Chapter 3

Lее Нusеong cаlmlу оbsеrvеd the three gоblins rаpidly сharging towаrd him.

‘If I usе аll mу rеmаining Manа here, I might еnсountеr gоblins оn thе wаy bаck аnd die.’

Was thеrе а wаy to dеfeаt them without using Mаnа?

In a situation wherе а single mistake could mеаn death, Lee Husеоng remainеd surprisinglу саlm аnd soon camе up with a dесеnt idea.

‘Lеt’s gеt insidе this hole, еven if it meаns using all my Manа hеre.’

In <Geо Аrc>, thеre werе various waуs to оbtаin Skills, but among them, the goоd Skills werе mоstlу hidden in unеxpесtеd plaсes likе this.

Еvеn if thеrе was nоthing insidе this hоle, I соuld just recover all my Mana inside and come back out.

‘First, I need to take down these guys.’

Kyaaaak!!!!

By the time he finished his thoughts, the goblins had already reached right before Lee Huseong’s eyes.

Possessing a magic affinity significantly lowers physical abilities.

It wasn’t easy to dodge the attacks of goblins, the weakest Level 1 Monsters.

However, Lee Huseong had some understanding of the goblins’ attack patterns.

<Geo Arc> was a game, and these creatures moved according to programmed code.

In other words, the movements of Level 1 Monsters like goblins were incredibly simple.

Whoosh!!!

Thwump!!!!

The three simultaneously swung the clubs in their right hands swiftly toward Lee Huseong.

The first attack pattern goblins always used.

It was a very simple vertical downward strike.

Although his current physical abilities seemed slower and less responsive than his real body, he predicted the attack and quickly twisted his body to the side.

‘The second is a horizontal swing.’

And the second attack was a wide horizontal swing.

Thwump…!!!

Thwump!!

Thwump!!!

Lee Huseong pulled his body back, dodging their attacks.

His hair fluttered in the wind trailing the clubs’ path.

Then came the goblins’ final third attack pattern.

After the third attack, they showed a brief opening of about one second.

Thwump…!!

Thwump!!

Thwump!!

The goblins’ final third attack was a diagonal downward swing, making it deceptively tricky to dodge.

But Lee Huseong predicted their attacks and managed to evade them all.

After their fixed attack patterns ended, the goblins paused briefly, staring at Lee Huseong.

‘Now.’

Lee Huseong didn’t miss that opportunity and drew upon the Mana within his body.

A faint blue Mana, so meager it was almost embarrassing to call it Mana.

But it was enough.

Kyaaak!!!!

Kyiiik!!!!!

Kyiiik!!!!!

As Lee Huseong drew upon his Mana, the goblins grew even more excited and charged at him.

The massive, deep hole right behind Lee Huseong.

‘3 seconds.’

The goblins were charging rapidly,

‘2 seconds.’

Lee Huseong was timing it.

For the perfect timing.

‘1 second.’

Lee Huseong, who had been counting down internally, finally seized the perfect timing,

and quickly moved sideways to dodge their first attack pattern—the vertical downward strike.

Kyaaaaak!!!

Kyiiiiik!!!!

Thud…!

Thud…!

The goblins, failing to notice the hole behind Lee Huseong, tumbled straight into it.

‘This is unexpected.’

A plan only possible because of the stupid goblins.

But a slight variable occurred.

Unlike the first two, one goblin stopped its steps precariously right at the edge of the hole.

However, Lee Huseong didn’t panic and quickly approached the goblin.

“You too, get lost.”

The goblin barely maintaining its balance at the hole’s edge.

Lee Huseong simply kicked the goblin’s back.

Whump!

Kyaaaaaak!!

Thud…!

The goblin fell straight into the hole.

Simultaneously, along with the goblin’s scream, a sound like something hitting the ground echoed.

“Phew… Now, shall we go in?”

Although the hole was quite deep, upon closer inspection, the inner walls were rugged, making it seem possible to climb down using them.

‘Let’s go right now…!’

Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.

He began descending step by step, using the inner walls of the hole.

About ten minutes later, he finally landed completely inside the hole,

Oooong…!!

“This light…?!”

When he fully entered the hole, a pure white light shimmered in the distance.

Lee Huseong stepped over the corpses of the fallen goblins and ran toward that light.

Padapadapadap…!

Upon finally reaching the spreading halo of white light, a message appeared before Lee Huseong’s eyes.

[You have acquired the 8th-rank Hidden Skill ‘Growth Acceleration’.]

Lee Huseong, who had obtained an 8th-rank Hidden Skill, smiled.

* * *

A short while later, having fully recovered his Stamina and Mana, he emerged from the hole.

[Skill: Growth Acceleration]

• Skill Rank: 8th-rank

• Skill Description: Experience Points gained are increased by 100%.

The Skill Lee Huseong obtained was an 8th-rank Hidden Skill.

Skills obtained not by leveling up but through external factors like this were typically called Hidden Skills.

The description of the Growth Acceleration Skill meant that from now on, Experience Points would be doubled.

‘To think I’d get such an overpowered Skill inside that hole…. This will be a great help for my growth going forward.’

After closing the Skill window, Lee Huseong began moving quickly.

His destination was a small village near the Tutorial Forest.

Usually, upon arriving at this village, gold is given as the Tutorial Clear Reward.

Then, a message appeared before his eyes.

[You have cleared the Tutorial.]

[You have acquired 100 Copper Coins as a reward.]

Upon checking the message, a heavy pouch about the size of a palm had somehow appeared on his hand.

Opening the pouch revealed 100 copper-colored coins inside.

“With 100 Copper Coins, I should be fine staying here for a while.”

Arriving at the village eased his tension and brought considerable relief.

Grrrble….

Even inside the game, he felt hunger.

Moreover, perhaps from wandering the forest for so long, he was quite tired.

“Shall I go meet the Village Chief first?”

After completing the Tutorial, one must meet the Village Chief in this village to receive a Quest.

I recall the first Quest usually being an Extermination Quest for Monsters that occasionally appear near the village.

Lee Huseong walked toward the inner area where the market was visible to meet the village’s Village Chief.

Bustle. Bustle.

Bustle. Bustle.

People not much different from Lee Huseong were busily moving about.

Although it was getting dark, the market was still lively.

People’s attire looked shabbier than expected.

‘They wouldn’t be wearing modern clothes.’

Originally, <Geo Arc> was designed with a medieval setting.

He wasn’t accustomed to it, but it didn’t bother him much.

“Freshly caught fish today, just 5 Copper Coins each!”

“Hey, you there! Come over here. You look like an Adventurer; our shop has quite a few decent items.”

A merchant operating a shop with various Armor and weapons shouted and approached Lee Huseong.

“No, thank you.”

Lee Huseong quickly glanced at the items in the shop, but there was nothing he needed.

As a Mage, Lee Huseong didn’t particularly need anything except Robes, staves, and various magic-assist items.

And people naturally wouldn’t know Lee Huseong was a Mage.

According to <Geo Arc>’s setting, Mages were truly rare.

Probably not many even if you searched the entire Continent.

Mages were that rare, and quite a few people didn’t even believe in their existence.

Of course, they’d be surprised if they met a real Mage.

There was once a rumor that a Mage could annihilate an entire Continent if they wished.

“Aw, come on, just take a look!”

The merchant had somehow grabbed Lee Huseong’s sleeve and was almost forcibly trying to lead him away.

“No, thank you.”

Lee Huseong looked at the merchant and repeated expressionlessly, and the merchant, seeing his expression, gave up.

“Making people uncomfortable like that….”

Then the merchant walked in the opposite direction and began calling out to people again.

“This is interesting.”

Only now did Lee Huseong truly feel he had entered <Geo Arc>.

He was seeing with his own eyes, in reality, the village he had only seen through a monitor.

“Let’s hurry.”

He quickly moved his steps toward where the Village Chief was.

The Village Chief’s house at the village center.

Since the village was so small, most houses were old, but the house where the Village Chief lived was almost the only one that looked in good condition.

Lee Huseong stood before the door of a rather grand house compared to the surrounding ones and knocked.

Knock. Knock.

“Who is it?”

A middle-aged man’s voice came from inside.

“An Adventurer. I’ve come to see the Village Chief.”

Lee Huseong’s introduction was simple.

In the actual game, the Character spoke like this too.

Click.

When the village’s Village Chief opened the door, Lee Huseong could see the elderly middle-aged man he had seen in the game.

And the message visible above the Village Chief’s head was also unexpected for Lee Huseong.

[LV.1 Duzan, Village Chief of Burun Village]

‘So NPC Levels are visible too.’

Earlier, when he checked, the Levels of passing people weren’t visible.

Probably ordinary people were so weak they weren’t even Level 1, making it impossible to check their Levels.

“Has Sir Adventurer entered the village at this late hour?”

“Yes.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, could you tell me where you’re from?”

“I lost my way in that forest and happened to arrive at the village.”

Lee Huseong pointed with his finger toward the Tutorial Forest he had passed through.

“That was a close call. Goblins live in that forest! It’s a relief you weren’t hurt. I am Duzan, the Village Chief of this village, Burun Village.”

Lee Huseong pondered briefly upon hearing the Village Chief’s words.

‘My name, Lee Huseong, might be a bit odd here.’

He uttered a name that roughly came to mind.

“My name is Khan.”

“Sir Khan. May I ask the reason for your visit?”

“…….”

Something was off.

Originally, according to <Geo Arc>’s setting, upon meeting Duzan, you receive a Quest, clear it, and then move to an area with other Main Quests.

Lee Huseong was at a loss for words and simply stared at Duzan for a moment.

Then, a voice came from inside the house.

“Duzan, what’s the matter? Has an important Guest arrived?”

The fellow walked out from inside and suddenly appeared before Lee Huseong.

“Haha, it seems an Adventurer who happened to enter the village has come to visit.”

“Adventurer? Do I have the mind to deal with such a fool while I’m in the middle of talking? I’m already in a bad mood for having to come all the way to this backwater village.”

“Sorry… Sorry.”

Lee Huseong quietly observed the two.

A Knight armed head to toe in Armor.

[LV.3 Byutek, Lowest-Rank Knight]

‘Byutek…? An unfamiliar name. And if he’s a Lowest-Rank Knight… it’s better for me to act strong.’

If he were an NPC related to a Quest in <Geo Arc>, he would definitely be in Lee Huseong’s memory.

The Lowest-Rank Knight Byutek before his eyes was a person he didn’t know at all.

Lee Huseong quietly watched Duzan, who wore a troubled expression.

“And that guy is an Adventurer? Skinny and without a weapon, are you lying? Hey, you, if you’re an Adventurer, which affiliation are you from?”

“…….”

“Answer me.”

Lee Huseong was pondering over Byutek’s words.

“Are you seriously pondering in front of a Knight right now?”

The fellow, seemingly quite displeased, suddenly drew a long sword from his waist.

Sshling…!

An unpleasant metallic sound spread from the scabbard.

“Last chance. Speak.”

Lee Huseong thought for a moment, then looked into Byutek’s eyes and spoke.

“I have no affiliation.”

“Kehahaha!! What…? No affiliation?”

Perhaps it was due to the 10th-rank Skill ‘Sage’s Heart’.

Despite a Knight being right before him, he felt no trembling or fear.

‘Rather, in a situation like this, I should act strong.’

Lee Huseong looked straight into Byutek’s eyes and spoke again.

“That’s right, I am a Mage.”

“What…?”

“Let me introduce myself properly. I am Khan, the Mage.”

Byutek, the Lowest-Rank Knight, and Duzan, the Village Chief of Burun Village, were momentarily speechless as they stared at Lee Huseong.