*

“Are you saying he’s the young master’s friend?”

“Yes.”

“Living long enough, you encounter all sorts of things.”

The colleague of the man standing next to him laughed. It wasn’t mockery but more of disbelief. At this point, Ga-on couldn’t help but notice the situation was taking a strange turn.

The man who elbowed his colleague firmly shook his head.

“I don’t know where you heard that name, but you should leave.”

“Is he not here?”

“I cannot disclose that information.”

An unexpected obstacle.

Ga-on hurriedly sent a message to Doby, but there was no response. Was he deliberately ignoring it, or was there a reason?

As Ga-on was pondering, a man approached from a distance.

The man, accompanied by security, looked at Ga-on and covered his mouth and nose with a handkerchief. Then he scolded the guards.

“What is this? I thought I told you not to let in stray dogs.”

“Sorry, it seems there was a mistake.”

“Tsk, is District 43 not being managed properly?”

The man arrogantly lamented and gestured with his head.

“Get rid of him.”

He gave a dry order and disappeared without waiting for a response. As if to replace him, another man approached.

“As you heard, staying here won’t benefit you.”

Though polite, the underlying meaning was clear.

*

In the end, Ga-on had to return to the capsule hotel without seeing Doby’s face. It was different from what he had imagined, but he didn’t dwell on it. After all, he could just ask him directly.

Ga-on immediately rented a connector and logged into Lost Saga, heading straight to the guild house. If it wasn’t a prank, Doby would be waiting. But that expectation was also off.

Just like the first time he visited the mansion.

“Master? He’s not logged in.”

“Not logged in?”

At a guild member’s words, Ga-on sighed.

Those drawn by the topic appeared in an instant.

“Come to think of it, it was surprising when he suddenly disappeared. He logged out during a conversation.”

“It was quite abrupt.”

“Is something happening at home?”

It was the first time since the Primal Guild was founded.

“Though I feel like the master will appear as if nothing happened.”

Everyone nodded in agreement, but Ga-on couldn’t agree.

“By the way, Shinshin, since you’re here, want to join us for a raid? We just have one spot open.”

“Sorry, maybe next time. I’m a bit busy too.”

He was the extreme player who was online 24/7. It was curious how he managed his life.

But to be absent for nearly a day?

Especially right after announcing he would take on a request?

Ga-on, who logged out of Lost Saga, was deep in thought.

“Something’s off.”

The mansion was overwhelming from the start. It was obvious he grew up in a wealthy environment. The rapid growth of the Primal Guild was also thanks to Doby’s support.

That’s why it was even more puzzling.

He could have easily hired a couple of troubleshooters with a gesture, yet he specifically called upon a connection from Lost Saga.

There must be a fitting backstory.

Now it was time to find out.

*

Ga-on met Doby five years ago, right after Lost Saga launched.

The massive advertising campaign at the time was a surface reason for his curiosity.

The honest truth was that he thought trading items obtained in the game for cash could help with living expenses.

The ability to freely create guest accounts made access easy.

It was a hobby born from a thoroughly materialistic mindset.

To him, Doby was an incomprehensible creature.

“You’re amazing.”

“You’re doing this with basic equipment?”

“It’s theoretically possible, but I’ve never seen anyone actually do it.”

True to the nickname ‘Paradise Maker,’ Doby pursued fun above all else.

He wasn’t a match for Ga-on, who advocated for thorough isolation.

But that didn’t last long. Their connection continued after a chance encounter in a raid.

“Aren’t you lonely? It’s a game after all, isn’t it meaningless if it’s not fun?”

It wasn’t that he was swayed by sweet talk.

He just found it ridiculous to hide himself even in a virtual reality where anonymity was guaranteed.

Joining the Primal Guild was for that reason.

At the time, he didn’t think he would become close friends with Doby. After all, they met wearing masks. The idea of the distance between them closing was absurd.

“It has no meaning.”

So he didn’t hesitate to complain.

But Doby dismissed it with a single sentence.

“No, that’s why it has meaning. You don’t know where someone lives or their age, but that’s why you can show your true self. Here, everyone is just a user, regardless of age or gender.”

The bright smile he showed then still lingered in his mind.

“I think that’s the charm of the game. It’s a place where everyone can enjoy equally, no matter the situation. Don’t you think so too?”

It was because of these occasional glimpses of such a side that he didn’t leave.

As Doby said, Ga-on, who vividly remembered the Third World War, was just an ordinary user here.

“It’s not a good habit to rank human interactions, my friend.”

“Indeed.”

Answering reflexively, Ga-on woke up and stretched grandly.

Last night, he was busy gathering information. At times like this, hiring a diver was the norm, but the lack of funds was a regret.

Fortunately, there were clues.

‘Doby Howard.’

The name alone might not be enough. There were over a billion citizens living in Seed Colony.

But if he lived in District 43, the range could be drastically narrowed.

Living in an affluent area meant he had the financial power and had built connections, whether good or bad.

Either way, he couldn’t escape the shackles of reputation.

Sure enough, he could find the origins of the word ‘Howard’ online.

“No wonder it felt familiar.”

The owner of ‘Maximum Noise,’ the company that developed Lost Saga, was Colin Howard.

One of the large corporations with a deep history with Seed Colony since its pioneering days.

Originally, it was a telecommunications company when it settled.

It changed to a game development company not long ago.

In other words, Lost Saga was its first project.

Since it dealt with games, it had little real power, but no one seemed to ignore it. Could it be that the connections formed since its roots on Mars still persisted?

Even public opinion suggested as much.

Moreover, while browsing Maximum Noise, he found a familiar face.

Flowing brown hair.

Thin lips matching the sharp eyes.

It was the man who had ordered him to be thrown out of the mansion.

‘Allen Howard.’

If he couldn’t connect the dots between him and Doby after seeing the name, he might as well be blind.

The peculiar thing was that only one of the two had a public profile. Doby was surely a member of the Howard family, yet there was no information about him.

The more he dug, the more it felt like he was falling into a labyrinth.

Still, having acquired all the background knowledge, it seemed he could take action.

*

After surveying District 43, Ga-on positioned himself on the outskirts of the road.

Since it was a place where people with a lot gathered, the security was impeccable. Without any special measures, he would inevitably be discovered.

There was a way to force entry, but if Doby was truly absent, the situation could escalate uncontrollably.

But what if there was an insider?

Just in time, someone he was acquainted with was passing by.

An android with striking teal hair.

“So you were interested in me after all.”

“Calm down.”

Meeting her was Ga-on’s intention. Waiting at a similar time as yesterday was for that reason.

“My business is with Doby, not you.”

“……”

Though the android turned away, Ga-on quietly took his place beside her.

“You said it was a workplace.”

In hindsight, it was a peculiar expression.

In modern society, androids were close to being possessions.

Of course, since she wasn’t an entity operated by the colony itself, she would have some freedom, but it wasn’t unlimited.

Moreover, commuting to work?

That meant she had a residence somewhere and was recognized for private property.

“The guy I met yesterday didn’t seem like the type to show excessive generosity.”

If it wasn’t Allen, the only one who could show mercy to an android was Doby. It wasn’t hard to predict. Given his personality, he would have treated an android equally.

“It’s not him.”

“Then who is it?”

According to the AI restriction law, most androids had intelligence similar to humans. The differences lay in memory, concentration, and physical strength.

Since they mostly relied on physical performance, it was possible to induce mistakes.

Just like this.

“Seems like you’re ready to talk. Or is it just my imagination?”

*

“So, you’re saying you’re a friend of Young Master Doby? And you came all the way here for a request?”

The android, who introduced herself as Sarah, looked incredulous. Her reaction wasn’t much different from the guards at the mansion.

“Why are you surprised? Like a mother seeing her son bring home a girl saying he’s getting married when he’s never made a friend in his life.”

“That’s…”

Though he gently pressed, Sarah’s lips remained sealed. It wasn’t that she was unwilling to answer. She was likely restricted from disclosing internal information.

For humans, only contracts could bind them, but androids were different. With the right authority, commands could be updated anytime.

But there was a way to break through.

“I saw on the way here that Maximum Noise’s stock is dropping. Isn’t it strange? There was a major update in Lost Saga just a few days ago.”

A sudden change of topic.

At the seemingly random comment, Sarah tilted her head―

“It’s because the chairman is staying out of sight.”

She answered. Realizing what she had said, she widened her eyes.

But Ga-on just smiled slightly. The recent absence of Colin was a topic even covered by the media. In other words, it wasn’t internal information.

However, Sarah was the one who brought it up first.

It meant there was some connection.

“So that’s where it starts.”

Scratching his chin, he continued the conversation.

“Allen’s behavior changed around that time too. Is Allen detaining Doby?”

“Even if you ask, I can’t answer that.”

“Well, that’s something I’ll have to find out myself.”