Chapter 1

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Translated by Jinmu

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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“Kang Han-bit! Mom’s leaving!”

“Ugh…”

He opened his eyes at the loud voice.

Hot sunlight was pouring in through the thin curtains of his window.

“Ugh, my stomach feels terrible.”

Clutching his head from his hangover, Kang Han-bit got up from his bed.

Silence flowed as he opened his door.

His mother had already left for work.

Glug glug.

After pouring water into a cup, Han-bit sat at the dining table.

In the laundry basket in front of the veranda, a crumpled military uniform rested inside.

“Because of that damn goddess…”

Two years ago.

Han-bit, who had been sucked into the light, returned to the exact day he was kidnapped.

Every environment, including his family and friends, was exactly the same, and the world was as peaceful as he remembered.

Except for one thing.

It was just the day before his military enlistment.

“How many times do I have to go to the military?”

Among dozens of regressions, possessions, and reincarnations, he had become a soldier five times.

Including this time, Han-bit’s military service experience amounted to six times.

It was even more sorrowful because he had enlisted at the age of 25.

It was all because of that damn goddess.

“Phew.”

Soothing his nauseous stomach, Han-bit slumped in his chair.

He had somehow successfully reached his discharge.

Perhaps thanks to his experiences in the other world, he was able to spend his military life without any issues.

Now, there was only one immediate problem.

“I’m worried about getting a job.”

Han-bit had gone through countless experiences that others couldn’t even imagine.

The problem was that those experiences were quite ambiguous to use on this ordinary Earth.

After all, it was a world where swordsmanship, magic, and monsters existed.

His college major knowledge, which had flown beyond his memories, was difficult to recover even if he poured time into it.

Should he consider building up his body in the military as his only gain?

Vrrr.

A vibration sound came from his room.

Staring blankly at the ceiling, Han-bit lifted his heavy body to go get his smartphone.

“Joo Yeon-woo”

“Hyung, we’re drinking again today, right?”

A short message popped up on the screen.

His senior by four months, and a younger brother who was five years his junior.

It had only been ten hours since they drank like crazy to celebrate Han-bit’s discharge.

“Crazy bastard. Your hyung is old and sick.”

After typing a moderate reply, Han-bit collapsed onto his bed.

The vibration rang out at the same time.

Vrr.

Vrrr.

“What, is that all you’ve got?”

“Are you scared?”

“Scared?”

“Haa.”

The continuous vibrations and teasing text messages didn’t stop.

Although he was acting quite mischievous, he was a person Han-bit felt incredibly grateful for.

The sense of disconnect and emotional problems stemming from his return from the other world.

Thanks to Yeon-woo, he was able to spend the military life thrown into that chaos quite enjoyably.

Vrr.

Just as Han-bit’s contemplation was getting a little long.

The vibration rang again.

“The alcohol was a joke. I have a discharge gift for you. Aren’t you curious?”

“A gift?”

His eyebrow slightly rose at the welcoming word.

Grabbing his smartphone, Han-bit sent a reply.

“Where are we meeting?”

***

“Hyung!”

At a cafe in Bupyeong-gu, Incheon.

Having arrived by bus, Han-bit spotted Joo Yeon-woo’s face.

“What’s with the cafe? You don’t even like coffee.”

“The chocolate parfait here is delicious. I already ordered yours.”

He grinned as if he was in a great mood.

Considering he hadn’t lost his smile throughout his military life, Han-bit was used to it now.

Even though the parfait was melting into a mushy state.

“How early did you get here?”

“Oh? It melted a lot. I’ll order a new one.”

“It’s fine. I can just eat it like this.”

Han-bit pressed down on Yeon-woo’s shoulder as he tried to stand up.

Looking at the soggy chocolate parfait, he took a sip and asked.

“So, what’s the gift?”

“Wow, you’re bringing up the gift right away? That’s sad.”

“I’m going home then?”

“Ah, wait, wait a minute. Got it.”

Grabbing Han-bit’s sleeve, Yeon-woo hurriedly changed his words.

He knew his personality of keeping his spoken word too well.

“Here, it’s this.”

Yeon-woo took out a white card from the bag he brought.

The text ‘Lv.2’ was engraved on it.

“What’s this?”

“I told you before, didn’t I? That there’s a really fun game.”

“Is it RP or whatever?”

“As expected, you remembered.”

Record Project.

Commonly referred to as RP, it was a virtual reality game released right after Han-bit’s enlistment.

News about it often came up not just from Yeon-woo but also in the news and articles.

The chairman of Tentia, the world’s number one company in market capitalization, Michael Welton.

His hidden legacy, having passed away 5 years ago, was revealed to the world.

The development team ‘Zero’ that produced the game Record Project posted an announcement on their homepage at midnight yesterday.

The text revealed the will of Michael Welton, who founded the game company, along with shocking game details…

The virtual reality game secretly created by the billionaire brought about a shock.

Groundbreaking keywords like god’s technology, scientific revolution, and a new era.

The world’s first and only perfect virtual reality game became the talk of the town like that.

“So what does this have to do with RP?”

“This is the card that lets you get the RP Gear.”

“Gear? Don’t tell me it’s that expensive thing?”

To connect to Record Project, a special device was required.

Because there were performance differences according to the price range, he saw news that quite a few private companies had also sprung up.

Based on the core technology disclosed by the game company or something like that.

“Since it’s a Level 2, it’s around 5 million won after various discounts. It’s a gift, so please take it without burden.”

Yeon-woo’s expression as he continued his explanation was calm.

It was understandable since the young man in front of him was born with a silver spoon.

He lived in a different world from Han-bit, who had to worry about even ordering a whole chicken.

“Does your house not need security guards? Get me a job there.”

“Huh? Do you really want to come? We have plenty of empty rooms.”

“…”

A sincere answer returned to a question thrown as a joke.

It felt like he would really pay a salary, but this wasn’t right.

He handed the card back and said.

“Never mind, never mind. You just want me to play the game with you anyway, right? I don’t even have time to play. My internship starts right away.”

The countless debts inherited from his father who passed away first.

It took a whopping 20 years for his mother to pay them off alone.

Yet even in that hellish situation, she raised her only son putting all her effort into it.

Han-bit wanted to repay that sacrifice as quickly as possible.

“No, when did you even get accepted for that? What about the interview?”

“There was only one thing I could do during my end-of-service leave. It’s an experiential type, but I need to add even one more line to my cover letter.”

“Wow, hyung, you are really… simply amazing.”

Yeon-woo was at a loss for words after hearing the story.

It was because the things Han-bit had done during his military life came to mind.

“What’s amazing about it? Job seekers are naturally in a rush and busy.”

“You went out and worked part-time every time you had a leave or an overnight pass. And you sent all that money to your mother.”

“It’s better than just playing around. If it wasn’t for the company commander, I wouldn’t have been able to do it anyway.”

Very few people in the unit knew about Han-bit’s situation.

It was partly because it was a remote independent company, but the company commander was such a good person that it was possible.

To the point where he even introduced a workplace nearby through an acquaintance.

“But what was your mother’s reaction? If it was my mom, she would’ve cried.”

“… Reaction aside, she didn’t even spend a single penny. She made a separate account and saved it all there.”

“Wow… You sound like a family from a drama.”

The effort Han-bit poured during his military life didn’t see the light of day.

He vaguely packaged it as his remaining salary, but his mother had noticed something was strange.

In the end, that money was neatly stored in a clean new bankbook.

“Anyway, the game is a no. I have to live even harder now.”

“To live any harder here, shouldn’t you at least have a clone?”

“I’d really like that. I have to go to school once in a while too.”

“You already maxed out all your graduation credits so you’re just going to show your face. RP is really fun, so just play it with me on weekends.”

Seeing right through Han-bit’s situation, Yeon-woo didn’t easily back down.

Beyond simply enjoying it, the game called RP was just too special.

“I’ll sell it secondhand and change it all to chicken, you know? Never mind, just take it back quickly.”

Han-bit forcefully handed the card over to Yeon-woo’s hand.

With a gloomy face, he let out a deep sigh and said.

“You really won’t regret it later…”

“Does games feed you, or earn you money? This hyung here is in a rush for Earth Online. Got it?”

“So, you just need it to earn money, right?”

Listening to the nagging, Yeon-woo suddenly grinned and raised his head.

Although he knew the gloomy appearance was an act, Han-bit was curious about the inner details.

“Of course it does. If you say a thousand or ten thousand won, be prepared to get hit.”

“Ay, that’s an amount even an elementary schooler would be disappointed with.”

“… Let me just hit you once for real.”

“Huh? No, wait a minute. Why!”

Raising his body, Han-bit grabbed Yeon-woo’s head and shook it.

Returning to his seat, he continued the conversation once again.

“So, you can really earn money?”

“Ugh, I’m dizzy. Then it’s true. If you’re lucky, you could earn hundreds of millions… no, even tens of billions, probably?”

“… Billions?”

The mind-boggling amount dispelled even Han-bit’s remaining hangover.

Even though that young senior was quite mischievous, he didn’t have a personality that would spout empty nonsense.

Straightening his posture, he asked with a serious face.

“Please explain in detail, Sergeant Joo Yeon-woo.”

“Shall I, Corporal Kang Han-bit?”

With a grin, he took out his smartphone onto the table.

An app was turned on the illuminated screen.

“It’s RP Trader, an exclusive trading app for Record Project.”

“Trading? You’re selling items?”

“Anything. Whether it’s items, information, or recruitment, you can buy and sell everything you need.”

The screen flipped quickly along with his ongoing explanation.

The lists were densely packed, loaded with numerous texts.

Of course, what caught his eye the most was the amount written at the end.

Just as Yeon-woo said, there were quite a few amounts reaching billions.

“This is all genuinely traded?”

“Did you think people call it a revolution for nothing? RP is on a different level.”

“Ha.”

Letting out an exclamation, Han-bit couldn’t take his eyes off the screen.

Looking closely for a long while, he asked as if he couldn’t understand.

“Who spends so much money on some game?”

“The number of users with registered accounts exceeds 300 million, and corporations and celebrities flocked in crowds. It was natural for a massive market to form.”

“Corporations are even coming out? Even though it’s a game?”

“Do you know how immense RP’s influence is worldwide? Placing on the rankings is a promotion in itself. And the most important thing is this.”

Yeon-woo touched the screen and flipped it over.

Then, an announcement from the Record Project homepage appeared.

According to the will of founder Michael Welton, total ownership of this game will be transferred to the player who first clears Record Project.

The scope of ownership includes copyrights and intellectual property rights, trademark rights, licenses, codes and technology, related services, and operational rights.

Upon game account creation, this content is established as a legal contract according to the player’s consent.

This content is guaranteed by three international arbitration institutions indicated in the contract.

“… This was real? Giving the whole game as a reward?”

Recalling the news he heard from somewhere, Han-bit was dumbfounded.

Handing over the game’s ownership just because they cleared it.

If the number of users was hundreds of millions, he couldn’t even imagine its worth.

“It’s not nonsense after all? It could just be an attention-seeking advertisement.”

“Fact-checking has already finished. Legal experts have confirmed it’s solid, and even the arbitration institutions have disclosed their guarantee certificates.”

“This is absurd.”

He still couldn’t wrap his head around it, but it didn’t seem like a lie.

Anyway, the important thing was the fact that a solid market had been formed.

If it was an environment where he could ultimately earn money, the story would be different.

“Alright. I’ll at least experience it once.”

“Really?”

“I’ve got nothing to lose anyway, right? Since you even gave me this.”

“As expected, I knew you would play with me.”

Yeon-woo grinned at the awaited answer.

He had wanted to play the game with Han-bit since the time they were serving in the military.

Loving elements of imagination like those in fantasy, Yeon-woo freely brought up topics like magic or swordsmanship.

However, the only one who sincerely engaged in those conversations was his junior right in front of him.

No, to be honest, he was surprised at the amount of knowledge Han-bit possessed, wondering where he had learned it all.

“I think this game needs an otaku like you, hyung.”

“Didn’t I tell you I’m not that?”

“I’m telling you, it’s more comfortable if you just accept it.”

Yeon-woo grinned and sucked up the remaining chocolate parfait.

Standing up from his seat, he packed his bag and said.

“Shall we get going then?”

***

Leaving the cafe, the two men took a taxi and headed to Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul.

The place they arrived at was in front of a unique building made of blue glass.

At the top, the name Record Shop was embedded largely.

“What is this place?”

“It’s a place where they buy and sell stuff related to RP.”

“Stuff?”

“There are official materials released by the company, and merchandise made by players too.”

Yeon-woo climbed the building’s stairs first.

Han-bit also followed behind while observing the unique structure.

“Why is it so big?”

“You’d faint if you saw the U. S. branch. Western otakus are truly intense.”

“Is that so?”

He had heard of the passion of those called Western otakus from somewhere.

It was hard to completely comprehend it, but considering the game’s market scale, it wasn’t strange.

If he himself acquired an item worth hundreds of millions, he would likely be praising it too.

Swoosh.

Yeon-woo moved quickly, breaking through the massive crowd.

There was no hesitation in his movements, as if he had memorized this wide building’s layout.

“It’s right here.”

Following him, they arrived at a space filled with books.

“Books?”

“You can consider them guidebooks.”

Identical books were neatly arranged on the display stand right in front.

Picking one up, Han-bit looked at the author on the cover.

“Who is Adventurer A?”

“He’s like a father to the newbies. If it weren’t for this guidebook, quite a few people would have probably quit.”

Joo Yeon-woo went on explaining in an excited voice.

If he was this knowledgeable about the game, he might well go ahead alone by now.

Han-bit was inwardly amazed.

Though he did want to criticize his naming sense a bit.

“He’s an amazing person.”

“Right? Take a look. It’s organized very neatly too. This is perfectly sorted by world…”

“I got it, so hold on.”

Han-bit suppressed the excited Yeon-woo and opened the pages.

The page started with a neat background illustration.

Next to it, a concise table of contents was written.

Flip.

As he turned the page, the terrain of the world appeared along with a map.

However.

“Huh?”

Somehow, Han-bit’s expression turned strange.

“Hyung, what’s wrong?”

“No…”

Despite Yeon-woo’s question, he couldn’t speak properly.

For something he was seeing for the first time, the shapes of the continents and seas were too familiar.

Even the place names written all over were all things he knew.

“… Erport?”

While turning the pages, an unforgettable name caught Han-bit’s eyes.

The unknown existence he had to find according to the goddess’s will.

It was definitely that name, although he hadn’t even been able to see his face.

“F*ck, what the hell is this.”

Frantically searching through the guidebook, Han-bit spat out a curse.

Countless contents that matched the memories still vividly fresh.

As hard as it was to believe, he had no choice but to realize.

This game.

Record Project was completely identical to the world where he had repeatedly regressed, possessed, and reincarnated.