William strode out of the school, his shirt barely hanging onto his shoulders, leaving most of his torso exposed. The spectacle of his half-naked appearance turned heads, students whispering and staring as he walked by, but he didn't care. He felt light, liberated, as he stood in front of the towering school gates, turning around to take in the sight one last time. His chest swelled with a sense of triumph.
Finally, it's over.
The long-standing feud that had plagued him was finally behind him. A clean break with the past was now within reach, and for the first time in a long time, William felt at peace. He knew, deep down, that those people wouldn't dare to retaliate or even speak of him again. They were terrified, and rightfully so.
Even if they come for revenge, so what? he mused, the corners of his lips twitching into a smirk. If the enemy comes, we'll fight them. If the water rises, we'll dam it with earth.
The old saying went, "the tough ones fear the desperate." William had become that desperate one. If it came down to it, he'd make sure to strike under the cover of night, no hesitation, no mercy. His mind whirled with thoughts of getting nine dragons tattooed across his back, something fierce, a symbol of power, a wild dog in human form. There was no way those adults, with their mature and calculated ways, wouldn't be terrified by him now.
When you're weak, everyone feels entitled to step on you, he thought bitterly, his gaze hardening. It wasn't that people naturally liked to bully the weak and fear the strong, it was just the way of the world. You could either sit back and be crushed, or stand up and seize what was yours. He'd learned this the hard way, struggling in his past life, and the lesson had burned itself into his soul: if you don't protect your rights, no one will.
If you flip the table, even the most rigid rules will bend.
He had always hesitated before, his own fear of death holding him back. He hadn't been prepared to cross certain lines. But now? Now, he had nothing left to lose. If they pushed him again, he wouldn't think twice. He may not have extraordinary strength, but he had the will to see blood.
Let them pay the price!
He didn't care if they regretted their actions when their blood spilled. Regret wouldn't stop the blade. And if he wasn't strong enough himself, well, a sharpened dagger didn't cost much.
There was no room for softness in this world. If you weren't ruthless, you'd never stand tall. You'd be trodden on, kicked aside like a clump of mud. Only by showing the world that you had the guts to use force; real, brutal force, would you earn any respect.
And now? William had no worries left. The only thing that could hold him back was himself, and he wasn't going to let that happen anymore. He was like a dead pig, unafraid of the boiling water.
If I'm going to fight, I'll fight to the bitter end. Better to die standing than live on my knees.
He knew if he showed any weakness, the school would throw him under the bus in a heartbeat, sacrificing his interests to placate the bullies' families. After all, he was the easy target, wasn't he? The one everyone thought they could push around.
But something shifted once William began to make bold moves, once he started to show he wasn't afraid of getting his hands dirty. The school, the same institution that had turned a blind eye for so long, began whispering to the bullies' families, urging them to back off. It was a universal truth: people didn't care until they felt the pain themselves. No one needed advice to be "magnanimous" unless the knife was pressed against their own skin.
As the night deepened, William felt a surge of adrenaline. Midnight came, and with it, the moment he had been waiting for; his entry into the sequence game.
Tonight, his mission was clear: head to Iron Mine Village and find the elusive magical grocery store. He had already been to Crow Ridge twice before, and it had become abundantly clear that, with his current abilities, killing monsters en masse was impossible.
There's no point in wasting time if I can't level up quickly, he thought, clenching his fists. He admired the Sword God of Shilipo's tactics of slow, patient development, waiting for the perfect moment to strike, but that approach required time, and time was a luxury he didn't have.
The sequence game wouldn't grant him the luxury of ten years to slay wild monsters and train in solitude. The main quest loomed large on his panel, its deadline growing closer with every passing day.
If the catastrophe arrives and I'm still crawling through Crow Ridge, I'll be as good as dead.
He knew the only way forward was to act swiftly, seizing every opportunity to grow stronger. And that started now, with Iron Mine Village.
Before leaving, William sought out the scarecrow. It was time to make his move.
The Scarecrow, now dressed in a dapper suit that made him resemble a gentleman of old, still couldn't hide his dissatisfaction. His elegant attire did little to lift his spirits. After all, he was just a straw figure, and no matter how many layers of gold or silver you draped over him, it wouldn't make a difference.
He chattered on endlessly, his voice still carrying that unmistakable grating tone, filling the quiet night air.
"Iron Mine Village, huh?" he muttered. "That's quite a distance from here, Moonlight Village. Probably farther than I'll ever travel in my life. After you leave, no one's going to bother talking to me anymore, I suppose."
The Scarecrow shifted slightly, his straw body rustling, before continuing with a concerned warning, "Be careful on your way. The bandits and robbers out there are often more dangerous than the magical creatures that lurk in the wild."
His voice dropped to a conspiratorial tone. "Oh! The Moonlight Goddess help us... there's talk of trouble in the north. Heard some strange things recently, something about the lord of that old castle up near Border Town. Seems like things went awry, and now there's a surge of thieves. Could be they were the lord's former subjects, now turned to banditry. Bad business. Border Town can't handle so many people. It's gonna be chaos."
Just as William was about to leave, the Scarecrow called out to him again, this time with an even more serious tone.
"Wait! There's one more thing you should be wary of, the Black Magician. I heard it from the Owl just last night... he's planning something. A strike against the Black Forest, it seems. Stay sharp."
William gave a quick wave of acknowledgment, signaling that he'd heard enough. Without another word, he set off on the road toward Iron Mine Village, the darkness of night wrapping around him.
Not long after William had disappeared into the distance, another figure stumbled into Moonlight Village, a young man, disheveled and covered in dust, looking worse for wear. As he laid eyes on the familiar sight of farmland and homes, tears welled up in his eyes.
"Finally! After two days of wandering aimlessly, I made it to a village!" he cried out, his voice a mix of frustration and relief. "I get lost in real life all the time, but how on earth did I manage to get lost in this game too?"
As he wiped the dirt from his face, he muttered under his breath, heading toward the village, "This game is absurdly realistic. You have to run everywhere on foot, and there's not even a teleportation system. How is this friendly to players?"
Just as he reached the village entrance, a loud voice rang out, accusingly: "Are you a spy sent by thieves to scout the place? Or maybe you're a servant of the Black Magician here to cause trouble!"
Startled, the young man spun around, only to find himself face-to-face with none other than the Scarecrow, still dressed like a gentleman, standing in the middle of a field, looking as ridiculous as ever in his brightly colored clothes.
…
Meanwhile, William was racing through the night like the wind itself. His legs carried him with unnatural speed, and though he encountered some monsters along the way, none of them posed any real threat. One by one, he dispatched them with ease, hardly slowing his pace.
This wasn't unexpected. Any powerful creatures along this road would've already been cleared out by village guards or patrol soldiers. The route had to remain passable, after all.
[You killed the Giant Magic Earthworm. Experience +1.]
A small notification flashed before William's eyes, but there was no further game prompt. The talent effect had triggered, but it seemed the gain was so minimal it barely registered. He figured the experience must've been so low that it didn't even round up properly.
William had noticed this quirk in the sequence game. It didn't follow the typical rules of rounding up. Instead, it rounded up only to four, never to five. Any discarded experience would accumulate in an invisible slot until it added up to a full point. A small blessing, as it meant killing low-level creatures wasn't entirely pointless, it just didn't give the immediate satisfaction of a notification.
The road stretched ahead of him, vast and quiet. Contrary to the Scarecrow's warnings, William didn't encounter any thieves or servants of the Black Magician along his path. His journey was smooth, and with his incredible speed, far faster than any marathon runner, he surged forward like a force of nature.
Even with his near-superhuman speed, though, it still took him a full two hours to reach his destination.
[Map Tip: You have arrived at Iron Mine Village.]
[Iron Mine Village: This village once thrived on a rich mineral vein nearby. However, during a mining expedition, an ominous demon was unearthed deep within the mine. The incident claimed many lives, and countless dangers have since emerged from the darkness below. The mine has been abandoned ever since.]
William stood at the village's edge, taking in the eerie atmosphere that clung to the place. He knew his next steps would take him deeper into danger than he had ever ventured before.
William arrived at Iron Mine Village, his breath coming in short, sharp bursts. The village loomed before him, much larger and livelier than Moonlight Village, with its bustling streets and countless workshops. He took a moment to catch his breath, noting the stark contrast between the two villages.
"Are there any new adventurers here?" a deep voice called out.
William turned to see a tall, imposing guard at the village entrance, gripping a halberd with a firm hand. The guard's sharp eyes scanned the horizon, his posture unwavering.
William approached, offering a polite smile. "I just arrived at Iron Mine Village and I'm not too familiar with the area. Do you have any suggestions for someone new?"
The guard didn't move, his eyes still fixed ahead as if William weren't even there. "Many unfamiliar faces have shown up in the last few days," he said slowly, his voice gruff. "Most are refugees fleeing from Border Town, trying to escape the troubles up north. But you… you're different. You know how to stand on your own. As long as you respect the order here in Iron Mine Village, the king and gods will watch over you."
[Hint: You have been warned by the guard of Iron Mine Village.]
New faces? William thought. Must be other beta testers.
With one thousand internal test players scattered throughout Border Town, it was no surprise that they might cross paths in a place like this. Iron Mine Village, being a transportation hub, saw more foot traffic than the isolated Moonlight Village, where William had been unlucky enough not to run into anyone like him.
Remembering his goal, William turned his attention back to the guard. "Do you happen to know where the magic grocery store is?"
The guard's stony expression shifted, just slightly. It was barely perceptible, but a flicker of emotion crossed his face. "The magic house, you mean?" he asked after a pause. "It's at the junction between the Misty Forest and the Abandoned Mine. But I'd advise against going there. The path is dangerous, poisonous insects and vicious beasts lurk in those parts."
[Map Tip: You now know the location of the magic grocery store.]
William asked a few more questions, but the guard, now stiff and silent, refused to say anything else. With no more answers forthcoming, William decided to explore the village himself.
As he wandered through the streets, he marveled at how much more prosperous Iron Mine Village was compared to Moonlight Village. The streets bustled with activity, and he counted at least seven or eight blacksmith shops, likely due to the local demand for mining tools and equipment. It made Moonlight Village seem shabby in comparison, almost forgotten at the edge of civilization.
As he walked, it wasn't long before someone noticed him. A wiry young man in coarse linen clothing approached with a curious look in his eye.
"Hey, brother! Where are you from?" the man asked, his tone friendly yet inquisitive.
William sized him up. Despite the young man's rustic appearance, there was something distinctly modern in the way he carried himself. His casual posture and the subtle sharpness in his gaze made it clear; he was another internal test player.
The game had altered their avatars slightly to fit the world, adjusting their features just enough to make them blend in with the natives. Still, there was no mistaking the shared connection between players.
With a smile, William replied, "I'm from Moonlight Village."
"Moonlight Village?" the young man scratched his head. "Never heard of it. There are so many villages in this place, I've lost track of them all."
He let out a sigh, clearly frustrated. "The map's too big. All these villages are so spread out, it's impossible to light them all up. It's annoying."
William chuckled at his complaint. "Well, if a game doesn't throw a little trouble at you, how else are the developers going to keep their jobs?"
He enjoyed the banter. Talking to others often revealed new insights, a wealth of information hidden in conversation. In a world as complex as this one, it was important to keep multiple channels of information open.
Of course, William didn't actually believe that there were game developers overseeing the sequence game. But that didn't stop him from grumbling about it every now and then. Sometimes, it was just satisfying to curse the "game" out loud, even if it didn't listen.
The young man's eyes lit up as he introduced himself. "My name is Captain. What's your name, brother?"
As he spoke, a small, semi-transparent bar appeared above him, displaying his in-game ID, visible only to players.
William took a moment to find the function to display his own ID and, after a bit of fumbling, finally said, "The breeze blows across the hills."
Captain grinned widely. "What a nice name! Brother, what do you say? Want to team up and kill some monsters?"
William tilted his head thoughtfully. Teaming up to kill monsters? He hadn't noticed any prompt for forming teams. It seemed that the sequence game didn't have a formal team mechanic, or at least not one he'd encountered yet.
"How exactly does that work?" William asked, keeping his tone neutral.
Captain's enthusiasm didn't falter. "Oh, it's simple. We work together to hunt monsters. The system distributes experience based on each player's contribution, so you don't have to worry about unfair splits. As for copper coins from loot sales, we can divide them equally. Or if that's not fair to you, you can take seven, and I'll take three." He looked at William with eager eyes, clearly hoping for a positive response.
William, though unfamiliar with how the other players were faring in the game, quickly understood something important: leveling up in this world was far from easy.
Without quests to provide safe experience gains, players were left with only one option; combat. The sequence game wasn't like other games where killing monsters was a simple matter of pressing buttons. No, here, the fights were terrifyingly real. The realism was brutal, both physically and mentally.
Take the Black Crow he had once fought. That magical creature, with its sharp beak and unnerving black feathers, would be lethal to most ordinary people back on Earth. If he had to estimate based on traditional game mechanics, a Black Crow with just one magical feather might be around level 2, but one with two feathers? That was definitely a level 3 threat.
And higher-level crows? Groups of them? They would be a nightmare for anyone.
No wonder it's difficult for players to level up, William thought. The game's realism makes combat almost as hard as fighting for your life in reality.
The more he thought about it, the more it made sense. Teaming up was the safest way for players to survive. Even if the experience points were split, the shared risk made it a viable option. After all, dying in the sequence game carried unknown consequences, and no one wanted to test the waters on that.
Captain, meanwhile, looked at William's leather armor with admiration, clearly impressed. His smile was tinged with envy. That leather armor wasn't cheap—it had likely cost a fortune in silver coins. How William had acquired it was anyone's guess, but to Captain, it was a symbol of strength and experience.
He wasn't being greedy, but tagging along with someone like William would certainly increase his odds of survival. If you were going to team up, better to do it with someone who knew what they were doing. The last thing Captain wanted was to be paired with a weak player who would get him killed.
He flashed a hopeful grin, clearly eager to form an alliance. Safety in numbers, he thought. Better to huddle together and survive than to go solo and freeze to death out there.
Captain spoke again, this time with a bit more urgency. "Brother, maybe there aren't many players in Moonlight Village where you're from, so you might not be familiar with how things work here. But Iron Mine Village is different. I've already heard of more than a dozen players who've died around here. I just hope their accounts haven't been canceled…"
William's brow furrowed slightly. So players had been dying in the game? He learned from Captain that when a player died, their "descended body" would turn into a white light and vanish. However, all of their equipment and weapons would be left behind unless they were safely stored in their backpack.
The implication was clear, death didn't just mean a reset; it meant losing everything you carried. The stakes were high.
Captain's concern was palpable. "I've seen it happen. Players just disappear in an instant, and then their stuff's left out for anyone to grab. It's a brutal game."
William nodded, taking in the new information. He understood the risks, and Captain's offer to team up suddenly seemed more practical than it had a moment ago.