Chapter 1

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[ You have died! ]

Red letters appeared on the screen.

“…”

I stared blankly at the screen, still gripping the mouse.

How many times is this now? It must be at least over twenty.

Over twenty times, I’ve failed to clear the early stage, and my character has died.

Seriously, what kind of game is this? Isn’t the difficulty way too high from the start?

It seemed like I needed a strategy guide.

Click-

I connected to the internet and started searching for information about the game.

Pioneers of Destiny.

This game, abbreviated as POD, had garnered significant attention even before its release.

According to the game company’s introduction, depending on how you play, it’s possible to become various characters such as an emperor, knight, mage, priest, mercenary, monster hunter, lord, farmer, or even a beggar.

Moreover, each profession has unique skills, and strategic battles tailored to the situation are possible, which had built high expectations before its release…

But there was one big problem.

The game’s difficulty was excessively high.

After its official release, many users struggled to get past the first stage and were left frustrated.

The community boards were flooded with angry posts like, “What kind of game is this?” and demands for difficulty adjustments were constant.

• The difficulty is hell from the start.
• Surviving the starting village is impossible.
• I’ve tried 30 times, and I’m still a villager.

Reading those posts, I felt a strange sense of relief.

So, it wasn’t just me. The game really was the problem.

After searching, I found that there were no strategy guides for POD.

It seemed most users were stuck in the early stages.

Maybe not a single player had even cleared the first stage?

The game’s first stage was “Survive the bandit raid on the village.”

It wasn’t about defeating a boss or anything—just surviving the bandits.

But,

• How am I supposed to survive the bandits without any skills?
• If I fight, I’m dead in one second.
• Running away doesn’t work either; they catch you no matter what.
• Don’t hide in the stables; the bandits set it on fire.
• I tried warning the villagers to prepare, but they just got slaughtered…

Surviving the bandits wasn’t easy.

No matter what choice I made, it always ended in a miserable death.

• Uninstalling the game. Goodbye.
• It’s better for your mental health to just not play.
• You still haven’t uninstalled it?

The users were gradually giving up on the game.

There were plenty of other games to play, so there was no need to waste time and stress over this one.

• This game wasn’t made to be played in the first place.
• They need to adjust the difficulty.
• Game company, get your act together.

Still, POD’s difficulty remained unchanged.

The game company simply repeated, “The true fun of the game lies beyond the first stage.”

“The first stage is just a slight barrier to entry, and once you overcome it, you’ll experience the true charm of Pioneers of Destiny.”

[ You have died! ]

Once again, my character died.

At this point, I didn’t even feel hollow anymore.

It’s already been three months since I started playing POD, but I still haven’t cleared the first stage.

No matter what I did, I couldn’t escape the starting village.

Is anyone even still playing this game…?

Probably not. It hasn’t even been mentioned in the community for a while now.

What on earth was the game company thinking when they made this?

Is there even a next stage?

Still, out of habit, I clicked the ‘New Game’ button.

At that moment,

Ding-!

Suddenly, a window I’d never seen before appeared on the screen.

[ Congratulations! ]

[ You are the first to achieve 1000 attempts in Pioneers of Destiny! ]

[ As a reward, you can play the mode of your choice! ]

“…?”

I’ve already attempted this 1000 times?

And I’m the first?

[ Please select the mode you wish to play! ]

• Transcendent Archmage Mode

• Immortal Knight Mode

• Overpowered Necromancer Mode

• Lucky Gambler Mode
  —
  —
  —

“…”

I blinked at the screen.

What is all this?

Some kind of cheat mode?

Click-

I selected ‘Overpowered Necromancer Mode’. There was no need to think twice about this.

I always played as a necromancer in games, and if a game didn’t have a necromancer, I wouldn’t even look at it.

I had planned to choose the necromancer class in POD as well.

[ You have selected Overpowered Necromancer Mode! ]

The screen changed, and the character creation window appeared.

Normally, you could choose the character’s name, appearance, and gender, but not this time.

On the screen stood a girl who looked about ten years old.

A doll-like girl with snow-white hair and red eyes.

[Name] Lucy
[Class] Necromancer

“…”

This kid is a necromancer?

A necromancer seems more fitting as a gloomy old man, doesn’t it?

It didn’t feel very reassuring, but there was nothing I could do. It was already set up this way.

Still, this was definitely different from before.

Overpowered Necromancer Mode.

Somehow, I felt like I could finally clear the first stage this time.

With excitement, I pressed the game start button.

Click-

At that moment, my vision went dark.

◈

“…Lucy, it’s morning.”

A gentle hand stroked her head.

“Time to wake up.”

“…?”

Slowly opening her eyes, she saw an old man.

“Get up and eat. Didn’t you say you were going to the forest with Sam today?”

“Who…?”

When she opened her mouth, a child’s voice came out. 

Startled, she sat up abruptly.

“?!”

Her body felt much lighter than usual. She looked down at her hands.

“…!”

Small, delicate, and pale hands.

Undoubtedly the hands of a child.

In a confused state, she glanced around the room.

A simple yet warm-feeling room.

Hand-carved wooden decorations hung on the walls, and beyond the window, a lush green forest was visible.

Only then did she begin to grasp the situation.

Pioneers of Destiny.

The Overpowered Necromancer Mode she had unlocked after 1,000 attempts.

Lucy, the girl…

“Lucy, are you okay?”

The old man asked with a worried voice.

“Did you have a bad dream?”

“…”

Lucy got out of bed and walked over to the mirror hanging on the wall.

Reflected in the mirror was a girl with snow-white hair and red eyes.

She touched her face, and her fingertips felt the soft, tender texture.

“…”

This much was certain.

She had been transported into the game.

◈

“Look, Lucy. A fawn.”

A chubby boy next to her spoke. His name was Sam.

“It’s so cute. I want to raise it.”

Sam seemed quite excited, but Lucy’s face remained expressionless.

It was understandable. Lucy’s mind was too preoccupied right now.

Being transported into a game? And becoming a girl?

It wasn’t something she could easily adjust to.

“…Hey, Lucy. Are you feeling okay?”

Sam asked with a worried expression.

“Or did I do something wrong…?”

Lucy quietly raised her gaze and looked at Sam.

A chubby-faced boy covered in freckles.

He had suddenly shown up while she was eating breakfast and said, “Lucy, we’re going to the forest today, right?” before bringing her here.

“I’m not mad.”

Lucy opened her mouth.

“I just have a lot to think about.”

“A lot to think about?”

Sam tilted his head, and Lucy quietly continued walking.

A beautiful forest stretched out around them.

A forest that was somewhat familiar to Lucy.

It was the same forest she had seen countless times during her 1,000 attempts at POD’s first stage.

Of course, seeing it in person was quite different from seeing it on a game screen…

Step. Step.

As she walked through the forest, Lucy thought about POD’s game story.

POD’s game story isn’t set in stone.

It depends on how you play.

Depending on how you clear the stages, you could become a beggar or an emperor.

However, the first stage always starts under fixed conditions.

You can choose professions like lumberjack, baker, blacksmith, or innkeeper, but you always start as an ordinary villager.

Surviving the bandit raid on the village is the first stage.

When you start the game, you spend a peaceful daily life in the village.

You complete simple quests based on your chosen profession and build relationships with the villagers.

Up to that point, the game feels fresh and enjoyable, like experiencing a person’s life.

But the moment night falls…

‘The bandits will attack.’

The bandits consist of about thirty people armed with swords, axes, blunt weapons, and more.

Honestly, they’re more like a small army than a bandit group.

Their combat skills are exceptional, and the villagers have no choice but to be helplessly slaughtered.

No matter what you do, you can’t stop the bandits.

But this time is different.

This time, she can clear the first stage.

Because she started in Overpowered Necromancer Mode.

Being transported into the game was shocking, but what she needed to do was clear.

Survive the bandit raid on the village.

Reminding herself of that, Lucy quietly muttered.

“…Skill window.”

Translator Note

T/N (Translator’s note):
Hello! It’s me again! Another novel, yes yes, mmm… 

Oh yeah, there’s no author’s note for this one, so you are stuck with me. How lonely~