When Dull paid close attention while reading and watching the tutorial, Desi looked at him with mild surprise.

"You’re probably the only person these days who has actually completed the tutorial."

The man leaned back in his chair and continued.

"Usually, we skip everything because we want to play right away and only figure things out when our curiosity kicks in."

"...The tutorial is there for a reason."

"Knowledge can be gained along the way, no matter what."

The man shrugged.

"Hm..."

Dull finds it puzzling that people often miss this point. In Nothingness, everyone must be careful and thoroughly investigate before taking any rash actions. The risks associated with impulsive behavior demand this level of caution. Therefore, even though it’s just a game and not real life, Dull's habit of seeking information and grasping the mechanics through the tutorial is deeply rooted.

"Well then."

Dull shrugged. It's not surprising that people living in relatively safe environments might be lacking in survival instincts and skills.

"Have you figured out the mechanics yet?"

Desi asked, to which Dull nodded in response. The game's mechanics were fairly simple, and he had to admit they were quite creative. The addition of artifacts and weapons that enhanced strength was especially interesting.

'I'm not familiar with it.'

They possess inherent strength from the moment they are "born." Dull had never used a weapon or worn any protective gear. He didn't need training for his abilities either, as he instinctively knew how to use them.

He is only acquainted with the concept of "ascensions" in this game and beyond that, he finds the remaining game mechanics to be unfamiliar.

"Okay, we’ve spawned."

In a flash, the two found themselves in the starting village, a lively place full of energy. The area buzzed with many new players, their avatars chatting and exploring the vibrant surroundings. The high number of players explained the slow server loading times, but Dull felt energized by the atmosphere. Colorful banners decorated the village, and lively NPCs offered quests and items waiting to be discovered.

'Is it really that amazing?'

Dull thought aloud as he got used to the keyboard, which also serves as the control, his fingers moving quickly over the keypads. The graphics were impressive, and the world felt dynamic, but he was still figuring out how everything worked.

The game had a main quest that promised adventure and rewards, but Desi and Dull hurried through it to reach locked areas. They weren’t keen on long discussions and wanted to jump into the fun parts, like fighting and gathering resources.

"Now that we've opened up the whole forest, should we start collecting gear?"

"Isn't it a better idea to gain levels inside the tower?"

The beginner village is close to the tower, but not actually in it.

"That's what most people do, but there are monsters outside too, remember from the cutscene? I think it's easier to hunt the roaming monsters first to reach at least level 5 or 10 before we enter."

"Really?"

He doesn't quite understand because Dull usually charges in, hiding or sneaking around when facing enemies or entering enemy areas in reality, so this is a new experience for him.

With that, they headed toward the forest, the village sounds fading away. The trees stood tall and grand, their leaves whispering in the wind.

As they entered the forest, a warning popped up, suggesting they were too inexperienced to proceed. However, both chose to ignore the warning and continued on. The first enemies they faced were slimes, which Desi claimed were the weakest monsters around, just wandering without any fighting skills.

Huh?

Who said slimes can't fight?

This idea struck him as quite humorous but it was just a view shaped by human fantasy. They hadn't really encountered slimes, which is why they didn't understand them well.

However, if they met real slimes, they would probably want to touch them instead of fighting. He wondered what would happen if he brought one into this world. It might create chaos, but it would also be entertaining.

'Should I do it for fun?'

What a tempting thought.

Shifting his attention, Dull began to attack the slimes. He quickly observed something that caused him to frown.

"What the...?"

He was launching a spamming attack, but no matter how hard he tried, he was unable to inflict any harm on the slimy creature. Each strike against the gelatinous foes felt like a mere tickle, and the slimes seemed to absorb the blows with an almost mocking indifference.

Is he really that weak?

Sure, it's only a game, but it still bothered him a little.

"It's tough for us as beginners, but it will get easier with time."

Desi said unexpectedly, probably seeing his frown as he kept attacking the slimes. When he glanced at the other's monitor, it was clear that his character's sword was inflicting only minimal damage as well.

Feeling better knowing he wasn't alone in his struggles, Dull continued to fight the slimes. But no matter what he did...

'It's so damn weak!'

He understood why he felt this way. After all, he was only at level 1 and didn't have good gear or weapons. Still, Dull was surprised to experience such helplessness for the first time.

'I’ve never felt this weak and helpless before...'

He was truly shocked that his damage was just 1. Typically, even his least powerful attack would likely deal about a million damage.

"This is so annoying. That stupid slime!"

He couldn't help but curse when a slime suddenly knocked him back, making him lose a lot of health. After thinking for a moment, he realized how silly his reaction was.

'Did I really just curse? Over a game...?'

Over something completely made up? It wasn't even funny anymore.

After calming down, he went back to help Desi, who still had full health but then got pushed by another slime, causing him to lose even more HP and then strike a boulder that suddenly appeared. This led to his character dying, and the screen displayed a countdown for respawning.

The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

"... ."

"... ... ."

"Are you kidding me?"

"Hahaha!"

Desi burst into laughter while Dull stood there in shock.

"Unbelievable."

Even though it was merely a game, Dull felt his patience slipping away.

What was happening? He had never felt this annoyed before. What had changed? Why was he experiencing such intense feelings? The slimes, with their slimy forms and constant attacks, seemed to reflect all the frustrations he had kept inside.

'Something must be wrong with me.'

He thought, a frown forming on his face. Maybe it was because he had been around humans too much, and their emotional ups and downs were starting to get to him.

He glanced at Desi, who was still giggling at his misfortune and felt a pang of envy.

What explains his consistent good health despite their similar strength at this level? Is it due to his poor dodging, or does Desi just have amazing skills?

"Why are you staring at me like that? No need to be jealous! This is just your first attempt! You'll improve fast."

"Let's keep looking."

He clicked his tongue in annoyance as they ventured further into the forest.

At first, he thought his difficulties in the game were simply a result of being a novice, leading him to believe that his performance would get better with experience. However, he eventually came to the realization that his skills were truly insufficient. Despite his continuous attempts to reach Desi's level, he always felt like he was falling short.

Dull's eyebrow twitch.

'What is happening here...?'

He struggled to accept that he was performing so badly, particularly since he had always excelled in his previous pursuits.

Noticing Dull's sudden silence and stillness, Desi asked.

"You look a bit scary. Are you alright?"

Dull shot back with a fierce glare that made Desi flinch. Fortunately, the glare came from annoyance and frustration, not from any bad intentions.

"Shut up and concentrate on the game."

"Wow, such intensity!"

Desi commented. Their back-and-forth continued for a while, with Dull becoming more and more irritated while Desi alternated between trying to ease the tension and checking in on Dull's state.

Sigh.

How does Dull express this...?

Playing video games is genuinely enjoyable for him.

The idea of video games, especially leveling up, really fascinated him. This interest likely came from the joy of seeing his characters' damage increase and the big difference between level 1 and the highest level. The excitement of making progress, the pride in achieving goals, and the fun of gaining new skills were all very appealing.

In just two hours, he feels a mix of emotions. He gets angry when he loses, happy when he wins or levels up, and frustrated when he gets knocked out. Even though he could cheat or blame the game for his failures, he decides not to. He is genuinely enjoying himself, despite his strong reactions.

Dull has never lost his cool or shouted in anger before, knowing he can fix his mistakes. But this time feels different.

"Damn it!"

He shouted in frustration after his character was defeated again.

It annoys him to see Desi laughing, saying, "You finally showed some emotion, and it’s because of video games! How funny!" The remake seems to bother him too, probably because Desi did really well on his first try.

'I guess I’m not good at gaming...'

Usually, he doesn’t care about this.

Usually...

Dull felt a wave of disappointment when the timer by the computer beeped, signaling the end of their session and the need to log out. The staff usually gives a two-minute grace period for users to log out before shutting down the PC and locking it up. He thought about buying extra time, but it was already 10 PM, and the café would close at 11 PM.

Maybe getting his own console would let him play at home too. The thought sparked in his mind like a distant star, showing him the possibilities ahead. He could build his own gaming space, a place to dive into these exciting worlds without worrying about time or interruptions.

"That was fun."

Desi said as they walked out of the café.

"Let's do this again next time!"

"...Okay."

He agreed to play games with Desi to find out if it was fun or to show Desi how dull gaming could be, hoping it would make him stop bothering him. However, that plan fell apart when Desi quickly outperformed him in leveling up and damage.

Dull was determined not to let Desi get ahead of him in levels. Even though they played at the same time, Desi was about two levels ahead because he kept earning bonuses for dealing the most damage.

Usually, Dull wouldn’t feel this way about another person, as humans are often seen as weaker. But because this man introduced him to something that made Dull feel weak and helpless for the first time in his long life, a surprising sense of competition stirred within him.

Finding happiness in something so simple is quite entertaining.

This type of game was completely new to him. He knew that "games" were out there and had heard people talk about them as fun, but he never felt the need to check them out before. Now, he wishes he had started earlier.

'Living in a world like that would definitely be fun...'

What if he created a system for this world that helped everyone level up? The idea thrilled him. Picture a community where people could earn experience points from their everyday activities, where every little success—like learning something new, assisting a neighbor, or facing a personal challenge—added to their growth.

He could have fun too, as long as his skills match the humans of this. Battling monsters stronger than him should be an exciting adventure, especially since he has never encountered such tough foes before.

Recently, as he has been feeling more emotions, he is curious about experiencing fear. Even with his great power, he has felt fear many times. The Nothingness is home to many strong beings who are serious about their power. Since he doesn’t meet these beings often, it would be a refreshing change to feel fear again in the midst of the apocalypse.

Will creating a system that could result in an apocalyptic scenario be an easy undertaking?

Transforming the world in this way is undoubtedly a daunting task. Nonetheless, Dull is confident that he can accomplish it with enough commitment.

One might question why he is even thinking about this. Shouldn't he be relaxing on his vacation? Pursuing such a goal would take a lot of time and effort, which would ruin the purpose of his vacation if he focused on it too much.

It’s because it's an interesting idea, but...

He stopped, realizing he shouldn't think about such things.

'But what if? What if only?'

Seeing his excitement while playing video games about leveling up shows that he would really enjoy a real-life adventure with leveling up and fighting monsters.

Maybe it’s not so bad...

Absolutely not! No way!

Shaking off the thought, Dull went home, feeling a sense of satisfaction for the first time since he got here.

***

When he gets back home, the first thing he does is check his messages. He knows someone reached out earlier, but he was so caught up in gaming that he didn’t even think to look right away. Normally, Dull replies to messages super fast, but this time he let it slide. That just shows how into his games he is at the moment.

《 Cosmic Conversations:

Solon V1.3: .-...--..---.-.- (New) 》

Solon Alpha Version 1.3 is the real name of his assistant, but he never uses it. This is because Dull has a quirky habit of not calling people by their actual names if they take pride in them. Instead, he gives them nicknames just to annoy them, like he does with the "boss." Their reactions are quite amusing.

《 Cosmic Conversations:

Cache (Private Room): Keep watching him. (3 New)

Left Hand (Private Room): ...Crystal! (Read)

Friends and Foes, Divided Loyalties, Trouble in Unity! (Group Chat): ... (Read) 》

'Cache respond?'

Even though his assistant sent a report he was eager to see, Dull chose to open Cache's message first.

《 Cosmic Conversations (Private Room):

[Busy Bee]: Hey, Cache! There’s this kid who took my wallet on my second day here. I didn’t mention it before, but he feels a lot like us, though he doesn’t seem to know it.

[Busy Bee]: He sensed me too because he kept following me after we bumped into each other.

[Cache]: A human child with a similar presence with us?

[Cache]: I can’t talk right now or reply quickly, but please keep this to yourself and wait for my call.

[Cache]: Keep watching him.

[Busy Bee]: What are you up to?

[Busy Bee]: I’ve already sent my assistant to keep an eye on the kid, making sure he stays safe.

[Busy Bee]: Hurry up and don’t keep me waiting. 》