A quiet country village.
A tiny village that travelers passed through maybe once or twice a month at most.
A rural village where the neighborhood children were all one another’s childhood friends, and if a married couple had a fight in one house, the whole village would know by the next morning.
In that place’s only inn and restaurant lived one sturdy young man.
“Hahahaha! Fine weather again today! Hello, everyone!”
Despite the gloomy, humid weather that looked ready to drip rain at any moment, the young man laughed heartily as though his eyes had gone bad. His name was Hio.
His original name was Hyeonseung.
He had introduced himself to the villagers as Hyeonseung, but because it was hard to pronounce, he had nearly ended up being called Hionsuung before barely managing to change it to Hio.
As Hio swept in front of the inn and offered his greeting, the village children came rushing over in a swarm.
“Wow! It’s Hio! Hio!”
“The biggest sucker in the village!”
“No. Mom’ll scold you if you call him that!”
“But… if he’s a sucker, what else are we supposed to call him?”
“Um… an idiot?”
Watching the children burst into giggles, Hio also smiled broadly.
“Hahahaha! You little rascals! You shouldn’t tease an adult, all right? Go on over there and keep playing. Hahaha!”
“No! You sucker!”
“Don’t order us around when you’re just a sucker!”
“Woo! He’s a sucker! A sucker!”
A vein popped on Hio’s forehead, but he continued dealing with the children with the same smiling face.
Only after being surrounded and mocked for quite some time was Hio finally able to go back inside the shop.
“Phew… what a life.”
As Hio trudged in with a deep sigh, a red-haired girl was sitting there with her chin propped on her hand.
“Why do you let them do that to you every day?”
The girl, more mature than the village children but younger than Hio, was named Claire.
Claire was the only daughter of the innkeeper who had taken Hio in.
“Well, you could call it a kind of training.”
Hio brushed it off and began cleaning the inside of the shop.
It had already been two years since Hio… no, Hyeonseung, had settled in this village.
After all that time, the story from the test server period of Ventair Online should have been starting to unfold, yet nothing about Hyeonseung had changed from two years ago.
All he had learned was that living in this damned world without violence was hard.
And that his patience rose disgustingly slowly.
That was about all he had learned in two years.
“Training, my foot. You just don’t have the courage to resist.”
Claire spoke quietly as she watched Hio wipe the tables.
“Pathetic.”
Hio’s hand stopped for a moment, but soon moved again as he continued cleaning.
As if he hadn’t heard her.
“Don’t just sit there. Help me clean. We need to get ready to open.”
“Hmph. Open what? We don’t even have any customers. I’m not someone who’s meant to be cleaning in a country village like this.”
“Hah. That again? You’re going to the Academy?”
Claire’s dream was to leave this country village behind and go up to the imperial capital.
And every time Claire said such things, Hio snorted as if it were ridiculous.
“Hey, hey. You have to live within your means. Within your means.”
Wasn’t it truly an absurd dream?
The inhabitants of this world also had innate traits, and skills suited to those traits.
The problem was that, unlike transmigrators, they had no way of checking what traits and skills they had been born with.
In other words, most of this world’s inhabitants went their whole lives without awakening their own traits and skills, much less handling them.
Given that, Hio could understand why Claire was so full of herself.
A year ago, Claire had awakened her own skill and become able to use it.
“I’m different from a coward like you.”
Claire sprang up from her seat, and a small flame flickered at her fingertips.
“They said the fire attribute has incredible destructive power! It’s a trait only an extremely small number of Awakened are born with.”
“You heard that from the travelers who came last month, right? I’m telling you, those guys didn’t know anything.”
Claire glared at Hio with sharp eyes.
“What would a coward like you know!”
After shouting that, she ran up to the second floor.
In truth, what Claire said wasn’t very wrong.
Among those who had realized their own traits and skills and could use them—the so-called “Awakened”—the fire attribute was famous for its powerful destructive force.
However…
‘There’s no way a country girl could enter the Imperial Academy with just that.’
In the end, skills had to be polished and refined as well.
And there was no way to check the upper limit of one’s traits and skills.
The ten thousand transmigrators dragged here from Earth could open their status windows and check, but for the inhabitants, to whom this place was reality, no such convenient method existed.
If someone struggled to hone a trait and skill, only for their ceiling to be extremely low, the loss would be no joke. That was why only those who had been verified could enter the Imperial Academy.
‘And she couldn’t handle the insane tuition either.’
Even if Claire’s trait and skill had a high ceiling, how could a rural inn like this, barely making enough to get by, afford the eye-watering costs of the Imperial Academy?
Continuing to talk this way so she would give up on her own was Hio’s own form of consideration.
“Sigh… Claire used to be so nice.”
The child who used to toddle after him calling him “big brother” had grown so much in two years that she now treated him like a pathetic unemployed bum.
…Well, it hurt even more because she wasn’t entirely wrong.
“That little lady is as lively as ever.”
As Hio sighed and mopped, a man’s voice came from behind him.
There had certainly been no one in the shop besides Claire and Hio, yet a voice had suddenly sounded.
And there was only one person capable of that.
“Is that you, Jason?”
“Yeah, it’s Jason. Why do you ask every time when you don’t have any friends besides me?”
“…Just sit down.”
Hio tossed the rag aside and sat at a table. The man called Jason plopped down opposite him.
A man with light brown hair and an impressive scar by his mouth.
A master of stealth who had entered the shop quite some time ago, yet Claire had not noticed him at all.
A named NPC that anyone who had played Ventair Online to some extent couldn’t possibly not know.
Jason Clarok.
Head of the Assassins’ Guild and the Information Guild.
Ruler of the underworld.
“I gathered and brought the information you mentioned. Just like you said, that professor was a transmigrator too.”
The reason Hio had been able to become friends with such a big shot was entirely thanks to Hio’s efforts.
Jason Clarok, about whom there was particularly little known even in the game.
Hio knew that before he became the complete ruler of the underworld, when he was in the middle of an invisible war, he had used this village of Delphir as a shelter.
That was why he had chosen this place, which happened not to be far away, as his starting point.
Even if he had to invest months, Jason was worth remaining in this village for.
Still, one could say luck had been on his side when he rescued Jason after he collapsed, wounded.
After spending several days together like that, Hio had subtly leaked information about the future to Jason.
Jason had been wary at first, but soon confirmed that most of Hio’s information was true. Thanks to that, he took control of the two guilds much more easily, and their current relationship came to be.
Well, he would have overcome it on his own and become ruler of the underworld eventually anyway, but there was no doubt that Hio’s information had made it easier.
Of course, the method was only possible because Jason himself, unlike what one might expect from a big shot of the underworld, valued loyalty and trust, and because Hio knew that very well.
Since it was impossible to even approach the other major NPCs to begin with, Jason was Hio’s only lifeline and the greatest output he had achieved over the past two years.
“As expected… he’s definitely one of the very top players.”
Hio had also told Jason about transmigrators.
The more information he gave him, the more related information would come back several times over.
Of course, he had not said that this place had been a game. He had merely explained it as powerful people from another world having transmigrated into this world.
“By the very top… you mean the strong ones who even received perks before crossing into this world?”
“Yeah. That Academy professor was one of the top five among them.”
“A mere professor was that big of a deal…”
“So keep an eye on him with interest. He’s obsessed with expanding his network. He’ll be useful.”
Excluding himself, who had been ranked first, the other nine rankers who received perks.
They would surely stand out in one way or another.
Because all traits had been reset and set anew, it wasn’t easy to identify exactly who was who. But since they were such peculiar bastards, Hio had quickly realized the identities of a few.
Like that guy who had entered the Academy as a professor.
“Some of them were out of their minds, so there’s no harm in being careful.”
Weren’t they people who had ground their lives away in a trash game like this?
He didn’t know what changes might have occurred to the other rankers in the meantime, so there was no harm in being careful.
“Got it. Oh, and lately, some strange talk has been coming out of the Adventurers’ Guild…”
“Strange talk?”
Jason nodded and frowned as if trying to dredge up the memory.
“It was some word I’d never heard in my life… Zlzon Heavenly Demon? Something like that. They were moving secretly, saying they were looking for someone like that. Isn’t it a word related to the transmigrators?”
“…No idea…? Forget that. Since you’re here, have a drink before you go.”
“No thanks, man. I’m busy.”
Having barely succeeded in controlling his expression, Hio waved his hand dismissively.
The fact that the ruler of the underworld had come all the way here in person was remarkable in itself.
That meant Jason also considered information about transmigrators important and was paying attention to his relationship with Hio.
“I’m off. And earlier, I saw you getting called a sucker again.”
“Mind your own business.”
“Every now and then, get angry, threaten them, do something. That way you won’t get called a sucker.”
“I told you, I’m a pacifist.”
At Hio’s answer, Jason chuckled and waved lazily.
“Yeah, sure. Do what you want. I’ll probably have reason to come by again soon, so see you then.”
Then his form soon blurred and vanished.
‘It’s amazing no matter how many times I see it.’
Hio had a rough idea that it was a spatial-type trait and a stealth skill, but he didn’t know the exact conditions.
Even in the game, rumors about Jason had been abundant, but meeting him in person had been extremely difficult.
“Phew… everyone must have become incredibly strong in these two years.”
The only one who had come to a halt was probably himself.
And because of this hidden trait that had been his first-place privilege, no less.
“…Status window.”
▶Name: Lee Hyeonseung (Zlzon☆Heavenly Demon★)
▶Strength: 10
▶Agility: 10
▶Stamina: 10
▶Mana: 10
What stood out were his stats, unchanged for the entire two years.
Due to the nature of Ventair, which had no levels, one had to raise their fame and accumulate achievements to gain points and increase stats. But for Hio, that was impossible.
And next came the hidden trait that caught his eye.
[Main Trait: Genius of Mana Sensitivity]
[Secondary Trait: Can’t Live Without Style!]
[Auxiliary Trait: Everything Is Doubled!]
[Hidden Trait: Violence Is Forbidden! (Patience: 721 / 1000)]
“…This damned thing.”
The patience value beside it.
A full two years.
For two years, he had done all kinds of things to accumulate that patience.
However… he had far too little to experiment with different methods, and the moment something was judged as violence, the patience he had accumulated would also be reset.
And the slightest mistake would lead directly to the deletion of all his skills.
He had no choice but to be cautious.
If his skills were deleted, it would truly be the end.
If he filled up his patience but had no skills to evolve, what would be the point?
That didn’t mean he could obtain a skill book at this stage either… It was enough to make him feel hopeless.
After two years, all he had managed to gather was a mere 721.
It did seem to rise well the more he held back his anger or endured something, but creating those situations was not easy.
Even traveling somewhere was not easy.
If he happened to run into a monster by mistake…
He would have no choice but to pick one of two options.
Die, or lose all his skills.
‘Still, I should be able to fill it up in about another year.’
He would endure just that much longer.
“It’s not easy to use skills because of the trait either.”
The three basic skills he had been randomly given.
Normally, one would develop these basic skills further, or, if they had good compatibility, fuse them for use.
If they clashed too much with one’s traits, one could also build up fame and achievements, then purchase a suitable skill book to develop them.
Hio, too, had received three basic skills.
[Spark]
[Triple Strike]
[Body Acceleration]
They were the most basic of basic skills.
The only problem was...
[Secondary Trait: Can’t Live Without Style!]
A secondary trait.
Its effect was to make skill effects dramatically flashy.
And that wasn’t all.
[Auxiliary Trait: Everything Doubled!]
This auxiliary trait, which would originally have been a jackpot among jackpots, even doubled the effect of his secondary trait, making skills that were already dramatically flashy twice as flashy on top of that.
To put it roughly, they had become dramatic-dramatically flashy.
How shocked had he been when he first cast the skill “Triple Strike” without thinking?
Triple Strike was a skill that rapidly struck downward three times, no matter what weapon one was holding.
It was a skill he had used back during the test server days, so he had casually picked up a tree branch and tried it—only to nearly faint for real.
A huge old man had burst out from behind him and swung his sword down three times alongside him with enough force to split a mountain.
Of course, the actual effect was nothing more than him going swish-swish-swish with a tree branch, but the old man’s ominous gaze and presence were so realistic that even Hio, looking up at him from below, felt his knees go weak.
Even though he had used it a little ways away from the village, the sight of the old man appearing like some god had terrified the villagers, and for a while there had been an uproar about divine wrath and heavenly punishment. Naturally, he had no choice but to seal the skill away.
If he used it one more time, it looked like they might all pack their things and leave the village en masse.
“If I can just fill up my patience...”
Slurp.
His mouth watered on its own.
But when he looked at his patience, which showed no sign of rising, another sigh escaped him.
“Haah... Let’s just clean.”
As he continued cleaning with sigh after sigh, he suddenly sensed the outside growing noisy.
Voices of hot-blooded men chattering loudly—something hard to hear in a quiet rural village.
What that meant was clear.
‘Travelers have arrived.’
A day when this place—the village’s only inn, tavern, and restaurant—could make money.
Hio tossed the rag into a corner and, smiling brightly, finished preparing to welcome the travelers.
And soon after—
Bang!
The door flew open as if it were about to break, and four men entered.
With scars from blades on their arms, shoulders, and faces, the men entered the shop looking as though they had “I’m a mercenary” written across their faces.
“Welcome!”
Of course, Hio the pacifist bent even lower at the waist as he greeted them.
The men did not even look at him and swaggered over to a table, where they sat down.
“Hey!”
“Yes?”
“Yes? You dumb bastard. If customers come in, you’re supposed to bring out booze and food right away!”
“Ah, yes! Please wait just a moment, sir!”
Hio moved briskly and entered the kitchen.
As if he had never worn that pleasant smile, his expression had sunk coldly.
‘Good thing the auntie isn’t here.’
This was not South Korea with its good public order.
It was a place where strength and power were everything.
Even if they were just four low-grade mercenaries like that, if they were properly armed, one had no choice but to lower oneself completely.
“Haah... We really had to come all the way to this backwater?”
“Can’t be helped. We’ve gotta keep our heads down for a while.”
“Let’s think of it as recuperation. While fooling around with women, that is.”
“What women would there be in a backwater like this...”
Listening to the mercenaries’ conversation, Hio faintly frowned.
It seemed their quality was quite poor.
In a small village like this, there were no means to restrain men like them.
There were young men in the village, but they were few in number, and the only fighting they knew was the roughhousing they had done as children—simple, innocent lads.
There was no way they could fight against the presence of rough mercenaries and sharpened weapons.
And as for himself...
‘Fuck. Pacifism.’
Violence was not allowed.
It had been two years of enduring somehow. How could he throw away all the patience he had accumulated and the few skills he possessed just like that?
‘Keep your head down. All the way down.’
Forcing the corners of his mouth up, Hio carried the alcohol and food over to the table.
“These are the tastiest dishes in our establishment! Please enjoy your meal!”
Just as he gave a crisp bow and was about to turn away—
“Hey, you bastard.”
The foulest-looking of the four mercenaries called Hio to a stop.
He was the one with a scar beside his eye.
“Yes! You called, sir!”
“Don’t smile, you bastard.”
“Sir? I didn’t hear you right, sir?”
“...Ha. Come here.”
When Hio approached, the mercenary tapped his cheek.
“You’re not some wench. Don’t grin like that, you little prick. It pisses me off enough to want to kill you.”
His low whisper was full of bluff.
Even knowing that, Hio had no choice but to stiffen his expression and lower his head.
“I’m sorry.”
Not only were they rotten to the core, they also understood their position with perfect clarity.
No matter what kind of people they actually were, here, they were absolute.
And when they knew that, if the other party came out submissive, they would only grow more excited.
They wanted to confirm it. They wanted to show it off.
Just how great they were.
And so—
Smack!
“This bastard’s got damn good instincts, at least!”
They slapped the bowed Hio across the cheek.
“Hahahaha! Hey, you bastard, consider yourself lucky!”
Thwack!
They struck the back of his head.
“We’re in a good mood today, so we’ll let it slide. If this were outside, we’d have killed you on the spot!”
They mocked him endlessly.
“Yes... Thank you.”
[Hidden Trait: Violence Is Not Allowed! (Patience: 722 / 1000)]
Even so, Hio endured.
Even as his lip split and blood flowed, even as his cheek turned red and hot.
[Hidden Trait: Violence Is Not Allowed! (Patience: 724 / 1000)]
Even as the blows to the back of his head kept knocking his face downward. Even as humiliation surged over him.
[Hidden Trait: Violence Is Not Allowed! (Patience: 725 / 1000)]
He endured, and endured again.
Because there wasn’t much left.
Unfortunately, however, he was not the only one in the shop.
“What do you think you’re doing!”
A girl in the midst of being intoxicated by her own specialness.
Striking red hair and a beauty rare to find in the countryside.
Those were more than enough conditions to make the mercenaries’ eyes go wild.
And Claire’s eyes were on the verge of going wild in a different sense.
“You... you... trashy, evil bastards!”
To this pure girl, who had almost no chance to meet outsiders, low-quality mercenaries were practically no different from the demon kings in fairy tales.
‘Ah...’
Wiping the blood from his lips, Hio could only swallow a sigh.
‘This has gotten troublesome.’