Chapter 1163 – 1163. 15 Days
[Sung Yu-jin
Level: 80
Strength: 100 Stamina: 100 Agility: 100 Intelligence: 100 Vitality: 105 Mana: 103]
[Available Points: 8,517]
After exiting the Play World, I checked my points first.
8,517 points.
‘Should I raise my vitality first?’
[400 points are required to increase your vitality stat.]
[Do you want to increase your vitality stat?]
Seeing the notification window, I clicked my tongue absentmindedly. 400 points. I could do 400 random draws. Of course, it’s hard to say that 400 random draws would yield that much value.
‘Well, I can earn more points anytime. Investing in stats is investing in myself.’
[Sung Yu-jin
Level: 80
Strength: 105 Stamina: 100 Agility: 100 Intelligence: 100 Vitality: 110 Mana: 103]
[Available Points: 4,517]
[600 points are required to increase your vitality stat.]
[Do you want to increase your vitality stat?]
‘From 110, it requires 600 points to raise a stat.’
I used 4,000 points to raise my vitality to 110 and my strength to 105.
Looking at the remaining 4,500 points, I decided to save them. I might need points urgently later.
I got up from my seat and headed towards the window. I pulled back the curtains and looked outside. The sun had already set. I could see countless cars lined up on the road. Nothing surprising. It was the same scene I saw every rush hour.
I stared blankly out the window for a while. Sometimes, I would get this ridiculous thought that the reality I was in might also be a world within a creation. This was one of those times.
‘If reality is a world within a creation… who’s the protagonist? Is it me with the Play Life ability?’
No matter how much I thought about it, I was the only one who fit the protagonist role. I was the most special person in this world, having awakened the Play Life app ability.
‘Whether my reality is a world within a creation or not, who cares? I just need to enjoy my life.’
I took out my smartphone and checked the date. There was nothing special on my schedule. I was free for the time being. As usual, I could hunt monsters in C-grade dungeons to earn money and achievements, and have fun with my sex partners.
‘And if I want something different, I can just enter the Play World.’
*Buzz*
I received a message from my friend, Oh Jun-hyuk.
It was about going to a club to party on a Friday night after a long time. I hesitated for a moment, then agreed. Honestly, I didn’t have high expectations for the women. Real beauties like Han Ha-rin or Ha Seung-hee don’t usually go to places like clubs. Meeting a beauty like that is only possible when you’re really lucky.
But I was going to the club because of Oh Jun-hyuk.
‘He’s still my friend, after all. He helped me out a lot during my freshman year of college.’
Hanging out with Oh Jun-hyuk once in a while isn’t bad. He’s a fun guy.
I went into my room and changed my clothes. I’m not good with fashion, but I can manage with casual wear.
‘All my clothes are designer brands… I should wear the watch I bought for times like this.’
In today’s world where everyone has a smartphone, wristwatches aren’t for telling time. They’re for showing off.
I put on the 1 billion won watch I bought for this day.
***
Ten days passed.
I sat leisurely on the sofa.
‘Should I enter the Play World soon? I went into the [Academy Savior] world last time… This time, I’ll go to [Ascension to the Light]…’
Right before entering the Ascension to the Light world, I realized I could refresh the Play Life quest. I immediately pressed refresh to check the quest.
I was casually checking the quests when I saw one of the refreshed quests and my eyes widened.
[15 Days
You are isolated in a remote mountain village in Japan.
There is a secret hidden in the village of Okaruma. It is eerie and dangerous. You must survive in the village of Okaruma. Escape, hide, trade, kill. You can use any method. Survive.
Quest Success Condition: Escape the village of Okaruma or survive for 15 days.
Quest Reward: Life and Death Authority.
※Multiple penalties exist.]
15 Days.
I remembered it. It was a Japanese manga I read two years ago. The plot was about a group of protagonists trapped in a mountain village and surviving for 15 days. It was even made into an anime. But the anime was a flop, and the manga was pretty fun.
‘Honestly, it wasn’t good enough to be made into an anime. There was a rumor that it was chosen because there weren’t any other manga suitable for animation.’
It wasn’t a creation world I particularly wanted to enter.
But the Life and Death Authority reward for this quest was very tempting.
[Life and Death Authority
You must know the target’s name and face.
Revives the dead.
Kills the living.
Price –
※Caution
Targets with resurrection abilities may resurrect.]
‘So, I can kill anyone I don’t like without question?’
Conversely, I can also revive the dead.
It was a higher-level item than my [Resurrection of the Dead]. I was very tempted by this.
‘I could kill guys like Laplace or Mekin in one go, right?’
But I had no intention of using it on Laplace or Mekin.
They were among the strongest in the [Savior of the Academy] world. Even if I killed them once with the Life and Death Authority, there was a chance they would resurrect. And I would kill them with my own hands.
‘Having this is like having two Resurrection of the Dead. I might not need it right away, but I should have it.’
I selected the quest and checked the penalties.
[Penalty 1. Ordinary Physique.]
[All stats are adjusted to the level of an ordinary person. You cannot use mana.]
[Penalty 2. No Inventory.]
[You cannot use the inventory.]
[Penalty 3. No Spoilers.]
[You cannot access the original work’s information.]
[Penalty 4. No Superpowers!]
[You can only use 3 traits and skills.]
[Available traits and skills: Acting, Full Recovery, Heightened Sensitivity.]
[You can use points to mitigate penalties.]
[The penalties are too severe. An advantage is given.]
[You acquire the limited skill ‘Great Luck (Lv. Master)’.]
[Great Luck Lv. Master
Luck occurs once a day.
*This is a limited skill that can only be used in the ‘15 Days’ Play World.]
Seeing the advantage, my eyes widened.
‘Luck occurs once a day? There’s a skill like that?’
It was a skill, but one I couldn’t use at will. I hadn’t experienced it myself, so it was hard to judge whether it was a good skill or not.
‘I’ll find out when I enter the Play World later. More importantly, the available traits and skills… The only one that’s actually helpful is Full Recovery.’
Full Recovery would be enough.
There were some dangerous guys in the original [15 Days], but I didn’t think I would lose at all.
‘Even if my physical abilities are lowered and I can’t use my traits and skills, the experiences I’ve had won’t disappear.’
Before entering the Play World, I hesitated for a moment and decided to mitigate the penalty.
[500 points are consumed to mitigate Penalty 1. Ordinary Physique penalty.]
[Vitality stat is applied as 20.]
‘There are quite a few beauties in the original work. The original is an 18+ manga, so it’s a bit lewd too… Ordinary vitality? I can’t stand that. Vitality is essential.’
A quest with an enormous reward called the Life and Death Authority.
I knew I couldn’t fail.
‘I don’t even have the confidence to fail.’
And I should enjoy myself while I’m at it.
[Starting Play.]
***
*Clunk clunk.*
The van drove on an unpaved road. The old van was shaking so badly that it was clear there was something wrong with it.
Sitting in the very back of the van, I frowned and looked around.
‘15 Days… I entered the quest Play World for the Life and Death Authority. The quest success condition is… what was it?’
I couldn’t remember.
I knew this world was the world of the manga [15 Days]. But I didn’t know the purpose of the quest. I didn’t remember the original story either. Instead, I remembered ‘me’.
‘Or rather, the setting for me.’
I was Korean. But as an international student, I was attending Naio University in Japan. I was a freshman at Naio University.
The reason I was in this accident-prone van was because of a club.
In Japanese universities, it’s mandatory to join a club or circle. Clubs are strict, and circles are relaxed.
The Japan Festival Study Circle I belonged to was a free circle. I had only participated in circle activities a handful of times since joining. In other words, it was a paper company, a place that existed in name only.
‘That’s why I joined this circle. Because I can play freely.’
But there was a problem.
The problem was that I hadn’t participated in activities enough. The university notified us that if we wanted to maintain the circle, we had to do circle activities. So, I was on my way to a mountain village in Miyazaki Prefecture, Kyushu, with 11 other circle members I wasn’t even close to.
‘The village name was… Okaruma Village, wasn’t it? What a strange name.’
The purpose was to research the summer festival in Okaruma Village. It was called research, but in reality, we just had to take a few pictures, enjoy the festival, and go back. It was a very annoying and tedious task, but I needed to invest my time for a peaceful and free next semester.
‘My real situation is… related to the quest. Damn it. I can’t remember the quest conditions. Wasn’t it just the original work’s information that I couldn’t remember? This is too much.’
I grumbled inwardly.
It was the middle of summer. The temperature alone was 38 degrees Celsius, and the humidity was no joke. To make matters worse, the car’s air conditioner was broken, so it was so hot that I was sweating even when I was still. Of course, the car windows were open, but the hot wind coming in through the windows was just unpleasant.
*Clunk clunk.*
The van shook. The van was going into the mountains. The destination, Okaruma Village, had a population of 150, which was quite a lot for a rural village. Of course, most of them were elderly.
I wiped the sweat from my forehead with a handkerchief and looked around the van.
There were 12 of us in total, including me. Originally, there were more than 30 members, but the rest had joined other circles.
‘There are 7 men and 5 women. The gender ratio is decent.’
Two of the women were beauties that were hard to come by. The other three were below average.
‘I have to get with those two.’
One was sitting in the front. She was a woman with long, straight black hair and an innocent face. A nadeshiko, or in Korean terms, a gentle lady. Her name was Hagawa Ryoko.
The other one was Nakagami Risa.
She was sitting next to me. She was a third-year senior, looking at her smartphone. She had long artificial nails on her slender fingers. Her light brown hair, close to orange, was wavy, and her face was a cat-like face that looked strong-willed.
There were rumors that she was working as a model part-time. She was definitely a beauty with a strong gyaru vibe.
‘How should I talk to her and try to get with her…?’
The man sitting next to Hagawa Ryoko turned his head sharply and looked at me. I didn’t avoid his gaze and looked at him indifferently. He smiled awkwardly and turned his head back.
Wada Kyoshiro.
He was Hagawa Ryoko’s childhood friend. As far as I knew, they weren’t dating yet.
‘Ryoko seems to have feelings for him… Is she waiting for him to confess?’
I had a strong feeling.
Wada Kyoshiro. That guy was probably the protagonist of this world.
“Kyaaaaaaaah!”
A bespectacled, short-haired, plain-looking woman sitting in the front, Nebata Noriko, suddenly screamed and lowered her head. Everyone’s attention turned to her.
The cause of the scream was an insect. A hornet had entered the car and was circling over Noriko’s head.
