Boss Monster. ------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kim Han-byeol never took her eyes off me. Her gaze seemed to plead with me to get up and run, but I had no intention of doing so.
It seemed our group had thoroughly misunderstood the situation.
Eventually, the blue light of the warp gate flashed, and I watched as everyone but me was transported away.
Are they gone?
Yes, they’re gone.
Gone.
Suddenly, a thick shadow enveloped me. The boss monster, seemingly indifferent to losing its prey, growled at me. I placed my hands on the ground and slowly stood up. It had been a while since I’d rolled around like that, and my body felt stiff. I twisted my torso, hearing the crack of my joints.
I glanced at the crossbow I had relied on for so long and let it fall to the ground. I didn’t need it anymore. With a decisive stomp, I broke it in half.
Snap!
Watching the crossbow break, I reached out toward the spot where my companions had dropped their gear. With a surge of magic, I summoned the long sword that Ahn Hyun had left behind, and it spun through the air to land in my hand.
Finally, I held the sword.
Throughout the initiation, I couldn’t shake the unfamiliar feeling of being without a blade. In the Hall Plain, my sword was my lifeline. I kept it by my side while sleeping, eating, even bathing. Handing it over to Ahn Hyun felt like losing a comrade.
But now it was over. I could return to the Hall Plain. I had longed for this moment, wished for it with all my heart. What once seemed like a dream had become reality with the acquisition of the Zero Code, and now I was just one step away. My heart swelled with emotion.
It felt as if the fiery spirit within my heart was responding to my emotions. My heart pounded fiercely, and my blood coursed hotly through my veins. My breath, which had been still, and my heart, which had been dormant, roared back to life. The prologue to a new, long war was about to begin.
Roar!
The boss monster let out a deafening cry. I looked at the sword in my hand before facing the creature. I had gained skills surpassing my past self, but there was no guarantee I was the strongest. Yet, I felt no fear. Even if I fell into the abyss again, even if I suffered great wounds, I was determined never to give up. Without a hint of hesitation, I raised my sword and aimed it at the boss monster.
The moment I truly wielded the sword, the air around me changed.
『Special ability Sword Unity (Rank EX) is activated. All actions involving the sword receive additional positive adjustments. Years of experience and numerous achievements grant a 2-rank increase.』
『Potential ability Melee Combat (Rank A+) is activated. For those who wield close-combat weapons, this ability surpasses the extreme. In close combat, you will not be outmatched. Years of experience and job adjustments grant a 1-rank increase.』
I was once a Sword Master, and now I was a Sword Specialist. I possessed abilities related to the sword and held a profession centered around it. The difference in power when wielding a sword was as vast as the sky and the earth. What was once a vague threat now carried a storm-like intent to kill, surrounding the creature.
In my eyes, the monster seemed insignificant, less than a bug. As I took a step forward, the boss monster retreated. It was inevitable. No matter how cunning, it was still a beast with instincts. Realizing the vast difference in our classes, it had already lost its will to fight.
My swordsmanship was rooted in the principles of Taiji. Rather than overwhelming force, it focused on using my opponent’s strength against them. This was my only strategy against top-tier users with superior strength. It involved the principles of yielding to overcome, using stillness to control movement.
I slowly lowered my sword. Since I couldn’t expect the creature to attack first, I planned to strike. This was my preparatory stance for my unique sword-drawing technique. It might appear defenseless, but that was the point.
The opponent couldn’t predict the direction of my first strike. If I swung my sword with lightning speed, they often couldn’t read the trajectory before being hit or losing the initiative.
I watched the trembling boss monster and drew my sword.
And then.
My sword sliced through the air, advancing relentlessly toward the creature.
“One strike kill. That was an impressive sword-drawing technique, User Kim Soo-hyun. Congratulations on surviving the initiation. As of 16:42:27 on the sixth day, you have earned the right to enter the Hall Plain.”
I had cleaved the boss monster in two with a single strike. Back in the summoning chamber, Seraph greeted me with those words. She stood on the small altar, her radiant wings shimmering as she gazed at me. It hadn’t been a week since I last saw her, but it felt like ages. I nodded roughly and sat down heavily.
“What about the others?”
It was a vague question, but the initiation was different from the Hall Plain. It was a space where users could be observed without restrictions. I assumed she had watched my playthrough and thus had seen the other users who acted with me.
“Providing information about other users is not permitted.”
“I’m not asking for their measurements. Just tell me if they made it through safely. You’re being awfully sensitive.”
Seraph sighed deeply before responding in a calm voice.
“Users Ahn Hyun, Ahn Sol, Lee Yoo-jung, and Kim Han-byeol have been successfully transported to the summoning chamber. They are currently with their assigned angels, awaiting further instructions.”
“I see. So they’ll receive half a day of training before entering the Hall Plain?”
“The training doesn’t take that long. However, we must unlock the professions and abilities suited to each user’s characteristics. User Kim Soo-hyun completed this process quickly due to your familiarity, but please do not equate this with the other users.”
At her words, I fell silent. Previously, after enduring seven days, I returned to the summoning chamber, learned the basics of the Hall Plain, and set up my initial settings. It felt like half a day had passed.
“All users are transported to the Hall Plain simultaneously. Therefore, you must wait for those who earn their qualifications by the end of the seventh day of initiation.”
“So I have to stay here for almost a day and a half? Just waiting? Should I play a game with you?”
Despite my irritated tone, Seraph answered clearly.
“If you wish, I can accommodate that. We offer more detailed information about the Hall Plain to users who complete the initiation early.”
“No need.”
“Then would you like to play a game?”
“Sigh… No. Let’s just talk.”
I shook my head at Seraph’s earnest question. She was an angel who didn’t understand jokes. Since things had turned out this way, I decided to ask about a few things that had puzzled me during the initiation. Of course, my tone was laced with sarcasm. At my suggestion to chat, Seraph tilted her head slightly before nodding.
“While playing through the initiation, I couldn’t help but wonder, did you guys even consider balance?”
“Yes.”
Seraph answered curtly.
”…Dropping us in the middle of a forest and the race, I can accept. But summoning a boss monster? That’s just cruel. How is this initiation supposed to be fair? How can prospective users pass?”
“Is there a problem?”
“If I hadn’t been there at the end, our group would have been wiped out. I can’t understand why you’d unleash such a monstrous creature.”
Without hesitation, Seraph replied.
“The initiation automatically adjusts its balance to match the level of the participating users. This time, we made an exception for User Kim Soo-hyun. Regardless, this year’s users were among the top five in potential across all iterations.”
“Even so, a boss monster is too much. How are users who can’t use magic supposed to defeat it?”
“It’s impossible to defeat. There’s a strategy. The boss monster is summoned randomly between 200 to 300 meters from the warp gate. Facing it alone is impossible, but with at least five people, at least one can reach the warp gate.”
I immediately understood what Seraph was implying.
“So, you’re saying to use up to four people as bait while one escapes.”
“Correct.”
I was at a loss for words. Yet, on some level, I understood why they placed the boss monster near the warp gate. Those who passed through had to experience the sorrow of losing their companions. In the Hall Plain, such occurrences were all too common, so it seemed they wanted to start with a similar shock right from the beginning.
It struck me as a bit sadistic, but I couldn’t argue. After all, my own return was partly due to my inability to cope with a similar sense of loss. I sighed inwardly and was about to change the subject when Seraph spoke first.
“I acknowledge that the difficulty was significant. For your information, the first four to arrive simultaneously have been awarded a small gold point bonus.”
”…Oh? So, there were people who passed before us? What about me?”
“User Kim Su-hyeon, you came in fifth. The four I mentioned earlier tied for first place. As a reward, each will receive 2,500 gold points.”
Oh, that’s good news. An early 2,500 points would be incredibly helpful. Gold points, which can be used in the user-exclusive shop, are extremely valuable in the beginning. My eyes lit up as I spoke.
“Oh, gold points. Give me some too.”
“Unfortunately, they are only awarded to the first place. Normally, 10,000 points would be given to one person, but since there were four, we had to divide it. User Kim Su-hyeon does not qualify.”
I see. I clicked my tongue in disappointment and nodded. With 2,500 points, I wouldn’t have to worry about being short on money early on. I could even buy beginner weapons. Noticing my expression, Seraph looked at me with a puzzled face and spoke.
“User Kim Su-hyeon, you seem quite disappointed. It’s only 2,500 points.”
“Gold points don’t just grow on trees, you know.”
“True, but you currently possess exactly 3,784,720 gold points. It seems unnecessary to be concerned over 2,500 points.”
…What?
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=