'A Little More'
Vio continued doing what players often do when they discover a glitch that allows them to finish the game.
The soldier fell to the ground silently—how could he not, with all his senses numbed from repeated shocks?
Vio quickly knelt to check on him, his face reflecting concern over the loss of his precious resource. He checked the soldier's pulse and breathing, finding them far from optimal but sufficient for survival.
Exhaling in relief, Vio returned to his training.
The setup was simple: he kept punching—punching endlessly into the air—until he heard the notification he was waiting for.
[EP Decrease: 10%]
Breathing heavily, he rested his hands on his knees, a smile spreading across his face as skill level rose.
[skills]
Knockout Mastery – Level 3
Increases Strength by 3% when the hero uses punch-type attacks
He had been recharging the CyborgHeart, thanks to the soldier. Vio only stopped when the EP bar reached 100%. Then, he resumed punching, continuing until the bar dropped to 10%.
This method raised his Knockout Mastery skill to level 3.
But that wasn't all. Vio was also taking advantage of the mission at the same time.
[Main mission: 'The Hero's Journey.']
[Mission #1: 'The Hero Must Survive']
Type: Story Mission
Requirements: Activate story mode.
Restrictions: One week.
Description:
The hero awakens to find himself in a hostile place. Since the hero is still weak and pathetic, he must do what pathetic people do: run away.
Objective:
Save your skin boy—or should I say, save your metal.
Rewards for Mission Completion:
100 EXP
22 Plastic
20 Metal
5 Steel
Item: The Unseen Eye That Sees All.
Side Missions and Their Rewards:
1 point for every life taken by the hero.
Earn a special weapon if no alarm is triggered.
1 EXP for every 1% of battery recharged.
Penalty for Failure: Moderate punishment: The hero will see what he does not wish to see.
The results were satisfying.
Level: 2 | EXP: [467/1000]
"I don't think he can handle any more," Vio muttered, looking at the soldier, who now had foam spilling from his mouth. With every attempt, the electricity he summoned seemed to diminish.
'Just as I thought, they have their limits too.'
Vio found an answer to why, when he fought the soldiers near the slope, those who threw ice shards at him stopped attacking. They also had an energy reserve they depleted during their summons.
'System, why hasn't this been completed yet?'
[Mission: 'Conquer Death']
Type: Permanent
Requirements: Surpass Level 1.
Restrictions: None.
Description:
The worlds have witnessed countless heroes—heroes who overcame challenges without surrendering or succumbing to defeat. But now, the era no longer craves their kind. Instead, it demands heroes capable of surpassing the impossible.
Objective:
Simple. Save yourself from certain death.
Optional Rewards for Mission Completion:
Mind Chest, Save Chest, Points Chest, Resources Chest, Currency Chest, or XP Chest.
Penalty for Failure: The hero will be counted among the dead. What punishment remains after that?
To Vio, the fight on the slope had been a critical battle. Failed, he would have died—but the mission described says certain death.
'Wasn't certain death? Are you joking with me?'
[The system advises the hero to carefully read mission descriptions. If the text is unclear, try again until comprehension is achieved.]
'Oh, am I overburdening the system by asking for constant explanations?'
[The system is here to assist to the best of its ability.]
'How nice of you, son of…'
[The system has no emotions, and does not understand niceness.]
While trying to ignore the words before him, an incessant buzzing sound forced Vio to listen. It felt deliberate.
[HP Increased: 82%]
'How did it rise on its own?'
Caught up in tense situations, Vio hadn't had the chance to question everything. The system only offered explanations if he explicitly asked, leaving him oblivious to important details—like how his HP, which was literally his life, replenished.
[HP regenerates automatically as long as it doesn't drop to zero, provided the hero allows his body and mind to rest.]
'Good. But wait—don't change the subject. Why isn't the mission complete?'
[The mission requires the hero to escape from certain death. Since the mission remains incomplete, this indicates the hero has not yet faced such a situation. Is there anything else?]
For some reason, Vio felt as though the system had raised its voice in that last sentence. Shaking his head, dismissed the absurd thought.
"Man, what counts as certain death to you? Damn it," he muttered while walking toward the soldier lying on the ground.
Vio genuinely wanted to continue his game, but the soldier's worsening condition scared him. If he didn't recharge the battery and the soldier died, Vio would find himself in an even worse position than before.
Avoiding the soldier's head—lest it explode—Vio aimed punches at his stomach instead.
'Is there such a thing as a stomach-punching title?'
"Cough cough cough."
The pale-faced soldier woke up, looking as though turned into a ghost.
His morale was at zero. No matter how Vio tried, the soldier didn't respond. Killing Vio no longer seemed meaningful to him—after all, Vio was far stronger.
'Damn it, now's not the time to lose your spirit.'
Vio stomped on the ground nervously, racking his brain for ways to reignite the soldier's determination.
'Damn, I've got some insults that could make a pig jealous over his wife, but I don't know their language.'
Finding nothing else, he grabbed the badge.
'Isn't this their army insignia or whatever they call it?'
A wicked idea crossed Vio's mind.
He didn't want to do it, but had no choice. His energy was at 10%.
In front of the soldier's gaze, he threw the badge. The soldier's eyes widened, his expression encouraging Vio to continue.
Vio sneered and spat on the badge. The soldier's body began trembling, so Vio pushed him further, pretending to unbuckle his belt to urinate on it.
The soldier couldn't bear it anymore. He screamed as usual, grabbing his sword and summoning lightning for the millionth time.
Vio quickly turned, gripping the sword and activating 'Surge Strike'.
After several attempts, it became clear that he didn't need to press the sword to his chest. Simply holding it was enough.
As Vio's energy levels rose, the soldier's body trembled. To Vio's surprise, the soldier didn't scream as usual. Instead, locking eyes with Vio.
That look gave Vio an ominous feeling, which only grew stronger when the soldier's trembling face twisted into a grin, even with the blood spilling from his mouth still maintained that smile.
Feeling overwhelmed by the dread, Vio let go immediately when a buzzing filled his mind.
EP: 100/100 (100%)
The soldier's body collapsed to the ground, the sword falling beside him.
"Hehehehehe," the soldier laughed maniacally, leaving Vio with only a frown.
'Did he lose his mind from all the shocks?'
"The sun has fallen," the soldier muttered.
Vio didn't understand of course, but his instincts told that the soldier was saying something important, though he couldn't decipher it. This lack of understanding annoyed Vio to no end.
'Damn it.'
It was possible that the soldier, now delusional, might reveal some crucial information.
Amid his crazed laughter, the soldier's finger touched the sword, and Vio's eyes widened as the sword launched like an arrow—not toward him but toward the cave's entrance.
Vio darted after it, grabbing the hilt, but the same thing happened again. The recoil and pain forced him to let go.
The sword slid out of the cave.
'Damn it, is this how they signal each other? Did he just reveal my location?'
Vio couldn't think of any other reason for the soldier to do this with his last breath.
"You," the soldier said, "are finished."
Vio grabbed him. He wanted to interrogate him, but what could he ask? And even if the soldier said something, it would be pointless.
The soldier's face, tense as if he were resisting or waiting for something, finally relaxed as though he had surrendered his life.
"Even if you survive the nights of the mountain," the soldier muttered as his life faded from his eyes, "you're still just a rat inside the Mountain of Kings."
The soldier's life ended, triggering a cascade of messages.
'Damn you, what have you done?'
Vio leaned against the cave wall, reading the notifications.
[Mission 'Kill or Be Killed']
Type: Urgent
Requirements: None
Restrictions: None
Description:
Creatures have decided to stand in the Hero's path. It is the Hero's duty to eliminate anyone who prevents their progress.
Objective:
The Hero must ensure his safety by killing the enemies and ending their pitiful lives.
Rewards for Mission Completion:
50 EXP
10 Plastic
20 Metal
5 Steel
5 Points
Penalty for Failure: Minor Punishment: The Hero's heart will stop.
[Mission 'Kill or Be Killed' completed successfully.]
[Calculation successful. Grade: B.]
"Man, give me a break," Vio muttered.
After all that effort, he hadn't earned a perfect grade. This wounded his pride, especially since he prided himself on doing everything flawlessly.
But the cursed system didn't care. Vio assumed it was the system's way of implying he hadn't attacked the soldiers who threw ice shards first.
He wasn't entirely wrong, but he wasn't entirely right either. Vio couldn't have attacked them first without ensuring the others wouldn't intervene. The system, however, doesn't give a f***.
[All rewards will be multiplied by 5.]
[Rewards obtained: 250 EXP, 50 Plastic, 100 Metal, 25 Steel, 25 Points.]
Vio didn't feel any joy. How could he, when his suspicions told him the soldier had likely given away his location?
'This isn't the time to read. I need to move…'
Boom.
The sound of something colliding echoed through the cave, making it tremble. Vio fell to his knees, unable to comprehend what had just happened.
'Did they get here already?'
[A drop in temperature has been detected.]
[All Hero Stats will decrease by 20%.]
"What?!" Vio yelled, his body trembling.
[A drop in temperature has been detected.]
[All Hero Stats will decrease by 30%.]
'Wait, hold on!'
[A drop in temperature has been detected.]
[All Hero Stats will decrease by 40%.]
A fierce wind surged into the cave, crashing into Vio and knocking him to the ground.
'What is this?'
The cold began to seep into his metallic frame. His heartbeat alternated between rapid and sluggish, and his body started to tremble uncontrollably. His teeth chattered, dragging him back to memories of the streets he had once lived on.
'Not this again. No, I don't want to go through this again. No, no, no.'
Terror gripped him as past traumas resurfaced, but he steadied himself at the last moment. Still, he knew this resolve wouldn't last long.
'System, put all points to Endurance!'
Immediately after, his thoughts began to dull, leaving his instincts to take over.
The action he had used before, he repeated now.
One hand on the ground, the other on the wall, crawling. His destination: a corner between the walls.
Once reached it, he pulled his legs close and buried his head between his knees and the wall. This was his survival tactic.
Whether effective or not, it was what he had learned. It was what he knew.
[A drop in temperature has been detected.]
[All Hero Stats will decrease by 70%.]
The system kept repeating the same warning while Vio kept chanting the same words.
"I'll survive, just like before," Vio kept murmuring. "I'll survive, just like before. I'll survive, just like before..."