“Slowly, I opened my eyes halfway and tried to piece together the sounds and visual information.”

“‘...That’s right? It must be.’”

My wrists were still cuffed, secured to the handle...

Clatter!

We were inside a large van that was moving.

“No, but if that guy really is him, then what on earth happened? It’s strange that a person missing for over a year was suddenly found at home... And I’ve never heard he was an aggressive type like this...”

Hmm, is that the setup?

No wonder this felt like a tutorial in a game—but the difficulty level was way too high.

Not only did five burly adult men punch in the password to get in, but there was also a taser ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ gun?

‘Yeah, not even giving me a knife and just strapping a taser on a ranged mob is basically telling me to just take it.’

My guess is that being captured after losing at the start point was inevitable.

Most likely, from here on out, the trials would continue—

“Enough, everyone! Let’s go and scan his fingerprints. That’ll tell us if this bastard really is Lee Hansoo or not.”

...Phew, still alive at least.

“Team Leader Kang? This bastard is laughing.”

“What?! He’s awake?”

When the man beside me said I had woken up, the ‘Team Leader Kang’ in the passenger seat was startled and quickly turned around.

‘What, he couldn’t kill me either?’

Did they release me too soon?

Still, it looks like only three people are in the car, so the other two must have been taken to the hospital for treatment...

“Lee Hansoo! Stay still! Whatever you went through, if you cause trouble here again, no matter what your mother says, we’ll have to do things by the book!”

Team Leader Kang seemed worried I’d cause a scene in the car again.

Do I really look like an idiot?

“Yes. I apologize. I will stay still.”

I spoke in the most polite tone I could muster, making it clear I wouldn’t cause any more trouble.

But was that situation so ridiculous?

“What the hell... why is this bastard suddenly so calm?”

Well, I’m under a CC effect right now.

If I were in my barbarian body with the strength to smash handcuffs instantly, that’d be different.

But regular Lee Hansoo becomes useless just by having handcuffs on.

Therefore...

‘Maybe this is some kind of escape mission. If there’s a dream where you just kill monsters and it’s over, then there’s also a dream like this.’

Instead of attempting a foolish escape, I decided to play along and gather information.

Since this can be seen as a kind of tutorial process.

Alright then...

“Officer, I was too flustered earlier. I was surprised when strangers suddenly punched in the password and tried to enter my house... I apologize once again for earlier.”

Putting aside my barbarian mindset, I offered a neat and polite modern apology.

Yet for some reason?

Team Leader Kang’s expression did not soften; if anything, it grew even stranger.

“Bullshit.”

...Huh? I apologized and he calls it bullshit?

I should have ended this for good back then—

“You were laughing.”

...Huh?

“...Absolutely not, officer.”

“Hah... Damn, I got stuck with a crazy bastard. Hey, what did this guy call us earlier?”

“He said ‘Goblin Officers.’”

Ah, that...

“Haha, I got carried away and said nonsense. Calm down a bit and explain the situation to me—”

Team Leader Kang cut me off harshly.

“Shut up!!”

What’s with this sudden outburst?

“Just shut up, bastard!! I’m barely holding back right now!”

Ugh, spitting everywhere.

“......”

Honestly, I didn’t fully understand why he was so triggered, but it seemed best not to provoke him further.

So from then on, I stayed silent and organized my thoughts alone.

How long had we been driving?

Soon the car stopped at the nearby police station and the firmly closed door slid open.

Bright sunlight pierced my eyes.

The air smelled sweetly of flowers and freedom.

“Get out.”

Oh, finally a chance to escape—

“Don’t even think about any funny business. Unless you want to taste the electric shock again.”

Damn...

‘Yeah, well... first things first, I need to get these handcuffs off. The moment they come off will be my starting point, so I’ll hold back for now.’

Giving up on the escape cleanly, I followed Team Leader Kang into the police station, arms still bound.

We took the elevator up and arrived at the interrogation room.

“One, two, three, four, five, six...”

Not the whole building, but just this floor was full of goblin officers.

When would this tutorial end?

No idea, but following Team Leader Kang’s orders, I pressed my fingerprints and was briefly locked in a holding cell, soon to be called out again for questioning.

“We contacted your family; they should be here soon. Also, you probably didn’t hear this because you were unconscious, so I’ll say it again: Lee Hansoo, you have the right to remain silent...”

Unlike before, Team Leader Kang began speaking respectfully, and after reading me my Miranda rights, immediately started with this question:

“Name: Lee Hansoo. Age: 30. Missing from home for over a year. First, tell us this: why were you there today?”

“I just opened my eyes and was there.”

A truthful answer with no exaggeration.

Did my barbarian manner of speaking irritate them?

One of the flunkies beside me snapped and raised his arm.

“‘There’? You’re young but you dare talk down to Team Leader Kang? That’s disrespect!”

“Cut it out, Detective Park! He was missing for over a year! We don’t know what he’s been through, so just hold back.”

“But Team Leader! Because of this bastard, Jihoon was rushed to the ER! To the ER!”

“Enough! If you’re going to disrupt the investigation, get out, you bastard!”

Team Leader Kang’s harsh shout made the flunky turn around, clearly pissed.

“S-sorry for the fuss, Lee Hansoo. We’ll resume the questioning. We have many questions for you. Of course, you can remain silent, but we hope you won’t.”

“Yes, don’t worry. I’ll cooperate sincerely.”

“No, don’t just say that casually. One of our detectives was injured. One almost died by strangulation. If we don’t protect you, you’re really screwed. Understand?”

“Yes.”

I let those words slide in one ear and out the other, and Team Leader Kang sighed deeply and resumed the questioning; I tried to answer as sincerely as possible.

The problem was, they didn’t seem to feel that sincerity.

“So, while playing the game [Dungeon and Stone], you suddenly found yourself sucked into the game world?”

“That’s right.”

“Your speech pattern is because in that world, you had to survive as a ‘Barbarian’ race. Now you were exploring a place called Dreamfall Waterfall and fell asleep, and this place is that dream world?”

“Oh, that’s right.”

Impressed by the neat summary, I nodded, when an unexpected exclamation came from nearby.

“Wow... this guy’s really nuts...”

“Isn’t that schizophrenia?”

“Seems like it.”

It felt unfair to be treated like a madman even after telling the truth, but I could also see a silver lining.

If I appeared mentally weak, they would let their guard down.

They were all enemies.

And in that sense...

Click, click.

I picked up a pen in front of me and fiddled with it.

“The tip’s pretty sharp...”

Very sharp.

If stabbed in a weak spot like the eye, it could cause permanent physical damage and incapacitate.

“Anyway, I also figured out how to unlock these handcuffs.”

Thanks to not neglecting my surroundings during questioning, I learned how to unlock them.

I saw a man at the table next to me take off his handcuffs...

“At the waist.”

Police keep handcuff keys on their belts.

In other words, if I can take down Team Leader Kang, I can grab the key from his waist and free myself.

“Team Leader... shouldn’t we have a mental evaluation before this investigation?”

“I’ll handle that, just focus on your work. Bored?”

I kept telling the truth during questioning, and surprisingly Team Leader Kang listened seriously, or maybe with interest.

How long had it been?

“You hungry? Let’s eat first. Jajangmyeon or Jjamppong?”

“Jajangmyeon. Oh, and a cider, cider too.”

“......Alright.”

As I buried my nose in the jajangmyeon ordered by Team Leader Kang and inhaled it, a strange feeling arose for the first time.

“Whaaa....”

Could it really be this real?

“Why that face all of a sudden? You were enjoying it.”

“Well... it’s just strange.”

“What’s strange? It looks fine.”

“I tried tasting something in a dream before, but back then I couldn’t taste anything.”

Hearing my answer, Team Leader Kang looked at me with a mysterious expression, then suddenly dusted off his knees and stood.

“That’s enough questioning for now. If you’re done eating, please give me your bowl. Someone will be coming soon.”

“Someone to meet...?”

“Who do you think? Lee Hansoo, you... oh, here they are. Mom, this way, this way!”

I turned around following Team Leader Kang, who got up and waved.

“Hansoo...”

A long skirt she always wore.

Old, worn sneakers.

A bucket hat pulled down to cover her frazzled hair.

And beneath it, the face I always wanted to see but never wanted to see again.

“Ahhh...!”

My mother collapsed, covering her mouth.

Watching her, I let out a hollow laugh.

Pfft....

Sure, it really felt like a dream now.

Pfft! Hahaha!

Still, what a shitty feeling.

A single room in some nameless boarding house.

Mom was always busy with work and came home late at night, and I was too immature to understand her.

Mom always blamed me.

Mom cried asking why she gave birth to someone like me.

But I still loved her.

I begged her to stay with me always, and once she indulged my childish tantrum.

That day, we were together.

Mom read me the fairy tales I liked and cooked cup noodles when I was hungry. In the cold single room, we hugged each other under the blanket and ate snacks.

I said I wished every day could be like that.

Mom agreed.

The next day, she took me to an amusement park.

That day was the last time.

In front of the carousel, Mom suddenly disappeared, and I was found by the amusement park staff only when closing time came.

After that, I don’t remember well.

Many adults approached me, and I was shuffled through countless institutions, sleeping in different places every day.

Child abandonment and abuse.

Custody revoked.

Adults whispered difficult words where I couldn’t hear, and I vaguely felt...

I’d never see her again.

‘I get it. It’s maddening.’

Of course, now I understand Mom’s feelings.

A sick child.

A child who causes parents trouble.

Not just that.

Wherever I went, I was like a plague bringing unfortunate incidents.

Lee Hansoo.

That was me.

So it was natural.

Mom was only a few years older than I am now.

She needed someone to hate.

The urge to throw everything away and run away must have tempted her every moment.

Well, what happened next was a different story.

[“Aaaah! Don’t come! Never again! Please disappear from my life!”]

When I found Mom as an adult.

She screamed that, and I never looked for her again.

So when Hyunbyul told me about Mom, I was quite surprised.

[“She kept talking about inheritance for a long time... and asked the police if there was a way to file a death report before the missing period ended.”]

Maybe she knew the news and wanted the money?

Or maybe she just wanted me gone as soon as possible?

Only she knows her exact thoughts, but one thing is clear.

“Ahhh... Hansoo... I’m sorry, I’m sorry... Mom’s really sorry...”

She’s not a woman who should be crying now.

Well, thanks to that, I was more sure that this place really is a dream world.

“I really... really wanted to meet and talk. I know I don’t deserve it, but... could you forgive me... this useless mother...”

Watching my sobbing mother, I made up my mind.

‘This might... be useful.’

Not bad at all.

So I approached my crying mother and reached out my hand.

Suppressing all emotions rising inside.

“I forgive you...”

“Really...?”

“Yes... because Mom taught me that...”

Like a priest absolving all sins, I gently placed my thick, not-so-large hand on hers.

Carefully stroking the back of her hand, I slowly turned to look at Team Leader Kang.

“Detective... could you please unlock the handcuffs for a moment?”

“...No.”

“Damn.”

That didn’t work.