Chapter 10: Tutorial (10)

The next morning, we waited by the plaza fountain.

Yoo Ha-na had approached five potential recruits at the tavern the previous night. Even one showing up would be a success, two would be a triumph.

“Oppa, do you think they’ll actually come?”

“Of course. They have to.”

“Why are you losing your confidence?”

This wasn’t good. The longer we waited, the more skeptical Yoo Ha-na became. At this rate, I would surely face karmic retribution for making her wear that maid outfit.

“Oppa, the appointed time is almost here.”

“Ahahaha… Korean time, Korean time! It’s a national rule! Never be on time. Let’s be patient and wait a little longer.”

“Oppa, isn’t Korean time just an hour late? You want to wait another hour? Hee… I wore a maid outfit and waited tables at the tavern, and now I have to wait another hour… Hee…”

Scary! Her deadpan expression and monotone voice were terrifying. I would have wet myself if I had heard that at night.

I just hoped someone would show up, anyone. If things turned violent, I’d scream bloody murder.

“Hmm? Oppa, someone’s coming.”

Perhaps the universe listened to my desperate pleas. The space gods must have heard my prayer.

Judging by their height and broad shoulders, it was probably another guy with a strong build—but right now, they were my savior.

I was so relieved that I felt like running over and licking their shoes, doing the grand jete (ballet leap) if they asked.

But as I was gathering momentum for my celebratory leap, I froze. It wasn’t who I was expecting.

I hadn’t realized it from afar, but as they approached, I recognized the unforgettable face and was stunned.

“Hello. My name is Lee Han-seong. I’m here about the offer you made yesterday.”

It was the face from the novel cover. Which meant… this was the protagonist.

Meeting the protagonist was part of my plan. That’s why I had sought out Yoo Ha-na, the heroine.

But this was too soon. Yoo Ha-na hadn’t recovered from her trauma yet. Her shattered spirit was only just starting to mend, and she was still showing signs of dependence.

And that was the problem. I had no idea what kind of relationship Lee Han-seong and Yoo Ha-na had in my past life. I had only read five chapters of the novel.

I knew nothing about Lee Han-seong’s first life, let alone his current one. I needed more information.

But in this uncertain situation, Yoo Ha-na was showing dependence on me? This was a death flag if I ever saw one.

I’d probably be sliced and diced by the regressor, who had hoarded all the hidden pieces, ending up like a Texas brisket.

[TL Note: Texas brisket is a slow-cooked, tender meat dish—used here to mean getting sliced up badly.]

“Oppa, oppa! Why are you spacing out? He came all this way!”

“Huh? Oh… Um… Nice to meet you!”

D@mn it. I was so flustered that I had blanked out in front of the regressor. Huff… Calm down, Go Hyun-joon. You’ve done well so far.

Even if your top and bottom lanes are getting crushed, as long as you don’t surrender, you can still steal Baron and turn the game around. Get a grip.

“Haa… What’s wrong with oppa? You said your name was Han-seong, right? Let me introduce you. I’m Yoo Ha-na, and this clueless goofball here is Hyun-joon oppa.”

Oh my god, I’m dead! Who introduces a man to another man using “oppa”?

Mother, mother! Your unfilial son is about to become Outback Steakhouse. Please hold a memorial service for me with a can of Somersby cider, Jeyuk (spicy pork), and Donkatsu (pork cutlet).

“Haa… Ha-na, Yoo Ha-na, who introduces people like that… Nice to meet you, Han-seong. I’m Go Hyun-joon.”

“Nice to meet you too, Hyun-joon. I look forward to working with you as party members.”

“Yes, likewise.”

After exchanging names, Lee Han-seong extended his hand. A handshake… a traditional gesture of trust. I gladly accepted.

Squeeze.

This b@stard… He was testing my grip.

After the awkward introductions, the three of us headed out to the field.

We had spent so much time on introductions that we hadn’t had a chance to strategize, but we could do that on the way.

“I’ll take the role of party leader.”

“I’m fine with that, oppa. What about you, Han-seong?”

“…I agree.”

I had finally met the regressor. Although our first encounter was a bit of a mess due to the unexpected timing, I could fix that later.

The priority was to prove my worth to the regressor. While carefully concealing my inability to use the status window, I had to showcase my strategic thinking, combat prowess, and leadership skills.

It was time to demonstrate the skills I had honed in the corporate world. Time for some self-promotion.

“Let’s start by sharing our classes and positions. I’m a ‘Warrior.’ I mainly play the vanguard role, focusing on disrupting enemy formations and crowd control.”

Without a status window, I had no idea what my actual class was, but I figured I’d fake it till I make it.

I did charge into enemy lines, causing chaos and drawing aggro, so it wasn’t entirely false. Not entirely…

“Ha-na, why don’t you introduce yourself?”

“Sure. I’ve changed my class to ‘Thief.’ I’m flexible, switching between mid-range and vanguard roles. My main tasks are scouting, ambushes, and ranged attacks.”

Yoo Ha-na followed my lead and introduced herself. She had a good grasp of her role as well.

Using ‘Hide’ to erase her presence, ‘Lunge’ to close the distance and strike vital points, and ‘Throwing Knife’ for ranged attacks.

Her main strength was utilizing her agility and precise techniques to execute hit-and-run tactics for strategic advantage.

“Your turn, Han-seong.”

After finishing her self-promotion, Yoo Ha-na turned to Lee Han-seong, her eyes filled with curiosity.

She was probably curious about her new party member. But I already knew. I had read about it in the five chapters I had access to.

All climbers chose their weapons according to the Tutorial Fairy’s instructions, and their class was determined by their weapon choice.

However, Lee Han-seong, being a regressor, used his knowledge from his past life to skip the weapon selection and headed straight for the abandoned church southeast of town.

There, he would obtain the sealed magic sword ‘Crota’ and acquire the special class of ‘Magic Swordsman.’

So, Lee Han-seong, would you conceal this information or reveal it? The level of trust you placed in us, and in Yoo Ha-na specifically, depended on your answer.

“I’ve also changed my class to ‘Warrior,’ just like Hyun-joon. It seems our roles will overlap.”

The regressor, Lee Han-seong, didn’t trust me.

“Oink, oink…”

“Squeal!”

Oh, sh*t. My expectations were shattered. The reason was simple: Orcs. Orcs, the staple of fantasy, symbols of strength and savagery.

Think Lord of the Rings or World of Warcraft. Green skin, rippling muscles, wielding massive, well-crafted weapons.

I had envisioned orcs as formidable opponents.

“Oink, oink, oink!”

“Squeal, squeal!”

But I had overlooked one crucial detail about orcs in fiction. They came in three distinct varieties.

The savage orcs of Lord of the Rings, the badass orcs of WoW, and the mindless orcs of Japanese adult games.

You know the ones. Pig-headed idiots with brains in their asses.

“Oh, for f*ck’s sake.”

These orcs had neither rippling muscles nor well-crafted weapons and armor. They were simply the size of adult men, with bellies protruding like eight-month pregnant women.

“Huff… Huff…”

Rage boiled within me. I hadn’t made Yoo Ha-na wear a maid outfit and risked ruining my first impression with the regressor, Lee Han-seong, just to fight these damn clowns.

If I had known, I wouldn’t have gone through all this preparation!

“Huff… Huff… Ha-na.”

“Yes, oppa?”

“Cover me.”

“What?”

I always prioritized calmness and composure—even after being dragged into this godforsaken world.

But at this moment, my rage had overtaken my composure. I was Mad Max. An eight-ton truck with faulty brakes.

“Huff… Fourteen. No ranged units. Armed with axes.”

Even in my rage, the basic tenets of combat were ingrained in my instincts.

I assessed their numbers, positions, weapons, and unit types, and charged straight into their midst, aiming to disrupt their formation.

Jik-bu-song-seo (Directly Sending a Message).

A swift and decisive thrust initiated the battle. Thud. My sword pierced the orc’s belly, ripping through its guts.

“Oink! Squeal!”

But even a rotten orc was still an orc. A simple thrust wasn’t enough to kill it.

White intestines spilled out of the wound as the orc squealed in pain, attempting to thrash around. But I wasn’t giving it a chance.

“Haa!”

With a short shout, I slammed into the orc, a move known as mom badeum in kendo, or a body check in rugby.

“Squeal?”

The orc, thrown off balance by my body check, stumbled backward. A tragedy brought about by a weak lower body supporting a bulky upper torso. The curse of the upper-body-only workout.

While it was still disoriented, I slashed through its waist.

Slice. The satisfying sensation through my sword told me I had severed its belly. Its guts were probably spilling onto the ground by now.

“Squeal, squeal!”

“Oink, oink!”

The remaining orcs, enraged by the unceremonious butchering of their companion, expressed their anger with their characteristic squeals.

So what? My rage outweighed their pathetic oinking.

As proof, while they were busy squealing, I was already charging towards the next orc.

Jwa-yo-gyeok (Left Waist Strike).

Left foot, right foot, left foot, then a slash from left hip to right shoulder. But the orc’s hide was thick; the attack drew blood, but wasn’t lethal.

Jwa-yo-gyeok was a rotating attack. So, what would happen if I added more rotation? I’d spin around again, of course.

Hyang-u-bang-jeok (Facing Right, Guarding Against Thieves).

If I had excess rotational momentum, I simply chained it into another rotating attack. A clean and efficient two-strike combo without any loss of power or balance.

The orc’s thick neck couldn’t withstand the added force of my spinning slash. The result was a spectacular show.

A decapitation with a geyser of blood!

I had seen it in a historical documentary once. When you decapitate someone, blood pressure causes the blood vessels to spurt like a fountain… The same applied to these pig-headed orcs.

“Sq… Squeal…”

“Oi… Oink…”

Blood instilled fear in living creatures—and watching their comrade’s blood gush out like a geyser only amplified that fear.

I didn’t stop there. I plunged my left hand into the gushing wound and smeared the blood across my face.

I would turn every last one of these orcs into Jokbal.