2
#2 - Where Did My Newbie Go?
Despite its name, Golem's Labyrinth isn't actually all that complicated.
If you wander around a few times, you'll naturally memorize the routes. The overall layout is also much shorter than people expect.
Assuming you don't get lost, it only takes about twenty minutes to get from the deepest area to the entrance.
For Ranger or Thief classes with high movement speed, it'd be even faster.
Which means I only have around twenty minutes to spend with this absolutely god-tier newbie who radiates an unbelievably seductive aura.
Twenty minutes is more than enough.
Enough for what?
Why, obviously...
"So how did you end up starting this game?"
Time for a background check and some character-building advice.
Do you know what the greatest skill I've acquired from rescuing countless newbies since becoming a vigilante in Elysion Sermo?
Ah, I'm not talking about an in-game skill.
I'm talking about a real-life skill.
That skill is called "Reading People."
Or more professionally, picking up on social cues.
To give a simple example, everyone has different preferences when taking a taxi.
People who enjoy chatting prefer talkative drivers.
People who want peace and quiet prefer drivers who simply focus on driving.
Taxi drivers need to identify what kind of customer they're dealing with and respond accordingly.
Well, some don't.
Actually, quite a lot don't.
But the ones who do generally receive better ratings.
Ever since taxi apps started allowing customers to rate drivers, they had to adapt.
Anyway, after meeting all sorts of people, I gradually developed the ability to identify a person's type through intuition.
And in Ms. Celial's case...
She feels guilty about receiving my help, but she's also very curious about me.
She's cautiously watching my reactions while simultaneously staring with sparkling eyes whenever I kill a golem.
That's exactly the feeling I'm getting.
-KWAAANG!
A golem went flying from my punch.
The golem crashed toward Celial's direction, and I immediately rushed over, worried she might have gotten hurt.
Fortunately, she seemed fine.
"Whew. Ms. Celial, you're not hurt, right?"
"Ah... Yes, I'm okay."
"So where were we... Ah, right. How did you end up starting this game? It's a popular game, but it's been out for years, so the entry barrier can be pretty intimidating."
"Well... I wanted to try a virtual reality game, but I didn't know what to play, so I searched online. Then Elysion Sermo came up..."
That made sense.
Elysion Sermo isn't listed among the "Top 5 Virtual Reality Games of All Time" for nothing.
It's even the only online game on that list.
From the story and VR optimization to visual quality, combat systems, and attention to detail.
It's a masterpiece with virtually no weak points.
Just as my shoulders were starting to rise proudly, our precious newbie asked her first question.
"Um... Mr. Taeyang? There's something I'd like to ask."
"Of course. What is it?"
"Why did you start playing this game?"
Why did I start playing...
There were several reasons, but...
"Because it felt like fate."
"Fate?"
"Yeah. The game came out around the same time my parents bought me my first capsule. I loved the game immediately, and my capsule could run it perfectly, so I started playing right away."
"If it was when Elysion Sermo first launched..."
"Seven years ago. Wow. It really has been a long time."
A seven-year-old virtual reality MMORPG?
At that point, I'm basically crude oil.
Don't compare me to ordinary veterans or fossils.
"Wow... So you have to play that long to become this strong..."
-KWANG!!!
Another golem flew through the air.
Her comment overlapped strangely with the sight before us.
Scratching my cheek, I replied.
"Being strong isn't what's important in this game."
"Huh?"
It probably sounded ridiculous.
Actually, it did sound ridiculous.
The whole point of online RPGs is usually becoming stronger than everyone else.
But Elysion Sermo is different.
Its true value lies in traveling through a beautifully crafted fantasy world and living within it however you want.
Some people even describe Elysion Sermo as "a second life in a fantasy world."
In fact, while you can customize your character from the default templates, you can also recreate your real appearance.
My current character is based on my real-life appearance.
Of course, I changed things like my hair color, hairstyle, height, and skin.
...Come on. If I can't be 180 centimeters tall in real life because I'm short by two centimeters, at least let me be 180 in a game.
By the time all those changes were made, I barely resembled myself anymore.
Anyway, I continued explaining.
"In Elysion Sermo, you can do whatever you want. You can hunt monsters and challenge raid bosses like me. You can taste the fantasy cuisine that's been recreated in the game. You can become a farmer. If you don't want to do any of those things, you can simply travel."
"Isn't the point of RPGs to become stronger...?"
"If that's what you enjoy, then you can make that your goal."
"I'm not really sure... what I should do..."
Not knowing what to do...
That's completely understandable.
Some players quit Elysion Sermo precisely because its freedom is so overwhelming.
"Then just take things one step at a time. Complete the quests you see, try different experiences, and eventually you'll find something you enjoy."
"Then... how do you play, Mr. Taeyang?"
How do I play...
After thinking for a moment, I answered.
"...There are guilds in Elysion Sermo. I do raids together with my guildmates. To prepare for those raids, I hunt monsters and grow stronger."
"Raids?"
"Yeah. I raid together with people I met through this game. Honestly... just doing raids together is fun. Even preparing for them is enjoyable."
That was about half the truth.
Why only half?
Because I don't raid for some fancy reason like that.
I raid because hunting in Elysion Sermo is insanely fun.
Of course, I also love my guildmates...
Well, all but one of them.
Anyway, I genuinely enjoy raiding with them.
But more fundamentally, I just love Elysion Sermo itself.
Especially the hunting.
So if I had to describe my playstyle, it'd be hunting and raiding.
Explaining all of that in detail would've sounded uncool, so I gave the more polished answer instead.
Perhaps she liked my response.
Celial smiled softly and asked:
"I'll be able to find something like that too, right?"
"Of course. Do you know how much freedom Elysion Sermo offers?"
"Hehe."
Watching her adorable smile, I thought to myself:
This newbie will probably stick around for quite a while.
People who get bored usually rush me to hurry up.
Or they answer absentmindedly.
In severe cases, they log out in the middle of the escort.
But Celial listens carefully and reacts enthusiastically.
More importantly, she seems genuinely interested in the game.
In fact, she immediately asked another question.
"Are raids fun?"
"They're incredibly fun~ Working together with your raid party and guildmates to defeat powerful bosses is amazing~"
"Then what class would be good?"
Hmm.
What kind of class would she enjoy?
The stars of raids are obviously damage dealers.
But damage dealer positions tend to favor highly geared players.
If she wanted to start raiding quickly, support or tank classes would be better.
Still, doing what you personally enjoy is always the most important thing.
As I pondered what class might suit Celial, we eventually succeeded in escaping Golem's Labyrinth.
"We've finally reached the entrance. Good work."
"Wow... Thank you so much!"
"Well then, if you ever need my help again, feel free to contact..."
Me.
The rest of my sentence never came out.
Because Celial suddenly disappeared on the spot.
...What?
Why did she disappear?
It didn't take long to figure it out.
Because Celial—or rather, Celial herself—had vanished.
And that only left one obvious conclusion.
What conclusion?
"...Ah, fuck."
My dream of raising a newbie had slipped away once again.
That damn Celial bastard.
I'm going to kill them.
I don't know who they are or where they live, but I'm seriously going to tear them apart with my own hands.
You evil bastard.
This wasn't the first time something like this had happened.
But this one really hurt.