Over the Earth, letters floated in the skies of each country.Letters engraved in blood-red, like dripping blood.
[Trial of God,
They were letters displaying the number of people who had died due to the Trial of God.During a trial, sometimes the status is broadcasted across the skies like this.Sometimes, there are even live broadcasts from inside the trials.This time,
"How long has it been since the trial started, and already so many are dead...?""Is this really okay? We're not going to fail, right?""How many penalties has our country received again? Didn't we fail to clear it last time?"
People staring at the letters trembled in fear.Even as the death toll rose, more letters continued to appear.
[30% of the Chinese Players participating in the trial have died.][The hunters go berserk. The aura of wildness engulfs the city.][Players' abilities and speed decrease by 20%.][Savage storms erupt throughout the city, devouring prey.]
The situation was rapidly deteriorating.The death toll was increasing quickly, and the difficulty of the trial was rising just as fast.Only countries with high-level and well-organized Players, like the United States or Japan, were managing to respond effectively.The rest were in a tragic state.
But among them, there was one strange country.
[Current death toll (South Korea): 1,135.]
"Why is South Korea's death toll so low?""Isn't it because their population isn't that large? The number of people dragged into the trial depends on the country's population.""Still, even with that... 1,135 is way too low..."
It was South Korea.The country with the lowest death toll out of all nations.But what was even more shocking—
[Current death toll (South Korea): 1,135.]
"…The death toll isn't increasing?""What's going on…? Is there an error in the count or something?"
The number wasn't going up.While other countries saw their death tolls surge by the thousands, South Korea's remained frozen at exactly 1,135.So much so that people began to suspect a miscalculation.Even South Koreans themselves were thinking the same thing.
"What the heck? Why isn't our country's number going up?""Is it really possible to have only 1,135 deaths in a trial like this?"
"Something must be wrong… No, that can't be. The numbers that appear in the sky have never been incorrect…"
No matter how much people racked their brains, no answers came.Eventually, everyone's thoughts converged on the same question:
"What on earth is happening inside?""How is South Korea handling the trial?"
It was a perfectly natural question.The unfortunate part was that there was no one who could answer it.And then—another revelation followed.
[The Night of the Hunt has ended.][South Korea's hunter,
A new mystery added itself before the previous one could even be solved.People's eyes widened in shock as they read the new messages in the sky.And understandably so.
[Record: 12 minutes 5 seconds.][Congratulations! South Korea has cleared the Trial of God in record time. Appropriate rewards will be granted to South Korea!]
12 minutes and 5 seconds.A completely unbelievable record.A time never seen before—and likely never to be seen again.
['Reward Dungeons' are being opened across South Korea. Each dungeon possesses unique characteristics and holds returned rewards within.][Find them and conquer them!]
With that, the messages disappeared.The skies above South Korea, once filled with glowing letters, cleared up. But people remained speechless, staring blankly at the sky.
"...What the hell...""What just happened...?"
In disbelief, they stood there for a long time.
Back in his studio apartment, Han Yuseong took a day to rest.He couldn't move even if he wanted to.Thankfully, the potion he drank before resting had helped him recover quickly.When he woke up, Kakasha welcomed him.
[O Vowed One, you are awake?]"Yeah, barely…"
Han Yuseong noticed a barrage of messages floating in his vision.Notifications about the appearance of special dungeons all across South Korea.But then, an additional message appeared—one that only he could see.
[This reward is granted to you alone.][You can identify the exact locations of the 'Reward Dungeons' that have appeared across South Korea. You can also view their reward levels and names!][While conquering these dungeons, your stats will increase, and both experience points and skill experience will be gained at a greatly boosted rate.][Enjoy the rewards of your contribution!]
With that, the messages vanished.In their place appeared a detailed map of South Korea.
A map appeared—marked with numerous icons scattered across it.
[These are the Reward Dungeons. You must have achieved high contribution—how generous they are. Priceless rewards lie hidden within.]"Yeah, figures… Haa..."
Han Yuseong stared at the map, lost in thought.Judging by the sheer number of Reward Dungeons, it was obvious he couldn't conquer them all.It wasn't just the quantity—they were spread out far from one another.That meant he had to choose carefully which dungeons to target.
'Which dungeon should I go for?'
The answer was obvious.The ones that offered the best rewards.
The problem was, in his past life, these Reward Dungeons hadn't appeared in Korea.Back then, it had been Japan that cleared the trial first.
'What if the dungeons haven't changed? What if the same Reward Dungeons that appeared in Japan back then have now appeared here in Korea?'
His memories from his previous life might prove useful.Of course, he didn't remember the full list of dungeons that had appeared in Japan.But he did remember one unique dungeon—A dungeon that held an incredibly powerful reward.
"…The Hermit's Laboratory."[Oh? Do you mean this one?]
Kakasha pointed to a location on the map.In the middle of a ruined city, the words
Han Yuseong's eyes widened.
"Is it the same dungeon? The name's the same, at least."[You won't know until you go, will you? It's not like you have anywhere else to be.]"True. It might be a different dungeon, but…"
Han Yuseong slowly rose to his feet.The reward hidden in the Hermit's Laboratory was a powerful magic staff—an item of immense value.He still remembered how the Japanese Player who had acquired it in his past life had gone on to perform incredibly well.There was no harm in taking it first.
"Especially if it's something a foreign Player might otherwise get."
His direction was set.Han Yuseong left his apartment.
"Let's go check out the Hermit's Laboratory."[Hehehe, excellent. Good, good. This should be fun too.]
Kakasha laughed, as if anticipating something thrilling.
The Trial of God had fully come to an end.The results were devastating.
[Total Death Toll: 462,489.]
Most countries had suffered catastrophic losses.Countries with massive populations, like China and Russia, barely managed to overcome the trial—but only after enduring horrific damage.Compared to the nations that failed the trial entirely and lost both Players and hope, they were considered the lucky ones.
"Every time a Trial of God ends, the population drops drastically. At least we won't have to worry about overpopulation or pollution anymore.""Is that something you should be saying?"
From the top floor of a towering skyscraper in Seoul—A building marked with the name
"It was a joke. We live in an age where you can't survive without a little dark humor.""There are things that can and can't be joked about. This is one of them, Leader.""Right, fair enough. Anyway…"
The woman, known as the Leader, spun her chair around.On the wide, polished desk sat an ornate nameplate that read:
In South Korea, there existed an organization known as the Player Federation.It managed Players, responded to the Trials of God and other crises, and provided necessary education and training tailored to each situation.Funded by numerous guilds and factions, it was a massive organization.And Zain was its top authority.
"Have we figured out why our country only had 1,135 deaths? You know as well as I do, Park Yuha—that's impossible.""Yes. I can say with confidence, it's absolutely impossible."
Park Yuha, the rugged man beside her, was a veteran Player who had fought through countless trials alongside Zain.He had survived more deadly ordeals than most, and even led others to success.That's why he understood better than anyone—
That a result like this, in a Trial of God, simply shouldn't be possible.
"The Trials of God are pure masses of malice. They're obsessed with killing. So much so that people joke the Earth itself is furious and the Trials are punishment for polluting the environment..."
"Some even suspected it was staged. And yet, we're expected to believe only 1,135 died?""Considering that countries like the U.S. and Japan—with far more advanced Players than ours—suffered nearly six thousand deaths…""That just makes it even more impossible."
They had heard about the creature called the Hunter.A boss monster with a barrier that rendered all attacks useless.The U.S. and Japan had quickly discovered the associated quest to disable the barrier, then launched coordinated attacks—sacrificing lives in the process—to bring it down.Even with such an efficient strategy, nearly five thousand people died.
And yet—1,135 deaths.
"And they even cleared it in record time. That means they killed the Hunter without completing the quest to disable the shield. And…""He did it alone, apparently.""Hard to believe, but yes. That's what the evidence suggests."
The Federation had gathered testimony from the Trial.Most of it was useless—Players had been too busy running for their lives to observe much.Still, there was one point that multiple survivors consistently mentioned:
"There was one Player who ran toward the Hunter while everyone else was fleeing. A man. He fought alone…""They say he wore Eastern-style clothing. His weapon was a sword.""A swordsman? If the level cap was 60, then he must have awakened only recently. That makes it even more unbelievable."
Zain thought to herself.If she had been in the same situation… could she have defeated the Hunter alone?No—it was impossible. Even she couldn't claim that with confidence.
"Whatever the case…"
Zain let out a breath and leaned back into the plush sofa behind her.
"We have to find him. You know that, right? The guild masters are in an uproar. They're demanding to know who the Player is so they can bring him to their side immediately.""Is that all there is to this, Leader?""Of course not. Even putting aside the nobles' desire to show him off..."
Zain's eyes, which had been staring at the ceiling, suddenly sharpened.
"If we think ahead to the inevitable 'Nation Wars,' we must find him. With someone of that caliber, he might finally push our chronically underpowered country to the top.""I'll investigate every swordsman. No matter how obscure."**"I'm counting on you."
Park Yuha spoke with conviction, and Zain nodded in agreement.
But the two of them were operating under one critical misconception—
"I'm curious what kind of unique ability this swordsman possesses…"
—The mistaken belief that the Player they were searching for was a swordsman.And unfortunately for them, the day that misunderstanding would be corrected…was still far, far away.