Tutorial Second Playthrough (2)

After forming our contracts with the Goddess, we dubbed ourselves "heroes." We ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠could have been called players, contractors, users, or whatever else fit. But the Goddess kept pushing us to defeat the Demon King, rewarding us whenever we—from her perspective—fulfilled our heroic duties. That reward was Goddess Points.

I wanted to calmly consider how best to spend them, but there was no time.

"Hey, Yoo Si-woo!! Are you fucking insane?!"

"What the hell are you—ugh?!"

Kim Gwan-gyun, the overzealous class rep, grabbed my shoulder to yank me back. On instinct, I seized his wrist first and nearly snapped it.

"Gahhh!"

A sharp crack echoed briefly. My body had moved on autopilot, but I managed to regain control and stop myself. If I'd let it go, who knows what it might have done—honed by slaughtering all those demons. Ripped out his nape, maybe. Or bashed his skull. If I'd had a blade, I'd have stabbed through the back of his neck, angling it so the blood sprayed inside his body as much as possible.

"Arghhh!"

"H-Hyung!"

"Kyaa?!"

Screams erupted from all around. The stares aimed my way filled with terror and shock.

Well, shit. Screwed that up.

My first impression was etched in the worst possible way right from the start. But according to the plan I'd hashed out during regression—while dredging up those memories—this was actually good.

"Hey, Kim Gwan-gyun."

I didn't let go. Didn't ease up. If I did, he'd claim humiliation—in his mind, at least—and swing a fist the second I released him.

"Just accept it. We're dead. It'll make things easier."

"Wh-What the...?!"

"We're dead. That angel said a divine being's giving us a shot to keep living. No reason to refuse, right?"

"Th-This...!"

"What if it's a scam contract?"

While I kept twisting Kim Gwan-gyun's arm, a familiar face approached.

"You're...?"

"Business Admin, Kim Min-ji."

"...Ah, right. That was the name."

I remembered now. An acquaintance from before, but the first time seeing her since returning to school.

"But I've already signed the contract."

"That's why I'm asking about the contract..."

"Scam or soul trap, doesn't matter. Once it's signed, I follow through."

This wasn't for Kim Min-ji.

"Angel. What do I do from here?"

It was for our sector's angel. I didn't know if the Goddess was watching directly, but Estiel would report on me to her.

Estiel's gaze held no wariness or hostility toward me. If anything, she looked fondly at the guy who'd padded her performance metrics—like an insurance rep beaming at a mark who signed without a single question.

Can't risk her losing time if other contracts lag. ...I could guess her thoughts, but no need to probe and raise suspicions.

"Understood. Then."

I released Kim Gwan-gyun smoothly and put distance between me and the crowd.

"Sunbae, you okay?"

"Y-Yeah. Fuck, where'd that bastard learn...?"

His posse rushed to him, while those nearby edged away from me. For surviving the upcoming tutorial dungeon, this was the worst possible start—but only if we were doing team play.

Doesn't matter.

Other heroes' favorability had zero impact on my growth anyway. If it did, I'd have played nice like in the first round. But I knew better than anyone that it didn't.

A world where you didn't need to be kind to those outside your circle. Unlike modern Earth, this one demanded you stake your life—but that's exactly why you had to act selfishly.

Time to set the board while I wait.

Familiar faces. Fleeting ones. I'd tally them all to squeeze maximum points from this Tutorial Factory.

"Fuck, what the hell's with that guy...?"

"Right? He wasn't ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠like that before reenrolling."

Kim Gwan-gyun and his crew ground their teeth, glaring at Yoo Si-woo in the white space beyond—arms crossed, lost in thought, just waiting out the clock.

"Did he learn judo before coming back? Never heard that."

"Heard he worked at a convenience store. Judo or self-defense, maybe... but no way he could afford classes."

"Fuck, I know that. That body's clearly trained..."

Kim Gwan-gyun seethed, noting how Kim Min-ji from Business Admin and some freshman girls kept glancing at Yoo Si-woo. Just for stealing their attention? That alone pissed him off. Newbies at orientation—and even the military-dropout freshmen meeting Si-woo for the first time—had shown subtle interest. Fine, that was natural disaster territory.

The real issue? After that wrist incident, eyes that once lingered on Si-woo now shifted to him—and judged him lesser. Tarnished. A clear hierarchy drawn, regardless of class rep status or rich Seoul parents. All that remained was that Si-woo had "owned" him.

"We're really dead, aren't we...?"

"If memories aren't fucked. You locked eyes with me when the stairs collapsed, right?"

"Yeah. Ceiling caved right above you..."

"Looks like we're really dead. So... ha. Nothing but these bodies to work with?"

As they one by one accepted death—and realized there was a "next"—their mindsets shifted visibly.

"I-I've seen this in old webnovels. We're getting isekai'd to kill goblins or some shit."

"For real? Spill the details."

"W-Well, it's like..."

"Webnovels my ass, idiot! This is reality!"

"Shut the fuck up!"

Some racked brains for similar scenarios.

"Hyung. Whatever this is... club together?"

"Yeah. Group up first. Might be Squid Game after contracts."

"Not 45.6 billion, but reincarnation on the line..."

"Physical's key. Saw that wrist snap, right?"

"Obviously."

"...Fuck."

Amid those already spinning survival strategies...

"Um, angel-nim. The contract..."

"C-Can I review the contract first?"

"Sunbae! The contract...!"

"Duh, gotta check before deciding!"

About five minutes after I signed. Interest in contracts picked up, and Estiel began displaying them individually.

As if—

"St-Status wiiiindow!!"

"........."

"Ch-Character sheet...? C! P!! Info view!!"

"...Ah!!"

...a VR game's status window had popped up.

"...Fuck."

Kim Gwan-gyun took his contract, scanned it closely. The moment he grasped the full terms, rage boiled up like blood rushing backward.

"That fucking..."

Too good to be true. No poison pills anywhere. The opposite, in fact. "Refuse and reincarnate memoryless in another world"—the Goddess offered insane perks to prospective heroes.

"This... legal...?"

"Fuck if I know. Hey! What happens after goblins?"

"T-Tutorial ends, isekai to fantasy world, fight monsters..."

One risk: Stake your life ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠against monsters.

"...Shit."

Not signing made you the idiot. In that mood, Kim Gwan-gyun glared at me and scrawled his name.

As contracts wrapped up one by one, I finally had time to ponder my Goddess Points usage.

Post-contract mission, personal room unlocks—then I can spend. Not ideal now.

Estiel was still flitting around collecting others'. Couldn't approach her like, "Hey, got Goddess Points..."

Best bet: Call her privately after this space turns into the heroes' Tutorial Factory.

How to spend it.

One point, endless options. Anything aiding "Demon King army elimination"—any miracle within the system's bounds—could happen.

Gaming terms: Unbreakable Faith, Divine Descent, Clone—all solid. Early unique skill acquisition possible.

But first: Survive the immediate shitstorm.

Estiel ascended into the sky.

To gauge your heroic aptitude—and introduce the "enemies" you'll face—we'll begin the tutorial, as some mentioned. Ah, rest assured.

Her civil servant tone was soft and soothing.

[In the tutorial, you can die up to three times.]

A statement that turned brutal on a moment's reflection.

"Wh-What...?"

"D-Die and it's fine...?"

"You crazy bitch! That means death's even possible!!"

Snap. Estiel snapped her fingers, and the space warped.

A dense forest. Towering trees unlike anything on Earth. Survival backpacks at our feet.

And—

The brutally simple mission.

"Th-This...!"

As panic spread—

"E-Everyone group up! Sticking together means survival! Hey, Yoo Si-woo sunbae—"

You're dead.

"Wh-Whoa?!"

I snatched my backpack, barely checking the weapon inside, and bolted into the forest.

Don't fucking lead.

A 20-something Korean vet's rule one in isekai group wars: Never squad lead.

And what to do instead.

Find a girl to repay the favor with my body.

Everything else? Whatever. But this? Essential.