HG Ch 5

<5>

Then, he took two steps back. As a result, the distance between him and the NPC grew even farther. Eunho clutched his head with both hands.

“Huff, huff… I really can’t do this.”

「This is so frustrating, I’m going to lose my mind.」

“No, just hear me out. If I say, ‘Uh, excuse me…’ in this setting, it’s going to ruin the atmosphere. But on the other hand, delivering my lines in a historical drama tone is way too cringeworthy. Look at me! I’m not some beautifully customized character. I came here as my real self, fair and square. I have to role-play while walking around with my own face and my own voice! Can’t you understand that? What’s your MBTI? You’re an E^[1], aren’t you?”

「And you must be a D^[2]. Why do you even exist?」

“Calm down. You just spoke in English, you know? That’s a setting error.”

「If even speaking to another person embarrasses you, just die already! Continuing your pathetic existence is nothing but a waste of resources.」

“What did you just say? You’re supposed to be my guide! And yet you’re hurling insults at the user? Whether someone is cheerful, depressed, or timid—none of those traits are wrong! What kind of nonsense is this? Now I’m seriously pissed off. Where’s the admin? I need the support board!”

[SYSTEM] Invalid command.

Just as they were bickering back and forth—

“Huh? A newbie?”

A gentle voice echoed in Eunho’s ears. Someone else was here? His head turned instinctively.

Standing in his line of sight was a man so stunningly handsome it gave him chills. The moment their eyes met, the man flashed a bright smile.

“You really are a newbie.”

“……”

“You don’t know much about the game, do you? You’ve been wandering around for a while.”

His in-game name was “Ryeongyul^[3].”

“Want me to help you out? Hmm, are you choosing a Class right now?”

Compared to the beginner’s dopo^[4] Eunho was wearing, the man’s daechangui^[5] was of such fine quality that there was no point in even trying to compare.

“Don’t feel pressured. I’m max level, so I don’t really have anything else to do.”

As the man reached out toward Eunho, the wide sleeves of his robe slid back effortlessly, revealing a glimpse of his pale wrist. A bracelet, made of red jade strung together with leather cord, clinked softly against the man’s wrist.

At the same time, Eunho’s mind flashed a shade even redder than the jade.

Emergency! Emergency!

A veteran player! A two-character in-game name with a great ring to it! A carefully customized appearance! Strike three!

Eunho stared at the man with a face full of tension. Deep down, he wanted to turn tail and run without saying a word. But he couldn’t. What if he ignored him outright and ended up triggering the “I’m the undisputed rank #1 on this server, yet a mere newbie dares to disregard me… I’ve never felt this way before” flag?

If he acted all aloof, like a prickly cat, and accidentally piqued the man’s curiosity, he might just find himself with firsthand experience in same-sex marriage.

So, what should he do?

Go with the direct approach.

Thinking quickly, Eunho plopped down onto the ground and bowed his head to the floor.

“Whoa! I really am a newbie!”

“…What are you doing?”

Before the man could even finish his sentence, Eunho’s head shot back up as he started rambling.

“Dang, you’re a total pro, huh? But are you seriously gonna help me? How?”

“……”

“Damn, your gear looks crazy expensive… Man, I wish I had that too… I wish I had a lot of money… I want a good weapon too…”

This was what you’d call the begging meta. And not just your average begging—Eunho was going all-in on the passive-demand approach, skillfully embodying the type of player everyone absolutely despised. It’s human nature to feel generous at first, but the moment someone acts entitled to your kindness, irritation takes over.

No pride, no dignity—just pure, unrelenting desperation. The kind of pathetic loser no one would even want to associate with, let alone date. The type of character no writer in their right mind would ever make a main character.

Sure enough, the man’s expression soured in an instant.

Eunho smirked in satisfaction and delivered the final blow.

“I don’t have a single coin… What should I do? And I don’t have any items either. Huh? I’m just a beginner… I really want to play this game properly, but I’m so broke… I don’t have any money, so it’s not even fun. I was thinking of just quitting the game. But hey, you said you’d help me, right? Could you give me some money and items? Please? Pretty please?”

Eunho clung to the man’s calf, the one tightly wrapped with a money pouch and pressed his forehead against the glossy silk of his shoes. He wasn’t even disgusted by his own actions. Knowing there was an auto-clean system, he could go as far as licking them if he had to.  

You’re starting to regret this, aren’t you? Just walk away while I’m still being nice.

He was waiting for the man to say something like, “What the hell? Instead of trying to learn, this newbie is just begging? That’s disgusting. Quit if you want, I don’t care,” before kicking him away.

“Ugh, seriously, what is this?”

Yes! Swear at me! Kick me! Then I’ll make sure you never see me again!

“This desperate look… It’s way too cute….”

…Huh?

“Alright. I’ll help you.”

…What did he just say?

“Kneeling anywhere and everywhere like that does make you look a bit… uncultured. But that’s just a habit we can fix. I’ll deck you out in gear with my in-game name engraved on every piece—from head to toe.”

U-Uncultured? Fix my habits?

And… in-game name-engraved weapons?!

In-game name-engraved weapons were one of the forty-six things Eunho had sworn never to do. Exchanging named items was just asking for trouble—there was no way it wouldn’t turn into a “give-and-take” kind of relationship.

“But… Hmm. I should call you Sori-nim^[6], right?”

The man, who had taken the ridiculous nickname “MwonGaeSori” and somehow made it sound elegant, continued speaking.

“Sori-nim, you said you needed money, right? But I keep my cash at the tavern. Let me go grab it real quick. In the meantime, think about your class here. When I get back, I’ll teach you everything—step by step, carefully.”

Eunho froze at the unexpected turn of events. The man gently helped him up, dusting the dirt off his clothes with a warm touch.

“Taming a clueless newbie who knows nothing to my taste… Just thinking about it makes my heart race.”

T-Taming? What?

Eunho couldn’t believe his ears. The man flashed another dazzling smile.

Just then, a heart popped! before his eyes, and a pink system window appeared.

[SYSTEM] “Thread of Fate” menu has been unlocked. [SYSTEM] You have encountered “Ryeongyul.” [SYSTEM] Your desperate plea has piqued the interest of “Ryeongyul,” who was once indifferent. [SYSTEM] “Ryeongyul’s” favorability has increased by 10. [SYSTEM] Favorability: 55

You said he was indifferent. Then what the hell did I even do for the base favorability to start at 45? Is the max favorability like… 1000 or something?

[SYSTEM] The max favorability in “Ja-Gwi: Monster Hunter” is 100. [SYSTEM] Build deep relationships with various people and enjoy your adventure.

Did they not set the favorability difficulty properly? Is the author a total noob at games?

As Eunho stood there in a daze, drowning in despair, the man—who had insisted he’d be back soon and told Eunho to stay put—was suddenly engulfed in a bright white light and disappeared.

Only then did Eunho snap out of it. In a panic, he hurriedly rushed over to the Ma-ui Doja.

“Physiognomist-nim! Physiognomist-nim!”

「Weren’t you whining earlier about not knowing how to start a conversation? You’re doing just fine now. So why were you struggling so much before?」

Eunho didn’t even hear the remark—his mind was completely focused on escaping before the pervert returned. He dropped to his knees at the Ma-ui Doja’s feet and lifted his head with an earnest expression.

“Please read my fortune!”

“My, my. What’s the rush? Take a deep breath and tell me everything.”

“I want to choose a Class.”

“Hoo-hoo. With your flower-like beauty and moon-like grace, your very existence is status^[7] itself.”

Despite Eunho’s urgent plea, the NPC simply played coy.

Are you kidding me? What the hell is that empty flattery?

I’m about to get forced into a gay relationship here, you bastard! Just give me a damn class already!

Do you want to personally contribute to South Korea’s declining birth rate?!

“The entire Eight Provinces of Joseon have been in turmoil lately, haven’t they? I wish to dedicate myself to serving the nation.”

Apparently, patriotism was the magic keyword. The NPC finally reacted.

“Hmm… A rare young man, indeed. Are you aware of the sinister forces that have invaded Joseon?”

Ding!

[SYSTEM] In the 7th year of Gwanghae’s reign, after the Imjin War, swarms of monsters from Japan and China overran Joseon, prompting a flood of petitions. In response, the king secretly ordered the elite special unit “Biryuso” to exorcise them.

The moment the system window appeared, an eerie sound effect played as if setting the mood. But Eunho couldn’t focus at all—the shock of encountering that pervert was too great.

This really is a BL novel.

I was hoping, even if only a 1% chance, that it wasn’t… But no, it definitely is.

Eunho bit his lip hard to stop himself from tearing up, then forced his eyes open.

Completely unaware of Eunho’s inner turmoil, the physiognomist continued his dialogue.

“Well then, let’s take a look… and see what kind of person you shall become.”

[SYSTEM] Select your desired class.

And just as Eunho remembered, the Ma-ui Doja attempted to cheat by peeking at the options.

Eunho’s brain kicked into high gear.

The Class options in “Ja-Gwi” weren’t that diverse. There was the Shield Soldier, Gunner, Archer, Assassin, Shaman, and Taoist.

However, within the same class, players could customize their primary weapon, allowing for different playstyles.

For example, the Shield Soldier wielded a one-handed sword (yodo, 腰刀) and a shield, serving as a tank. But that was not the only way to play.

Depending on weapon stat allocation, the role could shift:

Pure Tank: Focuses on shield durability.

Offensive Tank: Uses throwing knives or a hidden sword for extra damage.

Naturally, the skill tree also varied.

In summary, it was like this:

Shield Soldier (Tank): Shield, One-Handed Sword, Hidden Throwing Knives

Gunner (Ranged Physical DPS): Catapult, Gun

Archer (Ranged Physical DPS): Bow, Crossbow

Assassin (Melee DPS): Spear, Sword, Axe, Mace

Shaman (Ranged Magic DPS): Talismans, Staff

Taoist (Healer): Staff, Summoned Beasts

With the right stat distribution, players could freely adjust their playstyle. A game with impressive flexibility.

“Gunner! Gunner! Gunner!”

None of the other options mattered.

For Joo Eunho, it was guns or nothing.

[SYSTEM] You have selected “Gunner.”

It wasn’t just because he believed in the philosophy that all problems could be solved with bullets.

“Hmm… Your eyes—they slant upwards at the corners, sharp and piercing…”

Back when Eunho was a high school senior, drowning in exam prep misery, he had read the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty as an excuse to procrastinate.

There, he had stumbled upon an entry:

March 9, Year 7 of Gwanghae’s Reign (Eulmyo^[8]) – First Record

The king issued a decree:

“Summon twenty fire artillery engineers led by a government official and fire cannons in the East Palace for two days starting on the 10th.”

At the time, a supernatural disturbance had occurred in the palace, and gunpowder was used to suppress it.

And then it hit him.

“…Therefore, Gunner is the perfect Class for me.”

After all, firearms and explosives had been an officially recognized method of exorcism—even by King Gwanghae himself.

[SYSTEM] “MwonGaeSori” has left the commoner class and become a Gunner! Reward: Beginner’s Rifle

[SYSTEM] You have met the conditions to begin the Main Quest: “Strange Traces.” [SYSTEM] To proceed with the Main Quest, you will be automatically teleported to “Sotdae[9] in Nonyeok Village” in 10 seconds.

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Author’s Note: “Skill tree” refers to the act of distributing skill points in various ways in RPGs.