should do is to raise the level of the Master Program. To achieve that, maximize your achievements and strengthen the guardians.]

The manual simply told me to do what I usually do. Interact with the people that came to my desktop, play games, fight, and keep watch. After experiencing something like today, could such a thing really be that easy?

However, it seemed I had no choice. I had to either ignore all the warnings and toss the computer or comply with this bizarre situation at least once.

“Ugh.”

With that, I switched off the manual. Despite the situation, I mechanically got ready for work, occasionally using the vaccine program to heal and observe the injured residents on-screen.

I was certain notifications regarding rewards and achievements had popped up, but right now, I couldn’t check. Honestly, I just wanted to keep my distance for a bit.

“Joon-young, you’re here early! Good. Today might be a bit busy, but if you prepare in advance, you can go home sooner.”

Arriving at the office as if to escape, I sat vacantly when my supervisor, Kim Gyu-seok, patted my shoulder, saying there might be a lot of work today.

“That sounds good.”

“…Huh?”

I chuckled at his words. Perhaps if I were busy with a lot of work, it might help organize my thoughts a bit.

Though he looked at me like I was crazy for saying I liked work, as soon as the actual work began, I had no time to think about anything else, just as I wanted.

*

“Are you saying that the unidentified monsters we first encountered here were attacking ‘that power’ that helped us?”

“It’s just a guess, but it seems so. When the black monster attacked, there was no reaction until it fell, and then it saved the injured.”

While he was mulling over various concerns from the unexpected ambush he faced while sleeping and suppressing his complicated emotions during work.

The residents who had defeated the bug in a fierce battle also felt the weight of their spirits settle as the excitement of their victory wore off.

Balun, who stayed behind to take care of the recovering soldiers and livestock, spoke with Riena, listening to her reason for running out without following his advice.

“Nothing is clear yet, but that power that lifted us to the sky—I think it might be what sends us to different worlds.”

Though they were called the barbarian tribe by the settled residents, they were not stupid. They were a people living a life filled with struggles against other tribes and the vicious beasts of the northern region, lacking in literacy and various skills.

Balun was convinced that the mysterious power overseeing this grassland was related to the gate opening in their village and the game worlds linked by that gate.

In fact, his speculation was not unfounded, proving that his insights were considerable.

“What on earth could it be? The power of the grassland, that person from the square world, and the unidentified knight I encountered. Are they all different beings? Are they really gods?”

“I don’t know. But one thing is certain, we need their power. Whether it’s a wicked spirit or a mysterious mage, it doesn’t matter. Those who give us everything we need are our guardian deities.”

Seeing her in confusion, Balun held his daughter’s hand. It was hard to see her suffer, but it was a kind of trial that was ultimately connected to her life.

Had it been the Riena of the past, she wouldn’t have been able to contribute in the battle with the bugs.

‘Will they come today too?’

As the residents wrapped up their tasks to some extent, they began their activities in the afternoon, just like the previous day.

There were some with serious injuries, such as broken bones and crushed flesh, but thanks to Balun’s obtained reward points used to activate the vaccine program, everyone recovered.

While Balun returned to the sandbox game to gather various resources, Riena remained in the village, donning her armor and equipping her weapon, standing by quietly.

According to her expectations, he would probably take her to a new world by evening at the latest. A more terrifying world flooded with monsters she had never seen before.

But for some reason, she felt less fear about that world. Realizing that it was thanks to his presence, which had always been beside her, she smiled faintly.

‘Could it be that I’m feeling happy?’

For her, a warrior of the grassland, battle was a life-or-death struggle. If she was weak, if she lost, she would be eaten. Despite her outstanding talents, she had lost far more than she had gained through her previous battles, so she felt increasingly hesitant and fearful of losing again.

Yet for the first time, she found joy in battle. In the fights alongside him, she always had something to gain. In other words, it was the first hope she had ever acquired.

Sensing that he might be in danger, she bolted out without sparing a thought for herself, fighting desperately to keep that hope alive.

“!?”

How long had she been waiting like this?

Riena snapped back to reality as she felt someone gently touch her head. But there was no one around. Only the residents busy moving in front of her.

“You’ve come!”

Recognizing this subtle sensation, Riena abruptly stood up and gazed at the sky, exclaiming. And as expected, she was soon transported to the world of the second game, Dark Blood.

‘That monster was also cut down. There’s nothing I can’t cut down.’

Now she could watch his antics and smile without being surprised. In the dark underground passage where they had parted yesterday, she faintly lifted the corners of her mouth as she watched him running toward her, performing forward rolls for no reason.