Chapter 7

The death game had begun.

Players who logged into Roanoke were thrown into chaos after seeing the developers’ announcement, but soon realized—it was all true.

“People who die in the game… don’t come back.”

“Does that mean we can’t return to reality anymore?”

“Do we really die for good?”

In this virtual reality game, players came to experience the true terror of death.

The fact that their lives could vanish in an instant.

Even the low-level monsters they had once hunted without a second thought now seemed terrifying.

There was now a heavy burden to risking one’s life even when fighting weak monsters.

“Let’s head to a big city.”

“Yeah, if you want to survive long-term in Roanoke, a city is your best bet.”

“Cities aren’t totally safe either, but they’re still way better than small villages.”

“We need to find a city with strong walls.”

Mass migrations began.

Users started moving en masse from dangerous areas teeming with monsters and demons.

Abandoning their homes and resources like war refugees, players fled toward the cities.

“You can’t leave! If you all go, monsters will overrun this area!”

“We can hold out for a few months! It’s not too late to head to a city later if we must!”

Despite pleas to stay and defend the villages, most players packed up and left without listening.

“If monsters take over the countryside and the grain fields, the Palès Kingdom will fall even faster!”

“Let’s fight. We still can fight. Even if they’re weak monsters, we can hunt them!”

But the players leaving weren’t fools.

Everyone knew: monsters in Roanoke would multiply rapidly if left alone.

And demonkind would spread its domain, too.

“But risking my life to fight? That’s terrifying.”

“Sure, maybe the kingdom falls. But what if I die before that happens?”

“Why me? Let someone else handle it.”

“Everyone else is going. I’d be a fool to stay behind and get killed.”

“If this kingdom collapses, I’ll just move to another one.”

Unable to withstand the fear of death, users fled to the cities.

Those already in the cities were too scared to even step outside the gates, where monsters and demons lurked.

Still, people clung to hope that someone from reality would come to save them eventually.

“I just need to survive long enough. Rescue teams won’t just sit back.”

“Maybe America will help us.”

“I’ll hold on as long as I can. Somehow.”

The Roanoke incident, which affected over 100 million people.

Naturally, the public began to take interest in this virtual world.

“Now that life’s good, games set in doomed worlds are all the rage, huh?”

“Back in my day, Royal Road was a game I’d recommend even to kids. Roanoke? Die too easily.”

“But it’s actually fun. Get strong, visit a small village—they treat you like a hero.”

“That thrill factor is no joke.”

“Battlefields feel real. It’s a war of kill or be killed.”

“By the way, what does Roanoke mean?”

“It was the first English colony in America. Famously, everyone there mysteriously vanished.”

“These devs planned this out from the start, huh… creepy.”

Players who had even briefly tried Roanoke began posting prolifically in online communities.

Stage 2 of Hell Difficulty.

Failure meant likely death—but Weed wasn’t worried.

“I pushed my growth to the limit in Stage 1.”

No one else had likely entered Stage 2 at such a high level of development.

From physical stats alone, he was overwhelming. More importantly, he already knew how the second stage would play out.

[You must avoid being tracked by three Orc Hunters in the Ferdirka Mountains for 24 hours.]

“How strong are these hunters compared to the lazy orcs from Stage 1?”

[Two lazy orcs together could barely match a single orc hunter.]

“So the difficulty has definitely increased.”

[Orc Hunters possess professional combat skills. With three of them coordinating, their effective combat power exceeds 10 times that of a normal opponent.]

[Assuming you engage them head-on, that is.]

“You wouldn’t survive without maxing out growth in Stage 1.”

[Running away is still a valid strategy up to Stage 2. However, the orc hunters will pursue relentlessly for 24 hours.]

[Fleeing challengers experience extreme terror during the chase.]

Weed felt he had many options.

Even a direct fight didn’t seem unwinnable.

“I’m used to the orcs’ simple fighting style.”

Orcs, while strong and fast, fought in straightforward patterns.

They didn’t fake movements—everything from their shoulders to their gaze was honest.

Even a triple coordinated assault wasn’t necessarily a problem.

“Someone with a good sense for hand-to-hand combat could clear Stage 2, even without my physique.”

[The bar is very high. Even during Royal Road’s heyday, only top-tier users could meet it. Most players who passed Stage 2 opted to flee from the orc hunters.]

“Run, huh… What are orcs like in Roanoke?”

[Unlike Royal Road, they’re not a dominant species here. They’re marginalized, surviving more through hunting than pillaging.]

[While orc hunters have excellent tracking skills, they operate within patterns that can be exploited.]

Thanks to prior knowledge and strategizing time, Weed was ready.

Second Trial of Hell Difficulty

Survived the orcs? Here’s your next threat!

Three experienced Orc Hunters are now tracking your scent.

Day and night—for 24 hours—run anywhere and survive.

If they catch you, they’ll devour you alive.

The sprawling Ferdirka Mountains were filled with various animals and monsters.

Rewards:
– One special ability
– Hero Points

The fearsome message about being eaten alive didn’t faze Weed.

He had confidence in his skill—and he had come here to save his daughter.

(There’s a pond nearby. Herbs grow there, and many animals come to drink.)

“I have a bow, so I can hunt plenty of animals.”

(The mountain is rich in wildlife. Maximize your hunting output.)

Versa, the AI, resumed her role as a top-tier navigator.

Weed hunted animals and monsters as he ran across the mountain, collecting herbs hidden in every corner.

Though three Orc Hunters were surely tracking him, he didn’t care.

He was too busy grinding for growth to feel hunted.

(There are lizardmen in the swamp ahead. Preventing their escape will be advantageous.)

As soon as Weed spotted five lizardmen, he drew the Wind Bow.

Whoosh!

Arrows flew with the wind and hit their marks.

“Grrrk!”

“Human! Prey is here!”

Weed rushed in and smashed their skulls with the orc’s club.

You have obtained a Lizardman’s Steel Pickaxe.

That pickaxe could be used elsewhere.

(There’s a gold and silver vein nearby—other players haven’t mined it. Gold is highly valuable in Roanoke, where nobles rule by force.)

“Really?”

(It may be useful in other Hell Difficulty trials.)

Following Versa’s guidance, Weed climbed down a cliff and began mining.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Using strength honed from Royal Road and real combat, he struck the weak points of rocks perfectly.

You’ve mined sparkling gold ore.
You’ve mined high-purity silver ore.

Suddenly, a message popped up.

Ding!
You’ve learned the Mining skill!

Mining Level 1: Reduces stamina consumption and makes rocks easier to break.

Bonus: Strength +2

“Got a skill and stat points?”

(Few players learn production skills in Roanoke, so the rewards are generous.)

“Why wouldn’t they?”

(Because it’s hard work. In modern VR games, production roles are much less common.)

“Kids these days… They give up even when the reward’s great?”

Weed reminisced about Royal Road.

Back then, he spent 10 hours in cramped mine tunnels without standing up straight, swinging his pickaxe.

Finding a single chunk of iron made him happy, and skill gains brought joy.

Even without immediate gain, he could keep going.

“Earning a single stat point after 10 or 20 hours of work—it’s such a thrill. Kids these days lack effort. No effort at all.”

(I get your sentiment, Master, but that sounds very boomer-y.)

Weed cheerfully continued mining, hauling out gold and silver.

When night fell, he went hunting again.

In the harsh mountains, he took down lizardmen and kobolds.

“I need to move faster. Be more efficient.”

(No monsters reported in this stage are strong enough to threaten you.)

“Still, this region is way bigger than Stage 1. It’s harder to wipe out all monsters.”

Weed didn’t just aim to pass Stage 2.

He intended to wipe out all the monsters—just like in Stage 1—and earn extra rewards.

(I didn’t know you were such a perfectionist, Master.)

“That’s because I’m Korean.”

(What does that mean?)

“Koreans can’t be satisfied in games unless they achieve 100% completion.”

Koreans were known for discovering optimal growth routes even in healing games.

They’d struggle for days over unimportant achievements.

“Besides, in Roanoke, my daughter’s life is on the line.”

He had entered Hell Difficulty, where no one had succeeded before.

He only had one life.

If Weed died, his daughter would be left alone in Roanoke.

(Just so you know, in Stage 3, you’ll meet other people.)

“People?”

Since some had cleared Stage 2, the structure of Stage 3 was known.

(Three current Hell Difficulty players in Roanoke will be summoned. You’ll tackle the stage together.)

“Hmm…”

Even then, Weed didn’t think it would be difficult.

He had grown more than anyone through Stages 1 and 2.

“Even if others are summoned, it doesn’t matter. I’ll still do it solo.”