DCRBG 05

DCRBG

Posted by Aashi, Released on September 16, 2025

Chapter 5

Hot Debut (1)

1.

To get straight to the point, nothing happened.

“Scaring people like that…”

What did they mean by “targeting”? Maybe not right now, just keeping an eye on me for the time being. Anyway, there were no noticeable changes for the moment.

“Let’s start filming! Alright, our newbie trainees! Gather over here.”

The filming crew that had come in behind me efficiently secured the space.

The first stage was a safe zone. According to Inseop, each starting point had a 500-meter radius safe zone. Monsters wouldn’t appear there, and no monsters could ever intrude. This applied even when going to higher floors.

Inseop’s content, Newbie Academy, was already in its 7th season, and this 7th batch had a total of four trainees—two boys and two girls, evenly split.

-At first, they accepted anyone who applied, but nowadays they added various criteria, so only carefully selected candidates were admitted.

I didn’t know what the interview criteria were, but one thing was certain:

“Looks matter.”

All of them were exceptionally attractive. Among the four, two were recognized as promising talents by the Ability Management Department. Since this content was supported by them, their involvement made sense, but the label “promising talent” didn’t seem like a lie.

That handsome guy with ash-gray hair, wearing leather armor that revealed his forearms—they were impressive. And the way he held his sword seemed very familiar.

“Hey, Junseo, he’s skilled, isn’t he?”
“That’s his brother, isn’t it? Ranked 8th in Korea, Kim Doyoon. Both brothers awakened sword-related traits.”
“Why would someone like him join Newbie Academy?”
“Obvious. It’s for image building. He signed a direct contract with the Ability Management Department.”

From what the staff around me were saying, he seemed quite famous.

Then the other promising trainee… Ah, that must be the girl.

“Choi Seoyeon, that’s the spear, right? She has a million subscribers, doesn’t she?”
“She recently awakened. She was originally a beauty YouTuber.”
“If it were me, even after awakening, I’d just continue beauty YouTube. Abyss is dangerous, honestly.”
“Maybe there’s a reason for it?”
“Seoyeon’s unique trait grade is reportedly really high, too…”

The staff sure talked a lot. Thanks to them, I got plenty of info on the trainees. The other two really seemed like newbies just by looking at how they held their weapons. They awkwardly copied Inseop’s demonstrations.

“Hmm, that’s not how you do it.”

As I nodded with my arms crossed, one of the staff who had been chatting approached me quietly. He was a man my age with a kind face.

“You must be an acquaintance of the boss?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“From what I heard, you seem really experienced! Which floor do you usually operate on?”

I confidently answered,

“This is my first time entering the Abyss today.”
“…Ah, I see.”
“But the way you hold a sword like that isn’t correct. You need to hold it gently; gripping too tightly will rupture your hand.”
“…Ah, I understand.”

Disappointment and distrust were written all over his face. The staff scratched his cheek awkwardly, then handed me a small earpiece.

“The boss said to give this to you. Wear it in your right ear and press this small button.”
“Excuse me, what is this?”
“It’s an earpiece made exclusively for Abyss broadcasts. Once you put it on, you’ll know immediately.”

I did as instructed, placing the earpiece in my right ear and carefully pressing the tiny button. Soon after:

-Wow. What are the faces of the 7th batch trainees? LOL
-Is there a coupling this season too?
-Isn’t Hyungseop only paying attention to the female trainees? He doesn’t approach the male trainees at all.
-Nothing escapes the gossip birds, huh?
-Do we even need the tutorial? Let’s just go hunt monsters. Kids need to be trained strong.
-Choi Seoyeon is really pretty…
-A distinguished person in a humble place…

Inseop’s broadcast chat appeared in a hologram before my eyes. Wow, a holographic HUD! Technology has advanced this much? It felt like I was playing a virtual reality game.

“Immediate communication is important in Abyss broadcasts.”
“How much does this cost?”
“Hmm? About 50 million won per earpiece. It contains Abyss metals, so it’s expensive.”
“50 million… won?”
“Since it’s classified as an item, once you register it, it can sync with system messages. The top model even supports guide functions… Ah, I talk too much. I’m the filming director, Shin Taeseok.”
“I’m Seongwoo.”

A formal introduction, and an almost absurd price. Smaller than a hand, yet more expensive than a year’s salary for an office worker.

…Should I ask my brother to buy it?
No, Seongwoo. If you’re a human, you solve this yourself.

“I’ll ask Inseop to lend it to me.”
“Eh?”
“Ah, just talking to myself.”

If I say I’ll return it, maybe he’ll lend it.

“The chat is fun.”
“Ha, really?”

Seeing the chat put me at ease. Even in a changed world, internet culture remained the same. Inseop’s broadcasts had always been calm; most viewers were good people.

Meanwhile, my broadcasts… hmm, better not go there. Only malicious viewers were there.

Watching an Abyss broadcast firsthand helped me understand the system roughly.

“Those drones are filming the shoot too, right?”
“Yes. With magical engineering. Those are even more expensive.”
“…How much?”
“About 100 million per drone. They could break in battle, so we carry extras in inventory. On lower floors, monsters rarely use AoE attacks, so they’re safe. But on higher floors, they often get destroyed.”

…Can I really afford this equipment myself? Maybe I should forget about broadcasting for now and focus on farming in the Abyss to earn money. Money is always the scariest. Before this world and now, money is still the issue.

Sigh.

I needed a plan. While I was talking to filming director Shin Taeseok, the first session of filming ended.

“Alright, take a 10-minute break. Then we’ll head to the hunting grounds for practical training!”
“Yes!”
“Viewers? Go watch the ads!”

Inseop smoothly cut the filming and approached me, took a sip of water, and smiled.

“Hyung, you must be bored?”
“No, it’s interesting to see something new. But, Inseop…”
“Yeah?”
“Could you lend me some filming equipment later?”
“…Huh?”
“I’ll pay it back. Trust me? I’m Yuseongwoo, your sworn brother. You know I won’t run away.”

Inseop didn’t answer for three minutes. Tch.

2.

The next filming, as scheduled, was hunting monsters.

When we stepped outside the safe zone with the crew, a red-bordered message appeared:

[Leaving the Safe Zone.]
[Quest for <Floor 1 – Silent Field> generated.]
[Hunt Quest: <Goblin LV.3> 0/10]

“Let’s start!”

The trainees scattered, and Inseop exhaled in relief.

“Finally, some rest. Our footage won’t be broadcast. You can speak freely now, hyung.”
“You haven’t done anything yet.”
“It’s exhausting directing. We need a break; otherwise, we’ll die on exploration quests later.”

The crew split up to follow the trainees. Inseop sat in a chair he brought out and leaned back.

“Hyung, I’ve thought about it.”
“Yeah, my little brother?”
“If you want to do Abyss broadcasts, I’ll help. ‘Inseop’s Friendly Personal Lessons’ concept might work.”
“…Inseop!”
“Loyalty counts.”

I was really glad he approached me.

“What about the equipment?”
“…I’ll lend it. If you break it, Jinseong will cover it.”

This guy really has a plan. Lending is better than nothing. Just don’t break it.

“If you get bored, try completing hunt quests. What’s your unique trait? I’ll lend you a weapon.”
“I’m fine. Don’t interfere while they’re playing.”
“Says the newbie entering the Abyss for the first time.”
“I have to check something after filming anyway.”

I hadn’t assessed my own strength yet. I slightly nodded and looked at the holographic screen broadcasting the fight.

On the screen, Kim Junseo was hunting goblins with a longsword—precise, smooth swordwork with no hesitation.

“Clean. As expected from Kim Doyoon’s brother.”
“Kim Doyoon is that good?”
“Sword master. 6th-floor player. Very skilled.”
“How about you?”
“My best is 5th floor.”
“Weak.”
“…5th floor is top 2% in Korea. 6th floor is the highest. That’s impressive. In the US, they’re just attempting the 8th floor.”

Other trainees were also hunting goblins easily. The goblins were dumb monsters swinging sticks, nothing difficult.

“Hmm.”
“Something wrong, hyung? You look uneasy.”
“Yeah.”

Something felt off, irritating my instincts.

“This doesn’t feel right.”

My instincts were rarely wrong, because:

[Unique Trait <Skill Archive – Duelist Jerah> is active.]
[Passive Skill <Instinct> is active.]

This instinct was a skill passed down by Jerah, the top boxer from Avalon. Whenever it triggered, trouble followed.

“Is Floor 1 safe?”
“Compared to other floors, deaths are rare. Mostly goblins, almost no elite or boss monsters.”
“If that’s true, why does this feel so… uneasy?”

Then:

[<The Scales> issue a trial to restore balance!]
[Level restriction for <Floor 1 – Silent Field> is lifted.]
[Quest updated.]
[Hunt Quest: <Red Drake (Elite LV.140)> 0/1]

The message only appeared to me; Inseop’s face turned pale.

“Red Drake Elite? What the…?”
“What’s a Red Drake?”
“Wyvern species. Appears on 4th floor. Elite means at least twenty 4th-floor players are needed to defeat it… we can’t handle this right now.”

The chat exploded:

-????
-Red Drake? Is the Abyss system bugged?
-Wait, what?
-I just logged in, someone explain
-Aren’t we on Floor 1?

The chat scrolled insanely fast. Inseop panicked briefly but regained composure and grabbed his radio:

“Return to safe zones immediately. Stop filming until the situation is assessed. Safety first. This could be a random event, so for now…”

Then:

Kyaaaak—!

A piercing roar echoed from afar.

[<Red Drake> has appeared!]

About 400 meters away, a massive red-scaled lizard appeared atop the reeds. Inseop shouted urgently:

“Hyung! Go to the safe zone first!”
“Inseop…”
“Damn, I heard Abyss has been unstable, but… this is a spatial anomaly? It’s never happened on Floor 1 before!”

Fear replaced composure on his face. That lizard must be terrifying.

Roaaaar—!

It looked scarier than a goblin, flames spewing from its mouth. Wyvern species, similar to dragons.

“Hey, Inseop.”
“Hyung. Sorry. Let’s talk outside. You go first! I’ll protect our team…”
“So we just need to deal with that lizard, right?”

I prepared myself. In a game, this would be a high-level monster in the newbie zone—impossible unless it was a bug. If it’s a bug, it’s probably my fault. All evidence points to me: messages upon entering, messages just now.

The solution is simple:

“If it’s my mess, I clean it up.”

“What nonsense! Run!”

I took responsibility.

[Unique Trait <Skill Archive – Duelist Jerah> activated.]

The Red Drake appeared near one of the trainees—Choi Seoyeon, if I remembered correctly. She froze, dropping her spear. The Red Drake, a wyvern, was actually using fire.

No problem. I’ve killed real dragons in Avalon, including magic-driven dragons. Even at 10% power, fake dragons are easy.

[Select skill. Current power: 10%]

“Heaven’s Punishment.”

Magical energy surged through me. Not full strength, but enough to imitate. I stepped forward.

Heaven’s Punishment.

A simple action: jump and slam my fist into the ground.

Kwaaaang—!
Kwaajjjjik—!

A heavy impact radiated from my fist. The stench of blood filled the air.

[<Red Drake> defeated.]
[Hunt Quest completed!]

The terrifying Red Drake collapsed, its head blown apart.

Boom—!

Took about 10 seconds. Slightly disappointing. Even a scarecrow role should be performed properly.