Chapter 118 – Christmas  

“I can’t believe it’s already Christmas,” Gi-Gyu muttered in surprise, realizing he had been too oblivious to the passing of time.

“Oppa!” Yoo-Jung yelled when?Gi-Gyu?seemed?dazed. Standing in the snow, he looked a little silly.

Suddenly, Gi-Gyu replied, “I gotta go somewhere! I’ll be back!”

“Fine, but return before dinner time! Mom is trying to make a cake for the first time, and she’s really excited about it! You need to be here for it!” Yoo-Jung ordered quickly. Gi-Gyu nodded and left home in a hurry.

Out on the street, he murmured, “Presents! I gotta get them presents!”

His family had never exchanged gifts before on any occasion, including Christmas. It was partly because of their financial difficulty, but it was also because he never had the time. He, of course, celebrated Yoo-Jung and his mother’s birthdays, but they didn’t do much this year.

Gi-Gyu had been working very hard. Why? Power was one reason, and his and his family’s happiness was the other.

He quickly pulled out his phone and was about to call Sung-Hoon but stopped. If Sung-Hoon were working right now, asking for help wouldn't be a problem. But what if he was spending time with his mother? Gi-Gyu didn’t want to disrupt Sung-Hoon’s family time. Knowing Sung-Hoon, Gi-Gyu knew he would leave everything behind and rush to help him. Gi-Gyu couldn’t do that to a friend.

“What should I do?” murmured Gi-Gyu. He was terrible at picking out gifts, especially for women. Desperate for some outside help, he considered calling Tae-Shik, but Gi-Gyu shook his head. He knew Tae-Shik had probably already done his Christmas shopping weeks ago. And even if Tae-Shik was willing to help, Gi-Gyu knew Tae-Shik’s taste in gifts wasn’t much better.

Desperate, Gi-Gyu went through his contact list like his life depended on it.

***

Standing on some street in Gangnam, Gi-Gyu looked at the association building and the Tower nearby. He frequented this area since it was close to the Tower, and it was also considered the busiest downtown in the country with the most stores. Yeoksam city, which was also nearby, was still recovering from the recent break, but the rest of the city was fine.

“Thank goodness.” Gi-Gyu looked down at his watch. Thankfully, he left his gate early in the morning, so he had plenty of time. Standing quietly, Gi-Gyu watched the passersby.

“This feels strange.” Since he had spent much time inside the Tower and his gate, he found being amid so many people strange. The last time he roamed the Gangnam streets aimlessly was after El died.

Gi-Gyu pulled up his mask to hide his face. The photos and the videos of that day were popular on the internet at one point, so he feared someone might recognize him.

“There are many players here too.” Gi-Gyu watched the crowds with interest. Although everyone was wearing regular clothes, he could tell some of them were players. Was it because it was Christmas? He even felt one or two powerful players.

It made perfect sense since Korea supposedly had an unusual number of players. Of the ten billion people in the world, about one percent, one hundred million, were players.

In reality, only 60 million players were active enough to climb the Tower or close the gates. The rest chose to live normal lives for various reasons, like fearing monsters and such. Of these 60 million, over one million players lived in Korea, making it a powerhouse in the player’s world.

‘I can even sense some?rankers?here.’?Gi-Gyu thought in surprise. He hadn’t been in Gangnam for long, yet he already sensed a few rankers nearby.

Suddenly, he felt someone poke his waist and shout, “Oppa!”

Gi-Gyu had already sensed this presence earlier, but he decided not to do anything since it was a familiar aura. It was Shin Yoo-Bin, the rookie ranker who fought Gi-Gyu in the ranker title match. Since Gi-Gyu knew her father, they had also met once before, but it was long ago.

“Yoo-Bin! Hi!”

“Did you wait long?” Yoo-Bin asked as she looked up at him apologetically.

“No, not at all. Besides, I’m the one who asked you to help me so suddenly,” replied Gi-Gyu as he waved his hands. After going through his short contact list and calling a few acquaintances, Gi-Gyu decided to ask Yoo-Bin because she seemed the least busy.

“By the way, you look very pretty today,” Gi-Gyu complimented her. Yoo-Bin was wearing a black dress and a red coat; this outfit suited her very well. Did she dress up today because it was Christmas? Yoo-Bin wasn’t as beautiful as El or Soo-Jung, but she had that “girl next door” charm. Gi-Gyu was surprised to see Yoo-Bin in a feminine dress because he only saw her as a talented swordsman.

“Oppa…” Yoo-Bin blushed shyly; Gi-Gyu assumed the rosiness was because of the cold.

“Since you’re helping me today, I will buy you a gift too, Yoo-Bin.” When Gi-Gyu promised, Yoo-Bin smiled widely and asked, “Really? You sure?”

“Of course. I have no idea what I should get for Mother and Yoo-Jung, so I really need your help.” “Hmm…” Yoo-Bin thought hard as they began walking together. Soon, they joined the crowd and looked no different from the passersby.

***

The duo headed toward a large department store after contemplating for a while. Yoo-Bin shopped in places like this often, but Gi-Gyu felt awkward inside the fancy building.

“Oppa, is there a problem? You look uncomfortable.” When?Yoo-Bin?asked, Gi-Gyu stammered “N-no.”

Gi-Gyu had visited a department store only a handful of times and not once after becoming rich. A department store was a place where people were treated differently depending on how rich they were.

Gi-Gyu asked Yoo-Bin hesitantly, “Does that lady have to follow us everywhere?”

A personal shopper, a job Gi-Gyu didn’t even know existed, was following them quietly. According to Yoo-Bin, this was a service the department store provided to certain customers. “This is normal. The department store offers a personal shopper to all registered rankers. It makes sense since the rankers make a lot of money. This is a free service, so don’t feel uncomfortable, Oppa.”

Rankers were the top-tier players, and most had incomes comparable to some successful companies’ profits. Since Gi-Gyu never really got to splurge his new wealth, only now did he realize that he had to change his mindset. He wasn’t poor anymore; he was powerful and rich now. He shouldn’t feel ashamed or hesitant while receiving such special treatment.

“Well, I guess you’re right,” replied Gi-Gyu. He wasn’t used to this kind of extravagant service, but there was no need for him to avoid it. With that, his shopping resumed.

Yoo-Bin asked, “Is there something particular you’re looking for?”

“Well…” He thought about gifting clothes, but it seemed too ordinary. He wanted something more memorable.

“You said money isn’t an object, right? Then I know exactly what you need.” Yoo-Bin smiled and gestured to the personal shopper. The woman escorted them to an elevator, which regular customers weren't allowed to use.

“Where are we going?” Gi-Gyu asked.

“A place just for the VVIPs,” Yoo-Bin explained, piquing Gi-Gyu’s curiosity.

Ding.

The elevator finally stopped. Gi-Gyu noticed that there was no floor number on the screen.

-Hmm.

When Lou murmured, Gi-Gyu replied silently, ‘I know. I feel it too.’

Outside the elevator door, Gi-Gyu could feel several powerful players waiting. They weren’t ranker level, but he could tell they were fairly strong. He knew he would be surrounded once the door opened.

Gi-Gyu clenched his fists quietly and was about to get ready for a battle when…

“Pfft. Oppa, you got it wrong. Just relax.” Yoo-Bin tapped Gi-Gyu’s tight fist. When the elevator door finally opened, several men in suits bowed respectfully and announced, “Welcome.”

Yoo-Bin explained, “They are just guards. There are many rare and expensive items here, so security is a top priority in this place.”

Yoo-Bin probably frequented this place because she looked very comfortable. Confused, he followed her inside while listening to her explanation.

Various items were lined on the glass shelves. Many people were already here looking at the products while their personal shoppers followed them around.

Yoo-Bin whispered, “They are also VVIPs.”

“But they aren’t players.” When Gi-Gyu asked, Yoo-Bin replied, “Not all VVIPs are players.”

Gi-Gyu couldn’t feel any other players on the floor except the guards. “I guess that makes sense.”

After all, not all rich people were players.

“By the way, what is this place?” Gi-Gyu stopped studying the other customers and looked around.

“These are all player items.” When Yoo-Bin explained, he nodded. Like Yoo-Bin said, the glass shelves were lined with various player items. Gi-Gyu had always thought the department stores didn’t sell player items. But on this floor, everything being sold was a high-level player item. He even saw an item that looked familiar.

“Protection talisman?” Gi-Gyu murmured. “That’s right,” Yoo-Bin answered.

Gi-Gyu got one such talisman after clearing a gate, which was now around his mother’s neck. Since his mother was sick then and even non-players could use this item, he gave her the talisman to ward off any other illnesses.

“You mean… Could it be…?” Suddenly, Gi-Gyu realized what this place was. With a smile, Yoo-Bin nodded and answered, “That’s right. Here, they sell player items that even non-players can use.”

“Wow! I had no idea such a place existed!” Gi-Gyu shouted, making Yoo-Bin laugh. Since only VVIPs could enter this section, most knew each other. The shout drew the other VVIPs'?stares, and they tried to remember who the duo was, but they failed to recognize the duo. Quickly losing interest, they returned to their shopping.

“Uwaah…” Gi-Gyu exclaimed again in awe. In regular auctions, it was near impossible to see player items that also worked for non-players. Gi-Gyu never imagined there was a store that exclusively sold these things.

Gi-Gyu pointed at the protection talisman and asked the personal shopper, “How much is it?”

The personal shopper walked up to him quickly and began explaining with a smile. “Its price is much higher than what you would pay in an auction, but…”

‘The fact that I can purchase it any time I want is a huge merit,’?He thought with interest. Unlike at auctions, he didn’t have to wait endlessly for a specific item here—he could just purchase it quickly.

“The best items are over there,” Yoo-Bin gave Gi-Gyu a mysterious smile as she announced.

“Huh?”

Yoo-Bin pulled him toward an area that looked even more extravagant. The glass shelves there were adorned with gold and diamonds. Even the staff and the guards that protected this area looked different.

“You’ve heard of Horsene, right?” When?Yoo-Bin?asked, Gi-Gyu replied, “Horsene? Of course.”

Horsene was a luxury brand name even non-players were well aware of. It was the only brand in the world that made items the non-players could use. No one knew the identity of the brand and the craftsman behind it.

“Normally, only a few items are made per year, but for some reason, Horsene began to release more products recently. Because it released so many items at once, some believe the quality might have diminished. This is probably why the price decreased a bit,” Yoo-Bin explained.

“You mean these are…!”

“Yes, they are Horsene.”

Gi-Gyu looked at the items on the shelves. He could tell that they were exceptional with a glance. But for some reason, they felt very familiar to him. “Hmm…?”

‘I’m sure I’m just imagining things.’?Gi-Gyu?told himself. Horsene was considered an incredibly luxury brand. The Gi-Gyu of the past couldn’t even dream of purchasing one. Overseeing the items, he smiled: He had finally found the perfect gifts.

***

Shopping in the department store was a memorable experience. Gi-Gyu had been busy making money, but he never learned to spend it. Being a ranker made him one of the highest-level players out there, yet he never really experienced its benefits until today.

“Thank you so much for today. It was a very special experience for me,” Gi-Gyu thanked Yoo-Bin. As he changed, the world around him changed as well. Because he was stronger, he could now see the different sides of the world, sides he didn’t even know existed. Gi-Gyu was genuinely grateful to Yoo-Bin for showing him a part of it.

“Not at all. I had lots of fun shopping too.” Yoo-Bin blushed again as she looked up at him expectantly.

“And this is for you.” When Gi-Gyu handed her an item, Yoo-Bin murmured, “Really?! Are you sure? Is it really okay for me to accept such an expensive gift?”

“It’s okay. I can afford it.”

Gi-Gyu didn’t give her a Horsene product, but it was still an excellent item that could increase the user’s beauty. He didn’t buy her an item a non-player could use, and he gave her a gift because he thought it would be a good idea to buy her something from the store she introduced.

Gi-Gyu gifted her a necklace. Most items that?increased?one’s beauty?tended?to be jewelry.

El murmured,

-Master…

‘Yes, El?’?Gi-Gyu replied, but El didn’t respond.

Yoo-Bin said playfully, “Normally, if you buy a lady a necklace, you also have to put it on her neck.”

Before Gi-Gyu could respond, a scream rang.

“Kyaaa!”

Both Yoo-Bin and Gi-Gyu turned tense. Even the non-players around them could tell what was going on, let alone Gi-Gyu and Yoo-Bin, who were rankers.

Gi-Gyu muttered, “A gate…”

As he turned, he saw a gate with unusual energy appearing in the middle of Gangnam city.