Chapter 3 : Between games and reality

When I came to my senses, I had already left the training arena. Looking around, it seemed like I was in some sort of lounge area arranged near the practical examination hall.

As I realized this, memories from moments ago flooded back. I had struggled to escape him, only to accidentally hit him with my elbow, which caused me to faint—an utterly pitiful sight.

‘Ah… I really must be an idiot.’

It felt like saying I lost would be too generous.

But honestly, even without that, my impulsive actions and poor response made it so I had no excuse for my defeat.

If I had waited for him to attack first or responded calmly to his advance, victory would have been within reach. Yet, I had failed to do either.

To be honest, I had been overconfident. I had been raised with care and had never been criticized for any shortcomings, or so I thought.

‘His name was Rudion, right?’

He had introduced himself as someone without much to offer, but the fact that he had finished the theoretical exam early was already a sign of his exceptional ability.

Thinking I could easily handle someone like him… Looking back now, it was such a foolish decision.

As I reviewed the events that had just unfolded, a sense of embarrassment washed over me.

‘It was my first time being that close to a man.’

It wasn’t because of my mistake but rather because of the issue between us as opposite genders. I kept recalling his assertive actions as he pulled me in.

Unconsciously, I began fiddling with my left wrist when the door opened, and a woman walked in.

“You’re awake? How are you feeling? Any headaches?”

“Oh, no. I’m fine.”

“That’s good to hear. But just in case, should I give you one more treatment?”

“Um, no, I think I’m okay.”

I knew my own condition best. Not just saying that, but truly knowing.

“Alright then… Oh, right. I forgot to introduce myself. I’m also an examiner here. That’s what I’m here for, after all.”

Saying that, the examiner playfully poked my temple.

Something about her tone and expression made it seem like she was teasing me…

But maybe, as an adult, she was giving me a bit of encouragement.

“Don’t be too discouraged. From what I can see, no matter what you do, you couldn’t beat him.”

Whether that was meant as encouragement or just a jab, I couldn’t tell.

Either way, I refused to accept that there was nothing I could do to win. If I had handled it better, my magic would have activated, and things wouldn’t have ended like they did now.

“You don’t seem convinced. Well, the exam’s still ongoing… How about we go watch?”

“…Alright.”

The noise from outside suggested the exam was still in progress.

Alright, let’s see how well he’s doing to warrant such a comment. With that thought, I followed the examiner out of the lounge.

Unlike earlier, the exam hall was now packed with an enormous crowd.

It seemed impossible to pass through alone, but as the examiner walked, a path opened, so I focused on keeping up with her.

We arrived at the front row of the spectator seats with the best view of the training arena. Beyond the railing, Rudion was still standing his ground, facing yet another opponent.

And the scene unfolding before us was nothing short of astonishing.

“What the…”

“Unbelievable, right? I feel the same way. Who would have thought someone like that exists?”

What the examiner said wasn’t comforting in the least. She was simply stating a fact.

“Did you really think you could win if you hadn’t stupidly rammed your head in or if you’d just used your magic properly?”

“Do you still think that way now?”

I shook my head.

As much as I hated to admit it, no matter how I thought about it, I couldn’t picture myself defeating that guy. Maybe it was because he was the first wall I’d ever felt in my life besides my parents.

For some reason, I couldn’t take my eyes off him.

Bullying newbies was easier than I thought.

The gap in abilities has to be bridged with skill, but… even that Seria is still at the chick level, right? And as for these fresh newbies taking their entrance exams, it goes without saying.

Look at that adorable newbie, swinging a sword without understanding distance.

‘They’re so ridiculously green.’

I was practically drooling. I wanted to kidnap that little rookie and teach them all kinds of growth techniques and the tricks they could pull off with a sword.

But they look kind of familiar… Oh, no way.

“What’s your name?”

“Artes.”

“…Wow.”

It was the protagonist? I didn’t recognize him at first because he usually wears some strange custom outfits.

I couldn’t yet see the strong presence he had in the title screen, but his face was still that of a classic shounen manga hero.

Wow, seriously, don’t go to anyone else later; come straight to me. I’ll treat you well.

‘Since they’ll be assigned to the lower class for now, I don’t need to worry too much about them.’

I held back a bit, letting them attack, and then brought them down to get them to surrender.

So far, I’ve handled everyone to the best of their abilities, so the examiners shouldn’t think too badly of me either.

As I spent time taking down these low-level ones with ease, I could sense that the real contenders were about to step into the arena.

The upper-class applicants. They were genuinely talented people, ones who regularly showed up and influenced the story. I knew every single one of them by face… and, honestly, they weren’t easy opponents compared to the others.

My current stats might be top-tier, but from here on, there were plenty of real powerhouses who could rival me.

Some of them had honed their specific skills, unlike me, who was just relying on raw stats without using much of in-game knowledge.

In other words, from now on, if I don’t strategize properly, I could actually lose.

‘But what can I do?’

After dealing with the newbies, it was clear that reality and games were different. In games, commands are input with a keyboard, but here I had to move my own body.

Of course, thanks to my high stats, my movements were surprisingly smooth. Despite moving intensely for quite some time, I wasn’t too tired.

But still, games and reality are different.

In games, built with 0s and 1s, physics can be entirely ignored, while in reality, if you step wrong, you can stub your toe on a corner. How could they possibly be the same?

For instance, in games, you might move past something that looks like it should hit you, but in reality, even a slight brush means no mercy.

What’s the point of knowing all the attack patterns? If I can’t dodge, it’s useless.

So, for now, I had no choice but to bring one piece of gear that’s a bit taboo among the veterans, something often disregarded at this level.

“What did he just pull out?”

“No idea? But after fighting barehanded for so long, looks like he’s finally using something. Guess he’s getting a little scared now.”

“Well, I mean, the ones coming out now are all pretty famous.”

“But is that even a weapon? Looks more like a shield.”

“A shield?”

Exactly. The best defense and all that. If I can’t dodge, then parrying is all that’s left!

Of course, that’ll probably be nerfed in reality… Parrying? Forget it. I’ll just have to settle for blocking or deflecting a hit or two.

That’s what I thought, but as always, things didn’t go the way I wanted.

“Whoa, isn’t that him? The dwarf, the one with the insane build.”

“His muscles are unreal…”

“But if it’s just size, he’s not at a disadvantage either. It’s like watching two monsters go at it.”

In an instant, one of the main characters entered the scene.

A powerhouse skilled in both crafting and combat, an all-around cheat character. Harold, the muscle-bound giant, was the only tall purebred dwarf in this world.

Yeah, it sounds ridiculous that a dwarf has a name straight out of some game creation tool’s default hero setting, but this guy’s story is basically a hero’s journey. He even has more fans than the protagonist, and there’s an abundance of fan art that I’d rather not see… Just thinking about it makes my stomach turn.

No, wait. Now’s not the time to be picturing Harold in a cropped top and garter belt.

Dwarf Harold. He’ll later become the ultimate MacGyver with all sorts of gear, utilizing each one to its fullest potential, but… for now, he’s just a brute warrior.

And his current weapon of choice is a massive hammer.

And what happens if I block a hammer with a shield? Only an idiot would do that.

A hard counter. Here I am, swallowing my pride and holding a shield, only for it to be utterly useless.

Wham! Wham!

“Do you think it’s right to strut around, only facing those weaker than yourself? Come on, fight me for real!”

Swinging a hammer larger than his own body, he came charging at me, each swing looking like it would send me straight to my grave if it connected.

What’s his strength level again, in the 20s? Yeah, I’d be toast.

And so the duel began.

Using my high agility, I managed to dodge his attacks, but honestly, I was just retreating.

The hammer’s reach was enormous; dodging it while staying close was practically impossible.

I could see his attack patterns, but there was no opening to exploit.

I tried to find a gap, but his trait activated, immediately blocking my attempt.

The result? I kept backing up until I was cornered against the wall.

“So, this is it? You’re just another one of those who act tough in front of the weak,” Harold’s voice dropped, clearly losing interest in my constant retreat.

“I’ll give you credit for your endurance up till now, but it’s time to rest.”

With that, the hammer-wielding beast came closer, ready to strike.

I recognized the move from his attack animation, but unlike in the game, I couldn’t see a way to dodge it.

If this keeps up, my head will be crushed by that hammer.

For someone who’d been boasting as an experienced player, this was a pretty anticlimactic end.

‘Ah, so karma’s coming back to me already for cracking Seria’s head.’

I watched the hammer as it swung toward me.

Now that I think about it, that blow probably won’t just crack my skull. But hey, at least I won’t die.

‘But man, this is really going to hurt.’

Maybe it was that thought. Just before the impact, I instinctively pictured myself deflecting the attack.

Following that image, I raised the shield I was holding.

It felt like my body was moving on its own, doing what my head hadn’t planned.

The motion I’d seen hundreds of thousands of times on screen. The very skill I thought wouldn’t work, now coming to life through my own body.

Parry.

The heavy weight struck the shield, then bounced right off.

Thunk—

“What?!”

Harold stumbled back, thrown off balance by the massive recoil, unable to believe what had just happened.

I was just as surprised.

I… didn’t expect this to work either. How did I pull that off?