Chapter 4

All the users in the safe zone—and even Kruger who was watching through a crystal orb on the outside—held their breath as they watched Do-Jin. They all knew what would happen the moment he stepped out of the safe zone.

Is he new around here?

Even if he’s new, shouldn’t he know better by now? Just look at where everyone’s gathered!

Someone like that shouldn’t even think about joining a party later. There is no way.

Having a reckless idiot like him around just puts everyone else at risk.

Those who had already faced the Forest of Trials clicked their tongues and shook their heads, turning away with little interest in watching what they deemed a predictable ending. They expected that the moment Do-Jin stepped out, the sluggish slimes would spring to life, causing him to panic—realizing too late how annoyingly difficult their squishy, gelatinous bodies were to damage. Flailing and struggling against the inevitable, he would meet his Game Over. It was a foregone conclusion in the minds of everyone who had made it past this stage before.

But their expectations were spectacularly shattered.

Fwoosh!

As expected, the slimes leaped toward him as he advanced with their bodies jiggling grotesquely. But what came next left everyone stunned.

Thwack!

Do-Jin obliterated the core of a slime with a single, decisive blow.

Pop!

The slime burst mid-air, scattering sticky jelly fragments in all directions. The sight was enough to leave his audience dumbfounded.

He... took out a slime in one hit?

Sure, destroying a slime’s core would instantly kill it—that was common knowledge. The problem was that it wasn’t easy. Imagine trying to crack a walnut in one strike, except the walnut was suspended inside a bag full of padding. That was what hitting a slime’s core was like. And yet, Do-Jin had smashed it effortlessly.

It must’ve been a fluke. Maybe he just got lucky swinging like a lunatic...

The spectators tried to dismiss what they’d seen as sheer chance—that is, until they watched Do-Jin systematically take down every slime charging at him.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

His movements weren’t flashy, but they were precise and efficient. Every strike was calculated, and each blow connected directly with the core. His weapon met the slimes in perfect arcs, as if he’d rehearsed this a thousand times before.

Wait, are these even the same slimes I fought? Our whole party got swarmed and wiped out last time because we couldn’t kill them fast enough...

Is he some sort of a pro gamer who switched over from another game?

Or maybe he’s a former baseball player... or even a mob?

The sneers and laughter vanished. In their place came awe, curiosity, and outright shock. Some even felt a twinge of self-loathing as they compared themselves to Do-Jin.

“Is that... a goblin?”

“Why are goblins showing up near the entrance? Isn’t this area supposed to be just slimes?”

As the number of slimes dwindled, murmurs rippled through the crowd. A few goblins emerged from the bushes, armed with crude weapons—stone knives, axes, and even rusty blades. Unlike slimes, goblins had higher attack power, and for newbie players without proper armor, their strikes could cause significant injuries. Even someone as skilled as Do-Jin was still a beginner by the game’s standards.

Among the onlookers, a man nudged his friend. “Hey, let’s help that guy out.”

“What’s gotten into you? You’ve never cared about anyone unless they were a woman.”

“That’s why idiots like you don’t get it. Think about it—if we form a party with him, getting through the Forest of Trials will be a breeze. That guy’s clearly not a rookie. Either he’s an experienced player or a pro who’s switched games. This is our chance to latch onto someone good.”

“Ah, I see.”

“Are you impressed by my sharp instincts and survival skills?”

“Nope. I’m just amazed by your uncanny ability to sniff out opportunities to freeload like some kind of leech.”

The two, clearly long-time friends, bantered as they grabbed their weapons and sprinted toward Do-Jin. They weren’t about to let someone else snatch up such a skilled player for their party. This wasn’t just about clearing the Forest of Trials to them—it was a golden opportunity to forge a valuable connection, one that could pay off in the long run.

“Step back for a second—”

“We’ll help you, so just—”

But the words died in their throats, and their legs froze mid-stride. The goblins that had swarmed Do-Jin were being massacred even more brutally than the slimes.

“Hup!”

With a sharp breath, Do-Jin swung his mace in a horizontal arc, smashing it into the side of the goblin’s head. The timing of the attack was impeccable, perfectly matching the goblin’s charge. The creature crumpled to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut.

But Do-Jin didn’t stop there. He relentlessly brought his mace down on the fallen goblin’s skull, again and again. The sickening sound of flesh tearing and bones shattering echoed far and wide, chilling anyone who heard it.

“Eeeeeek!”

The other goblins charged at Do-Jin at the sight of their comrade being turned into pulp. But to him, they weren’t threatening in the slightest.

This is way easier than I expected

, he thought

.

Perhaps it was because, in his previous life, he had fought with a fragile body, where even a graze could mean death. Compared to those battles, the goblins’ movements seemed painfully predictable and sluggish.

Whoosh!

A goblin’s stone axe cut through the air, and Do-Jin’s mace rose to meet it from the direction the goblin had leaned into its swing.

The force shattered the goblin’s jaw, sending its teeth scattering like broken glass. As the teeth hit the ground, Do-Jin followed up with merciless finishing blows, hammering their faces and the backs of their heads until they stopped moving entirely.

By the time four goblins lay brutally slaughtered, their bodies twisted unnaturally, the group of frenzied goblins began to falter, hesitation creeping into their movements. Do-Jin didn’t miss the opportunity. He charged straight into their formation with his mace swinging with devastating precision.

The goblins scattered in a panic, trying to dodge his oncoming strikes. But their frantic attempts to escape only caused them to collide with one another, and one unlucky goblin failed to get out of the way in time, catching a glancing blow from the mace.

Smack! Smack! Smack!

The horrifying sound of bone meeting blunt force rang out as Do-Jin continued to pummel the goblin’s face, long after it had stopped moving.

Even after it was completely dead, Do-Jin continued to hammer the goblin’s head repeatedly. It wasn’t overkill—it was a calculated show of force, exploiting a goblin’s natural tendency to cower before an opponent that appeared significantly stronger.

The remaining goblins who were thoroughly intimidated, waved their weapons defensively and their eyes were busy darting around as they searched for an opportunity to escape. But Do-Jin gave them no such chance. He hunted them down mercilessly, leaving none alive.

At some point, a few slimes reappeared and managed to strike his back. He let out a short grunt but immediately grabbed one of the slimes, slamming it to the ground and crushing it under his mace.

“Hmmph...”

So this is what it feels like to max out stamina. Doesn’t even hurt that much.

Do-Jin reveled in the feeling.

The reason was simple: unlike most players who invested their bonus points in Strength to increase attack power, Do-Jin had funneled all ten of his bonus points into Stamina.

Of course, this was only viable because of his skill level. His precise timing, flawless posture, and weight distribution allowed him to maximize damage through counterattacks and other multipliers. For an average beginner, attempting the same strategy would result in becoming a walking punching bag.

I thought dodging would be tough, but it’s not an issue at all. At this rate, I might as well keep putting everything into stamina.

He pulled up his Status Window and smiled in satisfaction.

[

Do-Jin

]

Level: 3

Strength: 6

Dexterity: 6

Stamina: 16

Intelligence: 5

Thanks to smashing scarecrows, slaughtering slimes, and annihilating goblins, his strength, Dexterity, and stamina had each increased by one point. In his past life, gaining a single level had required grueling effort over a long period, and boosting a stat even slightly demanded an overwhelming investment of time and money.

But now, having returned to the early stages of the game, his level and stats were increasing rapidly, and it made playing genuinely enjoyable again. It reminded him of the simple excitement he had once felt—before he became obsessed with rankings and lost sight of the joy of the game itself.

And then there were the stares—wide-eyed looks of shock and awe from the other players as they watched him dominate the field. Do-Jin couldn’t help but relish their reactions, finding a thrill in their astonishment.

I guess I’ve always been a bit of an attention seeker

, he thought.

It wasn’t a new revelation, but seeing it play out so vividly amused him. Maybe that’s why he’d been so fixated on climbing the rankings in his past life.

Though, not all attention was good attention...

His train of thought led him to darker memories, causing his expression to harden briefly.

Shaking off the unpleasant thought, he clicked his tongue in irritation and cleaned the blood and gore off his mace. Without a moment’s hesitation, he turned and strode deeper into the Forest of Trials.

This was a life where he could start over from the beginning. Do-Jin resolved to illuminate it brightly, leaving no room for darkness. There was no need to stain it with the regrets and misfortunes of his past life. This time, he would live joyfully, cheerfully—and happily. With that resolve, Do-Jin set out in search of the stimuli that would bring him happiness. For him, that meant combat, slaughter, and the growth that came as a result.

***

By finishing battles quickly, he avoided dragging things out to the point where hordes of monsters could overwhelm him, and this efficiency accelerated his growth. His potion consumption was minimal as well; by the time he had used only two of the five healing potions provided for the quest, he had already reached Level 6.

Unlike others who played in parties and shared experience points, Do-Jin operated solo, allowing him to claim all the rewards for himself. This played a significant role in his rapid progress. Before long, even the most dangerous monster in the Forest of Trials—the orc—was no match for him.

“Squeeeal—!”

Time and again, Orcs let out their death cries, reminiscent of pigs being slaughtered, before collapsing lifelessly at his feet. Eventually, Do-Jin cleared the entire Forest of Trials on his own and located the portal leading out.

[Achievement unlocked: “Fine on My Own”]

[Achievement reward: All stats +1]

[Achievement unlocked: “Once Is Enough”]

[Achievement reward: Bonus points +5]

As Do-Jin approached the portal, unexpected achievement notifications appeared, hovering in the air before him. Blinking at the holographic windows and the messages displayed, he murmured, “What’s this now?”

All he’d done was attempt to clear the forest in one go, choosing not to recruit party members because he figured they’d only slow him down. Yet here he was, rewarded with achievements and unexpected bonuses.

I’ve never even heard of these achievements. Has no one else ever earned them?

No, that couldn’t be it. LOST was a game filled with countless players. Maybe it was possible to earn them in the early days after launch, but getting them over its fifteen-year history? It was highly unlikely.

That left only one explanation:

Someone probably earned it but decided not to share it.

He didn’t need to look far for an example. After all, he himself had no intention of telling others how to earn the bonus stat rewards from the tutorial. After all, pain is easier to bear when you pass it on to others, and happiness? It’s always sweeter when you keep it all to yourself.

“This... this is such an amazing start,” he murmured with a satisfied grin spreading across his face.

𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

The unexpected reward melted away the exhaustion he’d built up while clearing the Forest of Trials. Even his steps toward the portal felt noticeably lighter, as if the weight of fatigue had simply vanished.

Now, it was finally time to leave the tutorial behind and dive into the real game.