CHAPTER 4
A BITTER TRUTH
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“I can't believe I have to shoot this junk.”
“Can we use SS3 instead?”
“Tsk! I think Armed Forces is tight-assed.”
On a shooting field, watching several frail-looking teenagers in army uniform, a drill sergeant crossed his hand. He showed a clear sign of laziness to train a bunch of new enlisted guys that kept grumbling like purple-haired Karens in a fast food stall. Sometimes he rubbed his own face, wondering why the armed forces picked up trash on the street and let them shoot firearms. Being their instructor was a pain in the ass.
“Any issue, Sergeant?” A female voice radioed.
“You don't say.”
“Yeah, I can see your pretty face twisted from miles away. Welcome to the most boring routine in our field, Pretty boy. Remember. I keep an eye on you.”
The handsome sergeant with facial scars showed a stiff smile while gazing at a woman in a military tank top from afar. Captain Nadine, the most annoying female he had ever met in his life, laid relaxedly in a hammock and military sunglasses. His patience was about to explode. Out of all the ridiculous tasks he had undergone, looking after new guys was the hardest one.
“Why did you accept this Gen Z piece of shit in your ranks, huh? Have you ever asked them for a single push-up? Look at their shape. Even a vegan's dog has more muscle than those wimps.”
“Stop insulting my men. They're just radio guys. I mean, they will take care of our communication tasks with internet stuffs. We need their brain, you know? Stop complaining and do your shit.”
No more conversation after she said, “over”. Resuming his job, the sergeant acted nice. His struggle to keep his cool was more miserable than the junk the new guys complained about. ST-1 V1MH, an “FN FAL bootleg” low-cost battle rifle that was mass produced at the big war against monsters 25 years ago, was indeed a total junk.
“Shoot it.”
“How? Even the first-generation WW2 assault rifle seems like a futuristic weapon compared to this rubbish.”
“Yeaah! This ain't cool. The ammo kept jamming in the chamber. The recoil is ridiculous. I'd get tetanus if I touched this rusty junk too long.”
Whack!
The sergeant didn't think twice to whack their head.
“What the fuck do you think this place, huh? A climate change movement? Nobody will change your diaper here.”
“You hurt my feeling!”
“What did you say? I hurt your feeling?” The sergeant approached, whispering something with a low, heavy voice. “I'll hurt your head, home boy. Clench your teeth.”
Whack!
“Mommyyy!”
Whack!
“Ask your mommy to come here. I wanna suck her tits.”
Whack!
Violence would always answer everything. While the sergeant lost his mind, a female captain rolled on the ground, laughing at a part-time instructor who was completely pissed off. He kept hitting cry baby greenies one by one until their faces were unrecognizable anymore.
“Is there anything you want to ask, dear customer?”
“No sir, sobs!” They cried in unison. The new guys stood in fully disciplined mode when the sergeant showed his fist.
“Listen up, boys! A real soldier treats their weapon like they treat their girlfriend. I understand why you disrespected this gun. Because you have no girlfriend. Am I right?”
”Yes, sobs!”
Whack!
“I can't hear you.”
“Sir yes sir!”
A proper shot required proper footwork, regardless of what rifle they used. Gesturing to give an example, the sergeant grabbed the gun and took a stance. The new guys had to take another look at their foot position as well as pay attention to their center of gravity. He then took aim with proper rifle direction manipulation, showing them how to shoot.
“Watch carefully. All you need is skill.”
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Clank! Clank! Clank!
Three steel plates clanged loudly 100 yards away.
“Second round, shoot on the move. Watch me carefully. Don't blink.”
Bang! Bang!
This time, he shot while walking, and all projectiles landed with no effort. His shooting skills debunked their complaints. Everyone inserted their magazine clips without running their mouth. There was no blank firing adaptor at the end of the barrel, not even a muzzle break to reduce the recoil. Watched by a sergeant with an anger issue, their aiming posture became so good. They pressed one cheek against the edge of the stock while their left leg slightly advanced in the manner of a fighting posture. Their instructor did nothing except observe. Satisfied by their shooting skills, he left the drill and walked away toward Captain Nadine.
“Good Job, First Sergeant Sukma Diki.”
“I hate my name.”
The drill NCO, Jakel Varg del Valora, also known as 1st Sergeant Sukma Diki, sat relaxedly beside a hot-looking officer with a ponytail. He chilled as he glanced at the stack of documents. Since committing to summarizing the entire military education in three years, he has undergone every single test with the most hardcore difficulty.
“Airborne training with special air forces, amphibious assault with marine amphibious reconnaissance, sea warfare with navy special detachments, and anti-terror with army special forces ... you're a beast. All your scores are perfect. Asking you to train my men is overkill.”
“They're brave kids who chose a high-risk job with a cheap dirt wage.” Varg answered while busying himself with the results of his special training with all military branches. “At least, they were lucky not to be born as walkers.”
Captain Nadine tilted his head at Varg's ridiculous remarks. “Are you kidding me? They're damn money makers.” Her eyes glittered as she recalled how rich the walker was. “All they have to do is swing their sword and pew-pew with their magic. Poof! They come back to earth with thousands of energy crystals worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. Even the most novice walker can make $200,000 annually. Damn, I wish my kids become walker.”
Varg chose to read a random document rather than debating with a woman. He knew by heart that Walker's life wasn't as easy as everyone saw on TV. Particularly the novice. The innocent child, a simple and honest creature, would become a wicked being because they were trapped in a wicked system.
What system?
***
Somewhere in Crocosela region, Armin Kingdom
Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
“Wow, there's a Cervinax! Let's hunt them down!”
“Yeah, show time!”
In a thick tropical forest, surrounded by exotic vegetation that would never be found on earth, four young, innocent teenagers observed a sword-horned deer, an endemic species on the northern side of the Boriella continent. All of them acted seriously because Ethereal wasn't a game with a restart button. Analyzing the monster, a swordsman who appeared to be their leader turned to the mage in a yellow robe, asking him to paralize it.
“How? I'm just a beginner.” The mage was a bit worried.
”Trust me, a lightning mage like you is a snowball chance in hell. That's why we picked you out. Get into formation!”
All members took their positions in an RPG style. The leader readied himself with a sword and a buckler, along with a spearman, protecting a mage and an archer girl behind them. The yellow-robed mage understood his job when he saw a clear signal.
“Oh great Fulgur, bestow your grace upon me, strike my enemies with your lightning. Fulmena!”
Flash!
Thud!
Passing through the party leader and the spearman, a flash of electricity rushed towards the monster. The effect was quite good, although the electricity was hilariously small. The deer staggered. A simple lightning spell gave the vanguard an opportunity to attack at the same time.
“Stellapunchtum!”
“Falxvulnus!”
The monster died.
“See? Lightning magic has a neurotic effect.” Party leader proudly chuckled as his theory had been proven. “Keep up, guys!”
They resumed their hunt after dismantling their last victim. When they encountered Cervinax, they used a similar strategy to hunt them down. The swordsman seemed to be an excellent leader. He was well-versed in the qualities of the monster as well as the strengths and weaknesses of his squad.
”Wow, even the E-rank party wouldn't this fast!”
“Because we have a lightning mage, hahahaha!”
While resting, they consumed some sort of potion. Particularly the mage in a yellow robe. He had used up the most of his mana. The spearman, in the other hand, slammed his spear in frustration.
“Damnit! I'm not even paying half of my debt to the association.”
“Is it that much?”
Three of them looked at each other when the innocent-looking mage asked a silly question.
“Whooping $1,340,000 for a tuition loan, monthly interest, and junk they called a magic spear. I can even buy better gear with my monthly income. Damnit, they are real scammers!”
The wise leader gave the spearman a silent signal with his eyes as he ruined their cheerful adventure with a bitter truth. “Aldo, i heard you haven't graduated yet?” While dismantling a carcass, he shifted the attention to a yellow-robed mage.
“Yes, I just entered second semester. G-rank, level zero. I just visited Ethereal a couple day ago.”
“Level zero? How come you've allowed to hunt?” The archer girl joined the chat.
The yellow mage exhaled deeply in a dramatic manner. Showing his attractive face, he answered the question while gazing up at the bright purple sky. “My mom asked me for an expensive car like her friend's. She said, I'm not a good boy if I don't make more money. So, I chose to stay in Ethereal while my friends went back to Earth.”
His companions exchanged sidelong glances. Their expressions were all sympathetic. Surprisingly, his story was all too familiar.
“Yes, my mom also asked money when she found out I was a walker.” The girl almost cried.
“My asshole father has never stopped to give me a deep shit. How come he asked money to marry his third wife? And now, he looking for the fourth! Damnit!” The spearman slammed his spear on the ground, as well as their party's mood to a deeper depression.
Of course, parents weren't always angelic figures when their children made money. They had clearly been exploited. Their fate was exactly the same as how parents reacted when their children became celebrities. Squeezed them dry. To make matter worse, 10% monthly interest of their tuition loan had thrown their soul into a debt trap.
“Well, let's forget about adult matters. We need to rest.”
***
25 years ago, before the appearance of the portal, Armin Kingdom was a small nation. But things had been different when the heroes came down from heaven. They eliminated monsters, bandits, rebels, and even helped the kingdom conquer neighboring countries.
That was the brief history of Walker.
Time had passed with a brand new story. The heroes blended in with the natives and became part of the kingdom. More and more of them arrived from their world and spread throughout the kingdom. Some even settled down after marrying locals. Of course, Crocosela Region, a provincial equivalent region in the far north of the Armin Kingdom, was one of their second homes.
Crocosela City, Armin Kingdom
“Wow, their faces look like westerners.” Arriving in the city, the yellow mage gaped wide to see the marvelous scene around him.
“Yes. Armin Kingdom is connected to tropical nation like Indonesia, but the people are Caucasians.” The party leader answered like a tour guide.
Somehow, the natives had similarities to medieval Europeans in terms of their racial features, culture, and even architecture. The distinctive houses, Romanesque style, Gothic, were so familiar that the religious structure of the Order of Lumina had no difference to medieval Catholicism's counterpart.
“You know what? 25 years ago Ethereal wasn't this beautiful. It used to be filthy.”
“Really?”
“Yes. They didn't know that diseases come from germs. People used to poop everywhere. The streets smelled like shit.”
When the party leader pointed at a hole in a nobleman's manor, the yellow-robed mage trembled. The hole was quite high and directly above the road they walked on.
“That used to be a garderobe. It's where a noble take a dump. And their shits fell on the street.”
“What if it fell to anyone?”
“Well, the nobles are proud people who consider their shits to be lucky charms for commoners.”
The yellow-robed mage stood stiff after his common sense had been shattered. A cultural shock electrocuted him like his own magic. As a modern earthling, as a kid who lived in a place where everyone was equal, he never thought of a class difference that trampled on everyone below them. The party leader understood his feelings. All novice walkers would experience the same things. Reinforcing his word, he pointed at a group of another walkers who hang out with prostitutes.
“Most of us forget that we've been raised in a better civilization. Don't be like them.”
***
Living in Ethereal would always be the number one dream among teenagers. However, for most walkers, another world was better than they thought. There were no parents, no police, and nobody watched “overpowered” kids behavior in another world. Liquor, drugs, and all the forbidden things on earth were easy to get. Even murder isn't a big deal anymore. To make matters worse, Ethereal inhabitants considered Walkers to be heroes of the gods, so their position was comparable to that of a noble.
What will happen if a walker become a noble?
Crocosela Castle
“Good job, Frederick! Hahahaha!”
“Thank you, My Lord!”
Satisfied by his retainer's job, a good-looking man was laughing among the harems around him. Blonde hair, blue eyes, redheads—sleeping with Caucasian women had been a proud dream for most Asian males. Ethereal provided them everything that was hard to get on earth. Particularly money. Walker and poverty would never meet in any dictionary.
“How many crystals we got?”
“276 thousand crystals this month, My Lord.”
“Good! Make me rich!”
In front of him, a two-meter-tall man was kneeling. He wore a Viking helmet and armed himself with a large, two-bladed minotaur axe that weighed around 440 lbs (200kg). The big man smiled proudly as Count Vardant, the ruler of Crocosela, praised him.
“This is why I love politic so much.”
“Yes, My Lord. I've learned a lot from a smart person you.”
For a junior Walker, Ethereal was a place of adventure. On the other side, for a nobel like Vardant, it had a completely different meaning. He didn't have to spill any sweat to hunt monsters. He had soldiers to order around, and the crystals he bought from Walker in Crocosela. So easy. He could gather thousands of crystals every day without bothering to move his buttocks.
“Transport to Earth. Sell them to the Association. You take five percent.”
The big man put his hand on his chest and stood up with a smile. “I will make sure to take care of all your stuffs, My Lord. Including tax evasion. That's my specialty.”
The count returned to the bed after the big man left the castle. Laying down among half naked women, his mood was so good. Being a politician was the easiest way to get power and money. He didn't even lift a finger to level up. He could easily buy an experience potion. Sometimes he bought a special elixir to raise his stats, and he read a grimoire to get a skill.
Easy!
Ethereal was a “pay to win” game, after all.
“Count Vardant, there is a decree from Renouil.” Someone entered the castle with a scroll of parchment.
Count Vardant kneeled in front of the messenger. It was a letter from the Royal Capital of Armin, a direct invitation from King Armin III. Vardant had to remain kneeling until the messenger finished reading.
“Count Vardant is obliged to attend the regular meeting of the two Kingdoms. Go to Renouil. Welcome our great guest from the Kingdom of Valora.”
“I will leave immediately.”
After the departure of the messenger, Vardant's face changed. His mood rose higher. The invitation was a sign of a big plan that had been done for years. His lips grinned widely when a subordinate questioned him.
“Is going to be a war?”
“Yes. Time to destroy that elven bastard.”