Chapter 1406: Side Story 15
Chapter 1406 - Side Story 15
[Please align your upper body and make sure you’re at a distance of six meters.]
Regardless of the player’s posture, as long as their upper body, which included their chest, their arms, their hands, their necks, and their heads, was at a distance of six meters, they could shoot.
Six meters was a very close distance. Getting a score of thirty was not that difficult to achieve at that distance. Even if novice players failed, they could simply go back and learn from the instructor for a few more days, and they could easily pass it the next time they tried.
Chairman 6, Park Tae-Soo, was thin and somewhat emaciated. He was also standing at a height of less than 160 centimeters. In reality, he was over seventy years old, but after receiving Athenae’s special privilege and correction, he now appeared to be around sixty years old. Of course, a sixty-year-old was still a genuine grandfather.
“Woah. That gun looks really heavy.”
“I don’t think he can score ten, let alone a thirty.”
He could hear the laughter of the young ones surrounding them. Regardless, Park Tae-Soo ignored them as he rested the butt of the rifle snug against his shoulder.
“Hoho, these young friends, huh? When I was your age…”
“Ugh!” “These old fogeys! The ‘When I was your age…’ spiel has come out again!”
Park Tae-Soo held his breath as he looked through the front sight and aimed at the target. With one pull of the trigger, the bullet shot straight through the scarecrow’s solar plexus.
Thud!
The scarecrow’s entire abdomen was hollowed out by the force of the blow.
[You have obtained a perfect score!]
Usually, instructors and trainers would show novice players where they needed to hit to achieve a high score. The general rule was that the closer they hit the center of the scarecrow’s body, the higher their score would be. There were also cases when they would get high scores for following the required postures or restrictions that the system suggested.
“...I pulled the trigger to live and survive~”
Clack!
The shell casing popped out of the rifle and fell on the ground. Park Tae-Soo loaded another bullet and took a few steps back.
[Please stand at a distance of thirteen meters and aim for the solar plexus.]
“Oooooh…”
“What was that just now?”
“Solar plexus…? Hey. But isn’t that just seven more meters away? That’s f*cking easy. I can do it with one hand.”
At that point, Park Tae-Soo had already blocked all the noises around him. He was already deep in his concentration. As he focused, old memories began to resurface one after another. He remembered how one of his friends was taken as a prisoner in the war. That friend was his dear and precious childhood friend. Park Tae-Soo took some guns with him and hid near the barracks of the North Korean Army. He sat there, loading and shooting his weapon until he killed more than a hundred enemies in one night and became a legend.
Bang!
[You have obtained a perfect score!]
“Wh-what?”
“What the hell?!”
He shot the same place that he hit before, the solar plexus.
“A… Amazing!”
[Please stand at a distance of twenty meters and use your left eye to take aim.]
Park Tae-Soo took several steps back.
Clack!
He loaded his rifle, placed the butt of his rifle snug on his shoulder, held his breath, and pulled the trigger lightly.
Bang!
[You have obtained a perfect score!]
[Please stand at a distance of twenty-five meters and use your right eye…]
Clack!
Bang!
[...perfect score!]
[...of forty meters… the forehead]
Clack!
Bang!
Some people called them old men while their grandchildren told their grandfathers that they smelled old.
‘You brats, don’t you know?’
They were the ones who had defended the country with their very own hands.
Boom!
[...perfect score!]
[...of fifty meters… the forehead…]
They were the ones who made South Korea a better place to live.
Clack!
Bang!
Boom!
Clack!
Bang!
[...perfect score!]
[...perfect score!]
[...perfect score!]
Park Tae-Soo shot the scarecrow’s forehead repeatedly. By this time, the people around him had dropped what they were holding in stunned silence.
[Your scores will be added up.]
[You have made a record and scored 100 points.]
[You are the first person to score 100 points using a gun.]
[You have obtained an additional five points for all of your five basic stats.]
[You have obtained the stat: Accuracy.]
“This…”
“Woah!”
Everyone was shocked. Tae-Soo chuckled and walked away.
“What the hell is that old fogey?”
“That grandpa is definitely the only one who’s special.”
The crowd was in a buzz. After all, the 10,000 gold that every novice player would receive was money that played a critical role in the beginning of their gameplay.
This time, Flaming Arrow stepped forward. Chairman Flaming Arrow’s history included winning several archery competitions. He enjoyed and loved archery so much that he continued to go hunting as a hobby and took out his bow even as he grew older. The only reason he stopped was that his vision had already begun to fail him.
Now, in Athenae, his vision had returned to him and his eyes were as clear as they were in his youth.
Thud!
The arrow that he shot pierced through the middle of the scarecrow’s brows.
[...perfect score!]
Then, the philtrum.
Thud!
He shot the arrow to the sky, which landed and pierced through straight at the top of the scarecrow’s head.
Thud!
[Your scores will be added up.]
[You have made a record and scored 100 points.]
[You are the first person to score 100 points using a bow.]
[You have obtained an additional five points for all of your five basic stats.]
[You have obtained the stat: DEX.]
Just like that, Flaming Arrow demonstrated a beautiful and exciting use of the bow. He reflected on himself and thought back on what Minhoo had taught him.
‘It’s just as Minhoo said. I really need a cool and nice line to match my character name.’
He pulled his bow once again. This time, he just shot it for the sake of shooting. Then, he shouted, “Set my arrow ablaaaaaaaaze!!!”
Swoosh!
Thud!
Just like before, the arrow shot through the middle of the scarecrow’s brows. Even Chairman Park Tae-Soo was surprised. Then as if on cue…
“Set my bullets ablaaaaaaaze!!!”
‘Set my something ablaze!’ Minhoo said that this was a famous line that he had heard in one of the animations that he had watched.
The chairmen and presidents shouted together, “Set it ablaaaaaaaze!!!”
The entire place heated up at the loud shouts of the chuuni chairmen and presidents. Then, one man stepped up.
“Hoho. I was once hailed as Pyongyang’s Kim Du-Han.”
Fighters had to hit the exact place in the scarecrow’s body that the system indicated. The way to check if they obtained the perfect score was to break the scarecrow within the number of specified hits.
Crack!
Pyongyang’s Kim Du-Han struck the neck of the scarecrow with his fingertips.
[You have obtained a perfect score!]
Then, he hit the scarecrow’s solar plexus with his elbow.
[You have obtained a perfect score!]
This time, he turned around with a swivel kick and kicked the scarecrow’s chin.
[...perfect score!]
“At this rate, it’s more believable to think that Joy Co. Ltd. gave special privileges to the elderly, right?”
“Those grandpas… Aren’t they scammers?”
Pyongyang’s Kim Du-Han said, “You youngsters, do you know who we are?”
They all knew them well. They were the chairmen and presidents who were now lying in hospital beds. They were the people who had already retired and had handed over most of their company’s operation to their children. But… would they have reached that high and sat in that position for so long for no reason?
They did not inherit their companies. They built it themselves, investing years of hard work, perseverance, and experience, and were not even afraid to get their hands dirty at times. Of course, it was not just that. They were all talented geniuses, who once had everything and were monsters in their own rights.
“We’re not someone who just lay down and became chairmen and presidents.”
Crack, crack, crack!
The scarecrow broke down completely.
[Your scores will be added up.]
[You have made a record and scored 100 points.]
[You have obtained an additional five points for all of your five basic stats.]
[You have obtained the passive skill: The Herculean.]
Even though everything was happening right in front of them, the players still couldn't bring themselves to believe it.
‘I thought they were just old men?’
‘Ah. They used to…’
Old men were once young, too. And in their youth, some of them were true gangsters, while others were heroes of the Korean War, such as Park Tae-Soo.
After fifteen minutes, six of the chairmen and presidents scored perfect marks while thirteen of them scored more than 90 points.
[A lot of Super Rookies have been born in one of the novice villages under the Beyond the Heavens Empire.]
[With their appearance, those who are located in the novice village of Denz will receive a 6% increase in all of their stats and EXP acquisition rate. This special privilege will remain in effect for three days.]
The old man, Chairman 8, who was once a member of the National Assembly, smiled happily. The other novice players were still standing there in stunned silence.
“Grandpa. This money is very precious to us…”
“Grandpas, don’t you have a lot of money?”
For the players who just started the game, 10,000 gold was a considerable sum of money. The chairmen and presidents just smiled kindly.
“Give it here, quick.”
They were businessmen through and through. The chairmen and presidents, who had shown off their strength, felt completely relieved.
‘Aaaah. I feel like my blood, which had grown stagnant in me, is finally boiling again.’
‘The admiration and sighs of these youngsters bring me delight.’
At that moment, Conir approached them. “G-Grandpas! You’re really amazing and cool!”
“Hoho. Now, Instructor. Give us our bread, water, and money.”
As soon as they received the items, they promptly added them to their inventories.
“What should we do next?”
“You have to go straight to the battlefield!”
“Battlefield?”
Initially, they would have to hit the scarecrow first, then move to a place where they could hunt rabbits or chickens. Only after finishing that would they be able to move to the novice village. However, Joy Co. Ltd. had made numerous changes and implemented several updates over the years. It was just like how the scarecrow had appeared in the novice village when it was not there in the beginning.
“On that battlefield, novices from thousands of novice villages will compete!”
“In this way, the novices from the thousands of novice villages will gather together and join the Goblin Subjugation Troops.”
“Interesting.”
“Hooo?! That sounds really fun!”
However, Conir looked very disappointed. “But if Conir were to be honest… our Denz Village… has always been at the bottom of the rankings among all of the novice villages.”
“Hoho. Is that so?”
“Then, let’s go and show off our strength.”
For the first time in a long time, the chairmen and presidents received the attention and admiration of the people. This made them thirsty for more.
At that moment, Conir stealthily approached them and asked, “Grandpas! By any chance, do you know about attention seeking?”
Conir was a member of Bender and the Attention Seekers. Just like that, the people who should not have learned these things were suddenly being educated about what attention-seeking was.
After their orientation, they turned into light and disappeared into the battlefield.
***
[A lot of Super Rookies have been born in one of the novice villages under the Beyond the Heavens Empire.]
[With their appearance, those who are located in the novice village of Denz will receive a 6% increase in all of their stats and EXP acquisition rate. This special privilege will remain in effect for three days.]
Minhyuk was very happy when these notifications rang in his ears. As the emperor of the Beyond the Heavens Empire, he had the authority to check the nicknames of those who had entered the novice village of Denz. Of course, these included the super rookies who had recently been born into their empire.
[Pyongyang’s Kim Du-Han.]
[Captain Awesome Chun-Sik.]
[Runaway Train Tae-Pyong.]
[ILoveGrandmaChunja.]
[Flaming Arrow.]
[Dawn Knight Chil-Deuk.]
[Godly Marksman.]
“Wh… why are their character names like this?”
Minhyuk was flustered by their names. Nevertheless, the fact that a large number of super rookies were born in a single village remained very unusual.
‘The Beyond the Heavens Empire has to nurture and develop the talents that they discover.’
As their emperor and the players’ Supreme, Minhyuk had a sense of duty to lead them onto the right path. Since he knew that they would be joining the Goblin Subjugation Army, he immediately warped to where they were.
He could see around five thousand novice soldiers waiting in the area. Then… he saw something that left him completely flustered and embarrassed.
‘Eh? Isn’t that Grandpa Tae-Pyong? Omg… I can see Grandpa Chun-Sik too. Keok… I was wondering who Grandma Chunja is. It seems like she’s Grandpa Min-Tae’s wife.’
After learning the identities of the super rookies, Minhyuk's embarrassment grew deeper. Not long after, laughter broke out among the novices.
“Grandpas! Why are you here?!”
“Ah! No! Why did you come to such a dangerous place like this?”
“Please stay behind us and hide, okay?”
“Hoho. These people… Just worry about yourselves.”
Perhaps such a reaction was only natural. In Athenae, a large number of players were from the age of ten to around mid to late thirties. When these players saw elderly men in their early sixties among them, they naturally felt the same concern as the other players.
As for Minhyuk, he was utterly clueless about the situation.
‘No. What’s going on? How did my grandpas become the super rookies?’ Minhyuk thought, unable to wrap his head around this fact.
Of course, it was only natural. Would Minhyuk have even thought that his Grandpa Tae-Soo, who was only 160 centimeters tall, was a Korean War veteran who received three medals of honor and was hailed as a hero?
‘Conir must have been with them. He must have seen it unfold in person, right?’
There were thirty minutes left before the start of the battle. So, Minhyuk decided to understand the situation first. He headed straight toward Denz Village.
To ensure that no one would pay attention to him, Minhyuk chose to change his appearance and fly to the village. When he arrived, he saw Conir talking to someone, who was sporting a very evil smile on his face. The two were having a very deep conversation.
Through their conversation, Minhyuk learned that his Grandfather, Tae-Soo, was a war hero. He also learned about how great his other grandpas were when they were young.
“Conir! Conir followed what Black Dragon said! I told them about attention seeking. Conir did really well!”
Black Dragon, the man with the very evil smile, covered half of his face and cackled. “Fufufufu. You did well, Conir. Aaaaah. Finally! The era that I long for is finally within my reach!”
‘What did my father mean by the era that he longs for?’
“The Chuunibyou era! People just don’t understand how cool and amazing those chuuni lines are!”
‘F- Father?’
“I’ve already taught them how to look cool. I even collaborated with the Attention Seekers before sending them there. I’m sure they will be able to get a lot of attention in that battle. Fufufufu.”
‘D-Dad…?’
“I told them that they have to do something cool when they shoot something. I told them to say lines like, ‘This arrow will be the one that will take your life, go!’ before shooting their arrows.”
‘D-Dad… That’s so embarrassing…’
“And when they wield their sword, I told them to say, ‘Your blood will dye this sword.’!”
‘Dad. Please…’
“Fu… Fufufufufufu!”
A hint of madness appeared on the face of Black Dragon, who was still covering half of his face.
“The era of the Great Black Dragon Order will finally show itself to the world!”
Goosebumps rose all over Minhyuk’s body at the declaration.
‘The super rookie chairmen and presidents will run wild like that on the battlefield…?’
***
At the same time.
“Old codgers.” One of the NPC soldiers growled at the chairmen and presidents. “Don’t even think of messing up when the goblins appear. Did you say that you came from Denz Village? Do they only have these loser soldiers? Even if they were losers, sending old codgers like this… tch.”
The chairmen and presidents all looked in the same direction. At that moment, an imposing man walked out from that place and approached the NPC soldiers. This man was none other than Chairman 8, the former member of the National Assembly.
A sharp glint appeared on the eyes of the chairmen and presidents.
‘I was wondering where he was going to use his conman ways here.’
‘Hoho. It seems like even a dog’s shit has its use.’
Chairman 8 said, “I will make a promise!”
‘Ey! This punk always reneges on his promise!’
‘He’s doing it again! Ugh! Again!’
“If Denz Village ranks last again this time, we will give 1.5 million gold as pension to the soldiers every month!”
‘This punk. He always talks about pensions.’
‘This is why you shouldn’t hang out with people who have dipped their entire being into politics. Tch, tch.’
The soldiers’ eyes gleamed.
“Is that true?”
“It’s the truth! However, if our village ranks first, you have to give us all of your rare items!”
“You’re really going to give us 1.5 million gold for our pension? Really?”
Chairman 8 cried out, “I AAAAAAM A POOOOOOLITICIAN WHO HAS NEVER TOLD A SIIIIIIIINGLE LIE IN MY LIFE!!!”
The fact was Chairman 8 had never kept a single promise that he had made in his life.