Chapter 3

Level Up Heretic Judge – Episode 3 (3/227)

Episode 3: The Chosen One (2)

It had only been a day since WooJin narrowly escaped a near-death situation.

Of course, he immediately called the main office and unleashed an epic rant filled with curses and yelling. In response, the Warode development team hastily dispatched personnel to handle the incident.

Their next move was exactly as WooJin had predicted.

They promised hollow reassurances to prevent a recurrence, offered a hefty compensation package to silence him, and politely requested that he keep the matter under wraps.

WooJin found their attitude infuriating.

“Almost died here, and you think some measly cash is gonna shut me up? Not happening! Take your money back!”

…

Except… it was *a lot* of money.

WooJin stared blankly at the black briefcase sitting in front of him.

“1… 1 billion won?!”

His eyes bulged wide open.

The briefcase was stuffed with wads of cash. The sharply dressed female representative kneeling across from him might as well have been invisible to WooJin right now.

When WooJin remained speechless, the Warode rep bowed her head and spoke.

“The amount may seem insufficient, for which we apologize. This is the maximum compensation we can offer for first-time connection errors.”

“Insufficient?!” WooJin exclaimed, surprised again.

Previously, VR games had clauses warning about potential dangers, but compensation usually amounted to just account refunds or device replacements.

Warode’s compensation was on an entirely different level.

“We’ve confirmed this wasn’t a device issue. It seems you have an exceptionally rare physiology incompatible with VR systems – the first such case among global users. However, we’ve resolved the issues identified through your personal testing, so you should be able to enjoy the game safely moving forward.”

After listening silently, WooJin asked one question.

“So… if this is the ‘first’ compensation… does that mean the amount increases if another error occurs?”

“Of course. We’re trying to make amends for our mistake, but if another critical error happens, we wouldn’t be able to claim stability anymore. There’d be public backlash and minimum compensation of around 3.5 billion won. Of course! That won’t happen, so please feel free to enjoy our game.”

The woman smiled gently as she spoke.

With the 1 billion won spread out before him, the conversation wrapped up quickly, leaving WooJin alone once more.

He stared blankly at the money on his living room floor for a while before jumping up.

“Shit, I need to get to my part-time job!”

Despite everything feeling like some surreal dream, reality came knocking – he only had half an hour before his convenience store shift change.

While hurriedly getting dressed, WooJin glanced at his VR device in the corner.

“What if I get stuck again? How am I supposed to trust this thing when my life’s on the line?”

Annoyed, he kicked the device lightly.

The rep had mentioned they’d offer immediate refunds if he wanted them. He planned to reclaim the account fee and device cost.

Sighing deeply, WooJin left the house.

“This damn rare constitution… Guess I still can’t play what everyone else can. Well, at least I made 1 billion out of it.”

Thinking about the unexpected windfall softened his mood somewhat.

With this money, he could easily cover his immediate living expenses and rent, making it a much-needed blessing.

Still, the upcoming work shift brought its own frustrations.

“Almost died and now I’m hearing ‘thanks to that’? Bullshit!”

…

“This customer is insane. Seriously, why today of all days?”

WooJin muttered to himself while picking up scattered coins.

One of the cautionary cases he needed to watch for at the counter: a drunken middle-aged man causing trouble.

From impolite language and swearing to finger-pointing, and finally throwing all his coins around during checkout – it was the cherry on top of an unpleasant sundae.

Though he’d been doing this job for over two years, encountering such situations still left him feeling disheartened.

“Enduring this humiliation for years won’t even net me 1 billion won…”

While most people would consider this foolish thinking, receiving 1 billion won out of nowhere made it hard for WooJin to shake off these thoughts.

After finishing his final duties and waiting twenty minutes, the next staff member arrived breathlessly.

“Ah, sorry Oppa! I’m late today, right?”

“It’s fine. The accounts match and I’ve noted down any necessary information. I’ll go ahead and leave.”

Without responding to her apology, WooJin slowly gathered his things and left.

Normally he might have added a comment or two, but today he didn’t have the energy to critique anyone else.

“3.5 billion… Just one shot and it’d be real life-changing money…”

…

“Whew, I’m nervous.”

WooJin tried to calm his racing heart in front of the connection device.

Unable to resist the lure of the massive compensation package, he was attempting to reconnect to Warode.

As a precaution, he set his phone to automatically report if he didn’t emerge after one hour.

If another critical failure occurred, he’d receive minimum compensation of 3.5 billion won, saying goodbye forever to his cramped apartment and part-time job hopping lifestyle.

Of course, there was also the possibility of normal connection.

But after Warode offered him hope only to betray him and threaten his life, he no longer dared to expect positive outcomes.

All he hoped for was to connect without side effects, exit safely, and collect the 3.5 billion won.

The chamber door closed behind him and his consciousness began to fade.

Flash!

Connecting to the game happened in an instant.

Tensely, he cautiously looked around.

“Wh-where am I…?”

He definitely knew he was inside the virtual reality, but it wasn’t the usual waiting room that appeared upon first login, nor the terrifying black void that trapped him before.

Candles emitting soft white light, ornate chairs, magnificent frescoes on the walls…

The space resembled a grand European cathedral.

His outfit had changed into the game’s default attire, but his gaze was drawn most strongly to the statue at the front.

A beautiful goddess wearing not flowing robes but sturdy armor, with a long sword sheathed at her waist – an unusual combination.

“Definitely… looks familiar somehow.”

Though it seemed impossible someone so stunning could exist in reality, he was certain he’d seen her face somewhere.

“Right! She’s the one who appeared then…!”

Initially thinking it was a hallucination after barely escaping the connection device, WooJin realized as he continued staring at the statue that the woman who appeared before him was indeed the subject of this sculpture.

Simultaneously, he understood her identity.

In the world of Warode, there were seven gods and their corresponding faiths. Among them was the goddess of light “Lu,” whose statue stood before him.

“Why didn’t I recognize her sooner…?”

Even though WooJin couldn’t play directly due to his condition, his knowledge of VR games was expert-level. His understanding of Warode’s world was extensive.

From geography and history to guild power struggles and minor events, there was little he didn’t know.

Naturally, he was extremely familiar with Warode’s seven gods, including Lu’s appearance.

Yet when he encountered the goddess herself, he failed to recognize her as the goddess of light.

“Well, she looks completely different from pictures and statues…”

What he saw online was simply “pretty” or “impressive.” But seeing her in person revealed a radiant, truly righteous divine presence.

“So this must be Lu’s temple interior…”

Creak!

At that moment, the door behind WooJin opened.

The person entering wore pristine white ceremonial robes – clearly a priestess of Lu responsible for managing the temple.

Seeing WooJin, she jumped back in surprise.

“Wh-who are you?”

“Uh, well…”

WooJin hesitated, unsure how to explain the situation. Without having created a character name yet, he had no proper way to introduce himself.

“This isn’t a place just anyone can enter! Don’t think we’ll let this slide easily!”

“No, it’s not like that! I just…”

“Knights! We have an intruder!”

As the priestess shouted, white-armored knights rushed in from outside the door.

Swords and shields drawn, Lu’s paladins approached WooJin threateningly.

“Wait, let me explain…”

Wham!

Before he could defend himself, WooJin was struck in the stomach and fell to the ground.

…

Damp air and suffocating darkness.

Captured by the knights, WooJin found himself imprisoned in the dungeon beneath the temple.

Aside from rolling skulls nearby, he occupied a solitary cell.

“Where exactly am I?”

“Your act won’t work. You can’t possibly not know where you are!”

Frustrated by the priestess’s unwavering stance, WooJin asked through gritted teeth.

“Look, whether it’s an act or not, just tell me where we are! Where exactly is this place? Please, just answer that much.”

“…The Temple of Lu in Duel.”

“Huh… so that’s it.”

Finally obtaining the priestess’s answer, WooJin nodded slightly.

While trapped in the dungeon, he’d been considering the situation. As expected, this was Duel, the only major city with Lu’s temple among Warode’s starting locations.

However, he couldn’t understand why the game started in Lu’s temple instead of the usual beginner’s square.

Normally, new users should first choose which city to start in.

Meanwhile, WooJin hadn’t even gone through the basic process of naming his character, skipping straight to this point. He wondered if his unique constitution caused another error, and whether he’d still qualify for compensation.

Unfortunately, the impatient priestess gave him no time to think.

“The judgment regarding your intrusion has already been decided.”

“What? But there hasn’t been a trial yet!”

“In this case, it was determined that a trial wasn’t necessary.”

Hearing this, WooJin sighed in relief.

Apparently, even when dealing with unreasonable opponents, they wouldn’t punish someone too harshly for simply taking a wrong turn.

But he was mistaken.

“Then can you at least open this cell…”

“You will be executed by burning.”

“…What?!”

[You have been sentenced to execution by burning!]

[Do not worry! Through the grace of the merciful goddess, you will be provided with parchment and a quill to leave a final message.]

[Time remaining until execution: ’00:59:58′]