Tutorial (1)
Memory corruption detected.
Attempting to restore damaged memory.
Warning. Memory restoration failed. Release security code.
A mechanical voice echoed in his ears. A splitting headache crashed over him. A pained groan escaped the lips of the young man collapsed on the ground.
The middle-aged man standing beside him approached with a worried expression.
"You okay?"
"Where... is this...?"
He slowly opened his eyes, clutching his head as he looked around.
It was a dense forest thick with towering trees. Around the spot where he'd woken lay a clearing about fifty meters wide, where over a hundred people huddled together like refugees, sitting in clusters. They scanned their surroundings with faces mixed with anxiety and bewilderment.
"Beats me where we are. I was heading home from work when this black void popped up out of nowhere and sucked me in. Woke up here."
The middle-aged man who'd spoken to him shrugged helplessly. He let out a deep sigh before continuing.
"Name's Kim Gil-su. What's yours?"
"My name?"
The young man trailed off at the question. A harsh static buzzed in his ears like a broken radio.
He gripped his head against the sudden migraine.
"My... name."
He tried to recall his own name, but nothing came. Not his name, not who he was, not how he'd ended up here—nothing.
The young man turned to the man who'd introduced himself as Kim Gil-su.
"I... can't remember my name."
"Ah..."
Gil-su let out a short exclamation of surprise.
He placed a hand on the young man's shoulder with a concerned look.
"Must be shock from suddenly ending up here messing with your memory. Don't worry too much about it."
His voice was gentle and reassuring. The young man nodded, his face clouded with confusion.
"No wallet or phone on you? Might give us some clues."
Gil-su eyed him up and down as he spoke.
In 2017, hardly anyone went without a wallet or phone—it made sense.
"...Nothing."
The young man stood and patted himself down, searching for anything that might identify him. But there was no wallet, no phone anywhere.
"Huh?"
Then he noticed something on the back of his left hand. A barcode-like string of characters spelled out "Yeong-sik."
"What's up?"
Gil-su tilted his head, asking the young man who was staring intently at his hand.
"There's a tattoo on my hand."
"Hmm... What does it say?"
Gil-su squinted, as if unable to read the markings.
The young man murmured softly.
"It says Yeong-sik."
"Oh, you can read it?"
"Yeah."
"Weird. Never seen script like that before."
Gil-su stared at the unfamiliar characters in amazement. After a moment, he smiled faintly.
"How about we call you Yeong-sik until your memory comes back? Keeps things simpler than 'you' all the time."
"Yeong-sik..."
The word felt strangely familiar. The young man nodded with a faint smile.
"Sure, Yeong-sik it is."
"Haha, got it."
Gil-su smiled in relief at how quickly Yeong-sik regained his composure. Yeong-sik glanced around at the others.
"Who are all these people? Friends of yours, Gil-su?"
"Nah, strangers to me too. Though... there's one you might recognize."
Gil-su pointed to a group on one side. A woman with waist-length black hair sat on a split log. Her cold expression did nothing to diminish her stunning beauty or figure. Quite a few men clustered around her, talking.
"Isn't that... model Seo A-ra?"
"Whoa, first time seeing her in person—she's gorgeous. Could you sign something?"
The men gawked at her like zoo animals, chattering away. She ignored them with a icy stare, lips firmly shut.
"As you can see, we've got one celebrity in the mix."
Gil-su nodded toward A-ra. She was famous enough that almost no one in Korea wouldn't know her.
"Yeah, definitely Seo A-ra."
Even Yeong-sik remembered her face. Gil-su chuckled warmly at his words.
"Haha. Lost your memory but not her? Guess she's that memorable."
Yeong-sik fell silent. As Gil-su said, he remembered her—but nothing about himself. It wasn't just her, either. He recalled Earth's cultures, Korea's history and all—but no piece about himself.
It felt like countless fragments of info floated in his mind, with the "self" piece alone missing.
"What about that young guy? Famous one."
Gil-su pointed to a lone figure deep in thought, apart from the crowd. He had the chiseled good looks of a sculpted statue.
Yeong-sik nodded, the info surfacing.
"Yeah. Cheon Tae-hwang. Kendo prodigy who shone from age eight. Swept world championships before twenty. 187 cm, 85 kg. Born August 1, 1993."
"...You into kendo?"
"Dunno. Just popped up."
Yeong-sik shrugged, puzzled himself.
"Haha. With recall like that, your memory'll be back soon enough."
Gil-su clapped his shoulder with his trademark kind smile.
That was when it happened.
Tutorial quest starting soon.
📍 Tutorial lasts 3 weeks. All surviving summoners will adapt and enter the mainland.
📍 Killing Orc Chieftain Kroll early ends it immediately.
"What the hell...?"
Murmurs rippled through the crowd. They stared in awe at the sudden blue message windows floating before them.
Unauthorized data interference detected.
Blocking interference at current stage.
A stiff mechanical voice sounded in Yeong-sik's ears. He frowned and spoke up.
"Data interference...?"
"What're you talking about?"
"Didn't you hear? Something about data interference."
"Nope, nothing like that."
Gil-su shook his head. Yeong-sik's expression darkened further. He had no idea what this voice only he could hear meant.
"Anyway, what's this tutorial crap? Not a game."
Gil-su eyed the message window with a wry look.
Then—
"Kyaaack!"
A bloodcurdling scream tore through the air. All eyes turned toward the sound.
Dozens of pig-faced monsters burst from the thick underbrush, charging at terrifying speed.
"Wh-what the hell?"
"Orcs? No way, actual orcs?"
Panic spread. They gawked blankly at the approaching orcs, minds uncomprehending.
No thought of fleeing had hit them yet.
"This some kinda game...?"
Slash!
"Kyaaack!"
A young man who'd wandered toward the orcs in curiosity had his head cleaved from his body by a sharp axe. Crimson blood sprayed from the stump.
"Snort! Snort!"
"Humans! Kill!"
The orcs bellowed with ragged breaths.
And the massacre began.
Slash!
"Agh!"
"Gurk!"
Every axe swing felled another person. They died without even thinking to fight back.
"S-save me!!"
"Aaaah! G-get off me, you bastard!"
Finally, they bolted in desperation toward the opposite treeline. Yeong-sik and Gil-su hardened their faces at the sight.
The crowd around A-ra scattered screaming. She got knocked down in the stampede—but no one stopped to help.
They fled into the forest to escape the sudden monsters.
"We should run too."
Yeong-sik's eyes sharpened as he said it. He didn't know the full situation, but staying meant certain death.
"Y-yeah, got it."
Gil-su, trembling at the orcs, nodded frantically.
Before turning, Yeong-sik glanced at A-ra on the ground. She stared at the orcs, face pale.
No time to worry.
His mind raced. This bloody scene felt eerily familiar.
Yeong-sik and Gil-su fled into the woods.
"Hah, hah."
After a while, Gil-su's breathing grew ragged.
"You okay?"
"I-I'm fine. But you... not even winded?"
Gil-su gaped at Yeong-sik, who hadn't broken a sweat despite the distance covered.
"Yeah. Don't feel tired at all."
"Heh."
Gil-su looked stunned. He scanned around.
The dense canopy hid the sky, giving the forest an eerie vibe.
"Seems we've shaken those monsters."
No sign of their pursuers. Gil-su slumped down, panting heavily.
"Hah, hah. Been years since I ran like that."
Yeong-sik kept watch while Gil-su caught his breath.
"Kyak!"
Crack!
A short scream and snapping branch rang out. They whipped toward the sound.
The fallen woman was Seo A-ra from before. She clutched her ankle on the ground—twisted it in a fall.
"You alright?"
Gil-su approached slowly. She eyed him warily before replying coldly.
"Yes. I'm fine—don't worry about it."
"How can I not? You're hurt."
Gil-su drew closer, concerned. Yeong-sik watched his back intently.
Then—a rustling in the bushes near Yeong-sik's ear.
"Hm...?"
He frowned and turned. From the thicket emerged one of the attacking monsters.
"Snort! Human! Found you!"
The orc raised its axe high and charged Gil-su.
Yeong-sik's face tightened.
"Watch out!"
He shouted and ran—but they were too far apart. Even at full speed, he'd be too late.
Gil-su saw the orc and braced, swinging his arms to block.
But bare hands against a sharp axe? No chance.
The blade arced down at his head. Yeong-sik thrust out his right arm toward Gil-su.
Then—
Danger detected.
Releasing maximum available security level.
Before Yeong-sik could process it, a deafening roar erupted as flames jetted from his right elbow like a thruster.
And his right arm launched from the elbow amid the blaze.
"Gruk?"
The orc halted its swing at the noise, turning to Yeong-sik.
Thwack!
"Grrruuk!"
The speeding fist smashed the orc's head clean off in a burst of impact. The headless body crumpled.
Thud.
Dark red blood gushed from the neck, soaking the bushes. The surreal sight left Yeong-sik speechless.
Then, static buzzed in his ear.
Weapon "Rocket Punch" deployed.
Yeong-sik stared blankly at his missing right arm.
What? Rocket Punch?