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Han Beo-Deul hadn’t planned on getting this serious about the game in the first place.

‘How did it come to this?’

The MMORPG Story of Guardians, affectionately called SOG, was once a national sensation in Korea. Its charming visuals lowered the barrier to entry, appealing to players of all ages and genders. The emotionally charged storyline and top-tier music were even compared to famous Hollywood films.

Backed by a major gaming company’s capital and aggressive marketing, SOG managed to draw in even those previously uninterested in games. It shattered records in Korea’s MMORPG genre and, even in its eighth year since launch, remains the flagship title of its developer.

Even Beo-Deul, who had no interest in games, recognized SOG as “that game everyone knows.”

One day, in search of a new hobby to break the monotony, Beo-Deul got lured in by a “devilish” friend’s suggestion to try SOG. Enchanted by the cute characters, Beo-Deul gave in and became a newbie in a long-running game.

At that time no, even until recently Beo-Deul wasn’t this committed to SOG.

‘Well, not until I got smacked to death by a field monster.’

The scene where a seemingly harmless little fox monster KO’d Beo-Deul’s character with a mere tap was so shocking that it changed everything.

Beo-Deul had always thought of SOG as a “cute, casual game to kill time,” but after that incident, everything changed. Beo-Deul started paying for server maintenance metaphorically speaking. That is, diving into the game’s brutal equipment enhancement system and throwing both time and money at it.

“That wasn’t the end of it.”

But good gear didn’t solve everything.

Sure, Beo-Deul could now easily beat up the yawning fox monster that once annihilated his character. However, he soon hit a new wall: dungeons, the crown jewel of SOG, especially the party-based ones.

“I can’t believe I’m still underperforming with this gear…”

Beo-Deul opened the equipment screen and looked over the shiny gear, eyes filled with mixed feelings pride in what he had gathered, and guilt for his character, knowing that it was like putting pearls on a pig.

He closed the equipment window and turned to the neglected quest log. It had been three weeks, and he still hadn’t completed one particular quest.

[Third Knight’s Trial — Clear Gate of Trial III: 0/1]

The Trial dungeon series was a five-stage quest chain unlocked every 20 levels starting at level 40. Beo-Deul had reached past level 80 and was due for the third trial, but hadn’t managed to clear it even as he nearly level 100.

While reaching level 100 and undergoing a second job change might make it easier, Beo-Deul thought differently.

‘It’s not about damage output…’

His gear already exceeded the DPS requirement for Gate of Trial III. The real problem was the dungeon’s reliance on both luck and precise control.

Beo-Deul considered himself “all thumbs.” his poor control made this dungeon the worst possible matchup. It wasn’t just his failure that was at stake, mistakes affected the whole party.

‘The first two were basically solo dungeons…’

Beo-Deul sighed, reminiscing about simpler dungeons where damage mattered more than control. Those were manageable not easy, but doable.

But Gate of Trial III had revealed the horrors of multiplayer dungeons. The trauma of being abandoned by party members after the first failed attempt still haunted him.

“I think I just need more practice…”

The real problem started in Phase 2 of the boss fight. Although Beo-Deul had watched multiple clears and memorized the gimmicks, he lacked hands-on experience. His first run had ended right at Phase 2’s beginning.

Worse, the dungeon required a minimum of two players, making it nearly impossible to even reach Phase 2 alone.

“What now…”

The dungeon entrance was deserted. Even the auto-matchmaking system turned up empty. No surprise this wasn’t a main quest, but part of the infamously grinding Title Questline.

[World] [One Who Defies Fate] ChaosOfChaos: Doing Title Run, DM with offer.

Beo-Deul stared enviously at the megaphone message in the World Chat. That player had the exact title Beo-Deul was aiming for: “One Who Defies Fate,” known as “FateDefier” for short.

It was only obtainable by completing the final trial quest. Among all title quests, this one was notorious for being both difficult and tedious. The title didn’t offer strong stat bonuses, but it looked so good that many players paid others to earn it for them.

‘Should I just commission someone…?’

Beo-Deul mumbled the thought before shaking his head. Most of those offers involved real money, and that wasn’t even the main issue.

Real-money trading (RMT) violated the game’s policy and could lead to account suspension. Plus, giving someone else your login details risked in getting hacked. With little experience in gaming, Beo-Deul found the idea of handing over his ID and password deeply unsettling. And there’d be no sense of accomplishment either.

“Public parties scare me…”

Beo-Deul clicked his mouse absentmindedly. His character, which had been jumping aimlessly at the dungeon entrance, finally landed.

Out of habit, he opened the map to check his guildmates’ locations. As before, all of them were hanging out in the same spot. Just like an hour ago.

After a moment of hesitation, Beo-Deul started typing. Public parties were intimidating, but partying with familiar guildmates whom he’d bonded with over a months didn’t feel as scary.

[Guild] Gilmyu: Anyone up for Gate of Trial III?

Beo-Deul stared at the quiet chat window. The guildmates, likely chatting away in one spot, said nothing at first.

Then, messages started trickling in.

[Guild] YukaPrinciple: Gate of Trial?
[Guild] TangShushuk: Didn’t do the pre-quest
[Guild] WishUponA: Still doing Trial 3? Whoa.
[Guild] ororo: Give it up. Seriously. Just abandon it and come back.

The guild, a self-declared casual player group, rarely did dungeons—barely even hunted monsters. It was such a rarity that when someone was spotted at a hunting ground, the others would gather just to gawk.

Their idea of endgame content? Hanging out and chatting.

Beo-Deul enjoyed that too, once logging in solely to chat. But what turned him into a sweaty try hard was that one event the death by a mere field mob. Not a boss. Not even a dungeon monster. A basic field monster.

From then on, he started upgrading gear, which made hunting easier. That naturally led to level grinding. Then came the rediscovery of his dream title.

It was the day his in-game goal was born.

But what good about that goal if it stayed out of reach?

“Should I just give up…”

Who was Beo-Deul kidding? Someone like him, aiming for FateDefier?

He slumped over the desk, groaning.

He had grinded from level 50 to nearly 100 over two months and spent a decent chunk of money. And yet, his character’s performance still felt subpar. He no longer died in field mobs, sure, but his hands just couldn’t keep up with his gear.

[Guild] ororo: Gilmyu still stuck at Trial 3 lol
[Guild] YukaPrinciple: You can feel the despair in the silence lol
[General] BreadwinnerGirl: Hey.
[Guild] CocaAckptooey: Just hit max level and come back later… weren’t you aiming for max level anyway?
[Guild] WishUponA: OMG max level? Is our guild gonna have a max-level player?!
[Guild] ChickStare: In this lifetime? LMAO

[General] BreadwinnerGirl: Gilmyu

Blurry eyes, Beo-Deul blinked at the chat. Amid the guild messages, someone on the same map had pinged him.

[Guild] Gilmyu: Yeah?
Wait, no that’s the wrong channel.

[General] Gilmyu: Yes?
[General] BreadwinnerGirl: You’re going for Trial 3, right?

Beo-Deul turned the camera. A petite female character with long braided pink hair stood nearby. She was much shorter than Beo-Deul’s character.

With a sparkling silver tiara, fluttery yellow dress, and transparent fairy wings, her character looked meticulously styled. Meanwhile, Beo-Deul’s avatar with plain black hair and a dark gray suit was utterly unremarkable.

‘Wait… Did she say Trial 3?’

His guildmates were already on another topic. Beo-Deul scrolled up to check the missed message no question mark, but clearly meant for him.

[General] Gilmyu: Yeah, I am.
[General] BreadwinnerGirl: Invite me.

….

즐겜러 – “casual gamer,” someone who plays for fun and chats.

빡겜러 – “hardcore gamer,” someone who grinds, min-maxes, and plays competitively.