If This Were a Game, It'd Have Tanked from Rage-Quits Ages Ago

There was this long-ass ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠post on a community site by some anonymous player titled, "If this were a game, goddamn. It would've gotten buried in hate and crashed ages ago."

Think about it. You boot up a brand-new MMORPG. You've created your character. There's a status window and all. But bam! No matter how hard you squint, there's no 'Level' or 'EXP' UI anywhere.

Oh, and that post? It racked up insane views and upvotes in just five hours, hitting the HOT board. What does that tell you?

Skills? Check. Items? Check. Monsters to hunt? Plenty. But two things missing: EXP and levels. So you'd be like, "How the hell do you even grow your character? Is this some unfinished beta?"

It struck a chord with netizens everywhere.

But turns out, the system works like this. To level up your character, you hunt monsters or loot field items to boost stats. Or you grovel in front of your constellation sponsor, shaking maracas or whatever to beg for handouts. Or you roll the dice right at character creation for god-tier starting stats.

The post's final paragraph nailed the plight of countless players living today.

"Even shitty games aren't this shitty, right? But this dogshit, user-hostile system got slapped onto our reality? Ergo, reality is fucked." Perfect syllogism. So all us dirt-poor starting-stat scrubs should just get normal jobs and grind cash the old-fashioned way.

People sum up our post-cataclysm world as "a world turned into a game." But that's incomplete. Slap 'shitty' in front: 'A world turned into a shitty game.'

It's gotta be that kinda world... right?

"Oh... Mom..."

It was so shocking, some weird phrasing slipped out of my mouth.

Was I hallucinating? Doubting myself, I hurriedly pulled up my status window.

"Holy shit..."

This was real. No hallucination.

A level and EXP had actually been added to my stats!

I figured it'd just triple all my stats or something...

Why? Back in my first timeline, Oh Min-jun—the first beneficiary of the Growth skill—got that exact effect. So I assumed it'd be the same for me.

Effects vary per person, huh?

Too much happening at once; my brain was struggling to keep up. But one thing was crystal clear.

I'm way better off than ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Min-jun!

Triple all stats? Sure, great. Even decked out head-to-toe in S-rank gear, tripling is tough. But that's it. No more.

Me? Having EXP and levels means steady, endless growth.

No limits. Just grind EXP, level up, repeat—I'll keep climbing forever!

No begging constellations, no rare field items, no relying on talent lottery. Hunting monsters alone will boost my stats!

In short... "...Insane."

No, hold up. Don't get ahead of yourself. Uncertainties remain. Like, how much EXP per monster? Stats per level-up?

Gotta test in a dungeon first.

Too early for champagne. But...

Heh heh. Couldn't stop grinning.

Something good was happening. Gut feeling.

"B-Bro... you okay...?"

That's when Yoo Seong-su started backing away, voice trembling.

Oh crap. Grinning at thin air must've looked insane. Well, I was thrilled enough to lose it.

Instead of babbling excuses, I...

Grabbed him in a bear hug!

"Bro...?!"

Yoo Seong-su... no, Seong-su my man, you're the hero paving my flower road starting today.

"It's you and me, Seong-su."

"B-Bro, you really didn't lose it... right...?!"

...Gotta get a girlfriend soon, or Mom'll keep sending crap like this?

***

"You can make other players stronger."

Creepy hugs over, we hit a restaurant. As the mood mellowed, I dropped the real talk.

"As you know, player growth paths are super limited. Tons stagnate at the same spot."

"So my Growth skill..."

"Bingo. In this era, it's worth more than any treasure."

How much? "Play it right, and you could snag an S-rank label overnight."

"M-Me? S-rank...?"

Seong-su muttered blankly. No wonder. From barely E-rank scraping by, to S-rank on one skill? Beyond shocking—unbelievable.

But believable enough.

It happened, after all.

Targets of Seong-su's Growth get one of three effects:

1) 90% chance: +30% stats

2) 5% chance: Quest for possible Second Awakening

3) 0.5% chance: Instant Second Awakening

First-timers like me? 100% effect 3.

Once revealed, he shot to S-rank stardom.

Major guilds worldwide fought over him.

But... rough road ahead.

Kidnappings, threats nonstop. Hyenas sniffing for that sweet Growth juice. Seong-su suffered endlessly.

Can't let that happen.

He's lifetime-team material.

"So, Seong-su."

I cleared my throat. "Wanna join my team?"

"Team...? You mean the Black Lion Guild you're in?"

"Black Lion? Kinda, but more precisely a team. Not guild."

"You're a team lead already...?"

"Nah. Guild's small—no teams yet. But I'll make one."

My own squad. Long-planned.

Two years from now: Earth links to Pandemonium.

Nightmare fuel.

Giant iron gates rip open worldwide—portals to that demon hellhole. Flooded with Legions of Pandemonium.

World goes to shit. Apocalypse beyond extinction-level.

Even without poison fog, I'd have died soon anyway.

S-ranks flailing. F-rank me? Chum.

Solo won't cut it against that.

Hence, team-building. Powerhouses only.

Seong-su's candidate one.

Snap out of thoughts, I spoke. "Don't flaunt your power publicly. Hyenas will swarm."

"Y-Yeah..."

"But rotting it away's dumb. Work with me instead."

I eyed him seriously. "I'll help deploy it perfectly."

"......"

He hung his head, silent. Fair. Not snap-decision stuff.

I added bait. "Money? Don't sweat. I got pull in the guild. Your pay—I'll hook you up."

"...N-No! I wanna join!"

"Huh?"

Answer came fast. Wasn't this the dense Seong-su I knew? Why so cool? And why the gloomy face?

"I wanna... join. Money doesn't matter if it's with you, bro... You're the guy who saved my mom. You approaching me first like this... I'm happy. For real."

"Face says otherwise."

"W-Well... It's just, getting Mom's okay feels iffy..."

Ah. Dark mood explained.

I'd clashed with Chairman Lee over similar guardian drama. Felt that.

"I awakened a month before Mom collapsed...? She freaked."

"Diving naked into death zones, yeah..."

"Said she couldn't lose her last son after Dad..."

No, parents stopping kids is normal, right...? Mom's too hardcore.

Seong-su mumbled. "Can't commit firm yet... But I really wanna join! No cap!"

"Got it. Chill."

I know you like me 7948 times over—no need to flip the chair or grab my hand.

Sighed softly. "Not urgent anyway. Team's future talk. Just floated it over dinner."

"Then since you mentioned early... I'll start convincing Mom today!"

"...Sure, appreciate it. But don't push too hard?"

...Yeah, 7948 vibes. Plausible.

***

Talks done, feast devoured luxuriously, we parted with "see ya."

"Seong-su's heading home to convince Mom today—hope no drama..."

Mood like a general marching to war. Freshly discharged mom shouldn't stress. Regret spilling it?

"He'll handle it. Not brainless."

Who's worrying who? Focus on me.

Shook head, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠stepped into deserted lot.

Why? Mom just sponsored me.

Stared at the black rectangular card in my hand. Blank surface, no designs.

"Needed monsters to smack anyway."

EXP per kill? Stat gains per level? Second Awakening homework.

Mom knows best. But...

"Looks rare. Wallet okay?"

Right, massive God Coins post-clear. Reverse Dungeon MVP.

"Here works?"

Deserted lot for safety.

Thrust key forward.

Crackle! Key vanished; blue vortex sparked open.

Like the saintess workshop for Wanmul's Divine Beast recipe.

"Let's go."

Deep breath, stepped through.

Dank, murky otherworld air crushed me—

"Gasp!"

Me and Mom yelped at the dungeon's state.