Chapter 2: Serial Start (1)

***

Li Xilu.

The "Xi" (熙) means "shine," and the "Lu" (路) means "path." This name was given to me by my grandfather, who wished for me to pave a shining path for the country and the family.

My grandfather always hoped that I would pursue a career in engineering, but contrary to his expectations, I was deeply immersed in the world of manga from a young age.

It all started when I accidentally stepped into a small manga rental shop in the neighborhood during elementary school. Within two months, I had read all the manga in the shop and went on expeditions to neighboring areas, spending all my pocket money on manga.

Despite constant scolding for spending all day reading manga, I couldn't stop. The heroes and mysterious worlds I dreamed of were right there.

Instead of playgrounds or PC rooms, I spent my days in a dusty corner of a manga shop. That was me.

And for someone like me, "Adventurer King" was a whole new world.

The epic story of a boy who sets out on adventures with his companions to find the end of the world. The growth, hope, courage, and exhilaration I felt from it, the ever-expanding world, the charming characters, the fast-paced plot, and the catharsis that built up with each chapter.

The uncontrollable excitement I felt with each page turn...

I even had the same dream every night.

When I woke up to the bright sunlight, there would be a boy sitting on the windowsill of my room.

A boy with a brown bowl cut, a red scarf around his neck, and eyes that sparkled more than anything.

He would say to me, just waking up from sleep:

"You lazy bum! Are you awake now? Are you ready to go?"

I always felt so disappointed when I woke up from the dream, saying I was ready. Even though I was young, I truly believed I could leave at any moment.

Even as an adult, I didn't change much. I no longer had the dreams, but I still sometimes searched for traces of him in the window of my room. For ten years, a part of my heart always held the adventures with him.

Yes, it was like that.

...

But this is not right.

This is really not how it should be.

'Does this make any sense?'

It's not a dream, nor an illusion.

I looked again at the hologram floating above my head.

It clearly pointed to my current state.

[Villain 3]

I knew instinctively.

The thing I had so desperately wished for as a child had happened.

I had suddenly entered the world of "Adventurer King."

But not as a companion to the protagonist, rather as an extra, "Villain 3."

*

To better understand the current situation, I decided to trace back from the moment I opened my eyes.

When I came to, I found myself standing alone in a dilapidated wooden building, which seemed to be a bathroom given the presence of a toilet and a mirror.

The last memory that came to mind was the message from the "Adventurer King" author.

-Would you like to try it?

‘Surely, it can't be real...’

It was an absurd situation, but the only plausible reason was that the author had put me into his manga.

“...”

I decided to let it go for now. After all, it was a matter I couldn't judge or verify immediately.

Next, I examined my body.

A massive figure that filled the not-so-small space.

I didn't think I was just imagining myself in the manga world based on the last message. The reflection in the mirror was of a man I had never seen before.

It was strange that I didn't scream immediately. Perhaps it was due to the lack of realism.

Moreover, this new body was absurdly deformed.

A body as bulky as an elephant's upper half and as slender as an ant's lower half. Exaggerating a bit, the ratio of the upper to lower body was almost 7:3.

My body was so grotesque and cartoonish that it was hard to believe it was real.

Furthermore,

‘Why is my face like this?’

Eyes that bulged out like a catfish, a jaw that jutted out to touch my chest, and a skull that was square like a rectangle.

It was like an unpleasant valley. Seeing this, I understood why animations that tried to be too realistic often failed at the box office.

I quickly turned my gaze away from the mirror. Just confirming my face made me feel dizzy. It would take quite some time to get used to it.

Next, I thought about the hologram.

I stared at the "Villain 3" floating above my head.

The hologram window then extended, showing more details.

I first checked the sentence at the top.

[Mission: Secure a place in the story and survive until the end]

This seemed to be my goal in this world.

‘Secure a place in the story and survive until the end.’

It was a somewhat vague phrase.

I then looked down.

[Status]

-Name: Villain 3

-Trait: Slightly strong

-Recognition: 0

-Author's Favor: 0

-Reappearance Probability: 0%

This seemed to be my current status.

I had no proper name, zero recognition, and a trait that was not particularly impressive.

However, what most concerned me was the last item.

-Reappearance Probability: 0%

The author had mentioned that characters were generally one-time appearances. I instinctively understood that this item was related to the character's value, or in other words, "my life."

If I couldn't reappear in future stories, my character's life would end.

Even named characters could be forgotten if they didn't appear often, let alone an extra.

In other words, the current "Villain 3" character... no, my life was at stake.

“Hmm...”

The only fortunate thing was that I was in a bathroom.

If I had been with someone else, I wouldn't have had the time to calmly assess the situation.

I didn't know how much time I had, but I needed to find a solution within that time.

“But even so, what can I do...”

Right then,

Thud.

It felt as if the world had suddenly become quiet.

It was as if the flow of time had stopped for everyone except me.

Suddenly, a voice came from the hologram above my head.

[The serialization of "Adventurer King" has begun]

[Chapter 1 – The Prelude to Adventure]

[You are within the region of the ongoing chapter]

[Villain 3 is a character subject to evaluation in this chapter]

‘Serialization has started?’

But I had no time to understand what was happening or to be flustered. Noisy voices began to come from the other side of the bathroom door.

“Hey, how long do you plan to stay in there!”

“Come out quickly!”

“We need to hurry!”

It was strange. I could understand the language even though I didn't know it.

“Hurry up!”

“We might miss that kid if we don't!”

I didn't have time to be surprised. Their urgency was directed at me.

They not only shouted but also started banging on the door.

Bang! Bang!

They seemed ready to break the door down if I didn't come out immediately.

I didn't even think about stalling.

“I, I'm coming out!”

There was no point in hesitating here. I had to face it.

As soon as I stepped out,

“Huh!”

I was momentarily taken aback.

There were about a dozen people who looked similar to me, all with grotesque appearances.

One of them, holding a large iron club, poked me and said,

“What's wrong, constipated or something?”

Everyone laughed at his comment. They seemed like typical comic relief characters.

It didn't feel good.

“Hurry up! We'll be late.”

But I couldn't just fight them.

I cautiously followed the group, who were walking confidently.

The leader of the group stopped at the entrance of the village.

There were two signposts, one pointing to the village we were in, and the other to a path leading to the mountains.

I examined the signposts closely.

Strangely, I could read the unknown characters.

The signpost pointing to the mountains read [Pinecone Village].

And the name of the village we were in was...

“Initialis!”

I exclaimed in surprise.

“What's wrong, suddenly shouting like that?”

“You don't know the name of our village? This guy is really stupid, even though he's my brother.”

I ignored the laughing group and focused on my thoughts.

Initialis, a name I knew very well.

The first village. The place where the protagonist of "Adventurer King" was born and raised, the starting point of the story.

A scene naturally formed in my mind.

‘Damn... is that what it is?’

The scenery in front of me also seemed strangely familiar.

A small, peaceful village at dusk. Smoke rising from chimneys, and the sunset slowly fading between colorful buildings... It was exactly the same as the background in the first page of the first volume of "Adventurer King."

Everything became clear. The identity of this group, including me, and what would happen next.

At that moment, someone spoke up.

“He should be coming soon, right?”

“Why, are you nervous?”

“Nervous... but that kid isn't easy to handle, that's for sure.”

The leader, holding the iron club, poked my shoulder and said,

“Don't worry, with this guy here, we'll be fine.”

“Hehe, that's true.”

“A man known for his ferocity!”

“Even though he's my brother, he scares me sometimes, hahaha.”

While the others laughed heartily, my expression grew more and more grim. Their conversation made my identity and role crystal clear.

"Villain 3" and the leader's younger brother.

I was the idiot in the first chapter of "Adventurer King" who relied on his size and was the first to be knocked out by the protagonist's punch.

The beginning of "Adventurer King" is no different from other shonen manga. The story starts with the protagonist leaving the village. This group, including me, consists of the village's delinquents who have often been beaten by the protagonist.

The current situation is that these delinquents are trying to block the protagonist's path and start a fight.

“That arrogant brat! This time, we'll teach him a lesson!”

“Where does he think he's going! We need to break his legs!”

These familiar lines.

The more their confident lines continued, the more anxious I became. They were just foreshadowing the protagonist's heroic action to come.

However, I didn't wish for their mouths to close. I knew exactly when their conversation would end.

But just then,

“Hehe, it's about time he shows up...”

“Huh?”

“Someone is coming up the path.”

The conversation stopped.

A cold wind blew, touching my skin.

The setting sun, as if sensing the end, shone brightly.

In the shadow of that light, there he stood, the boy who had been my only friend for the past ten years.

A boy with a brown bowl cut, a deep red scarf around his neck.

Soon, he would deliver a punch that would send me flying over the hill, marking the start of his heroic adventure.

It was the entrance of "Leo."

The protagonist of "Adventurer King."