"Oh."

Seong let out a calm exclamation as he gazed at the radiant glow emanating from the Steel Sword.

It certainly had a special effect that made it stand out.

Simultaneously, a message appeared before him.

[You have discovered the 『Steel Sword』 in the tutorial.]
[Item acquired: 『Steel Sword』.]
[Your keen perception has led you to the 『Steel Sword』.]
[Title acquired: 『Keen Perception』.]

Not only had he obtained the Steel Sword, but he also earned a title.

He had heard about this, but the rewards were surprisingly generous.

"What are the effects?"

『Steel Sword』
→ 《Normal+》
→ A sword forged from steel.
→ More durable and powerful than a regular iron sword.

『Keen Perception』
→ 《Rare》
→ A title granted to users who discover the Steel Sword in the tutorial through exceptional insight.
→ Increases critical hit rate by 10%.

Quite impressive.

The title was even more valuable than the Steel Sword itself.

A 10% increase in critical hit rate was no joke.

Seong nodded quietly, acknowledging the significance.

“Damn... that really is the Steel Sword!”

“How the hell did he manage to pull that off so confidently...?”

As Seong drew the Steel Sword, one nearby player exclaimed, while another expressed disbelief.

After all, it seemed like Seong hadn’t deliberated at all. He simply walked up and grabbed the weapon without hesitation—and it turned out to be the Steel Sword.

Their shock was understandable.

But it wasn’t just the players who were stunned.

Instructor Gruuger’s eyes also widened to an almost comical size as he stared at Seong.

To Gruuger, Seong had seemed utterly ordinary in terms of talent.

But was it possible his perception was sharper than expected?

"Remarkable," Gruuger thought.

To pick so quickly and accurately—it was something even he couldn’t do with such confidence.

Still, Gruuger’s astonishment stopped there.

Having a keen eye was beneficial, but it didn’t necessarily correlate with skill in wielding a sword.

No matter how good one’s perception, it didn’t mean they could handle a weapon proficiently.

And from Gruuger’s perspective, Seong was a thoroughly average individual in terms of talent.

In fact, Gruuger was correct.

Seong had never excelled in physical activities since childhood.

He wasn’t particularly skilled or incompetent—just entirely average.

Gruuger assessed Seong and concluded, "Even with the Steel Sword, he’ll need at least ten strikes to take it down."

A genuinely talented individual might defeat the scarecrow in two or three hits. A prodigy could do it in one.

But for Seong, such feats were out of reach.

Even if Gruuger couldn’t discern Seong’s perceptiveness, he was an expert at judging physical potential. For Seong, ten strikes—possibly more—would be necessary.

As Gruuger contemplated this, Seong was having similar thoughts.

"This might be tough."

No one knew Seong’s abilities better than he did.

He had no natural talent for physical endeavors. While he had secured the Steel Sword, cutting down the scarecrow in a single strike was beyond him.

Still, the Steel Sword would make the task easier than with an ordinary iron sword.

That was as far as his expectations went as he gripped the Steel Sword.

"Whoa there! That’s not how you hold a sword, lad!"

“...?”

"You won’t get far gripping it like that. Look here, watch me, and do as I do."

The ghost of the former instructor, who had introduced himself earlier, interjected to correct Seong’s posture.

But talent wasn’t something that could simply be imparted by demonstration.

If someone could replicate a skill after being shown, it was proof of their inherent talent.

Seong was about to dismiss the ghost’s advice—until he felt something peculiar.

"Huh?"

A strange sensation coursed through him.

To be precise, it was less of a "power" and more of a "memory"—no, "experience."

Unlike the ghosts he’d encountered in the real world, this ghost imparted something entirely unique.

The sensation was that of countless instances of gripping a sword—"memories" or "experiences" that had accumulated over time.

The ghost’s lifetime of expertise seemed to flow directly into Seong.

It was as if Seong himself had become the ghost, vividly recalling the "memories" and "experiences" of wielding a sword.

"So, this is how it’s done?"

Relying on the ghost’s "memories" and "experiences," Seong adjusted his grip.

The result was immediate—a feeling of lightness and familiarity.

The sword felt natural in his hands, as if it had always been there.

The former instructor ghost let out an enthusiastic laugh.

"Ha! That’s it! That’s the way, lad!"

"Oh."

The sensation was entirely new to Seong.

He had assumed he understood ghosts, but this was an oversight.

As Seong gripped the sword with newfound precision, Gruuger’s pupils trembled violently.

The once-ordinary Seong now exuded a strikingly different aura.

But that wasn’t all.

“M-Master?”

Gruuger’s usually stern, intimidating expression softened into astonishment as he stared at Seong.

The posture was unmistakable.

It was identical to that of his late master, the one Gruuger had revered above all others.

How could a mere trainee replicate it so perfectly?

To Gruuger, it was as if his master’s soul had momentarily returned.

In reality, it had—though Gruuger couldn’t possibly know that.

Meanwhile, the other players nearby turned their attention to Seong, captivated as if under a spell.

"And here, strike here, lad! That’s the weak spot!"

The ghost instructor pointed to where the scarecrow’s neck and torso connected.

If it had been the old Seong, he would have aimed haphazardly, hitting close but not precisely.

But now, things were different.

Following the ghost’s "memories" and "experiences," Seong swung the sword.

With the trajectory of someone who had swung thousands—no, tens of thousands—of times, the Steel Sword moved flawlessly.

From the upper right to the lower left, the blade traced a beautiful, silver arc through the air.

Swish.

The glimmering arc sliced cleanly through the scarecrow, the Steel Sword emitting a clear, resonant hum.

Then—

Thud.

Half of the scarecrow dropped to the ground with a dull thud.

The severed scarecrow rolled across the ground, and Seong, looking as composed as ever, calmly sheathed his sword. His demeanor exuded the presence of a seasoned master.

The other players watching were stunned into silence.

“Wow, holy shit, he cut it down in one strike?”

“What the hell is that!?”

“That’s terrifying.”

“No way… That guy is insane…”

“Isn’t there a rumor that people who cut down the scarecrow in one hit all end up as rankers?”

“And he’s standing there like it’s nothing?”

“If it were me, I’d be dancing with joy.”

“That’s why you’ll never make it.”

“What did you say!?”

Despite his composed appearance after the flawless strike, Seong’s inner thoughts were far from calm.

“Oh. So I can actually do this.”

Internally, he was more surprised than he’d ever been.

But outwardly, to everyone else, he appeared like a true master.

“Ha-ha-ha! I knew you’d pull it off! Incredible! Watching you felt like seeing my old self in my prime!”

Even the ghost was effusively praising him, and Seong couldn’t help but feel a little embarrassed.

It wasn’t just the ghost—every player around him looked astonished. Among them, someone seemed particularly taken aback.

“This… this can’t be.”

That someone was none other than Gruuger, the instructor, who was the most shocked of all.

More than anyone, Gruuger had been convinced that Seong wouldn’t succeed.

And yet, here it was.

But it wasn’t just that Seong had succeeded—he had done so flawlessly.

“H-he looks just like my master.”

It might have been a coincidence, but the way Seong handled the sword was uncannily similar to Gruuger’s late master’s style, throwing the instructor into turmoil.

How could this be possible?

How could an outsider from a distant world imitate his master’s swordsmanship so perfectly?

Gruuger couldn’t understand it, but he did realize one thing.

A genius was something beyond his ability to measure or judge—just like his master had been.

Gruuger’s master hadn’t been born with great talent.

But through tireless practice and countless experiences, his master had reached the same level as the naturally gifted geniuses.

How could such a person not be considered a genius?

And now, Gruuger couldn’t help but think that Seong might be the same type of person.

“Extraordinary… no, truly remarkable!”

“Hm?”

“In my time as an instructor, I never thought I’d encounter a genius like you.”

Gruuger had seen his fair share of outsiders who managed to obtain the Steel Sword and cut down the scarecrow in a single strike.

But Seong was different. Gruuger had been certain that he wouldn’t make it—and yet, the result had been shocking.

“I shall award you a medal.”

At Gruuger’s declaration, a flood of messages filled Seong’s vision.

[You have defeated the scarecrow in a single strike.]
[Title acquired: 『One Strike!』.]
[You have achieved an accomplishment in the tutorial.]
[You have received a reward for the accomplishment.]
[Tutorial rewards have been enhanced.]
[Recognized by Tutorial Instructor Gruuger.]
[Title acquired: 『Instructor’s Medal』.]
[You have received the tutorial reward.]
[Rewards have been enhanced.]
[You have acquired 10 Silver, a 『Training Certificate』, and 『Gruuger’s Recommendation Letter』.]

As the barrage of messages overwhelmed his vision, Gruuger handed something to Seong.

“And take this.”

It seemed to be the money, training certificate, and recommendation letter.

Seong quickly dismissed the messages cluttering his view and accepted the rewards from Gruuger.

“Thank you.”

“No, it is I who should thank you. You’ve expanded my narrow perspective.”

“...Excuse me?”

“Ha-ha-ha! Never mind! Oh, and that recommendation letter will allow you to go straight to the village chief. Keep that in mind.”

“Oh.”

Seong’s face lit up visibly at Gruuger’s words.

To leave this beginner village, one had to meet the village chief, but the process typically involved completing a series of tedious quests.

The quests weren’t just pointless—they were practically chores, and most players hated them.

But this recommendation letter allowed him to bypass all of that and head straight to the chief.

It was an incredibly useful reward.

Seong hadn’t expected to receive anything this valuable.

It was all thanks to the ghost.

While he had initially thought achieving titles like 『One Strike!』 or 『Instructor’s Medal』 was impossible, the unexpected power he’d felt had carried him this far.

As he was about to express his gratitude, another unexpected message appeared.

[You have demonstrated abilities beyond your current stats through an ‘unknown power.’]
[Strength +3, Agility +2 have permanently increased.]

“What… is this?”

A message stating that he had gained stats through an unknown power.

Seong was understandably baffled.

“I’ve never heard of a hidden mechanic like this.”

0.

In the Eternal World’s control center, the AI system known as Immortal was observing and managing all aspects of the game.

It monitored events as they occurred, transmitting significant occurrences to E-World, the company behind the game.

During its routine surveillance, Immortal identified an anomaly.

A player had acquired the titles 『One Strike!』 and 『Instructor’s Medal』.

The achievement of cutting down the scarecrow in one strike after obtaining the Steel Sword wasn’t unheard of. While rare, it had been accomplished by several players before.

It was noteworthy, but not unprecedented.

However, this case was different.

Based on the player’s physical vital signs and other metrics, it should have been impossible.

The data didn’t lie.

Yet, for a brief moment, the player’s stats had spiked dramatically, altering every metric.

In particular, the Strength and Agility stats had shifted.

[This phenomenon is inexplicable.]

Immortal couldn’t comprehend it.

While occasional bursts of concentration might cause minor increases in physical stats, this degree of fluctuation was unprecedented.

Moreover, the sync rate of the player—Seong—had also changed.

The sync rate, a measure of how well a player adapted to the virtual reality environment, was used to gauge their natural talent in the game.

Typically, fluctuations in sync rate were minor, ranging from 1% to 2%.

But Seong’s sync rate had suddenly skyrocketed to 100%, as if he had become an NPC.

This was an impossibility.

Even the highest recorded sync rates barely reached the low 90s.

And yet, Seong had hit 100%.

It was an incomprehensible event.

Fortunately, Immortal’s creator, the genius developer Park Won, had anticipated such anomalies.

[It is classified as an ‘unknown power.’]

Park Won had designed the system to recognize and accommodate extraordinary phenomena.

Accepting this classification, Immortal designated the event as an instance of "unknown power" and assessed an appropriate reward.

[Rewards will be granted.]

Thus, Seong had gained additional Strength and Agility.

Immortal’s actions were immediately relayed to the E-World User Management Team, where chaos erupted.