Your Commander-in-Chief – Chapter 2

I gather information through the internet.

As a result, I realized that the industries in this world, sharing commonalities in certain fields, exhibit astonishingly rapid development.

It’s similar yet different. Therefore, even looking at stocks, I couldn’t dare to predict which ones would rise or fall.

[Hayun~]

While I was clicking the mouse for a long time, I heard my mom’s voice from beyond the door.

She called out the name of a stranger. So, my response was delayed.

“Come in.”

My mom entered through the door, holding a small plate and a cup filled with juice.

On the plate were little sandwiches, a snack she occasionally made for me.

I wondered if the contents inside were the same.

My mom, who had walked over naturally, placed the plate and cup in front of the computer desk.

She seemed worried that I hadn’t had a proper breakfast.

“Thank you.”

A strange voice.

The girl’s tone that flowed from my mouth was truly lovely.

But the thought that it came from me sent chills down my spine.

“Are you not playing games today?”

“Games…? Ah…”

Tilting my head at the question, I caught sight of the large capsule located in the corner of the room.

As I silently gazed at the capsule, a warm touch brushed my cheek.

When I suddenly raised my gaze, I was met with a warm look filled with affection directed at me.

More precisely, at this body, Hayun.

It was an exceptionally warm gaze, yet it felt cold because of that.

Right after my mom left the room, I stared silently at the capsule.

For a long, long time.

Then a small curiosity arose.

I wondered what had happened to the game I once lived in, in this world.

*

I mindlessly tried to connect using the capsule.

Instead of the account I always used, a strange account created through the information registered for this body welcomed me.

I browsed the game’s homepage. Familiar background screenshots and interfaces.

Deron Online.

Memories flooded back.

Deron’s homepage hadn’t changed much from long ago.

Unlike the significant advancements in the gaming industry, the time in-game flowed curiously the same as in my world.

I couldn’t help but laugh.

I could now explore the world I used to adventure in, but in a different way.

The episode open at this time was the last of Chapter 1.

The rise of the Red Orc Empire.

The maximum level was 25, and the first raid monster was the Red Orc Warrior.

Nostalgia washed over me.

At that time, due to not having an environment to play the game properly, I didn’t have accurate information, but at least I remembered the major events.

A question arose in my mind.

Would the events in this world unfold just like I remembered?

As I continued my thoughts, the loading finished, and the game began.

My vision darkened, and from the center, small clusters of light spread out.

Like clouds falling from the sky, they filled my viewpoint, revealing a vast continent below.

It was strikingly similar to old memories.

The long-changed game connection interface welcomed me.

However, what I saw in the character selection screen was a very unfamiliar sight.

A small girl holding a staff was gazing at me.

Could it be a character that Hayun raised?

I had no interest. I quickly shifted my gaze to create a new character.

The customization began, allowing various adjustments like gender, body type, face, and hair color.

I wasn’t interested. I hurriedly skipped past it. The unadjusted customization mirrored my real appearance.

Since I rushed through all the settings, the nickname creation popped up.

I rapidly tapped on the transparent keyboard floating in the air, and my familiar nickname came to mind.

[Hwarang]

Just slightly changed the first letter of my original name.

But I couldn’t use it now.

If this world’s Harang was like me, and if he shared my thoughts, he would also be using the nickname Hwarang.

[Yeo]

And so, it became Yeo.

I deleted the first letter of Hayun.

Deron Online essentially allowed nickname duplication.

User identification was through account numbers, so the nickname wasn’t that important.

As soon as I finalized my nickname, a new world unfolded.

My senses began to come alive.

As if awakening from a deep slumber, I felt the wind sweeping across my skin.

“Ha…”

Since I brought my physical body along, my arms and legs were short. My gaze was low.

The game was still unkind. Even though the world had changed, there was no tutorial guidance.

I was simply tossed into a new world.

I felt the bewilderment new players must feel when first encountering this game.

I started walking, recalling old memories.

Perhaps due to the game’s huge advancement, the starting village area was crowded with people.

It felt like witnessing a game in its early open beta.

I opened my inventory.

Along with basic starting equipment, I spotted the hard bread I was given.

As I reached in to take out the bread, a rough-looking piece came into my hand.

An unbelievable realism for a game; hence, it was still a game.

I chuckled and drew my sword.

The first place I headed to was the hunting ground.

I passed by the initial bunny hunting area and stepped into the wolf’s territory.

Again, there were many people.

There was so much chatter that I couldn’t even hunt monsters.

So, I passed by.

Wasn’t it too forward for a newly created level 1 character? This thought crossed my mind, but I quickly shook it off.

The game had already entered the realm of sensation. For those with ordinary talent, proper gameplay was nearly impossible; the difficulty had skyrocketed.

I too was one of the talentless ones.

So, I set off on a journey just to enjoy.

As I rummaged through my memory and passed through the wolves’ territory, I arrived in a deep mountain.

No name was marked on the map; it was a kind of hidden area.

The regenerating monsters were goblins, offering the same experience as level 1 bunnies.

So there were no people. Since no proper experience could be gained, nobody bothered coming to this hunting ground.

The dropped items were also the same. Goblins did not drop any notable items.

How many seconds could I last in my first encounter?

I tilted my head and aimed my sword.

There were two goblins walking along the mountain path.

I assumed I would die and charged at them.

My upper body leaned forward, as my lower body exerted strength.

Power surged through my legs as I pushed off the ground, starting to rotate from my ankles.

It felt strange. An unusual sensation enveloped my entire body.

With system correction, an optimal trajectory for the attack was drawn.

But my mind rejected it.

No, it was an instinctual sense. This trajectory didn’t fit.

Do I trust the system or my senses?

I chose the latter.

With my body spinning as I charged, I swung my sword and struck at the goblin’s head.

Swoosh-!

A crisp slicing sound.

Then a beautiful effect exploded.

A critical hit!

As if the goblin had taken tremendous damage, it fell instantly into a stun.

“Ah…”

The pleasure coursing through my fingertips was extraordinary.

But I was startled. Was it just luck? Or was it my skill?

Those questions didn’t linger long.

There were two goblins. The remaining one swung its sword at me.

My body reacted to the attack aimed at my head.

A small movement starting from my feet transmitted through my thighs to my waist and upper body.

Swoosh-

A thin line brushed past my cheek.

The end of my line of sight captured the goblin’s rusty sword and its form.

I was surprised by my own swift reaction.

It all happened in an instant. I hadn’t thought deeply, and my action was quick.

Another attack followed. I moved according to the trajectory forming in my mind.

Although it strayed far from the system correction, the results spoke for themselves.

My choice was correct.

Swish!

The lingering sword path grazed the goblin’s neck.

Along with the effect declaring a critical hit, the goblin fell.

After taking down one goblin, the stunned remaining one began to approach.

The anticipated attack points lit up red on the screen.

But I ignored them all. Instead, I chose to push forward.

As I slid forward, my feet gained momentum, and my outstretched hand swung forward.

One strike.

Slash!

It was already much reduced in health. With a finishing blow, its head was severed, and the corpse vanished.

I was taken aback. And it was fun.

Just like when I first started playing a game, this situation was incredibly entertaining.

I leveled up.

The experience required to go from level 1 to 2 wasn’t much.

Even catching goblins that granted little experience, the level could rise quickly enough.

As the character window opened to check my stats, the optimal job route floated in my mind.

Slice, slice, slice, then slice again.

I got so absorbed in this enjoyable game that I lost track of myself.

The goblin charging at me with its sword occasionally left critical wounds.

But I didn’t stop. I had already experienced death several times.

But I didn’t care. Death in Deron was light.

I died, died, and died again. Today alone, I died ten times.

Thank goodness for the beginner buff which made the resurrection penalty nonexistent.

Just after finishing my latest resurrection, I immediately called up the system options.

Everything felt cumbersome. I turned off all the system corrections cluttering the screen.

My body’s senses felt foreign. My body wasn’t following my thoughts as I wished.

I maximized the sensory synchronization.

At that moment, the mismatched sensations returned to their place.

I was surprisingly excited.

I calmed down. Catching my breath, I looked down at my sword.

Having cleaved through many goblins, it was missing some teeth.

The initial weapon couldn’t be repaired.

It was time to get a store-bought item.

I swiftly moved to purchase a store iron sword.

Goblins weren’t money-valued monsters, but the initial area’s shop items were enough to buy and then some.

Having leveled up, it was time to shift hunting grounds.

As I walked along the path, leaving the starting village behind, I soon arrived at the next town.

This was where the real war against the orcs would begin. The region where oddly colored red-skinned orcs appeared.

I sifted through my memories. Completing the repetitive quests in this area yielded supply-grade equipment typically given to regular soldiers.

As quest reward items, they were substantially useful.

In front of the extended front lines along the mountain range, people were gathered, looking for parties.

In an ordinary game, I would have broken through this area solo.

But now it was different. The game had entered the realm of sensation.

If a talentless person stood before the red orc, their head would split apart.

Should I look for a party? Or should I trust my body’s talent?

I shook my head.

I had already gotten caught up in the fun. I didn’t want anyone butting in.

Clad in my initial gear, when I stepped out towards the front line, the gazes of the crowd turned my way.

But they quickly vanished.

Entering alone into the red orc front line was akin to suicide.

As I walked along the road, I faced a red orc guard.

The muscular orc’s body flared up with red lights as he looked at me.

A hallmark of a hostile mob.

The rapidly approaching orc looked too realistic.

The immense pressure encased my whole body.

What about that long sword? Imagining its sharp blade aiming for my neck made an unexpected fear arise.

I measured the distance for an encounter. The orc’s reach was longer than mine.

It was an unfavorable fight from the start.

This wasn’t like with the goblins; in an instant, I moved my body and lunged forward.

The orc’s gaze shifted down as both arms shot up.

A preparation for a strong strike. If I took that hit, my body would surely split in two from head to toe.

[Hayun~]

“Ah…”

It was my mom calling me.

That call froze my movements.

Thus, the orc guard’s sword fell, slicing through my body.

It was an empty death.