Chapter 1
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 1
Chapter Title: Junior Mage
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Ten years ago, there was this RPG game called <Blackout> that was popular for a brief moment. For Lee Jung-jun, it was a game filled with all sorts of memories.
Back when he was swamped with college entrance exam prep.
Playing just one or two hours a day had been a huge comfort amid the pressure of studying for the exam.
Unfortunately, though.
The company went under due to financial troubles, and the game vanished into the realm of memories forever.
And yet.
"Remake crowdfunding, huh..."
That very <Blackout> was coming back to life. Through crowdfunding from the fans, no less.
"They say this is graphics from the development stage."
The video playing on his monitor boasted graphics so fluid it was hard to believe they were made with modern tech.
"How could I not support this?"
Now a full-fledged member of society, spending money on hobbies wasn't a big deal for him.
"How much should I pitch in? Wait, perks based on contribution amount..."
Usually, perks meant putting donors' names in the game as Easter eggs.
But <Blackout>'s developers had something unique in store.
"Pledge 100,000 won or more, and you get early access to some features from the upcoming DLC (game expansion)?"
It was a tempting carrot, enough to hook Lee Jung-jun.
100,000 won was nothing he couldn't spare.
"Alright. Let's do it."
A veteran player of the original game, Lee Jung-jun pledged without hesitation. His name ended up as the very first on the crowdfunding list.
Time seemed to flow faster the older you got.
Two years flew by, and <Blackout>'s developers successfully launched the game on schedule after a triumphant crowdfunding campaign.
Lee Jung-jun sat at his computer, heart pounding, and dove straight into character creation—where he hit a wall of deliberation.
"What kind of character should I roll this time?"
Back in school, time had been scarce.
So he'd optimized for pure efficiency, and his characters had all turned out top-tier.
'But that's no fun anymore.'
It felt like walking a predetermined path.
Games had been a joy just to play back then, but not anymore.
With the same old grind at work every day, he craved something new.
"How about a mage?"
Mage.
The class that wielded mysterious powers and boasted the most overwhelming firepower of all in <Blackout>.
'Other players' mages always looked so fun.'
But mages had a fatal flaw.
The class was structured so beginners couldn't even level it up properly.
"It guzzled resources like crazy early on, too."
Mages were expensive to gear, for starters.
In <Blackout>'s world, magic-infused 'artifacts' cost a fortune, and they were a mage's main equipment.
And that was just the beginning.
You burned through pricey mana potions nonstop early game, and you had to buy 'spellbooks' separately from skillbooks.
Those spellbooks? Absurdly expensive.
Plus, you needed to read books to boost knowledge and run research for spell proficiency...
'It all boils down to money.'
Gathering all those resources on your first playthrough? Impossible.
Past Lee Jung-jun had overlooked that and tried raising a mage with zero support. He'd tasted bitter defeat.
'Poured everything into spellbooks and couldn't afford potions.'
What happened next was predictable.
He kept wiping in dungeons, tanking his character's reputation. NPC companions ditched his party.
Forced into solo play.
And <Blackout> made solo play impossible by design.
'No NPC buddies, and you're stuck at gimmick phases.'
Eventually, progress ground to a halt. Teary-eyed, he'd switched characters.
"This time, though, I can make it work..."
He didn't want to rerun the easy classes like ten years ago.
Time was limited as a working adult.
He wanted every hour to count—fun, meaningful play.
"Eh, let's just try. Worst case, it's a learning experience."
If the character flopped, so be it. Valuable lesson.
With that resolve, Lee Jung-jun hovered his cursor and hit the mage creation button.
[Please assign your skills.]
"Skills, huh."
Skills were the core system in this game.
How you allocated them defined your class.
Total points: 50P.
"Magic... Spamming low-level spells early won't help. Not enough mana to cast them all."
Dredging up old memories, he recalled the must-haves.
"What matters is party contribution. Resources are king."
Before, he'd blindly maxed magic skills, ignoring that.
"Can't repeat that mistake."
It'd slow him down, but essential for long-term fun.
"Herbalism and Potion Brewing to save on resources. Bright Eyes helps a ton with in-dungeon mapping."
Lee Jung-jun's strategy: jack-of-all-trades build.
Not random picks, though.
Early mages had low mana and HP.
Mana skills seemed obvious, but...
'Mana skills are all half-measures that eat points.'
They guzzled points, but didn't boost regen.
Just more potion costs.
And the power boost? Meh.
'Barely a few extra casts.'
Better to ditch mana stats entirely.
"Plenty of in-game ways to raise mana anyway."
Hence, Herbalism and Potion Brewing.
Self-sustain pricey potions early, sell excess later for profit.
That'd carry him to mid-to-late game.
"Perfect. This'll do."
Sure, it'd be a grind, but for those upgraded graphics and dazzling spell shows? Worth it.
He confirmed character creation.
[Thank you, 'Lee Jung-jun,' for supporting the <Blackout> remake crowdfunding.]
"Oh yeah."
He'd forgotten about it.
The crowdfunding perk.
Two years ago—slipped his mind.
"Right, there was a perk."
[This game will feature DLC in the future. As a small thank-you for your crowdfunding support, we're introducing you to one of the DLC features: the Reincarnation System.]
Lee Jung-jun tilted his head at the screen.
"Reincarnation? No way..."
He'd seen similar systems in other games.
[The Reincarnation System lets you select one previous <Blackout> character you've played and transfer one of its skills to your current character.]
[Loading characters registered to 'Lee Jung-jun's' account...]
[Load complete. Please select a character to apply Reincarnation to.]
"Holy crap!"
He hadn't expected this as a perk.
The grin spread across his face at the surprise bonus.
"Pick one skill from these?"
Lee Jung-jun eyed his old characters.
A burly warrior bulging with muscle.
A sleek hunter equipped with bow and dagger.
And a scrawny mage draped in sackcloth.
"Hmm..."
He happily deliberated.
"Warrior could fix the mage's HP issues."
Notably low vitality.
Snag the warrior's top skill, [Immortal Body], and boom—a tanky mage hybrid.
But nah, not appealing.
"I picked mage 'cause I'm sick of warriors."
No point playing mage if he wanted warrior reruns.
"Hunter?"
Tempting.
Agile dodges, slicing foes—solid fun.
Its ace skill, [Dragon Hunter], was viable too.
Pair with gear enchant spells later? Ultimate ranged all-rounder with bow, dagger, and magic.
"Tch..."
As his mouse drifted to the hunter,
his eyes caught the puny mage.
Was it his imagination?
It felt like eye contact.
"Mage... hmm..."
That character held a special place—full of struggle and bittersweet memories.
Back then, community posts of mages had sparked wild dreams.
'I'm a vet; why chase their multi-run buffed builds?' Reckless, he'd gone unsupported.
It had its thrills overcoming hardship, but growth stalled out.
"Still, landing a 'Legendary' skill was pure joy."
Reputation in the gutter, no NPC party—forced solo.
Desperate to salvage, he'd sold all gear, grabbed staff and potions, and soloed a dungeon.
"Dived into that temple with just those."
Stumbled on a hidden piece, scored a Legendary skill: [Demon God Body].
'Mana is body'—the ultimate mage dream.
Ballooned mana pool to broken levels, boosted regen too.
A true hidden gem, unseen on forums. Kid Lee Jung-jun felt invincible.
Until the bug hit.
"That's when I learned devs could screw players that hard."
Right after getting [Demon God Body], errors popped, curse debuff applied. Character ruined.
"A 'mana impotence' curse on a mage? Ridiculous."
Couldn't use mana anymore. Kid him quit the mage cold.
"But that mage has the Legendary skill."
Mouse swung to the mage.
"Yeah, committing to mage anyway. All-in."
Better proven power over half-baked experiments.
"Still pisses me off thinking about it."
Never even used the prized skill before it all crashed.
Chance for payback.
Reincarnation set. Glorious graphics heralded successful creation.
"Time to live the flashy mage life."
Daydreaming epic spells, he watched the loading screen.
That was the last scene Lee Jung-jun saw as 'Lee Jung-jun'.
A year had passed since waking in the game world.
Swords and shields. Magic and monsters.
The battlefield roars brought heart-pounding thrills no screen could match.
Comrades' yells.
Nose-stinging smells in the air.
Nothing compared to living it.
And at the center,
Lee Jung-jun—no, Jun—imagined it.
His spells erupting amid monster hordes.
Mana surging from his heart, twisting reality to manifest fantasies.
Overwhelming power flooding like an ocean over the horizon, crashing down on foes...
"Jun, you bastard! Move your ass already!"
"That slow-ass cripple!"
"Hey! Potions low here! Where the hell's that Jun prick?!"
Reality hit like a sewer.
Jun bowed his head at the shouts.
"Fuck..."
A year in the game world.
Jun's class: junior mercenary mage.