18 – The Beginning of Progress (8)
“The pattern is to roll after the attack, then pause… Ugh, what’s the point of this now.”
I tried to move the character to defend based on the studied pattern of the ghoul, but the problem was the narrow and dark underground passage lit only by sporadic torches on the walls. This game was originally designed for solo play, and the map and monsters were created for solo players.
Riena and I tried to confront the creature together, but due to the narrow passage, she had no choice but to get closer. And when facing Riena, the enemy became a real monster, not just a creature with a set pattern.
“Ugh.”
I sighed as I watched my character being thrown by the ghoul, hitting the wall with a flying kick, and rolling on the ground. Such flashy action scenes were not supposed to exist for these small fry ghouls.
‘Should I tackle this alone?’
I sighed as I watched Riena facing the ghoul, standing a step away. She didn’t care about the pattern at all; she was a true warrior. Even if the opponent launched unpredictable attacks, she would fend them off with her instincts and counterattack.
To conquer upcoming bosses and mid-bosses according to the strategy, I ultimately had to try it alone. But the purpose of this strange game was for the growth of Riena and the residents, so it didn’t make sense.
“—!”
As I retreated with such thoughts in my mind, the undead beast, thrashing about the walls and ceiling, was struck by Leena’s skill, accompanied by a golden light. One of its arms was severed, and it collapsed to the ground.
Her combat prowess was considerable. At the moment of my advancement into a new class, I was convinced that going for ranged and buff skills would be beneficial when fighting alongside her.
“—.”
Confirming the achievement of the initial ghoul elimination, I approached her. Attempting to express my intention to continue forward, I pointed ahead with my fingers. In response, she faintly smiled and nodded.
I wondered how much of her health remained. Unlike the ghostly soldiers easily dispatched with a single blow, the battle with the ghoul was quite intense.
If two or more of these creatures appeared simultaneously, the battle would become challenging, and her limited recovery abilities would be exposed.
“It’s too difficult. If only we could communicate, or at least see her detailed status.”
Knowing that no more monsters would emerge in this area, I stepped back, observing Leena.
In the vicinity where horrifying undead monsters had appeared just moments ago, her legs trembled slightly as she walked steadily behind me. She showed a tendency to obey my commands, fighting when told to fight and fleeing when told to do so.
Moreover, even if she was struggling, she would forcefully follow my orders. I roughly understood why, but this posed a significant problem because all of this was for her sake, not mine.
[Capture App Recommendation]
[Capture App Activation: 1000P]
In my eyes, a program recommended by the master program, displayed on the desktop, caught my attention. In fact, the recommendation had been present since before starting the second game, but I had overlooked it among other programs.
[Achievement Points: 1100P]
My hand, paused mid-air, twitched on the mouse. With 1100 points already accumulated from the second game, primarily due to numerous initial achievements, I could seamlessly integrate the capture app into the master program.
“Why on earth?”
The question lingering in my mind was why this program, allowing screen captures and storage, would be helpful now. However, considering the oddities arising from the integration with the master program, it seemed not entirely impossible.
Originally, it doesn’t make any sense for two people to play the solo mode of this game together.
[Activating capture app]
In the end, I messed up. In this hardcore second game, my life was at stake, and Rienna’s life was always on the line. We needed a device for a more definite and secure advancement.
[Target capture possible]
“Will this work?”
Just like when I usually use the program, I used the create new function to capture Rienna, who was standing on the game screen without any knowledge of English.
As a result, her picture appeared exactly on the program.
[Rienna, Daughter of the Chief]
[Attributes: Martial Arts (Growth Rate 85%), Leadership (Potential)]
[Affiliation: Dark Blood]
[Overall Fatigue: 78%]
[Mana: 42%]
[Emotions: Confusion, Doubt]
“Oh.”
And along with the picture, something else came to mind. In addition to the information that appears when right-clicking on her body, more details about fatigue and mana were displayed.
Even what emotion she was feeling right now was shown. Walking steadily backward, she suddenly stopped, feeling confused about something I didn’t understand.
“I should activate only the easiest first device in front of me and leave for today.”
Looking at her condition like this, it seemed like I wouldn’t be able to proceed according to the plan of finishing all the preparations to enter the holy city today. It seemed more appropriate to send her back home to rest before her fatigue accumulated further.
***
“Ah…”
The game shut down. Finally reaching the limit of exhaustion, Riena finished her schedule and returned to her village on the desktop, while I, feeling dazed, slumped into the chair and returned to my room with a sigh.
My mind felt foggy. I’ve never been so focused on a game in my life, so maybe that’s why. I also skipped dinner. I had been sitting in front of the computer all day, so I didn’t even think about eating anything.
“Am I going to gain weight?”
After ordering delivery and closing the delivery app, I blankly stared at the desktop. I’ve been lacking exercise, and these days, I’ve been on the computer every free moment.
While waiting for the food, I used a newly activated program, the capture app, to capture the residents. You can find out their names and characteristics with just a right-click, but by capturing them this way, you can find out more detailed information.
In particular, it’s quite interesting that you can see the growth rate of their characteristics and the hidden characteristics labeled as “(latent).”
Unlike Riena, who originally had characteristics, the miner, Koon, who was the first to awaken his characteristics in the first game, has a growth rate of only 22%.
Even though he has mined over a thousand blocks in the first world. When that reaches 100%, will he evolve into something? There are characteristics with revealed awakening conditions and those without, but anyway, if I use this well, I might be able to awaken more characteristics in the future.
“I wish someone would capture me too.”
As the evening sun set, I chuckled to myself as the bustling villagers, who had been so absorbed in their own tasks that time flew by, stopped their activities and went to sleep. I ate a late dinner.
If the capture app could be applied to me, I could find out what talent I have.
“Oh, I have to go to work tomorrow.”
Just then, the fact that I have to go to work tomorrow struck me as I sat there absentmindedly.
Feeling my body becoming suddenly heavy, I got up from my seat and headed to bed to sleep. Since the computer desk is right next to the bed, I could just get up from the chair and throw myself into bed.
Surprisingly, sleep came easily. It’s probably because I’ve used up a lot of mental energy being so immersed in the game.
If I open my eyes like this, it will be tomorrow morning.
***
“Is it already this late?”
“Shall we switch shifts? Is everything okay?”
“Yeah.”
When the moonlight and the pouring starlight illuminated the meadow, soldiers who had been walking and yawning approached the soldiers standing guard on the watchtower.
“Wow, this is amazing. To think a watchtower like this was built in no time.”
“It’s a miracle.”
The watchtower they were climbing up with a ladder was somewhat unique. At first glance, it just looked like a large wooden column. But upon closer inspection, it was clear that it was quite unusual.
It was made by stacking uniform “wooden blocks,” a cube-shaped structure that could never exist in nature. It was a facility that a resident, awakening their transporter ability, had built as a demonstration to handle the resources of the first game like a player.
“Today… I feel so tired.”
“You too? The fence work today was tough.”
Although they successfully completed the shift at the newly built watchtower, the two soldiers on guard couldn’t shake off their drowsiness and kept nodding off.
“You go first and sleep. I’ll wake you up in a bit, then I’ll take a nap.”
“That sounds good.”
In the end, the two of them decided to take turns sleeping. The problem was that the soldier who had decided to stay awake first also started nodding off, unable to overcome his drowsiness.
If they hadn’t been dozing off, they might have noticed the glitch early on. And if they had noticed it early, they might have easily taken action.
[Glitch occurred at level 1]
[Centipede-type glitch, 85% chance of evolving into a bug]
A glitch quietly appeared. Unlike the creatures that had appeared before, this one, pulsating with a faint purple light in the darkness, was nothing more than a simple bug with no means of attack or defense. Right now, it might be subdued with a single arrow.
However, the soldiers, who had started dozing off, did not notice the centipede and spent their time.
[Level 1 bug occurred]
So, eventually, as the sun began to rise, the centipede split in half. The first thing to emerge from the split centipede was a tentacle, oozing with a pitch-black aura, resembling tar.
The tentacle did not head towards the village. Since it had already evolved into a bug, the villagers in the village could no longer be its nourishment.
The place where the bug’s tentacle reached was nothing but empty space. However, the bug’s tentacle pierced through an invisible, intangible barrier and disappeared beyond it.
“Ugh…”
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The tentacles of the bug fumbled around, searching for their target. Past the keyboard, the mouse, and the desk, all the way to the floor. As time passed, the tentacles thickened and hardened, now thicker than a human finger.
Finally, the tip of the tentacle touched the leg of the target.
Junyeong still didn’t know the identity of the monster coiling around his leg.
[Bug Rampage]
“W-What the! This is insane!”
The tentacles exerted force and lifted his body. Simultaneously, forcibly awakened from sleep, he screamed in a cracked voice at the shocking sight illuminated by the morning sun.
The black tentacles spewing from the monitor were pressing down on his body, writhing to escape outside the monitor.
“No, this can’t be happening.”
An overpowering force beyond human strength. As the tentacle coiled around his neck, threatening to strangle him, he wriggled and squirmed in mid-air.