ALL NOVEL chapter 1
1
The day the incident began.
As usual, I was completely absorbed in a game, unaware of the passing time.
＜Eternity: Sword Chronicle＞
A common battle simulation game where you gather main characters to prevent the world’s destruction.
However, due to its insane difficulty, no one has ever seen the ending of Eternity: Sword Chronicle.
If you die midway, it’s game over, and it’s a crazy game where you can’t even know the ending.
Even the developer’s intentions were clearly revealed.
“We have created a game that no one can beat.”
“Of course, there is an ending. It’s just that no one will ever see it. hahahaha.”
A game designed from the start to drive you crazy.
The developer seemed convinced that no one would seriously hold onto such a game.
If there’s a person who would, they must be out of their mind.
Just break it here.
Just here.
Really, just up to here.
Just clear this and stop.
Damn, no more.
The ‘restraint’ that drives people crazy.
I was a person lacking that restraint.
‘Just here’ turned into a day, a month, a year… I ran for two years like a recluse.
And then.
“I did it! Hell yeah!”
I threw the mouse and collapsed on the chair.
Memories of my gameplay flooded back, and my achievements filled the screen.
[Playtime 13140 hours. 788400 minutes. 547 days and 5 hours.]
Pride swelled in me as I saw the numbers marking my faithful days of playing for two years without sleeping for even four hours a day, clearing this insane game that no one in the world could beat, as ‘Lee Haesol.’
“I won. You bastards.”
For a moment, I chuckled like a recluse, thinking about my family, friends, and acquaintances who had left me alone in the corner.
“…Ah, I feel so drained. Seriously.”
Belatedly, the reality of wasting two years hit me like a ton of bricks, flooding me with self-reproach.
For a while, I blankly stared at the ceiling, where the faint light shone through the half-open window.
Tick-tock…
Looking at the wall clock, I realized that 32 hours had passed since I grabbed the mouse.
“32 hours? What a damn lunatic.”
I couldn’t help but yawn as I felt drowsiness creeping in. Suddenly, the thought of shouting curses at the developers crossed my mind.
“Ugh, I should sleep for now.”
Unable to resist the heavy eyelids, I fell into a deep slumber. Because of that, I didn’t witness it.
The ending credits rolling over a white background with text appearing.
[Congratulations. You have successfully cleared the tutorial of “Eternity: Sword Chronicle” for the first time. Starting from the second playthrough, the ‘Reality Mode’ will be activated.]
——–
＜What is Reality Mode?＞
Players can directly experience the world of “Eternity: Sword Chronicle” that they encountered through the tutorial.
However, no special rewards will be given to players as freedom is guaranteed.
*Attention.
– Players, as ‘outsiders,’ do not benefit from magic.
– Players cannot exit midway in Eternity, meaning they cannot ‘log out.’
– ‘Death’ in Eternity is considered equivalent to ‘death’ in reality.
——–
[Would you like to synchronize with Reality Mode?]
“······.”
It was an almost impossible condition for anyone not to synchronize, but the target to express refusal was already deep in slumber.
[If there is no response within 5 minutes, synchronization will proceed automatically.]
“······.”
[······Synchronization initiated.]
[Welcome. Survive in the world where mystery and fantasy coexist. Stay alive in Eternity.]
.
.
.
Tick-tock─
Only the clock’s second hand was noisily ticking in the room.
The warmth of a single person lingered in the chair. The cup ramen left uneaten on the table, the monitor that refused to turn off illuminated the empty space.
And so, Yi Haesol, the first to clear Eternity: Sword Chronicle, inexplicably vanished from the face of the Earth.
#1
······I woke up only to find myself inside the game.
Convenient and easy to get soda, a clichéd development loved in academy novels.
But I never imagined I would experience that development firsthand.
“Damn. Does this make sense?”
I raked my brain, but even so, the icy reality wouldn’t budge.
Three days.
That’s how long it had been since I fell into “Eternity: Sword Chronicle.”
Well, honestly, it was fine up to this point.
I am the only human who saw the ending of “Eternity: Sword Chronicle” where I fell.
I know well about the events that will unfold and I am brimming with ways to utilize them.
In other words, I was a human prepared to live a sweet life.
“The problem is, I’m neither the main character nor a supporting role.”
I look at the mirror.
It’s the same old ‘Lee Haesol,’ unchanged in any way.
In other words, I’m not ‘possessed,’ I just fell asleep.
It may seem insignificant, but it’s a serious difference.
Background, relationships, family, home, wealth. The very foundation that should exist as a human is absent.
At the very least, even extras have [magic], but as a human Haesol, I don’t even have that. Simply put, it was a ‘pathetic entry without a clue.’
“Damn it.”
Even a game like Yangpanso gives some sense of direction, but this entry lacks any decency.
Suddenly, the developer’s words came to mind.
─I have created a game that no one can break.
“You son of a b****…”
For some reason, it was easier than I thought(?).
In other words, everything up to now was just a tutorial; now, the real deal begins.
“Crazy b******, lunatic b******, psycho b******…”
I wanted to twist the developer’s neck, but due to physical distance, that was impossible.
First things first, calm down… Like hell.
There was no way to calm down, but I decided to assess the situation calmly.
I reside on the 4th floor of the annex of [Eternity Academy], under the guise of being a candidate for the entrance exam.
All I had was the smartphone I had on me before going to bed. Well, there was one more thing.
——–Synchronization in progress 76%——–
●●●●●●●●●●●●●●○○○
The message I saw when I woke up four days ago still lingered in my mind.
The percentage that was 15% then had risen to 76%.
“It’s not rising fast at all.”
Weeiiiiing─
As I watched what was indicated in the status bar, the smartphone rang loudly.
[Entrance exam candidate 386, Haesol Lee. The exam time is 12 p.m. Please enter the practical exam room within 10 minutes.]
They didn’t need to inform me so kindly that I’m screwed…
“Do I have to go through with this?”
I wanted to drop out of school or whatever, but unfortunately, I couldn’t choose to give up on admission.
This damn game is labeled ‘unbeatable’ by the developers, after all.
If the main characters leave things as they are, the story will naturally head towards a catastrophic ending, or some X-like setting.
Rather than sitting quietly waiting for destruction, I had to somehow get admitted.
‘But how?’
It was logically impossible for a human without magic to enter Eternity, where only monsters rejected by the entire world gather. No, admission or not is not the main issue.
I looked out the window. The streets were bustling with people since morning.
“Hey, you! Hurry up and move, will you? Did your tires burst or what!”
A balding man beyond the car window, instead of a traffic baton, brandishing a ‘great sword.’
“Excuse me, sir, could you move a bit? Can’t you see there are people passing behind you?” she said, walking with earphones on, bumping into him, holding a ‘cane,’ and getting annoyed.
“What? If you bumped into me, shouldn’t you apologize?” retorted the businessman, pulling out his watch in irritation and adjusting his wrist.
Furthermore, on the streets, individuals wielding weapons were frequently witnessed. That was where I drew the line and closed the window.
“This is really messed up.”
As you can see, even in broad daylight, carrying a weapon around in Eternity doesn’t seem to faze anyone; it’s a mad world.
To wander around in such a barbaric world without any magical powers?
In a strategy game, a sudden shift from survival to survival genre occurred. It’s a must to enroll in order to survive, even if reluctantly.
At least strategy games are somewhat better than survival.
“First, I have to hit with this damn stick… huh?”
I widened my eyes in an instant.
As if the system understood my words, it quickly rose above 80%.
81%, 82%, 83%, 84%…
[Synchronization complete.]
[Player identification in progress…]
“What’s this, could it be…”
I stood up abruptly as I looked at the new notification window.
I know this format well. It was something I was tinkering with just a few days ago.
Familiar windows appeared before my eyes. This was the ‘system’ of [Eternity: Sword Chronicle].
“So, what comes next…”
I brightened at the thought of what was to follow.
And sure enough.
[Identification complete. Player Haesol Lee.]
[Story mode unlocked.]
[Beginner’s benefit: 1000 SP granted.]