From dark the simulation room turned into a full blown scenery in the middle of the mountains. He was set on a path, moving up and down valleys across the mountains. A large forest full of pine trees running up the right side of the mountain chain. The air smelled fresh carried by the winds, surrounded by farm animals freely feeding off grass. It was nice, to be there running free of the threat of attacks by random monsters.
Seungho noticed his body comfortably ran a lot faster than he has ever managed, even in competitions in school. Then saw the first bell, he jumped and stroke it with a flat palm.
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[ CONGRATULATIONS ]
[ YOU HAVE STARTED THE BELL COURSE ]
[ TIME LEFT TO COMPLETION: 2 HOURS ]
[ STROKE COUNT: 1 BELL ]
[ ENERGY LEVEL: 93% ]
[ INSTRUCTION : COMPLETE 2 HOUR RUNNING COURSE ]
[ INSTRUCTION: STRIKE BELLS TO RECHARGE ENERGY ]
[ OBJECTIVE: SURVIVE THE COURSE ]
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He continued running, and soon after saw another bell hanging off a wooden post. Same drill, he jumped up and slapped it. Easy peasy.
Clear goals. Run and strike.
The beginning of the course was monotonous, but that didn't bother Seungho. In fact after so many happenings in the past few days and the stress of trying securing a spot in the team, he welcomed the easy course.
Every time Seungho saw a bell hanging off a hook, he did exactly the same. Jumped up and slap it with an open palm.
There was also the added bonus of a little music playing at every hit complimenting him for his achievement.
Just like in videogames!
He then remembered Sanghyun's advice. To focus, to picture the strike.
Next bell, he tried that.
He pictured hitting a bell, and heard multiple sounds. Multiple notes, like from different bell sizes. Their sound so sharp, he couldn't ignore it.
But when he got close to the next bell, there was only one bell in the wrong position. Seungho hadn't picture it correctly enough for his attack to lead to a strike. He missed.
It was hard for him to focus while running. It was way easier to simply struck the bell like he had been doing. Little music. All was good.
He felt the small knack from the energy recharge.
Next bell, he came to a halt and closed his eyes.
Howling started. Progressively getting wilder and closer.
Seungho continued running. The howling quieted.
Ha! I better keep moving.
At the next bell, he jumped up again. The bell was larger, and the music too was more triumphantly deeper.
I need points and I need to complete the course. I think I will be fine just doing this.
The more triumphant the music, the more excited Seungho felt. He started running faster to get to the next bell sooner, and the one after.
Battered paths became cobblestone roads and medieval villages. People started cheering. From posts, bells were hanging off churches, then towers, and finally spires on cathedrals. Seungho jumped from roof to roof, rotating and striking multiple bells at once, in ever more complex choreography.
Ding, ding, ding.
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[ RECHARGE ]
[ RECHARGE ]
[ RECHARGE ]
.
"I love that sound!"
People throwing flowers to celebrate his success.
.
And then…
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[ WARNING ]
[ ENERGY LEVEL RUNNING LOW]
.
[ TIME LEFT TO COMPLETION: 16 MINUTES ]
[ STROKE COUNT: 61 BELL ]
[ ENERGY LEVEL: 11% ]
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This cannot be, I did exactly as the instructions listed. Run and strike.
He frowned. Trying to make out what went wrong.
I knew it couldn't have been that easy…. At this rate I will not be able to complete the course, I will run out of energy well before.
He looked around to find any source of fuel. Then simply asked.
"Screen."
"Are there any more sources of energy, besides the bells, I can access?"
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[ NEGATIVE ]
[ THERE ARE NO ADDITIONAL SOURCES OF ENERGY IN THIS COURSE ]
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"Can I transfer points from a stat category to another?"
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[ NEGATIVE ]
[ ONCE THE COURSE HAS STARTED POINTS CANNOT BE ADDED OR REMOVED FROM ANY STAT CATEGORY ]
[ NEGATIVE ]
[ ONCE ASSIGNED, POINTS CANNOT BE TRANSFERRED TO ANOTHER STAT CATEGORY ]
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"Okey..."
Seungho sighed.
"I guess that is what it is."
Thinking about it quickly made him mad. He growled.
"Damn! Why is this so complicated!"
Yelling made him feel better. His mind cleared.
I don't get it, how can I possibly be running out of energy? I put extra points in the energy.
He thought it over. He had just been jumping up and down. No strikes, no blasts. How could he be already out of energy?
He was annoyed. And without thinking jumped up really high to hit one more bell.
"And 62."
Well at least no monsters.
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[ WARNING ]
[ ENERGY LEVEL: 10% ]
[ MONSTER PROTOCOL ACTIVATED ]
[ THE DAWN OF THE WOLVES ]
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Jumping higher does consume more energy.
"Now, the name of the protocol…"
He grew nervous.
The sky turned gray. People shut themselves into their homes, leaving Seungho outside.
Seungho laughing nervous.
"Shame on you."
Not with an accusatory tone, but with the realization that they were in it from the beginning.
"Obviously."
He then remembered he couldn't stop running.
The road from the village took him out into the forest. He couldn't stop. He tried to turn around to leave, but branches grew fast and trapped him. He tried jumping higher, but his agility
had diminished dramatically.
He could only but go forward.
He saw their bright eyes watching him from behind the trees, growling like savages.
At least I put extra points in vitality, I hope I will last long enough.
Laughing hysterically for a minute.
Their eyes getting larger, and their smell intensifying.
What is that I can do?
I need to get up somewhere, where they cannot reach me. And I also need to get to another bell fast.
In the distance he heard a metallic ticking.
Could it be a bell?
He kept running, aware they had already circled him.
Control, keep control. They don't seem to attack while you are moving.
Seungho knew he was lying to himself. They were already hunting him, since the protocol was activated.
And he couldn't move forever, energy was running out.
The path turned following the mountain's curve. The trees so thick Seungho only saw a wall of trees. Within a minute it opened up to the ruins of a long gone castle. The towers intact. The bells still hanging up high, agitated by the winds.
Seungho sprinted and entered the first tower, ran up a couple of floors, and blocked the first door he found with a long post against the wall. He finally stopped. Breathing heavily he looked out of a fissure. The wolves below hungry. He could count over a dozen. Probably more hiding behind the other towers.
They were not alone.
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[ WARNING ]
[ ENERGY LEVEL: 5% ]
[ MONSTER PROTOCOL ACTIVATED ]
[ THE WOLF KING ]
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Like I didn't know this was going to happen...
He sighed exhaling as if his soul were leaving his body.
He was trapped inside.
By now he knew that he couldn't simply sit it out until the timer ended. He needed to do something.
Wind blew in from the open fissures on the walls and caressed his face. He heard the faint sound of bells from above.
I need to strike bells. At least one, a few times.
He looked out and up to look for a way out. He saw the bells, he couldn't reach them from where he was.
No time to cry.
"Time"
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[ TIME LEFT TO COMPLETION: 5 MINUTES ]
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His energy was almost gone. He looked at the wolves below once more. They were still there. The Wolf King was coming. He heard his steps and growling. He saw him near another tower.
Shit. I might not make it out of this.
"If only I could have a weapon"
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[ WEAPON REQUEST ]
[ INVENTORY ]
[ TRAINING KNIFE | SHORT-RANGE SLING ]
[ TRAINING KNIFE: light and easy to use | STRIKE POWER: 1]
[ SHORT-RANGE SLING: 15 meters range | STRIKE POWER: 2 ]
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Seungho thought of Park Sooyoung-sunbae. His eyes wondered around the room and found broken pieces of stonewall. And just picked Sunbae's weapon of choice.
He pushed his hand into the screen and pulled out the sling. Rather rough craftsmanship, made of leather and rubber. "Is this going to work?"
He pulled it and it was actually pretty sturdy.
Took a piece of stonewall, aimed it at a bell on the next tower. He could make the stone pass through the fissure.
He pulled the rubber as hard as he could, but just that drained him of energy.
.
[ WARNING ]
[ ENERGY LEVEL: 2% | CRITICAL ]
[ TIME LEFT TO COMPLETION: 4 MINUTES ]
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I have no time to think.
He shot, anyway, hoping for the best.
And he failed. The stone hit far below.
He was crying.
Sanghyun's words returned to memory, to rescue him.
He looked up again. The fog had obfuscated the towers, the bells.
Something inside him shifted. How could he not have seen it. Now it all made sense. The sound from earlier, when he had tried and failed. He could chain the trajectory onto different bells.
He grabbed another stone and aimed.
The fog didn't let him see anything.
He closed his eyes and pictured hitting the first bell with that very stone. He saw his arm, his body holding the sling tight ready to shoot, in the exact position it needed to be to strike. Then he saw the stone hit the second bell and then a third, and then a fourth.
And then saw the face of the Wolf King. Its multiple line of teeth wet with saliva biting on his body. Like it was there to just do that.
Seungho let the stone go.
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[ WARNING ]
[ ENERGY LEVEL: 1% | CRITICAL ]
[ TIME LEFT TO COMPLETION: 2 MINUTES ]