Chapter 1: Became the Chaebol Family's Wastrel
Everyone gets at least one life-changing game.
For Woojin, that game was Gate Hunter.
Gate Hunter was a virtual reality game set in a modern hunter world. It boasted graphics a full decade ahead of its competitors, a massive open world, and NPCs that reacted so realistically they felt human.
“This is insane. Did they torture aliens for this tech?”
“The combat system's no joke. This is straight-up revolutionary.”
“And it's single-player only, no online? Perfect. Time to buy.”
Released during Woojin's teenage years, the game took the world by storm. At its peak, daily downloads topped millions.
But it eventually flopped.
The reason was simple.
It was too damn hard.
〈(Tip) Death resets everything to zero. Cherish your life!〉
That's the message that greeted players at the start.
Gamers who brushed it off soon regretted it—deeply.
You only got one life in the game.
[Park Siwoo (Protagonist, Starter Character)]
[Traits: Swordsmanship Genius]
[Clear Difficulty: ★]
[Recommended Job: Swordsman]
[Fastest Clear Rankings]
[1. Kukurupingpong - 365 days]
[2. HelloThere - 533 days]
[Park Siwoo User Board]
―Why's catching five tutorial goblins so hard? Infinite regress here normal??
―Totally normal lol stick it out for a month straight lol
―Sword genius my ass, why's he getting diced by goblins?!
―Lol your brain must not be the genius one lolol
―Fucking hell, one wrong word and back to the starting village lol this guy's a one-star?
―2 years in and Siwoo's one slip-up pantsed him lolol what now lolol
―Reset Life Starts with Me, lol.
Even the protagonist—playable as the first character—took a full year for the first clear report.
The difficulty was so brutal that average talent couldn't cut it.
And the second unlockable character, Han Sia…?
〈(Tip) To become a great mage, you must master mana control.〉
[Han Sia (Heroine)]
[Traits: Magic Genius]
[Clear Difficulty: ★★]
[Recommended Job: Mage]
[Fastest Clear Rankings]
[1. Kukurupingpong - 401 days]
[2. HelloThere - 703 days]
[Han Sia User Board]
―Holy shit lol how do you even cast magic lol
―Teacher… I want to use magic so bad…!
―Breaking: Fireball achieved after 20th run ★S★U★C★C★E★S★S★!
―Talent hacks are bullshit. Hard pass. Screw that.
―Academy exam on 30th run. Epic fail again lol
―Can't do this anymore for real!
Most players dropped out just failing the academy phase—where you had to sense mana yourself and cast spells to graduate—let alone hunt monsters.
It wasn't surprising that players started quitting after endless regressions.
Fifteen years after launch, only a tiny handful still played Gate Hunter.
Easier games with better graphics and pure escapism had flooded the market. It was now a nostalgic relic.
'Cept for pervs like me. Not many left.
He logged into the capsule.
[Welcome, Kukurupingpong!]
[Available Characters!]
[1. Park Siwoo (★)]
[Fastest Clear]
[2. Han Sia (★★)]
[Fastest Clear]
[3. Namgung Min (★★★)]
[Fastest Clear]
[4. Seo Yerim (★★★★)]
[Fastest Clear]
[5. Kim Minwoo (★★★★★)]
[Day 1,832 in progress.]
“Ugh, gives me the creeps.”
Woojin grinned at the list. Those five lines held his entire fifteen-year saga.
Luckily, the game had made his life easier.
His solo streams conquering the infamous title exploded in popularity.
Woojin, clearing the nightmare game in record time.
Viewers got massive vicarious thrills, donations poured in, and his luck turned.
He'd cemented his rep as the world's top VR gamer—a status that held even as Gate Hunter's hype faded.
Plenty still watched his guides through gritted teeth, even if they never played. He could live off it forever.
The game that once earned him endless hate was now his lifelong benefactor.
“Today's the day I see the ending.”
Kim Minwoo.
Five-star difficulty.
This final boss character was infuriating enough to make you curse nonstop.
[Kim Minwoo (Eldest Son of Ilsung Group)]
[Traits: Diamond Spoon, No Talent, Arrogant, Lazy, Coward, Lustful, Whiner, Freeloader]
[Clear Difficulty: ★★★★★]
[Job: Swordsman]
[Goal: Hunt the Dragon Lord within 3 in-game years.]
Eldest son of Korea's top conglomerate, Ilsung Group.
Everything else? Trash.
〈(Tip) Kim Minwoo has a stronger ego than anyone. Respect his opinions!〉
“Piece of shit.”
Woojin shuddered, recalling the opening line he'd seen a million times.
Each five-star character had unique strategies.
Kim Minwoo was no different.
That “strong ego.”
He only grasped what it meant after starting.
This guy interfered with player actions directly.
Simply.
Like trying to enter a gate…
[Kim Minwoo refuses entry!]
―Gate? Why risk that death trap? You're awakened now, ain'tcha? Items? Just buy 'em.
[Kim Minwoo refuses the action!]
―Eat elixirs to toughen up? Nah. Sounds painful. I can't handle pain.
[Kim Minwoo refuses training!]
―Skill grinding's such a drag. Who needs it? I'll just live large.
Worse: even if you forced him to train like hell, he topped out at mid-tier awakener. Zero talent across the board.
And the cowardice.
Early boss fight memory still haunted him.
[Kim Minwoo is gripped by extreme terror!]
[All stats reduced by 50%!]
[All skills sealed!]
[Refuses all combat and flees!]
―Eeeeek! Run!
[You have died.]
[Game over.]
Three in-game years.
No optimized route got you to the Dragon Lord.
How the hell do you clear a final boss with this guy in three years?
Viewer reactions that stream day? Same vibe.
―Watched the strat stream, Kim Minwoo's a legend lol
―This guy's a swordsman? Siwoo was an angel lol
―Like Pingpong said, any other job maybe but lolol
―For real. Necro might've worked. Game won't let you change jobs tho lolol gonna suffer lolol
That first hopeless battle.
A summoner job like necromancer would've been way better.
Talent wasn't the issue—summons were.
Even F-rank skeletons could shine with gear stuffed in.
Undead didn't coward out like him.
But Kim Minwoo's awakening job? Despairingly, swordsman.
Kim Minwoo lived up to those five stars.
After that day.
[Kim Minwoo Try 1,024: Let's Make Allies!]
If talent sucked, allies could fix it—or so he thought, trying party play for the first time.
[Kim Minwoo is outraged!]
―Peasant daring to lecture me?
One wrong word, and he'd turn ally to enemy in seconds. Even Woojin had to admire it.
'Social misfit prick!'
Realization hit.
This guy was born solo-only.
Endless hellish grinding followed.
Finally, a new path.
Crawling up family ranks, grabbing authority, raking cash, hoovering artifacts.
No talent? Bury it in money.
Not enough? Pour more.
Still no? Even more!
1,832 days invested for the clear.
Harvest time.
[Logging into game!]
[Stream starting!]
A massive door appeared.
[Entrance to the Dragon's Sanctum]
[Final boss Dragon Lord sleeps here.]
[1 day until Dragon Lord awakens.]
[Defeat Dragon Lord to clear game.]
'Doable.'
Right before the Dragon Lord rampages—Kim Minwoo's peak strength, boss at weakest!
“Let's go!”
Door opened.
A dragon-sized monstrosity appeared.
* * *
―An intruder, are you?
[Witnessed Dragon Form!]
[Intense fear descends!]
That instant.
Crack…!
Cracks spiderwebbed across his rings.
[Mental Protection Artifacts activate!]
[Iron Will (S) activates!]
[Indomitable Spirit (S) activates!]
[Clarity of Mind (S) activates!]
[Viking Valor (S) activates!]
[Berserker (S) activates!]
[Resisting Dragon Lord!]
[Resistance successful!]
[Immune to fear for 15 minutes!]
Five rings shattered at once.
'Fuck!'
The ass-kissing to get those!
One resist and top-tier rings gone.
―Lmao one glare wrecks five artifacts lolol trade rate real?
―Dude's lost it lolol made to break?
15 minutes fear immunity.
Not a second to waste.
He'd bull-rushed here stockpiling—now unleash everything.
[Dwarven King's Roar (S) activates!]
[All equipped gear stats +50%!]
[Holy Relic Hymn (S) activates!]
[Kim Minwoo's talent cap +100%!]
[Lightning Blade (S) activates!]
[Sword attack power +100%!]
[Sword Dance (S) activates!]
[Swordsmanship proficiency +200%!]
Even trash talent ballooned…
Slash!
Could slice Dragon Lord's scales.
Slash, slash.
Trance-like battle raged.
3 minutes.
―Insane. How's he dodging and stabbing that?
―Pingpong ain't world #1 for nothing lol
[Dragon Lord HP below 85%!]
[Astonishing achievement unlocked…]
8 minutes.
[Dragon Lord HP below 63%!]
[Impossible achievement unlocked…]
―Wtf. Didn't use all items yet?
―This ain't working? Patterns getting nasty;;
―Impossible achievements real? First time seeing.
―Me too.
14:50.
[Dragon Lord HP below 50%!]
[Incomprehensible achievement: 'Discovered Possibility' unlocked!]
That moment.
―The show's over.
[Dragon Tongue (EX) activates!]
[Artifact activation…]
[Cannot resist!]
[Body control lost!]
Thud.
Body collapsed like a puppet with cut strings.
'Ha…'
EX skill.
Woojin let out a hollow laugh.
Not meant to be caught.
'Goddamn. Any job but swordsman, maybe. But this? Impossible.'
Coward Kim Minwoo and swordsman? Worst matchup ever.
Early growth slow, late potential trash.
'How the hell do you clear this?'
He'd conquered the game countless times, but this stumped him.
Then.
Screen froze. Red messages turned blue.
〈Player.〉
〈Congratulations.〉
〈You have exceeded our standards and shown possibility.〉
[Alert: Final stage, Phase 6 unlocked!]
[Kim Minwoo]
[Clear Difficulty: ★★★★★★]
[Traits: Diamond Spoon, No Talent, Arrogant, Lazy, Coward, Lustful, Whiner, Freeloader]
[Job: Unawakened]
[Clear Goal: Hunt Outer God within 7 years.]
[Special Features]
[1. Kim Minwoo's job changes from Swordsman to Unawakened!]
[2. All main characters gather in one world!]
[3. Growth elements diversify further!]
[4. Activity scope expands massively!]
[Entering Phase 6 in 10 seconds!]
'… What?'
Woojin blinked at the flood of messages.
'Phase 6 existed?'
Slicing over half Dragon Lord's health the key?
Outer God? News to him.
9.
8.
Time ticked down.
'Phase 6, huh. Sounds fun.'
No stream worries for a while.
Plus, that garbage job's now unawakened.
Kim Minwoo not stuck as a cancer swordsman? Entertainment guaranteed.
Ten seconds up.
Woojin's consciousness blurred. His body vanished.
From game—and capsule.
When the screen resumed…
―Pingpong logged out?
―Sudden end?
―Something up?
Chat scrolled busily under the ended stream.