The tutorial zone was where players gather after creating their characters. As Do-Jin opened his eyes in this space, a woman dressed in a navy uniform approached him.
“Welco to Lostania. This place, known as the ‘Gate,’ is designed to help warriors who have crossed the boundaries adapt quickly to Lostania. I am Instructor Rami, and I will assist you in completing the tutorial so you can beco an official adventurer.”
With the precision and formality of a military officer, Rami gave a small nod and gestured to one side.
“Let explain the training process without delay. Over there, you will receive a training weapon. Please select the weapon of your choice, then proceed to the training grounds as instructed. Your first task, or ‘Quest,’ is to defeat three training scarecrows stationed there.”
As soon as Rami finished speaking, a Quest Window appeared before Do-Jin.
[Quest: Defeat the Scarecrows!]
Level: Tutorial
Beginner warriors have always started with scarecrows. However, it’s best not to underestimate them.
Objective: Defeat 3 training scarecrows in the Gate’s training grounds.
Reward: Experience points, 3 beginner healing potions, beginner weapon.
Noticing that Do-Jin’s gaze was fixed on sothing invisible to her, Rami continued her explanation. “What you see now is a ‘Quest,’ a task assigned to those who can hear the whispers of the world. By completing it and contributing to the world, you’ll receive appropriate rewards. Do you have any questions?”
Do-Jin responded briefly, “No, that’s enough.”
There was no reason to ask questions. Any information from this place was aningless to Do-Jin. Instead, what mattered to him was executing the growth plan he had ticulously devised in his head. And to do so, he needed to finish the Tutorial quickly. Without hesitation, Do-Jin headed in the direction Rami had indicated.
“Weapons will be handed out on a first-co, first-served basis! No shoving the person in front of you! Hey, causing trouble at the Gate could get you penalized! Let go of each other’s collars imdiately!”
The area was already jam-packed with players who had started their tutorials earlier. They were at each other’s throats over accusations of line-cutting, grabbing collars and shouting, while an NPC dressed like Rami tried to restore order while looking completely worn out.
The chaos was so extre that the line outside a store advertising “100 iPads at 99% off” would have looked more organized by comparison.
“It wasn’t this bad last ti...” Do-Jin uttered, shocked.
Confronted with the overwhelming scene of utter disorder, he stepped back unknowingly. Judging by the way things were going, it would take at least thirty minutes just to grab hold of a training weapon if he jumped into that ss.
What should I do?
Eager to finish the tutorial as quickly as possible, Do-Jin started to brainstorm. There had to be a better approach.
The tutorial sequence was definitely... His thoughts trailed off.
First, receive a training weapon and defeat the scarecrows. Next, return the used weapon to the instructor, claim the quest reward, listen to so additional explanations, and move on to the instructor in charge of the final trial: the Forest of Trials.
The weapon they give us now has to be returned anyway, right?
In other words, the training weapon was rely a tool, not the goal. The objective was to defeat the scarecrows and complete the quest. If he could take on the training scarecrows barehanded, there was no need to waste ti struggling in that chaotic crowd for a weapon.
With his decision made, Do-Jin changed direction and headed toward the portal that led to the training grounds where the scarecrows waited.
Rami was repeating the sa instructions to another trainee. “Let explain the training process without delay. Head to those soldiers over there to receive your training weapon...”
She caught sight of Do-Jin and her eyes widened in shock. And who could bla her? Watching a lunatic, not just walking but sprinting barehanded toward the scarecrow-filled training grounds, was bound to be shocking.
Is he out of his mind?!
Being a responsible instructor, Rami sprinted after Do-Jin and grabbed him by the arm.
“What do you think you’re doing?! You can’t just enter the training grounds without receiving a weapon! Even if they’re called scarecrows, they’re a type of golem animated by magic!”
Though her tone was scolding, Do-Jin’s expression was one of mild annoyance, as if he’d been inconvenienced.
“Do I absolutely have to get a weapon before entering?”
“Of course you do!” Rami shouted back and her voice was filled with disbelief.
“Then why did you stop ? If I can’t enter anyway, what’s the problem?”
“That’s not what I ant! Ugh... Going in unard is a terrible idea. The scarecrows in the training grounds aren’t as harmless as they seem.”
“So I can enter if I want to. In that case, I’ll just go in. You said it yourself that we should try different weapons to help us decide on a Class, didn’t you?”
That was true. Rami had said that. But how could anyone link those words to walking into the training grounds unard?
And yet, against Rami’s expectations and defying common sense, Do-Jin declared confidently, “I plan to beco a martial artist or a brawler.”.
Do-Jin connected the dots in the most absurd way.
“A m-martial artist...?”
“Yes.”
“What are you talking about? That’s absurd! Even martial artists and brawlers use weapons here. Get in line and ask for knuckles right now!”
Rami extended her finger to point at the chaos Do-Jin had escaped from. She did so with such force that it almost seed like a gust of wind blew toward Do-Jin’s face. It was a clear indicator of just how exasperated she was.
Unfortunately for her, how the sheer frustration would affect her was of no concern to Do-Jin. He had no intention of wasting his precious ti wading back into that mayhem.
“Actually, I can’t hold weapons. It’s against my religious beliefs.”
Rami’s jaw dropped in utter disbelief at the absurdity of the statent.
“I hope Lostania isn’t the kind of place that persecutes individuals for their religious convictions.” Taking advantage of her montary confusion, Do-Jin added another jab and nodded. “I’m confident that’s not the case. Well then, I’ll take my leave.”
Rami’s mind froze for a mont, overwheld by the absurdity of his argunt. By the ti she snapped out of it and reached out to stop him, she changed her mind and slowly lowered her hand.
Maybe it’s better for soone like him to learn the hard way. If he was destined to face a harsh reality, it’s better for it to happen here where it might actually teach him a lesson, Rami thought to herself, already envisioning the scenario.
If he ended up with a few broken bones, she would drag him back to the weapon distribution area and throw him into the line herself.
***
The training grounds were just as chaotic as the weapon distribution area. A large number of players were scattered across the field, each wielding their chosen weapon. Their opponents were the moving scarecrows.
“Hyaah!”
A man swung his sword with terrible form. Losing his balance, he was struck by a scarecrow’s shield and collapsed on the spot.
“Eeek!”
A woman wielding a double-edged axe far too large for her fra, toppled over and fell. The scarecrow didn’t miss its chance, rcilessly smacking the back of her head with a wooden sword. Her body dissipated into light as she was forcibly ejected from the training grounds.
“Argh! What kind of scarecrow is this?! Ugh!”
Ard with wooden swords and shields, the scarecrows were ruthlessly battering the fresh-faced newbies who had ventured into the training grounds.
Do-Jin watched this scene unfold with a satisfied smile.
Scarecrows can be pretty tough for newbies. Even I had to retry three tis when I ca here the first ti.
The training scarecrows weren’t ordinary. They were, in fact, wooden golems. While their strength and dexterity matched that of a level-one player, they were far more skilled with their swords and shields. As golems, their inherent durability was an added advantage.
For players accustod to VR gas where simply swinging a weapon automatically dealt damage, these scarecrows were far from easy opponents—at least for beginners.
But that only applied to newbies who were trying LOST for the first ti.
Even though I was a mage back then, I’m not about to lose to sothing like this.
In his previous life, Do-Jin had been a mage—a highly unbalanced one. His build had been completely focused on offense and destruction, earning him nurous penalties and the nickna “Glass Cannon.”
Yet, even under those disadvantageous conditions, Do-Jin had carved out a na for himself. He was a force to be reckoned with in both PVE and PVP.
One of the reasons Do-Jin had been able to achieve such success was simple: I was the fastest among the magic users.
His close-combat skills were sothing he had honed without relying on martial arts-related abilities. In short, he overca his weaknesses not through the ga’s system, but through his own physical ability and precise control.
Do-Jin took a deep breath and approached the nearest scarecrow. Its eyes glowed red as it raised its wooden sword and shield. The wooden sword, still slick with the blood of the last player the scarecrow had beaten senseless, was a grim and terrifying sight.
“Who’s that guy? Is he crazy?”
“Why’s he walking in unard?”
“Is he nuts?”
The surrounding players whispered as they watched Do-Jin approach the scarecrow barehanded. But their opinions didn’t matter to him. Whether they laughed or stared at him with hopeful anticipation of him getting beaten senseless, it was irrelevant. What mattered to Do-Jin wasn’t the other players struggling with their training scarecrows, but the quest monster standing right in front of him.
Creak.
As the distance between them closed to a certain point, the scarecrow’s joints emitted a harsh, grating sound. The noise ca from its right arm and knee. Do-Jin reacted imdiately.
“Hup!”
He twisted his body to dodge the scarecrow’s straightforward attack and closed the distance even further. The scarecrow countered with a shield bash, but Do-Jin had been waiting for this. Grabbing the shield that was ant to push him away, he yanked it forward instead.
While pouring its weight into the shield bash, the scarecrow couldn’t stop itself and tumbled forward under its own montum.
Thud!
With a loud crash, the scarecrow hit the ground, and Do-Jin swiftly climbed on top of it.
Creak, creak, creak!
The scarecrow struggled to escape, but the limited range of motion of its cheap wooden joints was painfully obvious. What followed was a relentless beatdown. Do-Jin expertly restrained the scarecrow’s flailing and unleashed a flurry of attacks.
His lack of a weapon ant his attacks lacked raw power, but that wasn’t a problem. He could compensate for the missing damage by using his surroundings.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Grabbing the scarecrow’s head with both hands, Do-Jin slamd it repeatedly into the ground. With a steady rhythm, the wooden puppet’s face collided with the floor over and over.
Creak... creak... creak.
The scarecrow’s limbs spasd, and unsettling sounds emanated from its body.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
With each slam, the red glow in its eyes grew fainter. Finally, a dark, murky liquid of unknown origin began to drip from its eyes.
The other players, who had been watching from the beginning, shared similar thoughts.
He’s completely insane.
I better not make eye contact with him.
I hope he didn’t hear what I said earlier...
By now, any trace of mockery they had directed at Do-Jin had been thoroughly wiped from their minds.
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