Global Survival Debut
The next day, after finishing breakfast prepared by Park Se-ah, Yoo Taejeong stepped outside to find the training ground. He wanted to test out the skills he'd acquired before diving into real combat.
Fortunately, the training ground in his sector wasn't far away.
"That round building over there, right?"
Taejeong spotted the image Park Se-ah had shown him and started crossing the road, only to notice a massive crowd gathered in the plaza.
What the hell? Why are there so many people?
There had to be at least a few hundred hunters, all checking their gear. Were they heading out for some massive raid? Curiosity piqued, he put off his plans and headed toward the plaza.
"Alright, everyone! Let's give it our all!"
"This time, I'm definitely making the rankings."
"Don't wipe out right away."
"See you on the other side!"
As voices brimmed with determination, the crowd began to thin out.
How much time passed like that? With most people gone, something came into view up ahead that hadn't been visible before.
"A gate?"
People were pouring into the gate one after another. Watching them, Taejeong grabbed a hunter from the back of the line and asked,
"Excuse me, where does this gate connect to?"
"Pardon?"
"I'm pretty new to the guild."
"Oh, right. There's Global Survival today. Everyone's heading in to participate."
"Global Survival?"
"It's where hunters from all over the world compete in rankings."
The woman's explanation sparked even more curiosity in Taejeong.
"Oh, really? What's the difficulty like?"
"Hmm... It's not really fixed. Monsters scale to your level. It gets tougher as stages progress, of course. Give it a shot—there's a return skill, so you can bail if it gets too rough."
"Rankings mean there are rewards, right?"
"Yeah. Top ranks get on the Hall of Fame for a period, and guild buffs based on position. Ah, it's closing soon. Gotta go!"
With that, the woman vanished into the gate.
"Global Survival, huh, Gerard."
Yes, Master.
"What do you think? Should I check it out?"
I respect whatever choice you make, Master.
"Any info on it?"
No data exists, as it's not classified as a dungeon.
"I see."
He couldn't verify if the woman's words were true, but all those hunters had entered without hesitation. That meant...
"It's worth a shot."
Taejeong checked his remaining potions and strode confidently into the gate.
At the same moment, the scenery shifted, revealing a vast white void.
Welcome to Global Survival.
Registering your participation nickname.
Please state your nickname.
"What? They've got all sorts of stuff here."
Nickname registered.
Nickname: WhatIsAllThisStuff
"Huh?"
His casual mutter had been registered as-is, leaving Taejeong staring at the message window in disbelief.
But the nickname screen had already passed, replaced by another.
You can set your affiliation to private.
If private, it cannot be viewed except by guild members.
Set to private? yes/no
"No need to advertise. Make it private."
Guild name set to private.
Teleporting to your level bracket's stage shortly.
Good luck, WhatIsAllThisStuff.
The final message faded as the scenery warped once more.
He arrived in a vast stone chamber.
"Kinda like a labyrinth?"
It resembled the maze from the Recall dungeon he'd cleared recently. The difference? No exits in sight anywhere. A perfectly sealed space.
As Taejeong looked around in wonder, a translucent window appeared in his upper left.
"Just kill 300? But where do the monsters come from?"
No magic circles or portals in sight. Just intricately carved stone walls, floors, and four massive pillars supporting the ceiling.
Unable to figure it out, Taejeong armed up and waited.
"Time to finally try this out. Let's start with this."
He activated the Protector Armor, an upgraded version of his suit. A flash of light enveloped him, and in an instant, a massive mechanical frame covered his body—steel frames on his arms, back, and legs, each several meters long.
"Whoa. What is this?"
Amazed by the sheer scale, he flexed his arms and legs. The joints moved with impossible freedom, feeling as natural as his own limbs.
"This is insane. It's a robot!"
Still marveling, he began summoning his remaining skills one by one.
First came the rocket launcher he hadn't used in Recall, mounting proudly on his right arm frame.
Next, an M61 Super Vulcan cannon on his right hand upper frame, followed by a massive pipe-like radiation cannon protruding from the front.
Disc-shaped radar domes appeared on his chest, and massive expandable 8-nozzle boosters formed at his back's base.
"What... the hell is all this?"
Taejeong could hardly believe his eyes. A gigantic frame loaded with gigantic weapons and gear. Height alone was over 4 meters by eye. The base frame dwarfed mid-sized monsters, yet it felt as comfortable as clothing, with no awkwardness in movement.
"Damn... this has to be hunter gear, right?"
Gawking in awe, he noticed two separate translucent displays in his upper left and right fields of view.
"That's the radar, and that's the booster gauge?"
Having grasped the basics, Taejeong called Gerard to learn the controls.
"How do I use the booster?"
Look at the lever on your left thigh frame. Push it all the way down to activate; pull back to deactivate.
Following the instructions, Taejeong shoved the left lever down.
Turbo Booster activated.
Booster entering idle mode.
Consuming 20 mana per second.
"Good. Next?"
Switch to multi-combat mode. Activation phrase: "Multi-combat mode change."
"Multi-combat mode change?"
As Taejeong recited it, the restraining frames detached, and a cockpit rose to the center. His posture shifted from standing to seated, lowering the height but widening the structure.
"What's this now? Arms are gone—how do I move?"
You'll see the controls in front.
"Ah, so in this mode, I use these?"
True to Gerard's word, what looked like airplane controls came into view: a joystick, levers, buttons galore. Complex at first glance, but labels made it straightforward.
"This is throttle. This is mobility. Brake here. Reverse thrust—what's that?"
Better to do than read a hundred times—Taejeong tested each control, probing the mech's performance. Luckily, it wasn't hard. No steering wheel or wheels, but otherwise like driving a car.
"Feels like I can maneuver like this. Weapons with these. But Gerard."
Yes, Master.
"What was that earlier mode? Robot mode?"
That was special operations mode. Think of it as optimized for close combat.
"Yeah? Doesn't feel much different besides movement."
There are pros and cons. Special ops uses your body directly for unmatched reaction speed compared to joystick control. Superior in turns and evasion. Plus, free hands and feet allow melee. Ideal for one-on-one powerhouses.
Downsides: poorer booster efficiency and equipment limits versus multi-combat.
"So, special ops for fast-reaction foes up close, multi-combat for monster swarms? Got it."
Taejeong saw the logic. Speed and reaction time were different beasts. Having both modes was a huge plus—pick per situation.
"Anyway, when does this start? Dying to test the weapons."
The mech's visuals were overwhelming; the firepower had to match.
How long did he wait? Just as boredom set in, a welcome voice echoed.
Global Survival starts in 60 seconds.
Time limit: 10 minutes.
59... 58... 57...
The final countdown began. Taejeong scanned his surroundings with tense eyes.
Come on out. I'll turn whatever it is into Swiss cheese.
As the count neared zero—
Beep! Beep beep!
Life signs detected 30m ahead.
Detected objects: 15
17
21
39
The radar blared just as a dark portal ripped open ahead. Monsters poured out in droves, numbers exploding exponentially until hundreds packed densely.
Detected objects: 300
Exactly 300. And Taejeong knew them well: hulking brutes with horns beside oversized heads on puny legs. Ogres.
"They say it takes three generations of good karma to face them, and it's this common trash?"
He couldn't help chuckling at the absurdity. Just days ago, they'd been hyped as mountain guardians. At least it eased his worries—these were ogres he could stomp barefooted, exaggerated or not. And this many meant a haul of pricey horns.
Sizing them up, Taejeong aimed his Super Vulcan cannon.
"Alright, let's wreck 'em."