Chapter 8: What’s the game

[JB Comprehensive Account – Savings Deposit]
[83,150 won]
Damn it.
Seriously, what should I do about this?
Luckily, I still have about three days’ worth of food left at home for now.
If I eat even less, I might be able to last for a week somehow.
But after that?
Can I survive on 80,000 won?
Of course, that’s absolutely impossible.
I’m not optimistic enough to look away from that reality.
So, I immediately looked for part-time jobs, and thankfully, a few places asked me to come in for an interview. But, as expected, I was rejected by all of them.
“…Well. I probably wouldn’t have hired me either.”
When I go to the interviews prepared, everyone is visibly surprised by my appearance.
Honestly, I think I’m quite pretty by my own standards, but to others… especially to shop owners, I probably don’t seem like someone they’d want to hire as a part-timer.
Especially to older folks, I must look like trouble.
At least they didn’t turn me away right on the spot, I guess that’s one good thing?
But it was clear they wanted to tell me in advance that they had no intention of hiring me, as most of them wouldn’t even make eye contact during the interview.
With my disastrous communication skills on top of that, the interviews turned into these weird situations where we weren’t even looking at each other while talking.
Hmm. Honestly, it’d be strange if I got hired…
But still, I can’t help feeling it’s unfair. My silver hair, my red eyes… I didn’t choose to be born like this…
Grrr―.
“… Oof.”
My stomach rumbles, signaling its hunger.
I already don’t eat much, but after cutting my meals down to a third of what I usually eat, my body is protesting that breakfast wasn’t enough.
But I have to endure.
At least until I can find a part-time job….
500… 501… 502… 503… 504… Now…
“… How many have I done?”
This is the second day of attaching eyes to teddy bears as a part-time job.
“Haa….”
When I searched for part-time jobs I could do from home, this was one of the few that came up.
Things like typing jobs or crafting side gigs.
There were actually quite a few jobs I could do from home, but this was the only one I could start immediately.
Physically, it’s not tiring at all.
But the problem is that it’s driving me crazy.
The mental fatigue is intense, and it’s easy to understand why people strongly advise against doing this job.
“Ugh….”
But I have no choice, because I need to earn at least a little money.
At least until I find another job, this is the only way.
Yeah. Don’t give up.
You already know, right? What matters is an unbreakable spirit…
If I stay sharp, I can survive somehow.
Even with my body, no matter how much I push myself, I won’t die from something like this…

“It’s over…”

How many eyes did I stick on those teddy bears?
I stopped counting halfway through, and honestly, I don’t want to think about it anymore.
Anyway, thanks to four days of sticking on teddy bear eyes without rest, I earned 80,000 won.
They said they’d probably request more in about two days.
In other words, I have two days of free time now.
Finally, I can enjoy NewD* again…!
Of course, before I can enjoy NewD, there’s still a dilemma left.
Obviously, I can’t keep doing this part-time job of attaching eyes to teddy bears forever.
The income is far too insufficient for a living.
80,000 won for four days of non-stop work means only 600,000 won for a full month.
Should I just go work in a factory or something…?
Hmm, I don’t know. Let’s just play NewD for now.
I need a break anyway.

But it didn’t take long after logging into NewD to realize that I couldn’t rest as easily as I thought.
There was some ridiculous controversy about cheats or something.
Of course, I hadn’t had time to check the community lately, but it was obvious that things were still heated.
…Why is my last sanctuary falling apart like this?
I feel like I’m going to get sad.

〔No matter what, you can’t break the priest〕
・There he is again.
When is that guy ever going to repent?

“Ah, damn.”

He must have spotted me too, because he started spitting out curses.
He still doesn’t appreciate my kindness.
Well, whatever… I’ll just have to do what I need to do.
If it doesn’t work, I’ll keep trying until it does. The important thing is not to give up.
That was one of my convictions in the other world.
Feeling the hefty weight of my friend, Warhammer, in my hands after two days, I stepped forward.
In NewD, a profession is just ‘a system to receive additional effects from skills.’
Since the game advertised itself with the slogan ‘endless freedom,’ choosing a specific job shouldn’t change how you grow.
That’s why priests could use swords or spears, and spearmen could use magic.
If a priest used a healing skill, the healing amount increased; if a spearman used a spear, the range extended; if a swordsman used a sword, the power increased.
In NewD, a profession was just that kind of system.
In other words, it wasn’t strange for a priest player to have learned sword-related skills.

“Tch.”

Standing before the priest was a fully armored warrior wielding a giant warhammer.
No, to be exact, he wasn’t a ‘warrior.’
He was just equipped with weapons commonly used by warriors, but his profession was clearly ‘traveler.’
However, none of that mattered to the priest.
It didn’t matter what weapon he wielded; he was still the enemy she needed to defeat.
The priest immediately stored her staff in her inventory and drew a dagger.
Her opponent, weighed down by his warhammer and full armor, was slow.
To exploit that weakness, she needed to move as lightly as possible, which is why she didn’t change her armor.
After all, that Warhammer strike wouldn’t mean much unless it was against full plate armor just like his.

“Phew…”

Clang, clang.

The heavy sound of metal clashing against metal echoed through the air.

To the priest, it was like the great bell tolling his death.

But if he retreated now…

From this moment forward, all he could do was run from him, nothing more.

That couldn’t happen.

He didn’t want it to happen.

He, too, was a gamer.

He could accept defeat but couldn’t allow himself to embrace it.

“Haaah…!”

The priest raised his voice and stepped forward.

At that moment, his opponent also lowered his center of gravity, preparing his stance.

Of course, normally, it would be impossible to pierce full plate armor with a mere dagger.

But this was a game, after all.

While there might be weapon and armor affinities, nothing was absolute.

The moment he reduced his opponent’s HP to zero through relentless attacks, victory would be his.

“Hup!”

With a shout, the priest thrust his dagger forward, and as expected, his opponent blocked it with his Warhammer.

Clang!

The sensation and sound were so weighty that it was hard to believe this was just a game.

As he felt it at his fingertips, what boiled up inside was a sense of exhilaration.

Boom!

But naturally, a dagger could not win against a Warhammer in a head-on clash.

As soon as he felt the force pushing him back, the priest retreated, and a huge impact followed, kicking up clouds of dust.

Then, cutting through the dust, came a massive strike, like a falling meteor.

If that hit landed, the game would be over.

《Acceleration》

The priest, having faced such situations countless times before, knew this better than anyone.

He activated ‘Acceleration,’ a skill that temporarily boosted his speed, and dashed forward.

If he had retreated, he could have avoided any damage, but that wouldn’t win him the fight.

Just barely dodging the Warhammer’s trajectory, the priest swung his right hand wide.

Clang!

The dagger clashed with the full plate armor, sparks flying, and a health bar appeared above the nickname “Inquisitor” as proof that the attack had landed.

But only about 5% of the red bar was shaved off.

It wasn’t nearly enough to call it a critical hit.

Yet the priest didn’t mind.

In fact, that was more than enough.

If he could successfully land this kind of attack 20 times, he would win.

“Hup!”

As expected, his opponent, equipped with a Warhammer and full plate armor, was much slower than the priest.

So, he had to press his advantage while the momentum was still on his side.

Screeech!

Feeling the unpleasant sensation of metal scraping against metal, the priest thrust his dagger again, but his opponent curled his left arm inward to mitigate the damage.
“Now’s the chance.”

When you’re close to your opponent, it’s obvious that a dagger, not a warhammer, offers more freedom of attack. In such a situation, attacking with a warhammer would require stepping back or somehow pushing the enemy away. But the fact that he crouched instead meant that he couldn’t do that immediately.

Understanding this well, the priest relentlessly continued his assault. His opponent’s HP gradually dwindled. Even though full-body armor has resistance to daggers, it doesn’t completely nullify the damage. It was inevitable.

‘If things go on like this, victory isn’t far off…’

Just as the priest thought that, his opponent pushed forward, leading with his left shoulder as if signaling it was time for a counterattack. But such a move was within the priest’s expectations. He simply twisted his body to avoid the charge, planning to get behind him and continue his attack.

However—

Boom!

It was as if his opponent had anticipated this judgment. His body became enveloped in blue light, and with a tremendous earth-shaking sound, a cloud of sand rose up once again.

Skill: Jin’gak (Advance).

A simple yet effective skill that, when successfully activated, pushes away nearby enemies.

‘He still had something like that?’

With just one skill, the priest’s entire strategy crumbled. He had carefully maintained a distance where only he could attack, but in a single moment, the advantage he’d built vanished. Keeping a slight distance, fearing the unknown, had backfired.

‘I should have clung to him so tightly that even pushing me away would’ve been impossible.’

The remaining HP: 100% vs. about 50%. Judging by the numbers alone, the priest had the upper hand. But he wasn’t careless. No—he couldn’t afford to be.

‘In front of that warhammer, this kind of advantage means nothing.’

Despite his initial surprise at the unfamiliar situation, he quickly calmed himself and assessed the scenario. This, too, was proof that the priest was a top-tier player.

The dust began to settle. He stood completely still, unwilling to repeat the mistake he made earlier.

‘Should I rush in now? No. He’s clearly aiming for a counterattack. If I make a reckless move, I’ll lose.’

He stayed cautious and precise, leaving no openings. After all, if his opponent knew the priest, he wouldn’t give up. He’d persist until the very end.

Boom!

In other words, even if the priest didn’t make a move, his opponent would eventually act first.

With a sound tearing through the air, the warhammer swung horizontally. It was a move to push the priest back and throw him off balance, a declaration that the fight would now unfold on his terms.

But the priest knew that too well. Instead of retreating, he charged forward, putting all his strength into his toes just before the warhammer could make contact. At the last moment—by just a hair—he leaped into the air.

The warhammer cleaved through empty space, and the priest wasn’t foolish enough to miss this opportunity.

He struck down with his dagger with all his might.

Even with a helmet on, his opponent’s head wouldn’t be able to fully block the blow…
“It’s my chance.”

When you’re close, it’s only natural that a dagger, not a warhammer, would have more attack flexibility. In such a situation, to attack with a warhammer, you’d either need to step back or push the opponent away somehow. But since he crouched instead, it meant he couldn’t do either at the moment.

Understanding this well, the priest relentlessly continued his assault. His HP was gradually decreasing. No matter how resistant full-body armor was to a dagger, it couldn’t completely negate the damage.

‘If it’s come this far, winning isn’t too much of a stretch…’

And at the moment the priest thought that, the opponent pushed forward with his left shoulder, signaling the start of a counterattack. But that much was within the priest’s expectations. He lightly twisted his body to evade the charge and planned to get behind him to continue the attack.

However.

Boom!

As if anticipating the priest’s move, the opponent’s body was suddenly enveloped in a blue light, and with a tremendous ground-shaking impact, a cloud of dust rose once more.

Skill: Jin-gak (True Awakening). If successfully activated, it has a simple yet sure effect: pushing away nearby enemies.

‘He had something like that left?’

With just that one skill, the priest’s entire plan was thrown into disarray. He had somehow managed to keep the opponent within striking distance. But in an instant, the advantage he’d painstakingly held onto vanished.

It was his cautiousness, maintaining a slight distance just in case, that became his downfall.

‘I should’ve stuck close enough to make it impossible for him to push me away.’

HP remaining: 100% vs. 50%.

Judging by the numbers, the priest was clearly at an advantage. But he did not let his guard down. No, he couldn’t afford to.

‘In front of that warhammer, these numbers mean nothing.’

Though momentarily startled by the unfamiliar situation, the opponent quickly cooled down and assessed the situation—further proof that he was a top-tier player.

The dust was starting to settle. Not wanting to repeat his earlier mistake, the priest remained completely still.

‘Should I rush in now? No. He’s definitely waiting to counter. If I push too hard, I’ll lose.’

He needed to be flawless and leave no openings. After all, against the priest, his opponent would never give up and would stubbornly see things through to the end.

Thud!

In other words, even if he stood still, the opponent would eventually make the first move.

With a sharp sound slicing through the air, the warhammer swung horizontally. It was an attempt to push the opponent away and throw him off balance, a clear declaration that from now on, the situation would be entirely in his control.

But the priest knew this all too well.

Instead, he dashed forward, and before the warhammer could hit him, he powered through with his toes.

And just before the warhammer reached his body, with almost no room to spare, he leapt into the air.

The warhammer slashed through empty space, and the priest wasn’t about to miss the opening it created.

With all his strength, he drove his dagger downward.

Even with a helmet on, this was undoubtedly a blow that wouldn’t feel light. A knockout was guaranteed—if the attack had landed.

*Whoosh!*

“Huh?”

The priest’s vision was momentarily obscured, and at the same time, a fierce vibration was felt in his chin.

“Ugh?!”

When his vision cleared again, he saw the man’s right palm stretched out toward him. The priest quickly realized that the vibration in his chin had been caused by a solid strike. His body was pushed back hard, and the man immediately grabbed his warhammer and charged forward.

The priest, having been struck in a vital spot, was knocked out cold. There was no way to block the follow-up attack.

“…Huh.”

Letting go of his weapon entirely after realizing the attack had missed and responding accordingly—that was an assessment impossible to describe as just skillful.

The fact that this was possible purely because of the man’s understanding of PvP mechanics couldn’t be denied, no matter how low an opinion one might hold of him. As the warhammer came crashing down toward his head, the priest couldn’t help but sigh in admiration.

“What a damn good game.”

With the greatest compliment a gamer can offer their opponent, the priest’s vision darkened once again.

*Boom!*

With a tremendous sound, the battle was decided.