A Basement-Dwelling Loser, the Inquisitor – Chapter 1

A cool breeze flowed across the vast prairie.

Glancing to the side, I saw golden barley ears beautifully swaying in the wind.

Even though I had surely been watching this scene for quite a while, every time I felt it all so real, admiration still bubbled up inside me.

“Hmm…”

Today, there were many tasks to complete.

I needed to hunt the wild boar that the farmer requested and tidy up the warehouse as asked by the village head.

First, I checked my tools for hunting the boar.

My long-time friend, Warhammer, was just as heavy as ever.

Clank, clank.

After wrapping up my preparations, I walked towards my destination, the sound of my full body armor resounding.

“Ah… Let’s see… Key… do you… understand?!”

Turning my head slightly at a noisy commotion, I saw a woman standing there.

She wore a pure white dress and held a staff in her left hand, with a cross adorned with a circle in the center at the top of her staff.

She seemed to be searching for something, and I wanted to help her, but considering my job, she was not someone I could assist.

“Sigh…”

Things were already busy, and now I had another task added to my list.

But that’s annoying; I really couldn’t just walk away.

Clank, clank.

I had to hunt the wild boar, tidy the warehouse, and prepare a snack for the little one…

“I’m walking my own path! What do you all know?! Noise!”

And I had heretics to judge too.

“…Huh? Look back? Suddenly? Why?”

Kkang!

The clear sound of my Warhammer resonated, and sadly, the heretic before me seemed to have met their end at my strike.

Looks like this heretic couldn’t withstand this level of attack.

I silently closed my eyes and prayed for her.

No matter how much of a heretic she was, I believed she could surely repent someday.

★

New Dimension. Abbreviated as ND. Known as 뉴디 in Korean.

Currently, it is the most popular virtual reality game around the world.

Even after a year since the server opened, new regions continued to be discovered in its vast world.

NPCs feel like they are truly conversing with humans thanks to state-of-the-art artificial intelligence.

It was a game that seemed to exemplify what an open-world genre should be!

Plus, the content is so diverse that players of any preference can find joy.

If you want to relish the essence of RPGs, simply enjoy 뉴디 itself.

If you prefer battling with others, there are PVP and AOS modes.

If you wish to explore a new world leisurely and peacefully, there’s a travel mode.

You can do anything. You can enjoy anything.

That freedom is the biggest merit touted by the game company, and it has resonated well, making 뉴디 the hottest game globally right now.

Of course, this is all limited to the realm of gaming, but still, I cannot explain the sheer popularity of 뉴디 any other way.

In other words… for streamers, it was a must-play game.

Tuni.

A 22-year-old female professional game streamer active on Raeming.

With her innocent looks contrasting her bold tongue, this was quite a common concept in the highly competitive streaming industry.

As a result, it was rare for her to surpass an average of 50 viewers.

In other words, she was literally a “hakkō.”

She always used motion sickness as an excuse to avoid playing 뉴디, but this time she lost a bet with her viewers and had to play it.

The job she chose at the start was Priest.

The reason she picked it was the basic attire of a pure white dress that exuded an innocent vibe.

When she explained her choice, her viewers filled the chat with disapproving emojis, yet Tuni remained resolute in her selection.

Then, as soon as the game started, her fans naturally began giving her unsolicited advice.

— Really, who starts a game in Barley Town like a noob…
— Is this even a professional game streamer?
— I’m so disappointed, Tuni… There are plenty of reasons Barley Town isn’t good…

From shameless trolls starting with light teasing to long-winded advice.

Being a hakkō, she was used to the existence of these troublesome fans, but since this was her first foray into virtual reality gaming, Tuni’s patience quickly reached its limit.

“No! This place was said to be surprisingly good for beginners in the guide video, okay? Do you guys know better than those people?! If you do, then you should make a guide video yourselves!”

She couldn’t even start the barley harvest quest requested by the village head because she was bickering with her viewers.

But since she knew that stepping back from here would only invite a bigger storm, Tuni refused to give up and fired back at their comments.

Of course, she was also aware that the viewers enjoyed such chaos, making it a mix of a tactical choice.

— Why are you doing this to us?
— Who’s gonna heal the wounds Tuni caused to my heart…
— While I’m saying I’m going to watch another stream, they harass me for it…

“That’s basic manners, you scumbag! Ugh, you don’t know a thing?! It’s noisy! I’m walking my own path!”

No matter what, it was time to seriously get into the game.

Thus, Tuni hurriedly tidied up the situation and aimed to start the barley harvest.

Clank, clank.

Suddenly, a heavy sound of metal clashing rang out from behind her.

— What’s that noise?
— Look behind you!
— Sounds like full body armor?
— What does that mean?

Fans fervently alerted Tuni about the strange situation, but…

“…Huh? Look back? Suddenly? Why?”

Death was already looming close before her.

When Tuni turned around, a massive Warhammer had come right up to her face.

Kkang!

A clear, sharp sound echoed, engulfing Tuni’s vision in darkness.

〔DEATH〕

“…”

At that moment, she momentarily forgot human speech in the face of the system notifying her of her demise.

— Starting the game with a PK, huh? LOL
— Wow, is there a player in Barley Town?

“…Aaaah!!! Who the hell is that?! Must be one of you!!!”

— I can assure you it’s not me, LOL
— If that’s the case, this must be love…
— I’ve never seen someone PKing like that in 뉴디, LOL
— Accept it with the broad heart of a Priest.

“What the hell, damn it!!!”

The merits of 뉴디. High freedom to do anything.

And the drawbacks of 뉴디. High freedom to do anything.

Tuni quickly learned that fact from the very beginning.

★

【New Dimension Gallery】

【Title: What the hell is this guy?!】

【Author: ㅇㅇ】

(Nickname: Inquisition Officer.jpg)

This guy suddenly smashed my head with a Warhammer and killed me! What the heck is he???

【Likes: 61 / Dislikes: 3】

Head-Broken Priest: That guy is the one.

└Head-Broken Priest: The one I posted in the gallery before.

└Head-Broken Priest: A crazy man who kills Priests by smashing their heads in.

└ㅇㅇ: Looks like he forced his nickname to fit him, huh? LOL

└Head-Broken Priest: He’s done this to more than just a few, for real.

Is it fun or something: Inquisition Officer (self-proclaimed heretic)

ㅇㅇ: This guy is seriously insane.

└ㅇㅇ: I’ve seen him in AOS mode too sometimes.

└ㅇㅇ: He only kills if the opponent isn’t a Priest.

└Naice: This one is really nuts, LOL

└Spiral Drill: Glad I chose Warrior, LOL

ㅇㅇ: So, Tuni got smashed and died today because of this guy.

└New Dimension Gallery: Streamers, please go away.

└New Dimension Gallery 2: (…How would Namgoong-hyung know that? Huh?)

★

When I opened my eyes and looked around, the first thing that greeted me was a bed and desk in a rather spacious room.

And there was a computer on it.

“…What is this?”

To get a grasp of the situation, I stepped out of the room to find a wide living room on the left, a bathroom directly ahead, and the front door on the right.

“…What’s going on?”

Today marked my 15th birthday.

Of course, since I had no one to celebrate with, I planned to stay holed up in my room and curse the world, but I never expected to be faced with such a situation.

…Wait a minute. This scenery feels familiar.

Suddenly, that thought crossed my mind, and I strained my genius brain to derive the answer.

“…Earth?”

★

On the day of my 15th birthday, I returned to Earth.

[Selene Benedetta]

For some reason, my home and ID, as well as things like my phone, were all readily prepared.

The fact that my age jumped from 15 to 19 was a bit shocking, but it wasn’t something I was overly concerned about.

So, I…

“Yawwn…”

Judging from the Inquisition Officer, I had officially transitioned into being a reclusive hermit.

I wake up at 11 AM. I order a lunchbox through a delivery app.

After eating, I start up my computer and explore various galleries.

What’s the latest famous manga or game? Has anything fun happened lately?

Then I order another lunchbox for dinner and mess around on my phone until dawn, then sleep.

And the cycle repeats the next day, waking up at 11 AM.

At first, I did try to live with some enthusiasm.

After all, I returned from a blood-soaked world to a peaceful Earth.

But when I turned my phone on, I found that I had zero contacts saved.

Just as I had expected, my previous life had ended due to overwork.

And every time I stepped outside, the countless stares felt overwhelming.

All of that piled up quickly, extinguishing the initial enthusiasm I had, leading me back to the hermit life I’d always known.

Whether in my past life or in that other world, I always slumped back into my room after work was done.

If anything, this place felt like my true calling.

“…Ah.”

Before going to sleep, I opened the fridge only to find it completely empty of water.

I realized the last one I took out was during lunch.

I had meant to order more right after, but I completely forgot.

“Ugh…”

As much as I would prefer not to go out, surviving without water isn’t easy for a hermit.

I really dislike the smell of chlorine in tap water, so I’d rather not.

If I order now, it won’t arrive until tomorrow morning, leaving me with no water to drink in the meantime.

Looks like it’s time for me to venture out after a long while.