episode_0003

*****

Bluebell Prana. In the Yggdrasil Saga, which has many heroines, she is the character closest to the main heroine in terms of both proportion and popularity. She has fluffy blue hair, a good-looking appearance, and even a breast full of motherly nature. On Internet bulletin boards, the nickname Maman is openly circulated.

Seeing such a character actually blushing, lowering his head and fidgeting right in front of me was a sight that made me smile, both as a fan of the game and as a man.

… That’s assuming you leave out the fact that it’s the result of a ridiculous misunderstanding.

“Mi… , Sorry! I was in a hurry, so I didn’t even knock… !”

“It’s okay. And don’t get me wrong. I wasn’t doing anything strange. I just wanted to check something for a moment.”

“That’s it… ?”

Bluebell’s gaze looking down at me was a mix of half relief and half doubt. Isn’t it strange that he sat alone in his room and massaged his breasts? That’s what I said, but I don’t believe it either.

“Wasn’t there something worse than that?”

“Ah, that’s right, sanctuary!”

Fortunately, there was a more important problem waiting now. I don’t know what Haesu is, but the administrator said it was a combat tutorial. It won’t end gently.

Bluebell said she had to go quickly and immediately turned around and started running. Judging by the fact that there was no sign of him trying to guide me, it seemed like he thought I would naturally know the location of the sanctuary.

Of course, in reality, I have no idea about such things, so I chased after Bluebell eagerly.

And with that alone, I could feel that my body had completely changed.

‘… It’s fast.’

I feel like I’m running lightly. Still, it’s much faster than my body’s natural sprint. Even the legs are much shorter.

If I had known the way, I would have overtaken Bluebell long ago and rushed forward. There was that much freedom in movement. Without getting tired.

If you think about it, this body has mid-to-late game abilities. Considering the motion of the technology used in that area, wouldn’t this body be half human?

“What, are you coming now?”

“Sorry for being late!”

“Trigram, it’s okay. Because they haven’t invaded yet… .”

Unlike me, Bluebell, who seemed to be quite out of breath, stopped running only when she reached deeper into the forest.

There, two men with opposite images of each other had arrived before us and were waiting. These two are also fellow characters that appeared in the game.

Ludger Prana is a blond, large, muscular man who looks like a warrior character at first glance. On the contrary, Neville Prana is a short boy who does not even make eye contact with us.

“Has the location of the seawater been determined?”

“Ugh, yes. There are two coming this way. There are three coming into the northwest valley.”

“Both… . If we all come together to catch him, can we stop it before damage occurs on the other side?”

“Well, that might be impossible. We’re almost there already at the valley… .”

Neville’s job is a scout. This is a high-ranking thief who specializes in exploration. Although it is not very helpful in battle, this kind of judgment can be trusted.

In other words, the situation is now that the three Bluebell Ludgers and I have to be divided into two halves.

And both in terms of the game’s history and my personal circumstances, there is only one option to choose from.

“Bluebell. Ludger. You two take care of the valley side. I’ll take a look at this place.”

“Are you okay, TS? It must be dangerous… .”

“Hmph. I knew it would come out like that.”

“… .”

My colleagues’ reaction to my words was as expected. Bluebell is looking at me with concern, Ludger is sniffling as if he should, and even Neville is quietly avoiding his eyes. No one questioned my giving instructions.

It is a religious custom that we all have the same last name. All four people, including the protagonist, are descendants of the warrior’s bloodline. The person who manifests that power joins the Holy Knights, and among them, the protagonist is the one with the blood of a warrior. This is the setting.

So when it comes to power, of course the main character is at the top, followed by Ludger and Bluebell. So, when it has to be split into two, it’s natural that I, the main character, will remain.

“Hey, sorry. I am in battle… .”

“Ah, it’s okay. Because I know. Please deliver some news to the village.”

Neville? This is out of topic.

“TS, be careful!”

“Leave it alone, can he suffer to this extent? Let’s finish it quickly and have something to eat.”

After deciding what to do, Bluebell and Ludger quickly went to where they needed to go. Neville, who had been hesitating as if he was sorry that he was the only one not fighting, waved his hand and sent him away.

The division considering power is only theoretical. Since the real purpose of this division is separate, it would be difficult if someone were to see it.

“Administrator? Mr. Manager? … Administrator?”

“Just calling once is enough.”

After confirming that no one was around, I desperately called for the manager, and the manager popped out from a portal that had opened in the ground.

thank god. I did it because I said I would come later, but if the manager hadn’t come, I would have had to go call my colleagues again.

“So. What should I do?”

“How can you tell? What do you mean?”

“No, fighting. I’m sure they won’t tell you to charge in like this.”

It goes without saying, but I have never swung a knife before. The closest thing I can remember is having a sword fight with my friends using an umbrella when I was young.

It would be difficult to do long-distance combat using magic, but since the initial protagonist’s job is fixed as a swordsman, that is also impossible. So, even if you fight recklessly in this situation, it will be difficult to achieve good results. Since his abilities are so overwhelming, there is a possibility that something will work out.

“The right answer is to just charge… . It may definitely not be familiar to you at first. Let me give you some advice.”

After saying that, the manager came next to me and started jumping up and down. Are they trying to use some kind of magic?

“Please lift it.”

“Oh, sorry.”

… correction. It looks like he was just trying to climb on top of me.

No matter what you do, you have to meet the enemy first. Following the manager’s words, I went further into the forest. As the expression “sanctuary” suggests, there was some way to see if it was being managed at a minimum.

How far did he run in the direction the manager pointed from above his shoulder? It wasn’t long before I discovered something unusual in the forest.

I probably would have found it sooner or later even without the administrator’s help. It seems more difficult not to see a large tree falling down with a tremor in the ground.

As I was dazed by the powerful sight that was 180 degrees different from what I expected, the last tree fell down with a thud.

Beyond my clear, straight field of vision, two monsters that looked three times bigger than me were approaching, screaming.

uh. What is that?

“Wait a minute! Didn’t you say Hae-soo!? Why is there an auger!”

“It is a harmful animal without intelligence, so I think it is not wrong to call it seawater.”

“That’s what I mean… !”

Since it was a sea beast, I thought it was at most a wolf or a wild boar or something!

In fact, wolves are opponents that appear in the game in tutorial battles and as miscellaneous mobs in the early stages. Even then, I was trembling because I thought how scary it would be if I encountered a real wolf. I never thought an auger would pop out.

“GRRrrr… !”

“Hi!?”

Even though it is a simple cry rather than a roar, my whole body is shaking as if I am standing in front of a huge amplifier. If this is just the amount of power, how much of a difference does it make in terms of strength?

In the first place, ogres appear as miscellaneous mobs even in later areas. If you were to compare it to another game, the Demon King’s monster would have appeared in the first dungeon.

I guess this is a tutorial!

Perhaps because it recognized me as an enemy, the ogre let out a roar and rushed towards us. As big as it is, it’s stupid. It’s so fast that even a decent beast can’t compete with it.

This is a different problem than confronting it or anything like that. At the very least, shouldn’t we bring in an opponent of the right weight class?

“Stay calm. First of all, the sword──”

“Mu──Li──Hey──!!”

Think about it. The sight of a multi-meter wall rushing at you at speed. That’s already horror, not fantasy. Even if the manager said something over my shoulder, I couldn’t listen to it.

Thump thump thump thump. The sound of heavy footsteps coming from behind makes me feel like my blood is draining. I screamed and ran away as hard as I could.

When I think about it later, it’s a miracle that I didn’t twist my foot and fall. No, I don’t know if it was to keep me from falling.

“ugh, really… ! [Calm down]!”

“Hiyak!?”

Still, the manager’s words caught my ear. Is this what it would feel like if you open your skull and pour cold water into the inside of your head? My mind, which had been running wild, was forcibly calmed down.

“Okay, now look behind you. There is no need to panic at all.”

“Back? ah… .”

As I continued to run, I looked back and saw that the distance between me and the Ogre had increased significantly. As I was running in a trance, I wasn’t even aware of how fast I was running.

The manager’s calm voice penetrated my ears as I was dumbfounded by the impossible sight.

“If you fight calmly, you will never lose. No, it’s okay to not be calm. I told you, right? It’s a tutorial.”

I see Just as those guys are monsters, my body is also a monster.

It might be worth a try. As I thought that, my hand suddenly rested on the sheath of the sword at my waist, and I gently pulled the sword out without even realizing it.

The movement, which should have never been done before, somehow felt natural, as if it had been repeated countless times.

“GRrrrr… ?”

The ogres who had been wary of me since I quickly ran away clearly flinched when I pointed my sword at them. It was strangely funny and I burst out laughing. Why were you afraid of these things? It’s to the point where I feel like I’m questioning myself from before.

Still, I think I know what those guys are wary of. From the moment I hold the sword, something I feel inside my body allows this tiny body to move beyond common sense.

There was no need to worry about how to use this power. My body, no, I already know how to do that.

[Sunbo]

Faaat. As I concentrated my ‘power’ on my legs, the distance from the ogre instantly shortened.

It’s a moving device that is used over and over again in games, but when actually used, the effect is dramatic. Even the moment I entered their arms, the eyes of the ogres were looking behind me.

It seemed like he caught my movement a beat late, but I had already started the next movement. Using the momentum of the pure stride, apply the muscles of your legs once at a time. A total of two sword strikes are swung in one breath.

“GRRRRrrr!!!”

It screamed in pain, but even the ogres were not harmed. While bending the cut leg, he swings his thick forearm to launch a counterattack. If you were hit by an attack that would break a tree like a taffy stick, even your body would suffer considerable damage.

But it doesn’t fit. don’t make it fit The body of a fallen ogre. The direction of the muscles and joints that can be flexed. The path of the attack, its speed, and even the countermeasures came to mind clearly.

But that doesn’t mean I’m being manipulated like a puppet hanging by a string. Leaning your body to avoid an attack by just a single inch, or swinging a knife at that gap to cut a muscle. Everything I think of, feel, and put into practice.

So, what do you want to say?

This is super fun.

“Ha, haha, ahahahaha!”

“GRWrrr… !”

Every time the ogres attack, the high-pitched sound of laughter becomes strangely distorted.

Even though my vision is completely blurred, I don’t feel dizzy, but I can clearly see where something is. Boom. Once again, the ogre’s attack split the spot where I was in vain.

A thrill that will leave your body aching if you make even one mistake. Nevertheless, the sense of omnipotence that allows you to know that that will never happen.

Even if you make a super play in a sport, even if you get a pentakill in a game. You will never experience this feeling.

“Ha~.”

“Gr, rrr… .”

How crazy was it like that? I thought my body was a little sticky, so I stepped back and found that everything around me was stained red.

Because of the whitish blood fog, every time I breathe, it tastes like metal, which is annoying. I guess I was too immersed in a sensation I was experiencing for the first time.

I want to fight more. That feeling was agitated, but it quickly subsided when I saw the ogres. It wouldn’t be fun to fight something that couldn’t move properly.

Suddenly. With some disappointment, I swung my sword and two huge heads with horns fell at the same time.

“Are you done?”

“Ah, manager! thank you. This is all thanks to you.”

If I were alone, I probably would have died a few times before I could properly fight. [To cut down an enemy, just pull out your sword]. Because I didn’t even know that simple fact.

I heard that even if you die, you will come back, but being anxious is being anxious, and there is nothing better than not having to die. It can be said that this battle received great help from the administrator.

“How are you feeling?”

“It’s the best! Ah, but the stickiness is a bit unpleasant. I’ll have to be more careful next time I fight.”

“… indeed. Looks like it got mixed up a bit.”

“Mixed. What?”

“No, this is just my perspective. Rather than that, I will end the battle tutorial here. You did a great job.”

“Me? You tend to hit it, right?”

Even as I felt joy from the manager’s praise, I felt something was lacking, and I engraved one fact deeply in my mind.

I am strong. At least to the extent that the system guarantees.

*****