“He’s digging a canal?” asked Gi-Gyu.

Old Man Hwang seemed amused as he explained, “That’s right. And the building connecting the sky islands to the prison is almost completed too. I haven’t named it yet, though.”

The blacksmith giggled as he continued, “By the way… Don’t you think the place still looks a little bare?”

The elderly man was acting like a child now. Gi-Gyu found the change odd, but…

‘Maybe he has always been like this?’ Gi-Gyu was surprised to see Old Man Hwang like this, but he didn’t dislike it.

‘It might be because he has already experienced death.’ A behavioral change in people who had a near-death experience wasn’t unheard-of. It looked like Old Man Hwang was trying to lead a happier life after his first death.

‘Also, I think his ability to feel guilt has diminished,’ Gi-Gyu thought. Old Man Hwang had explained that he was forcing a starving Go Hyung-Chul to dig an entire canal. Yet the blacksmith didn’t feel guilty about any part of it. This made Gi-Gyu a little awkward, but he shrugged it off.

After all…

‘He isn’t human anymore anyway.’ Gi-Gyu decided not to worry about it.

Old Man Hwang chatted, “I thought it would be a great idea to get another canal on top of what we already have. And it will make the inside of the gate bigger, don’t you think? A river would be a nice addition. Haha!”

Gi-Gyu felt Old Man Hwang wanted to get a yacht for himself inside the gate. Before their conversation went nowhere again, Gi-Gyu quickly asked, “So is it going well?”

He wanted to get to the point and ask if any information was collected from Go Hyung-Chul, but Old Man Hwang seemed too happy to be talking about the canal.

The blacksmith answered, “Of course. It’s no wonder he’s a high ranker. Just look at him work. He’s working very hard all by himself. At first, he rebelled and even tried to run away. He was a troublemaker, that one.”

Go Hyung-Chul was an influential figure. Gi-Gyu could guess how much trouble he might have caused the creatures inside the gate.

Suddenly, Old Man Hwang chuckled and whispered, “By the way… I think this gate has a special power.”

“Pardon?”

“We, the gate citizens, only found out from our experience. We all belong to you and the gate, correct?” asked Old Man Hwang.

“Yes, Sir.” Gi-Gyu nodded.

“We recover faster here and are blessed with greater stamina and attributes here too. I’m sure you’re already aware of this.”

“Indeed.” Gi-Gyu acknowledged the facts.

Old Man Hwang suggested, “I believe that it’s the opposite for all the visitors.”

Gi-Gyu seemed confused, so the blacksmith explained, “Any creature who doesn’t belong to the gate or doesn’t have your blessing to stay here appears to get penalized. A player is still human, so they need food and sleep. No one has infinite stamina.”

Gi-Gyu nodded in understanding. Just as Old Man Hwang had explained, the word “player” made the world seem like a game, but all players had to eat and sleep to maintain basic functionalities.

Old Man Hwang continued, “It looks like gate visitors experience delayed recovery and diminished attributes. Initially, Hal and several others had to work together to get Go Hyung-Chul in control. But in his current weakened state, Master Botis alone can take care of him.”

Master Botis? The way Old Man Hwang addressed Botis sounded strange, but Gi-Gyu only nodded. The information he had just learned was fascinating.

“I felt this with Rogers too, but the difference was so subtle that I didn’t pay too much attention to it. Also, Rogers entered the gate in an already weakened state. But with Go Hyung-Chul, I’ve confirmed this as a fact. It’s clear that this whole place does everything possible to make your life easier.”

Gi-Gyu walked as he thought about this new information.

El suggested,

-This gate must be recognized as an independent world, Master.

Lou added,

-To be recognized as a completely separate dimension… How interesting.

Gi-Gyu listened to his Egos as he walked until he reached the skinny man digging a tunnel. Gi-Gyu called out to him, “Go Hyung-Chul.”

***

“Kim Gi-Gyu…!” Go Hyung-Chul exploded the moment he saw Gi-Gyu. He had barely survived in this strange place, so his despair erupted when he saw the perpetrator. Kim Gi-Gyu was the sole reason he had toil away like a slave.

Go Hyung-Chul was in horrible shape. He could barely use his skills anymore, but his eyes suddenly glowed as he began to turn into smoke. But before he could complete his transformation, Botis whipped his tail to stop it.

Botis scolded in a fury, “How dare you act this way in front of Grandmaster?!”

Go Hyung-Chul bowed down meekly. He was enraged, of course, but his body remembered the pain very well. Pain was the greatest motivator. The trauma of such an experience was difficult to overcome. It was possible with enough time, but Go Hyung-Chul never got that.

Gi-Gyu was shocked when he saw Go Hyung-Chul immediately return to work. He began shoveling again obediently as if nothing had happened.

“Go Hyung-Chul…?” Gi-Gyu called out to him again.

The player paparazzo turned red and glared at Gi-Gyu again. This time, Go Hyung-Chul didn’t fly into a rage or attack Gi-Gyu; surprisingly, Gi-Gyu found his red eyes becoming watery.

“Haa…” Gi-Gyu sighed at the unexpected sight. He covered his forehead and called out, “Botis.”

“Yes, Grandmaster.” Botis looked up at Gi-Gyu with pride.

Gi-Gyu looked at the oily, gross insect face before turning away. He mumbled, “I-I suppose you did a good job…”

“I-I am honored!” Botis was now an Ego and belonged to Gi-Gyu. Feeling grateful, Botis began to wag his tail. Unfortunately, the whip-like tail made Go Hyung-Chul instinctively flinch.

***

Munch, munch, munch.

Go Hyung-Chul wolfed down his meal noisily, acting like he hadn’t had a meal in a decade.

“Slow down…” Gi-Gyu, feeling a little apologetic, suggested.

Go Hyung-Chul glared at Gi-Gyu for a moment but didn’t say anything. After eating enough food, his stamina and power slowly returned. Had Gi-Gyu not been here, he would have made another escape attempt.

But…

‘He’s too powerful now.’ Go Hyung-Chul could sense Gi-Gyu’s energy with his now-functioning senses. He didn’t know how much time had passed, but at the very least, he knew it hadn’t been years. Yet Gi-Gyu seemed so much stronger now.

Gi-Gyu’s sharp magic made Go Hyung-Chul jolt. He gave Go Hyung-Chul a meal while simultaneously threatening Go Hyung-Chul with his power.

Resting his chin on his palm, Gi-Gyu watched Go Hyung-Chul as he announced, “I’ll wait.”

Feeling like he had become a pet, Go Hyung-Chul smirked. Still, he silently resumed eating.

‘It’s okay. I still have time.’ Gi-Gyu told himself to be patient. Soo-Jung had taken his family to safety, and everyone he cared about was safe as far as he knew. While Gi-Gyu waited for news, he needed to get prepared. When the time came, Gi-Gyu needed to be ready to kill his enemy. It would be a long process, and waiting for Go Hyung-Chul to finish his meal wouldn’t change anything.

Clack.

Go Hyung-Chul finally placed his utensils down on the table.

“Are you done now?” Gi-Gyu thought they could begin talking.

But, Go Hyung-Chul whispered, “I want another bowl…”

Go Hyung-Chul no longer resembled his past, proud self. With a small sigh, Gi-Gyu ordered the skeletons to bring more food, and Go Hyung-Chul dug into his seconds.

Gi-Gyu tapped the table when it seemed that completing the meal would take Go Hyung-Chul some time.

Go Hyung-Chul looked up, and Gi-Gyu asked, “You can speak while you eat, right?”

“...But… I’m… eating…” Go Hyung-Chul replied with his mouth full.

Gi-Gyu rubbed his forehead and offered, “Then just listen. You can answer me after you finish eating.”

Go Hyung-Chul nodded, and Gi-Gyu’s eyes began to glow. A sudden wave of energy swarmed Go Hyung-Chul, making him cough.

“Ugh. Khoff! Ugh…!”

Apologetic, Gi-Gyu offered him a cup of water. It seemed that Go Hyung-Chul was about to protest, but Gi-Gyu quickly declared, “I’m done being nice to you.”

His eyes still glowing, Gi-Gyu explained, “This is the most kindness I can offer you right now. I understand that you’ve suffered a great deal.”

This situation was different from what happened with Rogers. In the past, Go Hyung-Chul had helped Gi-Gyu, so he felt he had to treat Go Hyung-Chul a bit more kindly.

Looking straight into the paparazzi’s eyes, Gi-Gyu asked, “Why were you in Suk-Woo’s hospital room that day?”

Go Hyung-Chul stopped eating, but he also didn’t answer. A short silence fell.

Gi-Gyu rigidly continued, “You better think carefully before you answer. You won't be tortured again even if you don’t tell me.”

Go Hyung-Chul’s eyes widened. Did this mean that he was free to go no matter what? If so, why would he tell the truth?

Bloodthirst wafted out of Gi-Gyu as he added, “I’ll just have to kill you and make you mine.”

Knowing Gi-Gyu meant it, Go Hyung-Chul slowly opened his mouth.

***

“I guess I have no choice.” Go Hyung-Chul no longer looked pale. It seemed that his condition had stabilized. “I went to that hospital room because I needed to find something.”

“What were you looking for?” Gi-Gyu asked impatiently when Go Hyung-Chul gave an unclear answer.

“Me…”

“You?” Gi-Gyu frowned, experiencing deja vu.

‘He’s… saying the same thing as Michael.’ The Vatican player, Michael, looked like Gabriel, the angel from El’s memories. Michael had also claimed that he wanted to find out who he was in the past.

Go Hyung-Chul pointed at his eyes and asked, “My eyes… You know what this color means, don’t you?”

“Demon eyes.”

“That’s right. These are demon eyes.” Go Hyung-Chul nodded. When Gi-Gyu first met him, he hadn’t thought much about the red eyes. But now, he knew red eyes belonged to demons and that they provided certain skills.

Go Hyung-Chul continued, “You probably have many questions about my eyes too. You must be wondering how a player got demon eyes and could use their power… And…”

After a brief pause, Go Hyung-Chul asked, “Do you remember what I asked for as payment?”

“You asked about my relationship with Soo-Jung and… what the Evil Eye does.”

“That’s right.” Go Hyung-Chul sighed as if a huge burden had been lifted. This was something Go Hyung-Chul wanted to keep a secret, but it didn’t matter anymore. Between revealing his secret and dying in this godforsaken place only to become Gi-Gyu’s slave, he chose to get the secret off his chest.

Go Hyung-Chul explained, “I do not know how I came to have these eyes. After I cleared the 50th floor, I learned that my eyes were demonic.”

This was something Gi-Gyu had been curious about. He had always wanted to know Go Hyung-Chul’s story.

Go Hyung-Chul continued, “I’m an orphan, so I don’t know who my parents were. Did my parents give these eyes to me? Why am I like this? Every day, I would have such thoughts. But one day, I realized…”

Go Hyung-Chul smiled, but it wasn’t a happy one. It was filled with sadness and anger as he murmured, “That I was made…”

“What? You were made?” Gi-Gyu yelled in shock. A human was made? It was clear that Go Hyung-Chul wasn’t referring to simple lovemaking between a man and a woman.

Go Hyung-Chul replied, “I became a player paparazzo to learn more about them. I gave up the revered high ranker position to climb the Tower. I only focused on finding information about those who made me.”

“So you’re telling me you were created artificially?” Gi-Gyu asked again in disbelief.

However, Go Hyung-Chul was no longer listening.

He only continued his story, “Then I learned something.”

Go Hyung-Chul was trying to finish his story without Gi-Gyu’s permission. Gi-Gyu clenched his fists since this wasn’t what he wanted. He needed to be the one in control of this conversation. Like lightning, he moved his fist. The wind it created was enough to knock the utensils away and even send the table flying. If the fist connected with Go Hyung-Chul’s chin, it would be a critical hit.

But Gi-Gyu’s fist stopped inches away from the paparazzo’s chin. Gi-Gyu was shaking as he controlled himself. To his surprise, Go Hyung-Chul just calmly looked at him. It was as if Go Hyung-Chul believed he would want to hear his story no matter what.

Go Hyung-Chul continued, “I already knew you were investigating the Caravan Guild. I could tell that Lucifer, Oh Tae-Shik, and everyone around you was working against the Caravan Guild.”

Why was Go Hyung-Chul talking about this all of a sudden? Gi-Gyu listened quietly until a thought popped into his head. His lips trembling, Gi-Gyu asked, “You… Are you saying the Caravan Guild made you?”

Go Hyung-Chul gave him a small smile as he replied, “No. To be exact, it was Andras.”

Suddenly!

[Hwang Chae-Il’s Ego is waking up.]