Chapter 3
Chapter 3
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 3
Chapter Title: A Common Setup, Isn't It?
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1. A common setup, isn't it?
An unidentified space dyed pure white in all directions.
Sung-hoon sat there with dazed eyes. His body was splattered with blood here and there, not exactly a pleasant sight. If left as is, it seemed like Sung-hoon would remain in that state for quite some time. But soon enough, something unusual happened.
One corner of the pristine white space began to turn black, as if ink had been dropped into it. And as the darkness faded, what appeared was a handsome man dressed in a black suit.
The peculiar thing was that, despite his quite memorable appearance, there was nothing particularly distinctive about him that stuck in the memory.
After glancing around briefly, the man spotted Sung-hoon in the center, gave a faint smile, and spoke.
"......"
"Yoo Sung-hoon? Can you hear me?"
"......"
"Hm."
Seeing Sung-hoon's half-out-of-it expression, Jerry tilted his head slightly.
'Did the shock hit him hard? Come to think of it, the tutorial ended way too quickly. What on earth happened?'
He was merely a supporter assigned to assist players.
He could provide explanations, understanding, and help regarding the world of The Mission going forward, but he had no knowledge of what transpired during the tutorial quest. Judging by Sung-hoon's state, it seemed something pretty bad had gone down.
No wonder it felt too quick.
The most plausible guess was that infighting broke out in the party, leading to mutual slaughter, with only Yoo Sung-hoon surviving. Jerry let out a small sigh at the thought. Could such a frail person really survive to the end in The Mission's world?
'Looks like I drew the worst hand.'
But there was no changing it now. It wasn't a situation where you could fold just because the cards were bad. If the hand was poor, you played it as best you could.
Just then, Sung-hoon seemed to regain his senses, standing up and glaring at him.
"N-Nice to meet you too. I have no idea what's going on, but is this place safe?"
"What do you mean?"
To Jerry's question, Sung-hoon gradually calmed down and replied.
"I'm not entirely sure, but I saw a message saying the tutorial quest was complete and I'd arrived at the Starting Room. Given the name Starting Room, doesn't that imply it's a safe, guaranteed space?"
"You adapt surprisingly well."
"Adapt well?"
"No, most people in this situation show all sorts of bizarre reactions. But you, Sung-hoon... you're remarkably composed."
"I see."
"Well, that's fine by me. For now, let's sit and have a simple chat."
With a light wave of his hand, chairs and steaming white cups appeared in the previously empty space. It was a scene that defied common sense enough to make one scream, but Sung-hoon showed no reaction and simply sipped the tea.
He'd been slightly hungry, and the warm tea settling in his stomach brought a sense of calm. His stiffened mind began to function normally again.
In short, he had no clue what was going on.
But one thing was certain.
The sensation of ending three people with his own hands was still vividly alive. This was no dream—it was reality. Looking at his hands, the embedded thorns and faint pain finally rushed in.
"Sorry, but could you heal this for me?"
"No problem."
With a snap of Jerry's fingers, the thorns began pulling out, and the wounds healed as if time were fast-forwarding.
"Now that the wounds are treated, let's get into the main talk. Sung-hoon, now that we're starting, it's a bit awkward. Would you like the core points first, or the details from the beginning?"
"Core points first."
"Straight to it—perfect. Congratulations, Sung-hoon. You've been selected as a player in The Mission, the grand game to choose the next heirs to the gods! Congratulations! Truth be told, the odds are about one in a few hundred, so it's easy to get picked, but hey, being selected is what matters."
"The Mission?"
A term he'd definitely seen before.
"Yes. This'll be quite a lengthy explanation. Shall I prepare some refreshments?"
"No, this tea is enough."
"Got it. Sung-hoon, do you believe in the existence of gods?"
"I'd like to say no, but given the question, they probably exist."
"Not the omnipotent, all-knowing gods, but beings with transcendent powers beyond human imagination do exist. Some have existed since the dawn of time, others only a few thousand or hundred years old."
Sung-hoon continued sipping his tea calmly, gazing at Jerry with steady eyes.
"As I said, they are not perfect beings. Nor are they eternally immortal. Some are dying, others going mad."
"Gods dying of old age or madness— that's a fresh take."
"Not that grand. Even transcendent beings would have issues after billions, tens of billions, or hundreds of billions of years. Lately, their proportion has grown quite high—over 80%?"
He didn't know how many gods there were, but over 80% was definitely a lot.
"So recently, the gods made a massive decision. It's time for a huge generational shift."
"Generational shift."
"Bluntly put, some gods want to die already, others wish to enter the cycle of reincarnation. But allowing that willy-nilly would cause chaos. So after much deliberation, they created this grand stage: The Mission."
The world of The Mission was a massive stage.
Not for one or two people, but an enormous one with millions of participants. Of course, "stage" didn't mean they were putting on a play. There was only one task for those entering The Mission's world.
"Proof. In The Mission's world, you'll face countless experiences ahead. Shine through missions, use schemes, run away, betray—whatever. The key is to survive without dying and complete the missions to the end."
"And the gods decide the heirs based on performances in The Mission?"
"You catch on quick!"
Jerry clapped exaggeratedly a few times, cleared his throat lightly, and continued.
"The longer you endure in The Mission's world, the more your achievements accumulate, raising your chances of being chosen as a high god's heir. Conversely, you could rank at the bottom in early rounds or accept a lesser god's offer to exit The Mission."
High risk, high return.
It was essentially building a track record. Players were like diligent company employees piling up achievements, and gods were the executives evaluating them.
Build high achievements to get picked by top executives for big roles—or do the opposite. It was an odd analogy, but it made things easier to grasp.
At that thought, Sung-hoon couldn't help muttering.
"A very common setup, isn't it?"
"Pardon?"
"No, just slipped out. It feels like something straight out of a fantasy novel."
"Spot on. Actually, it's easier for me if you get it quickly. Korean and Japanese teens to young adults will probably adapt fastest to this world."
Jerry refilled Sung-hoon's empty teacup and said.
"The biggest worry for players entering The Mission was failing to accept this reality, leading to discord. But having someone grasp it so fast is a relief."
"I'm probably not the only one."
People with chuunibyou or avid novel readers would adapt quickly too, he figured. Though they might not stay as calm as him.
With that, Sung-hoon closed his eyes, lost in thought.
A cold self-assessment.
'Age twenty-five. Unemployed. Slightly twisted thought process. A life of getting kicked around...'
The more he thought, the more depressed he felt. Still, it wasn't all bad.
"No way out of this Mission thing, right?"
"None. Only two ways out of The Mission's world: survive to become a god, or die to escape."
"If we're doing it, better to stay positive, eh? Haha!"
"Excellent attitude. That's perfect for surviving The Mission. Since you've grasped the basics from the tutorial, let's cover tutorial rewards and the shop."
"Hold on. Sorry, but I have no idea what the basics are. All I saw was the quest window."
At Sung-hoon's explanation, Jerry glanced at his watch.
Time in the Starting Room was six hours. Normally barely enough to calm players, explain, and cram basics, but Sung-hoon had finished the tutorial unbelievably fast, adding twenty-four hours to the base six.
In short, plenty of time.
"Must've been a glitch. I'll explain from the start. Say 'status window'?"
"Status window."
"A status window should appear before your eyes. Do you game much?"
"I'm a shut-in."
"You're exactly the ideal talent The Mission wants. No need for explanations—you get it. As shown, adult male average is 10."
Sung-hoon furrowed his brow.
Everything but Agility and Wisdom was below average. Not surprising—he wasn't athletic, and objectively, not particularly healthy.
Magic Power was naturally 0, with Wisdom at a notable 16.
"Wait, what's the number next to Title?"
"That's the count of titles you hold. Click it to equip—effects activate then. Passive effects apply just from holding them, but unique ones require equipping."
"I see. Cowardly Survivor, Betrayer..."
Jerry couldn't help but be slightly surprised by Sung-hoon's mutter. Gaining titles wasn't shocking, but their nature was. Jerry couldn't help but be slightly surprised by Sung-hoon's mutter. Gaining titles wasn't shocking, but their nature was.