Taesan stared blankly at the enemy before him.
[Kaaaaah.]
Brightly shining red scales. The eyes of a reptile that gathered all the killing intent in the world. Wisps of white flame could be seen in its breath.
The red dragon growled. The king of dragons. The Mobius Lizard that heralded the end of all things.
The guardian of the depths. It was a divine being that even the gods dared not treat lightly. Against such a being, all Taesan had was shabby equipment.
The most basic cloth armor provided. And a rusted sword. That was all.
“To face a dragon alone with this kind of equipment. The difficulty level lives up to its name.”
He wasn't completely alone. He could feel gazes directed at him from high above. The light within those gazes was simple.
Infinite anticipation for him. And awe for the miracle that was about to unfold. With a feast laid out before them, they wouldn't interfere.
As always, they would just watch from afar. He was used to it by now. Without wavering, he raised his sword.
[Grrrr...]
The dragon moved its front paw. Looking at Taesan, it tried to carefully step back. A glimmer of fear could be seen in its eyes, which were filled with killing intent.
“Why are you the one getting scared?”
[Kaaaaah!]
As if it had made a decision, the dragon roared and moved its feet. With heavy thuds, the massive body of the dragon approached. He looked behind him.
The door he had entered through had long since vanished. There was no way to escape. The battlefield this time was about the size of a sports field.
“It's the same as always.”
Either die, or kill. As he took a step forward, the dragon let out a threatening roar.
[Kaaaaaaah!]
[The Dragon's Roar washes over you!]
[Beginning judgment.]
[Judging for all stats decrease...]
[Judging for incapacitation...]
[Judging for mental collapse...]
[Judging for submission...]
[Judging for instant death...]
[...]
[All judgments successful!]
[You have endured with an indomitable spirit!]
[All stats have increased.]
[Your actions will never cease. You have acquired the special passive skill [Constant Action].]
[An unyielding spirit descends.]
[An unsubmissive body is imbued.]
[The opponent is an impossible foe to defeat.]
[Judgment unnecessary. Your spirit was not broken against an impossible foe!]
[Judgment unnecessary. Your fighting spirit rose against an impossible foe!]
[Judgment unnecessary. Your will has strengthened against an impossible foe!]
[All stats have increased.]
[You will never be broken in battle.]
[You have gained eyes that see through your opponent's weaknesses.]
[The dragon is intimidated by your unsubmissive nature.]
[The dragon feels fear from your unbreakable will.]
[The dragon is plunged into the fear of its own defeat by your confidence.]
“Get rid of this.”
Taesan dismissed the system window and pointed his sword.
“This will be over quickly, so come at me.”
[Kaah!]
The dragon charged towards Taesan. 1. Easy Mode Player (1) “Ah, what a pain.” Taesan grumbled as he walked through the desolate city.
“Why did that damn bastard have to run all the way out here and make things so annoying?”
On the ruined streets, strange beings could be seen here and there. But Taesan walked along the road nonchalantly.
“Was this place Anyang?”
It was so completely destroyed that it no longer resembled a city. All he could see were the foundations of buildings. And cracked asphalt.
Taesan scowled at the scene, which held no trace of human life.
“So annoying…”
He strode forward. Before long, he found the reason he had come out.
Gurgle. Guurrrgle.
He saw a monster. Its entire body was black, neither human nor animal in shape. Three such monsters were devouring a corpse.
That corpse was Taesan's objective. Although, it was supposed to be alive, not dead.
“What a sight.”
Guurrrgle.
The monsters noticed Taesan. They finished swallowing the corpse and began to move stealthily.
[Monster 435 is staring at you.]
[Monster 221 is staring at you.]
[Monster 222 is staring at you.]
“Can't they do something about these half-assed names?”
Taesan grumbled.
Every time he saw their names, even while fighting, it drained his energy.
Guurrrgle!
The monsters charged. At a speed beyond human limits, Taesan simply watched with a bored expression.
“Hey. Open the gate.”
Taesan pounded on the gate before a massive wall. The vibrations spread through the gate, and before long, it opened.
“Hyung. You're back?”
“This is such a pain in the ass, can't you get someone else to do it?”
“Haha. You know there's no one else who can do it but you, Hyung.”
Jung-geun greeted his return. He looked around Taesan and asked with a flustered expression.
“What about the deserter?”
“He's dead. The monsters ate the whole corpse.”
“What?”
Jung-geun was taken aback.
“But he was a Hard Mode Player. He's dead already?”
“Three A-class monsters were happily feasting on him.”
“Ah…”
Jung-geun fell silent. Hard Mode Players were strong, but each A-class monster was a match for one. Against three of them, there was no chance.
“What about their location?”
If three A-class monsters were nearby, they had to be dealt with quickly. Taesan replied nonchalantly to Jung-geun's serious expression.
“I killed them all.”
Jung-geun muttered, his face deflated.
“I see.”
“Whatever, I'm hungry. Let's go to the cafeteria.”
“Yes.”
Inside the walls were several buildings. They were all old and looked like they could collapse at any moment, but there were still single-family homes that retained their shape. As they walked, Jung-geun asked Taesan.
“Hyung. Be honest with me. You're not an Easy Mode Player, are you?”
“What kind of nonsense is this now?”
Taesan frowned.
“How many guys cleared the Labyrinth with me? Go ask them.”
“All the Easy Players are dead now except for you, Hyung. The ones that pop up now and then die within two days.”
“…Is that so?”
“Honestly, how can an Easy Player survive in this situation? Even Normal Players are barely hanging on. You're the strange one, Hyung.”
A player who, despite being on Easy Mode, surpassed those on Hard Mode. That was Taesan.
“Seriously, why are you so strong? I'm a Hard Player, but I'm no match for you at all.”
“It's because you guys cleared it too carelessly.”
“There you go again.”
“Then what do you want me to say?”
They had cleared the Labyrinth carelessly, while Taesan had grasped every element. From Taesan's perspective, that was the only difference.
“We can't go back to the Labyrinth anyway, so let's just eat instead of talking nonsense.”
“Yes, yes.”
They entered an old tent. Taesan sat at a table.
“What's on the menu today?”
“Potatoes.”
Taesan's face twisted.
“Potatoes again? Can't you grow something else? There are sweet potatoes and corn.”
“What can we do? Potatoes are the most efficient. Even with simple cultivation, there's a limit to the yield.”
A skill that allowed cultivation anywhere with nothing. Thanks to the simple cultivation skill that only a few possessed, humanity was still surviving.
“You didn't learn it, Hyung?”
“Why would an Easy Mode Player learn something like that? There was food everywhere you went.”
“That's true.”
Jung-geun nodded.
A moment later, Jung-geun brought the potatoes. The two ate in silence without any conversation. A commotion could be heard from the other side.
Shouts mixed with sighs. And screams of denial.
“Looks like another one who cleared it has arrived.”
“Seems like it.”
A Player who cleared the Labyrinth and returned to Earth, unable to accept reality and causing a disturbance. It was a common occurrence. Neither Taesan nor Jung-geun moved.
The established routine was for them to raise hell, be subdued by the surrounding Players, and then listen to the explanation step by step. But this time, unlike usual, the commotion didn't die down easily.
“Uh… Hyung. I think it's a Hard Player.”
“Dammit.”
Taesan's face contorted. As if to prove Jung-geun's words, a man came running, out of breath.
“Mr. Taesan. Please come quickly. It's a total mess right now.”
“Why me? There are plenty of Hard Players. Can't they handle it?”
“Aigoo. You know why, Mr. Taesan. Just come quickly.”
Taesan stood up with a crumpled expression. Jung-geun leisurely took Taesan's potato.
“Have a good trip.”
“I'll kill you if you eat that.”
Jung-geun stealthily put the potato back. With a sigh, Taesan followed the man.
“What kind of guy is it this time?”
“He's a guy who cleared Hard Mode, and he's rampaging, saying we're all lying.”
“How many Hard Players are here, and you can't subdue him? Is he that strong?”
"Tch."
The man clicked his tongue.
“He has some pretty good skills, so if we try to subdue him, someone will probably die. That's why we need your help, Mr. Taesan.”
“What about Lee Tae-yeon?”
“Mr. Tae-yeon is out on an external scouting mission right now. You know that, right?”
“Sigh.”
Taesan sighed and headed towards the center of the commotion. There, a young man with a reddened face was shouting.
“Don't be ridiculous! How is this Earth! This is a hidden camera, right! Stop joking around!”
“Young man. This is indeed Earth. While you were in the Labyrinth, the world changed a lot…”
“Don't be ridiculous!”
The man swung his fist wildly. The middle-aged man who was trying to calm him down groaned and stepped back.
“That guy's out of control.”
“Mr. Taesan. Please!”
The man who brought Taesan cheered him on.
“Aren't you ashamed of relying on an Easy Player like me?”
“This isn't an era where you can survive on shame.”
“Tch.”
Taesan clicked his tongue and walked towards the man. Only the man and Taesan were left in the plaza.
“Hey, young man. What's your name?”
“…Lee Chang-chun.”
“Right. Chang-chun. Unfortunately, this is Earth. We're in the middle of being destroyed.”
“Don't be ridiculous!”
“Is that your catchphrase or something?”
“This can't be Earth! How many Players are there? How could they not stop some measly monsters? You're all lying to me!”
Chang-chun yelled.
Coming back from the Labyrinth and being unable to accept reality, they go crazy. It was a common occurrence, and he didn't look like he would accept it easily. When things got to this point, there was always only one way.
Taesan beckoned with his fist.
“You'll probably accept it after you get hit.”
[Duel Requested.]
Chang-chun flinched in surprise at the window that appeared.
“…A duel? Who are you?”
“Kang Taesan.”
“Kang Taesan?”
Chang-chun mulled over the name and then smirked.
“That guy who's just an Easy Player but always talks big?”
“You know me well. Must have used the community forums a lot.”
“Hilarious! A mere Easy Player wants to fight a Hard Player?”
Chang-chun scoffed at Taesan. The power of Players varied worlds apart depending on the difficulty. Even if a hundred Easy Players gathered, it would be difficult to even damage a Hard Player.
But Taesan just gestured with his hand, an annoyed look on his face.
“Shut up and come at me. If you beat me, I'll show you the real world you so desperately want.”
“…Don't regret this!”
“You're the one who's going to have regrets.”
[Duel Accepted.]
[Lee Chang-chun and Kang Taesan begin their duel.]
The people around them backed away, creating a circle. Standing confidently, Lee Chang-chun's eyes wavered. The crowd around them was making bets as if the outcome wasn't even worth watching.
“Who are you betting on?”
“One potato on Kang Taesan.”
“Five potatoes on Kang Taesan.”
“Three potatoes on Kang Taesan.”
“Is no one betting on the young guy? He might win, you know?”
There was no answer to that question. No one here thought Lee Chang-chun would win. They truly believed that the Easy Player would defeat the Hard Player.
Taesan nonchalantly crossed his arms.
“I'll let you have the first move.”
“You…”
Lee Chang-chun gritted his teeth. In any case, the duel had begun. There was no backing down now.
[Lee Chang-chun has activated Addition. Half of his base attack power is added.]
[Lee Chang-chun has activated Focus. Attacks have a high probability of hitting.]
[Lee Chang-chun has activated Power Strike. The next attack will deal massive damage.]
“Oh.”
“Addition and Power Strike? He's strong.”
The crowd murmured in admiration. But that was all. They still waited for the result without any change in expression.
Lee Chang-chun gritted his teeth.
“I don't care anymore.”
He charged at Taesan.
[Lee Chang-chun's attack.]
[Kang Taesan's Absolute Nullification of the First Attack has been activated.]
[0 damage dealt to Kang Taesan.]
“Huh?”
“Are you done?”
Lee Chang-chun stared blankly at the system window. Absolute Nullification of the First Attack skill? What was that?
He had never seen anything like it while playing Hard Mode.
“Now it's my turn, right?”
Kang Taesan raised his fist. Lee Chang-chun belatedly came to his senses and covered his body with his arms.
[Kang Taesan's attack.]
[Lee Chang-chun has activated Fortitude. Damage taken is reduced by half.]
[Kang Taesan has activated Absolute Judgment. Opponent's defense skills and defense power are ignored.]
[49 damage dealt to Lee Chang-chun.]
“Huh?”
Lee Chang-chun was baffled once again. It was too weak. His health was over ten thousand.
An attack of this level was just a tickle, no matter how many times he was hit.
‘R-Right.’
Lee Chang-chun collected himself. His opponent was an Easy Player. The absolute difference in stats and level could not be overcome.
But Taesan raised his fist again.
“Your health is over ten thousand, right?”
[Kang Taesan has activated Addition. Current attack power is doubled.]
[Kang Taesan has activated Multiplication. Current attack power is squared.]
[Kang Taesan has activated Absolute Judgment. Opponent's defense skills and defense power are ignored.]
Lee Chang-chun's body froze.
“Take this.”
“W-Wait.”
[Kang Taesan's attack.]
[9,604 damage dealt to Lee Chang-chun.]
O O Ough “Mr. Taesan. Wasn't that a bit too harsh?”
“He's not dead, is he? How much gentler do you want me to be?”
Taesan grumbled.
Lee Chang-chun was sprawled on the ground, twitching.
“Ugh…”
“Young man. Do you understand now? This is the real Earth. We're the failures who cleared that damn Labyrinth but couldn't protect the Earth.”
“D-Don't be ridiculous…”
Tears streamed down Lee Chang-chun's face.
“W-Why is the world like this… It would have been better not to clear the Labyrinth at all…”
A silence fell at his words. The man who had been trying to calm Lee Chang-chun gave a bitter smile.
“But we all came out. What can we do? We have to at least try to save this crazy world.”
Back when the world was still the world. The sky split open, and monsters poured out. And choices appeared before humanity.
Easy Mode. Normal Mode. Hard Mode.
And Alone Mode. Players who chose their respective difficulties and entered the Labyrinth would return to Earth upon clearing it. To an Earth overflowing with monsters and heading for ruin.
That's who they were. And Taesan was a player who had chosen Easy Mode.