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Chapter 3
Tutorial Dungeon
A wrecked eight-pyeong* studio apartment.
(*about 26 square meters)
In this shabby setting, an elegant silver-haired beauty—wholly out of place here—was chewing on something as she opened her mouth.
“My, my. The perfect harmony of sweetness and bitterness… As expected of you, Lord Lucifer. Even in such a simple confection, there’s an aesthetic beauty to be felt.”
All I’d done was toss her an instant coffee mix I had lying around, and she’s rolling her tongue like that.
And it wasn’t even prepared properly—she hadn’t bothered to dissolve it in water, just dumped the powder straight into her mouth and started crunching away.
Honestly, I wanted to say something, but I figured if I did, my neck might get wrung again, so I just played along.
“Recognizing the true value of something requires character as well. As expected of you, Herguna.”
“I still have much to learn. I’ve yet to fully grasp your intentions, Lord Lucifer.”
Hertia, that sly devil.
After saying that, she cast a look around my eight-pyeong studio.
Apparently, she still hadn’t figured out why the great Lucifer was living like this.
Of course, I couldn’t very well tell her the truth—that my income was pitiful at best.
This one saw Lucifer as something close to a god.
“Lord Lucifer, where exactly is this place? And this… this beast’s den of a room—”
The nerve of this ingrate!
Calling my hard-earned, 2,000/50 rental luxury* eight-pyeong studio a “beast’s den”! (*2,000,000 won deposit / 500,000 won monthly rent)
Sure, compared to Lucifer’s in-game palace, Pandemonium, it might be… just a little cramped, but still—this was my cozy little nest!
“…This is the new dimension I shall rule.”
“I knew it! So this is another world.”
“And this is my new dwelling.”
“…?”
Oh dear, seems like Hertia’s experiencing cognitive dissonance.
She just opened and closed her mouth silently, at a loss for words.
“What do you mean by that! How could a place worse than a dog’s kennel be your residence, Lord Lucifer?!”
Her voice rose in indignation.
I worried my poor home’s pride might be shattered by such an insult, but if I picked a fight over it, she might target my neck again.
Better smooth this over with something—anything.
“It’s for your safety.”
“What do you… ah…!”
She’d been about to protest again, but suddenly let out a gasp of realization.
“…You… no, you already knew we’d lost our powers, didn’t you?”
I’d just been spouting nonsense, but what the hell had she connected in her head?
“So… you’ve deliberately taken on the guise of weakness, to help us grow.”
Perfect. Let’s run with that.
“Indeed.”
“…Forgive me. My inadequacy has become a burden to you, Lord Lucifer. And worse, I even dared to lay hands on your august person…”
“Think nothing of it.”
“Ahhh, what magnanimity! Once again, I, Hertia, am moved by your grace, my master!”
Ugh. The more I talked to Hertia, the more my fingers and toes curled in embarrassment.
At 28, my emotional tolerance was far too fragile to keep playing the cringey role of my younger self.
Still, I had to endure.
《Caution! End-class summons can attack their summoner at any time.》
《However, if the summoner dies, the attacking summon will also be destroyed.》
Judging by the system’s belated warning, if I let this overblown persona slip even a little, my scrawny neck would snap like a twig.
I looked at the lunatic in front of me and recalled her profile.
Hertia, the Witch of the End—Queen of the Shadow Elves, and one of the most infamous villains in the game.
She was the one who burned down the World Tree, which the elves treasured above their own lives.
There was a reason for that, tied to her race.
Elves were a people who cherished life above all and held harmony as their highest value. But there was one race they despised above all others—their sister race, the Shadow Elves.
In elven society, Shadow Elves were treated little better than slaves.
Hertia had always found that hypocrisy repulsive.
Her resentment finally exploded when her children were chosen as sacrifices for the World Tree.
The World Tree was the source of elven power.
As it aged, the elves’ own strength waned.
To prolong its life, they began sacrificing young elves—only Shadow Elves, of course.
She was devastated.
Neither the Elf King nor the Shadow Elf chieftain, nor even the World Tree itself, thought anything wrong with sacrificing young lives.
Worse, they didn’t feel the slightest shame; they dressed it up with honeyed words, calling it a “glorious return” as they deceived the children.
Furious, Hertia fought with all she had, but in the end, her children were offered up to the World Tree.
Unable to bear her grief and rage, she chose to become the very evil they feared.
She slew the Shadow Elf King, seized the throne, started a war, burned the World Tree, and slaughtered countless elves, stealing their power.
Thus was born the worst villain of Legend Seven—Hertia, the Witch of the End.
Tragic as her story might be, I wasn’t about to stand before a mass murderer of millions and say—
Haha, sorry—Lucifer was just an embarrassing character I played when I was young. I’m just an ordinary guy.
Nope. Not in this lifetime.
“Do you feel lighter of heart now?”
“Hmm… On the contrary, it feels heavier. I must serve you in this weakened state.”
Hertia set down her coffee stick and rose to her feet.
She bowed deeply once more.
“Master, please lead us again. I will regain my lost power and serve you faithfully.”
Lost her power, huh?
Naturally. The game turning real had reset all summon data.
If anything, the fact that she still remembered Lucifer was strange—probably a perk from the “special privilege” I’d received.
Even weakened, she still had immense potential.
If I was going to keep her, I might as well raise her properly.
I decided to check her stats.
[Hertia, Witch of the End]
Attribute: Darkness
Level: 1
Grade: End
Class: Mage
Stats
Attack: 8
Defense: 8
HP: 38
Speed: 20
Crit Rate: 15%
Crit Damage: 15
Effect Hit: 0
Effect Resist: 0
Unique Skill
1st Skill — Hertia’s Law
Effect: In battle, the Speed of all summons except Hertia is fixed to 20% lower than her Speed.
Her level reset had wiped her stats clean.
But her core skill was intact.
Only one of her unique skills was unlocked right now, but if I trained her and unlocked them all, she could truly become the Witch of the End again.
As expected of the leader I chose for the Seven Deadly Sins.
The Seven Deadly Sins—my name for the seven villains I’d recruited.
Honestly… I’m excited. I want to test her right now.
Some might scoff at making a fuss over one passive skill, but any Legend Seven veteran knew—this one was broken beyond belief.
Alright, strike while the iron’s hot. Let’s begin.
I straightened my posture and looked Hertia in the eye.
“Hert, first, I need to test your abilities.”
“It will be my honor. Whose head do you desire?”
Not exactly a “head,” but every newly awakened adventurer had to go through one standard process—
《Would you like to enter the Tutorial Dungeon?》
《YES or NO》
“Follow me. I’ll prepare a stage befitting you.”
“If you are going there, Master, I will follow anywhere.”
I pressed the entry button on the floating message window, and the two of us vanished from the apartment.
《You have entered the Tutorial Dungeon – Forgotten Ruins.》
《In the Tutorial Dungeon, adventurers cannot die.》
《Defend the ruins from goblins for 10 minutes!》
《If the ruins are destroyed, you lose.》
《Defeat the Goblin Chieftain to clear instantly.》
“It’s been a while since I’ve been here.”
A half-collapsed ruin about the size of a school sports field lay before us.
《Before the battle begins, please set your summon team.》
In Legend Seven, you needed five team members—four main fighters and one substitute.
Of course, it was best to fill all slots, but I only had one summon right now.
《Hertia, Witch of the End, assigned to Team 1.》
No matter—she could handle this dungeon alone.
“Hert.”
“Yes, Master.”
“Prepare yourself.”
“If that is your will.”
She moved with elegance, loosening her body.
“Haaa—”
In Legend Seven, your rewards changed based on clear time and how you handled the dungeon.
The first time I’d played, it had taken me over 10 minutes.
But this time would be different.
《Begin the dungeon?》
Because now, I had Hertia.
《YES》
《Tutorial Dungeon begins.》
《Timer: 00:01》
Hertia slowly advanced, eyes locked on the Goblin Chieftain in the ruins’ center.
Her steps didn’t falter.
The goblins bared their teeth in warning, but none dared attack.
Tap. Tap.
The sound of her high heels striking the ground echoed.
Still, the goblins—and their chieftain—remained frozen.
They couldn’t move—her skill, Hertia’s Law, forbade it.
So it works in reality, too!
Her skill’s description—lowering all other summons’ Speed by 20%—was deceptively plain.
But what it really meant was—
Guaranteed first strike.
In the turn-based days of Legend Seven, the advantage of acting first was absolute.
In her debut as the first boss, she’d made players’ lives hell.
That fight was a scripted loss—you barely survived and ran away, left with a deep respect for villain power.
But in reality? This went beyond strong—it was a natural disaster.
My heart pounded.
Reality brought endless variables to battle—but with Hertia, I could control them all.
No enemy could move before she acted.
This was the true face of the Witch of the End.
“Heh.”
Standing before the chieftain, she smirked.
The goblin’s body stiffened in sheer terror.
“My, my… You’re frightened.”
She stroked his face gently.
Her cold fingers traced his skin.
His mouth fell open involuntarily.
He wanted to close it, but his body wouldn’t obey.
“Shhh— It won’t hurt for long.”
A mocking smile played on her lips.
A small orb of magic formed at her fingertips.
She sent it floating into his mouth, then slowly closed it.
PFFFT!
A violent explosion turned the Goblin Chieftain into a mist of blood.
《Critical hit!》
《You struck an unguarded vital point—extra damage inflicted!》
The wet thud of flesh hitting the ground.
The surrounding goblins froze in place.
Their eyes no longer held any will to fight.
Hertia looked down at the blood on her shoes and frowned.
“How dreadful… To have blood stain my attire. I must be getting dull.”
Snap!
A purple flame flared from her fingers, incinerating the filth on her clothes.
Once tidy, she turned back to me, her steps unhurried, as if nothing had happened.
“Forgive me, noble one, for showing you such unrefined behavior.”
As she smiled, a message window rippled before my eyes.
《Tutorial Dungeon cleared!》
《Unbelievable record!》
《Clear Time: 0:34》
《New #1 Clear Time Ranking!》
《New Record for Clear Grade!》
!!
Two records broken in the tutorial alone.
Like putting wings on a tiger.
《Awarding Clear Grade reward.》
《Received: Hero Summon Ticket》
A Hero Summon Ticket!
This could produce summons from rare to legendary rank.
A high-tier ticket—and here it was, from the tutorial of all places.
And I still had the ranking reward left.
《Awarding Ranking Record reward.》
《Received: Hero Summon Selection Ticket》
Holy—A selection ticket!
Unlike a summon ticket, this let me pick exactly which hero-ranked summon I wanted.
An item far more valuable.
I forced my rising grin back down with sheer willpower, maintaining Lucifer’s dignity.
Looks like I’ll have to redraw my growth plan.
