Chapter 6

“That guy. Is he still at it?”

“Who do you mean, sir?”

“You know. That lunatic who kept shouting that he couldn’t log out in Moretti.”

GM Dane—Go Juncheol, Team Leader of Administration Team Two—set down his coffee cup and asked as he scanned the dozens of monitors.

“Oh... I was just about to tell you. I checked his logs, and it turns out he logged out a little while ago.”

“What? Seriously?”

“Yes. Look here. There’s a logout record from shortly after he met with you.”

Go Juncheol hurriedly turned to the monitor at his subordinate’s reply.

“That bastard... After all that fucking fuss. Guess he gave up when he realized he wasn’t getting anything out of us?”

“Seems that way. Now that we’ve confirmed he can log out, there’s no denying it. Frankly, at this point we ought to be suing him for damages, but...” his subordinate said, sounding rather worked up.

“Some of his user data did disappear on our end. Better for both sides to let this pass quietly.”

“Probably, yes.”

At that reply, he clicked his tongue and let out a quiet sigh.

“Is something wrong, sir?”

“Remember how I reported this guy to Director Han?”

“Yes. With the data issue involved, we had to let Development know, too.”

“Development contacted me yesterday. Apparently, Director Han is going to appoint someone to monitor this guy exclusively.”

“What? Exclusively? Surely they don’t mean round-the-clock surveillance? We’ve even got a logout record now. I wouldn’t think there’s much of a problem anymore.”

“Well, who knows?”

“Are they choosing someone from Administration? Ugh... Whoever gets picked is in for some guaranteed overtime.”

“I don’t know. Director Han said he’d make a new appointment. Could be one of ours, could be someone from outside. Just keep it in mind for now. Don’t go spreading rumors.”

“Understood.”

Go Juncheol gave his subordinate a light pat on the shoulder and headed for his office.

‘Director Han gave the order personally...’

SLURP.

He took a sip of the coffee he was carrying and thought,

‘He’s not the kind of man to act without a reason... Could there really be something wrong with the game?’

The autonomous artificial intelligence [Ethan].

The title of self-evolving AI suggested limitless possibilities, but it was a double-edged sword, carrying just as much potential danger.

‘I think the rumors said it was originally developed for space exploration or something...’

Project A-a.

Space, an unknown realm. The project had researched the possibility that countless dimensions existed within it, seeking to prove their existence.

It had drawn considerable attention at the time, only to fade away without a trace when the project was abruptly halted. Perhaps some people still remembered the project... but very few knew that [Ethan] had been developed for it.

‘Well, whether that’s true or not is none of my business.’

What mattered to Go Juncheol wasn’t how [Ethan] had been made, only that [Evil Tale] ran smoothly.

‘As long as that nutcase shuts up, everything will be fine.’

He’d given them an address where no one lived and called it his home, then insisted that a nonexistent resident registration number was his.

‘He even kept spouting nonsense, demanding that we let him see a family that doesn’t exist...’

Just thinking about Woojin made his head throb.

“Hah! Still, now we’ve got proof he logged out. There shouldn’t be any more trouble.”

He shuddered as though sick of the whole affair and opened his office door.

* * *

“How did this happen...?”

Woojin stared blankly at Raoul’s sword, which he had set on the ground.

‘If it was real and not a dream, that makes even less sense.’

What if the other world he had visited was real? That would mean, in short, that he had brought a real-world object into the game.

‘Should I call a GM?’

He was about to press the administrator call button, but soon shook his head.

‘No. Nothing good will come of them finding out. They might even come up with some excuse to take the item away.’

He was already on their bad side. Besides, he no longer intended to rely solely on them.

‘How did I log out?’

How had he come back? Everything was still a mystery.

“I have to figure it out myself.”

Until now, he had thought he was simply trapped inside the game. What he had believed to be a software problem had finally reached a turning point.

‘Another world identical to the game.’

That was a secret even the administrators didn’t know.

It was strange. Was it because he had nearly died? He didn’t helplessly break down in tears as he had before. Instead, his mind grew cold and clear.

‘I’ve shed more than enough tears. I’ve begged as much as I can.’

If the other world he had experienced truly existed, this was no longer a mere problem with the game.

‘This isn’t something the police or the administrators can solve.’

Only he could do it.

SLAP!!

He slapped his cheeks with both hands, hard enough to jolt himself to his senses.

“No matter what... I’m going back.”

He firmly gripped Raoul’s sword where it lay on the ground.

What should he do now? The answer might be surprisingly simple. This was a game, and everyone who played had one goal. The same would hold true even in that other world.

“Get stronger.”

He still didn’t know how to return to reality. But if the future he had seen in the other world truly unfolded in the game... a level-10 warrior who couldn’t even log out would be powerless to do anything.

[Would you like to acquire Raoul’s essence?]

And right now, the means to grow stronger was right in front of him.

‘The notification window is working properly.’

That meant the things he had obtained in the other world were taking effect inside the game.

‘At least they can’t spout nonsense about it being illegal or a hack.’

Woojin carefully pressed the confirmation button.

[You have acquired Raoul’s essence.]

WHOOOOSH...!!

At that moment, a powerful gust struck Woojin’s face.

▶ You gain a profound insight.

▶ This is a higher-tier essence.

▶ Complete absorption is impossible at your current grade.

▶ Raise your grade through quests. -Minimum requirement: Complete quests of Grade B or higher (0/3)

▶ Certain traits will be restricted.

Memories flooded into his mind.

▶ You have awakened the trait ‘Adventurer.’

▶ You have awakened the trait ‘Solitude.’

▶ You have awakened the trait ‘Dragon Slaying.’

▶ You have awakened the trait ‘Indomitable.’

Notifications began pouring in, as numerous as the memories.

“Dragon Heaven...”

Though this was a game, he could feel Raoul’s memories seeping into him, becoming part of him.

Trait: Adventurer

▶ Gain 15% bonus experience when hunting in a new area for one day.

▶ After the first day, gain 5% bonus experience.

▶ Deal 10% additional damage when fighting a monster encountered for the first time.

▶ Deal 5% additional damage when fighting a monster you have hunted before.

Trait: Solitude

▶ All stats increase by 5% during solo play.

▶ Experience gained increases by 10% during solo play.

Trait: Dragon Slaying

▶ Gain 5% bonus experience when hunting dragon-type monsters.

▶ Attack Power increases by 10% when hunting dragon-type monsters.

Trait: Indomitable

▶ All stats increase dramatically when health falls below 5%.

“... This is insane.”

In [Evil Tale], traits were even harder to obtain than skills.

‘They say you can get them by meeting certain conditions or completing quests, but most of the ones discovered so far have been related to cooking or crafting.’

But the ones he had obtained? Every one of them involved hunting and survival. And their effects were all jaw-droppingly powerful.

“Ha... Haha.”

A hollow laugh escaped Woojin before he knew it.

‘... Could it be?’

A thought suddenly struck him.

‘The equipment I brought from the other world works in the game. Then...’

“Status window.”

A translucent holographic window appeared before him.

Name: Khan

Class: Warrior

Level: 10

Total Points: 230

Remaining Points: 0

Traits: Adventurer, Solitude, Dragon Slaying, Indomitable

Looking at his status window, Woojin clenched his fist without realizing it. Every starting character in [Evil Tale] had each stat fixed at 10.

‘You start with five points at character creation and get five more with every level.’

A level-10 player’s total was 110. But his? A staggering 230. Twice the points of other players at his level. In terms of points alone, he was on par with a player in their thirties.

The reason was simple. His total points had increased because of the figures in parentheses beside each stat.

‘The runes I ate in the other world.’

Their effects had carried over into the game.

Naturally, raising stats became harder as one’s level increased.

‘As time goes on, this gap will become an even greater advantage.’

“It wasn’t all for nothing.”

Woojin smiled wryly at his stats. His ordeal of hunting gray wolves through an entire night had produced these results.

‘Raoul...’

Woojin recalled the last time he had seen his face.

‘Is this really how it ends?’

SHING.

He quietly drew the sword from its sheath.

‘I don’t know if I have the right to inherit your swordsmanship this way...’

What had Raoul been thinking as he handed over his cherished sword on the brink of death? Surely he hadn’t wanted to leave the culmination of his life’s work to a mere level-10 warrior.

“What I can do for you...”

Woojin murmured softly, as if speaking to Raoul.

“...is become someone worthy of your swordsmanship.”

Legacy Skill: Dragon Heaven.

▶ An unfinished ultimate art that the Dragon Hunter Raoul grasped while slaying three dragons.

WHOOOOSH!!!

A current flowing from the sword enveloped his entire body.

“... Ghk?”

At that instant, ferocious pain swept over him, as though his muscles were being torn apart.

“Aaaaargh...!!!”

For all its emphasis on realism, [Evil Tale] was a game. No one wanted to suffer while playing. That was why its settings allowed pain sensation to be reduced by up to 98%. In a world where severed arms and broken legs were commonplace, pain reduction was essential. Woojin used it, too.

Then what on earth was this pain...?

‘It hurts this much even with pain reduction...’

He couldn’t imagine what it would feel like for real.

▶ You have awakened the legacy skill: Wielding Heaven.

With the notification, the pain vanished in an instant.

[Dragon Heaven - The First Gate has been opened.]

[Your understanding of the skill is low.]

[Your level is low.]

[Increase your level and understanding to unlock the next stage.]

“Hah... Hah...”

Once the pain vanished, blood raced through every corner of his body. Astonishingly, he felt refreshed, as though nothing had happened.

[The opening of the First Question is complete.]

▶ First Gate - You have learned the skill ‘Severance.’

BZZT... BZZZT...!

At that moment, faint sparks danced along the blade in Woojin’s hand.

“...!!”

Startled, he hurriedly thrust the sword back into its sheath.

“That... startled me.”

He looked around. Fortunately, no one was paying attention to him anymore.

“Ha... Haha...”

A tingling sensation lingered in his sword hand. Woojin opened and closed it, as though trying not to forget what he had just felt.

The hundredth floor of the Labyrinth Tower, still standing in the other world.

‘He said clearing it could make a miracle happen.’

If the other world was real... then what Raoul had said would be real, too.

‘I have to go back there.’

If he cleared that hundredth floor, he might be able to return to reality.

He had definitely been able to use the skills he had learned in the game.

‘That must mean I can use the abilities I learn in the game over there, too.’

Just as the runes he had obtained there had taken effect in the game.

‘Even if I could go there right now, I’m nowhere near strong enough to clear the hundredth floor.’

Until he could return, he would have to grow stronger in the game this time.

“I’ve got a lot more to do now.”

His eyes shone as he clenched his fist tight.