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Athena War Tales.
If we were to talk about the characteristics of this game, it lies in its extensive story that is unlike typical mobile games.
Due to this, the game initially didn’t catch the wave of popularity due to its high entry barrier, but over time, it attracted a dedicated user base with excellent gameplay and an immersive storyline.
The game developers seemed to be well aware of this, strategically distributing the story content.
Those cunning folks, dividing the story to delay content consumption.
Although I was somewhat famous among users, I once posted a critique of the operations team pushing only profitable gacha events while neglecting story updates, but naturally, I was ignored.
“Could it be that the game developers hold a grudge over that?”
If I didn’t think that way, I couldn’t possibly understand the situation.
Before me lay an alien… no, in a sense, a familiar world to me.
Because the world of Athena War Tales was unfolding before me.
“I asked for a story update, not for my whole life to be updated so spectacularly…”
I couldn’t help but marvel at the medieval scene that starkly contrasted with the present.
“Moreover, this face is unmistakably…”
It was clear that it was the character Alz, who assisted the protagonist and often made blunders.
“This is a mess. Which means…”
It meant that I would be involved in that incident.
– “You were a traitor after all!”
– “You deliberately led us to defeat in the war!”
– “Capture that scoundrel and lock him up!”
Colleagues who had interrogated and betrayed Alz, their expressions changing.
It was the event of Alz’s downfall as a traitor. Due to this incident, Alz, who endured severe torture, suffered an injury losing his left eye.
“But Alz was not a traitor.”
With the help of a certain ally, Alz, who escaped, said.
He claimed that he had been framed as a traitor and that it was clear the protagonist had fallen into a trap. Thus, Alz attempted to organize a militia from outside to aid the protagonist with the help of allies, but they ended up facing a mysterious army in battle.
It was the newly updated story and the Carlox battle I used to write strategies for.
“Becoming Alz… What should I do now?”
Soon, my thoughts started to clear up to some extent.
After all, if this was a dream, I would eventually wake up, so for now, I had to accept the situation.
The problem now was how to live in this world from now on. And how to avoid the impending doom.
***
Adapting to this reality was quick.
Being optimistic was my strength. It was all thanks to this trait that even under the heavy pressure of Shin Dong, my mental state remained intact.
Even on the first day of military training camp, I slept soundly.
“First, let’s assess the situation.”
The character Alz I knew from the game was an adult character of 20 years old.
However, standing in front of the mirror right now is a 12-year-old kid.
Looking at the face, it was unmistakably Alsim, but the body belonged to a child.
Height around 157cm. Since the official setting for Alsim in the game was 186cm, he would probably grow tall in no time.
“Leaving that aside….”
An extraordinary beauty.
In the game, the main male characters, including the protagonist, were young or middle-aged, but after all, they were just 2D illustrations.
Seeing this beauty in actual 3D, there was no beauty like this.
“If he’s this tall at a young age, how tall will he grow to be?”
The protagonist was probably the same. It was understandable why female characters were flocking around the protagonist.
“Female characters? Come to think of it….”
Alsim must have had a female character who followed him like a shadow.
As he recalled that character, there was a cautious knock on the door.
“Young master, were you coughing?”
“…Yes.”
“May I come in?”
“Come in…. No, please come in.”
Creak. A humanoid woman entered, minimizing even the sound of opening the door.
No doubt about it. It was Si Jong Yumir, Alsim’s partner character.
She was currently 24 years old, 12 years older than Alsim. She was quite a useful character even in the game.
Initially criticized as a Japanese-style maid character, she unexpectedly played a significant role in the story and shocked the users.
“Do you have any problems you’d like to share with me?”
She seemed to be staring right through him.
“It’s nothing.”
Yumir, a support-tier character with the highest grade of UR (Ultra Rare) among the 6 grades, was highly regarded.
Despite being criticized for being a Japanese-style character, such cliché characters had a fixed demand and were popular.
“Leaving that aside, a humanoid….”
It was truly fascinating to see. Without realizing, he reached out to touch the dog-shaped animal ears on his head.
“Young master? Why all of a sudden…?”
“Oh, sorry…. No, I’m sorry.”
At a glance, besides the animal ears, there were human-like ears attached as well.
In the game setting, animal ears and tails were said to be remnants left behind when humans and races mixed. Therefore, true-blooded humanoids were said to have rough fur all over their bodies in a beastly form.
“Rather, you should get ready quickly. You might be late for the Academy.”
Yumir efficiently prepared the garments.
“If you don’t hurry, you might miss breakfast on time.”
“Uh, okay. Thank you.”
Although initially taken aback by the casual undressing, he soon accepted it naturally for some reason.
“Oh? Come to think of it.”
How was it that he was effortlessly conversing in a language he had never studied in his life?
As if it was automatically being replaced, the words of this world were coming out naturally.
“Perhaps….”
That hunch was correct.
I possessed both Als’s childhood memories and experiences.
It was as if I had dreamt Als’s dream. Or perhaps Als had dreamt my dream.
When I casually asked Yumir to tell me about the past, memories naturally came flooding back.
Thanks to this, I didn’t have to pretend to know, which was fortunate for me.
***
As we descended to the dining hall, I saw my family seated.
“Welcome, little brother. Today was your first day at the academy, right?”
Said Max Ilane, the eldest brother, who now worked as a junior manager in Wangdo.
Beside him, Miller Ilane, the second brother, burst into laughter.
“hahahaha, Als, you’re quite something. Deciding to go through the officer training. What are you thinking?”
Miller, like his brother, was also a junior manager, about to be sent on a local assignment.
“If you just chose the officer training because it seemed cool, it might be good to reconsider now. It’s not as romantic as you think.”
“If Yulia influenced you, let us know. We’ll give her a piece of our minds.”
Despite their words, they looked proud.
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This atmosphere seemed to reflect the gentle nature of the Ilane family.
“Both of you, quiet down. Als must be at an age where he has his own thoughts now.”
Father, Viscount Beriel Ilane, said.
Though not highly renowned as a border viscount, his honest management of the territory had earned him the respect of the people.
‘Peaceful.’
I inwardly thought of the potential conflicts between siblings, but there were none.
The successor had already been decided as the eldest son, Max, and the other siblings had found their own paths.
“Even so, Als going to the academy. Time flies, indeed.”
Max patted my head.
I endured the awkwardness and read the academy brochure Yumir had given me.
‘Yes, the academy…’
Approximately seven years from now. The place where the protagonist and Als would meet, marking the beginning of the story.
My course of action was already decided.
For now, I would follow the story to meet the protagonist.
Why follow the story? Because knowing the future could bring significant advantages.
‘By following the story, I can anticipate the traitor and prepare for the meeting with the protagonist.’
If Als’s downfall was unjust, it meant there was a traitor among the protagonist’s confidants according to Als’s words.
Until the story began, I would strengthen myself from behind to be ready to deal with the traitor.
By doing so, I could avoid my downfall and empower the protagonist.
One might argue that even if Als’s demise was not real, it wouldn’t matter to follow the story until the end, but that’s a slightly different story.
Not only did I lose an eye from severe torture, but Als’s family in front of me would also be tortured or killed as traitors.
Als’s inner memories were shouting at me. ‘Find the traitor and protect the family!’
For Als, the family in front of him was that precious.
“There’s not much difference from the territory. Learn at the academy with ease, just like you did in the territory. If it gets too tough, feel free to find another path.”
“I will keep that in mind, Father.”
After glancing at my father for a moment, I spoke up.
“There’s something I’d like to ask about him.”
“Ask? Go ahead.”
“Well, it’s about… “
Students going through the officer training program at the Academy were required to take martial arts classes, where flexibility could be demonstrated.
“I wish to learn martial arts not only at the Academy but also from a private instructor.”
“Hmm.”
My father fell silent, and Miller, my elder brother, furrowed his brow and spoke instead.
“Do you know how much a private instructor costs? It’s quite a burden for a family like ours.”
“I know. But I don’t think the amount will be too high.”
“Not too high?”
“I want to learn spear techniques, not swordsmanship.”
“Spear techniques?”
The Calipha Kingdom where we resided was known for its advanced swordsmanship. While swordsmanship instructors demanded a high price, spear instructors were more affordable.
Upon hearing about spear techniques, my brother Miller nodded.
“If it’s spear techniques, you might be able to find an instructor relatively cheap. But Alse, why suddenly the interest in spear techniques?”
“Just because. They look cool.”
“Oh, goodness. How childish. It’s better to reconsider calmly. In our kingdom, you might be looked down upon for choosing spear techniques, especially coming from a noble family like ours.”
Truth be told, it was all due to in-game knowledge.
Alse, carrying around his cavalry units, had been treated as trash due to low defense and damage output. But in a recent update’s hidden enhancement quest for the Karlux Battle, one fact was discovered.
It turned out he had talent in spear techniques and spearman operations.
Upon completing this hidden event, along with the spearman unit and class advancement, he rose to the upper-middle ranks of personal combat prowess.
Of course, his basic skills were still inferior compared to gacha characters, making it difficult to reach Tier 1.
“Hmm.”
After contemplating, my father nodded.
“Very well, we’ll look for a spear instructor soon.”
“Thank you, Father.”
First, utilizing his in-game knowledge.
At present, all that could be hoped for was that Alse did indeed possess talent in spear techniques as depicted in the game.