The First Major Update
I shut down the computer and tidied up the club room.
“Wow! Dowoon!”
Na-eun called out in surprise.
“Why?”
“The Inhyungulsa hyung’s there.”
“Yeah.”
“He’s over level 110!”
Our levels are still at 104.
We fell behind the gap after he left.
We haven’t fought much because Yang Army’s been watching and holding back.
No battles mean no experience gain.
Plus…
“Na-eun, Inhyungulsa hyung is different from us. He hunts twenty-four hours a day.”
“Yeah… but….”
Inhyungulsa hyung, as a Necromancer, can hunt even while sleeping if he just keeps the game running.
With level 100+, he’s safe at the entrance to Apse Mountain Range.
“Na-eun, we’re growing fast too. Don’t worry.”
“Yeah…”
Kim Sujin-sensei approached and draped an arm over Na-eun and me.
“You two know time for midterms is almost here, right?”
“Huh?”
“Ah…”
Midterms had crept up on us while we buried ourselves in the game.
Sensei guided us over to Eunhye, who was still cleaning the club room.
“Eunhye.”
“Yes….”
“You were in the top 19% last midterm, right?”
“I… 19%…”
19%.
A razor-thin margin.
Forest High School extends class time based on scores.
1) 4th period (top 20%) 2) 6th period (top 40%) 3) 8th period (top 60%) 4) Everything else is study-club mandatory
To keep gaming hours, hitting the top 20% was critical.
“What about Na-eun?”
“I’m… 9%…”
“Doun?”
“I’m 1%.”
I was safely in the middle, and Na-eun only needed to study enough for last midterm.
But Eunhye was the problem.
Top 19%…
One slip in the final and she’d be forced into 6th period the whole semester.
That was impossible.
All second semester of first year in 6th period…
If Seolhwa logged in late, the whole party would be late to everything.
“Sensei, please.”
I looked at Sensei with his arm still around me.
“Don’t worry.”
Sensei was trustworthy.
He was a genius.
He knew every high-school subject perfectly.
Better than the subject teachers, even.
“Then Na-eun and Eunhye, I’ll teach. What about you, Dowoon?”
“I’ll… game… ugh.”
Sensei squeezed my shoulder harder, turning the arm hold into a headlock.
“Doun. Go outside and exercise. No more just gaming.”
“What exercise… ugh.”
I tried prying his arms off with both hands, but he didn’t budge.
He tightened them even more.
“No exercise means you can’t do this either. While Na-eun and Eunhye study, you exercise and come back.”
“Uh… yeah…”
Only then could I escape the headlock.
“Sensei, but I need to know the game situation…”
“Ask someone else.”
“Ask?”
Sensei looked surprised at my question.
“You don’t have gaming friends? When war looks likely, just call on your phone.”
“Yeah…”
A face popped up instantly.
Blood Demon.
He played more than me and ran his own guild.
He’d know at the first sign of war.
“Okay. I’ll ask someone else.”
“Alright. Then starting tomorrow, midterm prep begins~”
“Yeah.”
“Yeah. Sensei.”
“Yeah…”
I answered and told Blood Demon to ping me the second war looked imminent.
He agreed without hesitation.
It felt like he was happy I’d asked for help.
Eunhye and Na-eun were already in the club room studying under Sensei’s guidance.
I joined the group too.
But Sensei pushed me out the door.
“Doun, you don’t have to study. Go outside and exercise.”
“Se-Sensei?”
No need to study.
Even as club advisor, this was weird.
It didn’t fit a Korean teacher at all.
Korean teachers say “study harder” no matter how well you do…
I tried toughing it out for a bit but gave up fast.
Sensei’s strength was overwhelming.
How did he get so strong from that frail-looking body…
I had no choice but to head outside.
Even though first semester was ending, the schoolyard felt like a foreign place.
I’d spent most time in the classroom or club room.
As summer crept closer, I walked the grounds under the warming sunlight.
Forest High was huge, like a university campus.
Inside there were walking paths, tennis courts, basketball courts, soccer fields, and even a swimming pool.
“Isn’t that him?”
“Yeah… the one who was bullied in middle school?”
“School was noisy lately. They say it’s because of him.”
Halfway across the yard, their voices drifted over.
They glanced at me while talking.
Lee Hanmin had turned into a famous figure after exposing my middle-school life on the anonymous board.
I kept walking as if I hadn’t heard.
The whispers were familiar.
Just like back in high school before I regressed.
Even when I didn’t spread rumors, the story had already spread.
Back then I’d chosen a nearby high school, so people who knew me from middle school were still around.
“Pass! Pass!”
“Block the shot!”
Male students were playing soccer on the wide field.
Back then I’d envied the sight.
I wanted to play with friends.
Now I didn’t even have that wish.
I never really liked sports anyway, and I was content living this way—gaming and eating.
“Doun?”
“Eh? Su-min, hi.”
Su-min approached carrying a basketball.
“Why are you here at this hour? Club?”
“Ah… I’m just taking it easy today.”
“Then let’s play together.”
“I’m a bit…”
“It’s fine. Come on.”
Su-min was a good guy.
He’d treated me exactly the same even after learning I’d been bullied.
Unlike most students who avoided me, thinking being friends would lower their own status.
As a bully’s friend.
“Doun, don’t let Hanmin’s nonsense get to you. The harder the time, the more you should exercise and stay active!”
I wasn’t really affected.
It felt exactly like high school.
I’d gotten used to it and didn’t care what people thought; I just did my thing.
Maybe it just looked different to others.
When ordinary students get bullied, they’re supposed to feel crushed…
Especially after everyone learned my past—the one I wanted to hide.
I followed Su-min to the indoor basketball court.
A small hope had flickered in me.
Back in the day… a quiet wish to play sports with friends.
“Will it be okay? My name’s on the rumor mill.”
“It’s fine. After we sweat together, we’ll become close in no time.”
Just as I feared, the students’ faces were cold at first.
The only bright spot: no one refused to play basketball because of me and walked out of the indoor court.
We divided sides and started the game.
I’d regressed, but I couldn’t play basketball.
In thirty-five years of life, I’d only played basketball a few times at most.
“Doun, pass!”
I ran the court passing only.
Never once took a shot.
Still, it was fun.
Sweat felt good.
“Ha. Ha.”
“Doun, next time you shoot.”
“Ha. Ha.”
I could barely answer, so I just nodded.
I sprinted to the opposite court and launched a two-pointer at the basket.
Swish.
As expected, it was nothing but net.
The bright side was the ball actually hit the rim.
“Good shot.”
“Nice one.”
My teammates all high-fived with backs to the court.
Why? I hadn’t even scored.
I still didn’t know why they clapped.
The shot wasn’t even good, and it wasn’t a nice shot at all.
Yet they kept saying it was good and high-fived me.
Su-min even high-fived me after.
In the end, I didn’t score a single point the whole game.
“Ha. Ha.”
The moment the final whistle blew, I collapsed onto the court.
My heart hammered to pump blood through every inch of me.
The pounding was so loud I could hear it inside my ears.
Blood raced from fingertips to toes, reminding me I was alive.
“Doun, how was it?”
Su-min handed me a water bottle.
“It was good. Really fun.”
It had been fun.
I’d never known exercise could feel this good.
I didn’t know this feeling existed in my previous life either.
Sweat washed away worry and stress.
The students who had avoided me moments ago now sat right beside me during the break.
I didn’t feel distant from them at all.
They felt the same as me.
After the break, a couple of them stood up.
“I’ll go study.”
“Yeah, I’m getting up early too today.”
Everyone headed to midterm prep and only Su-min and I stayed in the indoor court.
“Su-min, aren’t you leaving?”
“I’ll practice just a little longer…”
“Got it…”
“What about you? Stay a bit longer?”
“I’m fine.”
Hitting the top 20% was all that mattered.
I had no goal of entering a prestigious university like the others.
I didn’t even care about college in general.
“You’re so smart, you’ll score even higher if you don’t get cocky.”
“Eh? I didn’t mean it like that.”
The word “fine” sounded like “you’ll get good grades without studying.”
“Jokes. If you’ve got time, practice basketball with me.”
“Sure.”
Walking the yard listening to whispers was better than practicing basketball.
“I’ll teach you layups first.”
“Layups?”
“Yeah, basic shooting.”
Su-min stepped slowly, explaining the motion.
“Feel like you’re just placing the ball gently and letting it go.”
“Got it.”
Swish.
It was terrible.
I copied the steps perfectly, but the ball bounced off the backboard and flew farther than expected.
“You have to slow down at the end. Last step, jump up.”
“Okay.”
We practiced until sunset.
I kept shooting layups and Su-min worked on shots and dribbling from the opposite end.
Layups really were the basic motion.
Even a complete beginner like me hit over 50%.
“Doun, let’s shower and eat.”
“Yeah.”
After showering, we headed to the school cafeteria.
Students who’d played soccer with us were already seated.
I grabbed food with Su-min and joined them.
The students who had avoided me at first now felt no discomfort.
We’d become emotionally close through shared exercise.
But…
“Hey, isn’t that the guy?”
“Who?”
“The one with the basketball club kids.”
Even with their voices and glances ignored, a few sentences reached me.
Party notice: Major update incoming. All members receive full level 110 synchronization. Inhyungulsa hyung is now the party’s main DPS.
Party Experience Bonus +10%
◈ +15 Strength
◈ +10 Agility
The first major update was complete.
The entire party had leveled up together.
Inhyungulsa hyung’s shadow rose as the new main DPS.
The path to the next war was already visible on the horizon.
And I, Lee Dowoon, was ready.