episode_0028

028

There is a commonly used term in games called ‘gameplay allowance.’

It means balancing the performance for the sake of fun, convenience, and functionality in the game, even if it doesn’t match the world setting.

For example, in the world setting, a legendary weapon that can split mountains may have poor performance in the game for balance purposes.

Similarly, in the RTS game Stars of War, a 1.2km battleship appears with reduced performance, enough to be shot down by five marines with rifles.

Thus, it can be said that the world setting and in-game performance do not necessarily correlate.

No matter how good the world setting is, in games, performance is often drastically reduced for balance.

However.

What if the game world became reality?

Would the performance of the countless items that appeared in the Romance Hero Academy follow the world setting?

Or would it follow the game’s setting?

Well, there’s no need to think about it.

‘Of course, it would follow the world setting.’

Gameplay allowance exists for the sake of the game’s value.

But if the game world became reality, it would be right to follow the world setting.

Through the internet, it was confirmed that all artifacts follow the performance of the world setting, not the game setting.

Therefore, the artifact I am looking for should be the same.

‘Hurry, I need to find it quickly… Where is it, really.’

Artifact.

In this world, there exist artifacts.

In RPG games, artifacts are objects with special powers, origins unknown, and unidentifiable sources.

Due to their unknown origins, the number of artifacts discovered so far is very low.

Even if an artifact is found, it is difficult to distinguish whether it is an artifact or an antique based on appearance alone.

There are often separate usage and activation conditions, making it complicated.

The number of heroes and villains in modern South Korea using artifacts can be counted on one hand.

‘Surely, it must be here.’

Just finding the artifact won’t necessarily defeat her, but it will buy time until other heroes arrive.

So, I must quickly retrieve the artifact and return to Yoo Seol-hyun.

‘Yoo Seol-hyun, how much longer can she hold on… She must think I ran away…’

Well, actually.

Strictly speaking, running away is correct.

Because I secretly moved without telling Yoo Seol-hyun.

But I have my reasons.

Because if I go to Yoo Seol-hyun and say, ‘I’ll find the artifact to defeat that witch, so wait a bit, okay?’ she won’t just nod her head obediently.

There is a high possibility that she will interpret it as trying to escape using me as bait.

That’s why I didn’t tell Yoo Seol-hyun separately.

‘I’ll explain later.’

First, I had to put out the urgent fire.

For a moment, I searched the lab thoroughly.

As far as I remembered, there should be an artifact nearby.

‘Nowhere to be found… Ah!’

In an instant, my eyes landed on a single sword.

I hurriedly ran to examine the sword closely.

It seemed to have been neglected for a long time, but I couldn’t find any rust marks, and a sharp edge could be felt from the sharp blade.

‘Found it, it was here.’

It can be said that this sword, once called the Vizillante, used by a man in the past, looks ordinary but is quite a decent sword.

However, this sword itself is not an artifact.

What I want is the small gem-shaped artifact attached to the hilt of this sword, Tears of the Moon.

As an equipment-attachable artifact, it has the unique ability to absorb magic and emit magic according to the world setting.

In the early stages, one of the legendary-grade relics that can be farmed can be effectively used until the mid-game.

The ability to absorb and emit magic has been greatly reduced in the game for balance, but where I am now is not a game but reality.

That means I can use the power according to the world setting.

Of course, I should test it just in case.

“Let’s see…”

I slightly calmed my mind and placed my hand on the handle. I gripped it tightly, but I didn’t feel any particular uniqueness.

Even when I touched the relic, the Tear of the Moon, it was the same. It was silent as if it were just an ordinary piece of jade.

Well, that could happen.

Because this relic also has usage conditions.

A kind of contract must be made, and if the owner dies or moves a certain distance away, the contract is broken.

The conditions of the contract are simple.

Blood.

Just lightly dab some blood on the relic.

“The previous owner must have died, so let’s try it once.”

I slowly moved my hand and made a small, shallow cut on my finger. A few drops of blood fell. I quickly let the blood flow towards the relic. Then the relic trembled. It reacted.

“Okay, it seems like the contract is done?”

It was a kind of feeling.

I felt a mysterious and powerful energy surging up as if by magic.

Now, let’s see how to use it.

If my memory serves me right, I should try infusing magic into the relic like this…?

“Ugh?!”

It was a momentary thing.

In response to the relic starting to absorb the little magic, I, taken aback, swung the sword haphazardly.

Then a bluish magic was emitted outward.

Like a sword.

“Ha… this is a bit more difficult than I thought…?”

It seems to consume quite a bit of stamina, as shown in the setting.

Just using it once made me quite out of breath.

It might be difficult to use it continuously?

“And maybe because I used my magic, the power is also not that great.”

The relic flew like a sword, hitting the wall, but it only left a slight mark.

It wasn’t as powerful as what Lee Siwoon showed.

A bit disappointing, but it was okay.

Because the usage method of this relic is not originally like that.

“Then let’s hurry back and see.”

I let go of the sword and took a step towards where Yoo Seolhyun was.

***

“Ugh, ugh. Persistent, really persistent…!”

“…”

“What, did you finally collapse? Ugh, annoying.”

“…”

Yoo Seolhyun was lying down, half-covered in blood.

Her torn clothes were no different from rags. Her white skin was covered with a grimy bloodstain, with a broken collarbone and a fractured right leg, far from normal.

“…I need to move, but I can’t move, I can’t move.”

Her body no longer moved.

Her exhausted body no longer listened to Yoo Seolhyun’s words. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t even twitch. She didn’t even have the strength to move a finger. She didn’t even know if she was breathing properly. Her eyes wouldn’t open properly.

“…Ugh.”

Even her consciousness was hazy.

If she relaxed, she felt like she would lose consciousness immediately.

Yoo Seolhyun, whose eyes wouldn’t open properly, could only silently endure the impending end.

“I’ll burn you to ashes, for real.”

Kate’s mouth opened wide like a snake.

In an instant, a tremendous amount of magic swirled into her mouth.

The magic that began to gather and concentrate in one place soon condensed into a fiery mass.

“…Is it a breath?”

A technique that Kate had used several times.

Unlike before, Yoo Seolhyun’s body could not avoid the fiery mass.

Soon, that fiery mass would engulf Yoo Seolhyun’s entire body.

A few days ago, I barely survived at the academy, but I never expected to be in such a life-threatening situation again in just a few weeks.

Back then, Lee Jinhyuk saved me by shooting an arrow, but now… sigh.

Yoo Seolhyun chuckled inwardly.

Lee Jinhyuk.

I never thought he would run away alone.

I thought he was a decent person, given his confident demeanor and remarkable achievements.

He always seemed to exude confidence and achieve amazing feats, so I thought it would be okay to build a positive relationship with him in the future. But to betray me like this…

Isn’t it the worst behavior for someone aspiring to be a hero?

A hero who abandons his comrades and runs away?

It’s laughable.

“…Well, in the end, one’s own life is the most precious, whether you’re a hero or not.”

In the end, Yoo Seolhyun closed her eyes tightly and resigned herself to accepting death since there was no way to escape this situation.

But then.

“Phew… Thank goodness.”

At the familiar voice, Yoo Seolhyun slowly raised her heavy eyelids like stones and rolled her eyes around.

In front of her, she saw the back of a man.

It was Lee Jinhyuk.

“Are you not dead, just unconscious…”

Ignoring his muttered words as if it were fortunate that she was unconscious, Yoo Seolhyun fell into contemplation.

“…Didn’t he run away? Why did he come back?”

For some reason unknown to her, Lee Jinhyuk stood in front of her as if protecting her while she lay on the ground.

Quietly gripping his sword, he only looked at Kate.

But a sword?

Lee Jinhyuk, an archer, had a sword?

At first glance, it seemed like an ordinary sword, so Yoo Seolhyun thought it was a sword Lee Jinhyuk had brought as a backup weapon.

But what could Lee Jinhyuk do with a sword?

It was absurd for an archer like Lee Jinhyuk to imitate a swordsman.

It would have been better to keep his distance and fight with a bow to have a slight chance of winning.

Why did he stand in front of Kate with a sword?

“…Why did you come here? Huh, huh.”

Kate, with a concentrated flame breath in her mouth, growled.

She would soon breathe out flames.

As Lee Jinhyuk had no means to block that flame breath, why was he just standing there waiting?

“…Fuh, you’re going to give me a hard time too!”

Finally, she exhaled a roaring flame.

Oh, it’s over.

Yoo Seolhyun thought.

Even professional heroes would find it difficult to block that breath of fire head-on.

But why was Lee Jinhyuk, just an aspiring hero, standing in front of that fire?

Could there be some sharp trick?

But with Lee Jinhyuk’s abilities, he couldn’t possibly block that flame… huh?

Swish, Lee Jinhyuk swung his sword in a horizontal direction.

A seemingly ordinary strike without even a hint of magic.

Surely, he would be engulfed by the flames.

He couldn’t possibly extinguish the fire with a sword.

But.

Fwoosh! The flame, which had been rushing towards Lee Jinhyuk and Yoo Seolhyun as if to swallow them whole, split in half with Lee Jinhyuk’s sword strike and soon dissipated.

Yes, it was deflected.

The flame breath.

With a sword.