"Damn it, it's just like a game!"
Three of them, all creeping closer with legs sharp as scythes.
A weapon. He needed a weapon.
[Special Weapon Manufacturing]. Blue particles swirled above Kim Ihyun's hand, forming a long spear in his grip.
"Get the hell away from me, you bastards!"
He held the spear forward, resisting the urge to swing it wildly. He feared provoking unnecessary aggression.
Maybe the spear looked intimidating to them. Or maybe they were just gauging his strength. Whatever the reason, their approach slowed.
He had a moment to think.
'Three Speeders, that means…'
He remembered the tutorial perfectly. He'd rerolled about a hundred times, both on his main and alt accounts. He couldn't forget even if he wanted to.
This was the first stage of the tutorial.
Under normal circumstances, the player would awaken, and the battle would occur as they returned to the platform.
So why was it happening now?
'…Did I trigger something?'
He recalled the script. The lines spoken by the agents just before the stage began.
― "Were these the ones inside the station? What a hassle. We should have found the professor and gotten out before they noticed."
― "Who knew the professor was in a place like this? But if this is all there is, it might actually be good. It's perfect to see if the professor is still useful."
― "Please don't speak like that. Professor, can you give us orders?"
'That's roughly what it was.'
His mind filled in the blanks. He had skipped the dialogue during his rerolls, so he didn't remember every word, but the gist was accurate.
So, the conclusion he reached was:
'I triggered the event by wandering around before the agents arrived?'
It made sense. He couldn't think of any other reason.
He never imagined he'd end up in such a situation. He had planned to stay put and wait for the agents to join him.
'…No, I probably would have done the same even if I had known.'
He couldn't have just stayed holed up in the train, hoping for rescue. This was bound to happen eventually.
"Huff, huff!"
Kim Ihyun's hands trembled as he gripped the spear. His wide eyes, trying to intimidate the Speeders, twitched uncontrollably.
Stay calm.
He needed to handle this calmly. Kim Ihyun brought his gamer mentality into reality, trying to assess the situation as objectively as possible.
'This is definitely the 0-1 stage.'
The simplest stage.
The player is given three agents, but you don't even need to use them all. Even with one, it's the easiest of battles.
You could clear it with your eyes closed.
No need to use skills. And the agents are without their special weapons. The gacha system isn't even available since it's just the tutorial.
The enemies are just big, dumb mobs.
So what about my hand?
Kim Ihyun glanced at the spear in his hand. A plain weapon, white and black. You'd get at least one after 50 pulls.
[Glitch Knife].
It's a weapon often scorned by players. The fact that it looks similar to a six-star spear is part of its infamy.
But still.
'It's not trash. People pay for these.'
In-game, it's definitely trash. It boosts 'normal attack damage' three times per battle—a useless effect.
Three hits on trash mobs and it's done. It's not even a toy for seasoned players. That's why players mockingly call it [Glitch Knife].
However, right now.
'It's good enough.'
I can do this. Special weapons come with stat boosts. With a good weapon, even a three-star agent can compete with six-stars.
Of course, it's better to give them to a six-star from the start. But that's irrelevant for one-star Kim Ihyun.
"Huuuh."
His shaking subsided somewhat.
Immediately after,
― "Shyaaa!"
All three Speeders charged at once.
The narrow path was cramped. Even if two could pass, all three couldn't.
They couldn't climb the walls either. Their pointed legs wouldn't support their bulky bodies. They also lacked any special abilities like web-shooting.
He had a chance.
"Alright, bring it on, you bastards!"
He shouted, and the Speeders went berserk.
It was the reaction he wanted. Their movements became even more disorganized, and they stumbled over each other. The scraping of their legs against the walls was music to his ears.
Kim Ihyun pulled the spear back to his armpit. And when he was sure they were within range,
He lunged.
Thunk!
― "Kyaaa!"
The sensation of piercing flesh was clear. It wasn't as tough as he expected. It felt like stabbing through layers of styrofoam.
[Glitch Knife]'s special ability had two uses left.
Splash!
When he pulled the spear out, green bodily fluids sprayed out. He couldn't dodge in time. Another Speeder climbed over its fallen comrade's body, crossing the entrance.
"Dammit!"
Whack!
He swung the spear shaft, striking the Speeder. It toppled over but wasn't fatally wounded.
One use left.
― "Kyaaa!"
The last one entered the cavity.
It leaped at Kim Ihyun. Its legs, though not particularly strong, were still threatening as they swung at him.
Smack!
Kim Ihyun threw himself to the ground. He didn't care how undignified it looked. It was the surest way to avoid the attack.
He quickly looked around.
'Did that work better than I thought?'
The Speeder he'd knocked down with the spear hadn't gotten up yet. He decided it was safe to ignore it for now.
He had to deal with the one left.
Tap, tap, tap!
The Speeder approached, stepping over the rubble. In the now open space, it had no obstructions. It was definitely faster than before.
Thump, thump!
His heart pounded, pumping blood through his veins. His senses felt skewed; his arms felt distant, and his sense of smell was dulled.
But his vision was clear. Even in the dim light, he could track the Speeder's movements. He saw plenty of openings to exploit.
The difference in reach. The spear was the right choice.
― "Kiiing…!"
The Speeder lunged, and its body was pierced. It stopped moving, inertia dissipating. Its red eyes filled with Kim Ihyun's reflection.
That was the third time.
He could feel the special ability's uses were exhausted. The lively feeling was gone.
'No wonder my body felt light.'
Kim Ihyun immediately released the [Glitch Knife]. The spear dissipated into blue particles and scattered in the air.
Next,
"Just one more!"
Bzzt!
A ringing sound and a headache hit him. Like when he'd tried to create a higher-grade weapon without knowing better. But it wasn't a failure.
A new [Glitch Knife] was created.
"Die, you son of a bitch!"
Kim Ihyun charged with the spear. The Speeder, which had been approaching again, became his target.
Maybe it was the adrenaline, but the fear was gone.
Thunk!
The Speeder's twitching was transmitted through the spear to his hand. It only lasted a moment. The final, powerful thrust drained the last Speeder's life force.
The last one was dead.
Even after he was sure it was dead, he watched it for another ten seconds. Only then did Kim Ihyun release the spear.
"Heh, hah…"
He panted like a madman. His vision blurred from the blood rush, and the disgusting fishy smell was overwhelming.
"Guh!"
He couldn't hold back the nausea.
The fact that he had killed a living creature. The revolting smell. The vivid reality of the monsters, incomparable to CG. The backlash from using a skill and the strenuous activity without warming up.
It would have been stranger not to vomit. He retched for several minutes. When the nausea subsided a bit, he spat out some phlegm.
So, to sum it all up.
"Haha, these damn mobs."
He felt a bizarre sense of satisfaction.
* * *
A red light and footsteps.
'They got here quickly.'
A shadow moved against the wall, cast by the light. The long shadow gradually shortened, taking the shape of a person.
This was outside the cavity. Kim Ihyun sat at the end of the tracks, waiting for Layla.
'Has it been about an hour? Hard to tell without a watch.'
He considered standing up to greet them but decided against it. The fight earlier had drained him. Even though some time had passed, he still felt weak.
He simply waved from where he sat.
"Over here, over here!"
He had planned to be polite, but after killing those monsters, he felt a bit unhinged.
'Whatever.'
There were Speeder corpses in the cavity anyway. He hadn't moved them because they were too disgusting. He came out here because he couldn't stand the smell.
Even after taking off his blood-stained coat, his shirt was still dirty. Playing the innocent civilian was out of the question.
Click.
The light went out. Unlike before, the footsteps were almost silent, and the presence approached quietly.
Flick!
The light turned on again, right in front of him. Kim Ihyun squinted against the harsh brightness.
He raised an arm to shield his eyes, peering through his fingers.
"It's a person. What are you doing in a place like this?"
Three familiar faces appeared.
"Answer me."
The man in front pressed.
Pavle. A free four-star agent. His
sharp eyes were even more intimidating in reality.
But this was no time for admiration.
'Damn, pointing a gun at me right away?'
The barrel was aimed directly at Kim Ihyun. A scene straight out of movies and dramas. Now that it was happening to him, cold sweat poured down his back.
A weapon that could blow your head off in an instant. It was a different kind of fear from facing monsters. The reality of it was terrifying.
Kim Ihyun swallowed nervously. He hadn't anticipated this turn of events.
He had planned to play the pitiful victim. He even had a script.
"I came home to find my little brother missing. I searched everywhere and ended up here…"
He abandoned the idea. He didn't feel like groveling anymore.
'…Don't be scared. You killed those monsters, didn't you?'
This was just a threat. They wouldn't shoot him without knowing who he was.
Selvologics Lab. Their characters are portrayed as 'absolute good' in Polaris. Other factions might see it differently.
But to the players, they are undoubtedly good.
"Can you put the gun down and talk?"
"That depends on your answer."
There didn't seem to be a communication barrier.
Kim Ihyun spoke in Korean. It sounded that way to his ears. Yet Pavle understood perfectly, and the language he spoke also sounded like Korean.
'Even the lip movements match. What kind of magic is this?'
A major worry was lifted. Even if he could read the writing, it would be useless if they couldn't speak. He wasn't going to end up a mute and deaf.
"What was the question again? My name is Kim Ihyun."
"That's not a name used in Cadillac."
Tullavia is an administrative region of the nation Cadillac. The world hasn't fully collapsed yet. Not all countries have fallen.
Kim Ihyun had prepared a backstory.
"My mother was an immigrant. She missed her homeland and gave me a name from there."
"Your ancestry isn't my concern. Did you not hear the question? I'll give you one more chance."
Click.
The gun's hammer was pulled back.
"What were you doing in this godforsaken place?"
This crazy bastard. His eyes were terrifying. Was he really a psychopath? Maybe this was revenge for leaving him at level 1 and dumping him in the mines.
He started to feel a sense of danger.
"Pavle, you're too tense."
A woman stepped forward from behind. She gently, but firmly, lowered Pavle's gun.
"Being that aggressive won't get you any good answers."
Kim Ihyun's eyes turned to the woman. He had been curious about her.
'Layla.'
She looked no older than a high school student. Her build was small. The lab's symbol was embroidered on her baggy jacket's sleeves.
Their eyes met.
She seemed cautious but not hostile. There was a warmth there that Pavle lacked.
"Could you explain why you're alone in a place like this? And…"
Layla glanced at Kim Ihyun's neck. The dried Speeder blood stained the collar of his shirt.
"Did you encounter monsters?"
"They're inside."
"Inside…?"
Kim Ihyun pointed towards the entrance of the cavity. Layla looked in that direction, while Pavle kept his eyes on Kim Ihyun.
The third person.
A tall man also kept his gaze on Kim Ihyun. His face was hidden behind a mask, making his expression unreadable. His hands were concealed under his long sleeves.
"Ghost, could you check it out?"
"Sure."
Only then did the man break eye contact.
He started walking towards the cavity. Kim Ihyun watched him go, inwardly impressed.
That's Ghost.
'He looks cool.'
A character he liked even in the game. Despite not being a playable character and being male… most players probably had a soft spot for Ghost.
He definitely liked him better than Pavle, the first miner he had enslaved.