Bastard NPC Chapter 4

Chapter 4

A high-rise penthouse with a view of the city and a sweet weekend spent on a yacht. The fact that my balance never runs out, no matter how much I spend, is a bonus, and my garage is filled with various supercars.

The new life I envisioned is so sweet, yet the reality waiting for me is a terrible future of wearing shackles and doing forced labor.

Suddenly, I remember my dad’s habit. As the soju bottles gradually increased, he would ramble on about his evaluation of the family, even without anyone asking. 

His usual repertoire included admiration for my capable and smart eldest sister, a second daughter who he could always show off, the strong twins, and my mom, who was a great person after raising four children.

Some chuckle and nod, while others, with faces flushed from the alcohol, ask, “Your second child? Doesn’t look like it.”

Then, my dad responds proudly, “Hmm, my second child, you know. If you throw her in the Amazon, she’d get food from the natives. If you toss her in the Arctic, she’d live well with the polar bears. She’s good with people.”

When I overheard that conversation not too long ago, I only thought, “Polar bears tear people apart.” But now, caught in this absurd situation, I think I’d prefer the polar bears. 

At least the Arctic is still attached to the Earth. But here I am, worrying about going to prison, in some place I don’t even know.

“…I really want to log out like crazy.”

I let out a sigh for the umpteenth time, tossing my hair around, when something shiny on the table caught my eye. It was the ID card he had left behind.

“Seriously, who’s calling who stupid?”

For a moment, I clicked my tongue, recalling the mess he left behind. But as I stared at the neat and impressive photo on his ID, despite his twisted personality, I began to think. If I could just handle this guy, the situation might not be that bad. 

At least it was better than being dropped in the middle of the Amazon or thrown to the polar bears. Though not Earth, I still have a home, money, and a car. A lot of it, in fact.

“How the hell do I get rid of this idiot?”

Today, I managed to get by, but compensation is just a way to buy some time, not a real solution.

‘Your record is in the past. But do you think it’s difficult to make it the present?’

Even if I emptied my bank account to pay him off, this crazy guy could easily create another situation like today whenever he wants. And if that happens, I’ll have no choice but to accept his demands to avoid wearing shackles.

So, to not be at the mercy of this lunatic, I needed information that could shake him in return. Something like the connection between Fixford and him.

There’s definitely something. He wouldn’t specifically mention Fixford unless he had received benefits from them, and that one-sided call is another clue. 

The person on the other end of the line could be another VCI agent. But based on the context, it’s more likely someone from Fixford. 

If it were a legitimate investigation, all the documents would have been completed long ago, and they wouldn’t be frantically putting together a list now. 

Most importantly, in this world, ongoing crimes are overflowing, so there’s no reason to dig into past records and follow up on them.

That leaves the question, “Why go this far?” But that’s something I can figure out from now on.

“Who does this NPC think he’s messing with?”

I muttered quietly, flicking the picture of his smug face with my finger. As soon as the sun rose, I had something to do. 

* * *

My dad’s ramblings may not just be drunken chatter but could stem from his sharp observational skills and insight. Last night, lying in bed, I stared blankly at the ceiling.

I was wondering who could sleep peacefully in such a messed-up situation—and it turned out to be me. 

Perhaps it was because of the mattress with just the right amount of cushion and the bedding that fit my body perfectly. After briefly closing my eyes and reopening them, it was already morning.

I was getting ready to go out leisurely. The feeling of taking a bath in a bathroom that was at least twice the size of my previous one, while overlooking the cityscape, was something else. The days of my eldest sister monopolizing the master bathroom and fighting with the twins were long gone.

“Wow.” 

As I entered the private garage, my heart swelled with excitement. These were the cars I had personally collected. The supercars, parked neatly in a variety of colors, were gleaming in all their glory. 

The difference between brushing them with a mouse and actually touching them with my hands was so stark.

I had briefly felt proud, thinking that getting my driver’s license this year was the best decision I made. If I hadn’t gotten it, I would have just kept these precious cars as decorations and been stuck taking taxis. 

But then I remembered something important — NPCs are the lawless ones on the road.

“What good is it if I drive well? Even if I stay still, they just slam into me. Damn it.”

Had they left their brain at home, or were they driving with their nostrils? Getting slammed from behind was a regular occurrence. However, not only did they squeeze into my lane, scratching the sides of my car, but most of them had the nerve to flash a middle finger as if they’d done something right. 

If I was a player, I would’ve pulled out my gun and taught these NPCs some manners. Now, I had no choice but to clench my fists and watch, my frustration boiling.

As a result, the shiny pink sports car that had been gleaming in the garage was now battered and worn out, as if it had just come through the desert.

“I’ll need to get it repaired on the way,” I muttered to myself, crouching down and inspecting the damage. As I did, a dark shadow loomed over me, and I felt a presence. 

“Tsktsk. It’s become a wreck.”

As I turned my head to look behind me while sitting, I saw Adam and his 2 brothers, each with an ice cream in hand. Standing side by side, they were watching over my car.

They were siblings who resembled each other yet in different ways. The second brother, Burke, was the tallest, while the third, Colin, was the most handsome. Strangely, my eyes were first drawn to the eldest, Adam. 

It wasn’t just his round, shiny egg-shaped haircut that caught my attention, but also his flashy outfit and accessories that stood out even from a helicopter view. His flower-patterned shirt, looking as if it had been torn off wallpaper. His large rings were on all ten fingers, and the gold watch was blinding.

“Look at this car, my brothers. This is why I don’t buy cars. The drivers in this city lack attitude.”

Adam furrowed his brows and shook his head with a smug look. Meanwhile, Burke, standing next to him, nodded in agreement.

“That’s right, Burke. Every time you take your driver’s license test, you wreck the practice car. If you add up the money I gave you for that, I could buy a car like that. Oh, since you failed fourteen times, you could buy two.”

“Yeah. That’s right.”

“Right? I’m not complimenting you, you punk.”

“Uwahk!”

Adam threw the leftover ice cream and mercilessly hit Burke on the back. Every time his hand, which was wearing a flashy ring like his shiny hair, struck Burke, the sound of rocks splitting could be heard. 

I blinked, not knowing the right time to intervene, and was about to get up to stop him. Then Colin, the third brother who had been silent the whole time, suddenly spoke up.

“It’s really scratched up. But it looks like there’s no issue with the internal parts or engine. If you just repaint it, it’ll be as good as new.”

Colin, offering his kind advice, showed a neat smile, revealing his well-aligned teeth. If it weren’t for his brother getting beat up right behind him, he might’ve come across as a handsome and polite young man. Regardless, right now, all three of them just seemed a little off.

“…Ah, yes. Thank you. But shouldn’t we stop them first?”

“It’ll be over soon. Don’t worry about it.”

Colin shrugged his shoulders as if it was nothing and picked up the ice cream that Adam had thrown. Even as he did so, the sound of someone’s back being slammed and Burke’s sobbing voice could be heard. Oh, it really bothers me.

“It’s been a while, Riley.”

“Yes. Hello, I-”

“What? Riley?”

Adam turned his head away as soon as Colin said my name. Then, he swung Burke away, who had been holding onto him, as if he were throwing away trash. Coming towards me, he looked me up and down like some kind of judge.

“Did you always look this normal?”

Though we had met easily hundreds of times before, Adam rubbed his chin with his finger and tilted his head with a rather serious expression. Well, I understood. 

Meeting the brothers was always related to missions, and in a way, it was always a situation defined by the developer’s settings. But today, it was different — I was encountering them outside of the preset settings, with free will. It made my presence feel strange and awkward.

“Oh, no. I’m really not that pretty.”

“You’re beyond help.”

“…Yes?”

“You have a long way to go before you catch up to me. Your fashion is like the chili stew I had for dinner last night.”

“You must have had a great meal yesterday.”

“Meaning you’re hopeless.”

I wasn’t exactly thrilled to hear that from the guy with a flower-patterned shirt and egg-shaped haircut, so I shot him a somewhat irritated glance. 

Adam, however, just laughed heartily. “If you want to learn fashion, feel free to come to me anytime. Haha.” At that moment, I thought to myself that he didn’t just lack hair. He lacked a sense of awareness too. Just as I was about to dwell on it, Colin spoke up.

“By the way, was everything okay yesterday? I was actually worried about the lock being undone early this morning.”