Kim Han Sol. No, now that I had become Kim Solo, I walked down the road.
Originally, it was normal to see dense forests of buildings and cars emitting thick smoke passing by, with people hurriedly moving about, each holding a smartphone.
But now, everything was completely different.
For ordinary people, this place could be seen only through history books, and for those who liked games, it was filled with Europe-style buildings as seen in games.
These buildings showed no trace of modern cleanliness; each one had its own distinct shape.
There were one-story houses with enormous yards, five-story buildings whose structure made you wonder how anyone could climb them, and simply long, narrow houses.
There were even houses crudely patched with windbreak boards nailed to the floor.
Just imagining how people survived on rainy days there was dizzying.
It made me truly appreciate the grandeur of modern buildings.
I never imagined I’d come to miss the small, cramped one-room I had before.
Thud thud thud thud.
“Move! Move!”
Suddenly, the ground rumbled, and at the shout of “Move!” I quickly pressed myself against a building.
A horse and carriage sped past fiercely right in front of me, kicking up a cloud of dust that not only blinded me but also startled all the passersby nearby.
“Damn it. Cough, cough, damn!”
I spat out the dirt that had entered my mouth, almost cursing aloud, but I held it back.
Instead, I quietly cursed in my mind.
The only means of transportation here were horseback riding or carriages, or just walking.
And even then, only nobles, the wealthy, or merchants could afford such things; for ordinary people, it was a dream.
“A quality warhorse costs more than 300 gold.”
A day’s lodging and meal at an inn cost 8 silver.
Even if the quality of the inn improved and the meal price increased to 10 silver, 300 gold was still enough to live and eat well for a lifetime.
So for now, it was a sum beyond dreaming.
“Ah, I’m so bored.”
Lately, what I felt most keenly was the absence of a smartphone.
I thought of novels I could easily read and various simple games I could play with a few taps.
More importantly, the reason I desperately needed a smartphone was the lack of information.
I had to confirm and discover everything firsthand with my own eyes, ears, and feet.
It had already been 10 days since I revived here.
Passing by the bench in the plaza where I first arrived, I thought to myself.
“This really is a different world, exactly like that fantasy world everyone knows.”
This world had monsters, the public order was a mess, a rigid social class system, and hygiene standards that were abysmally low.
“Truly, it’s astonishing.”
To gather information about this world, I had stayed at inns for ten days, diligently wandering through villages.
“Skill Window”
Skill
Language Mastery (MAX), Mental Strength (MAX), Transcendental Stamina Regeneration (Lv.1), Transcendental Mana Recovery (Lv.1), Genius Talent (Lv.1), Search (Lv.4), Eavesdrop (Lv.3), Espionage (Lv.2), Persuasion (Lv.2), Stealth Killing (Lv.5), Bargaining (Lv.2), Walking (Lv.3), Digestive Power (Lv.4)
Look at this. New skills have appeared…
Thanks to all the exploration I’ve done here and there, the skill Search was added, allowing me to observe things I’d normally pass by a little more closely.
Also, because I secretly listened to conversations, I gained skills like Stealth Killing, Eavesdrop, and Espionage.
Persuasion and Bargaining naturally developed as I engaged in conversations, enabling people to easily accept or be convinced by what I said.
Among these, the most useful skill was Walking, which reduced fatigue from long walks.
Eventually, at Max level, I wouldn’t feel tired at all.
Thanks to these skills, I was able to gather a considerable amount of information about this place.
This land belonged to the Kingdom of Alita in the eastern part of the Creseria Continent, under the County of Veric.
It was a large commercial city on the road leading to the kingdom’s capital.
Its population was over 70,000, and due to merchants and mercenaries passing through, the number was maintained around 100,000.
Its specialty was beer.
Since the countdom was surrounded by vast barley granaries, the barley harvest was substantial.
The finest barley was sent to the royal palace, the higher-grade barley sold to other territories, medium-grade barley used for beer, and the lower-grade barley consumed by the local populace.
Because medium-grade barley was most common, there were many varieties of beer.
Most taverns stocked various types of beer, but wine or strong liquors were rarely found.
“…It’s not like Korean beer, but the taste was good.”
I naturally tried the local specialty, beer, and was hooked on its flavor.
These days, I drank at least a glass or two daily.
Today, I thought I’d try a different kind of beer as I moved around.
Since it was a big city, there were plenty of things to keep me occupied. Even now, I was running errands on behalf of the innkeeper.
The inn was in the southern part of the territory, and the place I was going to was in the north, so it took some time.
The owner couldn’t leave his post, so he trusted the relatively free-acting me with the task.
“Well, it’s quite cheap for a glass of beer as labor, but he said it just had to be done today, so it’s enough.”
Using errands as an excuse, I gathered various pieces of information while wandering through the city.
During that time, I had no choice but to pass through a place I wanted to avoid.
“Wow~ You really hit the jackpot today, huh?”
“Hahaha. If Jackson catches you, you’re done for.”
“Bullshit. Take that bandage off your arm before you talk like that.”
“I’m treating everyone today.”
“Why?”
The conversation leaked from a group nearby.
That place was none other than the market for buying and selling monster byproducts.
Monsters in this world were very precious resources in real life.
Armor made from monster hides, sharp teeth and claws transformed into excellent weapons, and magic stones inside their bodies served as valuable research materials for wizards as well as weapons.
In fact, the richest empire could afford to illuminate night and day thanks to these resources.
But as someone avoiding those places, I inwardly cursed.
“Damn it. I know monster byproducts are necessary and helpful in real life, but I don’t have the guts to fight a monster right now.”
No matter how much I survived with the abilities of a game character here, actually drawing a sword and charging at monsters wasn’t easy.
Think about it sensibly.
In modern society, at least in South Korea, I had basic military training and had experience with guns.
But drawing a sword and charging at monsters?
If it were guns, one or two shots would solve the problem.
Yet here I was, about to charge at monsters with a sword…
“Its impossible.”
If I considered other options, it would be in production work.
Like a blacksmith, leatherworker, or craftsman.
“But I don’t have that kind of money…”
Reality was harsh.
Of course, I had the confidence to learn quickly whatever I tried.
That was a strength of this character.
But what to learn was important, and finding someone to teach me wasn’t easy either…
“Hey, mister!”
“Ugh.”
Lost in these thoughts and walking without direction, I took a wrong turn.
Surely, I wasn’t about to hear the gangsters’ lines I feared, was I?
“I heard you’ve been wandering around the inn lately.”
“Don’t know who the bastard is, but must have some money, huh?”
“In these times, let’s share.”
Sure enough.
Three gangsters, tossing out clichés I knew all too well, stood right in front of me.
One was directly ahead, and two behind me.
The distance between me and the front one was about 15 paces; behind me, about 10.
All three wielded swords. Long swords—over 1 meter in length.
Damn. This is bad.
What do I do now…? Are these guys murderers or robbers?
“Hey. You deaf? Can’t you hear me?”
The one in front waved his sword as he approached. I thought to myself.
If I pay them money, would they spare my life?
I had no answer.
Yes, this world’s order was terrible, with murderers and monsters running rampant.
There was no other way.
“Phew…”
I exhaled deeply and opened my Inventory.
Then I equipped my shield and sword.
“Aren’t there any fresh lines? Not that tired old trick.”
I was bluffing for now.
With a shield and sword in hand, these guys wouldn’t look down on me.
Then the three gangsters began freaking out.
“Hey! Isn’t that Subspace?”
“Looks like a Bloodline Ability user! Whoa! What a stroke of luck! We’re gonna make big bucks!”
“Top tier for slaves, too. This is a great payday.”
They all looked at me as if I were a treasure.
It felt more than unsettling — it was creepy.
Do they call the Inventory Subspace here?
No, that wasn’t important.
First strike means victory!
I dashed at the one coming at me from the front and swung my sword.
Clang!
Gangster 1 raised his sword and blocked mine.
That bastard.
Since I swung with force, I expected my sword to hit hard, but it was parried away.
He smirked.
I didn’t get mad but calmly swung again.
Clang! Clang!
The second and third swings were parried just as easily, and as the gangster smirked, a notification window popped up before my eyes.
[Skill ‘One-handed Swordsmanship’ acquired.]
Knowledge about swordsmanship began accumulating in my mind instantly, and as I realized it, an incredulous laugh slipped from my lips.
“Hah, no wonder I’m so clumsy.”
I hadn’t even grasped the basic way to hold the sword properly, so no matter how much strength I put into swinging, there was no power behind it.
“Hah!”
This time, I gripped the sword correctly and tried the basic swordsmanship move — the slash.
Clang!
Unlike before, a sharp sound confirmed that I swung with real power.
“Uh!”
The sudden change in technique startled Gangster 1, who cried out.
That moment was my first real chance.
Along with the slash, I acquired the thrust skill in my mind.
Phew.
“Ugh…”
The sword pierced the gangster’s chest; he could no longer move and collapsed.
“Damn bastard!”
“Unbelievable.”
The two gangsters who had only been observing so far spoke carefully as they approached me.
When they got within sword range, the two of them charged at me.
Clang! Clang!
I had to defend not only with my sword but also with my shield.
Having just acquired swordsmanship, and only knowing how to slash and thrust, I had no idea how to block the two attackers’ strikes.
Clang, whack, clang.
Small wounds began appearing on my body.
My current basic defense wasn’t that effective, and the coverage was limited.
So exposed areas got minor wounds and started bleeding.
Since I couldn’t even think of counterattacking, I focused all my efforts on calmly blocking their attacks with my shield.
As proof of my effort, another notification popped up.
[Skill ‘Shield Technique’ acquired.]
Shield technique was engraved in my mind!
It simply blocked attacks, but it allowed me to defend more safely and reliably.
“Crazy? What the hell is this guy?”
“If he got hit enough to bleed like this, he should be dead!”
“Damn, drop dead already!”
The two gangsters, looking somewhat scared, started speaking as their aggressive momentum began to falter.
Unlike them, I pressed forward harder.
It was okay to get hurt.
I had Transcendental Stamina Regeneration.
As long as it wasn’t a fatal wound, I could endure.
“Goodbye!”
My sword severed the two gangsters’ necks.
Then another notification appeared.
Level up.
You have been granted 5 additional stat points.
You have committed your first murder.
You have eliminated villains harmful to the city.
Achievement ‘Evil Hunter’ acquired.
All stats increased by 1.