GASP!
Min-jae's body jerked upright in the wooden chair, wind tearing through his throat as if he'd been drowning.
His hand flew to his chest instinctively, searching for the wound that had split him open.
There was nothing, no sign that he had just died a few seconds ago.
His heart pounded so hard that it hurt, like it was trying to escape through his ribs.
Min-jae swallowed, still feeling the phantom sensation of something lodged in his chest.
He looked around once more.
The mirror that was there, the various weapons around the room.
Min-jae dragged a hand down his face.
"I really died."
"So everything was real…this world, the save system, all of it."
He couldn't really lament on more, as a notification took his attention.
[Prologue Scenario Activated]
Objective: Survive the Duel.
Conditions:
Participation is mandatorySurrender is prohibited.
Reward: +1 Save Slot.
"Survive?"
Min-jae thought about the wording and quest as a whole.
So it wasn't about winning, but surviving the duel somehow.
"How the hell am I supposed to that?"
He was a 21st-century man, who knew nothing of how to swing a sword and got tired after running across campus.
Beat the protagonist?
He'd probably lose to a trainee squire who'd held a blade for a week.
Though the words "Intent" and "Technique" lingered in his mind, but he still didn't know how to use them.
Or what they even mean in the first place.
Min-jae looked toward the quest and saw another detail.
"Strange…there's no failure condition?"
His eyes widened.
"…Does that mean I can keep reloading?"
He had already died once, and arrived back at the same spot.
If there was no listed failure… then the quest wouldn't end until he cleared it—
Which meant he would be stuck in a perpetual loop, each one dying an excruciating death every time.
Again, and again.
The thought made his stomach twist, even gagging a little.
This wasn't like failing a boss fight and just clicking the retry button, it was a goddamn blade through his chest.
"Shit…"
Min-jae's mind spiraled for answers, thinking of all the possible ways he could clear this mission—
Before the door opened and the same man had stepped inside once more.
"Cassian D'Averne, are you ready?
Min-jae swallowed and nodded.
Because did he really have a choice otherwise?
The arena roared just like before, the same noise, the same arena, and the same suffocating heat under the sun.
Across from him stood the protagonist.
One hand resting lightly on the hilt of his sword, calm and waiting.
The referee raised his hand.
"Life and death duel. Those are the only rules."
His mind was in a daze, he didn't try to speak, his body felt frozen.
As soon as the signal dropped, the protagonist moved.
Min-jae's eyes widened as he remembered the sensation.
"No!"
Instinctively, he threw his body sideways.
It wasn't elegant or clean at all, he practically dove there with the gusto of someone running to last base.
The blade sliced through the air where his chest had been a heartbeat ago.
Gasps erupted from the stands.
For the first time, Min-jae saw it.
The protagonist staggered back a little, confusion plastered all over his face.
But the next strike came just as quickly, blade coming down his side instead of his heart.
Min-jae felt his body go limp.
***
GASP!
He lurched forward in the wooden chair, lungs dragging in air like he'd been underwater.
His hand flew to his side.
No blood, just phantom pain that lingered once more.
Min-jae sat there for a long moment, breathing hard.
"Fuck…"
He had died again.
It was just as real as last time, just as painful as well.
Min-jae leaned back against the wooden chair once more, throwing a hand across his face as he closed his eyes.
The arena replayed behind his eyelids, visualizing the battle clearly. He had died—
But this time…he managed to dodge the first strike.
The exact distance the protagonist covered in a single step and the way his shoulder dipped just slightly before he moved.
And the look of confusion on his face when Min-jae threw himself to the side.
"There's a pattern…"
The protagonist had a telltale sign of when he wanted to attack, and their power gap was not so vast that Min-jae didn't see him coming.
He lowered his hand slowly.
For a moment, he just stared at the wooden floor beneath his boots.
The fear was still there, no doubt.
Memories of him dying would not disappear, no matter how hard he tried to look away.
It probably never would.
But a resolve settled within Min-jae as he pushed himself off the chair and walked toward the nearby weapon rack.
His fingers hovered for a moment before closing around the hilt of a sword.
It was heavier than he expected…colder and awkward in his grip.
He had no idea how to hold it properly.
But that didn't matter.
"I'll learn that bastard's moves, and clear that goddamn quest."
As if the world had heard his resolve, the nearby door opened once more as the same man stepped inside.
"Cassian D'Averne, are you ready?"
"Yeah, I am."
***
Attempt #3:
The signal dropped.
This time he moved before the blade flashed.
Cassian threw himself sideways.
The same thing happened.
The protagonist adjusted instantly, but this time, he held up his blade.
The protagonist's attack slid right off and plunged into the sand.
Casisan let out a breath of relief before the blade was torn free and sliced right across his throat.
***
GASP!
Attempt #4.
Cassian watched his shoulder.
The moment the protagonist moved, Cassian decided to parry the first attack instead.
The impact rang out before he moved back.
"Nice, parrying works better here."
But he didn't have time to celebrate his small victory more before he started to cough up blood.
***
GASP!
Attempt #7.
He stopped panicking when the blade moved, locking onto the protagonist's shoulder.
The way he moved forward.
Cassian parried an attack to his right while moving aside one from the left.
But the next attack came in the form of a leg sweep, knocking him off his feet before the blade plunged straight to his heart.
***
GASP!
Attempt #12.
The blade came down from above.
Cassian dodged instinctively before he jumped to avoid the first leg sweep.
The protagonist thought he was helpless in the air, but he had already died to it once before.
Cassian positioned his blade near his chest, managing to cause the protagonist's blade to slide aside before his own attack thrusted outward.
Rrrrrrip!
His blade grazed fabric before the protagonist jumped backward.
Cassian landed on the ground before flicking his head back up to see something he's never seen before.
A thin red line opened across the protagonist's forearm.
The arena erupted in shock.
The protagonist stared at him—
…Before he died once more.
[Warning!]
[Save file is unstable. Usage may cause memory to become corrupted.]