Year 2060.
I, Seo Jonhu, a mere corporate worker, have waited years for this day. The legendary VRMMO, ORDER, is finally launching. A full-dive experience, hyper-realistic combat, and infinite possibilities—this game is the long-awaited sequel to its record-breaking predecessor.
As one of the top-ranked players in the original, I'm practically vibrating with excitement. The forums have been exploding for months with speculations about hidden quests, secret classes, and legendary weapons. I can't wait to dominate this game.
Finally, the countdown begins.
3...
2...
1...
[LOGIN START!]
A surge of electricity runs through my body as the world shifts. My senses blur, and a robotic voice echoes in my ears.
[Scanning body...]
[Scan Complete.]
A sleek digital screen pops up.
[Choose a nickname.]
I smirk, cracking my fingers. "Void."
[System: Welcome to ORDER, Player Void.]
A bright light engulfs me, and when it fades—
I'm standing in a dense forest.
The air is crisp, birds chirp in the distance, and the sky stretches infinitely above. It feels so real that I nearly forget I'm in a game.
Then—
DING!
A new message appears.
[Tutorial Quest: Defeat any 1 beast.]
Simple enough. Let's get this over with.
Suddenly, the system chimes again—
[CHOOSE YOUR WEAPON.]
A floating menu materializes before me:
Sword
Spear
Axe
Bow and Arrow
I glance at the options before confidently selecting the bow.
Back in college, I was a damn good archer. My aim was sharp, my reflexes quick—I was ranked #1 in several tournaments. If I apply the same logic, I should be able to land perfect headshots even in a game.
[Weapon Selected: Bow & Arrow.]
A sleek, black bow appears in my hand. I pull the string, feeling its smooth resistance. Perfect.
Now, let's hunt.
The "Legendary" First Kill
A rustling in the bushes catches my attention. I turn sharply, expecting a powerful beast.
Instead, a horde of tiny goblins waddles into view.
They're... just standing there.
"Hah. Easy."
I nock an arrow, take a deep breath, and aim at the largest goblin's forehead.
SWISH!
The arrow slices through the air with deadly precision—
—And then completely veers off course.
I blink.
Wait. Where the hell is it going—?!
THUNK!
The arrow accidentally slams straight into the head of a zombie lurking in the shadows.
A long silence follows.
Then—
DING!
[Congratulations! You killed the zombie.]
[You passed the tutorial.]
…What?
I stare at the floating message in disbelief.
Did I just pass the tutorial by pure accident?
Public Humiliation in the Player Lobby
Before I can even process it, the system yanks me into the main player lobby.
Thousands of players stand around, checking their stats, flexing their weapons, and discussing strategies. Above them, a massive holographic leaderboard flickers to life.
[Tutorial Completion Stats:]
6 players killed the Behemoth.
1.9M players killed the Orc.
9.7M players killed the Goblin.
3M players killed the Skeleton.
807K players killed the Ghost.
101 players killed the Demon Knight.
1 player killed the Zombie.
0 players killed the Lich, Abyss Serpent, or Chaos Chimera.
Murmurs ripple through the crowd.
"Whoa! Six people actually killed the Behemoth? That's insane!"
"Who the hell killed the Demon Knight in a tutorial?!"
Then—someone snorts.
"Wait, wait—look at this! One loser killed a Zombie! PFFT!"
Laughter spreads like wildfire.
"A freaking Zombie?! That's the weakest monster!"
"Who the hell would mess up that bad?"
My face twitches.
They don't know it's me… right?
I subtly turn my back to the leaderboard, whistling innocently.
Meanwhile, the discussion shifts.
"Wait, does this mean people who killed the same monster get the same ability?"
"Ugh, I hope not. That'd be so boring!"
As if responding to the crowd's concerns, the screen distorts—
And a radiant fairy materializes before us.
She flutters gracefully, her voice chiming like bells.
"Welcome, players. I see many of you are eager to know the details of your rewards."
Everyone falls silent.
"You may be wondering—does killing the same monster grant the same ability?"
She pauses, letting the tension build.
"The answer is… No."
A collective sigh of relief sweeps through the room.
"Your ability rank is determined by the difficulty of your kill. However, even if two people killed the same monster, their abilities will be entirely different."
I exhale. Thank god. So even if 9 million people killed the Goblin, their powers will be unique.
Then, the fairy waves her hand, conjuring glowing rank classifications.
Mortal
Elite
Awakened
Heroic
Calamity
Abyss
Mythic
Transcendent
Paradox
Omniversal
She smiles. "Even a Mortal-rank ability can be evolved into Omniversal Rank with enough effort."
That's… kind of badass.
I nod in satisfaction—until—
DING!
A blue window pops up before me.
[Player: Void]
Strength: 8
Agility: 6
Intelligence: 19
Health: 76
[You killed the Zombie.]
[Measuring reward...]
I gulp. Please don't be useless. Please don't be useless—
[You have obtained the ability: Self-Healing.]
I freeze.
…Wait.
What kind of trash ability is this?!
I quickly scratch my arm. The cut barely starts closing… at a snail's pace.
"What?! This is so slow!"
Then—
[ERROR… ERROR…]
The system window flickers violently.
[DING!]
[The Zombie you killed was from The King's Bloodline.]
I stop breathing.
What…?!
The entire lobby goes silent as the system chimes one last time.
[Your Ability Rank is Recalculating…]
[New Rank: ?????]