Chapter 4: Completing the Third Floor of the Tutorial
As the saying goes, "The world has no shortage of cunning foxes," but it seemed that scientific and technological advancements were progressing even faster.
Who could have imagined that in the year 2030, people would be able to enjoy games in such an advanced and high-tech environment?
The man stood on the 2-meter-wide path that crossed the center of the vast plain. His reflection shimmered like a mirror on the transparent surface of dewdrops falling from the tips of grass leaves. He soaked in the cool morning air and embraced the warmth of the rising sun.
Ahead, about 50 meters away, three goblins gathered.
They drooled like beggars who had just found food and appeared ready to attack at any moment.
[Tutorial Floor 3]
[Objective: Defeat 3 goblins]
[Remaining goblins: 3]
Facing the three goblins, Ethan felt surprisingly unafraid. Although he knew their attacks would hurt, since the sensation ratio was set to one hundred percent, ensuring each strike of their wooden clubs delivered immense pain.
Memories from his youth resurfaced, reminding him of a fight he had gotten into at the age of 14 during his first year of middle school.
Back then, he had bravely stepped in to defend a friend against three older bullies, wielding a cleaning mop handle like a weapon.
Unfortunately, he ended up surrounded and beaten, resulting in a two-month hospital stay. That experience motivated him to take up kendo, fueling his desire for revenge.
Now, as he faced the goblins, he couldn't help but wonder, "What happened again that time?"
Ethan tried to recall, but the memory remained hazy.
Shaking his head, he decided to stop dwelling on it and instead briskly walked toward the trio of goblins. Their eyes gleamed with anticipation as they noticed Ethan's movement.
His approach lacked any hint of moderation; it was an unrestrained, straight movement. On the other hand, he wasn't slow either, as the goblins charged toward him with surprising speed.
The three goblins lunged at the same time, each wielding a wooden club in their own distinct manner.
One swung vertically, another horizontally, and the last diagonally.
For most players attempting Tutorial Floor 3 (which was a small minority), facing such coordinated attacks would likely deplete their stamina and result in their character's demise... But Ethan had no intention of falling victim to these assaults.
Thump!
He swiftly pulled his body back, causing the goblins' clubs to collide with a resounding noise at the same spot.
The recoil disrupted the goblins' balance as they landed on the ground, providing Ethan with the perfect opportunity to strike their "waists."
"Waist."
With a muffled thud, one goblin was sent flying several meters away.
Seeing their fallen comrade, the remaining goblins attacked in fury. However, their clubs sliced through empty air, never reaching their agile target.
[You have acquired the Battle Perception skill.]
While evading several attacks, a system message rang out, and Ethan felt a peculiar sensation. The goblins' attacks seemed to become more manageable as if they were somehow... slower.
Whoosh!
[Your health has slightly increased.]
[Your agility has slightly increased.]
"Why are they attacking so predictably, even though they may be slower?"
The goblins' actions were somewhat frustrating. Despite using club-like weapons, they would essentially become swords or blades if those clubs were sharpened slightly.
A skilled swordsman would constantly strategize to create unpredictable swordplay, making it difficult for the opponent to evade.
Ethan couldn't help but feel annoyed by the goblins' straightforward and unrefined attacks; at that moment, a memory flashed in his mind.
After mastering swordsmanship, Ethan decided to confront the senior students who had previously bullied him. These students, known as the "Thug" in the area, used their positions as local bullies to commit acts of violence and extort money from others.
It was uncommon for a 14-year-old boy who had suffered from their violence and ended up in the hospital to seek revenge, but Ethan impulsively approached them once again.
He had been practicing swordsmanship for about two months at that time.
Carrying the same mop handle as before, Ethan confronted the senior students, each wielding a steel pipe, ready to face him.
As he faced the goblins now, a sudden memory from that time flashed in his mind. The emotions he experienced while dodging the attacks of those seniors resurfaced, mirroring his current situation with the goblins.
"Wrist"
Thump!
"Head."
[Your strength has slightly increased.]
The attacks by the senior students were monotonous and audacious, lacking in speed and finesse. As Ethan dodged their attacks and counterattacked, he couldn't help but offer some coaching on their technique.
"You put too much force in your shoulders. That's why your speed is lacking."
"If you make big, prolonged movements, it becomes obvious where you will attack. You should strike and enter quickly, making it difficult for the opponent to perceive and ensuring that the effective hit succeeds."
"Holding the weapon above your head is like asking the opponent to hit your waist."
"Starting tomorrow, come to the swordsmanship hall, and I'll teach you."
While the senior students listened to Ethan's nagging, they couldn't help but get hit.
The next day, some of their older friends, known as 'Big Brother,' came to confront Ethan.
Among them was a muscular man with a bald or shaved head, who challenged Ethan to a one-on-one fight, saying, "Are you saying you beat my men on New Year's Day?"
He claimed to have some experience in boxing and judo...
"How did it go?"
Having lost two companions, the goblin became fierce and rushed towards Ethan as if going berserk. The creature made harsh, wheezing sounds, the clanking of metal mixing with its rough breathing as it weakly swung the club.
Somehow, it seemed a bit pitiful.
"Oh, right."
As Ethan and the muscle-headed man stood facing each other, ready to engage in a one-on-one confrontation, the dozens of juniors brought by the muscle-headed man (including the three middle schoolers who had received swordsmanship instruction from Ethan) formed a circular ring around them.
The juniors were giggling. It seemed like the muscle-headed man believed he would give Ethan a harsh scolding. Eventually, the showdown began, and the muscle-headed man confidently walked towards Ethan as if he were Mike Tyson himself, extending his fist towards Ethan's face.
Naturally, everyone except Ethan expected the muscle-headed man to win.
The muscle-headed man's skill was outstanding, enough to defeat even active boxing players. However, as time passed, the expressions of the junior students watching the confrontation stiffened.
"Head, head, head. Whack, whack, whack!"
Ethan relentlessly attacked the guy's head without showing any mercy.
When it surpassed five hits, the muscle-headed man's consciousness became hazy, and the junior students tried to rush toward Ethan in anger. But the muscle-headed man stopped them, perhaps due to his wounded pride.
"Let's have a man-to-man battle. No weapons, just fists, fair and square," he proposed.
Ethan replied, "I don't want to."
"Head, hea..."
[You have successfully cleared Tutorial 3rd Floor.]
[Would you like to move to Tutorial 4th Floor?]
As I regained my senses, I noticed that all the goblins were lying on the ground.
"Status Window."
Name: Yoo Ilshin
Level: -
Abilities:
▸ Strength
▸ Agility
▸ Stamina
Skills:
▸ Combat Sense
[Combat Sense]
- Type: Passive
- Effect: Enhances the senses required for combat.
- Proficiency: F
"Hmm."
As my stats increased, I received a message about learning a new skill. I opened the status window to check, but...
There was no indication of my level, and I had no idea about the exact values of my abilities. I wasn't sure if it was intended in the game or just a temporary bug, but...
"Well, it doesn't matter."
Ethan shrugged his shoulders.
Before moving to the next floor, he decided to replenish his health a bit and watch Lily's broadcast.
He saw Lily entering the room before he entered the VR room, so she should be fully immersed in the Heroes Saga game by now.
When he searched for Lily in the search bar, he found that over 150 people were currently watching her broadcast.
Most of the viewers had only around 10 people, but one stood out with an overwhelming 300 viewers.
◾ Troll Forest Hunt
◾ Streamer: Lily Williams
◾ Viewers: 307
◾ Donations after 24 hours: $50
Upon checking her face, it became evident that the person on the screen was, indeed, her daughter, Lily Williams. She moved gracefully through the dense forest, accompanied by fellow robe-clad adventurers.
Whenever they encountered a troll, they skillfully cast fire magic in unison, effortlessly taking down the formidable creatures.
"Didn't she mention her level was 150?"
Puff, puff, puff!
As soon as a troll was spotted in the forest, a barrage of concentrated fireballs followed.
The staffs held by the adventurers gathered magical power, transforming it into several blazing fireballs that hurtled towards the troll with incredible speed, exploding upon impact with a thunderous sound.
It wasn't just one fireball; there were several of them, each more impressive than the last. Ethan could discern how overwhelmingly powerful this was, even as a complete outsider to the game.
It finally made sense why Maxwell had passionately extolled the prowess of wizards for a solid 30 minutes.
"In any case, she looks thrilled."
On the screen, his daughter appeared to be on a hunting spree with her guild members, sharing jokes, expressing moments of frustration, and laughing wholeheartedly. Sometimes, whenever a viewer donated a thousand won, she would jump around in sheer delight like an exuberant child.
Ethan couldn't help but smirk, his own smile reflecting her happiness.
"But are there only wizards? Aren't there any other professions?"
He scrolled through the screen, checking out other popular streamers, and to his surprise, his eyes widened. From the top spot all the way down to the 100th place, every single one of them was a wizard. He didn't mind what people chose as their profession, but this level of dominance caught him off guard.
Beyond the 100th spot, he finally came across a few archers and priests scattered amidst the wizard-dominated ranks.
According to Maxwell, priests were support classes capable of healing and providing buffs in other RPG games. They were highly sought after, almost like nobles in those games. However, in Heroes Saga, they were considered mere commoners, and Maxwell emphasized that having an extra wizard in the party was more efficient for hunting than including a priest.
Drrrruk. Drrruk. Dr...thud...
"There are none."
He scrolled down the rankings, going even beyond 1,000, but there wasn't a single knight wielding a sword or any other weapon in sight. The absence of knights left him feeling slightly disappointed, and he was about to close the broadcasting window altogether. However, he couldn't help but notice a small detail that caught his attention.
[Current viewers: 12]
"Hmm."
He expected it to be zero, but surprisingly, 12 viewers were tuning into the stream. Ethan checked the number, slightly intrigued, and then decided to close it without giving it much thought.
He didn't really care about viewership; after all, Heroes Saga was such a popular game worldwide that even beginner streams typically attracted a significant number of viewers.
At least, that's what he assumed.
But in reality, his assumption couldn't have been more wrong.
On the second day of the broadcast, It is an absurdly low and unbelievable situation for a newbie to have 12 viewers.