Chapter: 001

"No, no, no… this is a dream… it got to be…."

I grabbed at my hair, denying reality.

At first, I thought I was just losing my mind because I was so immersed in the game.

Or that I was just dreaming in my sleep.

But no.

After hours of struggling, I finally gave in and admitted that I had become the worst scum in the game. Otto de Scuderia, my main character.

"Haha… hahaha…."

I laughed in disbelief.

How can someone be possessed by a character in a game?

It's not like it's a novel.

But reality is often more fictional than fiction.

'Hardcore mode… I can't believe this is what it was meant….'

I stared at the familiar landscape in front of me and gasped.

An empty palace.

It was the Lota Estate, run by Otto de Scuderia.

The same place I'd seen so many times over the past three years.

'I don't know what the hell is going on… but at least I should have been warned….'

Just then.

Ding!

A notification popped up in front of me.

[Notification: Synchronization is complete!]

[Notification: Starting game!]

[Notification: Warning!]

[Notification: Remember: If you fail to clear in Hardcore mode, your existence will be erased!]

What to make of this notification window… I'm not quite sure…

'Am I really going to die, trapped in a game?'

I, Kim Do-jin, who spent three years in real life playing nothing but Otto de Scuderia character?

In the meantime, a status window popped up in front of my eyes, informing me of the current status of the current me, or rather status of Otto de Scuderia.

[Otto de Scuderia]

The young lord of Lota, a rural estate in one of the western fringes of the continent.

He has been living a life of debauchery and decadence since he was heir to the family, and has lost the favor of his people and fellow vassals.

Age: 24

Race: Human

Affiliation: Lota

Title: Lord

This is an Otto de Scuderia I know well.

Level : -99

Unique Skill : Debauchery

Class: None

A level of -99!

No matter how much you drink, gamble, and love women, your specialty is 'Debauchery'.

The lack of a class… Let's just say, it's not worth it.

What kind of class do you expect a -99 level guy to have?

Resourcefulness 1 – Brute Force 3 – Politics 9

Leadership 11 – Charm 67 – Dignity 2

Infamy 44 – Honour 0 – Intrigue 3

Health 8 – Credit 1 – Dexterity 37

Luck 1

Every single stat is terrible.

0 Honor and 44 Infamy are one thing.

A luck of 1 means you're just plain unlucky.

The only redeeming stat was that his handsome face gave him a high Charm rating.

Even that was pretty much ruined by his debauched lifestyle at this point.

Even more annoying to the player was the curse on the character.

[A Wretched Bastard].

What sins have I committed in my past life….

Type: Curse

Duration: Infinite

Effects:

– Start level -99.

– Unable to obtain experience.

– Unable to leveled up.

– Athleticism -60%.

– +50% to Appetite.

– +200% to Sex Drive.

– +30% to Sleep Desire.

– 1% chance to get knocked back when moving.

– When moving, there is a 1% chance to be struck by lightning.

– Instant death when the character reaches his 25th birthday.

Makes you sleepy if you try to do anything.

Trying to do anything makes you hungry.

Every time you try to do something, you'll get your arse burned…

And that 1% chance of being hit by lightning bolts when moving was a major source of player anger.

I've been playing this character for the past three years and have had all sorts of ridiculous deaths.

I've been playing this character for the past three years and have encountered all sorts of crazy deaths.

It's safe to say that I've experienced almost every possible way a human could die.

As proof, here we go..

– Walk!

Thud!

I walked two steps, but the slippery floor stopped me in my tracks.

"Ouch…!"

I winced in pain and barely pulled myself up.

It must not have been a dream, because the pain was vivid.

No, it was more than that.

'Damn It, I almost died….'

It's a good thing I turned around just in time to avoid hitting my head on the floor, or else I would have….

Chills! I got goosebumps.

Yelp….

Since I fell to the side, my nose is bleeding.

It was Otto de Scuderia who was the protagonist of the proverbial nose-breaking fall.

Of course, it's more likely that I would have died from a crushed skull….

But to his relief, he got up.

'Now, wait a minute… The reason most people die in the early game….'

A thought flashed through my mind.

"Oh, hell no!"

I instinctively threw myself at it.

Boom!

At the same time, a giant chandelier came crashing down and hit where I was.

I almost died twice in a matter of seconds.

——