You will be translating a text while maintaining consistency with previously translated related texts.

First, carefully read the previously translated texts to understand the context:

Chapter 522

‘Perhaps it’s because this is a colony, but the status window is green this time.’

Using Phantom Flame to craft a new identity, Seong Jihan focused intently on the shape of the status window.

The window was predominantly tinted green, with a tree emblem in the lower left corner.

‘Let’s start by changing the name.’

Ssssss…

Red letters appeared over the green status window, beginning to fill in the blank fields.

Name: Kim Jihoon

Level: 2

Affiliation: Bronze League - Gangnam Area 1

He chose to reuse the alias ‘Seong Jihoon,’ which he’d briefly used when facing Gilgamesh.

However, this time he changed the last name to the most common one, Kim.

‘I should also alter my appearance…’

Although he would eventually revert to a form resembling his true self once he became a Half-Elf, there was no need to draw attention prematurely.

Crack. Snap…

As his facial bones shifted, transforming his appearance,

Yoon Seah and Seong Jia noticed the change.

“Uh… Uncle, did you change your face?”

“You look pretty ordinary now.”

“No point in standing out, right?”

“That’s true… but it’s hard to get used to the new look.”

As Yoon Seah observed his transformed face with curiosity,

Seong Jihan continued with his adjustments.

‘So, humanity’s minimum stats are now 15, it seems.’

When Seong Jihan first took the tutorial, the baseline was 5.

But with humanity’s evolution to mid-tier, starting stats had jumped significantly.

“Level 2s today can start with stats up to 30?”

“Yes, it’s all thanks to your efforts evolving humanity to mid-tier.”

“Well… having all 30s would be too conspicuous, right?”

“When the initial cap was 10, having all 10s happened occasionally. But since it became 30, it’s almost unheard of.”

“Hmm… so I should moderate it.”

Locking my initial stats at 15 would waste the 300 Red stats invested in this.

Seong Jihan compromised, setting all initial stats to 25.

Strength – 25

Agility – 25

Stamina – 25

Magic - 25

Thus, raising the four basic stats to 25.

In his previous tutorial, he had combined strength, agility, and stamina into a single combat stat.

‘That would be like advertising I’m Seong Jihan.’

This new profile was merely a means to infiltrate as a male Half-Elf.

Seong Jihan stopped adjusting the stats there.

“Now for the gift.”

“Wait… you can choose any gift?”

“Yes. But it has to be something inconspicuous.”

“Wow, Uncle, you really are an administrator…”

“Jihan, since you can pick any gift, how about this one?”

Listening to the conversation, Seong Jia searched and recommended a gift.

“Cross-Species Affinity?”

“Yes, people with this gift are highly sought after these days. They have a high probability of becoming Half-Elves.”

“Really?”

Seong Jihan glanced at the phone screen.

Gift – Cross-Species Affinity (Grade B)

Players become more attuned to other species.

Gains the favor of other species.

Back in his day, Cross-Species Affinity would have been laughed off as useless.

But the world had changed, and now it was the hottest gift.

‘All because it increases the chances of becoming a Half-Elf.’

Everyone was desperate to become a Half-Elf.

Seong Jihan chuckled and registered this gift.

[Gift – Cross-Species Affinity applied.]

“All done. Now, sis, can you arrange a place for me to stay?”

“Seriously, just stay here… we haven’t reunited for long.”

“Then what’s the point of making a new profile? I’ll eliminate it as soon as I identify the enemy, so you can relax for now.”

“Jihan, don’t you need to handle residency registration and other formalities?”

“It’s all done.”

“…What? How?”

“If I can hack the BattleNet system, that’s nothing.”

It wasn’t for nothing that 300 Red stats were used.

The new profile, ‘Kim Jihoon,’ was already set up with a perfect new identity.

“Alright. I’ll find you a place by tomorrow morning. Coincidentally, the house Sophia was using is vacant now.”

“Sophia’s old house? Oh… she left for the U.S. after my records were erased.”

“Yes, I kept the place empty in case she returned, but she’s settled well there.”

Sophia had come to Korea because of Seong Jihan.

With no memory of him, she had no reason to stay in Seoul.

“There are five rooms. If it’s too small, let me know. I’ll compensate the other tenants and find something bigger.”

“It’s fine, five rooms are more than enough.”

In fact, it might be too large for one person.

So, Seong Jihan decided his new identity would live in Sophia’s old house.

* * *

The next day, at Sophia’s house.

Seong Jihan looked around, noting the brand-new furniture and appliances.

“Did you buy all new furnishings, sis?”

“Yes. For my brother’s independence, I had to prepare this much.”

“How did you manage all this so quickly?”

“Most things in life can be solved by spending more money.”

True enough.

Nodding, Seong Jihan entered the house.

The space was clean and showed no signs of previous occupancy.

“Uncle, is it too small?”

“It’s perfect.”

It’s actually quite large for just one person.

As Seong Jihan surveyed the house,

“Oh, and this… I wasn’t sure whether to throw it away.”

Seong Jia hesitated momentarily before bringing a pink box from the dining area.

“So I brought it along.”

“What is it?”

“It’s something Sophia left behind.”

Swoosh.

Opening the box revealed dozens of photos.

On the topmost photo,

There was Sophia, smiling brightly.

“…And me?”

Seong Jihan sat beside her, looking nonchalant.

“This is our home… when did Sophia take these pictures?”

“Not sure? She pointed the camera at us a few times.”

“This one’s from our trip to North Korea? She took selfies whenever possible.”

The photos Sophia had taken included numerous selfies with them and solo shots of Seong Jihan.

“Uncle, this one’s quite stylish.”

“It seems Sophia liked you a lot.”

“…She did.”

She’d followed him to Korea, leaving behind her family in the U.S.

Gazing at the picture, Seong Jihan murmured,

“But if records are erased, isn’t my face gone from these pictures?”

“Yes. Although they call it record erasure, not everything tied to Seong Jihan vanishes. Many statues of Seong Jihan still exist.”

“…Statues?”

“At one point, you were practically a religion.”

Searching [Gwanghwamun Big Rock] on her phone,

She pulled up an image of a colossal statue of Seong Jihan in Gwanghwamun Square.

“When you search ‘Gwanghwamun Big Rock,’ my statue appears?”

“Yes. Record erasure makes people forget you and prevents them from recognizing your presence. So even though your statue’s image is clear, they call it ‘Gwanghwamun Big Rock.’ To them, it just looks like a big rock.”

Next to Admiral Yi Sun-sin’s statue, Seong Jihan’s statue was indistinguishable to the public.

Many were puzzled by its presence:

-Why is there a big rock next to Admiral Yi’s statue? It wasn’t there in the old photos.

-It’s not just there, big rocks appear abruptly all over the world, lol.

-They say it appeared after BattleNet’s initiation…

-The governments tried to remove them, but the governors issued a stay order.

Information related to Seong Jihan was rendered imperceptible to people.

Seeing these reactions, Seong Jihan took another look at Sophia’s pictures.

“So to Sophia, my image in these photos would be invisible?”

“Yes, she would wonder why she kept these pictures.”

“Record erasure works that way…”

“Uncle, what should we do with these photos?”

“Put them in a drawer. It’s not my stuff to discard.”

“Okay.”

Yoon Seah neatly reorganized the photos back into the box and placed it inside a drawer.

She lingered, looking at it somewhat wistfully, then deliberately brightened her tone.

“Then… let’s set this aside. Uncle! How about a housewarming to celebrate your return?”

A welcome-back party as suggested by Yoon Seah.

However,

Sssss…

A black bowler hat floated above her head,

And from it, Void’s energy emanated.

[Urgent message from Space Arena. Yoon Seah, you must take the test now…!]

A desperate voice called out.

“Do I really have to go now? On a day like today?”

[On a day like today? What day is it today?]

“Ugh.”

Unable to mention her uncle’s return, she chewed her lower lip.

The voice from the hat continued,

[You’ve postponed the test ten times. You must take it now or face forced summoning.]

“Fine, I’ll take it.”

[Truly?]

“Yes. I’ll open a portal and come in five minutes.”

[That’s a relief…]

Sssss…

With her resolute answer, the bowler hat slowly disappeared.

Yoon Seah sighed deeply.

“Uncle… I must take this test.”

“What test?”

“A test to confirm my position as the Arena’s owner. Our welcome-back party has to wait…”

“You can celebrate later. Take the test first. Being forcibly summoned is worse.”

“Okay…”

She glanced around the house with regret,

Then looked at Seong Jia.

“Let’s head home, Mom.”

“Okay, but first, let me give Jihan some things.”

“Things?”

“Yes, a newly activated phone. Along with a card and cash.”

Thud.

A wallet filled with cash landed on the table.

Seong Jihan chuckled.

“Reminds me of the old days when I freeloaded at your place.”

“I thought the same. Anyway, if you need more, just let me know.”

“Sure. I’ll use it well.”

“Uncle. I’ll take the test and come back soon~”

Snap.

With a snap of her fingers, a violet mist arose, and the two women vanished.

‘Is that test the final confirmation for Arena ownership?’

A few years ago, she couldn’t even get a gift, and now, she’s climbed to the upper ranks of the Void.

Although not as fast as Seong Jihan, her rise was still remarkable.

‘Can’t fully trust the Void, but it’s safer for them to be aligned with it for now…’

Once the situation is sorted out, I can deal with the hat later.

Thinking this, Seong Jihan opened his new phone and checked the date.

‘The next tutorial is March 1st. So, there are three days.’

I should gather more intel during this time.

Looking toward the computer and TV, he thought,

‘I might as well buy some groceries.’

As a transcendent being, he didn’t need to eat,

But being trapped in HeavenNet without eating made him crave human food.

‘There should be a convenience store on the first floor.’

Grabbing his wallet and phone, he left the room.

As ‘Kim Jihoon,’ he walked to the elevator, fiddling with the phone his sister gave him.

‘Smartphones five years later… not much different, just better performance.’

While waiting for the elevator, he fumbled with the new device.

Ding.

As the door opened, he waited for someone inside to step out while operating his phone.

At that moment,

“Excuse me.”

“Yes?”

“I’m sorry, but you can’t take pictures here.”

Busy adapting to the new phone, he looked up, puzzled.

‘…This person, isn’t she Im Gayoung?’

Recognizing her, his eyes widened.

The woman who warned him was none other than Im Gayoung, the bodyguard of standby guild master, Lee Hayun.

And on her back,

“Gayoung… it’s okay. Let’s just go to the room…”

Sleepily clinging to her was Lee Hayun.
Chapter 521

The Red Administrator.

Summoned by Seong Jihan to shut down HeavenNet, he tried desperately to persuade him.

“Think again, Blue Administrator.”

He exerted all his efforts to convince Seong Jihan.

“You are already the master and permanent administrator of this world. You can do anything you wish here.”

“HeavenNet is a system that can completely replace BattleNet and upgrade it. You just need to accept the enemy instead of erasing them.”

“Ah… Why are you so intent on destroying this world?”

Seong Jihan’s response remained consistent.

“Stop it and just help me erase it.”

Thus, the Red Administrator cooperated in dismantling the HeavenNet he had created with his own hands.

Yet, even in that situation, he persistently tried to sway Seong Jihan.

One such attempt involved showing him how to use the Red stat.

‘The Red Administrator was indeed a genius concerning the system.’

Sssss…

As his left eye turned red, the Red glow began to radiate from his neck, specifically from the tattoo of the Sword Martial God.

“Uncle… what are you doing?”

“Just hiding some power.”

“Hiding power?”

As Yoon Seah tilted her head in curiosity, Seong Jihan smiled.

The Red Administrator had a knack for distorting and modifying the BattleNet system to some extent.

Thanks to his teachings, Seong Jihan had learned to some degree how to mimic such feats.

“Well… in case Yggdrasil tries to flee.”

Red Authority

Phantom Flame

Chiiiiik…!

Seong Jihan’s body momentarily blazed, but soon, his eye color reverted to its original black.

“Uh… Uncle, what did you do? I don’t see any changes.”

“You don’t need to worry about it. But others might see things differently.”

“Really…?”

“I disguised myself.”

As Yoon Seah blinked her eyes, there came a beep. beep. sound from the front door.

The person entering was none other than Seong Jihan’s elder sister, Seong Jia.

No longer in her former statue-like state, she had returned to being human.

‘Seems she finally used the key.’

Despite his repeated urging to use the key when he was around, she had steadfastly refused.

Now, after five years, some change in her heart had led to her transforming back into a human.

As Seong Jihan looked at his now-human sister with satisfaction,

“Mom! Look, I found Uncle!”

Yoon Seah pointed excitedly at Seong Jihan.

But,

“…Seah, that’s the Messenger?”

Seong Jia’s reaction was entirely unexpected.

“Huh? What are you talking about?”

“Phew… You need some rest. Saying that the starfish form is Jihan… you must’ve had a tough time in Washington?”

“No, Mom! What starfish… Uh? Uncle. Is this…”

“Yes, it’s the effect of Phantom Flame.”

Sssss…

As Seong Jihan’s eye glowed red again, Seong Jia’s mouth opened wide.

“…What?”

“Long time no see, Sis.”

“No way, Jihan?”

“Yes, I’m back.”

“How is this even possible?!”

In an instant, she pounced on Seong Jihan, grabbing him with a trembling voice and asked,

“Your body… is it okay?”

“I’m the healthiest being in this world.”

“That’s a relief… Still the same…”

As she looked at him with tearful eyes, she hugged and patted his back.

“Welcome back, Jihan.”

“Yeah.”

As Seong Jihan patted her back and smiled, he truly felt he had returned after meeting both Yoon Seah and Seong Jia.

“Great to see you in human form. Finally used the key?”

“Yes, I used the key…”

Seong Jia looked towards Yoon Seah.

“I passed on all my Void power to Seah.”

“To Seah?”

“Yes, she was searching in Washington.”

She gathered all her power just to find her uncle.

No wonder she possessed such significant Void energy.

“Then, the Void Constellation…”

“It’s over. Now, I’m just a human. Though I belong to the Void.”

At her words, Seong Jihan smiled broadly.

Though she belonged to the Void, the fact that his sister returned to human form was worth celebrating.

Thus, the Seong siblings reunited after five years.

* * *

“Mom, why did you come home so late? It’s already 2 AM.”

“The national team’s dinner just ended now.”

“…Mom, you’re on the national team?”

“You wanted me to become famous, right? So Jihan could find us anytime.”

“Indeed, but…”

National team?

Then, was she back in action as a supporter?

As Seong Jihan pondered this,

Buzz. Buzz.

Seong Jia’s phone rang, showing a text message on the screen.

-Jia, did you get home safely? Sorry about what happened today.

Seeing the message from ‘Yoon Sejin,’ Yoon Seah had a peculiar expression.

“…Dad?”

“Yes.”

“What happened with your ex-husband?”

“What happened…”

“Come on, something did. What was it?”

As Yoon Seah asked with keen interest, Seong Jia sighed.

“A new Half-Elf girl on the national team hit on your dad and got drunk and started ranting at me.”

“Ranting?”

“Yes. She told me to stop hanging around him because we’ve divorced. Kept saying I was preventing him from meeting new people.”

“…Mom, did you hit on Dad?”

“Are you kidding? It was the opposite. Your dad got mad at her and slapped the Half-Elf, turning the dinner into a mess.”

While explaining, Seong Jia opened an internet portal site.

“Thankfully, it’s not made it to the news… it might be an article tomorrow.”

“Unbelievable… how did this happen on the day we came back?”

“Indeed. I didn’t feel great today, but now it’s ending on a happy note with my brother back.”

As Seong Jia smiled, Seong Jihan furrowed his brows.

“No, but is Sejin still hitting on you even after the divorce?”

“Hmm… not exactly. He just asks about Seah.”

“Seah?”

“Yes, although everyone else forgot her… he remembers her.”

“Seah…? Why Seah?”

What was this now?

Wasn’t it only Seong Jihan who was affected by the memory erasure?

As he looked at Yoon Seah curiously,

She pouted her lips and explained.

“Oh… When the world decided to erase your records to save themselves, I got annoyed and asked the World Tree Alliance to erase my records too.”

“…Was that possible?”

“They were glad I’d disappear on my own. Even allowed me to search Washington freely.”

Indeed.

As the future owner of the Arena, part of the Void’s highest echelon,

The World Tree Alliance probably didn’t want to clash unnecessarily.

“So I got the Void power from mom and continued searching Washington.”

“Right. You didn’t contact us for two years.”

“Hehe, I was focused on the search…”

As Yoon Seah scratched her head and answered, Seong Jihan organized his thoughts.

“So, people still remember sis?”

“Yes. Although my information is heavily distorted.”

“How so?”

“My brother’s existence is erased. And Seah is said to be studying abroad under the World Tree Alliance.”

“…Study abroad with them?”

“Yes, occasionally. Though not sure if it’s really study…”

The world indeed changed too much in the past five years.

Seong Jihan thought and asked about something that had piqued his interest earlier,

“So, what’s the deal with the male Half-Elf? Why does he look like me?”

“Oh, you saw him? I was surprised too. Since about a year ago, male Half-Elves started appearing from the aptitude test. Weirdly resembling you.”

“Does the male Half-Elf really look like uncle? I thought uncle is more handsome?”

“But doesn’t he resemble Jihan a bit?”

“…He does? But why is his hair that sky-blue? It’s weird.”

“They say the degree of dye indicates a Half-Elf’s abilities. The highest record is 25%.”

25% being the highest.

That means the guy with 10% I saw was quite talented.

Seong Jihan continued querying Seong Jia.

“How do these male Half-Elves come into existence?”

“Remember the BattleNet league tutorial?”

“Yes, for me, it started with a survival challenge.”

Thinking back to when he returned and awakened his powers with Dongbangsak’s brush, Seong Jihan answered.

“That’s now replaced by an ‘aptitude test.’”

“Aptitude test?”

“Yes, it’s a test to measure how well a new player fits as a Half-Elf.”

So the Half-Elves came from this aptitude test.

“Since it started two years ago, only female Half-Elves existed.”

“So only females could become Half-Elves?”

“Yes, and female players’ value increased. Until last year.”

“But what’s so good about being a Half-Elf?”

“Well… everything is five times better for them than an average player. Be it experience gains or additional abilities.”

Five times?

No wonder people revered them so much.

Even a latecomer could catch up swiftly.

“So are male Half-Elves better?”

“Yes. For males… it’s about ten times. Plus, they get special management from the World Tree Alliance.”

“Really?”

Rewards ten times higher are significant,

But what seemed more crucial was the ‘special management’ by the World Tree Alliance.

‘It’s worth investigating this more.’

Seong Jihan assessed the current situation.

Earth, now a colony, seemed peaceful on the surface.

But the existence of, especially, male Half-Elves who resembled him was highly suspicious.

‘With Blue and Red, I have the power to confront them.’

The Blue and Red sword, which sealed HeavenNet’s power, was absolute.

Properly using that sword, the illusion of the World Tree spreading under the moonlight could be shattered instantly.

But,

‘I must conserve my strength until I identify the true enemy.’

The Black, White, and Green Administrators.

Until it was clear who among them was an ally or foe,

Recklessly using Blue and Red would be inadvisable.

‘Green seems to be the enemy for sure, though.’

There’s no point in using up all my strength only to get stabbed later by a permanent administrator.

Seong Jihan looked at Yoon Seah.

“Seah, do you still own Sword Palace?”

“This building? It’s Mom’s. I transferred the ownership to her before erasing my records.”

“Really? Then sis. Can you set up a room for me to stay nearby? I’ll move out.”

“A room? Why? You can stay here.”

Surprised by his intentions, Yoon Seah tried to persuade him otherwise.

“It’ll get in the way of my activities under a new identity if I stay here.”

He already had a plan in mind.

“A new identity…”

“Yeah, I need to take the tutorial to become a male Half-Elf, right?”

“Yes, you need to pass the aptitude test.”

“I’ll take it.”

“Uncle… are you aiming to become a Half-Elf?”

“Yes.”

Agreeing with her question, Seong Jihan nodded.

“The fastest way to understand the enemy is from within.”

Whiiiiiing…

A system window appeared before Seong Jihan.

[Access denied for this player.]

In the current system, BattleNet didn’t allow his access.

However,

Red Authority

Phantom Flame

Whrrrr…!

As flames ignited at his fingertip,

The entire system window burned, and letters in red appeared.

[Successfully bypassed the system.]

[Create a new profile?]

[This world is under the Administrator’s watch. A higher authority is required to evade detection.]

[300 Red stats will be consumed.]

‘300, huh.’

That’s quite a hefty amount for creating a new identity.

But,

‘All the more reason to use it.’

Without hesitation, Seong Jihan invested his Red stats.

Then,

Ssssss…

A new status window began to unfold.

Next, here is the current text to translate:

<2레벨로 회귀한 무신 523화>

‘이 사람들을 여기서 만날 줄은 몰랐네.’

대기 길드 마스터 이하연.

기프트 ‘육성’을 지닌 그녀는, 성지한 대신 업무를 도맡아 처리해 왔으며.

대외적으론 그의 연인이라고 알려져 있었다.

물론, 실제론 이성 그룹에서 결혼시키려는 걸 회피하기 위한 수단이었지만.

‘그러고 보니, 기록말살형 이후 대기 길드의 지분은 어떻게 처리된 거지? 누나한테 갔나.’

성지한이 몸담았을 때만 해도, 세계 최고의 길드나 다름없었던 대기 길드.

이 지분의 가치는 이 소드 팰리스 빌딩보다도 훨씬 컸다.

물론 대기 길드의 가치는, 성지한이 소속되었기에 높게 평가된 거였으니.

지금은 그때보다 싸겠지.

성지한이 그렇게 생각에 잠겨 있자.

“사진, 지워 주십시오.”

엘리베이터에서 내린 임가영이 사진을 지우라고 재차 요구했다.

“안 찍었습니다만.”

“보여 주실 수 있습니까?”

“자요.”

성지한이 태연하게 폰을 내밀자.

업혀 있던 이하연이 손바닥으로 임가영의 등을 때렸다.

“얘! 그만 해! 죄송해요…… 얘가 요즘 파파라치에 민감해서 실례했네요.”

“…….”

“얼른 이분한테 사과해.”

“죄송합니다.”

임가영이 고개를 꾸뻑 숙이자, 성지한은 손가락으로 엘리베이터를 가리켰다.

“저, 이제 타도 되죠?”

“네네. 정말 죄송해요.”

그렇게 성지한이 엘리베이터에 들어가고 나자.

“예전처럼 층 전체를 임대할 걸 그랬습니다.”

“여긴 길드 인증할 때만 오는데, 아깝잖아.”

“돈도 많은 사람이 더하시네. 인증 때마다 이렇게 쓰러지시는데, 쓸 땐 좀 쓰세요.”

“요즘 길드 힘들어…… 돈 낭비 할 여유 없다고.”

엘리베이터 너머로 이하연과 임가영의 목소리가 작게 들려왔다.

‘길드 인증은 또 뭐야.’

예전에는 없었던 길드 인증.

그걸 하면, 길드 마스터가 쓰러질 정도로 힘들어지나?

‘거기에 예전 대기 길드였으면, 돈 때문에 어려울 일이 없었을 텐데.’

지금은 어째, 재정 상황도 녹록치 않은 것 같았다.

‘알아볼 게 또 생겼네.’

3일간 검색할 게 한두 개가 아니군.

그리 생각한 성지한은, 편의점에 들어섰다.

예전 전과 비교하면 크게 달라진 건 없어 보이는 편의점 내부.

하지만.

‘광고 모델이 죄다 하프 엘프네.’

술이건 과자건.

광고 모델이 붙을 만한 거엔, 죄다 하프 엘프들의 얼굴이 박혀 있었다.

특히 최근의 대세는 남자 하프 엘프인 건지.

메인 광고 자리는, 성지한을 애매하게 닮은 이들이 죄다 점령하고 있었다.

‘저 얼굴 계속 보니까 슬슬 짜증 나는데…….’

성지한의 몸이, 절로 술 코너에 갔다.

그리고 거기서도, 술 라벨에 잔뜩 붙어 있는 남자 하프 엘프의 얼굴을 보곤 그가 미간을 찌푸렸다.

진짜 어딜 가나 있네 이거.

‘없는 거로만 잘 골라 사야겠다.’

슉. 슉.

그렇게 얼굴 안 붙은 걸로만 골라 쇼핑을 끝낸 성지한은.

집에 들어오자마자 TV를 틀었다.

그러자.

화면 속에서 바로 튀어나오는 남자 하프 엘프.

“아, 진짜.”

그만 나와 미친놈들아.

삑. 삑.

성지한은 얼른 채널을 돌렸다.

그러자, 뜨는 뉴스 채널.

데스크에서 전문가를 대동한 아나운서는 심각한 표정을 짓고 있었다.

[연합 총독부에서는 최근 한국의 종족 전환율이 기준치에 미치지 못한다며, 상반기 내에 수치가 좋아지지 않는다면 ‘특단의 대책’이 행해질 것이라 경고했습니다.]

종족 전환율이라.

하프 엘프가 되는 비율 같은 건가?

[배틀넷 관리국 연구소장님을 모시고 관련 이야기를 나누도록 하겠습니다. 전환율이 안 좋다니…… 박사님, 한국이 그 정도로 상황이 안 좋습니까?]

[예. 최근 남자 하프 엘프가 3개월만에 한 명 나타나긴 했지만, 다른 나라에 비교하면 턱없이 부족한 숫자입니다. 여성 하프 엘프 숫자는 원래부터 부족했고요.]

그러면서 통계 수치를 보여 주는 연구소장.

확실히 다른 나라에 비해, 한국이 유달리 엘프 전환 비율이 낮았다.

[그렇군요…… 총독부에서 경고한 ‘특단의 대책’에 대해선 혹시, 들으신 바가 있으실까요?]

[……총독부에선 던전 포탈 억제기를 비활성화하는 걸 검토한다고 들었습니다.]

[그 말씀은…….]

[예. 전환율이 개선되지 않는다면, 던전 포탈이 지금보다 훨씬 더 자주 생길 수도 있습니다.]

던전 포탈이랑 전환율이 무슨 상관이라고?

성지한은 고개를 갸웃하며 핸드폰을 들었다.

그러자, 실시간으로 현 뉴스에 대해 올라오는 반응 중에서.

-아니 ㅅㅂ 왜 이렇게 엘프가 못 돼 한국인들은 ㅡㅡ

-근데 던전 포탈이랑 전환율이 뭔 상관임?

-통계적으로 포탈 많이 나타나는 나라에서 전환율이 높다더라 이유는 밝혀지지 않았는데…….

-그래서 억제기 끄는 건가;

-아, 집값 떨어지는데 그럼…….

-총독부 본부가 있어서 서울이 가장 안전하다고 했는데, 이제 그러지도 않겠네?

던전 포탈과 하프 엘프 전환율 간에 연관이 있다는 정보를 얻을 수 있었다.

‘한데 총독부 본부가 서울에 있네.’

배틀넷 국가 랭킹 1위였던 미국에 안 생기고, 한국에 본부를 두다니.

나 때문인가?

성지한은 그리 생각하면서, 총독부 본부가 어디 있는지 검색했다.

그러자 나타난 사진은, 남산 꼭대기에서 하늘까지 뻗어 있는 커다란 나무였다.

‘이건 세계수의 일종인가…… 남산 타워 자리에 대신 생겼네.’

세계수 연합의 식민지 총독을 비롯하여, 엘프들이 여럿 거주한다는 거대 나무.

여기는 이제 외국인이 한국 오면 꼭 들러야 하는 명소가 되어 있었다.

식민지 총독부에서 기념사진을 찍는 식민지인들이라.

‘식민지가 된 것에 대해 전혀 반감이 없군그래.’

편의점도 갔다 왔으니, 식민지 치하의 인류 사회가 어떤지.

한 번 본격적으로 조사를 해 봐야겠네.

‘대기 길드 건도 찾아보고.’

컴퓨터를 킨 성지한은, 본격적으로 정보를 수집하기 시작했다.

* * *

3일 후.

“과연…… 식민지 상태를 좋아할 만하군.”

성지한은 변화된 인류 사회의 정보를 최대한 수집하곤, 입꼬리를 비틀었다.

‘내가 그간 벌어다 준 게 죄다 이그드라실이 한 걸로 되어 있네.’

현 인류를 최하급에서 중하급까지 올려 준 것도.

브론즈 리그에서 실버 리그까지 초고속 성장 가도를 달린 것도.

빠른 성장의 부작용으로, 리그에서 강등될 위험에 처하자 식민지로 받아 살려 준 것도.

모두 이그드라실이 인류를 보살펴서 나타난 결과로 되어 있었다.

‘거기에 식민지가 된 이후에, 오히려 던전 포탈 숫자도 줄고 세상이 안정적으로 변했어.’

식민지가 되기 전, 실버 리그 최하위 시절 때는.

여러 지역에서 동시다발적으로 나타나는 던전 포탈 때문에, 인류는 상당한 위험에 처해 있었다.

특히 국가 랭킹 순위가 낮은 곳은 더 위험해서.

최하위권 국가들 중 몇몇은, 이미 나라로서의 기능을 수행하기 힘들 정도였다.

하지만 세계수 엘프의 식민지가 된 이후엔, 던전 포탈의 생성 빈도가 절반 이상으로 줄었으며.

‘총독부가 있는 서울과 수도권은 던전 포탈이 안 생겼지.’

종족을 진화시켜 주고, 안전까지 보장해 주는 세계수 엘프.

이렇게 받은 건 많은데, 식민지가 되고 나서 수탈당하는 건 거의 없다시피 했으니.

인류가 식민지 치하에 만족하는 것도 어찌 보면 당연했다.

‘세계수 엘프가 이렇게 평화로운 종족이 아닌데 말이지.’

세계수 엘프.

녹색의 관리자 이그드라실을 따르는 이 종족은, 배틀넷 세계에서 가장 악명이 높은 집단이었다.

그냥 안 좋은 건 세계수 엘프랑 연관 있는 거 아니냐고 추리하면, 대부분 정답이라고 할 정도로.

이들은 평화라는 수단과는 가장 동떨어져 있었다.

그럼에도 이렇게 나오는 데에는, 분명히 이유가 있을 터.

‘하프 엘프가 일단은 저들의 주목적인 거 같은데…….’

하프 엘프.

그것도 근래 나온 남성형에, 세계수 연합은 지대한 관심을 보이고 있었다.

남성 하프 엘프를 얼마나 배출했냐에 따라, 국가별로 차등 대우를 해 줄 정도였으니까.

이렇게 총독부에서 관심을 보이니.

자연스레 인류 사회에서도 남성형 하프 엘프에 대한 인기가 폭증해서.

한국이고 외국이고 할 거 없이 요즘 광고 시장은 죄다 저 성지한을 어설프게 닮은 하프 엘프들이 장악하고 있었다.

‘왜 저렇게 총독부에서 대우하는지는, 일단 돼 봐야 알겠군.’

일반인으로 접할 수 있는 정보엔 아무래도 한계가 있었으니까.

성지한은 직접 남성형 하프 엘프가 되어, 저들의 목적을 알아보기로 했다.

‘그럼. 이제 시간도 남았으니…… 길드 상황을 검색해 볼까.’

그는 며칠 전 이하연을 만났던 일을 떠올리며, 대기 길드에 대해 검색해 보았다.

그러자.

[대기 길드, 길드 랭킹 7단계 추락. TOP5에서 탈락하다]

[시대의 흐름에 뒤처진 대기 길드. 무엇이 문제인가?]

[검왕 윤세진 이적설 솔솔]

[이성 그룹, 대기 길드 인수 의사 재차 밝혀]

딱 봐도 안 좋아 보이는 기사만 주르륵 나오기 시작했다.

그리고 그 기사 아래 달린 댓글들에서, 어느 정도 사정을 파악할 수 있었다.

-아니 ㅅㅂ 대기 길드 왜 이렇게 멸망함? 나 여기에 10만 GP 투자했는데…….

-님이 투자해서가 아닐까요?

-얘네 하프 엘프 영입전에서 맨날 지잖아.

-언제적 육성 길드야 ㅡㅡ 요즘 길드 평가에서 가장 중요한 게 하프 엘프 숫잔데.

-근데 애초에 왜 이렇게 길드 평가가 높았는지도 의문임;

-ㄹㅇ 길마 스킬이 사기긴 한데 막 세계 1, 2등 할 정돈 아니었어.

-그냥 이성 그룹에 다시 들어가라. 길마도 이성 출신이라매.

‘하프 엘프가 길드 평가의 기준이 되었군.’

예전에 플레이어들이 대기 길드에 들어오고 싶어 했던 건, 이하연의 차원을 달리하는 ‘육성’ 스킬 때문이었다.

한데 성장보다 하프 엘프 숫자가 최우선이 된 세상에서는, 아무래도 강점이 줄어들겠지.

거기에 대기 길드의 길드 평가를 올렸던 건, 오너인 성지한의 존재가 컸으니.

그와 뒤이어 랭킹 1위가 된 윤세아까지 기록말살형을 당한 이상.

길드의 평가도 폭락할 법했다.

‘그래도 그간 벌어 둔 게 많았을 텐데. 왜 하프 엘프는 영입이 안 된 건지 모르겠군.’

부자는 망해도 삼대를 간다고.

대기 길드가 한창 때 벌어들인 돈은 어마어마했다.

시대가 바뀌었으면 그 돈으로 하프 엘프 영입하면 되지 뭐 했대?

성지한은 의문을 품으며, 이에 대해 알아보았다.

-대기 길드 아직도 육성 효과에 계속 투자 중인 건가?

-그럴 걸 여기 육성 효과밖에 안 남았잖아.

-버프 효과 유지하려면 매달 길드 인증을 해야 하는데, 여기에 쓰이는 GP가 장난 아니더라.

-ㅇㅇ 투자설명회 할 때 이 항목에서 사람들 우수수 빠져나감 ㅋㅋㅋ

-아, 내 돈…… 그냥 이성에 팔자 좀 ㅠㅠ

육성 버프를 유지하기 위해, 꼭 필요한 절차라는 ‘길드 인증’.

그거 때문에 대기 길드는 그간 번 GP를 모두 까먹고 있었다.

‘길드 인증이라…… 나 때는 없었는데.’

오너인 성지한이 자리를 비운 게 뭔가 연관이라도 있는 건가.

어차피 길드도 아래 층에 있겠다.

한번 이에 대해 살펴볼까 성지한은 생각했지만.

[배틀넷 리그의 튜토리얼이 곧 진행됩니다.]

[녹색의 관리자의 관할입니다. 튜토리얼이 ‘적성시험’으로 대체됩니다.]

어느새 시간이 되었는지.

그의 눈앞에, 초록색 메시지 창이 떠올랐다.

‘일단은, 하프 엘프부터 되야겠군.’

[준비가 모두 끝나면, 소환에 응하십시오.]

[5분 후에는 강제 소환됩니다.]

성지한이 소환에 응하자.

번쩍!

그의 몸이 녹색 빛에 잠기더니, 그대로 사라졌다.

Your task is to translate the current text in a way that maintains consistency with the style,
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