Much time had passed.

—The age of gaming had come to an end.

People had grown tired of hunting monsters, completing quests, and leveling up characters.

Though there was fun in growth, excitement in challenges, and thrills in overcoming odds, the process of effort was boring and exhausting.

Over time, the trend became either fully immersing in virtual reality or doing absolutely nothing.

Last year, Roanoke launched and drew attention for its extremely high difficulty.

—“Even creating a character is brutal.”

—“How bad is it?”

—“You can choose difficulty levels, and the first few are passable. But from ‘Hard’ onward, even the third stage is hell.”

Ten trials for character creation.

The Hellfire difficulty was the highest among them and not something anyone could challenge lightly.

Even those who dared were quickly crushed at the very first stage.

“Ssssshhhk!”

Because you had to fight a 2-meter-tall, savage orc bare-handed, using only your real-life physical abilities.

The orc wasn’t even armed with a proper weapon—just a club. And you had to win without any gear.

Player reactions were nearly identical.

—“Hellfire is hopeless.”

—“The devs clearly didn’t intend for anyone to beat it. Just trying it is the challenge.”

—“Still, this is too much;; It’s like they want us to die to the orc and give up.”

—“Even ‘Hard’ is no joke. Goblins might sound weak, but for those without real combat experience, it’s just as bad.”

—“Fr, goblins on ‘Hard’ come at you like demons.”

—“They even form battle formations, those little bastards.”

Weed was in the process of creating a character.

After choosing a name, the system prompted him to pick a difficulty level.

“The character creation trial of Roanoke will now begin.
Please select a difficulty.”

• Very Easy: For first-timers in VR or those who’ve never fought before.

• Safety First: Just follow instructions and you won’t be hurt or killed. (Though accidents may occur.)

• Comfort: A guided experience to help adapt to Roanoke’s world.

• Moderate: Slightly tricky but manageable.

• Standard: May feel brutal to some, but rewards are worthwhile.

• Hard: Enemies are strong and threatening. You’ll need to work to pass.

• Brutal: As stages progress, terrible enemies will appear.

• Nightmare: Are you fearless? Proud? This difficulty will leave unforgettable trauma.

• Extreme: You’ll need the courage to overcome everything.

• Hellfire: Feel it for yourself.

Each difficulty came with unique traits, background settings, stats, equipment, and special rewards.

Weed didn’t hesitate.

“Hellfire.”

He selected the highest difficulty.

He wasn’t here for money like in Royal Road—he came to Roanoke to save his daughter.

‘Even if Royal Road didn’t work out, I still managed to feed my family. But this time… I have to save her.’

His physical capabilities had improved drastically, and he had a wealth of combat experience.

Though he had left the battlefield for a long time while raising his child…

‘I’ll do anything for my daughter.’

As Weed braced himself, the AI spoke.

(Master, no user has ever succeeded at Hellfire difficulty.)

The voice of the AI Versa echoed in his mind, as if whispering into his brain.

‘No one’s ever cleared it?’

(The furthest anyone’s gotten in Hellfire is Stage 2.)

Only up to Stage 2—after an entire year. Most challengers failed at Stage 3 and lost their lives.

‘……’

(If you fail the trial at this difficulty, character creation fails as well.)

‘What happens if I fail?’

(You die during the character creation process.)

Weed felt an emotion he hadn’t experienced in a long time.

‘So I’m totally screwed, huh?’

Then the system window popped up:

“You have chosen Hellfire difficulty.
The worst of all difficulty levels, with zero successful clears to date.”

‘……’

In Royal Road, important choices often prompted confirmation windows. Not so in Roanoke.

One decision, and now his life was on the line.

‘Dying while trying to save my daughter… No, I expected death. But still…’

He had already committed to putting his life on the line for her.

That’s what a father should do—no matter the situation.

But dying within the first hour of entering Roanoke? That was just a senseless death.

First Trial of Hellfire Difficulty.
You have nothing.
Defeat the orc!

If you can’t win, surviving by running for 3 hours also counts as success.

This forest contains various animals and monsters.

Clear Reward: 2 Unique Traits

A flash of light brought him to a thick forest.

Even though it had been a long time since he last entered VR, it felt surprisingly natural.

Unlike Royal Road’s bright blue skies, Roanoke had a red, gloomy sky—even in the day. Four black stars hovered above.

And then…

“Ssssshhhk!”

A burly orc with thick, veiny arms appeared, wielding a wooden club.

Not a sharp glaive like usual orc weapons, but threatening all the same.

“Hungry. Want food. Ssshhhk!”

The orc huffed and stomped toward Weed.

It was clearly eyeing him like weak prey.

Meanwhile…

Abyss, the developers of Roanoke, were under fire.

“Abyss requests more time. No clear solution found.”
“Over 200,000 players dead in Roanoke.”

Late into the night, developers were scrambling—not to save players, but to push forward with other plans.

“Supervision system is ready.”
“We’ve prepped the forced livestreaming service.”

The real purpose behind Roanoke wasn’t just gameplay. It was a death game.

The next step: allow people in the real world to watch and enjoy it.

A massive battle royale with over 100 million users.

A broadcast of the crumbling world.

“We’ll see people drowning in despair. Some will give up on life.”

“Over 10,000 suicides already. At this rate, too many are dying too fast.”

“People fighting and dying to live—how thrilling.”

“Betrayal, backstabbing. Friends stabbing each other. The strong enslaving the weak. Selling their bodies for one meal. Drama modern civilization can’t offer.”

“We’ve created more than VR. A true world. A raw reality for lazy humanity to experience. And we’ll watch. No one else has achieved this.”

Abyss’s executives were horrified as they realized the true intentions of the core devs.

They just wanted to make a game to earn money—yet the devs had created a world of real life and death.

A world that satisfied primal human desires.

No other entertainment could compare.

“Ssshhhk!”

The orc approached, club raised.

Weed calmly analyzed.

‘Doesn’t seem much different from orcs in Royal Road.’

Orcs possessed terrifying strength, far beyond human limits.

‘Leg movement, eyes, posture, balance…’

It had been a long time since he fought, but his instincts instantly awoke.

Sight, hearing, smell, touch—all sharpened.

He gauged the orc’s combat ability by observing its movements.

He had even played as an orc in Royal Road before.

‘Their tactics are simple and direct. They rely heavily on brute force. Judging from the orc’s muscle structure and movements, it lacks combat experience.’

The orc swung its club.

“Break you! Ssshhhk!”

A massive, raw blow meant to obliterate its target.

The move was exaggerated, clumsy, and full of openings.

Weed had fought countless enemies like this before.

He was once Orc Karichwi—a living legend in Royal Road.

Weed stepped aside with his right foot, narrowly avoiding the blow.

Not overthinking it, just reacting naturally, he closed in.

His light fist drove deep into the orc’s unprotected side—right into its organs.

Pwoook!

A devastating hit.

The orc stiffened, then collapsed sideways.

“Guhhh.”

Despite its naturally thick muscles, one punch was enough.

Weed looked down at the groaning orc.

“That’s it?”

Since Dr. Yoo Byungjun’s body modifications, he hadn’t fought anyone seriously.

Hitting this orc made him realize—if it were a human, it would’ve been fatal.

(Roanoke’s system hasn’t fully reflected your body’s capabilities.)

AI Versa’s analysis.

‘Really?’

(Your body has been enhanced beyond human limits—bones, muscles, even cells.)
(Sensory nerves have evolved. Your reflexes are far beyond normal.)
(Your stamina is near-infinite thanks to rapid regeneration.)

‘That’s true.’

(Roanoke likely caps all stats at human maximums.)

So the system could only interpret his body within human thresholds.

(In reality, safety mechanisms limited you—so you wouldn’t move too fast or too strong. But in VR, you can go all out.)

‘So it’s not bad at all.’

Weed recalled his many near-death experiences during the body modification process.

He thought he would die—but survived them all.

‘Dr. Yoo’s enhancements weren’t perfect.’

(In what way?)

‘He could’ve added 5 cm to my height…’

Despite the modifications, he hadn’t changed in appearance.

No height boost, no sharper nose, no double eyelids—what a waste.

(Humans truly have endless greed…)

‘Hmm?’

(…Nothing.)

Weed picked up the orc’s dropped club.

You’ve obtained the Orc’s Crude Club.

At least now he had a usable weapon.

Just like in Royal Road, looting gear was always a joy.