Chasing Shadows

Purgatory

Never turn your back on your enemy.

A saying that Yoon Seri had learned very early on in life when her back bore the knives of betrayal stabbed there by her own family members. A saying that she mutters under her breath as she watches the J One team test out the beta version of the game in Yeouido Park from the comfort of her luxury car.

Through the tinted windows, her sharp eyes can see some civilians casting odd looks at the players, who seem to be performing some moronic dance in the eyes of the people who weren't wearing the special lenses, and she lets out a heavy sigh, knowing that it may be her that they would be judging in the near future.

As her levels progressed, it has become increasingly difficult to be confined to playing in one space. She had to explore new territories, encounter more skilled enemies if she were to reach that coveted master level faster. Killing the same NPCs again and again started to feel like a waste of time and had only provided her with minuscule advancements in the game.

She lowers the car window and pulls out a gun, expertly shooting the enemies that were overpowering some of the players that were helplessly lying on the ground. The car leaves before they can spot where the bullets had come from, and she watches on her peripheral how her experience points crawled up in small increments.

She swings by Seri's Choice headquarters for a board meeting. Her narrowed eyes sharpen as the men try to reason their way out of their incompetence during her prolonged absence. She announces that her mourning period is nearing its end. And by the time she's back, if they still have yet to clean up their mess, she will not hesitate to fire them all.

Chang-sik no longer stutters when he speaks with her. He keeps up with her fast pace without breaking a sweat and informs her of the plans that he had approved of for the following year. When they reach her office, she gives him one of her rare smiles and tells him that she's proud of the man he has become. He beams and bows in gratitude for the trust.

She dedicates the next day over at J One, providing Subway sandwiches to the entire team. Yang-joo takes a break at the sight of her coming into his office. Seon-ho had relieved him of any other responsibilities to focus on helping her achieve her goal. The enthusiastic programmer tells her about the special items that he had developed for her with bread crumbs flying off of his lips.

After they had discussed what each item can do, she asks if he had already deciphered Jin-woo's cryptic words from their short reunion. "Once you become a master, it won't lock you inside like it did with me." At that reminder, the younger man brings up a memory that happened in that very same office.

"The developer told me something interesting when we first met," Yang-joo says. "About a third dimension inside the game that he took refuge in when he himself was being hunted down by his enemy. He called it the instance dungeon. Apparently, only masters can access it. So, when Mr. Yoo mentioned being locked in, that was the first thing that immediately came to my mind."

With her interest piqued, she comes up with more questions. "So, you're telling me that he might be locked inside this instance dungeon. But why would the game lock him in? If only the masters can access it, why couldn't he just walk right out? Wasn't he already a master when he went inside in the first place?"

"Yes, well, that's the question that stumped me as well, Ms. Yoon," he replies regrettably. Before he can say more, the door of his office opens. Whoever walked in makes the programmer's face light up, like he had suddenly seen his favorite celebrity. "And now, we might actually get some answers from the genius who developed the game."

Seri turns around to see a lanky teenage boy dressed in a simple gray hoodie and jeans. His hair unkempt, his glasses askew and hanging low on the bridge of his nose, and his back slouched and betraying his introverted nature. Despite her surprise, she cannot help but feel impressed over the fact that he was able to create such a complex virtual world at such a young age.