Max Talent Player

[The convenience store Safe Zone has been deactivated.]

I put food and water into my Inventory and left. Having no proper means of transportation, we would have to walk all the way from the store to the D-Tower.

“Doing alright?”

A response came from behind me. “I’m alright.”

They must have been brutal sights, difficult for a 14-year-old to handle, but Sunhwa looked fairly calm.

‘How could she be alright?’

There was no way she was. If I listened carefully, I could hear something like sniffling and sobbing behind me. I didn’t check to see, but she was probably crying. There was no way she’d seen anything like this before.

‘I wonder if this is what a city on the verge of ruin, no… an already ruined city feels like.’

It felt like the entirety of Jongno had become a ghost town.

‘I wonder if there are even 10,000 people still alive by now.’

That was my best guess, but in all actuality, the number wasn’t the important thing right now.

‘I can’t see any people.’

There were corpses, not people, lining the road. Inside a car, sitting in the driver’s seat, was a headless… I made myself stop there.

“Keep your eyes on the ground. Be sure to tell me if you see any jelly-like thing crawling around.”

On the way to D-Tower, we had to hunt. Our primary goal was ‘Slimes’. As ‘neutral’ monsters, they didn’t attack unless attacked first. Their levels were marked as ‘-’. They were the safest monsters, ones that even a 10-year-old child could kill.

“Oppa, there’s one over there.”

I also spotted the jelly-shaped monster crawling out from under a car.

[Slime. -]

Sure enough, it had no levels and was marked with a ‘-’. I approached the Slime and swung my sword. As could be expected from its jelly shape, there was a sloshing sensation, but the damage was properly inflicted. They weren’t hard to kill.

[EXP acquired.]

[3 Coins acquired.]

“It disappeared.”

“Yeah. They’re really weak monsters. Let’s go. We have to keep killing them while we walk.”

Here as well, I could feel it.

‘Why’s it so easy?’

No matter how weak a monster it was, it felt way too easy. I had felt this from the start, but it felt like I had always been Playing.

‘This Rusted Iron Sword…’

Did I maybe use it in my dreams? Even if I did, for a weapon I’d never used before, it felt extremely familiar in my hand, almost as if I had trained with it for a long time.

“Keep a good eye out for them.”

“Got it. I’ll try to find them.”

Sunhwa did the best she could. Here, in this place littered with corpses, this gruesome place stained by pools of blood, she was adapting far better than I had expected.

“Oppa. There’s one here!”

Her ability to find the monsters alone seemed far better than mine.

“Oppa, over here.”

After hunting about five Slimes, I heard the level up notice.

[Level increased.]

[Current level: 2]

[2 bonus stats acquired.]

[1 random bonus stat acquired.]

Sunhwa stared at me in fascination. “Oppa, your body was shining just now. How come?”

“I leveled up.”

“Leveled up?” She seemed amazed by leveling up.

“Yeah. You level up when you kill monsters. And when you level up, you become stronger.”

“Ah… I see.” After a pause, “I also want to work hard to level up and become like oppa.”

Sunhwa’s face was still full of curiosity, but perhaps because she didn’t want to annoy me, she didn’t pester me with more questions. I caught a few more Slimes.

[Level increased.]

[Current level: 3]

[2 bonus stats acquired.]

[1 random bonus stat acquired.]

Once again, I noticed that something was strange.

‘It’s weird.’ For some reason, I had the feeling I was leveling up too quickly. ‘Is it different when you Play in person?’

The only Playing I had experienced was in VR, like VR videos on Youtube and VR experiences like ‘virtual dungeons’, and the rote memorization of strategy guides through textbooks. That was the limit of my Playing.

‘In person, it actually feels like I’m leveling up really fast.’ That wasn’t all. ‘I’ve already gotten 2 random bonus stats.’

Random bonus stats weren’t usually given that frequently. That applied in the Tutorial Arena as well.

‘The Fist King… So Yoohyun also said he hadn’t seen random bonus stats that often.’

Even the pride of Korea, the named Player So Yoohyun who ranked within the top 10 in Korea when it came to talent, said it had been difficult for him to get bonus stats. But I had already earned two, and I was only at level 3.

I suddenly thought back to the evaluation results.

[No Talent.]

A few days ago, those two words had stung particularly badly. I sorted the thoughts in my head.

‘Did I gain talent I didn’t have in the process of returning to the past?’

If that wasn’t it…

‘An early bloomer Player who sees explosive growth only in the beginning.’

That seemed like the most likely option. There were a lot of them in Korea as well. Countless Players had appeared like meteors and had faded just as quickly. Many Players, called ‘Rising Stars’ or ‘Super Rookies’, made their names with their explosive speed of level ups and incredible skills in the lower levels, but were unable to pass the middle levels and faded into obscurity.

‘That I’m an early bloomer is the most likely possibility.’

I decided to think of it like that. I had to approach it this way so I wouldn’t be disappointed later. I’d look only a few steps ahead, not a few miles.

‘For now, it’s advantageous for me.’

Someone who had nothing, absolutely jack, returned to the past and somehow survived the 1st and 2nd Goblin waves, and even drew the attention of Guardians. Even assuming I was an early bloomer, I was already level 3.

‘The goal is to survive, and then…’ I came up with a goal. ‘$1 million.’

That was my goal. Even an early bloomer Player could earn $1 million without much difficulty. With that much money, I would be able to get treatment for my mom. In three years, the ‘illness curing potion’ would be put on the market.

‘Let’s not look too far ahead.’

I did want to strike down the Guardians, but that was too far in the future. I might even be an early bloomer Player. For now, my goal was to survive, and then, earn $1 million. I could think of what came afterwards later.

[Level increased.]

[Current level: 5]

I got bonus stats and random stats yet again. Before I knew it, I was level 5.

[Party System activation is now possible.]

I immediately sent Sunhwa a ‘party invite’. Sunhwa was shocked and asked, “What’s this?” 

But she accepted the party invite before long.

[The ‘Nameless Observer’ is observing you with interest.]

[The ‘Nameless Observer’ is showing great interest in you.]

I didn’t hear any notices from the ‘Courageous Lion King’.

As we continued to walk to D-Tower, the girl trailing behind me said, “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“I’ll do my best. I’ll be of help to oppa.”

What was she on about all of a sudden again? I was about to say I’d leave her behind if she wasn’t helpful when she continued speaking.

“So… Please don’t throw me away.”

Again? I really couldn’t understand why she was always begging not to be abandoned.

“Please don’t give up on me. I’ll really do my best.”

I did feel a little bad for her. What would drive such a young girl to say something like this? But I kept up a hard front and said, “Show me with your actions and not your words.”

It might’ve seemed cold, but I rationally laid out the reality. Half-assed sympathy or kindness would only harm the child.

“If I don’t need you, I will throw you away without hesitation.”

It was hard enough to take care of myself. My leveling speed was much faster than expected and I had already gotten four random bonus stats, but that was nothing. When I hunted the monster waiting on the 1st floor of the D-Tower, there was no guarantee I could protect Sunhwa.

‘To begin with… It was weird I’d be protecting anyone.’

What could a level 5 Player do? The path ahead was something you walked on your own. In any case, it seemed like my words had gotten through to Sunhwa.

But then, Sunhwa said, “Isn’t that… a different monster?”

* * *

In the Gwanghwamun area, in front of the Statue of Admiral Yi Sun-sin, were different monsters that weren’t Slimes.

‘City Foxes.’

Their levels were ‘2’ or ‘3’.

City Fox LVL 3

They weren’t difficult monsters to kill. But killing them felt way harder than Slimes. It was because I wasn’t used to killing living beings yet.

‘Even though the Goblins are dead.’

The overall grey, fox-shaped monsters were ‘passive’ monsters. If you didn’t mess with them, they were neutral, but they would aggro the moment you attacked. Attacking one would draw others towards you.

‘Hm?’

But when Sunhwa said “Taunt,” a ‘!!!’ mark appeared above the heads of the City Foxes, and they came running towards Sunhwa. The City Foxes wildly bit at Sunhwa’s body.

I was shocked. ‘AOE aggro?’

They were just low-level monsters at level 2 or 3, and Sunhwa was only level 3, but she was able to achieve an AOE aggro of this level. It looked like she had taunted all of the City Foxes in the area, which looked to be about 14 foxes.

‘She’s not taking any damage.’

I wasn’t sitting around, sucking my thumb, either. Most animal monsters had the neck as the weak spot. I was able to hunt the City Foxes without difficulty. Leveling with Slimes was difficult now, but when I killed the City Foxes, my EXP shot up.

[EXP acquired.]

[7 Coins acquired.]

[Level increased.]

[Current level: 8]

All of my fatigue disappeared with the level ups. That was a special characteristic of level ups—when you rose one level, all of your fatigue would fly away, and you would return to your best condition.

‘My leveling speed is way faster than I thought.’

I was already level 8. If things had gone as I expected—educated guess from countless strats—I would be around level 5 by now. I thought I would just be getting to the Party System, but I was already level 8. It might seem as though level 5 and 8 weren’t that different, but that was absolutely not the case.

‘4 level ups vs. 7. In terms of speed, it’s nearly twice as fast.’

Going from level 4 to 8 was way harder than going from 1 to 4. With that in mind, I was leveling up at more than double the speed. Far faster than expected.

‘This is a crazy leveling speed.’

It was so fast it was absurd. The Guardians seemed to think the same, because Senia, who had been wandering around, approached me. She captured the scene of me leveling up and asked, “Player Kim Hyukjin, what is your current level?”

“…”

I thought for a moment. Should I tell her, or not? There were advantages to both options. I decided to tell her, for now.

“Level 8.”

“…”

Senia’s wingtips trembled again.

“There’s no mistake that you’re level 8?”

“You can scan me if you want.”

Senia stared at me in disbelief for a while. After a long moment, she opened her mouth again.

“…You really are level 8.”

She didn’t show it, but she seemed shocked. There was no doubt; My leveling speed was out of the ordinary. It wasn’t just my imagination.

[The ‘Nameless Observer’ expresses their surprise at your leveling speed.]

[A large number of anonymous Guardians are amazed.]

After checking my level, Senia returned to her usual half-transparent state.

‘My leveling speed must definitely be really damn fast.’

Sunhwa and I hunted a little longer in the vicinity.

[City Fox has been killed.]

[EXP acquired.]

[7 Coins acquired.]

My EXP rose until I was on the verge of hitting level 9. In the Tutorial Arena, the max level was 10.

‘Soon, I’ll be level 9.’

I decided to stop hunting now. After all, my objective was the ‘D-Tower’. More specifically, the 1st floor of the D-Tower. If I could clear that floor well, I would gain a ton of bonuses and pretty much become the face of Players worldwide.

‘If I can just do that part well…’

Earning $1 million afterwards would be no problem, even if I were an early bloomer. Sunhwa and I arrived at the D-Tower. There were multiple entrances.

‘This one.’

I chose the one without monsters. I heard a notice.

[The necessary level to enter the Tutorial Dungeon, D-Tower, is 5.]

[Will you enter the Tutorial Dungeon, D-Tower?]

‘YES.’

I selected yes. The revolving door began to slowly move, as if inviting me to come inside. Sunhwa clutched a part of my clothes behind me, a little scared.

“You remember what we have to do when we’re inside, right?”

“Yes.”

Sunhwa’s voice trembled a little. I knew that, but I didn’t show it on my face, because although Sunhwa wasn’t trying to act spoiled, I had no intention of humoring her, even if she was. For a brief moment, I checked my stats.

[Status Window]

Name: Kim Hyukjin (Player)

Level: 8

Title: –

Strength: 14Intelligence: 14

Agility: 14Perception: 14

Constitution: 14Willpower: 13 (+30)

Bonus stats: 0

Random stats: 4

Undistributed stats: 4

According to the Rankers, it was best to raise your stats evenly in the beginning. That was the established theory.

‘Are these really the stats of a level 8?’

It was completely different from other level 8s in my memory. It gave me confidence.

“Let’s go.”

I went ahead first. The half-transparent Senia followed me.

[The ‘Nameless Observer’ is observing you with interest.]

‘Carelessness is death.’

This was undoubtedly a dangerous place for someone at my level, a place that could become one’s grave if they entered without knowing the strategy, and in just one hit. I reviewed the strategy one more time in my head. And then, I entered the Tutorial Dungeon.

[You have entered the Tutorial Dungeon, D-Tower.]