12. Gnoll Strider
“Ah, thirsty.”
The first thing I felt after disconnecting was thirst and hunger that seemed like my throat would crack.
Checking the time, it’s 1:00 in the morning… I get up from my seat, thinking about something to eat and drink, and go out to the living room to find Hye-mi noona sitting on the sofa. It’s been a while since we met, but thanks to you approaching me without a cover, we’ve become very close.
“What’s going on this morning?”
“Oh, you’re welcome. Come and sit down.”
Hyemi noona pointed in front of her and said.
“Drink some water.”
“ah… yes.”
I poured water into a mug, took a sip, and sat down in front of my sister.
“Jung Hyun-ah.”
“Yes, sister.”
“Have you ever felt strange while playing games?”
“Are you feeling strange?”
“yes.”
It’s a vaguely strange feeling, so I can’t pinpoint anything. Hye-mi noona also scratched her head nervously, as if she knew that her words were too vague, and then spoke again.
“So about 30 minutes ago. What were you doing at Seion?”
“If it’s 30 minutes ago, it’s probably time for the Nol Chief Raid to finish.”
“Chief Nol? Are you doing quest 3 already?”
“no. I’m still doing quest 2. I went in earlier and was lucky to meet a good party, so I followed it to gain experience.”
“Chief to play in one day… Aren’t you too fast?”
“Yes?”
The underground water dungeon of Podina, the city of beginners, was a section where users grew up to level 15. In terms of time, it was supposed to take about 10 days, but I broke through that in one day, so it’s true that I’m incredibly fast even if I started at level 5.
“Then what level are you now?”
“Ten.”
“I said I was holding a mouse… You saw the end of the dungeon. Sniff, anyway, did you ever get a strange feeling when you caught the gnoll chief?”
“no? I just made a good order for the party leader, put in a good deal, and then I got it.”
“okay? It’s strange.”
“why? What happened?”
“You know what synchronization rate is?”
“I know. How can you not know that?”
Synchronization rate, simply put, was a quantification of how much and quickly information can be exchanged between the user’s brain and the game when playing virtual reality. Naturally, the closer this is to 100, the more information can be received at the same time in virtual reality, and the faster one can move. The reason why this synchronization rate, which has become a kind of talent area in the era of cybernetic brains, is attracting attention is that in order to become a pro gamer of virtual reality games, you must have a certain level of synchronization rate, and the higher it is, the more promising you are treated.
“Then do you know what your synchronization rate is?”
“I measured it when I was working part-time at the workshop. The average is around 20 to 25, and it rises to about 30 if I am in good condition or concentrate.”
The average was 15 to 20, but it came out significantly higher than the other kids, so the workshop daebbang gave me special treatment. Well, it’s not because I’m pretty, it’s because there’s so much to pick and eat. I was actually pulled and eaten… … . But Hyemi noona’s expression is strange.
“20? 25? I think you got that measurement wrong? Did you shoot up to 60% earlier?”
“Yes? Hey, talk nonsense.”
Speaking of 60%, not only ordinary people but also world-known professional gamers were few and far between.
“Now, look.”
My sister held out her phone. There was a photo of the monitor floating there, and the synchronization rate in the monitor was 55.
“Is this me?”
“yes.”
“The machine must be at fault.”
“Well, I can’t ignore the probability of that, but it came out once.”
“Uhm, that’s right. Is it because I like the equipment?”
“equipment?”
“Yes. The ones I used to use in the workshop before were cheap ones worn only on the head.”
“Is there anything like that?”
“It’s cheap, cheap… … . If I use it for more than 2 hours, my head hurts and I get nauseous… … .”
I hate to think of you again. The workplace always smelled of burnt smoke and cigarettes. When I vomited up in the bathroom, the sweaty chair welcomed me like a mold from hell.
“That’s why you caught mice so well.”
“Yes. What… It’s not a bad thing.”
“right.”
There’s nothing wrong with having the talent to be good at games when you’ve decided on a game-related job. But my sister’s expression is not so good.
“Did you get the achievement by catching the giant golden rat?”
“uh? How do you know?”
“Because I saw it recorded. ”
“Aha… … .”
“It was good. But if you go with the concept of strength like you are now, you will soon run into a lot of checks.”
“Why?”
“Whether it’s Vijay, streamer, or YouTuber, in the end, there is also a zero-sum element of sharing fixed viewers. But let’s say that a talented and brilliant new competitor like you has appeared. So, what do the kids with concepts that overlap with you think?”
“You mean you can step on me in advance so that I don’t grow up?”
“yes. In particular, the talented concept you’re holding is famous for having unimaginably strict checks.”
“One-on-one or something?”
Hyemi noona smiles at my question. It’s as if you’ve seen such an innocent guy.
“That restraint is very broad. As you said, it’s a nobleman to apply for a 1:1 competition to compete. There are so many more despicable things you can’t imagine. For example, you can control a large guild to prevent you from hunting, or you can hire looters to constantly harass you. They don’t even put a bounty on it. Of course, if you do that yourself, your image will be damaged, so through a completely unrelated third party.”
“okay.”
That’s the part I didn’t think of. Certainly, it would be quite troublesome if there was a check like that.
“Then I guess I won’t be broadcasting until I’m fully settled.”
“That’s the easy way, but it’s a problem because the tutorial video or the giant golden rat raid video is too precious. Even with this alone, it would attract at least 1,000 subscribers on YouTuber… … .”
I laughed at my sister’s words.
“Good for you. Then we just broadcast it.”
“Are you okay?”
“yes. It won’t be easy, but if I manage to overcome it, I can grow even faster.”
The battle between the top dog and the underdog is not unconditionally unfavorable to the underdog. No, on the contrary, there are many advantages. There is a precondition that you must have some level of secret skills, but if you overcome it, the war with Topp Dogg will become a fertilizer for your growth. Anyway, I have no intention of playing the game normally and safely.
“Ha, I knew you would answer like that. How is it that your personality is not at all different from what my brother said?”
My sister shook her head.
Are you talking about a personality that is a bit stubborn and hates being pressured by others?
“Still, after one day of starting, you can Sol Kill the Giant Golden Rat, which no one else has been able to do, and catch the Chief to play, so you must be a talented person worth investing in. Looking at the video earlier, it looks like you got the advanced armor set, but I’ll buy you a rare weapon, even if it’s a bit overkill.”
“A weapon?”
“yes. Even if you can’t buy something that’s too expensive, it’ll be several times better than what you’re using now. Because if you want to grow up quickly, you must first have good weapons.”
“It’s okay… … .”
“Just take it. You don’t have to be embarrassed. Because it’s not for free. When you grow up well later, help me on my broadcast.”
“Um… It’s not… … .”
If you tell the story of catching looters and eating rare weapons, it seems that you are wrong today.
* * *
In Seion, game contents were opened one by one as the avatar grew. It is an old-fashioned method that is no different from common game systems in the past, but the reason why it still works after decades is that it stimulates people’s desire to grow.
[The assignment system has been opened.]
– Offer a sacrifice at the temple of the Lord and receive the God’s task. After completing the task, you will be presented with two options. Will you be rewarded for that task safely, or will you get a chance to earn a bigger reward by doing more difficult tasks. The choice is up to the player.
Something grandiose introduces the content, but people talk about it like this.
‘Go-stop play.’
-Task 1
– Hunt 10 Gnolls.
-Success reward: 100exp
– Reward upon death: none
[You have successfully hunted 10 gnolls. You can get 100 exp as a reward.]
[Remember. If you give up the current reward, you can challenge a bigger reward.]
[Do you want to challenge? There is no compensation in case of failure.]
After catching 10 gnolls, this message popped up in a corner of my field of vision. The strategy book said that it would go up to about 5 steps, but it is said that the difficulty is high and the payoff is not good beyond that.
“There are no viewers.”
The last time yesterday was 8 people, so I thought at least 10 people would come today. However, an hour has passed since the broadcast started, and now there are only two people. Also, only two of the three that turned on my broadcast to ASMR came. It’s a broadcast practice anyway, so I decided not to be happy, but it’s true that I’m disappointed.
[challenge!]
-Task 2
– Hunt 100 Gnolls.
-Reward if successful: 1,000 exp
– Reward upon death: none
Swoop!
“Keep it!”
Poo!
“Kong!”
Thanks to the sacrificial longsword, hunting gnolls was easy. When using Horace’s short sword, two or three units had to be hit to kill, but the long sword of sacrifice was good at basic damage, so it died in one hit. Weapons are also the best. Of course, the level of difficulty was incomparably higher than when hunting for a party, but in terms of skill improvement and fun, this is much better. yeah, it was a lot of fun Then I came down too deep… … .
“So it happened like this. hi?”
“Kwaaang!”
“Kreureung!”
What stood in my way were as many as six Nolls. It wouldn’t matter if they were normal guys, but according to the strategy given by my sister, there are times when they appear in groups like this, and at times like this, an annoying guy always comes out.
“That’s him.”
[Elite] [Gnoll Strider] [Level 12]
This guy, one head taller than the other guys, is called the so-called field elite, and he said that he roams around the map rather than moving from a base.
“Kong! Kukong!”
With the bastard’s howl, the two of them rushed first. I can’t see the proper armament, but the fangs exposed in white and the dagger-shaped metal attachment in the hand shine sharply. At the very rear, Gnoll Strider barked once more, and the other three began to surround me.
“How are you conducting?”
Instead of raiding monsters as a party, the monsters raided me as a party.
This is a situation I have never experienced before in a game I have played in the workshop. That means Seion’s monster AI is excellent.
‘The development of game monster behavior patterns that appeared along with the development of AI.’
If there are two monsters in Seion, their behavior patterns will split into two. What if you have three? Of course, there are also three behavioral patterns. In a word, the pattern becomes infinite. And, due to the limited first-person point of view, it is impossible to properly respond to the maximized fear. If you add a guy who can command it, the difficulty becomes hell.
‘It’s dangerous to be surrounded!’
I firmly gripped the sacrificial longsword and chose a bold strong attack.
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Jjoong!
“Kiak!”
The one who flew backwards, whether it was due to superiority in strength or luck, attacked the others and rolled over. Instant free deal time!
Poo! Aww!
He raised his longsword diagonally and drove the leader to the wall. He tried to resist, but he was helplessly pushed against the wall due to the difference in height and strength, and I grabbed the blade of the sword and cut his throat.
Kakacak!
“Kong!”
With a crack at the wall, he collapsed on the side of the play with half of his neck cut off. A guy jumps on all fours behind me and aims at my back neck. After lowering his stance and pushing with his shoulder, he changed the direction of the charge and struck the exposed muzzle with a pommel.
Wow!
“Keep it!”
He screamed and cupped his snout with both hands.
“Huap!”
It rotates its body and cuts the throat like an axe. I killed two of them in an instant, but the crisis is just beginning. Gnoll Strider, who is in charge of them, grins.
“It’s cute to smile.”
He has a cute smile, so I want to raise one, but for now, I’ve met him as an enemy.
“Kwaaang!”
With Gnoll Strider’s howl, three of them rushed towards me. He stood with his back to the wall, but he was attacked from three directions at the same time, so he could not see any corner to escape. Of course, I had no intention of avoiding it. Because I had something good to use right now.
[Blood-soaked blade]
The longsword of sacrifice in his hand vibrated as his life force was shattered.
‘Damage doubled for 1 time… … .’
It is a skill that can deliver the maximum slash even though it is only once. This is why the Longsword of Sacrifice costs 300 gold, while normal rare weapons cost 50 to 100 gold.
“Huh!”
aaagh!
“Queueek!”
“Keep it!”
“Kong!”
The long blade of the longsword cut across, and the chests of the three leaping gnolls jumped open. Of course, I wasn’t without damage either.
oops!
hooked!
“Kuk!”
Two of them died on the spot, but the one at the end of the long sword trajectory seemed to lack power transmission, so they rushed at me and bit my shoulder. The life force has drained all the way, but that is not the problem.
hooked!
A dagger, cleverly hidden among the knolls that blocked my way, was thrust into my abdomen. Blown by Gnoll Strider. It’s a clever timing that would make me want to applaud if it was a colleague, but the sad thing is that I am the victim.
But the guy made a mistake. Because the starting point of my counterattack also opened my eyes.
[True berserk]
– Increase attack speed by 1.25x when HP is below 50%, increase attack power by 300%
“Haa!”
Kwajik!
The damage caused by the 300% increase in attack power cut Gnoll’s waist apart at once after biting his shoulder. As I was advancing through the exploding fountain of blood, I met eyes with Gnoll Strider, who was running towards me. Are you surprised?
“Kwaaang!”
Four abnormally long claws aim for my face and scan.
Kagagak!
The arm that blocked the attack is cold. Seeing that it turned red at once, it seems that the elite are the elite.
Of course, I have no intention of staying still. After blocking the nail on the other side with a sword, he hit the bridge of his nose with his elbow.
“Keep it!”
As a game that implements everything as realistically as possible, the screams are also good.
“Get lost!”
“Kyaaaang!”
As I burrowed into Gnoll Strider’s arms and stabbed my sword, Gnoll Strider also did not lose and scratched my waist with its claws. I do it right, but my life force wears out. damn… It’s power is different from normal Nol. Do you think I will die first?
“Ah!”
Gnoll Strider’s upper body swells more than twice. I raised my longsword to block the ominous feeling, but… … .
Kwa! Kwaaang!
It flew backwards with a tremendous impact and hit the wall, making my head dizzy.
“Wow!”
Blood dripped from his mouth. I blocked it, but the defense was pierced, perhaps because my agility was low. A situation where life force is continuously drained due to bleeding! Gnoll Strider lunged at me as if to deliver the final blow. But… … .
“Thank you.”
I was very grateful for his actions. Because he was bleeding and was in danger of dying even if he moved just a little, so he came in with his own hands. And thanks to the bleeding, the second chapter of berserk can be tried out.
[True berserk]
– Doubles attack speed when HP is below 10%, increases attack power by 500%
It heats up like a spark has been lit in my head, like when I fought an old group of marauders. At this moment, it seems like I can do anything and everything. Suppressing the surge of excitement, I gave strength to the hand holding the sword.
Faaang!
swung the sword simple cut. However, the true berserk, which doubles speed and increases attack power by 500%, cuts Gnoll Strider cleanly from head to chest with its simplicity.
cooong!
[You have raided [Elite] Gnoll Strider.]
[You have acquired 2 gold and 5 silver.]
[Dirty Bandage *10 obtained.]
[You have acquired *3 small potions.]
[You have acquired 1 Enhancement Stone.]
[You have leveled up.]
“Aww!”
I want to enjoy the afterglow for a while, but it is more urgent to fill the life force that is decreasing in real time due to bleeding. After drinking the potion and diligently wrapping the bandages he had, he reached a certain level of stability, and then a sigh came out.
“Whoa… … .”
It’s fun, but it’s too hard.