The Apocalypse Simulation Room
The Apocalypse difficulty simulation room. So, apparently there was this place that could perfectly recreate the exact experiences from the stages a hunter had gone through. 'This is fucking amazing.' The spot I arrived at with Lisha and Carmia looked like an ordinary room from the outside.
"This it?"
"...Yes." Carmia, who seemed a little tense, nodded and turned the doorknob.
- Creeeeak...
With the light sound of hinges, the space that opened up greeted us with—
"...."
The fancy hotel scenery from before was gone. Instead, what welcomed us was a ritual site straight out of a medieval fantasy.
"What the hell. I want my high-tech back."
Five medium-sized stone monuments. And right in the center, bizarre geometric patterns drawn across the floor that practically screamed magic circle. Even if you grabbed a random passing goblin and asked, that would definitely be the answer.
Carmia turned to me and spoke.
"This is the place."
"So what do I do now?"
The answer came from a status window that popped up out of nowhere.
Entered the 'Simulation Room'.
Would you like to share your memories with the target challengers?
"A window should have appeared by now."
"Yeah, I see it right here."
"Just press confirm."
My finger, headed for the confirm button, paused for a second.
"...This is safe, right?"
"Experiences in the simulation room cause no actual harm. Aside from a very slight mental shock."
Then we're good. With the plan of sharing it quick and then crashing hard, I pressed confirm.
- Flash.
.. ... ....
When I came to, we were standing in a pitch-black space, checking that the others were still there.
"Oh."
The clothes I'd been wearing in the hotel had changed back to my original outfit. I was in my regular casual wear from before the bloodbath. The other two were back in their usual combat gear.
- Boom.
The ground shook.
"Whoa, this is realistic."
The familiar vibration, the familiar presence.
- Whoooosh...!
"...Eep."
Small startled gasps came from the other two.
- Boom.
With the next vibration the whole world flipped. A parched sky. A barren wasteland without a single blade of grass.
"Kerrruk!!"
The malicious cries of goblins, their killing intent, and the prickling fighting spirit that brushed against my skin.
"T-this is..." Lisha let out a dazed breath as she looked around.
"Damn, the performance is insane." I was genuinely impressed by how perfectly the simulation room had reconstructed that moment, once again reliving those vivid sensations.
"What the hell is this...?"
When I turned toward the dazed voice, I saw the two rookies standing there with completely devastated expressions.
"Too bad there's no popcorn." It was a real shame. The owners of the presences dominating this area began to reveal themselves one by one. Far off in the distance, beneath a throne made of bones, a goblin army so massive it was impossible to count marched forward.
"Must be because it's an apocalypse-level boss stage. They're straight-up spamming numbers."
At my words Carmia looked at me. Her face was deathly pale, like she might collapse any second.
"You okay? We can stop if you want."
"...No. I need to burn this sight into my memory before I leave."
"For real?" Then there was no helping it. My gaze shifted to Lisha—
- Tremble tremble tremble.
Her two legs were shaking like a leaf in the wind. Then I noticed her white tail curled up tight between them.
"A-ah..." Facing the stage, Lisha had completely lost her will to fight.
That bad? I didn't really understand hunter psychology, so it was hard to relate. Weren't these two supposed to be more mentally prepared than me?
"Just what the hell are you...?" Carmia couldn't hold back anymore. She looked at me like I was some kind of monster.
"Stop messing with us, stop it...! Something like this—"
"Hey, hey, what's with you?"
Lisha strode right up and grabbed my collar tight. Looked like she wanted to grab me by the scruff but settled for the collar.
"A guy who just got dragged into the tower... cleared a stage this hard all by himself...?"
Her eyes were flooded with deep despair. One little poke and it looked like it would all come pouring out. A textbook crying face.
This much? Looked like the education fever eating away at the current young generation was the same problem in other dimensions too. The whole thing was already over, yet here she was still clinging to it.
"I just got lucky."
"T-that's not something luck can handle...!"
"Ey, calm down already."
The main event hadn't even started yet and they were already losing their minds.
"...Lisha, stop."
"Yeah, like—"
"Don't try to understand it with common sense. Just accept it."
"Huh?" Carmia, who had already finished sorting out her emotions, calmed Lisha down with a somewhat resigned tone.
- Boom.
While the two of them were pulling themselves together, another rumble shook the ground. They looked up and finally noticed the existence sitting on the bone throne.
"Ah?"
And they faced it.
Nice to see you again. The star of the apocalypse-level tutorial I had cleared. The Goblin Champion.
"...."
The countless scars and white tattoos covering its muscular green skin were medals proving it had survived more battlefields than any other goblin here.
"Kerek! Kerrruk!"
"Kieeeeek!!"
The goblin army charged. From the center of that wave—
- Whoosh!
The Goblin Champion rose from its throne, leaped high into the air, and closed in on us in an instant.
"...Hik."
"...This is, aah."
"Huh?"
Carmia and Lisha, watching the sight, passed out at the exact same time like they'd rehearsed it. They crumpled on the spot.
I quickly caught their limp bodies, and a status window appeared right in front of me.
The simulation is terminating because the test subjects have lost consciousness.
- Oooong...
Facing the descending darkness, I found myself standing there feeling utterly dejected.
.. ... ....
# A thick metallic stench of blood dragged a woman up from the depths of unconsciousness.
"Hup, ah..."
- Splash.
When she regained her senses, what spread out before her were the corpses of countless comrades. And far in the distance, the overwhelming presence of a giant tower.
"Krrrk."
And beneath it. An abyssal shadow whose depths couldn't be seen, and the 'boss mob' staring straight at her.
No.
I can't win. I can't clear it. It's impossible. The resolve she'd had when deciding to become a hunter was shredded to pieces by the overwhelming gap in power.
- Swoosh.
Finally, taking in the sight of the existence raising its massive axe for the last time—
"Haah...!"
The woman—Lisha—shot upright with a violent gasp.
"Haa, haa...!"
As she panted heavily, she saw the man watching her with worry. Kang Woojin. The man who claimed he'd cleared an apocalypse-level stage alone. The guy she'd written off as nothing but a community troll, but—
'Krrrk...!'
"...Hup."
Just imagining that hell was enough to bring back the horrific memories. Seeing that Kang Woojin had walked out of it alone, Lisha could no longer look him in the eyes. Her tail kept curling tighter, her hands and feet trembled nonstop. Even her white tiger ears, the pride of her clan, were folded flat, openly showing the terror she felt.
"You okay? What's wrong?"
"...It's probably simulation aftereffects. It'll pass soon..."
"For real?" That was a relief. I'd been worried I might have forced an unnecessary trauma on them for no reason.
After we broke up the awkward atmosphere, I rested to my heart's content in the top-tier bedroom provided by The Black.
You can now claim your 'Tutorial Rewards'.
"Fuck yeah, it's here."
The moment I woke up and saw the window that instantly cleared my head, I left the room.
- Click!
"My rewards!"
I stepped into the lobby with my heart pumped full of dopamine and immediately met the awkward gazes of the other two.
"Man, what a fucking fantastic morning."
"...Yeah."
"...."
Carmia gave a short reply while Lisha subtly avoided my eyes again.
"Tsk."
I knew we weren't at the close-friends stage yet, but things somehow felt even more awkward now. Shaking off the disappointment, I looked at Lisha.
"Lisha, Lisha. My friend. Where do I claim the rewards?"
"Hik, why are you asking me...?"
"Is there another Lisha here?"
She shot Carmia a pleading look, but Carmia avoided her eyes and gave her this fresh, supportive expression like she was cheering her on.
"Ah, um, well... since everyone has gathered..."
"Huh? What was that?"
"S-since everyone has gathered here. It should be any moment now..."
Right as I was listening to her—
Claiming rewards.
Your current ranking is '1'.
Amazing achievement accomplished!
"Oh."
I casually scrolled through the status windows popping up one after another until the last one appeared.
Due to the special reward, Predator's Domain (Lv. 3) has been strengthened.
"Heh."
They'd better give me at least this much or I'd feel robbed. I mean, I'm the guy who cleared a difficulty so terrifying that the two top rookies straight-up fainted just watching it.
Due to the special reward, you have acquired the technique of the Goblin Champion.
Basic Normal Strike will be converted to Condemnation Blow. Accept?
▶ Condemnation Blow ▶ Shadow Slash
"Hell yes."
The Goblin Champion's ability. Even though my domain had made it vanish pathetically, the sheer majesty it displayed before that was still burned clearly into my mind.
My domain's skill names had gotten a lot more dependable.
This alone should be plenty reassuring for now. For the rest, I could either look for stronger techniques that fit my level or keep stealing skills from powerful monsters. Just thinking about it gave me chills. I immediately checked the next reward.
◈ A necklace adorned with several unidentified fangs.
◈ When worn, protects the wearer from one fatal blow per day.
"I was running a bit low on tankiness anyway."
In other words, this was basically a 'get out of death free' card. Plus it was easy to carry—just put it around your neck and the effect would kick in.
"That is..."
"Pretty cool, right?"
When I showed the necklace to the clearly interested Carmia and bragged a little, I saw her visibly shaken. Greed flickered in her eyes.
She's honest. Any hunter would naturally covet better gear. So seeing Carmia's unfiltered desire was completely normal.
Having completed the 'Tutorial', you may now return to your original world.
Will you return?
"...."
And there it was—the news I'd been waiting for. How've you been? Thinking of my friend's face, the one who was probably out there right now enthusiastically chewing out everyone around her, a stupid grin spread across my lips.