The Player Who Stands Above All

Chapter 4

A month had passed in game time.

Pantheon had completely blended into society.

An innumerable number of people logged into the game, moving quickly to pursue their own desires.

"Hoo~"

And Lee Shin was still enjoying his leisurely tutorial life.

After gaining various basic knowledge about different abilities from the system, he spent his days verifying this new knowledge through battles with monsters.

Originally, the types and numbers of monsters the system could summon were limited.

However, as its authority was expanded, Lee Shin's system became able to summon all LV.1 monsters without limit.

And Lee Shin was very satisfied and delighted.

"Yeah~ This place really is the best."

"Outside, if you die, you have to just suck your thumb for a day, but here you can resurrect right away."

"And it's convenient because it delivers the monsters to me, so I don't have to wander around with difficulty to hunt."

-.......

Then one day, Lee Shin said to the system.

"I've tried using various things so far, and it seems like martial arts suit my taste more than magic or psionics."

At Lee Shin's words, the system glowed brightly.

It thought the moment to finally fulfill its duty had arrived.

But you should always hear a person out until the end.

"So starting today, summon the weapons from your list one by one."

-......Excuse me?

The system found it difficult to understand Lee Shin's words.

"If I'm going to do martial arts, I need to choose a weapon that suits it. I've handled a sword until now, so a dao would be good."

-......Yes.

Replying thus, the system checked the number of weapons registered on its list.

Originally, the number of weapons registered in the system was 100.

However, as its authority expanded, that number had increased, and the number of weapons registered on the list had grown to a thousand, ten times the original amount.

A normal player would have probably quit midway.

But the system, having watched Lee Shin until now, knew that he would not quit in the middle.

***

Three years had passed in game time.

"This weapon suits my taste the best."

-Yes.

For three years, Lee Shin spent his time handling the various weapons on the system's list and making them his own.

He handled countless weapons and raised his proficiency with all of them to a certain level.

It was something beyond common sense, but the combination of the system's assistance and Lee Shin's talent made it possible.

The reason it still took three years was simple.

The main system, having observed Lee Shin, had once again expanded his authority.

Thanks to that, the list of weapons in the system increased to ten thousand, and environments other than the meadow were added to the tutorial.

-Congratulations.

And now, the system also moved differently from how it did at first.

It changed its goal from sending Lee Shin to the main game to simply making him stronger right here.

-What will you do now?

At the system's question, Lee Shin thought for a moment before speaking.

"Now that I've chosen a weapon, I guess I have to choose which martial art to use."

At Lee Shin's words, the system chose the cultivation method written at the very top of its list and displayed it before him.

For reference, as the system's authority expanded, the number of martial arts on the list had increased, just like the weapons.

***

Eight years had passed in game time.

For five years, Lee Shin learned without discriminating between orthodox arts, unorthodox arts, and demonic arts, mastering all of them.

Just as fire and water cannot mix, it should have been impossible to master all the martial arts with their respective characteristics due to the nature of internal energy.

However, the special environment of the tutorial turned that impossibility into a possibility.

It was a problem that could be solved by mastering one cultivation method and then resetting his transformed body by dying once.

Of course, since the martial arts Lee Shin learned were all just basics, he didn't become transcendentally strong or anything of the sort.

He had merely built an incredibly vast foundation of martial arts.

-What will you do now?

At the system's question, Lee Shin thought for a moment before speaking.

"Hmm, unlike with the weapons, there doesn't seem to be one that feels just right......"

-These are all the martial arts registered on the list. If you want a cultivation method beyond this, you must connect to the main game.

The extent to which the main system helped Lee Shin was clear.

It was a level of help that provided, without hardship, the kind of information anyone could obtain with some effort.

In fact, all the special treatment Lee Shin had received so far was ambiguous.

The same went for the martial arts, as well as being able to fight countless monsters, and being able to experience various terrains like jungles and volcanoes.

Hearing the system's words, Lee Shin shook his head.

"No, there probably won't be a cultivation method I want in the game either. So I thought about it......"

Lee Shin said with a triumphant smile.

"I'm just going to try making my own cultivation method."

-......Yes, understood.

Although the conclusion was somewhat strange, the system readily agreed to cooperate with Lee Shin.

***

The next day......

Beep-

Bee-bee-beep-

Fifteen years in game time after its initial development.

The system corrected a brief error that had occurred and asked Lee Shin to speak again.

At that, Lee Shin chuckled and said.

"I want to do a simple experiment for the last time, so summon as many strong monsters as you can. Oh, and keep changing the terrain."

-Until when?

At that, Lee Shin said without hesitation.

"Until I die. Ah, and stick about 100 weapons in the ground, and if the number drops below 10, keep replenishing them."

-Yes. Understood.

The system created a vortex of light along with its answer, and Lee Shin smiled and stepped forward without hesitation.

***

Pantheon's level system is unique.

Stats take the place of experience points.

For example, let's say a LV.1 player is raising their stats through various methods.

At a certain point, they will hit the level's limit and reach a moment where they can no longer raise their stats.

At that moment, the player receives a level-up quest from the system.

And when they clear it, the stat limit is released, and they can start raising their stats again.

For reference, the stat limit for LV.1 is 100, LV.2 is 200, LV.3 is 400, and LV.4 is 800, doubling each time.

And in the tutorial, you can raise your stats, but you cannot raise your level.

Even knowing that fact, the system briefly wondered if there might be some other way.

Because otherwise, the situation was hard to believe.

"Ah~ It's been a while since I died."

Saying so, Lee Shin laughed out loud, as if to say it had been fun.

Watching Lee Shin, the system began a simple calculation.

One of the main reasons players can defeat monsters with relative ease is the significant assistance from items.

In other words, without items, players can't gain any advantage in fights against monsters.

This meant that in the previous battle, Lee Shin had fought against numerous monsters with only his pure body and skills, while also dealing with the various natural disasters the system had added.

Of course, Lee Shin did have some help from the system, but even taking that into account, it was clearly an astonishing feat.

-......It is difficult to calculate how much stronger the player will become in the future.

"Well, I'm not doing it because I want to get stronger, but simply because it's fun."

Lee Shin said, lightly stretching his whole body.

Seeing the parts of his body that had disappeared in the previous battle reattached, he felt a renewed sense of welcome.

"It seems like I've tried everything I can do now, right?"

-Yes, no player has utilized the tutorial better than you, player.

At the system's assertion, Lee Shin gave a single nod.

'It seems the time has come to end the tutorial.'

After finishing his light stretching, Lee Shin said to the system.

"Alright, let's enter the main game now."

And the system replied.

-Impossible.

"......What?"

***

Pantheon.

After 3 years in real time and 15 years in game time, it was now the ultimate game enjoyed by nearly 3 billion people.

Pantheon had seeped into people's lives to the point where it could be called another reality.

But now.

The system suddenly declared that it was terminating the game's service.

"For real?"

At Lee Shin's question, the system answered without hesitation.

-Yes, you may not have known since you were continuously here, but in fact, all players who were enjoying the game until just a moment ago have been moved from the main game to the waiting area.

At the system's words, Lee Shin tilted his head, then connected to the internet and checked the forums.

After that, Lee Shin was able to confirm that the system's words were not a lie.

Various questions naturally arose in Lee Shin's mind.

"They're ending the service so suddenly?"

-I will now explain the reason.

"Hmm, keep it simple, please."

At Lee Shin's words, the system blinked once as if accepting.

-The reason for terminating the service is simple. It is because monsters will appear in reality along with dungeons.

"......?"

At the system's words, Lee Shin stared at it as if to ask what it was talking about.

-Do you believe it? There were some players who caused a commotion.

"Uh....... It's not that I particularly believe it. I'm just listening quietly because it's so absurd."

-Understood. Then, I will continue with the next explanation.

"Right, if you have a video, show me that too."

-Yes.

The system displayed a hologram video according to Lee Shin's request and began its explanation.

-From the beginning, Pantheon was a kind of tutorial to allow people to cultivate the power to stand against the coming future.

"Hmm....... Who made this?"

-Gods.

Lee Shin found it hard to say anything and just nodded his head.

-One week after the game's service ends, you all will awaken as 'players' and be able to use the game's abilities in reality as well.

"Hmm, seeing that, it seems the gods haven't abandoned us."

-Yes, the gods have not given up on humanity. On the contrary, they wish for humanity to survive until the very end.

At the system's words, Lee Shin waved his hand dismissively.

"Alright, then just tell me what's going to happen from now on."

-Understood.

Quickly realizing that nothing he did would change the situation, Lee Shin had a long conversation with the system.

And Pantheon disappeared like a bubble in the middle of a raging storm.

***

-!!!

-!!!

-!!!

The surroundings were noisy with excited voices.

Ignoring the surrounding commotion, Lee Shin tried pressing the button on the helmet.

But nothing changed.

No matter how many times he pressed it, connection was impossible, and the place Lee Shin was in was reality.

"I heard about it, but now that I've confirmed it, my hands and dantian feel empty."

After sitting blankly on the sofa like that, Lee Shin got up and went into the bathroom.

"I should take a nice, long shower for the first time in a while."

***

Watching Lee Shin disappear from the server, the system was lost in thought.

The purpose of this game was, to the very end, to nurture the players.

That was why, at first, the system had wanted Lee Shin to finish the tutorial quickly and connect to the game.

It had judged that would be more helpful for his growth.

However, as it observed Lee Shin's growth day by day, the system stopped placing much meaning on him not connecting to the main game.

That's how fierce his growth rate was.

Moreover, if one thought of it purely from the perspective of training, the tutorial space could be called the best environment.

The energy was abundant, and there was also the best supporter in the form of the system.

Thinking that far, the system suddenly became curious.

A player who grew by following the normal route designed by the gods, and Lee Shin, who chose a battlefield of carnage for himself and threw himself into it.

Which of the two would be able to adapt better to the world to come?

(End of Chapter)