Chapter 31: Six-Tailed Fox (육미호)

Level 25. The first turning point given to players.

This milestone is known as the “first turning point” because it involves a key feature known as “Job Advancement.” Once a player reaches level 25, they are presented with the option to advance their job. Generally speaking, this is the biggest turning point before level 40.

‘Why aren’t I receiving any notifications?’

Normally, the choices are automatically presented. The “first job advancement” has a few set options.

‘Typically, it’s tankers and damage dealers, and then there are the miscellaneous classes.’

The term “miscellaneous classes” refers to “non-combat professions” such as explorers or blacksmiths. These options certainly exist; it’s just that no one picks them.

The first job advancement is exactly that—a first step. It defines the “direction” of one’s physical development.

‘At the start of the game, you’d always advance your job at level 25.’

But as time passed and guides were published, people stopped advancing their jobs at first opportunity.

‘Level 30. That’s the real job advancement point.’

I’ll wait for that moment. So, to me, level “25” itself isn’t all that important. But I should have at least received the notification that “job advancement is possible.” Why didn’t I hear it?

‘Is something wrong?’

Sunhwa called me.

-I did as you said and went to D Tower, but…it’s just an ordinary building?

After fulfilling its purpose as a tutorial dungeon, it seems to still retain its original appearance as “D Tower.”

-Got it.

I ended the call. D Tower is still the same. No notification about job advancement. I could come to a conclusion.

‘The update hasn’t been applied yet.’

To put it plainly,

‘My leveling up is just too fast.’

It seems that the job advancement system hasn’t been updated because my speed exceeds what the system had anticipated. After all, other countries have only just begun entering ‘tutorial quests.’

‘That must be it. The update hasn’t been rolled out yet.’

Currently, at level 25, I felt somewhat at ease after making my judgment. It won’t be different from the past. Reflecting back,

‘The person who leveled up the fastest at the beginning was the ‘Tutorial Finisher.”

The Tutorial Finisher later became known as the ‘Fist King,’ Ma Sanghyun. His current level must be in the early 20s.

‘He probably received the first job advancement notification.’

It would be more convenient to think in line with his pace.

‘Just check, right?’

I called Ma Sanghyun.

-Yes, my Lord! My level is 22. I’m going around hunting diligently, but my level isn’t rising very well.

Ma Sanghyun’s level is 22. It’s an incredibly fast pace. Only slow compared to mine.

‘So, let’s put job advancement on hold.’

Until the tutorial dungeon ‘D Tower’ changes to ‘Tutorial Building.’ Until the new system of NPCs are applied, I decided to find and organize my tasks.

‘Inventory.’

Inside my inventory was the ‘summary book’ owned by me from 2028, still intact. Why I possess this and why I returned to the past, I have no idea. But that’s okay. For me now, the reason isn’t what matters.

[2018, May 11. Global cataclysm begins.]

Today is June 13.

[2018, June 16. Gates and dungeons appear simultaneously across Korea.]

Soon, gates and dungeons corresponding to ‘novice’ or ‘tutorial’ levels will erupt throughout the nation.

‘Considering that, my leveling pace is indeed too fast.’

It’s not just the pace of leveling up. Every time I level up, extra stat points are randomly given. This means that I have significantly more stat points than regular players at the same level.

‘Just 3 more days until June 16.’

What can I do in these 3 days? The house is nearly organized. Tomorrow, our family can move to a new home. How happy will mom and sis be when they find out? Mom’s lifelong wish was to live in an apartment just once.

‘Okay.’

The task for today is set. Today’s destination is ‘Inwangsan’ (Mt. Inwang).

* * *

At the foot of Inwangsan, on a weekday evening, there were quite a few hikers.

“Why are we here, brother?”

“There’s a monster somewhere around here.”

“A monster?”

Up ahead, a monster being trampled under the hikers’ feet was visible. It was a slime.

“That thing?”

The slime is a monster only technically speaking. Ordinary people can easily beat it. It’s merely a device designed to get players used to ‘playing,’ to get comfortable with the act of destroying something.

“Is there something else here?”

“Yes.”

I know. There is definitely a ‘Lycanslope’ living here. It’s around here somewhere. Although there haven’t been any victims yet, someone will die here, killed by the Lycanslope.

“Lycanslope.”

“Eek!”

Sunhwa took a step back.

“L-Lycanslope?”

I have already seen that monster. A bipedal wolf-like creature. The Lycanslope I saw in the tutorial field was the epitome of terror. It must have been the same for Sunhwa.

“Are we going to catch it?”

“We have to.”

“Bro, bro, brother. Think again, please.”

I understand why Sunhwa feels this way. How terrifying it was for her. The fear of the experience must still linger.

“I’m level 25 now.”

“What? Already? I’m just 21.”

It’s a surprise when you think about it.

In their early teens, they haven’t even fully realized their ‘talent.’ At this age, to be nearly the same level as Ma Sanghyun. Before her talent has fully blossomed. If a young child is at this level now, what will happen once her full potential is unlocked? Although it’s a bit awkward for me to say at level 25, she really seems to be a ‘talent freak.’

Anyway, I started climbing Inwangsan with Sunhwa. I recalled the newspaper article.

‘They said six people died gruesomely on the mountain trail.’

One of the victim’s phones had captured the Lycanslope. A military unit was deployed to hunt down the Lycanslope. The creature could be hunted with modern weapons.

‘It was a real commotion back then.’

It’s a new sensation. Though I’d read about it in newspaper articles and considered it a terrifying creature, I wasn’t expecting to hike up Inwangsan myself to catch it. The sun was setting.

‘It was around the mid-slope, they said.’

By level 20, even a young child’s physical ability becomes similar to that of an adult man. Sunhwa didn’t struggle much.

“Brother, are you sure there are monsters here?”

Other than the insipid slimes, there was no sign of monsters. No urban foxes, no rabbit monsters. It seemed almost like a wild goose chase.

“We might not find it today.”

We might find it, or we might not. I’m not expecting to find it in just one day. However,

‘Huh.’

Something registered through my ‘Sense Eye,’ which I had been keeping active.

‘A murderous intent.’

I couldn’t see the source of this murderous intent. The terrain here was steep. To the left and right, the tree forest wasn’t too dense. A few hikers were chatting and laughing as they descended.

‘According to the newspaper articles…’

The details of the situation had been described with quite a lot of clarity. It’s almost strange how much of it I can recall now. Why I can remember, I don’t know. Is it because I’m a genius?

‘A group of people in their 40s were attacked while descending.’

I’m not here to save these people. These kinds of incidents will occur nationwide, and I can’t save everyone. It may sound cruel and cold-hearted, but I’m here to test my strength. Can I, at level 25, take on a level 25 Lycanslope with a straight fight?

‘Where is it?’

I felt the murderous intent for sure. The kind of intent a predator harbors while stalking its prey. The ‘Sense Eye,’ which was an improved version of the ‘Super Senses,’ enhanced all my senses to the maximum.

‘Where are you?’

After a while, I was able to pinpoint it.

‘There…!’

* * *

At the age of 43, Han Myung-hee ascended Mount Inwang with her old classmates, chatting away joyfully as they descended the mountain.

“They say the same kind of thing happened worldwide as with Jongno.”

“Oh, it’s horrifying. Don’t talk about it. I can’t bear to think about it.”

Only about 5,000 out of the 150,000 survived. It was a disaster, a catastrophe.

“They say those middle-managers or whatever you call them, the monsters, are killing people, and basically, the police can’t do anything, right?”

Han Myung-hee shook her head.

Recently, she had her own worries. Her daughter had awakened as a player or something. Anyway, she was insisting she found playing fun. Han Myung-hee had tried to curb her daughter’s nonsensical talk, but she just wouldn’t listen.

“Yeah. Middle-managers? They say they’re real monsters.”

“They don’t die even when shot. They appear and disappear suddenly…so there’s no way to deal with them.”

The world has changed too much lately. It feels like an entirely different place since the ‘Great Change.’

“Who would have thought this could happen, living half a century?”

“Exactly.”

“But they say the items dropped by those monsters are traded for high prices, right?”

“You know, Chairman of Sungshin calls them new phenomena.”

New phenomena. Monsters. Tutorial. It was all too foreign to them. Even after seeing them a lot, the slimes were still a wonder.

“Now we have these squishy things on the ground too.”

But then, someone came running toward them.

“Uh, huh?”

Han Myung-hee was shocked. Some crazy person seemed to be running toward them.

“Ahh, aahh!”

She screamed. She fell flat on the ground. Wasn’t someone wielding a knife rushing toward them? Her classmates also screamed. One ran away without even looking back, and three others just stood there and screamed. They seemed to be in a state of panic. They couldn’t help but scream.

‘I have to call the police!’

But her body wouldn’t move. She was too shocked. What kind of thunderbolt was this? Why would a knife-wielding lunatic suddenly appear?

“Stay still. Don’t scream for no reason. It’s agitating him.”

Kim Hyukjin signaled her to stay quiet with his index finger. Han Myung-hee shut her mouth, but the other three women kept screaming. They seemed to be trapped in panic.

“Look, look, look, look at that…!”

Behind Han Myung-hee, who had fallen to the ground, something huge revealed itself.

Grrrrrrr-

The creature they had never seen before in their lives. A monster drooling with a golden gaze and sharp fangs.

──────────

Lycanslope. LV 24

──────────

It was a level 24 Lycanslope. Kim Hyukjin casually pulled Han Myung-hee, who had fallen to the ground, to his back.

‘I didn’t have a choice last time.’

What about this time? Now a level 25 player, how much power will it take to hunt a level 24 Lycanslope?

‘I’m curious.’

He gripped his ‘Iron Sword’ tighter. But then, through his Sense Eye, he detected a ‘murderous intent.’

‘This feeling.’

It was the murderous intent he had felt earlier. Now that he could see it with his own eyes, it was clear. The earlier source of murderous intent was not the Lycanslope. There was something else, emitting a more sophisticated energy, another source of murderous intent.