Player with Maxed-Ou Chapter 5

Space warped, and from within erged the female BJ, Senia. She was exceedingly beautiful, but I didn’t see her as such in my eyes.

“I shall revise the content of the Tutorial Field in accordance with the Brave Lion King’s wishes.”

There are tis like these. Guardians can make minor content changes as a privilege. I know what the Lion King might suggest. I know it all too well.

‘I hoped it wouldn’t co to this.’

I bit my lip slightly.

‘He’ll surely lead it to a fight.’

It was almost a certainty.

‘The best way to do that is to destroy the conditional safe zones.’

Guardians have limited ways in which they can intervene with players. They can support players or sponsor COINS, but they face many restrictions in directly interfering with gaplay. That’s all they can do. By proposing to a middle manager, they can manage to do sothing like destroying the conditional safe zones.

“The deal has been concluded. Following the Brave Lion King’s request, the conditional safe zone will be lifted in 30 seconds.”

Without blinking an eye, she nonchalantly muttered such a thing, knowing full well I couldn’t handle a horde of goblins with my current strength.

‘As much as you are aware of that, I know this world even better.’

Perhaps I know it even better than Senia herself. They should not underestimate Kim Hyukjin, the guy who prepared for civil service exams for three years and a ga addict.

I said,

“If a guardian forces a change in settings, shouldn’t the player receive corresponding compensation?”

Senia looked at

with an expressionless face. Although I couldn’t read her expression, it felt as if she found the complaints of a level 1 bug insignificant. She was unperturbed by my informal manner of speech.

“Ignoring the rules should not be allowed. Especially if it relates to my life. You cannot ignore the law.”

Notifications popped up.

[‘The Naless Observer’ expresses surprise.]

[‘The Brave Lion King’ remains silent.]

“Did you just speak of the Law?”

“Yes, the Law.”

Because such laws – or rather, the Law – exist within this system.

“What do you know of the Law?”

“Is that important?”

At this mont, my life hangs in the balance. What could be more important?

“Shouldn’t the player have no need to explain their style of play in detail?”

Senia said nothing. Normally, BJs are quite chatty, but this one is sowhat unique.

‘Such beauty, yet unknown by na… that dreadful lack of eloquence must have played a part.’

I checked the ti. Ten seconds had already passed.

“My ti in the safe zone has expired while conversing with you, a middle manager. The compensation?”

“In accordance with the Law, I shall extend the validity of the safe zone. After our conversation ends, the safe zone will remain effective for another 10 seconds.”

Good. This is a very welco developnt for . The first goblin attack will end soon. I just need to hang on a little longer. The Brave Lion King may have interfered, but ti is steadily moving forward. I spoke again.

“The setting change is related to the safety of my life. Should there not be an appropriate compensation for such? Am I wrong?”

“…”

“I’ll ask again. Am I wrong?”

“…”

She’s probably flustered by now. A level 1 trash like

talking back to a BJ – yet she has no grounds for sanctioning , as my argunt relates to the ‘Law’ that will only be revealed seven years later.

‘Maybe she’s actually enjoying this.’

My current behavior is definitely standout, likely to attract the attention of many guardians. Maybe the BJ, Senia, is actually welcoming my actions privately.

After a brief silence, she spoke.

“Player Kim Hyukjin, you are correct.”

At that sa mont, an item beca bound to my inventory.

──────────

[Quality Lubricant]

A can of quality lubricant. It can sharpen bladed items or be applied to parts that need lubrication. It is exceptionally slippery.

──────────

‘A setting change reward, and it’s just this?’

I frowned slightly. The reward seed sowhat weak. Still, I had gained what I could gain. I won the ti by talking to the BJ. That was a sound decision.

‘The Lion King. What a fool.’

He had helped , inadvertently. Thanks to him, I could draw out sufficient ti in safety. Nobody would have guessed that a level 1 player could stretch the ti by invoking the ‘Law’ as a ploy. I certainly hadn’t expected to. When confronted with the situation, this thod ca to mind.

[The first goblin raid has ended.]

[‘The Brave Lion King’ is deeply disappointed.]

I silently breathed a sigh of relief.

‘I’ve survived the first wave, for now.’

Without a doubt, the Brave Lion King, that damned guardian, is fidgeting around like a dog in need of the toilet because the goblins are about to disappear from this field.

“Kehehe. Kigigik! Kieek!”

The goblins started to move. If they had appeared like a flood tide, now they were disappearing as if the tide was ebbing.

‘Now’s my chance.’

I sprang to my feet. BJ Senia simply watched

move. She neither hindered nor helped . Given that she hasn’t left, she seed to show so interest in . I left the bus.

‘Ugh…’

A grisly hell unfolded before my eyes. It was hard to find a whole corpse. What was once a common bus interior at dawn was now strewn with seven bodies, torn to pieces, so parts even missing.

‘Ugh.’

I felt nauseated. It was horrific. I didn’t want to see any more of this. There seed to be a man who had died with his eyes open, lying over a seat, as though he would rise and pursue

in that state.

‘Let’s pull myself together.’

I had to focus. The official survival rate of the Tutorial Field is a re 3 percent.

‘I must hold out for a week.’

I must survive for a week. I have ridden this bus daily for three years, and I know this place like the back of my hand. At least I am certain where convenience stores are located near the road.

‘The fog has thinned.’

I pushed open the bus door and stepped out. A nauseating sewer stench mixed with the heavy odor of blood reached . Thankfully, the fog was present. If I had to see this place in broad daylight with a clear view, I might have gone mad.

‘I need water and food, first and foremost.’

Surviving seven days without drinking anything is next to impossible. The convenience store is my primary destination.

I have about 10 minutes.

‘Let’s go.’

Strangely enough, I moved as naturally as soone who had experienced this gaplay before. As if I had practiced it multiple tis.

Up until now, I hadn’t fully grasped the extent of my own talent.

* * *

The surroundings appeared very blurry. Amidst the bitter sll of blood, I could see cars and bodies sared with blood scattered all over the street. Amongst the chaos, I could hear the voices of those who survived. It’s worth noting that vision and hearing are greatly limited in the fog.

‘Considering this is within the fog… there seems to be quite a few survivors from the first goblin raid.’

I began to run toward the convenience store. The orientation senses are said to be nearly gone, and it felt true. Only a few steps later and the blue bus was almost out of sight, I caught a last glimpse of it. I ran without looking back.

‘This way is right.’

There is a convenience store not too far ahead. I relied on my instincts and ran forward. The distance, not even 300 ters, felt incredibly long. It was the first ti I realized how strongly I was clinging onto ‘life’.

Thud.

Sothing caught my foot. ‘Another corpse?’

But it wasn’t a corpse. Beneath my feet lay a person, not a body. I could hear sobbing.

“Please, help . I beg you. Please save .”

The girl looked to be in her early to mid-teens. Paralyzed with fear, she lay curled up and shaking until she looked up and saw . The look in her eyes was one of a child seeing an adult, yearning for help.

Squeak-squeak—the sound of sothing being scraped was audible. At that mont, I couldn’t help but flinch.

‘A goblin here?’

I hadn’t seen it for the fog, but there was still a goblin present.

‘The first goblin raid is over, isn’t it?’

Based on nurous records and simulations in virtual dungeons, the goblins were supposed to have completely withdrawn. That was the accepted theory, and there was no ntion of this in the strategies. This goblin represented a ‘variable.’

A ‘variable’ or perhaps an ‘error.’

Kigik. Kigigik!

The creature was about 50cm tall.

‘Not a full-grown one?’

It wasn’t an adult goblin. It seed to be a young one. However, its vile hobby remained, as it diligently sawed at the girl’s ankle with a small dagger. Squeak-squeak—the horrible sound continued. I faced an internal conflict in that mont.

‘Should I run?’

To flee or not to flee.

‘To defeat a baby goblin seems feasible.’

While it generally varies, the standard level recomnded to take down a goblin is about 5. This creature isn’t a mature goblin, but its offspring. With my initial stats befitting top-tier players, I could possibly hunt down a baby goblin, given a little ti.

More sobbing reached my ears.

“No, no, please help . Please, I want to see my mom.”

I bit my lip. Helping this girl could make

completely lose my sense of direction. Leaving

defenseless for the second raid.

“Please, I’m begging you. Save .”

What should I do? Amidst my conflict, I suddenly noticed sothing odd.

‘Co to think of it…’

Chills ran down my arm.

‘There’s no blood. None at all.’

This girl. She wasn’t screaming in pain, only in shock.

Even if it was a baby goblin, it still had a dagger, which was earnestly slicing the girl’s ankle. The baby goblin appeared to be focused entirely on cutting the girl’s ankle.

‘She’s not taking any damage.’

Did this girl also receive Open Beta perks? Maybe she got sothing that protects her body.

‘But still… How could this young girl…’

She must be barely a junior high student. The ‘Talent Panel’ is typically known to peak in the late teens to early twenties. This girl is too young for her Talent Panel to have fully opened.

‘Without any armor, she’s resisting that dagger. Solely with her body’s capability.’

Even Marxism, with his strength, would find it improbable at level 1. This girl was oblivious to her own condition. The scraping of the blade on her ankle was the only sensation she felt. Deep in panic, she was unaware that she was completely unhard.

‘Is this the fabled talent I’ve heard about?’

If she were to properly grow from this state? If I could make her an ally? Even if that’s not the case, if I can just owe her a life debt?

‘In the absolute worst case…’

There likely won’t be many such instances, but in the gravest mont, this girl’s ‘toughness’ could be of great help to . A person without a Talent Panel, deed ‘Talentless,’ can’t compare to this girl.

‘I’m out of ti.’

The second raid is about to begin. Senia, having caught up with , said,

“A baby goblin or not. At level 1, it’s quite difficult to defeat.”

She seed to regard

as ‘quality content,’ judging that it wouldn’t be good for

to die here.

A decision must be made.

‘I will…!’