After what felt like hours of walking, Seun-mi Ho finally saw what looked like a small settlement on the horizon. Wooden houses, thatched roofs, and a large palisade surrounding the village. The main entrance was marked by two wide wooden gates, wide open.

"So, this is the fabled village," he muttered as he approached. A sign at the entrance displayed the village's name: Naraheim.

"Looks like someone had fun with a random name generator," he smirked sarcastically. "Naraheim... Seriously, who picks these names?"

As he neared the gates, he noticed two guards in light armor stationed on either side of the entrance. They held spears and wore helmets that seemed far too big for their heads. One of the guards, a stout man with a ridiculous mustache, raised a hand to stop Seun-mi.

"Halt!" barked the guard, trying to sound authoritative, but instead sounding like a child mimicking his father. "Identify yourself! What business do you have here?"

Seun-mi stopped, raising his hands in surrender. "I'm just a traveler. I'm here to find some quests and... well, survive."

The second guard, taller but somehow even duller-looking, took a clumsy step forward, staring at Seun-mi with vacant eyes. "A traveler, huh? You could be a spy. Or worse. A thief!"

Seun-mi raised an eyebrow. "A spy? Seriously? Who would want to spy on a village in the middle of nowhere?"

"That... that's exactly what a spy would say!" retorted the first guard, waving his spear menacingly, though he clearly had no idea how to properly hold it.

"Oh, come on," sighed Seun-mi. "I'm not a spy. I just want to enter, find some quests, and maybe a place to sleep."

The two guards exchanged glances, as if trying to decode hidden instructions in their limited brains. Then, after a long, awkward silence, the first guard slowly nodded.

"Alright, traveler. But watch yourself, we've got our eyes on you!"

"Yeah, our eyes!" echoed the second guard like a human parrot. "We're watching!"

Seun-mi rolled his eyes. "Okay, okay. You're doing a fantastic job. Keep it up." He walked between them, barely holding back a sarcastic comment on their competence.

As he passed through the gates, he couldn't help but mutter, "If these guys are the village's protectors, I don't have high hopes for their security."

The village of Naraheim sprawled out before him. It was your typical medieval RPG setting: wooden houses scattered haphazardly, a small central square with a few market stalls, and villagers going about their routines. There was even a well in the center, where an old woman was drawing water while humming a melancholic tune.

Seun-mi glanced around. "Yup, this looks like a classic starting hub. I bet there's a blacksmith around here somewhere, an innkeeper, and probably an NPC who'll give me a 'fetch three wolf pelts' quest."

He cautiously made his way into the village, scanning for points of interest. The central square seemed to be the heart of the activity, with a few villagers bustling around the stalls. He spotted a sign on one of the buildings, crudely painted with a beer mug. "The inn, I suppose," he thought.

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But before he could head there, a familiar voice called out.

"Halt! Traveler!"

Seun-mi turned around, and there at the village entrance, the two guards were staring at him intensely, as if seeing him for the first time.

"You! Identify yourself! What business do you have here?" the first guard repeated, in exactly the same tone as before.

Seun-mi blinked, incredulous. "Wait... Are you joking? I literally just walked past you two minutes ago."

The second guard stepped forward again, as if he hadn't heard a thing. "A traveler? Could you be a spy? Or a thief?"

"No, no, no," Seun-mi groaned. "We've already had this conversation. You've already let me in!"

The guards exchanged glances again, visibly confused. Then, after another awkward pause, the first guard slowly nodded.

"Alright, traveler. But watch yourself, we've got our eyes on you!"

"Great. The eyes. Again." Seun-mi rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on. "Interface, what's going on? Are these guys stuck in some kind of loop?"

The Interface responded instantly: "The guards are NPCs on a pre-defined interaction cycle. They repeat certain dialogue lines whenever a player approaches them. This is a common mechanic."

"A common mechanic? That's a nice way of saying they're idiots, isn't it?"

"Their behavior is programmed to be limited," the Interface replied emotionlessly. "They follow simple scripts for basic interactions. This is sufficient to maintain an appearance of security in the village."

"Appearance of security?" Seun-mi chuckled. "They couldn't protect an apple!"

He ignored the guards and headed toward the village square. The villagers all seemed to have their own routines, some moving between stalls, others chatting amongst themselves. The whole place had a peaceful vibe, but Seun-mi couldn't help but notice the stiffness in their movements and the repetition of their actions.

"This really is like a video game," he thought. "Everything is predictable. The NPCs come and go, but nothing they do actually matters."

He approached a stall where an old man was selling vegetables. The man looked up and smiled mechanically.

"Welcome, traveler! Fresh vegetables? Picked just this morning!"

Seun-mi glanced at the vegetables, which looked exactly identical, as if they'd been copy-pasted. "Uh, no thanks. I'm looking for quests."

The old man blinked, not comprehending, then repeated, "Fresh vegetables? Picked just this morning!"

Seun-mi frowned. "I literally just said I don't want vegetables. Are you even listening?"

"Fresh vegetables? Picked just this morning!" the old man repeated like a stuck tape.

"Alright, forget it." Seun-mi walked away, irritated. "I'm starting to see why people go crazy in video games. These NPCs are unbearable."

He scanned the area, trying to find an NPC that seemed more... interactive. He spotted a woman in light armor near a notice board. She moved more fluidly than the others, her gestures more natural. "Maybe she'll have something useful for me," he thought.

He approached, and the woman looked up from what she was doing, a welcoming smile forming on her face.

"Welcome to Naraheim, traveler! You're looking for quests, aren't you?" she asked in a clear, confident voice.

"Finally, someone who knows what I'm after!" Seun-mi said with relief. "Yes, I'm looking for quests. Got anything for me?"

The woman stood tall, striking a heroic pose, as if reciting a well-rehearsed script.

"The village of Naraheim is plagued by many dangers. Wolves roam the nearby woods, attacking our livestock. We need someone to rid us of these savage beasts and restore peace to our village. Would you be willing to take on this mission?"

Seun-mi couldn't help but smile. "Ah, there it is, the classic 'kill three wolves' quest. I knew it was coming."

"So, will you accept the quest?" the woman asked, her smile never faltering.

"Yeah, yeah, why not. I need the experience anyway." He touched the floating icon in front of him to accept the quest.

[New Quest Acquired: Protect the Livestock]

Objective: Kill 5 wolves and bring their pelts back to the village

Reward: 500 gold coins, +50 XP

"Five wolves, huh? Shouldn't be too hard." Seun-mi nodded. "I guess I'll start with that."

Before heading off, he glanced back at the two guards by the village gate, who were still staring blankly into the distance. He shook his head with a slight smile.

"At least I'm not the only one stuck in a loop here."

End of chapter 3.