Deep Web (2)
Seowoon hesitated as he moved the mouse over a blue link on his small laptop screen.
"Accessing this from home feels a bit sketchy."
He wasn't particularly worried about viruses. What he disliked was the possibility that someone might find out he had accessed the deep web.
Pulling his cap down low, he headed to a PC bang (internet café) he often visited.
As he stepped into the building, he paused and looked around inside.
These days, most PC bangs required personal information and membership registration with prepayment before use.
"If that's the case, there's no point in coming to a PC bang."
After all, the deep web was still just part of the internet.
He wondered if he was overreacting, but he couldn't shake the uneasy feeling.
Even though he had only participated twice, putting his life on the line in a survival game had taught him that even small mistakes could lead to death.
Naturally, his instincts rejected anything that felt unsafe.
In the end, he went around the neighborhood on foot, looking for an old PC bang that allowed usage without requiring membership.
He found one in the basement of a run-down building—a place that clearly wasn't capable of running the latest games.
Most of the patrons were older men enjoying retro games rather than students.
He headed to a corner of the small, shabby PC bang, sat down, turned on the computer, and searched for the YouTube video he had seen earlier.
During his search, he came across several urban legend-style videos reviewing the deep web, which convinced him he'd made the right choice by coming here.
There were stories of people accessing the deep web out of curiosity and then seeing videos so disturbing they couldn't eat for days, or tales of secret chats where the other person hacked their computer instantly, followed by a letter warning them never to return.
Watching these videos gave him a clearer idea:
"The deep web is a place where hackers and criminals making illegal profits gather."
An online space where things like kidnapping, contract killings, and drug deals—unspeakable, inhumane crimes—were requested or sold. And hackers.
The more he watched, the more reluctant he felt to access it, but he knew he had to check.
Feeling somewhat reassured by the seemingly ordinary page of a deep web search engine, Seowoon typed in "Cloyd" first.
Countless related pages appeared, but just as he was unsure which one to click, a Korean page caught his eye:
– A Gathering Place for Survivors –
He clicked it instinctively, and red text began to appear on a black screen.
A
R
E
Y
O
U
A
S
U
R
V
I
V
O
R
?
Then, two buttons appeared: YES or NO.
When he clicked "Yes," a small chat window popped up, startling him.
White text appeared on a pitch-black screen, reminiscent of a DOS window:
– If you're just here for fun, maybe it's best you leave now? –
"Hmm… Is this some kind of prank?"
Seowoon assumed it was a scare tactic meant to intimidate users.
"This chat must be scripted, not real-time."
Still, he typed a message into the chat window:
– Which philosopher said 'Know thyself'? –
It was a test to see if the other party was a real person.
– Socrates. Hey, guy from the Incheon PC bang. If you can't defend yourself on the deep web, you shouldn't be here. I'll give you credit for coming to a PC bang, but that doesn't mean you can't be tracked. I'll say this once: if you're just curious, go back to watching porn and leave quietly. –
The fact that his location had been revealed so quickly shocked him.
– Wow. Hackers really are amazing. That surprised me a bit. –
Trying to act unfazed, he typed back, and the other party went silent for a moment.
– You're still here… So you're not scared, huh? –
– Not really. –
As soon as that message appeared, Seowoon's mouse stopped responding. All other windows closed, leaving only the chat window open.
Shortcut keys like Alt+Tab didn't work either.
– You really are just a regular user. Alt-Tab? Seriously? –
– You're seriously talented. That's impressive. How did you do it? –
– … Aren't you scared? It's not hard for me to track you and get your personal info. –
– Nice try. I haven't logged into anything at this PC bang. –
– White vest, white baseball cap. Height… around 180 cm. –
That's when Seowoon remembered the CCTV at the PC bang entrance and inside.
The fact that this guy had hacked into that and checked so quickly was astonishing.
– Wow! You're seriously skilled. –
– You must be starting to feel scared now, right? –
– Not really. –
– Why not? –
– Because… I'm a survivor. –
Once again, the chat window fell silent for a moment.
-Prove that you're real.-
-Why should I?-
-Otherwise, you can't use this site. Filtering out civilians is my job, so you have to prove yourself to me.-
-How am I supposed to prove that? If you came to me in person, I could prove it easily. How about it?-
-I can't take that kind of risk. Just three clicks, and the verification will be done.-
As that message appeared, a flood of small images popped up on the screen.
When Seowoon scrolled down, there were literally hundreds of images.
-Just pick and click on three of them.-
Seowoon, glancing roughly through the incomprehensible images, couldn't figure out the other person's intention.
But then, as he scrolled down indifferently, his eyes widened.
'This is…'
One of the images was exactly the same as part of the giant statue in the waiting room of Cloyd.
Only then did he understand the hacker's intention—and at the same time, he realized the site he had accessed was the real deal.
After clicking one image and quickly choosing two others that looked familiar, the previously closed windows popped back up, and a new message appeared in the chat window.
-Verification complete. Welcome to our community, new player.-
Suddenly being addressed formally left Seowoon unsure how to respond, and after a moment's hesitation, he typed:
-Ah, yes…-
-If it's not too much trouble, may I ask which round you're on?-
-That's rude.-
-Hahaha. Right? Ahem. Our community guarantees top-level security for those who have passed verification. The best hackers are updating our defenses 24/7. With the ID provided now, you'll be protected even from all the scum of the deep web.-
At the same time, an ID and password appeared on the screen.
Before Seowoon could even type out a thank-you after snapping a photo of it with his phone, the chat window disappeared.
'It's pretty amazing they can even check CCTV in under a minute.'
He had only seen hackers' abilities in movies, never experienced them in real life, and the actual experience sent chills down his spine.
And yet, he remained composed…
'Must be thanks to this ability.'
Rumors about hackers, kidnappers, and illegal arms dealers were terrifying, but Seowoon, who had long since surpassed the category of a mere civilian, wasn't particularly afraid anymore.
When he logged in using the provided ID, a simple community interface with a white background appeared.
Several boards immediately caught his eye:
Must-Read for Beginner Players
Free Board for Players
Survivor Tips Board
Current Affairs Discussion Board
Player Trade Board
It was only five boards, but Seowoon clicked on the beginner board first.
There was only one post inside:
This is a guide for beginners who have just barely survived Cloyd.
I don't know if this will help in time, but I truly hope it does, so I'm writing it.
Do not recklessly reveal the ability you gained from Cloyd.
If you look at the Current Affairs Board, you'll see that since Cloyd began, governments around the world have been obsessed with placing ability users under control. If you want to live freely between worlds, please don't do anything reckless.
You're not the only one with powers.
There are countless others like you, and their numbers are growing.
So don't act like you're Superman. As I said above, you could end up captured.
There are covert organizations backed by governments, including official departments and secret factions supporting ability users.
They'll do whatever it takes to keep ability users hidden and prevent chaos. Newbies are especially targeted in what's known as "beginner hunting."
If they capture you, you may end up cooperating with them, becoming one of their members—or worse, a lab rat.
So never forget the warnings in #1 and #2.
There are resistance organizations that fight back, but our community remains strictly neutral.
We are not on the government's side, nor do we support the resistance trying to awaken people by criticizing the government.
Keep this in mind while participating in the community. Those who cause trouble will be expelled.
Lastly, a tip for those risking their lives to play and sell items:
It's always a shame to see beginners getting screwed by trying to sell worthless items for big coin in the real world.
There are sites on the deep web run by brokers that connect you with anonymous global elites.
Many of them actively seek specific items from Cloyd. So please visit those places first before trying to cash out.
To say it again—staying beneath the surface in the real world is how you survive.
After reading through the long post, Seowoon realized many things he hadn't even considered before.
In particular, he hadn't expected that item-trading sites existed, and this discovery was a great stroke of luck for him.
'This could be a way to earn steady profit.'
He gathered more information by checking the tips board and free board.
He learned that if you survive a certain number of rounds or achieve a high enough ranking, you can become a fixed player instead of a floating one, gaining the perk of choosing which games you join. He also picked up criteria for selecting items when coins are limited.
'The "Jungjung" torture room, seriously.'
In the community, they referred to a secret government organization that indiscriminately captured powered individuals—whether criminals, clueless newbies, or anyone revealing powers to the public—as "Jungjung" (Central Intelligence Agency, the predecessor to the modern National Intelligence Service), mockingly saying that if you're caught, you'll be taken to the infamous "Jungjung torture room" first.
Given Korea's historical context, even calling it "Jungjung" showed how negatively this organization was perceived.
'Doesn't seem all that neutral to me—but if it's true, it's only natural.'
He wasn't sure how much of it was real, but the way they talked openly about abducting beginners made it clear that excessive force was definitely being used.
Detaining powered people and suppressing free speech under the pretext of national security was unacceptable, regardless of the justification.
Especially from the perspective of someone who had powers himself.
'It's not like I volunteered to get dragged into the Cloyd Survival.'
-Looking for Fragmented Spellbook.-
-Looking for Philosopher's Stone.-
"-Selling all Awakening Potions at 1 million won each.-
-Looking for a mental technique book in exchange for a 3-circle stone.-"
There were some item names he recognized on the trade board and others he didn't. While browsing out of curiosity, he visited an item brokerage site mentioned in one of the first posts he read.
As soon as he connected, all windows vanished and a chat window popped up. That's when he realized this kind of interface functioned as a sort of gateway.
-If you're just curious, turn back.-
-I'm a Cloyd Survival player. Give me your login ID.-
With just one experience under his belt, he typed directly and bluntly on the keyboard. The chat window went silent for a moment.
Then hundreds of images began to appear.
Seowoon quickly clicked on three of the photos, and an ID and password popped up in the chat window.
Naturally, he took a photo of it with his phone and logged in, which brought up a flashy homepage.
Set against a black background with all the fonts styled in gold, the homepage had numerous bulletin boards. Seowoon focused his attention on one in particular.
-Item Purchase List.-
Inside, a long list of items was shown, with purchase prices listed next to them.
Most of the scroll types were related to recovery, and consumable items dominated the list.
There were Awakening Potions, Mana Potions, Vitality Potions, Hallucination Potions, and Meditation Potions.
Aside from the Awakening Potion, he had never seen any of the other potion types before.
Additionally, accessories were being purchased at high prices—particularly those that increased strength, agility, or stamina, which were being bought for a pretty high price.
"They're buying mid-grade scrolls starting at 3 million won… My Strength Ring should go for at least 20 million won? These prices seem off."
He couldn't help but think so. A mid-grade recovery scroll costs 8 coins. The Strength Ring he was currently wearing had cost him 20 coins.
If an item worth 8 coins sells for 3 million won, while a 20-coin item only sells for 20 million won, the value ratio didn't make sense.
"They're not strictly converting item value based on coin cost, huh."
He then moved on to the brokerage board, where there was a system for selling items on others' behalf.
After browsing for a bit, Seowoon checked the final section—the item request board.
-Witch's Elixir. Request submitted. Deadline: Until the 2nd of next month. Reward: 200 million won.-
-Botched Skin Ointment request submitted. Deadline: TBD. Reward: 1 billion won.-
-Distorted Clente's Mirror request submitted. Deadline: Within this year. Reward: 100 million won.-
All of the ongoing requests were for items he had never heard of before.
He was especially curious about the item offering a 1 billion won reward, so he clicked on its title.
-Botched Skin Ointment. Designated as a limited acquisition item in the Kualte Empire. Known to drop from mutated goblins, a specific monster. It can also drop from the home of a noble in the area. Infamous for its guaranteed side effect of hair growing wherever it's applied. The requester is demanding a minimum volume of 300ml.-
"Ah."
A sound of awe escaped his lips.
He understood the terror of hair loss better than anyone.
Paternal grandfather—bald. Maternal grandfather—bald. Both maternal uncles—bald. Both paternal uncles—bald. Lastly, his own father—bald. For Seowoon, who hailed from a family with such a legacy, hair loss was far from a distant concern.
He still couldn't forget the chilling moment back in high school during a holiday gathering, when both his uncles stared at his hair with wistful smiles.
"Kualte Empire… I'll definitely need to remember that."
[T/L: Read extra chapters on my ko-fi page "Pokemon1920" : https://ko-fi.com/pokemon1920 ]