I Became a Disaster-Class Newbie by Stealing Abilities - Chapter 2

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 2. Hero Selection
Jeong Ju-sang.
A name given by parents whose faces he could barely remember, meaning “become a king”—a blessing wrapped in irony.
The reality was that he lived paycheck to paycheck in this cramped semi-basement, far from any throne.
Ju-sang gazed out through the small window at the street beyond.
Sunlight streaming in, cutting the world in half.
A landscape where only the lower halves of passersby were visible.
In just over a meter of height, the rules of the world were somehow contained.
At first, he’d resented being thrown into harsh reality at such a young age.
But that wasn’t reason enough to give up on life.
There was no law saying he had to die, after all.
Ju-sang possessed an innate talent for combat sports and reflexes so sharp that critics had called him a rising star who would one day illuminate Korea’s future.
Yes.
He’d had no doubt that a bright path lay ahead.
Until a drunk driver hit him one evening on his way home from training, and everything crumbled.
—Professional career? Your right hand won’t even manage daily tasks easily. From now on, we’ll focus on retraining your left hand and rehabilitation for nerve recovery in your index and thumb.
The doctor’s death sentence.
The flower withered before it could bloom.
—Ju-sang. Don’t come to the gym anymore starting tomorrow. Sigh. I’m sorry. Eun-hyeok says if he’s around a relic of the past like you, he’ll end up the same way, and he’s uncomfortable with that. You understand, don’t you? The title match is coming up soon.
—Mr. Ju-sang. Even with your hand like that, if work processing is this slow, what am I supposed to do? I’ll cut your daily wage, so you’d better go.
—I apologize. The customers have been inconvenienced….
One ruined right hand had changed everything.
‘It was suffocating.’
In a reality stripped of dreams and hope, all that remained was the fifty million won from insurance payout.
That was when he discovered The Emperor’s World.
A hundred billion won in bounty was the only escape from this hellish existence. So Ju-sang chased that hope, devoting himself to the game obsessively for three hundred sixty-five days.
Forsaking sleep and meals.
Burning everything for the sake of seeing the ending.
A journey spanning over fifty thousand hours.
The result was failure.
Though he’d become a veteran player beyond comparison to most, reaching the Emperor remained impossible.
‘What if I could use my right hand properly? Would things have been different?’
Because the game reflected reality with such cruel accuracy, his right hand became a heavy shackle even within its world.
He’d sent complaint emails about the discrimination, but that damnable company never once replied.
If you don’t like it, don’t play—that was their message.
Glub-glub.
Ju-sang dumped about a third of a can of red chili tuna into his boiling ramen.
‘Food’s running out too.’
Yes. Now was the time to quit.
He’d already hit the limit on the pittance he earned, barely enough to scrape by.
With exchange rates in the gutter, selling a single Sacred Relic would barely net him fifty thousand won.
Honestly, it was amazing that anyone still bought them at all.
On the server these days, finding another player was harder than finding a dragon.
Still, he had no regrets.
‘It was fun.’
Everyone else had fled in horror.
But there had been a joy to uncovering hidden mechanics, collecting opportunities, experimenting with different classes.
It had been good to harbor hope that one day he might escape this bottom.
That was enough.
‘Ah, before I quit, I should at least say goodbye to people.’
Ju-sang logged into The Emperor Exclusive Community.
In this cold world where he had no family or friends, it was the only place that let him forget his worries.
—Left-Handed Spoon Killer: I’m thinking of quitting now since I need to focus on real life. Thank you all for reading my guides. (bowing emoticon)
Replies flooded in immediately.
—Learned Much From You: Absurd. If the Killer vanishes, there’s no reason for this world to exist. If you’re truly struggling, I can point you toward a decent job opportunity. [Seoul National University Year 7 Class 3 Student ID No. 23 attached]
—Pacifist: Cancel before I show up at your place. You can’t quit until the Emperor power is cracked.
—Moonlight Rabbit: Without the Killer’s tips, even a thousand years won’t be enough to solve this. Thanks to your guides, I just got qualified to head to Europe! ㅇㅅㅇ!
—Full-Time Rice Player: Hey. You’re seriously giving up a hundred billion? Doesn’t all this time feel wasted?
—Third-Rate Magician: Like magic shows? I’ve got a ticket to a small theater performance. Come watch, and we’ll grab some soju and chat after.
— Bowing Man: Hey. I’m struggling to get through middle school this year too, so don’t start whining now, alright?
It was a community of barely fifty members, but their affection for The Emperor’s World surpassed anyone else’s.
Somehow his nose began to sting.
The countless episodes he’d experienced over the years came flooding back.
-Left-Hand Spoon Murderer: Just joking! I’ll be back tomorrow! Got to collect rent from that ten-story shopping complex. 20,000.
There was no need to end things on a lonely note.
He posted a casual announcement about his return and stepped away from the keyboard.
He thought that was how it would end.
[We now begin the Hero Selection!]
[Selected heroes will be immediately transported to The Emperor’s World.]
A torrent of crimson status windows flooded his vision.
And a sensation of nausea, as if he might retch.
[The first selection is beginning!]
People began to disappear.
Becoming heroes.
Into the world of The Emperor’s World.
And at the same time.
[A reward for the great challenger is now revealed.]
A golden status window flashed.
“Ah….”
Ju-sang’s mouth opened slowly.
Every emotion imaginable spilled out through his breath.
[Upon transfer to The Emperor’s World, the nerves in your right hand will be completely restored.]
[However, in this case you will join the second wave rather than the first wave.]
[Do you accept?]
[YES / NO]
A miracle had occurred.
The one he had longed for.
* * *
[The 32nd Hero Selection has concluded!]
Random selection timing.
Random number of selectees.
Two and a half years had passed, but humanity had discovered nothing.
People simply continued to vanish. And contact was lost with them.
As if they had been sucked into a black hole.
“Didn’t make it this time either.”
Ju-sang opened his eyes carefully from where they’d been shut.
Before him still lay the semi-basement.
On one side of the scale lay the advantage of joining the first wave, on the other the advantage of using his right hand again.
When he weighed them together, the answer was obviously the latter.
If they’d offered any choice at all, he would have chosen the latter anyway.
This was a wish he had yearned for without a moment’s pause, every single day.
‘Besides, I already know most of the truly important opportunities. There’s no need to rush ahead.’
Up to that point, it had been a rational decision.
But.
Two and a half years was long—far too long.
Desperate to use his right hand as soon as possible, time seemed to crawl by at a maddening pace.
[Community Users Online: 1 (Left-Hand Spoon Murderer)]
The other community members had already been selected and were gone.
In the empty digital space, only Ju-sang remained.
“I’m envious.”
Everyone else had trembled in terror at the selection, not wanting to be pulled away. But Ju-sang thought differently.
He wanted to put to full use all the knowledge and information he’d accumulated.
And he wanted to witness with his own eyes an ending the game had never shown.
Of course, he knew that world was dangerous.
Unlike a game, it was reality. And he understood that failure would cost him his life.
But.
What would change by staying still?
A room where barely one person could lie down.
A reality where he worried about his next meal.
Nothing about this would change.
If I don’t struggle, I’ll remain like this forever.
And more than that.
‘It has to be me.’
Even the community members who call themselves veterans only know the surface-level mechanics.
They haven’t experienced—haven’t even perceived—the countless calamities and conspiracies lurking beneath.
Just looking at the information about The Emperor’s World that’s been made public online and in the media, there was no answer to be found.
‘Even the strategy videos and information I released were all deleted right after the Hero Selection.’
As if someone had deliberately intervened.
I couldn’t even find a trace.
In the end.
To save humanity.
And beyond that.
‘To survive myself.’
I had to be selected.
It was at that very moment.
Ding!
[The heroes selected in the 32nd round were slaughtered during the Tutorial phase, with only 1 survivor!]
[Additional recruitment is now beginning due to insufficient personnel!]
Less than an hour after the 32nd round selection ended, a red status window flickered across my vision.
[The 33rd round Hero Selection is now commencing!]
Another status window immediately followed.
At the same moment.
Hummmm!
Ju-sang’s body was enveloped in warm light.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
His heart began pounding wildly.
This sensation.
This feeling.
There was no doubt.
I’d finally been chosen in the selection I’d been waiting for.
‘I can do this.’
Ju-sang’s mind went cold and clear.
Based on everything he’d experienced so far, he methodically reviewed the possible scenarios.
His vision faded to white.
[You are entering the Hall of Heroes!]
[Total selected personnel: 552.]
[Each person is given 1 Stat point.]
[You may invest your Stat in one of the following: Strength, Stamina, Agility, or Magic Power.]
When he opened his eyes again, everything was different.
A vast space made of pristine white marble.
Towering pillars stretched endlessly before him, each soaring dozens of meters high.
“Damn it.”
“No. No! I got selected?”
“Ahhhhh! This is a dream. This has to be a dream!”
Those who’d been forcibly dragged here let out desperate screams.
Even with promises of wish-granting as a reward, such talk was only compelling when success seemed possible.
How could anyone possibly clear this damned game that everyone had given up on?
And yet there was one person.
“I missed you. This shitty game, no—this masterpiece!”
Ju-sang alone seemed peaceful, as if coming home.
He even hummed to himself while observing his surroundings.
‘Yeah. Nothing’s changed here.’
I remember turning the portraits of past heroes on the walls into Captain Hook, and then flooding the entire place when I tried to channel water to open a waterpark.
The furious administrator had come storming out, and that had been game over.
Looking back now, it was all just nostalgia.
Just then.
[Reward settlement complete.]
Along with the brief message.
Twitch!
His right hand moved of its own accord.
So natural, so fluid.
As though it had never been broken at all.
“It’s real. It actually works. It really….”
The fact that each finger moved in obedience to his will was both miraculous and impossible to believe.
Something swelled in his chest.
An emotion beyond words surged up inside him.
It was resentment.
A grudge he had harbored every single day without fail.
[However, if you fail to reach the top 500 within three years, the compensation’s effects will disappear.]
A sweet bargain offered by the devil.
Now there was another reason to reach an overwhelming position in this world.
* * *
Amid utter chaos.
“Now, I know this must be disorienting for everyone, but please don’t panic. I know what we need to do.”
Someone stepped forward.
A man of medium height, somewhere around five foot seven.
“Um, say… do you know anything about this game?”
“I only made an ID and never even played it, but here I am!”
“Me too!”
Pleas for help came pouring in from every direction.
“Haha. It’s strange to say about myself, but I’ve actually racked up over 500 hours of playtime.”
The average playtime for The Emperor’s World was 29 hours.
The vast majority had given up, blocked by the initial barrier to entry.
“Oh!”
“500 hours? That’s a total veteran player!”
“Yes. If we all just stay calm and respond carefully, everyone can survive. So please, trust in me.”
The man introducing himself as Kang Ho-yeong smiled knowingly.
His tone brimmed with confidence.
His expression radiated ease.
In a desperate situation, he could only inspire trust.
“Shortly, monsters that inhabit the Tutorial will appear. The average ones are slimes, and in severe cases you might even get orcs, but that’s so rare there’s no need to worry.”
“What should we do with stat points? Isn’t it better to use them now?”
“Save them. It’s better to invest in what suits your class after you obtain one.”
Kang Ho-yeong answered the various questions patiently.
Hmm.
He certainly earned the title of hardcore player.
Mixed in with what he was saying were things only those with real gaming experience would know.
He wasn’t just handing out information to newbies out of pure goodwill.
He wanted something in return.
In The Emperor’s World, one way to gain unique abilities was to maintain a specific concept.
He probably wanted to acquire an ability related to Commander or Agitator.
Well, not a bad choice.
Except for this time.
Ju-sang stared at the scorpion-shaped mark that had appeared on the wall.
Out-of-Specification Difficulty—something that appeared maybe once in thousands of attempts.
A harbinger that hell itself would unfold here.
He had to hurry.
He alone could prevent this catastrophe.
Tap. Tap.
His pace quickened.
His eyes darted about frantically.
It had to be somewhere around here….
‘Found it.’
The corner of Ju-sang’s mouth curved into a crescent as he searched intently.
He’d finally discovered one of the hidden pieces concealed in the Hall of Heroes.
[You have acquired the Broken Smartphone.]
Beep. Beep!
The screen flickered, responding inconsistently whether he pressed it or not.
At first glance, it looked like a broken phone.
But in the right hands, it could produce absurdly broken effects.
090-8282-1004.
Ju-sang entered the number and pressed the call button.
Ring. Ring. Ring….
On the third ring, he mashed the number seven seven times in rapid succession.
And then.
[Broadcast Message activated!]
[You can now send messages to all players in this area via their status windows!]
Perfect.
Everything was ready.
How many minutes had passed after that?
[The Tutorial’s monsters are awakening!]
[Survive for thirty minutes.]
A crimson status window appeared before everyone.
Exactly as Kang Ho-yeong had predicted.
“You see? If you just follow my lead, there’s nothing to worry about! Now maintain formation and respond calmly.”
“We’ll trust your word.”
“Good. Let’s move.”
But.
[Out-of-Specification Difficulty has been set.]
“…What?”
“What—what is that?”
Something unexpected had happened.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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