Overgeared Chapter 1:

TL Note: Hey everyone,

This is my new novel called Overgeared . The name is basically a Korean gaming slang term used to put down users who rely on items for strength instead of skill . Its hard to find an English equivalent to this term, especially when used in many different situations and contexts throughout the novel . I have decided to go with Overgeared for the title and for when it is used as a noun, etc . a guild name . However, I will go with item effect, the most accurate meaning, for when it is used in a sentence .

This is a vrmmorpg novel and while it has some of the obvious stereotypes and unrealistic parts, it also does some things differently . People might get annoyed with the mcs character at first, but he does get a lot of character development . In fact, some of the fun of reading the novel is seeing the MC’s character grow . I think that people who are fans of VR novels like Legendary Moonlight Sculptor and Rebirth of the Thief will enjoy this novel .

Schedule is currently two chapters a day . I’ve also made a to help you keep track, since this is a long novel at 678 chapters and still ongoing .

Thanks, Rainbow Turtle .

Prologue

“Five minutes left!

Eight of the top-ranked players were gathered in one place on the 4th floor of Cork Islands dungeon . The highest-ranked among them was Peak Sword, who was 16th on the overall unified rankings . Behind them were 200 elite members of the Silver Knights Guild .

It was a spectacular sight of a gathering of users with the combined power to capture a small fortress .  But tension and anxiety filled everyones faces .

Four minutes left!

As time counted down, the nervousness of the guild members reached the peak . They were restlessly shaking their legs and biting their nails .  Peak Sword gazed around with dark eyes, the hands holding his sword soaked with sweat .

I cant calm down .

Cork Islands dungeon was fully controlled by the Silver Knights Guild, and the boss monster, Hell Gao, appeared on the 4th floor every two weeks .  However, Hell Gao was stronger than expected and had a variety of patterns, so they had been unable to succeed in any of their five attempts so far .

Peak Sword and the elites of the Silver Knights strengthened their items with money during the last month, all with the intention of succeeding next time .  They were definitely stronger after all the investments, but those who knew Hell Gaos power couldnt feel any confidence .

Three minutes left!

After three minutes, Hell Gao would appear and this place would turn into a sea of fire . Some of them would even die from just the flames .

Two minutes left!

A wave heat started to slowly permeate throughout the room .

Shit .

Peak Sword wanted to encourage everyone, but he was afraid .  He was clearly reminded of the overwhelming appearance of Hell Gao, the staff-wielding boss monster enshrouded in flames .

Are we still lacking the power to defeat him?

It might be different if the power of the top 10 rankers were added, but he couldnt help thinking that this expedition would fail with their current strength .  However, the guilds best ranker couldnt show his weakness, so Peak Sword endured it .

Do it . We can do it . We are strong!

Peak Sword steadied his heart and took various buffing potions, with the others following him .  It was at that moment .

“One minute left…eh? Intruder! There is an intruder!!

What?

All of the guild members eyes headed towards the entrance .  A young man had entered .  It was unusual because he was covered by a cloak, with no armor or weapons visible .

Did he break through the defensive troops downstairs?

Was it a highly trained assassin?  No, an assassin wouldnt openly reveal their presence in a place like this .  Peak Sword pondered on the name above the head of the black-haired youth . However, no matter how much he looked through his memory, it was an unfamiliar name .

He isnt a ranker?

Peak Sword glanced at his companions, but they all shook their heads .

A non-ranker coming all the way here . Pathetic .

Peak Sword came to this conclusion and warned the youth with a frown,

“This is an area controlled by the Silver Knights Guild . I dont know how you managed to reach this point, but if you dont want to die, go back .

“My stealth suddenly disappeared . Was it because I was detected by Hell Gao?

The young man ignored Peak Swords warning and threw off his cloak as he talked to himself .

Ohh!

There were exclamations from every direction .  The appearance of armor rapidly being equipped on the body of the youth was quite cool .  Despite being made of metal, it seemed to be custom fit for the wearer, and its smooth surface was so reflective it was like a mirror .  It was an elegant blend of red, black and gold .  The particularly unique point was the one-meter long tail that stretched from the vicinity of the tail bone . It was sharp like a blade, and amazingly moving on its own .

W-What, that armor?

“Its terrific… Unique grade?

It was the first time they had seen such armor, so the guild members struggled to hide their interest .  

Peak Sword raised his voice, That isnt important right now! Why arent you throwing him out right now?

Hell Gao would soon appear and then nobody would be able to escape from the dungeon . They had to deal with the outsider before that .  The moment that the guild members interested in the armor tried to carry out Peak Swords order,

Roaaaaar!!!

[Hell Gao, the owner of Hellfire, has appeared . ]

[Hell Gaos roar has applied fear, chaos, and debilitating effects . ]

[Hell Gaos fire reduces heat resistance by 50% . ]

[Fire pillars have risen to cover you . ]

Kuack!

“Hiiik!

Due to the silent flames that surrounded the whole body, half of the guild members either fell into a dying state or burned to the point where they couldnt even be recognized .   Barely half of the people standing were able to hang on .  

Peak Sword was surprised at the notification window that popped up .

I raised my fire resistance to 86%, but to still receive this degree of damage…!

They would fail again .  As Peak Sword was feeling despair, he suddenly doubted his eyes .  The unknown young man .  While the others were surrounded by flames, he alone was moving forward, moving freely like he wasnt affected .

H-How…heok?

Peak Sword fell silent as he witnessed a ridiculous scene .  As Hell Gao ran amok and slaughtered the guild members, the young man pulled out a pickaxe, headed to the wall… and started swinging the pickaxe?

Kaaang! Kaaang!

The young man swung it with good form and complained as he wiped off the sweat,

Ugh, hot! Isnt the labor getting worse? Why does the mineral only appear when the boss mob is present? Based on this, I might have to visit a dragons lair with my pickaxe!

At that moment, a hot wind emerged from the staff that Hell Gao waved and hit the young man .  Peak Sword expected the young man to receive huge damage and collapse .  But unbelievably, the young man only suffered minor injuries .  

“Excuse me, Mister .  The youth stopped his pickaxe for the first time and turned his attention to Peak Sword . He said with an irate expression, “Why are you just standing there blankly? Its hot now, but it will only just get hotter .

What was he seeing now? Peak Sword belatedly regained his spirit and asked, “How can you be fine?

The young man replied like it was obvious, “Its the item effect .

Chaaeng! Chaeng!

The tail on the young mans armor moved by itself and fought against Hell Gaos staff .  Peak Sword couldnt close his mouth as he gaped at the unbelievable sight .

Chapter 1 

After entering the Northern End Cave at the end of a three months journey, I was able to witness the overwhelming sight of all types of battle gear piled up like a mountain .

Wow, what is this?

The names of the brilliant battle gear were in a colorful mix of green, yellow, and purple . If I took only a few of these, I would become a rich man! I wanted to take all the battle gear, but it was impossible .

[This item cant be obtained . ]

“How stingy and dirty .

Items that couldnt be acquired despite them being right in front of me! When I put it in my bag, it would return to its original spot like a mirage .  This situation was like that of a pie in the sky, or a woman already being married .   No, a married woman was still different from a pie in the sky, as one could still obtain a married woman if one tried enough .

In the end, I could only stare at the items with longing and regret .  

Indeed… If a user could obtain all of these, Satisfys economic balance might crumble . Unfortunately, I understand .

I didnt come here for the battle gear in the first place .  I soothed my mind and turned my attention away from the pile of battle gear . There was an old book placed on a shiny gold table .

Finally…

All the hardships I experienced while coming here passed through my mind . Laughter emerged as my nose became runny and tears dripped down .  Thank goodness I had patience and tenacity, otherwise, I wouldve quit the game because of the terrible difficulty of the quest . I felt great pride at the thought of clearing this quest .  

Kukuk…puhahahat!! I finally found it!! Oh, yehhhhhh!

A **** S-grade quest that was impossible to give up!  Incidentally, how many deaths have I experienced before on this solo quest? How many items were destroyed due to no durability?!

A human blacksmith who transcended the skills of a dwarf, Pagma achieved the culmination of god-like techniques!

The face of Earl Ashur, who made me visit one of the Eternal Kingdoms five forbidden zones, popped into my head .

“If I bring this to him, I can get the Sun Sword? Once I get it, no one can match me for the rest of my life, you bastards! I will make you pay for hitting me!

Pleasure surged like a tide as I picked up the book .

[You have acquired the legendary craftsmans rare book!]

[It isnt in a proper state . You can check the details using the Eye of Pallalian . ] 

[Do you want to use the Eye of Pallalian?]

“Eye of Pallalian? A high-end appraisal item is needed to check the item?

Eye of Pallalian was the most expensive among the existing appraisal items .   Six months ago, I had bought it just in case I got a jackpot, but sadly, I couldnt use it and it was left in my inventory .

“I dont want to miss a golden opportunity…

I put the appraisal on hold and examined the golden table .  I wondered if there was a way to take this gold away, but it wouldnt budge . Kicking, pulling and even biting it was useless .   It was an item like the battle gear that users couldnt own .

“Ah, I really cant salvage anything because of this effective system . The price of my three months of work is very high .

I gazed at the book in my hand .

‘I have to give Ashur the item so do I really need to use an expensive item to appraise it?

I struggled for a moment before pulling out the Eye of Pallalian .  It was natural to wonder about the source of my three months suffering .

Appraisal .

[Pagmas Rare Book] 

Rating: Legendary

This is a book that contains the techniques of Pagma, the blacksmith who transcended human limits . The person who opens the book can become a legendary blacksmith .

Effects: Become Pagmas descendant .

Conditions: None .

* The level and stats will change when used .  

[A legendary item has been found!]

[Reputation will rise by 500 across the continent . ]

My body started trembling .

Whoa…jackpot…

It was a legendary item!  My reputation rose by 500 across the continent just because I discovered it!  It was an amazing harvest, given that it was difficult to raise reputation by 100 just in one city .  

Reputation is reputation, but…

I wondered if I had seen it wrongly and read the item description again . However, there was no change in the contents .  

Jack~~pot!!

I wasnt hallucinating .   I was extremely excited and could hear my heart beating wildly .  I thought it was just a skill book but it was actually for a class change?  Furthermore, it was legendary grade! This meant it was the strongest class in the world!

“Moreover, there is no condition to use…

Tears flowed down from my eyes .  During the past year, I had to pay the interest on my loan, my Satisfy account, and I also took a leave of absence from school .  My friends left me one by one, the alumni of my school laughed at me, people thought I was lazy…

My original plan was to sell the items I gained during the game and turn it into cash so that I could pay off my loan, my account, and my tuition . However, Satisfy wasnt such a fair world .   It was hard to earn money and I could barely obtain equipment for myself, let alone ones I could sell .

But now it was different .  A thrill went through my body as I shivered .

It is over… I can say farewell to this nightmarish life!

A legendary class change item! If I register it as an auction item on the item trading site, it was clear that the transaction price would be worth tens of millions of won .

No, it was an item that gave the best class among two billion users, so would it only be worth tens of millions of won? I could be sure that it was worth at least hundreds of millions of won . I might be able to get my hands on an astronomical amount that I never imagined!

Puhahahahat!! Mother! Father! This freeloader finally made it! Now its time to leave the game and forget about finding employment! My parents can quit feeling ashamed of their son in front of the neighbors! Sehee! Oppa finally did it! Now you dont have to be embarrassed every time you meet me on the street! When my friends want to come and play at my house, I dont have to refuse and make all sorts of excuses! And my friends! Alumni! They cant ignore me anymore as a pathetic game loser! I will become a success with a game! I have taken a few steps ahead of you guys in the society! Puhahahat!!

I paid 10 million won to purchase a capsule, and my loan interest rose by hundreds of thousands of won every month .

‘Ahyoung is still pretty…

I imagined attending my high school alumni meeting for the first time in two years in a foreign car .  The successful alumni wouldnt be able to ignore me anymore . Then I blushed as the face of my first love, Ahyoung, came to mind .

“Okay, go and sell it!

Quest? I didnt care about that right now .  Obviously, while the reward was a weapon that belonged to the epic rating, it was nothing in comparison to the price of this book .  My affinity with Earl Ashur would fall and would probably end up with me not receiving any more quests from him . But there was no reason to be afraid in front of hundreds of millions of won .  

Logout!

I confidently exclaimed .  Then a notification window flashed in front of my eyes .

[You cant log out of the game here . ]

[Earl Ashur has appeared . ]

……?

Dozens of knights jumped into the cave as I was struggling to understand . Then the familiar Earl Ashur appeared .  I panicked as he found me and his face distorted .

“Foolish traveler, you all have the same greed .

[The quest Earl Ashurs Secret Request (S) has changed to Earl Ashurs Anger (SS) . ]

[Earl Ashurs Anger] 

Difficulty Level: SS

Earl Ashur chose you due to your average abilities, your stupidity and because you are easy to exploit . He entrusted you with the task of finding Pagmas rare book that he wasnt even sure existed .  

He put a watcher on you and came urgently as soon as he heard that you entered the Northern End Cave .   Earl Ashur has witnessed you become blinded by greed over Pagmas rare book and has no intention of forgiving you . He intends to kill you and take away Pagmas rare book .

* Affinity with Earl Ashur has fallen by 100 .

* Due to your actions, all of the fame you have built in Patrian has disappeared and you have now become infamous . The affinity of Patrians residents has fallen by 40 . They will look at you and call you a thief .

Quest Clear Conditions: The deaths of Earl Ashur and his **** knights .

Clear Reward: Obtain the title Noble Killer .

* Noble Killer: Intelligence -50 .  

All nobles in the kingdom will despise and oppress you . Your jobs will be limited . The affinity of some commoners and royalty will rise .

Quest Failure: Level -2 .

You will no longer be able to enter Patrian .  

Any Patrian soldiers will kill you on sight . ] 

Patrian was the starter city where I first created my character .  I built up a considerable amount of reputation while completing quests in Patrian from level 1 to the present, and my affinity with the residents was at its maximum .

All merchants gave me a 20% discount when buying goods, and the goods I sold were purchased at 15% above their value .  There were residents who gave me hidden quests when I approached them .  But all these achievements automatically flew away the moment this quest updated .

“…Ah, I . This is **** .

A curse naturally emerged .

“Earl Ashur… no, you bastard! This **** **** forced me onto a quest where I wasnt sure if I could find the item or not!! If Pagmas rare book was something that didnt exist, I wouldve struggled for months in vain! You are the one who lied in the first place, yet you want to make me notorious in Patrian? Filthy jerk!

As their master was cursed at, the hot-headed knights immediately pulled out their swords .  Earl Ashur restrained them and spoke coldly to me,“You had already decided to betray me before you knew you were deceived . Even so, you are still acting so proudly .

“Is it greedy to want a reasonable reward after the hardships of my journey? My betrayal wasnt certain!

He sneered at my words .

“Didnt I already promise to give you a reward in return? We entered into a contract and you have trespassed on my good faith out of greed .

This wasnt something that I could handle with words .  As I fell mute, Earl Ashurs momentum increased as he continued to chatter,

You are truly a poor man . The more I watched, the more I could feel it . But there are times when you can do extraordinary things, as I honestly hadnt expected you to find this cave that had disappeared from history . I will punish you for your ignorance, but as reward for your patience, I will kill you as painlessly as possible .

Chapter 2

This bastard!

I wanted to stab my sword in Ashurs mouth right now, but it was an impossible task .  The mans level was 300 and was also a great magician who completed his third class change . His **** knights had an average of level 180 .

On the other hand, I was only at level 73 and didnt even have a chance against the youngest knight who was serving as a bread shuttle . (Bread shuttle – Usually used at school, where one student is picked on and/or bullied to do the errands for people who are higher on the social ladder than the shuttles are . )

But look at the quest clear conditions .  I had to kill them .

Plus!  Even if I cleared the quest, wasnt the quest compensation garbage?

My intelligence will be minus 50? Fuck, right now I have 30 intelligence, so wont I be an idiot if Im at minus 50? And all of the kingdoms nobles would hate me? So where was my exit route?? Why is there a quest like this? Ahhh!!

There was only one choice .  Just die .  I would drop two levels, but I couldnt succeed anyway . Besides, what was the point of succeeding with such a nasty quest?

Hu…

I felt resigned .  The pressure from the knights wasnt a joke .

This means I wouldve lost eight levels just from this quest… Ashur… One day, I will become high level and take revenge . Definitely .

I stared at Ashur and vowed revenge, then closed my eyes at the menacing swords in the knights hands . Then suddenly, I remembered Pagmas book in my hand .

‘Wait, what about this?

Would it remain in my inventory after I died if I put it in there before my death? This wasnt a general quest item, so I couldnt be assured of the situation .

What was Ashurs purpose in the first place? Pagmas rare book .  The reason he wanted to kill me was to take it away .  In order for the story to go smoothly, if he killed me, it was likely that Pagmas book would disappear from my inventory and fall into his hands .

Shit!

If I was going to lose Pagmas book anyway, I might as well use it instead of selling! A new option emerged .  I could use Pagmas rare book .

However, I hesitated . I hated production-related classes .   Wasnt the point of a game to enjoy the thrill of battle? However, if I became a blacksmith, I would have to sweat as I hammered at iron in front of a fire . It might be necessary to carry pickaxes while searching for mines to collect the necessary materials .  

It was indeed…

La . bor .  

At that moment, a chill went down my spine .  I was doing brickwork and shovel work at construction sites in real life, and now I needed to do labor in a game as well! Just imagining it made me feel terribly dizzy .

Kuock…

I wanted to remain as a warrior; it was my dream to swing my sword at enemies and someday become an army general .  But now it was time to give up on that dream .  An item worth hundreds of millions of won would be taken away by an NPC! By that **** Ashur!

“Its better to use it than to lose it to him!

I tearfully opened Pagmas book .  The shocked Ashur hurriedly stretched out a hand and chanted a spell .

“Its too late, you **** .

I ridiculed him before falling silent as I checked the notification windows appearing one by one .

[You have become Pagmas descendant . ]

[Your level has dropped . ]

[You are now level 1 . ]

[All skills and stats have been reset . ]

……?

I couldnt believe my eyes .  Werent class changes supposed to help you get stronger by strengthening your existing level, stats, and skills? Therefore, I couldnt understand why my level, stats and skills were reset instead of maintained .

What is this?

As I was confused by the unknown situation, new notification windows emerged .

[Dexterity stat has opened . ]

[Blacksmiths Craftsmanship skill has been created . ]

[Blacksmiths Craftsmanship skill has been mastered . ]

[Blacksmiths Appraisal skill has been created . ]

[Blacksmiths Appraisal skill has been mastered . ]

[Blacksmiths Patience has been created . ]

[Blacksmiths Patience has been mastered . ]

[Blacksmiths Disassembly skill has been created . ]

[Blacksmiths Disassembly skill has been mastered . ]

[Blacksmiths Repair skill has been created . ]

[Blacksmiths Repair skill has been mastered . ]

[All blacksmith skills have been mastered to the level of the Pinnacle and the skills of the legendary blacksmith have been opened . ]

[The Legendary Blacksmiths Craftsmanship skill has been created . ]

[The Legendary Blacksmiths Discernment skill has been created . ]

[The Legendary Blacksmiths Appraisal skill has been created . ]

[The Legendary Blacksmiths Patience skill has been created . ]

[The Legendary Blacksmiths Repair skill has been created . ]

[The Legendary Blacksmiths Disassembly skill has been created . ]

[The Legendary Blacksmiths Breath skill has been created . ]

[The Legendary Blacksmiths Blessing skill has been created . ]

[The Legendary Blacksmiths Creation skill has been created . ]

[Title, One who Became a Legend, has been acquired . ]

[Composure stat has opened . ]

[Indomitable stat has opened . ]

[Dignity stat has opened . ]

[Insight stat has opened . ]

In the case of dexterity, it was a basic stat possessed by all users with a production-related class .   However, the Composure, Indomitable, Dignity, and Insight stats were all unfamiliar .  Was this a good thing?

“Not good!

I was desperate .  There were 15 passive skills and 22 active skills that I learned as a warrior .  However, I completely lost all my abilities as a warrior . Due to the effect of the class change, I had completely become a laborer .

Furthermore, I was level one .  The levels that I barely built up over the past year had been completely reset and I needed to start over? I had to restart the **** level-up grind from the beginning?!

Why is there a quest like this? Fuc*… . ~#@…… . ^%$!!

I combined several Korean characters together as a knights sword rapidly headed towards me .

[You have been hit by a blow!]

[You have died . ]

The level 1s low stamina dropped to 0 with a single hit from a level 180 knight .

[Quest failed!]

[You will no longer be able to enter Patrian . ] 

[Any Patrian soldiers will kill you on sight . ]

[Your level has dropped by 2 . ]

[You are now level -1 . ]

[There is no registered residence . Do you want to resurrect at the nearest temple?]

……?

I saw my level and lost it .

Negative? My level is negative??

I was certain that I had been cursed by the gods for some fault in a previous life .  I barely got here after three months of hardship only to get this result? I didnt want to play the game .  I chose to log out instead of resurrecting .

Once I quit the game, I immediately connected to the Internet and searched through all of the Satisfy related forums in Korea to look for information about a negative level .  But I couldnt get any information so I wrote my question directly on the forum .

Title: I am currently level -1 .

Contents: I have been doing a quest for three months and received a legendary old book . However, I failed and my level strangely dropped to -1 . Why??? Has this ever happened before??????? 

I pressed the OK button to post and completely emerged from the capsule .  A quick glance in the mirror revealed someone who looked like an emancipated patient with an incurable disease . It was the aftermath of not sleeping for three months while doing the quest .  And the only thing I received in return was a loss of hundreds of millions of won and a minus level .

My three months of work have gone flying away… Three months of hard work . Hahaha…

I couldve gone and taken some labor jobs, but I ended up shoveling air .   No, it was a loss of time and level .  I lost energy and flopped to the ground .  I was sad, empty, grumpy, and resentful .   All types of negative emotions were pouring in, giving me a tremendous sense of helplessness .  If I were weaker person, I was sure that I wouldve committed suicide .

“…I need to take a **** .

I had been connected to the game for a long time, so I headed to the bathroom after receiving a physiological signal .  It was three in the morning .  All my family members were sleeping . If I woke up my parents then they might curse at me .  

I stealthily crossed the living room, quietly did my business in the bathroom, washed up, moved back to the kitchen, and took out a side dish from the fridge .  I barely managed to find a spoon in the darkness and returned to my room with a bowl of rice .

“Oh, its sausage fried rice .

The taste of a meat processed product! As I ate delicious food and filled up my stomach, I relaxed and could think soberly .

“How did my level become minus?

I thought about it before sitting in the capsule to check the question I posted on the Internet .

What?

In the meantime, the number of views on my posts had gone over 10,000 .  The number of comments was more than 2,000!

D-Dont tell me?

I couldnt find the information, but was the minus level actually famous among users, and the users were excited because it gave tremendous benefits? My dream was destroyed when I checked the comments .

Iksl ** ‘s answer: If there is a minus level, a ghost will appear before me at night .  

Eksk ** s answer: Wow ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ I am level -5 ^ . ^ We are low-level comrades .

Tutu ** ‘s answer: Did you find a legendary book as well? ㅋㅋ Do you have an attention sickness?

cm3s **s answer: He should be brought to a mental hospital . Take this post down .

7r14 ** s answer: Legendary book… minus level… these days ㄸㄹㅇ really, some people…

jk12 **-1s answer: Wouldnt -1 be last place in the rankings ㅋㅋㅋㅋ I would quit the gameㅋ

Kkks ** ‘s answer: Something this unique that hasnt appeared yet, what nonsense .

Qkr8 ** s answer: Is it excessive drinking? 

Gjte ** s answer: Wow, minus level… I pay homage to your imagination . You should be a fiction writer . ㄷ ㄷ 

……

There were 2,000 comments like these . I felt like an idiot .  

It seems that information about minus level hasnt been revealed at all… am I the first person?

Satisfys system was configured to allow users to discover and develop themselves . There was no such thing as a customer service center like in other more traditional online games .  Satisfys two billion users had been developing the world during the past year by pioneering and exchanging information on their own .  

But in such a vast world, there was a lot of information that hadnt been revealed, such as the minus level that I was experiencing now .

Swaaah .

It was raining outside the window . According to the weather forecast, it was going to rain all day . It wasnt easy to get a labor job if he went out looking today .  I ate the last of the rice and logged into the game again .

Chapter 3

Lim Cheolho was the core of the team of 33 scientists who built the virtual reality system and was the person who led the development of Satisfy by establishing the S . A Group .

He had many titles: the one with the knowledge of a god, the creator of the virtual reality system, the person who changed the world, the father of Satisfy, the wealthiest person in the nation, one of the most influential figures in the world, a person who received requests for naturalization dozens of times a year from all over the world, the pride of South Korea, etc .

His countless titles meant that he received the spotlight every time he attended international events, and his influence transcended the American president, making him the worlds envy .

In fact, his life wasnt as flashy as discussed in the media .  He was the head of Satisfys development team, as well as head of the S . A Group, so he slept less than four hours a day on average .  But was he unhappy?  No, it was something he wanted for himself .  Lim Cheolho was proud and enthusiastic about Satisfy, which had captured the hearts of two billion people .

Umm .

Lim Cheolho was woken up by the sound of his phone ringing . He checked the time and saw that it was 2:50 a . m .  It had only been 20 minutes since he went to sleep .  The accumulated fatigue from a months worth of late nights crushed Lim Cheolhos thinking ability .  

His voice was rather sharp as he spoke into the phone, “What is going on? What?

An urgent voice was heard over the phone .  Lim Cheolho immediately woke up .  Im going immediately! Be prepared to give me the report as soon as I arrive!

Lim Cheolho got dressed and entered the elevator, heading to the underground floor of his house .  In the underground parking lot, limited edition cars from expensive brands were parked in order by type .  He climbed into a sports car with the butterfly style doors and drove to the company at full speed .

“What happened?

Satisfys Operations Office .

Lim Cheolho ran into it and asked without recovering his breathing .  Choi Nahee, the head of the operations team, bowed to Lim Cheolho and adjusted her orange horn-rimmed glasses .

“It happened five minutes ago .

How interesting!

The excited Lim Cheolho sat down .  He turned his gaze to the huge monitor on the wall and the stopped video started playing .  The main character of the video was a level 73 warrior .  An Asian youth found a cave at the northern end of an island, held Pagmas rare book, and used it .

The staff handed two documents to Lim Cheolho as he watched the video .  Lim Cheolho read it and rubbed his chin .

In reality, as well as in Satisfy, he is a normal person with no outstanding traits . After being exposed to Satisfy, he suffered from a lack of self-control, resulting in the lowest level of life . How did this person find the cave at the north end that was concealed by a complex algorithm? Does he have an exploration talent that he doesnt know about?

According to the analysis from the development teams Morpheus supercomputer, the North End Cave was supposed to be found by users in one year and ten months .  In other words, it meant that the appearance of the legendary book, Pagmas Rare Book, was originally supposed to be one year and ten months later .

One young man broke everyones expectations and hastened the timing .  The number of users who did their 2nd class advancement was less than 100, and he was now the sole legendary class in the game .

Lim Cheolho was greatly interested in the user who gave him a great surprise .  But Choi Nahee didnt think of the young man as anything special .

“It was merely a product of coincidence and obsession that he discovered the North End Cave .

I see .

The young man called Shin Youngwoo, whose player name was Grid, stayed in only one city for a year and accumulated more than 8,000 reputation in that city . His intelligence stat was also less than 50 .  

This completed the conditions needed to receive Earl Ashurs quest .  He explored areas infested with monsters higher than level 200 for three months without giving up, even though he was less than level 80 and tasted death several times .

The most impressive thing about him was his discovery the North End Cave .  He found the quest item and was blinded by greed . By choosing to log out, he met the requirements for the linked quest to possess the legendary book .  

There are many ways to meet the activation requirements, but the most extreme one is logging out .

Anyway, as Choi Nahee said, this chain was the result of coincidence and a stubborn personality .  However, the young man proved that coincidences overlapping several times could create a positive cloud . It also reminded him how valuable patience and effort was .

Luck and persistent are also great abilities .

Choi Nahee asked a question to Lim Cheolho, who was watching the young man on the monitor with sparkling eyes .

“How does the minus level work?

“That is also a cloud of luck .

Huh?

A scientist was talking about luck? Lim Cheolho laughed and explained,

As you know, users below level 10 get the beginner bonus, so their experience wont decrease even if they die . This means that they dont suffer from the level drop phenomenon . But in fact, a hidden system exists . Level reduction due to quest failure will be enforced regardless of the beginner benefits . However, there is no way for a beginner to receive a quest that would cause a level decrease, so it was likely to remain a hidden system forever .

Lim Cheolho enjoyed the fragrance of the coffee that a staff member passed him and continued,

The team predicted that if this quest followed the normal course, the one who received Earl Ashurs Secret Request quest would be a minimum of level 350 . If the user is over level 350, they have a high chance of clearing the Earl Ashurs Anger quest and becoming Pagmas Descendant . In other words, they wouldnt be lacking in ability like that young man and wouldnt have failed the quest . Only this young man was able to find the hidden system through this quest .

Choi Nahee summarized it succinctly .

Grid made an extreme choice during the quest because he was afraid of losing the hard-earned item . At this point, the penalty of falling to level 1 after becoming a legendary class was applied .  

Users under level 10 wouldnt experience a drop in experience even if they died, due to the beginner bonus . But there were no exceptions to a failed quests penalty .  Grid was forced to lose two levels due to the quest failure, even though he was level 1, and as a result, he was now stuck at level -1 .

This was why Lim Cheolho called it a cloud of luck…

Then can a minus level gain experience in the normal way and earn stat points for every level gained?

Lim Cheolho nodded .  Right . He is currently level -1 and will have to gain two levels to reach level 1, where he will then have 20 stat points .

“…This means his base stats will be 20 points higher than a character of the same level .

“Thats right . That young man received a benefit that wouldnt have been possible if he was a player capable of clearing Earl Ashurs quest . He is a really lucky guy .

The expressions of the employees grew serious .  Choi Nahee asked him, A legendary class has appeared two years sooner than expected . A legendary class is already very powerful, so if he has 20 more stat points than his level, wont the balance be broken?

Lim Cheolho showed her the papers listing Shin Youngwoos information .

“This graph shows that his level was quite low in proportion to the amount of time he spent hunting . He was a foolish person who stayed in one city for a year without leaving to find adventures or a more pleasant environment . I dont think he has great talent for the game like the rankers . You dont have to worry .  

“Is it really okay? In the eyes of other users, it might be enough to make him look special .

“What can we do, even if it isnt okay? We have a policy of not directly interfering in the game, so think positively . Isnt it a good thing that an ordinary user, not a ranker, obtained it? Besides, Pagmas Descendant is relatively weak in combat compared to the other legendary classes…

Lim Cheolho, who was watching the young man on the monitor, suddenly flinched and fell silent .  He shook his head at Choi Nahees puzzled expression .

No, it isnt a big deal . I will be going now . You have suffered a lot from the late nights of work . I will give you a bonus soon, so please suffer a bit more .

The atmosphere of the employees became excited at the word bonus .  Lim Cheolho smiled and left the office .

Why all of a sudden?

Only Choi Nahee was silent among the raucous staff . She felt nervous as she thought about Lim Cheolhos surprised look .  On the other hand, Lim Cheolhos expression subtly changed in the elevator as he muttered Shin Youngwoos name .

***

I lost my place of residence because I was expelled from Patrian . Therefore, I resurrected at a temple near my place of death . Oh and by the way, it was actually a temple for the **** of darkness, Yatan .

Dark energy hung around the dark room, while robed black magicians wandered around with gloomy expressions .  People were shouting and pounding their chests around an altar, but it was too creepy to watch .  

Kiyaaaaak!

The sharp scream of a woman in pain came from underground .

“…Well, it is nothing compared to that notorious place .

I had already finished my military service . If someone had been next to me, then they wouldve felt the general, oppressive atmosphere of a horror movie .  I wasnt a female user so I felt no fear at the Yatan Temple .

S-S-Status window .

My voice was shaking but I tried not to let it affect me .  I ignored the surroundings as much as possible and concentrated on the status window in front of me .

Name: Grid 

Level: -1 (0/20)

Class: Pagmas Descendant

* The probability of adding additional options when making items will increase .

* The probability of item enhancement will increase .  

* All equipment items can be worn unconditionally . However, the is a penalty depending on the rating of the item .  

Title: One who Became a Legend

* Abnormal conditions dont work well on you .

* You wont die when health is at the minimum .

* Easily acknowledged .

Health: 14/14      Mana: 3/3

Strength: 1   Stamina: 1   Agility: 1   Intelligence: 1  Dexterity: 1

Composure: 1   Indomitable: 1   Dignity: 1   Insight: 1

Stat Points: 0

Weight: 3,035/20

* The weight limit exceeds 200%, so movement speed is reduced by 100% .  

The body is heavy and cannot exert any power properly .  

The probability of receiving the weakened state has become really high .  

A flood of emotions filled my head .

The minus level was something I couldnt understand, and the stats that didnt allow me to win a fight against even a rabbit caused anger . However, the special functions given by the title and profession overwhelmed me .

Chapter 4

The minus level isnt a bug .

The numbers in parentheses beside the level indicated my current experience and the amount of experience required to reach the next level .  The existence of this experience figure meant that I could level up .  In the worst case, I was worried that I wouldnt be able to level up because I was bugged .

Im glad it isnt a bug… 

I still felt upset .  Think about it: my level was originally over 70, but now I was lower than even new players who had just created their characters .

‘I have to endure this .

I braced myself . It might take time, but I could raise my level again .  The reason for this positive thinking was due to the qualities of my profession and title .  I didnt know anything about item creation, so I couldnt comment on the probability of adding additional options, but it was still good to have .

‘The odds of enhancement will increase .

In Satisfy, items could be enhanced up to +10 .  

However, the price of the materials needed for enhancement was expensive . In addition, the higher the enhancement number and item rating, the lower the probability of the enhancement succeeding .  In addition, if the enhancement was successful, the enhancement value would be +1; however, if it failed, it would be -3 .  The price for items with an enhancement of +6 would rise exponentially .

I dont know how much the probability has risen, but cant I feel hope for a large amount of money?

Both of the class characteristics that I mentioned were quite attractive .  However, my bigger interest was that all items could be worn unconditionally .  This was an unreasonable merit . Depending on the penalties that were applied, this attribute could disrupt the balance of the game .

Isnt this a fraudulent class attribute?

Most of the equipment items in Satisfy had conditions of use attached to them . If the conditions werent met, the item couldnt be worn .  For that reason, every level had strong limitations .  But that didnt apply to me, due to the nature of my class .

‘Really?

I opened my inventory .

[Mamons Greatsword] 

Rating: Epic

Durability: 88/204   Attack Power: 178~301   Attack Speed: -16%

-Additional water damage will be added to all critical attacks .

This is the greatsword patronized by the guardian of Lake Pamian, Mamon . Due to the influence of the lake, this sword has the strong aura of water .

Conditions of Use: Level 65 or higher, more than 260 strength, more than 150 stamina .

Weight: 1,050

[Mengels Plate Armor] 

Rating: Rare

Durability: 51/180   Defense: 165  Movement Speed: -2%

* Strength +10

This is a work made by the blacksmith Mengel in the fortified city of Patrian . With it, the defense is improved and the weight lowered . The wearer of this work can feel Mengels strong willpower that remained behind .

Conditions of Use: Level 60 or higher, more than 180 strength .

Weight: 1,203 

My current stats didnt meet the conditions of use attached to Mamons Greatsword or Mengel’s Plate Armor .  In other words, a normal person wouldnt be able to wear both items .  But I was the exception .

[Due to your class characteristics, you have equipped Mamons Greatsword . ] 

[A penalty is applied because the item conditions arent met . ]

[Attack power of Mamons Greatsword will decrease by 30% . Only half of the option effects will be applied . ]

[Your understanding of Mamons Greatsword is high so the penalties are reduced . ]

[Due to your class characteristics, you have equipped Mengel’s Plate Armor . ]

[A penalty is applied because the item conditions arent met . ]

[Defense of Mengel’s Plate Armors will decrease by 20% . Only half of the option effects will be applied . ]

[Your understanding of Mengel’s Plate Armor is high so the penalties are reduced . ]

Amazing…

Satisfy rarely had items with no usage conditions .  I recalled a set of beginner items that were representative of having no conditions .  I didnt remember it exactly, but in the case of the beginners greatsword received at level 1, the attack power was 5~13 and the defense of the beginners armor was 7 .

But now I could use a weapon capable of at least 124 to 210 attack power, and 132 defense at level one .

Wont it be surprisingly easy to recover my level?

No matter how low my level was, I could hunt monsters around level 20 with just the attack power of Mamons Greatsword .  Thanks to Mengel’s Plate Armor, I wouldnt receive any damage from low-level monsters .

In other words, I could hunt monsters much more quickly and easily than other users at the same level, thanks to the item effect . This would be directly linked to leveling up at the speed of light .

The basic penalties system is that rare items have a drop of 20% in the basic abilities, while epic items have a 30% drop . Only half of the item effects are applied…’ 

The penalties were surprisingly small . Unique and legendary ranked items would be subjected to more penalties, but at this point, it was a sufficiently fraudulent ability .  

This is a legendary class…! But what is understanding?

Due to my excitement, I belatedly noticed the bit about understanding that appeared in the notification windows . Then I checked the detailed information .

[Item Understanding]

Pagmas Descendant can understand the materials and principles of the item by using, disassembling, or repairing the equipment items . The higher the level of understanding, the more efficiently one can handle the items . If you have a 100% understanding, you can learn how to make that item .  

Ohu~

The higher my level of understanding, the fewer penalties there would be .

Then I will get the production method? Wow…

Ordinary production users had to pay a large amount of money or complete hard questions to get the production methods .  But I could get it for free, as long as I increased my understanding .

‘The repair skill is available and my item durability is low, so I will try and repair it later . ’

Then I looked at the title attributes .  In combat, the one thing players had to be most cautious of was an abnormal status, due to its ability to often reverse the state of a battle .  By the way, my title lowered the probability of being affected by abnormal statuses .  It also said that I wouldnt die when my health was at the minimum, so I could be temporarily immortal .

Easily acknowledged, does that mean my affinity with NPCs can be easily increased?’

Puhuhut…

I was happy . I was so happy that I couldnt stop laughing .  The class and title attributes alone gave me the feeling of being ahead of other regular users .  I had become special . This felt like proper compensation for my three months of suffering .

But…

I wouldve enjoyed a much greater pleasure if I couldve sold the book for money .

“I missed out on the opportunity to get rid of my creditors and to drive a foreign car!

I suddenly went from feeling good to feeling bad .

“~#@… . !^%*@… . Ashur!!

I pounded the floor with frustration and resentment .  I poured all out types of profanities towards Ashur . Gradually, my heart was soothed .  It was due to an unfamiliar stat, so I decided to check it .

[Composure]

The probability of being affected by an abnormal state is lowered . If affected by an abnormal condition, you will recover quickly .

* The higher the number, the higher the effect .  

* Stat points cant be distributed to this stat .

[Indomitable]

Has a certain probability of invalidating a portion of the incoming damage . The lower the health, the higher the probability .

* The higher the number, the higher the effect .

* Stat points cant be distributed to this stat .  

[Dignity]

Cant be pushed down by others . There is a rare chance of making the enemy submit to you .

* The higher the number, the higher the effect .

* Stat points cant be distributed to this stat .  

[Insight]

Discover the target . Predict risks .

* The higher the number, the higher the probability .

* Stat points cant be distributed to this stat .  

Every stat had a great effect .  

‘By the way, how am I going to raise the number if I cant distribute points to it?

The explanation seemed huge, but they might be stats without much practical use .  The moment that I was about to open the skills window .

“Aack!”

I screamed with fear . Something had suddenly touched my back .  I belatedly recalled that I was in a Yatan Temple .

W-What!!!

I hurriedly turned around and reflexively wielded Mamons Greatsword . The man behind me dodged my attack and raised both hands .

“Hey, calm down . Do you want to kill a person?

The one who spoke was a Caucasian-looking man who seemed to have an assassin type class due to his light equipment and agile body .  

‘His finger poked my back .

It mightve be okay if it was a sword, but it was embarrassing to scream just because of a finger .

“What is it?”

The man shrugged .

It is dreary . Shouldnt you apologize after trying to kill a person?

His smile looked like a smirk . I disliked this type of person .

This person is speaking so impolitely at our first meeting .

Certainly, the man looked older than me . At first glance, he seemed to be in his mid-30s .  However, my one year experience was enough to let me know how deceptive appearances were .  I once called someone Brother, only to find out they were seven years older than me .  

This bastard, he looked like he was in his 30s but…

Cough .  My fists trembled and I barely managed to calm myself as I remembered the shameful past .  “Im sorry about that . But shouldnt you apologize for poking me without notice and surprising me?

The man laughed and asked for a handshake .

Young man, I called out to you . However, you were so engrossed in thinking that you didnt hear me . That is why I poked you . Im sorry .

I refused to shake hands with the man .

“So why did you call me?

The man scratched his head and shrugged .

“As you know, the Yatan Temple is filled with evil energy . Ordinary people will become afraid if they stay here for a while . But I observed you, and you are fine despite all the time that passed . In addition, you can even manage to laugh alone . You, dont you actually have great abilities?

Perhaps this is…

As I got a hunch, I checked the name above the mans head . The mans eyes shone .

My name is Doran . I am a shadow who secretly protects Earl Steim . One or two days after I had gone on vacation, the Earls esteemed daughter was kidnapped . I tracked her and found out that she was trapped in the basement of this temple . Wont you lend me your strength? I will give you a remuneration for the request .

“I dont…

I thought the man was a user, but he was actually an NPC .  Due to the perfect artificial intelligence, the distinction between users and NPCs was ambiguous and this mistake sometimes occurred .  The name above his head was green, symbolizing an NPC . Then a notification window about a quest popped up .

[Rescue the Earls Esteemed Daughter] 

Difficulty: S

Irene, the only daughter of Earl Steim, is a beautiful and innocent virgin . The elders of Yatan had kidnapped Irene in order to sacrifice her for her virgin blood .

Quest Clear Conditions: Rescue Irene within one hour after accepting the quest .

Clear Reward: 3,000 gold, a low probability of becoming the earls son-in-law .  

* Earls son-in-law: Nobility stat will open, all stats +20 .

You will be treated as a viscount after marrying the earls esteemed daughter . Power and honor will rise . You can advance into the social circle of the nobles . You will receive a monthly salary . This can be a shortcut to becoming a high-ranking official or lord .

Quest Failure: Level -2 .

[Would you like to accept the quest?]

This was crazy .

Chapter 5

It was a completely unwelcome quest .  Was it because I didnt like the rewards? That was impossible! 

This reward is really good… 

3,000 gold was worth around 3,600,000 won when converted into real cash, which was close to 40 days of revenue for me if I worked without any rest .   But the great thing was the title of Earls Son-in-Law .  

All stats +20!  I currently had nine stats in total: strength, stamina, agility, intelligence, dexterity, composure, indomitable, dignity and insight . If I added the nobility stat, that would equal 10 in total .  

If all of these stats were given 20 points, it would be a total of 200 stat points .  Every time I gained a level, 10 stat points were obtained, so 200 stat points were worth 20 levels . It would also be wonderful to have a beautiful aristocratic lady as my bride .  

‘The road is open . But… 

There was a reason why the rewards were so good .  It was an S grade quest! 

Earl Ashurs Fury was an S grade quest .  

At the time of the quest, I was level 79 but couldnt cope with the difficulty . I was killed many times during the quest and dropped down to level 73 .  In addition, the time spent was three months! 

I was currently level -1, so I had no means of clearly an S grade quest with a time limit . Why would I accept a quest that would obviously fail? 

Furthermore, my level will fall by two if I fail .  

My body trembled with fear and anger at the thought of my level dropping to -3 .  

‘But why on earth is it an S grade quest again? 

S grade quests were never common quests . Even the top level rankers who were above level 200 could only count the number of times that theyve received an S grade quest on their left hands .   However, I wasnt high level user and was currently at level -1 .  

I recalled what Doran said: 

As you know, the Yatan Temple is filled with evil energy . Ordinary people will become afraid if they stay here for a while . But I observed you, and you are fine despite all the time that passed . In addition, you can even manage to laugh alone . You, dont you actually have great abilities?

There were hints in these words .   The quest seemed to be generated by staying in the Yatan Temple for a certain period of time without falling into the fear state .  My title and composure stat lowered my chances of falling under an abnormal condition .  

Was it good? Did I like it? 

Wont I be screwed if this is a forced quest? The attributes of this title are crazy, but its like this game is trying to make me quit .  

I replied unhesitatingly,

I cant do it . Ask someone else .  

[The quest was refused . ] 

I refused the quest, but Doran didnt quit .  

“You are the only unusual person, so please help me . A precious persons life is involved! 

[Doran is desperate . Do you understand his sad circumstances and accept the quest?] 

The concept of the notification window was lost . Did it think I was in a position to take care of others right now?  I immediately swiped the window away and said, You are mistaken . I am weak and incompetent, so I wont be able to help you . It would be better for you to take care of it alone .  

[The quest was refused . ] 

As you know, the believers of Yatan use powerful black magic! I cant rescue the young lady from them alone! Please dont turn away, lend me your strength! 

[Doran hasnt given up . Would you like to accept the quest?) 

“No, first of all, I dont have the ability to do it… 

[The quest was refused . ] 

You are too modest! Dont you know that the power to ignore their fear isnt common? 

[Doran can only depend on you . Would you like to accept the quest?] 

Sometimes, there were quest NPCs who would persist like this . They had their own desperate situations .  Yes, I could understand Dorans feelings . If Doran returned without rescuing his masters daughter, his head would go flying off .  

But what about me? What if I failed and my level dropped again? 

Why should I go through such terrible things because of him? I was more important than a complete stranger! The biggest problem was that I didnt have the ability to help him in the first place .  

“Please help! I am begging you! 

Doran fell to his knees .  

I looked at him .   This man, all the words I spoke to him were entering one ear and leaving the other . Or maybe he thought I was lying .  

‘Its probably the latter . Is it so great that I dont feel fear while staying in the Yatan Temple? I havent been here before so I dont even know what Im supposed to feel .  

I faced Doran head on and explained with a more serious attitude,

“I’m really sorry, but I truly dont have the strength to help you . Dont waste your time on me; call the earl and ask for his help .  

[The quest was refused . ] 

“Every hour is urgent! The young ladys life might be in danger while I go to ask the earl for help! You are the only person I can rely on! This is a request! 

[Doran is hoping for a helping hand . Would you like to accept the quest?] 

The limits of patience .  

Ah, this is frustrating! Do you really need my help? I dont want to look at you anymore, so go away! 

“Please give mercy for the sake of her life! 

“What? No! Damn . Yes, I should leave . I am going now! 

I once again refused the quest and turned away from Doran .  This was a terrible quest that would cause my level to drop by two upon failure, so I wanted to avoid it .  But unlike my thoughts, my feet didnt move quickly .  I was 200% over the weight limit, so my movement speed was reduced by 100% .  

Doran saw that I was moving as slow as a turtle and misunderstood my actions as he teared up .  

“You act so intimidatingly, but you are actually conflicted… You really do want to help me… 

…… 

“Stop feeling conflicted and help me! 

[Doran feels hope again . Would you like to accept the quest?] 

“Bullshit! I wont help! 

[The quest was refused . ] 

I ignored him and hastened my steps . But once again, my speed was slow .  This only deepened Dorans misunderstanding .  

Maybe youre conflicted because your life is busy, but the life of a person is more important! This is a request!! 

“I cant! It isn’t possible! 

“Dont deceive yourself! In fact, you are suffering as well! You cant leave this place immediately, which is why there is such hesitation in your step! 

There is no hesitation! Im not walking slowly! My baggage is heavy, thats all! 

Doran continued chasing after me, and my slow pace couldnt get rid of him .  

[Would you like to accept the quest?] 

[Would you like to accept the quest?] 

[Would you like…] 

What a stupid jerk! 

The notification windows kept popping up no matter how much I refused . I had to make a drastic decision .  

‘I cant carry on like this . Yes, I have to refuse, even if I develop a hostile relationship with him . He isnt a NPC I need to build up a relationship with, so it wont hurt if he is my enemy .  

I pulled out Mamons greatsword and glared at Doran .  

I definitely cant help you . If you dont get away right now, I am prepared to hurt you .  

Doran grasped the atmosphere and took one step back . Then he slowly opened his mouth .  

I really wish you would help me… 

[Doran is asking for the last time . Would you like to accept the quest?] 

Swipe! 

How many times do I have to see this **** notification window? 

I wont help! Even if I can help, I dont want to! I wont help! 

My stress went over the threshold and I could no longer suppress my anger .  In the end, I yelled and swung Mamons greatsword, expressing my intent not to talk to Doran anymore .  

Then… 

Kwajak! 

“Kaaack! 

The sensation of hitting something was transmitted through my fingertips as a scream was heard at the same time .  I turned my gaze to the side of the greatsword and saw what just occurred: a believer wearing the robe of Yatan had collapsed with Mamons greatsword in his neck .  An ominous chill went down my spine .  

I was aiming at the crazy guy, so why did the person next to him… 

As I stared at the dying believer, a new notification window popped up .  

[Your relationship with the Yatan Church has become hostile . ] 

[You wont be able to receive Yatans blessings . ] 

[The followers of Yatan will try to kill you when they find you . ] 

The atmosphere of the temple changed . While I was surrounded by dozens of Yatan believers, Doran got up and placed a hand on my shoulder and cried out, Thank you!! 

Eh? 

[Rescue the Earls Esteemed Daughter] 

Difficulty: S 

Irene, the only daughter of Earl Steim, is a beautiful and innocent virgin . The elders of Yatan had kidnapped Irene in order to sacrifice her for her virgin blood .  

You cant tolerate the evil deeds of Yatans followers . You must surely rescue Irene .

Quest Clear Conditions: Rescue Irene within one hour after accepting the quest .  

Clear Reward: 3,000 gold, a low probability of becoming the earls son-in-law .  

* Earls son-in-law: Nobility stat will open, all stats +20 .  

You will be treated as a viscount after marrying the earls esteemed daughter . Power and honor will rise . You can advance into the social circle of the nobles . You will receive a monthly salary . This can be a shortcut to becoming a high-ranking official or lord .  

Quest Failure: Level -2 .  

[The quest has been accepted . ] 

Wow .  

Due to my hostile relationship with the Yatan Church, the Rescue the Earls Esteemed Daughter quest was forced upon me .  

Huhuhu… 

Some might say this was unlucky . No, it was more accurate to say that I had no luck .  

Failure once again… it will be level -3! 

At any rate, I had no luck . Perhaps I sold a country in my previous life .

“Who dares hurt Yatans believers! Arent you afraid of the curse of God Yatan?

God Yatan is almighty! God Yatan has already noticed your sin! You wont be safe for the rest of your life!

“You will pay a heavy price for your blasphemy!

The angry voices of the Yatan followers clamored around me . Their crazy eyes were filled with absolute hostility .

Will I die now?

The followers of Yatan were black magicians . Black magicians had strong curse abilities, so they were difficult to deal with .

Chapter 6

The black magicians are the problem right now… 

I was currently level -1, and my strength and stamina stats were only one point each . Mengel’s Plate Armour added five strength, for a total of six strength . When all of these stats were added up together, I totalled a measly 34 health . I might be able to punch a few of them before going to the netherworld .

Can I get away?

The failure of the quest was fixed anyway . I just wanted to preserve my life .  No, I had to survive . If someone died two times in a day, they wouldnt be able to access the game for 12 hours .  Okay, this was the only way!

Log out!

[You cant log out of the game here . ]

Fuck! I shouldve expected this!

It was common knowledge that it was impossible to end the game while a timed quest was underway . There was a way to force it, but I didnt want to use it since I would get a huge penalty .  After failing to log out, I looked for a way to escape . However, this was the stronghold of the enemy .  

I was being surrounded by a rapidly increasing number of followers . No matter how many calculations I made, there was just no way to escape . There was no hope when I was a slow as a tortoise .

“Break through to the basement at once!

As I was planning out my actions, Doran shouted at me before pulling out two daggers and throwing them without delay . The hand gestures were so fast that it happened in an instant .

Pepeok!

Kuaack!

One of the daggers struck a persons eye while the other pierced anothers heart .  Doran narrowed the distance towards the pained believers and wielded his dagger .

“Open up .

The believers couldnt even scream as their necks were sliced and they vanished into a flash of grey light .  I couldnt resist admiring it .  The lack of information meant I didnt know the exact levels of the Yatan believers, but temple NPCs were generally at least level 150+ .  These believers were likely to be the same .  

Doran handled them so easily that I couldnt even imagine his level .

Is he perhaps a named NPC?

My impression of Doran changed . Maybe I could clear this absurd quest if I depended on him .  3,000 gold! A huge 3,600,000 won was in front of me! The earls son-in-law! I imagined getting my hands on all stats +20 and a beautiful wife! I would become a lord with my own territory, where I could steal high taxes from the users and NPCs!

If I become a landlord, I will be able to get revenue every month .

Exciting! 

I began to cheer Doran on .  Good! Doran, fighting! I have admired you for a long time!

Eh? For a long time? When have you ever seen…

Ah! Danger! Over there! You must take care of your body!

“B-Body…?

While Doran was surprised by my sudden change in attitude, he focused on dealing with the enemies in front of him .  Grey lights appeared in succession .

Really strong!

Doran skillfully threw numerous hidden weapons as if they were merely extensions of his limbs .  The number one person on the assassin ranking, Old Sword Demon, that I saw on a broadcast two months ago, was like a young child next to Doran .

Isnt he three times stronger than Ashur? I must befriend him and ask him to assassinate Ashur!

The Yatan believers ignored me and attacked the threat, Doran .  But their efforts couldnt stop Dorans advance . Doran focused solely on those who were chanting spells, attacking them to stop their magic .

The black magicians couldnt cast their magic, making them no threat .

Amazing! You are really amazing! Doran, you are my god!

I heard a magic spell being recited and cheered as a black magicians mouth was pierced by Dorans dagger .

The best! By relying on the strength of the NPC, I really could complete this quest! Truly a fantastic quest! It seemed pathetic that I had been trying so hard to refuse the quest a few minutes ago!

I could barely chase Doran with my slow pace, thanks to Doran occasionally stopping .

“Are you waiting for me? How kind . Hehe .

Doran was looking around with a terrible expression .  “These guys have started to use their heads .

Huh?

I looked around like Doran and saw that the black magicians were chanting spells at the same time .

“Blessed souls underground .  

“Use your grudges and fears to ensnare the enemy .

“Those who feel fear will have their legs restrained .

“Their minds will be crushed and they will lose their willpower .

“Become a doll with a lost soul!

The black magicians chanting the spell alone would be stopped by Doran before they finished . Therefore, the group shared the spell by chanting the sentences one by one .  Those sentences would connect to form one spell and the magic would be cast .

Be prepared .

I grabbed Dorans collar and said, “Be prepared? You should do something!

It is too late .

Dammit!”

Kuoooooh!!

A line of blood was drawn on Dorans face, and black energy rose like a mist to cover Doran .

N-No! I am finished if you die!

I had boarded the same boat as Doran and Doran was the oarsman . I couldnt escape the quest failing if I was alone on this boat .

Cough!

I cursed and shouted towards Doran, who was coughing up blood .  Fuck! If it was going to be like this, you shouldnt have made me feel expectant in the first place!

At that moment .  A green light flowed from the ring Doran was wearing and surrounded him . Then Doran’s complexion was gradually restored .

W-What?

Doran attacked the surprised black magicians, who were chanting new spells .

“This ring is special . It protects the wearer from curses and poisons; however, the protection isnt perfect . The damage is cumulative, so I need to avoid as much magic as possible .

Yes, indeed! The great Doran is even wearing a small ring like this!

The ring was clearly had an Epic or higher rating . Was there a way to obtain it? As I was thinking, Doran started to slaughter the enemies again . He allowed a few magic spells to be cast but eventually succeeded in creating a path .  

Doran started at the entrance of the staircase leading to the basement .

“Come on!

“Yep!”

Unlike my vigorous reply, I chased Doran down the stairs at a slow pace .  The black magicians pursued us with spells, but they were no threat because Doran threw daggers as soon as he heard chanting .

Young Lady!

Doran and I arrived at the dark basement .  Doran found a beautiful woman bound to the altar in the center of the basement and ran to her .  But there was a crowd blocking him . There were a dozen black magicians .

I laughed at them .  These ridiculous bastards! They need more people than that to be our opponents! Now, Doran! Get rid of them!

Of course!

Doran nodded and wielded his daggers in front of him .  Doran might be tired, but the number of opponents was too small .  I was excited as I imagined the black magicians turning into grey light .  The quest clear signal was right around the corner .

“3,600,000 won and the earls daughter, here I come!

Tatatang!

…Eh?

There was an unexpected result .  The hidden weapons that were thrown by Doran suddenly stopped and fell to the ground .  Dorans advance was also stopped .

Shield?

Defense magic couldnt be used by black magicians . It was only possible for black magicians who completed their second class advancement .  As I was baffled, a young woman walked out from among the black magicians . It was a woman who boasted the best beauty, a unique beauty that caused the beauty of the noble young lady to pale in comparison .  

Somehow, she looked familiar? I checked her name and was shocked .

Blood Witch!!

The Blood Witch .  ID: Yura .

The Korean user who was ranked number one on the black magician ranking and ranked number five on the unified rankings . She was a famous person who frequently appeared on TV because of her beautiful appearance and outstanding abilities .  Why was she here?

Yura looked towards me and stretched out a hand .  Im sorry, but I cant allow you to take away the sacrifice .

Peeng!

A red fire sword emerged from Yuras hand . Its momentum was fierce .  Unlike a black magician who didnt have a lot of attack magic, she was well versed in it .  I was intimidated as I saw the flames .

‘Did I get this far, only to die?

Why the **** was she here? As despair filled my body, a notification window popped up .

[You have been hit by a blow!]

[A legend doesnt die easily . You can resist all attacks for 5 seconds with the minimum amount of health . ]

I had one health point remaining .  I had temporarily forgotten about it, but the attribute of my title was activated and I temporarily had an immortal body .  Yuras face was perplexed as she saw that I survived, despite being hit by her magic .

That was clearly a critical hit… Based on the equipment, you are only around level 80 . So how are you fine after being hit by that attack?

Yura asked while hiding herself behind the black magicians in preparation for Dorans counterattack .  She always had a calm smile on TV, so I was probably the only one who had seen Yuras flustered expression .

I ran forward and shouted to Doran, Quickly! Lets finish it in five seconds! Ill use my body to block their attacks, so Doran must kill them! I believe in you, Doran! My god!

The spells of all the black magicians, including Yura, were concentrated on me . This meant that Doran could strike freely . The best development .  

‘Yes, hit me! No matter how you hit, I wont die!

Today would be the day where an ordinary user would stand up to a ranker .  

I narrowed the gap towards Yura as all types of curses and attack spells hit me, while Doran followed the path I made and dealt devastation to all the black magicians . Then Doran stepped on my back and jumped towards Yura .

Yura blocked his attack despite being in a state of confusion .  On the other hand, Dorans momentum rose .

We can win!

But was it because Doran stepped on my back?

[You have died . ]

……?

Eh? Eeeeh? I wanted to reject this situation, but reality was cruel .  A new notification window popped up as my vision turned grey .

[Quest failed!]

[Your level has dropped by 2 . ]

[You are now level -3 . ]

[As you have died two times within 24 hours, you wont be able to connect to the game for 12 hours . ]

Hah, it somehow turned out like this .  I gazed towards Doran fighting… No, my last sight as I closed my eyes was that damned Blood Witch .

Chapter 7

The average level of black magician users was level 53 .  Out of the 120,000 classes in Satisfy, the black magicians had the lowest average level .  The Black Magician class was a combat profession, but users of this class had very weak defense and insufficient attack power .  

However, Yura had been hunting alone without a party since she starting, demonstrating unmatched control skills that harmonized with her magic . Her ability to select hunting grounds was also excellent .  There was a good reason why Yura surpassed two billion users to rise to fifth place in the rankings .

Three hours ago, Yura had finally reached level 230, resulting in new wings being added to the list of her abilities .

Now I can use defensive magic…

Yura confirmed the A-grade spell that she acquired after much difficulty .  

Diamond Barrier .  

It was a spell to create a shield by materializing mana with a hardness comparable to that of a diamond . It was a defense type magic that could be acquired with a black magician reached level 230 .

After completing all the conditions required to learn Diamond Barrier, Yura headed straight to the Yatan Temple .  As always, she headed to a temple with fewer users .  It was troublesome since it was a long distance, but it couldnt be helped .  It would be annoying if she went to a place with a lot of users, due to her high popularity . It was amazing how many people recognized her, even when she concealed her face and ID .

After running for two hours, Yura arrived at the Yatan Temple and placed the prepared spell book on the altar . The moment she was about to learn new magic after professing her deep faith in God Yatan .

[A foolish group of enemies hostile to God Yatan has appeared inside the temple . ]

[Guardian of the Temple] 

Difficulty: S

There are foolish people who have entered in order to rescue the sacrifice to God Yatan . You must defend the dignity of God Yatan and punish the blasphemous intruders .

Quest Clear Conditions: Repel attackers or defend the sacrifice for one hour .

Clear Reward: The title Guardian of Yatans Temple .

* Guardian of Yatans Temple: Faith +300, Health +1,000, Intelligence +60

You are an example to other believers after defending the dignity of God Yatan . God Yatan will bless you more, and the faithful will worship you .

Quest Failure: Level -2, Faith -250 .

Yura was surprised since she had only experienced an S-grade quest three times, despite being level 230 .  Then, a lot of noise was heard in the distance .

Is this an auto-generated quest due to the advent of an intruder? Im lucky I came to the temple at this time . ’

Yura was very motivated . She greatly desired the Guardian of the Yatans Temple title because it elevated all the important stats .

First of all, Yura grasped the location of the sacrifice and then went to the place where the disturbance was happening . She witnessed an NPC in leather armor ruthlessly slaughtering the followers of Yatan .

An NPC who has finished the third class advancement .

Indeed, an S-grade quest had a much higher level of difficulty . The NPC called Doran was a great threat to Yura .

Even if I borrow the power of the believers, it will be a difficult quest to succeed .  

She received an S-grade quest after a long time, but unfortunately, the chances of success seemed low .  

No, there is no point in guessing .

Yura calmly dispersed her mana throughout the entire temple .  This wasnt a normal use of mana for black magicians . In other words, it was to detect the enemy .  While the detection skill was only available to those with a fine mana manipulation ability, it was but a simple matter for Yura .  

Including Doran, there are two people .

Yura grasped the number of enemies and looked at the user following Doran .  ID: Grid . Looking at his equipment, he seemed to be a level 80 user .  It was surprisingly low for the person who mustve triggered the S-grade quest .

The only one to be careful of was Doran . If so, this quest could be cleared .

Yura meticulously observed the terrain of the temple while her enemies focused on fighting the believers . She made a judgment and went down to the basement where the sacrifice was located .

The temple was too spacious and there was a lot of cover, so it was advantageous for Doran . She planned to use the hostage in the relatively small basement to limit Dorans movement and increase the hit rate of her magic .

After a while, Doran and Grid finally entered the basement . Doran was already quite exhausted from dealing with all of the believers .  

These ridiculous bastards! They need more people than that to be our opponents! Now, Doran! Get rid of them!

The user Grid, shouted and Doran nodded as he fired his hidden weapons in front of him .

“3,600,000 won and the earls daughter, here I come!

Grid was confident about the quest succeeding .  Yura felt sorry for him, but she also needed to clear her quest so she acted without any hesitation .

Tatatang!

Yura defeated Dorans hidden weapons with the recently learned Diamond Barrier and turned her gaze to the astounded Grid .

Im sorry, but I cant allow you to take away the sacrifice .

Doran was strong . In order to focus on him, it was wiser to deal with the relatively weak Grid first .  Yura summoned fire and attacked without any delay .

[Critical!]

The greatsword was a weapon that warriors specialized in . It was clear that Grids class was that of a warrior .  If he was a warrior around level 80, then no matter how good the equipment, his maximum health would be around 4,000 .  But Grid wasnt wearing any special equipment . He should have approximately 3,000 health . Furthermore, warriors were very vulnerable to magic .

Yura calculated that she could deal with Grid in one hit by consuming one-fifth of her mana . It was a critical hit, so it was normal to think that Grid died .  But surprisingly, Grid survived .

How?

Lets say that his luck was so high that he survived the critical hit . However, it was common sense for a character to become stunned after received 40% or more damage in a single attack .  Grid was standing without being stunned as if 40% of his health hadnt been decreased .

That was clearly a critical hit… Based on the equipment, you are only around level 80 . So how are you fine after being hit by that attack?

Yura was ranked fifth among the pool two billion users, and she was narrowing the gap between her and the fourth-ranked person . Her gaming skills were truly overwhelming .  She knew that her magic damage calculations were never wrong . Her calculations had never been wrong while playing Satisfy so far . This was a new experience for her .  

That confusion it caused greatly affected her .

Why is this happening? Is his level actually far higher than the equipment he is wearing? No, that isnt likely . A person who dares to wear low-level equipment during an S-grade quest… Did I overlook something?

She tried to calmly analyze the situation, but Grid was approaching .

Step . Step .

He was a warrior walking a very slow pace, as if he wasnt in a hurry to narrow the gap towards the black magicians .  It was an attitude that seemed to disregard Yuras fifth place ranking .  Grids behavior seemed to be saying to Yura, ‘I am giving you enough time to chant a spell . Use your best magic .

An obvious provocation! Yura, who had a strong self-esteem, was furious . As Grid wished, she started to chant the top-level attack magic . She was determined to turn him into ashes, along with Doran .

“Great **** of the darkness, your humble servant calls you . Fill this place with darkness and plant fear in the enemies hearts, show your power to those who worship you .

As magic power started to rise, the torches lighting up the basement started to go out .  The torches actually werent turned off; the magic just turned the flames black .  Soon, the darkness swallowed up this area .

A normal enemy would lose their vision and stop due to the added fear effect of this spell .  In fact, Doran hesitated for a moment from where he was hunting the black magicians behind Grid .  But Grid was approaching like it was nothing . He had a higher resistance than an NPC who had completed the third class advancement .

What is his identity…

The ID was too strange . He wasnt a ranker, then how was he so strong? Her confusion grew and Yura couldnt easily recover .  But the spell was fully completed .

Dark Storm!

Kwa kwa kwa kwang!

A silent storm formed in the darkness and struck Grid .  The effect of the storm caused the pillars supporting the basement to wobble, while cracks appeared on the ground and walls .  A mighty power that could topple the whole temple! It was the moment when a high-ranking dark attack magic was revealed .

Kwaang!

Grids body, that was already damaged from the black magicians attacks, was overwhelmed by the storm .  Yura believed that Grid would turn into a grey light .  But Grid was still fine as he kept walking forward, penetrating through the storm without pause .

On the other hand, Dorans body behind him was a rag, barely following Grid as a green light emerged from his ring .  Even a third advancement NPC couldnt cope with the magic, so why was this user fine?

“You… what are you?

Yura was a smart girl . She could see through anything with logic .  In her 21 years of life, she had been praised by everyone she met for her beauty and intelligence .  She used her innate insight on her work, earning her a reputation of a talented person who could be used everywhere .  

Satisfy was the path that she finally chose .  

Anyway, this brilliant Yura couldnt figure out the man called Grid .  

This is an impossibility in the current Satisfy . This overwhelming presence isn’t an NPC but a human… Is he a bugged user? No, Satisfy is controlled by the worlds leading supercomputer, Morpheus, so there are no bugs . There is clearly a rational way to get this strength . How did he gain such strength?

It was the first time she encountered something beyond her common sense . She was baffled and very curious .  At this moment, the person called Grid was deeply imprinted onto Yuras mind .

On the other hand, Grid was coming closer to her with imposing footsteps .  Yura couldnt easily give up so she prepared to fight .  Then Doran stepped on Grids back, jumped up, and attacked her .

Kaaang!

Yura hurriedly blocked Dorans attack magic and turned her gaze towards Grid, expecting an attack, only for her eyes to widen .  The body of Grid, that had been fine just a moment ago, was covered with a grey light and was disappearing .

……?

Afterwards, Yura received big injuries as she struggled with Doran and barely managed to subdue him .  She stared at the place where Grid disappeared, ignoring the system window that informed her of the success of the quest .

Even if he were hit by Dark Storm, he wouldnt have died so suddenly . He mustve been penalized and forcibly logged out . Why?

Yuras expression gradually worsened as she thought about it .

Did he yield the quest to me…?

She felt helpless and received Grids sympathy .  That day became the worst day to Yura, of when her sturdy pride was thoroughly shattered .

Chapter 8

Uwaaaack! Doran, that bastard! He forcibly gave me a quest I didnt want, only to kill his teammate? Fuck! Thieves, robbers, and thugs, now I know why there are all these names . Doran! In the future, this name itself will be a curse!

I left the capsule, opened the window and shouted outside .  The rain was strong so my voice wasnt heard by the people in the neighborhood . Thanks to that, I was able to shout for a long time .

It wasnt 4 oclock in the morning yet .  It was a day when my family could rest until late afternoon due to the heavy rain, but I couldnt access the game for 12 hours during such a golden holiday season!

“Level -3…the more I think about it, the worse I feel . Doran, Doran, Doran!

I headed to the bathroom to cool off my head that was flush with anger .  I soaked my face in cold water and listened to the gushing stream of water .  I felt much better after washing my head for two days straight .

“…Doran isnt to blame for the situation .

Unlike my prediction, Doran was extremely strong and fought well . I was a bridesmaid and didnt have to do anything . Doran took care of all of the enemies by himself . I only had a chance to succeed in the quest due to Dorans power .  

Yes, Doran did really well .  However, an unexpected situation occurred .  The appearance of a ranker .

“Damn witch…

Why had Yura appeared there? She was a black magician . The Yatan Temple was an important base for black magicians, so it wasnt unusual for her to appear there at any time .  Why did Yura interfere? I was an intruder in the temple and she was obliged to protect the temple . It was obvious that she would be hostile to me .  That was understandable .

The moment I accepted the quest, the black magicians in the temple had a separate quest to stop me . The real enemies are the users, not the NPCs . There is a reason why Doran was so strong . No wonder why the S-grade quest felt too easy .

I concluded .

‘Witch… thanks to me invoking the quest, you were able to receive a lot of benefits . A girl who didnt shed blood or tears . She tried to kill me instead of thanking me…

After I died, Yura wouldve succeeded in the quest . Yura was strong and Doran was quite exhausted .  It was really detestable .

It was because of me that Yura received the quest in the first place, and the reason Doran was so tired was because I was weak . Yura just sat back and ate bread . The bread that I had put in her mouth .

Bad person…

A ranker over level 200 had snatched the quest of a minus level! I entered the capsule, connected to the Internet, and then searched for Yura .

Yura, I just typed it in and hundreds, no, thousands of related links filled the screen .  I only checked the postings of highly popular blogs and large-scale communities and managed to get information about Yura .

Contrary to her creepy nickname of the Blood Witch, she was well loved and respected, as well as a target of envy .

Thanks to her superb beauty, perfect gaming skills and ideal image in the media, she was praised by both men and women . It also transcended race . There were thousands of fan clubs created on overseas servers .  At first glance, she was even more popular than Hollywoods top actors .

That is the modern world now .  

Satisfy was more colorful, thrilling and dramatic than any movie, so the main characters of Satisfy enjoyed more popularity than movie stars .  If someone watched TV these days, hundreds of channels were filled with Satisfy related programs . They also achieved high ratings, so Satisfy profession news channels were created .  

Of course, it wasnt just limited to South Korea . Satisfy had more than two billion users . The broadcasting market wasnt just South Korea, but the world .  As a result, the movie actors received less exposure than Satisfys protagonists, the rankers .

In particular, Yura was much more recognizable than other rankers due to her beauty . Thanks to that, she had both money and fame .  It was a perfect contrast to me, who was in debt due to Satisfy .  

I am suffering because of the game, while she is living a fantastic life because of it .

Enjoying her favorite game while being recognized by the world? I was incredibly envious . If I was Yura, I would have no disappointments in my life .

“…A person like you had to take  away a poor persons quest .

She wasnt a witch . She was just a really wicked girl .

Kwaduduk!

I opened up the hologram keyboard and started to comment on Yura related posts one by one .

Yura is garbage . She interfered in the quest of a low-level user . She is completely different from her appearance on TV . Her personality is rotten .

Yura isnt very pretty when you see her in real life . She got plastic surgery a facelift . There is dirt on her nose and she always looks like she is chewing **** . Her smile is just for the TV .

‘Why is Yura good??? She is a bad person . How many people has she ruined? She also ruined my brother-in-law .

A ranker interfered in a quest!! Dont be fooled by the image created on TV .  

Huhuhu…! Kukukuk!

I informed people about what I actually experienced with Yura .  I felt great because I became a great journalist who spread the truth to the people deceived by false information . The terrible reality that I experienced a while ago was gradually fading from my mind!

Tadak . Tadadak .

I continued posting comments .  My ten fingers tapped against the hologram keyboard that glowed in the darkness .  A person tapping on the keyboard in the darkened room, someone who saw it might think it was beautiful and mysterious .

Oppa… have you finally gone crazy?

Writing malicious comments… no, it was a movement to reveal the truth .  

I jumped in surprise at the voice that was suddenly heard . I turned my gaze towards the source and saw Sehee staring at me from the door .

You surprised me .

I placed my hand on my chest, while Sehee entered my room with folded arms .

I was going to the toilet when I heard Oppa giggling in your room . You were crazy about the game, so I thought you went crazy in reality . I was worried about Oppa and decided to check on you . Are you crazy? Please say that youre not .

“…Why are you speaking like that to your Oppa? Im not crazy .

“Im glad youre not crazy yet . Urgh, something smells . Take a look at your head, you should wash more . And get rid of that bowl of rice that you ate! No, why are you eating rice in your room in the first place? You should eat together with us… bah, no .

Sehee looked at the empty rice bowls and side dishes that I stacked up and started cleaning up .  

‘This girl, she is nice and pretty . It is good that she doesnt resemble me .

I watched her approvingly . Sehee felt my gaze and turned around .

“Dont just sit there and watch . If youre not busy, shouldnt you help? No . Go and wash up . I dont like that appearance .

“Leave it and Ill take care of it . Why are you getting up when it isnt even morning yet? Go back to sleep .

“I saw Oppa laughing in a creepy manner, so my sleepiness has fled . Please go wash up . I want to see your face properly after a long time… ah, no! Wash off that dirty and unpleasant scent!

When Sehee was one year old, I was nine years old .  Was it right for my younger sister to act like this?

If I knew this would happen, I wouldve washed up when I washed my head .

I headed to the bathroom in an annoyed mood . I washed my head with soap and dried it with a towel .  But why was my hair so stiff?

“…It was laundry soap .

I returned to my room with my stiff hair and smelled something different in my room . It was a rather refreshing scent .  Did she spray perfume? Sehee was truly meticulous .  The room had been cleaned and tidied up during the time I used to wash up .  She was a very diligent girl, unlike me . She would be a nice bride .

I saw Sehee sitting in the capsule and laying down on my bed .

“Connect to the Internet if you want~

Anyway, it wasnt like I could access the game . I easily yielded the capsule to my little sister .

Sehee shrugged and unexpectedly sent me a look of disdain .  Oppa… are you a keyboard warrior?

“Keyboard warrior?”

What did that mean? When I looked up, Sehee got up and pointed her finger to the monitor floating in front of the capsule .

“Why are you spreading false rumors about a woman younger than you? Even if there is a reason, this behavior is too naughty . Im really disappointed in Oppa .

Her voice sank . Sehee was sincerely angry .  I belatedly realized my mistake and hurriedly checked the monitor .  The damning list of comments that I made about Yura was still showing .

Dammit! I shouldve turned off my Internet window!

S-Sehee, this…

“How low .

I tried to explain to Sehee, but she returned to her room and locked the door without giving me a chance to talk . The door wouldnt open, no matter how pathetically I acted .  I realized that the last bit of good opinion my sister had towards me was completely lost .

This…what is this!

This is all due to that witch!

I appealed to Sehee in front of her room . I didnt realize that I fell asleep there until I was woken up by my mother .  My body wasnt trained at all! It hurts…

I placed a cold patch on my body and fell asleep again .  Then the next day .

Huaaah~~

I opened my eyes and saw that it was 11 a . m .  My parents went to work at dawn and Sehee would be in school for three hours already .

“I slept only six hours . I cant oversleep because of my diligence… Why did God make me so diligent?

I scratched my hips above my underwear while heading to the kitchen . I was hungry but it was too annoying to cook .  

Forget it .

I ignored the protesting cries of my stomach and headed to the living room . Then I lay on the sofa and turned on the TV .  It was a Satisfy related channel 

Satisfy was even covered on the housewives channel . The title of the program was How to meet a young man through Satisfy! It was a program that dealt with the process of making a character in Satisfy look as young and pretty as possible .

‘…PD Cheon Jaende?

It seemed to have pretty high viewership . I skipped past a man who didnt think he would live long after a phone call from his wife .  I stopped at a program called Satisfys Hot Issues .

A cute female reporter was greeting an Asian youth around my age .  There was a close up of the young mans face . At the bottom of the screen, the ID Katz and level 203 appeared as subtitles .

Katz is already level 200?

Katz was a celebrity . He was notorious due to his arrogance, but he was always one of the top ranks in the warrior class .  Three months ago, he was level 170 but now he was already level 203? At that level, he would be at the top of the unified rankings .

‘How did he get over 30 levels in three months?

The reporter on screen was asking the same question as me .

–Katz, did you know that you are one of the biggest issues in Satisfy these days? Our producers were very surprised . In just three months, Katz has climbed up to the 53rd ranking . What is the secret to your rapid growth over such a short period of time? 

Katz swept a hand over his well-trimmed hair and smiled smugly .

–Three months ago, I obtained an epic class . I accepted this interview today to reveal my epic class .

–Yes?!

The reporter was shocked and I also stopped scratching at my groin .  The news of an epic class was so shocking that the reporter couldnt respond to Katz .  In the past year, only two epic class changes had appeared in Satisfy .   Its value transcended the imagination . But Katz got his hands on a new epic class .

‘The third epic class…

There was no information about the previous epic classes that appeared . The contents of the first class change book were confidential when circulated around the item trading sites, and no one knew who the owner was .  

The second epic class belonged to Agnus, who was ranked 7th on the unified rankings, but nobody knew what class he had .

It was because most users, especially top rankers, were extremely reluctant to disclose their information .  Information was power! 

There was a fierce competition to survive in Satisfy .  The information shared among large sites was actually quite limited . Most users kept their information to themselves . I would do the same .

However, Katz was revealing his class himself . He was famous for liking colorful and prominent things .

Anyway, this was a huge scoop . It was possible that the ratings record might be broken .  

I remained fixed on this channel .  I focused on the screen, while the reporters eyes were shining with excitement .

–What class are you?

–The name of my epic class is Blood Warrior .

–Is it as special and terrible as the name implies?

It wasnt special or terrifying . It was a very common and mundane name . A sloppy name for an epic class .  But Katz seemed to like the childish name .

–The name isnt that great, but it is a very fantastic class . Let me tell you one important feature…

Katz pulled out the sword hanging from his waist, emitting a tremendous aura . I would be able to pay off all of my debt if I just sold that sword .

–Look .

Katzs eyes were tinged with red . At the same time, his sword started to wriggle .  

Chapter 9

The camera zoomed in on Katz sword .  

Hundreds, no thousands of blood vessels appeared on the blade and grew at a fast pace, completely covering the sword .  Within a short time, Katzs sword was covered with red blood vessels and pulsated like a living heart . However, the swords edge actually became sharper instead of disappearing .  It was a very menacing appearance . On the other hand, it was also a bizarre and disgusting appearance .

But Katz patted the wriggling red sword as if it were adorable .

-This is my passive skill . Any weapon held in my hand would be transformed into this shape . When I attack an enemy with this modified weapon, I can absorb a certain amount of health in proportion to my attack power .  Thanks to this, my reliance on potions has greatly reduced and hunting alone has become easier . The more I attack, the more I can take advantage of this tremendous hunting speed . In addition to this, powerful combat skills were created, so I am able to raise my level quickly .

The reporter, whose face was pallid, continued the interview while ignoring the hideous sword .

–Is an epic class that much stronger than regular classes?

–That is a stupid question . Isnt this natural? Even if it was only a rare class, it exerts a special power over general classes . I can assure you of this: I will rise to the number one ranking sooner or later . I have that type of ability .

–Number one in the top 10 rankings that havent changed in the past year? All 10 users protect their position and wont give it to anyone . This means that the top 10 rankers are extraordinary . Isnt it too much to declare that you can catch up to them just because of one class?

Was the reporter stupid? The arrogant Katz was going to become upset again .

As I expected, Katz started frowning . He looked at the reporter and declared .

–You say that it is just because of one class? How funny! I have a natural talent! The class of Blood Warrior is just a means to effectively show my talent! Agnus got an epic class much sooner and could only reach 7th place in the rankings . Ill let everyone know that I am fundamentally different from Agnus!

According to the rumors, Katz was the son of a leading Japanese conglomerate . This was why he was famous for his high pride .  After scaring the reporter who spat the mocking remark, Katz took the microphone from her and declared,

-Everybody listen up! This Katz will soon be first place in the unified rankings! The reason I announced my class today is to make the existing rankers aware of my strength and to make them tremble in fear . Kukuk, just wait! Sooner or later, I will cast you all aside!

Katz was about to return the microphone to the reporter when he suddenly stopped . Then he asked the reporter .

–Did you say that this is a Korean broadcasting station?

The reported nodded at the words . Katz smiled at her .

–This worked out well . Tell this to Yura: dont be so proud of being part of a country that has nothing except for S . A Group . The era of Korean gaming experts is over . I will trample on her, the last pride of the Korean gamers, sooner or later . Hahahat!

The reporters eyes were tearful while her face distorted like she was smelling chicken poo .  I clicked my tongue while watching Katz .

“The microphones for broadcasting stations in the game are limited and expensive items . Is he proud because of all his money? Mister natural wealth . But Blood Warrior…

I was envious .  Drain health skills always showed great efficiency in past games . Furthermore, the combat skills that Katz boasted were powerful skills of an epic class .  At first glance, Blood Warrior was a powerful class .

It isnt more than me .

Pagmas Descendant was a production class .  Production classes usually didnt have any attack skills, so it was likely that Pagmas Descendant was the same .  But that didnt mean I was weak in battle . Pagmas Descendant was a legendary class that allowed me to go against Yura .

My status resistance was extremely high, and the immortal mode that lasted five seconds was a scam . It was possible to grow as a huge tanker .  But was that all? All equipment could be worn without restrictions . It might be possible to cover the insufficient combat strength with the power of items .

“In addition, production classes are money factories .

Why were there so many users who chose production classes over hunting? The reason was money .

Pagmas Descendant was a legendary blacksmith class! It was a goose that laid golden eggs .

If I make a good item and sell it, I might be able to escape from my debt .

I believed it was a class that could make me hundreds of millions of won .  I returned to my room and turned on the capsule . Then I went on the Internet to find information about blacksmiths .

There was a lot of unfamiliar jargon and knowledge to memorize, but I concentrated on studying as much as possible .  How much time passed? 

While having another attack of hunger, I entered the living room when I heard a big fuss from the TV .  

The Breaking News subtitle appeared on the TV screen .

–I just received breaking news . It is said that the Yatan Temple, located in the northern part of the Eternal Kingdom, has collapsed . It is surprising and unusual for a well-preserved temple to collapse overnight . What is the story behind it? Lets go to the scene . I am Reporter Lee Kyungmin .

The screen shifted from the studio to a familiar place .

This place…

A location was illuminated on the TV . It was the Yatan Temple where he resurrected yesterday and met Doran .  The huge temple, larger than the Capitol Building, was surprisingly half collapsed .

When I saw the scene, I recalled the dark storm caused by Yura .

‘That magic… was it huge enough to destroy the temple? She is a really horrible girl to use such a fearsome spell on people .

My fear of the witch I faced yesterday slowly amplified over time . If we accidentally met on the street by chance, I was afraid that I would pee my pants .  Katz said he could beat her? 

“Bastard . You really dont know who you are talking about . She is already in a different dimension . A monster .

The male reported conveyed the news .

–At around 3:40 a . m . today, a user visited this place and witnessed an amazing sight . Koreas number one ranker, who is fifth in the unified rankings, Yura was fighting someone . Who did she fight that she had to use enough strength to destroy the temple? Was it a struggle with a top ranker? If so, why were they fighting in this place? Was there perhaps a hidden quest? There are many questions . Then lets listen to the testimony of an eyewitness .

A boy, who seemed to be a middle school student, was caught on camera .

The boys ID and level were subtitled at the bottom .

The boy spoke,

–Yesterday, I was here because of a quest . I was forced to flee to the temple while being chased by a monster . The believers who shouldve been present werent there . However, a large commotion was coming from underground, so I went down to the basement…

The boy stopped talking and asked the reporter .

–Is there a mosaic over my face right now? It is time for me to go to school . If my mother catches me in the capsule, Im dead .

At almost the same time, the boys face and ID were completely covered with a mosaic .  The reporter nodded .

–Of course there is a mosaic . There is voice modulation as well . Please tell me with confidence .

The stupid boy sighed with relief .  Poor guy… his mum would kill him .  His unhappiness would be my happiness! I felt better .  

The boy continued,

–I went down to the basement and saw Yura . I was captivated by her beauty . Mister, have you seen Yura? Really! She is even prettier than Kim Taehee! A complete goddess!

–People around the world are already aware of her beauty . We will put aside that story . What was happening in the basement?

–It was amazing .

–What specifically was so amazing?

–There were almost 20 black magicians constantly casting magic at a single person, but he didnt receive a single point of damage . Even the curses had no effect . He laughed like he didnt feel anything and moved towards Yura . Yura was nervous .

The reporter was confused .

–The basic level of the Yatan Temples NPCs is known to be 160 . He was attacked by level 160 NPCs and received no damage?

–It was like he resisted all of it . Really .

–Resisted dozens of spells? That is impossible, even for a top ranker… Is he ranked higher than Yura?

The reporters expression wasnt happy, but the boy didnt care and continued speaking .

–He isnt a top ranker . I have never seen the face before . Nevertheless, he defeated all of the black magicians and threatened Yura . Yura used Dark Storm…no, it seemed like she used every bit of magic she had . It was too strong that it even broke the temple, but that user was fine . Yuras expression was disturbed as she stared at him with an expression similar to fear… I am a member of Yuras fan club, so I know that Yura isnt the type of person to look like that . I never imagined that Yura could make such an expression .

The reported looked dubious but still showed great interest .

–So what happened in the end? And what was the mans ID?

The boy shook his head .

–ID… Well, that… what was it? I cant remember . I was so entranced by Yuras beauty that I didnt observe him properly . Then I was killed by a falling pillar, so I dont know the result .

–I see… Who is the man who dealt with 20 black magicians and Yura, despite not being a top ranker? I would like to know . This is Reporter Lee Kyungmin .

Unbelievable! The hand holding the remote control shook . My heart started thumping .  The man in question on the news, it was me .  This was an opportunity . Since this incident happened on TV, I would receive lots of requests for interviews and would be able to make a profit from shooting commercials .

The screen switched back to the studio, with a panel filled with experts discussed the man in question, me .  I called the broadcasting station right away .

(Hello, this is BCCs viewers consultation center . How can I help you?)

The man from the breaking news . Arent you looking for him right now? The person who fought Yura .

(Yes . Do you have a tip?)

The person is me .

(…Ah, yes . As part of the confirmation process, can you give me your Satisfy ID and some brief information?)

My ID is Grid . My class is Pagmas Descendant and my level is -3 . Oh, Pagmas Descendant is a class obtained from a legendary class change book…

Tutu-

……

The station one-sidedly hung up and didnt pick up my call again . It seemed that my number had been registered as spam .

Stupid person! You will regret missing out on the scoop of a lifetime!

I wanted to try other stations, but decided to let it go . As I thought about it calmly, I was reluctant to leak information about the minus level and legendary class .

It isnt the time yet, right?

I focused on the TV screen . Then I saw a familiar figure on TV .

Doran…?

It was really Doran .  The present TV screen showed a large image of the ruins of the Yatan Temple, with a small box at the top where the experts were discussing .  Doran was in the center of the big screen . He was too small so the cameraman didnt seem to see him, but I was able to recognize Doran .

I pushed my face right in front of the TV and watched Doran quietly .  He was barely crawling from the ruined temple, a woman held in his arms .   The identity of the woman was the earls esteemed daughter that Doran had been looking for .  

The destruction of the temple caused great confusion among the believers, allowing Doran to somehow rescue her .  The woman stood up and screamed something at Doran . She seemed to be crying .  Then Doran handed something small to the woman . After a short time, he died and turned into a grey light .  The woman shed tears and headed elsewhere while cherishing the item she received from Doran .

Doran…died…

He wasnt a human but an NPC . A false life made by the system .  However, it wasnt comfortable watching the death of an NPC I built a bond with . They had minds and a clear body temperature .

Also, the ring…

I trembled as I recalled the effects of the ring that Doran had worn .

When an NPC dies, all their equipment will disappear as well… That ring, if you were going to die anyway, you shouldve given it to me .

I looked out the window where rain was still pouring down . I didnt feel well . In addition, I was hungry .  After satisfying my hunger, I connected to the Internet again to gather as much information about blacksmiths as possible .

The time was 3:55 p . m .  The 12-hour penalty was over .  I had to log on to Satisfy .

“Login . ”

Chapter 10

Going to the Mubaid Ruins, one must be level 130 or higher!

“Looking for those who want to hunt in the Grey Forest ~ A level 130 warrior is waiting for people higher than level 96~

“Recruiting people for the Guardian of the Forest raid! A level 190 archer, level 181 martial artist, and other top rankers will join! Your class and level dont matter! Anyone will do!

When I accessed the game, I stood in a town square .  I couldnt resurrect at the Yatan Temple due to being in a hostile relationship with the Yatan Church .

Bairan Village?

It was the place I visited before proceeding with Ashurs quest .  I frowned as I recalled the past memories .

“I got turned around .

The monsters near Bairan Village were at least level 100 . In addition, they were all ferocious monsters .  The level of users here was at least the mid-80s, and they always needed a party when hunting . It was a dangerous place where users below level 120 couldnt leave the village alone .  

In the past, I wandered around here alone while searching for the Northern End Cave and died . At that time, the durability of some of my equipment was reduced to zero and my boots and gauntlets shattered .

“I ended up resurrecting at this place .

Maybe I was some stupid **** in my past life . I probably dishonoured Lady Luck in my past life, then my memories were erased and I was banished to the human world . Since then, I lived an unlucky life .

This is true . I cant be so unlucky unless I sinned directly against the goddess of luck .

I placed my forehead on a wall and blamed my past life . I couldnt be here forever, so I recovered my spirit .

I should go to another village .

Right now, the urgent thing was to raise my level . I wanted to escape from the minus level as soon as possible . There was no reason to stay in a village where hunting was impossible .  I found a horse-drawn carriage waiting for customers in a corner of the square and asked the coachman .  

“What is the safest village near here?

Winston Village . Many novice travelers visit that place . Do you need a driver to take you there?

“How much?

The coachman raised one finger .  He was a crook .  Carriages were means of transportation for the rich: they were tremendous luxuries for debt-ridden people like me . It was a luxury comparable to eating a whole marinated chicken for one meal!

But there was nothing I could do . Right now, it was impossible for me to move to another village with my own power .  If I left the village, I would only walk a little bit before dying .   I handed over one silver while shedding tears .

The coachman looked at me .  What are you doing? It is 10 gold .

I made a surprised expression, as if I really didnt know .  Heok! 10 gold? It is 10 gold, not 10 silver?

“This must be the first time you are taking a carriage . In the safe zone, the base fare for a carriage is set at five gold . In a monster-infested area such as this, there should be some profit for the high risk . This price is actually cheap . Winston is close to here, so it is only the basic fare .

You are charging so much just for driving a carriage!

“Tsk tsk, this is why I dont like novice travelers . Dont you know that all the monsters in the vicinity will attack as soon as they find humans?

No! I know that there arent any monsters fast enough to catch up to the speed of a carriage!

The coachman flinched . My point had struck him .  The coachman coughed and explained, “Obviously, the monsters have slow feet . But they know the terrain and have the instincts of natural hunters . They use these advantages to catch up .

It was like selling drugs .

Then you should be vigilant .

Cough… then I will accept nine gold .

Okay . The price bargaining had begun .  The basic rule of bargaining was to cut it as much as possible!

10 silver .

……

Excuse me?

……

What? Why wasnt he saying anything? The response was different than expected .  Wasnt it normal to say, 10 gold is too cheap . I will accept eight gold? Then I would return with 20 silver, the coachman would offer seven gold . Then 30 silver, six gold… 

This was my grand plan to complete the bargaining at around two gold .  But the coachman just ignored me, making the plan become distorted .

“Arent you going to bargain?

“Who in the world would bargain with a crook like you? This useless bastard! I was kind enough to cut it to nine gold, yet you offered 10 silver? You want me to bargain? Who is going to make a deal with a **** like you?

Isnt there the saying, the customers is king?! I will sue you and make you unemployed!

If you want to sue me, do it! Do you think the union will take your side? Get lost, you insane bastard!

In Patrian, my bargaining was always successful because my reputation and affinity with the residents were at the maximum . Even if it didnt work, I just laughed it off . However, this response was entirely new to me .

It was serious . At this rate, I wouldnt be able to ride the carriage . Currently, I only had 3 gold and 11 silver .  The difficulty of the Ashur quest was so terrible that I spent a lot of my money on potions .

“Please… My sick mother is in Winston Village all alone… She will die soon . What a sad son I will be if I cant watch my mothers last moments… Please take pity on me and consider the bargain .

I looked as miserable as possible and told a heartbreaking story .  

But the cold-hearted coachman just snorted .  “You are obviously telling a lie . You didnt even plan to go to Winston Village in the beginning, so who would believe you now?

“…Sheesh, youre smarter than you look .

W-What! You cheap bastard!

There was no chance of this succeeding . I ran away from the coachman who chased me with a red face and visited other carriages .  But despite being as careful as possible, it was impossible to bargain it down to three gold . No matter what heartbreaking stories I used, the limit was 8 gold and 90 silver .

I was frustrated by Satisfys modern society .

Why?

Was it necessary to be stuck at level -3 while being isolated in the remote Bairan Village?

“I cant do that .

I had a means to obtain the money for the carriage .  Just make items! If I made an item, I could gain some experience . If it had a normal rating, I could sell it to a store .  I opened the skills window and confirmed the Blacksmith Craftsmanship Skill .

[Blacksmith Craftsmanship Skill] 

Lv: Master

Produce equipment items that you know how to make .

There is a certain probability of creating rare rated items .

There is a low probability of creating epic rated items .

There is a rare probability of creating unique rated items .

* Due to the effect of mastering the skill, the attributes of all items are increased by 10% .

* When rare rated items are produced, all stats will permanently rise by +2 .  

Reputation throughout the continent will rise by +30 .

* When epic rated items are produced, all stats will permanently rise by +4 .  

Reputation throughout the continent will rise by +80 .

* When unique rated items are produced, all stats will permanently rise by +12 .  

Reputation throughout the continent will permanently rise by +300 .  

 

This is absurd…

According to the rankings, the first place blacksmith only had intermediate level blacksmith skills .  Despite producing tens of thousands of items by the time he reached level 110, he barely reached the intermediate level . Thus, he said that production skill levels are hard to raise .

However, I basically mastered the Blacksmith Craftsmanship Skill, which was beyond the Advanced Blacksmith Technique and Intermediate Blacksmith Technique .  If the person ranked number one in the blacksmith rankings were aware of my presence, he would probably quit the game .

When compared to him, I finally realize the greatness of a legendary class .

I then confirmed the other Legendary Blacksmiths Craftsmanship Skill .

[Legendary Blacksmiths Craftsmanship Skill] 

Lv . 1

Produce equipment items that you know how to make .

You can create the production methods for a new item with the Legendary Blacksmiths Creation skill .

There is a certain probability of producing rare~ epic rated items .

There is a rare probability of creating unique rated items .

There is a very rare probability of creating legendary rated items .

*All stats of a production item will increase by 10% .

* When rare rated items are produced, all stats will permanently rise by +2 and reputation throughout the continent will rise by +30 .

* When epic rated items are produced, all stats will permanently rise by +4 and reputation throughout the continent will rise by +80 .

* When unique rated items are produced, all stats will permanently rise by +12 and reputation throughout the continent will rise by +300 .

* When legendary rated items are produced, all stats will permanently rise by +25 and reputation throughout the continent will rise by +1,000 .

* Something special will occur with every five legendary items created .  

Wow…

The Legendary Blacksmiths Craftsmanship Skill was only level one . Nevertheless, it was far superior to the mastered Blacksmith Craftsmanship Skill . I couldnt help admiring it .  I was excited and immediately confirmed the Legendary Blacksmiths Creation skill .

[Legendary Blacksmiths Creation Skill]

You can create three equipment item production methods every time the skill level of the Legendary Blacksmiths Craftsmanship Skill goes up .  

Number of items that can be created at present: 3/3

* When items are produced using this skill, the name of the creator is automatically placed on the item .  

 

“Create an item? What is the method?

The explanation wasnt easy to understand . Seeing was believing . I decided to try it out .  I used the Legendary Blacksmiths Creation Skill without hesitation .

[What item do you want to create?]

The most important item was naturally a weapon . A weapon allowed quick hunting and was directly linked to high levels .  Among the weapons, I thought the best one was a greatsword .  

Thick, big, beautiful… 

A big sword that could smash the enemys armor was a mans romance! Up to this point, I never selected a weapon other than a greatsword in games . Then first, lets make a greatsword .

Greatsword .

[Have you decided?]

Yes .

[What materials would you like to use?]

Ohu~ thats right . I was creating a production method, so I needed to use the materials .  Wasnt it natural to use special materials? I thought of the person asking for party members to go on the Guardian of the Forest boss raid .

I heard that the guardian of the forest drops the best mineral so far… the name is…

I recalled it and replied, Blue Orichalcum .

[Have you decided?]

Yes .

OG: 

Current schedule: Two chapters every day .