Episode 4
4
“Ooh! My Constitution increased!”
Right, this was a thing!
A system present in any game.
A bonus stat occasionally given when you push your body.
Let me check if it really went up?
Normally, all stats should be 5 each.
Since starting stats are normally like that.
I checked my status window.
[Jinu]
*Level: 1
*Titles: 『Faster Than Anyone』and 3 others
*Strength–5
*Constitution–7
*Agility–5
*Magic–5
‘Heh.’
This is it!
I haven’t even obtained a First Title that raises stats yet.
And my Constitution has already risen by 2.
It may look small, but nothing could be better than this.
When you level up, you only get a measly 5 stat points.
Thinking about that, 2 was a figure that couldn’t be ignored.
‘No pain, no gain—how fitting.’
Wait, did I even suffer?
Calling a short jog “suffering”?
I have no conscience.
Anyway, receiving this on top of my “hard work”—how could I not feel energized?
Unfortunately, there was no First Title, though.
Well, hoping for that too would be shameless.
No, since you don’t need shame to benefit, isn’t it pure profit if you get it?
‘Tsk, too bad.’
It was a shameless thing to say, but a pity is a pity.
Well, I’ll obtain much more in the future.
I should endure this much.
Anyway, since I’ve come to the training grounds, I should do what I came for, right?
As I neared the training grounds, thunderous shouts rang out from here and there.
There weren’t many personnel, but the shouts were quite loud.
Who else would be shouting here?
Obvious.
Who else but the village defense force?
‘Shall I go in, then?’
Just as Jinu was about to enter the training grounds.
Someone called out to him from behind.
“What business do you have?”
A soldier guarding the training grounds.
He didn’t look that strong, but he was obviously stronger than Jinu.
It was a beginner village and a starting village, but at this point in time, NPCs weaker than users were rare.
A burly man with a vicious face and a rugged physique clad in armor asked with a voice full of vigilance.
An ordinary person would have cowered under that momentum, but was Jinu an ordinary person?
“I have business with the Defense Captain, so I came to find him.”
This was a straight pitch without any hesitation.
Sure enough.
That burly soldier furrowed his brow.
Even in a knee-buckling situation, Jinu simply smiled brightly.
Was his liver spilling out of his stomach?
Had he left his liver with an insurance company?
At any rate, as the soldier looked at him with suspicious eyes at those words, Jinu pulled out the Village Chief’s recommendation letter from his inventory.
“Hm? That is……”
“It’s a recommendation letter given by the Village Chief.”
“I see, then might you be?”
“Yes, an adventurer.”
“I see.”
The soldier finally eased his vigilance, as if now understanding.
What was he going to do if he didn’t stand down?
I have a recommendation letter from the Village Chief right here!
Huhuhuhu.
“First, I’ll deliver the recommendation letter to the Defense Captain, so wait here a moment.”
“Yes, understood.”
What if he runs off and scarfs down the letter?
I could think that, but I wasn’t worried.
Naturally, because the system was informing me that wouldn’t happen.
Ding!
[Quest ‘The Defense Captain of Nen Village’ is in progress.]
Since the system acknowledged it.
I just had to wait quietly here.
But is this for real—just leaving me standing here awkwardly?
Well, it’s unavoidable due to procedure, but leaving a guest standing like this.
Typical NPCs?
Anyway, so inflexible.
It must be because a new face is entering the training grounds.
Anyway.
A nuisance is a nuisance no matter what.
But I can’t lose my temper.
Because there’s nothing good that comes from offending an NPC.
How long did I wait like that?
The burly soldier brought someone.
No, should I even call him a person?
‘No matter when I see him, I can’t get used to it.’
A presence so overwhelming that the burly soldier suddenly looked cute in comparison.
A face full of scars and those muscle masses that looked ready to burst.
His height looked to be easily almost 2 meters.
Ugh, if I ran into him at night, I’d probably wet myself.
I really can’t get used to that.
“So you’re the one the Village Chief recommended?”
“……Yes.”
Ugh, so scary.
Even as a 10-year veteran, this is unbearable.
Even though I knew I’d come at the Village Chief’s invitation, I flinched for a moment.
How do you endure that?
Look even now.
The way he stroked his chin while going “Hm.”
Wow, if he hit me with that arm, would I die instantly?
Gulp.
While Jinu was having such absurd thoughts.
The Defense Captain, after seeing the letter, extended the hand that had been stroking his chin.
For a moment, I thought he was going to hit me.
“I am Geurun, the Defense Captain of Nen Village.”
“……I’m Jinu.”
The hand Geurun extended.
Is it okay to grab that?
I wondered if my limbs might be neatly torn off if I grabbed it, but Jinu boldly shook that hand.
Because that wouldn’t happen.
‘To think I’d actually see Geurun.’
Gulp.
If you don’t know Geurun of the Deron Kingdom, you haven’t played Pantheon.
He’s not famous because of that rough exterior.
No, though it has some effect.
That’s not what’s important.
Geurun Wijeun.
He’s the first person that comes to mind when you think of the Deron Kingdom.
To the point of being given the epithet “Guardian.”
There were many episodes, but it could be explained simply.
Former Captain of the Royal Knights.
In the past, many wondered why such a person would be the defense captain of a mere beginner village, but he was one of the big shots regardless.
Hadn’t Jinu also seen footage of Geurun fighting in the Deron Kingdom’s war in the past?
That overwhelming dignity from that time.
Brrr.
Enough to make his body tremble on its own.
How can a person fight like that?
Well, judging by appearance alone, he isn’t human.
‘I was recommended to meet such a big shot.’
I didn’t come here for nothing.
Meeting Geurun occupied a fairly large portion of Jinu’s plans.
There might not be much I can do right away, but if I build up a certain degree of intimacy, I won’t regret it later.
Definitely.
Anyway, the moment they shook hands, a notification rang.
The message I’d been waiting for!
Ding!
[You have cleared the quest ‘The Defense Captain of Nen Village’.]
[You have acquired ‘Defense Captain Geurun’s Teachings’ as a reward.]
[You may receive the reward directly from Defense Captain Geurun.]
If this were the only message I was waiting for, I’d be disappointed.
Immediately after, another notification rang and a message appeared.
Ding!
[You have cleared a quest for the first time.]
[You have acquired the First Title ‘The First Solver’.]
『The First Solver』
→First Title
→A title bestowed upon the user who cleared a quest for the first time
→Quest rewards +10%, increased quest acquisition rate
Heh!
Meeting Geurun itself was legendary, but a First Title on top of that!
There’s no way I could feel bad!
It’s already the fifth time seeing this screen, yet somehow I don’t get tired of it.
Well, it’s a First Title, so that makes sense.
If this were the end, I wouldn’t even be happy.
Doesn’t the message say so too?
It says to receive the reward directly.
Now it’s time to acquire Beginner Swordsmanship!
As expected.
“You have more backbone than I thought, friend. Good, follow me.”
“Yes.”
Well, simply answering without trembling in front of someone like him warranted being called strong-willed.
Look, the soldier behind him is nodding his head, isn’t he?
That’s how scary he is.
The place Jinu followed Geurun to was an area in the corner of the training grounds filled with scarecrows.
It was a familiar place.
‘I used to do a lot of skill experiments here in the past.’
Training grounds exist for that purpose.
Though it’s completely different now.
“What weapon do you wish to train in?”
“The sword.”
To Geurun’s sudden question, he answered without hesitation.
Hesitating at a time like this is meaningless.
As expected, Geurun also nodded slightly.
He seemed to like the look of confidence.
This is how you score points.
Though he had been familiar with the sword even before his regression, he hadn’t chosen it for that reason alone.
It was none other than because of a class change.
‘Since I’ve regressed, all hidden classes are in my hands.’
The job Jinu chose among them was related to the sword.
A job that could be called the best among those related to swords without exaggeration.
Of course, obtaining it was somewhat difficult, but at this rate, it wouldn’t be too hard.
Sword Lord (劍主).
At first, it wasn’t a job that was evaluated as particularly outstanding.
Because it was merely one of many hidden classes.
The user who obtained this job also thought so at first.
Because the job trait was nothing special aside from being able to use all swords.
But in the end, that was a mistake.
‘With just that one thing, it’s a truly broken job.’
It would be revealed quite far in the future.
Being able to use all swords.
In other words, it means being able to use swords restricted to specific classes.
Holy Swords or Divine Swords that only Hero classes can use.
And even Demon Swords that only Demon King lineage classes can use.
This single trait alone made the user of this job a world-class star.
Of course, there were hidden traits besides that as well.
Awakening hidden traits isn’t easy, but who is Jinu?
‘I know everything.’
Huhuhu.
A laugh escapes involuntarily.
While he was grinning away like that.
Geurun smirked at Jinu.
“You seem excited already at the thought of learning the sword.”
“Ah, of course. It is my beginning and my end.”
“An answer to my liking.”
He seemed to like the rather plausible answer.
It wasn’t a wrong answer nor one said to look good; it seemed to resonate more because it was sincere.
Since NPCs were perfect artificial intelligences, they were no different from humans.
Seeing them like this, they’re truly uncanny.
In front of named NPCs like Geurun, there are times when you must speak sincerely.
Like they can see right through you.
Of course, it’s probably a system thing, but still, it’s mysterious.
“Anyway, since you brought a recommendation letter, I’ll teach you swordsmanship.”
“Yes! I will learn diligently!”
He said that, but he wasn’t actually learning.
Isn’t that the case?
If you were really learning swordsmanship, what would skills be for?
Of course, someone who knows real swordsmanship gets additional effects when using sword skills.
But it’s not a big deal even without it.
It was that kind of system where skills were generated just by automatically listening to the teachings.
There wasn’t anything in particular you had to do.
First-time Pantheon players would definitely be deflated here.
Having come in pumped up with that master-disciple wuxia hype.
But that would be too inconvenient.
However,
“A sword isn’t simply about swinging with your arms. You move based on power originating from a solid lower body.”
“Oho.”
“Keep in mind that the basics of the sword always come from the lower body.”
“Understood.”
Useful information flows out as you listen.
Naturally, it was something Jinu, a 10-year veteran, already knew.
But a little review never hurts.
Listening to such things sincerely also raises intimacy, you see.
It’s all part of the plan!
Anyway, Geurun seemed quite satisfied seeing him listen attentively.
That broad grin…….
Ugh, I’m scared it’ll appear in my dreams.
Well, it means intimacy went up, so it’s fine, right?
“You seem to have roughly absorbed it.”
“Yes, I’m keeping it in mind so I won’t forget.”
“Good attitude. Then try holding a sword.”
Geurun’s forceful words.
But Jinu grabbed the wooden sword without any sign of reluctance.
Then an alarm and message appeared.
It was the message he wanted.
Ding!
[Swing the wooden sword at a scarecrow to acquire ‘Beginner Swordsmanship’.]
But.
‘I can’t be satisfied with this!’