Chapter 34
Chapter 34
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 33
Chapter Title: The First Gate
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Of course, I couldn't put this to use right away.
‘I don't have the leeway for that.’
I work 365 days a year, 22 hours and 30 minutes a day.
I don't even have time to run training software, let alone stop by home. In fact, ever since starting these part-time gigs, I hadn't once visited the room tower.
‘That said, it's not something I can do while working. Playing mobile games at the counter is fine enough, but diving into a virtual world? That's not just conceptually impossible—it's straight-up insane.’
In the end, I had no choice but to adjust my work schedule.
“You want a day off? Well, yeah, even I think working straight through the week is a bit much.”
“My pay's gonna drop a little.”
“Hahaha! Yeah, man. You gave it a month and realized it's not humanly sustainable, huh? Don't worry—we've got some slack in staffing.”
I rearranged all three part-time schedules to give myself Wednesdays off. From 3 a.m. Wednesday to 3 a.m. Thursday—exactly one full day cleared.
‘Nothing for it. On second thought, having one day off isn't so bad. You could get hurt in combat, after all.’
But the holiday came before my adjusted schedule.
“Oh! Come to think of it, tomorrow's a day off, huh.”
A friendly 38-year-old single enchanter and shift foreman named Jun-hwan's words made me ask in surprise.
“Yeah? Why so sudden... Ah! Chuseok!”
Clubs and convenience stores don't close for Chuseok. Those places aren't the type to begin with.
But Ungnyeo Steel is different.
It's a workplace where me and most of the part-timers are full-time staff. The factory shutting down for Chuseok is only natural, really.
“Ah! I adjusted my schedule for nothing. Now my pay's just gonna drop.”
As I grumbled while finishing up the day's work, the shift foreman approached.
“Ooh~ Jaeyeon. Your first holiday bonus since starting. Go eat something nice with the family.”
The envelope he handed over had the words “holiday bonus” written on it.
“This is...?”
“Chuseok bonus. You usually need three months on the job, but your reviews are so good we're giving it early. Doesn't look like you're quitting anytime soon, either.”
“Thank you!”
Once the foreman left, I opened the envelope. Inside was a whopping 2.5 million won.
“Oh!”
That's enough to turn over 200 elite soldiers into players.
A surge of loyalty rises in me.
I got a bonus at Star Gate, too.
“Take care even during Chuseok! Oh, Scarlett's got her eye on you, by the way. Asked me to treat you well. Hahaha! Youth is great. If I were just ten years younger, I'd give you a run for your money. Maybe I should hit the gym more?”
A pot-bellied 49-year-old aura user—Big Man (Korean)—hands over an envelope.
He's the owner of six clubs in Gangnam, apparently making the rounds to hand out bonuses.
Swoosh.
I peek inside: 3 million won.
My mood soars.
‘Should I +9 another piece of gear!?’
No bonus at the convenience store. Disappointing for a second, but I shake my head and refocus.
‘Gotta expect what I can from the convenience store gig.’
Still, I console myself with the fact that no job is better for running the game than this one, and wrap up the day's work.
Chuseok arrives before I know it.
Back at my studio for the first time in ages, I boot up the PC, set it to auto-hunt, then give the order to Cheda, who's trotting into the room after me.
“Cheda. Summon the login pod.”
“Woo-woong~!”
Cheda hops onto the bed, its eyes glowing gold. Static crackles in the air, and a circular hologram appears in the space I'd cleared beforehand.
One of the smart pet's functions, [Portable Teleport], activates.
[We at New World Corporation always thank our beloved customers. Capsule login pod C-1173 is loading.]
Clunk! Whirr...
[Loading complete!]
I add the arrived login pod to my studio's energy network and power it on. The pre-purchased software is already installed.
No need to waste more time.
Clunk!
I climb inside. Don the gloves and helmet, launch the simulation.
[Verifying account.]
[Acquiring physical data.]
[Acquiring aura data.]
[Simulation software executing: Chakra awakening and training.]
My consciousness sinks in an instant, and the surroundings shift to a simple building image.
Before I know it, a calm black-haired woman stands before me.
“Huh?”
A familiar face.
“A new student, huh. Nice to meet you. I'm Kim So-hyang.”
Someone I'd only seen in textbooks. The most senior figure they say you dive headfirst into, the one who cleared stages herself—the攻略派.
Master of the War Constellation.
The strongest Gigant Master.
“Lion Queen...!”
She lets out a hollow chuckle at my startled reaction.
“It's just a cloned personality, so no need to freak out. Not that you'd do this, but if you get friendly with me here and act like you know me in real life, you're in deep shit.”
“Ah, yes.”
Feeling I'd overreacted, I calm down, and she smiles.
“Before we start, give user consent. Mind if I use your physical and aura data for chakra training?”
“Of course. But I'd like to block any uploads.”
“Ah, the privacy-conscious type, huh? No problem.”
“In that case, please do.”
“Alright, let's see.”
So-hyang closes her eyes. When she opens them again, they're glowing gold.
“Your physical abilities are exceptional. Strength and agility far exceed normal humans. Wow. Especially your stamina—it's practically superhuman. And you haven't even learned Vitality or anything. You're neither a [Player] nor a [Believer], yet you have this level of stamina.”
“......”
I narrow my eyes at her words.
‘She reads my highest stat as stamina?’
Even at full power, I'm the guy who burns through stamina just swinging a sword once—it's absurd from my perspective.
I catch on immediately.
‘She can't detect ability scores added via bonus stats.’
Incomprehensible. My body has undergone physical changes from the strength buffs. I've actually bulked up and gotten stronger, yet the latest login pod can't detect it?
“Your mana capacity and output... No way it's this low? Did you seriously not awaken your aura at your age...? Wait. You have internal energy? You awakened aura, but your mana is like this?”
So-hyang looks flustered, but I've seen that face plenty on TV or wiretaps, so I don't get disappointed and ask instead.
“Could you check my chakra status instead?”
“What are you talking about? With mana sensitivity this bad, you think you can open chakra?”
A reaction like she's dumbfounded.
Whatever. I press.
“Please check.”
“Jeez, such a stubborn one.”
As she says that, So-hyang's face stiffens.
“Huh?”
She groans. Closes her eyes again, opens them wide-eyed in bewilderment.
“Huh?”
“How is it?”
At my urging, she speaks with a rigid face.
“What the hell.”
A face that can't believe what she's seeing.
“What... is this?”
* * *
My forces—the Bronze Sword Baron's army—march toward Red X Territory.
One thousand seven hundred strong.
The full army after fully consolidating the camp.
‘Come to think of it, can I even call this a baron's army?’
They all call me lord, but it's laughable. My territory has long since fallen to the orcs.
Likewise, the title ‘Bronze Sword Baron’ rings hollow.
‘Chrome Kingdom's probably fallen by now. Man... Spent ten years becoming a noble, and it vanishes in one hit.’
Clop clop. Rumble.
The carriage moves. Not the largest, but the most luxurious—specially designed for deep sleep on the go. Layers of wild boar leather and comforters make it soft and warm.
“Milord. We've encountered a new goblin pack.”
I ask Hundred, who's approached the carriage.
“Anything notable?”
“Nine hundred strong—not many—but includes a bunch of goblin shamans and goblin rangers.”
“Take out the high-grade goblins with Steelstone. Casualties might occur.”
“Yes, sir!”
Hundred salutes and leaves. After a while, combat noises erupt.
Pretty noisy, but I'm not worried. The soldiers, leveled up and battle-hardened, aren't weak enough to lose to mere goblins.
The elite troops—now five hundred after granting classes to some participants—ride high on the thrill of leveling, maintaining sky-high morale.
“Fhew.”
I shake off stray thoughts and focus. My consciousness sinks inward.
Chakra is the ability to immerse and assimilate into a specific concept.
Chakra practitioners connect to the inner dimension of a concept through constant comprehension, with no limits on types.
Elemental like fire, water, wind—or even philosophical notions.
If a practitioner deeply [understands] that concept, they can open a micro-universe within via the power of that [knowing].
Moreover, if that enlightenment reaches its peak, delving to the deepest depths, their micro-universe becomes so vivid it ascends to a domain of authority influencing reality.
Those who wield chakra divide this process into eight stages, the Eight Gates, and express the practitioner's realm in layers.
The Wise Qi Eight Gates and the Infinite Nine Layers.
Thud!
I realize I'm in my bare studio apartment, without a stick of furniture.
‘Layer 1.’
Note: no Layer 2. As a chakra practitioner, I'm just a beginner.
Layers represent level and capacity.
My chakra ability, with only Layer 1 in my inner world, equates to a 1st-class apprentice mage.
‘The first thing to fill is obvious.’
I manifest the concept I understand best, feel deepest, and find most useful.
From head to toe, just as I'd fully cognized and learned, I form the mudra.
“Body. Connection Gate. Open.”
Creak!
I feel the gate opening. No subdividing concepts yet. First, fully cognize my own body.
Crack! Crunch!
My body activates. My mind has cognized the concept of body.
I've reached the domain of the First Gate, Connection Gate.
Flash!
In the Layer 1 that held only my [consciousness], an anatomical diagram of my flesh appears.
“Small.”
I see my body positioned in Layer 1. In the not-so-spacious studio, it's pathetically tiny—like a single finger joint. A realm as pitiful as martial arts where beginners can never escape.
But this world has a singularity.
Rattle.
I open the window of the studio, born solely from [cognition].
Normally, opening a window like this would reveal pitch-black void. This isn't real space—it's the inner world, and the [outside] of an inner world is an impossible concept.
Yet when I open the window.
I see it.
Roooar----!
A colossal chessboard.
A completed micro-universe. No—even beyond that, a vast, clear space tantamount to a world.
“Ardania...”
Flash!
I exit the inner world, opening my eyes in the carriage.
“Log out.”
Back in the studio. I perch on the fluffy bed, rouse chakra. Normally I'd need a mudra, but this [element] makes it unnecessary.
“Ardania. Connection Gate. Open.”
I focus my mind, open the gate. Feel the vast world unfolding within.
And pluck out one small, insignificant existence from inside it.
“Summon. Bone Longsword.”