Kentaro, a 34-year-old corporate slave, seeks stress relief by diving into "Earth World Online," his first full-dive VR game. Driven by his inherent laziness and desire to avoid strenuous activity, he chooses the Sniper class and a sniper rifle, opting for a hands-off approach to character creation.
Upon entering the medieval-fantasy starting town, Kentaro ventures out to test his new weapon. He quickly discovers the sniper rifle's high damage output is balanced by a significant cool-down period between shots, nearly leading to his demise against a wolf-like monster. This initial struggle highlights the weapon's "one-shot-kill" nature. He learns the game's unique skill point system, which lacks traditional stats, and prioritizes "Range" for his passive skills, aiming to defeat enemies from extreme distances. He also notes the critical importance of headshots for maximizing damage.
His first death comes unexpectedly from a large bear while he's focused on sniping, forcing him back to the starting town. This experience prompts him to re-evaluate his strategy. Observing the game's economy, he finds NPC weapons expensive and considers player-crafted items. He pragmatically invests in "Movement Speed Potions (non-combat)" to efficiently explore and locate optimal, high-level hunting grounds, maximizing his limited play time.
Adopting a prone sniping style in a mid-to-high level mountain area, Kentaro successfully hunts large bears, far stronger than the one that killed him, by landing two precise headshots from extreme range. He further develops his skills, investing in "Range" and then "Accuracy," finding a balance that allows him to hit distant targets effectively. He finds himself increasingly addicted to the game.
While hunting, Kentaro observes a conventional three-person party (Swordsman, Priest, Mage) battling a bear. He notes their coordinated tactics but questions the sniper's role in such a group, briefly wondering if he chose a "bad class." However, he reaffirms his preference for solo play as a means of stress relief. A new curiosity emerges: how effective would his sniping be against other players?
Driven by a desire for information and a pragmatic view of the game as "just a game," Kentaro decides to engage in Player Killing (PK). He targets the observed party, systematically eliminating the Priest, then the Mage, and finally the Swordsman with precise headshots. Instead of guilt, he experiences a profound sense of "accomplishment" and "satisfaction," a feeling long absent from his real life. He discovers that PK doesn't grant skill points or gold directly but offers a chance for item drops from victims. His first PK yields an HP Potion and a valuable "Accuracy Ring +2," which boosts his skill. Embracing this new, thrilling playstyle, Kentaro resolves to continue PK, acknowledging the risks involved.
Unbeknownst to Kentaro, other players in the "Bear Mountain" area are baffled by sudden, inexplicable deaths and lost items. They speculate about bugs or stealth attacks, dismissing the possibility of a sniper rifle due to its perceived weakness, highlighting Kentaro's unique and highly effective mastery of a "trash-tier" weapon.
