Episode 1 - Unlucky Chance
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The light engulfing me slowly dispersed and noises started to enter my ears. I slowly opened my eyes and what awaited my sight was surprising.
It was like an underground village with people bustling here and there, merchants shouting their sales and kids running around chasing each other.
"Are these...NPCs? Things like this exist in labyrinth-type games...?" I muttered as I slowly walked towards the merchants. Then, someone wearing a bandana and holding a big pot in their hands approached me.
"Hey there, never seen your face before. Must be new, right?" He asked with a genuine smile. I hesitantly nodded and put an awkward smile on my face.
Then he continued, "Let me show you around then. I'm the guide NPC for this game."
He turned around and started walking deeper into the village. Hearing the word guide, I followed him without doubt.
"Um, so..if you're a guide, then shouldn't you be on the first floor?" I asked.
"Oh, that...it is something even I do not know why."
Eeh, that's weird. I mean, I guess it'd make sense from my experience of gaming so many games where I started on my own without guide until a few scenes. Plus, this is a virtual reality game, after all. Maybe it's to give us a chance to explore on our own. Many people hates tutorial, that's a fact.
The guide stopped at a stall and turned towards me with a smile. "This is the blacksmith. It's common knowledge for players to strengthen their weapons and armours here but there's a secret mechanism for blacksmiths in this game..."
We went around the village for hours as the guide continued explaining things to me. There was a lot to take note of but thanks to him, I got to understand the system a lot better and learned other mechanism I haven't found out about. As we reached the end of the guide, the clock tower had rang as the signal of the sun setting.
"Thanks for all the infos, they'll help for me to proceed." I bowed my head to the guide whose pot he was holding has long gone. I mean, why would he bring along a big pot like that for hours?
The guide waved his hands and said, "Don't mention it, it is my job. But there are still a lot of things that you need to figure out on your own, of course. I wish you luck in your progress."
"Thanks...by the way do you know how do I log out?" I asked another question but the guide suddenly stopped waving and went silent.
"That is not...something possible to begin with." He said with a dark expression. My eyes widen at the answer I was given as he continued. "This isn't a normal game. You don't have the choice whether to play it or not. To be precise, this whole labyrinth is like a giant inescapable trap."
Inescapable...what? I mean, how in the world would humanity be able to create such an immersive full dive virtual reality game? No matter how advanced technology is, would there really be a way to transfer brain signals to the game data and transform them into in-game actions? Plus, who would kidnap people into testing their game? It's usually through lottery or some such, no?
But then, what is this world exactly? And how did I end up here?
"...hey! Are you feeling okay?" The guide raised his voice a little as his hand shook my body, bringing me back to the current situation.
"Ah, yeah, I'm fine. Again, thanks for the informations. I'll be going now." I waved his hand away and bowed once again before leaving for an inn nearby.
I rented the cheapest room I could find and settled myself. It was a lot to take on so I couldn't just relax and sleep soundly. I look towards the desk beside the stuffy bed. There were a few pieces of papers and a fountain pen with the ink case.
I raised from the bed and sit on the chair. For now, I'll just write down the information I got from the guide earlier and save them in my inventory in case I forgot.
"Let's start with system mechanisms..."
...
...
...
I spent the rest of the day writing down stuff that I learned from the first floor and from the guide NPC and put all the notes inside my inventory. By the time I went to sleep, it was already around one o'clock and so I woke up late at nine.
I cleaned up the bed and checked out from the inn before heading to a weapon stall. Who would move onto the next area with a beginner equipment to begin with.
As I approached the seller, he waved and called me out, "'ey adventurer! Yer lucky cuz I've only just bought a very good weapon from a merchant."
When I arrived, he quickly retreated into his shop and came back with a sword. It doesn't look like it's in the best shape and whoever doesn't know about this sword would definitely say this is a ripoff item but I knew this sword too well. It was one of the favoured weapon in my favourite game and also from a famous movie. I checked the item information just to be sure since it was supposed to be a very rare item.
[Anduril Sword - Type : Weapon (Sword)]
The legendary sword from another universe, greatly known as the Flame of the West. Once this sword is completed, it'll be one of the most powerful artefact. Condition: incomplete. Special skills can be obtained after completing this sword.
...it's legit. Will there be more weapons like this that came from myths and films from earth?
"Does this interest you, adventurer? I'll sell it for cheap since it is incomplete. How does ten thousand coins sound?" I froze at the price mentioned. I only had around seven thousand.
"...can you lower it a bit?" I tried to negotiate and the seller touched his beard.
"Hm...ninety five hundred or no go."
"Give me a moment to think about it." I said as I walk away from the stall. "Come back when you've decided!"
I could probably try selling the materials I've obtained so far including the novice sword if it could make it enough. If I can't afford it then I'll just have to give it up.
I saw a stall that seems to buy items and approached the merchant.
[Boar Skin - Material (16)]
[Poisonous Fang - Equipment (Dagger) (1)]
[Coarse Fang - Material (20)]
[Boar Skull Shield - Equipment (Shield) (1)]
[Rusty Staff - Equipment (Staff) (1)]
[Giant Tusk - Material (1)]
[Resenting Eyeball - Material (1)]
I materialized all these and gave them to the merchant to be checked. A few minutes later, he came back to me with a piece of paper while smoking the big tobacco cigarette like some kinda mafia.
Boar Skin - 17 coins each
Coarse Fang - 20 coins each
Giant Tusk - 66 coins
Resenting Eyeball - 72 coins
Dagger - 234 coins
Shield - 209 coins
Staff - 167 coins
Total : 1348 coins
With that amount, I could probably have around eight thousand and a half...ugh, what else could I sell...? I wouldn't want to sell the meat though.
I unequipped my Novice Sword and asked the merchant, "How much would this sell for?"
The big guy pulled out his cigarette and stared at it before giving an answer, "A hundred coins."
Ha.
I sighed and sold the listed items except my sword and went back to the weapon stall.
By the way, seeing the prices for all those equipments I sold, isn't nine thousand a total a ripoff for an incomplete artefact? I know it said it would become one of the most powerful if completed but it won't be easy to complete it right?
"Yer back. Have ya decided, adventurer?"
"Seventy five hundred coins." I negotiated immediately.
"Hmm...that's hard, ya see. I need profit so how about eighty five?"
"Seventy five."
"No, no...eighty five is the cheapest I could offer."
"Seven thousand."
"Mmh...! Eight thousand!"
"Six."
"W-wha? Do you take me as a fool?!" The seller shouted, definitely lost his nerves.
"I sold a few weapons at less than five hundred. Isn't your price a ripoff?" I stated and his face paled.
"This is outrageous..! This sword is obviously an artefact, so it's only right for this price!"
"It is incomplete, so five thousand."
"How'd you...?! Ugh..." The seller seems to give up when he knows that I know but then he raised my offer a bit. "...I will take fifty five."
With a satisfied smirk, I agreed to the deal and bought the sword for five thousand and a half. I also left the Novice Sword to him to equip the brand new sword but then a notification appeared.
[Unable to equip. Minimum strength stat to equip the incomplete artefact Anduril Sword is 30.]
I stared at the screen for a few seconds and sighed. 'It can't be helped then.'
I was gonna spend the rest of the money to buy a skill book but...hah.
"Store." I whispered.
[Player Store]
Beginners Package
Growth Package
Item Package
...
Exchange | Auction
I clicked on Growth Package and the screen blurred into a different interface.
[Growth Package]
Stat Booster - Doubles one stat of your choosing (1,000 Coins) [Price changes based on player level.]
Experience Card - Temporarily doubles your EXP gain for 30 minutes (1,000 Coins)
Berserk Ampule - Doubles all your stats temporarily for 10 minutes (1,000 Coins)
...
Without any hesitation, I bought the stat booster and chose to double my strength stat.
"Profile."
[Profile Screen]
Name: Jungmin Level: 7
Class: Swordsman Title: None
Strength: 34
Vitality: 11
Agility: 14
Stat Points: 0
I closed the screens and then attempted to equip the sword again.
[Successfully equipped 'Anduril Sword - Incomplete'.]
Satisfied, I proceed to the double doors that leads to the monster's den.
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Infinite Level Labyrinth (Remastered)
Chapter 2
-End-
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