Chapter 4

Level Up IlDanSimPanGwan – Episode 4 (4/227)

Episode 4: The Chosen One (3)

[Time Remaining Until Execution ’00:47:32′]

“Ugh! No way!”

As time slipped away mercilessly, WooJin let out a shout.

But in the empty underground prison, there was no one to hear his plea.

“Getting killed for taking a wrong path? Are they insane or what?”

No matter what he said to the priestess who captured him, it made no difference.

Whether he vented his grievances or tried calmly reasoning with her, she refused to even start a conversation, claiming it was already decided.

And as if that wasn’t bad enough, newly started WooJin had neither skills nor a job class.

With no character name, no connections, and no money, escaping from the sturdy yet decrepit facility seemed utterly impossible.

“Of course, dealing with a literal mad goddess… damn it!”

Recalling the other name of the Goddess of Light ‘Lu’ filled WooJin with despair.

The seven gods of Warode each uniquely possessed three titles.

Take ‘Bahamut’ for example, known as the Tyrant of Rivers and God of Water. His full title was actually ‘God of Circulation, Water, and Ruin.’

This pattern held true: two normal-sounding titles followed by one negative aspect, often catastrophic.

“Bahamut’s infamous among users, but Lu… don’t even get me started. What good does adding Justice and Light do?”

Goddess of Justice, Light, and Madness.

That was Lu’s trio of titles.

At first glance, an odd combination, but it was certain Lu fundamentally pursued goodness and justice.

The problem was her blindness to anything outside her rigid sense of justice, leading her into extreme madness.

Her followers were similarly deranged, and executing intruders like WooJin without trial seemed absurd but somehow logical in their twisted worldview.

Considering how empty the underground prison was, it was likely they’d executed all previous prisoners.

“But seriously… execution by burning?! Why specifically that?”

Though Warode was a virtual reality ‘game’, players experienced almost no real pain, with safety mechanisms softening mental shocks.

Still, it wasn’t completely shock-free.

The eerie feeling of being torn apart by monsters or cut down by other players added realism, enhancing the game’s thrill.

Among countless possible deaths in Warode, burning was particularly advised against.

The intense heat combined with hyper-realistic visuals reportedly left players disoriented after disconnecting, their bodies tingling for quite some time afterward.

And now his first death would be at the hands of these fanatics.

His luck couldn’t possibly be worse.

Clank!

The sound of the underground prison door opening echoed.

Though unseen, descending footsteps indicated someone was coming.

“Can’t be… there’s still over forty minutes left?”

WooJin shivered at the ominous vibe.

Given their personalities, executing him ahead of schedule wouldn’t be surprising at all.

Click! Squeak!

The priestess appeared, unlocking the securely fastened cell door.

“Wha… you’re?”

WooJin stuttered upon seeing her.

While outwardly identical to the priestess who initially captured him, the faint halo surrounding her and overwhelming presence suggested she was something entirely different.

The Goddess of Light ‘Lu’.

The divine figure from Warode had reappeared before WooJin.

“Sorry for being late.”

Her tone exuded nobility, elegance, and a hint of arrogance, exactly like the goddess he’d encountered earlier.

However, one issue remained.

“Shouldn’t you be asleep right now…”

According to developers, Warode’s deities were still semi-dormant, only becoming fully active when average user levels significantly increased.

Assuming they weren’t lying, it should have been impossible for one of the seven gods to appear this way.

“You seem surprisingly knowledgeable. Did you study up on Warode beforehand?”

She nodded approvingly.

WooJin froze in surprise.

In the Warode world, the term ‘Warode’ didn’t exist; it was merely the game’s title, unknown to in-game characters.

“What an interesting expression. You’re wondering how I, a mere collection of game data, know about the outside world, right? That’s the biggest difference between NPCs and users.”

“Ho… how?”

WooJin’s mouth hung open.

Clearly, major errors were occurring as game terms NPCs shouldn’t recognize were spilling out.

“Think about it. Do you really believe Warode operates without any admin intervention?”

“That… that’s correct.”

Overwhelmed by her presence, WooJin involuntarily nodded.

It was well-known Warode operated without external interference, as promised by developers, and would continue doing so.

Balanced combat avoiding neglected classes or skill trees, stable market systems free from inflation, diverse content endlessly explorable…

Before release, Warode was marketed as the most perfectly finished game ever, alongside being the safest virtual reality system.

A past failed VR game, ‘Prideca,’ saw massive industry upheaval due to insider trading by staff aware of patch notes. Warode’s approach eliminated such risks, receiving positive reactions from both users and investors.

“But if there’s no intervention, who manages things? As average user levels rise, more areas need higher-level monsters and quests. How are updates handled, and who runs periodic world events?”

Leaning back casually in the priestess’s body, she spoke.

Hearing words like ‘updates’ and ‘users’ from an in-game NPC, let alone a goddess, felt incredibly awkward.

“I heard it’s all managed by artificial intelligence.”

“Right, exactly. And that role is fulfilled by us gods.”

“Eh?”

“More precisely, Warode’s deities manage endless changes within the world. To properly coordinate and progress this vast world, confined knowledge and thinking aren’t enough. So the developers granted us understanding of the outside world and game concepts. Unlike regular NPCs bound by strict scripts, only the seven deity entities know this truth. Understand better now?”

‘This is what…’

Struggling to comprehend the unbelievable explanation, WooJin’s mouth remained agape.

Even WooJin, who knew every rumor circulating about Warode, had never heard this, nor did other users expect such revelations.

Of course, developers hadn’t mentioned it, and the seven Warode gods had never directly appeared or conversed with users before.

“Deities also face heavy restrictions, naturally. That’s why opportunities to manifest like this are rare. I’ve nearly exhausted my power, so moving will be difficult for a while.”

She grabbed WooJin’s arm and pulled him out of the iron bars.

Just as WooJin was about to bombard her with questions, she stepped closer and said,

“User KR8784638, Kim WooJin. Didn’t you swear allegiance to me?”

“Th… that’s right.”

WooJin nodded despite his fear.

Though spoken out of terror facing death, it was indeed what he’d said.

“I’ve never encountered anyone praying to me so earnestly. Others prayed ultimately to gain my favor, regardless of their various purposes. But the sincerity I sensed from you was unlike anything I’ve ever felt.”

‘Well, that’s obviously true.’

WooJin thought to himself, flustered.

Who wouldn’t be desperate in that situation?

She seemed to have missed hearing him list other gods or pleading for mercy, interpreting his prayer as solely directed at her.

‘Could she not have properly heard what I said?’

“Our time is up. I’ve used all the faith gained from awakening early to empower you. Uphold our doctrines and spread the light of faith. Then perhaps I can assist you further.”

“Faith? Power? What the heck…”

Thud!

The priestess suddenly lost consciousness and collapsed.

Lying on the floor, she showed no signs of waking soon.

Apparently, the possession time granted by the goddess had ended.

‘I need to get out of here first.’

Despite the confusion, WooJin prioritized leaving the underground prison.

If the priestess regained consciousness, she might attempt execution again.

Exiting the underground area, he found himself greeted by pleasant sunlight.

Thanks to the goddess’s arrangements, there were no guards around the prison entrance.

Quickly moving away to an empty alleyway, a holographic window suddenly appeared before WooJin.

[Please enter your character name.]

[Once set, nicknames cannot be changed.]

“Name… why now…? Well, given everything else, this doesn’t seem strange anymore.”

Considering everything that had happened, he should be grateful the option appeared at all.

Without hesitation, WooJin entered the character name he’d planned.

Instantly, numerous previously hidden status windows popped up.

Ding!

<User Information>

Name: Ail

Title: None

Affiliation: Light Church

Level: 1

Job: Heretic Judge

Main Stats:

Strength: 20 Agility: 20 Vitality: 20 Magic: 20 Faith: 0.1 Madness: 0

Divinity: Goddess of Justice, Light, and Madness

Divinity: Initiate Priest of Lu

Goddess Favor: 50.00%

Contribution: 0 (Cumulative 0)

[Character name has been set!]

[You have become a follower of Lu, walking the path of light!]

[You have successfully transferred to the exclusive job ‘Heretic Judge’!]

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