I Give Up on Conquering the Heroines

2 – Episode 2. Transferred

-“Kiek! Stop right there! Avenger of the one who killed our father, sister, and brother!”

This is insane.

I’ve been running through this perilous forest, not knowing whether there’s an end, for already five minutes.

My pathetic stamina hit rock bottom in no time, and harsh, ragged breaths began to escape.

Can’t we resolve this with a conversation?

Or agree to a draw and go our separate ways?

-“It’s not me!”

-“Don’t lie! Keke!”

There’s no hope for that.

So, to explain why I’m running so disgracefully from a goblin much shorter than me………

I have to go back to five minutes ago.

“Aha… I’m beginning to understand the situation…”

The office scenery disappears, and I’m surrounded by a damp and dim forest.

In front of me, a strangely familiar goblin, tears streaming down its face, is rushing towards me.

Probably, everyone in our company, except me, would panic in this situation.

But after work, when I come home, I read web novels while eating, listen to them through TTS while showering, and strain my eyes reading them until I sleep. So, I could easily accept this absurd situation.

I’ve been possessed.

Into the new game our company developed and miserably failed.

There might be suspicions about that bespectacled pig developer who seems like the final boss, and one might wonder about my armor.

But instead, I decided to focus on the goblin charging at me with a club.

Its movements are extremely slow.

Considering it looks like slow motion, my initial stats seem to significantly surpass the goblin’s.

[Welcome to Yggdrasil Online.]

[Username: Yu Jin]

[Age: 21]

[User information confirmed.]

Suddenly, a translucent window fills my vision.

Yggdrasil Online.

It’s indeed our game.

I decided not to get flustered by these sudden texts. It’s better to remember what they say for my own sake.

[To exit the game, you must clear the conditions.]

[Exit Condition 1: Capture the hearts of all heroines, reaching an affection rate of 95%.]

[Exit Condition 2: Conquer the final boss ‘Draken’.]

[If you fail to meet the exit conditions when clearing the game, you will return to the starting point.]

There’s a way back.

It’s a relief I wasn’t thrown into this game world by some malicious entity without any explanation.

I don’t even need to risk my life to clear the game.

If I fail in capturing a heroine, I can just start over.

This might even be better than my mundane, bleak real life.

[Your initial traits are randomly assigned and will be displayed automatically.]

[You can view your status anytime.]

Nice.

They’re not even hiding the status window from me.

This system is very reincarnator-friendly.

I might even clear it on the first try. What if I want to stay longer?

[Initial Trait: Guardian Knight]

[Stats increase when protecting someone. When not activated, base stats decrease by 5.]

[Your real physical condition is reflected in the base stats.]

[Stats]

[Strength: 9(-5) *Guardian Knight penalty applied]

[Stamina: 7(-5) *Guardian Knight penalty applied]

[Magic: 12(-5) *Guardian Knight penalty applied]

[Agility: 18(-5) *Guardian Knight penalty applied]

[Luck: 4(-5) *Guardian Knight penalty applied]

“Huh?”

This is a problem.

Who can I protect in this forest?

So without the help of my initial trait, I have to face the goblin with a penalty?

I almost panicked as if I’ve never read a reincarnation novel, but I quickly calmed myself.

There’s no need to be scared.

The system has been kind enough, giving instructions and not having monsters sneak up from behind.

The goblin that’s been charging at me is still 10 steps away.

Even if my base stats are halved, judging by the goblin’s slow movement, its stats are probably around 1.

Plus, I have a sword on my left hip.

“No choice. I’ll end this painlessly for you.”

This tutorial is too easy.

But considering the gap between me, who was destined to be a main character, and a lowly goblin, it’s inevitable.

It’s pitiful, but since it attacked me first, I have to counterattack.

Poor creature. Blame your own weak strength.

[The tutorial ends here.]

[Time deceleration effect disappears.]

“Huh?”

Time deceleration…?

I was startled and reached for my sword.

“Kieeek! Human! Just die! Keek!”

“Hey, hey, hey!!!”

In an instant, the goblin closed the gap.

I promised myself not to panic, but I’m already starting to.

At least if I can firmly draw my sword, I can easily handle a goblin with a club…

Clang!

“Ke, keek! Almost cut my face!”

“Ah…”

A clear sound echoed.

Why is the sword, which should’ve been in my right hand, rolling over there?

Quickly, my brain, experienced from reading web novels and gaming, assessed the situation.

First, 1. My base stats are trash, so I can’t even hold a sword properly. Maybe the goblin’s stats are even higher than mine.

And 2. Thanks to our boss wanting a ‘realistic’ game, goblins in this world can deflect swords with clubs, proving they’re intelligent.

Lastly, 3. I’m screwed.

It took only a second to assess the situation.

Fast.

And my legs were fast too.

“Kieeek! Stop! You’re the enemy who killed my father, sister, and brother!”

“It’s not me!”

“Don’t lie! Keek!”

What…

This is how it is.

It’s a bit unfair, but that’s life.

The system was kind enough, but my luck was just bad.

Maybe because my base luck was 4, I’m getting a -5 penalty…?

This is not good.

Traditionally, a low luck stat is used to torment the protagonist.

If I get a chance to increase my stats later, I should increase my luck first.

I don’t want to be the kind of protagonist who constantly suffers, causing the majority of readers to quietly leave.

At least, other than my outfit, I’ve reincarnated into this world with my body intact.

Actually, it’s not even reincarnation.

“It would be more accurate to say ‘transference.’

There’s no need to feel dizzy from trying to adapt to someone else’s body or from the haphazard injection of the body owner’s chaotic past.

It’s truly a great relief.

‘I should decide the outcome soon!’

My stamina is running out.

I feel like I’m about to collapse from exhaustion, but seeing the goblin who seems not to know fatigue yet, it’s evident that my stats are inferior.

Historically, humans’ strength lay in their endurance or stamina.

No matter how strong, fast, or thick-skinned a large animal was, it was no match for humans, who would chase it until it fell from exhaustion.

I don’t want to end up like that against the goblin, so I need to decide before I’m completely out of stamina.

Even upon searching my body, aside from the sword I equipped earlier, I don’t find any other weapon.

I am wearing armor, but it’s not the sturdy full plate armor, and against a club, not a sword, it’s hard to expect a significant increase in defense.

If I just stand still, I’ll become the sacrificial lamb in the prologue of a coming-of-age novel, where the goblin, fueled by rage, avenges his family.

“Argh!”

“hehehehe! Human, weak! Stupid!”

Crash.

Is it because my stamina is running low?

I tripped over a tree root that I easily jumped over earlier.

I can’t get up immediately due to the awkward position I fell in.

The goblin catches up in an instant, jumps high, and is about to strike down with its club, adding gravity to its lacking strength.

I’m going to die if this continues.

Of course, if it does continue.

“Can’t even run in a straight line! Your direction keeps changing! hehehehe!”

“…”

If there’s no landmark to guide direction, a person can’t walk in a straight line.

I remember reading somewhere that people tend to veer to one side, either right or left.

Yet, despite having many landmarks in this forest, I circled back to the starting point after more than 5 minutes.

Why?

To retrieve my weapon.

“I’m sorry. I’m too tired to subdue you alive.”

“Huh?”

Swoosh.

A sharp sound of cutting air followed by a red line drawn across the goblin’s neck.

It couldn’t dodge since it was mid-air, making my aim easy.

The target is big, the distance is close, and the blade is wide.

Any hit is a critical one.

The club fell right next to my face, and soon after, the goblin’s body hit the ground.

“hehehehe! Heh! hehehehe!”

Seeing the goblin bleeding out and writhing in pain, I felt pity.

Although I didn’t kill his family, I somewhat understand his blinding rage.

With my weak strength, I shakily held the sword and struck down.

The beheaded goblin lay still.

There’s no effect like a body disappearing in a flash of light.

It seems I’ve entered a version before updates.

[Achievement Unlocked]

[First Monster Hunt Successful!]

First monster hunt?

Or perhaps, a murder.

Killing a being with human-like intelligence is no different from murder.

While deep in this thought, suddenly:

[Awarded ‘Choose Stat Buff Potion’x1 for Achievement.]

[Choose Stat Buff Potion(Owned: 1)]

[Permanently increases a chosen stat by 10.]

“Ugh! Gulp, gulp, gulp… Cough, cough! Ah!”

[Luck Stat increases by 10.]

Instead of pondering philosophical matters, I quickly drank the potion.

The most absurd aspect of a -1 Luck stat is that even if a boss monster suddenly appeared behind me, I’d just accept my fate and die.

I didn’t have time to think.

I swallowed the potion so hastily that some went down the wrong way, but whether it entered my lungs or not, I didn’t care.

What about murder and all that?

He’s a hero who greatly contributed to my luck stat recovery.

He’s probably shedding tears of joy in the afterlife for being able to help me.

From now on, I’ll name him Blin, and never forget his honorable sacrifice.

I’ve decided.

Today is Blin’s memorial day every year.