Chapter 5:
Chapter 5: Learning Curve
Welcome!! To Belruna World
They spent an hour in the grass outside Haven's Rest, catching their breath and processing what had just happened.
Cole examined his torn armor, running his fingers over the puncture marks where the wolf's teeth had penetrated the leather. The material was damaged but not destroyed it would still provide some protection. More importantly, his arm had fully healed thanks to Na-ri's spell, though phantom pain still lingered in his mind.
"We need better tactics," Ji-woo said, breaking the silence. She'd been quiet since the retreat, staring at her hands. "That was a disaster."
"It wasn't a disaster," Cole replied. "We killed one wolf and survived an encounter with three more. For our first real combat, that's not terrible."
"Cole's arm got torn open. Min-jun's armor is shredded. We panicked and ran." Ji-woo looked up, her eyes intense. "In a real game, that would be embarrassing. Here, it could have been fatal."
She wasn't wrong. Cole had been trying to stay positive for the party's morale, but the truth was they'd made multiple mistakes. Poor positioning, uncoordinated attacks, panic when things went wrong.
"So we learn," Min-jun said, standing up and dusting off his pants. "That's what the beginner quests are for, right? Learning how to fight without getting killed."
Na-ri nodded slowly. "The game is designed with progression in mind. These wolves are meant to be challenging for level one players, but beatable. We just need to approach it more systematically."
"Agreed," Cole said. "Let's break down what went wrong and what went right."
Jae-sung, who had been silent throughout the discussion, finally spoke. "I should have targeted the wolf's legs first. Mobility kill. If I'd slowed it down, it couldn't have reached Cole so quickly."
"Good point," Cole acknowledged. "What else?"
"I used my fireball too early," Ji-woo admitted. "I should have waited until both warriors were in position. The burst damage would have been more effective if the wolf was already engaged in melee."
"And I got impatient," Cole added. "I charged in before confirming everyone was ready. Leadership mistake."
Min-jun grinned despite the situation. "Look at us, doing an after-action review like real gamers. Maybe we're not completely hopeless."
"The pain is the real problem," Na-ri said quietly. "We all felt it. That hesitation, that fear—it's going to affect our combat performance. In other MMOs, you could ignore minor damage because it was just numbers dropping. Here..." She touched her arm, as if remembering phantom pain of her own. "Here, we'll hesitate. We'll flinch. We'll make mistakes."
Cole understood what she meant. The pain had been shocking, overwhelming. His instinct had been to retreat, to protect himself. In a normal game, he would have pushed through, trading damage for positioning. But here, self-preservation instincts were going to interfere with optimal tactics.
"Then we adapt to that too," Cole said firmly. "We fight smarter, not harder. We use range to our advantage. We focus on not getting hit rather than trading blows."
"Easier said than done when a giant wolf is trying to eat your face," Min-jun muttered.
A notification appeared in Cole's vision, making him blink in surprise.
[SKILL INCREASE][Basic Sword Mastery: Lv.1 → Lv.2][Effect: +2% damage with sword weapons, +1% attack speed]
"Huh," Cole said. "My sword skill just leveled up."
"Mine too," Min-jun confirmed, checking his status window.
Ji-woo's eyes lit up. "Skill progression through use. Standard MMO mechanics. The more we fight, the better we get at fighting."
"Which means we need to keep going," Cole said, standing up. His body felt fine whatever damage the game registered as HP loss didn't translate to actual physical exhaustion once healed. "We can't level up our skills by sitting in the grass."
"Back to the forest?" Jae-sung asked, a hint of nervousness in his voice.
"Back to the forest," Cole confirmed. "But this time, we do it right."
They approached the forest edge more cautiously this time. Cole had repositioned the party formation himself at the front with Min-jun slightly behind and to the left. Jae-sung stayed fifteen feet back with a clear line of sight. Ji-woo positioned herself behind a tree that could serve as cover. Na-ri stayed in the center, equidistant from everyone.
"Remember," Cole said quietly. "We engage one wolf at a time. Jae-sung spots, calls the target, and opens with an arrow. Ji-woo waits for my signal. Min-jun and I approach from different angles. Na-ri keeps healing ready but doesn't cast unless someone drops below half HP. We conserve resources."
Four heads nodded. Everyone looked nervous but focused.
"Jae-sung?" Cole prompted.
The archer scanned the treeline, his eyes narrowed in concentration. After a minute, he pointed. "Single wolf. Twenty meters, behind the fallen log. Level three."
Cole spotted it a gray shape lying in the dappled sunlight, apparently sleeping or resting.
"Perfect. Jae-sung, take the shot. Aim for the haunch to slow it down."
The archer drew his bow smoothly, the arrow's fletching brushing his cheek as he aimed. He held his breath, adjusted for distance, and released.
The arrow flew silently through the air and struck the wolf's rear leg. The creature jolted awake with a yelp of pain and surprise, immediately looking for the source of the attack.
[Forest Wolf HP: 175/200]
"It's looking this way," Jae-sung reported calmly. "Aggro secured."
The wolf limped toward them, favoring its injured leg. Cole felt a grim satisfaction Jae-sung's tactical suggestion was already paying off. A slowed enemy was a manageable enemy.
"Min-jun, flank right. I'll go left. Wait for my signal."
They split, moving to opposite sides. The wolf's eyes tracked Cole, identifying him as the primary threat. Good. That meant it wasn't paying attention to Min-jun.
When they were in position, Cole shouted: "Ji-woo, now!"
"Fireball!"
The spell shot forward, striking the wolf in the chest. The creature staggered, fur singed, momentarily stunned by the impact.
[Forest Wolf HP: 140/200]
"Now!" Cole charged from the left while Min-jun attacked from the right. They struck simultaneously Cole's sword biting into the wolf's shoulder while Min-jun's blade slashed across its flank.
[Forest Wolf HP: 90/200]
The wolf tried to turn on Cole, but its injured leg and the pincer attack left it confused about which threat to address. It snapped at Cole's sword, teeth clanging against metal instead of flesh.
"Power Strike!" Min-jun activated his skill, his blade glowing red as it came down on the wolf's spine.
[Forest Wolf HP: 45/200][Critical Hit!]
"Finish it, Jae-sung!" Cole called, dancing backward out of range.
Another arrow whistled through the air, striking the wolf in the throat. The creature collapsed, its body already beginning to dissolve.
[Forest Wolf Defeated!][PARTY EXPERIENCE GAINED: 50 EXP][LOOT ACQUIRED: Wolf Pelt x1, Wolf Fang x1, 3 Silver]
Cole checked his party's status. No one had taken damage. Not a single point of HP lost.
"That," Min-jun said with obvious satisfaction, "was much better."
Ji-woo lowered her hands, the tension leaving her shoulders. "Coordinated assault, flanking, controlled aggro. Textbook execution."
"We should rest thirty seconds between fights," Na-ri suggested. "Let cooldowns reset, let everyone catch their breath."
"Agreed," Cole said. "One down, eight to go. Same tactics, different wolf."
Over the next two hours, they killed seven more wolves using the same systematic approach. Each fight went smoothly, with minimal damage taken. Cole's party was learning not just the game mechanics, but how to work together as a unit.
Jae-sung proved to be an excellent scout, spotting wolves before they spotted the party. Ji-woo's timing with her fireballs improved with each fight, her magical damage often accounting for a third of each kill. Min-jun developed a sense for when to use Power Strike for maximum effect. Na-ri kept everyone topped off between fights, her mana management careful and efficient.
And Cole found himself settling into the role of party leader naturally. He called targets, coordinated attacks, adjusted tactics on the fly. It felt right, somehow. Like this was what he was meant to do.
[EXPERIENCE GAINED: 50 EXP][EXPERIENCE GAINED: 50 EXP][LEVEL UP!][COLE: Level 1 → Level 2][HP: 150 → 180][MP: 50 → 60][5 Stat Points Available][1 Skill Point Available]
The level-up notification appeared after their eighth wolf kill, accompanied by a warm sensation that flooded through Cole's body. He felt stronger, faster, more capable.
"Level two!" Min-jun cheered. "Finally!"
"Me too," Ji-woo confirmed, checking her status. "About damn time."
The entire party had hit level two simultaneously the shared experience system was working as intended.
Cole pulled up his stat distribution window. Five points to allocate however he wanted. For a warrior, the obvious choices were Strength for damage and Vitality for survivability. But Agility affected attack speed and dodge chance, both valuable.
After a moment's consideration, he allocated three points to Strength and two to Vitality. More damage meant faster kills. More HP meant better survival margins.
[COLE - Level 2 Warrior]HP: 200/200 MP: 60/60 Strength: 15 Agility: 8 Vitality: 12 Intelligence: 6 Wisdom: 6 Luck: 5
The skill point was more interesting. A new window appeared showing available skills:
[AVAILABLE WARRIOR SKILLS]- Blade Rush (Active): Charge forward and strike. Moderate damage. Cost: 20 MP. Cooldown: 30 seconds. - Iron Defense (Active): Reduce incoming damage by 30% for 10 seconds. Cost: 25 MP. Cooldown: 60 seconds. - Battle Cry (Active): Increase party's attack by 10% for 30 seconds. Cost: 15 MP. Cooldown: 120 seconds.
Cole studied the options. Blade Rush offered mobility and damage. Iron Defense was pure survival. Battle Cry was support, perfect for a party leader.
"What skills did everyone pick?" Cole asked.
"Flame Burst," Ji-woo said. "Area damage around me. Good for if something gets too close."
"Multi-Shot," Jae-sung reported. "Fire three arrows in quick succession."
"Mass Heal," Na-ri added. "Heals the whole party at once, but costs a lot of mana."
Min-jun grinned. "Blade Rush. Because charging into things is what I do best."
Cole made his decision. "Battle Cry. We're fighting as a team. Might as well lean into it."
[SKILL LEARNED: Battle Cry]
"Two more wolves," Cole said, checking their quest progress. "Let's finish this."
They found the last two wolves together a mated pair, apparently, resting near a small stream. Level three and level four.
"The level four will have more HP," Na-ri warned. "Maybe better AI too."
"Same tactics," Cole replied. "We've done this eight times now. We can handle two more."
And they did. The fight was longer, more intense the level four wolf proved faster and more aggressive than the others. But Cole's party had learned their lessons well. They worked together seamlessly, and when the second wolf finally dissolved into light particles, a sense of achievement washed over the group.
[QUEST COMPLETE: Wolf Problem][REWARDS: 150 EXP, 8 Silver, Wolf Pelt x3] [BONUS: First Quest Completion! Additional 50 EXP]
"We did it," Na-ri said, smiling for the first time since the Architect's announcement. "Our first quest. Completed."
Min-jun clapped Cole on the shoulder. "Not bad for a bunch of trapped gamers facing permanent death."
Cole couldn't help but smile. They'd done it. They'd overcome their fear, learned from their mistakes, and completed their first real challenge in Belruna World.
It was a small victory. But in a world where death was permanent, small victories mattered.
"Come on," Cole said, sheathing his sword. "Let's turn in this quest and see what other challenges await."
As they walked back toward Haven's Rest, Cole felt something he hadn't expected to feel after the Architect's announcement.
[END OF CHAPTER 5]
Cole examined his torn armor, running his fingers over the puncture marks where the wolf's teeth had penetrated the leather. The material was damaged but not destroyed it would still provide some protection. More importantly, his arm had fully healed thanks to Na-ri's spell, though phantom pain still lingered in his mind.
"We need better tactics," Ji-woo said, breaking the silence. She'd been quiet since the retreat, staring at her hands. "That was a disaster."
"It wasn't a disaster," Cole replied. "We killed one wolf and survived an encounter with three more. For our first real combat, that's not terrible."
"Cole's arm got torn open. Min-jun's armor is shredded. We panicked and ran." Ji-woo looked up, her eyes intense. "In a real game, that would be embarrassing. Here, it could have been fatal."
She wasn't wrong. Cole had been trying to stay positive for the party's morale, but the truth was they'd made multiple mistakes. Poor positioning, uncoordinated attacks, panic when things went wrong.
"So we learn," Min-jun said, standing up and dusting off his pants. "That's what the beginner quests are for, right? Learning how to fight without getting killed."
Na-ri nodded slowly. "The game is designed with progression in mind. These wolves are meant to be challenging for level one players, but beatable. We just need to approach it more systematically."
"Agreed," Cole said. "Let's break down what went wrong and what went right."
Jae-sung, who had been silent throughout the discussion, finally spoke. "I should have targeted the wolf's legs first. Mobility kill. If I'd slowed it down, it couldn't have reached Cole so quickly."
"Good point," Cole acknowledged. "What else?"
"I used my fireball too early," Ji-woo admitted. "I should have waited until both warriors were in position. The burst damage would have been more effective if the wolf was already engaged in melee."
"And I got impatient," Cole added. "I charged in before confirming everyone was ready. Leadership mistake."
Min-jun grinned despite the situation. "Look at us, doing an after-action review like real gamers. Maybe we're not completely hopeless."
"The pain is the real problem," Na-ri said quietly. "We all felt it. That hesitation, that fear—it's going to affect our combat performance. In other MMOs, you could ignore minor damage because it was just numbers dropping. Here..." She touched her arm, as if remembering phantom pain of her own. "Here, we'll hesitate. We'll flinch. We'll make mistakes."
Cole understood what she meant. The pain had been shocking, overwhelming. His instinct had been to retreat, to protect himself. In a normal game, he would have pushed through, trading damage for positioning. But here, self-preservation instincts were going to interfere with optimal tactics.
"Then we adapt to that too," Cole said firmly. "We fight smarter, not harder. We use range to our advantage. We focus on not getting hit rather than trading blows."
"Easier said than done when a giant wolf is trying to eat your face," Min-jun muttered.
A notification appeared in Cole's vision, making him blink in surprise.
[SKILL INCREASE][Basic Sword Mastery: Lv.1 → Lv.2][Effect: +2% damage with sword weapons, +1% attack speed]
"Huh," Cole said. "My sword skill just leveled up."
"Mine too," Min-jun confirmed, checking his status window.
Ji-woo's eyes lit up. "Skill progression through use. Standard MMO mechanics. The more we fight, the better we get at fighting."
"Which means we need to keep going," Cole said, standing up. His body felt fine whatever damage the game registered as HP loss didn't translate to actual physical exhaustion once healed. "We can't level up our skills by sitting in the grass."
"Back to the forest?" Jae-sung asked, a hint of nervousness in his voice.
"Back to the forest," Cole confirmed. "But this time, we do it right."
They approached the forest edge more cautiously this time. Cole had repositioned the party formation himself at the front with Min-jun slightly behind and to the left. Jae-sung stayed fifteen feet back with a clear line of sight. Ji-woo positioned herself behind a tree that could serve as cover. Na-ri stayed in the center, equidistant from everyone.
"Remember," Cole said quietly. "We engage one wolf at a time. Jae-sung spots, calls the target, and opens with an arrow. Ji-woo waits for my signal. Min-jun and I approach from different angles. Na-ri keeps healing ready but doesn't cast unless someone drops below half HP. We conserve resources."
Four heads nodded. Everyone looked nervous but focused.
"Jae-sung?" Cole prompted.
The archer scanned the treeline, his eyes narrowed in concentration. After a minute, he pointed. "Single wolf. Twenty meters, behind the fallen log. Level three."
Cole spotted it a gray shape lying in the dappled sunlight, apparently sleeping or resting.
"Perfect. Jae-sung, take the shot. Aim for the haunch to slow it down."
The archer drew his bow smoothly, the arrow's fletching brushing his cheek as he aimed. He held his breath, adjusted for distance, and released.
The arrow flew silently through the air and struck the wolf's rear leg. The creature jolted awake with a yelp of pain and surprise, immediately looking for the source of the attack.
[Forest Wolf HP: 175/200]
"It's looking this way," Jae-sung reported calmly. "Aggro secured."
The wolf limped toward them, favoring its injured leg. Cole felt a grim satisfaction Jae-sung's tactical suggestion was already paying off. A slowed enemy was a manageable enemy.
"Min-jun, flank right. I'll go left. Wait for my signal."
They split, moving to opposite sides. The wolf's eyes tracked Cole, identifying him as the primary threat. Good. That meant it wasn't paying attention to Min-jun.
When they were in position, Cole shouted: "Ji-woo, now!"
"Fireball!"
The spell shot forward, striking the wolf in the chest. The creature staggered, fur singed, momentarily stunned by the impact.
[Forest Wolf HP: 140/200]
"Now!" Cole charged from the left while Min-jun attacked from the right. They struck simultaneously Cole's sword biting into the wolf's shoulder while Min-jun's blade slashed across its flank.
[Forest Wolf HP: 90/200]
The wolf tried to turn on Cole, but its injured leg and the pincer attack left it confused about which threat to address. It snapped at Cole's sword, teeth clanging against metal instead of flesh.
"Power Strike!" Min-jun activated his skill, his blade glowing red as it came down on the wolf's spine.
[Forest Wolf HP: 45/200][Critical Hit!]
"Finish it, Jae-sung!" Cole called, dancing backward out of range.
Another arrow whistled through the air, striking the wolf in the throat. The creature collapsed, its body already beginning to dissolve.
[Forest Wolf Defeated!][PARTY EXPERIENCE GAINED: 50 EXP][LOOT ACQUIRED: Wolf Pelt x1, Wolf Fang x1, 3 Silver]
Cole checked his party's status. No one had taken damage. Not a single point of HP lost.
"That," Min-jun said with obvious satisfaction, "was much better."
Ji-woo lowered her hands, the tension leaving her shoulders. "Coordinated assault, flanking, controlled aggro. Textbook execution."
"We should rest thirty seconds between fights," Na-ri suggested. "Let cooldowns reset, let everyone catch their breath."
"Agreed," Cole said. "One down, eight to go. Same tactics, different wolf."
Over the next two hours, they killed seven more wolves using the same systematic approach. Each fight went smoothly, with minimal damage taken. Cole's party was learning not just the game mechanics, but how to work together as a unit.
Jae-sung proved to be an excellent scout, spotting wolves before they spotted the party. Ji-woo's timing with her fireballs improved with each fight, her magical damage often accounting for a third of each kill. Min-jun developed a sense for when to use Power Strike for maximum effect. Na-ri kept everyone topped off between fights, her mana management careful and efficient.
And Cole found himself settling into the role of party leader naturally. He called targets, coordinated attacks, adjusted tactics on the fly. It felt right, somehow. Like this was what he was meant to do.
[EXPERIENCE GAINED: 50 EXP][EXPERIENCE GAINED: 50 EXP][LEVEL UP!][COLE: Level 1 → Level 2][HP: 150 → 180][MP: 50 → 60][5 Stat Points Available][1 Skill Point Available]
The level-up notification appeared after their eighth wolf kill, accompanied by a warm sensation that flooded through Cole's body. He felt stronger, faster, more capable.
"Level two!" Min-jun cheered. "Finally!"
"Me too," Ji-woo confirmed, checking her status. "About damn time."
The entire party had hit level two simultaneously the shared experience system was working as intended.
Cole pulled up his stat distribution window. Five points to allocate however he wanted. For a warrior, the obvious choices were Strength for damage and Vitality for survivability. But Agility affected attack speed and dodge chance, both valuable.
After a moment's consideration, he allocated three points to Strength and two to Vitality. More damage meant faster kills. More HP meant better survival margins.
[COLE - Level 2 Warrior]HP: 200/200 MP: 60/60 Strength: 15 Agility: 8 Vitality: 12 Intelligence: 6 Wisdom: 6 Luck: 5
The skill point was more interesting. A new window appeared showing available skills:
[AVAILABLE WARRIOR SKILLS]- Blade Rush (Active): Charge forward and strike. Moderate damage. Cost: 20 MP. Cooldown: 30 seconds. - Iron Defense (Active): Reduce incoming damage by 30% for 10 seconds. Cost: 25 MP. Cooldown: 60 seconds. - Battle Cry (Active): Increase party's attack by 10% for 30 seconds. Cost: 15 MP. Cooldown: 120 seconds.
Cole studied the options. Blade Rush offered mobility and damage. Iron Defense was pure survival. Battle Cry was support, perfect for a party leader.
"What skills did everyone pick?" Cole asked.
"Flame Burst," Ji-woo said. "Area damage around me. Good for if something gets too close."
"Multi-Shot," Jae-sung reported. "Fire three arrows in quick succession."
"Mass Heal," Na-ri added. "Heals the whole party at once, but costs a lot of mana."
Min-jun grinned. "Blade Rush. Because charging into things is what I do best."
Cole made his decision. "Battle Cry. We're fighting as a team. Might as well lean into it."
[SKILL LEARNED: Battle Cry]
"Two more wolves," Cole said, checking their quest progress. "Let's finish this."
They found the last two wolves together a mated pair, apparently, resting near a small stream. Level three and level four.
"The level four will have more HP," Na-ri warned. "Maybe better AI too."
"Same tactics," Cole replied. "We've done this eight times now. We can handle two more."
And they did. The fight was longer, more intense the level four wolf proved faster and more aggressive than the others. But Cole's party had learned their lessons well. They worked together seamlessly, and when the second wolf finally dissolved into light particles, a sense of achievement washed over the group.
[QUEST COMPLETE: Wolf Problem][REWARDS: 150 EXP, 8 Silver, Wolf Pelt x3] [BONUS: First Quest Completion! Additional 50 EXP]
"We did it," Na-ri said, smiling for the first time since the Architect's announcement. "Our first quest. Completed."
Min-jun clapped Cole on the shoulder. "Not bad for a bunch of trapped gamers facing permanent death."
Cole couldn't help but smile. They'd done it. They'd overcome their fear, learned from their mistakes, and completed their first real challenge in Belruna World.
It was a small victory. But in a world where death was permanent, small victories mattered.
"Come on," Cole said, sheathing his sword. "Let's turn in this quest and see what other challenges await."
As they walked back toward Haven's Rest, Cole felt something he hadn't expected to feel after the Architect's announcement.
[END OF CHAPTER 5]
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