Gluttony (1)
Even after plummeting from such a height, I felt no pain. To be precise, there was pain, but it was so faint it barely registered—a mere sting, something I could easily endure. The game must have drawn a line there; a full-force impact could've triggered shock or worse. No matter how much it chased realism, it knew where to stop. Otherwise, the top-ranked user count would've tanked amid the backlash and ratings boards.
With the expected pain absent, the cold ripples enveloping my body prickled my skin like icy needles. Up until the moment of impact, everything had felt so real, but now those hesitant sensations surged in, filling the void left by the muted pain alongside the water's chill. I still can't shake that feeling. Fine, I admit it—this game is brilliant. It cleverly fills the gap where pain should be with dread and tactile immersion. Ruthless to noobs, but worthy of its number-one spot.
Enough reminiscing. My hunch was spot-on: diving into the water was the right call. Before I could even flail, I transferred straight to the fantasy world. And now? I was deep in some forest reeking of thick, cloying honey. Vines twisted around trees, mushrooms as tall as me sprouted everywhere—that kind of forest.
I cracked my eyes open, hoping for an instant class assignment... but no such luck. Which meant there was probably an NPC in a village somewhere for that. But forget that for now. Big trouble.
This fantasy world spat me out right in a hunting ground. And not just any spot—a level 50 elite monster loomed before me, honey-smeared muzzle shoved in my face...
This... this wasn't right.
"Holy crap..."
◈ A massive bear drenched in honey, aggressively sniffing intruders.
◈ Extreme Danger — Not for beginners!
The Giant Honey Bear—the name of my first monster encounter. Every time its muzzle grazed my face, a chill of terror raced down my spine. You see those stories where a car barrels toward the protagonist, and they just freeze, staring at the headlights? Yeah... sorry for trash-talking them before. Now that I'm in it, I get it. When fear clamps down, your mind blanks, your body locks up. It's biology, like needing the bathroom—pure instinct.
Luckily, the bear seemed full; it just sniffed me and prodded with its snout. Coated in honey, it must've gorged recently. What a relief. But how long could I stay like this? Was I supposed to die right out the gate? As I pondered, footsteps approached from behind.
Player? NPC? Another monster? I focused every nerve on the sound. It was heading straight for me... no, flying toward me.
"First!!"
A player. Level 34... make that 35 now. Name: Jjayo-raneun. Blood sprayed as he soared in—he'd just offed another monster.
"Whoa, a Giant Honey Bear?"
The scrawny kid-sized player glanced between me and the bear, then casually hurled his spear, yanking its aggro onto himself.
"Mister, helping out a noob here. Tell my party I went that way when they show!"
"Uh? Oh... thanks."
The first player I'd met vanished with the Giant Honey Bear in tow.
"...Kids these days are too nice."
Tears welled up. In a world like this, a sweet kid still thriving? Teacher Bang Jeong-hwan, now I see what you meant by their purity. The ones I met in games before? Self-taught delinquents, every last one.
"Huff, huff... that little brat! Where'd he go?!"
"He definitely flew this way. He's gone."
Two more players burst in soon after—Jjayo-raneun's party, by the look of it. Je-bub-eo-twaeyo and Eurat-chacha, levels 33 and 34. Je-bub-eo-twaeyo was a tall woman with black hair, purple eyes, and a killer figure. Warrior class, probably—armored up with a two-handed sword, textbook setup. Not a basic class, though. And what was with the fly on her back? Hunting ground souvenir, I guessed. Not the latest fashion.
The other was bald and burly, built like a tank. Halberd wielder, melee for sure—maybe berserker despite the looks. With the kid, they screamed classic three-hero party: one girl, two guys. Perfect balance.
I pointed them toward where the kid had gone, swallowing my stray thoughts.
"He headed that way with the Giant Honey Bear."
He'd asked me to pass it on, so I did.
"Giant Honey Bear...?"
"Thanks!"
They muttered in surprise at the name, then bolted faster than before in that direction.
"What, is it some elite boss or something?"
Whatever. I'd repaid the kid's help. Now what? Head the way people came from, find the village. Priorities.
But seriously, what kind of troll game drops a level 1 in a forest hunting ground? The devs whispering, "We play hardball"? It only fired me up more—time to rage against this unfairness.
Wandering the hyper-real forest revealed details I'd missed in my panic: hazy natural light, swirling dust motes. Max realism graphics like this? Mind-blowing.
"Oh, a village?"
There it was—a massive settlement encircling a colossal world tree. Forest village? Elves, obviously. Cliche, but fitting.
Brimming with excitement, I stepped in, and an NPC approached. Dressed straight out of Greek-Roman myth. Total elf vibes.
"Hey, elf..."
"Greetings, adventurer. We are ecological researchers dwelling in this forest village."
Not elves. A top game with no elves in a fantasy forest village? Blasphemy.
"Red bean-less red bean bun, melon-less melon bread, corn-less corn soup!"
"...Adventurer, apologies, but melon bread has no melon, and corn soup has no corn."
"That's insane!!"
"..."
The village intro NPC, introducing himself as an ecological researcher, began formalities.
"My name is Treib, for now."
Shady intro from the researcher.
"I'm... Paura."
After agonizing over a nickname, Treib nodded with a faint smile.
"Yes, I'll remember that."
Suspicious. Super suspicious—from the smile to "I'll remember." If he's tied to the main story, he's the villain. Guaranteed.
As I thought that, Treib spoke.
"Need a village tour?"
I shoved suspicion aside and accepted. Even bad guys aren't always bad. Info's info.
*
Treib kindly toured me around, pointing out buildings.
"This is the Blacksmith. Bring materials, and we'll craft weapons or armor free."
"Whoa...!"
Cool as hell. The clash of metal stirred my soul. Blacksmiths forging hero blades and demon-slaying gear in silence? Peak romance. Not flashy on the outside—researcher village vibe—but that rustic charm hooked me.
"This is the quest board. New requests every morning, mostly research-related: materials or hunts."
A few unclaimed quests plastered the outer wall.
"And this is the lab—our pride, the biggest building."
It was huge, smack in the village center around the world tree.
"Yes, the world tree."
Just looking at it tingled my spine with raw life force and verdant power. The greed, the ambition to research this. Fine, ego bruise aside—I had to admit it. No elves? This level of romance was lethal dose. Passed with flying colors.
"That concludes the tour."
"Adventurer, that 'suit' you're wearing looks odd. No gear? I'd recommend the blacksmith."
Treib wrapped up and headed back to the lab, no lingering.
Blacksmith first, then quests? Roger.
The forge was an inferno—heat incarnate. Inside, a sweaty guy with oiled-back hair and bushy beard hammered away.
"New face, huh."
He wiped sweat, sizing me up.
"Weird clothes, no weapon."
Hand on hip, he continued.
"Here for gear? Treib only calls on me for this."
Sighing like he'd priced me out already, forehead in hand.
"Fine, take this. Decent height, sturdy build—you can swing it. Armor costs more, so settle for this."
A two-handed sword, like the one Je-bub-eo-twaeyo's party had.
"Thanks."
"Don't mention it. Long as you aid the research."
My eyes lit up. Right—researchers here. Not just lab coats anymore. I'd pegged them as frail like Treib, but this NPC? He'd mop the floor with me armed.
As I exited sword in hand, faint mechanical whirs echoed from within. No way it's a factory stamping swords... nah, couldn't be. Refusing to believe it.
Anyway.
"Quest board time."
Stick to the plan. Most quests were gone now—just three left.
"...Only the hard ones?"
Hoped for easy honey, got thorny instead.
"Let's see."
"Fly hunt... rabbit hunt... what's this."
Fly Hunt
Rabbit Hunt
⚠ Giant Honey Bear Subjugation ⚠
One quest screamed for attention—not brown like the others, but blood-red. Warning off casual takers.
"Scary bastard."
Kid saved me from that. Thanks a ton, thumbs-up kid.
Way above my paygrade, obviously. Fly or rabbit hunt it was...
"Fantasy worlds start with rabbits, right?"
Hand outstretched—and poof, the rabbit quest vanished like it teleported.
"Fuck."
Remote acceptance? Rigged as hell—can't even get what I want in-game. Toilet duty now.
"Eh, better than nothing."
Fly hunt it was. The moment I grabbed it, a staffer bolted out.
"That one...! Taking the quest?"
Disheveled hair, one corner of her mouth twisted in a creepy grin as she eyed me. Yeah, the gloomy chick.
"Ehehehe..."
Why's she staring like that? Making me uneasy for no reason.