Three months passed, feeling both long and short.
The wait for The Lord to open felt like three years, yet the time to complete all necessary preparations was so brief it left him breathless.
During those three months, Youngmin prepared thoroughly. He first transcribed everything he knew, remembered, and experienced onto his computer, creating double and triple backups secured with strict protection. Although he recorded only the major events, skipping the most basic details, the document was nearly the size of a book.
Next, he sold all his other game accounts. This was to secure funds in advance, ensuring he could purchase the capsule the moment it became available.
In the past, he had sold only some items, just in case, but now he knew better. From the moment he encountered The Lord, no other game would hold his interest. In his previous life, after playing The Lord, he had barely touched any other games. He had only logged into a few others during maintenance periods to pass the time. Now, he listed all his items and accounts on a trading site without a shred of regret.
"30 million won. This should be enough."
He had made a name for himself in some virtual reality battle games, so he commanded a generous price. He now had a solid 30 million won. It wasn't a fortune, but it was sufficient for his immediate needs. A top-quality capsule would cost about 15 million won, leaving another 15 million for several months of capsule maintenance, living expenses, and initial in-game purchases. After that, he wasn't worried; he would make his money within The Lord.
He was briefly tempted to invest the money, but Youngmin steeled his resolve. He knew very little about anything other than gaming. He might recall one or two stocks that would rise in a few years, but his memory was hazy, and above all, he knew The Lord would soon be more profitable than any investment.
"My allowance will be cut off soon, so I need to set this aside…"
He knew his parents would cut off his living expenses and allowance once they learned he had ruined his first semester preparing for the game and was planning to take a leave of absence for the second semester. It had happened before. In his past life, he had wasted the first semester reeling from his cheating girlfriend and the second semester obsessed with The Lord.
Now, he didn't spare a single thought for that ex-girlfriend. He had made up his mind about her even before returning to the past.
"The rumors… I can't help it. I'm not going to bother correcting them."
Since he and his ex-girlfriend were a well-known couple on campus, and given his poor attendance and performance since his return, rumors spread that he was struggling because of the breakup, not because of a game. He didn't care. He planned to take a leave of absence or simply enroll minimally until he was established in The Lord. He wasn't in college to get a regular job anyway; an era was coming where The Lord was a job. He intended to drop out and focus on the game properly when the time came. To do that, he must avoid repeating the same mistakes.
"Open!"
The pre-sale for The Lord's capsules was conducted almost secretly. There was no press release; even specialized gaming webzines were unaware until advertisements suddenly appeared on major portal sites. It was a crazy strategy, but highly effective, as the ads focused entirely on the revolutionary virtual reality capsule.
Many claimed it was a scam due to the unknown developer, but Youngmin purchased the best option without hesitation. He knew that while people were hesitant now, they would soon find the capsules indispensable. He considered buying extra to resell but abandoned the idea when he saw that Falcon, the game company, strictly limited purchases to one per person.
Anyway, the capsule was optional. A better capsule offered superior sensitivity and longer play sessions, but the basic virtual reality interface was sufficient, which was part of why The Lord spread so rapidly.
"I can't wait. Just five more days."
Delivery and installation would take only three days. The Lord opened five days later, precisely at midnight. This timing was chosen because fewer users were online in the early morning, reducing the risk of server overload and allowing more time to handle potential bugs. More precisely, since most users were asleep, there would be fewer people to complain if issues arose.
'But that won't be necessary.'
Initially, many users hesitated to log in, misled by rumors that the expensive account fee was a scam. Furthermore, since the game launched in a near-perfect state, word-of-mouth spread quickly. Even when user numbers exploded, the servers never experienced a single problem. Knowing this, Youngmin felt a wave of relief once his payment was confirmed. Now, all he had to do was wait.
"There are still about two months until the leave of absence deadline. I just need to get my condition perfect."
Just five days left. He had endured three months; he could withstand five more days. Youngmin calmed his mind and changed into his workout clothes.
Through steady exercise over the past three months, Youngmin's physique had improved significantly. While a dramatic transformation in three months was unlikely, he had recently completed his military service, so he was already in good condition. This time, he had also taken up martial arts to help him play longer and gain a slight edge in the game. With his available funds, he could achieve peak condition by managing his diet and training at a dojo.
"Hwa! Hup!"
There were several renowned gyms and dojos nearby, run by former champions. However, Young-min chose an ordinary neighborhood martial arts studio. It was a small place teaching a few disciplines like Judo and Aikido, but he was satisfied as he primarily needed the space and equipment. He focused on building muscle and honing his senses to complement his intended fighting style in the game, aiming to maintain a similar feel between reality and the virtual world.
Some might mock such preparation for a game, but they would understand once they tried it. The Lord was worth it. Youngmin trained so intensely that the manager asked if he was preparing for a professional martial arts career. But even this regimen wasn't a perfect match for his unique in-game class and fighting style, which pushed beyond the limits of an ordinary human body.
"You're fired up today. Thanks to you, everyone's motivated. Keep it up."
"Ah, yes."
Youngmin smiled faintly as the manager tapped his shoulder mid-workout.
'Soon, everyone will have to work hard.'
With the launch of The Lord, dojos and martial arts schools would see a revival. This was because in-game, high-level players often lost control and were killed by lower-level monsters. Many would pay good money to learn real-world skills, just as Youngmin had in his past life.
However, he found that learning proper martial arts took too long, and too many people had the same idea. More importantly, many real-world techniques weren't practical in-game, where weapons and movement differed. Still, at the very beginning, those with martial arts experience or who were accustomed to fighting "living things" adapted more quickly.
'Yeah, but that's only the beginning.'
The initial advantage began to fade as characters gained superhuman abilities. Those who relied solely on real-world fighting skills were soon surpassed by players with superior game sense, quick reflexes, and smart strategies. Game acumen wasn't necessarily tied to real-life combat prowess. Those who promoted "killing arts" did grow slightly faster, but in the end, the true winners were the 'gamers'.
Knowing this, Youngmin treated his training as merely supplementary. He knew better than anyone that logging into the game for one extra minute was more beneficial than spending that time exercising. These last few days of intense training were just about pushing his muscles to the limit.
'For now, this is enough.'
In this way, Youngmin reaffirmed his resolve and reviewed his preparations, memorizing his notes repeatedly to ensure he wouldn't forget anything by mistake.
And so, the day The Lord opened finally arrived.
"Whew, I'm trembling."
Gurgle.
Bubbles rose whenever Youngmin spoke. The capsule was filled with a special, breathable liquid, similar to the LCL from the popular mecha series, Evangelion. It contained nutrients to maintain his health during long, uninterrupted sessions—a crucial function for Youngmin, who planned to skip meals regularly.
While others struggled with the disorienting sensation of the liquid, Youngmin skillfully operated the capsule's controls to connect to The Lord.
"5, 4, 3, 2… … 1. Connect!"
Instantly, he was overcome with a dizzying sensation.
But what he saw wasn't reality. He had entered the world of The Lord.
His first sight was a black, empty space—the character selection screen. With no character created yet, it was a customization space. As he touched the full-length mirror that appeared before him, his current reflection appeared.
'Just as I remember.'
The basic race was Human, but players could choose from Humans, Gnomes, Half-Elves, and Dwarves for one faction, or Orcs, Trolls, Undead, and Goblins for the opposing faction. Each race had unique characteristics and different initial growth paths, but none were overwhelmingly powerful enough to break the balance. Occasionally, certain races were called overpowered, but the meta often shifted when a standout player emerged from another race. True dominance came not from race, but from guilds or powerful individuals. Despite its MMORPG nature, with the right growth, a player could become a 'superman' capable of wiping out masses alone.
"Race selection, Human."
He could alter his appearance by up to 30%, but Youngmin only changed his hair color and style, leaving most features intact. He preferred the body he was most familiar with over minor stat advantages from adjusting limb length, which had limits anyway. If the changes didn't feel natural, they were worse than useless. His original appearance wasn't bad.
[Traveler, please tell me your name.]
"Lokan. My name is Lokan."
As the name was decided, Youngmin felt himself drawn into Lokan's body within the mirror. His perspective shifted to that of Rokhan.
What greeted him was the cosmos. And within it, a tree of unimaginable scale.
But Lokan knew.
It was not a tree, but a 'world'.
As he watched, Rokhan's body dissolved into particles of light, swirling around the colossal tree. Then, in a flash of light, a message appeared before him.
[Do you want to proceed with the tutorial? If you skip the tutorial, you will not receive a tutorial reward. Y/N.]
Lokan raised his hand and pressed the 'Y' button without a moment's hesitation.
Newbies who thought they were too good for tutorials, believing the reward was worthless, were falling into a trap. The reward might seem insignificant later, but in the beginning, nothing was more valuable. This was where the initial gap began—a gap that would snowball dramatically in the days to come.