Chapter 01
The Save Reinhardt Challenge.
It was a kind of meme that became a hot topic among people who played the medieval-style RPG, Soul Calibur.
The content was simple.
The goal was to keep the protagonist's companion, ‘Reinhardt’, alive until the ending.
[This guy Reinhardt is just hopeless, isn't he??]
[Again!!! Again!!! He’s charging in without thinking!!!]
[At this point, isn't he just a sunfish??]
[Does it make sense that he keeps dying even with skills like that? Hahaha]
At first glance, it felt like a task that shouldn't be difficult.
The Knight of Light, Reinhardt.
The exclusive skill he alone possessed, [Justice], was truly at a cheat-like level.
The dominant opinion was that if one could just keep him alive until the end, Reinhardt would eventually become even stronger than the protagonist.
-I follow only justice!
-Wicked things, come at me!
-A knight never shows his back to the enemy! The only ones who can see my back are those I must protect!
Reinhardt was a character who could be called the very model of a righteous knight.
The foundation of his strength also lay in that sense of justice.
[Justice]
*Reinhardt’s Exclusive Skill
*All stats significantly increase when confronting injustice.
*Skill effects increase every time evil is punished.
Reinhardt became stronger every time he defeated a villain.
Because of this, he was a character who could surge ahead alone even in the later stages where leveling up slowed down.
The problem was the fact that he invariably died because of that sense of justice.
“You’re saying you’re going to fight without retreating from this?”
I, Kim Ji-hoon, stared blankly at the 34-inch monitor.
The noble knight stood tall, waiting for the swarming army.
The allies had long since retreated.
The only one holding the position was Reinhardt alone.
And the swarming army looked to be at least two hundred strong at a rough estimate.
“No, I said pull back? Pull back a bit……!”
Click.
Click-click-click.
I clicked ‘Retreat Command’ incessantly, but Reinhardt didn't budge an inch from his upright posture.
-Leave this place to me!
[Warning: ‘Justice’ will drop significantly if you leave the battle!]
-Only for justice!
[Warning: ‘Justice’ will drop significantly if you leave the battle!]
-I, Reinhardt, have inherited the Will of Light!
[Warning: ‘Justice’ will drop significantly if you leave the battle!]
Instead, only lines of dialogue and messages kept pouring out. There wasn't a shred of wavering in his voice.
I took my hand off the mouse in resignation.
Leaning back in my chair, I stared blankly at the situation on the screen.
-Take this, wicked things! I execute justice!
Hundreds of troops set upon the knight.
True to his alias as the Knight of Light, brilliant light burst forth every time he cut down an enemy.
Truly one strike, one kill.
The combat power of the well-raised Reinhardt was at a level where he slaughtered the vicious demonic beasts like slicing tofu every time he brought his sword down.
“If he just fought while pulling back appropriately, he could really kill them all…….”
Reinhardt was a character who didn't know the meaning of retreat.
He honestly brought his sword down, and in that interval, allowed attacks from enemies pouncing from behind.
His health was being consumed bit by bit.
Like that, not long after.
-Foolish fellow.
The leader of the army revealed himself.
An imperious demon head was attached to a gigantic body that resembled a human. He was a boss with impressive eyes that glowed bright red.
-Did you stay for the sake of your comrades?
Black breath leaked out every time he opened his mouth.
Even amidst his exhaustion, Reinhardt straightened his waist and faced the opponent.
-It is not for the sake of my comrades.
-Then.
-For justice. For what I believe is right. To exterminate the evil of the world with this sword!
-You talk at length for someone who stayed behind to die. Good. I shall end your life myself.
I watched the situation with interest.
The opponent was a mid-boss belonging to the Demon Lords.
A named monster placed strictly for an event cutscene.
If it were any other character, defeat would have been determined at this point, but if it's Reinhardt, maybe it might be different…….
-Die!
The battle began with the enemy's attack.
This demon preferred combat where he crushed enemies with the destructive power stemming from his natural gigantic frame.
He didn't even use a weapon.
He wore thick armor, but his real power came from fists that shattered bones the moment they connected.
‘He’ll dodge this…… He’s not dodging.’
Reinhardt did not dodge.
Without taking his eyes off the fist flying straight at him, he drew his sword.
Baaaaang-!
The sword strike and the fist collided.
For a moment, an effect that looked like light and darkness mixing filled the screen.
And when vision cleared again.
-Kuhahaha! What a truly trivial struggle!
-Keuk!
Reinhardt had collapsed on one knee.
The sword, which had been scattering brilliant light, was stuck in the ground, supporting Reinhardt’s body.
“‘Keuk’, my ass. If you’re going to make him not listen to commands, why is there a combat control function? Just make it a cinematic video. Huh?”
If it were content shown as a video, I wouldn't have tried so hard to save him somehow.
I grumbled as I watched Reinhardt’s end.
-I shall acknowledge your spirit at least!
Along with a merciless attack, the noble knight soon scattered into the void, sprinkling pure white light.
[Your companion has died.]
I let out a deep sigh.
“Oh well.”
It hadn't become a meme for nothing.
It had already been a month.
I had also tried to save Reinhardt using every means available, but the end was always the same as now.
“This is just telling us not to save him. Unless you use bugs or cheats.”
It was clear that the developers had assumed every scenario and designed it so that Reinhardt would inevitably reach death.
The cause of death was solely his excessive level of ‘sense of justice’.
He jumped into situations he didn't need to step into, and just blindly drew his sword simply because the opponent was a villain.
“If the character performance was bad, I wouldn't have any lingering attachment.”
Despite that, the reason he survived until the story progressed this far was one thing.
Thanks to the cheat-like skill called [Justice].
Reinhardt was a character who, if you invested just a certain amount, would grow to a certain spec in an instant, and provided greater help than any other companion until he died.
‘It’s a waste to give up, but if I take him to the end, he dies in the middle so he’s no help in the actual final boss fight.’
I smacked my lips and just stared at the monitor.
I kept having lingering regrets.
‘I feel like I could save him if I just do it right…….’
A virtually absurd task of trying to save a character premised on death from the start.
But the problem was, the process was fun.
‘It is definitely fun. At first, I wondered why everyone was rushing in and throwing their time into the gutter.’
Click.
Before I knew it, I was creating a character as if bewitched by something.
I customized the appearance appropriately and selected the companions to join me.
Reinhardt was naturally on the list.
However, the moment I pressed the Game Start button.
[Game Start Failed.]
*Cannot create companion.
*Target: Reinhardt
*Reason: Count Exceeded
With a ding- warning sound, creation was rejected.
I read the content with a frown. It was a message I was seeing for the first time while playing all this time.
“What kind of bullshit is ‘Count Exceeded’?”
Click.
I tried again, but the result was the same this time too.
[Game Start Failed.]
“Was there a patch? What is this?”
I checked the community first.
Count exceeded. Reinhardt. Game start failure.
I searched inserting this and that keyword, but strangely, not a single related content was visible.
“Is it just me?”
[Game Start Failed.]
[Game Start Failed.]
[Game Start…….]
No matter how many times I tried, the result was the same.
Just in case, I removed Reinhardt from the companion list, and this time it entered the first episode quite easily.
“Strange. Very strange.”
I returned to the initial screen again.
I put Reinhardt into the companions and pressed the Game Start button.
“Maybe I should restart the computer…… Huh? It worked?”
[Game Start Pending]
[Warning: Insufficient Quantity of Reinhardt]
[Warning: Consent required for substitute input.]
It was still a message hard to understand.
Is it a translation error? Thinking that, I lightly clicked ‘Agree’.
[Creating Reinhardt…….]
“Yeah, whatever it is, as long as the game starts, that’s, uh, uhhh…….”
My vision shook violently. Thud, an impact was transmitted to my head.
It seemed I had collapsed forward. Strength didn't enter my hands.
“…….”
I, who was trying to get up somehow, soon rolled onto the floor with a thud, completely limp.
Consciousness flickered. A strange floating sensation wrapped around my entire body.
Is floating in zero gravity like this? Ending with that thought, my faint consciousness was completely cut off.
***
It was a road cutting through a forest.
A procession of dozens of carriages stretched out long, and a dense forest spread out to the left and right.
“So I asked the guy trying to slash our pay. Wouldn't it be more profitable for me to cut your throat here and rob the safe than to take a guard mission for that money?”
“Uhaha! So what did the guy say?”
“He called the guards immediately. I got beaten until I was nearly dead.”
I heard the conversation of men with rough voices.
The clattering sound of horses' hooves and the sound made by carriage wheels rolling. And.
“Sir Knight! Is there any sign? Why aren't you moving?”
Even the sight of a man with a menacing face approaching.
‘Knight?’
I nodded and accepted the hand mirror. Receiving the man's gaze, which seemed quite dissatisfied, I checked my face.
‘This is driving me crazy.’
A handsome knight was there.
The Knight of Light, Reinhardt, who had birthed a mania fanbase thanks to that natural appearance and fate.