Chapter 3: The Creator’s Mistake (2)
Yi-An approached the castle, where two orcs in chain armor stood like statues with their halberd blades glistening in the sunlight. When they discovered Yi-An, they started grinning. However, due to their tusks and heinous appearance, it seemed as if they were distorting their faces rather than smiling.
“Hey, are you alive?”
“Alive? Even a clown like him came here to become a warrior.”
The two orcs laughed in unison. It was a deep roar of laughter that stemmed from the depths of their stomachs. Their threatening presence made Yi-An swallow nervously. As a former soldier, he had frequently encountered life-and-death situations in the past, but he was still intimidated by these two monstrous orcs who were the size of hefty men.
One orc held out his fist.
“…?” Yi-An blankly stared at the orc’s rough hand. Then he realized it was a greeting and raised his fist, giving a fist bump in return.
The orc guard smiled widely and said, “Anyways, since you are here in Orcrox, I wish you the best of luck. There’s a funeral today, so please join us in mourning an honorable warrior. I hope you stay alive.”
The two orcs then shouted for the castle door to open.
Amidst the castle’s walls, which were high enough to cover the sun, its gargantuan door—which was the size of a building—started to open slowly.
With a thunderous noise, the door opened wide and revealed what lay inside Orcrox Fortress.
“Wow…”
Yi-An used to think of orcs as uncivilized monsters because they had an unsightly appearance. However, there was more to them than their appearance; their buildings were on a whole different level. Lofty buildings circled around a huge tree at the center of the fortress, and suspended bridges hanging above ground served as connections between those buildings. He could see orcs bustling about above and on the ground. It was like a fairy city in a fantasy world! Armed warriors, sorcerers with their wands, and merchants had gathered here to form a civilization. The mesmerizing scenes seemed more lifelike than reality.
“I can’t believe this is a game…”
“Hey, are you alive? Are you a newbie?”
When orcs passing by saw Yi-An feeling flustered, they smiled and held out their fists toward him. Yi-An bumped fists with them too. It didn’t take long before he realized that orcs greeted one another by asking, ‘Are you alive?’
Elder Lord seemed to be a place where people frequently crossed the boundaries between life and death, to the extent that it became a form of greeting to inquire about one’s state of being. Yi-An wasn’t sure where to start, so he checked the interface for beginner tips.
[Can you handle being an orc?]
[If you are a beginner, look for Instructor Lenox at Orcrox.]
“Lenox…?”
Someone exclaimed, “Oh, a user? Wow, a real user?”
He had a bold and gruff voice, but his tone was ridiculously childish.
As Yi-An turned his head, he found himself face-to-face with a shabby-looking orc.
“Wow, I’ve never seen another user as an orc. Glad to meet you!” The shabby-looking orc tried to shake Yi-An’s hand but caught himself and held out his fist instead.
Yi-An smiled and returned the fist bump. “Are you alive?”
“Haha, yes, I’m alive. Anyways, is it your first time playing the game? Let’s exchange names. Call me Grom. I got the name from an old game character.”
“Sure. I’m Yi-An,” Yi-An nodded and then discovered there was a white star glowing dimly in the center of Grom’s forehead. “That’s…?”
“What?” Grom followed the line of Yi-An’s sight and patted his forehead. “Ah, this. You don’t know about it? Stars appear so that users can recognize one another. You have one on your forehead too. That’s how I recognized you. Only users can see it on other users; NPCs can’t. You must be a totally new player.”
“Is that so?”
“There are some people who cover these and pretend to be NPCs. You must have started playing without doing any research.”
“It’s my first time playing a game.”
“I see. Be careful. Elder Lord is a really difficult game, so you need to study strategies and tips. Otherwise, it’s going to be really bad,” Grom said knowingly with a nod. Then he smiled. “Of course, you must not know any better since you chose the orc.”
“Huh?”
“Nothing. Are you going to Lenox because it’s your first time?”
“Yes, that’s what the guiding tip said.”
“Let’s go together. I just started, so I am on my way as well.”
While following Grom, Yi-An could not take his eyes off the sights of the city; he was amazed by Orcrox Fortress. Everything was so realistic that it was hard to believe it was all just a game. There was a market, a smithy, a merchant urging people at the top of his lungs to purchase his goods, an adventurer gathering comrades to defeat monsters, and a drunk orc spewing gibberish. Yi-An began to think differently about Elder Lord. Aside from its unique game system, it seemed each character had its own individual traits and story. The orcs’ culture created this civilization.
It was a sublime game.
Grom laughed as Yi-An glanced back and forth around him, fully immersed in the world of Elder Lord.
“Amazing, right?” Grom said.
“Yes, I can’t believe this is a game. How…?” Yi-An could not believe all of the things he was seeing and hearing could be part of a game.
“Ah, they are holding a funeral over there.”
“A funeral?”
“Orcs mourn the death of an honorable warrior when he passes away. He was a notable NPC, but he sacrificed himself to protect his comrades.”
The faint sound of a horn suddenly surfaced above the noise, and the entirety of Orcrox Fortress fell deadly silent.
“Huh…?”
All of the orcs were silent, and even the screaming merchant and the drunkard spewing gibberish had become quiet. The horn rang loudly amid a silence that belied the earlier tumult. All the orcs were looking toward the center of Orcrox Fortress now.
An orc’s corpse lay atop a pile of firewood, surrounded by bricks stacked high like it was an altar.
The orcs began humming in low tones one by one, creating a sound that had a spiritual vibe like the chants of Tibetan monks. The tones of their voices were thick and subdued.
The Orcrox Fortress was completely filled with the beat of the funeral procession. At the bottom of the altar, the orcs overseeing the funeral started to beat their drums. The sound of the horn, the beating of the drums, and the orcs’ humming merged together in harmony. Then they lit the warrior’s corpse on fire. Flames rose above the altar and engulfed the corpse of the warrior. The orcs mourned the warrior’s last moment and proceeded to perform their funeral rites.
“Wow…” Yi-An got lost in thought.
There had been a time when he used to roam the battlefields as a soldier. He thought of Cornell, who had become a star in the sky after being shot. His peers had sent Cornell off with cheery smiles rather than tears, and instead of selecting a sad song, they had sung a tranquil army hymn in his honor.
No one cried that day, but they could feel the torrential downpour of warmth in everyone’s heart.
As Yi-An listened to the sublime humming of the orcs, the memory from that day came alive in his mind, and he could not take his eyes off the corpse on the burning altar.
The horn’s music drifted throughout Orcrox Fortress sorrowfully.
The dead orc was someone whose name Yi-An didn’t even know; he was just a character inside a game. Yet, Yi-An was sure the dead orc had been a great man who was respected by everyone.
“Ugh, so noisy.” Grom’s voice suddenly jolted Yi-An out of his thoughts. He was complaining beside Yi-An. “Who cares about a funeral? I need to quickly progress in the game. Don’t you agree?”
Yi-An stared at Grom blankly.
How could this man not feel any emotion while observing this scene? In this world that was more lifelike than reality, how could he dismiss the rituals of these orcs as just part of a game?
Yi-An turned his gaze back to the burning corpse.
[Assimilation: 50%]
[Assimilation: 51%]
[Assimilation: 52%]
…
Yi-An failed to notice the changes in his status window.
***
-Hello! I’m Yoojung! I’m here to help everyone lead comfortable lives in Elder Lord!
-Hi, I’m Jaehan!
-Today, we will discuss assimilation rates. Jaehan, what’s your assimilation rate?
-On a good day, it’s over 50%, but it’s usually around 40%.
-Amazing. I’m usually around 30%. Players’ assimilation rates are typically between 30% to 40%, so you are very skilled.
-Haha, but a lot of people place limits when they are fighting due to the pain. Even 50% is nauseating because you can feel the actual hits and stabs.
-I actually set my limit to 20% when I play because of that.
-Lol, that’s too much.
-Hehe. Anyways, viewers, what’s your assimilation rate? According to the survey results, the average is between 30% to 40%. High-rankers, especially those who roleplay, will even reach 70%.
-Wow, they must be really absorbed into the game. That’s scary.
-Kim Dal-Kwang, the military guy, is the hottest role player these days. He recently revealed his status window, and his assimilation rate is… 73%!
-Wow! No wonder he became such a high-ranker!”
-The creators did not reveal how assimilation rates specifically affect one’s abilities, but there is certainly a correlation. It’s common knowledge that the higher the ranker, the higher their assimilation rates are. Some even judge a ranker’s skills based on their assimilation rate. The assimilation rate’s impact on one’s skills, attacks, and movement and its enhancement of all capabilities can narrow the gap between an NPC and a user.
-Ah, scary NPCs! I hate NPCs!
-Haha, I know right? That’s why some users have been attempting to create their own villages. Now, an interview with Elaine who planned the independent player village Shangri-La…
The restaurant staff changed the channel.
“The world is going crazy for games…” she muttered.
Jung Yi-Yoo, who had been immersed in the content being shown on the television, came to her senses. Her friends reluctantly turned their heads away from the television too.
“What are your assimilation rates?”
“I’m 20… 30%?”
“I’ve exceeded 40% before, but I’m usually around 30%.”
Yi-Yoo smiled widely and made a peace sign. “I’m 10%!”
“What? That’s ridiculous.”
“Do you only use the right side of your brain for gaming and the left side for sleeping?”
“It’s just a game. I need to focus, but I keep waking up to the reality that it’s just a game… Well, I’m still leveling up.”
“A rabbit killed you.”
“What? A rabbit killed Yi-Yoo? Is that even possible? Can rabbits attack?”
Yi-Yoo let out a deep sigh. “I don’t know. I attacked it because it looked weak, but it bit my leg. I kept grappling with the rabbit and eventually died from excess bleeding.”
“Wow.”
“Crazy…”
Yi-Yoo grinned widely. “But don’t worry. I don’t have to struggle anymore. My brother started playing the game.”
“Ah, your cool brother?”
“Yeah, my brother is going to quickly become a high-ranker and help me level up. I’m going to catch up to you guys.”
“Not everyone can become a high-ranker.”
A friend who had been listening intervened, “Her brother was in the military.”
“A soldier?”
“Wouldn’t he be used to things in Elder Lord because he used to be a soldier?”
“All Korean men go to the military.”
“He wasn’t a regular military guy. He actually went out to the battlefields as a soldier. He was a part of the foreign troops and a sharpshooter in the Middle East and Africa.”
“Really? Has he killed people?”
Everyone turned toward Yi-Yoo.
Yi-Yoo shrugged. “I don’t know. He doesn’t talk about those things…”
“Damn. My friend’s brother also did martial arts and acclimated immediately as soon as he joined Elder Lord. He is now a high-ranker.”
“Yi-Yoo, don’t ignore us when you become a high-ranker.”
Yi-Yoo shrugged again. “Yeah, so you guys should be nice to me.”
Meanwhile, Yi-An, the center of Yi-Yoo’s expectations, was currently rolling on the cold ground due to selecting the creator’s mistake: the orc.
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