Chapter 2: My talent level is below average(2)

“Sh*t…”

[This is the end of the instructions. The starting point will open soon. Monsters will attack, so please be careful.]

“Damn…”

I couldn’t keep up with it all.

It was because there were so many things happening, and I couldn’t even get the chance to feel sorry for myself.

The sounds of unknown beasts could be heard from outside.

Frightened people began to cling to the wall, while those who were armed tried to protect their bodies.

It was the same for me.

Weapons weren’t by any means scarce.

So it was only natural that I ran straight away to pick up a spear.

There were still swords left, but I refused to fight monsters from up close.

‘What should I do?’

‘Sh*t, what to do?’

I thought about various different things.

I’m not the only one to be flustered, of course.

There were screams all over the place.

The cries of the animals outside, combined with this closed space, created a scary atmosphere.

“Help me!”

“Please, get me out of here. Please…”

“Quit playing around. Can’t you just open the door? I’m going to sue all of you! I’ll sue you! Come on and open the door!”

“Wah wahh… Please let me live. Please…”

“I’m calling the police! The police!”

“Grab your weapons! Can’t you hear the sounds outside? Grab your weapons!”

“Why don’t you hold it! You! Men should quickly raise a shield. Hurry up!”

“What are you doing! Now! Can’t you just end this fucking prank instead of making things weird?”

“Are you kidding? Didn’t you see the window in front of you? Go get a weapon! Hey, old guy! You think this is a joke?”1

A bulky man, who had been loudly shouting, raised a wooden shield.

There were many calling for a fight, but this guy was a little more aggressive.

Before I even activated anything, his information came into sight.

[Check the status window and talent levels of the player Park Deok-gu.]

[Name: Park Deok-gu]

[Title: None. You should try a little harder.]

[Age: 23]

[Disposition: Enthusiastic musclehead]

[Class: None.]

[Stats]

[Strength: 21/Growth potential: heroic (ideal)]2

[Agility: 16/Growth potential: rare (below average)]

[Stamina: 21/Growth potential: heroic (ideal)]

[Intelligence: 10/Growth potential: rare (below average)]

[Endurance: 30/Growth potential: heroic (ideal)]

[Luck: 11/Growth potential: common (below average)]

[Magic: 00/Growth potential: common (above average)]

[Overview: Overall, it’s well-balanced. You will grow well as a warrior with your high growth potential for strength and endurance. The potential for strength and endurance in particular are exceptional. It’s not good to have low magic and agility, but they can be compensated for with other stats, right? Compared to player Lee Ki-young, you have great potential.]

‘You didn’t have to tell me that…’

I couldn’t believe this guy was 23.

Although he had a huge height, size, and weight, he didn’t really look fat.

It was more like his whole body was covered in muscles.

Unlike me, who only had 10 points in strength and endurance, he had 20 points in strength and 30 in endurance.

I quickly realized that not only were my talent levels at the lowest, my stats were also at the bottom of the barrel.

Like I read with Mind’s Eye, he’d be useful as a warrior or a meat shield.3

If you pretend to be friendly, you can definitely buy him as an ally.

First off, I’ll hang around him with a spear in my hand.

When I practiced a movement with my spear, Park Deok-gu looked pleased and began to speak.

“Are you going to fight too?”

“That’s right. I think so. Seems like there’s something out there… It’s better to do something instead of just sitting around.”

“You just said something pretty cool, hyung-ssi. Even though you look so weak.”

“Thank you. Let’s get ready for now.”

What he said was rude, but he looked satisfied.

Just exchanging a few words was effective.

I opened my mouth again.

This time, I was talking to everyone.

“Denying the situation won’t change anything. First, we have to deal with what’s ahead. Outside, you can hear the monsters crying. Whether it’s real, or hidden cameras, or a dream, we have to do something. We all have to take up arms. We have to make a stand.”

“Stop messing around!”

“I mean it. I wouldn’t play this kind of prank, and I want it to be a joke too. Everyone, please pick up a weapon. Later if it turns out to be a joke, we’ll deal with it then.”

There should be many people who can fight.

It’s unknown how many enemies will come, or what type.

Someone muttered something.

“Well, let’s get a weapon for now. I guess we have to take care of the things out there first and then look at the situation. Since this guy said he can win, I— I’m sure that will happen.”

“Right, yeah!”

“For now, let’s fight!”

No one here was used to fighting, of course.

But one by one, they started to lift up swords. Some were simply swayed by the atmosphere, while others armed themselves for protection.

The mood in the room was gradually improving.

‘Not bad.’

The way things were going really wasn’t bad.

“Women should also pick up weapons.”

“What?”

“I’m not saying you should go out and fight. But I can’t predict what will happen. You need to carry a weapon. You can’t expect someone to always be there to protect you. That’s reality.”

“Oh. Yes, yes…”

I knew what I was saying.

In the end, they looked unhappy raising their weapons, but that was all.

There were still a number of people hanging around that weren’t convinced.

But I couldn’t say that openly here. In the end, I swallowed nervously and waited for the enemies to come.

‘Can we win?’

Of course not.

But at least I was sure I could survive.

The death toll would probably be high, but it was important to keep this base for now.

‘Tutorial. She said it was a tutorial.’

The atmosphere was good, and everyone was willing to fight. Everyone’s eyes shone with a desire to survive.

‘I can do it.’

[The starting point will open in a moment. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.]

[The starting point has opened. Good luck to all participants.]

But it was only my imagination that we would be able to do something, to be able to win, or to just somewhat hold on, or to expect a miracle to happen.

“Kyaaaaak!”

Instead of in the front, a stone gate opened in the back of the room, and a human-like monster bit a woman’s neck as she tried to escape.

Blood flew from the back over to here.

Before anyone could register it, monsters rushed in from every direction.

“Aaaaah! Help me!”

“Run away!”

‘Fuck!’

Screams rang out in an instant.

It was seriously pandemonium.

Even that jerk Park Deok-gu, who had been encouraging us to fight, just watched vacantly with his sword and shield, perhaps because he hadn’t expected such monsters to come.

We were ordinary people who had never held a sword and weren’t used to fighting.

There was no way we could survive this.

It was hard for everyone to face the reality before us.

I started to speak to Park Deok-gu, who was staring forward in a daze.

“What are you doing? You want to die!?”

“Hyung, hyung-ssi!”

He was shaking, whether it was his legs or the hand he held a weapon in.

But he bit his lip and swung the blade.

It penetrated a monster’s head with precision.

Park Deok-gu held up his shield and pushed away the monster.

It wasn’t long before the formation collapsed.

In a moment, a mix of allies and monsters ran out into the open space.

‘You have to run.’

If I stayed here, I would die.

‘Death.’

I would certainly be annihilated.

‘I’m going to die.’

There wasn’t time for other thoughts.

“Run!”

“Huh? Huh? Huh?”

“You fucking pig! Run! Can’t you hear me?!”

He started to shout at someone he saw.

Park Deok-gu’s voice seemed to wake that guy up, and he picked up his shield and fled.

I, too, threw myself out of that narrow space.

‘Ah!’

I remembered the issues of food and water as I was on my way.

It was a relatively close distance.

It was impossible to know if there were any other shelters here, so we had to keep those things safe.

“Hyung, hyung-ssi! Where are you going!”

“Get some water!”

“Al, alright!”

The screams were clear even through the mixture of voices.

I caught sight of a woman who was bitten on the shoulder by a zombie.

“S, save me…”

“Sh*t.”

I felt troubled all of a sudden.

But my two hands which held a spear didn’t move to save her.

I didn’t look at her despair-filled eyes. As I picked up two or three leather bags, I turned my head to see monsters rushing like a pack of dogs onto her.

It was thanks to her that I could leave, so it would only be right to express some gratitude.

‘I’m sorry.’

After I muttered in my mind a half-hearted apology, I moved on.

“Hyung-ssi!”

As I turned my head towards Park Deok-gu’s shout, I saw a monster flying towards me.

“Shi…”

Puuk!

“Geuk!”

A sword flew from somewhere into its head.

It was unclear if my luck stat had anything to do with it, but I definitely felt lucky.

I felt like I made eye contact for a moment with the man behind the sword, but I didn’t have the chance to check his information.

What was for certain was the strange feeling I got.

‘What was it?’

His face wasn’t scared, nor were his eyes filled with a fear of death. He looked desperate, but he wasn’t driven by just survival.

‘Did I imagine it?’

It had been a very memorable face.

As I passed him by, I saw Park Deok-gu waiting for me with his shield raised.

“Did you get the water?!”

I didn’t hear an answer.

But looking at the leather pouch in his right hand was answer enough.

He was the type who was good at doing what was asked of him.

“I, I think there’s still somebody inside!”

“Shut up and run if you don’t want to be left behind! You son of a bitch! Can’t you see the monsters back there?”

“I, I see. Hyung, hyung-ssi!”

It was only a matter of time before we emerged onto a wide expanse.

I could see both those who were caught while escaping and those who never got out.

When I looked back, there weren’t any monsters following us

They were all focused on their prey inside.

There were intermittent screams, but I didn’t want to hear anything, so I covered my ears.

“Sa, save me!”

“Fight baaaack!”

“Geuk!”

“Kyaaaaak!”

“Help me. Wah wahh… Help me. Wahh…”

“Euaaaaak!”

When I closed my eyes, I saw the people I left behind.

Only

“Don’t feel guilty. You didn’t have a choice.”

“Yeah, but…”

“You couldn’t help it. It wasn’t your fault…”

It was a situation where you couldn’t do anything.

He must have known that too.

“Damn it…”

But that didn’t stop a curse falling from Park Deok-gu’s mouth anyway.

1. Fun fact, “??” is slang for a middle-aged man. Now you, too, can yell at your dad in Korean.

2. Turns out these use the same words as for weapon rarities/class grades so I’ve gone back to edit the first chapter to match.