The Guide's Backhand and the Forest Overlord
No way, Bbangbbang Type 2!!
As I stroked my head and scanned the chat window, I finally identified the culprit who’d just smacked the back of my skull. It was none other than the NPC in charge of early-game player tutorials. Also known as Bbangbbang 2. She taught the basic concepts and terminology of this world, and later on she’d handle quest submissions and reward distribution—like a receptionist, basically. When I asked why she was called Bbangbbang 2, the chat exploded.
They claimed it was an affectionate nickname, but most of the chat reactions told a different story.
‘This doesn’t feel like affection. It feels like pure hatred.’
When I turned to look at the NPC who’d smacked me, I immediately understood why the players had given her that nickname.
‘Ah… so that’s why.’
She had an abnormally long mid-face, a nose like a parrot’s beak, bizarre dreadlock-style hair, and eyes whose texture didn’t quite match the rest of her model. If it had been anyone else, I would’ve complained about the backhand, but the sheer visual pressure she exuded left me speechless.
“Newbie, stop spacing out and follow me. Don’t you know we have to reach the village today? We’re going to be late!”
Bbangbbang 2 didn’t even glance back as she strode off. I watched her retreating figure and quietly asked the chat.
“Is she always like this?”
Apparently it got even worse later. A slight sense of unease settled over me, but I quietly followed after her anyway.
As I walked behind her, I organized the flood of information pouring through the chat. The place I was in right now was the tutorial zone. Following Bbangbbang 2 would lead us to the outpost. From what I gathered, my current role was that of a brand-new “guild recruit.” In other words, I was her junior.
In previous entries of the series, players started as hunters and completed quests themselves. This time, the structure was different. They’d changed it so you had to begin at the very bottom as an NPC’s assistant. Rubbing my still-throbbing skull, I could only shake my head at the developers’ twisted tastes.
‘If only the physical sensations weren’t so realistic…’
Since this was my first VR game, I’d spent time fine-tuning the sensory settings and ended up noticing her presence a little late. I let out a small sigh and slowly took in my surroundings.
‘I got hit in the head right at the start, so I feel like I haven’t really looked around properly until now.’
With every step, soft grass crunched gently beneath my feet. The wind whispered through the trees, rustling leaves, while broken shafts of sunlight slanted down between the branches. When a clear ray of light brushed across my shoulder, I almost doubted I was really inside a game capsule.
‘Well, if it’s this good, buying the capsule was worth it.’
I was walking along, savoring the forest air, when Bbangbbang 2, who had been walking ahead, spoke up.
“You do know where we’re going, right?”
“Nope?”
I’d heard the viewers mention an outpost, so I had a vague idea, but I hadn’t heard it directly from her, so it wasn’t exactly a lie. She shot me a quick glare, then let out a deep sigh.
“Ugh, how long ago did I tell you? It’s the First Garrison on the Ancient Isle. I already explained this.”
“Oh… did you?”
“Do you at least remember why we’re going there?”
“No.”
That part I genuinely didn’t know. Bbangbbang 2 shook her head in disbelief. For a second I felt the urge to smack the back of her head.
‘Should I just do it right now?’
I wasn’t the only one who felt that way—the chat was having the exact same reaction.
“We’re going because they requested extra hands and supplies to be delivered. I already told you that.”
Even though her tone was blunt, she still explained everything. I couldn’t tell if she was scolding me or being kind. She really was a strange NPC.
We walked like that for quite a while.
BOOM!
Suddenly the entire forest seemed to shake, and a massive sound rang out from somewhere. It didn’t stop at once—it kept going.
BOOM! BOOM-BOOM!!
The vibrations in the ground grew stronger and stronger.
“KUUUAAAAAHHH!!!”
A tremendous roar echoed through the trees. The cry alone was powerful enough to kick up a fierce wind.
“It’s him!! We have to run!!!”
Bbangbbang 2’s face had gone deathly pale. Without another word she grabbed my arm and started sprinting. The sudden movement threw me off balance, and when I glanced back at her, I saw pure terror in her eyes and a completely rigid expression.
‘I know I shouldn’t think this, but…’
She really does look even uglier when she’s scared…
While we kept fleeing from the roar, I shook off her grip and asked her what exactly that sound belonged to.
“Brangaour!!”
She was panting hard as she shouted.
“He’s the ruler of this forest!!”
Even though she was clearly out of breath, Bbangbbang 2 still took the time to give me information. I silently praised her dedication.
‘Brangaour, huh…’
It sounded like a powerful name. As I thought about the info she’d given me, one question rose to the surface.
‘If he’s the ruler of the forest, he must be strong, right? Obviously. The word “ruler” is right there in the name.’
I wanted to fight him right now if possible. But since this was still the tutorial, I had no weapons.
No weapon currently equipped / Combat disabled
“Tch.”
I couldn’t understand why I wasn’t allowed to fight bare-handed. All I could do was smack my lips in disappointment.
A little later, once Bbangbbang 2 decided we’d put enough distance between us and the Brangaour, she stopped behind a tree, gasping for air. I quietly stood beside her. Unlike her, my breathing was perfectly calm. She looked at me with a puzzled tilt of her head.
“Huff… huff… Newbie, aren’t you out of breath? We’ve been running for over ten minutes.”
The chat seemed to agree with her and was asking the same thing.
It wasn’t strange for the viewers to be confused. In Reality Mode, I should have been panting just like Bbangbbang 2. I hadn’t expected even she would question it, though.
‘Her AI is better than I thought.’
Looking at their puzzled reactions, I kindly explained. It wasn’t a difficult technique—anyone could learn it easily.
“Oh, that? You just need to breathe properly while running.”
“……?”
Why were they reacting like this? This wasn’t a matter of physical talent. It was a skill. Something even normal people could do.
“So by breathing properly, you don’t run out of breath?”
Bbangbbang 2, who had finally caught her breath, asked me in disbelief.
“Yes.”
Was that really so hard to understand?
“......”
She stared straight at my face. I stared back, thinking maybe she’d understood, but it seemed my hopes were misplaced. She shook her head as if she couldn’t believe someone like me existed.
‘What’s with her?’
I was still trying to figure out her reaction when the chat chimed in again.
This time I was the one tilting my head in confusion.
‘What the hell are they talking about?’
Neither side understood the other, and an awkward silence settled over us. After staring at each other for a while, we eventually started walking toward the village again.
Thanks to our long sprint, we were already near the outpost. The silhouette of the base could be seen in the distance. We only had a little farther to go. Bbangbbang 2 must have felt relieved, because she suddenly started talking rapidly.
“Whew… I can finally see the end. I really thought I was going to die back there. I was so nervous because of the ruler of the forest, but we made it without any trouble. What luck. Once we get inside the outpost safely… I’m going to grab a cold beer, tear into some turkey, and rest properly. Mmm~ that sounds delicious. And tomorrow I’m just going to sleep all day without a single thing to do. There’s no way that thing followed us all the way here. We’re right next to the outpost after all!”
It was a nonstop parade of death flags, delivered like a rap. Every single line could have been taken straight from a textbook on how to raise flags.
Shocked, I immediately reached out to cover her mouth, but—
Shhhhrk.
Two massive lizards emerged from between the trees. Each one was easily the size of a small truck.
‘Too late…’
I knew she was called a troll, but I hadn’t expected her to be this good at it. Bbangbbang 2 saw the two lizards and froze on the spot, legs trembling violently.
“Domagirius… Why are they right in front of the outpost…”
Then a message caught my eye.
‘Oh, they’re giving me a weapon right now.’
That changed everything. What Bbangbbang 2 had done wasn’t trolling—it had actually become an opportunity for me.
‘My body’s been itching to fight. Perfect timing.’
After checking the chat, I rolled my shoulders once, walked straight past the frozen Bbangbbang 2, and headed toward the Domagirius.
“Sssshaa—”
The creatures licked their lips as they watched me approach.
“Newbie, what are you doing?! It’s dangerous!!!”
Behind me, Bbangbbang 2 was screaming for me to run, but I simply stayed silent, locking eyes with the lizards.
“Ugh, you troll!!! At least take a weapon out of the bag!!!”
At that moment, the world briefly turned gray and slowed down. It seemed the system was giving me time to choose a weapon. Soon, an interface appeared before my eyes.
Choose your weapon.
Greatsword / Hammer / Katana / One-handed Sword / Flute / Rifle / Shotgun / Twin Blades…
Dozens of weapons were displayed on the screen. After a brief moment of thought, I picked the one that called to me the most.
The greatsword.
The heavy, cool weight I felt at my fingertips.
‘It’s been a while since I used a greatsword. I like it.’
As I lifted it, the massive blade naturally settled onto my shoulder. Dopamine surged through my brain. Before I knew it, the corners of my mouth had curled upward.
At that moment, one of the lizards tilted its head slightly and studied me.
“Who wants to go first? Me, or you two?”
Of course I wasn’t expecting an answer. I planted my feet, charged straight at the Domagirius, and swung the greatsword. The blade tore through the air, signaling the start of battle.