I almost forgot that my reward from surviving in that isolated blue desert will be sent to me according to its promise of arriving twelve hours later. Probably because I felt relaxed while having a cooling shower and a heavy two-people lunch after a difficult workout. Once again, I'm being reminded that the Guideline is a “level system”. In fact, I wonder if I should've played those RPG stuff half of my classmates used to be interested in. I remember my teenage self wasn't able to do such leisure activities since I was occupied in getting income from my part-time jobs. Then again, I wasn't that enthusiastic in playing online games, especially the ‘VR “whatever letters that come next” thing.

At least I know some basic elements regarding RPGs thanks to Gi-young watching those anime adaptations of those fantasy stories where the “level system” just pops up in front of a medieval-looking character like it's a natural thing to appear in that kind of era. Occasionally, he asked me to watch with him so that he can praise his favorite characters in front of me. It was quite difficult to suspend my disbelief that an electronic-looking window is considered “natural magic” in that fantasy world. It was more ridiculous when I watched some of them becoming a special magic for those who got transported from a modern-day world.

Regardless of my teenage self being unimpressed with these stories having an obvious wish fulfillment concept, I think for once my endurance in watching them has finally come to use now. Believe it or not, the Guideline is making those magic-themed stories come true seeing how it's still appearing in my eyes. Now, it's notifying me that I've got an unread message. My mind inwardly types [Select to Read] and then, out pops a message regarding my profile or, more like “Status Window”, being officially confirmed.

[Official Profile of The Restart Program's Participant]

[Name: Kang Joo-yeon]

[Level: 1]

[Title: Memory Reader]

[Class: Healer]

[Subclass: Druid]

[HP: 120]

[MP: 20]

It really depicts those video game interfaces I've seen in those anime adaptations. And there's this most important info that makes up the majority of how a “level system” displays its characteristics.

[Stats of Kang Joo-yeon]

[Agility: 1]

[Vitality: 1]

[Endurance: 1]

[Strength: 1]

[Luck: 1]

[Available points from completing the daily task: 10]

Points from the daily task? I think I remember the protagonists in those video game worlds putting those points into their stats. Even if that's the way the old man can implement such power input within my body, there's no need for a Sanction Zone. Can't he just let me do the workout at my own pace? I wish he wasn't strict with it being a daily task requirement.

“Ha…well, there's no point in complaining about something that I can't control. So how should I distribute my points?”

I better think carefully despite this kind of decision may seem menial to others. And so, I look up at the forums on my smartphone, particularly on a site where RPG stuff is constantly talked about. I can see that most of them are avid gamers, including players who are beginners in starting one of those specific video games. Their comments really showed their enthusiasm in this pastime of theirs.

Hey, guys! What's the best way to level up my character’s wizard class?

Is there a way to reduce the cooldown of my warrior’s special skill?

How about teaming up three characters who are the healer class with the other two being of the fighter class?

And under that comment talking about healers, I make a comment, with a pseudonym and an email account that I use for bargaining or selling stuff I don't need in recent years, asking an indirect question about the Guideline's power residing within me.

Does anybody know which stat should be maximized for the druid class?

Druid? What is that?

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Doesn't that only appear in Western RPGs?

Well I don't think there's a druid class existing in any of the games made in South Korea. So yeah like ‘The Welder Souls’ where that specific class exists.

Again, I ask a more specific question about the leveling up of a druid.

There's ‘Agility’, ‘Vitality’, ‘Endurance’, ‘Strength’, and ‘Luck’ for this druid character I'm playing. So which one of them is the most important to put my points at?

It should be ‘Luck’, right?

Bad idea. Putting many points in that kind of stat is very risky. Do you really think those admins would always apply a Deus Ex Machina for healers with a high luck stat? That would be too predictably boring. Put all the points in ‘Vitality’. A healer must have maximum health at all times. Otherwise, how is a druid gonna heal if their health reaches zero?

I say ‘Agility’ should be emphasized more because I think healers need to dodge any offensive attacks that's meant to kill them.

But surely, ‘Endurance’ is quite important seeing how healers must not get exhausted too easily while running away from the enemy.

Guys! You forgot that “survival of the fittest'' quote is often right in the games we play. Hence, 'Strength’ must be the most important thing even for a healer.

Don't think so. I never see a healer needed to fight back in the RPGs I've played so far.

Don't they have a mace as their weapon choice? Then again, healers don't have combat skills at all.

Are we still talking about RPGs or what's happening in real life?

I think my second question has led the entire chat group talking about Slayers and the subclasses they're classified in. Of course the healer class not having any subclass in this world still remains true except the fact I've got an existing subclass because of the Guideline within me.

Actually, believe it or not, I think there's the law of nature that healers aren't supposed to kill anyone, especially humans. I've read the news that a B-rank accidentally stabbed one of her raid members when a Beast was gonna kill her. Straightaway, she went into an epileptic shock or something like that.

Did she die later on?

No, she didn't because her teammate survived from that stab wound.

What!? Is that true?

So that means…if that teammate died from the stab, she would've died too!?

I guess you can say that healer Slayers shouldn't kill anyone if they want to live a long life.

Where did you get this info? I don't remember seeing it on the news.

I happened to be amongst the bystander crowd outside a Labyrinth’s gate. I witnessed that shocking reveal. I'm sure they kept this fact a secret because they wanted to protect the healers’ rights and safety.

So Slayers who are of the healer class can't even do self-defense against a Non too?

Yeah, so I guess whoever is of the healer class better not run into a group of bloodthirsty murderers. Plus, healers barely got any offensive skills at all though being an inquisitor is worse since their mana output on such skills seem to be weak as opposed to being used in defensive ones.

Guys, why are we suddenly talking about Slayers in an RPG forum?

Because their powers are almost similar to the video games we're playing now.

Surprise me if some of those subclasses’ powers are original themselves that our video games don't even have their details.

Guys, is it okay to talk about what the Slayers Alliance is hiding from the public view? Don't they have a good reason they're doing so?

I'm sure none of us are psychopathic stalkers who want to hunt healers. After all, don't we have the right to know everything that's happening in the new world we're living in now?

As they prattle on about how they envy anyone who “gets chosen” as a Slayer, I log out seeing how my innocent question has already made the whole forum turn into a gossip which I'm not fond of wanting to know unconfirmed info. At least I've learned that I too should be careful not to encounter bad-tempered high-ranked Slayers. Also, the users’ comments on each of my stats make sense. That's why I’ve decided to put the majority of my points into…

“So ‘Endurance’ it is.”

[Stats of Kang Joo-yeon]

[Agility: 2]

[Vitality: 2]

[Endurance: 7]

[Strength: 2]

[Luck: 2]

[Available points from completing the daily task: 0]

I wonder how long I need to do this daily task every single day. Anyway, at least I know I’m not physically strong like Jung-han. I'm definitely not agile like Ms Han. Luck is Ban’s specialty though that's due to her intuition being heightened because of her subclass. And for ‘Vitality’, it's possible that Chun possessed such an attribute that can resist any damaging attacks inflicted on him.

Besides, I know that my body is able to keep on running away from any enemies who want to eat me. That should include the Sanction Zone incident where I was able to endure the fatigue in that scorching desert for three hours. I'm taking the safe path to put the majority of the daily task’s accumulated points into an attribute that my body is most familiar with. Then, I hear the familiar ‘ding’ sound of the Guideline’s notification message. As expected, it's the extra reward from completing a task in the Sanction Zone.

[You have obtained the {Lightning Control} skill as your extra reward.]

[Please confirm your extra reward.]

Lightning? Is it because I got struck by it during that trial? I guess that should mean I'm lightning-proof…right?

“Regardless I can't be choosy about the skills the Guideline or gramps is giving me. Might as well have something for me to use as self-defense at least. [Confirm.].”

[The skill {Lightning Control} has been implemented within Kang Joo-yeon's “backup soul”.]

Right after I’ve confirmed my very first skill, another of the Guideline's notifications shows up. I must have been astonished while reading the next message because I never knew that the Guideline can control something powerful like this; or more accurately, it can “process and sort out” supernatural places like the Labyrinths for example. Specifically, it's doing that just for me.

[You have been invited to the first Spontaneous Labyrinth where a particular item will be rewarded after the Labyrinth is cleared by you.]

[The event will take place after the countdown is over.]

[Please decide whether to ‘Accept’ or ‘Decline’ the invitation before the start of the event.]

[If you do not reply within the time limit, the revisioned Guideline will automatically accept your reply as ‘Decline’.]

[Please take note that the invitation is extended to the Restart Program's Participant only.]

[Countdown for Kang Joo-yeon's Invitation to the Spontaneous Labyrinth: 3 days 12 hours]

This is the first time I've heard a Labyrinth being a different kind. The word ‘spontaneous’ next to it is implying that it's not the usual Labyrinths I went to. The usual ones have a time limit to be cleared within three days. Otherwise, the Beasts will come out of the Labyrinth's gate. We call it an Upsurge when that worst-case scenario happens. This Spontaneous Labyrinth seems to be passing over the time limit despite its own naming.

The feeling of hesitation creeps within me and yet, I feel that if I don't accept this mysterious invitation, I might miss out on getting an important item that would help me become strong. Thankfully, the time limit for making my decision should be enough for me to think about it. It also gets me deciding if I should ask a calm and capable Slayer to come with me into this special-like Labyrinth.

However, the Guideline is indirectly telling me that I'm going on this Labyrinth raid alone. It's a solo raid and the thought of it worries me because I still remember that I'm a healer without any combat skills. That lightning power I've just received may backfire or worse, will stop working in this next task of mine. Also, the Guideline still needs to be kept a secret for me and my own family’s safety. There's only one way I need to calm myself down.

“I've to start making those healing potions. As many as I can make…”