Nightmare Mode from the Start

Roadmoon Games' ambitious project, Artina Academy. The game they'd been hyping for three straight years of development. I'd poured my soul into it, my hands touching every corner. Living off coffee and overtime, I'd slaved away, and now it seemed I could finally see the results.

"Ah... so this is inside the game."

I'd possessed a character in that game. It was obvious right away. The artifacts and natural features I'd designed myself. And the towering structures of Artina Academy piercing the sky. I'd handled most of them personally—I couldn't forget.

"Whoever built this did a damn good job."

In a quiet forest on the path to Artina Academy, I stared blankly up at the sky. Meeting the fruits of my labor left a lingering impression, but honestly, my heart felt heavy with dread.

My last memory before possessing this body: —[Good luck with Nightmare difficulty^^]

"The difficulty was definitely Nightmare, right?"

Artina Academy had four difficulty levels: Beginner, Intermediate, Expert, and Nightmare. Each step up multiplied the challenge exponentially. If Beginner was 1x, Nightmare was a brutal 8x.

I'd only tried Nightmare once. Wiped out mid-game and never touched it again.

'The difficulty wasn't just high—it was downright filthy...'

The gimmicks were nasty. Not just precisely aligning gear teeth, but finding ways to link them. Even in internal testing, it was a disaster. Hundreds of runs by company staff and AI simulations, and no one reached the ending.

In other words, it was a mode designed to be unbeatable. A gimmick made for hardcore players' amusement to waste their time. And now they were throwing that at me...?

The only reason I could think of for this possession was messing around with the sniper class abilities. Seemed like karmic payback, but way too harsh.

"Can't I just live quietly like this?"

That was my hope. In this game, players walked the path of a hero. Facing trials, resolving incidents, earning students' admiration, pushing through the story. That was the simplified version—nitpick the details, and it got messy.

You needed the resolve to raise your sword against any foe. And even then, victories weren't guaranteed without dramatic miracles: guards arriving just in time, allies awakening, that repertoire repeating for a satisfying story.

The game had coding conveniences to make that fate accessible. But this was reality.

'No guarantee it'll follow the script, and anyway, I'm no protagonist material.'

Even in the game world, I just wanted a stable job as an average Joe. But as a developer, I knew the truth. Nightmare mode...

In plain terms: I'm screwed.

"Already cursing my luck from the jump..."

A vivid memory stirred my survival instincts.

Chapter 1, Act 1 of Artina Academy. The entrance exam was trouble from the start. On Beginner, Intermediate, or Expert, it was a standard test. But Nightmare? You fought invading monsters hand-to-hand.

Every major turning point spawned beasts or demons. Leveling was fast, but so was the escalating brutality. No need to worry about the late game—our own staff dropped out early.

Turned out, my one mid-game run was the farthest anyone got on Nightmare.

"Gotta do something, at least."

I sighed and perched on a tree stump. Water trickled gently from the nearby stream. The game hadn't truly started yet. Missing the timing would've meant a bad end for sure. This peace was proof.

"Plan moving forward."

I sketched a blueprint in my mind. Then dropped my head in thought.

Nothing fancy...

I had to join Chapter 1, Act 1: the Artina Academy Entrance Exam. Break through on Nightmare and pass. Fail that, and everything crumbled. No academy meant wandering the outskirts, locked out of all Nightmare events. First bad end.

"No need to gloom out yet. Think positive."

Get into Artina Academy, and I could plan ahead. My future knowledge gave me an info edge. For a decent-spec character, anyway.

"..."

First things ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠first: who was I possessing? I rummaged through the leather bag nearby. Just exam fees in silver coins and basic rations. And finally, a large wooden case like a guitar gig bag. Even that screamed poverty.

"Holy shit, this is bad."

Other classes started with decent cash, food, clothes, reinforcement stones, mana stones, misc gear. Some jobs skipped money worries entirely. But this was it...?

Ridiculous. What kind of loser was this guy?

"What the hell kind of schmuck is this?"

I approached the stream. My reflection stared back: a clear silver-haired boy. Blue eyes narrowed at me.

"Huh...?"

The face was familiar. Pretty sure he was a villain. Then it hit me.

— "Hmm... roughly set as a fallen noble..."

I vaguely remembered placeholder character settings. If my hunch was right, this was the disgraced second son of a count's family. A third-rate antagonist who caused a scene at the entrance exam and got curb-stomped by the player.

Merging that with my memories: some random fallen noble's body, and I possessed it? Then what about the abilities I'd set?

With trembling anticipation, I gazed into empty air. The in-game status window appeared for those who sought it. My only hope now. At this rate, I couldn't clear even Act 1.

"Ah, the stats..."

I sighed the moment the window appeared. Specs were urgent, but these numbers were a joke.

"How are they all 1...?"

Knight got Strength and Vitality up to 8. Mages got Intellect and Affinity to 8. Archers leveraged skills and elven traits. But sniper? All 1s. Unheard of.

Should've maxed them during customization. My bad.

Small comfort: "At least everything I set made it in."

The busted unique trait and passives were intact. Multi-element and line with no limits. A+ growth efficiency rivaled geniuses. No actives hurt, but traits and unique might carry.

I started with the unique trait.

"Not bad at all." Straight-up busted, as designed. Loved Concealment especially. Bail if death loomed. Essential for a side character like me.

"On second thought, this rocks?"

No frontline for snipers. Their point was ultra-long-range support. Perfect fit. Plus, easy escape.

I skimmed the other traits.

"Might actually pull this off..."

All sniper-perfect traits. Iron Man and Indomitable Spirit were universally clutch—stuff knights and mages got. Trust the traits and unique. Stats could grind up. Skills too. Play stealthy, leech from behind, pass to mains. That was the goal.

I shouldered the leather pack, quenched my thirst, and stood.

Then it hit me. "What's with this wooden case?"

Hadn't checked it earlier. Too big to ignore.

'Kinda know what it is, though.'

Games gave starter weapons: wooden sword for knights, twig wand for mages, world tree bow for archers, holy book for priests, rusty dagger for rogues. Disposable early gear.

Sniper wouldn't buck the trend.

"Let's open it."

I cracked the case. As expected, a long-barreled rifle fit snugly at the front. Black-painted, evoking modern sniper rifles. Screw historical accuracy—I'd use it.

I pulled out the rifle. No ammo. Probably mana-based.

"Unique grade?"

Starters were usually Common. Obvious why: "Who the hell crafts a sniper rifle?"

Unlike ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠swords or wands, rifles needed rare materials and tech. Not shoppable, dropping them would've broken lore. So early-game handout.

"Evolves unlike other weapons."

Conditions seemed doable: feed mana steadily, farm stones, earn karma (points from good deeds).

"Time to head out."

I brushed dirt off my clothes and stood. Artina Academy's entrance exam zero-tolerance for tardiness. No time to dawdle.

As I took my first step—

Kyaaaah—!

A scream shattered the air. Clang! Clang! Clang! Metal clashing followed. Obvious trouble.

Under the clear sky, I focused toward the noise. My vision zoomed, revealing a woodland path. No voices, but: a screaming horse, a trembling girl, a demon blocking them.

Enough to know. "Lumina?"

Spirit summoner Lumina. Not playable, but heroine-tier. Long pastel-pink hair, crescent moon hairpin. In art: big sky-blue eyes, light beige skin, nature-friendly vibe.

Now? Face frozen in "Eek—!" terror-filled eyes. Ambushed en route to the exam.

I eyed the demon.

"Oof."

Zarnox. Mid-game demon. Nightmare mode spawned it early.

No way current Lumina could handle it. Even exam top-scorers couldn't. But abandoning her? She hugely impacted the story. Didn't want to botch the early plot.

Plus, saving her meant karma, right?

"No choice."

Scanned around: clear. Drew the rifle.

"Perfect chance."

Time to test my ace abilities.