Chapter 4
There was no time to react to the notification that stormed in like a tempest.
As the white capsule burst out of the vending machine, it emitted a white aura upon shattering. The white aura immediately seeped into Jung-hoon's body.
<You have obtained the 10-star skill 'Unlocking.'>
<You have obtained your first skill. You can now access your 'Status Window.'>
"Status Window?"
-From the moment you acquire a skill, you can access the Status Window... Wait, did it really say 10-star skill? That's unbelievable! Let's check out the skill!
"Uh, sure. Just a moment."
Ding!
[Name: Undecided]
[Level: 1]
[HP: 123/123]
[MP: 25/25]
[Strength: 1(+22) Agility: 1(+22)
Endurance: 1(+22) Dexterity: 1(+22)
Magic: 1(+22)]
[Titles (3)]
-First 10-star Skill
-First 0-star Patron
-Two Firsts
[Patron]
0-star – Kang Jin-ho (Irregular)
[Skill]
10-star - Unlocking Lv. 1
"That's how it looks."
-Neat, right? Even if you wanted to be confused, you couldn't.
As Kang Jin-ho said, it was a simple yet intuitive interface.
"I have a few questions, but let's focus on the skill for now."
There were questions like, 'Why is the name displayed as undecided?' or 'Why are there additional stats next to the base stats?' But the most pressing curiosity was undoubtedly about the game's first-ever 10-star skill.
Jung-hoon quickly activated the skill description.
<Unlocking> - 10-star Skill
- Skill Level: 1
- It can unlock things that are forbidden or restricted.
(The title bonus is currently applied. The skill level will automatically increase with the player's level up.)
"…Huh? Is that it?"
It's supposed to be a 10-star skill? A skill of unprecedented highest grade with just one line of description, or two if you count the bonus explanation?
In fact, it was embarrassing to call it a description. It was simply stating the meaning of the character for 'unlock'!
-LaSe tends to be unfriendly in general, but... this is particularly harsh. I need to figure out how this skill operates first.
"Operates?"
-Yeah, just looking at that, we can't even tell if the skill is a passive or active skill, let alone its conditions or scope of use. We'll have to figure it out gradually.
"Wow. Doesn't the game teach you any of this?"
-It's probably because it's a 10-star skill. Even I, with over ten years of experience in LaSe, have never seen anything like this before.
"Hmm. It feels special hearing you say that... Wait a moment."
Jung-hoon's head snapped back. It seemed like this ghost had said something strange earlier.
"Ten years?"
-Well, technically it's been longer than ten years, but around that time... Hey, how can you look at me like I'm crazy? I get it, but it hurts.
"But, wait."
If you don't want to look like a crazy person, just don't say crazy things.
But of course.
"LaSe hasn't even been out for half a year?"
It hadn't even been a year, let alone ten years. Anyone, not just himself, would have this expression in this situation.
Seemingly understanding Jung-hoon's perplexity, Kang Jin-ho awkwardly continued.
-So, this was something I meant to mention earlier but missed the timing... The truth is, I'm like the protagonist.
"...Excuse me? You what?"
-The protagonist.
"..."
With a straight face and no hint of hesitation, Jung-hoon was thoroughly confused by this sudden protagonist banter. However, Kang Jin-ho's expression was serious. He seemed a bit embarrassed, as his face turned slightly red, but he continued to speak.
"Why suddenly cut off and mismatch the context with nonsense like that?"
-Oh, explaining this is a bit tricky.
Scratching his head in frustration, Kang Jin-ho suddenly turned to Jung-hoon and asked.
-Have you ever read any fantasy novels?
"I have. I read them occasionally as a hobby. But what does that have to do with the current situation?"
-Oh! That makes it easier to explain.
Kang Jin-ho interrupted Jung-hoon's words with excitement. Then, standing tall and confident, he spoke.
-I've regressed. You know, like in those fantasy novels.
"..."
Easy to explain, my foot.
Jung-hoon let out a deep sigh and sank into his seat.
* * *
"So... ugh."
Jung-hoon hesitated, furrowing his brow. It was as if uttering the next lines himself was embarrassing.
"I thought the 0-star Patron I summoned, the first in the server, was a ghost, but it turns out he's a LaSe veteran who's regressed seven times?"
-Well, that's a perfect summary.
"Perfect my foot. You've completely ruined the coherence. Titles these days shouldn't be written like that."
-Well, it's true, but what can you do about it?
According to Kang Jin-ho's explanation, if certain conditions aren't met, the game forces you to regress.
"So, what are those conditions?"
-Failure to complete the strategy.
"Excuse me?"
-It's speculated that if you fail the final strategy in LaSe, you go back to the past. That's been the case so far.
"A final strategy? Where's the final strategy in an MMORPG? You just keep leveling up and getting better gear, right? Oh, could it be like being ranked first?"
-I've achieved the top ranking several times. I'm talking about a real strategy, not that. It's been about six months since the game was released, right?
"Yes."
-It's about to be updated soon. It's a content that can be considered the ultimate goal for all LaSe users.
After saying that, Kang Jin-ho closed his eyes briefly as if reminiscing about the past, then opened them again.
-I've challenged that place five times, and failed each time. And every time I was absolutely sure that no matter what I tried, I couldn't strategize, I regressed back to the past without fail.
"Five times? But earlier you said you regressed seven times?"
-The first two times, I wasn't even playing the game.
"What?"
-Think about it. If you've regressed to the past, is playing a game all you're going to do? You should be finding something that will make you rich, like investing in stocks.
Jung-hoon blinked his eyes in surprise at the sudden practical statement that clashed with the surreal situation of ghosts and regression.
"....That's true."
-Well, when you read game novels, they always come up with ridiculous reasons like, 'Yeah, I have to play the game. I'll definitely become the strongest, take revenge on those who betrayed me, and lift my impoverished family out of poverty.' But that's just for the sake of the story; reality is different.
"Even though it sounds like a statement that could turn the entire regression game board into an enemy... Well, anyway, let's move on. Ultimately, you ended up playing the game, right? Why live off stocks then?"
-I died.
"...Excuse me?"
"Have you seen the movie Final Destination from a long time ago? It's similar to that. At first, I regressed and made a perfect life plan, but three days later, I was hit by a truck and died. Then I regressed again. In my second life, I died when a building collapsed while shopping, and I regressed again."
"..."
The atmosphere suddenly turned cold, but Kang Jin-ho chuckled self-deprecatingly as if it were just a memory.
-In the third regression, I decided to play games to pass the time... strangely enough, I didn't die? Instead, about two years later, I was betrayed by a guild member, failed the content, and regressed. That's when I realized. My regression is related to this game.
"Sigh. Should I believe this? It's worse than a novel."
-Believe it or not, it's up to you, but one thing is for sure.
Kang Jin-ho tapped his chest with his fist and continued.
-You pulled the best card imaginable by getting a 9-star Patron. I'll make you the strongest.
And so, Jung-hoon's game began.
* * *
"So what do we do now?"
-We continue what we were doing.
"What were we doing?"
-Right. We were in the middle of introducing ourselves. You need to tell me your name.
"My name? Didn't I already say it earlier?"
-Not your real name. From now on, your name in LaSe.
"Oh, my nickname!"
Indeed, that's why the name on the status screen was shown as 'undefined.'
Normally, you'd decide this when starting a game, but... LaSe seemed to have a slightly different method.
"I've already thought about that. I'll go with 'Karpero.'"
-Okay. My name is Kang Jin-ho. Let's do well together from now on.
"Yes. I'm still skeptical, but I'll leave it to you. So now that we've created a nickname, are we done?"
-Normally, we would say each other's names and character creation would be complete... Why isn't it working? Kang Jin-ho. Kang Jin-ho. My name is Kang Jin-ho.
Despite Kang Jin-ho's confused expression as he continued to mutter his name, nothing changed. Jung-hoon said with a resigned expression, "Well, I guess that's it."
"Why isn't it working? We said each other's names... Oh? Could it be?"
-Oh. Do you have a guess?
"What?"
"You introduced yourself with your nickname, right? So, shouldn't you also say your previous nickname, not your real name? Why don't you try saying the nickname you used before."
-Oh...
Kang Jin-ho nodded as if there was a point, but hesitated to speak, seeming dissatisfied with something.
"What's wrong? Oh, is it because of the username? Like 'KnightSizeKing'? It's okay. That might be it. I understand."
-Understand my foot! It's not that, dammit!
"Then just say it."
-Sigh...
After exhaling a sigh, Kang Jin-ho reluctantly opened his mouth.
-...Joon.
"What? I can't hear you, it's too faint."
-...Juzon, Heavenly Demon Juzon! Damn it. I thought I'd regress again, so I just came up with something random!
"...Um, well, it's okay."
As long as the user wasn't in their thirties. That was the moment Jung-hoon wanted to say that.
Ding!
[Information registered.]
[Name: Carpe]
[Patron: 0-Star - Heavenly Demon Juzon (天魔至尊)]
[Skill: 10-Star - Unlock]
[Character creation complete. Tutorial starting!]
Zap!
A bright swirl of light began to envelop Jung-hoon's body, and he was warped somewhere else.
* * *
"Uh, where is this?"
-We've completed character creation and moved to the tutorial stage. Looks like your guess was correct.
Jung-hoon slowly looked around.
In front of him, a vast meadow stretched out, and behind him, there was a dense forest filled with large trees.
In other words, the place Jung-hoon was in could be considered the entrance to the forest.
Ding.
[Tutorial will start shortly.]
[Survive for 1 hour against 50 monsters. Rewards will be given based on survival time.]
[Monsters will swarm in 1 minute.]
"Monsters?"
-Yeah. After 1 minute, monsters will come rushing from the end of the meadow to kill you. You just have to avoid them for 1 hour.
"I see. So that's why it's a forest."
It was virtually impossible to run away from 50 monsters in a meadow devoid of any large rocks. You needed various coverings like a forest to hide.
"How long do people usually last?"
-Let's see. At this time, the average for users would be around 12 minutes.
"The difficulty level is insane."
No, actually, when you think about it, for someone who's experiencing a virtual reality game for the first time, lasting 12 minutes against 50 wild monsters was quite impressive.
-Objectively, it's difficult, indeed. But that's in ordinary circumstances.
Indeed, Jung-hoon's situation at the moment couldn't be considered ordinary by any means.
-Didn't I tell you? You've drawn the best card.
Jung-hoon was in the midst of playing alongside the best strategy guide in Lase.
Knowing where the best hiding spots in the forest were, which tree concealed hidden weapons, and which rock held potions to restore full HP—Kang Jin-ho knew all that information.
-How about it? Do you understand my greatness now? If you listen to me well, there's no need to worry about the tutorial, and reaching the top of the rankings is a piece of cake... Hey, where are you going!
Before Jin-ho could finish his sentence, Jung-hoon dashed away vigorously.
Not toward the forest, but toward the meadow!
-Hey! Not that way! Into the forest!
[Tutorial starting.]
[Monsters have been determined. 25 goblins and 25 kobolds.]
[Good luck. Remaining time: 59:59…….]
From the horizon at the end of the meadow, with a bright swirl, 50 monsters appeared. With their eyes reddened, they began to rush toward Jung-hoon. Jung-hoon, too, marveled as he ran toward them.
"Wow, this feels so intense. It's really realistic."
-You're the one who's intense! Quickly, head into the forest!
"If we die to them now, do we immediately go over to the continent?"
-That's true, but... Hey, stop thinking weird stuff. The final reward for surviving the tutorial is really good. We must make sure to grab it...
"Oh, of course, we have to grab it. But, um..."
In no time, the monsters and Jung-hoon, who had come running with full force, were close to each other. Now it was impossible to return to the forest.
Keeyaak!!!
The leading goblin screamed as it rushed toward Jung-hoon.
"Do we get something for taking them all down?"
-...What?
Thud!
Jung-hoon's fist smashed the goblin's head. Jung-hoon was impressed once again.
"Wow. That felt satisfying."
-No... No, it did. Huh. Damn. What's going on... Oh, could it be?!
The level of destruction Jung-hoon displayed now was not something that a Level 1 with stats of 1 would exhibit.
In other words, there was only one conclusion to be drawn.
Ding.
[Title 'Dual Genesis' is now active.]
[All stats increased by 22.]
Having stats of 1 was no longer the case.
"Ha. I didn't expect it to go down with just one hit."
-Of course it did.
An increase of 22 in all stats was a tremendous figure. Even a Level 1 player could easily crush tutorial monsters.
-Still, don't you usually charge in recklessly? It's your first time playing a game. Even with stat adjustments, there's still a chance you might not win, right? Be a bit more cautious...
"Oh, come on. It's just the tutorial. We're just testing things out."
-But what if you make a mistake and die?
"I won't die!"
-...You're so stubborn.
Kang Jin-ho had a hunch.
Guiding this eccentric and conquering the game wouldn't be as easy as he thought.
Thwack!
Another kobold fell under Jung-hoon's onslaught. And the momentum continued.
It didn't take long for the 50 monsters to be wiped out.
Ding.
[Acquired title 'Complete Tutorial Domination.']
[Title effect: Deals 10% additional damage to monsters of the same species that appeared in the tutorial.]
[Clear time: 9 minutes 37 seconds. Overwhelmingly breaking the previous record.]
[Special rewards are provided.]
It was Jung-hoon's spectacular debut.
Enjoying the story? Don't forget to rate 5 stars and review in NovelUpdte!