Chapter 3: Fear Comes from Knowledge
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 3: Fear Comes from Knowledge
Unlike the dilapidated shacks he’d seen so far, this was a proper two-story house with multiple rooms.
The moment he stepped inside, Seo-un froze. A lit lantern illuminated the interior. He hurriedly leveled the crossbow he had been carrying at the ready.
Holding his breath as his chest heaved, he moved forward one cautious step at a time, beads of sweat rolling incessantly down his face.
Damn it, I let my guard down. I should have checked for signs of life more carefully before coming in…
He warily scanned the living room where the lantern flickered, then hesitated as he looked at the two firmly closed doors flanking the hallway beyond.
Should I leave now? No! If someone’s in there, they’ve already heard me and are camping. If I show them my back, I’ll be dead before I can even react.
However, attempting to fight other monster-like players with his current abilities wasn't exactly a winning strategy either.
As he agonized over his next move, his eyes fell upon a tiny ring lying on the floor at the entrance of the hallway. Seeing the ring only deepened his dilemma.
A trap?
In games like Cloyd Survival, players often dropped items like that to bait others while pretending no one was home.
Seo-un knew from experience that picking up such an item out of greed usually led to an instant death at the hands of a lurking enemy. His mind began to race even faster.
People shouldn't even be acclimated to this game yet, and they’re already using bait? Damn it, what do I do? Should I leave as quietly as possible? Or just charge in? It’s one or the other…
After a long moment of deliberation, Seo-un steeled his resolve and walked slowly toward the stairs leading to the second floor.
With every sense heightened to its limit, he moved with painstaking silence, more sweat pooling on his brow with every step.
If that ring was dropped as a trap, it means they’re camping on the first floor. For now, I’ll head to the second floor where their line of sight is blocked.
The cabin’s second floor was designed with a landing that turned, making the first floor completely invisible from above.
Bracing himself for a potential ambush, his index finger hooked firmly around the crossbow’s trigger, he ascended and prepared to clear the two upstairs rooms one by one.
Living room is clear for now. Rooms next. If there’s an enemy, both rooms would have been looted.
— Creak.
He had tried to minimize his footsteps, but an uneven floorboard let out a sharp groan. Seo-un froze instantly, spinning around to aim his crossbow toward the stairs.
His heart hammered against his ribs, fueled by the terrifying anxiety that a formidable player might burst up those stairs at any second to take his life. The thumping of his heart echoed in his ears like claps of thunder.
Despite the urge to flee and the paranoia that someone was about to pounce from behind, Seo-un stared down the stairs for a long time, not even daring to blink.
How long did he stay like that?
Only when his arms began to tremble did Seo-un let out a silent sigh of relief. He turned back toward the bedroom door. His brow furrowed as he gripped the rough wooden handle and eased the door open.
A single scroll sitting on a small table inside the room complicated his thoughts even further.
If there’s an enemy in this house, it’s one of two things. Either they heard me coming and hid in a first-floor room shortly after entering, or they don’t know what items are yet.
The latter was highly improbable. If the enemy was a Mage, it was impossible for them not to know about scrolls. Even if they were a Martial Artist, the moment they touched an item, a notification and description would pop into their head, making it extremely unlikely they’d be unaware of its value.
If it’s neither of those, then there’s no one in this house…
Then who the hell lit the lantern?
Was it already lit?
Only then did Seo-un try to recall the three cabins he had looted while the sun was still up. But no matter how hard he racked his brain, he couldn't remember if any lanterns had been lit. He had been farming in such a desperate rush, and since it was broad daylight, he’d had no reason to look for lanterns.
He slowly searched the room, and as soon as he grabbed the scroll, a familiar notification rang in his head.
[Ding! You have obtained a Stage 1 Recovery Scroll. Would you like to use it?]
Seo-un quickly tapped the 'X' and stuffed the scroll into his last remaining pouch. Then, he entered the other room.
The moment he opened the door, he thrust his crossbow forward, scanning every corner for danger. Once he deemed it safe, he began to inspect the dark room.
This is…
He picked up a small leather pouch; it felt heavy. Opening it, he found about twenty sharp hidden weapons, each about the size of an index finger.
This is perfect.
He pulled the drawstring tight and tied the pouch to his belt, then took out a few of the weapons and tucked them directly into the belt's loops. Having the hidden weapons ready for immediate use made him feel strangely reassured.
At this size, they’re perfect for the Black Star Finger Technique.
The Black Star Finger Technique wasn't a simple method of throwing weapons. It involved a specific grip where the weapon was held between the fingers and flicked with a snap of the digits to add extra power. It was a technique specialized for using beads or small shuriken like these.
Though it wasn't much, he was satisfied with the haul. Calming his racing heart, he began to descend slowly to the first floor.
Now that he had made up his mind, it was time for a confrontation.
If there is an enemy, the worst-case scenario is a Martial Artist. If they look like one, I’ll fire a bolt, throw a hidden weapon, and run outside without looking back.
However, if the enemy wasn't a Martial Artist, he felt he had a chance. While Mages who threw fireballs or Warriors in thick iron armor were intimidating, he felt his crossbow might actually be effective against them at close range.
If it’s an armored guy, aim for the head. If it’s a Mage, aim for the heart.
Steeling himself, he caught his breath in front of the first door. Aiming the crossbow with one hand, he flung the door open with the other.
"Phew."
A sigh escaped his lips as he saw the room was empty. He must have been overthinking it.
Only one room left.
This time, he drew a hidden weapon in his free hand and kicked the final door open, charging inside. His finger tensed on the trigger, ready to loose a bolt at any moment, but then he slumped to the floor in a heap of exhaustion and anticlimax.
"Haah… It was empty all along."
He had been fairly certain the house was empty when he found the leather pouch in the previous room, but he couldn't afford to be careless. The "camper's bullet" always flies when you least expect it.
"I really put on a whole show for myself."
Without a watch or a phone, he couldn't be sure, but he had likely spent over an hour paralyzed by tension, terrified of an enemy that didn't exist.
Finally shaking off his anxiety, he hurriedly searched the rooms. He even brought the bright lantern from the living room to begin farming in earnest.
Nothing in this room.
Returning to the first room where he’d found the leather pouch, Seo-un opened it and checked the contents. As the lantern light hit the inside of the dark pouch, a familiar shape and a savory aroma tickled his nose.
"Beef jerky!"
It didn't smell exactly like the kind he often ate in Korea, but the thick, dried appearance and the salty, gamey scent were unmistakable. He pulled out a piece, sniffed it, and immediately shoved it into his mouth.
It was his first meal since being dragged into this unknown world.
The salty taste and the slightly pungent smell of the meat were a bit off-putting, but it wasn't inedible. In a situation where he didn't know when he’d find food again, he couldn't afford to be picky. He put his back into it, chewing the tough jerky over and over.
As if to prove his will to survive, he chewed until his jaw ached before finally swallowing the morsel. His hunger seemed to subside slightly. After counting the remaining pieces, he tore off one more large chunk of jerky and headed back out with the lantern.
It was around here somewhere…
He swung the lantern around, searching for the ring he had seen earlier. Soon, the silver band he had been looking for came into view.
[Ding! You have obtained a Subspace Ring.]
Subspace?!
As a fan of fantasy and martial arts novels, there was no way Seo-un didn't know that term. He hurriedly slid the ring onto his finger, and another notification rang in his head.
[Touch the desired object and say or think "Subspace" to store it. Conversely, touch the ring with your other hand and say or think "Subspace" to open a small portal. Reach inside and visualize the item you want to retrieve it.
The portal will close automatically if no hand is inserted for 5 seconds.
Items exceeding the player's carrying capacity cannot be stored.
Once the subspace is full, no more items can be added.]
"So that's how it works? I can't check how much space is left?"
As he thought this, Seo-un tested it by storing the pouch of jerky and the two scrolls one by one. He stared at the silver ring on his middle finger for a long time, fascinated.
If I could take this back to the real world… it would be incredibly convenient.
Of course, that seemed unlikely, but he couldn't help but imagine how great it would be. Next, he opened the portal and took the items back out.
There’s no real delay. I can definitely make use of this.
He began to imagine storing items like bombs to throw instantly, or hiding weapons in the subspace to launch a surprise attack. Then, he shook his head.
The players I saw in the waiting room don't seem like the type to fall for stuff like that…
"Sigh."
Just thinking about their extraordinary abilities made him sigh.
I really should have found a martial arts manual.
In this game, once you obtained a secret manual, the time required to learn it was compressed into a few seconds. In other words, you could use any martial art immediately as long as you had the manual. Since he hadn't found the most valuable item—a manual—in this large two-story house, his disappointment was palpable.
"Wait…! If there are secret manuals, there might be elixirs too, right? Or… maybe magic books."
It wasn't impossible. According to his knowledge, martial arts involved mastering intricate forms and using internal energy accumulated in the Dantian to exert power beyond human limits. Simply learning the forms wouldn't mean he’d suddenly have internal power he didn't possess before.
Come to think of it, the Black Star Finger Technique definitely had a method for circulating internal qi, but he didn't have a single drop of it.
"If I learn magic or martial arts here… can I use them in reality too?"
When that thought struck him, the hair on his arms stood up, and a shiver ran down his spine. The mere imagination of it sent his excitement to a peak.
The only martial artist or mage in the real world. It was the ultimate cheat code. He wasn't sure exactly where he’d use those powers, but the possibilities were endless. If it were possible, he wouldn't have to spend his life struggling through TOEIC academies and preparing for jobs just to live like everyone else.
If his heart had been racing from anxiety and fear until now, it was now pounding with pure excitement. The hope of finding a breakthrough heated his blood.
"Map."
As the map appeared at his command, Seo-un fell into thought.
It’s getting dark… Should I keep moving to farm more? Or should I rest here for the night?
Normally, he wouldn't push his luck and would stay put, but the obsession with manuals and magic made him restless. The greed that something might turn up if he looted just one more house spurred him on.
Most players are probably settling in for the night. Damn it! If only I’d checked more carefully to see if anyone else landed in the same area!
It was his most painful mistake so far. If he had just confirmed the other players landing nearby, the choice would have been easier. He felt a surge of irritation at his own incompetence.
Oh, wait. Is there no way to see how many people are left?
In the game he used to play, he could always check the number of survivors, including himself. Thinking that this mysterious survival game might have a similar function, he started shouting various commands.
"Remaining players. No? Game status. Not that either… Survivors?"
— Ding!
The moment he said "Survivors," a small window popped up.
Jeok Hwa-jin -> James (Kill by Sword Art.)