episode_0017

[Upon clearing the game and satisfying the escape conditions, the game will immediately end, and you will return to reality.]

[Escape Condition 1: The capture rate of all heroines must exceed 95 percent.]

[Escape Condition 2: You must defeat the final boss, ‘Draken’.]

The tiresome text appeared before my eyes once again.

However, from now on, it’s safe to just consider Escape Condition 1 as non-existent.

I won’t be entangled with those annoying main heroines ever again.

Even if the risk of death looms, my sole focus will be on defeating the final boss.

With determination, I opened my eyes.

[If the escape conditions are not met upon clearing the game, you will be returned to the starting point.]

Oh, damn, what a surprise.

Suddenly, my vision was filled with characters, and chaos ensued.

What on earth is happening?

Momentarily startled by the unexpected system crash,

“Kieeek! The enemy of our father! Kieek!”

As always, my little brother Blin came running with a club in hand, tears streaming down his face.

Unfortunately, he mistimed it.

“Can you keep it down? I’m trying to think here!”

“Kieek!”

Thud.

A cheerful sound echoed as Blin collapsed.

In a fit of rage, I unconsciously struck his forehead with my palm…

Blin lay motionless on the ground.

“Hey, get up. You’re not dead, right?”

“…”

Seeing no achievement pop-up, it seems he’s still alive.

Or perhaps even the achievement window might have broken.

I placed Blin, who had fallen with a swollen bump on his forehead, and continued to assess the situation.

“Status Window.”

[Username: Yu Jin]

[Age: Just turned 21]

[Initial Attribute: Guardian Knight]

[Stats amplify when protecting someone. If inactive, a penalty of 5 is applied to base stats.]

[Attributes with synchronization rates over 90% are automatically restored.]

[Attribute: Inquiry]

[Reveals information about items.]

[Attribute: Dakia Style (lv.10)]

[Masters the forgotten ancient one-handed swordsmanship. Understanding of one-handed swords increases.]

[Attribute: Merida Style (lv.9)]

[Adopts the elven traditional one-handed swordsmanship improved from the Inok race’s swordsmanship. Understanding of one-handed swords increases.]

[Attribute: Frost Style (lv.9)]

[Masters the Frost royal family’s swordsmanship. Understanding of two-handed swords increases.]

[Stats]

[Strength: 9 (-5) *Guardian Knight penalty in effect]

[Health: 7 (-5) *Guardian Knight penalty in effect]

[Mana: 12 (-5) *Guardian Knight penalty in effect]

[Agility: 18 (-5) *Guardian Knight penalty in effect]

[Luck: 4 (-5) *Guardian Knight penalty in effect]

The initial attributes, swordsmanship attributes, and stats remain unchanged.

Everything is exactly as it was, with just one text and level change.

I initially thought it was a simple text bug, but then…

[Relationship Chart]

[…]

“Oh, my eyes hurt.”

It seems that’s not the case.

Since there were visibly broken parts in the status window.

It was a real-time updating window showing relationships with in-game characters, now completely gone.

‘This doesn’t look good.’

The glaring error is the only thing standing out for now.

My physical condition is fine, my possessions and initial funds are intact, except for a slightly eerie feeling.

But I can’t just relax.

Unfortunately, the error that occurred was in the part indicating that if the escape conditions are not met upon clearing the game, you’ll be sent back to the starting point.

“Does this mean I can’t regress anymore?”

The system has been meticulously designed to the point of creating settings as it pleases.

There can’t be even a minor text error just happening like that.

Everything else is fine, but if an issue arises only when that window pops up, there’s no room for a different interpretation.

I can no longer regress.

If things don’t work out, the trick of choosing a heroine, rushing straight to a kiss, and regressing has been blocked.

Thinking like that makes everything seem bleak.

“Let’s think positively. Positively.”

It’s fortunate that the bug just happened now.

What if it had happened when I was memorizing the location and structure of the dungeon?

I wouldn’t have been adequately prepared and would have had to face the final boss.

Considering that the bug occurred now when I’m fully prepared is somewhat fortunate.

At least the worst has been avoided.

That’s how I decided to think.

“Nothing will change anyway.”

Just because regression is blocked doesn’t mean my goal has changed.

It has always been the same from the beginning.

Defeat the final boss and return home.

The three main heroines, who won’t benefit from being touched, are to be avoided.

Only the option of clearing with one coin has been allowed to change.

Everything else remains the same.

I’ve memorized everything about this game except for the final boss’s face; could it really be that difficult to defeat?

“These days, kids like challenging games, right? Let’s raise the difficulty level! Let’s create a Young game too!”

“Oh, damn it! Boss!!!”

Recalling what the boss said, my mind becomes chaotic.

It’s not that difficult to imagine how the RPG team, who used to obediently follow the boss’s words, might have set the difficulty level.

They probably just cranked up the difficulty like opening a chili powder lid.

Hehehe, since it’s the final boss, there should be tension, right? I can easily imagine scenes of brain freezes in phases 1, 2, 3, 4, 5…

This is really messed up.

Someone who occasionally played healing nurturing games has suddenly found themselves challenging end content for gaming shut-ins and veterans.

Suddenly, my head starts throbbing.

“I have to do it. What should I do…”

Even if I rack my brains, there’s nothing I can do.

I have to do it.

I have to do it to go home.

Although my voice is already filled with moisture, I resolved to steel my heart.

When you think about it, I’m also at the level of a gaming shut-in veteran.

After all, I’ve been playing games non-stop in full-dive VR for 12 years.

It’s been a long time, enough for the system to perhaps block regression due to my frustration.

Yeah. If I can’t clear it this time, I’m an idiot.

If someone were to write ‘A moron who couldn’t clear a game in 12 years and died trapped in a game’ on my tombstone, I’d have nothing to say.

“Kyaek…! It’s so heavy I could die! Who’s under there?!”

“Oh. Are you awake?”

“Kyaek! The enemy of our father! Kyaek!”

It feels like something is squirming under my buttocks.

Bliny has woken up.

Even Bliny must feel so bitter.

Losing all your family and always dying from the start, treated like a vending machine for achievements.

“Hey, calm down.”

“Kyaek! Are you calm? Have you ever lost your father, sister, and brother?!”

“Why are you being sarcastic? It hurts…”

At least for this round, I don’t want to kill Bliny.

Especially since it’s the last round.

Of course, I don’t have any affection for him, but considering how I’ve been carrying around his wooden club like a relic for mental stability, I owe Bliny a lot.

“I’ll kill you! Kyaek! Kyaek!”

“Blin, let’s do one thing together. I can help you seek revenge for your family.”

“Kyaek! How can I believe that?!”

Bliny’s struggles gradually weaken.

And as anger gives way, intelligence dawns in Bliny’s eyes, which were previously clouded by rage.

A fact that was never considered during the times of insults about goblins having low intelligence.

“If you’re smart, you can converse.”

“It’s better to cut your losses. Since we were destined to die anyway, how about trusting someone once and then dying?”

“······.”

Silence lingered for a while.

Blin grabbed the hand I extended with an uneasy expression.

[Hidden Achievement Unlocked]

[Alliance with Monsters!]

[Special ability ‘Mana Control (lv.1)’ granted as achievement reward.]

.

.

.

Lately, ominous rumors circulated in the Free Adventurer Zone.

There was talk of a mysterious figure attacking at midnight and looting everything.

Even if one tried to fight back without sleeping, they would only be subdued and stripped of their belongings.

That was the gist of the rumors.

“Hahaha! What idiots! Instead of setting traps and waiting, they stupidly fall for it again?”

“That guy is insanely strong, isn’t he? Not on the level of adventurers! Flying around everywhere!”

Initially, everyone mocked the victims.

But as the night grew deeper and more victims continued to emerge one by one, the situation took a turn.

“What’s going on? There was a trap set at the door, but suddenly a sword pierced through the door and broke the trap! Like some kind of clairvoyance!”

“Could it be magic?”

“Why would a wizard engage in robbery in this backwater village! They could earn much more money just by breathing here than robbing people!”

“Well, that’s true······.”

The adventurers who boasted of their strength all ended up defeated.

The last image of the robber they remembered was a bizarre sight with a sack over their face.

They all fainted without even getting a chance to see the face.

And when they woke up, inevitably, all their belongings were gone.

The robber persistently targeted only adventurers.

As a result, incidents arose where citizens who used to pay protection fees to adventurers now hailed the robber as a hero.

Rumors even spread that a wizard hired by the citizens’ fortune teller had come to make all adventurers penniless.

Fear spread rapidly among adventurers.

“I will deposit. All my belongings!”

“Sir, your voice doesn’t match our store and makes us uncomfortable. Please leave.”

“Well, if the employee says so, I should follow.”

“We’ll serve the next customer.”

“I······!”

“Please leave.”

The adventurer guild was bustling with activity day and night.

People who feared falling victim to robbers began using the guild’s banking services without hesitation.

The guild stationed not only S-class adventurers but also former knights and mage employees for constant security.

If it’s the guild, it’s safe.

That was the common belief among everyone.

“Kekek! All the guards are down! Blin was right!”

“Quietly follow me. We must steal all the gold by tonight.”

“How do we goblins spend the humans’ money?”

“We can’t spend it.”

“Then why steal it?!”

“We steal because it causes trouble for humans!”

“Understood! Kekekeke!”

That night.

Due to some unknown reason, all the guild guards fell unconscious and collapsed, and the warehouse’s triple locks were all unlocked.

A horde of goblins rushed in silently.

Under Blin’s leadership, hundreds of goblins systematically carried sacks of gold.

As the sun rose, the goblins retreated and disappeared without a trace.

And the adventurers found only the burnt ruins of the guild, vanished in flames.

In front of the burnt ruins.

When the bound employees opened their eyes, they were faced with angry adventurers swarming in.

“What’s going on, gentlemen employees!”

“Sir, your voice is too loud. Please leave······.”

“This crazy bastard! Still thinks he’s in charge! Give me back my money!”

“My money too!”

The adventurers began beating the employees who had obediently served them until now.

It felt like a strong hypnosis that had kept the adventurer guild in place had suddenly been lifted.

Still dazed, the employees were being scolded by the adventurers when the sound of them being handed over to the adventurers rang out clearly.

A man, wearing a smile, leisurely departed the Free Adventurer Zone.