A New Beginning
The forest path narrowed like a throat, trees crowding in so tightly that moonlight barely pierced the canopy. I kept my guard high, advancing with the caution of someone who had already died too many times in real life.
CRRRRRAACK!
BEAR SPOTTED ON THE RIGHT!
CRRRRRAACK!
WOLF PACK AMBUSH ON THE LEFT!
CRRRRRAACK!
FOX PACK DISCOVERED BEHIND US!
Everywhere the mercenaries reported fresh threats, their voices sharp and urgent over the comms.
I sprinted forward, shield already raised, and met the bear’s first swipe head-on. The impact slammed into me like a truck.
BOOM!
-[15] HP
Even the shield took the blow, and the critical damage still landed. My health bar dipped fifteen percent in a single heartbeat.
While I held the line, the mercenaries poured in from the sides and finished the bear. I kept my eyes on the rear, where Seolhwa was already deep in the fight, her Ice Dragon’s Sword flashing.
“Young Master Ryan!”
“Young Master Ryan! We’ve come at the Viscountess’s orders!”
“Young Master Ryan!”
The three of them shouted through the thick underbrush, voices echoing like lost pleas. The noise must have drawn every animal within miles; I heard branches snapping, feet pounding, but there was no time to waste.
[Team Leader, the sun is setting.]
Captain Nine, Squad C leader, stepped up beside me. The sky had already turned that deep twilight blue, and we both knew the darkness was coming fast.
1) Start camp.
2) Keep searching.
Here, in the real world of Looking for a Hero, we couldn’t wait. Games let you be late. Here, if we were late, the third son of the Viscount might already be dead meat.
I chose the second option.
[Understood, Team Leader.]
Nine gave a crisp salute and vanished back toward his squad.
The woods grew darker, visibility shrinking with every step. Then, somewhere ahead, I heard a small, frightened voice.
“Here… over here…”
A tiny figure crouched behind a bush, mud streaked across its face. A teenager, maybe. A student.
[Team Leader, we’ve found the young master.]
1) Camp.
2) Return to Rion Castle.
I picked the second option without hesitation. Staying in the forest any longer was a luxury we couldn’t afford.
I checked the minimap, plotted the fastest route, and started running.
AUUUUU!
AUUU!
Wolves howled all around us. Then their glowing red eyes appeared one by one in the deepening gloom.
[Damn it, Seolhwa, I need you to cover my back!]
[Got it!]
Seolhwa answered instantly, her voice steady even in the chaos. The wolves tightened the circle, sensing weakness in numbers. These weren’t the weak forest pups we’d faced before; these were the survivors who had spilled out of the territory after losing the inner battle.
“Hah… what now?”
One of us down and the whole operation collapsed. I didn’t want to fight. I didn’t have to. Not here, not against this many.
Then, far off in the distance, I saw firelight.
No way… territory soldiers looking for the young master?
[Seolhwa, take the young master and hide!]
[Yes!]
I passed Ryan to her, then ran to meet the approaching patrol. The wolves hit them before we even linked up. A hundred or so soldiers, armored and disciplined, met the pack head-on. We fought as one.
When it was over, the patrol commander approached, visor up.
[Haven’t seen a sixteen-year-old boy around here, have you?]
1) Yes.
2) No.
I chose the second without a second thought. This mission was about finding Ryan first and bringing him to Rion Castle. Telling them would only complicate things.
[I see. Stay dispersed.]
The commander gave the order and rode off. We slipped away from the main force and rejoined Seolhwa and Ryan in the rear.
[Let’s head for Rion Castle.]
[Yes!]
. . .
Rion Castle loomed on the horizon like a broken crown. We slipped into the narrow alley where Captain Grape was waiting.
[I knew you’d make it. Let’s go see the Viscountess together.]
We moved through back streets, keeping to the shadows. The moment we crossed the threshold of her residence, the screen shifted into an event cutscene.
[Thank you, Captain Grape. And you must be Cain.]
[Good evening. I am Cain.]
Even though I hadn’t given any input, the character responded automatically. The game filled in the rest.
[The Rion Viscounty is in turmoil over the succession. The late viscount had three sons: the eldest Cron, the second Kses, and his own son, the third, Ryan.]
The Viscountess paused, drawing out the words.
[What I am about to tell you must remain secret, Cain…]
Then the story hit like a hammer. The viscount was dead. Officially, he had named Ryan as his successor on his deathbed. But the two older sons had conspired, left Ryan to die in the deep forest, and now they wanted the title.
Captain Grape stepped in after her long explanation.
[The Viscountess hired the Green Grape Mercenary Corps. I accepted the contract. We will do everything in our power to ensure the young master inherits the territory.]
[Understood, Captain Grape.]
I muttered under my breath.
…This is going to be a complete mess.
Power struggles weren’t my style, and I definitely didn’t want the risk. I’d rather keep the job quiet and safe, level up, and survive.
Unlike the old games, here death was permanent. One wrong move and the character was deleted.
The Viscountess approached and handed me a sealed letter.
[I know you have a good reputation, Cain. Please deliver this letter to the village leaders in each settlement.]
Mercenary Mission: Deliver letters to each village head.
• Sirio Village
• Sian Village
• Lios Village
•…
(120 hours remaining until completion)
Objective: Return to Rion Castle after delivering the letters.
The event cutscene ended. The game screen returned, and I found myself outside the castle walls again, Grape beside me.
[When you deliver the letters, the villages will send reinforcements. Lead them to the castle at the appointed time.]
Grape gave his final instructions and left.
[Seolhwa, we need to move quickly.]
[Yes!]
We bought thirty horses and rode out with the mercenaries toward Rion Castle. The villages were spread out; time was tight.
. .
Sirio Village.
[Is that you, Cain? Thanks to you, the wolves and bears haven’t touched us.]
The village head handed over the letter with a grateful nod.
[I understand. I’ll gather the young men.]
Sian Village. Lios Village. Ruin Village. The others. We moved from settlement to settlement, delivering the letters and gathering whatever strength we could.
When we returned to Sirio, three hundred young men waited in the square, each with different equipment—some in proper armor, others in simple clothes.
[Seolhwa, buy the cheapest defensive gear you can find and equip them.]
[Yes!]
I didn’t have much money, but I emptied every coin I owned to outfit them as best as possible. No one was going to die in rags.
While Seolhwa was buying, more young men poured into the village from the surrounding settlements.
We handed out the armor and told them the mission details.
Mission update: Deliver letters to village heads.
• Sirio Village
• Sian Village
• Lios Village
•…
(7 hours remaining until completion)
We set off with fifteen hundred gathered youths and three full mercenary squads. Time was razor-thin. If the students hadn’t been on break, this mission would have been impossible.
[Seolhwa, if things go south, run.]
[Understood…]
Survival first. Always.
We reached the outskirts of Rion Castle with the one thousand five hundred villagers and the three squads. The commander ordered everyone to rest.
[All rest. We move in one hour.]
I checked the remaining time—only ninety minutes left.
Even during rest, the mood was heavy. They all knew why they were here.
The succession war.
Hah…
I had no choice but to stand with the third son’s side, but it didn’t sit right. The viscount had three sons: Cron, forty-five; Kses, forty-one; and Ryan, sixteen.
If only he’d passed it to the eldest… none of this would have happened.
In history, skipping the eldest son often sparked civil war. The game was no different.
[Team Leader, departure time.]
1) Move out.
2) Wait.
I checked the countdown and chose the first option.
Minutes later, the burning walls of Rion Castle came into view.
[Rion Castle…]
[Ah…]
The villagers behind us murmured in sorrow as they saw the flames.
At the edge of our planned approach, the mission updated.
Mercenary Mission: Enter the South Gate of Rion Castle.
Objective: All units charge through the South Gate.
The gate opened before we even reached it. Inside, the mission refreshed again.
Mercenary Mission: Proceed to the Lord’s Castle and assist the third prince, Ryan.
Objective: All units advance to the Lord’s Castle.
The streets were chaos. Soldiers and mercenaries fought side by side, each for their own employer. I led the gathered youths to the enemy flank.
I swung my shield into a general’s face, inflicting Stun, then drove my sword through his throat.
[KRRRAK!]
Experience points. The first time I’d killed a person and received them. In normal games, NPCs or users meant prison or execution. Here, because it was war, the system allowed it.
The enemy flank collapsed under our combined assault. The youths may have been weaker individually, but the surprise attack and flanking maneuver gave us the edge.
[Damn it! Where are you attacking from!]
A knight in full plate armor charged toward us. I raised my shield.
BOOM!
-[30+] HP
Even with the shield, the critical damage was brutal. I was stunned for the next few seconds.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
Seolhwa rushed in and took on the knight. She was strong, but not strong enough. Every clash with her blade left her stunned. Her DNA trait let her recover quickly, but it wasn’t enough to win.
CRACK!
Even without the status, she couldn’t overcome him. I stepped in front of her, shield raised.
BOOM!
[Damn it. Another stun!]
Three Squad mercenaries charged the knight. CLANG! CLANG! CRACK!
Most of the twenty-eight men fell in one stroke. Only a handful remained.
Then allied knights arrived to help.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
The two sides dueled. While they fought, we moved the injured mercenaries to the rear.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
The duel grew fiercer. Blue aura began to glow around the knights’ blades.
Intermediate knight with aura… this is bad.
[Seolhwa, avoid the knight at all costs. Focus on the normal soldiers.]
[Yes!]
We kept our distance from the knight and mowed down the ordinary troops. Experience poured in.
[Experience gained.]
More than goblins. I smiled grimly.
The war was only just beginning, and we were already winning the small battles. But the big one—the one that decided the fate of the entire territory—was still ahead.