The King's Mandate: Anomalous System

After I met with the developer, I found myself at the entrance of a dungeon.

This dungeon will be released in the next update of this game. But since I have the authority of early access, I could access it.

I had a regular sword with me, a dagger, and some healing potions. I was wearing normal beginner clothes, nothing great.

I kept walking ahead. 

Inside the dungeon, there were street lamps, which were illuminating the path.

I kept walking further and further.

To be honest, this is not the type of dungeon that I imagined.

It's beautiful. There is everything in here; there are houses, sea, forest, there is everything. But I don't see the sky.

Is it because it's still work-in-progress? Or maybe because it's night?

Sigh~

This is my first time playing any game, and this one is a VR game.

It's too realistic.

There was supposed to be a tutorial on how to play, but…

Sigh~

How do I get out from here? 

I glanced around and said, "This is like an underground city!"

What does 'No Restriction' mean? 

"That developer was pretty generous too."

It's not like it was her fault for the glitch, but she granted me...

"No restriction, huh?"

[Devi]

"Devi? What is that?"

[Devi-Lopar?]

This pixie is terrible with names.

"It's a developer."

[Developer?]

"Yeah"

[A-D-A-S]

"It's Adas. Not A-D-A-S."

[ADAS?]

"Yes, Adas."

Actually, I find this name pretty lame too.

"I can imagine how Elena will react when she sees my name."

[Ele-Na?]

Was I saying it aloud?

"Elena, my girlfriend."

[Girl-Friend?]

"Don't break it! It's girlfriend, not Girl-Friend."

What was I doing?! I was correcting an A.I. She is a program, and a program can't evolve.

[Girlfriend?]

"Yeah, she also plays this game. She is the one who recommended me to play this game."

[What's her in-game name?]

"It was something like Reina."

Wait! She is speaking fluently now. Was she learning how to speak? 

Could it be that this AI? Is it advanced? But this is just a game.

I guess I shouldn't underestimate VR games.

The pixie closed her eyes and moved her small hands in the air.

[Too many Reinas]

"Huh?"

Wait! Was she looking at the database or something?

[Real name]

"What?"

[Reina real name]

"It's Elena."

[Full name]

"Elena Huer."

She closed her eyes again.

She is accessing the database, is that safe?

[Found her]

"Oh, let me--"

[She was in the top 10 in the last event]

"Top 10? Is she strong or something?"

[Events can be won by using tactics and strategies]

"Tactics? Strategies? I think you got the wrong person. My Elena is an idiot. There is no way she can use her brain."

[I am not wrong]

"What?"

[I am not wrong!]

"Okay, okay, I got it. Don't yell."

"So," I glanced around and said, "What do I have to do here?"

[Clear the dungeon]

Hmm? So I have to clear it? But how?

This dungeon is still not released so that monsters won't be-- 

[Defeat the monsters]

"Uh...what?".

"It's a maintenance break right now. So there won't be any monsters, right?"

The pixie stared at me and said, [I am not sure]

"Aren't you supposed to be the guide?"

[I am. But this floor is unreleased. I have very little information about it]

"Floor?"

[Yes. You can also call it the 'world' or 'floor.' Both refer to the same thing]

Is it something like layers of the game?

As I was walking and enjoying the beautiful scenery. I almost tripped over something.

I balanced myself and looked in front of me, saying, "What is that thing?!"

There was something giant sleeping in the middle of the city.

[The boss of this floor]

"That's the boss?!"

Not only I encountered a monster, but I ran into the boss of all monsters.

I hid behind the big rock.

The boss looks like a dragon, but something is different about it.

[This dungeon is floor zero, and it is called the city of monsters]

"You are telling me now?! And the name of this floor itself sounds dangerous!"

What is the boss doing in the middle of the city?

I gulped down and said, "There is no way I can defeat the boss. I am only level 1."

[Only players who are level 40 or higher can enter this floor]

"Seriously, why are you telling me this now?! And why am I here? I am level 1, right?"

What's wrong with this game? How can a level 1 player enter here...wait...

"No restriction!"

So this is what this means. Usually players who are lower than 40 are restricted, meaning they can't enter here. But since I have 'No restriction', I can enter it.

[No one can defeat this boss]

"Hah?!"

[Even a level 100 player can't defeat this boss. This boss is unbeatable]

She was flying in front of my face. I grabbed her with my hand and said, "What will you do now, huh? How will you escape with such a tiny body, huh? What will you do now---wait! Stop biting!"

She was struggling to break free from my grip and suddenly started biting me.

I let her go.

[The higher the player level is, the stronger the player is, the stronger the boss will be]

"I see. So it's an adaptive monster."

If so, then...

"As I am level one then the boss will be weak too?"

[That is a possibility]

"I see."

So the boss should be weak too.

"If I kill the boss, this floor should be cleared, right?"

[You might]

Her answers are so vague.

I stood up and slowly started walking towards it.

[Where are you going?]

"It's sleeping. So I will just go near its head and stab it. " I shrugged my shoulders and said, "The end."

[If you go near it, it will automatically wake up]

"What if I throw a sword from here?"

[What if you miss? What if it wakes up before the sword can hit it? You won't have any weapon to fight it]

"Stop talking about negative possibilities." I picked the small rock and said, "Be positive!"

I walked further and threw the rock at the sleeping monster. 

The monster opened his eyes as I grabbed my sword. 

The monster stood up...huh?

My gaze automatically followed it as I said, "Hey, isn't it way too big?!"

The monster must be like 40 meters tall. 

What the hell?! 

According to my calculations...well, not exactly. But according to this pixie, I should be able to defeat the boss since I am level 1 and weak.

It opened its wings and started flying. 

It looks even bigger when flying.

It flapped Its wings with full strength, by which I was sent flying and got slammed into the wall.

My vision got blurry when I slammed into the wall.

"What just happened?!"

It all happened in seconds.

The monster is too fast and also strong.

Even if it is level one, it's this strong.

I can't imagine how it would be if a level 100 player comes to fight it.

Now I know why this pixie said this floor is not clearable.

I looked at my HP. It was 13...and it hurts too…

It hurts so much.

It was written on the manual of the gear that the game can have its pain limiters. And I think this game forgot to set it.

I feel like I got hit for real. I felt dizzy.

[Weak], The pixie flew in front of my face and said, [You are weak]

I want to smack her.

[Use health potions]

"Potions..."

Oh, right! Health potions. This is a game.

For a moment, I forgot that this is a game. Everything feels so real. Then again, that's what it means to play a VR game.

I opened my menu and checked the inventory. 

I had ten concentrated HP potions, one recovering 25% of max health. I used 4 of them, and my HP recovered to 100.

It doesn't hurt anymore. All the pain stopped, and I don't feel dizzy either.

[You are weak]

Please let me smack you!

"Why does it hurt so much?"

Are the pain limiters off?

[When you use dive gear and patches on your body, it can generate pain. It's just a simulation, but you will feel pain. Nothing will happen to your real body. But in-game, it will hurt]

"I guessed that already."

I stood back up, and I glanced around. 

The monster was still flying and looking at me. I grabbed my sword and...and what? What else can I do now? Yeah, that's right. There is only one thing I can do now, and that is...

"Run!"

There is no way I can defeat the boss.

I am sure I am running at my full speed, so why am I so slow?

I leaned back to check if that monster was still following me or not, but it wasn't.

"What was that thing?!"

It wasn't a dragon.

[A hybrid of a dragon, wyvern, and a phoenix]

I tried to increase my speed as I yelled, "No wonder it's unbeatable!"

[Weak, you are weak]

"Shut up! I will smack you later."

I am at my limit now. 

I can't run any longer. 

I was out of breath.

I panted as I said, "How do I get out of here?"

[You can't]

"Why?"

[Maintenance break]

"Ah!" I sat down with a wall as a support and said, "Then how much time until the maintenance break ends?"

[73 minutes]

What am I going to do till then?

"Maybe I will just hide somewhere and wait for the maintenance to end."

[You can't!]

"Why?"

[Because they will find you]

"Who?"

She pointed her finger behind me and said, [They]

I glanced back to see the wolves.

They weren't precisely wolves since they are a lot bigger.

The wolves are like 5 meters tall and have short furs.

Their fangs are about the same size as the horns coming out from their heads.

Please tell me they just look like that and are weak.