A Familiar Hell
As the guidance voice finished, a pure white light enveloped Kang-hyun. And then...
“Roll left! Roll right!”
“Loud chant to the front! Fire for five seconds!!”
“Uwaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!”
“Focus your mind on one! Let’s awaken on two! One!”
“Spiriiiiiiit!!!!!!!”
“?!”
‘Huh...? Huh?? What... what is this?!’
The all-too-familiar sounds and scenes he never wanted to experience again unfolded before Yoo Kang-hyun’s eyes. It was the hell that had devoured two years of his early twenties. A place every Korean man knew all too well. The military.
Still dazed and trying to make sense of his surroundings, Kang-hyun barely had time to process the situation before a furious shout rang out and a burst of pain exploded across the back of his head.
Thwack!
“Ow!”
“Trainee! What the hell do you think you’re doing?! Why are you standing there like an idiot instead of training? Are you out of your mind?!!!”
“Wh-what??”
“What did you just say to me?”
“No, I was just....”
“...I was? I was? Iiiii was???”
“...Sir.”
“Drop and give me twenty!”
“...Drop and give me twenty!”
Kang-hyun’s mind spun for a moment. The situation was absurd and unfair, but he quickly assessed his circumstances and threw himself into the push-up position.
“Focus your mind on one! Let’s get it together on two! One!”
“Spirit!”
While shouting the cadence and pumping out push-ups, he thought to himself, I’m screwed…
“What kind of bullshit start is this…”
After training finally ended and he returned to the barracks, Kang-hyun tried to figure out what the hell was going on. He had sent an email to Na Yu-ran. The capsule’s functions allowed contact with a registered person’s phone if they weren’t currently logged into the game.
The reply that came back from her was…
She was clearly having the time of her life teasing him. Still, there was a silver lining. The place where Kang-hyun had spawned was one of the Empire’s many military academies. Once he completed basic training, he would be able to choose his branch. In other words, the path to becoming a mecha pilot he wanted was open to him.
It was a route that would normally take several years if he had started as an adventurer or in any other scenario, but could be obtained through steady, painful effort.
‘…She’s right. I don’t know exactly how much Gigantes cost or how to obtain them, but if I keep going through this process, I’ll definitely be able to get one. Plus… since it’s random out of hundreds of possible situations, there might be even worse starts than this…’
After thinking it over, Kang-hyun let out a long sigh and made his decision. He would continue the game.
After ending the conversation, Kang-hyun opened his status window as Yu-ran had suggested.
“Status window.”
Name: Yoo Kang-hyun
Occupation: Imperial Cadet
Level: 1
Strength: 10
Stamina: 10
Agility: 10
Intelligence: 10
Charm: 10
HP: 100%
MP: 100%
Equipped:
─ Imperial Military Academy Cadet Training Uniform
─ Imperial Standard Bio Device
‘Oh, this?’
He had been too disoriented to notice it before, but when he clicked on the Bio Device in his equipment, an explanation appeared and he finally understood what it was.
‘Simply put… it’s basically a smartphone implanted into the body.’
The Bio Device was a living convenience tool based on biological information implanted in the bodies of not only players but NPCs as well. It could create bank accounts, access the internet for information, and make calls or send messages to NPCs. While players had inventory and whisper systems, this was an essential item for living among NPCs inside the game.
After gathering information about his situation through the Bio Device, Kang-hyun found himself genuinely impressed with Na Yu-ran once again.
‘The quality is insanely high. Is it because it’s virtual reality that they can implement technology even more advanced than the real world?’
When he activated the Bio Device, a message announcing it was the first activation appeared, followed by biological data recognition. A translucent window explaining how to use the device in detail materialized before his eyes. The galactic network opened, and countless streams of information began pouring in.
Kang-hyun marveled at it all as he searched for information, then lay down on his bed to organize his thoughts.
‘I was planning to play on the highest difficulty anyway. And more than that, if I give up the moment the starting situation gets tough, I’d be too embarrassed to call myself a former Changcheon Murim ranker. Overcoming hardship is what games are all about. I will definitely conquer this.’
His pride as a gamer and the self-confidence he had forged through countless games, including Changcheon Murim, ultimately led him to accept the current situation. Above all else…
‘I really want to pilot a giant robot!’
He wanted to ride one.
As the guidance voice ended, a pure white light enveloped Su-a. When she opened her eyes, what she saw was a crowd of people moving about busily. The place resembled a tavern, yet it also contained entertainment facilities like billiard tables and dartboards. From the voices reaching her ears, Su-a was able to roughly grasp the situation.
“Let’s take this request. Last time it was pretty tough…”
“Please submit proof of completion.”
“Hey! Anyone want to join me for a B-rank request?! We need an ice mage!”
“…Hehe, this situation… somehow reminds me of the days I started as a ronin back in Changcheon Murim.”
She hadn’t fully figured out her circumstances yet, but it wasn’t an entirely unfamiliar situation. Unlike Kang-hyun, Su-a was able to remain composed.
“Status window.”
Name: Jung Su-a
Occupation: Novice Adventurer
Level: 1
Strength: 10
Stamina: 10
Agility: 10
Intelligence: 10
Charm: 10
HP: 100%
MP: 100%
Equipped:
─ Basic Adventurer Clothes
─ Basic Adventurer Sword
─ Pantera Standard Bio Device
“…It’s been a while since I’ve seen a status window like this.”
For Su-a, who had become incredibly strong after playing through Changcheon Murim multiple times, seeing such basic stats felt incredibly nostalgic.
“Map open.”
Current Location: Pantera Planet, D District Adventurer Guild
“Pantera… that was definitely a neutral planet, right? From what Yu-ran told me, it seems like a planet with highly developed commerce… I should ask her about it later. Wait, what’s that?”
Just like Kang-hyun, Su-a clicked on the Bio Device. She marveled at the first-activation message and usage instructions that appeared, then began collecting information.
After gathering basic data on Pantera and a simple overview of the Endless Universe world through the Bio Device, Su-a organized her thoughts.
Pantera was currently the planet with the most developed tourism industry in the Endless Universe setting, and at the same time, the planet overflowing with the most life energy. Because it had both tourism and a large number of monsters—including many rare and valuable ones—it was a neutral planet that also served as a strategic point. With its large population and constant flow of adventurers, it was one of the planets that had survived without being invaded, maintaining its independence through skillful diplomacy between the Empire and the Federation.
According to Yu-ran, starting as an adventurer here would allow her to earn significantly more money than starting elsewhere. Of course, it would still depend on having a certain amount of luck.
“Alright. Let’s start by asking the receptionist about taking requests. I need to get stronger quickly so I can go meet him!”
Su-a moved forward with strong determination. As she walked past, many NPCs lost themselves staring at her or had their eyes sparkle with interest. Su-a accepted the gazes as if she were used to them and began searching for her next task.