Chapter 4
Chapter 4
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 4
Chapter Title: Summoned to a Strange World
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A strange world. Summoned.
"Huh? What? What's this?"
"Status window...? Pavarintos?"
He had no idea why.
There wasn't even time to think leisurely.
Everything had happened in an instant.
A message had appeared before his eyes.
A status window, like something straight out of a game or novel.
Following that message, he'd chosen a class, skills, and gear...
...and when he came to, he was already in an unfamiliar place.
"Huh? Where is this..."
That was how Hyun Tae-jin had been summoned to the world of Pavarintos.
When he opened his eyes, he faced a pitch-dark cave.
Its walls were damp earthen barriers closing in from all sides, illuminated only by ominous tree roots and faintly glowing blue flowers.
It was a place that reeked of danger.
"Wh-what...?"
The eerie wind howled like the wails of the dead, echoing through the darkness, while unidentified cries and roars occasionally stirred long-forgotten fears of the unknown.
It felt nothing like the fun, adventurous dungeons from games or animations he'd vaguely imagined and heard about.
"H-hey... Is anyone there?"
The excitement from first seeing the status window had long faded.
What had taken root in Hyun Tae-jin's cooling heart was fear of the unknown and the creeping intuition of encroaching death.
As he took steps into the cave where ominous winds howled, Hyun Tae-jin dimly realized the truth.
This world was no playful realm from novels or games.
And so.
How long had he walked?
Suddenly, screams pierced Hyun Tae-jin's ears.
Voices mixed with the wind, unmistakably human cries. It was enough to freeze the steps of Hyun Tae-jin, who had been tensely navigating the darkness.
"Wh-what..."
Trembling with fear, yet Hyun Tae-jin cautiously moved toward the source of the screams.
Caught between terror of death and fearful curiosity.
As he crept forward carefully, he confronted a gruesome reality.
"Aaaah-!!!"
"Uh, ugh..."
In the dim cave lit by faint light.
Two fallen people came into view.
They were screaming in bloodcurdling agony as monsters resembling giant ants tore off their limbs.
"...!"
The moment he witnessed that scene, Hyun Tae-jin's mind blanked.
Three ants as large as wolves.
With their sharply protruding mandibles, they ripped into the people sprawled on the ground. As the screams grew fainter and the victims' movements ceased, Hyun Tae-jin exhaled the breath he'd held and turned away.
"...Huff."
His heart pounded wildly.
His thoughts wouldn't flow, and his frozen legs struggled forward.
"Urk...!"
Suppressing the rising nausea, Hyun Tae-jin walked on. As his sweat-slicked, rigid legs began to loosen, he broke into a run.
'This can't be real.'
He couldn't believe it,
but he had no choice but to.
The moment he saw the landscape under the faint blue lantern flames, Hyun Tae-jin realized this world was a horrific hell.
It wasn't a fun novel.
Nor was he a protagonist who could calmly and cheerfully accept everything.
Just an ordinary human faced with an unbearable miracle.
Nothing more.
That's why Hyun Tae-jin ran.
In terror that eclipsed even fear, he desperately fled down the dark passage, shaking off the dying victims' screams.
"Huff, huff...!"
And so.
How long had he run?
Gasping for breath in exhaustion, he leaned against a cold earthen wall, pondering ways to survive.
'What should I do...'
Hyun Tae-jin's class was Warrior.
He'd chosen the Heavy Stance skill, and for gear, leather armor and a longsword.
Right up to that moment, it had probably felt exciting.
The miracle of escaping dull daily life, anticipation for what lay ahead.
He'd imagined wielding novel-like powers freely, overcoming crises, growing stronger.
But reality was different.
This world held no joy or levity.
A place where death could come anytime, anywhere, without warning.
That's why he needed to find people.
Whether for survival or to alleviate the rising terror, he wasn't sure.
"Ugh, ugh..."
"...H-hey, is anyone there...?"
Anyway.
In the dark cave, Hyun Tae-jin began searching for others.
.
.
.
Pavarintos was a game where sound design was crucial.
The obsessively distinct sound files let you glean significant info just from audio, and players could leak key details through skill cooldowns or footsteps.
Monsters exploited sound too.
Especially in maps like the Ominous Cave, with its sealed walls and winding passages—sound was everything.
"H-hey... Ugh!?"
"...Shh."
So, it was ridiculous.
This noob blabbering away, broadcasting danger with every noise. When I stepped out in front of him, the guy jumped in shock, collapsed, and started sniffling through tears.
"...?"
...What now?
Sure, suddenly meeting someone in the dark might startle you. But crying like this? No need.
...Or is he nuts?
Playing Pavarintos long enough can drive you mad, but this level of breakdown was a first.
Still, I couldn't just leave him, crazy or not. Big guys can bawl if things go south, but not here.
"Quiet."
I hurriedly clamped a hand over his mouth.
No enemy presence nearby yet, but you never know.
Muffling him, I whispered softly.
"If you're gonna cry, keep it quiet with your mouth shut. Noise gives us away."
Does he get it?
Tears streaming, he nodded.
I whispered once more, then released his mouth.
...I decided not to dwell on whether the dampness on my fingertips was tears or spit.
.
.
.
Some time passed, and he seemed calmed, bowing his head to me.
"...This much voice is fine."
"Ah, got it. And... s-sorry."
"No need to apologize."
Nothing to be sorry for.
A bit pathetic, but understandable.
The guy's vibe was dire.
Drenched in cold sweat, hands subtly trembling. He radiated heat like he'd run far, eyes unfocused.
Probably saw a corpse somewhere.
Lucky he hadn't triggered a trap on the way.
Anyway...
'Definitely a noob.'
Something off about him.
Leather breastplate, longsword.
Classic Warrior gear, but he didn't look the part.
Coming from our cushy modern world, that's expected... but he seemed clueless about this place.
I was new to real-life Pavarintos too, but the atmosphere here was different.
"Hey, you."
"Yes? Ah, yes."
"Know where we are?"
"...Pardon?"
"This world. What's its name?"
"Ah, no, not at all... Oh."
"..."
"B-before coming here, I think it was Pa-something..."
...Yeah, clueless.
I thought only gamers got summoned, but apparently not.
Doesn't matter much.
Being good at the game doesn't mean you're a pro in reality. Someone who's moved their body beats a chair-bound gamer.
'Build looks decent.'
Not in a weird way—just signs of athleticism. No gamer bod.
"Follow me for now. No talking, footsteps quiet as possible."
"Ah, yes sir."
Pretty quick on the uptake.
Cried snot and tears at first meet, but bad situations happen.
Anyway,
With some training, he might make a decent companion.
For now... let's keep him around, not ditch him yet.
.
.
.
To reiterate, Pavarintos was a shit game.
I could rant flaws all night.
Start with the system: bizarre.
Unlike other games where filling HP/MP suffices,
Pavarintos characters needed feeding, sleeping, shitting, drinking, breathing, mana recharging, skill feeding, training...
Hand-holding galore just to function.
Yet one control slip, get one-shot by a mob, character deleted—restart from scratch. Insane trash game.
Reasons to quit: endless. To keep playing: one.
...That's why I couldn't quit.
Anyway.
Despite the flaws, the reason I stuck was simple.
Pavarintos had consistency.
One philosophy unified every element.
'Realism.'
It relentlessly pursued ultimate realism at every turn.
...Maybe that's why this real Pavarintos world didn't feel too alien—I'd endured that obsession before.
"Trap ahead, watch it."
"Huh?"
Ears perked, I crept down the passage.
Another trap that crushes feet spotted. I warn softly, mentally mapping the route.
'Left here.'
13 years playing this mapless trash game.
Memorizing ever-randomizing maps? Routine now.
True man—read: average pig—style, no addons, so mapping's my forte.
'It's gotten... insanely bigger.'
Real Pavarintos scale dwarfed the game.
One hour for one room—not game proportions.
Still, remembering a found food cache path? Manageable.
"We're here."
"Here...? Gah!?"
How long had we walked?
Soon, the nameless noob and I reached the food storage.
A warehouse with two dead Goblins sprawled inside.
Spotting them, he panicked, covering his mouth.
"Urk, urgh-!"
"..."
Hand to the wall, he dry-heaved repeatedly, then wiped his pale mouth.
"Hoo, urk..."
"...Done?"
"Yes, urk. Sorry..."
No need to apologize.
If trouble hits, I ditch him and bolt.
"Follow. No time."
"Y-yes-?"
Goblin food storage.
Lucky no visitors yet, but others could swarm anytime. I grab his hand, point to the open chest inside.
"There. Items in the box. Grab what you need."
"Pardon...?"
"Arming sword and shield. Backpack in the corner—take it. Food sacks inside, stuff 'em. Cookware, firewood, leather waterskin, gourds over there—"
"Ah, got it..."
Arming sword, iron shield.
Useless to me, but Warriors prioritize defense.
In Pavarintos, Warriors gear for protection first.
Skills or gear,
fighting monsters bare? Impossible.
Means you die.
No regen for severed fingers even at full HP. Rave without armor, survive crippled. Better not get hit.
Game floor 1: mindless play, quick retry national rule. Not here.
He awkwardly grabs shield, sword, gear. Heavy pack on, no issue.
Solid porter material.
"All set? Let's go."
"Go? Where to...?"
"Outer zone. This is Goblin territory—lingering's risky."
"..."
Pointing at the dead Goblins, his face twists oddly.
He hesitates, then asks cautiously.
"This... did you... do it?"
"Yep."
"..."
'Did it,' huh.
Bone-deep phrasing, but I let it slide.
Game hunting's one thing; real corpses hit different.
I'm not fully adapted either.
Just 'looks tasty' clashing with 'gross' in my head.
"If I hadn't killed them first, it'd be me dead."
"..."
I answer, turn away.
Thirst quenched somewhat, snagged a spell.
Even got a hunter staple porter... er, companion.
Next: find well for mana stability, practice skills.
Game? Skip fluff, hunt portal. Reality? Different.
'Map's fucking huge.'
Hour from storage, no rooms yet. Short-term portal hunt? Unrealistic.
Even finding one, nothing much doable.
No main char base like game, no loot for cash.
Plus...
'Game' vs. 'reality' gap isn't small.
Prime example: skills.
Learned fighting those Goblins.
Close range let [Mana Arrow] hit, but farther? No guarantee.
Unlike mouse-aimed game Pavarintos, here I aim staff manually.
Boost combat? Practice needed.
Practice needs mana.
Game's practice; reality's live fire.
And so.
Finishing thoughts, I step forward—no following footsteps.
"Not coming?"
"..."
Hesitant guy.
Staring at the dead Goblins.
...Something bugging him?
If so, whatever.
Leave if he wants.
His food and weapons are useless to me anyway.
"Whatever, go if you want."
"...Ah, no. Not at all."
But he doesn't want to.
Just tangled thoughts?
He nods hastily, follows behind.