[Proof that I cleared Speculum on Hard Mode.]
The post went live. I leaned back, cracked my knuckles, and waited.
Thirty seconds. That's all it took.
> [Wow, he actually did it.]
[Fr, how did you even pull that off?]
[I told you, this guy's not human lol.]
The usual cocktail—amazement, disbelief, the occasional accusation of insanity. I scrolled through the flood, smirking. Then one comment caught my eye:
> [But seriously, how did you clear it? From the looks of your character stats, you dumped everything into defense. How do you even deal damage?]
I typed back immediately: [Detailed stat breakdown coming later today.]
Then I kept scrolling.
Crazy. Insane. Unhinged. The compliments of my people.
And yeah... they weren't wrong.
I was a gaming hipster, sure—but my methods? Pure, unfiltered madness.
"Alright then," I murmured, launching the client. "What should I show them next?"
The Valiant's Legacy logo blazed across the screen. I logged in, same as always.
"Let's see... capture this, and that... the weapon too..."
Screenshots bloomed across my desktop—skill window, equipment panel, the works. Months of meticulous, obsessive cultivation, all laid bare.
Let's be honest: calling it a "detailed stat post" was generous. This was exhibitionism. A neon sign screaming: "Look at this lunatic. Look at what he built."
No sane gamer would replicate it. That was the point.
"Hmm... explain the 'Blessing of Water' rune, mention maxed 'Attack Prediction,' note the full physical damage investment... Ah, and the lightning-type weapon skill for coverage..."
Valiant's Legacy. The RPG I'd mainlined for years. Attend Lysquare Academy, forge your legend, graduate into an open world of hunts, raids, and—because the devs knew their audience—a robust affection system for romancing NPCs.
The dating sim elements drove its popularity. The freedom hooked me.
True, boundless character customization. Class, weapons, skill trees—an infinity of combinations. That was the drug.
So over the years, I'd done it all.
The Harem Sovereign route. The Rebel King route. The SimCity merchant lord. The Underworld Emperor...
So many hours. So many thousands of hours.
In real life, I was just a wealthy unemployed twenty-something burning through inheritance. But here? Here, I lived lives reality never offered me.
"These screenshots should do it."
I reviewed the captures—runes, weapons, skills, armor. Everything neatly displayed.
This project was actually fun, in retrospect.
I smirked at the character on screen.
It started as a joke. A boredom-born experiment. The concept: Defensive Swordsman.
I invested exclusively in defensive sword techniques from the Swordsman tree. Nothing else. A meme build, meant to kill time.
Then it got its hooks in me.
Difficulty spiked brutally. The challenge? Exhilarating.
For someone who'd transcended "veteran" and entered "fossil" territory years ago, it felt like discovering the game anew.
So for months, I devoted everything to this madman.
Sacred relic gear. Optimized runes. That cursed weapon from the eastern continent's edge...
Offensive capability? Barely existent. Damage output? Laughable.
The grind was torture.
Delicious, addictive torture.
And I broke through. Defeated an endgame boss meant for hardcore raiders—the post that started this whole commotion.
Still so much left to do.
Far from finished, yet I felt nothing but anticipation. The road ahead glittered.
"...Huh? Damn, my phone's possessed."
It vibrated relentlessly. The community post had detonated.
I was already known there—a fossil famous for clearing impossible routes. But this? This Defensive Swordsman spectacle would cement my reputation as a complete lunatic.
I didn't mind. The spotlight felt... nice. Warm, even.
This is why I keep doing insane shit.
Grinning, I silenced my phone.
Originally, I'd planned to write the detailed breakdown immediately. But now that I was logged in...
Screw it. I wanted to play.
I shoved the community from my mind and moved my character.
"Boss is dead... let's finish yesterday's quest."
I opened the map. Warped to the Isrinbloom Ducal Mansion.
As mentioned: affection system. Dating sim mechanics. Yesterday, I'd been grinding the route of the duchess's daughter.
Such a pain to raise affection with.
Lysquare Academy sat in the Arium Empire. The Isrinblooms ranked among the empire's three most prestigious ducal houses. And Sara Isrinbloom, their young lady?
Notoriously difficult personality. Most players who attempted her route ended up cursing her name.
One wrong dialogue choice and she'd transform into a boss encounter. Brutal risk.
Sara in a duel was nightmare fuel. Once she became a boss, you couldn't progress her story or unlock affection events until you defeated her. Some players died dozens of times. Many abandoned the route entirely.
But I did it.
I smiled, wandering the mansion grounds. You couldn't even enter without substantial affection built. I'd faced her boss form over ten times during the process.
Persistence paid off. Fewer than 1% of players reached this point.
In Korea?
Pretty sure I was first.
World-first title? Already had a few of those. Didn't need another. Korea-first satisfied plenty.
Played since launch day. Least I can do.
I explored the mansion, snapping screenshots.
Community post material later.
Imagining the "insane" comments already made me grin. But first—focus.
"Any loot worth grabbing...?"
First visit here. Unknown items, hidden clues. The uncertainty thrilled me.
Exploring the unknown—that's the real juice.
"Hmm... oh? Didn't expect this. And this..."
Thirty minutes. Completely absorbed. High as a kite on discovery.
Then—
"Huh? Is this... a bug?"
The mansion basement. A restricted area. No guards, no barriers.
Curious, I slipped down. A massive library unfolded. I wandered, drunk on discovery, when—
My character clipped through the back wall.
"...So it is a bug."
Classic map clipping. I'd seen worse. Much worse. Some exploits broke economies; others were pointless visual glitches. This? Minor league.
"Actually, this is great. Keeps things interesting."
Screenshot captured. Bug report to devs later. Community post, obviously.
Normally, I'd toy with it briefly, then move on.
Yeah. Normally.
"...Wait. What's this? Maybe not a bug?"
Definitely looked like a glitch. But strangely, an item sat in the clipped space.
If there's an item... maybe intentional?
Genuine glitches don't spawn loot.
Curious, I collected it. Examined.
Ancient document.
Contents read:
"'A family sentenced to Record Erasure?'"
A family... sentenced to what?
Veteran since launch day. Never heard this terminology. Bizarre punishments littered the lore, but Record Erasure? New.
Hidden story?
My heart accelerated. If devs hid something this obscure, a fascinating secret lurked behind it.
Filled with anticipation, I tried continuing.
Then—
"Wha—? Huh? What the—?!"
Blinding light erupted from my monitor.
Before I could react—
It swallowed me whole.
---
"...Ah."
I opened my eyes, blinking against afterimages.
Instantly: wrong. Everything was wrong.
Not my room. Not twenty-first-century Korea. Not even the right century.
"...No way."
Dread pooling in my stomach, I approached the mirror.
The reflection stopped my breath.
Not me. Not my avatar.
Someone else entirely.
Tall. Broad-shouldered. White hair swept back from a severe face. Eyes like fractured sapphires—pale, piercing, ancient.
And somehow, instinctively, I knew.
"Alex... Vanehart."
Alex Vanehart.
That was his name.
No—that was my name.
Known as naturally as if I'd carried it since birth.
---
[End of Chapter 1]
---