Chapter 7: No, grind type 2!!

Stroking my head and glancing at the chat, I was able to identify the culprit who had just struck me on the back of my head.

None other than the NPC in charge of early player education.

Alias, Ppatppat-i 2.

Not only did it teach the basic concepts and terminology of this world, but later on, it also served as a quest giver and reward dispenser, a so-called ‘receptionist’ role.

So when I asked why it was called Ppatppat-i 2.

-You’ll know when you see its face.

-Face.

-The face, yo.

It was because of its face.

As a series tradition, this receptionist NPC was always bizarrely ugly, and the resulting nickname was Ppatppat-i 2.

“Then why do you call it Ppatppat-i with the number 2 at the end, instead of just Ppatppat-i?”

-There’s an original Ppatppat-i.

-It’s a name with quite a tradition!!

-O Ppatppat-i of long-standing tradition.

-I want to see it again after a long time, you strangely grow fond of it as you see it more.

While they called it an affectionate nickname, looking at most of the chat reactions.

-Just looking at its face makes me so fcking angry, that troll-shichi.

-That bstard only ever eats and doesn’t even record things properly.

-Thanks to it, I even went to the dentist for implants.

-At first, I thought it was too much, but as I progressed in the game, I understood why they said that lol.

-Ppatppat-i 2? Who’s that? But as soon as I saw it, I knew who it was lol.

-FR lol.

-But am I the only one who finds it hot?

-???

-Excuse me?

-Perhaps your eyesight isn’t good?

-It is, but why?

-Just seemed like it would be.

-?

‘It seems more like a nickname filled with hatred than affection.’

Turning my head to check the face of the NPC who had hit me, I instantly understood why the users had given it such a nickname.

‘Ah, so this is why…?’

A long mid-face, a Pinocchio-like nose, strange dreadlocks, and eye positions with subtly mismatched textures.

Normally, I would have said something about being hit on the back of the head, but pressed by the strange sense of pressure exuded by its appearance, I couldn’t continue my words.

“Newbie, stop spacing out and hurry up and follow. Don’t you know we have to get to the village today? We’ll be late at this rate!”

And then, Ppatppat-i 2 walked off alone without looking back.

Watching its retreating figure, I stealthily asked the chat.

“Is it normally like that?”

-Yeah.

-It’s normally like that.

-Surprisingly, this is the early game, so it’s actually less severe now.

-Really?

-Yeah.

It doesn’t seem easy even now, but it gets worse later.

Feeling a bit uneasy, I quietly started to follow her.

Following her, I organized the various pieces of information scrolling up in the chat.

The place I was currently in was the tutorial area.

I was on my way to an outpost, following Ppatppat-i 2.

From what I heard, my current role was a ‘new guild recruit’ who had just joined.

In other words, Ppatppat-i 2’s junior.

-I don’t understand why we don’t start as Hunters.

-They said they’re making a change.

-A change that involves hitting the user on the back of the head from the start, that’s insane.

The original series had players starting as Hunters and undertaking quests themselves, but this time the structure was a bit different.

A structure where, in the name of change, you had to start from the bottom as an NPC’s underling.

Still rubbing my throbbing head, I couldn’t help but shake my head at the bizarre tastes of the developers.

‘If it weren’t for the subtle unfamiliarity of my body’s senses…’

Since it was my first time with a virtual reality game, I was a bit late in noticing its presence while adjusting my body’s senses.

Sighing softly, I slowly began to look around at the scenery.

‘I felt like I couldn’t see properly because I got hit on the head right from the start.’

Rustle, rustle-

The sound of grass softly crunching underfoot with each step.

Swoooosh-

The wind passing through the forest rustled the leaves, and through them, shattered sunlight slanted down.

When a transparent sliver of sunlight brushed past my shoulder, I almost doubted the fact that I was currently inside a capsule.

‘Well, at this rate, buying the capsule was worth it.’

As I was slowly breathing in the forest air and walking, Ppatppat-i 2, who was walking ahead, spoke to me.

“You do know where we’re going, right?”

“No?”

Of course, I had a rough idea that it was an outpost from what the viewers said, but I hadn’t heard it directly from her, so it wasn’t entirely wrong.

She shot me a quick glare, then sighed deeply and said.

“Sigh, how long has it been since I told you, and you’ve already forgotten? I told you earlier it was the 1st Garrison in the Ancient Isle.”

“Ah, did you?”

“Do you remember why we’re going?”

“No.”

I really didn’t know that.

Ppatppat-i 2, walking ahead, shook her head.

‘Should I hit her now?’

It seemed I wasn’t the only one thinking that, as the chat window showed the same reaction.

-Ah, company PTSD is kicking in…

-I really want to smack her on the back of the head.

-I’m tempted.

“A request for manpower and transporting goods. I told you that’s why we’re going.”

Her tone was blunt, but in the end, she was telling me everything.

Was she berating me, or being kind?

She was an NPC with a truly peculiar attitude.

After walking like that for a while.

Thump!

Suddenly, it felt as if the entire forest was shaking, and a loud sound began to resonate from somewhere.

Not just once, but a continuously reverberating sound.

Thump!

Thump thump!!

The ground vibrations started to grow stronger.

“Kuaaaaaaa!!!”

A loud roar was heard.

The roar alone was strong enough to create a gust of wind.

“It’s that thing!! We have to run away quickly!!!”

Ppatppat-i 2’s face turned deathly pale.

Without a word, she grabbed my arm and started running.

As my center of gravity lurched forward due to the unexpected movement, I glanced back and her face came into view.

Terrified eyes, a completely stiff expression.

‘I know I shouldn’t be thinking this.’

She looks even uglier like that…

---

While continuously fleeing from the roar, I shook off Ppatppat-i 2’s hand that was gripping my arm and asked her about the identity of the roar.

“Brangaur!!”

Panting heavily, she exclaimed.

“It’s the ruler of this forest!!”

Ppatppat-i 2, telling me information even though she must be very out of breath.

I inwardly praised her efforts.

‘Brangaur, huh…’

It sounded like a strong name.

Thinking about the information she conveyed, I soon arrived at a question.

‘If it’s the ruler of the forest, would it be strong? It must be, right? The word ‘ruler’ is even in its name.’

If possible, I’d like to fight it right now.

Perhaps because it was still the tutorial and I didn’t have a weapon.

[Currently no weapon equipped / Combat impossible]

Only this kind of window was popping up.

“Tsk.”

Why can’t I fight barehanded?

I could only smack my lips in disappointment.

A short while later, judging that they had put some distance between themselves and Brangaur, Ppatppat-i 2 stopped, hiding behind a tree, and gasped for breath raggedly.

I quietly stood next to her.

Unlike her, my breathing was very calm.

Ppatppat-i 2, perhaps finding my appearance strange, looked at me and tilted her head.

“Heok, heok, New…newbie, aren’t you out of breath? We’ve been running for over 10 minutes already.”

The chat window, as if agreeing with Ppatppat-i 2’s words, expressed the same doubt.

-FR, why aren’t you out of breath?

-Did you even run? You’re resting so comfortably.

-Even I’m out of breath just watching, how are you not out of breath?

-Isn’t there some kind of calibration?

-Baby Mode might have it, but Reality Mode has no calibration.

-Yeah, that’s right. It’s different from babies with stamina gauges.

-Eung-ae!!

It wasn’t particularly strange for the viewers to have doubts.

Since it was Reality Mode, it was normal to be out of breath like Ppatppat-i 2.

But I didn’t expect Ppatppat-i 2 to have doubts as well.

‘The AI is surprisingly good.’

Looking at them, I kindly explained.

It wasn’t a very difficult technique, so everyone should be able to follow it easily.

“Ah, that? You just have to breathe well when you run.”

“……?”

-?

-??

-Excuse me?

-You just have to breathe well?

-Did I hear that right??

Why is the reaction like this?

This isn’t the realm of physicality.

It’s the realm of technique.

It’s a technique that even ordinary people can follow.

“So you’re not out of breath because you breathed well?”

Ppatppat-i 2, having caught her breath by now, asked incredulously.

“Yes.”

Is this difficult?

“……”

Ppatppat-i 2 stared blankly at my face.

Wondering if she understood, I also looked at her, but it seemed my assumption was wrong.

She shook her head as if to say, ‘What kind of person is this?’

‘What is it?’

I was looking at Ppatppat-i 2, not understanding her reaction.

-I understand Ppatppat-i 2’s reaction.

-Ah, so if you breathe well, you don’t get out of breath. I learned something new today.

-So, even if you sprint full tilt through a forest with uneven ground, not flat land, avoiding all sorts of obstacles, and carrying luggage that seems to weigh 20kg, you won’t get out of breath if you breathe well?

-Yeah, that’s right.

-Dude, are you perhaps from Seoul University?

(TL Note: Seoul University is the top university in Korea, implying high intelligence.)

-Is this the breathing of 500 points? Shiver.

-The breathing of 500 points sounds so cool.

-FR lol.

This time, I couldn’t help but tilt my head.

‘What is it, really.’

With neither understanding the other, only a strange silence remained.

Eventually, after awkwardly staring at each other, we quietly began to walk towards the village.

Perhaps thanks to running for quite a while, we had reached the vicinity of the outpost.

The outpost was faintly visible in the distance.

Just a little further to go.

Ppatppat-i 2, perhaps feeling relieved, suddenly started spewing words rapidly.

“Phew… finally, the end is in sight. I really thought I was going to die. I was tense because of the ruler of the forest, but to arrive without any trouble, I guess I’m lucky. If we can just get into the outpost safely like this… I need to relax with a pint of beer and some turkey. Mmm~ delicious. And tomorrow, I’ll sleep soundly without anything happening. Surely that thing wouldn’t have chased us all the way here. This is near the outpost, after all!”

A feast of flags, flowing like rap.

Each line was like a textbook example of setting up a flag.

(TL Note: “Setting up a flag” in this context refers to saying something that tempts fate or foreshadows an unfortunate event, a common trope.)

Startled, I immediately reached out to cover her mouth, but.

Sssrrrk.

Seeing two giant lizards emerge from between the trees, I couldn’t help but sigh.

Their size alone was about that of a small truck.

‘Am I too late…’

They called her a troll-shichi, but I didn’t expect it to be this bad.

Ppatppat-i 2, surprised by the two lizards, trembled and froze on the spot.

“Domagirius… Why in front of the outpost…”

-As expected, Ppatppat-i 2 doesn’t disappoint us.

-When it comes to setting flags, Ppat-hwang is the best.

(TL Note: Ppat-hwang is a nickname for Ppatppat-i, “hwang” meaning emperor/king, implying she’s the king of setting flags.)

-Phew, I wanted to spoil it so badly but I held back.

-This is our Ppatppat-i 2 hyung.

-Everyone panics here lol.

-Sh*t, Ppatppat-i 2 hyung!!

-Actually, Ppatppat-i 2’s original role is kind of like that lol.

-What happens now? A fight?

-What fight, you gotta run.

-They give you a weapon, but it’s a complete beginner weapon right now, so two of them will be impossible, right?

Then, a chat message caught my eye.

‘Oh, they give you a weapon now.’

This changes things.

What Ppatppat-i 2 did wasn’t a troll, but rather, it became an opportunity for me.

‘I was itching to fight because I couldn’t… this is good.’

Checking the chat, I loosened my shoulders once, walked past the frozen Ppatppat-i 2, and headed towards the Domagirius.

“Sssaaa-“

The creatures licked their lips, looking at me.

“Newbie, what are you doing!!! It’s dangerous!!!”

Behind me, Ppatppat-i 2 was shouting at me to run away.

But I just stood there silently, making eye contact with them.

“Aargh, you troll!!! At least take out a weapon from your bag!!!”

-Why are you saying that, Ppat-troll? Hahaha.

-That makes me angry every time I hear it.

At that moment, the world briefly turned gray and slowed down.

It seemed they were giving me time to choose a weapon.

Soon, an interface appeared before my eyes, asking me to choose a weapon.

[Choose your weapon.]

Greatsword / Hammer / Longsword / Sword and Shield / Hunting Horn / Heavy Bowgun / Shotgun / Dual Blades ……

Dozens of weapons spread across the screen.

After a moment of deliberation, I chose the one that appealed to me the most.

Greatsword.

This heavy and cool sensation at my fingertips.

‘It’s been a while since I used a greatsword. I like it.’

Lifting it as if it wrapped around my hand, the greatsword naturally rested on my shoulder.

Dopamine began to surge rapidly from somewhere in my head.

At that, the corners of my mouth unknowingly curved upwards.

At that moment, one of them tilted its head slightly, observing me.

“Who wants to go first? Me or you guys?”

Of course, I had no intention of hearing an answer.

Putting strength into my legs, I charged towards the Domagirius and swung the greatsword.

The trajectory of the sword, tearing through the air, signaled the start of the battle.