Jeong Jiho.
For some reason, even the name itself felt so “Koo.”
Even the profile was just the default image with nothing on it, making me let out a short, hollow laugh.
“He didn’t erase it on purpose, did he? Or maybe it’s a multi-profile... Oh, right.”
That’s when I remembered my own profile.
The raw, unfiltered gallery of photos with my family and friends, preserved just as they were for years.
It wasn’t embarrassing to show other people, but still, it felt a bit awkward to have “Koo,” my online friend, see it.
I thought about setting up a separate profile just for this, but if Koo had already seen it... That would be embarrassing in its own way.
“Ah, whatever. He didn’t seem like a bad person anyway...”
I decided to just trust my gut.
And then, as if nothing happened, I sent over a casual greeting emoji.
(Jeong Jiho)
[Are you really Mir-nim?]
“Wait, you just exchanged numbers with me and now you’re pretending not to know...?”
Just as I was about to say that, I realized why Koo was acting this way.
“Oh, right. He doesn’t know my gender.”
Kwon Aran.
That’s my name, written boldly on my profile, but it’s a stretch to call it a guy’s name.
(Kwon Aran)
[Yeahㅋㅋㅋ it’s me]
[I’ll change my profile pic to something else, since this one’s a bit embarrassing...]
I hurriedly swapped out my profile photo, pretending nothing was wrong.
(Jeong Jiho)
[Sorry]
[I just... never thought you’d actually be a woman...ㅎㅎ]
To be honest, Koo’s reaction wasn’t that weird.
Monster World, due to the nature of the game, has far fewer female users than most others.
The few female users there are mostly “hardcore veterans” — and just like any hardcore community in Monster World, those people aren’t exactly known for good personalities.
The rest, the minority, hide their identities in-game to avoid being swarmed or receiving unwanted confessions.
Unless you join a decent guild and get to know people, it’s rare for female players to recognize each other in Monster World.
Anyway, Koo and I ended up having a long conversation thanks to that awkward moment.
We found out we were only a year apart in age, and naturally became friends and started chatting comfortably.
Like someone’s review once said, twenty-something users here are “rare specimens.”
Sometimes you get attention-seekers loudly claiming they’re in their twenties, but it never sounds convincing.
After running into those types all the time, meeting a polite peer was a real delight.
(Kwon Aran)
[You came from the main server too, right?]
[Is the main server’s vibe just as bad as Another Server?]
[I only played a long time agoㅋㅋㅋ]
(Jeong Jiho)
[I played up until last year, and it was pretty similarㅎㅎ]
(Kwon Aran)
[So you’ve completely quit the main server?]
(Jeong Jiho)
[Yeah, my guild fell apart because of PK...ㅎㅎ]
[I still have my account though]
[Come visit sometimeㅎㅎ]
[It’s still fun if you just play casually and ignore the PKㅎㅎ]
(Kwon Aran)
[Should I?ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
[Ah, but I’ll deal with Another Server first!!!]
[First I’ve got to take down those Hana Guild bastards]
(Jeong Jiho)
[Glad this season’s ending soonㅎㅎ]
[Let’s try to rush and claim our spots quickly when the next server opens]
[We have to secure the desert firstㅎㅎ]
Of course.
“The Desert of No Return” is a crucial map in the early season of Another Server.
You have to survive in the desert until things settle down... and to make progress easier, you need to get there first and block the entrance so no one else can get in.
Just holding it for a couple of days can put you well ahead, and then you can start picking who you let in.
After all, players on Another Server are always the same bunch.
Just a little prodding, and most will blurt out their previous season’s IDs. Some will even straight-up admit which character they played in which season once you get a bit friendly.
And, most importantly, scum like Hana Guild always make their IDs similar every season, making it painfully obvious.
Just glancing at the chat window for a bit is enough to tell, so picking them out shouldn’t be hard.
(Kwon Aran)
[The problem is what happens after we take the desert]
[Even if we’re picky, won’t it be tough with just the two of us?]
(Jeong Jiho)
[Yeahㅎㅎ]
[We need to find decent people while we’re leveling up]
[And bring them in as our fixed party]
Recruiting allies for our side. That was the most important task.
Apparently, there were fewer Hana Guild members this season compared to the last. If we wanted a better next season, we needed to recruit like-minded players.
“But everyone seems too scared to go up against them. Will we even be able to make a fixed party? Well, it’s a fight between individuals and a guild, so of course most people would be wary of a powerful guild...”
Faction wars are a pain everywhere.
Anyway, with all these worries and hopes swirling, summer crept up on us, and Another Server entered its new 16th season.
[Party] Happy: Let’s hit the rice time at 7 and go
[Party] Ro: Then let’s grind until 7
Just as planned, or more like as we’d been waiting for, we dashed in as soon as the server opened and started grinding from level 1.
Within twenty minutes, we were out of the newbie zone and tearing through the upper maps at ranks 6 and 7 on the real-time leaderboard.
My ID was Happy.
This time, I used the name of my grandmother’s dog.
Jiho, who was “Koo” last season, created a single-character name, “Ro.” Seems like Jiho prefers short IDs.
Once again, I picked debuffer, and Jiho chose the DPS mage.
[Party] Happy: Who are those guys
[Party] Happy: Full party
[Party] Ro: Probably main server playersㅎㅎ
We hit level 50 and started running the “Black Prairie.”
That’s when six people came rushing in at the entrance and turned left. One tank, four DPS, one buffer.
It was a pretty balanced party, and as someone used to PK, the combination set off alarm bells. Plus, I started to worry they might be Hana Guild members from last season.
I frowned and carefully asked Jiho.
[Party] Happy: You super hungry?ㅋㅋㅋ
[Party] Ro: Nope
[Party] Ro: Should we just skip dinner and keep going?
[Party] Happy: ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ You read my mind
[Party] Happy: I’ll just grab a cup noodle real quick
[Party] Ro: ㅇㅋ I’ll do the sameㅎㅎ
The sudden appearance of a mystery rival made us get even more fired up for no reason.
Ten minutes was enough for dinner. I scarfed down shrimp-flavored udon and an energy drink, then got back to my computer.
Like always, Monster World’s event server encourages polite play for the first week or two. Then people start showing their true colors.
Around this time, a flood of pointless whispers starts coming in — mostly for guild recruitment.
Guild recruiters keep an eye on the hunting grounds to see if someone’s a “useful newbie” or a “veteran from a rival guild.”
[Whisper] Cheonjon: Hello
My eyes glazed over as I kept grinding with Jiho, when a stranger’s name popped up.
At the time, I wasn’t expecting anything, so I just replied without much thought.
[Whisper] Mir > Cheonjon: Yes, hello?
[Whisper] Cheonjon: This is Cheonsin, the former guild master of Karma Guild from last season. Would you like to join us this season?
The quick, straight-to-the-point message left me momentarily speechless.
How does he know who I am and just tries to recruit me like that? Or does he think I’m just a newbie?
I immediately told Jiho.
[Party] Ro: I just got the same thingㅎㅎ Looks like they’re targeting only the non-Hana Guild newbies
[Party] Mir: Oh, really? I turned off guild chat because it was noisy;
Anyway, that meant they already had a way to figure out who was who. Usually, they’d plant spies or use “bats” to gather info.
[Party] Happy: Damn, they’re really fast
[Party] Ro: Kinda feels like they already know who we were last season
[Party] Happy: Did we make it that obvious?
[Party] Ro: Guess soㅎㅎㅎ
For context, Karma Guild is Hana Guild’s rival — we fought like crazy last season.
They didn’t stand out much last season, though. Karma dropped out early, which made the Hana guys go even wilder.
From Karma’s point of view, we were valuable allies against a common enemy. That’s why Jiho and I seriously considered their offer.
After all, the bad blood was only with Hana Guild. We had nothing against Karma. Plus, Karma is one of the top guilds on this server.
If we joined, it’d be a huge help.
But there was a problem.
“Ah... I’m not sure about this.”
The moment you join a guild in this game, you’re expected to participate in guild wars. Which means you’re expected to join their group chat and voice chat too.
Not a huge deal, but it meant exposing my gender, which made me uncomfortable.
As I said before, Monster World has an older player base. There are plenty of middle-aged users who act neither dignified nor their age.
“It’s not like I can’t just choose who I talk to...”
But the problem is the “uncle” guild culture.
These guys have this weird sense of camaraderie, and once you stand out a little:
“Oh, that one’s useful!”
And just like that, the officers grab your name and number, and spread your info to everyone, acting like a family.
Truth is, it’s mostly to keep good players from quitting.
Once you’ve given up your info, the game’s over.
They immediately start talking to you informally, take an interest in you for their own reasons, and get clingy.
I hated that so much.
Back in high school, when I didn’t know any better, they’d ask my age the moment I joined, calling me their little sister, niece, daughter, whatever.
There was even a crazy guy in his forties who told me to call him “oppa.”
Every time I logged in, that lunatic would say, “Oh, our ㅇㅇ is here,” “What’s our ㅇㅇ up to,” “Let’s level up together, ㅇㅇ,” and so on, using his deputy guild leader position to boss me around and constantly bother me.
In the end, I fled the guild, sealed my character, and went inactive.
But even then, he kept texting and calling me, so I had to go through the hassle of changing my well-used number out of fear.
Maybe he just wanted to look after the youngest member with good intentions.
But I really can’t stand that “family” vibe.
You think it’s only there? It’s the same everywhere.
I keep saying it, but this game is full of the same old guys from back then.
Once you start swapping stories about the past, it’s common to slap your forehead and go, “Oh, you were that bastard?”
So I really have no interest in digging up these scumbags’ histories.
[Party] Ro: What do you want to do?
[Party] Mir: Hmm, not interested
[Party] Mir: But if you want to join, go ahead
[Party] Ro: I don’t like it eitherㅎㅎ
[Party] Mir: Really???
[Party] Ro: I’d rather just do free PK with youㅎㅎ
“So basically, he just wants to kill anyone, regardless of factions? That’s so Jiho.”
Anyway, we turned down Karma’s offer, stuck with our “newbie guild” tags, and ground levels like maniacs.
Out of 24 hours, aside from sleeping and eating, I was glued to my computer, leveling up.
I even wondered if I was ever this passionate about anything. If I’d studied this hard, maybe I’d have gone to XX University, or HaX University, or whatever.
That kind of self-mocking joke just popped out naturally, along with a wave of self-awareness.
Glancing around my room, it was a disaster.
The workroom had become a game den, covered in dust and reeking from lack of ventilation. Unfinished snack bags, cup noodle bowls, and half-empty drinks cluttered my desk, the epitome of filth.
And my reflection in the wall mirror was just as bad.
One leg acrobatically propped up on the desk, slumped in my chair in a way that screamed “spinal surgery ten million won!” or something.
Plus, I hadn’t showered in two days, my hair was greasy, and I was wearing the same clothes as two days ago. I napped on the studio sofa, so my dark circles were down to my jaw.
My skin was dry, my eyebrows nearly stuck together from not going outside for so long.
“Oh... I really need to start looking human again, but I can’t. Time is too precious.”
I had to keep leveling, so I focused on my monitor and grabbed my mouse again.
And once again, I dove into my mad grind.
During a quick five-minute break, I checked the rankings on the homepage. Happy and Ro’s rankings were on par with the usual no-lifers.
The ranking resets every day, and to my surprise, we stayed in the top 10 every day.
Monster World’s Another Server only has 200-300 concurrent players in the early days. It’s so few people that you could joke it’s just an open group chat. Compared to other games, it’s tiny, but considering this game’s systems—
Top 10 means you’re truly a hardcore addict.
A few days later, we climbed to 5th and 6th place, side by side. We were finally approaching that PK map.
And at the same time, Hana Guild contacted us.
[Whisper] Hannari: Hana Guild last season, it’s Nari’s Dad^^
[Whisper] Hannari: You’re Mir-nim, right?
[Whisper] Hannari: Last season was so much fun^^
[Whisper] Hannari: This time, instead of fighting, how about playing together?
Premium Chapter
LongStringOfTextToSimulateLargeRandomDataSet123456789abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
Login to buy access to this Chapter.