Chapter 1
Shall I tell you an intriguing story?
People often think that darkness is the opposite of light.
That when there’s no light, it’s dark.
That’s true.
But…
It’s not always only dark when there’s no light.
Even when the sun is shining.
Even when there are thousands of people around.
The unknown monster that appeared from the darkest place that day pulled us, who were in the realm of light, into the deepest darkness just by its very presence.
What was that monster, you ask?
Well…
One thing is certain: the very fact that I was aware of that darkness means I can recall the events of that day.
Most of the people that day probably didn’t even realize they were being dragged into the darkness.
Because…
I was the only survivor.
You think I’m talking nonsense all of a sudden?
Hahaha.
Not funny?
Hahahahaha.
This isn’t funny?
Well then…
Hee hee hee hee hee hee hee hee hee hee hee hee hee hee hee hee hee hee hee hee hee hee hee hee hee hee hee hee hee hee hee hee…
Ah.
Welcome.
To those heroes who defeat the terror that spreads darkness.
“Holy crap, that ending is disgusting no matter how many times I see it.”
I don’t know what the intention is, but I’ve watched this disgusting intro more times than I can count, and unfortunately, it can’t be skipped. Luckily, it’s short, but I’ll never get used to that disgusting laugh at the end.
Once again, I turned on my computer and immediately launched the game. The game is none other than the turn-based roguelike RPG The Long Terror.
A mysterious monster suddenly appeared one day, and a village on the outskirts vanished due to a cult that worshiped this monster. That village transformed into a strange fortress. Over time, people who lived near the fortress either went mad or disappeared, and monstrous creatures began appearing. Consequently, people from all over the world, driven by a sense of justice, duty, or desire, ventured into the fortress. Gradually, the fortress came to be known as the “Dungeon.”
People who ventured into the dungeon were called “Heroes,” and the protagonist was one such hero. Along with other like-minded heroes, the protagonist embarked on a grand adventure to conquer the dungeon and defeat the terror at its core.
That’s a rough summary of the game’s lore.
At first, I was really into the lore and meticulously followed the story, but after 3,000 hours of playtime and thousands of attempts, the story no longer held any emotional weight for me.
When you become a veteran of the game, the focus shifts to completing achievements, speedrunning, and pushing the game to its limits by adding self-imposed challenges to make it more hardcore.
The game is notoriously difficult, unkind, and relies heavily on luck to the point where some people call it a “luck-based hell game.” But if it’s to your taste, it’s the kind of game that can magically eat up your time.
But then, my favourite game…
Just as I was getting bored of my veteran playthrough and running out of ideas for self-imposed penalties, a new DLC was finally released!
Higher difficulty levels!
New classes!
New dungeon types and monsters!
New artifacts and items!
A massive increase in content.
After the intro ended, I finished applying the DLC in the menu and pressed the start button.
“Oh.”
At the bottom of the difficulty selection screen, a new difficulty level, The Longest Terror, was glowing ominously.
“Let’s go, you bastards.”
Let’s see how tough and annoying they’ve made this, considering how cocky they were in the promotional videos, developers.
Warning
In The Longest Terror difficulty, saving, quick-saving, and pausing are not possible. If you fail the run, your save data will be deleted.
The Longest Terror difficulty adjustments:
- Monsters’ maximum HP +++
- Monsters’ maximum attack power +++
- Increased chance of monster ambush +++
- Heroes’ mental state —
- Increased chance of heroes gaining status ailments +++
- Increased chance of heroes acquiring negative traits +++
- Reduced chance of heroes overcoming the brink of death –
- Reduced treasure acquisition rate –
- Reduced amount of treasure –
“What the hell, they’re straight-up scaring people with this.”
Previous difficulties didn’t have any warning like this. They only showed the difficulty adjustment chart.
But this warning… just looking at the adjustment chart, you could tell that this wasn’t something made to be beaten. I started to wonder if the developers gave up on balancing while making this new difficulty.
- Increased chance of acquiring top-tier treasure +
- Increased chance of encountering high-level heroes +
- Increased chance of obtaining high-tier artifacts +
- Increased chance of awakening +
Those were the only four positive adjustments, and compared to the extreme negative ones, they were basically just for show.
“Well, this just makes me want to challenge it even more.”
The game was practically screaming not to try and beat it.
But that’s the thrill of the game. And isn’t it the duty of veterans to overcome such challenges head-on?
Ignoring the warnings, I pressed the continue button.
Warning
Once you start, you cannot go back.
“Are they trying to scare us for real now?”
I chuckled as I recalled that, in some games, there was an option that prevented you from selecting another difficulty while playing in hardcore mode.
I was going to proceed with this difficulty anyway, so why the polite warning twice?
Why the sudden kindness, from a game known for being unforgiving?
Without hesitation, I pressed the continue button again.
And then…
“Are you going to buy it or not? If not, get lost! You’re bothering my business!”
“Uh, um, sorry about that.”
Who am I, and where am I?
I was… I was definitely about to tackle the hardest difficulty DLC of a luck-based, pain-inducing game.
But when I opened my eyes, I was in a shabby leather Armor, holding a dull sword, and getting yelled at by a grumpy man who looked like he hadn’t bathed in days.
The buildings around me were all made of wood, everyone looked like foreigners, and their clothes were downright filthy.
In confusion, I collapsed under a nearby tree. From what I could gather, this place resembled a medieval European estate, and there were many people walking around carrying weapons.
The man who had shouted at me earlier was now groveling and rubbing his hands in front of a tall man clad in gleaming plate Armour. The Armoured man nodded, handed the grumpy fellow some gold and silver coins, and took a lantern, oil, herbs, and bandages.
‘No way, right? Did I fall asleep while playing? Sure, I’ve put an ungodly number of hours into this game, but I didn’t think I was at the point of dreaming about it.’
I hadn’t realized it at first, but from this distance, that man… he looked exactly like the merchant in the game, the one who sold random junk needed to head into the dungeon.
Especially since the armoured guy was packing his bag with a lantern, lantern oil, herbs, and bandages, it was undeniable.
‘I’m crazy. I should’ve played less. Why on earth am I dreaming about this depressing world?’
Sure, this world was dark and grim, but because it was a game world, I could enjoy it. Living in it, though, even in a dream, was something I’d rather avoid.
‘If I sit here long enough, I’ll wake up eventually. Oh, if this is really a dream in The Long Terror, I should have some starting money.’
I rummaged through my pockets and found four gold coins and nine silver coins.
“What? Even my starting money got cut?”
In the previous difficulty, the starting money was 10 gold coins. It looked like for some reason, I had lost a silver coin, ending up with this odd amount. It was probably reduced by half, making it 5 gold coins.
For reference, 10 gold coins equalled 100 silver coins, which equalled 1,000 copper coins, though copper coins were rarely used. It was like how you wouldn’t bother with a 10-won coin in real life.
“I’d better find an inn.”
Rather than sitting on the street, I figured I might as well kill some time in a place where I could take off this Armor and rest comfortably.
“Welcome.”
“One night’s stay.”
“Just you?”
“Just me.”
“Five silver coins.”
“Here.”
Since it was just a dream, I decided to act the part of a well-fed mercenary. The innkeeper gave me a look as if to say, “What’s wrong with this guy?” but money talks.
I collapsed onto the shabby bed, thinking about what gear combination I should put together, and drifted off to sleep.
***
The city of Salem, the closest to the dungeon but outside its influence, was originally a small settlement. However, as more and more people—later called “Heroes”—gathered to attempt the dungeon, the city expanded to its current size.
The dungeon was more terrifying and dangerous than any battlefield, but people seeking quick riches kept coming. With increased demand came more merchants. Though prices in Salem were inflated compared to other cities, people had no choice but to pay since traveling to other cities would cost even more time and money.
The people of Salem could be divided into three types:
Merchants.
Newcomers, drawn in by rumours.
And short-lived fools.
Those without the skills to survive couldn’t handle Salem’s high cost of living. The skilled either ventured deeper into the dungeon and never returned or left for other cities.
As for me, I fell into the second category. If this were the actual game, there would have been a tutorial explaining how to use various facilities in Salem, how to recruit and manage fellow Heroes, and so on. That was the first and last bit of kindness the game offered.
But why am I suddenly recalling the settings of “Salem”…?
[Hendrik the TerrorHunter]
Race/Gender: Human Male
Class: Unassigned
Level: 1
Max HP: 11
Attack Power: 2~7
Defense: 1
When I opened my eyes, I was suddenly staring at a floating character status window. The more pressing issue was that I was still in the same shabby inn room.
“…I really need to quit this game.”
When I first made the profile, I must’ve been a little insane because I’d chosen a super edgy name for my character. And there it was, Hendrik the TerrorHunter, the in-game character status floating before me.
Was this really a dream? Or wasn’t it?
My confusion was quickly put to rest by a sudden system log that appeared before me.
[Hendrik ‘Yujin’ TerrorHunter]
- Starting the tutorial for The Longest Terror.
- Main Objective: Clear The Longest Terror.
Upon failure: Han Yujin dies. - Go to the Hero Management Office to organize a new party.
- Go to the Hero Training Center to select a class.
- Visit the Hero Support Office to recruit your first ally.
- Visit the Hero Training Center to learn skills.
- Visit the Equipment Support Office to receive basic equipment.
- Purchase exploration supplies from the merchant.
Time Limit: 3 days
“What the hell is this?”
I can say with certainty that the tutorial for The Long Terror was never like this.
The usual method was to click through various buildings once, learn what they did, and finally recruit your first ally for free at the Hero Support Office.
And, most importantly, the middle name of my character now included “Yujin,” and the penalty stated that “upon failure, Han Yujin dies.”
Han Yujin was my real name.
Ha…ha?
“…What the f—?”
Emotionally, I desperately wanted to believe this was just a dream, but logically, I understood.
“This is seriously happening. I’ve been dropped into the world of The Longest Terror, the hardest difficulty I’ve never even tried.”
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