TL: SWAN
PR: Hayath
Chapter 1: My Efforts Were Not in Vain (1)
I have always wanted to be the best.
Ever since I was young until now, I have always wanted to be the best at whatever I liked. In reality, during my school days, I excelled in all types of games, be it FPS, AOS, rhythm games, or shooting games.
Studying?
I never liked studying, so I can’t say much about it.
I have always strived to improve and be better at what I love, without settling for the present. This drive and effort have been the driving force behind becoming the best version of myself, and my efforts have never betrayed me.
Not only my friends but even my teachers acknowledged my efforts. When they saw me, they would say things like, “Whatever you do, you’ll succeed.”
Unfortunately, that’s not the case anymore.
A powerful sound effect blared from my phone.
“Mr. Hansangwoo, is that game fun?”
I was sitting on a rock, playing a mobile game when an elderly man holding a window asked me that.
He was in his 60s, and we called him Inspiration.
He’s one of my colleagues at work.
I scratched my cheek elegantly and answered his question.
“I’ve been playing it for a long time, so I’m not sure if it’s fun anymore. It’s just a game, after all.”
I said that, but in reality, I was deeply immersed in the game.
“Is that so? I see you playing it during break times, so I thought it must be fun. My son was playing it while lying down yesterday.”
“It is quite popular. It’s maintaining the top spot in downloads and sales on the market.”
“I see. Is the game called Higher?”
“Wow, you know it well. Yes, that’s right. Higher.”
“It was heavily advertised on TV, right? I guess that’s the one.”
Higher, an MMORPG game.
It was released after the Great Hunter Era and is said to hold nearly 60% of the game market share.
Although it boasts a high number, it cannot be called a national game.
Many people play it, but not as many as they used to.
The reason is… ten years ago, right after I graduated from high school,
Dungeons suddenly appeared all over the world, and monsters emerged.
Major cities like London, Tokyo, Beijing, and New York were destroyed, and 30% of humanity perished in the catastrophe.
Humanity faced the end as modern weaponry proved ineffective against these monsters, but hope emerged to overcome this crisis.
Hunters.
They transcended human physical abilities through awakening and used magic to defeat monsters and conquer dungeons one by one.
Ten years have passed since then, and the world has been rebuilt, rapidly regaining peace.
The abilities of the hunters, which surpassed the laws of physics, and the products of dungeon conquests have elevated civilization even more than before.
In the process, there were speculations that games would go on a path of decline as they could not provide the same excitement as the battles of hunters.
However, starting with “Higher,” MMORPG-focused online games began to revive.
Especially since “Higher” offered various races, flashy skills, lifelike NPCs, countless hidden quests, and endless competitive PvP elements.
There was so much enjoyable content.
Moreover, there was a rumor that almost 70% of hidden pieces were yet to be discovered.
Of course, it was criticized for inducing excessive spending, and it received a lot of curses.
In theory, to obtain the best equipment, it would take tens of billions of dollars in real world currency.
“By the way, didn’t you say you were ranked first in this game? My son said the game is not easy.”
“It’s not easy indeed. The beginning is not that hard, but becoming a top player is challenging. That’s what makes it appealing.”
The game “Higher” had a complete auto-hunting system, making it convenient for casual players, but it was a different story for hardcore players.
During PvP, you had to control up to five characters simultaneously, and at that moment, the auto system had its limits, forcing players to manually control them.
Players had to equip items and learn skills for all five characters, which could be quite challenging.
The gacha system’s odds were also quite harsh.
“Wow, you were much more amazing than I thought! You must have spent quite a lot of money on this game, right? Do you have piles of gold at home, and is security just a hobby for you?”
While chuckling, Inspiration joked, but I felt a pang of guilt. The truth was that I had been spending quite a bit on microtransactions in the game “Higher” to maintain my top rank.
The dungeon guarding part-time job in the outskirts of Gyeonggi Province offered a significant bonus, making it a relatively efficient way to spend money due to the good odds in gacha pulls.
“Haha, it’s not like that.”
“Really? When you become successful, remember to give me a share, okay?”
“Of course. I’ll contact you first, Inspiration.”
We exchanged smiles, as we had been working together frequently lately, and we got along quite well.
“Speaking of which, I should stop doing this job soon…”
“Didn’t you already say that twice today?”
“Really? Wasn’t it three?”
Inspiration teased me with a mischievous smile, but there was a touch of bitterness in his eyes.
The dungeon guarding job was hazardous, even though there were safety measures in place. In some cases, non-awakened guards lost their lives due to sudden dungeon breaks.
But finding a new job was not easy either.
I could sympathize with his situation.
I had built a wall between myself and studying during my school days, and professions like pro gamers or game streamers, which allowed me to make a living through games, had lost popularity since the Great Hunter Era.
Of course, there were ways to use my perseverance and efforts in other fields, but compared to gaming they were just not as interesting to me, and I hadn’t achieved significant success in any other area.
If not for the Great Hunter Era…
While lost in my thoughts, the game rankings suddenly caught my attention.
1st Place – HunterMan
2nd Place – I’ll Pull You
……
For a moment, my heart sank. My character “I’ll Pull You,” who was ranked 1st, had been pushed down to 2nd place.
“What, what is this!? How did this happen suddenly?”
I quickly checked HunterMan’s character information.
I knew about his character since we had always been competing in the rankings. I was aware of which character he used and what items he equipped.
But when I saw the changed items, I was astonished.
“Unbelievable, these are transcendence items…!”
Using the accumulated mileage from basic gacha pulls to do advanced gacha pulls and obtaining materials from there to attempt the highest-grade gacha pulls.
Among them, there were transcendent items that could only be obtained by surpassing the worst odds, and they were flooding HunterMan’s character screen.
Not only for HunterMan but also for all five characters used in PvP.
“This is beyond my imagination…”
At this scale, it would undoubtedly cause a sensation in the community.
Indeed, there were numerous posts related to HunterMan on the Higher information community that I often visited.
Among them, the most popular post caught my eye.
As I entered the post, there was an ongoing video.
– He kept asking how much I spent, but I stopped counting after spending more than a hundred billion.
– I don’t think it’s over two hundred billion.
– I just got annoyed. I wanted to see how far it would go since it seemed like they were playing with the odds.
– Haha, that’s true. I thought it was a bluff, but it turns out it wasn’t since I finally got it.
The man with a lively appearance was casually talking.
There was no need to ponder about his identity.
The moment I saw his face, I immediately recognized him.
He was Steelman, an SS-rank hunter, the same age as me, and one of the eight SS-rank hunters awakened during the early stages of the Great Hunter Era.
Among the eccentric SS-rank hunters, he had a really cheerful personality, making him a star hunter exposed in several media outlets.
I never expected Steelman to be HunterMan.
But what was even more surprising than his identity was the fact that he remained so calm despite spending many times the expected value.
“Wow, this is amazing! You can easily spend over two hundred billion if you’re a hunter.”
“Since I work as a hunter, money isn’t a problem.”
“I didn’t feel the need to disclose this, so I didn’t. I broadcasted this time because I was going to spend a lot anyway.”
“It’s just a hobby.”
“Since I’ve done it, I had to aim for the top spot, right?”
He suddenly appeared like a comet, quickly climbed the ranks, and proved that he indeed spent a fortune on microtransactions.
And it was a substantial sum of money.
“Anyway, it’s more like a hobby for me.”
“Since the setup is complete, I’ll end the broadcast now.”
“Games like this don’t really help with anything, you know?”
“That’s why don’t get too carried away and stay faithful to your real life.”
“If you work hard and live diligently, money and everything else will follow. Well then, I’ll leave now.”
With those words, Steelman ended the broadcast.
Of course, an SS-rank hunter could easily spend over two hundred billion in a game.
*********************************************************************************************************
*********************************************************************************************************
“To earn two hundred billion as a dungeon guard, how many hours… no, how many decades would I have to work?”
Realistically, it would be impossible.
But to Steelman Hunter, his real life was a game.
That’s why I’ll surpass microtransactions with effort!
Perseverance and hard work are my greatest weapons.
“I will reclaim 1st place!”
Initially, I felt a little overwhelmed, but I gathered my determination.
After all, didn’t I start from the bottom and reach 1st place?
“Going up one rank should be manageable.”
PvP required control, and I was about to immerse myself in the grind again when…
Quaaaaaaah-!!
Suddenly, a loud noise echoed.
‘…?’
At first, I didn’t grasp the situation properly.
There wouldn’t be such loud sounds in a quiet forest.
For a brief moment, I thought it was just a game sound effect. But then I realized that my character was vigorously mining in a mine.
And then, I understood.
“Kraaah!!”
“Kyaaahhh!!”
Monsters from a rupture were bursting out, screaming.
This was something I never imagined—a dungeon break.
It wasn’t supposed to happen at this time.
“I need to report this first…!”
Fortunately, not many monsters came out of the portal.
At most, there were about a dozen.
In a hurry, I tried to report the situation to the Hunter Association.
But…
Quaaaah!!
“Ugh, ugh!”
Suddenly, I dropped my phone on a rock in front of me.
One of the monsters that came out of the rupture noticed me and attacked.
That wasn’t all.
“Rrraahhh!!”
After the rock attack, another monster which came through the portal rushed at me with sharp claws.
An E-rank monster, Ashen Stone Bear.
This giant creature, measuring around 2 meters tall, had a body made entirely of stones.
It swung its front paw.
Shoooong!
With a single claw, the size of a human palm, it created a tearing sound in the air.
“Insane…!”
It was a life-or-death crisis.
Instinctively, I rolled to avoid the claws and quickly grabbed the sword and shield I had placed on the ground.
Shaaaaaah!!
And then, in quick succession, I dodged the other front paw attack, twisted my body, and struck the bear’s side with my sword.
‘Did it work?’
It was an incredibly skillful move that surprised even myself.
However, the bear merely shook its head.
My attack didn’t deal any damage to it.
On the other hand, its attack was incredibly powerful.
Krrrunch!! Paaack-!
With a slight swing of its front paw, my shield shattered, and my body was sent flying nearly 10 meters away.
I wondered how many rolls I made.
As my vision spun around, my phone, which had fallen far away, caught my eye.
“Darn it, to surpass HunterMan, I have to mine ores and enter dungeons…”
Even in a life-threatening moment, what came to my mind first was the game.
To become the best in the game, I needed to pour not only money but also time and effort.
Some might laugh at those who risk their lives for a game, but it wasn’t a pointless waste.
It was my way of living and my purpose.
I couldn’t die here.
Spitting out blood in my mouth, I got up from the ground and picked up the broken shield and worn-out sword.
The lowest-grade items provided by the company before I became a guard.
The equipment I was using wasn’t even classified as Hunter gear; it was cheap and had almost no stats. However, there was no other option.
In truth, using this wouldn’t guarantee victory. The monsters in front of me weren’t just one or two; they were numerous E-rank dungeon creatures. And I was just an ordinary person, not even an Awakened Hunter.
But even in the face of death, I had to fight back.
“You little… No, you bear cub!”
“Growwrrrrr!!”
I rushed at the bear cub and swung my worn-out sword.
The bear cub didn’t try to dodge; instead, it seemed to be launching a counterattack.
Two shadows clashed fiercely.
Swissshhh!
The bear cub seemed even angrier, and its swiping claws became more ferocious.
The answer seemed predetermined.
Perhaps at the moment of collision with the bear cub, my sword would shatter, and my body would be torn apart into pieces.
But at that very moment, when a grim death was approaching…
Flash!
A miracle happened.
Swoosh! Paaainnngg~!
When I swung my sword, a flash of light appeared, and the bear cub was thrown back.
That wasn’t the only surprising thing.
Clang!
Behind the fallen bear cub, a knight in shining armor was standing, holding a magnificent sword and shield.
“This can’t be…”
In the midst of my bewildered state, I murmured in disbelief.
The truth was soon revealed.
Translucent letters emerged in the previously empty space.
[Confirmation of Awakening Conditions]
[Qualification has been granted.]
[Awakening: Acquire the ‘Ruler of Hiya’ ability.]
[Critical Danger Detected]
[Unique Skill: Character Summoning will be automatically activated.]
[Character Summoning: Taeseng GilgeoI]
Awakening.
Come to think of it, I had heard about it.
Many Hunters awakened in moments of life-threatening danger.
Thinking about it, this seemed like an ordinary awakening process, but my awakening felt somewhat special.
Along with the messages, an unidentified knight appeared before me.
The truth of their identity was none other than…
“My name is Taeseng GilgeoI. I am a Guardian Knight who protects the Twilight. And you are… the Lord I must serve.”
The character I had raised, Taeseng GilgeoI.
