I Became the Commander in a Trash Game Who Copies Skills

Chapter 1. Burken Fortress (1)

It was a common cliché.

I, as a player who had become stagnant like rotten water, suddenly fell into the game's world one day.

[Update in progress . . . 95%]

[. . . 96%]

In such clichés, the protagonist typically knew all the game's content inside out.

The difficulty of the game I had played was so high that ordinary people found it hard to play.

The game I had played was like that too.

[The update for ‘Warlord Conquest’ is in progress.]

‘Warlord Conquest.’

A strategy game where I designed internal affairs and commanded battlefields in a fantasy world.

It was a game characterized by beautiful graphics and deeply intricate settings.

But the real reason this game became famous was something else.

‘Balance is fucking trash. Refund before it’s too late.’

‘Unreasonable. Unfair. Fire magic OP.’

‘The devs here are all elf lovers, rat enthusiasts, and human haters. I guarantee it.’

‘Gloomy and narrow-minded game design hidden behind flashy graphics.’

Unfriendly gameplay.

Balance for races and heroes that was stuck in the mud.

Unreasonable difficulty that toyed with players.

And on top of all that, the developers’ unwavering policy showed no room for improvement whatsoever.

Countless buyers gave up playing it themselves and turned to watching NewTube editions.

I almost did the same, but luckily, after literally grinding away time, the issues were resolved.

After years of effort, I cleared the hardest ‘Hell’ difficulty with every character.

At some point, my pace of consuming new content even outstripped the update speed.

[The update for ‘Warlord Conquest’ has been completed.]

[World Scenario 4.0 has been updated.]

[New heroes have been unlocked.]

[Inferno difficulty has been added.]

After waiting several months, I finally welcomed the new update.

I immediately selected the newly unlocked hero and naturally slid the difficulty to the maximum.

[Warning!]

[You have selected Inferno difficulty.]

[You have selected the hero ‘Nameless Ash’.]

[This is an extremely challenging hero.]

[Do you wish to play?]

“Hmm?”

I had never seen a warning window like this before.

Well, it was probably nothing. Just some scare tactic prepared by the devs.

If I hesitated over something like this, I’d have to rip off my 8-year veteran label.

I dismissed the warning window and pressed the game start button right away.

[The hero Nameless Ash is granted three traits as a bonus.]

[The detailed abilities of the traits start in a hidden state and will be revealed when conditions are met during play.]

[You are the Nameless Ash.]

[Save the world from apocalypse according to the hero’s destiny.]

In that way, I faithfully followed all the clichés of game possession stories right up to the last moment.

“Ugh, my eyes!”

The moment I squeezed my eyes shut at the suddenly flashing screen.

“Prisoner number 182.”

“…Huh?”

“It’s execution time. Come out!”

I found myself inside the body of the hero I had just selected.

And as a death row inmate being dragged to the execution ground in a remote fortress.

***

The cold dawn air pierced my lungs.

A musty sandy scent and a fishy iron smell tickled my nostrils.

I squinted at the glaring sunlight and looked around.

The place where I stood was an open ground.

“Move quickly. If anyone dawdles, I’ll take it as wanting to die first.”

The small open ground was bleak.

Prisoners with hands bound by thick ropes.

Soldiers surrounding them in a circle.

A centurion glaring with his hand on the sword hilt.

Whoosh- Thwack!

And up ahead, an executioner chopping off a prisoner’s neck with a massive axe.

“Next!”

“O Luark who created the sky and earth, the sea of stars. By the song that built the universe, relying on your grace that descended to this land in flesh…….”

Beside the execution platform.

A young priest began reciting a prayer in a low, deep voice.

In the meantime, the headless corpse was dragged and loaded onto a cart.

The severed head was roughly tossed into a wooden barrel.

“Prisoner number 125. To the execution platform.”

“Hic. I-I don’t want to die.”

“Forward!”

The prisoner at the front staggered out.

His knees were forced down, and as his neck was placed on the execution platform, the priest’s prayer ended.

“…In the name of Luark.”

“Execute!”

As soon as the prayer ended, the axe rose high into the sky.

Thwack. Thwack. Thwack!

After three strikes, prisoner number 125’s head rolled away.

“Next!”

Blood spurted like a fountain, covering the sand of the open ground.

My eyes met the rolled-out head.

“Urk…!”

A belated sense of reality made chills run down my spine from head to toe.

Nausea surged from my empty stomach with nothing in it.

At that moment, translucent letters began to line up at the top of my vision.

For some reason, they were familiar letters.

[Conditions met; bonus trait unlocked.]

…Bonus trait?

[Lord’s Unyielding Mind]

[Absolute immunity to mental contamination or brainwashing.]

[Unaffected by morale drops.]

[Does not fall into mental status ailments like fear or confusion in any situation.]

[When commanding a unit, probabilistically removes allies’ status ailments.]

Lord’s Unyielding Mind?

[Deploying [Lord’s Unyielding Mind].]

Right after the last sentence appeared, my queasy stomach miraculously settled.

In an instant, my mind calmed, and my brain cleared up.

It felt like I had just finished a cold shower and stepped out of the bathroom.

With my mind so clear, the first thing that surged up was a torrent of curses.

Fuck.

Did I just witness someone dying right in front of me?

And by having their neck chopped with an axe?

[World Scenario 4.0 has been updated.]

[New heroes have been unlocked.]

[Inferno difficulty has been added.]

Meanwhile, the letters in front of me kept appearing and disappearing endlessly.

My gaze instinctively scanned them downward.

Only then did I realize.

Those things.

They were content I had seen on the game screen.

[You have selected a newly unlocked hero.]

[You are the Nameless Ash.]

[Save the world from apocalypse according to the hero’s destiny.]

“…….”

So that’s what it was.

I grasped the situation quickly.

No, there was nothing to grasp in the first place.

The strangely familiar medieval-style armor, weapons, and buildings.

And the letters that suddenly appeared before my eyes meant only one thing.

‘Warlord Conquest…….’

Words like world scenario update and Inferno difficulty.

The overpowered trait given as a bonus, [Lord’s Unyielding Mind].

All of them were things connected to Warlord Conquest.

I had fallen into the world of the game I was just playing, wearing the body of the last hero I selected, ‘Nameless Ash’.

And in the identity of a prisoner about to vanish like dew on the execution ground.

“Next!”

“Hic, mother, father…….”

“Move quickly!”

Was it because I had lived my life holed up in a room all day immersed in games?

Once reason returned, accepting reality wasn’t difficult.

Actually, this too wasn’t something to accept or not.

The place where I stood was in the middle of the line waiting for execution.

The ropes binding the prisoners’ hands were tied the same on mine.

“Execute!”

Whew, let me calmly count.

How many prisoners were in front of me?

Seven… minus the one whose head just fell, now six.

There wasn’t as much time as I thought.

Once I recognized reality, the things I needed to do sorted themselves out quickly.

First. Figure out where I was.

Second. Confirm what abilities the hero I possessed had.

Third. Based on the obtained information, seek a way to survive.

And finally.

‘While doing the above three, simultaneously prepare a means for long-term survival.’

Whish- Thwack! Thwack!

“Next!”

Of course, the top priority was surviving the immediate moment.

Anything was meaningful only if the head was attached to the body.

‘The armor style and flags are imperial. Judging by the weather and architecture, it’s the southern region. The insignia on the centurion’s shoulder is that of Baron Burken’s forces. Seeing few spectators in the execution ground, it’s not a village.’

Who said it?

If you want to achieve a goal quickly, imagine a stranger holding a gun to the back of your head.

I think that saying has merit.

Right now, with an axe flashing before my eyes, my eyeballs were rolling faster than ever before.

The fragments of information gathered in an instant assembled into one sentence.

‘Starting point is Burken Fortress on the southern border of the empire. Death row inmate identity right before execution.’

The warning window about extremely challenging difficulty wasn’t empty words.

Even setting aside the death row status, Burken Fortress was the worst starting point in the empire.

It was a moment when my past self, who pressed the game start button without a shred of hesitation, seemed a bit pathetic.

Of course, it was way too late for regrets.

Before I knew it, only two prisoners remained in front of me.

“Execute! Hurry and finish!”

“Gurgle. Gurgle…!”

Thwack! Thwack!

…That must hurt a lot.

Whether the executioner was tiring, the number of axe strikes to sever the neck increased.

Naturally, the death row inmate’s agonized struggles grew more intense.

The stench of shit and piss released before death mixed with the foul blood smell and pierced my nostrils.

Thump. Thump.

For some reason, my heart beat rapidly.

The foul odor piercing my lungs seemed to whisper.

That I couldn’t escape from here alive.

That this place was my grave.

[Deploying [Lord’s Unyielding Mind].]

What a bullshit thought.

Of course, if it were the real me facing this situation, maybe.

But right now, this body wasn’t the flesh I originally knew.

And this place wasn’t the reality of Earth where I had lived either.

“Next!”

And if this was truly the world inside the game I had played.

If it was the continent of ‘Warlord Conquest’ where I had poured tens of thousands of hours over several years.

I could find a breakthrough in any situation.

Even if a blood-stained execution platform lay right before my eyes.

“Wait!”

After taking a deep breath.

I raised my hands bound by the rope high and shouted.

The imperial language, which I had only occasionally heard from beyond the monitor, flowed fluently from my mouth as if it were my native tongue.

At that moment, the priest’s voice reciting the prayer abruptly stopped.

“Priest, I need confession.”

Silence descended on the small open ground vibrating with blood smell.

***

“What?”

The one who broke the silence was the centurion’s voice mixed with irritation.

I spoke loudly and clearly once more.

“Before I die, I must make my final confession. As stipulated in imperial law, please permit the confession offered to Luark, the god among gods.”

I could see the centurion frowning.

I understood.

Who would want to stay long in an execution ground full of blood stench.

If I were the centurion, I’d be irritated too if the execution was delayed because of one death row inmate.

But separately from that.

“Brother Reuben.”

“…Yes, Priest.”

There were laws that even a centurion had to follow.

The priest, who had been mechanically reciting prayers, turned his body.

He urged the centurion in a low voice.

“Brother, the sinner is sincerely seeking confession. You must permit it.”

“…Understood. Soldier there, hurry and escort the novice priest.”

Priest, nice.

It felt like I might even develop a religion I never believed in on Earth.

Actually, the reactions of the priest and centurion were already predetermined outcomes.

Even a centurion couldn’t easily ignore religion.

‘Steel. Magic. And faith.’

The three powers that forged the empire.

The last one adorning them was none other than faith.

All imperial laws were made to protect and perpetuate those three values.

The confession before death was also a right that any human dying in the empire should rightfully enjoy.

If the centurion was an imperial citizen, he would give sufficient time for confession.

“Once the confession is over, put that prisoner on the execution platform first.”

…Looks like that bastard’s a spy or something.

It was regrettable, but still as expected.

Anyway, the confession itself was just a time-buying tactic.

The reason I managed to buy even that bit of time was because I knew this game’s system better than anyone.

‘A game notoriously infamous for being disgustingly unreasonable, but at least it doesn’t kill the protagonist right at the start.’

The starting point was like a tutorial introducing the hero’s background and abilities.

No matter how extreme the environment, it was designed so that at least you could break through using the hero’s abilities.

Stalling time just now was in the same vein.

If it were the game, a timed choice would have appeared.

Untie the ropes and attempt escape.

Shout loudly and pretend to be crazy.

Request confession from the priest.

Such like.

For a player who knew [Lord’s Unyielding Mind], they would unconditionally choose 3.

This trait had several hidden effects beyond what was displayed.

It wasn’t called an overpowered trait for nothing.

“M-Me too, I’ll confess!”

“Me too! Me too!”

“Shut up! Confession is one at a time.”

“O who created the sky and earth, the sea of stars….”

As evidence, look at the priest there.

He didn’t even blink at the other prisoners’ wails and just recited prayers.

If not for the hidden effect of [Lord’s Unyielding Mind], there was a high chance I would have been ignored like them too.

They would say it didn’t feel like a ‘sincere’ confession, but an impure intent to delay execution.

“Walk straight!”

While being grabbed and dragged by the soldier, the sound of axes striking resumed from behind.

After overcoming the immediate crisis, it felt certain.

Even the trivial settings I had delved into out of curiosity, not one was meaningless.

“…….”

A playtime amounting to tens of thousands of hours.

My own know-how and strategies accumulated over years.

Even the characters and background settings I had obsessively dug into to find breakthroughs.

From now on, those would keep me alive in this damn world.

“Let me ask just one thing.”

And to utilize them well, the more local information, the better.

I quietly asked the soldier who had tied me to a chair in the corner of the open ground.

“Shut your mouth.”

“Please. Just one. What year is it now?”

“It’s 1023. Now shut up and wait quietly. Once the novice priest arrives, finish the confession quickly, and then your neck will be first.”

…Of all things, Imperial Year 1023.

This wasn’t good.

Among the many crises in the game, the vampire archduke’s awakening judgment starts having meaningful probability from Imperial Year 1020.

By 1023, the southern border here would slowly become dangerous.

‘And the reason Burken Fortress is the worst starting point is… because the vampire invasion route usually starts from here.’

The only weakness in the ironclad southern defense line was right here, Burken Fortress where I was now.

That meant even if I overcame the immediate crisis, staying here would increase the chance of game over over time.

Whether as a death row inmate, soldier, or knight, it didn’t matter.

Ding ding ding ding!

Fuck this.

As soon as I had the ominous thought, the bell started ringing.

If my memory was correct, that was definitely the bell signaling war.

And at this point, there was only one force that would invade the empire’s southern border.

“Undead!”

…Of course.

As someone shouted, commotion arose from behind.

Since I was tied to the chair with my back to the execution ground, I couldn’t see the exact situation.

But.

“All to the walls! Go to your positions!”

“Crossbow unit! Call the crossbow unit!”

“Where are the mages? Send word to the inner castle immediately!”

There were things you could feel without seeing.

The stampede of military boots. Noises of things colliding and spilling.

Shouts calling for halberd units and crossbow units. Even the bell sound still ringing clear.

The soldier guarding my back also sheathed his sword and ran off somewhere.

Amid the numerous noises, I heard him shouting to the centurion.

“What about the prisoners?”

This fucker?

If told to go to the wall, just go; why make unnecessary trouble.

“What are you asking? Kill them all!”

“Understood!”

“Argh!”

Things got twisted because of that troll bastard.

The prisoners’ screams pierced my ears.

If I stayed still, I’d be next.

I twisted my bound feet forcefully and stood up with the chair.

Creak…!

“Ugh…!”

This wouldn’t break my legs, right?

Even as I staggered forward little by little, the sounds of prisoners dying kept coming from behind.

Still, there was hope yet.

My veteran instinct said now was the escape opportunity designed by the game system.

“W-Wait! I can fight too… Aaack!”

“Die! You death row scum!”

The undead invasion, if used well, wasn’t a bad opportunity.

Once battle started, no one would be counting prisoner numbers.

If I ran a bit, I could escape amid the chaos.

It was the moment I thought that and turned around.

Rumble rumble rumble……!

Beyond the open ground there.

Something brightly coloring the sky came into view.

It was a star twinkling under the midday sun.

Far away, over the walls and spires, a red glow casting long shadows on the people standing there.

“[Infernal Meteor]….”

The dark red star rose above the horizon, crossed the walls, and approached in an instant.

It wasn’t easy to not recognize that spell I had seen to boredom from beyond the monitor.

That was a level 7 spell often seen in large-scale battles with vampires.

A fire-based technique as powerful as siege weapons.

“Everyone, evade!”

Someone shouted.

The fireball was falling precisely toward the open ground.

Instinct preceded reason and moved my body.

I had to live.

I had to escape somehow.

Ignoring the searing pain of flesh scraping and skin tearing, I twisted my firmly bound legs and somehow walked forward.

But with my body tied to the chair, I couldn’t go far.

Barely escaping the open ground, I felt hot heat from behind.

At that moment.

Boom-!

I turned around without realizing.

Rumble rumble-!

It started as a fireball.

Was it because I sensed death? Time seemed to flow slowly.

Once, a taxi driver told his traffic accident story, saying everything slowed down the moment the bumper hit the guardrail.

Was this that feeling?

Bubble bubble…!!

Like bubbles rising in a hot spring, a massive fireball appeared on the other side of the open ground.

Soon, the surface of the fireball expanded, and heat that could melt the world smashed and pushed away everything in its path.

Boom boom boom-!!

The red-hot ground shattered.

The shockwave carried fragments of broken stones and what used to be people, rushing forward.

Heat and debris merged into one and surged like a wave.

The shockwave slammed into my body with a bang, and my vision flipped.

Thud-

After one roll, everything went dark before my eyes.

Clatter-

After one more collision, this time sound disappeared.

Beep-

I couldn’t see anything.

Pain sensation seemed paralyzed too.

Thud! Crash!

It felt like my body was flung somewhere.

With the dull sensation, it was impossible to even count how many times I rolled.

One, two, three….

I recalled my mother’s childhood teaching: when scared, count from one to ten inwardly.

My madly rolling body stopped before reaching ten.

It felt like it caught on something, inertia was felt, then head and limbs drooped limply.

……Am I dead?

For that, the belated stinging pain was too vivid.

Damn it. This isn’t stinging; it’s throbbing.

No, correction. It just hurts like I’m dying.

[Conditions met; bonus trait unlocked.]

Coincidentally, at such a moment, something scrolled up.

But right now wasn’t the time to pay attention to such letters.

Anyway, this shitty luck-fucked trash game.

In a near-death situation, traits or whatever wouldn’t be import….

[Warrior’s Insight]

[Instantly acquires skills witnessed in actual combat.]

[The proficiency of acquired skills is 100%.]

[Deploying [Warrior’s Insight].]

[Skill acquired.]

[Infernal Meteor (Level 7)]

…It seemed important.

Very important.

Because amid the pain ravaging my whole body, a faint refreshing sensation flowed through me.

Even though it was a sensation I felt for the first time, I knew exactly what it was.

‘Mana.’

A power only a select few could use.

The exclusive domain of knights and mages, one of the three driving forces that forged the empire.

Even though I couldn’t stand due to the horrific agony, I unconsciously clenched my fist.

With this, I got the sense.

Of how I would clear this game.