I Regressed but the World Didn’t Fall Apart

Return without Ruining the World -80-

080.

□ □ □ couldn’t comprehend the current situation.

Thump-

···Something hot was stirring.

Thump-

It had a name.

Thump-

He remembered.

His heart.

The heart that had never beaten before was now pulsing vividly.

Something flowed through his body following that beat.

Hot blood flowing through a cold body.

“..Ah.”

At that moment, □ □ □ made his first sound.

Unable to contain the warmth he had never felt before.

“Haah···.”

□ □ □ took a deep breath.

Heartbeat, breath, voice.

There was nothing he hadn’t done for the first time.

Who am I, really?

A simple question, yet a monumental leap for □ □ □.

He had been simply existing for an immeasurable amount of time, until finally becoming an entity capable of reasoning.

He was once a lump of iron, a training dummy, the culmination of advanced science mastering all existing martial arts.

However, ＜＞ knew well that his past did not define the present him.

He was no longer just a lump of iron, a creaking dummy, or a machine extracting results as commanded.

Then, what was he?

＜＞ decided to answer that question for himself.

“Tetsujin.”

He gave himself a name.

Iron Man, Tetsujin.

Tetsujin raised his head.

The moment he named himself, he naturally knew.

Where he had to go.

Some memories of when he was a training machine, some projections remaining in his data.

Where they all gathered.

Far away… calling out to him.

Clack-

[GET READY FOR THE NEXT BATTLE!]

“Ah, so this leads straight to the tournament grounds.”

-Kya, how cool!

-Tetsujin, ㅠㅠ

-Why ㅈㅇ?

-Tetsujin needs to be protected, my baby..

-Woo

-Well.. technically just born so he’s 0 years old, right?

-This is the end.. it’s the end..

Slish-

Ido-hyuk prepared for battle while glancing at the chat window.

Iron Fist’s story mode.

It had been several days since he started breaking into this.

“Initially, it was a bit bewildering.”

One of the brain-type characters, Ryu.

When progressing through Iron Fist’s story mode, Ryu is the character the player must start with.

More precisely, not just Ryu, but a Ryu around 10 years old.

“Because I had to defeat Seishu in a child’s state.”

Seishu is the face of Iron Fist and the main character, symbolizing the brain-type.

At the same time, he was also Ryu’s father character.

In other words, the first part of Iron Fist’s story involves a 10-year-old facing off against his dad in a childish brawl.

The difficulty level was undoubtedly extreme.

Not only were Quabna’s limbs short, but due to being only 10 years old in the story, his skills were immature. Moreover, facing Seishu, who was in his prime, the difference in damage was clear.

A player could only withstand a maximum of three hits, even with guarding, accumulating damage to over ten hits. To defeat Seishu, one had to deliver over a hundred hits of damage.

In essence, it was nothing short of a first stage designed not to be broken.

It was merely a device created to immerse players in the Iron Fist’s story.

…so it was revealed.

“Until six months ago.”

Half a year back from now.

Someone emerged victorious in the insane difficulty level story mode’s first stage.

Defeating Seishu, equipped with the highest difficulty level AI, using a child’s body.

And along with that revelation, there was one fact.

Among users, it was commonly believed that the real story mode began after the first stage defeat. However, that was not the case.

A hidden route within the Iron Fist story mode, unknown to anyone until now, existed.

The first player to uncover this hidden route was none other than Quabna.

He was not only the first to clear the hidden route but also the last player to do so.

No one had cleared the hidden route after Quabna.

No, even beyond that, Quabna was the sole individual who had initiated it in the first place.

-Even if we couldn’t be the first, Korea should have brought it for the second time.

-Where did all the Koreans who used to play Diablo Korea servers go?

-hahahaha, yesterday, in the U.S., I barely made it with one HP left, so I’m a bit nervous.

-How much HP did Anatol have left last time?

-Three and a half squares.

-Hmm… there’s quite a difference, isn’t there?

After Quabna unlocked the hidden route, numerous gamers attempted to challenge it.

However, not a single person among them managed to surpass the threshold of the hidden route.

It was precisely because of this that Quabna was given such a nickname.

Monster, Quabna.

Dominating the major world championships since his debut, securing consecutive wins up to the next competition.

That was Quabna’s career as of last year.

While his achievements were remarkable, putting Quabna above the existing Iron Fist champions seemed somewhat ambiguous.

Although he is now gone, until the year before last, in the not-so-short history of Iron Fist, there were those who had won a fair number of trophies, including the dramatic performances at major competitions.

Yet, even before this year’s world championship, for those deeply involved in Iron Fist, no one denied the fact that Quabna, the first discoverer of the hidden route and the initial clear-er, was easily a step above other players.

The title of being the first and the only is always remarkable.

-Hey, but if it’s Dohyuk-sensei, can’t he break that route for real?

-Now, all we can rely on is Hmzwa!

-Will Dohyuk-sensei break the Apex story?

And at that moment, Dohyuk appeared.

Quabna may have been a disaster that appeared out of nowhere in Iron Fist, but when there’s a disaster, wouldn’t Dohyuk be another disaster?

The calamity that befell the world, that “Hmzwa,” Dohyuk.

If it’s someone like Lee Dohyuk…

Even if initially uncertain, could he break Quabna’s ‘unique’ title?

Following Lee Dohyuk’s appearance, such expectations began to arise among Iron Fist users.

[-“Yes? Story mode? Hm… Is it that interesting?”]

However, Lee Dohyuk’s response to the question of not breaking the story mode.

[-“Losing to AI lacks the thrill.. No, it doesn’t even have the feel of a real fight. Can’t even show off skills. Should I say it’s not very appealing?”]

He will break it, but not immediately.

If there’s time later, he will.

Naturally, as Korean Iron Fist fans, it’s frustrating to death.

But then, a hero appeared.

The transcendent version of a hero riding a white horse.

Ring-

[‘PleaseGodP’ has requested a 1,000,000 won mission.]

-Is the price enough?

The appearance of a hero carrying a million won.

[-“Alright! The broadcast we’ll try today! Korea’s first! Breaking ‘The Route’ of Iron Fist!”]

And so began the story mode.

Lee Dohyuk succeeded in defeating the first stage and unlocking the hidden mode on the first try.

Moreover, he won with over half of his HP remaining.

[Korean Iron Fist’s first hidden mode entry? Hm… Is it that interesting? / Iron Fist Episode 7] – 810,000 views / 5 days ago

The video quickly became the most-viewed on YouTube within a week.

“Guys, is it TeTzuJin’s final story mode now?”

-Yeah

-Everyone except him has appeared so far

-Let’s go, we’re almost there

Upon unlocking the hidden route, in addition to the character-specific story modes, extra routes are opened.

Each character can play a total of two routes: the original route plus the hidden route.

Lee Dohyuk had already cleared all the original + hidden routes of characters other than TeTzuJin, and had just cleared TeTzuJin’s original route, now entering the hidden route.

Once he clears this, all story modes will be completely cleared.

He would become the first in Korea and the second in the world to do so.

“Hm… Guys. But…”

Before entering the final stage.

Lee Dohyuk, pondering something deeply, spoke up.

“TetzuJin’s story was added in this update, right?”

-That’s right

-Yeah, it wasn’t there in the last version

-New characters were added this time

“So if I clear this, wouldn’t that be the first clear? Quabna hasn’t reached this point yet.”

Even though what was added in the update includes TetzuJin in the current story mode.

Then… hasn’t Quabna still not cleared it?

– Huh?

– What kind of miraculous logic… but it does make sense, doesn’t it?

– So now, you’re saying you’re going to snatch away even the title of the world’s first Hidden Route clearer?

– Ah, hahahaha, the first to enter is the winner.

– hahahahaha, that’s something you can’t snatch away.

– hehehehe

“It won’t work. Today, during my introduction at EVO, I’ll ask them to mention me as the first Hidden Route clearer.”

With that said, Lee Dohyuk confidently adjusted his posture.

[MODE: Ivanov]

Clearing the Story Mode over the past few days.

Now, deciphering the character names was no longer an issue for him.

Thud!

Hidden Route World’s First Clearer achievement unlocked!

**

“Hmm…”

Lee Dohyuk looked around.

He was inside Monster Buddies.

The sky was a deep blue in the early morning light.

It was indeed a well-made game.

The early morning air, often referred to as the scent of dawn, felt realistic.

[World’s First Ape Hidden Route Clearer Gamer’s Part 2 Monster Broadcast / Lee Dohyuk / 26,221 viewers]

Lee Dohyuk’s appearance had become familiar to his viewers.

Playing a different game first, followed by Part 2 or Part 3 of the Monster Broadcast.

Perhaps that’s why, even in the late hours of the night, the number of viewers did not decrease significantly compared to before.

There were about 3 to 4 thousand viewers who would leave if the Monster Broadcast wasn’t to their taste.

However, many viewers tuned in to Lee Dohyuk’s Monster Broadcast even if they didn’t particularly enjoy Monsters.

Of course, there was also the meaning of support mixed with fan sentiment towards the streamer.

Originally, Lee Dohyuk’s Monster homework required a minimum of three sessions, each lasting over six hours.

The format of the advertisements had changed slightly now.

The number of sessions and the time were flexible.

[Monster Buddies, 8 million copies sold in just one week? What’s the secret?]

[Is the current YouTube trend Monster that destroys childhood innocence?]

All thanks to the immense popularity of Lee Dohyuk’s Monster gameplay.

With good YouTube views and a solid live viewership, he proposed a new arrangement.

Thanks to this, Lee Dohyuk’s rate per hour had slightly decreased compared to before, but now he could turn on Monster whenever he wanted to receive his homework fee.

“Hmm. Well then, let’s take a look around the village.”

– What’s today’s diligent mode about?

– Ah, hahahaha, you have to meet the quota before the competition.

– Oh my.

– This is our homework for today.

– Teacher Dohyuk is doing this because he likes it, right?

– How can you not like it when money is being copied? LOL

Of course, viewers are also aware of this fact.

For this reason, there were quite a few people who didn’t turn off Dohyuk’s broadcast and kept their seats.

Some even went as far as leaving it on, even if they didn’t watch.

“It’s the quota. It’s because it’s fun. Don’t you know about Healing Games?”

– Not Killing Games?

– LOL This gentleman’s killing is healing.

– But seriously, the taste reproduction in cooking is really well done, so it’s healing.

– Apart from everything else, he’s got licenses for all the cooking, which is hilarious LOL

“Oh, that’s true. The cooking is definitely delicious.”

Dishes made using monsters as ingredients.

Naturally, the taste is also well replicated.

With expensive resources used, the taste reproduction is superior to most restaurants.

This was also one of the factors contributing to the popularity of Monver.

Dohyuk enjoyed Monver not just as an advertisement, but as a game itself.

“If you hunt monsters and cook with them, it brings back old memories…”

Swoosh-

Dohyuk took out two axes from his inventory.

The well-sharpened axe heads reflected the light of the nearby torch.

Not an old stone axe, but a ‘well-refined metal throwing axe.’

A player specializing in [Weapon Crafting] had crafted this axe, not Dohyuk.

“It’s late at night, so are most others asleep?”

– Most of them are probably asleep.

– There are a few still around.

– Black Oak might still be there.

By ‘others,’ they meant other streamers.

Dohyuk was utilizing Monver’s multiplayer feature.

He had set up a separate server, named [Dohyuk Server], and invited other streamers.

A multiplayer server that can accommodate up to 36 players.

Among the 4 people Dohyuk invited, excluding Lin, who were Jianchu, Black Oak, Dark Maiden, and Rin.

Anatol and Beyond couldn’t participate due to contractual restrictions.

Among these 4, the other 3 invited their streamer friends, and currently, over 20 out of 36 players were enjoying [Dohyuk Server].

“Wow. Today, the slaves… I mean, workers… Hmm… Comrades? have worked hard to develop the village.”

– LOL

– This person seems to slip up lately but his true feelings shine through LOL

– Seriously LOL Why is he becoming more and more adorable?

– That’s why we can’t stop watching Dohyuk’s broadcast.

Ido Hyuk surveyed the village that he and 20 colleagues (?) had diligently developed.

Some were involved in construction, some in crafting, some in farming, some in exploration, some in training…

They were server members who carried out their assigned roles very well.

Among them, what was Ido Hyuk’s role?

“Oh, a wild Milpuyu has appeared.”

Sometimes hunting, sometimes raiding warehouses, sometimes inspecting the village, and so on.

Although he didn’t have a specific task, Ido Hyuk, the server owner, held the ultimate power.

He played the role of a village leader similar to a medieval lord in this place.

By the way, according to the server rules, the village leader is determined through a one-on-one battle.

Once a week, anyone who wants to become the leader challenges the current leader, and they fight with one weapon each, without armor. The victor becomes the leader.

Of course, the village leader of the [Ido Hyuk Server] has never changed.

Swish-!

Ido Hyuk swiftly swung an axe.

Thunk!

With a scream, a passing Milpuyu fell.

Thunk- Whirr-

Ido Hyuk approached the Milpuyu, searched its inventory, and pulled out a butcher knife.

Milpuyu was one of Ido Hyuk’s favorite monsters.

It looked remarkably cute, like a calf, but when you butchered it and cooked the meat with mushrooms, eggplants, bok choy, and other ingredients, a Milpuyu hotpot would appear right there.

This was the mystery of the game.

-Slish

Clang! Clack!

Leveraging the power of the cooking function, Ido Hyuk’s hands moved swiftly.

Bubble, bubble-

In no time, a well-made hotpot was bubbling and boiling in the pot.

-Oh

-What’s that smell in the early morning?

-I’m off to hunt Monber.

-Wow, they even implemented the smell of grilled meat.

-Jianchu is a crazy good game that makes cooking successful.

“I’ll just have this for today and head in. If I can say goodbye before my departure tomorrow, I’ll come back briefly then.”

Taking out the well-cooked meat and tasting it, Ido Hyuk announced his broadcasting plans for tomorrow.

The viewers already knew what was coming.

Departure for EVO happening the day after tomorrow.

-Are you going to start broadcasting as soon as you arrive?

-Night broadcasts are going to be lit.

-Is this going to be Senpai Ido Hyuk’s first night broadcast?

“I’ll think about it once I arrive. Hmm, just a moment.”

Ido Hyuk picked up a few more pieces of meat.

An untimely early morning mukbang.

In fact, neither I nor Do-hyuk had planned for this.

Originally, after touring the village and engaging in a broadcast for communication with the viewers, we were planning to call it a day.

“Lucky us.”

But then, the wild Milpyu appeared.

Perhaps due to its excellent taste, the population wasn’t that abundant.

Now, even at a glance, there was the pot revealing itself on the ground.

Thanks to its delicious taste, Do-hyuk had nearly finished it off by now.

In other words, coming across Milpyu on the way to the village was truly fortunate…

“Oh? Do-hyuk!”

-Oh

-Blha

-Here comes Slave No. 1 lol

-Oh, come on in, Orc

“Oh, Blon. Have you been well? I’ve been a bit busy lately, so I’ve been distant.”

“Oh, no, not at all. Everyone knows you’re preparing for the competition, right?”

“Thank you for understanding.”

“hahahaha, no worries. Once the competition is over, you’ll participate in village management… construction… farming… you’ll be involved in everything!”

“…Hmm.”

Though he found that a bit… Do-hyuk held back.

No matter what, he wouldn’t go as far as to burden Black Orc, who had been invited and entrusted with most of the work.

“Oh, right. Let me gather my thoughts. Have you seen Wiggly, Do-hyuk?”

“What? Wiggly?”

“Yes. Oh, Do-hyuk, you don’t know. It’s the Milpyu I’ve been raising since yesterday…”

“…?”

Huh?

Do-hyuk looked at Black Orc, who was staring blankly at the pot.

Could it be that it wasn’t the wild Milpyu but…

“Could it be…?”

“Oh, um.”

“…Not, right?”

-hahahaha lolololololol

-It was Milpyu

-It was Wiggly

-You did see it lolololololol, a problem since you ate it lolololol

“Hmm.”

Do-hyuk belatedly made an excuse.

“I left a bit…”

With those words, Do-hyuk handed over the tableware.

-Oh damn lololololololololol

-There’s no Wiggly, but will you have the remaining ㄲ and ㅇ?

– Geez, this is hilarious ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ That Seakin is seriously evil.

– Seriously, that’s so funny ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

Today was another peaceful broadcast on the [Lee Dohyuk Server], hosted by Lee Dohyuk.