Chapter 4 - Dungeon AwaKyleing
Grrrrrk!
The longsword pierced clean through the neck of the charging Hammer Goblin.
With a choked gasp, the creature dropped its hammer.
Squelch!
In a daze, Jhin swung again.
Another goblin, just crawling out from the elevator, was run through the heart before it even understood what was happening.
He slashed, gouged, stabbed — cutting through flesh and bone without a second thought.
The heavy hoodie he wore grew soaked with dark blood, sticking wetly to his skin.
But he didn't stop.
The goblins stumbled out, one after another — and fell just as quickly.
Caught before they could even lift their weapons, they collapsed into twisted, broKyleheaps.
By the time the last one fell, a soft chime echoed in the air.
[!] [You have exceeded the quest's target.] [You have exterminated all monsters on the 13th floor.] [Title 'Cowardly Slaughterer' acquired.] [The Hammer Goblins hate you.] [Reward: 'Tattered Rag Clothing Set' has been granted.]
Another object shimmered into existence in the air, then dropped to the floor with a dull thud.
Jhin blinked at it.
"...Seriously?"
It was a full set of filthy, threadbare clothes — from a battered tunic to worn-out pants.
The kind of thing you'd find in the gutter, if you were unlucky enough.
At the same time, a warm sensation pulsed through his body —
the unmistakable feeling of experience points sinking in.
Jhin stood there, breathing heavily, heart pounding.
And now, there was no room left for doubt.
'...This really is a game.'
Even if logic screamed that it was impossible —
the world before his eyes made it clear.
Still panting, he wiped his blood-smeared hands against his pants and thought, almost absurdly:
'Today was the official launch day, wasn't it...?'
Could this be Exodia 2?
A game — not just in reality — but becoming reality?
No.
Even augmented reality couldn't pull off something like this.
This wasn't some fancy CG illusion.
No — everything was too sharp.
Too real.
He could feel the goblin blood drying stiffly against his skin.
He could still smell the reek of iron and death in the air.
'No way a normal game could reach this far.'
But strangely enough... what really unsettled him was something else.
'Why am I staying so calm?'
Moments ago, he had been hacking down monsters like he had been doing it all his life.
Instinctively, smoothly.
This — from a guy who had never even touched a real sword before.
He suddenly remembered the flood of messages that had popped up earlier.
That was when it happened.
When the fear had melted away, and something sharper, cooler had taKyleits place.
On a hunch, Jhin whispered under his breath:
"Status Window."
And just like that, a translucent screen unfolded before him:
Name: Jhin — Lv. 1 Age: 29 Occupation: Unemployed Stats: [Strength 5], [Agility 5], [Stamina 5], [Magic Power 5] Unique Skill: [Celestial Combat Body (S)]
Player's level is too low. Celestial Combat Body (S) is restricted. Only partial functionality is available.
Currently Active Skill — [Calmness (F)]
Jhin's eyes gleamed.
'Celestial Combat Body.'
The unique skill he had spent a whole grueling month farming for, back in Exodia 1.
He chuckled softly, almost disbelieving.
"You're telling me... they actually gave it to me?"
Exodia.
The game that had once ruled the charts — and then crashed just as spectacularly.
Its reputation had been simple: brutal difficulty.
Every move demanded precision.
Skills required manual commands — real incantations, real sequences, not lazy button smashing.
Even casting a single magic spell meant typing out the whole thing.
No shortcuts.
It was unique.
It was punishing.
And worst of all —
you only got three lives.
Three deaths, and your character was deleted permanently.
No excuses.
No do-overs.
It had been thrilling once.
A real challenge.
But over time, that iron rule had crushed player after player.
Most quit.
Most streamers mocked it.
Only a tiny handful stayed.
The top twelve players had been treated like Celestials.
And the gap between 12th and 13th place...
was like the distance between heaven and earth.
Jhin, through five years of relentless struggle, had climbed all the way to Rank 1.
And then — service termination.
Their characters, their blood and sweat and sacrifice — all erased overnight.
The memory still stung.
He remembered the survey they sent out, almost mockingly:
[Is there anything you'd like to bring to Exodia 2?]
[Choose up to 3 things.]
It had felt like a cruel joke.
Most players answered with bitter smiles, half hoping, half certain it was meaningless.
They called it the "termination reward," a little dream to soothe the sting of loss.
But now —
Looking at the status window floating before him —
Jhin laughed under his breath.
"They really did it..."
He remembered the options he had chosen.
If he had been smarter, maybe he would have picked some overpowered item like [Sword of Victory] or [Thunder Celestial's Crown].
Or mythic weapons like the [Meteor Sword of Disaster].
But no.
He had picked [Celestial Combat Body].
Not glamorous — but brutally efficient.
Combat optimization.
No weapon restrictions.
And now, here, facing real monsters with real blood and real death on the line...
He was starting to understand.
It wasn't just a good choice.
It was the perfect one.
Holding the longsword still felt strangely natural, like he had trained for years.
His breathing was steady.
His fear was manageable.
All because of [Calmness] — a basic function of Celestial Combat Body.
It didn't make him superhuman.
But it gave him the edge he desperately needed.
He could think clearly.
Move precisely.
Fight.
Jhin exhaled, feeling the blade steady in his hand.
'...And there should be two more rewards.'
He remembered now.
He had chosen three gifts.
Celestial Combat Body was the first.
The other two were high-tier items, ones he probably wasn't even allowed to touch yet.
'I'll deal with that later.'
Right now, survival came first.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
A heavy pounding suddenly echoed through the air, making the walls tremble.
Jhin tensed, raising the longsword.
At the same time, a new message popped up:
[New quest has arrived.]
Category: Tutorial
Difficulty: F
Condition:
A parasite has appeared in I-Poke Building 103.
Once the pounding finishes, 'Dungeon-Corrupted Molly's Tree (F)' will be created.
Escape the corrupted 5-6 unit area before dungeonization completes.
Time Limit: 10 minutes
Reward: Basic Survival Kit
Failure: Death
The words hung there for a moment.
And then, with a teasing flicker, one more message appeared:
[Have a fun play session. Good luck!]
Jhin stared at it.
Then he laughed — a low, dry, slightly hysterical laugh.
"...Fun, huh?"
He gripped the sword tighter.
"Alright, then. Let's have some fun."