Ares, the first virtual reality game, is beloved by 2.5 billion people worldwide.
An interview with Lee Se-jin, the CEO of the game’s developer Blue Inc., is underway.
The man called the god of the gaming world.
The richest individual in the world.
Genius Lee Se-jin!
‘It’s about time for that question to come up.’
While receiving the camera flashes and questions, Lee Se-jin thought.
Sure enough.
“It’s been a year since Ares officially launched. No one has yet succeeded in the event you proposed at the launch, which was to break the wooden doll in 10 attempts.”
On the day Ares opened, a shocking event notice was posted.
If you strike the wooden doll in the beginners’ zone exactly 10 times and break it, the reward would be given.
“The reward is a whopping 50 million won worth Ares VVIP capsule and all stats increasing by 5, which prompted all 2.5 billion people to attempt it.”
Even if you don’t want to try, you have to.
Users start in one of the hundreds of beginners’ zones when they begin the game.
The first thing to do in this beginners’ zone is to learn to attack.
That is, to hit the wooden doll.
A whopping 2.5 billion people tried and all failed.
Even though after striking 10 times, you could try again after a certain time.
“No one has succeeded yet. When do you think someone will?”
People were curious.
Who will break that wooden doll!
Even current archery gold medalists, kendo gold medalists, and even mixed martial arts fighters have failed.
“I think it won’t be long.”
Having said that, Lee Se-jin thinks it may not happen.
Blue Inc. needed something to ignite the users’ enthusiasm, hence the event.
The result was a huge success.
At the beginning, the simultaneous connection surged as everyone tried to break the wooden doll.
‘We can’t easily give away a VVIP virtual reality capsule and all stats +5.’
Starting with all stats +5 is an extraordinary thing.
Level 1 is when all stats are standardized at 5.
But if one succeeds, they start at 10.
The interesting thing is that even when that user reaches level 10, they are still 5 points higher than other users.
The same is true at 100, and even at 500.
In other words, it’s a stepping stone to get ahead from the very beginning.
‘The power of the initial +5 is quite astonishing.’
There are several reasons why breaking the wooden doll is difficult.
In the beginners’ zone, you cannot level up, change jobs, or acquire skills.
It’s almost impossible to break it in the beginners’ zone in the first place.
“As always, you give the same answer.”
At the provocative question from the journalist, Lee Se-jin smiled slightly.
“The world is wide, and there are many geniuses. In a short time……..”
Just then.
“What? A world message!?”
One reporter who took a call exclaimed in surprise.
World message.
A message that is heard by all connected users. Usually, it rings when some user achieves something tremendous that others have not.
All eyes were focused on the reporter who took the call.
Soon after.
Drrring-Drrrring!
“Bro, you got a call!”
The reporters’ phone bells began to ring off the hook.
“…The wooden doll has been broken!?”
“Did a world message really pop up saying the wooden doll has been broken!?”
“This is crazy!”
“It’s, it’s a scoop!”
“Has it finally been broken after a year!?”
Swoosh-!
Suddenly, all the journalists’ eyes turned to Lee Se-jin.
Lee Se-jin had a composed expression.
“If it’s true, then I guess I have to prepare to gift the VVIP capsule to that user, haha.”
He smiled calmly.
Soon the journalists got busy on the phone and the conference room became noisy.
Lee Se-jin quickly wrapped up the press conference and went to the waiting room.
“Mr. President!”
Employees were rushing over.
One of the staff had been waiting in the green room with the screen on.
He is the head of the Special User Management Team.
“A user has really broken the wooden doll in 10 attempts.”
“Huh?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“Turn on the replay.”
Click-
The screen came to life as the mouse was clicked.
‘I wonder if it will be successful this time.’
It was a rather good-looking young man.
Lee Se-jin soon noticed something strange.
“What’s that weapon? Did he break it with that weapon?”
The man on the monitor was holding a sword with a sharp aura.
“I’ve never heard of such a weapon in the beginners’ zone?”
Sometimes, special users receive artifacts from NPCs to challenge.
But even those weapons could not break the wooden doll in 10 attempts.
So what was this?
It was an unfamiliar weapon that he had never seen before.
Soon the young man began to strike the wooden doll.
Thump, thuuump, thuuuump!
The heavy sound echoed in the waiting room.
Upon the eighth strike, the wooden doll shattered, and Lee Se-jin’s eyes widened.
“Could it be……!”
He turned to look at the employee from the Special User Management Team.
The Special User Management Team monitors users, so they would know what actions the user had taken.
“That ‘could it be’ is correct.”
“He made that sword himself? What is the grade of the sword?”
“It’s epic.”
“Epic?”
Lee Se-jin’s face was filled with bewilderment.
“What are you talking about? How can a level 1 who hasn’t even changed jobs make an epic-grade sword?”
Despite the denial, the Special User Management Team employee said.
“It’s true according to the user’s play results; he made it himself.”
As mentioned, in the beginners’ zone, one’s real-world talents are greatly augmented.
An archery athlete with a bow, a kendo athlete with a sword, a judo athlete with judo.
Lee Se-jin suddenly remembered a conversation with the development team, who had headaches while creating the blacksmith job class.
‘It’s hardest to consult with blacksmiths. They say there are less than 10 in the world.’
‘Isn’t there a famous Mr. Smith who is a blacksmith?’
‘He is famous, but Mr. Smith said he’s embarrassed to be called a blacksmith.’
‘Embarrassed?’
‘He says his blacksmithing skills are adapted to machinery. There’s no one who does blacksmithing by hand from start to finish anymore.’
‘Umm…’
‘There was one master craftsman in Korea who did the work by hand…’
‘Was…..??’
‘He became a vegetative state. Mr. Smith said he was the best blacksmith he had ever seen.’
‘It’s unfortunate, but we have no choice but to proceed with the advice from various blacksmiths and past information.’
Lee Se-jin’s eyes, awakened from his reverie, landed on the young man.
-When will the capsule come?
Watching the young man humming a tune with a pleased smile, Lee Se-jin couldn’t understand.
There was only one master craftsman in the world, and he had become a vegetative state.
‘Then who is this user……………?’
Lee Se-jin could not take his eyes off the mysterious user.
