The First Tutorial (2)
The first tutorial was the epitome of mediocrity and boredom. It wasn't as if I'd prepared specifically for transmigration to another world, but after years of honing my stamina, skills, and real-world experience to survive exactly these kinds of situations, adapting wasn't difficult. Whenever boredom struck, I would head to uninhabited islands or remote mountains for survival drills, starving myself as practice. I even learned butchering firsthand to grow accustomed to taking life. The long preparation period made the adjustment itself easy, but there was one thing I had completely overlooked.
'I never expected to be dropped in a place without a single other person.'
If there had been anyone else, I could have killed time with idle chatter. But according to Luniel, meeting the others only began with the second tutorial. An endless ocean of forest without people or any trace of civilization. The moment the tension provided by monsters evaporated, this tutorial stopped being survival and became a prison for me.
Whoosh— Thud!
The stone I hurled in a powerful overhand arc slammed exactly into the goblin's skull. Satisfied that it had struck the precise spot I'd targeted, I clenched my right fist and finished off the creature that had collapsed in a daze.
The goblins that once made me tense up with the intent to kill were now easily dispatched with nothing more than a rock thrown from afar. At this point, finding the damn things had become harder than killing them; they had been reduced to the weakest of weak mobs.
It had been fifty-eight hours since I entered this place. This tedious stretch of time would end in fourteen more.
Ideally, I had already gathered more than enough points and simply wanted to endure the remaining fourteen hours before moving on to the next tutorial. But...
"There has to be a hidden piece stashed around here somewhere."
In isekai stories, tutorials always had hidden pieces for the protagonist to discover. It was practically law. Of course, since it was hidden, it wouldn't be easy to find. Still, after two full days of wandering and seeing nothing but trees and goblins, the whole thing felt utterly futile.
Gurgle.
"Why the hell is my stomach growling so often? Damn it."
I pulled out the leather pouch that came with the water purchase, fished out a piece of jerky, and tossed it into my mouth. The smoky scent stabbing my nose, mixed with various spices and the condensed richness of the meat, created a strange harmony that somehow worked once you got used to it. The real problem wasn't the taste but the quantity. My stomach was rumbling with hunger, yet all I had was that single piece of jerky. I had killed more than enough goblins to keep my points safe, but...
'I should save what I can.'
Food was expensive. Two measly sips of water cost five points, so there was no way meals would be cheap. The cheapest hard bread was twenty points, and the bundle of smelly jerky I carried cost thirty. Eating until I was properly full would take at least a hundred points. That meant killing twenty goblins. Since I had no idea where else points might be required later, I couldn't afford to burn a hundred points on one meal and was surviving on the absolute minimum.
One bread and one bundle of jerky per day. A highly cost-effective diet that wrapped up daily meals for a total of fifty points. Thanks to that, my stomach kept gurgling at all hours, but...
'If I actually find a hidden piece, I'm treating myself to a proper feast.'
Having reignited my motivation, I chewed through the smelly jerky and returned to the goddess statue that served as my base camp. Calling it a base camp was generous; it was really just a campfire and a few leather sheets to block the chill. After two days, the place somehow felt comfortable.
1. Yoon Iseo 515(220)pt
2. Kim Daegeon 150(140)pt
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Not much had changed. A few more names had been crossed out in the meantime, but compared to the first day, it looked like many had adapted; the number of deaths had decreased significantly. Of course, with more than half the names already struck through, I wondered if it even mattered anymore.
"It's still worrying, though."
I wasn't worried about the people with crossed-out names. Whatever happened here wasn't real death anyway. And there weren't many among them I was close enough to feel sad about dying a second time. What concerned me more was whether a hidden piece existed at all. I was certain one did, but I couldn't begin to guess where.
No matter how much I explored this forest, there were no other objects besides the goddess statue. I'd wondered if the goblins might have some kind of settlement, but there was nothing like that. Lately the goblin population seemed capped; the number I encountered had dropped sharply. Thanks to that, I could sleep more comfortably than on the first day, but it was disappointing that there were hardly any points left to earn.
"In the end, if there's anything here, it has to be at this goddess statue."
No matter how I looked, there was nothing. I'd already inspected it with my eyes and hands, but nothing seemed suspicious. That left only one option...
I steeled myself and opened the shop window. After buying a meal's worth of rations in advance, I spent a hefty 100 points to purchase a sledgehammer.
Thud.
I picked up the sledgehammer that dropped from the sky with a heavy sound and swung it a few times to test its weight.
Whoosh.
Even a light swing produced a heavy sound. Its destructive power was clearly on another level. Deciding it was sufficient, I stopped testing it, rubbed the hammer head, and stood before the goddess statue.
If I couldn't tell what it was from the outside, I had no choice but to smash it. It was a gamble. I had no idea whether the object was designed to be breakable, or whether points would be automatically collected if it broke. Nothing was certain, but I figured it was better to regret doing it than to regret not doing it, so I made the bold investment.
"Phew..."
Holding this thing brought back memories of the military. It was from my first life, before I possessed this body, back when I was serving. The administrative officer suddenly decided to convert an unused barracks into storage, so I had to take a sledgehammer and demolish the place. This was probably the first time I'd held one since then. It felt strangely new.
Back then, I never imagined the day would come when I'd wield a sledgehammer again. Yet here I was, holding one to break something... Life really was full of surprises.
Recalling the memory, I gripped the sledgehammer with a short hold and raised it high. It had been concrete back then and marble now, so I was slightly worried it might not break, but it looked like it had been neglected for a long time and seemed even more fragile than concrete. Without hesitation, I leaned my whole body back and swung the hammer with full force.
Whoosh!
Just before the powerfully swung sledgehammer could strike the goddess statue, a teal barrier appeared on its seemingly ordinary surface and blocked the blow.
"Ugh."
While I groaned at the sudden recoil and accompanying pain, a familiar silhouette appeared behind the statue.
Luniel clutched her elegant forehead with one hand and shook her head as if suffering from a headache.
Hmm. So it wasn't supposed to be broken? From her reaction, it looked like I'd just thrown away 100 points.
"Well, there might have been something hidden inside the goddess statue, right?"
At Luniel's firm tone, I shrugged and set the sledgehammer down. It was a shame, but the conversation had given me a rather meaningful hint.
"If it's not here, that means it's somewhere else, right?"
"..."
Luniel's expression hardened instantly at my words.
"Hmm, looks like I hit the mark. So is there nothing hidden in this goddess statue? Or is there nothing hidden in this tutorial?"
Luniel vanished as if fleeing, clearly in a hurry, but I had seen it. Her expression had definitely twisted. It was only for a split second, but the two questions produced different reactions. Mentioning the goddess statue elicited almost no response, but when I brought up the tutorial, although she tried to control herself, I clearly caught the slight movement of her brow and the corner of her mouth.
Of course, it had been such a fleeting moment that I couldn't be completely certain, but I had still gained a hint. Whether here or in the next tutorial, something was hidden. That alone was enough to fuel my motivation while searching, so it wasn't a bad outcome.
But there was one regret.
"Luniel, if you're listening, any chance of a refund on this hammer? I didn't even use it once."
I'd spent a full 100 points on this unnecessarily heavy thing. I could use it if I wanted, but having trained in kendo, I preferred swords over blunt weapons.
"Thanks. But..."
At Luniel's resolute attitude, I responded in kind by pinching my thumb and index finger together, drawing them across my lips in a zipping motion to signal I'd stay quiet. Seeing my playful gesture, Luniel let out a deep sigh, instantly snatched the sledgehammer from my hand, disposed of it, and disappeared like the wind.
"I'm not usually the type to read deep meaning into every word I say."
Maybe it was because it was Luniel, but that last remark felt like another accidental hint. What a sly woman. If it's true, once I succeed later, I'll buy her a meal. If we ever meet again, that is.