Chapter 17
If this game were a martial arts genre, I’d just think, “Oh, Johanna the Great Hero is a master of reversal techniques!” and move on. But unfortunately, the genre of this world was Korean-style Western fantasy—a mix of medieval and early-modern Europe.
Looking at the dorm’s warm underfloor heating and the kind of meals served, it was clear that Korean elements were thoroughly incorporated. On top of that, someone had sprinkled in a touch of steampunk and sailpunk.
“Come to think of it, I used to enjoy martial arts-based games too.”
I briefly recalled the glory days of my past.
I had grown up receiving advanced gaming education from a young age. The one who provided this education was none other than my older brother, six years my senior.
He seemed bothered by my insistence on playing with dolls and decided to show me something more fun—computer games. Thanks to him, I even played DOS classic games that were completely foreign to my peers.
Having a brother who was an incurable game otaku and mastered even retro games meant I naturally grew into a gaming enthusiast.
From games where I carefully raised a daughter to become a princess, to managing towns, to nurturing pocket-sized monsters to become the ultimate trainer—I steadily gained experience across various games and leveled up as a gamer.
Of course, playing for a long time didn’t mean I was actually good. To truly excel at games, you needed physical traits like fast reflexes and sharp hand-eye coordination—things I unfortunately lacked.
“With my current body, I might be able to play at X-ikar’s level… no, he’s a god, so I, a mere human, could never catch up.”
I entertained such absurd thoughts.
“Hmm, let’s see. At your current skill level, it seems like you can only shoot simple magic bullets, right?”
Snapped out of my daydream, I realized Craig had assessed my skills by looking me over and made a judgment.
“Ah, yes. That’s why I came to see if I could learn a new skill.”
In the game, I could see from my status window that my level is 5, but the residents of this world had no such ability. I had to assume that masters like Craig had eyes capable of gauging someone’s skill level.
“Hmm. I’m not a professional shooter, so I only know the basics, but at your current state, it’s about time you learn a skill that shoots multiple bullets at once.”
Yes, this was the skill you learned at level 5: shooting multiple bullets at once. Its name was Split Shot.
“But how do I learn it?”
Honestly, I didn’t even know how I was shooting magic bullets right now. I just pulled the trigger, and the bullets flew. I didn’t understand the principle of even a single bullet, and now I was supposed to shoot multiple bullets at once? Could I even do this?
In the game, activating this skill would generate a flashy magic circle around the gun’s muzzle, and six bullets would fly simultaneously to deal powerful attacks. Thinking about replicating that in real life made me dizzy.
“All right, the method is simple. I’ll show you.”
Craig pulled an old revolver from a corner of the training hall. His weapon choice confirmed he wasn’t a professional shooter.
“Hey, Darren!”
Then he suddenly shouted at Darren, who was swinging an axe.
“Huh? Yes, master?”
Darren stopped mid-swing and turned to look at him.
“Come here and stand in front of me.”
A strange command. Darren scratched his head but came and stood before Craig.
“Watch carefully, rookie. This is how you shoot.”
Craig fired Split Shot at Darren. A magical circle appeared around the muzzle, just like in the game.
“Wait, what? Why are you shooting that at a person?!”
Was this allowed? Would Darren be okay? My pupils dilated in shock.
But contrary to my fears, the bullets had almost no power. They bounced harmlessly off Darren’s strong, muscular body with a clinking sound, like a BB gun shot from a neighborhood kid. In game terms, it would show “Ineffective” or deal at most 1 damage.
“Ah! Ah! Master! Why are you shooting me all of a sudden?!”
Darren screamed, but his trained body was completely unharmed.
“Hahaha, getting hit is part of training, kid.”
Craig laughed heartily. Well, he wasn’t wrong. Warriors are tanks—they absorb damage for the team. Still, the situation was awkward for me.
“I can shoot people like this, but our rookie shouldn’t. It’s embarrassing to say, but I have talent for almost every weapon and skill except magic. As you can see, the power is very weak, hahaha. But for you, it would be dangerous—shooting a human would hurt.”
Craig chuckled self-deprecatingly. Being an NPC specialized in teaching, it seemed there was a backstory to this.
“Hmm, but don’t underestimate me! I do have some talent as a paladin, so that’s at a professional level. Sadly, no paladin apprentice yet…”
Seeing my innocent gaze, Craig gave an awkward smile.
I wasn’t underestimating him anyway. Even if the power was weak, the talent to perform it at all was remarkable. The important thing now wasn’t that.
“Sorry, but…I still don’t get it.”
The flashy magic circle was impressive. The effect of bullets flying looked cool and realistic. But…what exactly am I supposed to do?
“Oh, it’s simple. Just memorize this magic circle.”
He opened a book titled The Shooter’s Essentials and drew the Split Shot circle on the ground with his finger.
“Then, when you pull the trigger, imagine this magic circle in your mind as you shoot.”
“…That’s it?”
For a moment, I felt deflated, but I memorized the circle as he said. It looked like a revolver cylinder, so it wasn’t too hard to remember. Six bullets, six barrels. Got it.
“All right, now aim for that target. Don’t worry if you don’t succeed at first.”
“Yes, sir.”
Leo and Lena, who had been focused on training, and Johanna, who had been sitting idly, gathered to watch me.
‘This is nerve-wracking.’
Just Craig and Darren alone would make me nervous, but with spectators, my hands trembled even more. Among them was a roommate with strong pride who seemed to think, ‘I don’t acknowledge a parachuted-in newbie!’
I took a deep breath and steadied myself. If I failed…well, it would only be embarrassing. I’d annoy my roommate and fail the quest, losing the Rainbow Stones…
‘Come on, I have to succeed!’
Concentrating every ounce of focus, I imagined the magic circle in my mind and pulled the trigger.
The same phenomenon Craig demonstrated occurred at my muzzle. The circle appeared, and six bullets flew straight toward the target—bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang.
Hehe, success.
“……!”
Everyone stared at me in stunned silence.
Johanna broke it first:
“Oh my, you learned that in one try? Child, you must have exceptional talent. Are you not interested in magic at all?”
“Oh, no, Johanna! He’s my apprentice!”
Johanna seemed eager to recruit me, but Craig quickly blocked her. It was a comical scene. The three companions were all impressed in their own ways.
“You’re definitely a goddess’s hero. Impressive, huh?”
Darren nudged me in the side jokingly. I smiled awkwardly and scratched my cheek.
‘So this is the “main character buff” in a game. Is life supposed to be this easy?’
For the first time in both my past and current life, I felt like a genius. My shoulders lifted involuntarily. Well, I had been dragged into saving someone else’s world, so I deserved a little perk.
Leo looked at me with admiration, and Lena seemed conflicted. I hoped my score in her eyes went up a bit. Learning one skill at once wasn’t enough for her to coolly acknowledge me as worthy of the hero squad, but I hoped it moved her a tiny step from ‘contempt’ forward.
“All right, now for your reward. Normally, our hero squad gives a gift each time you learn a new skill. Hahaha.”
At Craig’s words, I turned away from Lena. This was welcome news—I had been waiting for it.
“Here. Use it well.”
A Rainbow Stone…! Its radiant glow! I now had three. Seventeen more to go. Let’s go, self!
I greeted my companions and left the training ground with renewed energy. There was still much to do before nightfall. My next destination: the forest with the mine and lumberyard, where I had fought the slime yesterday.
