"Call Shredder."
"Best of luck, Mage Shredder."
As the female figure vanished, I clutched my head, overwheld with embarrassnt. "That was so cringe!!"
I drew in several sharp breaths, repeatedly, until I regained my composure.
Yes, there was a reason I needed to enter LOTM.
LOTM was the dominant ga among young mages, but it was also known by another na—the ga for the idle, Lord Of The Worthless.
And I understood why the dia, especially the older generation of mages, found it objectionable.
Mages and students typically logged into LOTM to unwind—so because of the pressures from their families, others simply for leisure.
Rather than clearing dungeons or hunting demonic humans, teenagers were relaxing in pods, battling monsters as their in-ga avatars, while eliminating any real risk of death, dulling their sense of fear.
But I, for one, had a valid reason to be here.
Not only did LOTM offer a wide range of characters with unique talents that I could utilize, it also allowed to test the boundaries of infinite adaptability under an alternate identity.
There were also significant rewards for top-ranking players, and I didn’t have to worry about dying in every encounter.
A sudden burst of light made squint as my eyes adjusted to the artificial sunlight.
I stood in a vast forest brimming with towering trees and uneven terrain. Distant mountains, shrouded in fog, lood in the background.
Taking a deep breath, I admired the lush greenery once more.
MAGE SHREDDER, YOUR JOURNEY HAS BEGUN!
FIND YOUR WAY TO ADVENT CITY!
FORM A PACT WITH THE GODDESS HESTIA. THEN, PREPARE FOR THE ANNUAL COMPETITION BEGINNING IN TEN HOURS.
9:59:59
I smiled as I glanced at the sniper in my hand.
One of the benefits of full-dive technology was that any object you held prior to logging in would be scanned and brought into the virtual world.
And since I didn’t intend to use any of my inherent talents aside from infinite adaptability, I needed an alternative weapon, sothing that would help remain inconspicuous.
As I stepped in the direction indicated by a glowing arrow pointing toward the city, I froze at the sound of rustling in the nearby bushes.
Imdiately, I dashed toward the origin of the noise.
’Ti to act like a typical Isekai protagonist.’
And as if on cue, the scene behind the bushes mirrored sothing straight out of an Isekai pilot episode.
A carriage lay broken by the roadside, guarded by three soldiers who stood protectively in front of two princesses—each appearing to hail from a different kingdom.
Roughly seven goblins surrounded them, wielding crude bats.
The guards trembled as the aggressive goblins advanced.
"We must protect the princesses at all costs!" one shouted.
The others adjusted their stance, while I observed silently from behind a tree, not even flinching.
’I can’t call myself a true Isekai harem protagonist if I intervene now,’ I mused with a grin at my own absurdity. But as I turned my gaze again, all I saw were the sparkling particles of a fading NPC.
"Huh? Where’d the damsels go? Was I too late?" I sighed, scratching my hair. "Well, there goes my harem."
The goblins shifted their attention toward as I drew the firearm from the kit on my back.
I lifted the sniper onto my shoulder while the handguns rested in my lap.
All seven goblins charged simultaneously.
[YOUR TALENT INFINITE ADAPTABILITY IS RESONATING WITH YOU]
Without glancing back, I leapt gracefully onto a tree branch as the goblins snarled below.
I steadied the sniper in my hands and crouched into the position usually shown in action films. "Die."
I pulled the trigger on the bullet I had purchased upon entering VR, but rather than the blue projectile striking my target, it veered completely off course, soaring into the sky.
"Why does nothing ever go as planned?"
Sliding the sniper back into its case and slinging it behind , I dropped from the tree and drew my two handguns.
The first goblin swung its bat toward my foot, but I swiftly dodged.
My eyes, now a shimring silver, flickered as sunlight glinted off the goggles perched on my head.
I lifted my arm and slamd the butt of the pistol against the goblin’s skull.
The next one let out a piercing shriek, montarily stunning . A bat struck the back of my head, and my vision blurred.
As I tried to fire the pistol, the system ssage echoed in my mind:
[YOU HAVE DIED. RESTARTING FROM CHECKPOINT]
"I died," I muttered as I was teleported back to the scene before the carriage ambush.
Clicking my tongue, I rushed forward, this ti leaping into action imdiately.
The guards turned toward , speechless.
Without hesitation, I pulled the trigger four tis, swiftly dispatching the goblins.
The remaining three opened their mouths to unleash a shriek.
"Cover your ears!" I commanded.
Both the guards and princesses obeyed, but I didn’t.
The goblins’ cries emitted a frequency that could rupture eardrums.
But with infinite adaptability, I was confident I could endure it.
As the sound reverberated through the forest, causing even the trees to tremble, I stood still—unaffected.
[YOU HAVE WITNESSED GOBLIN SHRIEK BEFORE: YOU HAVE ADAPTED TO THE FREQUENCY]
I smirked. It seed my efforts weren’t in vain.
Stunned that I remained standing, the goblins froze.
I repeated my maneuver, slamming the pistol into one of them, followed by a swift kick. I then fired two bullets, taking out the goblins preparing to strike .
The last one trembled in terror as I advanced.
Raising my arm with a fluid motion, I delivered a final blow. The goblin collapsed, lifeless.
MAGE SHREDDER, YOU HAVE ACCOMPLISHED OUTSTANDING FEATS. YOU HAVE EARNED THE PRINCESSES’ RECOGNITION.
Only after the system notification appeared did I notice that much ti had passed in the real world.
As the princesses and guards approached, I opened the VR stats and clicked log out.
THE WORLD SHALL KNOW YOU AS SHREDDER
I felt the tension in my body dissolve as I stepped out of the pod.
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