NOVEL NEXT Chapter 4
Chapter 4
Chapter: Hellfire Difficulty
A lot of time had passed.
The era of games is coming to an end.
People grew tired of character growth involving hunting monsters and completing quests.
While there is joy in growth, a sense of challenge, and thrill, the process of hard work is tedious and exhausting.
As years passed, either actively enjoying virtual reality or doing nothing at all became the trend.
Last year’s release of Roanoke garnered attention with its high difficulty.
Character creation is tough.
How tough is it?
You can choose the difficulty, and you can pass up to intermediate fairly well. But from the difficult level, even the third stage is tough.
The ten stages of character creation.
Hellfire difficulty was the highest among them, and not just anyone could tackle it.
Even if someone attempted it, they despaired at the enemies in the first stage.
“Chiiik!”
You had to fight a vicious orc over two meters tall, with the same physical capabilities as in reality.
And you had to defeat the orc, wielding a club, with your bare hands and no equipment.
The reactions from users were similar.
Hellfire is truly impossible.
The developers didn’t design it to be beaten. The point is just to try it once.
Still, there should be a limit; it’s just telling you to get beaten to death by an orc.
The difficult level is no joke either. Even goblins are tough for someone who’s never fought before.
Goblins attack like demons at the difficult level.
Goblins even form battle formations.
Weed was proceeding with character creation.
After choosing his name, the difficulty selection screen appeared.
The trial required for Roanoke’s character creation will begin.
Please select the difficulty of the trial.
Very Easy: For those new to virtual reality or have never fought anyone.
Safety First: If you follow instructions, you won’t get hurt or die. Though accidents do happen.
Comfortable: A friendly guide to help you adapt to Roanoke’s world.
Moderate: Slightly tricky, but manageable.
Intermediate: Harsh for some, but the rewards for overcoming it are great.
Difficult: Strong and threatening enemies. You need to work hard to pass the trial.
Severe: More terrifying enemies appear at each stage.
Nightmare: Are you fearless? Proud of yourself? This difficulty will give you an unforgettable nightmare.
Extreme: You need the courage to overcome everything.
Hellfire: Experience it firsthand.
Unique traits, character background, stats, equipment, and special rewards will be given based on the difficulty.
Weed did not ponder long over the ten difficulty levels.
“Hellfire.”
He chose the highest difficulty.
He had come to Roanoke to save his daughter.
His determination was different from Royal Road, which he played to make money.
Royal Road was about providing for my family even if I didn’t succeed. But this time, I must save my daughter.
His physical abilities had improved to an incomparable level, and he had ample combat experience.
Even though he had been away from the battlefield for a long time while raising his daughter…
I can do anything for my daughter.
As Weed steeled himself, the AI spoke.
(Master, no user has ever successfully completed the Hellfire difficulty.)
The voice of AI Versa, sounding like a whisper in his mind, as he entered virtual reality Roanoke.
No one has passed?
(The highest record so far is completing the second stage of Hellfire difficulty.)
In the past year, only the second stage had been successfully completed in Hellfire difficulty.
Many challengers lost their lives and failed at the third stage.
(If you fail the trial after choosing a high difficulty, you fail character creation.)
What happens if I fail?
(If you die during character creation, you die for real.)
Weed felt an emotion he hadn’t experienced in a long time.
If that happens, I’m completely screwed.
Then the system window appeared.
You have chosen Hellfire difficulty based on your determination.
You have chosen the worst difficulty that no one has passed yet.
……
In Royal Road, they asked again before making an important decision, but Roanoke had no such service.
A life-threatening crisis based on a single choice.
Dying while trying to save my daughter… No, I was prepared to die anyway.
He thought he had to risk his life to save his daughter.
As a father, it was his duty to do whatever it took.
But dying within an hour of entering Roanoke would be a pointless death.
First trial of Hellfire difficulty.
You have nothing.
Fight and defeat the orc!
If you can’t win, survive by running for 3 hours to succeed.
This forest is filled with various animals and different types of monsters.
Passing Reward: 2 Unique Traits
He arrived in a forest with dense trees under a bright light.
Though it had been a while since he last entered virtual reality, he felt no physical discomfort as if time had passed in an instant.
Unlike the clear blue sky of Royal Road, it was much darker with a red sky.
The main difference was the four black stars hanging in the sky even during the day.
And…
“Chiiik!”
An orc with thick, bulging veins on its arm was holding a wooden club.
It wasn’t the sharp glaive used by orcs as their main weapon, but…
The sight of a large orc holding a spiked club was intimidating enough.
“Hungry. Need food. Chiiik!”
The orc snorted and approached Weed with large strides.
It was clearly looking at him as weak prey.
* * *
Abyss Developers Ask for Time, No Clear Solution Yet
Roanoke Death Toll Exceeds 200,000
Abyss Corp.
The developers of Roanoke were busy working late into the night.
They weren’t working overtime to save the users.
“The super vision system is ready.”
“Preparations for the forced streaming service are complete.”
The intention behind developing Roanoke was to trap people and make them play a death game.
The next step was for people in reality to watch and enjoy that game.
A battle royale of over 100 million users.
They would provide footage of events happening in the world on the brink of destruction.
“We will see people in true despair and agony. Many will even give up on life.”
“Over 10,000 people have already committed suicide. It’s troubling if too many die too quickly.”
“They will fight to survive and die. How thrilling would that be?”
“Betrayal, backstabbing. It will be common for friends to stab each other in the back. The strong will enslave the weak. They will sell their bodies for a meal. These are dramatic scenes rarely seen in civilized modern society, aren’t they?”
“We created a world we can’t simply call virtual reality. It’s a true world beyond the reach of lazy humans. And we will watch. This is an incredible achievement that no one has ever done before.”
The executives of Abyss felt a chill as they realized the intentions of the core developers.
They only intended to create a virtual reality game to make money, but the developers created something far beyond that.
A world with real death and life.
Watching and enjoying it satisfied the primal desires of humans.
No other entertainment could compare.
* * *
“Chiiik!”
The orc approached with a club.
Watching the orc, Weed calmly thought.
It doesn’t seem too different from the orcs in Royal Road.
Orcs possessed unimaginable strength to ordinary people.
It was natural for them to be strong since they were monsters of a different species from humans.
The movements of the lower body, the gaze, the overall posture, and sense of balance…
It had been a long time since Weed last connected to Royal Road. Still, the sight of an enemy awakened long-dormant instincts.
His senses of sight, hearing, smell, and touch sharpened.
Observing the enemy, he gauged its combat capability.
He had even played as an orc in Royal Road.
Orc combat techniques are simple and straightforward. They rely heavily on strength. And judging by its muscle form and movements, this orc doesn’t have much combat experience.
The orc approached and swung its club with great force.
“Break! Chiiik!”
A powerful strike meant to shatter its target.
The movements were large, simple, and full of unnecessary actions.
Weed had already analyzed it and had faced such enemies countless times before.
He wasn’t the one who led orcs wielding glaives to fight dark elves and undead?
Orc Karichwi.
A legendary figure in Royal Road.
Weed sidestepped the swing with his right foot.
Without thinking, he naturally avoided the attack and moved forward to counter.
His lightly clenched fist struck deep into the orc’s side, where the organs were unprotected by bones.
Pwak!
You delivered a critical hit to the unsuspecting orc.
The orc, unable to breathe, froze and collapsed sideways.
“Grrrk.”
Despite being born with thick muscles, the orc couldn’t withstand a single punch.
Weed looked down at the struggling orc and spoke.
Is this it?
Since his body modification by Dr. Yoo Byung-jun, he hadn’t fought anyone with his fists.
He realized that if he had hit a human, it would have been
catastrophic.
(The Roanoke system has not fully reflected your physical capabilities, Master.)
AI Versa’s assessment.
Really?
(Your body has been enhanced to a level that completely surpasses humans, with reinforced bones, muscles, and cells.)
(Your sensory nerves, including sight and hearing, are developed, and your reaction speed has increased tremendously.)
(With incredible regenerative abilities, your stamina is almost infinite.)
That’s true.
(Roanoke’s system likely sets a maximum limit based on human capabilities.)
This meant that the Roanoke system only reflected up to the maximum limit of human capability.
(In reality, various safety mechanisms were in place to prevent you from moving too fast or exerting too much strength. They prevented damage to your surroundings or your body.)
(In the virtual reality of Roanoke, you can freely use your body within the maximum limit.)
That’s not bad.
Weed recalled the countless life-threatening moments during his body modifications.
He thought he would die then, but he ultimately overcame it.
Dr. Yoo Byung-jun’s modifications weren’t perfect.
(In what way?)
He could have made me 5 cm taller…
Even though it was a modification, his appearance didn’t change at all.
Why not stretch his height, refine his nose, and at least give him double eyelids?
(They say human greed knows no bounds…)
Huh?
(Nothing.)
Weed picked up the club the orc had dropped.
You obtained the orc’s crude club.
First, he secured a usable weapon.
Just like in Royal Road, acquiring items was the most enjoyable part.