Chapter 3
Chapter 3
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 3
Chapter Title: A Rotten Start
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Chapter 003.
The artificial intelligence had clearly stated it would recommend a region based on the user's disposition.
Lee Shin read the description of the Eteun Kingdom one more time.
[Corrupt nobles...]
‘...Tsk.’
That wasn't going to change the description.
He had read it correctly the first time.
‘A good match for me?’
It felt like a subtle jab, which was unsettling, but it wasn't as if he couldn't understand it at all.
After all, the psychiatrist Jeong Hui-seon had played a huge role in him growing up to be a functional person.
Without her, he would have turned out very different.
He didn't have to look far; he could tell just from what those around him said.
‘You used to say some really creepy things sometimes.’
That was what his older sister, Lee Si-eun, had said about him when he was a child.
She said that, lacking a filter, he would often make extraordinary remarks.
In truth, only his outward behavior had changed; his inner self remained largely the same.
In other words, the AI's judgment was, in a way, accurate.
Lee Shin was more likely to get along with the NPCs of a kingdom like this than those of a normal one.
Lee Shin, smacking his lips, brought up his status window.
“Status window.”
[Lee Shin]
• Level: 1
• Class: None
• Strength: 10 • Agility: 10
• Stamina: 10 • Wisdom: 10
• Remaining Stat Points: 0
Just as he had researched beforehand, the status window was identical to the one in Avala Online 1.
Since the stat composition was the same, he could distribute his stats for class advancement in the same way.
‘That’s enough checking for now…’
Finished with his inspection, Lee Shin clenched and unclenched his fists a few times.
His senses felt sharper overall, but he had no trouble adjusting.
Having gotten the gist of it, Lee Shin looked around.
A quest immediately appeared.
[Proceed with the tutorial.]
Ding.
<Help for a Novice Adventurer>
A novice adventurer needs help.
Go to the Adventurer's Guild and ask for assistance. The guild receptionist will provide you, a novice adventurer, with useful information.
• Reward: Experience, 100 Gold
After a quick glance, Lee Shin closed the tutorial window.
This tutorial was designed for users unfamiliar with virtual reality games.
So, for someone like Lee Shin, who was already accustomed to the movement and had plenty of gaming experience, there was no need to do it.
Of course, considering the experience reward, it was generally better to complete it, but this time was different.
The reason was the system message in the upper right of his vision.
[Your level is very low.]
[The blessing of Proias, the Goddess of Balance, is upon you.]
[Experience Boost: +445%]
[Drop Rate Boost: -445%]
‘This makes field hunting much faster.’
Besides, the basic equipment needed for hunting was already in his inventory.
His control and fundamental knowledge were more than sufficient, thanks to his experience with Avala Online 1.
He would focus on leveling up first and worry about his class later.
Lee Shin quickly formed a plan and headed straight for the fields.
But his steps soon came to a halt.
“...Hmm.”
He realized he was in the middle of a city.
The area was bustling with NPCs, and though shabby, he could see facilities like a general store and a blacksmith.
It wasn't the kind of environment where one would find monsters.
After looking around for a moment, Lee Shin shook his head.
‘I have no idea.’
The region was completely different from where he had originally planned to go, so he had almost no information.
But Lee Shin wasn't particularly worried about it.
This sort of thing happened often.
Lee Shin was the type to always make plans, but they often went off track midway.
There was no particular reason for it; he just felt like it.
If he wanted to do something, he did it!
If Lee Shin's methodical side was a product of his upbringing, his spontaneous and impulsive side was his true nature.
It wasn't strange for his true nature to peek through from time to time.
‘It’ll work out somehow.’
So, what was done was done.
Lee Shin decided to take it easy.
“Excuse me.”
“Hm?”
Lee Shin stopped a random NPC nearby and asked.
How to go about leveling up.
[Affinity is low.]
“...Well, I suppose it’ll go up if you catch a few petty thieves?”
“...?”
But the sharp-featured NPC gave a vague answer, brushed off the shoulder Lee Shin had touched, and walked away.
A look of confusion appeared on Lee Shin’s face at the unexpected answer.
‘What the?’
He expected to be told about a field, but instead was told to catch thieves?
There were indeed figures skulking around the city who looked like thieves, but...
‘Is it okay to kill them?’
Normally, killing people raises your infamy.
It was the same whether it was a regular NPC like a shopkeeper or a humanoid mob like a thief.
Having killed countless users and NPCs, Lee Shin knew this for a fact.
There were differences in degree, but if a person killed another person, their infamy would invariably rise.
The exceptions were when one had a related quest, held a special title like ‘Lord’s Guard Captain,’ or belonged to a specific religious order.
But what bothered him was that an NPC in a starting town had said it.
NPCs in starting towns like this generally didn't say things that would harm the player.
Which meant...
‘Something must have changed while I was away.’
Lee Shin came to his own conclusion.
Then, he drew his weapon.
[Worn Iron Sword]
• Durability: 100/100
• Attack Power: 10
Lee Shin left the bustling square and slipped into a dark alley.
After finding a suitable target, he stealthily followed behind it.
‘...’
Incredibly stealthy movements!
The movements of a former top-tier ranker, remembered by his very body.
Thanks to this, the target failed to notice him tailing it and allowed him to get right up close.
Thwack!
Lee Shin made his move.
His level was low and his gear was trash, but his opponent was just a starting town mob.
It was more than manageable.
Shk!!
Lee Shin’s sword pierced the target’s neck.
[A critical hit has landed!]
A critical hit, triggered by an attack aimed precisely at a vital spot!
It was possible without the aid of any skills, all because his body remembered perfectly.
“...Kugh!?”
The thief screamed.
The voice and reaction were so vivid it was hard to believe it was an AI—one of the characteristics of humanoid mobs.
Because of this, some players often felt a sense of repulsion when killing such humanoid mobs.
But...
Slap.
“Who— Mph!?”
Not for Lee Shin.
Lee Shin clamped a hand over the target’s mouth and slammed him against the wall.
Bam!
Then, he repeatedly stabbed the subdued target in the abdomen.
[A critical hit has landed!]
[A critical hit has landed!]
[A critical hit has...]
“Mmmph!?!”
Critical hits landed one after another as the thief took the blows, unable to even resist!
The thief turned to gray ash and vanished.
[Experience acquired.]
[You have leveled up.]
‘As expected.’
Just as he thought, the thief wasn't strong enough to pose a threat to his level 1 stats.
Satisfied by the familiar feel of the kill, Lee Shin clenched and unclenched his fist.
...But the messages didn't end there.
[You have committed murder within the city!]
“!?”
[You have engaged in your first battle against a person!]
[You have acquired the title, .]
[Your infamy has greatly increased.]
A sudden stream of messages appeared!
In the bewildering situation, Lee Shin’s head snapped around.
Why is this happening?
He had killed a person, sure, but...
He had only done it because he had a reason to believe it was fine.
‘Wait, he told me to catch thieves…?!’
And an NPC in a starting town, no less.
That's why he'd let it slide, even though something felt off...
He felt like he'd been smacked on the back of the head.
But the message that followed threw Lee Shin into even greater confusion.
[The city's public security is extremely low.]
[The guards will not pursue you.]
“???”
At this point, Lee Shin realized something was very wrong.
It was a relief, he supposed, but someone had been killed and no wanted order was issued?
No matter how he thought about it, this was no city for a beginner to start in.
Maybe for a bored veteran, but not a newbie.
‘Uh...?’
* * *
[New user here, started in the Eteun Kingdom. What kind of place is this?]
A post on the official Avala Online community forums.
Numerous replies were posted below, and the consensus was this:
The Eteun Kingdom was originally a major power in the western part of the continent.
But at some point, it failed to stop corrupt nobles from gaining power, and the kingdom's situation began to deteriorate.
Now, it was in a state of decline, lacking in every aspect, including its economy, military, culture, and public security.
The result was its nickname: ‘The Kingdom Where You Gain Infamy Just by Breathing.’
Apparently, no matter what you did, it ended up being related to crime or rebellion.
‘...Makes sense.’
Lee Shin found himself nodding.
Indeed, with the kingdom in this state, normal gameplay would be impossible.
Hadn't his own infamy risen unintentionally right from the start?
-If you started in Eteun, get out as fast as you can. I’m serious, this is for your own good.
└This is for real. Nothing good comes from staying there.
└What? It's a great place.
└It’s because of trolls like you that newbies...
After getting a general idea of what Eteun was like from public opinion, Lee Shin closed the community window.
The community's reaction was one of pity for a poor newbie, but Lee Shin, for his part, was quite satisfied.
“I’ve come to the right place.”
He liked the kingdom’s situation, which seemed to encourage Player Killing, and the fact that there were few other users.
His favorite kind of environment!
Lee Shin figured that even if he had started in another kingdom, he would have ended up in Eteun eventually.
Of course, it would have been better to come after the beginner stage, but it didn't really matter.
Thanks to the patch, the growth of low-level users was accelerated, so he could get through the early stages quickly anyway.
And as for the most important thing, his class.
After some research, he found that the classes primarily available in Eteun were melee dealers.
Among them, perhaps reflecting the kingdom's chaotic state, rogue-type classes were the most common.
And rogue-type classes were designed with a focus on PVP, right down to their skill sets.
Considering Lee Shin’s playstyle, it was the class that fit him best!
The only issue was the infamy he'd gained right from the start, but that too wasn't a big problem for Lee Shin.
His infamy would have risen later anyway, so having it rise a little earlier changed nothing.
As long as he could choose the right class and gain a lot of experience, it was fine.
‘First, I need to raise my level.’
Lee Shin began to wander the musty back alleys in search of thieves.
* * *
“Status window.”
[Lee Shin]
• Level: 19
• Class: None
• Strength: 50 • Agility: 150
• Stamina: 10 • Wisdom: 10
• Remaining Stat Points: 0
‘It really is fast.’
A level that was hard to believe he'd reached after only two hours of hunting.
This rapid growth was possible thanks to the massive 400-plus percent experience buff.
The title he'd obtained right at the start also provided a significant boost to his hunting.
When you succeed in a surprise attack, you will land a powerful critical hit.
As expected of a server-first title, it came with a rather useful effect.
It was effectively limited to the first attack, but even that wasn't bad.
Wham!
“Keuk?!”
[A powerful critical hit has landed!]
[The enemy is now confused!]
The powerful critical hit sent the thief into a stunned state.
Because his Strength stat was low, the stun duration was short, but it was enough to chain his next attack.
Lee Shin immediately grabbed the thief by the hair, slammed him against a wall, and plunged his sword into the defenseless abdomen.
“Eek...!”
Stab! Stab-stab!!!
[A critical hit has landed!]
[A critical hit has...]
Critical hits landed one after another as every blow struck a vital point!
An immense amount of damage was dealt in a split second.
This was partly due to Lee Shin's excellent movements, but his attack-focused stat build also played a big role.
Thanks to this, his stamina was low enough that he would die in just a few solid hits, but Lee Shin was confident he wouldn't get hit.
His opponents weren't boss monsters with complex patterns, after all.
With his skills, Lee Shin could figure out their patterns in an instant.
‘I can put points into Stamina later.’
Lee Shin used his high attack power to increase his hunting speed and grow rapidly.