Chapter 68: Nobody Believes the Truth

Elder Si-Jin entered a private reception room away from the main estate halls. The Main Estate was vast, offering plenty of secluded quarters for discreet family business.

Only a few figures from Si-Jin’s direct branch line were present inside, as the rest were still holding the line in the council hall to discuss countermeasures against yesterday’s assault.

"I’m thinking of putting our plans regarding that shop on hold for now," Elder Si-Jin stated coldly. "Considering our current situation, it is better to preserve our manpower."

Aside from Si-Jin, the room contained his granddaughter, Si-Yeon, and his two middle-aged sons—members of the family’s second generation, standing on equal footing by blood with Baek Ji-Gal. Both were privy to the covert plan to seize Origins VR Cafe.

"Understood, Father. We will order our men out there to back off and take up standby positions around the Main Estate and our private residence," his two sons replied in unison before bowing and taking their leave.

Si-Yeon remained behind.

"You may go to that shop to investigate once the situation clears," Elder Si-Jin instructed his granddaughter. "Find out what kind of relationship that shopkeeper has with Ji-Hong. Determine if he is somehow connected to how Ji-Hong managed to display martial strength despite his weak constitution."

"Understood. As soon as the Patriarch lifts the lockdown, I will head there as ordered," Si-Yeon replied smoothly.

The family’s current situation was precarious, and Elder Si-Jin couldn’t afford to mismanage his resources. While he coveted the Patriarch’s seat for his branch line, he had no desire to inherit a crumbling ruin. Patriarch Baek’s continued existence was vital; if the Patriarch fell right now, the Baek Family’s standing and prestige in high society would collapse entirely.

Putting the takeover on hold was the only logical choice.

However, Si-Jin had no intention of letting a golden egg like the Origins VR Cafe run wild without a master for long.

A slow, methodical approach was required.

Once the Baek Family had stabilized and the lingering threat of the Babylon Mercenaries had been dealt with, he could deploy his full force to secure Origins VR Cafe at his leisure.

Meanwhile, the silence inside the Patriarch’s suite was deafening.

Ji-Gal stared at his son with a mixture of sheer bewilderment and concern, while Jo-Hyun slowly stepped closer to Ji-Hong, genuinely terrified that her son had suffered brain damage.

Even Great Guardian Mareum, renowned for his unflappable composure, stood completely frozen, his eyes narrowed as if trying to process a foreign language.

"An... internet cafe?" Ji-Gal finally choked out, his voice cracking slightly. "Son, did the shock of yesterday’s attack do something to your mind? Are you hearing yourself right now?!"

"Isn’t it going a bit far to think I’ve lost a screw?!" Ji-Hong snapped back, throwing his hands in the air.

"I’m fine! Look, one plus one is two! See?! I’m telling you the absolute truth! The shop is called Origins VR Cafe, located in a narrow alley near my campus. The games there use state-of-the-art virtual capsules that link directly to... what was it again? Ah, right—our neurons! Mind-link! I forgot the science, but it projects our consciousness into a virtual world! If you try it, the line between reality and virtual reality completely blurs!"

Patriarch Baek slowly closed his eyes, taking a long, deep breath to keep his rising blood pressure in check. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, and fixed Ji-Hong with an intensely heavy glare.

"So," the Patriarch said, his tone dangerously calm. "You are telling this family... that a lifelong, incurable constitutional affliction—one that the top medical minds in the country could not treat—was miraculously cured by stepping into a virtual reality pod and playing games?"

"And consuming their unique, incredibly delicious food and beverages!" Ji-Hong added earnestly. "That shop is magical! It brings fiction to life! Grandpa, Father, Great Guardian—all of you can actually learn true martial arts with Qi there!"

Ji-Gal slapped his own forehead. "Good heavens, he’s lost his mind..."

The news that his son no longer possessed a frail constitution should have been a moment of pure joy. But seeing Ji-Hong spouting such utter nonsense, Ji-Gal couldn’t help but worry sick.

Standing near the door, Mareum felt a deep wave of suspicion take root. ’Wait... is that really how he managed to display martial techniques yesterday? And how his personal bodyguards suddenly took down elite mercenaries?! No... that’s impossible!’

Patriarch Baek pinched the bridge of his nose, blinking his eyes for a moment as a dull throb beat against his temples. He then issued a cold, unyielding order.

"Summon the full medical board and bring the diagnostic equipment to check Young Master Baek Ji-Hong’s mental and physical condition. Make sure he obeys and remains strictly within the Main Estate."

"Yes, Patriarch."

"Yes, Father."

"Yes, Father-in-law."

"Yes, sir."

Hearing the Patriarch’s absolute decree, Ji-Hong’s face turned completely pale as a defeated expression washed over him.

’Goddamn it! I thought telling them the truth would make them let me go! Fuck it, how am I supposed to get to the shop now? At this rate, I’m going to get left even further behind in strengths and delicacies! Who knows what games and foods will be added while I’m stuck here... Sigh. Bad luck. People think being born rich is all paradise, but it’s just a different kind of pain in the ass.’

No matter how much of a troublemaker he was, Ji-Hong didn’t dare to throw a tantrum when the Patriarch laid down a direct command.

Anyway, he glanced at his parents—Ji-Gal looking stressed and annoyed, Jo-Hyun filled with tearful anxiety.

Meanwhile, the head doctor’s face turned troubled as he hastily pulled out his device to contact his medical colleagues.

However, as Ji-Hong’s gaze finally landed on Mareum, he found the Great Guardian of the Baek Family staring back at him with a deep, solemn expression—as if indicating there were matters between them that needed to be discussed in secret.

The next morning, Donape opened Origins VR Cafe right on time at 8:00 AM. He had already finalized the official work schedule with his part-timer, Yoo Ga-Eun.

On weekdays, Donape covered the morning shift from 8:00 AM to 3:59 PM, while Ga-Eun took over the evening shift from 4:00 PM to 10:00 PM. On weekends, Ga-Eun handled the entire operating window from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM.

After factoring in her total hours, Donape sets her monthly salary at a clean 250 BC.

With the shop still quiet and empty in the early hours, Donape started his day with his usual breakfast: a bowl of Spirit-Infused Noodles paired with a cold bottle of Origins Fountain Water.

On paper, eating instant-style noodles every morning sounds like a fast track to ruined health. But since these were magical delicacies, daily consumption didn’t clog his arteries—it actively cleansed his body and improved his overall physical state day after day.

The only real downside to eating the exact same breakfast every morning was pure, unadulterated boredom.

Unfortunately, unlocking new menu items was still a long way off. He had only just upgraded the shop to Level 3, and based on how the system usually operated, a Novice Quest would pop up long before the next Main Quest arrived. And even then, Main Quests weren’t always about upgrading the cafe’s level.

It also means the rewards weren’t always about food or drinks; they might just be VR games or the shop furniture.

Shortly after finishing his breakfast, the day’s first customers stepped through the front door.

It was Zerke and Jong-Kook.

"Good morning, kid," Jong-Kook greeted warmly, taking a seat at the counter stool alongside Zerke.

"Two Obsidian Roast Coffees, please," Zerke ordered.

"Coming right up," Donape replied, preparing the orders and setting two steaming mugs on the counter.

Looking at the two middle-aged regulars, Donape felt the urge to relieve some of the quiet pressure they had been carrying regarding Origins VR Cafe.

"Sirs," Donape began softly. "You don’t need to force yourselves to play other games if the current one is enough for you. I’m sure both of your marksmanship skills have already improved tremendously, and in the end, that’s all that matters. This shop is fundamentally a place of entertainment for anyone who needs a break. As for how it grants you physical and mystical strength... You don’t need to chase it if you don’t want to."

Though Donape’s words weren’t overly fancy, their genuine intent hit home, instantly lifting the unspoken weight off Zerke and Jong-Kook’s shoulders.

They loved shooting, and Donape was entirely right—their improvement was undeniable. Every time they finished a session at the cafe, they would test their skills back at Zerke’s local shooting range, One Bullet. Their reaction speed, draw time, and accuracy were noticeably superior compared to before they started playing Counter-Injustice.

That tangible progress was precisely why they kept coming back.

"Thanks, kid. I appreciate the kind words," Zerke said, raising his mug of Obsidian Roast Coffee in a subtle toast.

"By the way," Jong-Kook chimed in, starting a new topic. "Your skin and face look noticeably brighter today. Quite radiant, actually."

"Ah, that," Donape smiled faintly. "It’s because I tried the Celestial Sparkle Sprite for the first time yesterday. It flushed out all the lingering impurities in my body. Honestly, both of you should give it a try sometime. The health benefits are extraordinary, especially for bodies eroded by age. Just make sure to drink it right before you head home—the body cleansing leaves behind a terrible odor you definitely don’t want to deal with while sitting in public."

Suddenly, the front door’s bell chimed, drawing Donape’s attention to the entrance.

A young woman stepped inside. Donape recognized her immediately—she was the girl who had arrived previously alongside a detachment of bodyguards and a senior family elder.

It was none other than Baek Si-Yeon.