I Became a Genius Swordsman in the Pretty Girl Game

In the days when Velvets was a game, I wasn’t part of any of those so-called groups that fanatically obsessed over one character and refused to tolerate any others.
I wasn’t part of the group who fawned over Lina, who wasn’t even a playable character, or the Fan Club who loved Shin Se-hee more than anyone else, yet deliberately chose options that lowered her affection, capturing her contemptuous expressions to create a ‘Contempt Bible’.

Well, they were a bit much. They called me a traitor for not being obsessed with a single character.

Anyway, I didn’t obsess over a single character, but I did have my own preferences among the characters. One of them was Lee Yoo-ri.

Even the Fan groups, who were notorious for their malicious slander and nitpicking, gave Lee Yoo-ri the delightful nickname ‘Soup’ and had no qualms about adding her to their party. This shows how much Lee Yoo-ri was loved by Velvets players.

And, well… Lee Yoo-ri, the tank character, held a special significance for me personally.

She was born as a 3-star character. To be blunt, her innate talent was average. Her stats weren’t particularly outstanding even among the entire Velvet Hunter Academy. Well, she did have the awesome skill ‘Taunt’, but other tank characters also had their own unique abilities. If you compared her to them, she was a one-trick pony with just Taunt, so performance-wise, she was a bit lacking.

However, despite her average nature, Lee Yoo-ri had to grow up from a very young age. The massive debt her family had accumulated, the bullying she faced, and the burden of responsibility on her shoulders demanded more from her than she had. The precocious child realized early on that her talent was ordinary and that ‘effort’ was her only option.

‘She’s a genius of effort, despite being an ordinary talent. Her character is like a human anthem.’

But why was Lee Yoo-ri so significant to me? ‘Because she was the reason I got hooked on Velvets.’

It was a sense of camaraderie. I had experienced it all: absorbing all the misfortunes around me, and the endless cycle of hardships. I had gone to school without paying for lunch and filled my stomach with water. While other kids made noisy plans after school, I’d say, ‘I have to work, so I’ll be going,’ and leave, making the atmosphere awkward.

I couldn’t help it. I was born an orphan in South Korea, where people would take advantage of others at the slightest opportunity. It wasn’t easy to become a cog in society without any connections, whether it be through school, work, or family. I was always anxious about people finding out I was poor, and while I was conscious of how others viewed me, I also felt a sense of self-loathing because I had to go out and earn money, a situation I couldn’t change.

It was honestly heartbreaking. It wasn’t a coincidence that when I first met Lee Yoo-ri in Camelia Forest, I saw her sitting alone, tearing into a plastic-wrapped meal with a stoic face while the other kids ate, and I rushed over to take care of her.

So, what was the main theme of Lee Yoo-ri’s personal story? It was ‘spoiledness’.

Because she had to shoulder heavy responsibilities and never had the chance to be spoiled as a child, Lee Yoo-ri had a deficiency in relying on and leaning on others. ‘In her personal story, Lee Yoo-ri leaned on and was spoiled by a sudden sponsor.’ At first, she was wary and burdened by the goodwill and luck that came her way, but as she gradually opened up and began to rely on them, that change was truly heartwarming.

After reading Lee Yoo-ri’s personal story, I became completely immersed in Velvet School Life, becoming a Velvets ‘evil spirit’ who played the game without sleeping during my free time after work.

As I waited for Lee Yoo-ri outside her house, lost in my thoughts and chuckling to myself, Lee Yoo-ri came out, looking a bit disheveled. I tried to greet her warmly but couldn’t help but stiffen my face.

‘What’s wrong with her?’ Her arms were bruised, her hair was messy despite her attempts to fix it, and there were even knife wounds. ‘Did someone attack her while I was in the room?’

“Yoo-ri, are you hurt?!”

Startled, I approached Yoo-ri, and she let out a rare scolding.

“Tsk, it’s all your fault!!!”

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Ha.

Yoo-ri leaned against the wall with her arms crossed, and I couldn’t help but chuckle inwardly.

I wondered how worried they must have been about her.

He had suddenly said he needed to think and locked himself in his room, not answering any calls. Then, he suggested a 1-night, 2-day trip, and when asked when, he replied, ‘Right now.’

That’s why the other party members were so concerned.

Of course, Yoo-ri quickly nodded,

[Yes, I’m in. What should I prepare?]

She replied at the speed of light, but that almost led to a life-threatening battle with the other party members.

‘I almost got killed by Kang Do-hee and Instructor Baek Seol-hee.’

If it weren’t for my taunt skill, I would have been hit by Do-hee’s Avat of Fire and sliced by a sword.

It was Shin Se-hee, the most level-headed among us, who stopped the tense situation.

“Grr! Everyone, just wait a moment. I need to think for a bit. It won’t take long.”

‘He suddenly proposed a 1-night, 2-day trip to Yoo-ri? What’s the intention behind this? Grr! Did he choose Yoo-ri? No, he’s not that kind of person. If he had, he would have gathered all of us and explained. It’s more likely that he made a plan and immediately executed it.’

‘Oh, did he say he needed to think and then come back? Did he think we would take his words literally? He’s so clueless!’

‘Why did he choose Yoo-ri first among us? Grr! I’m not sure about this part. And if it’s a 1-night, 2-day trip, does it mean he’s going to cross the line now that he’s confirmed his feelings? No, he’s not that kind of person.’

‘Did he choose her because she was the first one he met? Yes, that’s reasonable. While the order of meeting doesn’t necessarily reflect the order of his heart, Grrr!!! That’s at least understandable. He must have considered the order to minimize hurt among us. And again, no explanation! He’s so clueless!!!’

After muttering to herself with an eerie expression for a while, Shin Se-hee finally calmed down and explained her thoughts to the party members.

“I think Jin Yuha wants to spend time with each of us, and he started with Yoo-ri because she was the first one he met. So, Yoo-ri.”

“Huh?”

“First of all, can you stop that twitching smile? I feel like casting a fireball at your head. Anyway, when you meet Jin Yuha, ask him if Do-hee is next, and let us know as soon as you find out. That’s the only way our party can survive.”

Shin Se-hee said with a bright smile, and Yoo-ri nodded like a woodpecker.

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“Because of me? What do you mean by that… But more importantly, you’re injured.”

While Jin Yuha was fussing over her, Yoo-ri rolled her eyes and opened a pocket dimension to take out a potion and apply medicine.

“It’s fine. I’ll be fine after applying the medicine. But Yuha, I have one question.”

“What is it?”

“Is Do-hee next after me?”

“Of course.”

Jin Yuha tilted his head to the side and replied.

“In the order we met?”

“Yes. I think that’s the fairest way.”

I wanted to scream, ‘Why didn’t you explain this in advance?!’ but I held it in and sent a text to Shin Se-hee.

[It’s Do-hee. In the order we met.]

My fears that Jin Yuha might have changed turned out to be unfounded, and my hopes that I might be the first one he thought of were also dashed.

To be honest, it would be a lie to say I wasn’t disappointed, but the survival of the party was also at stake.

This was so typical of Jin Yuha.

Yoo-ri looked at Jin Yuha with a resigned expression.

“Well, at least the tension is gone now. But since I’m the first one, it’s fine.”

“Yes, you’re the first.”

“Haha! I like the sound of that. So, Yuha, where are we going now?”

Yoo-ri asked with a cheerful laugh.

“Today is for you, so we’ll go wherever you want.”

“Where I want to go?”

“Yes, let’s go camping.”

Yoo-ri’s eyes widened at Jin Yuha’s answer.

“Camping?”