User talk:Iro Daijoubu

ACT 5 Red Man Kurururu! There was a deafening honk. Following Sarah, we reached the Brown rock area within 30 minutes. Ark’s party reached the bottom of a waterfall pouring down from distant heights. It was an area of darkened stone around Giran; with such excessive heights that Ark had never even been there. They took a break to view the stunning scenery but some of the view was blocked by the ruins. While Ark was looking around, Sarah pointed to one side. At the back of the falls was a small space that one person might be able to pass through. When just looking at it straight on, the mist from the water makes the passage impossible to see. Sarah thrust a hand in and showed that the space was larger than it seems. Inside the entrance a bunch of moss was attached to it.

[Unidentified thieves hideout Inside the Brown Rocky area are ruins that have been abandoned a long time ago.It looks like one of the places that are often abandoned. However, traces of people can be found at several different locations.This remains clear that a dangerous group are hiding somewhere within the ruins. If you are going to explore the ruins, proceed with extreme caution.] -You have found an undiscovered dungeon. As a new discover, you can gain an additional 700 experience and 30 Fame if you register in the Hall of Fame. Would you like to register?

Ark obviously refused registration and entered.

” This place was a hidden dungeon!’

He’s come to the front of the falls before but never found a dungeon. It was hidden in a place that people wouldn’t have imagined. Of course, this was not the only dungeon. So far, Ark has been in numerous areas with hidden dungeons.

‘When I first started the game, I would have missed them …….. ‘

When Ark first entered New World, he wasn’t interested in everything. He would overlook a suspicious forest or rock. Even a waterfall suddenly appeared in a rocky area then he would’ve just ignored it. It is a long game, if you only relied on information that was already discovered that you would be unable to proceed much further. This was caused by the excessive need to level up.

”But in New World there is a lot of information that is yet unknown. And that is what you have to figure out by yourself. In the future, I should pay more attention to my surroundings.’

Finishing his self-criticism, Ark turned to Sid and said.

“Sid please set up camp here and wait patiently with Sarah.”

“Yes,”

Sid answered and pulled out firewood to create a campfire. Then Sarah pulled Sid’s sleeves and asked.

-Sid-oppa is not fighting?

“Eh? I am a merchant…….. ”

-Being hit would hurt more ….

Sarah’s sneaked a glance at Sid and then looked down.

“Eueu……..Should have chosen a warrior. . .”

That struck a blow and Sid once again regretted his career choice. Leaving the two behind, Ark entered the dungeon. The roaring of the waterfall shook the dungeon. The noise of the waterfall was close enough that it created static around the ears. In addition, every step he took he could feel the tension! Ark stealthily entered the mouth of the tunnel.

‘That reminds me. ‘

“Dedric, surveillance”.

“Roger, master”

Ark advanced carefully with Dedric ahead of him. However, the dungeon was smaller than he thought. One passage consisted of a circular shape. Besides, no matter how much he looked for a thief, he didn’t even see a mouse.

‘What the? Sarah saw the thieves drag her father here. What was going on? ‘

If so, only one answer remained, there was a secret passage somewhere. Therefore Ark used the skill Eyes of the Cat to observe the area around him. And after a few moments, he found some bloodstains on the ground. The blood stains were quite new…….

‘This is it! ‘

It was clear that Sarah’s father was dragged by the thieves and shed some blood. This means that if he followed the blood trail then he will find the secret passage, Ark reasoned. The blood stains were sparsely scattered at areas with dead ends. They were kind enough to show where the secret passage was by splattering a few drops of blood on the walls.

”Is this where the switch is? ‘

Ark peered at the walls and the fall but no matter how meticulously he looked, he could not find the switch. 10 tedious minutes had passed when suddenly the familiar sounds of the waterfall changed. Ark instinctively pressed his ear to the wall. “It really……..is boring” “How long ……this ……. wait?” “Any other way? … … ….It’s an order………..While activities ………stay hidden….. ” “Che, …..They’re surprisingly cowardly… … …Why should we listen to them? ” “He……..what skills do you have … … ….if you offend him… ….. ” “And then ……..Here too … … ….Do you know ” “Aaa………That man ………..we paid compensation … … … that……..words? ” “Now you can harvest soon ………..If everything goes well … … ….get big profit … … … …. ” “Huhuhu, indeed…..” “Although … … …I heard rumours … … …Nowadays, the surrounding robbers ……..there is a hunter? ” “Aaaa…….Heard … … …No party. .. ….it was said to be alone? ” “A pretty strong guy … … … …looks like… ….It’s unrelated to us.. … … .. ” “Damn ……..by such a person ……..and want … … … …I wish …….before I die of boredom ” Because of the falls the sound was broken but information doesn’t really matter to me. The important thing is that there are thieves inside the secret passage! “Okay, Dedric, Skull, lurk back around the corner” Ark commanded in a small voice and they moved to position. And attacked the wall with his sword. A deafening bang, and the walls vibrated. He couldn’t even scratch the walls but that didn’t matter. Because he hadn’t even thought of trying to break the wall.

“Eh? What……..Sound? ” “I heard outside … something collapsed……..did?” “Damn …if entrance collapses ……annoying … … ” “For the time being……I’ll go out” With a mechanical sound, the wall pushed outwards and rose up. ‘What the? Everything’s fine? ” “So what was that sound before?” “Did the stone roll away from the falls or something?” The 3 thieves appeared and looked around through the secret door. Ark who had hidden himself using ‘stealth’ was watching from close by. He came out and quickly approached them, stabbing the thieves with the sword. -Critical Hit! Backstab effect has increase damage by 200%. The thief will be stunned for 10 seconds. The vitality of the thieves was reduced by 30% as the quickly hid himself again… “What, what?” “The enemy!” Two thieves panicked and pulled out a sword However, Ark’s actions was several times faster. “Snake, nerve paralysis poison!” Snake had eaten a poisonous plant and spouted black venom. The venom flew across the small space and hit the neck of the thieves. And the voice of the loudest thief suddenly stopped. That tactic was one that they had used and successfully mastered on other thieves. When using paralysis poison, you can attack the throat and paralyze the vocal cords. When that happens, if the enemy are not organized thieves then their communication will weaken.

“Now, Dedric, Skull! Plan B-1! ‘

Ark who was hidden in the corner called out a command. While Ark took care of one enemy and drew their attention, the two pets began the operation, which had a 70-30 offense and defense ratio used to stop the enemy and blocking the enemy’s retreat was plan B-1D. Additionally, the airborne ratio was 50:50 for plan B-2, 20:30 for B-3 and to stop attacking and stop the enemy from retreating was plan B-4. Through countless attacks against thieves, the experienced Dedric and Skull skillfully avoided the thieves’ attack. Meanwhile, Ark violently attacked a thief who stumbled from the onslaught. Once the enemy’s organizational skills had been destroyed, they were no match for Ark. Hunting a user that was a thief was far more difficult that fighting a group of thieves. Their level was 100! On the other hand, he was only level 85 but the dungeon allowed limited room for the thieves to move. His 30% dark attribute bonus also guaranteed that his stats added up to around level 110. At the same time his skill proficiency increased by 30% and was surprisingly effective. He also used his Eyes of the Cat skill to search for any weaknesses. A kick quickly took care of the stumbling thief and attacked the throat of the middle bandit who had been hit with the paralysis poison to stop communication, causing him to fall into critical condition. Once he fell, the final thief opened his mouth and ran away. Are they trying to request help? ‘Don’t miss? ‘ Ark turned and threw something at the legs running away. Due to the poison the thief’s legs became paralyzed and he fell down. The chances for a double critical hit activated immediately! Even if he couldn’t see it the results were clear. “Well, this was a fairly decent battle.” When he checked only 30% of his health was shaved off. But he would have to be careful because he wasn’t sure how many thieves were hiding. ”

Ark used Eyes of the Cat and activated ‘Stealth’ while hiding in the secret passageway. There were also long tunnels that connected from the passage. Within a few minutes some roads that lead back to a main square room appeared. The square was lined with balconies, each flanked by two thieves standing guard. The square. There was no way to avoid being seen from the balconies on both sides and it was impossible to get away undetected. However, that didn’t matter to Ark as he has the skill ‘stealth.’ ‘The stairs to go up the balcony can’t be seen from here. Then are there more stairs to go up inside the balcony? I better find the stairs to go up where I can remain undetected. ‘

Ark silently crossed the square. Although he had ‘Stealth’ activated, he was still quite nervous when he entered the vicinity of the guards. And just as he was about to cross the square, a situation that had never happened before occurred. He happened to step on something on the ground.

-A trap has been triggered. Critical Hit! You have received 200 damage. ‘Bleed’ status. 10 hp will be consumed every 5 seconds for one minute.

He never expected traps. So far he’s never fought against an opponent who used traps, but the problem was not the trap. The attack had cause him to enter a battle state and the ‘Stealth’ ability was deactivated. At the moment, the eyes of every thief were concentrated on Ark.

“Intruder!” “How did you get here?” “Whatever it doesn’t matter! Kill him!” Two people at a time deliberately lifted their bows, for a total of 4 people. The arrows simultaneously flew from different directions. The situation was one where he couldn’t predict and avoid the arrows. However, Ark did not panic. He had experienced this with countless other bandit groups. There was no reason to rush and get upset. “Dedric, Skull! Plan B-4! ” “The right wing. Ok!” Crackle!

Dedric and Skull used all their evasive power to avoid the arrows and destroy two. Then, Ark grasped his sword tightly and concentrated on the remaining arrows flying towards him. Just as the arrows were four feet away from him, he turned and swung his sword. He pushed forward while simultaneously hitting the arrow with his sword… At the moment it struck, he managed to counter attack and successfully pulled off Riposte. He managed to attack a thief faster than the arrows could be shot. “Gwak, how, the arrow …!” The thieves burst out a shocked cry. After being backed into a corner by the Silver Arrow group, he relentlessly polished the activation rate of his Riposte skill. Thanks to this training, there was a 70% chance that Riposte would activate and parry the arrows. Once the arrow had been deflected, Riposte was useful in dealing the first blow. If an arrow hits there is a high possibility that an abnormal status will be inflicted. And it’s the same for thieves too. If two thieves were hit with arrows, they might get paralysis or slow etc. In other words, the robbers were also in danger of being hit by the arrows. There was also Dedric and Skull to decrease the burden on Ark. For Ark, the limit of a flying arrow was two feet. This was a small enough number that he could use Riposte. When Ark deflected as many as five arrows, the thief’s health was decreased by at least 40%. However, it was not a 100% chance. If Riposte failed to activate then the penalty was numbness of the body. When the arrow hits, his health was slowly decreased until it was almost 50%. ” There are four people left. In his state, the success rate of riposte was down. If this goes on for longer than I am at a disadvantage. ‘ Then, while he was flying around and evading arrows, Dedric noticed something and exclaimed. “The switch is here!” “Huh? That guy … … …!” “Hihihi, he discovered the proper design. What is this? It’s like, what? ” Clink, Kurururung! With a smile, Dedric avoided the thieves and the arrows and took out the switch. With a sound, the balcony lowered to the ground like an elevator. The machine was built to act separately from the stairs. “Well done Dedric!” An eerie light shone in Ark’s eyes. A muffled scream was heard as Ark pulled his dagger from the thief standing in front of him. And the NPC archers were no match for a dagger wielding Ark. Ark immediately finished the four archers on the ground.

‘Hyuu…….Nevertheless the party quest was quite difficult.

The thieves were high level and had the geographical advantage. If it hadn’t been for his experience hunting bandit groups, Ark would have probably been the one lying on the ground.

‘Maybe it was fortunate that I discovered this place late. ‘ Ark used food to restore his health and Mana to 100% before moving to the stairs. He walked more cautiously than the first time he entered. ” I never thought there would be traps in the cave’ The biggest problem is that it is a trap. Fortunately the damage done by the trap was minimal. However, he cannot guarantee that the next trap he encounters would be at the same level. Even just an alarm ringing through the cave could cause serious problems. However, even if Ark found a trap it would be difficult to deactivate it. The trap-related skills belong to professions like Archers or Explorers who search through ruins. In New World, it was impossible to get everything for free. However, for those who don’t have the required professions the success rate is less than 10%. Therefore the party shape for dungeons requires the right combination of professions. ‘What if? He couldn’t avoid the traps …….. ‘ Ark began to get worried. It was then that Skull came forward and stumbled on an idea. Skull had complete loyalty! But when Snake evolved, Skull was utilized less. Skull was only used when Ark picked him up to throw or biting ankles. Although he had a lot of stamina and strength due to food, he had no arms and legs to attack. Because of that, in recent times Skull had become quite depressed. Skull could not recognize the expression on his master’s face. Ark thought that this was really a difficult situation. “What happened to Skull?” Crackle! Skull was bravely prepared and rolled stumbling forward. He rolled forward a few feet until there was a snapping sound and a rain of arrows shot from the walls. However, the people who installed the traps never would have thought that a skull would be the one activating it. Of course the arrows were aimed at a human height and shape. “Yes! There is that method!!” Crackle! Crackle! The skull proudly stumbled forwards. “Okay, Skull. You will put out the traps. ” After that, Skull always rolled 10 meters in front of him to check for traps. Of course, arrows shot out or a sword was swung and there was even items falling from the sky. However, Skull had high stamina and survived all the traps. In addition, Ark did not have to worry about an alarm when a trap was triggered. Even if a number of traps were triggered, he did not enter a battle state. Therefore, he used ‘Stealth’ and just hid from any thieves. On the other hand, Skull could simply be unsummoned to deceive the thieves. ‘What the? Why did the traps activate? ” “There’s no one around?” “Damn, did a rodent touch it or something?”

The thieves floated around the perimeter for several minutes before returning to their positions. Therefore, Ark found a way to cope with similar dungeons. The dungeon has a relatively simple structure. A long passage with open up to a large room with archers. There were also 3-4 thieves waiting in the room. The large room had various combinations of thieves, but Ark had already figured out the combinations. He properly activated the machine then went on and defeated the enemies. He passed through 10 or more room. Then unusually the normal long passage ended before two huge doors. ‘This is the boss’s room? ‘ It was different from the traps. He knew that if he opened the doors then enemies would appear. Ark checked his equipment and carefully opened the door. Although the sound of the waterfall echoed loudly in the dungeon, the creaking sound of the unusually large doors opening was clearly audible. “What the hell!” A sharp sound was heard from the side where a variety of tools were scattered. The first thing he saw was the black robe covering the body. However, it was not a human NPC or a humanoid monster…the face that was revealed between the hood was surprisingly that of a reptile. At the same time, a warning message flashed before his eyes. -The Boss monster ‘ Mysterious Conjurer Kirk’ has appeared.

The yellow eyes like a snake rolled around and stared at Ark. “You are the bounty hunter? No, you shouldn’t have taken the reward…..Well it doesn’t matter. Anyone that comes here won’t be allows to leave alive! Kirk was also a level 100 thief. However, a boss monster is never an opponent that can be ignored. Also a level +E difficulty boss monster could be compared to Adelaine. However, Ark had already defeated Adelaine a while ago. Ark snorted and grinned. “That is not something that you will decide.” “Impertinent, how dare a human talk like that?” Flash-! Kirk chanted a spell and 3-4 light rays emerged. It was a low-level magic energy bolt that was learned when you changed professions to magician. While a warrior used a sword, it was the primary magic attack spell for magicians. However, if it is a couple of shots flying at the same time then he couldn’t ignore it. Ark rolled to the ground to avoid the damage. He also used Riposte to deflect the magic. Putt putt POW! “Ugh, this, unbelievable!” Kirk wobbled and retreated. ‘That’s it. Riposte also works on magic! So there was a way for him to win! ” “Dedric, Skull! Plan A-2! ”

He commanded as Ark, Dedric and Skull spread in three directions. They maintained a certain distance while Kirk’s gaze moved wildly between them. Naturally the attacks came flying at Ark who used Riposte as much as possible to parry and counter attack. Kirk began to use more powerful spells. However, the more powerful the spell is the longer it takes for the magic to cast. The ball shaped fireball magic was easier to successful Riposte than the energy bolts.

Double bang!

When the fireball was repelled back to Kirk, his health decreased by 10%. Even if he was a boss monster, the trait of a magician was its low defense. ”I was nervous because it was the same level boss as Adelaine but he’s not so hard. No, is it because I’ve become stronger? Anyway this degree of difficulty should be no problem! ‘ With his confidence boosted, Ark’s concentration also increased and he returned even more magic. However, there was something Ark hadn’t considered. The boss monster’s racial special skill. After around 5 minutes, Kirk’s health had been reduced to 50%. When his attack magic did not hit, Kirk spat out curses with a harsh voice and started to chant a long spell. “God dammit, human prepare to be immobilized!” “”Dedric, Skull! Prepare to stop him from finishing the spell.

Ark had felt something sinister and shouted. However, before Dedric and Skull could interrupt, Kirk’s magic had been completed. “Mimicry!”

At the moment, Kirk’s appearance changed and he disappeared. Ark looked carefully at the surroundings. Suddenly the figure had vanished. Ark could use ‘ stealth ‘ but this appeared to be a different skill. Because ‘stealth’ could not be used in battle. In addition, the Eyes of the Cat were a skill that could see anything that was hidden through level magic, but it could not find any traces of Kirk. Kirk could also use magic even while he was hidden. “The crystalized rock crystals arise!” He heard Kirk’s voice from coming from an unexpected place. Then all of a sudden, the ground rose up and golems the size of humans formed. They were approximately level 50 but there were enough of them to fill the room. The golems came out and the situation immediately changed. Kwa Kwa Kwa bang, bang! The golems surrounded Ark from all directions and attacked. Since they were only level 50 they didn’t do a lot of damage. However, that was different for his level 40 summons. Although they tried to avoid all the attacks, every time they were hit than health was drained. He never expected such magic from Kirk.

‘Damn, what kind of technology is this? ‘

Ark struck a golem which was replaced by another one. Ark was suffering from a situation where the enemy couldn’t be seen. The last time was when the squid shot out black ink underwater. The only way he made a fatal blow was by looking at the flow of the current and following it. However, he couldn’t use that method with Kirk. There were more than 20 golems running around the way and there was no way to look for traces of Kirk.

Kwajik!

The situation couldn’t continue for much longer as first Skull was stepped on by golems before Dedric who was surrounded by golems disappeared as well. All the attention turned to Ark who received additional damage and was soon in a critical state.

‘I was wrong, I can’t win like this! ‘

Ark hurriedly turned and tried to exit the room.

“Kukukuk, did you think I would miss that? Go loyal servants!”

The golems obeyed and pursued him out of the room. Kirk hid between the golems and his voice was heard chanting a spell. Ark turned and stared. ‘Riposte! ‘ Ark’s goal was to strike all the golems with his counterattack. The terrain in front of the room was a narrow passage. In addition, the opponent was a medium sized golem. The golem who was hit with Riposte flew backwards into the crowded area and collided with the golems behind it. Strike! The entangled golems fell like dominoes. “Uhh, this bastard …!” And Kirk who was hiding somewhere between the golems had his magic cancelled. Meanwhile, Ark ran frantically down the passage. After he ran away for 1 minute then the battle state disappeared. Ark immediately hid himself with ‘stealth.’ “Oh damn …! Where is this guy hiding? Golem, sweep through the surrounding area. He must still be lurking around here somewhere! ” After a brief period of time, the voice of Kirk was heard among the golems. However, he still did not have a way to attack when Kirk is in a mimic state. Ark had returned to the secret passage using ‘stealth.’ When he checked the info window, it was not a joke. The durability of all his armour was at the lowest point due to the durability and strength of the golems. Even if he used the magic restoration spell to repair the equipment, the maximum durability would still be reduced. With tears in his eyes, Ark had to use the repair box which he normally avoided using due to low stock and cost. But the problem isn’t repairing his equipment. ‘Is there an alternative method? ‘ Before he had to run away. However, the situation from before wasn’t good. He was already using mimicry and then he summoned golems. On the other hand, Ark had also lost Dedric and Skull. The results meant they had to fight again.

‘Damn it, even if he doesn’t have golems there is still the problem of mimicry …….. ‘

The biggest problem was that Kirk had special racial skill mimicry. If he keeps fighting in the invisible state than there is no way to attack him.

‘When it was underwater there was still a way of attacking …. ‘

He was thinking about his experience fighting underwater when an idea sprang to his head.

Black ink!

Why had he never thought of that?

That right, if they are invisible then you should make it so that they can be seen! ‘

Ark stood up and went to the entrance of the dungeon. At the entrance, Sid was dozing against the wall while Sarah peered with worried eyes at the dungeon. When you’re dead then you can nap comfortably…..

“Eh? Ark-nim! Have you finished?”

“No, the boss was stronger than I thought.”

Ark spoke bluntly in a curt voice and Sarah gave him a concerned look.

“It’s okay. I’ll do everything I can to save your father. ”

Ark said with a smile while Sid looked worried.

“Sid, I’ll need your help to defeat the boss.”

“Yes? But I’m a …….. ”

“I’m not asking you to fight. Remember that thing? You only need to give me that”

Ark said with a smile.

“You fool, you came back to die!”

When Ark entered the secret passage, Kirk’s voice was heard. And the golems flocked to him. In a moment, Ark hit a golem with riposte and sent it flying in the direction of the audible voice.

“Kukukuk. No matter how much you rack your brains it’s not use. If you can’t see me then you can’t catch me!”

Kirk had already fled several meters away from where he was laughing. Then a cold smile spread on Ark’s face.

“Then I just have to look”

Ark’s hand moved quickly. Ark removed a big package from his bag and threw it in the air. And swinging his sword, he burst the package causing colourful liquids to fly everywhere. At that time Kirk gave an embarrassed scream.

“Dye!”

The item splashing all over the place was very colourful liquid dyes. Ark had collected the dye using Sid’s sewing skills. And by blowing it in the air. The dye scattered in many directions. As a result, the deserted dungeon underwent a home renovation with various colours splattered all over like a rainbow.

“Ugh, this is unbelievable!”

The not so agile Kirk couldn’t avoid all the dye and looked like a rainbow lizard. Ark lifted his sword and smiled.

“Pretty good? So now … ….let’s fight fair and square? ”

“Golems kill him!”

“Seems the lizard can’t guess the situation”

Ark quickly narrowed the distance using Riposte. Then the golem was hit and forced back to the wall with Kirk. Due to that golem, Kirk was a difficult goal for Ark. This was because it could hide among the golems without being seen. However, when mimicry was broken the situation changed.

“Snake, nerve paralysis poison!”

Ark swung his poison coated sword at Kirk’s neck. Thanks to the vocal cord paralysis, Kirk couldn’t chant his magic. In addition, he couldn’t give orders to the golems so their actions became unorganized. Kirk was on the defensive and in a hurry ran away. However, Ark used Riposte on the golem and aimed it to hit Kirk. With his vocal cords barely unparalyzed, Kirk angrily shouted.

“Fools! Every golem is stupid! ”

“Oi, oi, your character is the worst. Your summonses are risking their lives to fight for you. You should value them.

Although Ark did summon his pets to feed them horrible food. After a few minutes of fighting, Kirk was in critical condition.

“Rain, come and nourish me! Let’s leave the human! Acceleration! ”

Kirk cast a spell of acceleration and headed towards the rear. Although Ark hurriedly rushed through the golems, the acceleration had doubled Kirk’s speed and he was already around the corner. There was a waterfall outside the dungeon. If he washes the dye off at the waterfall then the situation will not change.

“Damn childish lizard who can’t die without causing problems,”

Ark cursed and chased after Kirk. Meanwhile, Kirk was running towards the entrance of the dungeon.

“Hik, what is that?”

Sid was standing at the entrance with an uneasy look when he shrieked as a rainbow coloured lizard came running out and pushed him out of the way.

“Get out of the way, Hobbit!”

Kirk ran while frantically chanting magic. And just trying to shoot a huge fireball, he flinched and fell forward.

“What, what?”

Ark followed with an evil smile on his face.

“What a fool! Did he think I wouldn’t have any countermeasures?”

“No, no way … …a trap?”

“I learned from you.”

Although to be exact, it wasn’t a trap. Due to their profession, Ark and Sid couldn’t install traps successfully. However, a certain freedom of action was possible in New World. So what they came up with was a needle using Sid’s sewing profession! Before Ark entered the dungeon, he laid out a series of needles coated with Snake’s venom on the ground at the entrance. It wasn’t a high level trap but Ark took advantage of the fact that Kirk would have to run through the entrance barefoot.

“Do it, no way! I with a needle…..!”

“It doesn’t look good if you’re too persistent. Just simply accept your death”

“Don’t make me laugh! I’m the great …. ”

With his two stiff legs, Kirk quickly tried to chant a spell. However, wielding his sword Ark was several times faster.

“Take this, Dark blade!”

There was an audible sound as the sound penetrated Kirk’s chest. The mimicry faded away and his original features returned as his body slowly disappeared.

-Your level has risen.

When Kirk disappeared, a welcome message popped up stating that he was level 86. He could also see the cross shape on Sid’s head, a sign that he had levelled up. Sid was too far away to receive the party experience from the thieves in the dungeon. Thanks to that, Ark was able to receive 100% of the additional experience received for killing thieves in a party. By taking advantage of this fact during his battles against the previous bandit groups, he was able to raise 7 levels in 9 days. However, Kirk died in front of Sid so the experience would be equally distributed.

‘Well, in this situation you deserve the experience but ….. ‘

“I finally finished. And Sid you performed well by deceiving the fellow.”

Ark said as he crouched beside Sid who was on the ground. Then Sid stood up and with a face brimming with tears replied.

“It’s really scary!”

“What is, this … ‘

Was the person who reached level 60 as a merchant a game novice? He wondered about the real status of Sid. But anyway the boss was defeated thanks to Sid’s help. Ark gave Sid a pat and excitedly examined the items dropped from the boss.

Dark robe (Magic) Armour type: Robe Defense power: 20 Durability: 4/40 Weight: 10 User restriction: Level 70 or more A mysterious magic robe made of silk, magic spirit is imbued in the silk to help calm the mind. A calm spirit can increase concentration substantially and help the magic unfold smoothly. {Option: Magic success rate + 20%, Magic casting speed + 20%}

-The thief’s key The Winning Necklace: Level 70 Quest starting item A necklace made of a material that vaguely detects magic.You can check the quest commissioned by the Magic Institute.

The boss monster had dropped one equipment item. It’s for magic use only but it has good options that should make it sell fairly well.

‘I bet the key is related to Sarah’s quest but this necklace… … ..? ‘

Ark stared at the Winning Necklace. The necklace material detects magic and the glass heart beads were sealed and protected in the same material. In addition, it was a quest starting item. In other words, if someone had defeated this dungeon and found the quest item then they could bring it to the magic society and receive the same quest Ark had.

‘Yes and if he had originally found this dungeon first then he could’ve swept through the dungeon and recieved the quest. By doing the Event Quest, he earned a high level of friendship with the Magic Institute and therefore did the quest in the wrong order. ‘

In other words, this was the original intention behind the bandit groups. Ark considered this with a frown.

“But wait, this is a quest starting item? So somewhere in the dungeon is the Heartsoul Bead? Because the boss dropped a quest starting item for the Heartsoul Bead, it means that he is entering the starting phase of the quest…..’ Maybe the Magic Institute’s quest was longer than Ark thought

Ark summarized the dungeon and returned to the boss’ room with Sid and Sarah. In the room there was a different secret passage attached. By following the route, it eventually led past a pool to the prison. More than 10 people were trapped inside the prison. When Ark used the key to open a door, Sarah ran to a middle aged man who had tears brimming in his eyes when he saw here. He was Sarah’s father.

“You’re still alive, so everything’s great”

Sid was thrilled by the sight.

“Rain, out of my way!”

“Eek?

Some unexpected developments occurred. The middle-aged man pushed Sarah to the side and ran towards a bush. He was not the only one. The prisoners that were not seen by Ark and his companions seemed crazy as they also rushed to the bush by the pool and ate the grass. And they seemed lightheaded as they sat down and stared at something spellbound. The same thing happened to the middle-aged man. Sarah was too embarrassed to show any expression on her face.

“Ah, Ark-nim?”

Sid looked at him puzzled. Ark looked at them for a while before approaching the bush they were scattered around. The key for Ark was the bizarre shape of the plants that were growing. Their strange behaviour was probably related to the plants. He used ingredient identification on some of the plants and opened up the skill’s information window.

Nurunma Leaf (Ingredient)

A plant that grows in the special environment of the island. The leaves have an anaesthesia effect and can be refined to tablets to create a superior remedy. But at the same time it contains strong addictive and hallucinogenic ingredients in large quantities.

The final drug like effect relies on the purification process.When just the leaf is eaten, in the past warriors just it as a stimulant however once it became an addiction then their guard was easy to break. Due to the severe effects, the production and distribution of this stimulant was banned across every continent.

“This is a drug as expected … ….”

“A drug?”

“Yes, somehow all these people are addicted to drugs.”

Ark nodded and murmured. Now a picture of the situation was drawn in his head. The reason why the thieves remained concealed in the ruins and didn’t move for 1 year. Someone had probably told them that the Nurunma plant grew in these ruins. The thieves began to grow it in order to start drug production and gain a big profit.

“They probably kidnapped travellers and locked them in the jail to be used as an effective drug trial. And Sarah’s father too… … .. ”

“………..!”

During the conversation between the two, Sarah’s face turned pale and terrified. Sarah’s father had been kidnapped at little over two days ago in game time, and two days ago he was fine but now he’s a drug addict. Sarah cried at the reality that her father was just one middle aged man seeing hallucinations. Then Sid who could not overlook a crying face asked.

“Ah, Ark-nim?” Isn’t there a way? At this rate… …. ”

“Certainly, if left alone then it could be a big problem.”

Ark replied, scratching his head. This situation was really difficult. He had defeated a group of thieves and in the end rescued Sarah’s father. But the middle aged man who should have given him his reward was instead a saliva dripping man addicted to drugs. In addition, the quest for the Magic Institute required him in his normal condition.

I don’t know whether this will work but I have no choice but to try it’

“Everybody please be steady. The pleasure that you’re feeling now is not right. It is the temptation of the devil that will lead you to eventually ruin your body and your mind. Please steady your heart and resist the temptation. You can do it”

Ark used his nursing skill. However, there was no reaction from the addicts. They were too immersered in their hallucinations that Ark’s voice was not even audible to them. And after a while, the effects of the Nurunman leave they ate wore off and moving their bodies like a zombie, they stood up to grab more leaves.

“Stop! Wake up! ”

“………!”

Sid and Sarah tried to stop them but it was no use. The addicts were furiously beating each other up to get to the Nurunma leaves. The surprising thing to Ark was that their resilience. Even when they were knocked down, they just got up again like they could feel no pain Even if they only had 1% health left, they still crawled on the ground in order to put the Nurunman leaf in their mouth. If he left then the situation would just repeat itself until all the plants in the ruins were gone.

‘Damn, is this why drug addiction is so frightening? However he could not have them killing each other….looking at the situation maybe it is better to put them back in their prison?’

Suddenly a thought flashed in Ark’s head.

‘If so, this might be the best method…..! ‘

Ark immediately took out his pot and cooked a dish. While the addicts were eating the Nurunman leaves, he was just leisurely cooking and Sid and Sarah shared a puzzled and absurd look. But they couldn’t ignore the sight and soon 15 portions of food were produced that gave off a strange smell.

“Ok Sid, Sarah, catch the people and feed them this food using force if necessary!”

“Yes? But what…? ”

“I’ll give you an explanation later after you quickly feed them!”

Ark shouted and caught 1 addict, pressing the food to his mouth. He struck the struggling addict, forcing his mouth open and shoving the food in, with Sid and Sarah immediately following. The effect was immediate, the addicts who ate the food staggered and vomited out the Nurunma leaves.

“Ugh, ugh, uweeeek!”

An addict who ate another Nurunma leaf vomited again.

‘It is like I thought! ‘

Ark’s eyes twinkled. Ark had made the ‘Appetite Killing Stew.’ It was a stew that tastes so bad that it is impossible to eat any other food for 2 hours or they would throw up. If you tried to eat food by force then it would be thrown up and it also had the additional bonus of decreasing the effects of the eaten food.

‘The Nurunma leaves also counts as consumed food. Eating it poisons you and causes hallucinations. In other words, in New World drug addiction can be seen as a food effect ……. ‘

When the Nurunman leaves have been eaten and thrown up, it is also possible for the Appetite Killing Stew to weaken the drug addiction effect……or so Ark thought. It was a hit. After eating and vomiting the Nurunma leaves dozens of times, the pupils of the drug addicts started to clear up. It was only a slight change but now there was hope.

‘Ok, from now on it is a battle of patience! ‘

The opponents are drug addicts. However, they wouldn’t recover easily even if it was a game. Ark made food and steadily fed it to them as well as using his Nursing skill on the addicts whenever possible. It lasted over 6 hours. By that time, Sarah had failed to sleep properly for more than two days and the NPC slept against the wall along with Sid. Ark too wanted to close his eyes and faint from the exhaustion. However, Ark clenched his mouth and with red eyes continued making food for 15 people while firing off his nursing skill randomly.

‘The quest is almost complete. Who needs sleep? ‘

The time limit was almost over and he just wanted to finish the quest as soon as possible! And his obsession finally evoked a miracle.

“You can overcome the temptation of the devil if you will it. Win for yourselves and for the ones waiting for you. Right now is the time to show your willingness for the ones you love.

How many times? Due to the exhaustion it was hard to even count how many times he had used the Nursing skill. A blue light emerged from his body. It hung down from the addict’s face to reveal the shadows that had melted away.

The Miracle Nursing was successful

Without sparing your body, you devoted yourself to their care and saved many from a fate of despair. A sick person does not only suffer from disease and injury. People addicted to drugs and tempted by the pleasure are not able to escape with their own strength. They are also sick and suffering.

Even so, they do not know that they are sick. Nursing people who don’t know that they are sick is no easy task. No matter what, the only remedy that can save them is tenacity and patience. Without taking your eyes off the time limit, you poured infinite care and affection on them with amazing patience. Although penetrating the heart with words is important, truly caring for the sick requires a steady patience. Now the sick will learn from your patience and win against the temptation of the Nurunma leaves.

• Due to the success of miracle nursing, all stats are increase by 1.
• The Affection stat increased by 10.
• Fame increased by 50.
• Alignment towards Good increased by 50.

The Miracle Nursing was a success and you have acquired the title ‘Committed Caretaker.’Fame as a Caretaker has increased, so you will receive praises from many patients* As a title bonus, all stats increase by 1*Fame increased by 50

‘I, I did it! ‘

With an exhausted face, Ark sat down with a thud. At that time, Sid and Sarah raised their head to the light. After waking up from his hallucinations, the middle-aged man gazed at Sarah and stuttered.

“Oh……….Oh, Sarah, Sarah! Thank goodness! ”

Sarah opened her mouth before running to join the middle aged man in a tight hug while crying. Sid watched the reunion with tears in his eyes.

“Ah, Ark-nim” You really did it! ”

Ark silently nodded his head. Ark had originally only done it to complete the quest, but looking at Sarah’s face he felt a sense of accomplishment. The heart with which a parent regards their child or the child their parents is still the same no matter if they are a person or a NPC. He thought back to when he was treating the addicts with cold eyes until he saw Sarah sleeping with tears streaming down her face. The Nursing skill didn’t rely on the skill level or the number of uses. For disease stricken NPCs, caring for them sincerely and compassionately is required for Nursing to succeed. Maybe his change of heart was the reason why Miracle Nursing succeeded.

‘If it wasn’t for Sarah then the miracle nursing probably wouldn’t have succeeded. ‘

That said, however, it did succeed. Anyway, now he would be able to complete the quest to rescue her father. He explained the general situation. Hanson approached Ark.

“You are Ark and Sid? I really thank you. You rescued my daughter and you even saved me. I don’t know how to express my gratitude.”

” Obviously with a reward…. ‘

Ark swallowed the words that came to his mind.

“It was a natural thing. Anyway I’m just relieved that it turned out to alright”

“Oo! A man like you still exists in this barren world. But I can’t feel comfortable if I just accept your help. I want to give you something but I don’t have it at the moment…..”

Hanson had been searching all through his pockets and bag.

‘Please think! There must be something! Please look for it! ‘

Ark’s cheers showed an effect. After a while Hansen remembered the leather pouch attached to his waist and lifted it.

“I’m sorry I only have something like this. It is only one as well. But fortunately for me it is a special talent. It is tips for making a map. Or if you’re carrying this leather pouch, other people with a knack for it will tell you their tips to making maps. This would be useful for a foreigner like you. ”

You can select your reward. 1. Cartography (Skill Initiation) Map can be made using Cartographer Hansen’s skills. If the user who learnt the skill has a pen and paper, they will automatically draw a place down. Also, villages, the geography and any major information about a dungeon visited are automatically recorded.When a map showing the terrain and information of each area or dungeon is 100% completed, a paper map can be created. This map scroll will be able to be sold to other players or NPC general stores. However, once sold the map information disappears. 2. Hanson’s leather pouch It can hold 25% of the capacity of a basic bag

‘ Hoo., so I can choose the reward? ‘

Ark confirmed the information with shining eyes. He had looked at Hansen and didn’t have big expectations. However, which reward would be more useful? In big cities a magic bag with 1/4 of the capacity of a basic bag was sold for 200 gold! Therefore he could earn 200 gold with that reward.

” People are always going to be lacking bags … … … ‘

Ark swallowed his excess saliva with a gulp. However, what captured Ark’s attention was the cartography skill. The basic map given to a user does not register the terrain of a dungeon. In complicated dungeons, his usual method was to familiarize himself by wandering around. However, if he had the cartography skill he wouldn’t have to waste time wandering over the same routes. In addition, when you complete it 100% you can sell the maps. Of course the more complicated and challenging dungeon maps would be sold at a more expensive price. Bags might be coveted but they are as not useful in dungeons. Besides the cartography skill could also earn him money. ‘Yes, money can buy items but rare skills. It cannot be compared’ After Ark made a decision he looked at Sid. As expected Sid was also drooling over the cartography skill. Indeed, if registered to a map the town’s information would be useful to merchants. It would not be easy to concede it to Ark.

“Sid because you are a merchant you’ll need more bags of course”

“Yes? No, I’m…….. ”

“It’s ok. I’ll just choose the first option. I’ll have what’s left. ”

Ark smiled as he spoke causing Sid to flinch. He was laughing but Sid noticed an unidentified light in his eyes.

“Don’t be concerned. I didn’t do that much to finish this request, just merely fought against thieves and almost died! Sid was also sleeping when I was busy treating the addicts’ suffering throughout the night. But don’t be nervous and take what you want. Hahaha, It’s between me and Sid. Right? So please choose the better option. This is the bag of course”

Whenever Ark spoke, Sid felt small wounds puncturing him. And after staring at Ark for a while, he blew a sigh and gave an awkward smile.

“Oh, that’s right, what, just … ….I need a bag”

“I knew it”

So Ark conceded the bad (?) which Sid received and was very happy (?) and it was done. And Ark learned the cartography skill from Hansen and a message window popped up.

-‘Rescue Sarah’s dad!

‘The quest has been completed. -Your level has risen.

Even though the quest difficulty was +E, completion of the quest caused his level to rise. Once Ark had completed the quest he asked.

“Have you maybe seen anything special about this place?”

“Something special?”

“Yes, it wouldn’t be anything big. Something between the size of a ball and a fist? Well, that would be the approximate size. And because it would have protection there might be a sinister aura coming from it. Are you reminded of anything? ”

“Well?”

After thinking for a while, Hansen opened his mouth.

“Oh, that reminds me. When I first came here, I saw something suspicious. Some round objects that were contained in an iron box, wrapped in a black cloth inscribed with funny characters I haven’t seen before. I also felt fear to the degree that my body kept on trembling. At the time, I thought I was frightened because I had just been caught by the thieves. But now thinking back, that strange feeling seemed to be coming from that stuff.

“That’s it! Where is it now?”

“The man with red hair took it.”

“The man with red hair?”

“Yes, he also radiated an ominous aura. A red aura covered his body and he also had red hair. The thieves’ boss also used an honorific word for him. I heard the spirit but not the details. He was also the one to give me to the thieves. Your stupid man got caught infiltrating. Tell them to be more careful … … …”

The situation fit. Hansen’s words caused Ark to remember the thieves’ conversation in the secret passage that Ark eavesdropped on. In the middle of the thieves’ neutral words they said ‘he.’ Perhaps the person they were referring to was the man with red hair. And the thief who got caught outside was the one that had infiltrated Giran last time.

“Do you know where he went?”

“Let’s see……..He went north of ……..Brandt mountains …….beyond the Angora Cliffs… … …Ah, yes Cairo. That’s right. If it is near the Angora Cliffs in the Brandt Mountains then the only place it could be was Cairo. No doubt, he was a cartographer”

“Cairo?”

Ark looked at Sid with a slightly surprised face. Prior to meeting Sid, he had never heard of Cairo. It was a lawless city where chaotic users gathered. However, Ark had been unable to figure out the location of Cairo. He had heard that chaotic users in Cairo automatically received event quests. Of course, Ark did not want to become chaotic just to find out the location of Cairo.

“Do you happen to know the location of Cairo?”

“Of course. I couldn’t call myself a cartographer if I didn’t know the location of a city. If you’ll let me display the location on the map”

Hanson nodded and a map window automatically opened. It was open to Giran’s northern area and a red dot pointed to the middle of the Brandt Mountains.

”Ok, I’ve collected all of the required information now. Now all that’s left is to report back to the Magic Institute.

“Well, let’s get out of here.”

Dungeons frustrated Sid because they were not familiar to him. But there were still people in the prison and Hanson’s face still signs of hesitation. Ark tilted his head and asked.

“Which reminds me ……..Why are the people still like that? They don’t seem pleased…it’s like they’re not even aware that they have been saved”

“That’s probably … … ….”

Hanson explained with a sigh. The people in the prison were people who wandered the continent or were kidnapped like Hanson. Unlike Hansen who had only been addicted for two days, most of these people have been addicted for years and lost most of their memory.

“When you are looking at a few minutes a day without the day … … …Although the symptoms are different for everyone, some are so severe that they can’t even remember their own name. So they are frightened of where to go after they leave here. If it was just a little bit later, I would have been just like them too. I would have even failed to recognize my daughter…….. ”

Just imagining the fearful thought, Hanson hugged Sarah harder.

“Bastards!”

Sid clenched his fist in anger. Well, yes but he still looked cute … … … However, compared to Sid’s fury, Ark’s eyes glittered.

‘Ho-Oh! Then these people are little lost sheep?‘

Ark’s ability to connect his quests and maximize profits was triggered. Ark’s tongue seemed as smooth as oil.

“That’s a shame. They shouldn’t be abandoned just before they suffered such a horrible thing. But it is fortunate. There is a place called Lancel Village that knows me. It is a good place where the courageous people always greet a new neighbour. Even if you are a person with lost memories, the people of the pioneer village would be delight to welcome you. So let’s take them there? ”

“Lancel! It is still there?”

Hanson the cartographer stared with surprised eyes. Ark roughly explained what happened to Lancel and Hanson nodded.

“I see. Nevertheless you are not an average person. Yes, in this situation I better take them to Lancel Village. Now you don’t have to worry anymore. I will take responsibility for bringing them to Lancel Village. Although the body is not in the best condition, as a cartographer I use magic to avoid the monsters just like a normal magician.

“Yes that would be great. Tell them that I sent you to Lancel Village. Somebody called Galen will look after them. ”

“I see”

Hanson nodded and a quest updated.

Find New Settlers quest has been updated.

You rescued these poor people who were caught by thieves. And referred those who lost their memories to Lancel, the pioneer village. Of course, Lancel requires a lot of manpower and will welcome them as residents wholeheartedly. Like a newborn baby, they cannot remember anything.

However, they will remember that you have found them a new home. They decided to respect your intention and be reborn as a resident of Lancel.

{New settlers found: 25% complete}

Because they lost their memories they were not counted as settlers with special abilities. However, the achievement still increased by 10%. He was getting closer to completing the quest. Ark summed up the situation and left the party leaving the dungeon to Sid. Ark remained in the dungeon because there was still work to be done.

‘These are all the drug ingredients?’

The remaining Ark looked at the Nurunma leaves and laughed. The thieves had secretly cultivated rare plants! Ark’s keen senses smelled the scent of money. Of course, the leaves of the Nurunma plant were now useless. Even if it is a drug, it would still make an excellent ingredient to make a superior remedy. He wouldn’t be able to sell it at stores in cities. Even if the NPC bought it then he would just be dragged to the guards and arrested.

” But what if the laws don’t apply to the city? ‘

He had already heard about Cairo through Hansen. After meeting the Magic Institute, the quest would probably lead him to the lawless city of Cairo, where prohibited items from the continent would probably be sold.

’Drugs would be a little concerning but … … … … ”

Ark had encountered chaotic players many times. Chaotic NPCs and users ran wild in Cairo, so he felt no remorse selling Nurunma leaves there. And wouldn’t it become a treatment pill if refined well? It they determined that the drug was a remedy, than the NPC shops in Cairo would take the lot. After that Ark is not responsible for it. Although this was slightly different, the Korean’s favourite seasoning pepper was first recognized as a poison. According to the Japanese, when the Japanese invasion was defeated, people tried to destroy the plants. However, their forefathers were clever and used the peppers to develop a famous food culture worldwide. After all, that’s not important. What are important are the intentions of the people who utilize it.

‘As long as I write that the seasoning can be poisonous! ‘

Armed with that thought, Ark used his extraction skill and collected the Nurunma leaves. After he had finished collecting the Nurunma leaves in bundles of 200, he had a total of 1600! Even if one sells for 10 silver then he would still receive 160 gold. Even if he fell down a well, Ark would never leave empty-handed. After exiting the dungeon, Sid and Hanson’s companions gathered. When Sarah approached to give a farewell greeting, she bent and kissed his cheek. And Ark blushed as red as a beetroot.

-Really thank you

It was a sudden surprise but it didn’t feel bad. Sid waited with an expectant expression. However, Sarah turned away with a flick of her tongue and left with Hanson. Sid blankly stared with dumb surprise before raising his voice angrily at Ark.

“Ark, you too!”

ACT 6 The Lawless city Cairo

“Draconian clan?”

Shannon from the Magic Institute asked in surprise after hearing your report.

“Yes, it looked like it was a lizard-like species”

“I never thought the Draconian clan would be involved with the Heartsoul Bead. However if he used mimicry he might have been able to steal the Heartsoul Bead. ”

“What kind of species is the Draconian anyway?”

“They are … … …No, it’s not. It’s still too early to come to conclusions when you are still unsure. I’m sorry but for the moment can you keep quiet about the Draconian’ involvement “.

“That’s not a difficult job but ……..”

Actually he had no interest in the lizard.

“The problem is the Heartsoul Bead.”

Shannon began to talk with a serious expression.

“I was never sure what those who stole the Heartsoul Bead knew about it. But based on your story, they seem to have a purpose for stealing the Heartsoul Bead. If so, I’m afraid the problem is more serious than I thought”

“There are a lot of ways it can be misused.”

Shannon reached out his sweaty palms and grasped Ark’s hands.

“Please. You’re the only one I can rely on. The Merchant Guild and Warrior Guild have already begun to suspect the situation. We have no way to chase after the Red Man because if caught the Magic Institute’s position in society will be damaged. In addition, the protection around the relic has been damaged therefore the situation is unknown. ”

“I see what you’re saying.”

Ark nodded and replied.

“I never thought about abandoning a task once I have started it. Fortunately, the cartographer gave me a clue to the whereabouts of the Red Man so before it is too late I will find the Heartsoul Bead. ”

The reason for Ark was of course the reward. From Shannon’s reaction to the quest he could smell the scent of money. It could be a huge disaster if the situation is prolonged? If you resolve such a problem then it would be extremely profitable. But was that all? Since the beginning of quest, he received a great deal of experience from being in a party. The Nurunman leaf was only one of his rewards! Yes, it was a quest that laid golden eggs! And Shannon did not even realise the reason behind his acceptance.

“After Jackson, how could I not believe in you?”

After Shannon spoke a new message window popped up.

Quest updated.

Find the Heartsoul Bead => Find the Heartsoul Bead II You found further clues to the Heartsoul Bead in the ruins where unidentified robbers were hiding. The mysterious Red Man associated with the thieves seems to have taken the Heartsoul Bead towards Cairo. The key to all the events lies with the Red Man.After collecting more information from him, bring back the Heartsoul Bead. Difficulty level: C

Anyway, that’s the first checkpoint passed. Is that the end of the boring bounty hunting? It was actually quite profitable that it was a shame to end it. However, he had to give it up to gain even more compensation. Ark left the Magic Institute and put some things in order in Giran. The first place he visited was the garrison. During the period where he destroyed 18 groups of thieves, he did not have time to drop by Giran to receive the bounty money.

“What brings you here?”

“I came to receive the prize money.”

“Do you have the necessary evidence?”

“Yes, of course.”

Tuk, Tuk, Tuk, Tuk … … …

Ark continued to pull out tokens from his bag and piled them on the desk. After the 3-4, the NPC officials stared with their mouths open until the 10th token. After he finally pulled out all 18 tokens they stared with amazement.

“This is, this is all ……..?”

“Yes, it’s all the tokens. Please confirm it.”

Ark laughed and smiled at the NPC officials as they said.

“It’s amazing. It has been less than a month since I put up most of these bounties ……..But all these thieves have been destroyed within a month?”

“Why wouldn’t it?”

“Ah, no. Is there something like that? ”

After he checked the tokens against a ledger, the NPC handed him a thick money bag. The bag contained a whopping 254 gold! He had frantically hunted bandit groups without visiting the village for 9 days. Of course, he had to practice hunting for five days before the real hunting so the actual investment time was a fortnight. However, excluding the profit from loot, a 254 gold bounty was a huge income. In addition, his hunter rank rose to rank C in record time. However there is a limit to hunting bounties alone. Ark could catch a lot of thief companies because other users weren’t interested in them. Not surprisingly, the phenomenon was limited to some areas. When a thief company is exterminated and a scheduled time passed then the group would appear again, however the time scheduled for thieves was different from the general monsters. It was a necessary method to balance the game. The eighteen cases were only possible for Ark because a large amount of bandit groups settled around a commercial city and the other players generally avoided hunting thief companies. Indeed, when Ark visited the bulletin board there were only three new bounties. Two of them were ones that Ark had cancelled because he didn’t have the token. After Ark collected the bounty, he turned into Giran Square. Sid had also come to the square to organize and sell his loot. After calculating it in his head, Ark had reserve budget of 1000 gold.

‘The gold in reserve could be changed into cash in case of an emergency. Now he didn’t have to worry about money after more! ‘

After he finished counting, he gloatingly asked Sid.

“Now, for the time being I’m stopping bounty hunting. Sid what are you going to do?”

“Arc-nim are you going to Cairo?”

“Yes,”

“So I’ll come along”

Sid said with shining eyes. So even after making him work so much, he still doesn’t know Ark’s true colours? However, Sid had his own reasons.

“With me? But that is a dangerous place for a merchant”

“I don’t have anything to lose anyway.”

Sid said with a heart-warming smile.

“And I have to go anyway.”

“Why is that?”

“Ohuhuhuhu, a windfall. Actually a little while ago I stopped at a store to sell some loot and I got a quest that was from dedicated professional merchants. The merchant want to study items that are only sold in Cairo. After delivering each special item to the required merchant for research, I would have 150 gold to write off my remaining debt. It seems to be a quest that is only given to merchants with Cairo’s location marked on their map.”

“But you have to be a chaotic user to buy exclusive items from Cairo ……..?”

To enter may cost more than 150 gold. Then Sid grinned and lifted a piece of paper.

“It’s a draft issued by the merchant. But it can’t be used outside of a Cairo store”

That is to say Sid’s only intention was to carry stuff.

“Items that are usually sold in Cairo are difficult to find in an ordinary village. This was more than a little gold. Until now, any money I made went to paying off my debt but not this time. But if I buy the right item then I might be able to resell it for a greater price.”

“Well, that’s fine if you’re sure… … …”

“Yes then please bring me there.”

Sid said while hopping and running. Frankly, Ark also wanted Sid to come along. Silently marching for 20 hours a day was possible thanks to Sid. Also, he had a cool character and signed a contract to give Ark his share of the profit from anything he sold. However, Ark had a crucial reason for liking Sid. As a hobbit, he had access to 6 bags…with the pouch he received from Hanson that was 7 bags available! Sid was just a bag to Ark after all.

‘Cairo is a lawless city. He should have his poisonous skill equipped ready to use at any time. If so, having Sid along would also help. Ayu, my lovely bag. ‘

“Okay.” If it’s Sid then you’re always welcome.

“Then let’s leave immediately!”

Sid swung both of his arms as he walked. Therefore he continued to travel together with the hobbit merchant with a bad credit rating.

” This was a deposit, … … … ..! ‘

Hyun-woo looked at his bank account with thrilled eyes. At the end of the Event Quest, he put up the Fire Slayer for auction and the winning bid was just deposited. In fact, the auction was closed for a while. However, the person who deposited the money received an unavoidable computer error leaving him anxious until it was confirmed that the money was now properly deposited. The deposit amount was a whopping 11,160,000 won! The highest bid was 12,000,000 won with 7% going to the auction commission fee. This meant that 840,000 won went to the auction fee but the expense was worth it. 1-1 trade with users could be a popular place for a scam. Hyun-woo also fell victim to a fraud a couple of years ago when trying to buy a 100,000 won item. A 12,000,000 won item was worth so much more that if he fell victim to a fraud he would vomit blood and die.

‘Well, I just have to think of it like a tax and in some cases if you use the auction then you can receive a higher price. I got 11,160,000 won anyway. And the Dark Robe I got yesterday sold for 900,000 won so tomorrow I should receive 870,000 won. ‘

When combined with the money in his account, he would have around 14,000,000 won. Every day the prices go up even more but it should be enough to pay two or three months’ worth of hospital bills without having to worry about money. Hyun-woo gave a heart-warming smile at the bank statement.

‘Oh, today I have to go to the hospital with uncle Gwon Hwa-rang? ‘

Hyun-woo remembered the phone call he answered this morning.

“Speaking of Uncle Gwon Hwa-rang, it’s been awhile since I’ve visited his house. Oh that’s right, isn’t today the day he normally visits his probation members? Because today was the first day they would meet directly since the lump sum came in …. ‘

Gwon Hwa-rang had bought a house for the rehabilitation members to live together almost a year ago. Hyun-woo bought food with a few bills in his pocket while grinding his teeth. He paid for three whole chickens and after dinner drinks. The total was 55,000 won. Paying 2000 won for seaweed rolls three times a day was an extravagant amount for Hyun-woo. However, he made an exception for Gwon Hwa-rang and the probation members Spending that much … …. But it was a crowd so he should not scrimp. Gwon Hwa-rang’s place was 30 minutes away by bus.

“Who is it?”

A voice was heard after he pressed the bell. And the man appeared! Hyun-Woo used to be a juvenile delinquent and he had a fairly disciplined mind and body. However, he became breathless at the sight of the man that appeared. A bear-like man with tattoos from his wrist to his neck. It was like he found himself in front of a boss monster, with a warning message spontaneously appearing in his head. The guy scanned him up and down and said.

‘What the? You have chicken? ”

“Aaa……..I’m here to see Uncle Gwon Hwa-rang?”

“Nag? You know Gwon? ”

“Yes, I’m Hyun-woo. We had an appointment today …. ”

“Oh! Oh!”

He scratched his head roughly as his eyes opened in surprise.

“It’s you! You’re Ark! ”

“Yes, that is, yes?”

“Ah! Man why did you hesitate? It’s me, number 1405. Remember? ”

“Number 1405? Then you are that uncle … “.

“Yes, Yes! I received a lot of help that day. Well, you do look exactly like your game character. I’m sorry, I don’t have very keen eyes. Come in “.

Number 1405 grabbed his arm and just pulled him into the house. When he unconsciously entered the house, his company immediately raised his voice.

“Hey, Ark is here!”

Not long after, ………..Hyun-woo felt like he had entered a safari park and had been thrown as a toy. His first impression of all the guys that rushed out of a room was that they were tougher than rock. Frankly, Hyun-woo considered the group of thieves cute compared to these guys. 10 similar men gathered and surrounded him! It was such a situation then he sat down with a sweaty back.

‘Uncle Gwon Hwa-rang says kid, kid…..Looking around where is this kid? ‘

“Gwon had to go out a little bit because of urgent business. He wants you to wait a little bit. It’s like that. And when he goes somewhere he doesn’t bring a cell phone with him……”

The man with a horrifying knife scar on his face said with a smile. Hyun-woo almost said ‘I’m sorry I’ll buy a cell phone immediately.’

I’m number 1401. Kang Yoo-jin. But did you buy us food?”

Kang Yoo-jin looked at the chicken set in Hyun-woo’s hands.

“Yes,”

After he answered the chicken turned to bone.

It didn’t even take 11 minutes. Scary. Are they going to eat me as well? Did he come for nothing?’

Hyun-woo rolled his eyes nervously. The last of the chicken wings was eaten by number 1405, called Ma Chorung who suddenly asked.

“By the way, have you gone anywhere with Roco?”

“Yes? We only went to a cafe together?

The group burst into laughter at Hyun-woo’s answer.

“You’re completely a nerd.”

“I’m saying you like her.”

“Ohuhuhu. So of course you would have kissed?”

“Aak, Don’t say that! I’m just a friend that’s a man….uuk!”

“Hey, hey! Don’t you know saying that is a crime?”

The conversation broke down with the guys chattering to each other. Hyun-woo who was listening blankly shook his head.

“Well there’s nothing between me and Hye-sun. She is just a close younger sibling……”

“What?”

The guys’ voices stopped suddenly. They began sending doubtful looks at each other and whispering. Beside him Kang Yoo-jin blew out a sigh and shook his head.

“Let’s stop it at that. I’m embarrassed for everyone. Anyway….Roco is really serious. It’s like comparing trees and stone…..”

“Yes? Ah, you mean me?”

“No, I have no intention of becoming nosy. Anyway Hyun-woo, no, it is easier to call you Ark. Is that ok? If possible please relax and sit down a little bit more comfortably. This is not a punishment. So why is your form so awkward?”

Hyun-woo then realised that he was sitting on his knees. Hyun-Woo coughed and sat down cross-legged as Yoo-jin smiled and said.

“Please don’t be so anxious. Our appearance might be like beasts, but we’re not bad guys”

Ma Chorung interrupted with a single word.

“To be frank, we were bad guys.”

“I’m not arguing that. “Um, that is clear.

“Then. We don’t particularly hate guys like you”

“Yes? Guys like me? ”

“Yes, so you see ……..”

Ma Chorung opened his mouth to talk but was prevented by Kang Yoo-jin who said.

“The intention is just like we said. Rather, it was better. In the game, our goals are the same. The new world was more complicated than I thought so if I meet an expert than I’ll ask them about New World.

“Yes, I’m ok with that.”

It was a topic that he knew so Hyun-woo nodded. Frankly, Hyun-woo’s reaction to the word ex-convict was different from most peoples who would have blinders on. If they are ex-convicts then they are criminals. It was a cruel and cold-hearted way to think but natural for outgoing people. So because of these special people, Hyun-woo ……..regarded them with a completely different expression. However, with such a conversation, his original thoughts disappeared. In particular, when he was first introduced to number 1401. Kang Yoo-jin seemed like a hard person thanks to his scar but he was more thoughtful than an ordinary person. The framework is something he disagreed with? He could hear the weight of every behaviour through his voice. The other people were the same as well. Though their outer appearance was tough, when talking about the game their eyes lit up like children. Hyun-woo felt a sense of surprise at the difference between their appearance and behaviour. Hyun-woo used the moment to talk seriously with ordinary people who enjoyed the game just as much as he did. After his mind was eased, the conversation became more fun. The difference between how Hyun-woo played the game and how they just enjoyed it was interesting.

“Autonomy from the government?”

Hyun-woo listened to the news about Jackson.

“”Yes, it was thanks to Gwon. The condition was he would have to go to the Capital and earn enough points in the arena in front of the nobility. Well, we like it. Because fighting against monsters has been getting boring. ”

Hyun-Woo also meant to see the arena someday. But he never thought the Gwon Hwa-rang would get there first. It also seemed that the sentence was passed after Hyun-woo had a word with the young Lord…….The strong point of New World was that the words or conduct of a third party could impact it so much that it affects other users. Their common interest led to a more lively conversation. And Hyun-Woo also joked around and engaged in the conversation. The skills that they learnt were particularly interesting. All the unique skills in reality- including violence-could be acquired as their profession. Although they promised to follow the rehabilitation program, that program was not enough to seal off their skills. And New World was a game where they could apply those skills.

“Huhuhu, although the money was initially low in Harun Village, we used our skills to get things cheaper. Therefore, the ‘intimidation’ skill was acquired. You can use the ‘intimidation’ skill at any shop to get items for 10% cheaper! However, it does lower the intimacy with the owners.”

It was the skill that the person called 1402 favoured as a former bond collector. Then number 1406 who was a former pickpocket scoffed.

“Is that something to be proud of? I have the ‘Pickpocket’ skill where I am able to steal one item from a monster in critical condition. That’s better than blackmailing NPCs.”

“Noisy!” Stop talking about the stingy pickpocket skill! Intimidation can also deal with monsters. Do you see how sometimes it flinches? That’s because I intimidated it”

“Huhuhu, that’s trivial. Intimidation? Pickpocket? You have to live a new life but in the end nothing has changed in that cycle. Look at me. The skill ‘Wine Lovers’ gives an extra 20 points to intimacy with female NPCs. Love and Peace? This skill is much better”

“Ha, is the fact that you hit your wife also applied to the game? If you’re like me, the ‘Fraud’ is a much better skill because it allows me to sell items for 15% more even though I’m not a merchant.”

The gentle number 1401, Kang Yoo-jin also spoke up.

‘Ha, New World really has a lot of interesting skills. Even if you have the same profession, depending on the skills you pick it is possible to raise an entirely different character.

It is embodied in the fact that a technique learned in reality is a skill in the game. In reality, some techniques shouldn’t transfer over. Some techniques you should feel ashamed about. And again, even if you don’t use the technique in the game it is still usable. We assume the other users’ skills are wonderful as well and envy them. It was one of the reasons people are attracted to New World. And it wasn’t possible for Hyun-woo to feel a sense of distance from them anymore. This is why common interests are so important.

‘Oh, that reminds me……’

Hyun-woo suddenly remembered the new Survival Cooking skill he learnt in Giran. It was a special advanced technique that could create a medley of food with special effects. Foods that could increase charm, voice ………when cooking it is impossible to guess what effect the dish would have. But listening to the ex-convicts talk, he thought that the food might be related to certain skill. The dish to increase charm could be used with the ‘wine lovers’ skill and the dish to increase the voice could be used with ‘Intimidation’ to increase the menace in the voice. Hyun-woo’s idea interested the probationary members.

“Ara? There are also items that could give effects like that?”

“Haven’t you looked at the auction?”

“The food is stuck because of the expiration date. When it isn’t special and the expiration date is short then it is difficult for an auction to sell it. There isn’t a special food related category in the auction”

“I see”

“There’s a lot of food with unknown effects, it could increase agility or strength but there are also poisonous foods that could give absurd effects.”

“Hey, that’s fascinating?”

“Well it would be a lot of help when you are a spectator.”

“Then I’ll make plenty. Fortunately food created with an advanced skill has a longer use by date. By at the moment I have no time to go to the capital thanks to my quest. Is it possible for you to come to Cairo?”

“Cairo?” That’s where you’re stuck? I’ve never heard of it?”

“It is very difficult to find the information from other places. It is the lawless city of Cairo.

The ex-convicts eyes shined when they heard the lawless city part.

“A lawless city? Then it is like the Harlem district? Hooo, I certainly have to go there? ”

“Ok, before going to the capital we’ll try to drop by Cairo.”

“So let me explain my approximate location.”

“Okay, I understand.”

“Huhuhu, it is easy to understand why you’re a high level user.”

“I give my best regards. Ark.”

A probationary member said with a smirk. After that, Hyun-woo would be different and New World would tremble in time with them. After 1 hour had passed, Gwon Hwa-rang returned. Hyun-woo stood up to go to the hospital although he felt regret. A probationary member went with him outside.

“Ark, next time call before you come. We will prepare chicken.”

Kang Yoo-jin said, patting Hyun-woo’s shoulders.

“And…………If things are difficult then tell us. We might not be the best but we’ll stand with you. If there’s anything we can do to support each other than we should. ”

“Yes,”

Hyun-woo parted from them without any specific ideas. So he took a car to the hospital where he met with Gwon Hwa-rang.

“How was the meeting? Did they seem like nice guys? ”

“Yes, though I was a little bit scared in the beginning … ……”

“The fact is that I had really wanted you to meet the guys.”

“Yes? Why? Which reminds me, didn’t Ma Chorong also to say that?”

Gwon Hwa-rang gave a bittersweet smile and muttered.

“Some might have a different view no matter their appearances. Among them he had not wanted to be a criminal. But circumstances were unavoidable and he was forced to live on the streets. And soon was forced to live without a soul and eventually had a criminal record. It is not a good conversation to inquire about the details of their pain. ”

“…………..”

“Of course, now I don’t regret it. I think everyone thinks deeply about how their life might have been different. So you have to think about what you’re proud of. Your parents ……..Hum-hum, in difficult circumstances you have to use your own strength to make sure you don’t fall on a bad path.”

‘Is that so? I hope that guy Chorong doesn’t hate someone like me in the end. ”

Hyun-woo was ashamed for thinking they were a different race from him, even for a short while.

“If they didn’t have Uncle Gwon Hwa-rang ………..”

“Anyway. So I can’t give up on those guys. Because it is difficult to know how to get out from the wrong bog using your own strength. To be honest, that’s why I left today. Many guys would realise it when they look at you struggling to live rightly in a difficult situation. I want to teach that to them through you and New World. Sorry I didn’t tell you in advance.”

Gwon Hwa-rang spoke as cigarette smoke blew from his mouth out the car window. Hyun-woo looked at the side of Gwon Hwa-rang’s face for a while. That appearance. It was the face that Hyun-woo had seen when he first met Gwon Hwa-rang. The mass media portrayed him as a criminal when he used his gun to shoot a violent offender, but he was truly sorry and wanted to help somehow…….It was Gwon Hwa-rang’s true power which Hyun-woo respected.

“It’s okay.” I enjoyed it. And I like the older brothers.”

“I’m glad”

“By the way ……Is this an operation to introduce me in advance because I might become an adopted son?”

Unsteadily, the car shook for a while. But Gwon Hwa-rang pretended ignorance and continued smoking. A secret smile spread on Hyun-woo’s mouth as he leaned back in his seat. On that day, Hyun-Woo gained 10 older ex-convict brothers.

‘Does this also increase the level? ‘

“Is that place Cairo?” Ark looked at the city’s silhouette that was revealed over the ridges. From the side, Sid muttered about his taste.

“There, so would it be possible to rest soon?”

“Yes, this time I’m going to bath properly.”

Ark unfolded the map and nodded.

“It is good news.”

Sid collapsed with a thud in that position. They had arrived at Cairo four days after leaving Giran. Indeed, it was four days of continuous, fierce hardship. And the suffering began with Ark’s one word.

“In order to save time let’s go straight to Cairo.”

Although Hansen the cartographer clearly indicated Cairo’s location, the map of the surrounding areas was not clear. Finding the proper way to get there from Giran could be time-consuming. Therefore, Ark decided that the quickest way to get to Cairo was to go in the direction with the shortest distance. ……….It was a mistake. The area between Giran and Cairo was a bit unclear. There was a dense jungle where the exit wasn’t visible. He didn’t expect the high level hunting ground infested with strange monsters over level 100. With the darkness bonus applied at night, he could somehow deal with the monsters but during the day this did not apply. In addition, there were gaping crevasses in places like the valley floor and a swamp that was like a maze, making it easy to get lost. It was a miracle that they had managed to escape the jungle alive. Sid looked at Ark with sunken eyes.

‘Fortunately, they had found some ruins hidden in the jungle, and raise their intimacy with an NPC from the Migu Migu Clan…..without him, I’d be dead.’

The situation had become more difficult thanks Ark’s character which he stuck fearfully to! The difficult situation meant that Ark didn’t sleep for more than 2 hours a day. Thanks to that, even Sid was dragged out. In addition, restless creatures chasing you can also increase tension. Of course the tremendous fatigue and lack of sleep decreased their health until they fell into a critical state. I’d rather be dead, how many times had he thought that? The entered the jungle straight away after Giran. Of course the final resurrection place was Giran….. He could use dying in the jungle as an excuse to rest in Giran but…… He noticed that when Ark fought in battles, he always protected Sid. Of course, even Sid knew that it wasn’t a statement of the friendship. It would be difficult to collect a lot of loot with 6 bags gone. After that, the two of them who had passed such a hell eventually reached Cairo. Just looking at the distant Cairo caused tears to rise.

‘You did it, Sid! You did! Great job, Sid! You’re cool, Sid!’ “What happened?” “Oh, no. Dust just entered my eye…….” Sid wiped his blurry eyes with his sleeves. “Now, let’s go. We need to organize our stuff and get some rest.” “Yes!”

At the end of his words, Sid let out a wide grin and nodded. The two of them soon went up along the ridges. Cairo was located on top of the ridge, just like the city of Machu Picchu shown in a documentary. The size of the silhouette shown in the dim moonlight was roughly the size of the Jackson manor. Growing vine the ground was thick vines that surrounded the city like a wall. Unless displayed on the map, Cairo was difficult to find due to the thick vines making it seem like a forest. Cairo’s entrance was guarded by NPCs. Unlike other cities, these guards were dressed like bandits. Ark and Sid gazed at the magical sight of the vines surrounding them as they reached the entrance. The guards frowned darkly and interrupted them.

“Wait! What do you guys want?”

“Umm, we just want to enter the city?”

“Bah! Get out! This isn’t a place where every youngster can enter! ” “What do you mean?” “Didn’t you hear me say leave?” “If you make me say it again, I’m going to show you how to walk away with a bitter taste! ”

The guard NPCs roughly pushed them together. It was a tense atmosphere. They couldn’t cause problems with the NPCs as soon as they reached Cairo. Eventually Ark and Sid left with puzzled faces.

“Why are they doing this? The NPC stops users from even entering the town? ”

Of course, sometimes there are guards that press users at general villages. However, it is applicable only to the chaotic user. As he was thinking, Ark realised that he forgot something.

“Ah, this was a city for chaotic users!” “Oh, right. I had heard that only chaotic players could enter Cairo” Sid seemed to have the same thought as he stated in a frustrated voice. “What do we do? We came so far…….” “It’s not that way”

A shallow smile spread on Ark’s face.

‘Huhuhu, I had collected something a while ago and forgot about it……I didn’t think it would be used for this. Of course I made sure to collect it even when its purpose was unclear. Because you don’t know when or where you’ll need it. ”

“Snake, [Lie] scroll!”

Snake spat out the red scroll. After Sid checked the scroll his eyes widened and he raised his voice.

“Eh? That, that’s…! ”

“I had taken away the scroll from Leo previously.”

Ark said with a smile. In fact, it was an item that every time his bags ran out of space he thought about selling. However, trying to sell the special item he got after all that hard work was uncomfortable ……..what a relief.

“Now, where to use it once?”

Ark used the scroll to edit his character info. Character Name Ark Race Human Alignment Good+200 Fame 1635 Level 90 Profession Dark Walker Title Cat Knight, Caretaker of All, Jackson’s Hero Health 1745 Mana 1355 (+100) Spiritual Power 100 Strength 234 (+ 5) Agility 264 (+ 17) Stamina 334 Wisdom 33 Intelligence 262 Luck 44 Flexibility 26 Art of Communication 23 Affection 55 (+ 10) Special stat: Knowledge of Ancient Relics 53 Equipment item effects Black Bear Mouse Leather Armour: Agility + 2, Frost Resistance + 20Cat Paws: Attack Speed +10%, Agility +15, Critical Hit +10%Crystal Golem’s Head: Mana + 100Norad Boots: movement speed + 10%, avoidance rate + 5%Adelaine’s Necklace: Def + 40, Affection + 10Resurrecting Spirit: Strength + 5, Mana Recovery + 5%

• All abilities will increase by 30% in the dark* You have the ability to hide in the darkness (15 minutes duration. Cancelled when you get into combat)* Resistance Fear, Darkness, Blind, and Seduction spells is increased by 50%.* You can bring out the true abilities from all types of tools.

{Lie} scroll, using this scroll, the player’s level and alignment, and one stat can be randomly controlled. However, the level and state must extend beyond 10 up or down.{Duration: 1 hour}

“Level increase by 10, alignment chaotic.”

Ark’s current level had increased to 90 after 3 days in the forest. The Lie scroll adjusted it upwards to level 100. And he became a chaotic player and his name was turned red. With other users walking back and forth, it was difficult to raise his level. It was the reason he deliberately chose night time.

“Now there’s only one of this scroll”

“What about me…………?”

“I’ll enter Cairo and buy lots of scrolls. I’ll also gather information if I can. And Sid will lurk where appropriate. Don’t be recognized as something else by a chaotic user or you’ll be in danger.”

“Then I’ll do that. Please. ”

Reassured, Sid nodded. Ark gave a faint smile.

“I’ll take out the price of the scroll from the loot charges.”

After trusting the wrong person, the Sid who went all the way to Cairo to find a way to live should elicit sympathy, but that was non-existent in Ark. Of course, that was the kind of guy he was. Sid pasted a strange smile on his face and nodded. “Yes, ha ha! Of course.” “Then, I’m going. Be very good at hiding and take care of yourself. ”

Ark looked at Sid like he was a body with 6 bags again. As expected, after he reached the entrance and his name was shown the attitude of the NPCs changed.

“Ara? You’re the guy from a little while ago? ”

“Well?” Yes……….”

After scanning up and down, the NPC laughed wildly.

“Kukuku, the fragrant smell of blood is emanating from your body. Meanwhile where is your young friend?”

“Around. That hobbit, was visibly appetizing…. But are you done?” Huhuhu, you’re a bad guy who betrayed the guy who accompanied you here. But I much prefer the hypocrisy over the good guy guise. And this place is not a paradise for the faithful. Ok, if you have thrown off the mask of hypocrisy then you are welcome. ”

His intimacy with the guard quickly rose. Ark wanted to use the chance to gain additional information.

“Perhaps, did a redheaded man come here?”

“A redheaded man? Hmm, let’s see? It is a difficult question to answer. This is a place where hundreds of people come in and out in one day. And most would be wearing a hat.”

“Then has anything strange happened in the last few days……”

“There’s no such thing? Well, the lawless city is always a problem, but there wasn’t anything that was particularly strange. Although these days the vines that protect the city have withered a little bit, but that’s all. Did you want to know something like that?”

“Indeed. I understand.”

“Let me know anytime you need help, I’ll give it to you.”

“I’ll only give it to you. A foreigner has to protect his life.” The NPC guards chuckled and said.

Ark ignored them and entered Cairo. He couldn’t feel secure in the city. Cairo was a lawless city. There were guard NPCs, but here if a fight broke out between the users then the NPC would not pay attention. They maintain minimal security. The NPC only acts when Cairo is attacked. It is the ‘crime promotion’ area. Of course, if they kept fighting then every chaotic user would be mentally and physically tired. Therefore, to some extent there were tacit rules. But that had nothing to do with the Ark who just stepped into Cairo. Of course ……..there was flashing here and there as he walked along a wide road. The chaotic users hiding in the alley here and there used [Insight] to confirm Ark’s level. In addition, some users also applied for a party. The purpose of this wasn’t to form a party, but was to determine if Ark could be a colleague.

“Sheesh, it’s a high level.” “He’s also in a party. If I touch him, it’d be tiring.” “A novice should have entered so we could educate them a little bit.”

Now the users who were gawking from a nearby alley stealthily withdrew. Due to New World’s system, it was less likely for chaotic players to be high level. It took a colossal amount of time and money to get rid of the chaotic status, and the loss would be too big if they died. At a low level, gaining a chaotic status to steal had a low risk rate and benefits, but as the level increases that risk would increase exponentially. Because of that, the users in Cairo were mainly level 30-40. They wouldn’t dare attack Ark who had become level 100 thanks to the [Lie] scroll.

‘The first checkpoint has been passed.’

Ark was finally able to relax and find a shopping centre. In Cairo it wasn’t only the outer walls, the exteriors of every building was also enveloped in vines. Thankfully, the buildings were not like other cities and had distorted shapes. In addition, the city was fairly complex and it as difficult to find his way. How far did he walk? Ark had finally discovered a strange place. In the central part of the city, there was a wide gaping hole with a diameter of about 10 meters. Access beware!

A long time ago during the warring States period, the monarch who had ruled for 1 year ordered that the hole be built. At the time, the 1 year ruler swore to fill the hole with the invaders’ bodies. It was thus named ‘hell.’ But soon afterwards the war ended and the vow was not fulfilled.At the time, there was no documentation about how deep the hole was.

However, the deep fury of the 1 year monarch was estimated to reach several hundred meters. If you fall then there is a 100% chance of death. Only does who want to commit suicide are allowed to dive

It is the corpse disposal arena in the centre of the city ……….. The history was as bloody as expected, appropriate for a lawless city.

‘Ah, this is not the time.’

Ark who was watching the hole with his mouth open, turned his head away. If possible, he wanted to explore Cairo some more so now was not the time. He was also worried about Sid waiting outside and the [Lie] scroll also had a time limit. His top priority was to quickly locate a shopping centre. Ark had been running down a back alley to quickly look for a shopping centre. However moments before stepping foot in a mall, he realised that there was something wrong.

‘This, this ………Which reminds me, isn’t it night-time?’

Even the mistake was tight. Ark had chosen night time to enter Cairo because he received the dark attribute bonus. But he hadn’t considered the original purpose. In New World, NPCs also close their shops during the evening to sleep. And now, of course, all the stores were closed because it was night.

‘Damn! In New World, it was now dawn which arrives at 5am. The stores open at 8 a.m. so he has to wait 3 more hours?

The duration of his scroll was limited. Would the duration end before the store’s doors open? It’s obvious that he would get attacked by NPC guards if they saw him. But was that all? When a guard NPC shows up, other chaotic users would also enter! If he uses ‘Stealth’ then it is possible to escape but without the scroll he won’t be able to buy items from the store, and he also wouldn’t be able to collect information about the red man.

‘In the end, I came here only to end up sucking fingers.’

Of course, he could become chaotic but he wanted to avoid that as much as possible. Once you become chaotic then the alignment and fame is reduced by 30%. But it doesn’t stop there? At level 90, to lose the chaotic status he must surrender to the guards and be locked up in prison for 9 days in real time and a fine of 90 gold. It was certainly a reckless penalty!

‘No! There must be another way?’

Ark desperately ran around the shopping centres. That’s when he found his light of salvation in the form of a store. A dim light shone from a small grocery store nestled in a small alley. The doors were closed but it was possible that the NPC was still inside? Tapping at the door, Ark jumped up and shouted.

“Are you here?”

“At this time, what kind of child are you?”

“Oh, I’m fortunate that you’re here. I have to buy some stuff. ”

“We’re closed. Because it’s troublesome, go away! ”

“There is an urgent situation. Please open the door as a small favour! ”

“I told you I won’t trade!”

However, Ark believed this store was his open option. He did not stop knocking until the door eventually flew open and a furious man’s face emerged.

“Leave me alone! You don’t have to go crazy just before daylight!”

“I’m really sorry. I told you it was a really urgent matter. Please give me a moment to buy a few things. It will only take a short time. Please.”

Ark lowered his head and begged and the man’s face slightly softened. He scratched his head and blew out a sigh before shaking his head.

“Look I don’t like to say no to someone desperate. Of course, I would like to engage in the business of a businessman too. But this matter is also not about you. I also can’t afford your patronage. Even though I want to I can’t.

“Yes? Can’t afford to patronize? What does that mean? ”

“Come on, get inside the store. Because of this, do you understand?”

The shop owner indicated with an irritated expression. The inside of the store was a mess. The shelves and miscellaneous items were smashed and the walls and floors had broken items all over the place. Just looking at the situation, he could tell that there was a serious problem.

“Can I help with anything?”

“What?” What did you say?”

“I asked if you needed any help”

Ark who was used to being friendly with NPCs automatically answered. If someone is good, then they may receive thanks. Because there was never any loss, the system had become ingrained as a habit. Then the shop owner looked at him with a befuddled look.

“Why would you do that? Was it a mistake…? ”

“Ah, no.

The shop owner was surprised as he shook his head.

“It’s because I haven’t heard those words in so long. Also you’re a foreigner? The foreigners who often shop here don’t bother with anyone else’s’ problems. Of course, most of the murders are committed by criminals…..”

‘Oh, which reminds me of something in Cairo?’

Chaotic players don’t bother building intimacy with quest NPCs. That was not the main concern of chaotic players. Their main concern and interest is how many users they can PK and gain items before losing the chaotic status. Therefore, none of them would have had any interest in the NPC’s circumstances. Ark immediately grasped the situation and answered.

“It is difficult to tell the difference in this place, but I am not like them. Also I have never done anything that I was ashamed about. It was because of circumstances that couldn’t be avoided that a crime was committed. And after my business here ends then I will surrender and be judged in a legitimate court of law.”

Ark was heartfelt (?) Needless to say, the shop owner nodded.

“No, I understand. There would often be such a friend.”

“Now would it be okay to explain the situation to me? I was thinking that solving other peoples’ difficulties was my fate. I have the body of a criminal now but isn’t it possible to see past that just this once.”

“Whew, but ……”.

The shop owner was worried about something and talked seriously.

“Just by looking you can understand, but a thief entered the store last night.”

“The thief?”

“Yes, in fact, this is not the first time. Surprisingly, just this shop has been visited at least three times in the last fortnight. Replacing the lock was ineffective. They don’t steal anything but I would rather they did. Every time they visit they would destroy the shop. Now I’m tired of it. Until now, I’ve somehow tried to hold on but ……..Now I’ve already given up. Anyway ……..No, I know how to clean up the store and leave this place. ”

“Aren’t there any guards here? Didn’t you tell them? ”

Ark tilted his head to one side. Users don’t involve guard NPCs with their problems, but the shop owner was a NPC. The NPC didn’t try to engage their help? If they have no restraint, then it is possible for chaotic users to do those kinds of things when dealing with the store.

“That, ……….Hung, it was a whole bunch of nonsense. This is my problem I don’t need other people’s help. All right, now anyway? Because I can’t engage in business, please forget it and leave.”

“Ha, but ………”

“Now!”

The shop owner suddenly changed. And stepped closer to Ark and looked suspiciously into Ark’s eyes.

“Now, you’re really……?”

“Yes?”

“This, unbelievable! The scent of blood has disappeared from your body? Then surely the [Lie] …..! ”

‘ Whoops! ‘

Ark’s heart suddenly fell. The duration of the scroll had finished because he was delayed running around Cairo. And in front of an NPC. In Cairo, even the NPC was chaotic. It was similar to thieves in Giran being tired of the hunt. If the shop owner let the NPC guard know then he was screwed. However, you also can’t kill the NPC. If he became wanted as a NPC killer in Cairo then he would have to give up the quest from the Magic Institute.

“I, I…….”

Ark was embarrassed and tried to diffuse the situation somehow. Suddenly, the shop owner grabbed Ark’s arm. He closed the door and observed outside from a small side door. After confirming that there was no one around, the shop owner blew out a sigh of relief.

“That was close. I was wondering if someone had noticed … ”

“You’re not accusing me?”

“Accuse? Huhuhu, great. What is good about deliberately plotting against you? In addition, you must have a reason to use a scroll to come here.”

“Thank you,”

The shop owner looked at Ark as he decided something and opened his mouth.

“It is difficult to say, but perhaps you’ll give me some help?”

“Of course I would like to help. But just before….. ”

“It’s a matter that I didn’t want to ask of a criminal. But if you’re not a criminal then the circumstances are different. And if you managed to visit here through your own power then you must have considerable skills, enough that I might be able to give you a favour.

Ark eyes shone brightly. A NPC quest! The quest was one that could only be given if a non-chaotic player came to Cairo. It was a development that couldn’t be imagined.

“As a matter of fact. I know the criminal who entered the store. If you exit the town and climb the south hill there is an unemployed bum called Lorenzo who lives at the cabin.” The shop owner said. ‘If you punish him severely and recover the stolen goods, then you’ll be properly compensated. That’s it for now….but I’ll tell you what? If you recover any items, then I’ll offer a 40% discount on the price. Anyway, I am going to put everything in order as I leave so I should probably reduce the baggage. How is it?” ‘Ohu!’ In Ark’s eyes gold powder fell. He didn’t know how much stuff had been stolen, but since it had been stolen five times then it wouldn’t be a small amount. Of course if he sold the items he received with a 40% discount at another city then he could get considerable profit. Sid had also come to Cairo with that purpose.

“Are there any other gangs?” “No, as far as I know he lives by himself.” “Good! But before that …You see that I urgently need the [Lie] scroll. Is it possible to give me some help in that regard?” “Don’t worry. I always have a few [Lie] scrolls. The shop owner pulled out three protruded scrolls. “Thank you. So I will immediately go and recover your things.” “Now, wait a minute”

At that time, the shop owner hurriedly grabbed Ark’s hands. “Don’t misunderstand. I’d love to punish him a little. But nothing beyond that.” “Yes? But what…? ” “No, I mean… anyway the thing is, the stealing is scandalous, but he did not harm me directly. If he dies due to somebody I sent then how can I calm down? I just want my things returned. So just keep that in mind. Under no circumstances should you kill him. Understood? If you do not keep the promise I won’t forgive you”

“………I understand.”

Although he didn’t understand the shop owner’s attitude, Ark nodded. As soon as he did, the quest window popped up.

The worries of shop owner Wolkosu

You have met the shop owner Wolkosu in Cairo. He has angrily continued to put up with a thief who ruined his store for a fortnight. Unlike the other foreigners in Cairo, he has asked just you to solve this case. You have to punish the thief and recover the goods.

{However, if the rogue is injured with a sword then the quest will automatically fail. If the quest is not finished by the end of the month, a vindictive Wolkosu will believe you did not keep the promise and file a complaint to the NPC}

Difficulty level: E

ACT 7 Dark Brotherhood ‘Here?’ 20 minutes after he left Cairo and walked up the hill, a cabin appeared. He used ‘Stealth’ to observe through a window. As expected, the NPC named Lorenzo was chaotic. Level 80. Although it was a high level for other people, he couldn’t compare to Ark who was level 90 and receives a bonus attribute in the dark. Quest difficulty E. It took 90 levels to perform one difficulty up. However, it wasn’t a simple quest where he could rush in blindly. It usually required killing the target to receive a key that would open a warehouse and retrieve the goods. However, he couldn’t kill Lorenzo and he couldn’t even use a sword. In other words, he had to find out the whereabouts of the goods first.

‘I had previously encountered thieves in the ruins….. ‘

After surveying the structure of the cabin, Ark said to Sid.

“As expected, there is a back entrance. If one is backed into a corner they may escape through the back entrance. Therefore Sid will block the back door. If blocked by a body on the outside then there is no particular danger.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Sid answered in a tense voice and went back.

‘Now, this fellow recently held poison.’

If you block the escape of a level 80 NPC then they would have nothing to build a strategy. Intimidating for the time being and if that doesn’t work then a little bit of violence is okay. Ark immediately kicked the door and entered the cabin. Lorenzo who was surprised, tried to stand up.

“You, who are you?”

“I will not speak for long. Where are you hiding the stolen goods? ”

“The stolen goods? What are you talking about? ”

“It is useless to feign ignorance. I already know. Just tell me obediently before you get hurt.”

“What, what?” Thief? Who said such a silly thing?”

“Who is it? -Wolkosu. Wouldn’t you know who Wolkosu is even if I didn’t explain it?

It was at that time. At the mention of Wolkosu, Lorenzo’s forehead violently twitched. Then his eyes anxiously shook as he sighed.

“Wolkosu…….!”

Lorenzo ground his molars together and growled.

“I don’t know what inspired such nonsense but I didn’t steal anything! Go back! If you don’t return then I’ll beat you to death.

“Oh, a beating to death?

Ark laughed and nodded his head.

“That’s the most welcome sound I ever head. Let’s see if you can give it a try. ”

“This child!”

Lorenzo kicked the chair and rushed at him. He tried to use the distraction of the chair to attack. It was a familiar method that other thieves used to fight. However for juvenile delinquents who walked a dark road, it was a method that Ark was tired of. That much was not enough to give an element of surprise. Ark caught the chair and kicked sideways. The next moment his fist shot out in rapid succession in a flash. Ark’s specialty was continuous critical hits!

“Kuoooak!”

He delivered blows to the chest, waist and side, after being hit with three critical attacks Lorenzo moaned and withdrew. Although Ark did not use his sword for attack and defense at the same time he did have his gloves, the Cat Paws. Due to the growth system of the Cat Paws, his offensive power was currently 9~15 (+8.9) In some ways, it was better than a sword. In addition, Ark had also learned Sword-Hand Combat and Hand-to-Hand Combat, so he had no reason to be penalized by the absence of a sword. Lorenzo’s health was quickly reduced to 30%.

“Ugh, this, unbelievable!”

Lorenzo ground his teeth together and rushed again.

“Ha ha ha, copper!”

But once Dedric and Skull joined the fight, Lorenzo immediately retreated to the corner again. Ark continuously rained punches and kicks on him! Lorenzo soon developed bruises all over his body. And finally he turned and a punch hit his temple, sending him flying through to the other side of the wall.

“Now, little by little did you want to confess?”

“Damn it, no way!”

“I see you want to lose your soul.”

Ark drew back his fist and directed it to Lorenzo’s face, which instantly turned pale. Lorenzo had already lost 70% of his health. While Ark only lost 10% at most. In the first place, he was fighting in a game. Finally, Lorenzo threw a water bottle and turned his body around. He tried to open the back door but ……..Lorenzo’s face became perplexed. Sid had already blocked the other side of the door so it was stuck and wouldn’t open.

“What, what the?” What the hell is this? ”

“Hu hu hu, What a fool! Did he think I wouldn’t have any countermeasures?”

“Rain, eat this!

Lorenzo lifted the sword hanging on the wall beside him. However, Ark moved much faster than him. Pok! Ark kicked Lorenzo’s stomach. Without any mistakes, he accurately hit a vital spot on the underbelly and gained a critical hit! Lorenzo was stunned and fell back. Ark who was waiting for the chance immediately shouted.

“Snake, tie him up!”

Saek saek!

Snake flicked his tongue and firmly tied up both of Lorenzo’s arms. Thus, the fight with Lorenzo was easily settled with that. With one step, Ark approached the struggling Lorenzo and asked.

“Okay, now where should your excrement and this popular soybean paste go? Maybe in your mouth? Or will you confess? For your information, I wouldn’t mind beating you up some more.”

“Dammit, I told you from the beginning! I did not steal it!”

“Don’t make me laugh. So without any evidence you have been accused as a thief? If you did something suspicious then obviously you would be considered a criminal! ”

“Sheesh, what do you know? That old man didn’t know what he was talking about! ”

“Even if you die, you’re not going to confess?”

“There’s nothing to confess!”

“Not possible”

Ark’s eyes became chilly. Dedric looked at Lorenzo and clicked his tongue.

“Tsk tsk, poor guy, he just dug his own grave.”

Dedric knew from experience what would happen when Ark looked like that. As expected…………When Lorenzo’s health recovered a little bit, Ark showed his true colours. In the past, Dedric was tamed using the same method as he stepped on Lorenzo. With a stupid face, Lorenzo freaked out about the kicks and let out a cry of distress.

“Keuak! This bastard! What are you doing! ”

However, Ark didn’t even blink. In the past, the only way to tame someone rude was with a whip! Additionally, Ark’s character was that once he starts something, he sees it through to the end. Ark continued stepping on Lorenzo’s face until he was in a critical condition. Then he waited awhile for health to recover, stepped and wait, how many times did he repeat it……..

“Ark-nim, you done yet………Huk!”

Sid stuck his head through the back door and screamed. New World was a virtual reality game where a sense of realism overflows. Not even 10 minutes had passed since Ark refused to let the violently beaten Lorenzo die and it looked like a violent scene from an 18+ rated movie.

“Oh, Ark-nim. Isn’t this too severe?”

“Hell no. I haven’t even started yet.”

Ark answered with a grin and Sid’s face turned white in terror. However, Lorenzo did not submit. Rather, the more violent Ark became then the more profanities escaped from his mouth.

“Dwe, eat this! Just kill me already!”

“Hehehe, Master. Then how about an extreme method?”

At that time, the cunning fellow Dedric treacherously smiled and approached. A cold smile spread at the corners of Ark’s mouth.

“Hmm, well that’s okay? As expected you have a bad side as well.”

“Huhuhu, this is due to master’s virtue.”

Dedric chattered.

……..Was that praise, or an insult? Anyway, Ark listened to Dedric’s advice and stopped the violence. Instead, he placed a pot and ingredients on the table and began survival cooking. After a while, the sweet smell of food filled the room.

“Eek? No, what are you doing? Stop it! ”

Ark held Lorenzo’s jaw wide open and poured food into his mouth. Lorenzo collapsed to the ground screaming and began to spasm. ‘Fragrant Poison Soup ‘ which activated the paralysis effect.

“You……..This, you bastard! Such…..a ……”

Lorenzo sweated and stuttered with a paralyzed tongue. It was a soup with a terrible taste and next Ark fed him the horrible salad, waste-flavoured jello etc. But that was only the beginning. The true horror was the spicy seafood chowder medley. Using the medley skill, there was a low probability of terrible food being produced. And the taste was so ‘shocking’ that neither the taste nor effect could be compared with a general survival cooking dish. As it did not decrease the health at all, it was possible to annoy all give senses to the limit ……….. It was closer to being a biological weapon than a food. The medley of chowder was made in such great numbers that just the sight was enough to make him tremble in fear. And the devil-like food entered Lorenzo’s mouth immediately. Every time he ate it, Lorenzo jumped and spasmed like a fish. A new concept of using food to torture!

“Ugh, I can’t bear to watch!”

Dedric turned his head away with a horror stricken face. To Sid who hadn’t experienced the horrors of the food, it seemed like a joke but…….

“Stop! Please help me! I will say, I’ll talk, please I’ll speak! I’ll do anything as long as you stop it with the food!”

After he cooked the fifth food, Lorenzo screamed and surrendered. It was the inevitable result. Just eating the food caused such a threat to his life that Ark developed the Indomitable Body skill, and to Dedric it was so horrifying that he developed speech in order to stop eating the food. It reached a level that humans would not be able to eat. Ark stopped the hand motions for cooking and grinned.

“So, I’m glad that you stopped fighting.”

“Now, cruel bastard……..How could someone in the guise of a human make such horrible food…….!”

‘What? “Oh, no! No, no! I mean…” “Well anyway, let’s get to the main subject. Where’s the stuff?”

“I’ll say it again I didn’t steal anything!”

“Ah, is that so? Are you still hungry?”

Ark picked up the pot of food and Lorenzo immediately cried out in a wronged voice.

“And please wait! Really. I really didn’t. But I can guess the fellows who stole it. It’s that guy.

“Aren’t you prevaricating?”

“Please believe me. The fact is that I was also a victim. They robbed the General Store and now they’re trying to frame me for it. ”

“Ah, Ark-nim” Try not to believe his words.”

Sid noticed his face and interrupted.

“But the context fits. Why would stealing things from the General Store be a problem for you? ”

“Well actually ……..” Lorenzo hesitated to answer Ark but eventually desperately replied. “I’m actually… ….Wolkosu’s adopted son.” “What?” Adopted son?”

After Lorenzo lost his parents when he was young, he lived with his uncle who managed a store in Selebrid who entrusted him to Wolkosu. Wolkosu was not friendly in nature. Lorenzo worked the difficult night to dawn shift and if he made a little mistake then he would be punished. Lorenzo decided that he would become a runaway. He began living on the streets for several years and Lorenzo became a full fledge delinquent. Then one day, Lorenzo was caught in another gang’s dispute and accidently killed a man. So Lorenzo became chaotic and was pursued by guards before he managed to hide to reach Wolkosu in Selebrid. He was going to threaten Wolkosu to give him some escape funds. However, when he was listening at the store, he overheard the cashier say something amazing. Wolkosu asked about the people trying to extort money from Lorenzo and paid them back one by one in a month. And the fact that Lorenzo wasn’t caught by the guards during that month was also due to Wolkosu.

“I never knew. My father … … ….He was clumsy at expressing affection. I didn’t understand that I was loved. If I knew earlier I wouldn’t have done such stupid things ……. ” Lorenzo said with a slightly shaky voice.

Lorenzo then left the store. With help, he barely managed to avoid the bounty hunters and guards. He built a cabin outside Cairo to live in and swore to no longer do any bad things. And it was long after that he came.

“Although I forgot for a while …….My dad suddenly opened a store in Cairo. My father had never committed a crime. He obviously used the [Lie] scroll to disguise himself as a criminal and conduct business.

Lorenzo ground his teeth tightly. Wolkosu had many reasons to set up a shop in Cairo. Of course ……..the main one was Lorenzo. Lorenzo wept after he realised Wolkosu’s heart. However, once the relationship was twisted it did not come loose easily. While thinking about how hard that month must have been on Wolkosu, he didn’t even dare beg forgiveness.

“I stayed here so I wouldn’t bother my father. Once when I was free, I visited the store and violence occurred. I was told to get lost……. although I wanted to beg for forgiveness….. I couldn’t bear it. After hurting him for over 10 years, was it even possible to be forgiven? I….. thought it was best for my father to abandon me. Perhaps that’s why my father thought I stole things. ”

“Then who stole the stuff?” “They are subordinates of the older brother I followed in the past.” “What?” The older brother’s subordinates? ”

“Yes, I left the organization before I realised my mistake and came here. However, they pursued me to Cairo a while ago. They wanted me to work for a large robbery group. Of course I refused. Then the guys said that they wouldn’t leave my father alone if I didn’t listen.

From that, Ark found all the answers to his questions. The reason the shop owner Wolkosu had a large order of the [Lie] scroll. It was for his own use. It was also the reason why Ark received the quest after he became non-chaotic. Because the shop owner did not trust criminals. It also explained why he did not report to the NPC guard and why he warned him not to harm Lorenzo…… it all made sense now. ‘Its just like a third-rate drama.’

In the end, the main culprit was the boss of the group of thieves. When he thought about it, it made him angry.

“Hukhukhuk, so that it was. I understand.” Sid had become too immersed and a tear slid down his face as he spoke. Although not to the same degree, Ark also felt uncomfortable. After Ark met the ex-convicts, his views had changed. People in unavoidable circumstances can walk down a path of darkness. They also have their own drama. He shouldn’t blindly judge them for their crimes. Lorenzo also made an effort to put his life of crime behind him and live a new life. Although he was a delinquent, if his “older brother” had cared, shouldn’t he have celebrated his new start? Instead, he decided to threaten Lorenzo’s father? Even among NPCs, there are dirty and lousy guys. Although not clearly shown, everything that exists in reality also exists in the game.

“Actually, I heard that after they chased me to Cairo they robbed the general store several times, including last night. If I don’t answer within a week then I don’t know what they’ll do to my father to threaten me. If that fellow…… ”

Lorenzo ground his back teeth together.

“So? What should be done? ”

“I can’t stand it anymore.”

“Let’s catch them and beat them up?”

“That’s not the only way.”

At that time, Sid asked in a worried voice.

“But what if they have a lot of guys?”

“Heh, it’ll happen anyway because of me. I must live in order to negotiate.”

“Okay.” Snake, untie.”

Ark placed Snake back around his waist.

“Come on, if we’ve decided then it’s better to finish this quickly.”

“What?” You really ………? ”

Ark said in a blunt voice.

“It’s not guaranteed that you’re telling the truth. You might just flee. So I have to follow and confirm whether you’re telling the truth or not. And I also promised the shop owner that I would recover his things, so I can’t just leave it in the hands of criminals. ”

“Ah, Ark-nim!” Sid shouted with a thrilled look on his face. Lorenzo also looked at him with incredulous eyes.

‘Please do not look at me with those red faces. Because theres no way I would be returning with the quest unsolved.’ Ark replied.

On the other hand, Dedric muttered and gave a nasty look to Ark. “Sheesh, there he goes again. Master’s acting……….”

Lorenzo looked at Ark for a while before clenching his teeth. “I don’t know how to thank you in a time like this.”

“It isn’t necessary. I’m not helping for free”

At that moment, a ‘Dududung’ sound was heard, then the quest information window popped up.

Quest has been updated.

Shop owner Wolkosu’s distress => Remove the accusations against Lorenzo

You discovered that Lorenzo was the shop owner Wolkosu’s adopted son. The events that occurred in the last fortnight at the General store are the work of his old companions trying to involve him in a bandit group. Accompany Lorenzo to the hideaway, determine if it is the truth or a lie and recover the stolen goods.

(Warning, it Lorenzo dies on the way then the quest will fail). Difficulty level: D

Ark grinned and laughed. Suddenly, there was an unexpected message.

-Andel used a [Feather of whispering] to whisper.

‘What the? Andel? ‘

Ark had a bewildered expression. Although he had forgotten about him for a while, Ark never thought that Andel would attempt to whisper him. After contemplating for a bit, he shook his head. If he authorized the whisper, it was easy enough to imagine the contents. In the end, he had a nasty feeling. In addition, he did not want to engage in a fight with Andel at the moment.

“Refuse whisper”

Ark lightly ignored the whisper. At that time, Ark did not realise one simple thing. A whisper can only reach people in the same area.

“I’ve found him. That Ark bastard! ” A hazy smile spread at Andel’s mouth. He had accompanied the assassins dispatched by the Assassin’s guild for the last fortnight. After Andel joined the assassins in Selebrid, they immediately left for Giran. Ark received the Event Quest from the Magic Institute, so he reasoned that Ark would have to return to Giran. But by that time Ark had already joined Sid so there was no reason for him to keep returning to Giran. Thanks to that, Andel and the assassins never discovered Ark’s whereabouts. After that, the only plan Andel could come up with after wandering around Giran was to use the [Feather of Whispering]. But it was only possible to whisper within a certain range. In other words, it doesn’t matter if the opponent refuses the whisper, as long as the [Feather of Whispering] worked than if was proof that he wasn’t far from Ark. And once he entered the vicinity of Cairo, the [Feather of Whispering] immediately worked.

“That guy is somewhere around here.”

At Andel’s words, the three assassins dispatched by the Dark Brother nodded. “There aren’t a lot of villages in Brandt Mountains. There are many places he could be.” “OK, then let’s keep a certain distance and move using [Trace].

The assassins scattered with the scroll. [Trace] was a scroll that can determine the location of the target if they were within a 1km radius. Once the vicinity was confirmed, then locating Ark would only be a matter of time using the scroll.

‘Ark, it’s the end for you!’

Flames of vengeance burned in Andel’s eyes.

‘He touched the wrong person. No matter what, I’ll return the favour. If I can’t pass the company examination then you won’t be able to either. I’ll catch your ankle and pull you down with me. No, even if I have to spend millions of won, I’ll connect to New World again! You poor sod!’

“How many people would there be?” “It would be six or seven people.”

Lorenzo replied in a tense voice. After leaving Sid at the cabin, Ark and Lorenzo returned to Cairo. The hideout of the thieves threatening Lorenzo was located deep in the alleys of Cairo Although Lorenzo believed there were only six or seven people, the building size made it capable of hiding at least 20.

”I feel like the quest is becoming even longer…… Oh well, it’s not that bad.’ The thieves are all inferior to Lorenzo. Lorenzo was a level 80 rogue, while the others were down around level 60~70. If you compared them to Ark who was 20 levels higher and had fought thieves in Giran, then it shouldn’t be that difficult. He thought that the quest would probably be solved in 10 minutes.

‘Once the quest is complete than I can start my get rich quick scheme.’

The General Store had been robbed three times. If so, there were quite a lot of items stolen. He could purchase all the items at 40% off the original price. Ark currently had 1000 gold. The Nurunma leaves were also expected to add a large amount so he should have around 1,600 gold. Once the quest was solved, Ark would invest his money in purchasing items.

‘They could fill Sid’s bags with all the items and leave…. ‘

In the case of a general item that isn’t a special commodity, a store would buy it for 50% of its purchase price. However, he could sell it for 80% of its price to users who need the item. And if it is an item that couldn’t be obtained from a local store, it is possible to add more value and sell it at 120% of its purchase price. Using simple maths, if he have 1000 gold and I buy items for 60% and sell it at 120% then there would be a profit of 600 gold. Some conditions to receive quests could be difficult, but if done successfully then you could sell items at other cities and gain a huge benefit.

‘Huhuhu, good thing that Sid came along.’

Of course, Ark had no intention of selling the item directly. It was a bag full of items worth 1000 gold, and he had no time to do business with other users. He was prepared to leave the annoying part to Sid. Even though 10~20% of the profit would be given away, he would still make more than 500 gold without wasting time.

‘Once the quest is completed then its certain that I will make a profit.’

As soon as he arrived in Cairo, he received this excellent quest! The only thing on his mind was Lorenzo. If Lorenzo dies, then he would earn Wolkosu’s wrath which would make it difficult to stay in Cairo. So the point of this quest was to protect Lorenzo rather than kill the thieves.

“Lorenzo, you’re in the back.”

“Yes, but ………”

“You are not allowed to be injured. If you’re injured here, how sad would your father be? You shouldn’t let the father who came here for you be sad. You know what I mean……even if I don’t say it?”

He was different from the Ark who threatened to kill him with food. However, thinking about profit was enough for Ark’s character to change. Anyway Lorenzo was just a simple NPC so he blew out a sigh and nodded.

“Thank you so much. I’ll be careful.”

“Well done”

As soon as Ark received the promise, he tried to open the door. All of a sudden, there was a flashing light and huge damage occurred.

-Using the element of surprise, you received a critical hit from the assassin’s skill. Damage 200X3

“Huk, what, what the?” Assassination? ‘

In an instant, 600 points of his health disappeared. Ark was surprised and instantly withdrew. Blurry forms emerged from the surroundings. The company had their faces hidden in black hoods like a ninja. The first thing he thought of when he saw their features were Shambala. The ‘ Stealth’ and ‘ Assassination ‘ skill was Shambala’s main attacks, but it wasn’t Shambala. Shortly after, two people dressed the same appeared from both sides of the house. The red hand stamped on the top of the hood gave off a creepy feeling.

“Lorenzo”?

“Mo, I don’t know. I’ve never seen such dangerous guys? ”

Lorenzo also shook his head in bewilderment. At that time, the masked man muttered in a low voice.

“It would be impossible for that delinquent to know us.”

“What are you guys? What do you want? ”

“We’re the dark brotherhood.”

“The, the Dark Brothers! Surely you guys…..the Assassination Guild…….!”

Blood instantly drained from Lorenzo’s face. Living in Selebrid, Lorenzo had heard rumours of the Dark Brothers. However, Ark looked confused and still didn’t understand.

“Assassination Guild? Why would the guild try to assassinate me?”

The assassin then made a derisive noise. “Kukukuk, this fellow is still slow to understand the situation.”

“Eh? Who are you?”

“I’m happy to see you again. Yes, it was quite difficult trying to find you. ”

“Andel……!” Ark muttered with a surprised voice.

The face of the assassin at the back was none other than Andel. “Yes…….. have you figured it out yet?”

“The one who yet to figure it out is you. Did you think I’d let you have fun after messing with me?”

“Arg! You’ll be the one saying sorry in the end!”

“That’s the most welcome sound I ever heard. Let’s finish this.”

“You bastard ……!”

When Ark lifted his sword, the three assassins in front blocked it.

“What the?”

“Didn’t you hear? I hired assassins from the Dark Brother organization. ”

“When I was in Selebrid, I heard a rumour about them. They are a secret organization composed of the most elite assassins. They specialize in the murder of foreigners. They have such excellent skills that they charge an extravagant commission fee.

“What kind of grudge do you have against you……. ” Lorenzo murmured in a small voice. NPCs that specialize in hunting users? Whats this ridiculous crap is he talking about? This unexpected problem could be quite serious. If they specialize in killing users than their levels should be quite high. In addition, they must be armed with the professional skills for PVP.

‘Damn you, of all things in this place……. ‘

Ark gave a frustrated face and the assassins suddenly attacked.

Chae Chang! Kakakak!

Ark immediately evaded and counter attacked. If it was an ordinary monster, then considerable damaged would have been dealt. But the assassin avoided the attack using a strange movement to step back. And …….That was the opening bell for the fight.

“Kill him!”

The 3 assassins cleverly used a pincer attack to push Ark back. Ark was pressed by the sword attacks coming from all directions.

“Dedric, Skull! Plan B-1! ‘

Dedric and Skull each rushed to 1 assassin. Their airborne attacks used a 7: 3 ratio of attack and defense. Meanwhile, Ark was fighting the remaining assassin 1 on 1. They split their attack between the pets and Ark.

‘Oh my god, level 120 ……..! ‘

Ark groaned after he checked their level using Eyes of the Cat. Ark’s current level was 90 and with the dark attribute bonus he reached level 120. However, the assassins’ default level was 120. The assassins’ would also receive a dark attribute bonus. In the end, he concluded that the difference was at least 10 levels. Indeed, the assassins are the type to show off their skills. Ark continued evading while countering the ghost sword. However, who was Ark? Ark was also armed with the specialized PVP skills of a Dark Walker. Ark quickly changed his strategy and kicked out in conjunction with Snake’s poisonous attack. He fought the assassin with an enthusiasm like he would die any minute, and the assassin soon knelt to the ground after a blow.

‘Double critical chance!’

Ark used the opportunity to narrow the distance and swung his sword. However, a sharp metallic sound rang out and Ark was pushed back. The other two assassins blocked his blow from either side of Ark. His summons was unable to impede the enemies like they normally would due to their numbers. Therefore, Ark’s health went down to 50%.

” Sheesh, it’s more difficult than I thought.’

“Snake, recovery potion!”

Ark retreated a few steps and pulled out a potion. No, as soon as he tried to drink. The assassin quickly pulled out a scroll. At the key moment he was about to drink the potion, a sound was heard. Ark surfaced in front of a red warning message.

{Null recovery} scroll was activated.You can’t use any items while you’re in battle.{Duration: 30 minutes}

‘No recovery?’

The reason that he didn’t lose hope after discovering that the enemies were level 120 was because he had quite a lot of recovery potions saved. While his opponent couldn’t drink a potion due to being bothered by Snake, Ark safely could. When dealing with other users, this was the pattern Ark used to win. Thanks to that, he could engage in battles with higher level users without worrying. However, now the situation was reversed due to one scroll. He didn’t have time to be surprised as the assassin shoved their swords at his chest.

“Huhuhu, why do you think I faced you alone? I know all the foreigner’s battle strategy already.

Meanwhile, the assassin retreated and leisurely drank a potion. The situation continued a couple of times, with the assassins always keeping their health at 80%. However, without the recovery potion Ark’s health decreased to 40%.

‘Damn, that bastard! ‘

Ark glared at Andel standing a distance away. Andel did not participate in the battle. If he interrupt the battle than he would become chaotic and he didn’t see a reason for that. Meanwhile, the assassins began to strengthen their attacks.

“Master, Master! Any more and we’ll be done for!”

Tadak! Tadadak!

To make matters worse, Dedric and Skull were also gasping for help. The abilities of his summons were mid-level 40 at best. Until now, there were two reasons that they could deal with high level monsters. As the battle goes on, most of the monsters focus on Ark rather than his summons. Therefore, the pets were not subjected to concentrated attacks. And the second reason was that Ark could direct different plans depending on the circumstances. However, the assassins were different from normal monsters. When it was necessary, they would focus their attacks on the summons. In addition, Ark who was being helplessly pushed back couldn’t even afford to direct his summons. The pets who didn’t receive any support instantly reached a critical condition.

”I can’t lose the summons here! ‘

“Dedric, Skull! Plan B-4!”

“I’m sorry. Master! ”

The situation was even worse with the summons disappearing. The 3 assassins surrounded Ark and attacked with their swords. Then. Lorenzo who had anxiously watched as Ark went on the defensive yelled out and rushed in.

“Hey, bastards!”

But Lorenzo couldn’t even damage the black robed assassins. Instead, he received a sound thrashing and was soon in critical condition.

“You should’ve been quiet if you wanted to live a few more minutes. Foolish fellow! ”

The annoyed assassin casually threw his sword at the nuisance.

‘Oh, no! ‘

The surprised Ark quickly rushed in front of Lorenzo. Although he wielded a sword, the dirk quickly penetrated his chest.

-Critical Hit 200 Damage!

Ark stumbled as his health fell to a critical condition.

“You ……Why did you go so far………. ”

Lorenzo appeared puzzled. There was no moral obligation or money at risk for Ark to jump in front of Lorenzo. The reason was that he hadn’t finished his quest and if Lorenzo died it would become difficult. How could he give up a quest worth 400~600 gold when he could still salvage it? Even if he died in this place, he would never give up gold. Even if the situation was enough to make him anxious, Ark didn’t show it. If he died, then to the NPC he would seem like a messenger of justice.

“I promised Wolkosu. You can’t be injured, you have to live and somehow reconcile with your father.

“You …….!”

He looked at Ark with an impressed face.

“There’s no time to be chatting. We have to get out of here. Follow me!”

When an assassin tried to kill Lorenzo, the situation became more serious. Turning his body, Ark avoided the assassin and gained time for a retreat. Then, another assassin took out a scroll and shouted.

“Scroll [Magnetic] target Ark!”

At the same time, Ark’s body experienced a huge attraction and was dragged towards the assassin.

“Ah, Ark-nim!”

“Don’t look back, run! I’ll come along soon!”

Ark resisted the pulling force with his full strength and shouted. Lorenzo glanced at him with unsure eyes before clenching his teeth and turning away. At that moment, Ark turned his body and rushed at the assassin. The acceleration caused by Ark’s rush added to the effects of the [Magnetic] scroll caused the assassin and flinch and be hit. That moment was a chance for Ark.

“The chain skill Riposte!”

Ark shouted and used the Riposte skill to deflect the attacks back at the assassins. They turned to a solid mass and fell down. At the same time, the strong suction disappeared.

“Now!”

When Ark and Lorenzo ran away, Andel raised his voice and shouted.

“What are you doing? You guys!‘

“Ouch, who knew he would use such a technique.”

“Don’t worry though. Once the Dark Brother catches a game, they never miss.”

The assassins took out another scroll and used it.

{Trace} scroll, track the target.The location of the target can be determined if they are within a 1 km distance.{Duration: 30 minutes} {Battle off disabled} scroll was activated.Even if the opponent is far away, the battle state isn’t released.{Duration: 30 minutes}

‘Oh my God! ‘

Ark’s face was haggard. The talk of a professional assassin always seemed to be excessive advertisement. Ark thought the battle state could be released which was why he ran more than 200 meters away. So the [Null Recovery] effect could be cancelled. Also, if he hid his body using ‘Stealth’ he would have an opportunity to sneak back and attack Andel. However, just before he turned the corner two more scrolls were activated. The assassin used [Trace] and [Battle off disabled]. Whether Andel knew Ark’s plan or not, the use of those two scrolls ruined it. It means that all of Ark’s weak points were identified.

”It was a special scroll prepared in Cairo, just for him……… ‘

Sid had mentioned the effects of the special scrolls the other day. But he did not realise that it would have such an enormous effect. It did no direct damage but if utilized well according to the situation, then it could mean the difference between winning and losing. If there was time, he would study the effects of the scrolls more seriously but at the moment he did not want to back down.

‘When pursued by a group, it is time for some countermeasures.’

“We can’t stop them. Let’s split up.”

“Yeah but ………”

“Think about it, you won’t be any help to me. And the target of their [Trace] is me. When we scatter, they won’t chase after you.”

“But until I pay back my life debt, I can’t just run away like this.”

“It’s not for you.”

“What?”

“Sid remained in your cabin. If you were to be damaged by the assassins’ attacks, there would be no one left to protect Sid as a foreigner in Cairo. It is a request. The only one I can trust is you. Please protect Sid.”

“Khuk…….I understand.”

While he was conflicted, Lorenzo eventually nodded. The fact that he wouldn’t be any help against those guys and Ark knew it too.

“As soon as possible. Go before they detect us.”

“Come back alive”

“Don’t worry.”

Ark briefly replied before running through the dark backstreets. He was separated from Lorenzo. If the quest fails then the worst situation was avoidable.

‘It is important to last 30 minutes’

Ark ran in an alley, thinking hard. There was nothing Ark could do about the scroll combo he was under. No, honestly even without the scroll, he couldn’t guarantee the odds against three assassins. So far, the NPC thieves he had faced were classified as general monsters. Their intelligence was quite high which made the battle more difficult, but it was nothing compared to a user. However, if the same monster had a combat attribute than that would be a different situation. The Sylphid Knights of Jackson was a good example of this. Their combat method and skills was used faster than a user. And the same goes for assassins. In the first place, the NPC that specializes in hunting users would have superior fighting skills than the Sylphid Knights. It was the 3 worst NPCs to fight. In addition, there was also Andel. He stayed back because he didn’t want to become chaotic, but if the assassins started losing than he would probably interfere.

‘No matter how much he thought about it, there was no way to win.’

However, it was also impossible to get away.

[Null recovery], [Trace], [Battle off disabled].

The scroll combo he was under meant that any method of escape was blocked. The situation had become gloomier.

‘Damn it, that bastard Andel! If only such a method wasn’t used.’

It would be easy. If he prepared for the same method then he had confidence that he would win. He wouldn’t have ignored it if he was Andel. However, Ark had never even considered it. Andel had a lot more knowledge about New World than Arc! He was also friends with Alan who had enormous funds and resources available. If he was only dealing with one person, but Andel took advantage of the assassin game system and scrolls. So Ark was confused about how to come up with a counter attack.

‘This is why I was reluctant to associate with players………

He didn’t want to make enemies or even associate with friends. But from the start, it went wrong and he eventually ended up in this situation.

“Over here!”

Suddenly, a black shape fell from the roof and blocked him. The Dark Brother assassin! Ark turned around and flinched as the other assassins fell behind and beside him. With the [Trace] scroll tracking his movements, it was like Ark was dancing in the palms of Buddha, and the complicated maze of alleys made it easy to surround him.

‘In the end am I prepared to die? ‘

When you die, your stats drop by 6 points. Your experience also drops 30%. At level 90, 30% wasn’t a small amount. He would have to hunt for 12 hours around the clock to gain back the experience. But he was even angrier at the thought of Andel being the one to cause his death. Of course, Andel came rushing forward to see Ark’s end.

“Kukukuk, look at this spectacle. Even though you made an excellent gesture at the end.”

“Bah, this is your best? After this encounter I will not forgive you. Understand? I’ll attack again and this time I’ll really strip you naked. I promise. I’ll chase you all across the continent until you’re naked!”

“You’re a really stupid guy. Do you still not grasp the situation? ”

“What?”

“You will be the one stripped naked, not me. Stupid! Hey, begin.”

At Andel’s command, the 3 assassins all took out scrolls at the same time and activated it.

“[Seize] scroll. Target Ark!”

Ark looked at the scrolls on the hands of the black assassins. A red warning message then flashed.

[{Seize} scroll activated. When the designated target dies, there is a 50% chance that an equipped item will drop. {Duration: 30 minutes}]

“What, what?”

Ark’s face turned white and terrified. 50% chance to drop equipped items? There was also such a scroll? Furthermore, the same scroll was used three times. While the scroll had a cool down, the assassins could use it repeatedly. And there were 3 assassins. If 3 people use it at the same time, then the effect will stack up three times. In the end the odds of dropping equipment was 150%. While the probability never existed to this degree, it he was unlucky then he would drop 3 items at once. Currently if he lost any of his items, it would be difficult to get them again. In the worst case scenario, Lancel’s Sword would drop which would cost him $30

‘What’s more ………On the subject why are these NPCs recklessly using scrolls! ‘

Ark glared at them with absurd eyes but there was something Ark didn’t know. The more powerful scrolls in battle had a value of more than 30 gold for one. In other words, the assassins used 210 gold just on scrolls. 300 gold was used to hire the assassins and 210 gold to buy the scrolls. All the scrolls were privately financed by Alan and Andel and then given to the assassins. Let’s go capitalism! Just like in reality, money was also important to the game.

“You are unlucky. You don’t know what might have happened if it was another place, but this is the lawless city of Cairo. There are no active restrictions on assassins. In addition, did you make a resurrection place before Cairo?”

“Why don’t you see and find out?”

Ark coolly shot back, but inside his heart fell. Andel seemed to guess his predicament as he smirked.

“Heh, just like a masterpiece …….! After all, there isn’t a village near Cairo. It is impossible for you to have made anywhere else a resurrection point. And this is a place where the guards don’t move if users are attacked. No, here they are more hostile to normal players than chaotic players. If you are resurrected in a non-chaotic state then you would also have to flee the town. Well, even if you escape the town the result would still be the same. Kik kik, are you finally seeing sense? Who will be the one stripped naked?”

Every word impaled him. If he was in an ordinary village, there was no risk of a non-chaotic player being killed repeatedly. However, this was the chaotic city of Cairo, where they were adverse to non-chaotic users. That’s why they had to be careful that the resurrection place was updated. However, Ark hid his unease and replied sarcastically.

“Do you think I’m a fool? Do you think I would renew the resurrection point at a crazy place like this? ”

“Bah, it doesn’t matter, just kill him!”

The assassins rushed at Andel’s command. The first scroll was triggered and 15 minutes had finally passed. The remaining time was 15 minutes, but he was still in a battle state and the assassins would not stop pursuing him. While he was running away, it was fortunate that his health recovered to 30%. The assassins quickly attacked Ark from three directions. If he focused on just one of them it would be detrimental. After 1 minute he quickly fell to a critical condition.

‘I made a mistake; there is no way to beat these guys! ‘

Ark glared at Andel with cold eyes.

‘He’s convinced that I updated the resurrection place here. When I die the most logical thing to do is stay dead. But I’m not going to die! If I can just kill one NPC assassin then they won’t recover quickly. Then I’ll hide using ‘stealth’ and run away in the meantime.’

That was the best plan at the moment. In addition, if the fired assassin made a mistake then even Andel won’t be able to sleep easily.

‘An adventure! ‘

“Blessing of the Sea Spirit!”

When the special effects of Adelaine’s Necklace were activated, blue waves appeared and surrounded him. At the same time, defense increased by 40% and 500 mana was restored. At the same time, Ark opened a bag and pulled out a stack of old swords. Andel pushed one of the assassins and rushed forward.

Take this, Blade Storm!

When he activated the skill, cracks like spider webs spread on the swords. With an intense glare, he swung the sword at Andel. Blessing of the Sea Spirit was followed by Blade Storm In his critical condition, Adrenaline was activated. This is was Ark’s powerful deadly combo. When the assassins belatedly noticed Ark’s intent, they threw a dagger. But the 40% increase in defense meant that Ark’s health didn’t really decline. With any luck, he would still be able to take down the level 60 Andel. Looking at the swirling sword debris, Ark was convinced. However, at the moment Andel lightly laughed. He pulled out one more scroll, activated it and disappeared only to appear a few meters away.

‘What, [Warp]……….!’

The swirling blade storm disappeared into the air. Ark’s eyes narrowed in despair. His deadly combo which used all his energy failed because of a scroll. For a while he was discouraged until he felt the pain. The assassins had thrown two daggers which plunged into his back. Ark stumbled and leaned on a railing. He looked down and saw the mouth of the hole spread out infinitely. It was the hell that you wouldn’t be able to survive once you fell in. Andel had chased him across Cairo right to the edge of hell. When Andel used [warp], he rushed right to the edge of a place Ark guaranteed was hell. If Blade Storm was used just one step closer, he would’ve stepped off the edge into hell. No, Ark’s fate had already been decided.

“So you’re also here!”

The assassins had been throwing the dagger again. Ark swung his sword at the daggers but one still became stuck in his shoulder. Ark flinched and retreated while a number of thoughts crossed his mind.

”There is no way for me to survive in this state anyway! ‘

And if he died and dropped an item then it would end up in Andel’s hands. Even if he didn’t want to die it couldn’t be helped.

‘I’d rather have the items lost forever than end up with Andel! ‘

Ark ground his teeth together and asked. Even if he withstood it, there is a 100% chance he’ll die. However, what if he fell into hell? It’s clear that he was going to die. But at least it wouldn’t be because of Andel. The items dropped also wouldn’t end up with Andel And maybe even ……… There may be a possibility of 0.01%. There was no choice. Ark immediately turned and jumped on the railing. Daggers just barely missed his neck as he fell and flew overhead. And at his feet spread an endless abyss…….!

ACT 8 At the End of Hell ‘……..What now? ‘

He fell at an enormous speed through a dark space. It felt like he was being drawn somewhere. He couldn’t even fathom how long he had been falling or how much further there was to fall. However, one thing is certain. The longer it took to reach the bottom, the more the damage would exponentially increase. If the flow did not appear within a few minutes………

‘My remaining health was 150, even if I use the Racial Special Skill of the Cat Knight, I would still die. ‘But after that was the problem. The hell was in the Cairo region, but he didn’t know if the depths exceeded 1 kilometre or it the effects of the scrolls had disappeared. However, the [Seize] scroll used just before falling didn’t designate an area or distance limitation. If he died, then he must be prepared to lose 1~2 of his equipped items. It would be a fatal blow. But that wasn’t really the issue he was worried about.

‘Andel……..!’

He had not considered his spirit. Andel hired assassin with a few hundred gold. He also came forward and chased after Ark directly. He gave up on questing and levelling up. His intention to become the best in New World had changed to getting revenge on Ark.

‘As long as he is convinced that my resurrection place is Cairo then he would guard it even for the few days until I revive. ‘

Andel was such a person. He wouldn’t be able to sleep and guard the resurrection point 24 hours a day. But when the assassins also guarded in shifts then there would be no gaps for Ark to revive. Eventually Ark would have to log in or lose access to his items and there was a high probability that he would be PKed. The NPCs in the lawless city of Cairo won’t lift a finger to help users. In this situation, rules don’t exist.

‘Am I really going to end up like this?’

When he thought about it, his chest fluttered uneasily. It is nonsense. How far have I raised Ark? Am I really not going to be able to play the game anymore because of Andel? New World might just be a game, but to Ark it was his reality and life. Ark was able to eat rice every day and pay for his mother’s medical bills thanks to New World.

‘I just found it. I desperately found it. A way that I could live. And a place I want to live. I can’t give up. I would never give it up just because of Andel’

He made up his mind about what he wanted to do. He had to show his guts. Because that was the only thing Ark had.

‘I have to live! To protect yourself from Andel, you have no choice but to live, think Ark! Think of ways to survive! It’s not real. Nothing is impossible in New World. If you don’t give up then there must be a way to survive! ‘

Ark desperately rolled his head. Meanwhile, Ark had been falling and could finally see the ground. He was approaching pillars that rose from the ground. At the bottom of the hell, there appeared to be some monster fangs. A spark suddenly occurred in Ark’s mind.

‘Hell’s fangs! Ok, maybe …….! ‘

Ark struggled to maintain his posture in thin air. And he clenched his sword and concentrated with both eyes.

‘The chances are only fleeting! If I’m 0.1 seconds too late or early then I’m screwed! ‘

The sight of the ground where he could hit his head felt even more terrifying. His body would break like a tomato unless he had the right timing. However, Ark clenched his teeth together and opened his eyes wider. And just as the bottom approached!

‘Riposte!’

Ka ka ka kak! Jja Jjang!

With his full power, Ark swung his sword. He pushed at the stone pillar with his sword. At the moment, all his power was concentrated on Ark’s arm and shoulders. Checking the distance of the stone pillar approaching at high speed wasn’t much different from an offensive from an enemy. When he struck with Riposte, he gambled that a counterattack would occur. The special effect of Riposte was to push the opponent back 10 meters, but if opponent was too strong than the shock would be returned to Ark. Using Einstein’s principle of relativity the results were easily predicted.

Bump!

Ark’s body stopped in the air, as the brakes were jammed. At the same time, the damage caused by the fall was annulled for the moment. Ark didn’t miss the opportunity and kicked the stone pillar with his foot. And using the elasticity of his body, he avoided the stone pillar and broke his fall. A violent impact shook his shoulders and back.

-Cat Knight’s ability to alleviate the damage of falling by as much as 50%.Using your flexibility, the damage of the fall was reduced by 30%.

‘It’s a success! ‘

Ark teared up at the sight of the message. It was worth every moment he spent fighting thieves and levelling up Riposte until he formed blisters on his hand. It was a desperate moment where he only had 0.1 second to use Riposte before being smashed into a stone pillar. Using the special ability of the Cat Knight, he only received 50 damage. It was worth it to dig up this heroic achievement! However, before he could celebrate a red light appeared in succession.

-You were attacked by Blood Sucking Leeches 5 damage!

“What, what the?”

Ark said in surprise. In the area surrounding Ark were red fist-sized leeches. Some of them were already attached to his body and sucking blood. Using his sword, Ark was able to kill three or four of them but more took their place. In an instant, his health was sucked out until he only had 30 left.

“Damn it! Did I survive all that just to be killed by leeches? Spirit of the Cat!

Nyahhhh!

Ark’s pupils’ glowed gold as the form of a large black cat appeared. He revealed sharp fangs and he stared at them and the leeches instantly stiffened. All the gnawing leeches sucking his blood also stiffened and fell off. The floor was covered with leeches. The Spirit of the Cat caused paralysis which lasts for 1 minute!

‘1 minute to kill all the leeches. And his skills used mana. I only have 30 health left which means I’m screwed once the paralysis wears off. I have to get out of here for the time being’

Ark used Eyes of the Cat to search for a way out. Then Ark saw a dark hole which could barely fit one person on the side of the room. There was no line. Ark stepped on leeches as he headed towards the hole. Fortunately, the leeches didn’t chase after him. Ark entered the whole and looked for a little more space. The hole was longer than he thought. He crawled along the whole for a couple of minutes before his arms slipped. Like a slide at a swimming pool, the floor suddenly sloped and dropped somewhere. Suddenly a message window appeared in front of Ark.

“Ah, huh?”

Hell’s Underground Labyrinth

You’ve discovered the underground labyrinth that emits a terrible odour in the depths of Cairo. Perhaps this labyrinth has existed even before Cairo was built. It is unclear what the purpose for building it was.

But as it was underneath Cairo, all the filth and corpses naturally entered the labyrinth. Due to all the filth dumped from Cairo, the labyrinth changed to a stench filled one capable of covering a further deformity

-You have found an undiscovered dungeon.

When you register with the Hall of Fame, you can gain 1000 experience and 70 Fame.

Would you like to register?

“The [Trace] scroll has stopped reacting.”

“Tired”

“That guy was stronger than I thought.”

The assassins flocked to the edge of the abyss. It was hard to even fathom the depth to the bottom of the hell. Once you fall there was a 100% chance of dying. No, even if he survived there was no way of getting back up. He would have no choice but to die and resurrect…….

“He fell into the hell so that it wouldn’t be possible to pick up his equipment.”

“I don’t care about that. It is trivial because he was dressed shabbily and his items wasn’t worth spending all that gold on scrolls. I just wanted to make that guy a beggar. ”

“Well, then I don’t care ……For the time being, is it done?”

“Not yet”

Andel said with a cool smile.

“This is just the beginning. When I think of that guy, there’s no way I’m going to leave it like this. That guy has to pay me back for everything. Even when he is stripped naked and all his stats reduced to zero! I’ll kill him a hundred times more.

Andel said forcefully as he turned around.

“It is certain that he will return to Cairo. Because I expect you to guard the resurrection point, you won’t be able to return immediately. But he is a candidate so he might not connect for a while. From now on, be patient. That noob also did it to me for several days…. Even if it takes several months, we have to kill and kill again until he finally loses access. Andel led the assassins towards the quartermaster. A person’s grudge was a scary thing.

“Refuse registration.” Ark naturally rose to his feet. Andel would be looking for him for payback. There was no reason to do foolish things for information.

‘The bottom of the hell was connected to a dungeon……… ‘

Ark removed the filth from his body and looked around. The complex pathway was made of dark brown bricks intricately linked together. Hell’s underground labyrinth was its original name but it was now the sewage system for Cairo. Rotten water reached the ankle and a bad stench wafted from the mountains of filth scattered all over. It was a situation that was horrible for the eyes and the nose. The realistic scenario meant he actually had to think about it.

‘Okay, what now … … .. ‘

Of course, the most urgent problem was to recover his health from its current state of 30 points. Ark made food and thought for a while as it recovered his health. For the time being, he had survived. The worst situation where he wouldn’t be able to connect to the game anymore was avoided. However, it was too early to rejoice due to the ambiguous situation. The first time he came to Cairo and saw the information about the hell, it said that there was no record of anyone escaping the hell after they fell in. However, Ark thought positively.

‘To be more precise, the place I am now is not the hell. It is a hidden Dungeon. There wouldn’t be a dungeon with no exit. Yes, for the time being I’ll secure an exit.’

He’ll look for a way out to get revenge on Andel and then explore the dungeon …….either way his first priority was to secure his own safety. Now, ‘not dying’ is the most important thing.

‘The fact that it is a labyrinth dungeon means that it would definitely contain monsters.’

“Summon Demon, Dedric!”

As soon as his spiritual power was restored, he summoned Dedric. A dim light shone and Dedric appeared with his nose crinkled and frowned.

“Phew, master. You’re alive. Ugh, this place is……..? ”

“Yeah this is the situation we’re in. Anyway, it is urgent to find the exit from here. Please navigate around and search for it. Also notify me immediately if monsters appear.”

“Kuu……..Seems to be going by the nose. I got it.”

Dedric chose a path and flew along it. But Dedric returned 2 minutes later and shook his head.

“There is no visible exit around here. And the terrain is too complex for me to find my way back. ”

“Any monsters?”

“Not that I sae”

“Really? Strange. There should be some……..”

Burst!

Ark had taken one step forward down a passage. When suddenly something popped out of the ground under him and grabbed his ankles.

“What, what the?”

Ark flinched and looked down at the water where rotten hands were holding his ankle. Ark swung his sword and hastily stepped back. It was then that an audible noise was heard. It was a sleeping monster made of bones that gradually raised its’ body. The rotting flesh was attached to the bones of the monster………where there was nothing there before, there was now 6 monsters surrounding Ark.

‘Polluted skeleton?’

It was level 110!

Dalgurak, ttadadak, dalgeurak!

The heads of the six skeletons turned around and focused on Ark. After a moment, flame spewed from their eyes as a defense mechanism as they rushed at him with a rusted long sword.

“Oh damn! Snake, nerve paralysis poison! ”

Ssak ssak ssak!

Ark wielded his sword and twisted it. Five skeletons instantly met a critical hit and were pushed back. However, the skeletons weren’t paralyzed. Their flesh was rotting off the bone. Of course there wouldn’t be nerves to paralyze. Furthermore, the Polluted Skeletons were skeletons who had been transformed by pollutants. The beginner’s deadly poison that Snake produces is just like water to them. Rather, the poisonous effect restored health.

‘Poison absorption characteristic? Why do I meet monsters immune to poison at this time? ‘

However, that was not the end of the problem.

-You received a blow from the Polluted Skeleton. 130 damage! ‘Tetanus’ Reaction is slowed and you will receive 10 damage every 5 seconds for 1 minute.

All of the skeletons wielded their weapons. He was unlucky. There were all kinds of germs in their dirty swords, which meant there was a high probability of getting tetanus. Tetanus stunned the body and made it heavier. This made it difficult to evade the attacks of the skeleton however that wasn’t the only thing.

‘……..So far, I have only been relying on poison? ‘

After he received the serpent poison skill, it certainly made battles easier. He could use the poison in combination with kicks since most opponents were stunned. In particular, Ark frequently used the poison nerve paralysis. It was a poison which paralyses the arm and legs and made it easier to disable an opponent quickly. Therefore, Ark had unknowingly relied on it during battle to slow the monsters. That was one of the reasons he wasn’t able to respond to the movements of the assassins. Professional assassins would have immunity to most of the racial special skills held by users. He used the combo skill of Sword-Hand combat with Riposte. The success rate of the same poison was also quite low.

‘Yes, I’ve been far too complacent. I’ve relied too much on those skills. It made the battle easier but lowered his actual battle skills. Skills such as Eyes of the Cat and poison are important, but honing the basic skills is also important in fighting enemies. I’ll focus on my Sword-Hand combat skill! ‘

Yes, that is the basis of the game. Warriors Sword Mastery, Magicians magic and Archer’s archery……..The most important thing to fully hone your skills is to properly utilize the jobs primary weapon! In Ark’s case, that consisted of Sword-Hand combat.

‘Wake up Ark! Now is not the time to let your attention wander!’

His aim was to take revenge with the enemies blade appears. It was something he knew as a novice. You don’t know when something basic could be useful.

‘I’m not playing around!’

Ark bit his lips so tightly that it started bleeding. The brain moves the body. It is natural for the movement to change when the mind changes! If you don’t have a resolute mind then your reactions are slower, but when your mind is resolute then change quickly occurs. It was disrespectful to say that a battle doesn’t rely on your mind.

‘If the opponent is open then you have to figure out the flow of the battlefield!’

Ark quickly widened his view of the battlefield. Now he had to tackle the skeleton wielding a sword and looked at the movements of the skeletons with skin.

“Dedric, the rear! Plan D-2! ”

Dedric flew to the rear of the skeletons while Ark quickly attacked. Ark went forward without looking back and forth. The skeleton wielded his sword. Ark instantly twisted and shoved his sword in the lower back. Counter attack! The skeleton stepped back shocked. Then two skeletons wielding swords attacked from both sides. Ark had already identified their movements and expected the attack. Ark lowered his body to the ground and did a sweeping low kick. The low kick was not a technique seen in normal taekwondo moves. Ark saw the move in a Martial Arts film and integrated it into his kicks. The skeletons were hit by the kick and fell down. They were light because they were only bones and collapsed easily. He then kicked the skeletons until they were disassembled piece by piece.

‘That’s three of them killed! ‘

Ark turned to find his next opponent.

Ttadak, ttadadadak, tadadak!

“What, what the?”

The many bones began to get stuck together like a magnet. Minus the broken and cracked bones, the others joined together until they formed perfect skeletons. Their vitality was also 100%. It was an unexpected situation.

‘Sheesh, it’s not enough to knock them apart, I have to destroy all their bones?’

Ark swung his sword again. However, unlike before it was meaningless to attack the gaps in the bones. He focused each blow on a single region in order to destroy it. So he could avoid having the skeleton’s body reassembled again. Thanks to that, the battle lengthened considerably. But after he used his Spiritual Power to summon skull and distribute the attacks, it took around 15 minutes to destroy all the skeletons. After they finally finished off the skeletons with the help of Skull, Dedric shook his head.

“It’s tragic……a quarrel within the same family.”

Ttak ttak ttak!

Skull chewed on a shattered bone. Although the battle ended safely, Ark couldn’t feel relieved.

‘This dungeon …The degree of difficulty is higher than I thought’

The level of the skeletons was 110, but Ark was around 120 thanks to the dark attribute bonus. If he was just dealing with six skeletons then there were no significant problems. However, no matter how insignificant the opponent there was still a possibility of death. Additionally, if he was hit once then he would also receive tetanus. But was that all? If he got distracted even for a short time, then the skeletons would reassemble and his health would fall until he was in a critical condition.

‘Although he won against six skeletons, against eight he couldn’t be sure of his chances.’

That was the problem. In the other dungeons, he could use Dedric to scout the place first and if it was too dangerous then he could avoid it. However, these guys suddenly appeared from the ground to grab his ankles. That means he wouldn’t know their number until they appear.

‘I don’t know when I would be attacked by surprise so managing my health is the most critical thing. And I have to move as carefully as possible so that the skeletons don’t react. If a skeleton appears to fight, I’ll just retreat.’

Ark grabbed the items from the skeletons and carefully walked forward step by step. How far did he walk? Just as he turned the corner, his foot sank and he fell into the water. He was sucked in by this huge force and dragged somewhere else.

‘This is, what is this? ‘

A message floated in front of the confused Ark. You fell into the wormhole. Hell’s underground labyrinth is complicated like a spider web with wormholes everywhere. If you fall into one you will be taken by force to another location

Peng! A sound was made as Ark forcefully stopped next to a drain. He raised his body and looked around. However, the place was completely different from the area he was in before. Suddenly he heard Dedric’s voice in his ear.

“Ma……..Master? How ……..? Where …..? ”

“Dedric! Are you alright?”

“Master…….you’re alive! All of a sudden ….surprisingly disappeared.”

Ark was spiritually connected to Dedric so they could communicate within a fixed distance. However the distance must be quite fair, since the reception was falling.

“You don’t know where I am?”

“……..I don’t know, I guess….No”

I understand.”

Ark sighed and cancelled Dedric and Skull’s summoning. However, his spiritual power hadn’t recovered enough to summon them again. So he was there without any summons and he had to wait until his spiritual power recovered.

“Damn, who knew this dungeon had such dangerous and complex wormholes? This damn dungeon……. ”

Ark started grumbling. Suddenly something fell with a patter over his shoulder. Ark moved his hand where sticky mucus was stuck.

“What is this? Ugh! Is it filth? In some ways, I feel really bad……..Huk! ”

Ark raised his eyes and let out a muffled scream without thinking. On the ceiling was a giant gelatinous mass of objects. Viscous slime fell and the translucent monster moved its body! Ark had no time to move as the gaze of the monster turned to him and a red light flashed.

-You have suffered damage from the acidic digestive juices of the Polluted Poison Slime. 50 damage!

“S, slime?”

The scream did not come from his mouth. The slime completely surrounded Ark and covered his nose and mouth. Every time, it did crazy damage and his health rapidly decreased. Ark frantically struggled and pushed at the slime until he managed to escape. He turned and saw the passageway blocked by the giant wriggling slime body. The Polluted Slime was level 130.

“Slime?” That’s a slime? ‘

Ark of course knew about slimes. It was a monster that was often seen in the early stages of most online games. But the slimes that Ark knew weren’t this ugly. They were plump and fluffy……. you know? It was more like a mascot that receives more of the users’ love than the actual mascot. However, the slime in front of him was something that no user would be interested in. It wasn’t cute and the stench was enough to make him feel sick. Meanwhile, it extended its body and wrapped one piece around Ark’s arm. Red light flashed and acid damage occurred. The blow only did 50 damage, but his health was being steadily drained. The acid properties also damaged the durability of his equipment as well as his health. Ark caught and removed the slime form his arm.

‘The whole body is the digestive system? Then quickly!’

Ark swung his sword like lightning. And then………….. Slippery!

-Your attack missed!

The sword was impractical to attack the slime and it just slipped off its body. Confused, Ark stepped backwards and used Eyes of the Cat. Then a red point pointed to the centre of the slime’s body. If he had not seen it, he wouldn’t have known there was a shape like an eyeball there.

‘That is probably the nucleus of the slime.’

Physical attacks would do nothing unless he hit the nucleus. Ark had hunted monsters with the same characteristics on the seabed underwater. It was the jelly fish that wielded a large number of tentacles! Like the slime, it also received little damage until he attacked the mouth of the jellyfish, and then large damage occurred.

‘But the slime was huge enough to fill the drain pipe. How would my sword even reach the nucleus in the centre? ‘

It sprayed mucus at him and Ark avoiding it while swearing. Physical damage doesn’t work because it was immune to normal attacks. Perhaps it wouldn’t be a difficult opponent if he was a magician.

‘Is there a way to get rid of that mucous? ‘

That is the key! A certain skill flashed through Ark’s head.

‘Yes, that’s the technique ……..! ‘

“Snake, the most useless sword!”

Snake spat out the sword of Schnauzer and Ark grabbed it.

“Blade Storm!”

Arc used blade storm to destroy the sword and a devastating storm developed from its debris. As expected, all the fragments bounced off the slime. But Ark’s target wasn’t the damage from the debris. The fragments created a powerful vortex! When the tremendous pressure exerted itself on the mucous, the slime became smaller and thinner because of the pressure. The distance remaining between the nucleus was just 30cm! It was enough for him to drive his sword through!

“Take this, Dark blade!”

Ark shot forward like an arrow and used Dark Blade. The sword penetrated the nucleus of the slime. In an instant, 60% of its health was gone. And the slime trembled and the mucous thickened again. However, Ark could gather more mana by turning off anything he didn’t need. Once again, he used the Blade Storm and Dark Blade combo to shave off the remaining health of the slime.

Kkuooooo! Peppeng!

A huge amount of slime exploded all over the place. Thanks to that his body was covered in slime, but it did no further damage to him.

-Your level has risen.

“I did it!”

Ark blew out a sigh and sat with a flop. The slime that was occupying the passage disappeared and Ark was finally able to look around properly. The wormhole led him to a completely different place. Before the wormhole, the passage was made of broken bricks but this place was full of tree roots. Ark recovered his stamina and moved along the path. After walking a few minutes, he came across a rusty iron door.

‘Is it the exit? ‘

Ark ran to the iron doors. But no matter how he looked at it, he couldn’t see a keyhole or door handle.

‘Is it a dead end?’

Ark turned with a disappointed face. But his fingers touched a rusted part which got stuck and once he pulled it away, a section of unevenness crumbled. When he turned back again, it seemed like some designs were carved underneath the rust. Just in case, he shook off the rest of the rust. Ark narrowed his eyes at the pattern that was being gradually revealed.

‘ Ara? This pattern is from the other day …….Oh, that’s right! ‘

The design in which 3 triangles are overlapped! Ark had seen the same design last time. It was the pattern that the Elder Meow Hassan showed him. It was the time when the Meow still traded. They were the residents who lived in the Underground World. He had forgotten about it because couldn’t believe the symbol was here of all places! Ark busily moved his hand until all the rust was gone. There were small letters carved to reveal a sentence. It was carved in unintelligible characters. However, Ark knew how to decipher such characters. When he touched the characters, a pale light was emitted from his hand and the contents were deciphered right in front of him.

This place was sealed in accordance with the ancient vow. Those who don’t know this place can’t enter. A person with purpose could wake me up. A person who makes the pilgrimage here with pride and speaks my name with respect will be able to cross……….

‘Entrance to the Underground World’ was discovered

You have discovered information hidden in an Ancient Relic. You’ve found the entrance to the Underground World hidden in the dark and gloomy labyrinth of the underground hell. However, the entrance is firmly locked by an ancient vow.The terms of the Covenant states that to pass you need wisdom and humble pride. You need to find a way through the doors using clues hidden in the underground labyrinth.Information on the ancient relic ‘Entrance to the Underground World’ is acquired. {Knowledge of Ancient Relics +15, Intelligence +5 and Fame increases by 30}

‘The Entrance to the Underground World………..!’

He felt like he had been hit in the back of the head. In fact, Ark hadn’t guessed that the Underground World wouldn’t be that far from Giran. According to Hassan, the agent representing the residents of the underground world came from the north-west. The Meow’s temple and shrine was also in the north-west. Furthermore, the residents of the underground world had traded with numerous commercial cities, that there would surely be problems living near a large commercial city like Giran. However, the entrance exists in the Brandt Mountains underneath Cairo.

‘Come to think of it……’

Suddenly he remembered the name of the place where he fell. Hell’s underground labyrinth. Hell is the word for abyss in Buddhist terminology. In general, however it could also mean a subterranean world. Apparently, the word hell itself was a clue for the underground world. It was a pretty ridiculous hint.

‘I found the entrance while under the condition of not being able to die.’

Thus Ark’s purpose became clear. If a person fell into the hell and died then they would just revive. However, Ark was worried that there wouldn’t be an exit. However, if the entrance leads to another world then even a child couldn’t mistake it. The inhabitants of the underground world used to participate in trade. In other words, there was a way for them to go outside. It is unknown if there is an exit in the underground labyrinth, but it is pretty clear that an exit exists somewhere in the other world. If he entered the underground world then all his problems would be solved for the time being!

‘And besides, there might be the second piece of the Three Marvels in the underground world! ‘

Ark’s eyes lit up. Finding the Three Marvels was important to Ark. The Three Marvels was the source of a Dark Walker’s power. He would get another skill and ability just like when he previously found the sculpture. If that happened, his abilities would increase by leaps and bounds. It now became even more urgent for Ark. Andel was still waiting for him at the resurrection point in Cairo. At the moment, the circumstances meant that he had to hide but if he found the piece of the Three Marvels then that situation would change. In some cases, it may be possible for him to not only escape the crisis but also gain revenge.

‘No, I will certainly get revenge. This is the place where I chose to live. I’m not playing the game for fun unlike you. I’ll make him think twice about touching me!’ That argument motivated him to survive even more.

Ark earnestly began exploring the dungeon. However, Hell’s underground labyrinth was truly complicated and deserved the name labyrinth. Not only did it have complicated stairs leading to the 2nd floor, but the 3rd floor seemed like it was stuck in a three dimensional puzzle. It was not easy to remember the path after he passed it once. Then Ark remembered a forgotten skill.

‘I didn’t realise that it would be this useful.’

Ark had learnt new cartography skills. Using the cartography skills he learnt in the past from Hanson, the dungeon was automatically recorded. Thanks to checking the map, Ark slowly explored the geography of the dungeon. Of course, exploring a dungeon was not a relaxing situation.

Ttadak, ttadadak!

If he was even a little bit careless then skeletons would attack. They could be as little as four or as many as ten! Thanks to that, every time Ark finished a battle he had to cook some dishes and eat. It was fortunate that he was able to avoid the big slime through reconnaissance. The slime gave a large amount of experience, but if he did not use blade storm than there was no way for him to win. This meant that every time he fought he consumed two swords. However, there was no reason to fight and waste his two bags of loot. There were tricks that he used to make hunting a full day in the labyrinth easier. If he met a slime or was surrounded by more the seven skeletons, Ark would quickly escape through a nearby wormhole. The labyrinth had invisible wormholes laid all over the place. Once he used a wormhole, the position would automatically be updated on the map and he could take advantage of it to use [Warp], just like a scroll. It was the way that he wanted to live, so the maze was a quite useful hunting ground. The skeletons gave large experience and the item drop rate was also high. In addition, the labyrinth was the waste disposal site for Cairo. So the labyrinth had piles of junk scattered all over the place, just like Gallic’s stomach. Sometimes a useable item would appear. Although in quite a few cases, if it went ‘boom’ then poison gas would spread but ……..

‘Aside from the stench, this wouldn’t be a bad place to live.’

No, it wasn’t bad. It was actually rather good However, Ark’s purpose was not to level up or gain items. It was to find out how to enter the underground world. However, he had explored 70% of the dungeon and he still had no clue on how to enter the underground world. It was recorded that the clue to solve the riddle was hidden in the dungeon, but he had looked around and the clue wasn’t visible.

‘It is a big deal. I’m beginning to feel the limits…… ‘

Ark looked at his bag with a worried expression. After fighting with the skeletons, he always ends up with low health. Of course every time he finished he ate food but the ingredients were starting to run out. In the first place he used many of the ingredients to make too much food for the ex-convicts, so he didn’t have that much remaining. Of course, even the labyrinth contained ingredients. However, the only things available in the filth infested labyrinth were the skeleton bones and random slime. He had tested it and none of the food Ark made could be eaten. That wasn’t the only problem. The item drop rate was high, which meant that it used up a lot of bag space. He had only spent 24 hours in the maze. Ark’s bag was full and although he equipped Snake’s Item storage skill, 90% of that inventory was filled with items from other regions.

‘Setting aside items, food was one of the highest priorities. If I run out of food then there is a high possibility that I will die’

Ark sighed in frustration and looked at a small hole in the ground. It was a drain found in the middle of the maze. The fact that water did not fill up the maze was due to these multiple drains. If so, perhaps it was linked to the outside. However, their diameter was 10cm at the most so he couldn’t even get his head through.

‘It is even impossible for a Hobbit to exit using this.’

Ark was getting up when he froze. Suddenly a brilliant idea popped into his head.

‘Oh, yes! That way …….It might be possible! ‘

ACT 9 Mystery of the Labyrinth After Ark fell into the hell, the night and day had changed four times. In reality, that would be over 32 hours. In the meantime, Andel and the assassins did not leave the resurrection place. In some cases chaotic players who revived there sent them strange looks, but Andel did not pay them any attention. Nevertheless, Andel quite enjoyed those times.

“That bastard Ark finally revealed that he is just a coward. He should be quite irritated by now? If a candidate was unable to connect for more than a day…….they would connect and check out the situation. But it is impossible. Once you caught my eye, you’re dead.”

However, Andel was only human and he wouldn’t risk his life for revenge. When it was time to eat a meal he ate and slept. After a satisfying 40 hours, Andel eventually logged out of his unit and stretched while yawning.

“I’m not going to be here for a day. Okay?”

“Of course.”

Next to him the assassin nodded. The assassins were camped in front of the quartermaster and were alternating between sleeping and guarding. At one time there were always two people awake, so it would be no problem if Ark suddenly revived.

“Usually the request is only for a month, but if you request it then we will guard this place for a year until it is complete.”

“Okay, I’ll believe you.”

Andel gave a satisfied look and cut the connection.

“When I see the technology of the foreigners, it sure is weird.”

An assassin muttered as Andel disappeared from sight. However, NPCs can’t really worry. The system does not allow for curiosity in the NPC. After Andel disappeared, the assassins went back to staring at the resurrection point. Gawking gawking At that time, there were people staring from the woods. He carefully looked at the assassins before running through the forest. The small feet squeezed his body between tall trees as he looked back. He looked around restlessly and repeated the pattern. It was like a breathtaking (?) scene from a spy movie as he arrived at the cabin on the hill.

“Whoa, a broke into a sweat at what I found.”

After he entered the cabin, the small figure took off his hood. The visage of the small figure was that of the hobbit, Sid. During the time that Ark was falling into the hell, Lorenzo fled to the cabin unharmed. After explaining the situation to Sid, they were waiting for Ark to contact them at the cabin. The anxious Lorenzo quickly approached.

“So? Do you have any news about older brother?”

Ark had gone with Lorenzo to kill the thieves and had protected him when the assassin threw a dagger at Lorenzo. Of course, it was because of the quest. However, as a NPC Lorenzo was naive and felt that he owed a considerable debt to Ark. Since that day, Lorenzo had referred to Ark as his older brother. Sid shook his head with a dark countenance. “Not yet. No one has seen Ark in Cairo.” “After retreating, did he get defeated by those guys?” “Well I think so.” “Damn! Because of me…….!” Lorenzo exploded with rage as he hit the desk. He suddenly asked.

“But they’re using a strange technique. After a serious injury they could teleport to the Quartermaster. As older brother is a foreigner would he also be able to do that?”

“That’s the problem…….”

Sid replied ambiguously with a pained face. Andel and the assassins were waiting for Ark at the resurrection place. That meant that Ark was certainly dead. It was impossible to wait at the Quartermaster for a person who wasn’t dead. Perhaps Ark did not revive because he guessed such a situation.

‘He was called Andel? I don’t know what the relationship is between him and Ark-nim but it must be bad. It was such that he even waited at the resurrection point. Does that mean he will quit the game?’

Sid couldn’t tell if Ark had done the same thing to Andel. In any case, their interaction wasn’t very good. With Andel and the assassins guarding the quartermaster, Ark couldn’t even connect to the game. And Sid had no way of knowing how long it would last.

‘I wish I had Ark’s phone number so it would be a little better…….’

Sid sighed in frustration.

Thump, thump, thump!

Suddenly sounds were heard from the door, banging into something. The surprised Sid and Lorenzo exchanged nervous glances.

‘Is it them? Did those guys follow us back here?’

Lorenzo who imagined the worst approached the door and lifted his sword.

“I can’t do it. Sid please escape to the back door while I try to block them.

“Ha, but ………”

“There’s no time to argue. Listen to what I have to say? I owe my life to big brother. He asked me for a favour and I don’t want to break it. Because I care about the fellow, please hurry while I buy time.”

Lorenzo spoke in a low voice during the touching scene. All of a sudden, an object entered through the bottom of the door. It was a shadow that was creeping forward. Lorenzo quickly raised his sword while Sid raised his hands and shouted.

“Wait! It……..! ”

Saek saek saek!

At the sight of the object, Sid lifted his voice in welcome. It was the surprisingly long tongue of Ark’s belt…….No, it was a snake. Lorenzo looked at Sid, embarrassed.

“What, what! This snake is?”

“It’s not just a snake. This snake is Ark’s pet.”

“What?” Older brother’s? In addition to the bat and skull?”

“Yes! And if this snake is back…..that mean Ark-nim is out there!”

Sid hugged the snake. Snake expressed his happiness by twining around Sid’s body- but the hobbit was too short- and climbed on top of the table. And he started vomiting out items from his mouth. After a long time. Items were stacked on top of the table. Snake began squirming his body and making a weird shape. What is it doing? Sid stared blankly before he realised.

“It’s a letter! It must be a message from Ark-nim!”

Sid took out a piece of paper and pen and wrote down what the snake produced.

For Sid. Sid. I am alive for the time being. Due to the circumstance, for the time being I won’t be able to go there. So I will send Snake on my behalf in the future. Snake will give you items to organize and please send any required items to me through Snake. I need food and potions from the store and well as repair boxes. Also please send paper and a pen.

“……So I have to organize the items and sell the loot …….As expected from Ark-nim……!”

Sid muttered with a tired expression. Then. That was the solution that Ark came up with for his worries about loot. Ark finally found an exit through a small drain that led to the outside. It was 10cm in diameter, and although many snakes wouldn’t be able to pass through Ark had an insane idea. Therefore he placed all the items he needed to sell in Snake and sent it to the cabin where Sid was hiding with Lorenzo.

“Anyway that’s it. It’s all done. If Ark-nim is alive then you don’t have to worry about assassins for the time being. Bah, morons. So even if it takes a while wait for me there……. ”

Sid collected the items from Snake while he was moved to tears and had to wipe his runny nose. Then he put the hood back on and sneaked into Cairo using the [Lie] scroll. He organized the loot and came back with Ark’s required items which Snake swallowed.

“Snake, be careful!”

Ssak ssak ssak!

Snake nodded and with eyes filled with duty, crawled to the ground.

“Park So-mi ssi”

“Yes,”

Hyun-woo requested after being asked by the reception. He was approached by the staff who extended a statement

“This is the full 5,210,000 won. Would you like to pay it with a card? ”

“Eh, 5,210,000 won?”

Ark asked again with a surprised expression.

“Up until last month, it was just over 4,500,000 won?”

“The expenses went up a little this month. Didn’t you see the letter of information?”

The staff held out the letter of information. He read the list that the hospital typed that showed the treatment for each patient. But the bottom line was that the hospital bills were raised due to inflation. Finally, the hospital was also succumbing to the inflation surge. In fact, the talk about raising hospital bills occurred a few months ago. However, public opinion had been blocking it. ‘The dangers of health care privatization are revealed.’ ”Is the patient sealed to a chair? ‘ A current events program was broadcasted every day, and the parent organizations for the opposition against hospital privatization was shown as well. But in the end it was decided to raise the hospital bills. Although, frankly Hyun-woo did not expect the hospital costs to stay the same. Whether it is a game or reality, everything relies on power. The hospital had a vested interest while the people who opposed raising hospital bills were mostly poor. Isn’t it clear which group would win when the two of them clashed? The government which was supposed to stand with the people decided in the end to privatize health care and turn a blind eye to the common people. ………..When was it? It was the same story when the government first talked about privatizing public enterprises. The people of the Republic of Korea aren’t stupid. Of course, there was many invested in opposing the privatization and more than 100,000 participated in protests by lighting a candle. Although he didn’t participate in the protests, the majority of ordinary people supported them. It was clearly a public sentiment. But the government was unshaken and did not side with public sentiment. Rather, they presented the candlelight protests as violent demonstrations and used it to push privatization. Of course, the Government pushed it but the problem was also caused by people who didn’t care …….was? It is quite common for the public sentiment to change quickly. It was a suitable word. But they public sentiment doesn’t mean much to people with money and power. It did not mean the poor. It was a sad world for people who aren’t favoured. For people like Hyun-woo, they have no power and no choice but to live with the climbing costs.

“How much?”

Hyun-Woo sighed as the staff replied with an irate expression.

“5,210,000 won?”

‘Damn it, selling the Fire Slayer would barely cover this month’s bills.’

When he first checked his account it felt like he was walking on clouds. However, after paying for a variety of utilities as well as rent, food and medical bills his original balance of 14,000,000 won went down to 5,000,000 won. Well, he did have a surplus of ten million won.

‘Ok, this month is black’

Hyun-woo tried to soothe himself as he headed to the 2nd floor. When he arrived at the 2nd floor rehabilitation centre, he immediately saw his mother through the glass windows. When he saw her with the professional therapists taking one step forward, his depressed mood became much better.

‘She’s already doing walking practice! ‘

On the other hand, it increased his motivation to work harder to make money. “That…….that’s right. Money is important. The good reason for the Government privatizing health care was to improve the quality of the medical services. Fortunately, that promise was kept. Under private management, the healthcare service definitely improved. At the state-of-the-art rehabilitation centre, his mother received one on one treatment with a profession therapist in accordance with management. From exercise to eating. Thanks to that, his mother’s illness was rapidly taking a turn for the better. And unless Hyun-woo fell behind in the hospital bills, then such care would continue. Hyun-woo still remembered the hospital scene from a while ago. Because the hospital bill wasn’t paid in advance, an old man was kicked out from the hospital……..

‘Something like that can’t happen to my mother.’

Hyun-woo thought with clench teeth. He wanted his mother to have confidence to live a whole life. But he had to shoulder his mum’s responsibility. That thought was stronger than anything else in his head. He wanted her to devote herself to the treatment without worrying. It was Hyun-woo’s only wish. His mother laughed as she saw Hyun-woo from inside the glass window. Hyun-woo waved his hand as he lost his stiff expression. Rehabilitation was so difficult that a healthy person wouldn’t be able to imagine. Yet his mother never once said it was difficult. Hyun-Woo was actually the one that suffered most at the thought.

‘No, I don’t have it that hard.’

Hyun-woo wasn’t suffering at all compared to his mother.

‘Yes, now I can laugh in front of my mother because of New World. New World is the last remaining hope for me. New World is something I can never give up on. Not even what Andel or Alan think……..even if I have to crawl from the bottom up because of them, it isn’t possible for me to give up! If you disturb me then I’ll crawl up and step on you! I’ll show you the spirit of a poor person.’

Hyun-woo sat on a couch in the clinic and came up with an idea.

‘To do this, I need to quickly find a way through the entrance of the underground world…….. ‘

Three days had passed since Hyun-woo entered the underground labyrinth. There was some trouble at first but now he has adapted and his level rose to 93. If it wasn’t for the stench then it would be a pretty decent hunting ground.

‘But, it isn’t money.’

That’s a problem. So far, Hyun-woo had gained an average of 20~30 gold per day. But he needed to earn a lot more if Hyun-woo wanted to earn the minimum necessary to maintain his life. However, the items from the underground labyrinth could contribute to that. The item drop rate is high even for a skeleton that doesn’t appear frequently and takes a while to hunt. In addition, he couldn’t ignore the outgoing money he spends on food and repair boxes.

‘Although I have a surplus in my bank account right now, it will become more difficult in the future. I also have to search the underground world for the fragment of the Three Marvels…..’

However, he still hadn’t found the clues to enter that world. He had already explored the 1, 2, and 3rd floors of the labyrinth. However, the completion rate of the map using the cartography skill was 99.9%. He couldn’t enter that space because the iron doors are blocking it.

‘What is the alternative? As for the riddle? ‘

Ark sighed and took out a memo pad from his pocket. On the notes were maps drawn of the underground hell. It was a maze of intertwined pathways. He had found dozens of hidden wormholes during the investigation but he still hadn’t even guessed the answer to the riddle. In addition, there was no possibility of a hidden passageway because the map’s completion rate was 99.9%.

“Did you wait long?’

“Oh, mother!”

At that time, the door to the therapy room opened and his mother came out with the nurse. Hyun-woo stood up and sat his mother on the couch. His mother wiped off the sweat as she laughed.

“But what were you thinking so hard about? Are you studying something these days?”

“Oh, no. Just……..”

“What is it? Let’s see.”

His mother nodded as she browsed through the notes.

“Ah, the dot-line puzzles you do when you’re bored.”

“Huh? Dot-line puzzle?”

“Yes, if you draw a line between the two points then the puzzle will be complete. Isn’t that it? I did them quite often in the past……ho ho ho, when we were dating your father sometimes made me those puzzles. He did the same thing by hiding a heart pattern. Looks like its hand-drawn? Still, the person giving such puzzles must be spoiling you. Somehow, it is good to see.”

Hyun-woo looked at the map with puzzled eyes.

Dot-line puzzle? “Was that visible?’

He tried to visualize it as he listened to his mother’s speech. Hyun-woo drew almost the entire map of the underground labyrinth and he had also marked the location of the wormholes with a dot. It would form a picture.

“Huh? Is that how it is?’

Without thinking, Ark tilted his head as he connected a point with another point. Ark felt something strange so he laid the maps of the 1st to 3rd floor over each other and poked through the wormhole with a felt pen. So, if you drill holes through all the wormholes on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd floors then a figure will be made? It is none other than …….the three triangles overlapping shown on the iron doors! At the moment, a single thought flashed through Hyun-woo’s head.

-This place was sealed in accordance with the ancient vow. If you can’t understand these words, there is no possibility of passing through to where I sleep. A person with purpose could wake me up. A person who makes the pilgrimage here with pride and speaks my name with respect will be able to cross………..

Those words were written on the iron doors. Those who don’t know this place can’t enter.

‘The first hint means that I must learn the terrain of the labyrinth completely.’

Hyun-Woo had thought of this so he drew a map and carried it around as he studied it. However, the second and third questions on the riddle were still unanswered. But unexpected his mother had unravelled that.

‘A person with a purpose. That means if I want to enter the underground world, Ark has to say this! If I intentionally say this as I walk the labyrinth, a route might be discovered. And I have to speak as I pilgrimage along the markings! ‘

The markings were the wormholes that littered the underground labyrinth.

‘If I intentionally make the pilgrimage and express at the end of the wormhole then it might become clear! No, I can’t think beyond that. Oh god, it was so simple yet I was unaware for three days.

Now Hyun-woo could confidently enter the New World. Nevertheless, he had lost three days contemplating the mystery and he also wasted time playing Tetris and Go stop with his mother. Once you become familiar with the game, it was a trap. After being too used to the game, he made every problem associated with the game and made it more difficult than it was. However, his mother doesn’t know about New World. Just as she said, it’s just what it looks like. The original puzzle for those searching for an answer was not visible to the corporation. Hyun-woo grasped his mother’s hands and shouted.

“Mother! Mother has saved Ark!”

“What?” What do you mean, all of a sudden? Who is Ark? One of you foreign looking friends?”

“There is such a person. It is my alter ego. ”

Alter ego? You, no way …….did you get a girlfriend or something?”

“No, it’s more precious than a girlfriend. Ark.”

Hyun-woo answered with a laugh.

“Now, let’s get started!”

After coming back from the hospital, Ark immediately connected with the game. A dim light spread as the familiar dirty landscape of the labyrinth appeared.

“Are you feeling fine, master?”

Dedric asked with a dubious expression once he was summoned.

Dedric, do you want to get out of here soon?”

“What?” If we can leave, but …. ”

“Huhuhu, do not worry. We’ll leave soon.”

Ark said confidently and opened his map window. Before connecting, he had already thought about where to start from.

‘It is clockwise from the far right end. I was told to express respect and make a pilgrimage so I have to move in the right direction. If that doesn’t work then try again from the opposite direction.’

Ark immediately smashed the skull of a skeleton and ran across the underground labyrinth. He was already tired of fighting skeletons. But he also didn’t want anything new. When a wormhole appeared while Ark was battling, he used Riposte and jumped down the hole. No matter how many skeletons appeared, if you jump down the wormhole then the chase was removed and battle ended.

‘Now it is imperative to confirm the answer to the riddle! ‘

When he jumped down the wormhole, he immediately moved to a new area. He unfolded his map and using his cartography skills confirmed that if you connect a wormhole to another one with a straight line then the location corresponded to the middle part. The probability that it was the correct answer increased.

‘The next wormhole is about 20 meters from here.’

Ark immediately moved to the next wormhole and plunged. He did this about 20 times, before Ark finally returned to the original wormhole he plunged through. Unfortunately, all the filth had accumulated on Ark’s body and he arrived with a bad stench. His summons was the same. In trying not to repeat the same mistakes, he grabbed Dedric and Skull when he entered the wormhole so they were also filthy.

“What the hell are you doing? Are you crazy? Why do you keep on plunging into dirty water?”

“You’re noisy, without fail this will surely be the last time!”

Before Dedric could speak, Ark plunged into the first wormhole again. It was at that time. When he jumped into the wormhole he heard a whirring sound and something felt different from the previous times. Until now, the time it takes to go through the wormhole is a maximum of 10 seconds but this time felt longer. Up, down, sideways … ….he was sucked in until it suddenly dropped him somewhere.

Kwajik, warururu!

Ark cried out as he fell to the bottom but quickly sat up and checked his surroundings.

‘Just as I thought, this is the first time I’ve seen this!’

At that time, a bright sound rang out and a message window popped up.

-You have completed ‘Hell’s underground labyrinth.’ {Knowledge of Ancient Relics +15, Intelligence +10 and Fame increased by 30}

-You have completed the map of ‘Hell’s underground Labyrinth ‘ with a perfect 100% completion rate. Painting a map of the underground labyrinth is now possible. {Experience + 1000}

Ark was now sure that he had found the correct answer. The place where Ark fell was a huge cavern. It was a hidden room in the underground labyrinth with a huge amount of bones and skeletons piled up. It was an impossible place to find even when he was exploring every corner of the sewers! When he looked to the back, he saw that he was on the other side of the iron doors. He had finally passed through those doors.

‘Somewhere here will be the entrance to the underground world! ‘

Ark stood up and scanned around. The cave mouth was wide open on the right side.

‘I wonder what kind of species lives in such a horrible place? Ara? But what is this?’

Ark’s excitement subsided as he explored the cave. There was still one unexpected hurdle remaining. The cave entrance was blocked by a thick steel door. Fortunately, next to the iron door was a lever like stick that could open the door depending on its use, but the tip of the lever was broken.

”I can’t pull this lever. So what is the alternative way? ‘

Ark made a frustrated face.

Dudududu, ttadak, ttadadak!

Suddenly, the floor started to shake like there was an earthquake. At the same time, a black object rose from the ground and started attracting the bones together until an object was formed. And in the blink of an eye it snowballed to a huge size. There was a huge chunk of skulls and bones moving through the air.

“Ugh, more bones?”

Dedric gave a cry of distress as a warning message appeared.

-The boss monster ‘Kraken’ has appeared!

‘Boss monster! ‘

He reflexively used Eyes of the Cat to display its information. It was a level 150 boss monster! While Ark was so puzzled at the situation that he couldn’t think, something elongated sprung from the Kraken’s body. Hundreds of bones were attached to form a giant scythe! Ark felt an eerie aura as he rolled across the floor to the pile of bones. It was formed from bone fragments all over the place.

‘Damn, I never thought there would be a boss monster here when I finally solved the riddle. But I didn’t come here to die. Anyway, this plan of desperation means I either strike first or die.

Ark drew his sword and rushed to the kraken.

“Dark blade!”

Double bang!

The violent roar of smashed bones was heard everywhere. The kraken was pushed and stumbled backwards. The shape reflected the Kraken’s nature.

Kuo oooo!

The kraken trembled and lifted all the bones connected to his arm up.

Scythe, spear, sword ………it assembled weapons of all shapes made out of bone and shot them towards Ark. The attack came at the same time from four or five different directions! But Ark had experienced that attack countless times when fighting against the skeletons. Once again there was no reason to panic.

‘It has returned!’

Ark rotated his body with his right foot and stabbed with his sword.

Putt putt POW!

The counter hit the spot where the kraken’s arms were still growing. Because it was made of bone, when hit with the counter it shattered and fell to the ground without force. Of course, Ark was hit three or four times but he only lost 150 health.

‘Okay, this guy. The damage of the boss wasn’t that strong. By the way, the speed was surprisingly slow and easily crushed. Although the level was high, the difficulty was on the low side. I could easily win! ‘

“Dedric, Skull! Plan B! ”

The opponent was a boss monster. You don’t need to use a complex operation. The two summons moved to the different sides to keep the kraken’s attention on them while Ark launched a counterattack. He struck a flying arm, destroyed it and counter attacked many times. It didn’t take long for Ark to realise that there was something strange about the assault.

‘What, this guy? ‘

Although he hit it a number of times, the kraken did not lose any vitality. Not only that. Because the fight wasn’t that difficult he forgot for a while and after using Eyes of the Cat, he realised that no weakness was indicated.

‘What happened? Why is there no damage?’

There was something strange. However, Ark avoided the Kraken’s offensive and just continued attacking for the time being. In fact, there was no other way. So after a few minutes of violent attacks, there was a gap in the bones which showed a black shape. A red dot on the black shape indicated the place to bombard with attacks. Now Ark was able to understand the situation.

‘I see. This guy is like the jellyfish and the slime. The bones were a suit of armour and if I remove all the bones at the gap then I can attack! This won’t be so difficult!’

Ark narrowed the distance and used Dark Blade on the black stone. No, as soon as he tried the Kraken turned its body around. At the same time, it released an intense gust of air and Ark was pushed back several meters. Thanks to that, the Dark Blade missed. However, to Ark it was ludicrous as he snorted.

“The bones that grow move pretty slowly but when its weakness is exposed then it moves pretty fast. But to no avail. Because I’ll continue to attack until every bone disappears!”

However, that was Ark’s mistake. Just as Ark was swinging his sword, the floor vibrated and the bones floated in the air. And like the first time, it was attracted like a magnet to the kraken. Because it grew some bones, the bone armour was even thicker than before. In addition, the attacking bones were many times thicker and its speed had also increased.

Soeeeeee! Double bang!

“What, what’s this …!”

Ark avoided the attack by rolling on the ground while looking confused. He had struggled for 10 minutes only for the situation to repeat itself. He destroyed the bone armour with his sword and then the kraken would quickly reform it. And the number of repeats also made the kraken bigger and stronger.

“This is ridiculous! How are you supposed to win against this guy?”

Profanities burst from Ark’s mouth. Indeed, the bones were joined together. If the kraken was able to keep on infinitely grow the bones, did he have to fight and turn all those bones to powder? Even if Ark disagreed with the fight, in these conditions it would take 3 nights, ten four days than 5 nights and 6 days to fight for an unknown outcome.

‘There is a limit to avoidance. When the nucleus is shown, a storm is summoned and pushes you back so there is no way to approach. When it is such a shape then even Blade Storm wouldn’t be useful. But there might be a strategy. Is there a way to get to the nucleus without activating the storm?’

Ark who was desperately thinking suddenly thought of Skull.

‘Come to think of it……’

In fact, Ark couldn’t grasp where Skull was. Because there were bones rolling around, it was hard to distinguish between the bones and skulls. Unlike Dedric whose attacks were unsuccessful, Skull’s attacks had hit several times. In other words, even the kraken couldn’t distinguish between the bones and skeletons. Then an idea came to Ark’s head.

‘Bone? Skull? Oh I see, I see. There is a reason for me to approach! ‘

At that thought, Ark stepped forward and swung his sword before withdrawing. He confirmed that his remaining mana was only 300. A dangerous number.

“Blessing of the Sea Spirit!”

Ark activated Adelaine’s Necklace which increased defense by 40% and restored 500 mana. Now his remaining mana was 800! It was enough to take the risk.

‘When using Blade Storm, it is fast but I don’t know how long it may take from now on.’ So now is the time to conserve mana! ‘

“Dedric, you too! Cancel summon!”

“What? Why?”

Dedric sent him a bewildered look. Ark who had reduced mana consumption to a minimum went back to attacking. He shattered the bones with his sword and the scattered all over the place.

“Dark blade!”

Ark narrowed the distance without delay and shot off a Dark Blade at the body of the kraken. A violent roar burst out of the bone armour as it split in half. Eventually, the appearance of the kraken was shown between the split bones. He figured that rotating the kraken’s body was a normal process to produce a storm. That moment was a chance for Ark which he aimed at straight away!

“It is now! Skull, cancel summon and resummon!”

While Ark was caught in the storm, Skull was summoned to his hand. Ark held his posture by concentrating power in his left foot before throwing Skull with all his strength. And shortly after the storm the kraken repaired his bone armour again and Ark approached. As the kraken started forming a sword, it flinched. At the same time, the 100% vitality of the kraken was finally reduced by 1%.

‘It’s a success! ‘

Ark clenched his fist and cried out. This was the strategy that Ark was aiming for. The kraken will continue to repair the bone armour. The ingredients were the pile of stacked bones and skulls. If so, wasn’t Ark’s summon made of the same material? Therefore, Ark delivered a big blow and the moment the kraken tried to repair his bone armour, Skull was thrown at the nucleus of the kraken. And the stupid kraken couldn’t discern between skulls and used it to make the armour. Skull was attached right next to the nucleus! Therefore, the kraken was being attacked from inside his bone armour. Skull’s damage wasn’t very high but if it bit from the inside then it still dealt damage. Plus the kraken had similar characteristics to the Jellyfish and slime as the nucleus has low defense. After Skull bit the nucleus, the kraken’s health was visibly reduced. There was no way to stop Skull’s attack inside the kraken. The armour used to protect itself is now biting and tearing.

‘Now my remaining mana is 600. The only Skull consumes mana then it should last for 10 minutes. I have no choice but to wish that Skull kills the kraken during that time!’

Kuo oooo!

The kraken roared from the painful attacks all over the place. However, Ark had to abandon his attacks and just concentrate on avoidance. In addition, the kraken glimpsed the incoming damage and just attacked harder. The kraken was revealing a much faster time than expected. In just 5 minutes. From Skull’s onslaught, the kraken was already in a critical condition. The kraken couldn’t maintain the bony armour covering his body, and it fell to the floor as he began to lose power. And the view showed the sight of Skull crazily biting the black nucleus.

“Got it, thank you. Skull, now back off”

Ttadak! Ttak ttak ttak!

Skull, whose mouth was full biting the flesh of the kraken, got off and spat it out. At the same time, Ark poured the rest of his mana into his sword for his last attack.

“Dark blade!”

The sword disappeared into darkness and suddenly appeared in front of the kraken. Intense sound effects showed there was a critical hit. Kuo oooo! The health finally reached zero and the kraken started convulsing before exploding in a storm of light. The storm scattered the bones in every direction. -Your level has risen.

“Skull! Yes we won thanks to you!”

Ttak ttak ttak! Ttak, ttak ttak ttak!

Skull looked towards the sky. ……….It was laughing. Ark turned his head and stroked the skull. It was a weird fellow, but still a boss monster. It dropped a lot of booty. As expected, where the kraken had disappeared was a black sword plunged into the ground.

“Eh? This, this is ……! ”

Ark’s mouth opened as he confirmed the information.

Saw blade (Cursed)

A long time ago, the spines of the bodies dumped in hell was used to make this sword. The kraken which rules the underground labyrinth absorbed it into its body where a strong curse was applied.

{The stats cannot be determined until the curse is released}

It wasn’t an ordinary weapon. It was made out of a person’s sharpened spinal bones. But somehow it was a good shape. The reason for Ark’s surprise was the curse on the item. Curse weapons, Lancel’s sword which made Dedric evolve was also a cursed weapon.

“Purification Restoration!”

Ark immediately used the skill and watched in anticipation.

Saw blade (Magic Sword) Weapon type: One-handed sword Durability: 70 Attack: 23~25 Weight: 25 User restriction: Dark Attribute Level: 80 In the past, the one year old Monarch who built Cairo used the spinal bones of those who opposed him to make this sword. At the time, it was ambushed by a group of barbarians and abandoned at the bottom of the hell in Cairo, where it was imbued by an immortal spirit with a mysterious power. Unfortunately, it was absorbed by the kraken where a grudge was formed and it suffered for a long time. If someone killed the kraken and liberated the soul of the sword than he would be thankful to you.]

-The special effect of this magic sword once a day: The master of the Magic Sword can summon ‘Warwick’ once a day.

“As expected, it is a magic sword!”

He naturally cheered. Ever since Dedric evolved underwater using Lancel’s Sword, Ark had frantically been searching for information on the magic sword. Because the bat evolved, he was able to experience how much Dedric changed. However, he still couldn’t find information on magic swords. And he did not have any expectations to find a magic sword in this place…….!

Saw blade, it was a cool name.

‘Could the Saw Blade evolve Skull instead of Dedric?’

If possible, he hoped so. Dedric who was already evolved now had a high utilization rate. On the other hand, thanks to the stats, skills and ability to walk of Skull, its utilization was gradually disappearing. In the old days you could use it as a shield, now the monsters were higher level that Skull couldn’t really last against them.

‘I’ll experiment immediately. What kind of guy will appear?’

“Snap!”

A muffled sound was suddenly heard from his waist. While Ark had been investigating the sword, Snake had automatically started peering at other items and seemed to have found something. Something seemed to be shining from the Kraken’s bone gap. Snake extended its tongue to receive praise from Ark. At that moment Snake’s tongue got stuck.

“Kkaek, kkaek kkaek kkaek!

“Ara? Snake! Are you ok?”

Ark started tugging at Snake’s tongue. Then the bones scattered and something was pulled out. It is………..

“What the? This is?”

Ark muttered with a foolish expression.

Volume 5 ACT 1 Underground world

-Summon Warwick from the Magic Sword.

The sword which was formed from a person’s spine began to vibrate and hum. After a moment, the sword fell from his hand.

“Eh?”What the heck?”

The sword was stuck vertically into the ground and rotating in thin air. Oduduk, Odududuk, Crunch! An eerie sound rang out and the sword started to change. Bones like a saw tooth started to extend out from both sides of the sword. The extended bones started swelling up and move from side to side, top to bottom until they joined together like a complicated cubic puzzle. It was similar to the robot transformation scenes frequently seen in animated cartoons. The result was the same as well. The sword formed a black torso with wild hair, and decorated with armour made from the metal parts of the saw blade and an old sword. After seeing the transformation scene with his own eyes, he couldn’t understand how the blade could transform itself into that figure. Well, the transformed robots on cartoons were also the same but …….. Anyway, the Saw Blade transformed into a level 60 Skeleton Knight.

‘The explanation for the Saw Blade said that the spine came from someone abandoned in hell.’

He had seen many things travelling in New World. The marvellous special effects weren’t amazing anymore. But to transform with such a method. He felt caught off guard. Ark stared with dumb surprise. When the skeleton knight Warwick raised his body, a deep blue flame burned in his hollow eye sockets. The flames moved as he turned his head and gazed at Ark.

‘Is this guy also someone with no manners?’

Ark recalled the first time he met the owner of the Magic Sword, Dunphil. However, Warwick was a completely different type from Dunphil. Warwick opened his jawbone and began to talk.

“Foreigner………..You kraken ……..defeated it?”

“So?”

Warwick abruptly knelt down and bowed.

“To you………I express my thanks and respect.”

“What?”

“My name is Warwick … ….At one time I respectfully swore my allegiance to the monarch …….I fought with barbarians and became an Honourable Knight. However, after I unintentionally died ………an evil spirit captured my soul on the Hills of Dawn and sealed me to this sword so that I was unable to leave.”

“Hills of Dawn?”

Ark was puzzled as he belatedly noticed the meaning. It was a name that he had occasionally seen in the history books of New World.

”Is it the Hills of Dawn in Valhalla?’

It was common sense! Valhalla was the palace of the dead in Norse Mythology. A warrior who died honourably in battle would receive an invitation to the Holy Land by the supreme god Odin. They would train their skills and wait there until the Final Battle, Ragnarok. New World was a fantasy game with different myths applied in each region from all over the world. And in the Northern continent, a lot of the myths applied were about the Nordic World. Getting back to the back, Warwick had wanted to get directly to the afterlife but had been captured by the Kraken. Warwick showed regret in his eyes as he continued talking.

“From then on, for hundreds of years……….my spirit was corrupted and I became a devil…….my honour had been disgraced. It was a nightmarish time. To end the nightmare……….you have delivered the light of salvation. You naturally have my thanks.”

Unlike the other guy, Warwick was unexpectedly polite. Ark’s face became elated as he scratched his head.

“Well, since you’ve told me your thanks………..”

“I know”

Warwick nodded and produced a body.

“You’ve released the curse from the magic sword………..Now you have the power to summon me………The reason why you summoned me is easily understood………And I too……….I was waiting for this!”

“You were waiting?”

“I’ve already been to the Hills of Dawn ……..that invitation was also corrupted. ………….However, meeting a truly honourable opponent has fired up my soul like in the past ……..If you can duel ……..My soul can be saved … … …And my strength and experience can be a foundation for you……..It would be delightful! Now ……..who will be my opponent……..Who are you? Of course, if your summon defeated the Kraken………His abilities must be better than expected! Oooh ………..my fighting spirit is kindled!”

Warwick couldn’t hide his excitement and shouted, shaking his sword. His bones came alive at the subject.

“Now, I’m ready ……….my fighting spirit …….call them before I disappear!”

“It has already been summoned?”

“What?”

Warwick scanned the place with baffled eyes. His burning gaze found Dedric standing to one side.

“Certainly……..I can feel the spirit of the Netherworld on this child……..but…….it is difficult! Even though I am corrupted………this body is an honourable knight! How can I against a young child………wield my sword?”

“What the? A child? Hey, dude! How old are you?”

Dedric who had changed into the form of a young child said angrily. At that time, Ark pointed to Skull rolling along the floor.

“Do not worry about it, Warwick. Your opponent is here”

Warwick’s gaze followed Ark’s fingertips. And witnessed Skull looking proud at receiving Ark’s nomination. Seems like ………..an embarrassing and awkward silence flowed. Warwick looked stunned as he peeked at Skull and then looked at Ark. A joke? His glowing eyes seemed to ask. When Ark shook his head, the normally polite Warwick shouted.

“I’ve been polite to you. But now you’re insulting me!”

“I’m sorry but this is the situation. So can’t you try and fight?”

“I can’t endure it anymore, not matter how much you’ve saved me!”

Warwick threatened with his sword as he approached Ark. At that moment, Skull jumped and crashed into Warwick. Warwick flinched and retreated. Skull had roughly interrupted him. He had a rarely seen angry countenance. Warwick looked at Skull with surprised eyes. He did this for a while as some form of dialogue seemed to pass between the both of them, before Warwick sighed and nodded.

“Right…….is that what happened? I’m sorry ……….although only the skull remained……….you are also a warrior who knows honour…….I only looked at the surface and ignored you………I apologize.”

Clack clack clack!

After he was told that, Skull naturally held up his chin. However, Warwick shook his head.

“Your fighting spirit and courage ……..is fully realized…….but I still can’t accept the duel……..after looking at me you will notice…….for now, you’re still lacking too much…….unless the difference is filled up…….I will never accept a duel with you.”

Clack clack clack!

“You can say it as many times as you like, the answer is still the same……..my heart won’t burn against a weak opponent……..it isn’t possible to go to the Hills of Dawn with such a duel……..summon me again…….if you improve your skills enough to fight me.”

Skull seemed shocked as he closed his mouth. Warwick sighed and looked at Ark.

“I am indebted to you…….However, no matter how many times you summon me……..I cannot fight an opponent that doesn’t stir me ………..your pet also……..and you wouldn’t want to win in a dishonourable way.”

“No, I suppose not?”

Ark quickly replied. Dishonour? Are you joking? After all if Skull wins then he can evolve. Also if the fight against Warwick wasn’t difficult, then he would be thankful. However, Warwick was more rigid than he imagined.

“I wish? Fu……..For a while I thought you were going to insinuate the idea ……..however, I was excessive………..that the guy who beat the Kraken would have such thoughts……..I apologize ………after all……….that is why I cannot accept this duel ……then……..”

“No, there seemed to be some misunderstanding……..I’m not someone as out of touch as you think. Good, that’s good? Hey, Hey! Are you listening? Ya! I said wait.”

However, before Ark could speak Warwick had already transformed back into a blade. Dedric snorted and muttered.

“That guy has no sense of humour”

Ditto. He never imagined that the owner of the magic sword would refuse to duel. The owners of the magic sword really come in different types. Ark sighed and picked up the Saw Blade. Anyway, since he could only summon once in a 24 hour period, there was no way to resummon him. And even if he summoned Warwick again, the result would be the same with him refusing to duel.

‘Then again, the present Skull would have no chance of beating the level 60 opponent……’

Currently, the average level of his summons was around 45. However, the average level was higher because of Dedric. In fact, Skull was still around level 40. Moreover, he has no offensive skills. He wasn’t in a state where he could fight Warwick and win.

‘Maybe it was better that he had refused the duel.’

In Skull had died, then he would also be unable to summon him for a 24 hour period. Therefore he would not be able to fight for 24 hours and would experience no growth. He summoned Warwick in order to see his stats, and he determined that there was no reason to duel.

‘For the time being, I have to think a little bit more.’

Although it was disappointing, Ark soothed himself and snatched the sword. The damage of the Saw Blade was higher than Lancel’s Sword. However if he considered the attack bonus when fighting with Dedric as the owner of the Magic Sword then Lancel’s Sword was more useful.

“Eh? What the? Skull, what’s wrong?”

Ark had been about to move when Skull pulled at the hem of his clothes. Ark squatted down puzzled as Dedric muttered.

“Ooh, really? Really? Ha, those words? I’m good”

“What do you mean?”

“Ohehehe, Master. Skull asked when you would create a new dish to feed him that would unconditionally change him? Whatever you’re making would soothe him.”

“What? Skull, really?”

Skull nodded his head. Ark also knew the feeling. In fact, Ark was worried that Skull would be depressed after the duel wasn’t accepted. However in contrast to his worry, enthusiasm seemed to overflow from Skull. Although Skull had now lost all memories of the past as well as his body, he was also an honourable warrior. Perhaps the conversation he had with Warwick was about that content. He must have felt the desire to win fairly after remembering his days as a warrior. In the past, Dedric would eat like crazy in order to get vengeance on Dunphil. However, Skull was a warrior who wanted to eat food for his and Ark’s honour. The magic sword played a motivating role in inspiring the growth of his summons. And that will make his pet grow several times stronger.

“Okay, Skull. Then you’ll need to be prepared for even harder training in the future.”

Once he outlined the situation, Ark crossed the bone room. The room where the Kraken was located had a side blocked by a huge iron door. The residents of the Underground World had carved this sentence on the iron doors. But the lever to open the door was broken. However, just after Ark defeated the Kraken. He figured out how to open the door.

“Snake, the ectoplasm glue!”

At Ark’s order, Snake opened its mouth and spat something out. It was LPG gas cylinders with green slime twitching inside the transparent tubes. After the kraken disappeared, this was the item that Snake found among the piles of bones and items.

Spirit Body Glue (Special)

It was glue made out of ectoplasm capable of sticking body and spirit together. From a long time ago, numerous bodies had been abandoned in the hell. The souls of the dead bodies in the labyrinth were collected by the evil spirit, which mixed the impurities together to form the ectoplasm.

The instinct to stick to the ectoplasm was very strong. Also, once the ectoplasm was touched it recognises the body and you would be unable to get away. The ectoplasm would stick to each other and form a huge lump, which would spread into its surroundings and corrupt everything. That was the result of the corruption from the Kraken. However, now that the nucleus of the Kraken had disappeared, the souls of the people have become simple ectoplasm again.

When the ectoplasm is used, any object would be able to stick to it. In essence there is no limit on the size and length of the spiritual body. In addition, once an object is joined it won’t fall off unless it is destroyed. Using it as a joke is prohibited! Someone might have to live their whole lives with the hands or feet attached.

{The number of uses: 5 times}

That is to say mixing fallen souls together would create an adhesive like glue.

-I’m lonely and bored.Isn’t there anything to be attached to?

-Woo-ssi, what are you looking at? Sometime to stick to?

-Hahaha, I’m glue. Put me on everything!

After shaking the tubes, voices mumbling could be heard. Ark looked at the tube with a strange expression. Even if it was a fantasy game, using ectoplasm as a glue was like a horror movie…….. Furthermore, if the adhesive was shaken even a little bit then it would endlessly complain. It is an item which your common sense wasn’t sure if it should laugh or be afraid.

‘What on earth would something like that be used for?’

When he first checked the item, he wasn’t able to think of a use for it. Jeez, even though glue could be used everywhere, why did he find such a strange item at this time. But after a while, Ark could quickly see why. The exit of the bone room was the broken lever.

‘Aha, so if I hadn’t defeated the Kraken then I wouldn’t have been able to open the door.’

Ark approached the level with a bone of a suitable size. And he opened the tube containing some murmuring voices and let it flow out.

-Uoooh, It’s outside!

-Awesome. Stick! Let’s stick!

After the bone was applied to the lever, the viscous liquid flowed over and stuck it together. It was one performance. Once stuck together, the bone and lever looked like it had originally been like that. The ectoplasm was also satisfied and didn’t mutter anymore.

‘Now I finally ……..’

Ark glanced nervously at the iron door. Only one thing left to do now! Just open the iron doors to the Underground World. It was a new world no one had seen yet, just like the Undersea world! He wondered if there was a mountain of treasure beyond the iron doors. Or a legendary unknown monster. Ark checked his equipment before pulling the lever. He organized the items in his bag and repaired the equipment whose durability fell beforehand. And last but not least, he scrupulously checked his character information window.

“Stat window” Character Name Ark Race Human Alignment Good+200 Fame 1695 Level 95 Profession Dark Walker Title Cat Knight, Caretaker of All, Jackson’s Hero Health 1925 Mana 1520 (+100) Spiritual Power 100 Strength 232 (+ 5) Agility 282 (+ 15) Stamina 362 Wisdom 31 Intelligence 275 Luck 42 Flexibility 27 Art of Communication 23 Affection 55 (+ 10) Special stat: Knowledge of Ancient Relics 83 Equipment item effects Guardian Armour of the Merpeople: Water Attribute Resistance +100%, Penalty based on water is nullified.Cat Paws: Attack Speed +10%, Agility +15, Critical Hit +10%Crystal Golem’s Head: Mana + 100Norad Boots: movement speed + 10%, avoidance rate + 5%Adelaine’s Necklace: Def + 40, Affection + 10Resurrecting Spirit: Strength + 5, Mana Recovery + 5%

• All abilities will increase by 30% in the dark* You have the ability to hide in the darkness (15 minutes duration. Cancelled when you get into combat)* Resistance Fear, Darkness, Blind, and Seduction spells is increased by 50%.* You can bring out the true abilities from all types of tools.

After hunting the Kraken, his level increase by 2 to 95!

“Okay!”

Ark took a deep breath and pulled the lever. Kkurururu, with a ponderous sound, the iron doors were pushed out and rose up. At the same time, Ark’s mouth opened absent-mindedly.

“What is this? This is the subterranean world?”

An incredible spectacle unfolded in front of him.

The place where Ark had entered was on top of a mountain of great height. Mountain, yes, it was a mountain. In Cairo, he had fallen through thousands of metres before hitting the ground. From there, he had descended tens of metres through the underground labyrinth until he had reached the iron doors……..yet there was a huge mountain of extravagant height.

“What on earth is going on?”

Ark looked around with a perplexed gaze. At the base of the mountain, a dense forest and deep ravine stretched to the horizon. There was nothing different about the landscape compared to the Brandt Mountains.

“Jeez, did I make a mistake? Even the stars in the sky…….. huh? The stars are close………..? ”

Ark looked up at the sky puzzled. The dark night sky was clear and there were numerous stars floating like jewels. But strangely, he felt as if he could stretch out his hands and catch the stars at any minute. No, it was not just a feeling. The stars were really not far away.

“Strange? Dedric, check it out”

“Ah, okay.”

Dedric flapped his wings and flew away. And after a few minutes, he grabbed a star.

“This is…………it’s not a star? Stones, shiny stones!”

“Shining stone? Then the shine from the ceiling was because of ores?”

“Yes, everywhere else is also covered with these stones.”

Ark’s mouth widened. There was no longer any room for doubt. The ceiling was so thick that an ore mine had developed. It was clear that Ark had correctly found the Underground World. But there was another reason Ark was surprised. Ark had misunderstood the extravagant amount of ore as stars! Low-grade ore could be used to produce various kinds of jewellery. One finger-sized ore was worth approximately 20-40 silver.

‘But when it is a big ore like that…….! ‘

Ark swallowed his saliva and asked.

“De-Dedric. Is it possible to take it out?”

“Ugh, no. It is unbelievably hard. I can’t even move it.”

Of course, it doesn’t matter how hidden the area is if he couldn’t deplete it for jewellery. Even if Ark could fly with a pickaxe, he wouldn’t be able to remove the ore. It was a one of-a-kind jewellery, but stuck to the landscape.

‘I have to walk past it even though it is such a huge chunk of money………’

Ark stared at the ore with bloodshot eyes before eventually turning away. Walking away from the sight in the sky felt like digestive juices causing a sore stomach.

‘Anyway, this place is apparently the Underground World. If so, a fragment of the Three Marvels is hidden somewhere here. And there would also be the residents of the underground world, the beastmen. Guess I have to find them first.’

Ark checked his equipment again before heading down the slope. The area was underground and dark, but the ores embedded in the ceiling made it brighter than general dungeons. He continued heading down the steep slope to where the forest stretched out. When he entered, the forest immediately captured Ark’s gaze. In the forest, the trees and plants were something that he had never even seen outside. It was probably isolated from the world for a long time so a unique ecosystem developed. That is why fruits that couldn’t even be imagined were scattered around the rivers.

“Whoa! Look, master the fruit is been thrown around!”

Dedric curiously tackled the strange fruit attached structure. After he finished exploring the underground labyrinth, his stores of ingredients was running low. In addition, seeing an ingredient for the first time means that new dishes could be prepared. Ark rushed to gather the fruit. However, as soon as it fell from the tree, a sound was heard and the fruit broke.

-Harvesting failed.

After many failed attempts, he had only managed to pick one fruit. And after ingredient identification failed twice, he finally managed to obtain information about the food.

Bao Fruit (Food)

The Bao Fruit is a special plant that only grows in the Underground World. Because the size is different and it is a very sensitive plant, advanced foraging skill is required. When picked, it can be used in a dish or as a magic ingredient and if it is dried and powdered then it can be used as a spice.

His foraging and ingredient identification skills were intermediate level. Even so, the fact that it was so difficult to pick meant that it was a high level ingredient. Indeed, after he managed to pick one, his skills rose by 1. Of course, some of his ingredients couldn’t be used anymore because it became stale, to the extent that if he left ingredients lying around it would spoil.

The ingredient level would also mean higher food effects? Such ingredients were scattered around the area. Ouhahaha. It is a paradise for Survival Cooking!’

The fruit as a fruit, herb as an herb, poisonous plant as poisonous……. Even if it was poisonous, Ark’s style of cooking was to not throw any ingredients away. Ark slowly gazed at the ingredients and crazily collected it. It was to the extent that he forgot the reason why he came to the Underground World in the first place. How far did he walk? By the time his empty bags were filled with ingredients…….. A bush to the side began to shake and the sound of a person was audible. Ark reflexively held his breath. He had been in the underground world for 30 minutes. He would’ve been relieved at the sight of a common wolf. But there wasn’t any monster. However soon two monsters appeared in the bush behind him. It was the first time he had seen such a monster. It was a cricket like monster with 2 legs that smashed the branches as it walked. And the monster was wound around its body like a plant was riding the cricket monster.

“Enemy? Eyes of the Cat”

After checking the information with Eyes of the Cat, Ark took a deep breath.

‘Kanggeul? Level…….Huk, 150?’

“Aid! Kara! By the nose!”

When the monster riding it shouted, the Kanggeul attacked Ark. When a thorny branch hit him, he instantly lost 300 health. There was also a strong bleeding effect which made him lose more health.

‘Oh my god, the first monster I encountered here was a level 150 monster!’

Ark’s current level was 94. With his dark attribute bonus he reached level 120. However, no matter his ability or level Ark was a strong opponent. Especially if he used a pre-emptive strike. Ark quickly judged the situation.

‘The risk in this fight is too big.’

Even more than usual, Ark could not die here. He hadn’t updated the resurrection place yet. If he died, he would have no choice but to resurrect in the place where Andel was waiting. Is such a risk worth fighting against a level 150 monster?

“Dedric, Skull. Emergency plan D. Buy some time while I run away!”

“Sheesh, master. Should I let it hit once?”

“Shut up! There is no time to be playing around.”

Ark shouted and turned his body. Then Dedric and Skull stood on both sides, blocking the Kanggeul. If there were two opponents, the use of plan D in this case meant at least an 80% chance of escaping. This was because monsters usually looked to the front to attack. But………!

“Chic! Chic! Woo-ramba!”

The one riding Kanggeul had noticed him and grabbed wildly at the reins while shouting. And the cricket’s body flew into the sky. And it flew 10 metres until it was in front of Ark. A sharp spear rushed in front of him.

“Pant, what is this …!”

Ark rolled to the floor to avoid damage from the spear.

“Master, this isn’t our fault!”

“Shut up and move! The C-3! Do everything you can to stop this guy!”

Ark raised his voice angrily. The mobility of the cricket Kanggeul was unthinkable. He knew that crickets could jump up several times their height. With the trees and bushes in the way, it wouldn’t be easy to escape this guy. But he still had his summons to even the odds.

‘Yes, the pets should take care of one opponent. I have no choice but to see the game through.’

Quick decision! A rapid assessment of the situation led to an action.

“Ok, let’s see where it is attached. That vine child will be begging! Snake, sword! No, the best cheap sword!”

Ark was looking for a cheap sword. Due to Ark’s training, Snake could now determine the value of items and pulled out a battered sword. As soon as he caught the sword in his hand, he prepared to unbeatable skill.

“Blade Storm!”

The battered sword shattered to pieces and struck Kanggeul. However, Ark’s habit of thinking about profit or loss in a crisis only worsened the situation. The sword shattered into dozens of pieces at best. Each fragment only did 5 damage. The damage dealt by dozens of pieces could have been done with one Dark Blade. Blade storm used flashy special effects and took out a little bit of nature and struck Kanggeul for no reason.

-Critical Hit 500 damage! You are Bleeding and will receive 10 damage every 10 seconds for 1 minute.

For a short time after he used the skill, he was defenceless. Ark received a critical hit and was in a bleeding state. Thanks to that, his health was quickly reduced by 40%.

“Eat this!

Profanities once again emerged from his chest after a long time. He swallowed tears of blood and pulled out a pretty decent sword. It was worth a surprising 1 gold!

“Batarat! The offensive of ten thousand won!”

It was like a stretched out scene where he realised that money was just as important in the game as it was in society. Once money was involved, the special effects were different. When the sword shattered, it was with a loud boom and violent crack that spread out. And a tornado like storm was raised and attacked Kanggeul. A little while ago, Kanggeul had laughed at the same attack. But right now, it couldn’t be compared. The power of a 1~2 thousand won attack and a ten thousand won attack couldn’t be the same. It was the power of cash! A roaring sound was heard as Kanggeul’s vitality was reduced by 40%. And there was a double critical chance as the cricket fell down and Ark moved quickly.

“Damn, what kind of money do you think I’m made of? Snake, deadly poison!”

The sword glowed green from the poisonous effects as he used Dark Blade. The deadly poison damage was also added to the damage that occurred from ignoring the defense. Kanggeul stumbled back and hurriedly lifted a spear. However, Ark’s fury was terrifying. When he ran up with bloody tears, Kanggeul was astonished. And in his madness, he laid down a flurry of continuous attacks.

“Ma-Master! You’re alive!”

Dedric and Skull were struggling behind him. It was a daunting opponent for two summons that were only level 45. In addition to the cricket’s mobility, if it wasn’t for the combination with the enemy opponent then it might have defeated already. Ark’s eyes burned red.

“I’m going to get as much experience as I can!”

His ten thousand won anger was indeed terrifying. Ark shrieked and ran at Kanggeul who was on the defensive. And using the A-2 plan, which was a concentrated wave of attacks with his summons, the opponent was eventually in a critical condition.

“The grudge of money is scary!”

Ark swung his sword and made a finishing attack. At the moment, Kanggeul shrieked and tried to escape into the sky by jumping over the trees.

“There! Dedric, stop it!”

“Okay!”

Dedric opened his wings and flew into the sky. But unlike what he thought, Kanggeul did not run away. Been on a thick branch River is an abrupt and say pause began bustling atmosphere. Kanggeul perched on a thick branch and started talking.

“Eric, I, Noraness!”

“Pant, Master!”

Dedric was astonished and stumbled back. Crunch, wadeudeuk! Kwajak! The forest moved. No, to be precise it was the wood. A big tree several metres in diameter slowly rose up and was it approaching Ark? And in the darkness, a few strands of ivy whipped out. He reflexively stopped it with his sword but his health was still decreased. At the same time, Ark’s face lost colour. He stuck up his chin breathlessly. The monster that appeared before Ark was a giant tree. It was like the ancient spirits of the tree that occasionally appeared in fantasy movies. But this monster appeared many times more terrible and threatening. Dozens of vines hung from the old tree trunk and swayed in every direction as it threatened Ark. Plant Golem……..It was a monster that was a whopping level 250.

“This is a fraud!”

It wasn’t even a boss monster but a general monster that was level 250?

‘Was it a mistake to come?’

Ark began to wonder if something was wrong. It was a situation that anyone who played online games would have experienced. The experience where you adventure all over the place and then accidently enter a high level area. In that case, if the user meets an enemy with ridiculously high level and stats, they would be forced to turn tail and run or lie down and die. Of course, Ark often experienced this in other games. This was such a situation. Before he entered the Underground World, he had fought the level 100 skeletons in the underground labyrinth. The slime was level 130 which suggests that it was an intermediate boss. But as soon as he entered the Underground World, he met a level 250 monster? It was not an ordinary monster. It was the same degree of difficulty as a tentacle wielding monster!

“What the hell! I only came through the iron gates yet what is with this absurd level difference?”

Ark swore as he attacked the vines flying everywhere. Even while he did this, his health which was at 20% declined and he fell into critical condition.

‘No! Even when my health was 100%, I wouldn’t be able to beat the Plant Golem!’

“Skull, Dedric. D-4 plan!”

“Damn you, I understand!”

At Ark’s order, his summons scattered in different directions. Dedric and Skull would attract the monster’s attention until Ark was out of the combat zone ………..If possible, he had not wanted to use this strategy. After Skull and Dedric overcame danger and attacked like in the plan, he turned tail and ran away. Then the Plant Golem shrieked and chased after the skull and bat. Meanwhile under the adrenaline effect activated by his critical condition, Ark did his best to run away. How much time had passed? Suddenly red light flashed and he received damage.

-Skull has been forcefully recalled to the Netherworld. You have received 50% of the Familiar’s Health as damage.

Skull who wasn’t agile was the first to be killed by the Plant Golem. And not even 1 minute later, Dedric was forcefully recalled as well. If he hadn’t run away and drank a potion, he would have died from the damage. However, the situation was still worse. Because his pets had died faster than expected, his battle state still hadn’t gone away.

‘I can’t afford to die so I just have to run away as much as possible.’

It was a mistake to pay attention to the money. Fortunately, Kanggeul and the Golem still hadn’t discovered Ark. However, with the cricket’s mobility it was only a matter of time. There was no way to escape once he was noticed.

‘Did I come here just to die?’

Ark was desperate as he heard Kanggeul behind him. As he turned his head to check, something tugged at his feet. At the same time, his body was pulled through the ground and it was dark.

“What, what the?”

“Shhh!”

Ark turned perplexed, when something stepped in front of him. At the same time, he heard the voice of the cricket right above him. The footsteps of Kanggeul and the Plant Golem passed over his head a few times before eventually disappearing when they couldn’t find Ark. Ark let out a breath as the battle state disappeared. Then he heard a voice from behind him.

“You are a foreigner?”

“I…….eh? Your appearance…….perhaps are you……..”

“Heheh, that’s right. I’m a Beast”

In the dark, the chubby boy replied with a grin. Yes, the boy was not an ordinary person. He was a NPC that resembled a beast. However, his appearance was different from the Mermaid or Meow clan he had met previously. The boy had dark circles around the eyes with a ringed belly that popped out. And swaying from his hips was a short round tail with stripes along it. As soon as he saw it an animal popped into his head.

“Raccoon?”

ACT 2 Take control of the raccoons

“Right? Right? Foreigner?”

Ark gave an awkward smile and nodded. The raccoon boy excitedly beat the ground with his tail.

“I see! Wow I’ve never seen a foreigner before.”

Ark had also never seen a talking raccoon.

“But you……?”

“I’m from a raccoon warrior clan, Popo”

Popo proudly replied. Well he looked more like a big, warm friendly mascot than a warrior, but Ark nodded anyway. Raccoon clan…….Ark realised that they were the residents of the Underground World. Needless to say, he had been very tense and imagined them as a violent group of Beasts. However, what he ultimately found was a chubby raccoon. He felt vaguely disappointed, even though one of his objectives was to find the Beast residents.

“I am Ark.”

“Eung, you’re called Ark.”

Popo nodded with an excited look.

“In fact, I really like the foreigners.”

“What? You’ve seen foreigners other than me?”

“No, never. But I speak to a lot of adults. The foreigners are not content to live in one place and travel around the continent fighting against a large number of monsters. It is really great! It sounds like a manly life! One day I want to live just like that. Unlike the other adults in this place, I’m not going to hide down here my entire life.”

Popo sounded like a countryman who wanted to visit Seoul.

“Ark-hyung too? Did you enter the Underground world to track down that tree monster?”

“…………That could be a possibility.”

“I knew it.”

Ark roughly nodded. Of course, Ark’s purpose was not only to fight monsters. The most important thing was to find the Three Marvels as well as a way outside. However, even if he told such an important thing to Popo, the little raccoon was unlikely to be much help.

‘I must find the village of raccoons in order to collect information.’

So Ark thought that he would ask Popo to guide him to the village. Popo struggled for a short time before nodding his head.

“Ok, I’ll show you. But if other people catch you it could be dangerous.”

“What? Why?”

“That…….I’ll gradually tell you. Once you wear this.”

Popo passed him clothes made of woven twigs. It was a cloak with a hood and other similar forms of clothing. When Ark wore the woven clothes, Popo immediately shoved grass into his lower back. With his face hidden by a hood and a plump stomach, at first glance he could be mistaken for a raccoon. The disguised Ark followed Popo out of the cave. After 10 minutes had passed, Popo pointed in front of him and said.

“Here’s our town”

It was a large underground space. Enormous torches were placed in many areas around the cavern with NPCs crowded around it. They were all beasts, with their appearance resembling a raccoon, therefore a raccoon clan. The village of raccoons was rustic, unlike the mermaids who preferred flashy splendour. Scattered around the rock walls were raccoon houses nestled in caves. Most of the caves were of considerable size however there were no colourful decorations. On the other hand, the market was large enough to account for more than half of the village. There was a large range of workshops and shops line up on both sides of the market. Ark remembered what he heard from the Meow Elder Hassan.

‘Which reminds me, didn’t the beasts of the Underground World have good craftsmanship? Where would he see the rest of it?’

Ark curiously glanced at items displayed in front of workshops. Just like in Nodelesse, the items crafted by the raccoon clan were made of materials he had never seen before. The high performance design and craftsmanship was worthy of its name.

[Rainbow Rings (Magic) Item type: Ring User restriction: Level 70

The ring with 7 of the most beautiful gems in the world inlaid.It’s even more special with the powers of the seven gems are amplified.

{Rock, Light, Flower, Water, Earth, Wind, Mind. Resistance to these 7 properties +10} Price: 2,400L

Sarita’s Boomerang (Magic) Weapon type: Throwing weapon Durability: 50/50 Attack: 15~25 Weight: 10 User restriction: Level 100

A giant bird that only lives in the underground world. The Sarita Boomerang was made from its bones. It is a throwing weapon that will return to the owner’s hand after dealing a blow against the enemy. A precise processing technique was used to hollow Sarita’s bones. When it flies through the wind, a sharp high frequency occurs. If you have low resistance, then there is a high probability that the high frequency would cause Fear. {If the level is lower than the users, there is 20% probability of causing Fear} Price: 3,500L

‘As expected, the prices are horrible.’

If you look at the experience of selling items in the hidden village, their performance was amazing. Just like the mermaid tribes, the village was also true to the raccoon family. All of the properties of resistance in the ornaments were hard to even find in items outside. The same goes for throwing weapons. It was mainly warriors who used throwing weapons, but the supplies would eventually run out. However, Sarita’s Boomerang was a throwing weapon that you could infinitely use. There were items that a magician or warrior would freak out about if they saw. However, the price was far above the performance of the item. Just like the mermaid tribes, the raccoon clan who was cut off from the outside had their own form of currency. Right, L ……..For the first time, Ark spoke about the ores that he saw when he entered the Underground World.

“The raccoon clan would occasionally use ore that fell from the sky to obtain more money. The ore debris is a material that is used in many craftsmanship, so it is a necessity for the raccoon clan.”

It was Popo’s explanation.

‘3,500L………..Because it was between 20 ~40 silver for one ore. In terms of gold it was worth 700 to 1,400 gold!’

When converted to gold, it was a colossal price. Even if Ark used all the money in his bag, it would only be possible to buy one of the expensive items. The shops selling food and ingredients were also the same thing, with high prices.

‘Damn, it is just like a pie in the sky.’

At that time, an idea came to Ark’s head.

‘That’s right. The mermaid tribe and raccoon clan were all Beast races that were cut off from the outside world. Then just like the mermaids, the raccoons won’t understand outside items either!’

Couldn’t he sell his loot to the raccoons at an expensive price just like he did with the mermaids? To confirm his idea, Ark quickly pulled out some items from his bag and showed them to Popo. However, Popo was not impressed at all.

“The efficiency of that item is zero. The raccoons will not take things like this. I have sharp eyes because we are the race of craftsmen after all. And we can go outside to obtain these things.”

A disappointing answer was returned. Then Ark noticed something weird in Popo’s answer.

“Go outside? So there is a method to go outside from here?”

“Of course. The raccoon family has continued to live by trading with humans. However, when we go outside we obviously have to hide our identities before engaging in trade. So gold is also used, but the L currency is the only one that satisfies the raccoon clan so get rid of any idea of using gold. Or your true identity would be discovered.’

“No, no. It’s not that ………I just want to ask if trade with the outside world is not hostile then why all the trouble. Why am I not allowed to be discovered as a foreigner?”

“That………in the past, a problem occurred in Subarutalp.”

Popo hesitated for a while before he sighed and replied. The raccoon clan said that Subarutalp was in the depths of the Underground World. The original Norse mythology states that the black elves live in the underground world. Subarutalp was as big as the outside world. The raccoon world in Norse mythology contained the holy water, with Yggdrasil in the centre dividing the the world into 10 villages, with each living peacefully.

“But then ‘he’ came and Yggdrasil changed.”

“He?”

Popo ground his teeth together and nodded.

“Yes, a human with red hair came here ten days ago.”

“A redheaded man!”

At the moment, Ark felt as though cold water had been poured on him. The man with red hair. Using a group of thieves, he had stolen the Heartsoul Bead from Giran before heading to Cairo. Ark never imagined that he would head to the Underground World one step ahead. He couldn’t understand how he came to the Underground World and ran into a quest related NPC. Ark had been the first person to discover the underground labyrinth and its contents. If the opponent was a NPC, then coming to the Underground World without leaving a trace wouldn’t be difficult.

‘Then the Heartsoul Bead is related to the Underground World?’

Everything was complicated and entwined. If so, what is the purpose of the red man………? Popo’s following words were even more shocking.

“He said he was the Truthseeker.”

“What? Truthseeker?”

“Eung, the raccoon clan is not human but the Truthseeker was our friend. Any raccoon family would happily meet him. And according to an ancient vow, we guided the Truthseeker to Yggdrasil.”

“An ancient vow?”

“A long time ago, the adults of the raccoon clan made a vow with the Hero Maban that when the hero returned to the Underground World, we would guide him to Yggdrasil to receive a test.”

“So? He got the test?”

Ark asked Popo who hastily shook his head.

“I don’t know. But not long after he left something terrible happened. A red light rose from where Yggdrasil was and our wooden statue of Yggdrasil started attacking us. And every raccoon clan was attacked by Yggdrasil……… It changed them into monsters that would attack their own people.”

“Monster?”

“Originally, there were no monsters living in Subarutalp.”

What does that means? Ark looked doubtful before asking again.

“Then…….what about the monster that attacked me?”

At Ark’s question, Pope angrily snapped.

“That’s right, Yggdrasil caught a raccoon clan. The raccoon clan caught by Yggdrasil changed into a Kanggeul or a Plant Golem. And it started to attack villages at random. I also lived in the village with those guys…….”

‘Oh my god, was this the disaster Shannon was worried about?’

Now pieces of information were connected. The man who stole the Heartsoul Bead from the Magic Institute of Giran would no doubt be the same red man. In other words, the Red man’s destination was not Cairo but the Underground World. Shannon had warned that the Heartsoul Bead had an ominous power that could cause disasters. That’s right. The fact that Ark met monsters with such absurd levels was because of that. Ark confirmed his idea with the quest information window.

Quest has been updated.

Find the Heartsoul Bead II => Find the Heartsoul Bead III

You have tracked the trail of the Red Man to the Underground World. And you have obtained a clue about the Red Man from the inhabitants of the Underground World. Not long after the Red Man came to the Underground World, its patron Yggdrasil went on a crazy rampage.

The Underground World which was once peaceful had become a dangerous place filled with monsters, with everyone in the Underground World suffering. No doubt this would be related to the Red Man who stole the Heartsoul Bead. You have to combine these clues and find the Heartsoul Bead. {Difficulty level: C+}

Ark’s jaw dropped after checking the information window. The combination of all the clues for the Heartsoul Bead seemed to lead to Yggdrasil. And Yggdrasil was the culprit that threatened the Underground World by changing raccoon clans into monsters. Of course, there would be Kanggeul around level 150 and Plant Golems around level 250 roaming the place. With Ark’s current power he couldn’t even head to Yggdrasil while taking them out. Degree of difficulty C+! The difficulty for the Event Quest was C++, which was the highest level of difficulty that Ark had ever gotten. Even if he could organize an attack, he didn’t know if it would be possible with that level of difficulty.

‘And besides this quest I also have to find the Three Marvels.’

He couldn’t think. The raccoons had a vow with the Hero Maban that when the Truthseeker came, they would escort him to Yggdrasil to receive a test. It is likely that Yggdrasil’s test would give a fragment of the Three Marvels to the Truthseeker. Eventually the piece of the Three Marvels in the subterranean world should enter his hands.

‘Damn, do I have to be an alternative to the Red Man?’

Anger welled up in Ark. If it hadn’t been for that fellow, it might have been easier for Ark to receive the Three Marvels. However, because the turned up with the Heartsoul Bead the difficulty level dramatically increased? Of course, he wouldn’t have found the Underground World if it wasn’t for that guy……..

‘Anyway, now I can’t complete the quest at this level.’

Ark sighed before he remembered something and asked.

“You said that you traded with humans? So, that’s to say you can go outside? When this place became so dangerous, didn’t you think to flee outside or ask for help from the humans?”

“The only path to the outside world is inside Yggdrasil.”

Popo’s answer made Ark despair. For or the time being he knew the location of the Underground World. And he had hoped for a lucky way to go outside. Ark had thought that he could go outside and raise his levels before coming back in. However, if the path was associated with Yggdrasil didn’t that mean he couldn’t leave?

“The adults are all cowards!”

Then, all of a sudden Popo spoke in an incensed voice.

“The other villages have already been swallowed up by Yggdrasil. Together with thousands of kin. The raccoon village where I lived had also been abandoned. This is the only place left. Nevertheless, the adults are not willing to fight anyone. They blocked the entrance but I was able to stealthily dig a tunnel. Knowing this situation, it would eventually reach here too!”

The village that Popo had lived in was close to Yggdrasil. Because it was only a step away from Yggdrasil, Popo was the only racoon remaining.

“But I’m different from the adults. I’m going to fight even if alone. Will Hyung as well? Because Hyung is different from the cowardly racoon adults and a brave foreigner! Will Hyung fight with me? Just like when you fought the Kanggeul earlier?”

Ark began to realise why Popo tried to show a good impression since they first met.

“Of course I have to fight. But…….”

Ark took a moment to answer.

Excitement showed in Popo as a raccoon was pushed to the left. The raccoon clan suddenly staggered back as he grabbed his chest.

“Eh? What’s up with that? Ajusshi, are you okay?”

“Yuck, keuuuuk, kueaaaa!”

Popo stared with surprised as the other raccoon’s body starting spasming. After a while, vines sprang out from the body and completely covered it.

“Kanggeul!”

In an instant, a raccoon had changed into a monster. The raccoon clans that had gathered in the market screamed and fled everywhere. Popo also stepped back with a scream. However, Kanggeul’s body wound dozens of stems around Popo and hoisted him up.

“Ah, Ark-hyung!”

“Holy shit!”

Ark pulled out his sword. Boooom, Ark swung his sword like lightning at the vines. Then Ark changed his target to Kanggeul. The vines poured out continuously. Ark quickly rotated his body for continuous kicks and damaged the vines.

“Grrrr, Kkago, Namiru!”

Kanggeul was stunned and retreated. Kanggeul’s level was 150, but it was only one opponent. In addition, there were no crickets and no weapons. And unlike the vines of the Plant Golem, the attack and speed of Kanggeul was not intimidating.

‘This opponent is not that difficult!’

Ark damaged a vine using Dark Blade before running forward and cornering it with kicks. After 5 minutes. Kanggeul fell into a critical condition and tried to retreat. However, Ark’s movements were several times faster.

“Don’t miss!”

Ark ran and threw his body forward. And quickly followed with a double sidekick! He hit the back of the head with his foot and Kanggeul fell to the ground. At the same time, Ark swung his sword down to get a double critical chance, causing Kanggeul to lose all its health.

“Am-amazing!”

“He defeated Kanggeul all by himself!”

After he defeated Kanggeul, the raccoon clans gathered and buzzed around Ark who had shown incredible skill. However, the raccoon clan quickly withdrew, surprised.

“Foreigner!”

“How did a foreigner get here?”

In the wake of the shouting voices, Ark’s oops was covered. As a result of his fight with Kanggeul, the clothes made of twigs that Popo had given him were torn. Ark didn’t know what to do and wore an embarrassed expression as he was surrounded by a group of raccoons clad in leather armour. They looked between Kanggeul and Ark with surprised eyes.

“That…………”

Without saying anything, the raccoon soldiers lifted up their spears.

“Don’t move! You’re under arrest!”

“Damn, let me go!”

“Do not move!”

“What did Ark-hyung do wrong?”

Popo swore and struggled. At that time, an old raccoon on the opposite side angrily shouted.

“Be quiet!”

Pop flinched and looked down dejected.

‘I guess that old raccoon is the elder of this village.’

Ark looked around in silence. Ark and Popo were dragged by the raccoon soldiers from the market to a large cave. It seemed to be the Town Hall. Around 10 elderly raccoons were gathered inside the cave. Among them the oldest racoon stared at Popo with angry eyes.

“I specifically told you that you weren’t to go out there……..not only did you disobey me but you also brought a human along? Do you know what you’ve done? This town could be in danger because of you!”

“Haeng!”

“Do you still not understand? Why Subarutalp changed? It is because they believed the human. That human brought disaster here! This guy will also do the same! ”

“Ark-hyung is different. He defeated Kanggeul!”

“Stupid! He is probably a friend of the Truthseeker called to betray us further. How can you believe everything this guy says? He managed to come here after it had been hidden for hundreds of years. It is clear that he has some other purpose. Everyone, immediately confine Popo and the human while we decide their punishment!”

“Yes, they need to be punished!”

The other raccoons shouted with their tails beating the ground.

“He is not the Truthseeker.”

It was then that Ark opened his mouth. The eyes of the elders widened.

“What? What are you saying?”

“I’ll say it again. The red haired man isn’t the Truthseeker. He tricked all of you.”

“What do you know…….”

“How did you recognise the Truthseeker?”

Ark interrupted the elders.

“To become the Truthseeker, you must first kill the Black Bear Mouse and be acknowledged by the Meow, the descendants of Hero Maban. However, in the past hundreds of years only one person has been recognised as the Truthseeker by the Meow. And, of course the Truthseeker was not the man with red hair.”

“How do you happen to know this?”

“Of course I would know. For the past hundreds of year, I was the only Truthseeker recognised by the Meow.”

“Wha-What!”

The elders burst out with a surprised expression.

“Ah, Ark-hyung?”

Popo couldn’t believe it and looked stupidly at Ark. He was not the only one. The raccoons gathered in the Town Hall looked at his other and muttered. However, it seemed that the elders couldn’t believe as they shook their head.

“Unbelievable! Even if he isn’t the Truthseeker you might be lying as well, how can we tell? Where is the evidence that you are the Truthseeker?”

“This is the evidence. Elders, could you examine this?”

Ark pulled out a small carved stone from his bag. Elder narrowed their eyes and sat down while staring at the stone.

“St…………..Star Fragment …….”

Yes. Ark had found one of the Three Marvels in the underwater world. It was a Star Fragment. It was an item that was nearly impossible to get in his hands.

“Do you acknowledge it?”

Ark was confirmed as the elders nodded. Then Popo pushed the soldiers as he shouted.

“Hyung! Ark-hyung is really the Truthseeker! Elder grandfather, see? Ark-hyung is the Truthseeker! A friend of the Beasts, he is the hero that inherited Hero Maban’s will!”

“Is that so?”

The elders touched their foreheads with their hands as they blew out a sigh of relief. And looked at Ark with weary eyes as they muttered.

“We recognise that you are the Truthseeker. But that doesn’t change anything. Obviously in the past we made a vow with Hero Maban. However, it is too late. Yggdrasil is already corrupted and we don’t know if we can even survive, let alone fulfil the vow. Therefore we won’t charge you with the crime of infiltrating the village without permission. But with Yggdrasil corrupted, you can’t leave here. Nothing has changed.”

“What are you saying? Don’t you understand? Ark-hyung is the Truthseeker! Now is the time that we must stand up and fight for Subarutalp to be peaceful again!”

“Shut up! We’re not children!”

The elders shouted at Popo who flinched and stepped back. He wasn’t easily scared. Popo couldn’t believe the elders and kept on shooting them looks as he said.

“The other villages are already gone. And no matter how much you hide, eventually you’ll be noticed. Elder grandfather knows it as well! Kanggeul showed up at the market. That means they’ve learnt how to come here.”

“Umm……..”

A heavy silence filled the Town Hall at Popo’s words. So far, the raccoon clans in the surroundings muttered with low voices.

“But ……..This situation started from Yggdrasil. Yggdrasil…………is our patron. If we fight Yggdrasil it would be impossible to win.”

“Besides Kanggeul and Plant Golem are also our own people………we would be killing them too…………”

“Lies!”

Popo yelled wildly.

“Tell me honestly. You’re just too scared to fight. Cowards! So go ahead! Just continue hiding until Kanggeul and Plant Golem finds the town! But I’m different! I will fight even if I die!”

Popo pushed the raccoon soldiers and left the Town Hall.

“Why are you just standing there? What are you doing? Catch him!”

Two raccoon soldiers hurriedly chased after Popo. Ark silently looked at the sight in front of him. He had wanted to intervene but had no idea how. But thanks to Popo he was able to understand the general situation. At the same time, he now knew what he had to do.

‘That’s right, it’s not only my problem!’

Ark realised that he had taken something for granted. It was common sense that a quest was a structure only for the user. However, there was no reason to think that.

‘New World is not an old RPG game.’

When considering the games in the olden days, it was really astonishing. Those games often used the scenario of the Devil being resurrected at the end. If the Devil was resurrected then the world would end. Even so, he had met a number of NPCs in the game, even the NPCs that were formerly heroes couldn’t participate in the game directly.

‘What if?’

‘Please help me.’

But they would do absolutely nothing and just talk. And it was natural for them to leave the fate of the world in the hero’s hands. The NPC could actively move but not through artificial intelligence, instead the NPC’s behaviour was computed using a CPU that calculated its performance. However, New World was the perfect game of the future. The game allowed infinite degrees of freedom for the user. And that degree of freedom was also relevant to the NPCs. Of course, although it is not a user, the NPC could also think for itself and have the freedom to act. Just like when Jackson’s Lord gave privileges to the ex-convicts on Ark’s advice.

‘This is the key to solve this quest.’

If the Underground World is destroyed, then that would also be bad for Ark. He would lose the three marvels and also the way to solve the quest. But anyway, Ark was a user. It was possible to look for other ways. But not for the raccoon clan. The raccoons think of the game as reality where they either live or die because of the destruction of the Underground World. It dampened their will to fight.

‘If I try to do it alone, I won’t be able to handle Yggdrasil. But it might be possible to win if I can incite the raccoon clans to fight together.”

Ark came to that conclusion. He had already identified in Jackson that users could fight together with NPCs.

‘Yes, for sure. This is the only solution.’

Ark looked at the atmosphere and slowly opened his mouth.

“To be honest I agree with Popo.”

“What?”

“I’ve listened to Popo talk. The other towns in the Underground World have already been attacked and annihilated. And even if the subterranean world is wide, it is limited. No matter how much you hide you will eventually be found and when that happens, you’ll be involved just like Popo said. ”

“We know that. We also know there’s no chance.”

An elder said a nervous voice.

“Since we were born, we are a species that hasn’t had to fight. Do you know why we live in the Underground World? In order to avoid conflicts. We’re just a race that knows how to make things.”

“But ………”

“It is done. I don’t want to talk about the problem.”

No matter how many times Ark tried to talk to them, the elders did not want to hear it. After all Ark had just entered the village of raccoons. In addition, their relations had been hostile until just now. Fortunately, the misunderstanding was resolved and the relationship wasn’t hostile anymore however their intimacy was still low. It would be impossible to incite the raccoons to fight with a few words. There was also the risk that intimacy would fall instead.

‘Let’s withdraw and find another method.’

“Ark-hyung……”

Popo approached from the side as he exited the Town Hall. He had made a gesture to run away and hide around here.

“You see? Wasn’t it like I said? The adults are all cowards. They make excuses but in the end they don’t have the courage to fight the monsters, unlike a foreigner. But Hyung is different? The Truthseeker is the one that receives Hero Maban’s will. Will you fight against the monsters?”

Tears were heard in Popo’s suddenly young voice. Ark looked at him in surprise as Popo wiped his eyes with his sleeve and said.

“They’re dead. Dad, Mum……..everything…….I……..cannot remember anything…….I know. The village where I lived was the first to be attacked. Obviously my mum and dad are dead or they have become a Kanggeul. But I will never die like that. I will find the exact cause of the corruption and regain my village. Hyung…….will you help me?”

A feeble ache revived in Ark’s chest. He had forgotten. Popo had lost his parents merely 10 days ago. Why hadn’t he noticed? NPCs are also alive. At least that’s what Ark thought. And who doesn’t understand the grief of losing a parent? Ark was like that as well. When he lost his father and his mother was hospitalized, Ark couldn’t cry. He had forced down his grief but going on a nightlife spree. He was grieving, but he was so sad that he couldn’t feel the grief at all. Ark kneeled down beside Popo and stroked his head.

“Yes, I will help. But no matter how I try, it is impossible for with my strength alone. You actually know that don’t you?”

Popo swallowed his tears and nodded.

“So I’ll have to convince any raccoon clan. The adults will understand if I talk calmly. If that doesn’t help……..then you and I will join forces and find a way. So just believe and trust in me for the time being.”

“Thank you, Hyung.”

Ark laughed and lightly patted Popo’s body. He also felt like a brother.

” Now, that we’ve said that……’

Once Ark calmed Popo down, they organized the situation in a deserted alley. He easily spoke to Popo, but he actually thought it was hopeless. The raccoons were different from the other beast species that he had met. By default, the Meow and Mermaid species were warriors. In the same situation, even if Ark tried to stop them the Meow and mermaids would raise their arms and go out. However, the raccoons were craftsmen and were afraid to fight.

‘The most likely way to incite them is to raise my intimacy……..’

The problem was how to raise intimacy. In the past, the mermaid species was completely isolated from the way so when he sold them some outside items, their intimacy quickly rose. However, even though the raccoons were isolated, there could secretly trade with humans on the outside world. He didn’t look at his loot. He also used survival cooking with the mermaid clan. Tasty food was somewhat effective but unlike the mermaids, the raccoon clans were used to fire and would not freak out about it. When they ate something once or twice then they would quickly tire of it. The other way to raise intimacy with to complete quests. But it was impossible to receive a bunch of quests from the raccoons in this situation.

‘But what other methods could be used to raise intimacy……..’

Suddenly a brilliant idea popped into his head.

‘Only? What about food? The food ……..perhaps……..No, it is the only way. I have no choice but to try it, even if it is a hit or miss.’

Ark quickly took out his pot and placed ingredients in. And he mixed up the ingredients to create new dishes. As always, one dish was barely a success after dozens of failures. Ark put the successful dish in a pouch for the time and immediately made a new dish. He spent the whole day cooking. Although he was dozing halfway through, his hands mechanically combined new ingredients. Suddenly, a loud sound battered his eardrums.

Kwadang, delgureok, bugulbugul!

The half-asleep Ark quickly lifted his head. Inside the pot, a black liquid was bubbling like crazy.

“What, what the?” What’s up with that? Why is this?”

Ssak ssak ssak!

Then Snake flicked its tongue and licked the floor.

“Eek? Don’t tell me I just shoved in the pot………? ”

Ark quickly woke up as he turned his head. Next to him was a pile of ingredients and loot intertwined. He had laid out the ingredients to make a dish. Apparently…….he thought only ingredients had been taken out. However, he had mixed in a few loot in his sleep. And while he was dreaming, he had unknowingly put a few loot into the pot.

“What the? What on earth did I put?”

Ark hurriedly opened his bad and checked the list of loot.

All of the five weapons are there……armour items as well…….other loot also roughly correct but the number……what did I put in? Eh? Which reminds me …….Huck, don’t tell me?’

Ark rummaged around and belatedly found what items were missing. The ‘Essence of shining slime’ that he had obtained from the Polluted Slimes in the underground labyrinth.

Essence of Shining Slime (Ingredient) The Polluted Slime only exists in very special environments. Although the slime ecology is still unknown, only one in a thousand would produce these special crystals in their body. These crystals have a unique magic that would make Magicians and artisans drool over the expensive material item. You can use the essence of slime as a magic reagent or you can use it to create magic items.

Although you couldn’t tell from the explanation, but it would’ve been a large source of money for him. Because he was unable to send it to Sid, he left if packed on one side of his bag……….only now he placed it in the pot while he was sleeping. It wasn’t an ingredient but a general item! The result was so unstable it seemed like the pot was having stomach trouble.

“I can’t believe I made this mistake while sleeping!”

‘No, I don’t know whether the essence of slime had completely melted yet.’

Ark picked up the pot. And just before he flipped it over! Suddenly there was a belch and thick smoke rings rose from the pot. Ark flinched and looked down stupidly into the pot. The bubbling black liquid that was overflowing had just disappeared like a lie. And black lumps like jelly fell into the pot.

“Wha, What it this?”

Ark picked up the jello with a bewildered expression. At the same time, a message window popped up.

You have found a hidden Survival Cooking dish.

In New World, there are monsters that have survived for a long time and built up a lot of experience. A monster with these attributes and experience sometimes form an ‘essence.’ Essences are sometimes used as an advanced ingredient in the production of various general items, but it also has another hidden use. One of the uses if making a Survival Cooking dish with it.When combined with several herbs in survival cooking, the essence can be formed into a jelly dish.

When mixing them with other unusual ingredients then jello with special properties can be made.

An advanced survival cooking chef would be able to instinctively grab the materials required to make it.

‘Slime Inner Edge’ Recipe Essence of Glowing Slime Jelly 1/1 Unicorn horns 0/1 Corrupted Fairy Wings 0/100 The roots of a Mandargora that has received moonlight 0/100 Tooth of a hook bat 0/100

Ark looked at the information window with a stupid look. For a while he couldn’t understand what had happened.

‘A hidden survival cooking dish?’

It was a result from a mistake he made in his sleep. The problem was that he hadn’t determined if the result was good or not. Until the result was complete, he wouldn’t have any information about the slime inner edge. However, Ark’s advantage was his optimistic personality. After he contemplated, Ark determined that it was a good thing.

‘This means I can’t get rid of the slime essence for the time being. And I’m tied. From unwritten game rules, it should provide a huge benefit in the game! And because the materials required to complete it seem fairly difficult, the result should be beyond my expectation. Uhehehe, Yes, that’s right. It’s obviously an extravagant prize!’

Ark placed the slime jelly in his bag and smirked. Survival cooking was involuntarily learnt in the novice town, and he had learnt the skill with the idea that he could save money by using it to cook rice and eat cheaply, however the skill had more uses than that. It was fun to think of what other methods there could be later on. It was a mistake that happened while he was asleep, but if the result was this sort of thing then it was welcome at any time. He had discovered information that other people didn’t know yet. It will soon be connected with huge profit.

‘I would love to see the complete recipe now, but because the materials aren’t things that you could just ask or look for, it can keep for the time being. Okay, it is a good atmosphere. Should I make an effort and cook more new dishes?’

Ark had an excited expression and immediately began to make a new dish. And finally 24 hours had passed and he could summon his pets again. With a serious expression, Ark summoned Skull.

“Skull, are you prepared?”

Clack….Clack clack clack!

Skull moved back and forth as he made his resolution. Then Ark started feeding Skull the dishes that he had made. Skull fainted straight away with dark rings that looked like he struggled with over drinking on the docks. However, the food also had a positive effect and raised his ability. However, it wasn’t what Ark was hoping for.

‘It’s great to see, but this is not the effect that I wanted.’

Ark shook his head and made him eat another dish. Eventually the food made of new combinations of ingredients had almost disappeared.

“This is it!”

Once again, the positive effect of the food raised Skull’s stats. Thanks to that, Skull’s stats were raised be 7 and he instantly reached level 47. However, that was not the reason that Ark had cheered at Skull. It was due to the additional effects of Skull eating cookies.

‘This is it! This one is the key to the quest!’

Ark created a bunch of cookies with delight. And he put it all in a leather pouch and headed towards the Town Hall.

“What is going on? If you have something to say about earlier.”

As soon as Ark entered, the elder welcomed him with a troubled expression. However, Ark had a friendly smile as he approached.

“No. I have a different request today. Sometimes I go out and come to think of it, I experienced a new situation when I was there. When I find a new place, the elders always offer me a glass of water. So today, I have prepared cookies to apologize for my previous mistakes.

“Cookie? There’s no need. Please leave.”

The elder said coldly. However, Ark didn’t listen and took out the leather pouch.

“Eh, why are you so shy? There’s no need between comrades. Just have a taste. I made elaborate cookies.”

Ark opened the leather pouch and a sweet scent drifted around the Town Hall. The seductive scent was made using a large variety of different spices!

“If you think it is necessary? Hurry, and take it out!”

The elder made an effort to turn his head and look away. However, Ark was convinced that he had caught the elders in a trap. His nose was twitching and his tail swinging up and down without stopping.

‘Huhuhu, in the end he is still just a raccoon.’

They can’t hide their beastly instincts.

“Come, come! Stop what you’re doing for the time being and just eat.”

“Heh, that’s true ……..nowhere else to be so yes …….”

The Elder couldn’t pretend and took one cookie. Ark’s eyes flashed.

‘It took it! It took it! A raccoon is snagged!’

That was Ark’s plan. Once he ate one, the elder tried to shove as much as possible into his mouths. The other elderly raccoons in the Town Hall also did the same. Although they had no interest in the cookies at first, they wanted to eat it after seeing him cramming a bunch in his mouth with both hands. An elder exclaimed as he was buried in cookie powder.

“Yes, the cooking skill is amazing. In my lifetime, this is the first time I’ve tasted such delicious cookies. More, anymore?”

“Of course there is enough.”

‘Game over.’

Ark handled the leather pouch with an evil smile. Within a few minutes the leather pouch had been emptied and the elders had satisfied looks on their faces.

“Okay, it’s really brilliant. Are you going to make it again?”

“It’s now!”

Ark then exposed his true colours.

“Of course. But before that………I’d like to talk about the earlier topic?”

“What we were talking about earlier?”

“Yes, I’ve been thinking about it. I also think that the elders’ idea is a bit wrong. Of course I understand your view. After a lifetime of making things, of course you’re going to be afraid to fight monsters.”

“I am afraid? You mean someone else!”

The elders shook the table and shouted.

“There’s nothing to be afraid of, it’s just a little monster. Our talent isn’t just making things. Instead, we can arm ourselves with excellent armour and weapons. When mobilized, we can deal with any number of creatures.”

“Yeah!”

The other elderly raccoons also beat their tails on the ground as they shouted in unison. He fixed an expression on his face that seemed like he couldn’t understand anything and muttered.

“Then why are we hiding in a place like this?”

“That’s right. Why the hell would we think that the monsters are scary.”

“Our patron Yggdrasil turned evil because of a curse. Isn’t now the time that we should get up?”

“Yes, the time has revealed itself. Arm the residents immediately, we must release Yggdrasil from its curse. It is not the time to be hiding.”

He noticed that the attitudes of the raccoons had undergone a 180 degree change.

‘The effect of the medicine was accepted.’

A satisfied smile appeared at the corners of Ark’s mouth. The reason why they changed was because of the cookies Ark had fed them. The raccoons couldn’t fight because they didn’t have enough courage. Because they knew that the monsters would eventually reach the village, they couldn’t bring themselves to fight. That’s when Ark thought about one of his ingredients. The Nurunma leaves that he found in the thieves’ lair. The Nurunma leaf was a drug, but a long time ago it was also used to stimulate warriors. Therefore, if he cooked the Nurunma leaves it might have the same effect. With that crazy thought, Ark combined a variety of ingredients with the Nurunma leaves to create new dishes. Then he used Skull to confirm that it was the food that he wanted.

The Warrior’s Cookies

The Nurunma leaves are the main ingredients in this cookie. If a person without excitement eats the cookie, they will feel a desire to fight. Also they won’t lose their fighting spirit even if they are injured. The excitement gradually decreases with every battle the person enters. However, when the effect disappears, the subject will be in a weakened state for a long period of time due to withdrawal effects.

{Morale +100, In battle it decreases by 1 every 2 minutes} {However when the effect disappears, for 4 hours resistance -50%, which is recovered when eating a cookie.}

Thanks to that, the elders’ morale was raised and once the taste goes away they would blame it on drugs.

“Come on, let’s quickly prepare the residents for action.”

“Then I’ll gather all the inhabitants.”

Ark left the town hall and conveyed the gathering orders to the residents. Of course, he didn’t forget to distribute a bag of cookies as a gift. The raccoons took the cookies without any suspicion. And soon became racoons that were addicted to the stimulant. Therefore, the situation was easily solved.

“…………Therefore, we should take back Subarutalp with our own hands! Come on, get up. Kinsmen arise!”

“Ooh oh oh oh!”

The elder’s speech delivered the taste to the crowd. The crowd of 300 raccoons gave a shout of joy and aligned themselves with the taste. And started war preparations at an absurd speed. Popo looked at Ark with a strange expression.

“Ah, Ark-hyung. How on earth……..”

“Sincerity is said to be a way to connect with people.”

Ark grinned and stroked Popo’s head. Ark continued smiling wickedly at the steady progress. However, this degree of wickedness was only the tip of the iceberg. When they finished the war preparations, the elders and residents flocked to Ark.

“However you. Is it possible for you to make more cookies? I feel like eating a cookie for some reason.”

“Oh, you mean this? Well, there is still an excess………”

Ark shook the bag containing the cookies before taking one out. Then the raccoons forgot and followed the cookie with the eyes and mouth drooling. He shook it lightly for the poisonous effect to activate. Then Ark put it back in the bag and said.

“By the way. Before I do, isn’t there a problem to be addressed?”

“What, what is it?”

“Once the troops are gathered …….you’re not going to just randomly and recklessly attack the monsters are you? Doesn’t someone have to command the troops? I’d say I have the experience necessary to lead the troops.”

“Oh, that? Then I’ll leave commanding to you.”

As if it was troublesome, the Elder transferred the command immediately. This is why drugs are horrible. Once you are addicted you could even sell your daughter for drugs. Of course, it wasn’t so much the cookies that were addictive. But anyway, the only person with combat experience was Ark. Even if he thought about it calmly, the right person to be commander was Ark. Ark was satisfied as he grinned and nodded.

“I understand. Although I am insufficient, I will lead the raccoon clans.

“Yes, yes, so a cookie ………”

“It is 1L for a bag.”

“What? One bag costs money?”

“Oh, it’s because I don’t have that many ingredients. This means that I can’t make it indefinitely. And now I can only create one bag at a time. But if the elder doesn’t want to buy this then I will be forced to sell it to someone else.”

“Ah, no! 1L did you say? Here it is.”

The surprised elder pulled out an ore and calculated quickly. The number of Nurunma leaves used to make a bag of Warrior’s cookies was one. He also used other ingredients and spices but those were readily available in the raccoon village. In the end, the actual cost of the ingredients was one Nurunma leaf. Ark calculated that it was approximately 10 silver for one leaf. By selling the cookies for 1L, the ore was worth at least 20 silver which meant that his profits would double. After all, it was a drug. No matter how lawless the city, he was worried about finding a proper place to sell it. But now additional money was received so it was a windfall! All this because he mixed a drug’s effect into a cookie! Of course, more addictive cookies would raise the price from now on. However, when it came to money it couldn’t be sold recklessly. Ark only prepared 1,600 Nurunma leaves. He had to steadily supply 300 raccoons while they were fighting. Sort of…………it was possible to call him a clever demon.

‘Huhuhu whenever I see Nurunma leaves, I can just smell money drifting off them.

Ark smiled with satisfaction as a new information window showed up.

You used excellent communication and clever tricks to discover the ‘Complete Victory’ quest.

The Complete Victory quest exists in several areas in New World. If it isn’t possible to receive a quest in the normal way, a complete victory quest occurs when special conditions are satisfied. The quest rewards given for Complete Victory quests are different from those given for general quests, as it is an important key to understanding the legends and history of New World. However, if unsuccessful you may be subject to a substantial penalty.

{Wisdom + 10, Art of Communication + 10}

Reclaim the peace in the Underground World!

After a lot of trouble you have finally entered Subarutalp, a world hidden in the depths of the earth. However, the Underground World wasn’t a peaceful place like you imagined. Currently, the Underground World and its residents the raccoons are on the verge of annihilation. As the Truthseeker, you are obliged to help the Beast residents. Fortunately, you managed to convince them to put in an effort and reclaim the peace of the Underground World together.

You must lead a group of raccoons to Yggdrasil to get rid of its curse and bring back peace to the Underground World. You will also find the Three Marvels that you are searching for once you deal with the curse on Yggdrasil.

{Difficulty: ☆ ☆ ☆ Quest is limited to: Dark Walker}

“As expected, the correct answer was to persuade the raccoons.’

Ark checked the quest information related to the Three Marvels and was convinced that his choice was right. In the end, the goal was the same but he had to look for the Heartsoul Bead as well as the Three Marvels. Of course these two objectives were registered as different quests.

‘But a Complete Victory Quest? Is the degree of difficulty special? What the hell does it mean?’

While Ark was thinking, an elder had studied his face and asked.

“So what should we do?”

“For the time being………”

Ark replied with a wide grin.

“It has to be training.”

In the afternoon of the same day, Ark gathered 300 raccoons together to commence training. The Warrior’s cookie was limited. If he wanted them to battle without losing moral, there was no time to waste. However when he gathered the raccoons together, a sigh naturally flowed out. The Kanggeul was level 150, but the average level for a raccoon was level 70. In addition, they had never been in battle before and didn’t even know how to hold their weapons properly. But Ark soon shook his head.

‘It’s not. The most important thing is not the individual’s level but group combat. How quickly and accurately the commander can lead them is the key.’

He had already experienced the importance of commanders in Jackson. First, he had to arrange the army regulations and then show that the ability of the commander was 100%. Therefore, Ark dealt with them severely from the first day.

“There, the raccoon that was gossiping come out!”

Ark pointed to one of the foot soldier raccoons. And after he made a horrible soup medley, fed him the awful food. Ark who was in command also switched the cookies sold to a distribution system. Because there were limited resources, he must appropriately manage the quantity dispensed. Thanks to that the raccoons were always struggling with cookies. Ark was holding the cookies, so of course there wouldn’t be any raccoons that would disobey him. Also soldiers who performed well would have the right to buy more cookies. Ark introduced a reward and punishment system that a raccoon would feign death at Ark’s words. A perfect dictatorship was born. Ark seized the raccoons and separated them into branches of service based on their quality. The elders had said that the raccoon species didn’t understand battle at all but Ark soon shook off that notion. Of course, there was no battle related skill for the raccoons. However, he was able to take advantage of the NPCs by applying the characteristics of craftsmen to battle. When the father of all the races created the species, they had something in mind. It goes without saying that equipment plays an important role in battle. In particular, Ark paid attention to the portable gunpowder weapons. The musket had a slow reloading speed but its range and power far exceeded that of an arrow. An additional bonus was also applied when used against a large monster, which increased the offensive power by 10 times. The problem was the price of the bullet for the musket as it was 1L or 20 silver. However, Ark didn’t care. Anyway, the military funding came from the pockets of the raccoons.

‘Until now, I couldn’t have such weapons………”

If he thought about the outside then he wasn’t motivated. Anyway, the raccoon clan that produced weapons and armour all boasted considerable abilities. Unfortunately, the ingredient supply wasn’t satisfactory because they had been hiding. Therefore, they couldn’t produce a significant number of equipment items.

‘I guess I have to divide the branches of service based on the equipment available.’

“OK, from now on I’m going to divide the branches of service. The first group will be lieutenants.”

Ark pointed towards the group of raccoons that had a higher level and stamina. And ordered them to be given the best armour and weapons. That number was approximately 120. The 2nd group was chosen based on their high agility. They were given armour with high defense and firearms. And the 3rd and last group was the rear support engineers who took exclusive responsibility for cave destruction using the raccoon only racial skill.

‘Wasn’t it quite fascinating to equip NPCs with items?’

The elder raccoon NPC supplied a war chest that was quite generous. It was public money that Ark couldn’t take because who knew when he would have to buy an item necessary for battle. So the raccoons were clearly divided. Without sleeping, Ark began to train the raccoons in the different divisions. As practice gradually continued, the raccoons rushed back and forth as they followed the training system. After 6 days had passed in game time and it was the second day in reality, practice finally finished. Ark gathered the soldiers around him and began to speak.

“Everyone had suffered. Maybe there would be some who said bad things about me. However, the trouble hasn’t left. Hopefully you guys remember this as we head to Yggdrasil to rescue your kinsmen and regain peace. In addition, it is common sense that training harder would reduce casualties in battle. It is my duty to ensure that you are ready for it, even if I had to push you.”

It was sincere. There was no chance of doing this quest twice. If the raccoon troops were wiped out then his quest for the Heartsoul Bead and the Three Marvels would fail. He had to achieve his goal even if it meant using the raccoon troops.

“Now, the serious training has ended. The only thing left is to reclaim the peace of Subarutalp with our own hands. For the sake of the raccoon clans!”

“Ah Ah Ah!”

For the sake of the raccoon clans!”

The simple raccoons fell for his scam and cheered hundreds of times. Now that all the preparation was done. The only thing left was to march forward! Just as Ark was about to pass on the marching orders. Diririri. Diririri. A familiar sound was heard in the distance. He wasn’t hearing it from New World. He heard his phone ring tone from outside the game unit.

‘What the? Who would call me at this time?’

In reality, it was past 12 at night. Among the people he knew, none would call at this time. Ark was going to ignore it but he needed to feel relaxed to play so he unplugged the connection.

“Wait a moment!”

The eager raccoon troops were left scratching their heads awkwardly as he left.

ACT 3 Rehabilitation stage

“Hyun-Woo?”

A familiar voice was heard in the receiver.

“Eh? Uncle Gwon Hwa-rang?”

“Yes, it’s me.”

“Did something happen? Why are you calling at this hour?”

“I’m near Cairo………”

“Yes?”

For a while, Hyun-woo couldn’t understand Gwon Hwa-rang’s words. He had been called just as he was about to fight alongside the raccoons and all his thoughts were focused on that. Therefore he had forgotten about the appointment he made with Gwon Hwa-rang a couple of days ago.

“We were supposed to meet in Cairo.”

“Yes? Ah, ah ……..I did. I mean, I was there for a while.”

“Tsk, young fellow.”

“You didn’t get in touch with me for a while so I forgot.”

5 days had passed since Hyun-woo met the ex-convicts. 5 days was a fortnight in the game. Even if they travelled in a straight line from Jackson to Cairo, it would still take some time.

“Hey, you don’t say.”

Gwon Hwa-rang sighed and explained the situation. In fact, when Hyun-woo had stopped by Gwon Hwa-rang’s house. Gwon Hwa-rang and the other probationary members had already been heading towards the capital. To time, only 4 of them went to meet Hyun-woo in Cairo. However, there was a problem that they hadn’t considered. At that time, the average level of the rehabilitation members was at best 35. However the stretch of forest before Cairo produced of lot of level 100 monsters. They didn’t know anything and just entered the forest where they were smashed.

“Oh, Yes. I had not thought to warn you.

Of course, if you go the roundabout way, even for a level 35 there shouldn’t be that much difficulty. Because a lot of low-level players also came to Cairo. However the ex-convicts who had obtained the location of Cairo from Ark, just moved straight forward in ignorance.

“What do we do? The hyungs are sorry.”

“I’m sorry to ……..ok any dead?”

Gwon Hwa-rang chuckled. The rehabilitation members aren’t trying to live through the game like Ark was. People were playing it purely to enjoy the game. But to Gwon Hwa-rang who was caught up in the game because it made him feel free, inwardly it was quite frustrating. All of a sudden monsters had appeared in the jungle and it was so dense it seemed like a new world. They were high level monsters but the rehabilitation members just cheered.

‘I also wanted to see the Amazon so this is like my dream being achieved.

‘No, this is Jurassic Park.’

‘I never thought I could see dinosaurs directly. This is a hundred times more fun!’

But although the cheered, their abilities were not enough to get through the jungle. In the end, at Gwon Hwa-rang’s request, the rest of the ex-convicts joined them. And invaded the jungle while attacking like crazy. If it was any other party, they would have quickly given up on hunting in the jungle early on. But the rehabilitation members didn’t care, no matter how strong the opponent was. No, instead the stronger the opponent was, the more the desire to knock it down burned inside them. Roco also joined the attack. When Roco left for her part time job they would set up camps and wait until she returned to continue hunting, and after this repeated for four days they finally arrived near Cairo.

“Kukuku, now I…….when I killed the Allosaurus I received a lot of bonus experience. Thanks to that, I went crazy for a few days. Besides, after I helped rescue the Migu Migu clan I received a bunch of strange items.”

Gwon Hwa-rang told his story with a proud voice. Like most people playing the game. Gwon Hwa-rang now seemed like a fully-fledged gamer. Even though he crossed the same jungle as them, their game experience was different. Although Ark was higher level than them, with Sid there were only two people so he didn’t dare touch the intermediate boss monster, Allosaurus But the number of people in their group was 12. Also recovery was possible because they had Roco and the passionate will to fight was flowing in every one of them. The Allosaurus was a monster that was blocking the way into the wilderness that consisted of fallen trees and wheat. Although Hyun-woo also met the Migu Migu, they didn’t give him any quests.

‘Is the quest only given to parties with a certain number of players?

In New World, the quest scenarios always changed depending on the time and situation Therefore, he listened with interest to Gwon Hwa-rang’s story even though he had crossed the same area.

“By the way……….”

Hyun-woo who had listened for a while spoke in a pained voice.

“Actually, I can’t go and meet Uncle at the moment.”

“Huh? What do you mean? Did you already go to a different area?

“That’s not……..there are circumstances where I can’t go outside to meet you.”

“Hum, I don’t know what’s going on but it seems a bit difficult. The guys were so excited to see you they were cheering like little kids……in the game it’s been a long time since we’ve met. Well, if that is the situation then there’s nothing we can do. So how long should we wait? ”

“But it is possible to give you the food immediately.”

“What? How?”

“Please wait outside Cairo for the moment.”

“Outside?”

“Yes. When you reach Cairo you’ll understand. Cairo is only for chaotic players. So if you are interested just wait outside and I’ll give you the food through somebody I know. He is a hobbit merchant named Sid. And did you collect a lot of loot in the jungle? He’ll also organize and sell it for you.”

“Okay, I understand.” Then tell him to meet me at the bear rock near Cairo.

“Yes.”

Hyun-woo hung up and connected to New World again.

Bang! “What the?” Flames blew from someone’s mouth as they slammed the table. He was sitting in front of the hobbit who freaked out and hunched his shoulder. The scene seemed like the little suspect was being questioned by detectives in an interrogation room. It was reasonable. The one who had yelled was the former detective, Justiceman. And the hobbit sitting in front of the group was none other than Sid.

“Is that the reason why Ark couldn’t come and meet us?”

“Tru, it is true……..” Sid restlessly said. Then the rehabilitation members lined up against the wall growled. “This is the real issue isn’t it?” “This, after a long time this really got me fired up.” “How dare they touch our dongsaeng?” “That organization will be forced to taste bitterness.” ‘Uhh, what on earth? Ark-nim being who he is, how does he even know these people?”

Sid turned pale as more threats emerged. Those who played the game would feel a certain sense of realism. Interestingly, if you look at a character’s alignment it would seem like you were looking at their real natures. Should he point that out? But a conversation would interrupt the subtle mood in the room. Judging from Sid’s experience, the rehabilitation members weren’t ‘ordinary’ people. Furthermore, he could tell that there was offensive power just from the impression of their faces. At the same time, the impression they gave caused Sid’s heart to beat so fast it felt like it would burst out of his chest. Sid had a worried expression. Even Lorenzo who was a delinquent avoided the eyes of the ex-convicts and pretended ignorance. The violent atmosphere of the rehabilitation company reached such an extent that he shrunk and retreated to the NPC. It was because it was Ark that Justiceman of the rehabilitation company got so angry. A little while ago, the atmosphere was okay at Bear Rock. Justiceman and the ex-convicts had a good impression of Sid because of his cute looks, and it was a relief for Sid who had been hiding a while to meet reliable users. However, after he confessed the whole story about Ark and Andel, the atmosphere went through a 180 degree change. Anger welled inside Justiceman and the ex-convicts until they were spewing out profanities.

“I know Andel. He was the one that was hit by Alan.”

JusticeMan growled in a low voice.

“I knew that he didn’t get along with Ark…….”

“But defending the Quartermaster so Ark can’t revive is going too far. Why the hell would he do something like that?”

Roco also muttered in an angry voice. Although Ark thought number 1405 was the most calm, he was actually the violent former boss of an organization……..Bul-kkun clenched his fist as he asked what was known.

“There’s no water. Because he’s a bad guy.”

The rehabilitation members were simple. It wasn’t a matter of learning more. Violence was a key part of the world for them. The distinction between good and evil was clear in their world. The inner circumstances were irrelevant. If someone bothered them, they were a bad guy. It was a clear and simple way of thinking. Justiceman and the rehabilitation group were generous to villains. However, to the fellows who touched their side there would be no forgiveness. The police were also committed to that idea.

“Hyung-nim, do you know?”

Number 1401 looked at the others with serious eyes. Number 1401 was a former con artist in the rehabilitation group called Jjak-tung.

“It’s not an issue that we can let him get away with.

“Um………”

JusticeMan nodded with a serious face. Justiceman, Roco and the rehabilitation members knew about Ark’s situation. Ark was not simply playing the game for enjoyment. He joined the test for Global Exos to find a way to live. For Ark, the costs of living expenses and hospital bills came from New World. Yes for them it was a simple game but for Ark, New World was reality. In fact Justiceman, Roco and the other members previously wanted to play the game with Ark. However, Ark had a distinct purpose. However they were unable to bring it up, and now this fellow came along and bothered Ark?

“Ark. He didn’t say anything when I called……..”

“Well he probably didn’t want to worry us too much.”

He wilfully pretended not to know. They were mistaken. In fact, Ark had completely forgotten about Andel. His memories were of the ☆ ☆ ☆ and + C quests from the Underground World. He poured all his spirit into training the raccoon clan. The training occurred for 5 days and thanks to this he had already forgotten that Andel was waiting for him at the Quartermaster. Sort of………when looked at from someone else’s point of view, Andel seemed more pathetic. However, the rehabilitation group didn’t know that fact.

“Kuk, Ark is also human.”

“When he acts like that, I feel like I want to help him even more.”

“Naturally. When it is like this, we should help out?”

“Oppa, I will also help!”

“Heh, when the Prince is in a crisis, even the Princess helps out.”

“Let go, let go!”

A rehabilitation member had grabbed Roco in a headlock while she kicked him.

“It’s not that simple. Do we know why Ark didn’t talk to us?”

“He didn’t want to trouble us……..”

“So, there might be a reason why he didn’t want worry us.”

“Eh?

They asked again absentmindedly. At that time, JusticeMan folded his arm and said.

“Jjak-tung is correct. Hey, former hoodlum.”

“Yes? Yes? Me?”

Lorenzo was surprised suddenly and replied.

“Would you say that Ark had a hard time when he fought against those guys?”

“Yes, the Dark Brothers’ profession is assassinating foreigners. Even 1 of them was too much for Hyung-nim to handle.”

JusticeMan nodded and said.

“It is like that. Jjak-tung, you saw Ark fighting in the Event Quest, so you would understand that he’s not an ordinary guy. Our levels aren’t even a comparison. But if he had trouble with one assassin then their levels must be equivalent to his. Even the user is sticking close to those three. Do you understand?”

“Ark determined that we wouldn’t be able to win. But after listening to Lorenzo’s words, we actually do stand a chance.

In the jungle Justiceman, Roco and the rehabilitation group had significantly raised their levels. They had fought through a dense jungle against monsters over level 100, so it was a natural result. Thanks to that, Justiceman had long since surpassed level 60, while others had reached level 60 a few days ago. Recovery was also possible as Roco was level 40……..It was a party of 12 with formidable power. However, their opponents were three assassins level 120.

“In the words of Jjak-tung. In reality we would unconditionally win. But this is a game. It is hard to win with such a huge level difference. Our offensive power and defense is too different. The level difference between us and Ark who fought the assassin 1 on 1 is approximately 2 times as big. If it was just one or two of us, we wouldn’t stand a chance against the four guys including Andel.”

JusticeMan was now a gamer. JusticeMan pushed down his past definition of unconditional evil, and now understood the difference between ability and level in the game. If it was just skills, JusticeMan was confident that no one could push him. But in the game if a level 10 attacked a level 100 with a sword, he wouldn’t even do any damage. On the other hand, if the level 100 attacked then the level 10 would certainly die. It was an impossible match. The only way for a low-level to win against a high-level was to have overwhelming numbers. However with 14 against 4, it couldn’t really be called overwhelming numbers.

“If we die here, then we’ll just be giving Ark more baggage.”

“If it continues like this, he might end up saying why?

“We have to look for a way.”

JusticeMan thought for a while before he looked at Sid and asked.

“Sid?”

“Yes.”

“What was he doing before Ark encountered those guys?”

“That………..”

Sid looked at Lorenzo and spoke about the former circumstances. The General Store owner’s quest which involved Lorenzo. After they heard the quest contents, JusticeMan and the rehabilitation members had warm smiles on their faces.

“That guy Ark……..he was doing such quests?”

The ends of Justiceman’s mouth rose. JusticeMan was a former detective and had seen that situation many times. The former hoodlum couldn’t escape the demands of the organization and would become a criminal again……… Thanks to the sense of realism, JusticeMan easily accepted Lorenzo’s situation. The rehabilitation members who had experience the situation directly didn’t speak. However, they accepted Lorenzo like he was one of them.

“Lorenzo, I guess your mind was troubled as well.”

“Yes? No……….just……….”

“By the way, Ark also……..”

If a pretty guy does something good, the law looks prettier.

Although it was a quest in the game, the fact that he was trying to help Lorenzo wash his hands of the organization only made the rehabilitation group’s respect for Ark grow even more. Then after Jjak-tung considered something for a while, he opened his mouth and began to talk.

“Hyung-nim, there may be a way.”

“What?”

“Ark’s work was urgent, but isn’t it possible to do something for Lorenzo?

“Hum, yes. That is what we need to do.”

“Then how about finishing the two things together?”

Jjak-tung spoke to JusticeMan about something secretly. Then liveliness entered Justiceman’s eyes.

“Ohu, that sounds good! Hey, Sid? Ark’s quest, can we also do it?”

“Yes? Then……..Please invite me to the party.”

After Sid joined JusticeMan’s party, he fiddled with the system window. And after a while, the quest information window flashed in front of JusticeMan.

-Sid-nim’s party has requested to share the ongoing quest <Clear Lorenzo’s name>. If you allow it you will share the reward but if the quest fails then you will receive a penalty. Are you sure that you want to share?

“Oh, fortunately it is a quest that is able to be shared.”

“It is decided so let’s complete it immediately.”

“What do you say?”

The rehabilitation members all replied to the question with decisive voices.

“Rehabilitation!”

“Yes?”

“Lorenzo you might get annoyed with those guys. But in the end, they are your hyungs so you should listen to their commands. We have to do everything we can to help someone change his heart just like Lorenzo. We were also given such a chance. Therefore, I am going to rehabilitate them. And make them join the side of justice.”

JusticeMan smiled and said.

“Of course once they joined the side of justice, they would have to prove themselves. For example, catching an assassin without shedding blood…….”

It was the plan that Jjak-tung suggested. Despite their numbers, the people that bullied Lorenzo didn’t have a level higher than 60. The first hooligans would be lured in and forced to change sides. Then, the numbers of the rehabilitation group would double by 2. 14 against 4 would become 28 against 4. Even if there was a large level difference, if they had 7 times the number then it was enough to try!

“Very good”

“Now it’s time to do the right thing.”

New World was a part of the rehabilitation program for the ex-convicts. Their social adaptation program was justice! At last, they hit their goal for the quest.

“7 people are headed to the appointed place.

Lorenzo said in a low voice. JusticeMan nodded and looked at the old building.

“Ok, approximately 10 people remain in the hideaway.”

After they came up with the plan in the cabin, JusticeMan entered Cairo using the [Lie] scroll. JusticeMan acted for the group. When he was a detective in South Korea, Justiceman was used to jumping into a group of armed criminals under orders from above. Of course, every criminal was too scared to relax in their own homes……..at least JusticeMan lived like that. But that did not mean that JusticeMan never relaxed his body. No matter how outstanding his skills, no superman was invincible. In addition, sometimes detectives spent years battling gangs in the field. It didn’t matter if he was alone. He also had a responsibility to command other first line officers. Because of him, the south piled up tactical knowledge, he was also a part of a special task unit that looked for countermeasures for terrorism and also served as a training instructor in South America, where it just built on his legend. And the hero of that legend used his ability in the game.

‘The gangsters in the hideout are level 60-70.’

On the other hand, the average level of the rehabilitation members was late 50s. If the difference between users was 10 levels, the chances were slim. However, if the opponents were NPC then it was likely that JusticeMan and the rehabilitation members would win.

‘The problem is how many of these guys there are.’

The number of hooligans was around 17-20 people. On the other hand, including JusticeMan, Roco, Lorenzo and Sid, the rehabilitation side only had 14 people. There was a 10 level difference plus they were outnumbered so it was difficult. Furthermore, JusticeMan’s objective was not just to win. He wanted to subdue them without killing, in order to rehabilitate them. And needless to say, the difficult thing was capturing rather than killing.

‘There is no way to increase our numbers. If it is like that, there is one method. I’m going to reduce the numbers of those guys.’

That was the conclusion JusticeMan reached.

“The purpose of these guys is to force Lorenzo back into the gang. The others might not understand, but they would have no choice but to move if Lorenzo called them.”

A few minutes later, Lorenzo’s letter arrived at the hideout.

I will return to the organization. But before that, there is a problem so please meet me at the cabin.

And not long after, 7 gangsters headed towards the appointment place. Those remaining inside were just 10 people. He was sure that they could subdue those numbers.

“Okay, before the other guys notice and return. Let’s get started! ”

“Hummm, how would you like to practice justice?”

“Think about it before going out.”

“Ya, get extensions.”

The rehabilitation members took out their weapons with eerie smiles. Iron pipe, sashimi knife, chain …If it appeared in gangster movies then they had it. They had obtained it from the restricted area in Jackson, the rotting bogs. Well, the form wasn’t special but the members were used to such weapons so they held it steadily. Furthermore, it was also a magic weapon. The iron pipes increased attack speed, the sashimi knife increased the probability of a critical hit and the chain had a side effect that caused stuns. And as a bonus, Sid had the effect of inflicting fear.

‘As expected, these people are ordinary.’

Now the rehabilitation group were carrying crowbars to the fight the gangsters just like it was seen in a movie. No, the actual situation wasn’t that different. Double bang! When he kicked the door and entered the building, the delinquents inside turned their head to look at it. The door roughly shook and scattered dust……it showed JusticeMan in the background laughing.

“You guys, arrest them all.”

“Eh? Arrest?”

“What did you say? That old person?”

The gangsters said in an amazed voice.

“Ah………..Embarrassing. Hyung-nim should get a better grip of the atmosphere. Was now the time to recite those lines?”

JusticeMan was sullenly pushed back as another member stepped forward. When a former leader of an organization stepped forward, the atmosphere was different. Suddenly he growled in a deep voice.

“Kneel down. We will receive it as your surrender.”

Indeed, the experience of the person was clearly shown in their choice of words. There was an immediate response from the gangsters.

“What, what the?”

“Hey, it’s a raid! Get them!”

“Fearless scum, pull out their tongues!”

The hoodlums in charge got up. However, the movements of the parole group were a few times faster.

“Ha ha ha! How stupid do they have to be to think they could win against justice?

And the table fell with a crash. They jumped over the chairs flying from all directions and swung their sashimi knives at the gangsters. It truly unfolded like a scene from a gangster movie. Also as expected, the hooligans were slightly stronger than the rehabilitation members. However, thanks to Lorenzo and JusticeMan helping out, the situation was easily controlled. Lorenzo was level 80 and could fight to opponents sufficiently by himself. On the other hand, JusticeMan was able to help with his absurd stats, since he was armed with the deceptive stat of Justice. That stat doesn’t do anything when fighting solo, but in a group battle it had absolute power. However, the user that had a decisive influence on the outcome. Minstrel Roco! When Roco earnestly joined the battle, the odds quickly shifted to the side of the rehabilitation group. In the early stages, the minstrel was a job that most would want to quit since it was useless. The minstrel had low damage and defense so they couldn’t solo, while most parties weren’t looking for weaker recovery or secondary magic. There was also a penalty applied to the minstrel for not being battle affiliated, so the experience they received in battle was similar to a merchant’s. They couldn’t fight and their growth rate was low. It was an occupation which didn’t really seem like one. However, Roco always had an affection for musical instruments so raised her minstrel with love. Anyway, Roco had never played solo. When she entered the game, she immediately met JusticeMan and the parole group. Instead of fighting against a fearsome monster, Roco had more fun using her magic to save her oppa. And recently, the Minstrel passed level 40. She gained a skill that no one expected.

This skill can only be learnt after the Minstrel satisfied certain conditions.

<Condition: Minstrel level 40, Artistry stat 150, Intermediate skills in three types of musical instruments>

Gentle Reverberation (Beginner, passive): You have been deeply worried about real music for a long time. You have handled numerous instruments and listened to their beautiful voices with your heart.

Therefore, it has increased you understanding of music. Your music will now develop the same depth and power. The gentle music will dwell in the soul and heart of those who listen to it, and a reverberation will remain long after the performance ends. Even if other music is played, this gentle reverberation will not disappear but rather improve the effects of the music.

<If the same kind of music is played continuously, 3 buffs can be piled up due to the synergy with gentle reverberation. The duration is subject to the duration of the final performance>

If it was good, without stopping. That was Roco up to now. However, after the level 40 skill the situation changed. The effect of Gentle Reverberation was terrific.

“It became one strong wind that split the grassy plains……..”

In order to raise attack speed and movement speed, Roco would sing the ‘Song of the Gale.’ The ‘Song of the Gale’ only raised the speed by 5%. The magician’s skill that raised speed by 10% was far more attractive. However Gentle Reverberation allows buffs to be stacked three times, which changes the situation. ‘When ‘Song of the Gale’ is stacked three times, it increases speed by 15%! In addition, the duration of the minstrel’s song was much longer than the acceleration magic of a magician. The same applied to the ‘Song of Life’ which is used to restore health. For 3 minutes, health was recovered by 200 but now ‘Song of Life’ recovered 600 health recovered in 3 minutes. If health was recovered in a fixed duration, the effect was stronger than recovery magic. Although the slow growth was a weak point, the results could be favourably compared to a magician’s magic. The minstrel who had no exclusive boards dedicated to them in information sites, and the users who did choose minstrel received a cold shoulder from other players and because it was lonely, cancelled their profession. However the laws of the game descended, just like in a legend…….. The weak and troubled character in the beginning would change into a formidable character. We don’t have to tell you what games are people who know that we talk about grunge. It was a fact that everyone who played games should know, even if they don’t speak it out loud. Although a hoodlum noticed Roco’s participation and rushed forward, the parole members wouldn’t let him attack their mascot.

“Does this child think we’re going to let him touch our cutie with their dirty hands?”

The hoodlum quickly collapsed under the attack of 3~4 rehabilitation members. The violence continued for 10 minutes. Eventually there was an overwhelming victory for JusticeMan. Although there were 3 who resisted to the end and died, the rest were in a critical condition. JusticeMan and one of the guys took turns to stun them.

“Once you put all these guys together, tie them up.”

“Yes!”

Number 1402, also known as Hae Gyeol-sa used his racial special skill ‘Bound’ to tie them up and threw them into a room. With the situation settled, the 7 hoodlums who went out had returned.

“Damn, that Lorenzo! He screwed us…..! Eh? What are you doing here?”

“Us?”

“Justice!”

The parole group shouted in unison. Pepepek! Gwadang! Snap! Crunch! Soon, the faces of the rest of the hoodlums were crushed. Once again, 1 warrior died but 14 hooligans were captured.

“Now, let’s cut to the chase?”

JusticeMan entered the room with the hooligans and started the ‘rehabilitation’ operation.

“Well, Lorenzo has told me about every one of you.”

JusticeMan coughed and opened his mouth.

“Every day squeezing someone and threatening them, and even threatening a fellow colleague who wants to live more sincerely for money! You guys are really a piece of work. Nonetheless, I don’t think your foundation is bad. Anyone can make mistakes for survival and once you choose the wrong path it is difficult to go back. But life is long. Although you might think it is too late, it is still early. Now, this is an opportunity. Do you want to be reborn as a new man and wash your hands clean?”

“Sheesh, you’re playing.”

“I don’t know what you’re doing but don’t think it would end like this.”

“When you meet Hyung-nim you’ll understand……..huhuhu, Lorenzo. The same goes for you, too. Yes, you’re going to be buried alive along with the old man.”

He had given them sincere advice, but where was the expected reaction? A thick vein popped on JusticeMan’s forehead.

“Yes, is this friendly atmosphere to your liking? Jjak-tung.”

“Yes! Hey, the guy who talked just now.”

Jjak-tung gave a satisfied smile as he pulled out the hoodlum. The hooligans stiffened with tension. Looking at the atmosphere, anyone would imagine that some violence was about to occur. However, their faces soon oddly changed.

“Open your mouth!”

Jjak-tung forcefully opened his mouth and ladled food in, and began feeding the hoodlum. What on earth was he doing? A gag? Is he being gagged? The hooligans all laughed with a silly expression. But at that moment, a bloodcurdling scream emerged from the mouth of the hoodlum eating the food. A different hooligan who ate the food reacted the same way.

“What, what the?”

“Poison?”

The hoodlums looked at each other with confused eyes. The only ones who could explain just trembled hollowly once they ate the food. Without knowing what the poison was, they were certain that it was something incredibly horrifying. And Lorenzo who had experienced it before, could only shudder as he imagined it. The food being fed to the hoodlums was Ark’s special medley. JusticeMan had ordered it after he asked Lorenzo for any prior information, such as the effectiveness of the chowder medley. The gangsters were frozen at the unknown torture.

“Now, it is an atmosphere where I can talk.”

JusticeMan laughed in satisfaction before speaking again.

“Everybody close your eyes and look back at the past. See what manner of life it was. The method to start a new life is surprisingly simple. You have to regret any mistakes and make amends. Then I’m sure a new life would unfold in front of you. Then you’ll be living for justice. Now, the definition of justice is……..”

What followed was JusticeMan’s theory course on justice. The hooligans listened with an annoyed expression, but they endured it. But that was just the beginning. The course finished after 10 minutes before someone else said.

“………Ashamed of justice. Then how would you practice justice and live? Although the way that you guys live your life is dire, if you open your eyes to justice then you are already walking along the path to being reborn. Now, Jjak-tung. You begin!”

“Yes, I understand.”

Jjak-tung stood on the podium with a small uncomfortable face.

“Eh, so I’m number 1401, called Jjak-tung. In order to not be like an android production number, when I was young I was determined to be an artist. However when I was six, my mother passed away and my father started drinking…….. ”

Jjak-tung’s biography began to flow out. It was about a kid who walked on a dark path and participated in an enormous fraud of an organization which cherished ambition friendship and betrayal. Finally prison life caused him to fall to the bottom, and one couldn’t hear the epic tale without bursting into tears. However, it was too long. 3 hours …in the game, the story was told for a whole 9 hours. However, the hooligans strained their ears and listened eagerly. They weren’t impressed. But if they dozed off for a short time, then a chowder medley was immediately shoved into their mouth.

“Strange.”

“Come on, applause!”

Loud applause shook the room. It finally came to an end. Although the hooligans tears flowed like they were upset it ended, it was a trick. At the end of Jjak-tung’s speech without any breaks, number 1402’s speech ‘I’m so alive’ followed. It was followed by the ‘If I’m stuck’ speech by number 1403. ‘The prison’s bean rice’ was the topic for number 1404………the speeches was to achieve the original goal but by the time it reached the end of number 1406’s speech, two days had passed in reality. In the game it was six days. Of course, the rehabilitation members had a good sleep but if the hoodlums dared doze off the would be met with the chowder medley. This occurred so many times that they now had bloodshot eyes.

“Come on, now it is number 1407.”

“Wa-wait a minute!”

The hooligans cried out in surprise.

“We’ve had enough.”

“That’s right.” Uhh. What have we done……I regret it so much that I just want to commit suicide!”

“Now we have washed our hands and became new men.”

“Yes, we do not need to hear anymore.” We only live for justice! ”

“So please stop now……..”

The hoodlums with red bloodshot eyes cried and tearfully begged.

“Hum………You regret it right? You will live for justice?”

“Yes, of course.”

“So one question remains.”

JusticeMan scratched his beard and opened his mouth.

“The people who tried to kill a good fellow are around here. How do we deal with these guys? If you guys give a hint to the assassins then we won’t consider you rehabilitated and feed you more grub.

“The bad guys should have justice withdrawn from them!”

“Who should do it?”

“Yes? Ah, of course it must be us!”

“Do you also know whether it is dangerous?”

“Justice is willing to spare no lives!”

The hooligans shouted like they were recruits in a cult. It was sincere. They had stayed awake in dark rooms, listening to the speech of the rehabilitation members for 6 days. The hoodlums were completely brainwashed. And frankly, after being tortured and hearing the speech they were probably happy about the possibility of fighting and dying. JusticeMan was revived…….he looked at the brainwashed hooligans with a pleased smile.

“Okay. Then let’s go practice justice?”

“Justice!”

The hoodlum’s eyes turned round and round.

Chaotic NPC ‘Rehabilitation’ was complete.

Punishing the guilty was an easy task. However, you will need a lot of time and effort to convince them to repent for their sins. The people who cherish life and not begrudge them of that life will receive a reward.

<Rehabilitation Bonus: Rehabilitated NPC X 5000 Alignment experience: Good +50>

During the rehabilitation of the gangsters, JusticeMan had sent a few people to monitor Andel and the assassins. And received the information that the 3 assassins slept in shifts. The rehabilitation group had 14 people and that number increased to 28 people, but the assassins were level 120. If they attacked from the front then they should expect to receive considerable damage. In addition, the situation might become more difficult if they used scrolls.

‘It would be better to receive less damage. Anyway, it isn’t necessary to take risks.

JusticeMan decided to defeat each assassin. The first opponent was the assassin sleeping in the camp close by. You couldn’t build a campsite adjacent to the village. Because of that, the assassin was sleeping quite a distance away from the Quartermaster.

“Ja, can we really do a sudden attack?”

“It’s a little cowardly to attack a sleeping person……..”

A hoodlum asked with a worried expression. But JusticeMan replied without hesitation.

“It’s okay. We don’t have to choose the methods and means of true justice.”

“That, that is what you’re doing?”

“That’s right.”

In fact, even in reality a detective would attack sleeping criminals. There was no reason to feel uncomfortable. JusticeMan’s party surrounded the assassins. The distance was quickly narrowed and the assassin was attack from various sides. The sleeping assassin received a critical hit and woke up.

“Huck, yes, you…….what!”

“Noisy!”

“Now, the group!”

“Ah ah ah, justice!”

Like a dog, the group listened to JusticeMan and attacked. Nevertheless the level 120 assassin was powerful. Although he received at critical hit while sleeping, his health only decreased by 15%. His basic stamina and defense was high level. On the other hand when the assassin attacked, the hooligans each lost 25% health and each hit was likely to be a critical hit. At level 50~60, it felt like they were facing a boss monster. However, even if the level difference was 2 times as much, it was 28 against 1. In other words, the assassin had to defend against 28 attacks coming at once.

-The attack failed.

As the level difference was so huge, half the attacks missed. But Roco played the ‘Song of Focus’ and increased the hit rate of their attacks by 60%. In order words, if JusticeMan’s party swung simultaneously at least 16 attacks would hit. The assassin fell to a critical condition and took out a scroll. Number 1406, also known as Yapsab was waiting for a chance and it was at that time.

“Pickpocket!”

-You have stolen the warp scroll from the assassin.

Yapsab’s hands moved like lightning and quickly stole the scroll from the assassin.

“What is this……..!”

The assassin looked stupidly at his empty hands. At that moment JusticeMan who had withdrawn, released the battle state. At the same time, he applied his justice stat. JusticeMan’s various stats rose in leaps and bounds. Eventually, the assassin was a victim of the group and fell to the ground. The assassin disappeared leaving behind black leather armour. It was a high quality armour as it was dropped by a level 120 NPC. As a result, the group played rock paper scissors over the armour.

“Huhuhu, only a man of my size could wear it.”

The one who won the popular armour laughed at the others clenched their fists.

“We’ve dealt with one guy. All that’s remaining is Andel and the two assassins!”

“Now I’m sure that we will be able to handle two assassins And Andel wouldn’t be high level yet. 2 people should be enough to handle Andel while the others take care of the assassins.”

“Okay, let’s go!”

JusticeMan led his remaining followers to the Quartermaster. On the other hand, Andel and the assassins were still waiting near the Quartermaster. Ten days of real time had already passed since Ark fell into the hell. Although the wait was horrible, Andel endured it by spending time in reality. Although the assassins were cooperative at first, after ten days had passed and then a month the assassins began to show dissatisfaction.

“Are you certain that the guy will return here?”

“For sure. He must be quite impatient by now. Just wait”

“But we can’t wait aimlessly around without a commitment?”

“You made a contract.” Are you going to take the 300 gold and then complain?”

“Sheesh, at this rate we’ll grow old and die first.”

The assassin murmured with an annoyed voice. JusticeMan and his group then arrived at the Quartermaster’s. When they heard people approaching, Andel turned around indifferently and say JusticeMan.

“Eh? You were with that child Ark…..?”

“If you remember my face, then I don’t have to tell you why you’ll get hurt?”

“That child Ark…….why he didn’t come here……..did he ask you for help?”

“Jeez, I’d say so. Crush them!”

“Ah ah ah, justice!”

“Stop them! We can’t let them snatch the Quartermaster away from us!”

Andel shouted and quickly pulled out his sword and shield.

“Rehabilitated group, take the guy on the right. The rest take the left side. I’ll take Andel.”

JusticeMan commanded and shot forward. However, Andel kept running away and it took time for JusticeMan to do any damage. Although Andel had stopped levelling in the mid-60s, he used money to arm himself with high level warrior gear. He ran around trying to escape and prayed that the assassins would take care of the situation. He ran away trying to escape and prayed that the assassins would take care of the situation. However, the battle situation didn’t turn out like Andel expected. First, the assassins were handled by the rehabilitation group that was supported by Roco. With their hit rate increased to the maximum, the assassin could not handle their strikes and collapsed. The hooligans joined in and concentrated on the remaining assassin. The assassin blindly used a scroll but his opponents numbered 28 people. Since the scroll could only be applied to one person at most, it was meaningless.

The scrolls could reverse the balance of a fight or even give an advantage. However, it wasn’t possible to last against that many guys and soon he was collapsed on the ground. When the assassin was killed, the rehabilitation group immediately surrounded Andel.

“Now, it is time for you to die!”

“Eat this, you lousy bastard!”

Andel clenched his teeth and hurled profanities.

“You shouldn’t say those words.”

“Let’s leave!”

Andel took out a scroll and shouted. At the same time, Yapsab ran up and used a skill. However, the pickpocket skill only worked on opponents in critical condition. The skill came back as a failure. Andel used the [Warp] scroll and disappeared. JusticeMan tried to grab his collar just as he disappeared and fell to the ground.

“Damn, rat-like child!”

“……….The solution is settled for the moment.”

“Yes, but we cannot guarantee that this guy has given up. Since we don’t know when Ark will return, we’ll have to take turns guarding it. The rest will stay at the cabin or hunt.”

“What about the Lorenzo related quest? I got the keys to the warehouse…….”

“Well when Ark returns we’ll complete it together. Anyway, because of that Andel fellow we’ll have to spend some time here. And it’s good that useable hunting grounds are nearby.”

“Okay. Now, you guys wait here while the rest of you will return to the cabin.”

And JusticeMan recaptured the quartermaster’s place just like that. In addition, they also gained the items the assassins dropped as a bonus. After that, JusticeMan left 2 sentries there and became immersed in hunting while using the cabin as a central point. Of course, he dragged along the delinquents as well. One of the ways they could contribute to humanity was to kill monsters. The path to true rehabilitation was distant and steep.

“Damn, those guys…….!”

At that time, Andel who had used [Warp] to run away had returned to Cairo.

‘I never thought that Ark would call his colleagues here. But they made a big mistake. I don’t know why Ark in this situation still hasn’t come back. The opportunity is still there. Even if it takes hundreds of gold, I’m going to make everyone a beggar along with Ark!’

Andel logged out and picked up the phone.

“Alan? It’s me.”

“What’s going on? Do you know what time it is right now?”

An irritated voice was heard over the telephone.

“There’s no time. The situation has hit a roadblock.”

“What?”

“The assassins have been killed.”

“At his level, Ark shouldn’t have the ability to beat them!”

“It’s not Ark.”

Andel was prepared and explained the situation. And in a resolute voice, he added.

“I need your help. Ark is also your enemy.”

“Damn…….I told you. I cannot lose my fame with the guild.”

“You do not need to come. The levels of these guys were only around level 60. Just send me more assassins. I’ll transfer 5 million won to your account right now. If it isn’t enough then I’ll send you more money later.

“5 million won? Isn’t that too unreasonable? Isn’t your new car in need of tuning?”

“It does not matter. I’ll just get it off my father. Rather, those children…..I’m going to keep on stepping on them.”

“………I understand. The additional payment is unnecessary. Please step on Ark because I feel the same. I don’t care if there is a lack in money. Instead, please clearly step on Ark. Would you do that?

“Naturally. Even if I have to sell the car, I’ll completely step on Ark!”

It was the subject of those people who were flush with money. Andel was an example of the pathetic bourgeois that was common in the world.

“Yes, this is the service.”

A voice within the company was heard over the telephone.

“It’s Lee Myung Ban

“Oh, what brought Doryun-nim here?”

“I was looking for a person?”

“We don’t specialize in that? As you know….. ”

“I only know their ID in the game New World. But the guy recently took the entrance examination for Global Exos. He is using the ID Ark, can you do it? ”

“Well. In such circumstances, I cannot guarantee that we can figure it out. As you know, it is difficult to hack into a virtual reality game and Global Exos has very good security…….”

“You can do it. Can’t you? If not then simply say.”

“I will try it.”

“Ok, so I’ll send the deposit sometime tomorrow.”

Andel…………. Lee Myung Ban hang up the phone and gnashed his teeth.

“You’ll see soon. If you’re not in the game then I’ll hire a solver to find you and beat you up in real life!”

Reality PK, it once was social issue which caused blood to be spilled.

ACT 4 March, Raccoon Bag! “Wah ah ah!” Bang bang double bang! A dark valley was filled with roaring and shouting. Several hundred people congregated with their swords, the sound of their swords and shields echoing in the ear. Subarutalp……..a battle situation was occurring with the raccoon clan facing off against the monsters underground. A few nights ago, Ark had finished the training of the raccoons and they set off. At first, a small reconnaissance unit wander around and built up hands on experience. Even small forces were formidable against the level 150 Kanggeul. With 300 raccoons fighting against the Kanggeul, there were around 20 casualties. However, the more they fought the more experience they gained. Even if a small amount of raccoons were sacrificed, Ark also grew a little bit. And soon they would be able to take down the Plant Golems.

“Let’s do it!”

“First we must attack and finish off the Plant Golem!”

So far, the level 250 Plant Golem had been considered an impregnable enemy by the raccoons. However, after beating their enemies the raccoon clans began to gain confidence. And their levels rose as they continued beating strong enemies. In New World, NPCs who gained experience would also level up. However, there was one notable change that he paid attention to. After the battle ended, the raccoons noticed something and muttered.

“Well, I use this trick for the sword.”

“That’s right, I also understand how to use a shield now.”

“Is this a more effective way to use the musket?”

If a raccoon used a weapon, a related skill was generated by the user. The attack power for the sword and shield as well as their defensive powers went up. They received destructive skills for the firearm, or an engineer would receive skills to increase the performance of profession items such as potions. He realized that NPCs could also learn new skills. Of course, it wasn’t the raccoon group wasn’t the only reason that he grew. The current commander of the raccoons was Ark, in New World the commander also receives a bonus to all experience. Thanks to the bonus experience, Ark’s levelling speed increased. Of course, being commander didn’t only have good points. The raccoon clan NPCs such as the craftsman NPC were also eating the Warrior’s cookies. Well, thanks to the scam it decreased their understanding of tactics. Therefore Ark had to give orders one by one in groups of ten.

‘Crazy, the 300 raccoons are so stupid that they have to move one by one……”

In the beginning, there was no spirit. However, he had gradually become used to tactics and came up with a new interpretation. In the past, Ark had read JusticeMan’s manual many times. But since Ark never went to the military, it was difficult for him to understand. After leading 300 soldiers and directly experiencing through trial and error, it began to make more sense.

‘There is a limit to how much I can learn with just Uncle JusticeMan’s book.’

Ark came up with new tactics that could be applied to the raccoons. And when the same action is repeated his understanding would deepen, that was the system of New World!

You have learnt a new skill.

Tactics (Beginner, passive):

You have led the troops and gained a deep understanding of tactics based on your experience. In large-scale battles, it is important to pay attention to tactics. Excellent tactics would cause the situation to become more favourable to you and your allies. You will also learn how to lead your troops more effectively.If your troops are made of 100% NPCs, you will be able to apply additional tactics.

<Allies morale, offensive power and defensive power +10, Strategy accomplishment rate +5>

Beginner additional tactics Unconditional assault: Order the troops to immediately attack one target. Unconditional retreat: Order the troops to immediately retreat from combat.

‘This is the tactical skill that Uncle JusticeMan was talking about!’

However, some of the strategies contained in JusticeMan’s manual were different to the ones Ark used. Meanwhile JusticeMan was on Tactics III. On the other hand, Ark only wrote down the new tactics he learnt during the day as well as his bonus tactics. It was the inevitable result. JusticeMan had an entire lifetime of tactical related work therefore Ark couldn’t possible have the same understanding. However, even though Ark primarily played solo he was not satisfied learning just one skill. They were skills that were necessary now. When the skill was used, it was felt by the movements of the raccoons which seemed to grow. If the user’s tactical skill was used then it could buff their troops. Other users could move with care. However, this mission required the competence of the NPCs which means that the effects applied by the commander could vary the movement instead. The effect was revealed in the current battle in the Valley of Darkness. Dozens of Kanggeul with lined up with the axes raised.

“They’re throwing weapons! Lieutenants, gather your power and defend it!”

When Ark raised his voice, the lieutenants immediately lifted their shields. The axes flew out of the dark and hit the raised shields. In the old days, if Ark raised his voice then the raccoons were slow to respond. Some raccoons even ran forward straight into an axe. However, after the tactical skill was used that rarely occurred.

When their surprise failed, the Kanggeul shrieked and ran wild. The twenty crickets that had climbed to attack the rear of the raccoons froze.

“2nd division gunners, Plan A-3! Intercept the crickets!”

Ark commanded the gunsmen who immediately turned their muskets. Ark used the same tactics to command the raccoons as the ones he used on his summons. Plan A-3 was a tactic where his summons would attack on Ark’s order. When plan A-3 was applied to the gunners, they would launch a barrage at the target.

“Kueeeek!”

The cricket and its rider were forced to the ground. Ark ordered them to narrow the distance for a double critical chance.

“1st division lieutenant, plan A-2 surround the Kanggeul and attack in waves!”

Again, the movements of the 120 lieutenants flowed as they changed formation and attacked the defenceless Kanggeul. The other Kanggeul rushed to the rear to rescue their colleagues. Ark switched to the B-3 plan with a ratio of 30:70 attack and defense to block the attack. And he switched to the B-1 plan and rushed forward as the Kanggeul began to weakly withdraw.

“Huhuhu, they’re not like the previous raccoons anymore. Now they respond to Ark like soldiers!”

Like someone possessed, Ark controlled the battlefield using tactics and combat. At first the raccoon units moved together, but after fighting the Kanggeul, he became familiar with giving orders to different troops. Something like that was possible because of Dedric.

“Master, should the raccoons on the right side start fighting?”

“Well, tell them it’s changed to the D-1 plan. And make the 3 engineers at the back support them! How is the left side?”

“There is a setback.”

“Plan A-1. Tell them to settle the siege quickly and then help the right side.”

“Understood. I’ll visit them now.”

With the battle situation examined, Dedric took to the sky to deliver the messages. Thanks to that, he could freely use different tactics in battle. So the raccoons were clearing the Kanggeul in the valley. However, Ark had to pay attention to things other than the combat.

“Snake, it’s now. Swallow it!”

Ssak ssak ssak!

Ark commanded Snake as he threw it from his waist. When he thought about a way to send Snake to Sid, Ark realised that there was a very easy method of utilizing Snake. So, the ability to swallow items and spit it out when curled around his waist was a feature that he could utilize. At Ark’s command, Snake swallowed all the items on the battlefield at a tremendous rate. The item drop during the battle wasn’t high. Therefore, Ark was determined not to abandon even one piece of loot. Even if he had to sacrifice the raccoon soldiers to pick up the item…….. Was it too horrible? You’re welcome! Either the raccoons or the loot that will belong to Ark when the quest ends. Is it necessary to think about which is more important? Ark’s biggest purpose to play the game was money! When it comes to making money, Ark could push his conscience down at any time. Ark would survey the battlefield and if he spotted any raccoon trying to pick up an item he would immediately shout at them.

“Hey, that 1 person there! What are you doing? Do you want to die? If you have time to pick up an item then swing your sword!”

Flicker. So the raccoons would flinch away while Snake quickly swallowed the item. Soeeeeeek! Double bang! Then, suddenly a giant vine flew through the darkness. At the same time, his side formation collapsed with a loud roaring sound. Ark and the raccoons headed towards that side.

“Plant Golem!”

“It appeared!”

From the other side of the valley, a huge presence was approaching. A Plant Golem that was 10 meters tall was approaching. Its level was 250! The raccoons to the right of the Plant Golem’s vine instantly lost 40% of the health and fell to the ground.

“1st lieutenant division, Unconditional Retreat!”

Ark activated his additional tactical skill. The additional tactical skill was applied to the troops without Dedric having to convey the orders. Then the raccoons shouted and dispersed like ants. When the formation collapsed, the Plant Golem didn’t know who to chase after so it stayed still. Then, someone behind Ark shouted.

“Ark-hyung!”

He turned around and saw that Popo had shouted.

“This is ready.”

“Okay, Dedric, inform the whole army. We’re going with plan A-4.”

“Hey, raccoons! Plan A-4!”

Dedric shouted as he flew in the air. And the scattered soldiers retreated to one side. When the target was narrowed to one side, the Kanggeul and Plant Golem immediately pursued it. They chased after the soldiers for a while until the earth started shaking. At the same time, the chasing monsters fell through a hole that appeared in the ground.

‘It’s a success!’

Popo yelled and jumped out. Popo was responsible for destroying the land along with the engineers of the 3rd division, so when the Kanggeul ran about nothing would happen but once the Plant Golem who was 10 times heavier stepped on the ground it would collapse. Therefore, the Kanggeul and Plant Golems who were lying intertwined on the ground was a bridge for the raccoons to climb on. The Plant Golem who was stuck halfway in the ground gave a shriek. Of course, Ark wasn’t just calmly watching.

“Now! 2nd gunners division, A-2 plan!”

The gunsmen turned their muskets and fired wildly. The A-2 plan was one to get rid of the weakness in its slow reloading speed. In the past, a rifle unit of Napoleon’s used the strategy of dividing into groups and then alternating firing. The continuous musket attack fired and exploded into the Plant Golem’s body. It was a large monster, so there was additional damage when caused the Plant Golem’s health to be noticeably reduced. Meanwhile, the engineers eagerly used potions to treat the seriously injured.

“Master, recovery of the 1st division is finished.”

“Ok, let’s finish this. The unconditional assault!”

“Wha Ah Ah Ah! Attack!”

Ark used his additional tactical skill again. Then all the raccoon soldiers brandished their weapons and gathered at the Plant Golem. Swords and axes attacked the Plant Golem while there were flashes as the muskets continuously fired at it. The engineers also frantically poured potion after potion.

“Keu Ah Ah Ah!”

The Plant Golem finally collapsed with a cry of distress. Over 60 Kanggeul and a Plant Golem had been defeated. If you think about how they used to struggle against a Kanggeul, it was a big development.

-Your level has risen.

When the battle was over, the amount of experience was added with the commander’s bonus. 5% of the total experience. The experience of a level 150 and 250 monster was a considerable amount. Thanks to that, Ark steadily went up a level every time a battle ended. After this battle, his level again rose by one until finally……..!

“Stat Window!”

Character Name Ark Race Human Alignment Good+200 Fame 1695 Level 100 Profession Dark Walker Title Cat Knight, Caretaker of All, Jackson’s Hero Health 1855 Mana 1570 (+100) Spiritual Power 100 Strength 232 (+ 5) Agility 262 (+ 15) Stamina 362 Wisdom 41 Intelligence 305 Luck 42 Flexibility 32 Art of Communication 33 Affection 55 (+ 10) Special stat: Knowledge of Ancient Relics 83 Equipment item effects Guardian Armour of the Merpeople: Water Attribute Resistance +100%, Penalty based on water is nullified.Cat Paws: Attack Speed +10%, Agility +15, Critical Hit +10%Crystal Golem’s Head: Mana + 100Improved Norad Boots: Movement Speed + 15%, Evasion + 10%Veil of Fire: Fire resistance + 50%Adelaine’s Necklace: Def + 40, Affection + 10Resurrecting Spirit: Strength + 5, Mana Recovery + 5%

• All abilities will increase by 30% in the dark* You have the ability to hide in the darkness (15 minutes duration. Cancelled when you get into combat)* Resistance Fear, Darkness, Blind, and Seduction spells is increased by 50%.* You can bring out the true abilities from all types of tools.

‘I finally reached level 100!’

…………..He thought back to just 30 hours before. At level 100, not much changed. However, like most people Ark liked a tight number. Once he confirmed that he reached level 100, he felt a sense of satisfaction. And it only took 30 hours to gain 6 levels. There more the number of advancing enemies increased, the faster his level up speed became. Thanks to that, his levelling up speed was even faster than when he did the Event Quest in Jackson.

“Ark-hyung, we did it. Now we’ve occupied the Valley of Darkness.

“Mmm”

Ark nodded and used his cartography skill. At first, it seemed black until 1/3rd of the space brightened and was opened. In the Underground World, there were 14 raccoon villages. Among them, 13 had already been corrupted by Yggdrasil. However, Ark had led the raccoon troops over a period of four days. They had marched into and occupied 6 of the opponents’ strategic camps. It was reclaimed. And regaining the villages meant that they were moving closer to Yggdrasil.

Ark led the raccoon troops into the newly reclaimed town. Like the other villages, blackened wood had been turned to ruins underneath a tangle of vines. And it clung to tree trunks or nearby clusters of buildings. They were now familiar objects.

“Division 3, get rid of the cocoons!”

“Yes, Commander!”

Ark gave a command and the engineers immediately left to get rid of the cocoon of vines. They scratched it roughly with their claws and when it was peeled back a raccoon fell out. They were the raccoons fed to the Plant Golem. The raccoon was put in the cocoons by the Plant Golem and goes through a transformation into the Kanggeul. If the raccoon undergoes a transformation then the Plant Golem is accepted by Yggdrasil. Fortunately, in this village there weren’t many that had transformed to Kanggeul. When treated with a purification potion, most returned to their original form. Of course, those raccoons were recruited into the army using the Warrior’s cookies and relegated to the back for training where they were transformed into warriors. This means that every time they occupied a village, they were decreasing the enemy’s forces while increasing their own. However, if they don’t occupy a village then those cocoons could transform into Kanggeul and then hit them from behind. This was the first reason why a town should be taken over. The closer they get to Yggdrasil, the number of casualties increases while the number of Kanggeul and Plant Golems also increases. And the second reason why the town should be occupied…….

“Popo, what was the specialty of this village?”

“This town had many craftsmen who created muskets. These muskets had a longer range, making the projectile damage even stronger.”

“How many of the musket craftsmen can we rescue?”

“Around 10 people.”

“There are 70 people in the firearms division. Assign seven to each person.”

“When you only focus on recovery, it’s not going to take long.”

“Popo, tell the third division to rush the recovery of the musket craftsmen. And when the craftsmen recovery, ask them how long it would take to upgrade the muskets.”

“Understood!”

Popo hopped away and ran across the town. The battle of the Underground World was similar to the classic arcade game three O. Ark’s initial power was the 300 raccoon soldiers and common equipment. However if he won a battle and occupied a town then things were different. When he entered a village, although the casualties increased, by purifying the raccoons confined to the cocoons then his numbers once again increased. But there’s even more. The original craftsmen NPC who originally owned artisan workshops were still present in each village. When he recaptured a town specializing in leather items, the raccoons were able to contribute leather armour to the troops. And if they were armed with better swords then sword damage would increase. One village offered a special potion that would increase the damage. Therefore depending on the specialization of each village retaken, it was possible to repair, upgrade or even replace equipment. Of course, a lot of the military funding was provided by the war chest of the raccoon elders.

‘As Popo said, it is possible to increase the range and damage of the muskets.’

Gunners was a core part of the raccoon troops. If it was upgraded, the damage of the raccoons would rise by leaps and bounds. The standard of upgrading was also rising as he approached Yggdrasil.

‘I was worried the first time I walked into a village……..’

As expected, nothing was impossible in New World.

‘The march of the raccoon troops has risen recently.’

If he was doing it alone, the quest would be impossible but with just one change all his problems were solved. Raccoon troops! Thanks to them, monsters over level 200 were being subdued and Ark was gradually occupying the Underground World.

“Fortunately, I also got some pretty useable items………..’

Ark gave a heart-warming look at his equipment window. Ark had changed 2 of his equipment at the leatherworking village he stopped at not long ago.

Veil of Fire (Magic) Armour type: Mantle Defense power: 20 Durability: 67/80 Weight: 5 Use restriction: Level 90 and higher

A mantle made from the scale of the Fire Draconian. This mantle made from hardened scales is strong enough to deflect a decent weapon. In addition, it contains the characteristic of high fire resistance common to fire draconians living in lava. <Option: Fire resistance +50>

Improved Norad Boots (Magical) Armour type: Leather Shoes Defense power: 40 Durability: 36/50 Weight: 5 User restriction: Level 60

Good quality footwear made using skin from the Great Worm. The Great Worm is an ancient monster that only lives in special environments. The epidermis is piled up in swamps or volcanoes or even in the stomach to avoid being harmed. <Option: Movement Speed +15%, Evasion +10%> <Special Option: You will not receive a penalty if damaged on the ground>

It was another harvest obtained from the Underground World.

‘I never thought I would be satisfied leading raccoons.’

When Ark first entered the leatherworking village, there was a NPC called Norad. Ark had heard the name Norad somewhere before. After a long time he finally remembered. Ark remembered it was in the description of the boots he picked up from Jackson. A long time ago the armour maker that had disappeared, Norad!

“Yes, my grandfather made this. Every generation of my clan has inherited the name Norad.

After he showed him the shoes, Norad nodded. Then, some materials surfaced to Ark’s head. There were materials that he didn’t trust to other users and kept locked in his bag. The scale from the fire draconian and the skin from the great worm. After he showed the materials to Norad, a mantle was made from the scale while the Great Worm skin was used to modify the Norad Boots. The performance was the highest quality.

‘Even though the processing fee was 500L, when it is this degree of performance then it was profitable business!”

He gained ore through the steady sale of cookies. After looking at the distribution sales he increased the price by 100% to 2L but the cookies still sold instantly. Furthermore, the loot in his bag from the battlefield also sold at a higher price in the subterranean world and ore piled up in his bag.

‘Huhuhu, The war of the underground one is one that I quite like? At the rate everyone is defeating the monsters in the underground world, it wouldn’t be a dream to reach level 120 within the week!”

It was difficult to find a light representative hunting ground. And how many days had he invested into training the raccoons? Once Ark started, he wasn’t going to pull back. So even though he could just head straight to Yggdrasil, he travelled around in circles to recapture the towns. All for the purpose of making a fortune!

“If you can find the source of Yggdrasil’s corruption and fix it then everything will return to normal. Therefore is it necessary to reclaim all the villages instead of advancing?”

Sometimes an elder would also start protesting. However, if he gave them a bag of cookies then everything was fine. When Ark called him with a whistle, Popo returned.

“Ark-hyung, it will take half a day to upgrade the muskets.”

‘Half a day……so about 2 hours in real time?’

This was one thing he didn’t like about the Underground World. When a town is occupied, it is good that the troops increase and equipment was upgraded, but until all the tasks were complete then it wasted a lot of time. Ark didn’t want to rest because the time it would eat up was too valuable in gaining experience. Although the time was precious, he also couldn’t abandon increasing his troops or upgrading.

‘It can’t be the soul’s bane.’

“Popo, I’ll be along for a while so tell me when the preparations are complete.”

“Eh eh? Again? Where are you always going? Come play with me.”

“Hyung is busy. Please play by yourself.”

Ark lightly poked Popo who grumbled and headed towards the outskirts of the village.

“This is the patella?”

Ark took a hollow bone with joints.

“It fits perfectly. So ……..Because the pelvis is F, this would be number F-4.”

Ark labelled the patella F-4 with a pen before putting it back in the bag and picking another bone. He looked carefully and carved a number and repeated the work. He had been doing it for a few nights and at the bottom of the bag, bones with different sorts of numbers were recorded and piled up. How much time had passed? After a while, Ark found a bone as small as a pebble. Soon it was mixed with the other bones and joined together like a puzzle as Ark stated with a confident voice.

“Okay, this is definitely the 3rd cervical vertebrae. Now everything is gathered!”

Ark threw away the remaining bones and summoned Skull.

“Skull, now everything has been equipped!”

Clack, clack clack clack!

Skull moved back and forth, thrilled. Now he was ready. Only half was left. It had been a week since he entered the Underground World…….in the meantime, Ark hadn’t forgotten about Skull. In order to defeat Warwick the owner of the Saw Blade and finish the evolution of Skull, summoning him in the Underground World was the optimal condition for his growth. First there was an excess of ingredients all around. Ark collected the ingredients and every time he arrived at a village when the raccoon troops advanced, he would instantly cook a new dish. And of course, Skull was dedicated to verifying the dish. He ate the food with enthusiasm and within a few days, Skull was already level 60. Ark immediately summoned Warwick and challenged him to a duel.

“For sure……..it became better than before……..good…….the duel is accepted.”

The stats were accepted by the stubborn Warwick and he consented to the duel. However, the result was a total failure! Unlike the excited Dedric, Skull’s battle unfolded calmly. Still, Warwick’s health was only at 50% before Skull got forcefully recalled.

‘Well that is a problem.’

24 hours later, Ark sighed as he looked at the grumpy Skull rolling about. Ark also knew the reason for Skull’s defeat. The crucial difference between Warwick and Skull was that Skull had no limbs. The battle understanding of Skull was quite high. Because it had trained with Ark many times. However, the only movement Skull could do without limbs was rolling and jumping forward for a head butt. Such simple attacks weren’t going to defeat Warwick. When he took part in operations with Ark and Dedric, it was able to accomplish its role, but when 1-1 with a goblin it was more difficult.

‘Even if Skull was level 70, he wouldn’t stand a chance of winning against Warwick.’

Now Ark began to seriously explore ways to defeat Warwick. Then, a scene suddenly came to Ark’s mind.

‘Polluted Skeleton!’

In the underground labyrinth, he had fought against Polluted Skeletons. Even if they were broken once, they had the special ability to use the surrounding bones and reform themselves. Skull’s body was a skeleton. Then wouldn’t it be possible to make arms and legs for Skull in the same way? Ark immediately went back to the underground labyrinth and collected the surrounding bones. But when the bones were collected, it wasn’t possible to know which bone went where. Ark discussed with JusticeMan about this issue, who handed him a judo textbook. Since judo specialized in joints, the textbook had an appendix with illustrations of the bones in the human body. Since then, Ark had sorted through the bones and now everything was ready. It was a body created with blood and sweat! It was to the extent that he was now able to close his eyes and draw the bones of the human body. When he placed the bones according to the numbers written on them, a plausible skeleton was formed. The only part left was the head.

“Skull, get ready.”

When Skull was placed on area of the head, like a transformation robot the skeleton was complete. But now there was an important task. The skeleton couldn’t be a body just by lining up the bones. It must be firmly attached and able to move to Skull’s will.

‘What can make it successful?’

Snake, Spirit Body Glue!”

Ssak ssak ssak!

Snake opened its mouth and spat out the Spirit Body Glue. Ark had first thought of this plan the moment the description called it a spirit body glue. He could attach the bones and Skull with the glue. Moreover, it was not a simple adhesive. The spirit was set to the body using the ectoplasm, and then the ectoplasm could be used like nerves to move the body according to Skull’s will.

‘The only way to know is to try.’

Ark attached all the bones using the Spirit Body Glue. And after attaching Skull, he retreated.

“Skull, everything now depends on you. How is it? Can you move?”

There was no response from Skull. He concentrated on all the nerves in his new body. How much time had passed? Ududuk, the finger bone moved with a strange noise. Then the wrist and arm lifted up.

‘There is a reaction!’

Skull tried to raise his body by pushing his hands against the ground. Ark even forgot to breathe as he looked at the skeleton. Geppeto the maker of Pinocchio would probably understand how he was feeling.

“Skull, you can do it. Think about the body you had before! Then you’ll remember how it feels!”

Ark nursed him using the sentiment of a father. At that moment, Skull clenched himself and stood the body up.

“It was successful!”

Clack….Clack clack clack!

Skull looked at his arms and legs with a strange attention. And once he starting moving his body, he adapted immediately. Skull moved his body regained after hundreds of years like a newborn foal, and became so familiar with it that he was able to run and roll on the ground. He did this for a moment, before Skull looked at Ark with a gaze that seemed to want something. He desired a rematch against Warwick.

“Okay, now the condition is the same. If the conditions are the same then there is no reason for you to be defeated. You are different from Dedric as you don’t speak. In the meantime, don’t forget experience when you fought with me.”

Ark gave simple advice before summoning Warwick. When he saw the changed Skull, Warwick spoke with a surprised voice.

“That body……..right……..we have met great masters…….yes, if you have a body then this body should be more satisfactory……..no more words are necessary………come, warrior!”

Soon the two skeletons clashed violently. Unprecedentedly, Warwick pulled out a shield and rushed forward. Until now, there was no way that Skull could deal with such a simple attack. But now he was not the past Skull. Skull quickly withdrew to the side and stretched his arm. Unlike Warwick, Skull did not have a weapon. His summons couldn’t wear equipment. Therefore, a finger bone was changed beforehand by Ark to compensate for this weakness. Fortunately, there was a little attack bonus attack to the considerable damage received and Warwick retreated.

“Ack……..certainly…….it is different from before.”

Warwick happily muttered. In fact, Ark didn’t have big expectations for this duel. Even though he only had bones left, Warwick still remembered the memories of his life. In addition, he was armed with a sword and shield. On the other hand, Skull who had no memory of his past before he was beheaded had only gained a new body.

‘Well in order to get acquainted with the new body, some fighting experience would be nice to see.

That was Ark’s honest thoughts. However, Ark was a good way off the mark.

‘That kid Skull……..!’

Ark looked at Skull with bemused eyes. It seemed as though Skull was using the same movement as Ark. Using evasive action to avoid the enemy’s attack, then countering through the gap were all specialties of Ark. Even the manoeuvre of stepping to the side and kicking…….he mimicked all of Ark’s attacking techniques. Of course, in terms of completion it didn’t compare to Ark. However, Ark had perfectly trained Skull in his battle techniques. With movements exactly the same as his, the existence was different. He felt like he was watching his child or student.

“Indeed……..after defeating the Kraken………..You will be able to summon the answer!”

Warwick’s exclamation clearly praised Ark.

“Go, skull!”

Ark clenched his fist tightly and shouted. The longer the battle was the more familiar Skull became with his movements. Although it seemed a bit early, when confronting each other they were almost at the same level. However, Warwick was also getting stronger while Skull’s movements were gradually getting better. After 10 minutes……..! Skull’s health was at 20% while Warwick had 25% of his health left! After both sides clashed again, their health dropped by 10%.

“It is great! For a sense of honour……I will put everything into the next blow.”

Warwick shouted and raised his sword. Skull felt the desperate resolution and stepped back. He stepped back and moved behind Warwick. There was a tense silence like the static that rose from the end of a needle……

“It’s now!”

Ark, who was Skull’s master instinctively, read the timing. Skull narrowed the distance and quickly struck with his hand. The technique to read the perfect timing to attack needed to be learnt by the body. However, Warwick who was also experienced in combat read Skull’s movements. Warwick’s sword quickly moved from side to side. Rattle, rattle! Warwick struck and hit Skull’s hands like lightning. And ripped the chest open with his sword.

“A brave attack……..But this time…….it is my victory!”

Ark’s eyes shone.

“Skull, now!”

Clack clack clack! Clack clack clack! At the same time, Skull’s scapula split open and a sharp bone rose. It rose up through Warwick’s side. Into Warwick’s eyes………………………flames erupted as he received a critical hit.

“This……….My goodness………How……….!”

“I assembled Skull’s body. It wasn’t impossible to give the body an unexpected weapon.”

Ark said with a smile. Yes, there was a sharp bone hidden behind the scapula. It was a bone that wasn’t originally for humans. However, when the bony part was assembled he installed something unique because Ark wanted a secret weapon. It was a risk to determine whether Skull could utilize a bone that wasn’t originally human. However, in a desperate situation Skull showed a strong will and exceeded Ark’s expectations. Warwick understood the situation and nodded.

“Right………with the master who believed in his summons……..he rewarded the summons………hu hu hu, you and your master……..are beautiful………I will hand over my power………with the power………..serve your master.”

Warwick said one final thing.

“Already………..it is possible for me to go to the hills……..thank you…….blessings for your future……….”

Warwick lifted his head as his body slowly crumbled. A message window popped up in front of Ark.

The player’s summon ‘Nameless Dead Man’s Skull’ has defeated ‘Warwick.’You can now fuse the summon to evolve it. Please choose one familiar to be the main. The Familiar created by the fusion evolution will have the main Familiar’s stats with the auxiliary Familiar’s stats after consideration.

It was a no-brainer. Warwick was a knight with a good balance between offense and defense. However, Skull had received Ark’s training and a body that was specially made. Warwick was a subject that couldn’t even been compared to Skull.

“Main, Nameless Dead Man’s Skull. Secondary Warwick.”

At the end of the decision, Skull’s body was enveloped in light. The body of Skull began changing inside the light. The light also became more intense to look at. Warwick had an old sword and shield, with ragged chain armour affixed to his body.

The Familiar’s fusion evolution has successfully finished.

After fusing with ‘Warwick,’ Nameless Dead Man’s Skull had become a Skeleton Knight. With the mighty will to control the whole Netherworld, he has received the name ‘Deimos’. Therefore, Deimos has earned a low-ranking noble status in the Netherworld and has gained the right to bear an artifact.

The Saw Blade is now Deimos’ artifact.

<By owning the artifact, Deimos can use an additional skill>

Deimos

A resident of the Netherworld who has inherited the spirit of Warwick and promoted to an Undead Knight. As a knight, honour is his strongest value and he swears absolute loyalty to his owner. However, if his master engages in dishonourable behaviour, his loyalty can be decreased. Race Undead Inclination Dark Ranking Lower Class Health 870 (+ 200) Loyalty 270 (+ 200) Strength 96 (+ 15) Agility 63 (+ 15) Wisdom 38 (+5) Intelligence 59 (+5) Luck 35 (+15)

• Deimos hobby is ‘Bone collector.’
• Learned the nature of the ‘sword’.

<Sword: Deimos can transform into the Saw Blade. The transformed blade has two different uses, as a sword and as a whip. If you want to use as a whip, although it is possible to attack multiple enemies at the same time, damage is reduced by 30%. Spiritual Power consumption: 100>

‘Deimos?’

Ark knew about Deimos. Among the two moons of Mars, one was the master and the other the vassal. In other words, this means Ark’s familiar contained one of two shapes. His stats had also grown. ‘His stats were raised by 65~70 points.’ His elevated stats were similar to Dedric. The unusual thing was that his health and loyalty increased tremendously. His health had increased to 1070! Also, his loyalty rose so he didn’t have worry about disobedience like Dedric. Rather his return as a knight would probably make him even more eager to serve Ark.

‘But what is this ‘bone collector’ hobby?’

Ark looked at the information window and shook his head. Deimos’ eyes suddenly lit up and he run to the remains of Warwick’s body. He searched through the bones until he found a rib with no flaws.

“Huh? Deimos, what are you doing?” Clack clack clack! Clack clack clack!

Deimos pointed towards the ribs and touched it. It’s not Morse code…..Ark couldn’t possibly understand so he summoned Dedric. He explained that he needed Dedric as an interpreter and they communicate for a while before Dedric said with a strange look. “Master, this guy is surprisingly cheeky?” “What?” “The master went to all that difficulty to make my body. But it is not especially pleasing. The master has difficulty with his sense of beauty. I’m insincere yet he says such bad things? A bad one? Isn’t it?”

Clack clack clack!

Then Deimos grabbed Dedric and shook him.

“Uhh, this child! Just because he happens to have a body he dares……..snap! Ah, I understand. Please don’t pull my wings. Should I convey what you said? Ouuuk, don’t shake me while I’m upside down! Unlike a bat, my hobby isn’t being upside down. I have motion sickness! I understand! Keuk, Master. I was being abused. This guy says that……the bones collected by Master aren’t good. So it is difficult to exert his power?”

Ark was convinced by Dedric’s words. Ark also knew that. When he collected the bones from the underground labyrinth, they were useable but most of them were dull or cracked. Although a body was made using such bones, he had no confidence in their performance.

“Well, I wanted to make it out of good bones too………..”

Uduk, Pakak! Ark breathed out a sigh. Would Deimos suddenly pull out one of his ribs? He didn’t mind injuring himself? Ark looked at Deimos who seemed to understand as he shook his head. He picked up the bone from Warwick and placed it in a vacant spot. Curiously, Warwick and Deimos’ ribs had become a perfect fit. After he assembled the rib, Deimos skipped and jumped delightedly. Suddenly a message window appeared in front of Ark.

Deimos ‘bone collector’ skills have reassembled the ribs.

You will be able to summon a skeleton with an intense love for bones.The bones you used to make the body was shabby. This is reflected in the dissatisfaction of Deimos, who found himself with the ability to reconstruct his body. He will search for bones that meet the special criteria according to Deimos and readjust his body. In addition, it has a low probability of improving the abilities of the blade.

<Warwick’s 5th rib: Defense +10, Luck -5> <The Blade: Maximum Durability +10>

“What kind of skill is this…?”

A bizarre skill to change the bones. It was a strange situation, but the effect caused some surprise. Once a bone was changed, the ability also rose. There was also a penalty but he didn’t pay much regard to it as it only decrease luck by 5. Of course he could also use the bones of monsters so there was another way to raise the stats other than food.

‘If this kind of thing occurs in the future, Deimos may be able to grow even faster than Dedric!’

The body he went through much difficulty to create was going to be changed. It wasn’t a pleasant feeling, although Ark was a utilitarianism person. If there was a benefit then it was fine.

“Okay, Deimos. Bone collecting, I like it.”

The one unfortunate thing was that it wasn’t possible to use the Saw Blade and Deimos at the same time. The characteristic of Warwick that Deimos inherited was his ability to transform into the Saw Blade.

‘I can use the saw blade as a whip?’

The best thing to do was to try it out himself in order to understand it.

“Skull……..No, Deimos. Sword!”

Ark commanded Deimos who folded his body and turned into the Saw Blade. He swung it but not much changed. But it had a metal object running along the handle. It was just like a switch. Ark pressed the metal object and swung in the opposite direction.

Cheolkek, Chwarararak, Double bang!

“What, what the?”

Ark freaked out. The moment he swung the sword, the vertebrae bone extended like an elastic cord and hit the tree 5 metres in front. Ark was stunned for a while before swinging it to the opposite side, towards the rocks. The distance was approximately 6 metres. But the sword blade extended and directly hit the rocks.

“This is great…….. awesome!”

Whenever he swung the sword, it extended! Ark wielded the sword with enthusiasm. While swinging his sword, he discovered the range to be approximately 7 metres. It wasn’t so great compared to the distance of long-range weapons. However, if he could attack an enemy 7 metres away with his sword then it was a different story. And that wasn’t all.

Pak, Pak, Pak, Pak, double bang!

Ark lined up branches and they were each cut off in order. In addition to long distances, he could hit multiple enemies at once! Unfortunately, the damage was reduced by 30% but if utilized correctly it could be used to tremendous effect. In addition, it wasn’t hard to use the whip. If he set a goal and swung the sword then it would probably hit.

“This is a weapon!”

It was worth the many days he spent troubled while reading about the human bones. So Ark was glad that it could help him.

Kkurururu, Bang! Kwa Kwa Kwa bang!

He felt the change and stood up. Suddenly the earth shook as the underground world erupted. And thick cracks began to split the road.

“Eh? What, what the?”

When his foot collapsed underneath him, Ark hurriedly threw his body and rolled across the ground. He turned his head back to see the split ground.

“What is happening?”

“Ark-hyung!”

At that time, Popo ran from the village with a desperate face.

“Popo, what is happening?”

“I, I don’t know. The elder is looking for Hyung!”

ACT 5 The Fallen Yggdrasil

Notes: • In previous chapters I’ve translated the main artillery as cannon. This is the translated word that always shows up. However, instead of the big heavy cannon that shoot cannonballs, I think the author actually means a musket that shoots bullets when using the term cannon. However, I will keep the term cannon but just keep in mind that it is more like a gun than an actual cannon. - self note: I changed the cannon references to guns as it was originally intended. • In this chapter, there is a page missing from the raws so there will be a bit missing but I will mark it when it appears.

————————————————————————————–

“Earthquake!”

“Gather everyone in the square!”

When he entered the town, the raccoon soldiers were running around in confusion. Ark ordered some troops leaders to calm the turmoil and went to see the elders. The elders’ face was pale like they had been sick.

“Ah, Ark!”

“What happened?”

“Nídhöggur is ……..The cause of this earthquake was certainly Nídhöggur.”

“Nídhöggur? What is that? Calm down and tell me.”

“It is the wicked malevolent deity we fear the most, the fallen dragon that lives in the deepest place in Subarutalp! And in the dark century……it was one of the six followers of the Lord of Darkness.”

“Yes?”

Ark asked again with a stupid face. Dark century? Deity? Fallen Dragon? What are they talking about? Wasn’t the problem that needed to be fixed Yggdrasil? When Ark made an expression like he didn’t understand, the elders trembled and explained. Once again, the Northern continent followed Norse mythology. And a dragon called Nídhöggur was also featured in Norse mythology. Nídhöggur was described in the Norse mythology. Even deeper underneath Subarutalp, the Underground world, there exists a frozen land of darkness and fog called Niflheim. Niflheim was often called hell. Nídhöggur started eating away at Yggdrasil’s roots, and it was the dragon that ate the corpses in hell. Ark already knew that part thanks to his common sense.

“In the Dark Century, this was the place where the 7 heroes and Nídhöggur fought a fierce battle. And at the end of a long battle, they were finally able to defeat hell’s army led by Nídhöggur. However, the 7 heroes weren’t able to completely defeat Nídhöggur. Therefore, as a temporary solution the 7 heroes borrowed Yggdrasil’s power and seal Nídhöggur and his army from Niflheim into Yggdrasil.

“So when Yggdrasil became corrupted……..”

“He waited for Yggdrasil to become weak and then weakened the seal in order to break out!

The elder held his head and made a sign to ward off evil.

“Didn’t I say so? We should’ve reached Yggdrasil faster!”

“But in this situation you never told me a single thing.”

“It is taboo to speak of it for the raccoon clans.”

The elders countered.

“The raccoon clans made a promise with the 7 heroes. The raccoons must isolate Subarutalp from the outside world as a way to keep the secret of the seal containing Nídhöggur.”

“7 heroes?”

“Yes, so this place was deceptively hidden………”

The Elder revealed the amazing secret. The Underground World wasn’t originally isolated from the outside world. According to the vow between the 7 heroes and the raccoon clans, they blocked the entrance using the underground labyrinth. Then the one year monarch who built Cairo was a descendant of the 7 heroes. At that time, the barbarians were gradually approaching the underground labyrinth, so in order to repel their approach the monarch mobilized his soldiers and built Cairo in order to prevent the secret of the sealing from escaping. However, after a few hundred years the will of the monarch disappeared and Cairo became a simple lawless city.

‘Then the reason the other beast species didn’t know about the location of the raccoons was because of this?’

Once again, there were many existences buried in New World. If there were such things in other games. The whole situation was set up. There was an underground world just like there was an underwater city. However, New World was different. The underwater city and underground world demonstrates that there must be a purpose in order to reach it. The same goes for monsters. There were many reasons for making monsters that inhabit different areas. Legends of the past or traditions had a high possibility of being used as a historical event. And all of that results in a single scenario. The Dark Century……..! At that moment, Ark’s head was spinning fiercely.

‘The Heartsoul Bead disappeared and then Nídhöggur’s seal weakened. If so, that might be the purpose of the Red Man in the first place.

Once again, Ark wondered about the red haired NPC. So far, he had thought that the Red Man was simply a NPC related to the quest. However, the problem wasn’t so simple if he has anything to do with Nídhöggur. This scenario was likely to play a huge role in the prophecy that predicts that the Lord of Darkness and the 7 heroes would return.

‘Maybe what happened in Jackson and the resurrection of Valderas was also related to the Red Man.’

Everything must fall in place to find all the clues. Such as not knowing how Valderas resurrected himself. If someone had resurrected Valderas intentionally. Then the timing seemed to fit. The Heartsoul Bead was stolen from the Magic Institute a year ago, but it was after the Event Quest finished that the Red Man disappeared with the Heartsoul Bead.

The time in between…….. The Red Man must have been orchestrating the events that happened in Jackson.

‘If my guess is true……..The Red Man is the main NPC that holds the key to all the scenarios in New World!’

A spark flew in Ark’s head while he was thinking.

‘Perhaps………….perhaps……….!’

It was the condition to pass the Global Exos test. He didn’t know whether the condition was a quest or unknown event scenario. However, the Red Man was an NPC that might influence the fate of New World!’ Maybe figuring out the clues was the key to passing the test to enter Global Exos. No, if Ark’s reasoning was no doubt correct. Then even if it wasn’t the answer requested by Global Exos, if he managed to clear the quest then there was no doubt a strong impression would be given.

‘It is New World after all and everything is related to the Dark Century and the seven heroes.’ ‘Yes, it’s clear the passing the company’s entrance examination was entangled in the legend scenario!’

He had finally found a clue. This was the answer to Global Exos!

‘Even though there was a report sent about the Jackson Event Quest, there was no reaction which seems strange…….it must have been just a clue. It is Global Exos after all. They must be careful with the scenarios to avoid unscrupulous people joining the company………’

A clear view of the future increased is mood. Have the other candidates found any clues like this? Of course, in order to choose more people Global Exos might have other clues. But anyway, Ark had managed to find a clue so it became a little clearer what he had to do.

‘I have to stop the resurrection of Nídhöggur for the time being. Because if I don’t solve this then there is no meaning in finding the clue. When completing a quest like this, I must do it clearly so that points will be piled up neatly.’

Ark asked with an urgent voice.

“What would happen if Nídhöggur is resurrected?”

“Doom …..Ruin! The Nídhöggur from the Dark Century almost drove the entire Northern Continent to death. It was only when the Lord of Darkness appeared and the dragon submitted to them that the Northern Continent was saved. But now, there is no Lord of Darkness to restrain him. If he wakes up……the Underground World along with the Northern continent would become a land of the dead in just a few months.”

“How do we stop the resurrection?”

“Before the seal breaks, you have no choice but to return Yggdrasil to its original state.”

“There is no time to delay anymore.”

Ark nodded and murmured. Dududung, the quest information window popped up.

Quest has been updated. Reclaim the Peace of the Underground World! => Prevent the resurrection of Nídhöggur! You have discovered the secret hidden in Subarutalp. Nídhöggur, the dragon that almost led the Northern continent to destruction is sealed underneath Subarutalp. But when Yggdrasil became corrupted, the seal weakened and if Nídhöggur is resurrected then he will lead his hellish army again. If Nídhöggur is restored then the entire Northern continent will be engulfed in a huge disaster. The only way to prevent the resurrection of Nídhöggur is to rescue and restore Yggdrasil. Lead your raccoon soldiers to Yggdrasil and restore it before the seal breaks. The current rate of seal destruction: 30% <Difficulty: ☆ ☆ ☆ Quest is limited to: Dark Walker>

Bang bang double bang!

“1st division retreat! 2nd Gun division, support the 1st division!”

Flames were burning as the gunners covered the first division’s retreat. A variety of flames flew through the air and exploded from the body of the Plant Golem.

“3rd division engineers, restore the 1st division using potions!”

Meanwhile, the engineers who had dug tunnels came up through one and applied potions. The first division who had their health restored once again went to face the Plant Golem and had their health decreased again.

“There is no time to rest. Go back to the potions and recover your health. As quickly as possible!”

Ark shouted at his raccoon troops. Since the quest updated, Ark literally pushed forward like a tank. Thanks to Nídhöggur, he found out that the Red Man held the key to passing the entrance examination. However, the situation was worse. The quest had a time limit before the seal would be destroyed. If the limited time was over then the quest would fail. And the Underground world would perish. <Prevent the resurrection of Nídhöggur!> if the quest failed then the one he spent a long time on <Find the Heartsoul Bead> was also likely to fail. But the biggest problem was not the failure of the quest. He could get one of the Three Marvels from Yggdrasil. It was a major item required for 2 quests and his profession at the same time. Of course, the Three Marvels was the only way to upgrade his profession…….he was lucky to have found a fragment of it in the Underground world. There was no guarantee that he would be able to find the clues again if he started from the beginning. It also wasn’t possible to give up on the company entrance examination.

‘In the end, everything is hanging on this quest.’

Ark didn’t stop to reclaim the town. Upgrading the troops and equipment required a minimum of 2 hours. He had to skip stopping in towns to save time. By the rate of destruction of the seal wasn’t indicated in time, it made him even more impatient.

‘It is lucky that even the monsters are confused.’

Ark looked around at the shaken Underground world. The earthquake was still continuing to move forward. It was a natural result of Nídhöggur trying to break the seal. There was a deafening sound before the rocks rose and the ground cracked open. As a result of that, the earth in the forest where the battle was occurring sank down.

“Aaaaah, help me!”

“The crack is coming. The damage!”

Fortunately, the raccoon troops didn’t receive considerable damage. However, that also happened to monsters. The monsters would fall into the sudden crack or would have to avoid most of the raccoon troops. And at that time, Popo manifested a strange ability.

“Ark-hyung, this is dangerous. We have to turn to the right.”

Wherever Popo said, a crack was likely to appear. How on earth did he know that, was something that thought at first. However, the situation repeated several times so Ark trusted Popo with the direction of the march. And they marched for three hours without distraction.

“Yggdrasil!”

The leading soldiers shouted.

“That is the number of worlds that appears in Norse mythology……..!”

Ark looked at the huge tree on top of the hill with a sigh. At the heart of the jungle, the towering tree on the hilltop looked like a giant that was bearing the weight of the ceiling. With roots that extended everywhere, it was the patron of the raccoons, Yggdrasil. There were numerous Kanggeul and Plant Golem’s running around the vicinity of the hill.

‘There is only one chance. If the troops are defeated then there is no way to return and try again.’

There was no time to rush blindly.

“Dedric, tell the heavy troops of the 1st division to use plan A-4 and lure the enemy. The 2nd gun division will wait on standby to begin plan A-1 of concentrated attacks. The 3rd engineers will back up the 1st division. You will concentrate on watching the movements of the monsters from the sky and if anything changes then tell me immediately.”

“I understand.”

When it was busy he would return. Ark had commanded the raccoon force and suppressed his impatience. He took advantage of Popo’s ability to predict changes of terrain in advance, in order to keep the Kanggeul and Plant Golems separate and enabled their attacks to be concentrated. The raccoon soldiers also found the situation urgent and became more aggressive.

They spent 2 hours hunting around 20 Plant Golems and hundreds of Kanggeul. Numerous crosses floated over the heads of the raccoons as they levelled up like crazy. Ark reached level 108 and his tactical skill increased considerably. At that time, Dedric flew back.

“Master, the clean-up is now close to finishing. There are no monsters around Yggdrasil.”

‘Okay, the amount that I can raise my level and skills has become limited. The preparation is sufficient. The game hangs on this!’

Ark immediately gathered the raccoons and sold them the Warrior’s cookies. The ravenous soldiers ate the cookies wildly with shaking shoulders. The raccoons that had their moral raised to 100% weren’t afraid of death at all.

“This way!”

Popo pointed from the front. A few kilometres around the bottom Yggdrasil, there was a break that looked like a giant cave. The gap was so huge that 100 people could enter and line up in rank. Ark stationed the soldiers too injured to march at the front of the entrance.

“I hate it; I want to fight with my hyung as well!”

“The front is going to be many times more dangerous than it is now. I won’t have the capacity to protect you.”

“I don’t need the protection. I am from a warrior raccoon clan that fought to the death! I’ll just enter by myself!”

“………I understand. Then don’t fall from my side. Got it?”

“Yes, I’ll protect Hyung!”

Popo brandished a twisted dagger. Ark sighed. He really didn’t want to take him, if possible. However, Popo was a soldier and there was no time to argue with him.

-The current rate of seal destruction: 68%

‘It’s not enough.’

Ark checked the information window and immediately ordered them to march.

“Charge. It is right in front of your eyes!”

Ark led his troops into the interior of Yggdrasil. The light of the ore didn’t reach inside and it was difficult to even see an inch in front of him. Besides, somewhere in the darkness a mist was pumped out that clogged up his breath. To make matters worse, the interior was complicated like a maze. In some places, thick tree branches tangled together to block a route. Ark looked back at the elder and asked.

“Elder-nim?”

“I don’t know. When I went, it wasn’t this dark or complicated.”

“Did it transform? I can’t do it. Dedric, go first and examine the terrain.”

Ark commanded and Dedric flew away and searched around. However, he soon returned and shook his head.

“No, it is too complicated and I don’t know where I am.”

“Unbelievable. 1st division soldiers march forward and find the way.”

“Yes!”

After a few minutes of searching through the darkness…….. Swaeeeeek, Double bang!

“What, what is that sound?”

“An attack. Aa-avoid! Incoming!”

“Keuak!”

In the darkness, a huge object flew and attacked the troops. When he used Eyes of the Cat, he saw that it was a huge thick vine. Yggdrasil used its inner wall of vines to attack indiscriminately.

“Do not panic and maintain formation. 1st division form a circle and protect the troops, 2nd gun division use plan A-3 to barrage the vine! 3rd engineer division, dedicate yourself to helping the wounded.”

It was a fearsome attack that flew in the dark! Although it was a situation that would cause fear, the moral of the raccoon troops was already 100%. Thanks to that, the fearless raccoons calmly followed Ark’s command. Flashes from the muskets firing penetrated the darkness. 3~4 vines were destroyed under a chain of explosions. However, another vine took their place along the floor.

“Ark-hyung, fighting the vines won’t do anything.”

Popo jumped back and forth as he shouted.

“The vines are Yggdrasil itself. If you destroy the vines then they’ll just be replaced! We must hurry to seek the core of Yggdrasil and remove the source of corruption!”

“I know!”

Ark shouted in an irate voice. He could guess that much just by looking. But was it as easy as he said? How would he move the troops that are battered from all sides by the vines? At that time, something appeared like lightning inside Ark’s head.

“Yes, that’s it!”

Ark immediately packed Lancel’s sword into his bag and replaced it with ‘sword’ which was Deimos transformed into a blade. Saw blade ………..although the damage was better, Lancel’s sword had several bonuses which meant more damage. However, this time was different. It was a time when a special effect was more important than damage.

“Snake, return all items to the bag! If you run out of space then discard the loot!”

Ssak ssak ssak!

Snake quickly climbed Ark’s body and entered the bag. And uncontrollably spat out items. Items were also quickly thrown out of the bag. Tears gathered as even in this situation, Ark didn’t want to give up 1 copper. But there was no time to think about it.

“Snake, paralysis poison!”

When Snake climbed back out, Ark immediately made it eat a poisonous plant and shouted. Snake which produced poison inside its body spewed out venom.

“Go!”

Once the sword was poisoned, he switched on the whip. Ark who had done all that in a few seconds twisted his sword, and swung the saw blade at the vines. Chwarararak, the sword attacked like a fan and hit all the vines within a radius of 7 metres. The number of times the poison could be used was five times, but if he used the sword like a whip to strike five times, the number of uses disappeared. And it took 3 seconds for the 6 vines that were struck to fall paralyzed to the ground. Although he attacked a lot at the same time, the probability of all the enemies being poisoned was low. However, if he used a poisonous herb the probability increases.

“Continue, create the poison!”

Ark made Snake eat the poison nonstop. And he jumped crazily all over the place and wielded his sword. Soon all 20 vines that had attacked the raccoon troops fell to the ground paralyzed. Ark restrained the raccoons from attacking the vines and shouted.

“It is not necessary to attack the vine. Anyway, it can’t catch up to us!”

He arranged the raccoon troops after defeating the vines and advanced. However, as they entered the maze became even more complicated. In the end, it was difficult to distinguish where they were and they became even more disoriented. In the meantime, some of the raccoons died from the offensive of the vines. In the beginning he had 300 people, but only 200 entered Yggdrasil and that number was now reduced to 150 people in the interior of Yggdrasil.

‘Damn, I keep losing more troops…….’

It won’t make removing the corruption from Yggdrasil any easier. The boss would be even more difficult. Thanks to the difficulty level of C+, it was important to preserve all his raccoon troops. But honestly in this state, he couldn’t even guarantee that he could find the nucleus of Yggdrasil.

-The current rate of seal destruction: 80%.

He closed his mouth as it began to dry up. Meanwhile, he turned a corner. All of a sudden he felt a feeble shake from the bag.

‘What? This is……Star Fragment?’

Once he opened the bag, he saw a feeble light shining from the Star Fragment of the Three Marvels. The Elder’s eyes widened and he muttered as Ark took out the shining Star Fragment.

“A Star Fragment! That’s right, you had a Star Fragment!”

“What do you mean?”

“At the centre of Yggdrasil is another of the Three Marvels. And according to legend, the pieces of the Three Marvels would recognise each other if they were within a certain distance.”

That stupid raccoon! Only telling him this information now? Ark swallowed the profanities that were rising up his throat. He cleared his thoughts as now wasn’t the time to be angry. Woong Woong Woong, he moved the star fragment back and forth until the light became stronger. And he felt like a child being pulled to one side by a force.

‘This way!’

Ark judged the situation and immediately shouted.

“Concentrate your power on defense! Don’t worry about anything else and just follow behind me. Unfortunately, I have no time to concern myself with stragglers. The life and death of the continent as well as the Underground World is decided in this battle. At whatever cost, I have to prevent the resurrection of Nídhöggur!”

“Ooh oh oh oh!”

Ark shouted while running at a furious pace without looking back. The raccoon soldiers in the lead prevent vine attacks using their shields. He didn’t know how many people died from the attack since there was no time to turn his head. If he stopped to help them while surrounded by vines, it would eat up time again.

“Ack, don’t pay any regard to us!”

He heard a praiseworthy sound caused by drugs. Of course, Ark didn’t even look back as he continued running. And at a crossroad he would go depending on where the light from the Star Fragment shone stronger. For 10 minutes, he ran like crazy while striking vines……….. Suddenly he heard water and saw a bright ambient light.

“Hyung, we did it! This is the heart of Yggdrasil!”

Popo jumped and shouted. Ark and the raccoon troops had arrived at a huge cavern. In the centre, there was a giant bud that rose from the ground. A crystal ball the size of a fist was lodged. But the flesh surrounding the area where the crystal was stuck seemed to swell up. Dugun, dugun, dugun……. The odd flesh twitched like it was breathing. And with every pulse, he could feel a black sinister aura. He was able to determine the circumstances with a glance.

‘The Heartsoul Bead is causing Yggdrasil to be corrupted!’

“1st division soldiers, 2nd gun division! Concentrate your attack on the crystal ball!”

“Wha ah ah ah ah ah!”

The soldiers ran forward holding their swords. However, it was the gunners that attacked the crystal ball first. The gunners aimed the muskets and pulled the trigger. 50 sparks flew from the muzzle as lit up the darkness as it flew through the air. Just as it was about to hit! The leaves at the back suddenly rose and protected the crystal ball. And every bullet disappeared under the leaves. At the same time, the defensive vines attacked the troops as well.

“Kuaaaak!”

The heavy troops became disordered as they fell to the side. A red warning message appeared in front of Ark.

-Boss monster ‘Awakened Heartsoul Bead’ has appeared!

[*A page is missing from the raws]

Cocoons hung along the wall. The size of the cocoons was ten times the size of the ones he saw when reclaiming the dungeon. Then when some twitching, the cocoon split in half. Then something slowly crept out……..!

“Plant Golem!”

A giant body covered with bark tore the cocoon. It slowly emerged like a scene from a horror movie.

‘Oh my God…….if all the cocoons hatch……….!’

There would be around 100 Plant Golems swarming the cavern. They had difficulty fighting a dozen Plant Golems, if they were surrounded by one hundred then they would need all their concentration to survive.

“Switch attack! 1st division, stop the Plant Golem. 2nd gun division, attack the cocoons!”

When Ark raised his voice, 50 bullets started firing at the cocoons immediately. Just like the famous classic RTS game Stark O, maybe the cocoons defense was really strong? Sure enough. The defensive power of the cocoon was unimaginable. After hitting one 100 feet up, the cocoon barely exploded and the dead body of the unfinished Plant Golem fell. And meanwhile three Plant Golems had finished hatching and emerged.

‘Unbelievable. The degree of difficulty for this boss…….’

Even if he concentrated his power, he wasn’t sure if he could break the crystal within the time limit. If they tried to avoid the vine’s attacks, the rest of the Plant Golems would hatch! And until the gunners finished attacking the cocoons, there was no way for the heavy troops to attack. He only had 150 troops but even if he had 300~400, it wouldn’t be enough.

-The current rate of seal destruction: 86%

‘Jeez, what is with this hospitality? How am I supposed to defeat this boss? If I want to defeat it within the time limit, I’ll have to completely destroy the petals!’

It was really endless. If one cocoon was destroyed then another one would rise. However, if he didn’t pay the vines any attention then it would attack and deal damage. He was being pushed back. He couldn’t seem to grasp the feeling of control of the situation. Ark swung his blade coated with paralysis poison at the vines in order to gain more time. However, after 10 seconds the paralysis wore off and the situation was the same.

‘I can’t waste time on the vines but they keep on thickening……..can I tie it up?’

A thought suddenly sparked in Ark’s head.

‘That’s right, it might lead there……..No, I think this is definitely correct. I can block all the vines and Plant Golem at once! There’s no other way!’

Ark made a decision and immediately commanded.

“1st division soldiers attack and attack the back of the bud! 2nd division gunners, concentrate your attacks on the cocoons of the Plant Golems. 3 division, hand out potions that will increase damage!”

“But how do we prevent attacks from the vine……”

Popo gasped.

“Leave that to me! Transformation off!”

At that moment, the sword changed back into Deimos.

“Deimos, protect me.”

Clack clack! Clack clack clack!

“Snake, Spirit Body Glue!”

Snake opened its mouth and spat out the glue.

“Now the rest is ours! Dedric, use your full power and attract the vines this way!”

“Eek? It that really okay?”

Don’t speak and just do it!”

“Hung, I don’t understand so I’ll just do it. Hey over here! The stupid vine!”

Dedric opened his wings and soared. He flew through the air at an incredible pace while avoiding the vines’ attacks. Dozens of vines huffed as they chased after Dedric. And after a moment, it glimpsed him and the vines changed their direction towards Ark.

“Well done!”

Ark had quickly thrown the glue in front of his body.

-……..Wooeoeoeo, I shall stick them all!

Green slime …….The ectoplasm gave a strange sound and sprung out. The ectoplasm hit the entwined vines and stuck them to the ground. They only became even more tangled as they tried to escape.

‘It’s a success!’

Ark waved the ectoplasm as he jumped all over the place. When Dedric attracted the vines, he brandished the ectoplasm. And the slime increased and wound around the vines. The entangled vines became stuck to the ground. The number of times the spirit body glue could be used was a maximum of five. He had already used it twice so there were three times left. However, once used there was no limit to the time it would stay stuck. The material was the ectoplasm which increased the affinity with the spirit. And once glued, it would never break before failing.

Double bang!

Deimos stopped the surprise attack. Thanks to the fusion with Warwick, Deimos had 1000 health. And thanks to the shield, his defense dramatically increased.

“Dedric, I’ve finished cleaning up here. Lead the other vines towards this place!”

So the ectoplasm spread and attacked dozens of vine stems to the walls and floors.

“Ha ha ha! How about that, wood bastard!”

As Ark had already used it, he even used the ectoplasm to glue the cocoons shut. When the Plant Golem tore it to escape, there would be a perfect blockade. However, when he finished gluing everything one hour had already been wasted. But the vines and cocoons were glued together and couldn’t attack anymore.

‘This……….once I’ve tried it out, it was an extravagant item!’

Ark marvelled at the efficiency of the spirit body glue. It was used to repair the lever and open the door as well as build a new skeleton body. And now it was used to attack a boss that had a difficulty of C+. At first he wasn’t sure what to do with it, but now that he’s tried it out it was an object with limitless utilization.

‘Sheesh, this is so good. I can only use it two more times so I shouldn’t waste it.’

He had a chance to win now thanks to the spirit body glue. The only thing left is……….

“Okay, one more thing to eliminate! Unconditional Assault!”

Ark used his tactical skill to make the raccoon troops attack one target. The 1st division swung their swords at the bud while the gunners fired like crazy. The engineers even threw an explosive potion. The 150 raccoon troops poured all their firepower on the target. The leaves gradually withered and twisted off one by one. And finally, all the leaves fell off to reveal the crystal ball. Even without the protection of the leaves, the crystal ball had a lot of health. But after a few minutes, the health fell down to 2%. Then a brilliant idea shone in Ark’s eyes.

“The whole army, unconditional retreat!”

“Eh eh?”

The raccoon troops were perplexed by Ark’s order. Why was he calling a retreat with victory right in front of his eyes? However, since the additional tactic’s orders were absolute, the raccoons discretely dispersed.

“Now. Blade Storm!”

Ark took out a sword and used his skill. The special effect of the Blade Storm was displayed. The sword broke into many pieces and whirled around like a storm. And the bunch of sword fragments was drawn to the crystal ball. The hundreds of fragments did X 5 damage! Inside the crystal ball, something scrambled before there was a popping sound. And the black aura stopped flowing from the crystal ball. The crystal ball lost its power and fell away from the bud.

-Your level has risen!

-Your level has risen!

-Your level has risen!

The message windows popped up simultaneously.

‘One, two, three…….eight, eight times!’

After he defeated the awakened Heartsoul Bead, he levelled up 8 times! Ark had commanded unconditional retreat at the last moment in order to get all the experience. It was a level 400 boss monster! It was a huge chunk of experience. The thought of sharing the experience with the raccoons was something he couldn’t even fathom. One piece of common sense, there was a limit on experience gain in New World. If he completed the quest and boss monster in several steps, his levels would rise but the experience wouldn’t apply 100%. The first time the level rose he would get 100%, the second time 90% would be applied, the third time 80%……….and so on. In other words, no matter how much experience the boss gave or have difficult the quest completed, at a high level it was impossible to raise more than 10 levels at one time. But even with such a penalty applied, he still gained 8 levels! It as astronomical experience.

‘Wuhahaha, I level up 8 levels at once!’

Now that they grasped the situation, the raccoon soldiers had bitter looks on their faces.

“Dirty…………”

“Dang. Tick.”

However, they didn’t dare say such words under Ark’s eyes. Well, anyway the Underground World was saved so the raccoons should be satisfied.

“You did it! Ark-hyung accomplished it! Subarutalp is saved!”

Popo tears fell as he glanced around.

“Yes, I made a promise. Hyung has never broken his promises.”

Ark rubbed Popo’s head when suddenly.

Heartsoul Bead Handle with care! The Heartsoul Bead is a crystal ball filled with ancient magic and a curse. An ordinary person who touches the Heartsoul Bead will lose their soul to the Devil. But now it has lost its magic and is just plain beads.

‘As expected, it was the Heartsoul Bead.’

Ark picked it up and sighed. There was a lot of talk but this situation was finally neatly arranged.

“Okay, it has ended. Everyone went through a lot of trouble.”

Koo-Kung!

Ark had opened his mouth to praise the raccoon troops. When with a sudden roar, the whole place started shaking. Popo saw the buds of the tree start breaking and threw his body.

“Ah, Ark-hyung! Danger……..Ack!”

Ark had been pushed to the floor by Popo. And reflexively lifted his head as his breath returned.

“Po, Popo!”

A crack had spread across the floor like a spider web from the shock of the bud. And protruding from the gap was a black shape that impaled Popo. Popo had lost 90% of his health and his body was flashing red. Ark hurriedly rushed to Popo. Wuuuuuu! Then, an eerie ringing came from under the crack. Ark’s face hardened as he turned his head. Underneath the crack was a cavern where the end couldn’t be seen. And climbing up the rocks along the walls were black shapes. The monster’s whole body burned from the heat, but what was even more terrifying was the enormous existence at the centre of the black form. The deep red eyes of a dragon were visible in the tattered body. From a dozen metres down, the huge body started climbing up. It was a scene like the devil was rising from Hell. It looked horrible, but after looking at the dragon’s information he had a more realistic fear. The Immortal General Nídhöggur. Level 500! It was the nightmare of the Northern continent that was sealed by the 7 heroes! His breath got stuck in his jaw.

‘Oh my God!’

“What on earth is happening? The Heartsoul Bead was destroyed so why is Nídhöggur still resurrecting?”

“I never considered it!

The elder flopped down in a panic.

“What? What do you mean?”

“Nídhöggur had been sealed using the divine power of Yggdrasil……..but in order to break the Heartsoul Bead in this battle……..Yggdrasil received too much damage……..therefore it lost the power required to maintain the seal………”

“That……..!”

Double bang! Once again, a roar was heard and the cracks widened even further. Some of the dead people wearing gear began to emerge from the gap.

“Raccoon troops, steady! Attack, attack!”

The surprised raccoon troops began hurling attacks. The dead were bombarded and pushed back into the crack. But it was only a temporary measure. Rocks. There were hundreds and thousands of dead souls from Niflheim! Nídhöggur offered them the ability to climb out of the crack………

‘Heck, I haven’t come this far just to give up!’

Ark cursed. Now, the only reliable thing was the spirit body glue! Ark filled the crack with glue. After he did, the crack became quiet for a while. But it was only temporary, as with another shock a new crack opened.

The crack spread out and was right next to the old one. Eventually Ark burst out screaming.

“No. Even if I try to close up the crack, it’s no use. Really …….Will it end like this?”

“It’s over. Everything is done!”

Raccoon troops abandoned formation and flopped down with a desperate moan. At that time, Popo’s body that was in a critical condition fell.

“Keuuuk, Ah……..Ark-hyung!”

“Po, Popo!”

Ark and Popo hugged. Something green and sparkly spewed from Popo’s eyes.

-The current rate of seal destruction: 97%

“Pant!”

At the same time, screams emerged from the Planning Department of the Global Exos Company.

“Wha, What it this?”

Kim Gwon-tae looked at the monitor with bloodshot eyes. The formerly fine monitor suddenly changed as uncontrollably data started appearing. It was like he suffered from hack like symptoms, but he had already experienced this phenomenon once.

“An Event Quest?”

When an Event Quest appears in New World, it was necessary to update the data in the main system. Kim Gwon-tae jumped and flinched as he heard Ha Myung-woo’s voice coming from the side.

“Event Quest?” “What do you mean?”

“The enormous amount of data! There is no doubt. Somewhere, an Event Quest is about to start. The security level…….Huk!”

After he checked the data on the laptop, Kim Gwon-tae let out a muffled scream. And murmured in a trembling voice.

“B………….The Event Quest has a B difficulty.”

What nonsense is this? When it is a B difficulty, doesn’t the average user have to be level 300 in order for it to start? But the average level of the users hasn’t even reached 100 yet.”

“Ha, but it is true. “The Event Quest has a security level of B!”

“Oh damn! Has the main system gone crazy and discarded the security rating?”

“If only………”

Ha Myung-woo moaned and beat at this desk.

“Where is this going to happen?”

“The place where the data is being gathered appears to be near the Brandt Mountain range. But that place has no town………For now I can’t tell what will trigger the quest.”

“Stop! All the employees set aside your work! We have to do whatever we can to stop it! If a class B Event Quest is activated now, it will throw off the balance of the game! Understood? Even if you have to take an axe to the main computer, stop it!”

Kim Gwon-tae shook his head helplessly.

“But all the outside interference codes have already been blocked.”

“Then do I just have to sit here and watch stupidly again?”

“Well……oh?”

While he was watching the scrolling data, Kim Gwon-tae’s eyes narrowed like a hawk. He lifted a telephone and turned to Ha Myung-woo.

“What is it?”

“The data is somewhat abnormal.”

“What do you mean?”

“When the Event Quest was activated, another data showed up.”

“Another data? Explain it in a language I would understand!”

Ha Myung-woo threw the phone and looked at the monitor. Kim Gwon-tae explained, pointing to some data coming up on the monitor.

“Here and here and here, this is not quest-related data. Rather the data appears to be a confrontation with the program that started the event quest. So you see……..if I used a metaphor, I would call it an antivirus program.”

“Vaccine? A program that catches viruses?”

“Yes, if the computer is infected with a virus, won’t the vaccine program run automatically? It is similar to such a program. Now the data is automatically moving and blocking the event quest related programs.”

“You mean the event quest might not be triggered?”

“If this program is perfect.”

“Perfect?”

Ha Myung-woo wrinkled his forehead as he frowned. But Kim Gwon-tae searched through a thick booklet and found what he was looking for. And when one page was compared to the computer monitor, he nodded.

“Yes, when it is perfect the event quest won’t be triggered. Any outside interference is blocked but since this program lurked in the interior, it doesn’t seem affected. But this program is missing an important source”

“What is that?”

Kim Gwon-tae sighed and shook his head.

“I don’t know. But even if I do, there is no way to interfere from the outside. The only way to settle it in the game is to defeat the boss…….it seems to……act like a human and ignore the war between the data.

The reality was that the next generation of lost myths and legends were breathing in a virtual reality game called New World. It was a world unknown even to its operators.

ACT 6 The Dark Piece

“What are you doing? Miners! Dedric, Deimos, quickly bring the miners!”

Ark shouted at the lifeless raccoon soldiers. Popo’s health was rapidly decreasing. Popo lifted his trembling hands.

“Ah, Ark-hyung……….”

Ark shouted as he grasped Popo’s hands.

“Yes, I’m here. Hold on and wait. This wound will heal quickly enough.”

“Hyung……did we fail? Eventually……..to stop the plans of evil people…….isn’t it possible?”

“It’s not over yet!”

“Master, I’ve brought the engineers.”

Then Dedric and Deimos appeared, dragging one behind them. When the engineer poured a potion, Popo’s health was instantly restored. But the symptom where his health constantly decreased didn’t improve. No, instead it seemed to be accelerating. The confused engineer poured a detoxification potion to try and cleanse it out but the result was the same.

“Mum……Dad…….Sobbing. Subarutalp is…….”

Popo was in a delirious mental state and burst into tears.

“Damn, what is happening to you?”

He had thought everything was resolved just a few moments ago. But in a short time, the situation immediately became worse. The raccoon troops fell into a state of panic and lost their will and the seal destruction was still continuing. And now Popo who he thought of as a little brother was dying. There are so many things happening at once that it wasn’t possible to contain them all.

‘Let’s try to save Popo.’

Surprisingly, the thing that Ark chose was Popo. And of course, it was not the result of logical judgement. He knew that it was only a NPC. And once the seal was broken it would be difficult for Ark and the raccoon troops to survive as well as Popo. If he used a rational judgement, he would have decided to move the raccoon troops and figure out a way to stop the seal from being destroyed. But………..he couldn’t let Popo die in front of him. It was an emotional judgment, not a logical one. ……….Thats only human. There was nobody that would sacrifice their life for world peace. But there were a lot of people who would sacrifice their life for a person they held affection for. Even if he was good at simple maths, it was one that was full of contradiction. But affection wasn’t a matter that could be calculated using pros and cons.

“Popo, stay with me. You’re not going to die. I will not let you do so.”

Ark grabbed Popo’s hand and used his nursing skill. At that moment, a phenomenon he was unable to understand took place in the vicinity of Ark. The shared time was stopped. The shaking ground and trembling raccoons, even the dust floating in the air……..everything went perfectly still.

‘What, what the?’

Flash-! Ark turned around as the green light emanating from Popo’s eyes became more intense. And on one side of the wall, a picture was drawn like a projector screen. It was an image that was stuck in places like the noise in old film. An image of Yggdrasil, holding u the ceiling of the underground world with its giant trees showed. In the vicinity of the town, smoke rose and showed raccoon families living peacefully. It was showing a comforting image from the mind. In the video, Popo was visibly laughing while holding the hands of his parents. At that moment, a close up appearance shed light.

‘Author…….Red Man?’

The face was masked but he was recognizable at a glance. The man had red eyes, red hair and a red aura. He wielded a red sword and made the raccoon village a sea of blood. Overwhelmed raccoons fell one after another. Among those, Popo’s parents barely hid Popo. The Red Man had killed all the raccoon families and came to the interior of Yggdrasil. Yggdrasil used all its strength but was not able to resist him. The Red Man proposed something to Yggdrasil. However, Yggdrasil refused and the Red Man aimed at Yggdrasil with his sword. Then, one raccoon attacked the Red Man from the side. It was Popo who had to hide and watch his parents’ deaths. For vengeance, he had grabbed a dagger and ran after the Red Man. However, Popo collapsed bleeding with one blow. Yggdrasil was protecting its own spirit with a defense boundary. However, the death of the clan had disturbed the defense enchantment. The Red Man did not miss the opening. He allowed Popo to chase him for the sake of this moment! The Red Man squeezed the Heartsoul Bead and tore through the enchantment. And the Heartsoul Bead had powerful magic that was swallowed by Yggdrasil. A humiliating defeat! However, even in that desperate moment Yggdrasil didn’t give up. Using the last of its strength, Popo was warped to a safe place. This was an arrangement to protect the ancient vow.

………..The video ended there. At the same time, the brilliance in Popo’s eyes disappeared and the time that had stopped restarted again. Suddenly, Ark heard Popo’s voice in his ear.

“Ark-hyung.”

“Popo…….what is it?”

“I think it’s all over now.”

There was a light of conviction in Popo’s eyes.

“I already died then.”

“Died?”

“Because a part of my living body came from Yggdrasil.”

“………!”

“Yggdrasil already knew then. It couldn’t stop the Red Man with its powers. Before being hit with the magic, a part of its spirit moved to me. In order to find the saviour that would stop that guy’s ambitions…..it knows now.”

Popo looked at Ark with new eyes.

“Yggdrasil’s awaited saviour was the descendant of Hero Maban…..it was Ark-hyung. Then he told me to bring him here to Yggdrasil. Now it is my turn.”

“Your turn…….?”

Ark asked with a worried voice. Popo nodded with a pale smile.

“You know. The power of Yggdrasil is necessary to protect the seal. Now, I’ll give back the power that Yggdrasil gave me. It should be enough to prevent the resurrection of Nídhöggur.”

Popo pushed Ark and slowly raised his body. And he approached the place where the seal was located with weak steps. Ark looked at his form and tried to talk many times, but only closed his mouth. He would like to ask but was afraid of the answer. Popo lowered his head to the seal for a while and murmured in a low voice.

“I wanted to live a little bit more.”

“………..!”

“I met hyung and discovered the outside world…….I would like to hear more things. This world…..and hyung……what adventures hyung had……how he lived……I wanted to know. And if possible…..If it is possible to say……..”

Tears fell from Popo’s eyes.

“Now, wait a minute! Wait, there has to be another way!”

When Ark raised his voice, it surprised him. His partner was a NPC. The NPC would clear up the situation. Normally, it would be welcomed with open arms. But it wasn’t possible to do that. He didn’t see any other way. But……..this was different. He didn’t want it settled in such a way. It was a NPC but he didn’t want the NPC to disappear forever. However, Popo shook his head.

“I’m sorry. Hyung………The promise to go to the outside world together…….I can’t keep it.”

Flash-! An enormous light emerged from Popo’s body. Like a metal of metal put into a flame, it was red before it started turning white.

-The current rate of seal destruction: 99%, 98%, 97%…………..

The number that had continuously ascended started going down. Once it spontaneously recovered, the magic was drawn down to a huge circle on the ground.

“Popo……..!”

The devastated Ark looked at Popo with blurry eyes. That was when almost all the cracks returned to its original state. Suddenly a deafening cry came from the ground as flames emerged. Popo’s health was reduced to 50%.

“Ugh!”

“Giggling, impertinent raccoon child! This body is an emperor of Niflheim. At best you will just be sealing me again!”

It sounded like a voice was coming out from hell! It was Nídhöggur. After Nídhöggur attacked Popo with the flames of hell, the seal’s destruction rate started climbing again.

“The hundreds of years. If you though I’ve would leave politely after being sealed for hundreds of years then you miscalculated. Before Yggdrasil fuses with you, you will die without a trace from the fires of hell.”

“No…….I stop……I’m……….I………Underground World and Ark-hyung…….I’m going to save you!”

“Impertinent!”

“Ah ah ah ah ack!”

When the fire became stronger, Popo’s health decreased even more. However, clenched his teeth lightly and endured.

“I………I’m going to……..I am from a clan of raccoon warriors…….support……..I’ll do!”

“Kukuku, you dare defy me?”

Once again, the explosive flames became stronger!

“Yes, Popo. You can do it.”

“M-Master!”

Ark plunged into the flames. At the same time, he felt a shock as he immediately lost some health. Ark only felt a degree of the impact, as an NPC Popo would truly feel the pain as the flames burned him. Even so, Popo had not given up. He was a little boy who had stomached such pain. If so, it was time to show the will of Ark who was a user! Ark took off his mantle and used it to block the hole where the flame was emerging. And he closed the lid with his own body. The mantle which had 50% fire resistance properties, the Veil of Fire. When he switched to a Dark Walker, he gained a 50% resistance to the dark. Fortunately fire and darkness, with the two properties the damage of the fire in the darkness fell by 50%. And 50% of it was all Ark.

“Ah, Ark-hyung……..!”

Popo flinched and stiffened as he watched Ark. As he looked at Ark, tears flowed down his face.

“Popo, do it. Please do! Discard that dragon and throw it back into hell! You can do it! No, it is only possible if it is you. Remember when we first met and you said you wanted to live like a hot foreigner? No, the foreigners aren’t so hot, you’re many times hotter. This situation is too hot. Damn, do you understand? Popo, when you try you’re a guy that can do anything. And…….if possible, live. You’re going to live. Become the hero that seals that worm in hell and live.”

Ark continuously used his nursing skill. He had no choice but to scream out all his feelings. At the moment, Ark saw a mysterious light pour out. The light seemed to dance in the darkness around Popo’s body before descending. Popo’s mental power went down to the bottom of the flames before ascending.

“Goodbye, Hyung…….”

A smile formed around Popo’s mouth. However, in a short moment Popo was enveloped by an even stronger light. At the same time, the destruction rate of the seal went down at an incredible rate. Until finally!

-The current rate of seal destruction: 0% The seal was fully recovered.

Chwarararak, crunch, double bang! Suddenly huge thick branches stretched out. The branches intertwined together into several layers and formed a ball and chain on the seal. Then the crack disappeared and a magic circle finished appearing.

“Kuaaak, this, unbelievable! No……!”

Nídhöggur’s voice faded as he was sealed. And ……..Popo changed into light and scattered.

The Miracle Nursing was successful. True nursing is careful exchanges with your partner. Caregivers are not therapists. Although you can heal the patient’s wounds, you can’t stop death. However, if it was what they truly wanted.You can infuse courage and understanding into them.You understood Popo’s behaviour, who had the courage to sacrifice himself. And you learnt about the sacrifice’s courage by yourself. You understood your partner’s true sacrifice and respected his intentions. You didn’t want to lose Popo, but you did your best to respect his intentions and fulfil his wish.The true sacrifice of Popo and your sacrifice for each other formed a great rapport that moved Yggdrasil.

Yggdrasil will share everything about Popo and he will be born again into a new existence. If you want to meet Popo again, grow stronger and never give up.

• Due to the success of miracle nursing, all stats increase by 1.
• Affection increases by 10.
• Fame increases by 50.
• Increased the alignment to good by 50.

You have acquired the title ‘Caregiver of Sacrifice’ from the success of Miracle Nursing.

Fame as a Caretaker has increased, so you will receive praises from many patients.

• As a title bonus, all stats increase by 1.
• Fame increases by 50

Suddenly a dim light fell into Ark’s hands as a crowd gathered around him.

Yggdrasil’s seed. A soul crystal created with the power of Yggdrasil. This seed contains the soul of the boy hero who sacrificed himself to save Subarutalp. It is Yggdrasil’s soul and if planted in an appropriate place then roots would take hold and a new Yggdrasil would grow.

-Foreigner………

A ringing sound appeared in Ark’s head. He flinched and looked up as a hologram appeared of a man that was Yggdrasil’s representative. It was in the form of a Buddhist priest with a white beard hanging down to his chest.

“You?”

-I am Yggdrasil, the ancient world tree that have been already forgotten by many. Foreigner, first I would like to show respect to you. I have already seen all your achievements through Popo’s eyes. If it weren’t for you, I would’ve never been able to stop the resurrection of Nídhöggur. And Popo would’ve had no choice but to face death in vain.

“Death in vain? Then Popo?”

Yggdrasil looked at Ark with gentle eyes and nodded.

-Popo’s death was inevitable. But at the last moment, a miracle surpassing the magic occurred. It was the result of your affection towards Popo and his towards you. Hope is really the mysterious power of life.

“Then Popo is still alive?”

-Thanks to the miracle, Popo has received permission to live again from the powers that govern the world. That seed is my alter ego, and Popo. In accordance with Popo, I give that seed to you. Please find a new land with hope and plant the seed. It is the seed of a new era and Popo will finally be able to see the wide world.

Ark looked at the seed with bemused eyes.

-Ark-hyung!

He heard Popo’s voice from the seed. And a little image rose up from the seed.

“Po, Popo?”

-Ah, it’s really embarrassing.

With an embarrassed expression, Popo scratched his head.

-Well, it is like you heard. Now I can accompany you like this. Please look after me in the future as well.

“Ha, ha ha ha, ha ha ha.”

Ark was taken aback and laughed as he sat down against the tree. That’s right. He often forgot, but it was a virtual reality game. If you truly want something to happen then it wasn’t impossible.

“It has ended.” “Ended? What do you mean?” “Event quest……it has been cancelled halfway through.”

Kim Gwon-tae looked at the monitor with a soulless expression. Just a few moments ago the monitor had a crazy amount of data. But now only a few pieces of data came up. It looked like it had been engaged in a long war and was now cleaning up.

“I can understand that by looking at the monitor!”

Ha Myung-woo shouted in a raspy voice.

“What I want to hear is why? The class B event quest started and now it just suddenly cancelled. Even if something is stopped, don’t I still need reports?”

“I’m really sorry. There is no way to figure it out now.”

“Hell, that fellow is really tedious.”

“I agree. We might be fed up with him but.”

Kim Gwon-tae blew out a huge sigh. He started computer related work 10 years ago, but it was the first time he was ignored by the computer. The operator doesn’t have to lift a finger to run the game. It even rejected the operator’s interference. It moved depending on the program that seemed alive, and that was often a fearful idea.

‘Can such a game even exist?’

He had a sudden urge to blow up the main system to stop this thing. However, New World’s main systems worth was equivalent to the budget of a small nation. If New World was blown up, the whole world would shake. Because the service had started, he had no choice but to go all the way.

“I can guess one thing…….”

After a while, Kim Gwon-tae spoke in a cautious voice.

“The whole process that started the B class event was something likely to be caused by artificial errors. And some sort of restoration program was operated to block it. This means that two programs that oppose each other coexist in New World.”

“But……artificial? Contradiction? What does that mean?”

“The two programs running at the same time in its basic form is perfect. If the first program is invoked followed by the triggered program then that means is not just triggered by system errors. It is clear that someone must have built the program with a specific purpose. Do you understand? The two programs were made by two people with conflicting thoughts.”

At the moment, Ha Myung-woo’s eyes went back to him. His turned head seemed to say that he wanted Kim Gwon-tae to make it simpler.

“Either way, one of them would be related to the main programmer Park Woo-seong. But who is the 3rd person? He created a program to counteract Park Woo-seong’s?”

“It’s like that.”

“Ok, let’s put it in order. We don’t know who was the one that started the event quest and who stopped it…….and we don’t know who would be favourable to Global Exos. Right? But looking at the circumstances, their performance must be equivalent to that of Park Woo-seong. Am I wrong?”

“No, that’s right.”

Ha Myung-woo’s eyes narrowed. The reason why operators trembled was because of Park Woo-seong’s genius. Even if he searched the world, there was nobody that could match him. But now there was a person that planted a program that could oppose Park Woo-seong. If they were able to find him then he might have the key that Ha Myung-woo was looking for.

“Ok, then send an email to the developers to find ‘him.’ If the material is identified then track down his location. I don’t care how much money it takes.”

“……..And in this case, you got another one.”

“Something?”

“Don’t forget that intentional or not…..No, I think there is a 90% chance it was intentional.”

Kim Gwon-tae organized the date files while muttering.

“The anti-program that solved this problem wasn’t perfect. Although it is an amazing program, like I said earlier there are several layers of code missing. It is too blatant that they couldn’t have missed it by mistake. Instead, there was an indirect variable.”

“Indirect variable?”

“User”

Kim Gwon-tae pulled the data file onto the monitor and spoke. It was a summary of the anti-program from a little while ago.

“Please look. Do you see the most important keyword? This is part of the indirect variable. Here there are some of the choices being presented, depending on your choice, the rest of the program was to act like as if the quest branched out. And the indirect variables are only accessible inside the game.”

“You mean this event was stopped by a user?”

“That’s right.”

“It looks like clues have been solved.”

Contrary to expectations, Kim Gwon-tae was very surprised. Ha Myung-woo thought of something and said.

“I guess you know better than I. Before Park Woo-seong covers up his traces, send a mail to headquarters.”

“Park Woo-seong directly?”

“Yes, the content of the mail should be a challenge to the user. The user isn’t a part of Global Exos. But it isn’t accepted so seriously at headquarters. When developers put out new games, it is common for them to judge the results. But Park Woo-seong immediately disappeared without a trace, and there was a huge lock on New World.

Now he realised that the problem was serious. Therefore, he left the contents of the email for Park Woo-seong to identify. Eventually, the conclusion reached by the headquarters was that Park Woo-seong hid a clue inside the game to unlock it. It was the reason that Ha Myung-woo used the company entrance examination as a pretext to drag users in. The conditions of the company examination meant that millions of users should stick to the game. And they worked out a plan to dig up the secrets of the game through the regular reports.

“In the end, the millions of users will hand you the key?”

“I was a little sceptical at first but now I’m convinced. And this user is the person I desire. The users that can participate in the system…….the information they have is needed. The user’s gaming system, if we know this then we could possibly undo Park Woo-seong’s lock. What are the coordinates where this incident happened?”

“Near Brandt Mountains.”

“All personnel should focus on that area and monitor its surroundings. Alternatively, examine if anything has happened in Cairo. If there was an event quest, then obviously something big has preceded it. And find out the identity of the user who stopped it.”

“I understand.”

Ha Myung-woo commanded who immediately passed the information down to the monitoring agents. However the incident happened in the Underground World, thousands of metres underneath Cairo. The monitor personnel who wandered the Brandt Mountains couldn’t have known that. However there was a chance that Kim Gwon-tae and Ha Myung-woo could figure it out. If they had paid a little bit more attention to their selected examinee’s reports. However as soon as Hyun-woo’s reports arrived, it was instantly sent off to the shredder. It was bad luck for both Hyun-woo and Ha Myung-woo. At that time, New World was entering a new era. New World’s main scenario proceeded over time. In New World, the scenario was divided so the contents of <Episode I: Foreigner’s appearance> was in progress. However after a few years of game time, it would automatically change to Episode 2.

-The main system requires a data update for Episode II. <Episode II: Pioneering age of the Foreigner>

“What your decision?”

“I think we’ll like it as it was before…….. I mean its just too hard to say no.”

“Ok sure.”

Ark nodded. Nídhöggur was once again sealed and the peace of the Underground World restored. Ark had organized the survivors and led them back to the closest village. First by changing the taste of the Warrior’s cookies, the raccoons returned to their original state. Fortunately, there are a lot of other herbs he could blend with the cookies that made the addiction not as strong. ‘Appetite Killing Stew’ was fed to them and they were quickly restored. The raccoons then realised that they had been addicted. But it wasn’t regarded as a big problem. Because if he hadn’t done so then the Underground World would have perished. However, his intimacy with them couldn’t help falling a little bit.

‘Well since I won’t come to the Underground World again, it doesn’t really matter…….’

However, there were still a few problems that remained. Once Yggdrasil regained its power, the Underground World returned to its original state. The Kanggeul and Plant Golems changed back into raccoons. The problem was just that. They still had the memories of their time as a monster.

“What we have done so far……..”

“Alas, I……..I…….”

The raccoons suffered from killing their own species with their own hands. In addition, the raccoon troops also killed a lot of Kanggeul and Plant Golems. They remembered that they had killed each other. Even if they were controlled by an irresistible force, it wasn’t easy to pretend like nothing had happened. To solve that problem, the Elder had a meeting with representatives of several villages. And he wanted the raccoons that had been turned into monsters to leave the Underground World. The Elder was embarrassed, but Ark thought about it in a positive way.

“There are too many raccoons to be isolated and it isn’t possible to live together and not confront them. So this is an opportunity to widen their field of view. When the heart is settled after living apart for several years then they can come back and talk about it.”

“But how would they live if they have no knowledge of the outside world……..”

The elders muttered in a concerned voice. Then a brilliant idea shone in Ark’s eyes. That’s right. Ark called up a concerned heart. He quietly looked at the raccoons that were to be expelled standing to one side.

“Do not worry.”

“Is there anything you can do?”

“There is a way but it is far…….but I know a pioneering village. Lancel Village is a great place that is happy to accept anyone as a resident.”

“But we are a beast species.”

“Yes, it is fine. The Meow is already living there.”

“Meow? Huh, the Meow didn’t like socializing with people……….”

“It is a great place to live. It is also a pioneering town so it would welcome anyone skilful like the raccoons are. The raccoon clan would prefer a place that requires good artisans right?”

“Yes, it is as you said.”

The elders nodded and replied. And he went over to communicate the plans to leave to the raccoons.

“If the Truthseeker recommends it then we would like to go there.”

Ark talked to 70 raccoons and they accepted immediately.

‘Find New Settlers’ quest has been updated.

You have made the raccoon clans who can’t stay in the Underground World any longer move to Lancel Village. The raccoon species are naturally born with high dexterity. If they move to Lancel Village, than the village would grow faster and become richer. <New settlers found: 60% complete>

You have found new settlers with special skills.

With the migration of the raccoon clan, the commerce of the town will increase by 50%. However, since the nature of the raccoons means they are reluctant to communicate with outsiders, the unity of the town has temporarily decreased by 30%. If it drops below 50%, it may cause the residents to leave the town.

<If you invite a settler with a special ability, trade, safety, and the food situation values will increase. Depending on the values, you will be able to receive a bonus reward upon quest completion>

“So now the problem is all resolved.”

Ark smiled and looked at the elders with a coy look. Of course, the law was there should be compensation for his effort.

‘Well, I remember receiving a promise of compensation, so if they are grateful they won’t forget their promises.’

Ark blatantly used his eyes to pressure the elders. The elder who belatedly understood his meaning nodded.

“Ah ah, yes. In fact, I have something I had thought to give to you.”

“Right.”

Ark grinned as the elder looked through his bag with a burdened expression.

“This has been handed down to the raccoon clan…….I thought you might like it. Anyway receive this as a token of my sincerity.”

The Elder extended one crude leather helmet.

Raccoon Pith (Magic) Armour type: Leather Helmet Defense power: 60 Durability: 50/50 Weight: 5 User restriction: Dark Walker profession, Level 80 and over

It is a helmet that has been passed down from generation to generation in the raccoon clan. The ancient raccoons made it from the material of a mysterious species that enables it to transform the user’s form. Ever since Subarutalp was isolated, the outside world has forgotten the ability. However, the power passed down from the ancient raccoons was still used. The raccoons used the ability of the helmet to trade with the outside world while hiding their identity. <Option: Agility +10, Wisdom +10> <Special option: Transformation is possible once a day. Duration is unlimited. However, once the transformation is released you have to wait 24 hours before you can transform again>

-Quest ‘Prevent the resurrection of Voltaire and the Immortal Legion’ has been completed.

The quest had automatically been completed once he received the quest item. However, Ark had a little look of disappointment.

‘Ara? What? There’s no experience?’

Because none of the quests received in the underground world were easy to complete. Besides, the completion of the quest wasn’t even mentioned in the information board. He had expected to gain 3~4 levels when the quest was completed. However, there was no experience at all? Then, the sound of the information window popped up.

‘Victory Quest’ has been completed. The completion of the Victory quest has accumulated 3☆ information window. In New World, a ☆ is a decoration provided for the player who has achieved a historical and great achievement which has an influence on the world.The player who receives a ☆ would be a legend in that area. In addition, the accumulation of a certain number of ☆’s would receive a very special reward.Currently owned ☆ (3)

There was something mediocre about the message since it didn’t even give experience. Frankly, he wasn’t satisfied. But are there other ways to add stars in the system?

‘Hah……However, no matter what I solved the quest but the only reward is one old pith? No, it’s still possible an incredible reward would be given later. And the difficulty of the quest compared to the not so great looking helmet……..well, as long as I got the necessary reward.’

……….If he didn’t, he didn’t know if he could endure it. In fact, the performance of the helmet was slightly vague. Ark was still using the Crystal Golem’s Head that he obtained early on. Of course, he found a few more helmets. It had superior defense, but he needed options with mana. The Raccoon’s Pith also had a mana up option. However, its defense was 20 points higher than the Crystal Golem’s. Also, his summon demon skill used a lot of mana and that would increase even more.

‘Yes, the Crystal Golem’s Head usage limit is too low now. If I sell it later for an appropriate price, it probably wouldn’t be popular. And now I need more agility than mana.’

Ark was satisfied to some degree and put on the Raccoon’s Pith. But the Raccoon’s Pitch had an unexpected bonus that Ark hadn’t considered.

The set items’ effect has been applied.

New World has a number of items that are closely related to each other throughout history. The items are associated with a famous event or legendary hero and so on. Once you have a certain number of these sets of items, an additional bonus will appear.

Currently equipped set items: <Animal King> {Raccoon’s Pith} {Cat Paws} {Guardian Mermaid Armour} {??} {??}

Equipped with three items from the set <Animal King> and the effect of the set will be applied. <Wild Ability: Strength, Agility, Stamina +10. Defense +20>

‘Set items effect!’ Ark’s eyes widened. The bonus added from the set items was enormous. It indicated that when Ark equipped the set his strength, agility and stamina increased by 10, while his defense also increased by 20.

‘In addition, there are still two more items. If I can find everything and complete the King set……?’

He couldn’t even guess how much bonuses would be added.

‘Set items…….they were often seen in other games, but I didn’t know New World had them. So far, he had never heard such information…….after all, it is only when you possess at least 3 of the set that you can tell? Does that mean I now have to be careful when I sell an item?’

It was difficult because the items looked different from the other ones in the set. However, he could get a significant amount of money if he sold it on the auction. Every one of Ark’s thoughts was about making money.

“Thank you,”

“Huh? Well, it is lucky that you like it.”

“Then I’ll take this and go. Since I am meeting Yggdrasil, I’ll say goodbye in advance.”

“I see.”

Ark turned to the elders and bowed. And outside the Town Hall, hundreds of raccoons had gathered. When Ark came out, they lined the road.

“Serve, Hut!”

The soldiers raised swords while the gunner troops pointed their guns at the sky. Finally, each leader saluted Ark while the muskets fired simultaneously in the air. At the same time, colourful fireworks appeared in the dark sky of the Underground World. It was like a spectacular Olympics opening ceremony!

“Ark commander, Hooray!”

“Well, you have worked hard and we achieved such peace thanks to you. As a group, the raccoons are thankful to you. Anytime you want, we are willing to lend our strength to you. We have learned how to muster courage thanks to you.”

The Elder hit Ark’s shoulders as he spoke. Ark looked at the raccoon soldiers with deep emotions in his eyes. In the words of the Elder. They were actively conscripted and trained by Ark, and he had fought together with the NPCs. How much did it mean? He also felt affection for the soldiers of Jackson.

‘That’s right…………Now the Underground World is at peace I have to say goodbye.’

Ark looked at them one by one as he left the town. And after a while, he went to find Yggdrasil. Once inside Yggdrasil, Ark saw that the inside had already been turned into a shrine. The vines weren’t seen and small lights floated around like it was daylight. And everything Yggdrasil willed it, the tree trunks would split and a new path formed. Thanks to that, Ark could arrive at the centre in a straight line. -Welcome. Have you finished saying goodbye?

Yggdrasil welcomed Ark in the form of the Buddhist priest.

“Yes.”

-Now the only thing left is your original purpose for coming here.

“I heard that I had to undergo a test to receive the Three Marvels.”

Yggdrasil lightly asked with a smile.

-Do you know what piece of the Three Marvels is here?

“I haven’t heard it yet. The raccoon elders also don’t know…..”

-The Three Marvels that I kept is the ‘Dark Piece.’

“Dark Piece?”

Yggdrasil nodded.

-As the name suggests, the artifact contains the powers of darkness. According to legend, the piece fell off the Lord of Darkness but I don’t know whether that is true or not. Anyway, it is the most dangerous piece among the Three Marvels. In the past, even the Truthseeker had trouble controlling its power. There was a possibility of being inadvertently misled by the powers of darkness and straying from the path. Therefore, a test must be passed before receiving the Dark Piece.

Yggdrasil sent him a soft look.

-But you have already proved everything you needed to in a moment of desperation, the courage to embrace the dark without losing your courage and overcome the hardships. Because of the previous vow with Hero Maban, I will give you the Dark Piece.

Yggdrasil gripped his fist tightly. When he opened his hand, there was a stone sculpture emitting a black strength. His Knowledge of Ancient Relics needed to be 50 to confirm the item. However, Ark’s Knowledge of Ancient Relics was at 83. Taking the piece automatically opened the information window.

-Your Knowledge of Ancient Relics has confirmed ‘The fragment of stone filled with an ancient power.’

Fragment of stone filled with ancient power (Dark Piece)

The Dark Piece pulsates with an aura of deep darkness. The Dark Piece is the reason you will feel the touch of a deadly temptation. Making this your own power won’t be an easy task. But I hope that you find a strong will and courage in the darkness to make it a part of you.

Using Knowledge of Ancient Relics, you have confirmed that it is one of the Three Marvels that Hero Maban used in the Dark Century. Hero Maban has left his power inside the Three Marvels for later. If the Truthseeker obtains the Three Marvels, it is possible to obtain Hero Maban’s power.

• The owner of the Dark Piece can use Hero Maban’s techniques.<Experience +30,000. Knowledge of Ancient Relics +15. Intelligence 10, Fame has increased by 20>

New Profession-specific skill. The gift of darkness II (Beginner, passive):

The power of the Dark Walker in the dark is slightly increased. All abilities are increased by 40%. The duration of ‘Stealth’ is raised to 20 minutes. However, this skill cannot be raised.

New Profession-specific skill. The Dark Dance (Beginner, active):

The second half of Hero Maban’s power increases your vision in the dark. By hiding yourself in the darkness, you can use quick movements to make the enemy’s attack collapse. The player’s success rate depends on the level of the skill. The higher the skill, the more damage received would be reduced and in some cases, you can even reflect the enemy’s attacks.

<Mana consumption: 300>

New chain skill has been registered.

• Currently available chain skill-Dark Torrent (Dark dance + Dark Blade)

Evade enemy attacks and counterattack with a critical hit.

<Chain skill success: 50% chance to give the enemy a 200% critical hit> <Chain skill failure: There will be a 50% chance that Dark Dance is released and a critical hit received.>

Once again, pleasure has come at the end of suffering. By completing the quest to reclaim the peace of the Underground World, he has received the second piece of the Three Marvels. As soon as he sealed up Nídhöggur, compensation started flowing out. In particular, the main purpose of the Dark Walker was to find the Three Marvels so the compensation was tremendous. First was the Gift of Darkness II. Since he had already received the Gift of Darkness, it was somewhat expected. But a 40% increase in abilities in the dark……..! Isn’t that like being level 140 when he was level 100? It was his new skill Dark Dance that was unexpected. When he read the information, his expectation was different. Unlike other professions, Ark didn’t have a good evasion skill yet. He wished for it but there was a reason he didn’t like it. The problem was that Dark Dance consumed mana.

‘If I use it once then it consumes 300 mana?’

It also does not damage, so he would waste 300 mana just for teleportation…….! If he used 100% of his mana, he could only use the skill four times? In addition, a chain skill was created with the Dark Dance skill.

‘Dark Torrent……I don’t know how effective that technique is since it uses 400 mana in one go. I could use Blade Storm once with that mana.’

Blade Storm was his strongest attack that consumes a sword instead. On the other hand, Dark Torrent only increased the damage of his critical strike. The Dark Torrent was also risky so he would rather use Blade Storm once and lose a sword.

‘Well, I still increased my skills so it isn’t too bad.’

Ark decided to be satisfied with it. After all, he had achieved the purpose of coming to this world.

“But the way can I ask you something?”

-Speak.

“Do you know the location of the remaining piece of the Three Marvels?”

Ark recalled the description of Yggdrasil from Norse mythology. Yggdrasil was the symbol of wisdom rooted in nine different worlds. Of course, there was no guarantee that the number of worlds in the myth and in the depth of the earth was the same. Especially since it existed in ancient times and met Hero Maban, it may give him a clue. However, Yggdrasil shook his head.

-I have spread my roots through most of the northern continent for a long time. So I see a lot of things. The rumours I heard about the location of the Three Marvels was from a long time ago. Maybe……..it is in a world that you don’t know about.

“Another world? Then has it been destroyed?

Yggdrasil laughed at Ark’s question.

-No, it’s completely different. The middle earth is the world that you know. If spoken in our language, Midgard is just one of the nine worlds. In other words, humans exist in a world on this system. The Lord of Darkness and his followers lived on a different system.

“Then I would find the remaining Three Marvels in a different system?”

-I don’t know either. However you are the Truthseeker, didn’t you come here in accordance with the guidance of a greater will that governs everything? If you try, it might be possible to detect its presence.

‘Do I have to go back from the beginning?’

Ark sighed. At that time, Yggdrasil spoke again.

-This is a bit of grandmotherly advice but…….be careful.

“Yes?”

-The Red Man weighs on my heart. Nídhöggur has been sealed in this place for hundreds of years, with the secret only being told to a few people. His reason for trying to resurrect Nídhöggur is unknown……..but if my guess is correct……..

Yggdrasil murmured and sighed.

-His purpose might wake up the darkness.

“What on earth is the darkness? A person? A malevolent deity?

-Darkness…….it is. The existence that every being on the continent fears that would bring disaster. Nothing more and nothing less. And if the purpose of the Red Man is really to wake the darkness……..his biggest goal is directly linked to the heritage of the 7 heroes. So pay attention and don’t overlook him.

“I will keep that in mind.”

-Then this is it. Now, you should go back. To the place that requires you……..

Yggdrasil approached him and stroked Ark’s head. Then Ark’s body was engulfed in light. Small particles of light rose up in the heart of Yggdrasil and followed the passage. He followed the capillary of moving water along the stem until in his range of vision, a blue sky appeared. His adventure of commanding the raccoons in the Underground World had finally ended. Diririri, diririri. At that time, his phone ringtone was audible from far away.

ACT 7 Underdog takes one more step The sound of metal colliding with each other was heard. The battle had been going on for quite a while and a few people had already collapsed. It was the rehabilitation group and delinquents. But even those who hadn’t collapsed didn’t have a lot of health left. Not even Roco’s ‘Song of Life’ could compensate for the health being lost. The people who were attacking them were NPCs in black clothes, assassins from the Dark Brother organization.

“Hu hu hu, did you think I would just give up?”

The person watching from the back let out a brutal laugh. They indicated towards the assassins from the Dark Brother. A few nights ago Andel who had escaped, followed JusticeMan in Cairo. Of course, it was in order to watch the movements of JusticeMan’s party. He took over the Quartermaster’s, so Ark would resurrect soon. Then Andel shadowed them secretly in case they moved to another area. However, Ark didn’t resurrect even after a couple of days.

‘That Ark, did something happen to him in reality?

Andel thought of a plan that would solve everything in one scoop and it was sweet. He hoped to find Ark and beat him up in the real world. Because he never imagined that they would defend the Quartermaster for so long. However, was there a reason Ark didn’t resurrect after sleeping for a few days? Have to dig out the reason……

‘Heck, I really don’t like that guy.’

Andel ground his teeth together. If JusticeMan and is party didn’t leave Cairo, that means that Ark would resurrect here. In other words, it was an opportunity to get revenge!

‘You’ll see soon, Ark and Justiceman. I’ll return the favour 10 times, no 20 times.”

Andel hid around the Quartermaster in Cairo hoping for revenge. And…….Finally, the time for revenge had come. Alan contacted the Dark Brother again and an additional 15 assassins were dispatched. It wasn’t free, of course. The money required to hire 15 people was 1,500 gold. Just like hiring mercenaries, even the assassin guild required compensation. In the end, if he combined the first sum of 300 gold then 1,800 gold was spent. In cash, it was 18 million won. Even if it was Andel, that was still a large amount for him.

‘Damn, when I think about the lecture I had to go through to scrape that money…. But if I can kill Ark and those guys then I don’t care. I’ll kill them again and again until I’m satisfied!’

Andel had completely forgotten the purpose of the game. Only revenge! For that he would willingly sacrifice everything.

‘If Ark resurrects and runs away while I’m fighting those guys then it would be more difficult.’

Andel left one assassin at the Quartermaster’s and led the rest to the cabin. JusticeMan’s party consisted of 14 delinquents and the rehabilitation group. In total, it was 28 people. However, their average level was not more than 60. Even if they had hunted around Cairo, only a few had risen to level 70. On the other hand, Andel had 14 assassins that were level 120.

‘If I don’t want to lose this then I have to use this much power.’

In addition, the new assassins sent were more cautious than before.

“We are assassins. We kill the opponents while suffering little damage.”

The assassins waited for the evening. They received a bonus 10% to their stats in the dark. In addition, one of the main weapons of the character with a dark attribute was ‘Stealth’ and ‘Assassination.’

“Those delinquents won’t be a problem. However, the group of foreigners with strong organizational abilities would be more complicated.”

The assassins hid themselves using ‘stealth’ and waited outside the cabin door. And surprised 3 of the rehabilitation members when they exited. Using their assassination skill, they dealt 300% damage! With 14 level 120 assassins concentrating their attacks on them, the 3 rehabilitation members didn’t even have time to scream before they collapsed.

“The enemy!”

A delinquent came too late to help the rehabilitation members. As soon as the battle began, it was under the control of the assassins as they issued orders. The assassins activated their scrolls and cornered them. 7 delinquents collapsed instantly while numbers 1408 and 1409 of the rehabilitation group also died.

“Ack, what the hell……!”

“Ha ha ha, it looks good. Cheeky children!”

Andel giggled as they kept dying. Now there were only 7 delinquents, JusticeMan and 6 rehabilitation members left. If they excluded Lorenzo, Sid and Roco then it was only 15 people. And they also only had 50% health left. Two assassins also died, but the health of the remaining assassins was above 70%.

“I’m going to make you beggars along with Ark!”

Because NPCs can only die once, the delinquents couldn’t revive. Of course, the rehabilitation members could revive but it wouldn’t have an impact on the outcome. The law of New World was that if a user died from an NPC, then they would be immediately revived at the Quartermaster. However, if they died in a group battle then it was different. The resurrection would be stopped until the battle was completely finished. The system was to make sure they couldn’t resurrect themselves and fight in the area near the Quartermaster. In other words, once the rehabilitation members died then they couldn’t interrupt the battle.

‘When the battle ends, all of us can’t revive at the same time.’

At the Quartermaster, it was only possible for them to revive 1 at a time. The users would be resurrected at the Quartermaster’s depending on their time of death. If all the rehabilitation members died and they defended the Quartermaster’s against resurrection, then it was possible to beat them. Andel didn’t pay any attention even if the assassins’ numbers decreased.

‘This battle can only end with a winning conclusion.’

And now, the goal was right around the corner. Andel smirked and laughed as JusticeMan’s party pushed in vain.

“These kids, so fast!”

“Damn it, my skills can’t even reach them……”

“Ack, being hit two or three times is punishing. These guys are incredibly strong.”

Even if JusticeMan used his justice stat, he still couldn’t fight against the assassins 1 on 1. In addition, there were too many opponents that he couldn’t exit the battle state. In the end, he had no choice but to fight them face on. But their agility difference was so large that most of the times he attacked, a MISS warning would show. Then there would undoubtedly by a counter attack.

“JusticeMan ajusshi!”

Roco hurriedly used the ‘Song of Life.’ Roco’s voice was heard softly over the sound of the lute. Then JusticeMan’s health that was at the very bottom quickly restored. If it wasn’t for Roco then the battle probably would’ve been over a long time ago. When the battle had started, the assassins prohibited the use of potions using the [No recovery] scroll. However, a limit of the [No recovery] scroll was that it had no effect on a Minstrel’s song.

“Che, this girl again………..!”

Andel shouted with a hard countenance.

“What are you doing? Kill her first!”

Andel yelled at the assassins.

“Stop!”

“I won’t allow one finger to touch Roco!”

JusticeMan and the rehabilitation members stood blocking the assassins. However, it wasn’t enough and the health of JusticeMan and his party quickly decreased. Some also fell to the ground as they were stunned.

“Ajusshi! Oppa!”

Roco screamed in a tearful voice. She had been hunting with JusticeMan’s party for two months. In the time when she couldn’t battle, they had always helped her. Instead of colleagues, they were now liker her uncle and older brothers. Even though it was a game, they were still stabbed by a sword and collapsed. It was the assassins hired by Andel……. She felt regret as tears started falling. The assassins who had stunned JusticeMan then rushed at Roco.

“It is the end. Minstrel!”

“Ack!”

The blade advanced underneath her nose. Roco didn’t even think about counter attacking and just raised her arm to protect her head. It was at that time. Something clear flew across the space. Kka kkak, kakakak! Tong! A violent clash resonated through the air. Following the sound, the assassin was thrown back with a pop. Roco was suddenly surprised and raised her head with eyes that were 2 times larger. The person who used ‘Stealth’ in front of her was a user. Wearing leather armour with a bone sword……..it was Ark.

“Ah, Ark oppa?”

“Was I a little bit late?”

A smile spread on Ark’s mouth.

“Ark? It is Ark?”

All eyes focused on her as Roco spoke.

Ark-nim!”

“Ark hyung, welcome back!”

Sid and Lorenzo spoke with tears in their eyes. Andel also looked at Ark with a shocked face. There was a reason he was surprised that Ark showed up. In preparation, he had left an assassin stationed at the Quartermaster’s. Ark didn’t even make contact with the assassin and appeared here. Unless……..?

“Yes, you………….Didn’t you definitely die at that time?”

“Who said that? I’m afraid I didn’t die by your hands”

“But certainly in the hell……..”

“Ah, it took some time to come out from there.”

“No way!”

“You should wait before judging whether it’s possible or not……your opinion seems to be quite different. Don’t you know that determination can make many things happen?”

“Determination?”

“I told you. I would strip you naked.”

Ark said with a smile. Andel retorted like he was bored.

“You think that the situation would change just because you disappeared?”

And realisation showed on JusticeMan and his party’s faces. That’s right. They had forgotten when Ark appeared, but there were still 12 assassins left that were level 120. On the other hand, JusticeMan had 15 people with an average level of 60~70. And their health wasn’t even 50%. Even if it was Ark, 1 person wouldn’t change the situation.

“Kukuku, stupid. You’re going to be sorry you didn’t run away when you had the opportunity.”

“I have good manners unlike you.”

However, Ark was still composed.

“I forgot to tell you, I brought a few friends with me from down there.”

“What? Friends?”

“Yes, they should be arriving around now…….”

“Master!”

Dedric’s voice was heard from behind him. Andel reflexively turned his head and his face stiffened.

“W-what, what is that?”

Behind Ark, the ground around the cabin started shaking as small forms started appearing. They numbered nearly 100 people! They were hooded so it wasn’t possible to examine them closely…….three or four whiskers protruding from the nose was exposed on the side underneath the hood. That’s right, it was the raccoon inhabitants of the Underground World. Ark had received a call as he was leaving the Underground World. The phone call was from number 1407 who had died early. Andel had brought 14 assassins to raid the cabin. Ark was troubled as he contemplated. If there were 14 assassins, then they should succeed in defeating JusticeMan’s party. But even if Ark showed up, the results would be the same. Then the raccoon troops appeared in Ark’s mind.

‘Yes, they can appear in Cairo through Yggdrasil!’

Ark immediately called Yggdrasil through Popo’s seed. Popo was spiritually connected to Yggdrasil and could communicate with it. Ark explained the situation to Yggdrasil and asked for assistance from the elders. His request for support was received, and the 2nd gun division was sent to assist their former commander. Meanwhile, Ark left Dedric to prepare for the battle and rushed to the cabin.

“Let me introduce my new friends.”

Ark smiled at Andel.

“Say it again. The headcount from a little ago was…….”

“This, this kid……..What are you doing? Kill them!”

Andel shouted at them to attack. The 12 assassins rushed forward with their swords. Level 120. It was definitely an amazing level. But who were the gunners of the raccoon troops? The troops who had undergone Ark’s spartan training and defeated monsters that were level 150 and 250. At the moment, dozens of the raccoon troop watching from the forest grabbed their weapons. And……..clink, clink, the muskets were loaded with swift movements and then fired in unison. Bang bang double bang! The ensuring scene would cause the heart to race. Colourful fireworks exploded from everywhere. The assassins were no different from the falling autumn leaves. Every time they were hit with a bombardment of ammo, their health quickly declined. 9 assassins died from this simple method while the rest scattered messily. JusticeMan and his group just looked on with a bemused expression.

“This, this is ridiculous!”

Andel raised his voice as 9 assassins immediately died from the attack. Then Ark raised his voice to stop the bombardment and spoke.

“I’ll give you a chance.”

“What?”

“3 assassins remain. That was the number that you used to chase me in the past. The others will step back and watch as I duel with the assassins. And whatever the result, how about I forget about our bad relationship?”

Ark watched Andel as he spoke.

“Honestly…….annoying. Because I know people like you don’t like giving up, and I also won’t be able to do anything as long as you’re chasing me. So let’s conclude it with this battle.

Andel rolled his eyes and asked with a doubtful look.

“How can I believe that?”

“JusticeMan ajusshi.”

When Ark turned his head and asked, JusticeMan instantly nodded.

“It there is such a condition then there is no reason for me to interfere. I understand. We won’t cut in.”

“Now, how about it? Only your choice is left.”

Andel considered for a while before nodding.

“It is good. The assassins……I won’t cause any trouble.”

“Then shall we begin?”

A laugh emerged from Andel’s mouth.

“This stupid person is still the same. Has he already forgotten facing the same numbers not long ago?”

“That memory……..I remember it very clearly.”

Ark stared at Andel with a cold look as he replied.

“Then you should already know what will happen! Go, kill him!”

Andel ordered the assassins who immediately took out a scroll.

[No recovery], [Impossible to release battle state], [Seize]. It was the same combo of scrolls that forced Ark down the hell. The assassins used the scrolls to prevent any possibility before rushing in. The sword attack from three directions! Then Ark’s eyes started shining.

‘Now, is the opportunity to get revenge for my previous defeat!’

It was when Ark had an overwhelming advantage that he applied for a duel. The abrupt desire for victory spread in Ark. So far, when the 3 assassins had rushed him then he was helpless. Ark would never admit such a powerless defeat. He would not be satisfied if the conditions weren’t the same. And another reason was to confirm what he had obtained from the Underground World. He wanted to see how much his skill proficiency had been raised by the Three Marvels, not just look at the skill level. If he won against the 3 assassins under the same conditions, then it would be solid evidence.

‘I can win. No, I have to win!’

“Dark Dance!”

Ark lowered his upper body as he used his new skill. Suddenly, the area was dyed with darkness. In the middle, 3 red imprints were seen brandishing swords. The image seemed like an infrared mode in spy movies. Ark who had tried out the skill for the first time, was puzzled for a little bit.

‘What the? I thought the Dark Dance was just a skill that raised the evasion rate?’

And at that moment he heard the sound of a flying sword. A red footprint also appeared on the ground in front of him. It seemed like the commentary he saw in martial arts textbooks about footwork.

‘Then I should move following the footprints?’

Ark laid a foot on the red footprint carved on the ground. The footprint disappeared before a new one appeared in front of it. The more times he stepped on it, the faster the footprint disappeared. Although it was initially easy to follow along, over time he had to concentrate in order to keep up with the speed of the footprints. However, the effect was indeed amazing. Su su suk, sa sa sak! He just walked along the footprints. While concentrating on the footprints, he could barely see the movements of the assassins. However, Ark’s body moved like the wind and avoided all attacks.

“Oh my god!”

When Ark avoided the damage and emerged from the other side, the assassins were surprised. But it was Ark that surprised them.

‘This Dark Dance…….!’

It was expected that the evasion rate and defense would increase during the period. However, it wasn’t an easy technique to use. The Dark Dance was similar to the dancing games that were in style a long time ago. In other words, different patterns of footwork would appear on the ground depending on the situation and the amount of damage avoided depended on how well he did. The first time he used it, he made around 40% mistakes. The damage received from the 3 assassins’ attacks was only 250 damage. It meant that damage became invalid nearly 50% of the time, even taking his defensive powers into consideration!

‘If the percentage of completion increases then I might not receive any damage?’

But there’s even more. The Dark Dance didn’t require the use of his hands. This time, he focused on following the footsteps. However, once he became familiar with the Dark Dance then he could also attack. Of course, it wasn’t as simple as it sounds. If he focused on attacking, then the completion percentage of Dark Dance would fall. It was also possible to receive unexpected damage. In addition, if the completion rate dropped below 30% then the penalty of receiving a critical hit would dramatically increase.

‘Am I looking at a double-edged sword? But if I could attack while keeping the completion rate above 50%, there would be tremendous side effects. First, I should get used to the pattern!’

Ark continuously used Dark Dance. The pattern of the footprint would change depending on the circumstance. It was natural. Because the same attack wasn’t always used. However, after a few repetitions he gradually got used to the pattern. The attack was avoided using the minimal movement while grasping any chance for a counter attack. When looking at the principles, it wasn’t that different from what Ark had previously done.

“What, what the hell is this guy?”

“These movements……..!”

The assassins spoke in a confused voice after the next attack also missed. After he used the fourth Dark Dance, his completion rate went up to 60%. Ark then began fighting back.

“Dark blade!”

He used the Dark Dance and Dark Blade chain skill, Dark Torrent! Ark’s sword instantaneously spread out like the rib of a fan and struck the assassin’s neck. Dark Blade ignored the defense and struck a critical hit. Using Dark Torrent, an additional 200% damage was also added. The assassin’s health decline to 30% with one strike.

“No way!”

Andel sucked in a breath at the enormous damage.

“Ha, what the? Did you think that I wasted my time during the ten days?”

This was the reason that Ark had applied for a duel. During his time in the Underground World, Ark had raised his level. When the 3 assassins had pushed him, he was only level 90. However during the underground labyrinth he increased his level by 5, and after he commanded the raccoon troops in the fight against Yggdrasil then he gained 21 levels. Ark’s current level was 116! But was that all? After receiving the Dark Piece, his dark attribute bonus was raised to 40%. In terms of his stats, he was around level 162. He also had new equipment and set item effects. They only knew the fighting pattern of Ark before he fell into the hell. It was like an entirely different existence. On the other hand, the assassins were level 120. With the dark attribute, they would be level 132. Even if they were professional assassins, if the level difference was 32 levels……. Bang!

“Cough……! This guy’s replacement……..”

The assassin who received Ark’s concentrated attack collapsed. From 3 against 1 the situation changed to the much simpler 2 against 1. Ark used his remaining 400 points of mana to attack using Dark Torrent. Under his shower of attacks, one more assassin quickly collapsed. Now there was only one assassin remaining, but Ark’s mana was completely gone and his health was down to 30%. On the other hand, the 1 remaining assassin had 80% health.

‘From now on, it is a skills game!’

Ark used his Sword-Hand combat in a desperate struggle against the assassin. With the level difference, he overwhelmed the assassin with just the use of his Sword-Hand combat. Kka kkak, Tong! Ark blocked the assassin’s sword and used riposte. Ark struck the assassin hard with the counter attack and the assassin was sent flying through the air. At the same time as he landed, Ark attacked him with a shower of kicks. The assassin was also formidable. Using the last of his power, he swung the sword and pushed Ark into a critical condition. But at the same time, he got hit on the head by Ark and died.

“Hyuu, I won.”

Ark blew out a breath. He had defeated three level 120 assassins by himself!

“He, He won!”

“Ark hyung won!”

“Wah ah ah!”

The rehabilitation members, Lorenzo and the raccoon troops cheered from the vicinity of the cabin. But the cheer changed into a scream in the next moment.

“Huh? He, he……..! ”

“Ark, it’s dangerous!”

When he finished fighting against the last assassin, Andel who had been watching vigilantly for a chance attacked Ark. Currently, Ark’s health was only 180 points. If a strike landed then it would became a critical hit due to his state. No, it certainly looked that way. But just before Andel’s sword reached Ark’s neck. The light abruptly turned off in front of Ark.

“What……..Sk-skeleton?”

A skeleton holding a sword and a shield had blocked Andel’s attack. While Andel was confused, Ark turned his head and laughed.

“I know how guys like you think.”

In the first place, Ark hadn’t expected Andel to keep his promise. No, he hoped that he wouldn’t. He wanted to test out the skills he obtained in the Underground World and he knew that Andel wouldn’t accept the result of the duel. He had marked him as an enemy until the end. Therefore Ark deliberately left a gap for Andel in his critical condition. After he guessed the timing, he released Deimos into his transformation from the Saw Blade. Andel was caught in Ark’s trap!

“So now the promise is broken?”

“You bastard, why did you believe me in the first place?”

“This fellow is absurd. You still say things like that in this situation?”

“Damn, you’ll see. No matter what it takes, I’ll force you into hell!”

Andel said as he took out a scroll. It was the [Warp] scroll which had become Andel’s specialty.

“Oh, that, that guy again…….!”

JusticeMan and the rehabilitation members moved a little bit. Ark only smiled as he took out a scroll and activated it.

“Scroll [Magnetic] target Andel!”

At the same time, Andel’s body blurred before he was forcibly pulled to Ark.

“What? What the?”

“Didn’t I tell you? I didn’t only play.”

Ark clicked his tongue and muttered while feigning pity. When he exited from the Underground World, Ark didn’t wait for the raccoon troops and immediately began battle preparations. The thing that Ark regretted the most from being attacked by Andel was not learning how to properly use scrolls in battle. When Ark recaptured villages in the Underground World, he immediately gathered information about the scrolls from the specialist in each village. One interesting thing he learnt about was the [Magnetic] scroll. Although it would drag the target forward, there was another use for [Magnetic]. If the timing of [Magnetic] was used in conjunction with [Warp], then the effect of [Warp] would disappear. The reason why [Magnetic] was rated higher than the [Warp] scroll was because of this hidden function. It was the so-called resistance of the scroll. Therefore, in order to oppose or eliminate the effect, there must be a counter attack. This was the true advantage of scroll utilization.

“You said I’ll see? Is it time now?”

Ark laughed as he approached the frightened Andel. However, in that moment he responded in a desperate voice.

“Heung, just kill me then. I have used the [Lie] scroll. Since I’m not chaotic, then you would become chaotic if you attack me. Your level is over 100 so can you take such a penalty? At best, all the NPCs would be ordered to kill you. And after I die, I would receive no problems from the NPC. You didn’t receive the archipelago, he he he.”

“……..That disgusting bastard.”

JusticeMan murmured in an outraged voice.

‘Does he think we would be afraid of something like that?’

“Ark, you don’t have to take part. We’ll kill this guy.”

“Please wait. Hyung-nim.”

Ark leisurely took out another scroll. When he triggered it, the shape of a huge sword formed over Andel’s head. When the sword struck Andel, his health was immediately reduced by 50%.

“Cough, no way this is……..?”

“[Sword of Truth]!”

Sid burst out with excitement.

[Sword of Truth]…….It was a scroll that only activated when the opponent used the [Lie] scroll. It dealt powerful damage as well as eliminating the effect of the [Lie] scroll. In addition, it also changed the alignment to chaotic for a period of time. In other words, there would be no problem killing Andel.

“Ohu, that’s nice.”

“Now it means I have unlimited chances to kill you?”

The rehabilitation members surrounded Andel as they cracked their knuckles. However, Ark shook his head.

“Not yet.”

“What?”

“Hyung-nim, don’t you have a lot piled up? Please receive this.”

Ark handed the rehabilitation members a few scrolls. After reading the brief description, the rehabilitation members’ eyes shone brighter than ever.

“Oh, Ark. If it is you then it is done.”

“Hu hu hu, rather at this point we’re really sorry.”

“Still, we can’t help it. Because it is our policy to step on someone who tries to step on us.”

“Of course. We understand that much. Because he was the one that picked a fight first. We don’t have to be fair.”

“What, what are you doing…….!”

Andel murmured in an uneasy voice. JusticeMan and the rehabilitation group, Ark and even Roco just tore the scrolls with a smile.

– [Peek] scroll was invoked.When the user’s bag is targeted, it is possible to peek at an item.

– [Robbery] scroll was invoked.It is possible to designate an item from the target’s bag. When the user dies, there is a 100% chance of the designated item dropping. Duplicated items are treated as one item.

The scrolls were applied non-stop to Andel. He had bought in bulk various scrolls to give to the assassins, which could be used at any time to make gold, and he just left it in his bag along with equipment……..the aim of the [Robbery] scroll was to get any items that would make money. But that was just the beginning.

“Didn’t I tell you? I would keep on attacking you until you lose everything.”

– [Seize] scroll was invoked.When the designated target dies, there is a 50% chance that an equipped item will drop.

Ark and the rehabilitation members used the [Seize] scroll four times. As Andel was chaotic, after his death the probability of dropping his equipment items would dramatically increase. After using [Seize] four times, he didn’t even have to see the results.

“B-Bastard…….!”

“Ara? What was that? From now on, it’s just the beginning”

– [Misfortune] scroll was activated.The luck of the designated target temporarily becomes 0. The probability of dropping equipment items in various situations would be maximized. If a chaotic player dies in this unfortunate stat, their stat reduction would increase by 2, making them lose 4 stats.

Ark spoke with a pleasant smile. “After you lose the battle, I’m going to step on you once again. That’s my promise.” With a scared look, Andel died.

“Ugh, Master! This woman, stop this woman!”

Dedric screamed before fleeing. After refreshingly stepping on Andel, Ark joined JusticeMan and the rehabilitation company who he finally met after a long time. And after Dedric transformed himself into his child form, he found himself being chased after by Roco with great affection (?).

“Ho ho ho, he is……..It’s great to see you.”

“It’s not good, not good!”

“Don’t do that, come play with noona.”

“Who is this noona? I told you, I’m 300 years old!”

“Kkal kkal kkal! Understood, understood. You’re a 300 year old child. Happy?

“I’m not a child!”

Dedric shouted with a painful cry. However, Roco didn’t hear and just hugged Dedric tighter. Then Deimos suddenly showed up at her side.

“Oh? You are…….Skull?”

Deimos was glad and quickly nodded his head. Unlike Dedric, Roco had spent quite a few friendly days with Deimos. However, Roco’s forehead furrowed as she muttered something.

“You……..look slightly creepy.”

Ddang! At Roco’s words, Skull was shocked as he showed a sulky expression. After he changed, it was the form he wanted to be proud of. However, in just a moment. Clatter, clatter. Deimos turned around and clung to Andel’s body. Deimos’ eyes flashed for a moment as he fumbled around. And like a psychic healer, he put his hand through Andel’s shoulder. And then surprisingly, his bloody hands emerged holding a scapula.

‘Don’t tell me that he can also collect bones from a user?’

When Ark though about it, it was a big hit. Deimos immediately changed his scapula to Andel’s.

Deimos has used his ‘bone collecting’ skill to reassemble the scapula.If he changes bones with a user, their stats and abilities are exchanged. <Deimos: Strength +5, Stamina +5, Wisdom -5, Intelligence -5> <Andel: Strength -5, Stamina -5, Wisdom +5, Intelligence +5>]

Andel was a warrior in the game. Because of the bone exchange, his strength and stamina was reduced while Deimos’ was increased. Andel was really unlucky. Deimos changed the shape of his scapula to his favourite. He smiled as he tinkered with his new shoulder. No, it seemed like he was smiling but he was obviously laughing. He laughed sneakily.

‘Although it’s good that his stats rose…….it really is like a horror movie.’

Aa, Deimos ……..what is your real character? The skull that used to roll cutely across the ground couldn’t be seen anywhere now. It was a good thing that his stats climbed thanks to bone collecting, but the way he acquired other bones was really creepy. The rehabilitation group stared in amazement at Deimos’ bizarre behaviour. Ark also had a similar expression, and had to explain the situation with a smile.

“Ha ha, don’t worry. This guy has a strange hobby these days.

And among such surroundings, the rehabilitation members had managed to finish resurrecting. Then the leader of the raccoon gunners saluted Ark and said.

“Commander, we should go.”

“Well, thank you. Give my regards to the elders.”

“Yes! Let’s go!”

The gunner saluted before returning to the designated place. JusticeMan and the rehabilitation group looked at the raccoons with amazement before asking.

“What? Did the raccoons escape from the zoo in a group?”

“They are my friends from the Underground World.”

“Underground World?”

Ark explained the last few days to a curious JusticeMan. JusticeMan breathed out a sigh with an amazed face.

“It sounds like a fascinating place, damn, if we knew beforehand we would have entered too……….

“I’m sorry. But I didn’t have a way to enter the Underground World. And ajusshi and hyung-nims wouldn’t have been able to survive the bottom.”

“That’s right”

“Ah! There is someone I would like to introduce.”

Ark took out small seeds from his bag. JusticeMan and the rehabilitation members stared as a small figure emerged from the seeds. It was Popo, the hero of the raccoon clan. Popo scratched his head at the attention of the foreigners before greeting them.

-He he, Hello? I am Popo, Ark hyung’s brother.

“Aw!”

Then Roco who was harassing Dedric came running over.

“Woo………! Cu……Cute. It’s a finger sized raccoon…….”

-Ah, Roco noona? Ark hyung talked about you a lot.

“What? R-really? What did he say?”

-That he had a pretty girl as a sister. You really are pretty, just like I heard. Can I call you noona from now on?

Popo was better at flattery than he thought.

“Ho ho ho, you’re sweet. It is in the eye of the beholder……..my younger siblings aren’t like that. Yes, please call me noona. If you are Ark oppa’s brother then you’re also mine. Popo did you say? Can we talk for a short while? Tell me in a little bit more detail about what Ark oppa said about me.”

Roco carried the seeds to a place a short distance away.

“Che!”

Then Dedric who had been abandoned kicked a rock that landed beside Skull. Although he complained, he indirectly enjoyed Roco’s attention. If he really hated it, he would’ve changed into a bat and ran away…….

“I’m living quite happily.”

The raccoon boy was sociable. Roco who was interested in Ark, abandoned his two summons………the form that she was interested in was quite different in other’s eyes.

“What…..that’s right.”

“By the way, what do you think that Andel guy will do?”

“Just let it go. For the time being, he won’t connect for a while.”

“But what if he tries to bother you again?”

“Right. But I wouldn’t mind. Here in the chaotic city it would be a difficult situation, but the other areas won’t have such a penalty against resurrection. So if he attacks me once, then I would be able to return it twice as much. But it’s also not easy.”

“Although, you don’t have to worry about your skills based on what we saw before.”

“Well Andel might hire more assassins again before connecting. Although Lorenzo and the delinquents would receive help from the guard NPCs, we are different. So I think we should leave Cairo before there is more trouble.”

“That’s good. Our time is more precious than that guy.”

“But I have some things to finish first.”

Ark’s pupils turned gold after a long time. He had already forgotten about Andel and turned into a money-making mode.

“Sid. Can you please arrange all of this.”

Ark handed Sid all the loot he obtained in the Underground World.

“(Pants) this, this is ……!”

Sid’s eyes widened at the huge pile of loot. But it wasn’t because of the loot. It was due to the ore, the currency of the Underground World. All of the 1,600 Nurunma leaves he obtained from the thief hideout had been used to make the Warrior cookies and sold to the raccoon troops. First 1L. But soon the price was raised to 2L because he was running out of ingredients. Fortunately, the raccoons were already addicted and had no choice but to buy the cookies at the higher price. Thanks to that, Ark managed to get 2,400 ores! Even if 500 L was used to pay for item forging, there was still approximately 1,900 ores in his bag.

“Where did you get so many ores……?”

Ark who hadn’t showed up for a while finally appeared with amazing items. Sid still couldn’t understand the strange user that was Ark.

“No, you expect me to organize everything here? But if we sell it in Giran, we can’t get a 20% higher price.”

“I don’t care. Just sort it out. And change all the items robbed from Andel into gold except for the scrolls from Cairo. You should bring Jjak-tung so you don’t make any mistakes.”

“I understand.”

Soon Sid and Jjak-tung headed to Cairo carrying the items. The reason why he sent Jjak-tung was to take advantage of his ‘Fraud’ skill. Thanks to Ark, Sid had raised his sale skills but it wasn’t possible to sell any more items once he received a profit of more than 15%. On the other hand, if Jjak-tung’s ‘Fraud’ skill was used, then he could receive an unconditional 15% profit.

“Okay, now let’s finish life in Cairo.”

Ark led the rehabilitation group and headed towards Cairo. It was in order to complete the [Clear Lorenzo’s name] quest that had been postponed. Earlier, JusticeMan had handed him the warehouse key before they headed back to Wolkosu with his supplies. Then, he made him sit down while Lorenzo explained the circumstances.

“……….That was what happened.”

“I see…….I’ve just blindly doubted you without even knowing….I’m sorry.”

Wolkosu said to his son in a regretful voice. Lorenzo seemed tearful as he shook his head.

“No. It was my fault this whole thing started. Father, I’m sorry.”

“Father? Now I am your father?”

“Yes, father. I’m sorry for not calling you that in the meantime.”

“I got it. So stop saying such things. Being confronted with your faults must have been hard on you. I never thought I would have children so I raised your sternly, without unconditional love. That must have been really painful for you and I didn’t know. No, let’s stop. I’ll forget your past. If you’ve decided to become a new man then it is done.

“Father!”

Wolkosu and Lorenzo wept as they hugged each other. The rehabilitation members had tears in their eyes as they looked at the two NPCs. Although they were NPCs, Lorenzo’s path seemed to overlap with that of the rehabilitation group.

“Hyung-nim, justice is really a good thing.”

“Hum, yes.”

JusticeMan nodded with a satisfied expression. However, there were no tears in Ark’s eyes.

“Now, Wolkosu ajusshi. Let’s slowly do the calculation.”

“Calculation?”

“Why is it like this? Did you already forget the promise?”

“Promise…….Ah, it’s not like that. He he he, why would I forget? Yes, I do remember. Didn’t I promise to sell you anything from the items recovered for a 40% discounted price? Okay, if you need anything then tell me. I’ll do anything for the man who recovered my son. Since I’m a person who also runs a big business in the capital. I’m a second generation. Even if other stores want them, I will save it for you.”

“Ah, father. What a moment! That…….

At the moment, Lorenzo was shocked and blocked Wolkosu’s mouth. However, it was already too late. By the end of Wolkosu’s words, Ark’s eyes flashed as he drove the nail in.

“Without a doubt you promised. You clearly said that even if the items were wanted elsewhere, you would save it for me?

“Eh? T-that’s right. Why? What’s the matter?”

“Nothing. Not at all. So let’s start the business.”

Ark laid his purse on the counter as he smiled. Wolkosu’s face then became terrified. The embroidered purse on the counter contained an unimaginable amount of money.

“5…………..5, 500 gold?”

Ark laughed and nodded his head. Yes, in the short time here Ark had gathered 5,500 gold. When Ark first came to Cairo, he only had 1,000 gold. When he was in the Underground, without stopping he sent items back to Sid to sell which earned him 300 gold. However, the largest part of his illicit funds was selling drugs to the raccoons. The way to earn money was as bad as expected. When the ore was sold by Sid using his skills, he earned 30 gold for one piece of ore. The total price was 570 gold. Thanks to that, Ark’s total gold was 1,870. But was that all? There were also the items collected from Andel. Scrolls were sold in Cairo, so they were removed as there was no reason to sell it……..however the rest of the equipment items and consumables sold for 500 gold. Thus, he ended up earning 2,370 gold. Of course, Ark’s plans didn’t end here.

‘I have to make the maximum amount money!’

“JusticeMan ajusshi, hyung-nims.” I’ll guarantee it. Once I buy it and sell it to other users, then the profit from this business would be 50%.

“Certainly………..”

After hearing Ark’s explanation and calculating in their heads, they nodded. When buying an item, it is clear that the profit would be guaranteed. There was nobody who would say no to such deals just to save money.

“Okay, everyone will invest as well.”

“Except I don’t know what the outcome would be once the group splits their earnings.”

“Even if you only have a few thousand gold, it would be enough for a business transaction…….”

“Can’t help it. Still it is lucky that everyone can come.”

“Hu hu hu, you’re the blessing for the group. You’re the person that earns money the best.”

The rehabilitation group said with a heart-warming smile as they began collecting the gold. They were only level 60 but they weren’t poor. After all, the rehabilitation members were formerly a part of the dark professions. Even if it was only a game, they still used their former skills to earn a little bit of money. Since the beginning of the game, people could buy gold from the auction house. With their purses being emptied, 4000 gold was exceeded immediately. However, Ark wasn’t investing all that money. Ark advised them to use 2000 gold to buy equipment.

“Hyung-nim, now is the chance to change equipment. In the Underground World, there are a lot of items that are difficult to find. The price is expensive but I can guarantee its performance.”

The rehabilitation members were moved by the flattery and quickly parted with 2,000 gold. Ark grabbed the money bag and immediately returned to the Underground World through Yggdrasil. Ark was the hero who had rescued the Underground World from a crisis. Therefore, intimacy was at its best. In the Underground World, he got a discount of 30% off any items he bought.

“Wow, this isn’t a joke?”

“Doesn’t this dagger have additional damage when thrusting?”

The rehabilitation members saw the items Ark returned with and cheered. They were items from the village of craftsmen, where the price to performance ratio was at its finest. The performance was also rare for mid-priced items. The drops from the assassins were moderately split up and after the items were equipped, their damage and defense was upgraded. However, upgrading the rehabilitation members wasn’t the only reason why Ark suggested changing equipment. Ark noted the pleased members before saying in a quiet voice.

“Jjak-tung hyung, in fact I got a little discount for solving the quest. So there was a little bit of change left over……..”

“Then you can have it, as a tip.”

“Yes, I had trouble with it. Even if it is outside money given, I need it.”

“Just pack it without saying anything. Child, because you are too good to mask it.”

As expected, even though they were former hoodlums, the rehabilitation members were big hearted. This was also the reason why he didn’t include Sid with his selling skills. Because he had accumulated a history of part time jobs, Ark perfectly grasped the nature of the rehabilitation members.

“Wow hyung-nim, thanks a lot!”

“Child, something like that……..Us hyung-nims won’t begrudge such a sum. By the way, how much change was left?

“600 gold.”

“Eek? “600 gold?”

The rehabilitation members let out a booming laugh. As Ark had no trading skills, they thought he would receive a 5% discount and have 100 gold left. If they knew that the change left over was 600 gold, the rehabilitation members wouldn’t have been able to talk about it so easily. However, the bus had already left. Since the rehabilitation members lived with honour, they couldn’t take back their words. That was also one of Ark’s motives!

“Hyung nims are really generous.”

“Ha ha ha. That, it’s not like that. Our generosity is only a little bit big.”

“But 600 gold…….”

The rehabilitation members broke into a cold sweat as they trembled while bluffing. Therefore, 600 gold was added to Ark’s fortune of 3,000 gold. The 2,000 gold from the rehabilitation members also remained. If they included Sid and Roco then there was a total of 5,500 gold.

“You, you’re going to buy all the items using this money?”

“Yes, did you assume that I wouldn’t have enough for everything?”

“Even though all the other stores would buy these items……”

“A promise is a promise…….”

“You are really……..”

Wolkosu eventually sighed and nodded.

“All right. I will discount it, but you really seem like you’ve chosen the wrong profession. You would’ve succeeded as a merchant. Because you wouldn’t shed tears over friendship.”

“Thank you for the compliment.”

“Ha ha ha! Okay, I’ll gladly arrange things.”

Wolkosu burst out laughing. As a trader he had lost, but as a father he had regained his son. Therefore, the question of profit or loss wasn’t a problem. Wolkosu willingly handed all the items recovered in the warehouse to Ark. They were expensive items only sold in Cairo and none could be found in any other stores. The value of the scrolls was also expensive, so he bought 10 sets of them first before Sid’s 6 bags and his 1 spare bag was so full it looked like it would explode.

“Ah, Ark-nim.” The bags are overflowing.”

Sid shook it with a happy face at the thought of all the profit.

“Sid-nim. Contract.”

“Yes? Oh, yes!”

Sid wrote the contract with trembling hands.

[Merchant’s agreement. <Agreement: Item resale of the current party. The contract takes effect from the time the items are transferred to Sid in Cairo. All proceeds from the sale of the items must be distributed by Sid according to their respective shares.>]

It was a sale agreement worth 5,500 gold! No matter what, he would never entrust it to Sid without a contract. But now Ark trusted Sid 100%.

“I can’t believe I really wrote a 5,500 gold contract.”

Sid confirmed the contract with tears in his eyes. In accordance with the share of the proceeds, Ark would receive 58%, JusticeMan and the rehabilitation members 30%, Roco 5% and Sid 7%. Roco and Sid’s original investment wasn’t that much. Sid had only concentrated on raising his skills, so his profit he made so far wasn’t that much. And Roco was only a bonus mascot so her gold investment was small. When dealing with a few thousand units of gold, 5% wasn’t a small amount. 5% of 5,500 gold was 275 gold. Since the expected sale profit was 40%, that meant that it was a profit of 385 gold. Even if Sid only received 7%, that was still 577 gold. It would be enough to pay off his debt and recover his money as a merchant. In addition, merchants also raised their characters by trading. If he traded with other users outside of a store, his skills would raise and he would obtain experience. 40% of the profits on all items meant that he would receive a large amount of experience. The penalty received by the silk market slump wasn’t a problem anymore.

”It is worth playing the role of Ark-nim’s bag for the meantime!’

His feelings of grief quickly withered. Ark made a warm expression and asked Wolkosu.

“But ajusshi, what will you do now?”

“I……Because I couldn’t return to the capital, I had to stay here. But I want to make arrangements to return to the capital.

“That’s right.”

“You were worried about the crowd that this guy used to hang with showing up……..”

“Do not worry.”

JusticeMan moved forward and said.

“We can settle that problem since we’re heading to the capital anyway.”

“Is it really possible to do that?”

“Of course. I already asked the delinquents about the location of their other hyungs that tried to bully you.”

“But why would you guys go so far? You might even lose your life.”

Wolkosu looked at him with worried eyes, while JusticeMan laughed and shook his head.

“Ha ha ha. How can I achieve justice if I’m always worried about preserving my life?”

“That’s right.” The reason why we came here was also for justice.”

“In addition, only delinquents can reason with other delinquents.”

“That’s why I have to teach them the true duty of delinquents.”

The rehabilitation members emphasized in unison.

“Thank you, I really appreciate it!”

“Well, it’s the least we could do after you suffered a loss to your sales.”

JusticeMan said absent-mindedly. JusticeMan joined Ark who was organizing everything he obtained in Cairo outside.

“So now the destination is determined.”

“Yes, since it was our destination from the beginning.

“Can I accompany you?”

At that time, Sid rolled his eyes and interrupted.

“Sid-nim?”

“Yes, the items from Cairo would be more expensive in the capital than Giran. And the capital has more high level users that can afford it.

When organizing the gold, it isn’t 100 or 200 gold but 5,500. Even with a 1% profit you would earn 55 gold! However, the capital should make the profits rapidly increase which would make us happy. If I’m with the rehabilitation group then it won’t be so dangerous.

“I would like that. Because I also want to go to the capital.”

“You too?”

“Yes, I also have to stop there.

Ark nodded and replied. Finally, the group left the area of Cairo. It was time to move to a new area. And Ark still remembered the promise to meet Shambala at the arena in the capital. He was involved in events that he never considered and was delayed but he still remembered.

“But I have to visit Giran and report my quest to the Institute of Magic.

“Well, since Giran has a gateway it shouldn’t be a problem. I understand.”

“So we set off together.”

At the end of Ark’s words, Roco was glad.

“Is this the first time that everyone has travelled together?”

“Yes, well, how lovely that you and Ark get to go together just like you wished.

“Jjak-tung oppa!”

Roco shouted with a red face. Fortunately, Ark’s face was also red for no reason. A refreshing wind blew from somewhere.

‘It’s good. I’m glad that I am able to laugh with people who are like family.

ACT 8 Experiencing a spar

Ark and JusticeMan’s party left Cairo. They were headed towards the capital of Schudenberg Kingdom, Selebrid. This was because some time ago, a spokesman announced the full content.

“Attention all citizens of Schudenberg. Finally Bristol, the Sinius Principality and the Kingdom of Bavaria are no longer at war. The three countries have signed an armistice. This long war has fortunately ended peacefully with no confrontations!”

“Wah ah ah!”

The NPCs and users cheered at the unexpected news. There were three human kingdoms present in New World. The relationship between the Bristol, Sinius and Schudenberg kingdoms were poor. Because Schudenberg and the three kingdoms bordered each other, it wasn’t easy for users to cross the borders. While the NPCs in New World thought of it like a cold war state, it made the users uncomfortable. Other users and even friends started in the other kingdoms but they could not meet. In addition, most of the border area had been designated as off limits. However, the Armistice Agreement was signed. This meant that you could adventure in more areas. The spokesman raised his hand to calm the crowd and spoke again.

“We’ll inform you of the gist of the Armistice Agreement. People are free to trade with everyone in the Three Kingdoms. If you cross the border to trade, you must be granted eligibility and a special tariff of 5% applied.”

After he spoke for a long time about the boring contents of the agreement, he stopped and paused for a bit.

“But this is the most important information of the Armistice Agreement. So far, the border region of the three regions has been prohibited from battle. The three powers have declared a vast area of frontier to be cleared.”

“Frontier?”

“That’s right.” Everything in this area would be opened to all foreigners.”

The users’ opened their mouths as the spokesman’s explanation continued. This was an easier summary of the spokesman’s words. The official name of the triangular border region of the three kingdoms was Nagaran. Not too long ago, a minor skirmish developed between the three armies resting at the border. However many events have occurred in recent years, such as the Jackson event quest and other incidents all over New World, so they came to the conclusion that the war should end. The Armistice Agreement was signed after soldiers from all three armies retreated from Nagaran. As a result, there was a large area that was left empty. The kings of the three kingdoms thought about how they should use this blank area. Because once the soldiers left, there would be a lot of space. They finally came up with the solution of foreigners. The foreigners were strangers who pursued their own lives free of the calculation and interest of the three kingdoms. The reason that Nagaran was opened to foreigners was simple. When many foreigners occupied Nagaran, their powers and interests was judged to become a military buffer zone. In addition, if foreigners occupied the land and poured money into it, then the three kingdoms would also profit. The leaders were quite satisfied with the good idea. However, even if they were called Kings they were still NPCs. They believed that they had thought of it themselves, but it was a scenario that had been prepared for New World. <Episode II: Pioneering age of the foreigners> had begun.

“If you’re a part of an outstanding warrior guild, then you will be given the chance to occupy a castle. In addition, the foreigners that occupy a castle would receive a formal Barony from the three Kings!”

Following that, the spokesman explained the rules of the siege. The rules on how to occupy a castle were simple. In the upper part of Nagaran, something called the Throne of Governance existed. If the first user that sits on the throne is a guild leader then they will become Lord of the castle. They also had to maintain their status for three days in the game, which was 24 hours in real time, while fending off attacks from other guilds. If successful, the Lord can activate the castle’s defences which operate within a certain sphere of influence. The state of being a Lord wasn’t permanent. The user that occupies the castle has to accept another challenge at least once a week. When they are defeated, the three kingdoms would deprive them of their power. They also had to pour money into developing their castle when they couldn’t know if they could keep it.

Anyway, a buzz started among the users after the spokesman’s announcement. They could be an owner of a castle! This was a huge event. It wasn’t a funny game anymore. If someone went back through the past Korean games that were unprecedented hits, owning a castle was seen for the first time in the game O. Occupying a castle would provide huge wealth and honour to a guild. It was to the extent that after ruling for 1 year, they would be able to own a house. How much more would the money increase in New World, which was a new generation of game. The possible benefits obtained would be terrific. And the spokesman even explained this. Once someone becomes a Lord, they are given the right to implement and collect a tax. If they intend it, they could even confiscate a user’s assets. Of course, it was also easy to rule with tyranny and then have to protect the seat from other users. But anyway, for that area, the authority of the Lord was close to infinity.

‘I can’t consider that I would have to pay attention to Ark.’

Alan gripped his fist tightly. Alan had just received a call from Andel. He had used 1,500 gold to buy 15 assassins and sent them after Ark. His plan didn’t go so well. How the hell was he accompanied by 15 level 120 assassins and still not finish Ark? In addition to all the items wasted, he came whining to him.

‘Stupid bastard!’

It was difficult to find the Dark Brother and commission a job. Alan risked his fame points and he also invested a lot of money so far. After he hired 15 people, his fame points dropped a lot. But wasn’t the result more helpful to Ark? Of course, a good reason for that was Andel. He also never thought that the rehabilitation group would interfere or the appearance of a NPC. But nevertheless, the decisive problem was Andel’s stupidity. New world wasn’t that simple online game that Andel thought it was. The assassins would move better under proper directions from the client. In other words, if the client doesn’t move properly than the assassins couldn’t exert their power. The user’s level wasn’t the most important thing.

‘As expected, I shouldn’t have trusted him!’

Andel had become the reason for his investment loss. Even when he died, Andel didn’t admit it but his skills were inferior to Ark’s.

‘Even the organization couldn’t deal with Ark and his teamwork. And with the presence of the NPC troops then it had become more difficult. He must be stepped on before he passes the company’s entrance examination. If possible, I have to find him before it is too late……’

Then Alan shook his head.

“No. I can’t miss this opportunity because of Ark.’

In fact, Alan already knew the information about <Episode II: Pioneering age of the Foreigners> beforehand. In reality or the game, there is nowhere that is impervious to bribes. The Holy Knight Alan was one of the few users that could access the cathedral. The action of the Three Kingdoms was heard through a NPC with high intimacy at the cathedral that he bribed.

“They have already decided to open Nagaran to the foreigners. But if you went ahead then the cathedral would later support you. Do you understand?”

Not long ago, a bishop in the cathedral had called him and secretly told him that. Although it was open to foreigners, the NPCs with authority also desired power over that area. Because they couldn’t do it directly, they would have to align with the user who has control over Nagaran. The three biggest guilds and the royal families were probably making similar moves. Since then Alan had stopped all work and focused on building his guild. While the entrance examination wasn’t important to Andel, Alan was different. He had a reason to join Global Exos. Therefore, Alan believed that occupying power in New World was enable him to pass the condition of the entrance examination.

‘The system meant that it wasn’t easy to occupy the castle, but once it is occupied the guild can establish a huge tax and raise its power. The opportunity is now. The users would soon flock to that area and stay up all night to siege the castle. I have to gather all my strength and move before a powerful guild occupies it.

Alan’s eyes shone.

‘Even if I didn’t get anything out of it, the Dark Brother organization will still regard Ark’s party as an enemy. Because 18 assassins were killed……I’ll leave Ark to them. And when I raise my power I can step on Ark anytime I want.’

Alan made a decision and immediately moved to the guild office. A week ago, he had invested a huge amount of money into the guild ‘Dawn Blade.’ Alan filled the majority of the guild with candidates from the exam. They were stronger and higher level than the users who just enjoyed the game. He secured them in order to occupy the castle. That alone should give a strong impression on the personnel from Global Exos. Alan looked at the beautiful elf magician waiting in the guild office and said.

“Lariette-nim, I’ve been waiting for you to arrive.”

“Yes, I have heard.”

“This announcement would certainly have a decisive influence on the company’s entrance examination. And Lariette should receive a similar score to me as the guild’s sub-master.

“Always……I’m thankful.”

“Please only follow me. Because I will certainly make you pass.”

“………Yes.”

Lariette was burdened and softly replied while avoiding his gaze. Lariette clearly felt troubled by Alan’s sudden approach. Ever since the Jackson event…….

‘No way……Don’t tell me it’s because of Ark?’

Men also had intuition when it came to women. Lariette clearly had a good impression of Ark. When the idea entered his head, Alan angrily furrowed his forehead and didn’t speak for a moment.

‘Yes, you’re not that different from other girls. Once I’ve got everything in the world then you’ll be begging for my affection. Yes, everything revolves around me in this world. It isn’t possible to leave me until I’m dissatisfied.’

Alan’s mantle flapped as he turned around. “Gather all the members of the Dawn Blade guild.”

The beauty that was responsible for Global Exos reception desk let out a sigh. She was also taking the company’s examination under the name of Lariette. However, she was sighing more often these days.

‘Alan’s becoming increasingly more oppressive. Initially he was a kind and friendly person……..’

Of course, passing the examination was her reason for playing the game. But that wasn’t her only purpose. She was one of those users with a pure mind who wanted to just enjoy New World. That was the reason she was with Alan, who played the game more actively than anyone else. She could afford to play the game with Alan, who was an attractive colleague. But since then Alan had changed. Her colleague had suddenly become overly domineering. When someone came to be an examinee, he had a system that passed over. Then he would use his power to control their general funds. On the other hand, it they didn’t listen to him then they would be kicked from the guild. He seemed to play the game just thinking about how to obtain a high score in the entrance exam. What had made Alan so impatient? It was something she couldn’t understand.

‘Among all my colleagues, the recent evaluation of Alan isn’t very good. People should be gathering to enjoy the game. The two thousand people that gathered…….this wasn’t how I wanted the game to be like………’

“Hey, pretty girl. Why is your expression so dark?”

At that time, one guy who was waiting approached and spoke. When she looked up she saw that it was someone from the planning department of Global Exos, Ho Myung-hwan.

“Ah, it’s nothing.”

“If such a pretty girl sitting at the desk has a gloomy face then my motivation will drop.”

“It’s not a big deal.”

When Kang Mi-su attempted a smile, Ho Myung-hwan handed her coffee before talking again.

“If you’re worrying about the company’s entrance examination then it isn’t necessary. You have a friend called Alan yes? The Planning Department is already paying attention to Alan. His evaluation is quite high and as his partner yours is as well. If you keep it up then you’ll surely pass.”

“Thank you.”

“You don’t have to thank me.”

Ho Myung-Hwan scratched his head before walking away with a cool laugh. At that time, Kang Mi-su remembered something and asked.

“Do you happen to know anything about Ark-nim?”

Ark?”

Ho Myung-Hwan sounded puzzled.

“I’ve never heard of him? You know him?”

“Yes, a little bit……..”

“Hmm, I know every ID that the Planning Department is paying attention to…….I’ve never heard of him so it is possible that he hasn’t been playing an active part in the game.”

“But I heard that he made a considerable achievement in the event quest?” Kang Mi-su said with an expression that indicated she didn’t understand. Yes, apart from Alan most people also know Ark’s name. During the event quest, wasn’t he the user that was responsible for the success of the plan to blow up the scorch cannons? Therefore she couldn’t understand how the Planning Department couldn’t remember his Id. Kang Mi-su explained this to Ho Myung-hwan who tilted his head.

“Really? Strange. That is certainly enough to deserve attention……..There are 2000 candidates so someone might have missed it. I understand. I’ll check it again.”

“Please.”

“Oho, Miss Global Exos Kang Mi-su is asking after a guy. Do you have a man on your mind? I’m jealous.”

“It’s not like that.”

“Ha ha ha! Okay, okay. Don’t twist your face so much. Well I’ll look into it.”

Ho Myung-Hwan rattled off a joke before heading off. Kang Mi-su looked at his back with a complicated expression. Of all the people who was at the interview, Kim Hyun-woo…….No, Ark. Why did his name suddenly pop up? She honestly didn’t know. But Ark seemed to show a different form every time they met so she was nervous about his existence. Yes, I was just feeling nervous. That’s all it is.

“What is this? If you want to sleep then you should sleep at night……”

Hyun-Woo rubbed his swollen eyes as he listened to the complaints. Then Gwon Hwa-rang farted and squeezed his head.

“This guy, what happened to the game? You were playing the game with me. The game connection suddenly died so I came to check on you but you were only sleeping?

“I told you. I had so many things to do in the Underground World that I never slept much.”

“When I was your age, I stay up all night for over a week.”

“Were you a super robot that was designed by the country?”

“Anybody could do it. It’s just about their mentality.”

“So I must have a weak mentality since I keep falling asleep.”

Ark pouted his lips. Gwon Hwa-rang smiled and replied.

“Anyway, we had time to meet up before Hye-sung connects to the game again. Since there is still plenty of time for me to introduce someone to you. In fact, I’ve tried to introduce them before but it was difficult since they were busy.”

“Introduction? Is this like a group blind date?”

“Don’t speak nonsense and wait a moment. You have to come.”

A ringing sound was heard as one man entered the cafe and looked around. He was a 30 year old man around 170 cm tall. Wearing a sleeveless t-shirt, baggy shorts and dragging their slippers, they looked like third rate gangsters. He surveyed the cafe before approaching Gwon Hwa-rang and flopped down beside him. Hyun-woo moved as he looked at Gwon Hwa-rang. Gwon Hwa-rang was an ex-detective. While doing that, he met and associated closely with the rehabilitation members, but there were many others that felt different. When Gwon Hwa-rang walked passed, there were many delinquents that complained. After seeing his appearance, Hyun-woo could understand their feelings. Fortunately, Gwon Hwa-rang remembered to welcome him.

“Why are you so late?”

“Aigoo, Hyung-nim. Didn’t I join hyung-nim just like you asked? Once you gave up being a detective your fate improved. Since the early evening, those young guys have been writing in that notebook, so should I call the National Police Agency to take them away?”

“Stop playing. The police will only stop the hoodlums when you aren’t able to anymore.”

“I bet the profit is better for the police.”

The company smiled and answered as they looked at Hyun-woo.

“Is that your friend?”

“Yes, ah! This is Hyun-woo. Greet him. He was a junior at an athletic university. This is Lee Myung-ryong. Before he was a detective, he was a delinquent.

“Good to see you. I’m Lee Myung-ryong. As you’ve heard, I used to be a delinquent before being a detective.

Lee Myung-ryong smiled and extended his hand. It felt like holding a stone which was to be expected since looked like a hoodlum.

“I’m Kim Hyun-woo.”

Hyun-woo shook his hand before looking at Gwon Hwa-rang. But why would he interrupt his sleep just to introduce a policeman.

“Hyun-Woo, you said that lately you’ve been constantly exercising?”

“Yes I do it for 2 hours in the morning.

“Yes, that’s why your skills are a lot more proficient in the game. But there is a limit to just exercising. Because the National Police Agency he works for is near your house, you can train at the NPA gym now.”

“Yes? But ………”

Hyun-woo said with a puzzled expression. Certainly it felt like his movements didn’t change that much these days. There was obviously a limit to exercising alone. Well, after exercising his physical strength also increased so that might be enough for an ordinary person. However, Hyun-woo applied taekwondo to the game. So he had a greedy desire to increase his skills even more. But why was it suddenly the NPA gym? Since he never heard about it in advance, Hyun-woo looked at Lee Myung-ryong with confused eyes. Lee Myung-ryong’s face tightened as he played no regard to Gwon Hwa-rang.

“It’s not a burden. At the NPA many civilians come and go just like a normal gym. There is also a guy who was once a member of the taekwondo national team. Although his nature might be dirty, you can learn taekwondo directly. Have you heard of the representative who had to step down because of violent incidents?”

“Are you going senile? How can you say something like that in front of the kids?”

“Anyway, it won’t be a problem to use the gymnasium? I’ll stop coming if anyway at the NPA gym says something.”

“Jeez, it won’t be a problem. But as your hyung-nim, you should know that the NPA gym is a lot different from your normal neighbourhood gym. It doesn’t matter what your character is or if you are a friend of hyung-nim’s, if you play around then we won’t take it lightly…….”

Lee Myung-ryong looked at Hyun-woo with doubtful eyes.

“Kukuku, you haven’t heard. Although he comes from an athletic university and looks trivial, he is a surprisingly adept pupil. In the old days, didn’t I tell you about a guy who landed a spin kick on my jaw? He is that guy.”

“Ho-oh, that friend? The one who was on the streets looking for a fight?”

“Fight? Don’t be ridiculous. Really. That was a long time ago. It was to such a degree that I would be frightened by his approach. When compared to now, it was truly a different person. It was like a cage.”

“Ah, ajusshi!”

Hyun-woo shouted angrily with a red face. It was the event where he flew at Detective Gwon Hwa-rang who made even terrorist organizations tremble and kicked his jaw! It was something he would never forget. Shortly after his father’s traffic accident, Gwon Hwa-rang had visited Hyun-woo who was wandering for a while. His mother wanted to talk to him. That was Gwon Hwa-rang’s first words. However, before he could finish the words Hyun-woo sharply turned around and kicked Gwon Hwa-rang in the jaw. Any other victim would think of a lawyer to get some compensation. Gwon Hwa-rang just turned as he stumbled. However, after a moment Gwon Hwa-rang just laughed with a pleasant expression. ………..Hyun-woo remembered it from here. After that, he fainted while being beaten into the ground and woke up in front of the intensive care unit where his mother was lying. He honestly didn’t know if the tears he shed then were tears of penance or because of the pain he was in.

‘Was that the first time since I was born that someone made me faint because of the blood thirst? Was that why I was afraid to approach?’

When Hyun-woo stared at him in dissatisfaction, Gwon Hwa-rang pretended ignorance and just looked away. Suddenly, he felt sharp eyes on him. It was Lee Myung-ryong, who was styled as a third rate delinquent.

“Ho-oh, this guy was the one who kicked hyung-nim’s chin?”

“No, it was just an accident. Ajusshi was just compliant.”

“He just received it? This guy? Is that a joke?”

Lee Myung-Ryong’s mouth lifted as he nodded.

“Okay, stand up. The gymnasium is empty so I have to see it for myself.”

“Yes? But I really……..”

“What guy would whine so much? Follow me!”

Like most delinquents, Lee Myung-ryong had a straightforward nature. Hyun-woo was eventually dragged with violence to the police gym. When he first arrived, he thought it was quite a nice gym. It was stocked with different types of exercise equipment and the changing rooms and shower facilities were also cutting edge. Hyun-Woo looked around with amazed eyes when Lee Myung-ryong spotted a locker and threw a uniform at him. Lee Myung-ryong then changed into a uniform.

“Try it on. The size should mostly fit.”

“Yes?”

“Is the child just going to come here and then leave tastelessly? If you’re a martial artist then you should join. Ah, you might be surprised but it is a prohibited matter in this gym. Even a guest can’t do it. It isn’t done. If you do then it is the death penalty! So hurry up and quickly change.”

The South Korean detective had trampled on his human rights. Therefore, Hyun-woo changed into the uniform and quickly stood up while looking at Lee Myung-ryong. Next to him, Gwon Hwa-rang was just looking from a distance away. Lee Myung-ryong scratched his chin and said.

“The NPA gym doesn’t have any rules or anything like fouls. Two people fight, and if one person is knocked out and can’t continue any more than the battle ends. If you understand…….Begin!”

Lee Myung-ryong who had narrowed the distance suddenly popped up like a ball. In a flash, his foot tried to sweep him onto the floor. Hyun-woo was frightened and quickly backed up a few steps. However, before he could get in a blow Lee Myung-ryong changed his posture and aimed for the temple. He was reflexively able to bend his upper body in order to avoid Lee Myung-ryong’s attack who quickly moved a few meters away. His movement was like a demon’s.

“Ho-oh, you are okay. It is enough to see the form, just like hyung-nim said.”

His attack failed twice but Lee Myung-ryong said it in a pleasant voice. In fact, Hyun-Woo was also amazed. Lee Myung-ryong’s kick was at a level of speed similar to a pro. Hyun-Woo who had a little bit of instruction in taekwondo couldn’t even be compared. It might have been a coincidence, but he also avoided the subsequent attack on the chin. And Hyun-woo was able to use his form to avoid the attacks twice.

‘The movements learnt in New World can also be applied to reality!’

He had no idea until this day. Ark used the evasion techniques that were useful in New World. Not only were techniques in real life passed onto the game, but the game also teaches techniques that could be used in reality! The instincts learnt in the game and reality was mixed. But in fact, it was an obvious result. In a virtual reality game, the user’s brain was used to move the characters. Although different brain waves were amplified by the computer, it was no different from the way your body moves in reality. What interested him was the fact that skills from the game could be used.

‘I thought I would get hit by Lee Myung-ryong’s attacks after I was unable to avoid the Kanggeul’s vine attacks. But I avoided the Kanggeul’s attacks on unstable ground. If the strong opponent was on a mat then it would be easier to avoid.’

Hyun-woo kicked the mats a couple of times and nodded. Anyway the sparring had begun. He had to try his best to win since it already started! Hyun-woo started do some steps while breathing clearly. Increased tempo, increased tempo, until Hyun-woo suddenly accelerated and suddenly kicked forward.

“Look at this guy. He attacked immediately without looking? Contrary to what he looks like, he’s quite good!”

Lee Myung-ryong kicked lightly while swapping between his left and right foot. But that was the movement that Hyun-woo aimed for. Hyun-woo gave a sharp cry and he rotated and stabbed forward with his feet. He felt a heavy weight passing to his toes.

‘Success!’

Hyun-woo turned as he felt an exhilarating feeling. At that moment he stumbled and his eyes widened as he looked at Lee Myung-ryong. Sweat suddenly slid down his spine. Lee Myung-ryong had stopped the foot by blocking with his thick forearm. However, that wasn’t the reason sweat was flowing. He had never been impressed by ordinary people, but something was flickering in Lee Myung-ryong’s eyes. It was difficult to express in words what the feeling was. It felt like his body was being cut by a sharp knife! Hyun-woo knew from experience. A really scary man wasn’t a man who had a muscular body. The voice also doesn’t have to be loud. Immediately……..the person had poison in his eyes. It was the eyes of a person who had chosen and experienced more violence and pandemonium in their lives. It was often present in the eyes of military personnel.

‘Dangerous!’

At the same time, a warning message popped into his head. Hyun-woo immediately retreated as he took a couple of steps back. And he didn’t move. It was the instinctive behaviour herbivores used to escape from a predator. However, Lee Myung-ryong rushed in before he could move his body into the ready position. It really was like a predator rushing forward!

“……….!”

Was it 20 years ago? It was the K-1 period where martial arts contests bloomed. However, it received criticism and soon degenerated into a spectacle but as a result the UFC greatly advanced the development of martial arts. A line of clear victory or defeat was drawn which focused less on the spirit and mind and more on a systematic and scientific method. That’s right. Martial arts greatly developed using that period as a foundation. However, that was only the technical side. They used that time period as the foundation for the development of withdrawal. Dangerous techniques were banned from mixed martial arts competitions……..in other words it was the most effective technique in practicing. However, he didn’t learn from a gym that taught those practical skills. It wasn’t easy for him to tell which techniques weren’t supposed to be used. Therefore, the martial arts appeared like the canines of a large predator. However, in modern times there weren’t many places to learn actual practical techniques left. Among them, the police SWAT team learned it directly while battling life and death during the day and the night. And Lee Myung-ryong was the head of the SWAT team! Unlike a game, Hyun-woo was experiencing taekwondo where real blood spilled. The technique was an excessive standard move. But the anomaly was that too perfect techniques came pouring out. Furthermore, each one aimed at the jugular so it felt strange that he survived the attacks! When he blocked with his arm, it felt like the bone was being hit by a hammer.

‘If it hits a vital spot then I’ll die!”

It was the bloody attack that naturally made sure that death would be associated with it. But that woke up Hyun-woo’s stubborn character.

‘If I don’t stop him then it isn’t possible to end this!’

Hyun-woo ground his teeth together and put power into his shaky legs. Strike! The opportunity for Hyun-woo to attack only came once. Hyun-woo kicked his feet and struck like a hurricane while he had the chance. And when Lee Myung-ryong began the movements to use a sidekick, he quickly moved his feet.

“Dark Dance!”

It was the footwork from the Dark Dance that he learned not too long ago. When Ark’s movement became complicated, Lee Myung-ryong showed the intention to rush forward. Meanwhile, Hyun-woo avoided Lee Myung-ryong’s attacks and sprung forward like a rubber ball. He expended all his power on a knee kick! Lee Myung-ryong’s eyes flinched. The footwork he used wasn’t present in taekwondo so he couldn’t anticipate it. However, he lived in a world where unexpected situations could become a bloody violent battlefield. Lee Myung-ryong called off the movement by stopping his body and falling towards the floor with both arms thrust out. Then his body twisted and he kicked out. Another name for it was the windmill! Lee Myung-Ryong’s heels smacked Hyun-woo’s chest. Hyun-woo was thrown to the floor.

“Heok!”

It felt like one of his ribs was cracking under the shock. Gwon Hwa-rang who was watching from the side jumped up.

“Hyun-Woo! You bastard, you’re insane!”

Like an afterthought, a look of whoops flashed on Lee Myung-ryong’s face.

“S-sorry. I unconsciously went too far…….are you alright?”

“Yes, it’s bearable.”

Hyun-woo took a deep breath and stood up. His chest hurt but the feeling was quite refreshing. Sparring……..How long has it been since he tasted this sensation? In addition, Lee Myung-ryong’s skills were a few levels above the instructors that had previously taught Hyun-woo. No, it felt much stronger than the martial artists who fought on the TV. Hyun-woo knew that such an opportunity to spar with someone so like that wasn’t common. Moreover, he would sincerely try to hurt his opponents……Hyun-woo grinned as he wiped at the sweat on his forehead.

“With you be teaching the technique for that windmill? I never saw that on TV. Let’s start again.”

“Oho, look at this guy.”

Lee Myung-ryong eagerly shook his shoulders but flinched as he saw the angry face of Gwon Hwa-rang. Then he sighed and shook his head.

“No, that’s it for today. Even if you can stand it for the moment, it will hurt quite a lot tomorrow. Grab a poultice and put it on the swollen area before leaving. And don’t forget to come to the gym when it is time to exercise, I’ll be here from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m.

“Yes? Then you’re going to directly teach me?

“Yes, so go have a shower and leave for the time being.

“Yes!”

Hyun-woo nodded and bowed before heading to the locker room with an excited expression. Lee Myung-ryong looked at Hyun-woo’s back before saying in a serious voice.

“Hyung-nim, did you say that he stopped training for 5-6 years?”

“That’s what I heard.”

“His age is twenty-two?

“Yes.”

Lee Myung-ryong laughed at Gwon Hwa-rang’s answer.

“Kkukkukkuk, he’s the real deal. Just like hyung-nim said, it may be possible.”

“When I brought him to you. I had forgotten this but his skills had become better from what I saw before he played the virtual reality game. I didn’t know if you would take him……..It was to the extent that I didn’t even know. He was raised well.”

“Leave. I will positively raise him.

Gwon Hwa-rang and Lee Myung-ryong laughed as they faced each other. There was a look of mischief in their eyes. When he exited the gym, Gwon Hwa-rang had a car waiting.

“Come in. I’ll take you.”

“My house is only a few stops away isn’t it?

“Stop talking nonsense and enter.

Gwon Hwa-rang forcefully pushed Hyun-woo into the car. The spare with Lee Myung-ryong seemed to have taken more out of him than he thought. Even if it wasn’t so, Hyun-woo who had been dragged out while sleeping because tired and slept for a moment. But when he opened his eyes at Gwon Hwa-rang’s voice, had he arrived at the wrong place?

“Ara? Where is this place?”

“Get down. Someone you know will be appearing soon.

“Yes? But what…? ”

“So I’m going.”

Hyun-Woo was left astounded as Gwon Hwa-rang drove away.

‘What on earth? Meeting someone I know?

“Eh? Hyun-Woo oppa?”

At that moment, Hyun-woo hadn’t known what to do. Suddenly, a woman stopped in front of the convenience store with an awestruck expression. It was a familiar voice……..Jung Hye-Sun.He remembered that she told him she attended night classes to get into university when they were working part time at the convenience store. Hyun-woo hadn’t known where it was, but Gwon Hwa-rang was probably aware. That was probably why he dropped Hyun-woo off and suddenly disappeared.

‘Damn, I thought it was a raccoon but instead it was a bear?’

“What are you doing here? It can’t be……..did you come to meet me?”

“Ah, well……..”

Hyun-woo scratched his head as he opened his mouth. Hyun-Woo wasn’t a bear. Even though he never said it, he didn’t want Jung Hye-sun to think that. Of course, he didn’t hate Jung Hye-sun. He just wanted their relationship to continue like siblings. However, if he told the truth in such a situation then he wasn’t a man.

“Are you hungry?” Rice…….did you want some?

Hyun-Woo opened his mouth as Jung Hye-sun looked embarrassed. But he quickly smiled and said.

“Oppa shouts?”

“The limit if 6000 won.

“8, 000 won. I know a good tonkatsu place in the neighbourhood.

“Um, okay. I’ll shout you coffee from the vending machine.”

“Hohoho. I understand. I’ll let the house branch fade instead. The road at night is beautiful and scary isn’t it?”

Jung Hye-sun used the opportunity to grab Hyun-woo’s arm. Using the element of surprise, this guy……..he felt like a woman in a movie. This may be a little bit dangerous.

ACT 9 The Evil Silrion Arena

‘Huumm, it is very vague.

Ark sighed as he messed around with a dark red key. Travelling with JusticeMan and the rehabilitation group, Roco and Sid took longer than expected. Roco took a break when she had to work at her part time job. When Roco wasn’t there, the party had to stop to set up a camp while Ark concentrated on hunting, but with Roco they could just ignore the monsters and head straight to Selebrid. The party was finally able to reach Giran on the third day. While Roco was away, Ark reported to the Giran Institute of Magic.

“Hopefully I’m not too late.”

Shannen welcomed Ark with a face that indicated he had been suffering a lot.

“Yes, did you find what was requested?”

“The Heartsoul Bead was found.”

“Ooh, is that true?”

“But there is a little problem.”

“A problem? What’s the matter?”

“The Heartsoul Bead broke so the magic is gone.”

Ark explained the situation calmly. He encountered the monsters that had been changed thanks to the beads and it broke during the fight………he didn’t tell them that through the raccoon clan’s sacrifice, Nídhöggur was sealed underneath Subarutalp. The reason was that Yggdrasil had asked him to keep it a secret to preserve the stability of the Northern Continent. Shannen blew out a sigh and looked depressed.

“…….If that was the situation then it can’t be helped.”

“I’m sorry.”

“No, it is better to control it before its influence spreads even wider. I hope you don’t mind that the Magic Institute will take care of the rest.”

Shannen shook his head in case Ark tried to reject it. He had done everything to search for the Heartsoul Bead so that there would be no political problems. The Magic Institute was worried about those ‘facts.’ Nobody knows how the Heartsoul Bead could affect the continent. In the end, the Magic Institute taking responsibility for any disaster caused by the Heartsoul Bead was avoided. However, if the Heartsoul Bead broke then it was a different matter. The Magic Institute was partly responsible for the loss thanks to improper care. But at least they could avoid any of the predictions of the disasters that would have occurred.

“We will bear responsibility for not managing the Heartsoul Bead properly. But the problem for the Magic Institute is the power that had disappeared. For the moment, we will make up an excuse for why we can’t show the bead to the royals and the other guilds……..anyway good job. My eyes were definitely correct.”

“I hope I didn’t betray your expectations.”

“Of course, rewards and achievements would follow.”

Ark was glad as Shannen continued talking. It was a linked quest that had the difficult of the quest increased to +C. When the quest was completed, he immediately gained 4 levels. The dissatisfied feeling when he didn’t receive any experience for the Complete Victory quest was quickly solved. However, Ark wasn’t satisfied with just that. First the Heartsoul Bead made him search for a group of thieves, before leading him to Kairote and then the Underground World, with a total time of one month spent on it. He didn’t go through all that trouble just to increase his level. Ark stared with greedy eyes as he waited for Shannen’s next words.

‘Maybe I can gain access to the Magic Institute’s treasure house once again.’

However, Shannen’s only reward was an old key.

The Dimensional Key of Magaro (Special)

A long time ago, the genius alchemist Magaro left this behind as his legacy. Magaro was a genius who’s rank in the world could be counted on the fingers of one hand, despite the long history of the Magic Institute. He was well known for his unique ideas and eccentricities as well as his genius. In his later years, the challenge that the genius was interested in was the organisms that lived in other dimensions. Magaro vanished while hiding the materials he kept at the Magic Institute to study. After that, no one knew his whereabouts. The fact that no one knew whether he was dead or alive was more painful. However, the key was delivered to the Magic Institute under the name of Magaro several years later.

“What is this?”

“Why, didn’t you previously tell me that you were interested in the biology of your creature?”

It was the time when he was looking for a way to end Snake’s metamorphosis. Of course, the problem was solved and Ark forgot that he had even asked the question. But it seemed like Shannen didn’t forget.

“After that, I looked for materials in the library but couldn’t find anything. Then I remembered about the key. In fact, the Magic Institute doesn’t really have a lot of information related to biodiversity. When Magaro went missing a long time ago, he took all the books related to that subject. If you seek out his laboratory then you can gain the knowledge that you wanted to know.”

“But………”

Was this a joke? He almost died and suffered to complete the +C rank difficulty quest and the only reward was information about creature biology? Ark made a dissatisfied expression and began to open his mouth.

“It is not just a book. Magaro lived in the prosperous time when magic was flourishing. Yet he was still one of the top five alchemists on the continent. In particular, he was a genius at inventing new ideas. The scrolls and magic sold at the Magic Institute were all made from ideas that he produced. Obviously there would be amazing magical knowledge piled up in his laboratory.”

Ark quickly closed his mouth. He could smell money from Shannen’s words. He had no interest in acquiring different knowledge. But if the legacy of the genius magician in his laboratory was still intact. Who knows what might be in there? With any luck, he could find new magical items or learn a new skill.

“Where is the laboratory?”

“Do you remember how I said Magaro went missing?”

Shannen shook his head and added.

“After that, the Magic Institute gathered many magicians and tried to visit the laboratory.” But after decades of finding no traces, it was abandoned. Even the key has been forgotten by now. Along with the legacy he left behind.”

“…………”

“I wasn’t the only one who decided to give you this key. It is the key to the laboratory where all of Magaro’s research was kept. Although the location hasn’t been discovered yet, it is an important asset to the Magic Institute. It wasn’t easy for my heart to give it to a foreigner.”

“What do you mean?” “At a meeting of the Magic Institute, Grand Master decided to give you the key. The Grand Master decided that if you solved the robbery case then you would be given Magaro’s key.”

Shannen was the president of the Magic Institute’s branch in Schudenberg, while it had a separate rank for the highest magicians. The chief of the Magic Institute in Bristol was a Grand Master.

“I don’t understand. I’ve never even met the Grand Master. If the key is so important then why are you giving it to me?”

“The magicians have faith in you as a person. They wouldn’t have decided to leave something like that in the hands of a trivial person otherwise. Why waste thousands of warriors searching for it when you could use just one.”

Isn’t that a separate thing? Ark did not believe those words. People should work for it themselves if they wanted something. However, in medieval times thoughts like Shannen’s were common. It was similar to when Arthur became a king after he pulled out the sword from the stone. And New World was based on the medieval times. He could understand Shannen’s rationale on a theoretical basis.Anyway, his words were like the language of a shopkeeper who would say things like ‘these clothes fit you perfectly,’ so Ark nodded his head.

“So this key will give me a clue?”

“Nobody knows. But you are already managed to do impossible things twice. You created a miracle in Jackson and managed to regain the Heartsoul Bead with just a small clue. So we judged that you would be able to handle it and entrust the key to you.”

Then Ark found himself offended from a part of Shannen’s words. Shannen ‘gave’ the key to him a while ago but now it was only ‘entrusted.’ Although the difference was small, he trusted his intuition.

“This compensation isn’t so simple is it?”

Ark asked with narrowed eyes at the smile on Shannen’s lips.

“You’re insightful as expected. That’s right, the key is the compensation for settling my request, as commissioned by the Grand Master of the Magic Institute.”

“Commission?”

“Yes, after the genius Magaro disappeared the Magic Institute lost all access to his research. It is a legacy that the Magic Institute can’t give up on. So I want to ask you to please look for the laboratory. Of course, I don’t know how difficult the work will be. No, definitely not. Although it might be hard to believe, but trust in your talent and development. Therefore, we’ll recognize your right to all the goods in the laboratory. How is it?” Will you try?”

Shannen offered him another linked quest. An alchemist was a profession that could create scrolls and various magical items. If it was a genius alchemist, then it could be assumed that there would be many items piled up in his laboratory. If the Magic Institute gave him all the rights to it………

‘It is a quest with a huge reward!’

“I understand. It might take a while but I’ll do it.”

Ark nodded and soon the quest was registered.

Genius Alchemist’s laboratory.

Shannen has told you about a genius alchemist that went missing a long time ago. He has asked you to find Magaro’s laboratory. When he disappeared a long time ago, he left no clues to his whereabouts. This is expected to be a difficult quest. However, if you manage to find the laboratory you will receive the absolute trust of the Magic Institute and receive appropriate compensation.

<Difficulty: ???> <Quest restriction: Friendship with the Magic Institute is more than 200 points>]

When he completed the Heartsoul Bead quest, his friendship with the Magic Institute went up by 100 points. When he rescued the crew of the event quest, his friendship points were raised by 50 for each crew member. Thanks to the 200 points, he received the quest for the genius alchemist’s laboratory.

‘If a friendship of 200 is needed for the quest then I’ll definitely receive compensation.’

“And that Red Man you previously spoke about.”

“Yes, did you find anything?”

Ark fixed his posture and asked again. The Red Man, an unidentified NPC who tried to use the Heartsoul Bead to revive Nídhöggur. It was probably the most important NPC for the Global Exos entrance examination……..the unknown person. However, he was unable to find any clues in the Underground World. Before leaving for Cairo, he had asked the Magic Institute about the Red Man but they had no answers.

“Even the Magic Institute’s information network couldn’t discover anything about his identity.”

‘Of course, it wouldn’t be that easy to obtain information about him.’

While Ark was disappointed, Shannen said something else.

“But the Magic Institute also wants to discover how the Red Man is connected. Although I’ve said it before, for some reason there is an ominous feeling. We’ll continue to collect information using the Magic Institute’s networks. Perhaps we will come into contact with some new information.”

He had received the Magic Institute’s promise of cooperation. And Yggdrasil even offered to use its roots that stretched throughout the continent to look for the whereabouts of the Red Man. He had a huge information network at hand.

‘When it is to this degree, my information isn’t delayed compared to other users who rely on organizations. It was even a possibility of finding the way to pass the entrance examination faster than other users.’

“While you are looking for the Red Man or Magaro’s laboratory, occasionally send me a progress report. We will set up a transfer mailbox in your name.”

-Ark has established a ‘transfer mailbox.’ It will become more comfortable to receive and send mail and items.

An unforeseen bonus was added. Ark had considered establishing a transfer mailbox. However, it was postponed because it require 50 gold to register.

‘If I had wasted money to establish it I would’ve cried.

Anyhow, just like that Ark got a new quest. Before leaving the Magic Institute, he was suddenly reminded of something and asked.

“Do you have any information about the flora and fauna that inhabit the continent?”

“We have a few materials I think. Do you need it?”

“Yes, I think it would certainly help.”

“Really? But the Magic Institute prohibits any material being taken out. All right? Therefore you can only browse or mail a copy to yourself. “Thank you.”

Ark bowed and exited the Magic Institute. He required data on flora and fauna because of the ‘Shining Slime Essence’ recipe he created in the Underground World. Therefore he had the idea to use the wide information network of the Magic Institute. Anyway after he joined his colleagues again to head to Selebrid, he couldn’t help feeling somewhat tricked. It was a laboratory that the Magic Institute had stopped searching for. And the only clue was the key. He also didn’t know what to do or where to go.

‘Damn. What the? What if he failed to find the lab after all? It would mean that completing the +C rank quest was useless because all he received was the key……..’

“Oppa, what are you doing?”

Then, Roco’s voice was heard from in front of him. Ark quickly woke up from his thoughts and made Snake eat the key and then shook his head.

“Eung? Forget about it.”

“Do you know how many times I called? Were you zoning out again?”

“No, I was just having other thoughts…….but why?”

“Didn’t you see the system window?”

“The system window?”

“We arrived at Selebrid.”

At Roco’s voice, Ark belatedly looked at the system window. The map information that was previously in the eastern area had changed to Selebrid.

“JusticeMan ajusshi and the oppas are waiting. Come quickly.”

Without even waiting for an answer, Roco pulled him by his arm. Just……after being tricked by JusticeMan, he had reluctantly been forced to have a date with Roco. She had become casual with Ark, which was why she was able to interlock their arms. But deep down, Roco’s attention didn’t feel unpleasant. He was dragged by Roco to the hills to the south where the rehabilitation group was waiting.

“Ark-nim. We’ve finally arrived. This is Selebrid.”

Sid pointed down with an overwhelmed face. Ark cried out without thinking.

“Ah……….!”

At the heart of the forest at the bottom of the hill, a huge fort city stretched out. Selebrid……..Indeed, the capital of the Schudenberg kingdom was on a different scale. Huge white walls reached a height that was 3~4 times that of a commercial city. It was neatly organized into different compartments, with the market, auction house, cathedral, guild office and various other buildings showing a colourful appearance. But above all, the beautiful streamlined shape of the city was what attracted Ark’s attention. It was at the moment that he truly felt like he arrived in the Schudenberg kingdom.

“…………We’ve finally arrived.”

It was only one week after they left Cairo.

“Everybody make sure to meet here again after 1 hour.”

The party was scattered in front of Selebrid’s gate.

“Oppa, I have to go to my part-time job. I’ll log on at 11 o’clock this evening.

“Ark-nim, I have report my merchant exclusive quest that I received in Giran.”

Roco logged out while Sid walked to the business district with a jangling noise. JusticeMan led the rehabilitation group to the tavern. The tavern was the place that multiple players used to gather information from NPCs.It was to gather more information about the thieves threatening Lorenzo.

‘I still have some time before the promise to meet Shambala. In the meantime, what should I do in Selebrid?’

In fact, Ark and Shambala had never clearly made an appointment. When Shambala left Jackson, he had one-sidedly left a note to meet at the arena. That was nearly a month ago. Yet Shambala talked about the next month. October hadn’t ended but he had arrived after 29 days. Ark had established the transfer mailbox. Then he made sure the NPC confirmed that Shambala was registered. Fortunately, Shambala was registered as a customer of this mailbox. Ark immediately sent a letter to Shambala. The content was that they would meet at the front gates of Selebrid on the afternoon of the 29th.

‘There was no reply so it is possible that he may have left for other areas……..’

Ark spent some time looking around.

-Wow, great. Look at those buildings. The people here must be freezing!

Popo exclaimed with shining eyes. He had only lived in the Underground World, so the appearance of Selebrid was an amazing sight for him. In fact, Ark was the same. Selebrid was a different area where level 50~70 players gathered compared to Giran. There were thousands of users, but there were many above level 80 and even above level 100. His eyeballs rolled back. Until now, he had been hunting around Giran so Ark couldn’t imagine seeing so many users that were level 100.

‘It isn’t easy to get past level 100.’

The region also had NPCs that sold high level items. The types and number of stores were less than Giran’s, but each sold only high level restricted items! The armour sets that could be sold at the best value in Giran were only sold at the intermediate level in Selebrid. The items on sale by the users were also at least level 80.

“Huh? That’s the shoulder!’

Ark stopped walking in front of a flea market stand. Among the armour sets, there were also pieces that could be worn on the shoulders. However, the shoulder items were still not common in New World. The NPC had insufficient awareness so the shoulder piece wasn’t treated well, and the drop rate from monsters was also atrocious. In addition, the lowest restriction on wearing it was level 80. It wasn’t even possible to see it in Giran. But there was quite a lot of high level shoulder armour gathered.

‘Leather shoulder blade. The option was quite good, with a defense of 25.’

When he saw the new equippable item, he automatically swallowed saliva.

‘The price is 300 gold. That is quite expensive but it would be a good defensive armour to have………’

But now Ark was broke. He had used all his money investing in items from Cairo, so he only had a few gold left in his wallet.

‘Well, after Sid finishes clearing out all the items then gold would come rushing in again. Until then, there is no time for shopping. It is almost time for the appointment so let’s go back to the gate.’

Ark guessed the time and returned to the gate. The gate was crowding with thousands of people coming and going. Then someone tapped his shoulder and after he turned his head, there was a user wearing a black mask.

“Hey, you’re late.”

“Shambala!”

Ark grinned widely and shouted. Fortunately, he had checked his mailbox.

“You left it until the last day of the month……..isn’t that terrible?”

“I’m sorry, I was a little busy.”

“Although you went to all that trouble, I’m afraid it might be for nothing?

“Why? Do you have other business?

“No, it’s not……..”

Shambala scratched his head.

“Actually, I’ve already signed up for another tournament.”

The reason that Ark and Shambala arranged to meet in Selebrid wasn’t simply to look or talk to each other. It was only to compete, because they wanted to see each other’s skills in front of spectators. However, Shambala had already applied for another match before he checked the mailbox.

“Another fight?”

“Yes, the fight is starting tomorrow.”

“When it is finished then we can have a drink.

“But it doesn’t finish with just one battle, it is a tournament system this time. The progress of the games would take over three days in real time. And if I cancel the tournament application then I can’t apply for another fight.”

“I can’t participate in this contest?”

“It is possible. But this fight won’t be fair.”

“Fair?”

“The game I’m participating in is 2 against 1.”

Shambala and Ark thought for a moment. The reason why Ark wanted to meet Shambala was to formally fight against him. That was also true for Shambala as well. However, Ark already found more meaning in meeting Shambala than he previously had. A proverb was handed down in martial arts. If one practices one hundred times more than they thought, then a single encounter was ten times better than that practice. It was indeed the truth. Sometimes the instructors of martial arts would teach mental training, and people would go home claiming it was a waste of time. It was all silly talk. What are martial arts? In the end, the thing being honoured was the techniques. If you looked at history for the period where martial arts were flourishing, was it the Warring States Period? But that context doesn’t fit as recently people claimed that it was the technique that beat the opponent. So he’d rather train his body and mind a thousand times than just rely on technique. A former member of the taekwondo national team and current SWAT team leader, it was at Lee Myung-ryong’s insistence that Ark master both.

…………Well, after a while he waited for the next words. Anyway, the key to building martial arts skills was practice. That was the reason Ark was looking forward to sparring with Shambala. Shambala was proficient in Kung Fu. By sparring him, he would obtain more than if he just fought ordinary monsters or users. Just a few nights ago he had received severe training from Lee Myung-ryong. It was common that if he spent one day practicing, he would have to lie down for the next few days……..it was so severe that after the first 2~3 times, Ark was frightened to visit the gym. However, suffering through such training instilled confidence in Ark. Ark had wanted to test the results though Shambala.

‘Three days…….it wasn’t a short time, but it was a special opportunity.’

Ark nodded and replied.

“I can’t complain since I was very late. Okay, I’ll wait. If we don’t take this opportunity then who knows when the next chance would be.”

“What will you do in the meantime?”

“I will probably just go hunting in this area.”

While he was thinking, Shambala opened his mouth and said something else.

“Instead of exiting the city, why don’t you try the tournament?”

“The tournament?”

“Yes, you should become familiar with the arena. Is it your first time? Contestants who are unfamiliar with the arena would tend to lose in their first exhibition match. That would make it difficult when you fight against me. If I fully explain it then it would become too long……..Now, you should come with me to look at it.

Shambala suddenly pulled Ark. After crossing the busy streets of Selebrid for 10 minutes, they finally arrived at a large amphitheatre that looked just like a roman colosseum. The field was quite popular as there were huge crowds flocked around the area. Shambala made his way through the crowd as he explained.

“This is Selebrid Arena, the evil Silrion.”

“There are quite a lot of people.”

“Naturally. In one day, dozens of fights are held on the evil Silrion stage. And every competition has prizes that you can’t get anywhere else, and sometimes the supplementary prize will give rare items. In order to get the jackpot, it depends more on your luck and skill than your hunting ability.”

It wasn’t just a simple match. The Evil Silrion arena was a speculative market that combined the odds of gambling. While the fight of user against user was unable to be manipulated, monster against user or NPC against user were ways for the spectators to make money. And just like horse racing, the dividend was determined and the prize money was given based on that. Because of odds were high, users and NPCs in the Evil Silrion arena instantly became celebrities.

“Now, it’s here. It is better than me explaining it a hundred times. The procedure is simple. Before you go out for a match, you should determine the compensation and prizes. However, each match has different rules so you should read the explanations, then after you select a tournament then you should hand in an application form to the NPC.”

Ark looked at the flyers that Shambala was pointing to. He carefully read all the rules for the Evil Silrion arena on the flyers. The first match held in the Evil Silrion was divided into two. The match ends after a single fight and among the players that won, a gambling system was used to determine the final winner of the prize. It was a single match against an NPC or PVP and those users who obtained certain qualifications could apply. However, for the PVP single match there was no prize. Of course, in addition to PK, there was also the PVP duel system. However, the duel wouldn’t be fair because it didn’t account for the level difference. On the other hand, the Evil Silrion match was a fair fight because it was subject to level restrictions. In addition, even though there is no reward for the fight, they could accumulate ‘honour’ points which could be used to appeal to various NPCs. If their honour accumulates then it would also affect their quest system. The single match was also used for pure fun and games. But the tournament that most users were excited to join was the one where NPCs participates with a large number of users. The tournament was divided into solo, pair, party and guild and prizes or rare items were given as supplementary prizes. It was the tournament that was connected to enjoyable gambling.

The 231st tournament individual match. Participation restriction: Level 70 ~ 75 Warriors. Game system: Items prohibited. Winner’s prize and Supplementary prize: 100 gold and a Glory gauntlet. Registration date: Closed competition! Currently in progress. The 147th Party Tournament. Participation restriction: Level cap of 50, limited to 10~12 people. Game system: Items prohibited and level equalized (All participates fixed at level 50). Winner’s prize and Supplementary prize: 500 gold, Rare vision (random) Registration date: Deadline imminent! On the 31st at 5 p.m.

‘Hum, it is fairly decent?’

Ark glanced at the leaflets with curiosity. Attached to the leaflet was a picture of the supplementary prize. There wasn’t a detailed explanation, but just looking at the item it could be seen that it was an item of considerable standard.

‘But since the reward is the supplementary prize, it won’t be so easy?’

The number of people who usually participated in a tournament was 100. Using the tournament system, there were at least seven chances to win. While the tournament was ranked high among most levelling systems, the winning average wasn’t high. The outcome depended on your real skills. Such a condition meant that winning over 100 people wasn’t an easy task.

‘The basic rule of the Evil Silrion. After a user applies for a match, they can’t apply for another one for 72 hours. If there wasn’t such a restriction, I would blindly apply for every match.’

“How is it? Is that a tournament that you would like to fight in?”

Shambala asked from beside him.

“Let’s see, I’m still not sure yet. I have to look around a little more.”

Ark shook his head and turned to the other flyers. Then, Ark looked at a tournament flyer that attracted his interest.

“Huh? Surely it can’t be……..?’

Ark pushed people out of the way as he ran towards the flyer.

The 186th Pairs tournament. Participation restriction: Level 100 restriction. Must be 2 people. Game system: Consumption items prohibited (However, skill relevant items are excluded). Level equalization (All participants fixed at level 100). Winner’s prize and Supplementary prize: 200 gold, Magaro’s secret map. Registration date: Deadline imminent! 6 p.m. today.

‘Magaro’s secret map!’

Ark was surprised to the extent that goose bumps rose on his body. Magaro! A few days ago he had received the <Genius Alchemist’s Laboratory> quest from the Magic Institute and wasn’t that where the name was discussed? But now that name was on a secret map……..?

‘Magaro might have written the map and indicated the location of the hidden laboratory!’ Shannen had given him the key and said that fate would guide him to the clues. Of course, those words were certainly true. Although it was a bit vague, this was a part of the common game system used in other games. In other words, specific quests are created only after clues that relate to the quest appear. There was also only one quest item made as a measure to prevent it from disappearing. Ark had also expected this quest to proceed that way. If he had the key, then he was sure to have a chance encounter with the clue. But this opportunity wasn’t perfect. In New World, it wasn’t possible to complete a quest just by relaxing and thinking that because it is a game, things would happen. They would have to devise the method and personally go look for the clue. In the end they might finally catch a clue. That would determine the success or failure of the quest. But in a place like this, he had never expected to find a clue in this way.

“What happened suddenly? Did you find a favourite supplementary prize or something? Eh? What the?”

Shambala turned to the flyer with an awestruck expression.

“You……..no way, you’re interested in that supplementary prize?”

Ark nodded. Then after looking around, Shambala pulled Ark somewhere else. Shambala stopped at an area a little bit away from the Evil Silrion and spoke in a low voice.

“What is the reason that you want that supplementary prize?”

“I cannot say anything more. Just that it has to do with a quest that I received.”

“Quest? So, you’re also associated with the genius alchemist?”

“How do you know?”

Shambala scratched his head.

“Sheesh, this is getting complicated. Okay, let’s just lay it out there.”

“Okay.”

“In fact, I got a genius alchemist related quest.”

“Where? From the NPC of the Magic Institute?”

“Magic Institute? No, I got it from a quest item.”

Shambala pulled a book out of his bag. At various points on the old book cover, someone had written ‘the Diary of Magaro.’

“After I had no contact with you the other day, I left Selebrid. The supplementary prize I desired was taken so I had no business anymore. I hunted the undead at an ancient burial site for several days and received this. At first, I thought it was a common history book but when I picked it up the status was confirmed. After using the identifying skill, this came out.”

“The information?”

“I don’t know, there were a bunch if ciphers written. I only understand this part.”

Shambala turned to the final chapter.

After a lifetime of dedicate work, the problem I’ve been studying has finally entered the last stage. I seek the infinite knowledge of the world’s secrets. Now I will open the last door of the secret.

However, these days I feel anxious. There are many moments where it feels like someone is staring at me from the darkness with eerie eyes. It is probably just superstition……..anyway, I will never abandon my research. I will also convey the secret that I found to people.

If I cannot return then this diary would be prepared. This diary contains everything that I have found. However, it is not complete. Now you will need to find another clue to figure out where the connection will be.

‘A connecting place!’

There is no doubt that it refers to Magaro’s laboratory.

“When I read this part, the <Mysterious Diary> quest was started. Magaro was a genius alchemist who wrote this, so I was thinking that the hiding place would probably be in a rare location. Therefore, while searching for information about Magaro’s hidden map in Selebrid, I took part in a few fights. Perhaps the magician’s lair on the map will contain the cipher to decipher the text in the diary.”

Shambala looked at Ark.

“I explained what I found. Now it is your turn. What is the information that you know?”

“……………I got a Magaro related quest from the Magic Institute.”

“What? The Magic Institute?”

“Yes, the information that I have fits your reasoning. I still don’t know everything yet. But I can say with certainty that the diary and map alone would not complete the quest. Snake, Magaro’s Dimensional Key!”

A long black snake spat out a key.

“This is Magaro’s dimensional key that I received from the Magic Institute. After examining the information, I can guess that all three items, the key, diary and map must be gathered to find the laboratory.

“Damn it, we must obtain the map don’t we?”

Shambala’s face contorted as he became upset. The situation had strangely twined together. But the Magaro related quest couldn’t be shared. Of course it was possible to share the items, but only one person could complete the quest and of the three items necessary, 2 were already split between Shambala and Ark. If one of the two people don’t give up, it would be impossible for both of them to complete the quest. Shambala thought for a while before peeking at him.

“I would say I’m fine with you having it... but we’re not actually that close am I right?”

“I’m sad.”

“If you make your snake eat it, then even if I kill you then I wouldn’t be able to receive it.”

“I also won’t die politely.”

Ark grinned and replied. Then Shambala nodded his head and made a suggestion for compromise.

“Okay, so it is simple. Here’s the deal, it is urgent that we get our hands on Magaro’s secret map. Because even if we quarrel among ourselves, it would be no use if it enters someone else’s hands. Do you agree? But I cannot guarantee that you would win. But if you and I join hands then it is different from talking.”

“Join hands?”

“Yes, there is still time remaining until the tournament starts. And to ensure fairness, the mechanism means that you can change partners before a match.”

“But your partner?”

“Those guys don’t need to concern you. The application deadline was running out so I just dragged some junior that I knew. However, you would have a much higher winning percentage than him. I, since then I have recognized your skills. I assure you that you can also believe in my abilities. If I pair with you, then we’ll surely be able to win.”

“Thank you.”

Shambala’s proposal was quite convincing. Ark had experience with fighting many users at the same time. However, not many users showed the same skills as Shambala. Ark too. When it was the same level, then Ark had confidence that he wouldn’t be defeated by anyone. With such a pair! Winning was a certainty.

“Okay, you and I will become a pair and win fairly……. What’s next?”

“The situation is simple. Once you obtain the secret map, you will have all you need to put the clues together. The remaining problem is that there is a clue that you and I would have to share. The simple solution is that you and I should fight.

“Then the person who wins takes everything?”

“That’s right.”

Shambala nodded with challenging eyes. Ark faced Shambala with his mouth closed. If he had received such a proposal in Jackson, it would have been difficult for him to accept. When he calmly compared it, the battle power that Shambala showed at that time was a level above Ark. However, Ark had grown a lot more confident. In addition, a few days ago he had met his master Lee Myung-ryong. Like the earth at the end of a drought, it would suck in water quickly. The same goes for Ark. After he met his teacher, his skills were only going upwards.

‘I will use the remaining time for training and only log in on the third day when the tournament starts………this is also a chance against Shambala!’

Even if the circumstances weren’t in his favour, there was no way he could reject it. As long as Shambala was holding Magaro’s diary, there was no way to obtain it other than killing him. With Andel it was a revengeful situation, but Ark didn’t want his relationship with Shambala to be like that. In addition, even if he attacked Shambala viciously then it would lead to the same thing. If so, he would rather accept the offer to team up and win fairly.

“Okay, let’s do so.”

“Great decision. Then follow me.”

Shambala and Ark headed back to the Evil Silrion. And Shambala made his junior give up and replaced it with a new member application.

“Do you want to replace the member for the 186th Pairs Tournament?”

“Yes, my name is Shambala and the replacing member is Ark.”

“Of course, Shambala has finished the qualification verification process……..now let’s check Ark.” Character Name Ark Race Human Alignment Good+250 Fame 1875 Level 123 Profession Dark Walker Title Cat Knight, Caretaker of All, Jackson’s Hero Health 2065 (+50) Mana 1930 Spiritual Power 100 Strength 274 (+15) Agility 314 (+15) Stamina 404 (+10) Wisdom 43 (+10) Intelligence 367 Luck 44 Flexibility 35 Art of Communication 33 Affection 55 (+ 10) Special stat: Knowledge of Ancient Relics 98 Equipment item effects Guardian Armour of the Merpeople: Water Attribute Resistance +100%, Penalty based on water is nullified. Cat Paws: Attack Speed +10%, Agility +15, Critical Hit +10% Raccoon’s Pith: Agility +10, Wisdom +10

• <Animal King> Set effect: Strength + 10, Agility + 10, Stamina +10, Defense +20

Improved Norad Boots: Movement speed + 15%, Evasion + 10% Adelaine’s Necklace: Def + 40, Affection + 10 Resurrecting Spirit: Strength + 5, Mana Recovery + 5%

• All abilities will increase by 40% in the dark
• You have the ability to hide in the darkness (20 minutes duration. Cancelled when you get into combat)
• Resistance Fear, Darkness, Blind, and Seduction spells is increased by 50%.* You can bring out the true abilities from all types of tools.

When Ark had exited the Underground World he was level 116, after the Heartsoul Bead quest he was level 120 and when he travelled with the rehabilitation group, he obtained an additional 3 levels and became level 123. The eligibility limit was level 100 which he passed easily.

“You’re qualification is good enough. I will immediately put in the file that a contestant was replaced. Shambala and Ark are 14th. Therefore, you will fight in the seventh battle of the tournament. The tournament date is the day after tomorrow at 11: 00 a.m. so if you are 30 minutes late to the waiting room then you will be eliminated. Any other questions?”

“No.”

“Then I wish you luck.”

Shambala and Ark left the Evil Silrion.The day after tomorrow at 11 a.m. was tomorrow morning in reality. The time was sufficient. After he explained the situation to JusticeMan’s party, he stopped by the gym before sleeping and sighed in relief.

“I have to tell Captain Lee Myung-ryong to teach me as much skills as possible.

When he returned to the gate, the party had finished their business and gathered. As soon as he saw Ark, JusticeMan shouted.

“Damn, it seems to be taking a lot longer to find the thieves than I thought.”

“Why?”

“I heard a rumour that the war near the border was finished so everyone would be returning. Thanks to that, the thieves have become too scared and are hiding. I have to look around for them for a while. While the arena is also important, our purpose is to rehabilitate these guys.”

The biggest problem for JusticeMan and the rehabilitation group was the realization of justice. Sid had also found some work to do.

“I think I have to go to Nagaran.”

“Nagaran?”

“Yes, it is the name of the border region that an uncle told me just now. After completing the merchant quest, I received information about it. All the current player guilds are flocking to that area. There is an event that is taking place there? At any rate, the price of the potions during the guild fight should skyrocket tremendously.”

Although Sid could be trivial sometimes, he also thought with a merchant’s brain. Sid’s eyes flashed with determination as he said.

“Nagaran 50%…….no, I’ll be back with a 60% profit! Ouhuhuhu, don’t miss it. When I come back, we’re all going to be rich!”

“Ooh! We’ll be anticipating it Sid!”

JusticeMan and the rehabilitation members cheered. At that time, Shambala went forward and asked Sid.

“Are you a merchant?”

“Yes, but why?”

“How many days will the trade route take?”

“Nagaran is close but because of some business, it’ll take no more than 4 days.”

“Well that’s great. Can you take this instead and write a contract?”

The thing that Shambala proposed with the content of his appointment with Ark. Ark and Shambala did not have any time to check each other’s skills in the last month. Because they had to rely on the ability of the partner in the pairs tournament, even if they beat each other in a single match, they weren’t sure the item would be given. So, a contract would be drawn up which gave a third party the item beforehand, who would give it to the winner.

“The contract details that Ark’s item would be given to Sid. And whoever wins the single match will be given the item by Sid. If one of you refuses to fight, the remaining person would automatically be the winner, Ark, do you really have to do this?”

Of course. If Shambala hadn’t said anything then Ark would have. Therefore Ark and Shambala gave Sid the quest related items. Therefore, the future of the party was decided. Sid headed down the trade route towards Nagaran, while the JusticeMan group headed south to search for the thieves. But, there were also eyes watching them from an alley.

“They are the gang who killed our members.”

“Go contact headquarters.”

A person whose face was hidden by a black hood took out a document and vanished. On his chest was a red handprint, the Dark Brother organization. Their bad relationship hadn’t ended yet. But it wasn’t only NPCs spying on the party. Several users were secretly talking about Ark and Shambala in the alley opposite to the Dark Brother’s.

“Are you certain about those guys?”

“Yes, a little while ago I definitely heard the word related to Magaro’s legacy.”

“Then they already have the rest of the clues?”

“Sheesh, are you sure these guys are connected to the clues?”

“What if?”

“Because they are also participating in the tournament, I’ll watch the situation a little bit more.”

The users said then secretly slipped away. So……..As soon as he arrived in the capital, the events surrounding Ark had begun. Of course, Ark didn’t know any of that.

“Then I’ll meet you before the tournament.”

“Manage your condition well. If you doze off while fighting.”

“Don’t worry. I am used to controlling my condition.”

Ark exited the connection after arranging the appointed time with Shambala. Then Hyun-woo who had returned from being Ark immediately left for the police gymnasium.

“Ha! I want to ask for strong training for several days?”

Lee Myung-ryong was so happy he couldn’t express it in his face so he just nodded.

“Yes, since I am off duty today than it is no bother. First, do 200 push ups, now!

The spartan style training lasted for 4 hours. Hyun-woo’s body went through such harassment that Lee Myung-ryong said.

“Kukuku, it should be like this every day. I’m creating a Superman.”

“Can’t I be satisfied with Batman?”

“If you’re a man, then it’s Superman.”

Hyun-woo felt the need to cry. However, Hyun-woo clenched his teeth and stomached it. Now it was the beginning. It was forwarded by three days then there was no time to rest. Shambala was strong. When the pairs tournament ended, there was an even stronger opponent that he had to test his skills against. Hyun-woo was starving and fainted straight away after leaving the shower. When he woke up, 8 hours had suddenly passed.

‘Huck, isn’t the tournament starting in 30 minutes?

In a hurry, Hyun-woo went to the unit and connected to New World.In reality, the game……as Hyun-woo became Ark, he heard Shambala shouting in his ear.

“Damn, why are you only coming in now? The time limit to register is tight!”

“I’m sorry. I guess I was too tired to hear the alarm. “Please be careful next time. Because there is not time, let’s go immediately.

Shambala pulled Ark as they ran towards the Evil Silrion arena. At this time, neither of them could imagine the events that would occur. And from the Evil Silrion in Selebrid to Sid who had left for Nagaran…….the event with a lot of entangled interests began to surround Ark. Ark’s eventful adventures would begin now.

Volume 6 ACT 1 Dark Wolf “Unbelievable.” Shambala said coldly as he stepped through the busy crowds. From the time he had met Shambala outside the stadium until now……..a frown had continued to crease his forehead. Annoyance was buried in his glances and voice. Because he had slept in, he was late for the time of the appointment. He had made a mistake. He had really committed a sin to die for. But he wasn’t so late that they missed the match so wasn’t it too much to keep being angry? Ark thought with pouted lips. “I know and I’m sorry. I said I was sorry.” “What are you talking about?” “Aren’t you mad that I’m late? I’ll be careful next time so let’s just stop it here.” Shambala stopped walking and stared at him. “That’s right, it would be better to be careful about what you say. After all, there is no second time. Because I will stick a knife if you do it a second time in the tournament.” It was not a joke. He had forgotten for a while, but originally he had met Shambala when he stabbed Ark in the back moments after he reconnected. After he didn’t like it, he was a user that could sneak up to someone and stab them while laughing. He had managed to become friendly with such a bloody guy. No, had they become familiar? “Yes, yes. Aren’t you certain? Please leave it alone now.” “Do you want to play?” “I understand, I don’t want to be stuck with a petulant partner who would stab me with a knife.” Ark muttered with a laugh. Shambala gave him a sharp look before breathing out a sigh. “You’re really…….well, I got it. It is better to relax before a match rather than being tense. Because this tournament might be more difficult than expected.” “Huh? More difficult?” “Like I said before, the number of people who usually participate in an Evil Silrion tournament are around 200 people. But in this tournament…….there is something weird. From what I heard, the number of people who applied is at least 5 times more. That means around 1,000 people. “1,000 people? Then even if 1 match has 2 people, that’s 500 matches?” Ark’s mouth widened. However, Shambala shook his head and said. “The number’s not that great.” “There’s only one thing that increases when there is a number of entrants.” “I guess. But although there have been a number of times when many people have showed up, they just increased the number of tournaments. If more than 100 people apply, than the tournament would be extended to 2~3 tournaments. Well, he tried to think about that. It was a tournament method where half the number was expected to fail. So if 100 people applied than the tournament would continue until there was one winner. However, if over 500 people signed up than it would be extended to more tournaments. “The problem is not the number of tournaments, but the level of the players.” Shambala emphasized in a serious voice. “In fact, I think this tournament is insignificant. Are you listening? Since the border of the Three Kingdoms was opened not too long ago, guilds have been flocking to Nagaran. Therefore the users with high odds of winning in the Evil Silrion probably belonged to guilds. Therefore, the number of participants in this tournament with mediocre skills would be low.” “Then all the players with skilled capabilities have gathered?” “That’s right, the names on the application list are names that are known by everyone. Therefore, some abstained and were probably hoping to apply for a different one, but 1,000 people still remain. Can you approximately guess what I mean?” The name of the participants in the Evil Silrion weren’t disclosed until the final registration. When the users weren’t confident in their skills, they resigned after the application list was revealed. The reason was simple. In the Evil Silrion, a system of ‘Victory Points’ existed. In other words the rank was decided by the number of victory points, just like in boxing. And of course, the higher the ranking, the more possible it was to receive suitable compensation. For example in the special tournament that had a supplementary prize, the reward was an item only sold at an exclusive store. Or there was also the right to purchase advanced game information at an affordable price…….the purpose of players coming to the Evil Silrion was to obtain those sorts of prizes. The reason Shambala originally joined the Evil Silrion was because of a job-related quest. “Therefore, your score from the tournament could fall a lot. And if you resign after the first match begins, it is considered a loss and your points will fall. But if you resign after the registration list is announced, you won’t be able to apply for another tournament but your points won’t fall. If you subtract the players who aren’t confident in their skills from the attendance list, there would only be high level players left.” “Say that again.” Ark organized Shambala’s words. “Because large guilds rushed to Nagaran, a lot of people joined the tournament hoping for huge profits. Were they thinking of saving money from this?” Shambala nodded. “But the list of top ranked players being announced still doesn’t explain where 200 people abstained. There are two reasons I can think of. The first one is that the ones who remained and are unconfident would join forces. And the second reason is……..they want the supplementary reward even at the risk of losing their points.” “That’s right.” “Is it rare for a treasure map to be given as an supplementary prize in the Evil Silrion?” Ark asked Shambala who shook his head. “That’s what I don’t understand. Treasure maps are a common supplementary prize in the Evil Silrion. And there hasn’t been anyone who received a jackpot using the treasure map, it is an unpopular prize. That’s why I don’t understand why so many people have gathered just for the supplementary prize.” An idea came to Ark after he had been folding his arms for a while. Ark had bought treasure maps several times but never found anything. Treasure maps could lead to items. But what treasure? And how many items would be in the chest? He had grown up watching a cartoon where those that sought treasure from maps found it after much difficult and death. But the moment they opened the thick treasure chest, their expectations would turn to despair. Inside the treasure chest was at most 3~4 old jars, which didn’t even sell for 3 gold at the shops. However, it was good for Ark in its own way. He knew that maps could lead to unexpectedly high items. But if the treasure map led to a ridiculously high level hunting ground and if he happened to find empty boxes at the end then there would be a lot of trouble. Even monsters level 300 could be disguised as a treasure chest, such as the time he was surprised by a mimic…….The words luck or unlucky were often used these days. Of course there was a chance of really big items being found, but the probability was too low to hang their dreams on it. So even if they found a treasure map, there was almost no one who would invest their time and intentionally go look for it. But people have gathered for the tournament where the prize was a map. “Rumours that Magaro’s map must lead to the location of wonderful treasure or information that it is a quest related item must have spread.” “That’s what I think as well.” “Yes, but it will definitely become a little troublesome.” Ark sighed and murmured. But then he shook his head and added in a decisive voice. “But nothing has changed. It doesn’t matter how many opponents there are, we’ll just have to do the same as we planned. To win, no?” “Do you have confidence?” “Are you unconfident? Do you want to quit?” Ark smiled as he glanced at Shambala. “Its good that you are being courageous while ignorant……... because it is better than a partner who is depressed from the start. And you’re right. We just have to win using whatever method possible. I won’t let them catch my ankle so easily.” “No matter what, we’ll return the favour.” The Pairs Tournament will be held shortly so please register as soon as possible. If you do not register 10 minutes before the start then you will be automatically disqualified. Let me say it once again. The tournament will be held after 5 minutes. Participants please register……….. At that time, the voice of a NPC resonated everywhere through a magic loudspeaker. “Let’s go, we still have to register.”

The front office of the management was crowded with people. In front of them was a large table showing the tournament. There was 5 minutes left until the final deadline. However, more than half was still unregistered. However once you’ve registered, your points would be slashed if you don’t win. Therefore, the people were waiting until the last minute to confirm all their rivals and determine if they should participate or not. ‘Are the people that have low quality equipment also hesitating to register?’ Ark looked at all the participants in his line of vision. Everyone met the minimum level requirement of 100. Just by skimming he could tell that some were powerful. In particular, it was the range of level of equipment they carried that made his mouth water. And it was the equipment that would play a crucial factor in the outcome. In the Evil Silrion, levels were insignificant in a fight. The reason is that the levels of all the participants are adjusted to the tournament level of 100. While it sounded like a fair rule, in fact it was quite the opposite. In the Evil Silrion, it was ‘only’ the level that was adjusted. However, it had no effect on skills and equipment. And if their skills and equipment was at the same level, then without a doubt they would be strong. Therefore, victory or defeat in the tournament was often decided by the efficiency of the skill level and the equipment. Of course, wouldn’t a user with proficient skills and better equipment have a higher rating? Between a user who had just reached level 100 and a level 200 user with a rare sword, the difference was like a bamboo sword against a real sword. In a fight, the skill difference would also be important. ‘The absolute standard inside a game is level and equipment.’ That was the absolute truth. “Sheesh, look at those pathetic figures checking out the notices……..” Shambala looked scornful before turning to Ark. “Anyway, we have never thought of resigning just because of our opponent. Let’s register and warm up before we are pushed. Because eyes would be concentrated on us when registering, please wear a mask for the time being.” “Mask?” Ark repeated incredulously. Then Shambala’s forehead wrinkled. “You, don’t tell me………didn’t prepare a mask?” “What do you mean by a mask?” “Oh my god, I never thought you would be this ignorant!” Shambala shook his head with a tired look. Ark looked around with a face that showed he didn’t understand. Come to think of it, he had a strange feeling since he entered the office. It was strange when he came in, but he didn’t pay that much attention to it. But when he listened to Shambala’s words, he figured out the identity of the mysterious feeling. Except for the authorities, everyone gathered at the office was wearing a mask. Now, Ark flinched and asked with a worried look. “Ho, is a mask needed to fight in the tournament?” “No, your appearance doesn’t matter so it is unrelated to that. But it is better to be prepared if possible. Especially in this tournament…….” Shambala scratched his head. “The rewards for the winner and supplementary prize are often mixed with rare items. There are a lot of people that would desire the item. You know what I mean? For example, there are a large number of defeated participants watching from among the spectators that would desire the items.” “Ah, I see!” Ark said with a flash. Why had he never thought about that? One of the reasons players would participate in a tournament even though it wasted time was because they desired the supplementary prize. There were thousands of items among those cases…….which might be the goal of the user. No, it’ll be the target. And an uneasy life would begin after the prize was awarded. Treasure calls for blood. It wasn’t a word that was applied in reality. “You must be really brave or ignorant……..didn’t you even think about it a little bit? The people who appear in the Evil Silrion are experts in PVP. If its 1 on 1, you might be able to hold out when they jump you. However if they are a member of a guild, there is a 100% chance that you would be jumped by a group. That is why everyone hides their face with a mask.” The brave and ignorant Ark raised an objection. “But they would know my name anyway.” “You idiot, did you think about why the list of users who registered hasn’t be shown yet? The final registration is where you make the decision to participate, but it is also the procedure to register the ring name of the contestants.” “Ring name?” “Yes, it is another name that is only used in the Evil Silrion. Understandably, why the fight starts then the crowd cannot interfere in any way. This means that there is no way to discover the information to use the scrolls or a variety of magic. So if you use a mask and a ring name, then your personal information would be thoroughly hidden. Once he had applied for the battle, he instantly disconnected so Ark didn’t understand the situation. “Unbelievable. The players who flocked to this tournament are interested in the supplementary prize……..so if you become the winner without covering your face, chaotic players would swarm like bees.” ‘That would be a problem………’ Now Ark’s face became serious. Why didn’t he think about those things? It was not simply a matter of winning the prizes. Ark did not want to attract the attention of other players by default. Wasn’t that the reason why he didn’t register new dungeons discovered in the Hall of Fame? And it wasn’t just 1~2 people, wouldn’t thousands of spectators would be crammed into the arena to watch the tournament? And they were aiming for the supplementary prize? ‘I already had trouble with my bad relationship with Andel, but if I win and receive the secret map of Magaro…….?” He could immediately imagine it. Shambala looked at the sandglass which showed the registration deadline and was annoyed. “Are you indifferent about your appearance when registering? If you show your face when fighting then your true identity would be revealed. Hell, and there is no time to go and buy a mask because you were late……..you don’t possibly have something that could cover your face do you?” “Something like that…….” Ark breathed out a sigh. Rattle rattle, an idea floated in his head. ‘Yes, if I have that then it isn’t necessary to use a mask!’ “Shambala, just wait. I’ll be right back.” “What? Are you trying to buy it now? I told you, there’s no time to go out.” “I’m not going to buy a mask. Just wait for 1 minute.” “Now, wait a minute! Hey, Ark!” Ark left the office with Shambala’s voice drifting behind him. Most of the participants were already gathered in the management office, so the hallway was quiet. After entering a deep corner, Ark looked around him. ‘Okay, no one is around?’ “Transformation!” A black aura emitted from the pith. The black paint felt like slime as it crept over Ark and covered him. -The Raccoon’s Pith’s special option ‘Transformation’ has been activated. Yes, Ark was wearing the magical helmet that he obtained from the Underground World! It was the Raccoon’s Pith that allowed him to use the special ‘transformation’ that had been a part of the raccoon clan for ages. ‘This is the first time I’ve just ‘Transformation’ since I got it………’ Nevertheless, he somehow knew how to use it. The black slime covered Ark and a new window popped up. It looked like the race, gender and appearance setup that appeared when he first connected to the game. ‘Should I make my completely different appearance look good? Anyway, the reality is that I don’t really care. But having an outrageous impression while fighting isn’t bad.’ There was no time to demonstrate an artistic sense. Ark gave a straight answer every time the menu came up and created a new character. A character that looked a little evil was created but that didn’t matter. Once he finished the setup, the black slime started to change Ark’s appearance. Ark changed and he looked at his unusual form. His face protruded out and his arms and legs were thick. He was over 30 cm taller and his hands were swollen like a balloon while his feet were as hard as rock. ‘It was made roughly, but once seen it appears plausible?’ Ark nodded in satisfaction and went back to the office. Then he entered through the door. “Huk, what, what the?” One player unintentionally forced his head backwards and tried to hide as he passed. The following people turned their heads as well. “What, what the? That man is?” “No way…….it can’t be a monster…….then that is a beast species?” “No, it must be a joke. How can there be beasts in the capital of the Schudenberg kingdom?” “Haven’t you heard about the relaxed border restrictions?” Everyone’s eyes were concentrated on one man. The person who walked through the crowd as they parted for him like the Red Sea was Ark! He was twice the height of an average person and his chest and arms were twice the normal thickness, and every time he moved it was like his muscles were rocks. It was an overwhelming presence indeed! However, people weren’t surprised because of that. His 2 metres tall muscular body was covered by black hair. But was that all? Right now, his pupils gleamed red like blood floated in it. Large fangs protruded out of his mouth as his eyes stuck out. The name that came to mind at his surprising appearance was Lycan…….also known as werewolves. However, it wasn’t possible for a monster that was a werewolf to appear in the middle of Selebrid. If so, the answer must be a beast clan. Among them, the wolf tribe was the one that the user selected. However, the Wolf tribe only started in the Sinius Principality. Therefore, users in the Schudenberg Kingdom haven’t seen anyone from the wolf clan yet. ‘Surprisingly, the mood isn’t bad?’ Normally Ark didn’t like the interest of other users. But feeling such interest when he was in disguise wasn’t bad. At the attention of thousands of players, Ark started to laugh. “Kkurururu” It was an intimidating sound that emerged from his mouth. He thought it was an attractive smile, but the people looking at it didn’t seem to think so. The faces of the users were stiff. Some female users were also avoiding his eyes. ‘Huhuhu, was my smile that powerful?’ When Ark changed appearance, the part of his brain with taste disappeared. Anyway, there was no time to be playing around. He looked around for Shambala who had also been staring at Ark with surprised eyes. Then he flinched and retreated as Ark approached. “Kkururu, did you wait long? Let’s quickly finish registering.” When he opened his mouth, a snarl naturally came out. Shambala tilted his head with a puzzled expression and asked. “Are you…..?” Shambala stuttered before he closed his mouth. Shambala was a veteran in the Evil Silrion. Even when he was confused, he didn’t reveal the original name in a place where the attention of users was concentrated on them. Ark noticed the situation and nodded. “That’s right” “Really……..you definitely have the ability to shock people. Although you only disappeared for a moment, you became this…….no, it doesn’t matter. I don’t know how you did it but I’ll hear it at a more convenient time once we finish the registration. Shambala dragged Ark to the NPC. The NPC was also surprised by Ark’s appearance as a wolf species. When a smile stretched his face, it was an expression that caused intimidation. But after Ark’s information was confirmed, a sigh of relief was released. “Uh, you have the right to participate. It doesn’t matter what form you use to participate since the entrants have freedom………but it is really unique. Yes, registration has been finished. By the way, it seems like this is your first appearance. What ring name do you want? Please note that you cannot change the ring name once it is registered in the Evil Silrion.” “Dark Wolf.” His ring name had appeared when he confirmed his final appearance. “Dark Wolf. Yes, it has been registered. And your partner……..Ah, you’re Blue Sword. “Blue sword!” At the NPC’s words, mutters broke out among the users who were watching. The disturbance spread through the crowd like a fire. “Isn’t Blue Sword the hero of that rumour?” “The powerhouse that went straight into the top 10 ranking in the individual match?” “Isn’t he the one who recorded 37 straight wins?” “Damn it, he hadn’t appeared in a tournament for a while…….” Unexpectedly, Shambala was a celebrity in the Evil Silrion. But indeed, it wasn’t that impossible. Ark also knew Shambala’s skills. In New World, there weren’t that many people who could fight Shambala in a 1 on 1 match and win. Moreover, in the Evil Silrion users competed with the rule of level equalization. It was natural that Shambala was known to the public. But when the interest in Shambala rose, the interest in Ark fell immediately. “Yes, the wolf probably isn’t that big a deal compared to his appearance.” “That’s right, because he is a trivial person compared to Blue Sword. There is no fair way of winning the pairs tournament with that.” “Then it is worth a try.” “If it was a solo match I would have no confidence but since it is a pairs one…….” The fact that he was acquaintances with Shambala made it worse. It seemed like he only accompanied him to allow Shambala to enter the tournament. Therefore those who knew his power disregarded Ark. Ark’s frown steadily deepened causing Shambala to laugh and whisper. “Are you actually listening to all this talk?” “Kkururu, I don’t care. The results will be seen soon anyway.” “That’s right. But be vigilant because the Evil Silrion tournament isn’t a game that you can be careless with.” Ark was angry at Shambala’s words. When it was a 1 on 1 PVP, Ark was confident. Shambala hadn’t seen his skills since they met up again. However, Shambala was treating him like a newbie and it offended his pride. With a hot temper, Ark opened his mouth. “Hmm, is that Blue Sword that great?” Suddenly a voice mocked from the back of the room. Shambala turned his head and flinched as he frowned. “You’re…… Jewel!” The other participants flinched at Shambala’s voice and paid attention. The two people wore a magician and archer outfit. They were also covering their faces with a mask that was carved with a five star design. People wore masks and used ring names to disguise their actual appearance, but in the tournament it was the mask and ring name that allowed participants to recognize their opponents. Although equipment items would frequently change, it was rare for a mask to be replaced. Shambala also used the shape of the pattern engraved to figure out the masked opponent’s name. Jewel laughed and nodded. “You remembered.” “There’s no way I would forget.” “I thought it was impossible when I heard the ring name Blue Sword, but it is you. Have you developed your skills while I was in a different area? Or are the other guys just pathetic?” “……….” Shambala glared silently.Then Jewel turned to look at the tournament table before talking sarcastically. “Let’s see, did you say Blue Sword and Dark Wolf? The 14th match? So you would meet us in the finals. Lucky you. Fortunately, you can become runner ups.” “Kkururu, these kids, what are they talking about?” Ark growled. Normally when someone changes shape, even the character would immediately change. But Shambala just pulled Ark’s arm and shook his head. “Dark Wolf, it isn’t necessary for you to deal with them.” Jewel laughed and nodded. “A person with experience is slightly better. They know better after having me as an opponent.” “………..Don’t think that I’m the same as before.” “Of course. But I expect to have the same fun as before. Come to the finals with your developed skills. I would be happy to step on you this time as well.” Jewel laughed before returning to his original spot. “Damn, what was that just now? The five star design. Jewel has a five star pattern drawn on his mask.” “Hell, a pioneer is participating.” “There goes my win. I’m going to postpone my registration.” The participants sighed before gradually disappearing. Ark was puzzled at the unfamiliar words and asked. “What the? Why would everyone do that? And what is the pioneer thing?” “They’re beta testers.” Shambala said. Ark also knew the words beta tester. In the past, in order to check the various systems of the online game prior to commercialization, they would pick a handful of people for the closed beta test. And New World also had a beta test before commercialization as well. A pioneer was the name of the players who participated in the test. The beta testing period for New World was two months. Of course, the raised characters of the beta testers were deleted before commercialization. It was a measure of fairness for the new users. However, they had a head start because their know-how and accumulated information couldn’t be deleted. They commercialized their exclusive information and new users couldn’t even compare to their speed of growth. “After one month, the difference between the pioneers with commercialization and the other users was a difference of more than 40 levels. And of course, they monopolized all the early quests and rare items. But most of them started gathering in higher level hunting areas………” “Have you fought with a pioneer?” Shambala replied to Ark’s question with an irritated voice. “My record for the Evil Silrion is 37 wins and 2 losses. Of my 2 losses in the Evil Silrion, the first one was to Jewel.” “Are his skills that great?” “His skills are competent but……..” Shambala sighed and shook his head. “The biggest problem is the difference in equipment. They’re the ones with the most unique items. The level of basic attack and defense is completely different. There are also a lot of special options so you don’t know which one would be used. That makes it a challenging opponent.” “These guys have suddenly reappeared? The situation has become more twisted.” Really, nothing could be easily solved. The participants had suddenly increased by several times and the pioneers unexpectedly showed up………he didn’t know what to do to make the situation better. But Shambala muttered with a motivated expression. “It has worked out well. I won’t have another weak encounter.” Shambala said it like that. Suddenly the horn rang and a broadcast was heard. -That was the deadline for the final registration. The 186th Pairs Tournament will soon commence. The determined expressions of the users waiting for the next match were seen, and there was a heavy atmosphere in the waiting room. And occasionally Ark would hear audible shouting and cries from the passageway, causing anxious eyes to flick to the wall with the tournament on the other side. Was this how athletes felt before they competed in a mixed martial arts fight? He had to just sit back and wait for the next fight even though his body was tense and sweaty. It was to the extent that he couldn’t hear it when they broadcast his ring name in the hallway. He felt a strange feeling for the first time. Actually, Ark wasn’t tense at all until the final registration. This was a game. It was just an event inside the game. That was what he thought. However when he entered the player anteroom, that immediately changed. The determined expressions of the users waiting for the next match were seen, and there was a heavy atmosphere in the waiting room. And occasionally Ark would hear audible shouting and cries from the passageway, causing anxious eyes to flick to the wall with the tournament on the other side. Was this how athletes felt before they competed in a mixed martial arts fight? He had to just sit back and wait for the next fight even though his body was tense and sweaty. It was to the extent that he couldn’t hear it when they broadcast his ring name in the hallway. “What are you doing? Come out faster!” It was only after Ark heard Shambala’s voice that he stood in surprise. He walked stiffly down the hall, with his heart pounding faster. Clink, Kkiiik! The thick steel doors soon parted to the left and right. Ark exited through the doors onto the field with determined eyes. But all he did was look around. Although he had heard the report, he couldn’t possibly imagine the real picture. His range of vision narrowed and it felt like he was in the dark. Then, all of a sudden he heard a sound like lightning striking in the sky. -Well, now it is the 7th match. This time, the players that will fight are the 13th team Justin and Dior against the 14th team Dark Wolf and Blue Sword. Ark jumped and lifted his head. There were odd objects floating over the stadium. Dozens of eyeballs were linked to a round circular object. It was a magic seeing eye that gave commentary on the game. The echoing voice rang out onto the field from a mouth below it. Please welcome and applaud the brave warriors! When the announcer’s introduction was over, the stadium was filled with loud cries. It wasn’t for him so Ark timidly took a deep breath before withdrawing to the side. “Wah ah ah!” The popularity of Shambala was unthinkable. In the Evil Silrion, most of the spectators who bet money on winning or losing would watch the tournament. They were naturally interested in the warriors with a high winning percentage, but the higher the chances of victory, the lower the profit would be. However, it is small odds so many people would bet. This meant that the players who would give profit were clear. But that wasn’t the only reason for Shambala’s popularity. Even though it was a martial arts game, the system of Evil Silrion meant that fighting depended on equipment and skills. However unlike the other users, Shambala was famous for showing powerful martial arts. Therefore, there were quite a few pure fans. They all rose from their seats and shouted at Shambala’s appearance. “Blue Sword, this time I also walked to you!” “Take care of the hottest fight!” “Blue Sword oppa, please look over here!” Even placards saying the Oppa troops were seen. On the other hand, cynical comments flowed about Ark. “Hey, Blue Sword. Did you take a dog to fight this time?” “If you cause Blue Sword difficulty then I’ll grab your ankle!” “Dark Wolf, don’t pay any attention to the nonsense shouted by the crowd.” “Eh? Uh-huh.” Ark carelessly answered but he couldn’t even understand what Shambala was talking about. The reason was that he couldn’t hear Shambala’s voice above the noise from the crowd. It was reasonable. In fact, Ark had never been in front of so many people in his whole life. In school he spent time as the cleaning supervisor and even though he learnt taekwondo, he had never gone to a match. He never even had a dream of making announcements in front of other people. Therefore, he was surprisingly timid in the corner. Then Ark was suddenly dropped into the stadium where thousands of spectators gathered. Thanks to that, Ark felt a sense of tension so extreme it was almost like a panic attack. Ark hadn’t even been aware of his weakness and now he was here. During the event quest he had only led dozens of users while he commanded hundreds of raccoons in the Underground World. But most of them were NPCs, while the spectators were mainly users. Even if the appearance was similar, the difference was huge. ‘It’s terrible.’ But since Shambala didn’t know that, an exclamation rose in his heart. ‘He’s changed into someone who acts like a Korean War veteran. And he doesn’t seem to hear my voice or the audience anymore. Is he concentrating to such a degree?’ Although he thought Ark was just concerned and nervous about his surroundings, the actual situation was different to what was in Shambala’s head. Because Shambala never even considered that Ark would have a panic attack. Meanwhile, the forms of two users were shown from the other side exit. Justin and Dior. Justin was a warrior armed in steel armour while Dior was a magician with a robe. They were a group that was quite strong in the Evil Silrion, so they also received many cheers. -Okay, now we will draw the lots! Soon the eyes of the circular object rolled round and round. And after a while, the pupils all changed to green. -The swamp has been selected for this match in the tournament! Then let’s begin! Ku-Kung! At the same time, there was a roaring sound and the tournament changed to a completely different world. Green plants started forming while the swamp reached their ankles. How had the entire stadium managed to be replaced? Well, he didn’t even want to know. After all, it was a dynamic game in progress so strategies that planned for different terrains must be necessary. It was an interesting system, and it quickly released Ark from his mental state. “What, what the? Where are we?” Ark scratched his head and looked around surprised. He didn’t understand why he was surrounded by lush forests with his ankle locked in a swamp. At that time, the voice of the magician was heard from the other side. “Chain of delusion!” Kkieeeeek! There was an unearthly sound effect as a ghostly object flew off. The attack by the magician started the active fight commentary. -The magician has used a long-ranged magic as a pre-emptive attack. When hit by the chain of delusion, they won’t be able to move for a while. It is just a few seconds, but that could be deadly in a fighting tournament. But because it is a slow attack, the chances that it would hit are low. It is some kind of warning shot? “Hung, the shape shown isn’t that creative?” Shambala laughed and quickly moved his body. The repeated movements were so light that it looked like he was warping. This was due to Shambala’s evasion skill Blink! Shambala used the movement to avoid the magic attack while taking out his weapon. A blue aura was ejected from the dagger, which was the Saint Assassin profession weapon ‘Black Frost Blade’ that Ark previously had. Incidentally, Shambala had gotten the ring name Blue Sword from his dagger. Shambala’s mouth had the same cold smile as the dagger. “Huhuhu, trying to take care of us with such low grade magic……..eeek?” The smile disappeared from Shambala’s mouth. While he had avoided the attack, Ark was struggling against the chains of delusion wrapped around him. “No, no-way that guy…….” It was then that Shambala noticed Ark’s condition. However, it was already too late. When Ark hadn’t expected a magic attack, Dior was delighted and called out a long order. “It took! Well that guy was just a scarecrow. The cursed soul that was abandoned in a deep, dark place, come out and let your fury curse everything in your path!” “That order…….Dior is a necromancer? Shambala urgently ran up to Dior. However it was a pairs match and Justin, Dior’s partner, wasn’t just watching. Justin immediately raised his shield and rushed Shambala. With an intense clash, Shambala was pushed back a few steps. Shambala’s face was contorted with frustration. ‘Hell! This child is strangely huge………the warrior was doping!’ A warrior could dope themselves with a potion that would raise their stats. During this tournament, there was a rule that consumption items were prohibited. However, there was one blind spot. During the match you couldn’t use a consumption potion but it was possible to use it before the match! Justin had drugged himself with a huge amount just before the game started. He raised his stamina by 20% using the ‘Troll Elixir,’ his strength by 15 using ‘Lion Power,’ his attack and defense was raised by 30 thanks to ‘Troll Leap,’ for 5 minutes his health was restored by 10 every 20 seconds thanks to the ‘Holy water of revival’……..if he was in the Olympics then he would be immediately disqualified for taking drugs. Thanks to such drugs, Justin’s arena level of 100 was raised to around level 130~140.Indeed, the drug’s power was awesome. Every time Justin wielded his sword, Shambala was pushed back a few metres. Meanwhile, Dior’s spell was completed. “Possession of Bing! At the moment, a huge ghost hit Ark’s form. His body stiffened before a message window popped up. -You were hit with ‘Possession of Bing.’ <For 3 minutes you will move according to the caster’s will> Ark tried to struggle against the flashing spirit. However, it was already too late and the voice of the magic eye was heard. -Ah, the Necromancer’s skill Possession of Bing was completed! It is a magic that is hardly ever used these days. Because it was used in combination with Chains of Delusion, it couldn’t be avoided. In the end, the Dark Wolf player is holding back Blue Sword just like everyone expected. Pathetic! “You black dog child, Blue Sword is losing because of you!” The crowd erupted with swearing. However, in this situation it wasn’t even possible to call 100. Under the Possession of Bing, Ark’s body moved selfishly. He started to attack Shambala under Dior’s control, just like a puppet. Thanks to the necromancer, Ark and the doped warrior, the fight had become 3 against 1. Shambala’s health decreased as he was attacks by swords and magic from all directions. “This stupid child!” “I’m sorry.” “You’re saying sorry while trying to cut me? Shambala avoided Ark’s attack and started attacking again. He had felt like hiding inside a deep rat hole. However the situation wasn’t that bad. While his body was being moved around selfishly, Ark was able to not pay any attention and organize the surrounding circumstances. “Shambala, hold on a little. I’ll somehow make up for Bing’s possession.” “Bah, OK. This has to be seen to be believed, Width! Shambala kicked the ground forcefully. At the moment, the muddy water of swamp flew up and obstructed the view. Shambala used Blink successively to gain some distance. While Ark was possessed by Bing, he gave up on attacking from the beginning and only concentrated on reducing the damage. However, even Shambala couldn’t avoid everything and his health was reduced to 40% by the time Bing’s possession finished. “Have you finished being stupid?” “I’m sorry. My spirit is steady now. “I don’t want any of those thousand people to get the share of the prize.” “That’s right.” Ark glared at Dior while wiping his face of the mud that was covering it. His anger had been firmly pushed down during the 3 minutes and now it bubbled over.

ACT 2 Brilliant Debut “Now I’m going to enjoy myself!” “Do you think we look like beginners child? Chain of delusion!” At that moment, Ark’s eyes lit up. Then he used Riposte! He sent the Chain of Delusion back with a violent noise. “Ma-the magic bounced off the sword?” Dior freaked out and hurriedly stepped back. However, Ark’s movement was several times faster. Ark simultaneously threw his body forward and kicked Dior in the chest. Dior stumbled and requested help from his partner. “Ju-Justin!” “Ah, I can’t. This Blue Sword guy……is incredibly strong! In a 1 on 1 situation, Shambala was too much to deal with even when the warrior was doped with drugs. Then Dior bit his tooth and pulled something out from his bag. “Hell, I can’t believe I have to use this in the first match……..” Dior held up dozens of canine teeth. He sprinkled the fangs on the floor and twenty skeleton bodies rose armed with a sword and shield or a bow. The magic eye shouted with an intense voice. -Oh, the Necromancer has used his special racial skill. If he gathers the canine teeth of the skeletons through hunting, then the technique would allow him to summon them. Surprisingly, he summoned twenty of them! If I have to give an additional explanation, the pairs tournament doesn’t allow the use of consumption items but any skill related items are the exception. While the Dark Wolf player showed some nice movement before, it probably isn’t easy to take care of that many in a swamp. Perhaps he might need the help of his colleague? However, Shambala just continued attacking Justin without even turning his head. The magic eye murmured with a sigh.

-Ah, Blue Sword player. Even though partners can have some differences. Don’t you think such behaviour isn’t good for a pairs tournament? Anyway, the Dark Wolf player is in a crisis!

Dior also seemed to have the same idea as a light of mockery hovered around his mouth. “Heh, you’ve been abandoned.” “Really? Who is the one that is thrown away?” “Let’s end it instantly. Skeleton unit. Attack!” The skeleton archers fired arrows. “Summon Deimos!” Deimos showed up in front of Ark and shielded him. The magic eye shouted with a surprised voice. -This is unexpected. This time, Blue Sword seems to have teamed up with a warrior who can summon. Ah………But what is it? Is it a rag? He seems shabby compared to the skeletons that Dior has summoned. And in the end, it is only one skeleton. Is this a joke? It somehow seems like a final desperate struggle However, it soon became ironic as the match immediately changed. Deimos was a skeleton with a really shabby exterior. But Deimos crushed all the arrows like he was a shield so all 10 arrows were stopped. He then ran up to five skeletons and engaged in close combat. In general summoning, the summoned monster would have 60% of the player’s level. But when summoning a unit like this, they only had 30%. In other words, Dior was level 100 so his summoned skeletons were only level 30~40 at most. However, Deimos was different from the normal summons. His stats rose on their own without paying any attention to the level of the summoner. After Deimos fused with Warwick, at present he was level 70! Moreover, Ark’s technique was different from Dior’s disposable summons and battle experience was accumulated. Double bang, Snap, Crunch! The arms of the skeletons broke under Ark’s and Deimos’ onslaught. “Okay, Deimos. It isn’t necessary to pay any attention to the skeletons anymore. Now……..” Then Deimos’ eye colour changed. He scanned the bodies of the skeletons and examined them with his eyes. The skeletons suddenly winced with an unknown anxiety. At that moment, Deimos suddenly rushed at the tooth. And he caught a bone from one of the skeletons who struggled before it was broken off. However, he didn’t stop there and grabbed other parts of the body and broke them off. The skeleton soon changed into a pile of bones. Clack clack clack! Deimos turned his head with a dissatisfied look. Jump, the remaining skeletons were surprised and fled in different directions. From then on, Deimos started to chase them without listening to Ark’s command. It had triggered Deimos’ hobby of collecting bones. ‘That guy again…….!’ Ark sighed. This was not the first time. There were many times when Deimos was engrossed in his hobby of collecting bones. Once he found a monster with a favourite bone, he would continue to chase that monster until he got the bone in his hand. Well, in any case his stats were likely to go up because of the bones and Ark had never encountered a crisis because of it. The fact that he wouldn’t follow the strategy wasn’t the only problem. Sometimes he would just rush head first at the enemy without listening to Ark. ‘The master should also be able to control his summons…….’ But he didn’t know what he could summon as a replacement. ‘Well, it doesn’t matter if all the skeletons leave the battle state.’ Ark looked at Deimos who was still stupidly chasing after the skeletons. Then Dior’s voice was heard from the opposite side. “I don’t understand how you can even summon a pet that doesn’t even listen to its master’s words. Okay, now is a chance. While a skeleton lures his summon, concentrate all your attacks on him!” The skeleton archers simultaneously fired arrows at Ark. -Oh, the skeleton archers are concentrating their attacks on Dark Wolf player. Even though he summoned a pet, it is pitiable that it is doing its own thing. Dark Wolf player is going to become a porcupine…….eh? The announcer made a funny noise and held its breath. Depending on the level the speed, accuracy and power of an arrow would change. The arrows from the level 30~40 skeletons were nothing to Ark who had practice dealing with the thieves’ arrows at later levels. Ark lowered his body and grabbed his sword. He was gambling on his counter attack chain skill, Riposte! Arrows that flew within five feet of him was quickly bounced off. Ark reflected the arrows back and they flew back towards Dior. “S-stop! Stop him!” Dior burst out in surprise. The fifteen skeletons left took out a dagger and surrounded Ark. ‘If I use Dark Dance then I can quickly escape and land a critical hit on Dior…….’ Ignoring the number of summons and making a concentrated attack on the necromancer. That was the basic tactic when dealing with a necromancer. Yes, some necromancers who summoned had no techniques to fight without their pets. He would rather take the risk and get rid of the necromancer with weak defense. However, Ark shook his head. ‘I was mistaken. This place is different from the other places that I have fought at so far. Here I am just a beginner. Therefore, like a beginner I should learn how to fight here. If I want a positive outcome for this tournament, I must adapt to the situation.’ His first task was to adapt to the atmosphere of the Evil Silrion. The skeletons were the best opponents to practice against. Ark quickly looked around and examined the situation of the match. Deimos had finished examining four skeletons and was on his fifth one. Although his hobby of collecting bones was strange, he didn’t require any help. It also wasn’t necessary to worry about Shambala. Although his health was only 40% due to the earlier damage, if he only compared the skill set than Justin was not an opponent for Shambala. Besides, as the match time became longer, the effects of Justin’s potions gradually wore off which increased the pace of Shambala’s attacks. “As expected from the Blue Sword!” Every time the flashy offensive of Shambala hit, the crowd would give an exclamation. Now the only thing left was Ark! “Now, come!” Ark’s eyes gleamed as the skeleton’s left hands rose. Then like a canine tooth, the dagger targeted his neck.

-Ah, Dark Wolf seems to be facing off against fifteen summoned skeletons alone without the help of his summon. Is he insane? That wasn’t it. Did he become overconfident because he hit some arrows? If Dark Wolf loses here, then the balance of the match would collapse and it would become difficult for Blue Sword again.

‘It is your mistake that you summoned skeletons.’ The magic eye’s condemnation was followed by the crowd’s boos. But Ark had already ducked to the ground to avoid the dagger. He did a 360 degree sweep with his leg, causing the skeletons to fall to the ground. The sparkle of his sword shone and three or four skeletons lost their heads immediately. Ark knew the reason why Dior chose a skeleton unit. In PVP, a necromancer feared close combat the most. Most magicians hated close combat but it was even worse for a necromancer. They summoned troops in a unit because they had the worst defense among all the professions. Therefore they summoned troops as soon as the battle begins to be used as a shield. In particular, they preferred to summon a small number of skeletons. When skeletons are summoned, they have abundant numbers and they won’t die even if their arms and legs are broken. Even if they only have 1% of health left, their health could be recovered using the other skeletons. Their recovery ability is the necromancer’s strongest shield. However, the weak point of the skeleton unit was their balance. When a skeleton is smashed in the skull, they become paralyzed. While the strong points were its damage and re-assembly ability, it also had a fatal weakness. Of course, it wasn’t simple to crush the skull was receiving dozens of attacks. But Ark was the opponent. He had practiced dodging dozens of tentacles and learnt how to deal with aggressive monsters. Moreover, it was the skeleton that he was sick of dealing with in the underground labyrinth. Destroying level 30~40 skeletons was as simple as using taekwondo against a child. Ark dropped a skeleton to the ground using a kick and concentrated his attacks on that skeleton. “Pant, S-summon recovery!” Dior frantically used recovery magic. But even when the skeleton’s health was restored, its skull would just be crushed again and it was unable to fight. Snap! In just a few minutes, Ark broke the last skeleton’s skull. “This, unbelievable…….Chain of Delusion!” Dior shouted with his hands stretched out. But in the end nothing came out of his palm. After summoning the skeletons and recovering their health, he had no more mana left. A magician without mana wasn’t so tough. “Kkurururu” Ark literally laughed like an animal. A vortex spun around as he kicked out his feet. Dior instantly lost 50% of his health. “Ju-Justin!” ”Sheesh, I was trying to save this…….Berserker mode!” When his partner was at risk, Justin immediately triggered his deadly skill. It was his racial special skill, Berserker mode! It recovered 30% of his health and was a morale skill which increased his offense and defense by 50% for 5 minutes. After the 5 minutes ended, he would be unable to move so it wasn’t a skill that was often used. However in a tournament, 5 minutes was often enough time to obtain a decisive outcome. That is because the odds were high for warriors in the Evil Silrion. “Pikyo!” Justin swung his sword against Shambala’s and pushed him back. At this time, Shambala’s health was almost at the bottom. The overwhelming damage he received in the beginning was too large. Because he couldn’t face the 50% increased attack power of Justin, he gave way. -Atch, Blue Sword player, Justin has used the decisive moment to take out the better player. Then Dark Wolf player who is driving back Dior with receive the thrust of Justin’s attack in the side. After that slump in the first few minutes, Dark Wolf player is again in a crisis. It is indeed a crisis! While Shambala was there, Ark never had to think about Justin. In fact, Ark also didn’t have that much health left. Even though his level was superior, fighting against fifteen skeletons wasn’t easy. In addition, Dior’s attitude had changed to attack. If he receives an attack from the side, the centre would collapse and he would fall into a rigid state for a while. ‘If I receive the concentrated attacks of Dior and Justin continuously then it would be dangerous!’ Ark’s head thought at a frantic pace. Fortunately, the spiritual power that he used to summon Deimos was at 100% again. He could summon Dedric and have him use Dark Dash to avoid Justin’s attacks. But Ark soon shook his head. He was reluctant to summon Dedric. ‘Then……..’ “Release summon, summon Deimos!” At that moment, Deimos who was piling up bones disappeared. And returned next to Ark. Deimos looked around with a confused face and discovered Justin who was rushing to attack. His eyes grew wider as he became stuck in the swamp. ‘Bah, Master doesn’t let me enjoy my hobby.’ “What, what the?” Justin was confused as he unexpectedly crashed into Deimos. Justin had raised his sword too late and Ark was already gone. Ark was floating in the air. Ark’s body jumped vertically into the air before it stopped and started spinning suddenly. It was an aerial spin kick which caused bursts of air. Justin was surprised and lifted his shield. But no matter how long he waiting, there was no shock wave on his shield. “Eh? What, what the?” Justin followed Ark’s movements with a foolish expression. Although he thought it was flying to the side, Ark’s leg suddenly soared up. “A fake?” Yes, the spin kick in the air was a trick. The real attack was when he fell down and did a windmill! Snap! His foot kicked out and hit Justin’s forehead. It was a windmill kick with all his weight put behind it. And Ark used his Sword-Hand combat to increase the probability of the attack hitting since it was a technique with a high level of difficulty. Justin was stunned by the attack and fell to his knees. Double critical chance! “Dark blade!” Ark used Dark Blade without any delay. Dark Blade which ignored the defense was a natural enemy of warriors which relied on high defense. As soon as damage from the double critical chance was added, Justin collapsed head first into the swamp and died from the critical hit. The inside of the stadium was as quiet as a dead mouse for a moment. It was like watching a martial arts competition, where the opponent was overwhelmed with hard kicks. After a while, the magic eye frantically made a noise. -Wh-what was that? That was a form of martial arts from a foreigner! Incredible! I thought Dark Wolf player was a summoner but he was instead a martial artist. Then why did he summon the trivial skeleton? Ah, something like that doesn’t matter. Anyway, it has become clear that Dark Wolf is not Blue Sword’s sidekick! “Un-unbelievable!” At that time, Dior rushed to Ark with the remaining skeleton. At that moment Ark turned his body and there was an intense ringing sound. “Blink, Light wave!” Instantaneously, Shambala flew across the swamp towards Dior. When the mud which flew up into the sky fell down again, Shambala had already stabbed his dagger into Dior. When Dior collapsed, the skeletons turned into a powder. Shambala wiped off the mud with a shrug. “I only did that so you could play an active part.” “Wily guy.” A wry smile spread over Ark’s mouth. It was then that Ark understood the whole situation. It was Shambala’s plan from the beginning. Even when Justin was doped with the drugs, he could’ve handled him faster. However, Shambala took his time. Then he also didn’t stop Justin’s final assault on purpose. Whether it was to make Ark adapt to the match or a test of his skills, Ark didn’t know…….But from the beginning, the fight had progressed as Shambala intended. Indeed, he couldn’t underestimate his 37 winning streak in the arena. Extravagant cheers continuously overflowed from the spectator seats. Unlike the first time, half the cheers were for Ark. -Thus ends the 7th match in the tournament! The 14th team is the winner! It is Blue Sword with the reputation of 28 straight wins and his partner! In his debut match, Dark Wolf appeared like a comet and showed some surprising skills! Please clap your hands for the glorious winners! “Wah ah ah!” “Dark Wolf, why did you wander in the beginning when you’re so good?” “Blue Sword, Dark Wolf! The best. I lost money but you made some fans today!” “Dark Wolf oppa, his fang is awesome!” He also received a thunderous ovation. Clack clack clack! Clack clack clack! Deimos had finally managed to heave himself up from the ground. Had he remembered a memory from his former life? He unexpectedly liked the showmanship. Ark cancelled the summoning and Deimos returned to the Netherworld. ‘After evolving, his character has become a little strange……..’ When they returned to the waiting room, the management NPC approached. “Congratulations to both of you. Since the number of participants had increased, your next match is expected to take place the day after tomorrow. You can relax for now.” Suddenly a message window appeared in front of Ark. You have won the first fight in the Evil Silrion. Currently record: 1 win <Victory bonus: Fame +10>

“Kuo oooo!” The Deadman yelled and brandished a window. The Deadman was similar to undead monsters such as zombies, but unlike zombies they managed to keep their armour and weapons intact so they were equipped with much higher stats. Well, they were still no match for Ark. The level of Deadman was 100. At that level, it already wasn’t a match. In addition, his experience from the Evil Silrion was already in effect. After the degree and complexity of a user’s movements, the movement of Deadman felt monotonous and slow. Ark avoided the window with flew at him and swung his sword. The Deadman who received the concentrated attack disappeared into a powder. And after the last one died, a heavy object bounced onto the ground.

Warrior’s Transcripts Item type: Leather Shoulder Blades Defense power: 15 Durability: 13/50 Weight: 20 User restriction: Level 80 or more

The Forest of Souls is an area with a big war took place during the Dark Century. Numerous warriors who fought against the darkness were buried here with their armour. Hundreds of years have passed since then and most of the armour is already gone, but sometimes armour with magical powers could be found. These armours add a special power to the monsters that inhabit the Forest of Souls. <Option: Strength +3>

Ark’s eyes lit up at the sight of the information window. Three days had already passed since his flash debut match in the Evil Silrion arena. The fact that it was a different world was all the same to Ark. The participants that Hyun-woo met were chaotic players of different levels. Unlike the chaotic players who targeted low level players to decrease their burden, these ones focused on raising their skill level and equipment. In addition, the specialized fields and hands on experience in the Evil Silrion were better than being chaotic. Those users were thoroughly prepared and not really creative. Of course, he learnt a lot from the quality of the battles. But the problem was that he couldn’t earn a substantial income from it. Usually he would’ve already entered the final match after three days of game time. However, this time the number of participants was unprecedented so the schedule of the tournament was extended by several times. Even if the number of matches increased, at the most it only had one match per day. 1 day was barely 3 hours in reality. Even if it was possible to finish all the matches at that pace, it was still more than 8 hours in reality. And he didn’t know how long it would take for the other games, so if the time was accelerated suddenly then he might have to play a match that wasn’t in the schedule. Therefore, they couldn’t go away while the tournament was in progress. Therefore most of the participants had no choice but to wait around. However, that was no problem for Ark. ‘Yes! Shoulder Blades, finally! There was at least 8 hours every night when the Evil Silrion would close its doors. If the fight ended quickly and another match scheduled then there would be an announcement at least 1 hour before. Even if he went hunting, as long as it was within a distance of 1 hour from Selebrid then it didn’t matter. Of course, when the schedule suddenly changed and he was in the hunting ground then there was no way to receive a notification. However, that was only for ordinary users. “From today, you will live here. And fly swiftly to alert me if anything happens.” “What? Are you asking me to sit here all day like a rock and listen to them talk?” “If you ever doze off and delay trying to contact me………you wouldn’t be able to speak with all the dreadful things shoved in your mouth. I’ll leave it to your imagination.” After Ark used intimidation, Dedric was left behind at the Evil Silrion. Dedric complained of course but followed his orders without any resistance. As soon as Ark showed him a medley he created, Dedric quickly nodded with a haggard face. When the distance was within 1 hour, even if the schedule changed then Ark could hunt to his heart’s content. ‘Now, since I can’t go too far from Selebrid then shouldn’t I find the most efficient hunting ground? I need to find a hunting ground with decent experience and income but…….’ Shambala easily solved the problem. Shambala had been in Selebrid for a while and already discovered all the information about the surrounding hunting grounds. Shambala was glad that Ark was taking advantage of the free time to do some hunting. But he was worried about any changes to the tournament schedule. However, with the promise that Dedric would be stationed at the bulletin board, he told Ark all the information about the nearby hunting grounds. “At any rate, you’re also a guy who can’t stand still. When I was in trouble in a difficult place and got lost, I found a suitable hunting ground. If you find any items that could be helpful in the tournament then that would be convenient.” The place Shambala recommended was the Forest of Souls. There were two reasons why Shambala recommended it. One reason was that it was only 30 minutes away from Selebrid. With a 1 hour round trip, he didn’t have to worry about being late to the game. And the second reason was……… “You still haven’t equipped any bracelets or shoulder blades?” “Bracelet? Shoulder blades?” “Selebrid is a kind of boundary spot. The bracelets and shoulder blades that aren’t dropped in Giran start to show up. Even if it was dropped in Giran, the level has to be at least 80 so it is insignificant……..anyway, since bracelets and shoulder blades have a defense stat, they should be useful in the tournament.” “I can find it in the nearby hunting grounds?” “You usually have to go a few hours away to the burial mound area, but I know that the Forest of Souls happens to drop some. Quite a lot of people have obtained bracelets and shoulder blades from the Deadman mob. But it is no joke as the drop rate is quite low.” Shambala said that he should try though. He probably thought that Ark would try for a few hours and then give up. After all, it normally took a few hours killing the same monster for an item with low drop rate to fall. Even if the information about the monster was known, it wasn’t easy to find a good item. But Shambala didn’t know Ark properly. ‘New equipment item!’ Except for when there was a match, Ark lived in the Forest of Souls. And when he saw a Deadman, he desperately rushed up to it even though he was fighting other monsters. However, the most that the Deadman dropped was a few loot worth several silvers. The drop rate was so low that most would have considered stopping. Ark started to have doubts by the time that he hunted hundreds of them. ‘Are the bracelets or shoulder blades really going to drop?’ Even though the information was authentic, he would rather shift to a higher level hunting ground to obtain more experience and better loot. But Ark soon shook his head. ‘No, it is a war of patience trying to find a useable item from a normal monster. Since others held on, I cannot give up until I get the same results as them. I have to hang in longer than others in order to get good items! Until luck follows then I have to hold on!’ Since then, Ark attacked the Deadman even more relentlessly. While he went back and forth between Selebrid, two days had passed and finally a desired item had dropped.

Amulet of Vitality (Magic) Item type: Bracelet Durability: 15/20 Weight: 10 User restriction: Level 80 or more

An old bracelet that was buried in the Forest of Souls.After a long time, it is ragged and doesn’t shine anymore but its magical powers still remain. <Option: Health +50> <Special Option: Vitality (Health recovers by 5 every 20 seconds)>

It was the item obtained after hunting nearly a thousand of the Deadman for 2 days. Well, when looking at the stats it wasn’t that great. Health +50. Ark’s current health was 2000. If a high level monster hit him, it would do more than 50 damage. In such a situation, he didn’t know if 50 extra health was significant. But of course it was better to have it then to have nothing. In addition, the special options meant that a small but steady amount of his health would be continuously restored! ‘A bracelet!’ ‘Two bracelets can be equipped at the same time. If I find another Amulet of Vitality that would mean +100 health and 10 health points being restored every 20 seconds! It is the jackpot!’ He wasn’t about to give up half way so Ark clung even more frantically to the hunt. Sometimes online gaming was strange. Items had a probability rate of dropping. Sometimes, the item would not drop even if you died and came back and sometimes they would drop straight away. He spent one more day hunting in the Forest of Souls before he found the shoulder blades. ‘Defense 15 and Strength 3……..the defense is on the low side, but the option is useable for beginners. It is trivial compared to the items being sold in Selebrid, but instead of spending 300 gold for slightly higher stats, this is the far better option. And better shoulder blades might drop in the future.’ Ark gave a warm smile and began to wear the shoulder blades. Halfway to his shoulder, he saw that it was rotting with a bad odour. If he was a user that paid attention to what he looked like, his face would have contorted but since he only cared about the added defense, Ark was happy and smiled. ‘I don’t care about my appearance. The important thing is the stats!’ Ark’s only value was usefulness. Ark attached the shoulder blades and checked out the stat window.

Character Name Ark Race Human Alignment Good +250 Fame 1965 Level 125 Profession Dark Walker Title Cat Knight, Caretaker of All, Jackson’s Hero Health 2115 (+100) Mana 1930 Spiritual Power 100 Strength 274 (+18) Agility 324(+25) Stamina 414 (+10) Wisdom 43(+10) Intelligence 367 Luck 44 Flexibility 39 Art of Communication 33 Affection 77 (+10) Special stat: Knowledge of Ancient Relics 98

• Equipment item effects

Guardian Armour of the Merpeople: Water Attribute Resistance +100%, Penalty based on water is nullified. Cat Paws (Gloves): Attack Speed +10%, Agility +15, Critical Hit +10% Raccoons Pith (Helmet): Agility + 10, Wisdom + 10

• <Animal King> Set effect: Strength + 10, Agility + 10, Stamina +10, Defense +20

Warrior’s Transcripts (Shoulder Blades): Strength + 3 Improved Norad Boots (Shoes): Movement Speed + 15%, Evasion + 10% Veil of Fire (Mantle): Flame resistance + 50% Adelaine’s Necklace (Necklace): Defense + 40, Affection +10, ‘Blessing of the Sea’ available Resurrecting Spirit (Ring): Strength + 5, Mana recovery + 5%

• All abilities will increase by 40% in the dark
• You have the ability to hide in the darkness (20 minutes duration. Cancelled when you get into combat)
• Resistance Fear, Darkness, Blind, and Seduction spells is increased by 50%.
• You can bring out the true abilities from all types of tools.

Level 125. He had increased his level by 2 after hunting in the Forest of Souls for 3 days. It was quite good since he had to play in the matches as well as sometimes hunting. The experience for the Deadman was low but he hunted quite a lot of them. In addition, the monsters weren’t strong so he didn’t have to take a rest every time a battle ended. Thanks to not resting and just hunting, he obtained results beyond what he expected. ‘Okay, while this experience is great for a short term plan.’ However unlike Ark, Deimos sighed with a sulky face. Clack clack, clack clack clack……… Ark had been stubborn when hunting the Deadman. When the Deadman died, it turned to powder so Deimos couldn’t enjoy his hobby of collecting bones. Therefore, Deimos didn’t enjoy the situation. But while raising the ability of his summons was important, it was more important that Ark’s abilities rose. “Deimos, I don’t have time for you to be sighing. Because Dedric isn’t here you have to play his role as well. Hurry up! Until we can find another bracelet, there are no breaks.” Ark rushed the depressed Dedric and began hunting the Deadman again. When 30 minutes had passed, he heard alarm sounds in his ears. ‘Pant, it is already this time…….!’ Ark swung his sword one more time before disappearing from the forest.

“Why isn’t it straight?” Lee Myung-ryong shouted as he stomped on the floor. Of course, Hyun-woo also wanted to do it properly. However, what could he do if his body didn’t move fast enough to not get hit? While he wanted to fly like a butterfly, his arms and legs wouldn’t move the way he desired. Even though he could clearly see the opponent’s attack, he couldn’t even move an arm to block it. Pepepek, after a slow impact shocked him, he stopped for a while and shook his head. When Hyun-woo stopped, Lee Myung-ryong immediately raised his voice angrily. “You idiot, how many times do I have to say it? When you are hit then don’t step back but absorb the impact. Use your lower back! Remember to use your lower back in the future!” Although it was easy to say…….how many people would remember it when being hit with a fist in the face? However, Hyun-woo clenched his teeth and summoned more power to his legs. It was because he knew from experience would kind of trouble there would be if he didn’t follow Lee Myung-ryong’s words. ‘Damn, well since I’m going to die anyway, it doesn’t matter what state I’m in when I die!’ “This is just like being a zombie.” Hyun-Woo rushed at the opponent like a bulldozer when the whistle blew. But at the same moment, Hyun-woo felt an intense blow to his side. Although he experienced it a lot, it was an attack that he couldn’t really adapt to. The blow to his body caused his gut to twist in pain. How is it? Is there a lot of tingling? This is a medicine for zombies.” Meanwhile, one more blow struck him on the other side. Immediately his legs started to tremble. However, Hyun-Woo didn’t even have the right to lie down comfortably on the floor. “30 seconds left, will you manage to hold up for 30 seconds? Do you want to lie down and get disliked?” Hyun-woo heard Lee Myung-ryong say in a sparkling voice. So he drew in a deep breath and corrected his posture. The expression of the opponent who thought it had ended turned pale. After a brief moment, he contorted his lips and started the onslaught. Straight, hook and upper cut! It was like shower of punches that wouldn’t stop! However, Hyun-woo made his defense as hard as a turtle and withstood the attacks. But eventually, his arms lowered and he gradually lost power in his legs. And when both of his arms finally lowered, the fist of the opponent rushed towards Hyun-woo’s face. The person that allowed him to escape the crisis was Lee Myung-ryong. “Stop! The 3rd round has ended.” When Lee Myung-ryong’s voice rang out, the fist immediately stopped. Then Hyun-woo let out a laugh and said. “A leader is a leader, but you’re terrible too. That was a really tough 3rd round to endure.” Hyun-woo sighed and flopped down to the ground. He laid down on the floor and stared at the ceiling of the gym. The after effect of being hit was that the ceiling seemed to shake left and right. ‘Whew, I dug my own grave…….I really will either become a superman or die……..’ He thought about the remaining practice schedule that was still ahead of him. After he had arrived at Selebrid, Hyun-woo had asked Lee Myung-ryong to train him specifically for the matches in the Evil Silrion. In retrospect, he didn’t know why he did such a reckless thing. Special training……..it was a grave that he personally dug for himself. The system that Lee Myung-ryong used to train Hyun-woo made Ark’s training of his summons seem a hundred times more humane. “I’m making a Superman.” He had thought it was a joke. Of course not. Who would think those words were serious? However, some humans in the world don’t know common sense. This Lee Myung-ryong………. Recently, just listening to the name was enough to make him sweat. For the last three days, the training that Lee Myung-ryong was putting him was not something that most humans could digest. Gwon Hwa-rang said that Lee Myung-ryong was a delinquent before he became a policeman, but he introduced them anyway. It seems that Lee Myung-ryong thought of himself as a mad scientist. And it was clear that he was determined to reshape Hyun-woo into an artificial man as much as possible. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be able to devise such a inhumane training system. The first day that Hyun-woo visited the gym Lee Myung-ryong just smiled and made him do exercises from the national gymnastics team. “So let’s start lightly shall we? Do one handed pushups on both sides 50 times.” “Yes? But I’ve never managed to do more than twenty pushups using one hand?” Frankly, how many ordinary men in Korea would be able to do one handed pushups twenty times? He thought it was a great standard. But no sooner had he finished talking then his stomach was pushed down with a kick. “Didn’t I say this before? From the moment you entered here. The one thing that is prohibited.” “Ha, but………” “Do you think my words are funny?” Lee Myung-ryong smiled and spoke. He was one of the few humans who could beat a man with his smile. “I knew a junior who was a short distance sprinter. That guy was able to run 100 metres in 11 seconds. But that wasn’t enough to hand out a business card at a convention. Even when he almost died from the effort, he couldn’t shorten it to 10 seconds and eventually gave up and became a policeman. So during the first dispatch, he was a newbie and forgot the strategies and found himself surrounded by delinquents while alone. Well, at first it was all right. The guys were trying to kill him with sashimi knives so of course the guy frantically ran away. Now, can you guess what happened?” “As a track and field athlete, didn’t he get away unharmed?” “That’s right, but the important thing is what happened next.” “And then?” “Since that day, he has been able to run it in 10 seconds.” “Yes? How…..?” Lee Myung-ryong replied in a tone that implied it wasn’t a big deal. “Simple. From the beginning, that guy could run it in 10 seconds. He was built with those kinds of muscles. However, it was the case he couldn’t run it because he thought he couldn’t do it. Every time he ran, he thought that even though it was his best time, he still couldn’t do it. But after that incident, the thought that he had trapped himself with disappeared.” “It’s a touching story. But what does that have to do with me?” Hyun-Woo asked, feeling uneasy. As expected, the answer made him worried. “It seems to me that you’re also a guy who could do that? How about it? Are you not proud?” “What on earth…….what’s you’re basis for that?” “The eyes in this body!” Ah, it was like that? There is no reason for him to object. However, the terrible thing was that Lee Myung-ryong really took it to heart and continued to make successive points. This mad scientist really believed he was a genius with a keen eye. Therefore, he was caught in the illusion that he might be able to remodel him until he became an artificial man. The even worse thing was that it wasn’t entirely absurd. Once he tried it, Hyun-woo was able to increase the number of his one-handed pushups. His best record was twenty-five times, that was his limit so far. However, when he was threatened by Lee Myung-ryong and felt desperate then it was possible for him to do fifty. The fear of violence temporarily suppressed the pain of his body. But that was only a warm up exercise. “Now, should we begin? Lee Myung-ryong called to the SWAT team member exercising to one side and said. “This guy did amateur boxing during high school. He was within the top 10 in the nation so he should be suitable as your rival. The rule is 3 rounds of boxing!” Hyun-woo’s face had a look of bewilderment. The pushups were difficult to such an extent that he had cramps in his arm muscles. It wasn’t even taekwondo, but he was expected to spar in boxing using only his fist? Against a former boxer who was within the top 10 of the nation? He hoped it was a joke, but the word joke wasn’t even in Lee Myung-ryong’s vocabulary. Lee Myung-ryong fitted the gloves on him while cheering with warm words. “If you give up then you will die.” Of course, it couldn’t be a direct fight. Hyun-woo went through 3 rounds that were 3 minutes each. By the end of the 9 minutes, he had become flattened like a rice cake. “Pathetic, being hit by such a trivial guy………” Lee Myung-ryong clicked his tongue like he had been presented with a menu. Then it was the abs and back exercises. 200 sit ups, 200 chin ups and 200 flank movements. He made him do upper and lower abs exercises 200 times………the various abs exercises added up to one thousand times. Then another member of the SWAT team was summoned. They were the frontline members that defended the Republic of Korea. Since the job required stamina and skills, the various members could rival the athletes. The member who was summoned this time also had nice muscles. The degree of muscles was so much that Hyun-woo would be easily crushed by it. “This guy used to have a career in amateur wrestling. He is slightly better than the earlier guy, since he won a bronze medal in a national competition. 3 rounds begin!” It was really crazy. After making him go through a crazy abs workout, now he expected him to do wrestling? Against one of the nation’s top wrestlers? Wasn’t this just harassment? But he couldn’t say anything at the sight of Lee Myung-ryong’s cold eyes and started the spar. Of course, the result was that he was flattened like a rice cake again. Lee Myung-ryong’s training was always like this. Hyun-woo had heard that he was a taekwondo state representative so had guessed that his training would be an intensive course in taekwondo techniques. But Lee Myung-Ryong only trained him in taekwondo for 15 minutes. The rest was all training the basic physical strength and sparring. The spars against the athletes were also unrelated to taekwondo. But Lee Myung-ryong had a firm belief for that part. “Do you want to exercise to show a nice kick in front of your girlfriend? Or do you want to become stronger?” “I want to become stronger…….. .” “Then the taekwondo posture isn’t necessary. Because you won’t become strong with that type of practice. Strong training should be hands on experience. This situation is also going to get worse.” Anyway, the final stage of his training was leg exercises. After stretching his legs, the final boss Lee Myung-ryong emerged. He was able to judge the situation with the boxer and wrestler to some extent. At least they were people. However, Lee Myung-ryong wasn’t a person. Hyun-woo had to experience many times the hell that was his attacks, which battered him like a storm. There were times when he really thought that he was about to die. But Lee Myung-ryong just spoke with a smirk. “The thing that people call the human body. It is surprisingly well made. It doesn’t die easily. And once it is broken, it becomes even stronger.” The ideas of the mad scientist were always terrifying. Since then, he seemed to have adapted a little bit to the pain. And at that time, Hyun-woo realized that Lee Myung-ryong’s training schedule wasn’t something he had just guessed at and threw together. ‘It is similar to taekwondo. Taekwondo uses kicks but the important thing isn’t the strength in the legs. The movement of the upper body is more important. Boxing uses fist but that wasn’t all it uses. The movement of the waist and legs is more important when punching.’ Although he wouldn’t be able to spar against a boxer if he couldn’t move his arms, Hyun-woo learned how to move his waist and the steps. It was the same for wrestling. Although it only seemed to rely on the waist, the proper techniques wouldn’t be able to be used just relying only on waist power. If the power was in the lower back, he would be able to use techniques with natural posture. But even though he understood that with his head, his wrestling and boxing capabilities didn’t increase. He had no choice but to become like a rice cake as he learnt with his body. “That’s the guy? The pitiful guy that was taken by you?” While Hyun-woo was sparring with the former wrestler again, one of the swat team members asked Lee Myung-ryong. Lee Myung-ryong smiled and nodded his head. “Yes, he is working hard to be remodelled.” “Although it has been several days, he is holding up well. It seems he is able to digest quite a lot of physical strength exercises……..Are you trying to train him to make it stick in his mind? You are………” “Stop saying unnecessary things……..” Lee Myung-ryong frowned at the words, causing the member to flinch. To the SWAT team members, Lee Myung-ryong was a frightening person. “How is it? Do you see any talent?” “Do you think I’m a psychic? That one look would let me know whether he has talent?” “What the? Then do you have to practice with someone to tell their talent?” “I don’t know how to see talent like you.” I don’t believe that, but there is one thing that I know.” Lee Myung-ryong looked at Ark who was getting flattened on the mat and said in a low voice. “It depends on whether that guy is able to endure or not.

‘The road to become a Superman is steep and far.’ Hyun-woo led his unsteady body out of the gymnasium. He exercised at the gym for 2 hours every day. The time that he trained with the team was similar to when he exercised alone. No, if it was increased any more than he would’ve surely died. Anyway, even if Hyun-woo made up his mind to concentrate on movements for longer, his stamina was limited. When he exited the gym, he saw on the clock that it was 5 p.m. The next fight was at 9 p.m. so 4 hours still remained. If he connected immediately then he would be able to concentrate on hunting in the Forest of Souls for 3 hours. Hyun-woo soon changed his mind. No, since teacher Lee Myung-ryong changed the training time there has been no opportunity to visit my mother. During a quest it is hectic so I would have no time to visit, so I should visit her when I train in the afternoon. No matter how important the game is I can’t neglect my mother.’ Hyun-woo immediately visited the hospital carrying a basket of fruit. After his mother finished her rehabilitation, her wheelchair came into the garden. “These days the time seems to pass quickly.” His mother said with a bright look. Although she should be tired since her rehabilitation just finished, she showed no signs of it. Hyun-Woo wanted to let her enjoy the time so she would forget the fatigue. After seeing his mother, he was sorry that he hadn’t visited in a while. “I’m sorry I haven’t been frequently visiting.” “Don’t say such a silly thing.” His mother shook her head. “Do you think I’m a child? Even if you don’t say anything, I know you’ve been having a hard time. It is not necessary to come visit a sick person. I just…….want you to do what you want for a little while. Do you understand?” “Then I’ll do that.” “You’re not skipping meals?” “Yes, I eat until I’m full.” “But somehow I think you’ve become a little bit haggard. You also didn’t have those wounds before, perhaps……..?” His mother said as she looked at Hyun-woo’s face. Even though he wore protective gear when sparring, there were times when his movements were rough and he received bruises. Although his face didn’t hurt, it probably looked like it did. “I’m okay, please don’t think unnecessary things. It’s because these days I’ve started training again.” Hyun-woo scratched his head with an embarrassed expression. Prepare rice to eat and be careful. At one time he would’ve only heard it as a boring lecture. When he had gotten tired of his mother’s lecture, he became rebellious and acted out. However, that memory was painful now. When he had been unable to listen to the nagging anymore, he realized that the nagging was a precious part of his normal life. And hearing her say those words now warmed his heart. “You lost weight. Are you eating your rice?” Those were his mother’s first words upon waking up in the ICU. It seemed that all she could see was the form of a child who became thin and wasn’t able to lift a finger to help himself. That was his mother. It was his mother that Hyun-woo would love for his entire life. “Yes, I listened to Detective Gwon. He said you were attending the police agency’s gym. Although……..it is good for your health to exercise, you must be careful not to get injured. Well, Detective Gwon told me that his junior is looking after you so I don’t have to worry…….” “Hmm, you’re speaking quite freely about Detective Gwon. Did you want to see him more than me? Should I call? He would come like a knife if I called.” “This guy, what are you saying? Because I don’t think he would go that far just for me……..” “Ohuhuhu, are you turning red? Is my mother going to take the name Gwon?” “You’re becoming cheekier.” “I should let ajusshi know.” Hyun-woo smirked as he looked for a suitable bench to sit down on. As soon as he sat down, his mother took out some apples. “Do you want an apple? I’ll cut it for you.” “No. I’ll do it.” His mother shook her head and starting cutting the apples with her free hands. Although Hyun-woo was worried, he just watched and was surprised at her skilful hand movements. It was because he understood his mother’s sentiment. Whenever he saw that look, Hyun-woo was reminded of several years ago. His mother was often on the boundaries of life and death in the ICU……..the doctors at that time gave up on his mother. There’s an 80% chance she will either die or become a vegetable, they said in a cruel voice. Hyun-woo didn’t have the courage to watch his mother die so he threw himself into the nightlife. However, his mother’s status dramatically improved. It was from the time Gwon Hwa-rang dragged him to his mother and he spent the entire night beside her praying. The doctors called it a miracle. Hyun-Woo thought so too. But he now knew. It wasn’t a miracle or a coincidence. ‘Why is my home this poor?’ During his school days, Hyun-woo used to think that his house was quite poor. His other friends changed their cell phones whenever a new model came out, or would buy lots of clothes. There was also another friend who went to study abroad during junior high. On the other hand, Hyun-woo would buy new clothes every few months. He would buy clothes that cost 200,000 won at most…….why was he so poor? That was what he thought. But after the accident, Hyun-woo realized how young he was. At that time, Hyun-woo had to travel around to the houses of the victims’ families to give compensation as well as pay for his mother’s hospital bills. Even when Hyun-woo asked for help from his relatives, he only received cold, contemptuous looks in return. After they abandoned him, he sold some household furniture to try and make some money and discovered a bankbook in a cabinet. There were 5 bankbooks that combined added up to 100 million won. However, they weren’t under his father or mother’s name. It was the insurance and savings under Hyun-woo’s name. His father received a monthly salary of 4 million won, and he put half of it in a savings account under Hyun-woo’s name for 10 years. For 10 years, his father and mother would wear old clothes while buying meat and new clothes for Hyun-woo. ‘Do you know how guilty I feel?’ That day, Hyun-woo hugged the bankbooks to him and cried all night long. His parents were strong. This also caused the child to become strong. The reason his mother got up every day was because of that. At 17 years old, Hyun-woo realized that simple fact at last. The same was true for now as well. He didn’t move his hand even when her fingers started shaking on the knife. It was something that he would’ve once considered useless stubbornness, but now Hyun-woo knew. Even though it might seem insignificant, it was an important job that his mother wanted to do. And she finally recovered enough to directly cut the apples. The reason that his mother might be able to endure such a tough rehabilitation was because she wanted to do such trivial things. When he thought about that, his chest started throbbing. Hyun-woo erased the thought and quickly changed the subject. “But is Gwon ajusshi stopping in frequently?” “Is this guy hanging around just to tease his mum?” “No. I haven’t seen him in a few days that’s why I’m asking.” There had been no contact between Gwon Hwa-rang and the rehabilitation members since they started searching for the thieves. “Yes, he comes every other day. But your movements have changed a lot. Also your expression has brightened considerably…….I’ll wait and see how much you get injured before judging. What did you do to get that guy to favour you?” “I have to be attentive even if I’m not your father.” “I can’t hear anything.” “Mother, that’s not the sound of a joke. I’m also not a child. It isn’t necessary to worry about me. Mother also knows what kind of person Detective Gwon is. “You’re giving me that speech even though I’m considerably older.” “My mother is still beautiful. That’s why Detective Gwon fell for the whole package.” “Let’s stop talking about him.” Hyun-woo spoke so seriously that his mother blushed and didn’t know what to do. She seemed like a young girl again and looked quite cute. Then, his mother suddenly asked him with a curious look. “Why are you laughing about this?” “Yes? What?” “Your girlfriend. Aren’t you going to formally introduce her to your mother or are you just keeping her hidden?” “A girlfriend? Eh, I don’t have one.” “I’ve met her already so why are you lying?” “Yes? Met?” Hyun-woo asked with a stunned expression. “I can’t believe she hasn’t told you yet. Your girlfriend visited the hospital room yesterday evening with some porridge. She looked very nice. Her name if Jung Hye-sun yes?” “H, Hye-sung?” Hyun-woo’s eyes widened. Jung Hye-sun approximately knew Hyun-woo’s circumstances. But he hadn’t said that his mother was hospitalized or told her the name of the hospital. However, it wasn’t difficult to know that it was Gwon Hwa-rang and the rehabilitation group who told her. “Mother, since you haven’t been very forthcoming with mother…….mother was relieved.” “Yes? You’re relieved?” “You never wanted to discuss girls or any problems you had with them.” “It’s not that. Hye-sung is just like a younger sister to me.” His mother sent him a coy look and laughed. “Originally I considered your dad as an oppa as well. Then we became your mother and father.” “It really isn’t like that.” “Ho ho ho, I understand. You don’t have to be embarrassed. Mother understands everything.” “It’s the truth. Mother doesn’t understand……..” “Then I’ll act like I don’t know. Let’s finish it here. There is an empty container in the hospital room so bring it with you when you leave. Understand? If Hyun-woo is good then mother will be okay. Fighting!” His mother raised her clenched fist. She had made up her mind and was determined to misunderstand.

7 p.m. It was the time that Jung Hye-sun would start her part time job. Hyun-woo had made an appointment with her before walking to meet her. He had been at the meeting place for 30 minutes and was pacing up and down with a distant look. “Wow, I’m impressed with Oppa. I wasn’t expecting you to call and ask to meet up.” “My mother told me to return this……..” Hyun-woo said as he extended his bag. It was the first time they had seen each other in reality after Gwon Hwa-rang tricked him into going on a date. Even though he called and asked to meet outside, he didn’t know what to say……….. “Eh? Did Oppa just come from the hospital?” “How did you know about the hospital?” Hyun-woo asked in a deliberately brusque voice. Then Jung Hye-sun shrank slightly and replied in a small voice. “I heard from Gwon Hwa-rang ajusshi.” Damn, it was just like he thought. That fox wearing the mask of a bear! “Actually……..I said that I would go together with oppa but Gwon Hwa-rang said it wouldn’t be good for your mother’s heart if I didn’t go with the oppas who helped me prepare the porridge. Sorry. Are you angry?” He didn’t want to hear her apologize. No, quite the opposite. Of course, it was a little bit taxing but the first thing he thought of when he heard his mother say Jung Hye-sun’s name was thank you. After the accident, his relatives never visited so his mother was always alone. The only people that came to visit her were Gwon Hwa-rang and Hyun-woo. But now someone else has come. It was a person related to Hyun-woo……..Hyun-woo was secretly worried about his mother and welcomed other guests. Perhaps that was why he was in an exceptionally good mood today. Hyun-woo scratched his head before shaking it. “No, I’m not upset. Although I am a little embarrassed.” “Yes? What?” “That……..My mother fell ill. It isn’t something to be proud about.” Hyun-woo had never thought about his mother while he was embarrassed. But many people had heard Hyun-woo’s circumstances and sympathized. He didn’t want that. Perhaps that was another reason he hadn’t told Jung Hye-sun about his situation. But Jung Hye-sun hurriedly said. “I don’t care about such things. Actually, I thought Oppa was really wonderful after I heard about your mother. Really. My impression of Oppa just improves even more…….” Jung Hye-sun was surprised at her words and closed her mouth. Her voice rang loudly through the area. People passing by looked back startled while some couples giggled and whispered together. But it was Jung Hye-sung’s reaction that was more interesting. He would’ve thought blushing was the normal reaction, but Jung Hye-sun just held her head up high and said. “What are you looking at? Is my Oppa so wonderful?” “Omo, what is with her?” Although some women gave her amazed glances, Jung Hye-sung didn’t even react. Hyun-woo was different and blushed as the eyes in the vicinity looked at him. “Come on. Oppa.” Jung Hye-sun took Hyun-woo’s arm and walked off. “Ah, that was embarrassing.” ‘Was her original character like this?’ Hyun-woo was stunned for a short time. The Jung Hye-sun he knew was a timid girl who didn’t speak a lot, loved instruments and shed tears as the assistant section chief. Thanks to that, Hyun-woo had only thought of Jung Hye-sun as a little sister. But now he didn’t know if his impression was right. The Jung Hye-sun Hyun woo met outside was more active, tough…….and pretty. ‘Ah, what am I thinking?’ Her side profile of a raised lip and eyes were surprisingly pretty. However, there was no man who didn’t know that such a secret must be hidden. Technically, this was the first time that Hyun-woo had asked her out. Naturally, Jung Hye-sun paid attention to her outfit and make-up and was fairly nervous. There was a legend that said once women finished being made up, there was a 150% boost and women would become more daring than usual. “Can I visit the hospital again?” Jung Hye-sun suddenly threw a straight pitch! No matter how much Hyun-woo thought, it wasn’t a question that he could easily answer. It was an answer that he would normally refuse. However, under the effects of the 150% appearance boost, women were invincible. Hyun-woo nodded as he missed the timing to refuse. “If mother is okay with it……..then I don’t care. “I’m glad. I thought I would have to visit secretly if Oppa said no.” “What?” “Ho ho ho, nothing. Anyway, today Oppa has walked me to my part time job. The guy that I work together with often teases me. If I go with Oppa then it won’t be like that from now on.” “Why don’t I meet with him? Do you know? He might be a surprisingly good guy.” “What?” Jung Hye-sun raised an eyebrow and stared. “I’m kidding, kidding. Okay, I’ll escort you there.” “Bah, I won’t bring a soup next time.” Jung Hye-sun turned her head with an annoyed face. Usually it was more than this. After it was decided, Hyun-woo was dragged off to the convenience store. “So I’ll take this and go. I have to be connected to the game in 1 hour. “Yes.” Jung Hye-sun confirmed and blew out a sigh at Hyun-woo’s receding appearance. ‘Just like Jjak-tung-oppa said. Hyun-woo oppa is weak to an aggressive woman.” That’s right, Jung Hye-sung visiting the hospital with porridge and her bold behaviour on the road with Hyun-woo was all a part of Jjak-tung’s plan. Jung Hye-sung had a smile of victory on her mouth. ‘Ho ho ho, now I know how to catch Hyun-woo oppa. The former criminal was terrifying. However, women were even more terrifying. Then a man secretly approached in the convenience store and asked. “Hye-sun, who was that person just now?” “That was my oppa that I previously told you about, isn’t he cool?” Jung Hye-sun told the man bluntly who started to look uncomfortable. “What does he do? I heard something about a match…….is he an athlete?” “No it is a mixed martial arts match. The man’s face paled at Jung Hye-sun’s answer. And in the future, there was a firm line around Jung Hye-sung.

ACT 3 Hidden Power of the Rehabilitation Stage? Chaotic NPC ‘Rehabilitation’ complete.<Rehabilitation Bonus: Rehabilitated NPC x 5000 Experience and Alignment: Good +50>

-Your level has risen. “Hyung-nim, we’ve finished rehabilitating all 30 people.” “Hu hu hu, the nearby neighbourhoods are also clear.” JusticeMan looked at the thieves with a heart-warming smile. JusticeMan and the rehabilitation members had a rewarding day today, implementing social justice. JusticeMan and the rehabilitation members were a single group. But thanks to them focusing on one thing, they often lost sight and the original goal and wandered off. It was the same even now. The reason that had left Jackson was to earn some fame at the Evil Silrion in order to become an autonomous police force. But their purpose changed once they met Lorenzo in Cairo. The purpose had changed to punishing the thieves that used to be Lorenzo’s hyungs. There were a lot of thieves who had the idea to hide in the vicinity of Selebrid. JusticeMan didn’t expect to discover them, since he didn’t have enough hints to search around. ‘Just like Ark said, to the NPCs this is the real world. In the long run, the users and NPCs in New World……..no, the user and NPC is different as the NPCs lives may be more precious. Still, since the thief was born as a thief, it wasn’t fair for them to die!’ But if left alone, the thieves would live a dismal life until a user happens to pass by and kills them for experience. They weren’t monsters, they were NPCs that were similar to the village residents. Yet they were born as thieves just for the purpose of giving experience. ‘The only people that can help them is us. JusticeMan mistakenly thought of himself as a saviour and burned with motivation. ‘If the rule of New World is that a thief was born to die, then I will change that rule!’ It was like the Roman emperor and the Lord, a dictator and a revolutionary warrior facing off against each other……..the Korean ex-detective had doubts about the system in New World and vowed to change it. This brought out unexpected results in the game system. “Isn’t this a hundred times better than hunting?” Jjak-tung asked after he confirmed the information window. JusticeMan, the rehabilitation members and the thieves were all around level 70. If they hunted a level 70 thief, they would only gain 1000 experience. But once they rehabilitated him, they would receive 5000 experiences, which was five times as much. JusticeMan and the rehabilitation group was able to earn experience without killing the thieves. Thanks to that, JusticeMan was level 87. The rehabilitation members also had an average level of 70. But was that all? The NPCs of New World were simple. Thus, the inevitable result was that once the NPCs were confined, intimidated and tortured as well as being brainwashed by the rehabilitation group, there was a 100% success message and the thieves completely became new men. “We’ve finally realised our mistakes.” In fact, it wasn’t only the result of the system. The NPC thieves had also thought able about walking away. But the only thing in their memories was persecution and sorrow. They wanted to stop being thieves, but they had never been treated with hospitality by other NPCs and were only treated like thieves. Users would chase after them to earn some money and not even the guards who were NPCs like them would help. They weren’t welcomed by users or NPCs. But it wasn’t possible for them to be a monster……..that was the thieves’ sad fate. But JusticeMan’s party was different. Even though they were tortured, the thieves knew that the effect was for them. It was the first time that a user looked at them like they were NPCs, not experience or items! It was the earnest expression that they had never received in their whole lives. “We will earnestly serve you for the rest of our lives………” “I didn’t realize that you wished for someone to scold you.” “Please call us Hyung-nim!” “You are our saviours hyung-nims. Rururu, Lalala. If there was appropriate music, it would be like a touching scene from a movie. Thanks to that, JusticeMan’s enthusiasm gauge was rising every day. ‘This is it! This is it! If you have a large heart then you will be rewarded. That’s the world that I want!’ Back in his criminal chasing days, how many times had he put a criminal in prison only for them to commit the crime again after they were released? Even if they were persuaded, how many criminals were stabbed with a knife and died because they tried to change? But this place was different. If they sincerely repented then they were seriously reformed. But was that all? Weren’t they also rewarded with experience points. For the first time, JusticeMan felt that something was truly worthwhile. “These guys, they finally recognized our sincerity!” JusticeMan shouted as he hugged the thieves and cried. “Hyung-nim!” “Now you really are new men and you should live trying to help the world.” “Please lead us all the way!” “Okay, from today you guys are my brothers! I’ll take responsibility for you until the end!” Aaah, it was a really emotional scene that couldn’t be seen without tears……..however, there was a very serious problem. “JusticeMan ajusshi!” During the emotional scene, a fierce voice was heard. Jump! JusticeMan and the rehabilitation group flinched and swallowed their saliva. Even if dozens of thieves ran up to them with sashimi knives, JusticeMan and the rehabilitation group didn’t even blink. But there was an existence that scared them. She was holding a lute and staring with sharp eyes, the ultimate weapon of the rehabilitation group Roco. JusticeMan smiled awkwardly and turned his head. “Eh? Hahahah, Roco, you came?” “What did I say before I left yesterday?” “Eh………you said.” JusticeMan avoided her gaze and sent uneasy looks to the rehabilitation members. SOS! Rescue requested! But the rehabilitation members looked at the distant mountains and pretended ignorance. “Hey, isn’t that mountain wonderful?” “Indeed. We should climb it later.” ‘Those, those traitors……..!’ JusticeMan ground his teeth together as Roco approached. “Did you decide to increase the guests staying in a person’s home for a while? Didn’t you?” “That, I did do that. You sound so severe. It was needed.” “You can’t help it if it’s for justice. Is that right?” “That, yes. Justice! It’s for justice!” JusticeMan nodded and said. However, he became silent as Roco said some cold words. “Is justice going to feed them?” “………..” Yes, that was a serious problem. Over the past few days, JusticeMan and his party had rehabilitated 100 thieves around Selebrid. Well, it was good up to that point. Aside from the experience, more than anything it was about contributing good to world peace. But the problem was that JusticeMan didn’t think about the overall situation. The thieves were chaotic NPCs. So naturally they couldn’t live in the town. But since they were rehabilitated and couldn’t steal any more, there was no way for them to make a living. JusticeMan hadn’t thought of the thieves’ situation. He accepted them all as colleagues and provided them room and food. He was apprehensive at first but they managed fine. The rehabilitation group also had a lot of money and there weren’t that many thieves. When the thieves were rehabilitated, they also participated in future battles adding to the offensive power. However, after the numbers reached 50 and began moving to 100, they encountered a serious problem. The hardships of life! If it was a dream then it would be possible to live, but New World was an entirely different situation! Of course, money was needed to live. At first, the rehabilitation party had the thieves eat fish and shellfish. However, after the thieves increased to 100 people, it was changed to have them eat wheat bread. Although the rehabilitation members initially provided money, after two days they stopped. For 100 people, they needed at least 300 bread per day even if they didn’t battle. Of course, the rehabilitation group immediately ran out of money. However, JusticeMan and the rehabilitation members were poor with matters regarding economics. They were men who could only use power. It wasn’t a desirable condition and their satiety would soon decrease……..In addition, they still had their old habits from living in the darkness, and even if they didn’t have money to buy wheat bread, they would spend it on drinks and ladies. After a few days, it would be a situation where the rehabilitation group and the thieves would have to skip a meal after a battle. But if they thought about the penalty when satiety falls below 50%, it was just like committing suicide. ‘Only Oppa still doesn’t believe it!’ Roco had finally felt a sense of crisis. ‘If we aren’t prepared, everyone will starve and die!’ The economic crisis of the rehabilitation group made the girl’s talent bloom. In reality, Roco was a girl from a respectable family. Until now, she hadn’t suffered from following JusticeMan and the rehabilitation group, but this situation was different. Moreover, it wasn’t possible to separate from the rehabilitation group since that would mean separating from Ark. Even in the middle of a crisis, her mind was still on Ark. ‘Even if dirt enters my eye, I will never ask Ark oppa for money! I must protect Oppa’s assets!’ Roco made up her mind while thinking about Ark. “JusticeMan ajusshi and oppa have no concept of economics. It is necessary for us to save our money. I will manage all of our money from now on. Everybody empty their purses.” Roco took control of their finances. “Ha, but Roco, this………” Of course, there was resistance at first. Heh, it was a strange resistance. “Huk, Oppa doesn’t believe in me? I’m just worried about oppa. I believe that I can do it. Are you not trusting your money with me because I’m a woman?” “Ah, no. Does it seem that way?” The rehabilitation members were surprised and quickly emptied their pockets. The rehabilitation group’s weak point was a woman. Just like that, Roco seized control of the group’s finances and gradually expanded her power. “I like that you’re rehabilitating the thieves. But what will you do after you’ve rehabilitated them? How will they survive? Bring the thieves along when monster hunting. But they need to obtain money from leather and meat! Because there will be no rice for those who don’t fulfil their quota.” So JusticeMan and the rehabilitation members lead the thieves to hunt and obtain a rice meal. But there was one complaint. Roco holds all of the party’s finances. In addition, if they didn’t listen to what she had to say then she would threaten them with her ultimate weapon, tears. Anyway, Roco’s housekeeping skills was superior to theirs. Pickpocketing, wild animal meat, skinning leather and so on……. The rehabilitation members could use their various skills to increases the profits from the hunt. Every time they used their skills, they would hide some of the meat. But if Roco was watching then leather would be skinned and meat sold and the pay divided. In addition, they used fraud and intimidation to reduce spending as much money as possible. Under Roco’s dictatorship, their financial conditions gradually improved. That was because Roco wasn’t exploiting the rehabilitation members and the thieves. “Because today’s earnings were decent, we can eat meat instead of wheat bread.” Fortunately, JusticeMan’s party could have meat soup with rice once every two days. But was that all? Apart from income, armour and weapons were also split between the thieves. It was inevitable. The thieves that accompanied JusticeMan were ignorant and would sometimes die while hunting. “Why is it hard to hunt? A good armour would make it a little bit safer.” “Oh, give these to the thieves as a warm consideration.” “A saint! This person is a saint!” The thieves were especially thrilled as they had never received the warmth of a woman. Thanks to that, Roco had now established herself as the hidden power in the rehabilitation group. Roco even retained control over JusticeMan and the rehabilitation members. But that was only when Roco was logged on. When Roco wasn’t at her desk for even a short while, JusticeMan and the rest of the group got out of control. Without worrying about the budget, they would increase the number of rehabilitated thieves, which was the situation right now. ……….Roco sighed. “I told you before leaving. All the money has gone into changing the thieves’ armour. That’s why I told you to take the other rehabilitation members and thieves hunting while I was gone……….at this rate, I don’t know how all these men will survive. I will keep repeating it even if it makes me the bad person.” “That is………I’m sorry.” JusticeMan patted her shoulder with a grumpy face. “It isn’t possible to keep on doing that. You must promise instead not to rehabilitate any more thieves from the capital. Until our livelihood improves a little bit, we’re only going to concentrate on hunting.” “We’ll do as you said.” JusticeMan replied, scratching his head with an embarrassed expression. “In fact, the guys that we rehabilitated this time knows the location of the hyungs that we were looking for. Can’t I rehabilitate just that guy? It would make it easier.” “Ajusshi!” Roco shouted, causing JusticeMan to flinch. “Jeez, you know that thing is difficult. Understood…..If we move immediately then we’ll be able to return to Selebrid to watch Ark fight in the tournament. Ark is also spending a while in this map……..” At the mention of Ark, Roco’s expression relaxed. After she pulled out her bag and checked the balance, she shook her head. “Okay, I’ll allow it one more time.” “I see. Understood!” “Then please take off those clothes for the time being. Ayu, it smells. That was from one day? Jjak-tung oppa, please collect all the thieves clothes as well.” “Huh? Understood. Hey you guys, take off your armour!” Although she washed out her eyes, while looking after JusticeMan, the rehabilitation members and the thieves, her housekeeping skills blossomed. Cooking, laundry, cleaning and so on……. And in the online game, additional effects were added for those skills. Roco was especially skilled with laundry. If she washed any cloth or leather armour, its defense would increase by 5% for up to 4 hours. Of course, that was a side effect of her doing the laundry. Because it was a too realistic game, she had to do the laundry in order to get rid of the bad smells. Although she didn’t say anything, deep down it was hard for her to bear. “At any rate, men are just like children” Roco pouted as she headed to the stream with the laundry. A person tilted his head to the side and asked sullenly. “By the way, doesn’t Roco seem exceptionally excited these days?” “Huhuhu, I know why.” Jjak-tung replied with a laugh. “Roco is also a woman.”

At that time, Ark had an 8 game winning streak and was in the quarter-finals. Obviously, the fights became increasingly difficult. Even though he had some PVP experience, there was still a variety of professions Ark hadn’t fought against yet. In his fights against Andel, Hargen and Leo, all of them were warriors. Since every profession has unique skills, he would get lost every time. In addition, the pairs match wasn’t a simple 1 on 1 fight. That means he would have to deal with both opponents instead of just one. The combination of professions people could select in a multiple profession RPG game was a very important factor. By themselves, a warrior would be able to face 5 monsters, but if they were joined by a cleric then they would be able to fight against fifteen or even twenty monsters. The charm of an RPG game wasn’t ‘1+1=2,’ but it was more exciting if it was times time that and reached 100. And there was a combination of professions that were most effective in a pairs match. The combination of warrior and necromancer in the first fight was one of the most common. The warrior-priest, warrior-archer, magician-priest, magician-thief……….Due to the number of combinations, there were infinite strategies available and the users should research and develop their own strategies. One combination that was particularly hard to deal with was the combination of magician-magician they met in the top 16. The damage of the magician that was over level 100 was enormous. When their advanced fire magic, 30% of his health was lost with one blow. But the true threat with a magician-magician combination was the ‘Willpower Exchange.’ ‘Willpower exchange’ was the sharing of magic among the magicians. When ‘Willpower exchange’ was activated, mana could be shared among the magicians and the spell damage was also doubled. The horrible fire magic which decreased his health by 50% with one blow was created. Thanks to that, Ark and Shambala were in a critical condition. If Ark tried to use ‘Riposte’ in a moment of crisis then he would just be completely roasted. On the other hand, the match became less tricky once Ark used his nursing skill. Their main weapon was the mental-based magic. However, Ark used his nursing skill to increase their resistance to the mental magic and received a ‘Heart of the Caretaker’ bonus. The nursing skill had a surprisingly powerful effect on the match. When nursing was used, the strength and willpower of the receiver would rise. Although it didn’t directly recover health, an increase in willpower would strengthen their natural resilience. When the resilience increased, it was similar to receiving an overall stat buff. A combination that was even trickier was the warrior-warrior pair they fought in the next match. Just like Justin, they doped themselves just before entering the stadium. When looking at them, he instantly thought of the phase ‘money is power.’ They spent dozens of gold on potions which they stacked up 3 times, and appeared in the tournament with huge bodies. In order to reach the top 8, they probably invested hundreds of gold. But after Ark had met the doped up warrior from the first round, he made his own preparations. The system allowed for Ark to use his survival cooking and raise his stats in the match. First of all, Ark and Shambala were good to each other. The two of them had a good impression of each other from the first time they met and that applied to when they fought together. It was like their hands and feet were well suited together. At first, Ark thought it was because Shambala had trained in martial arts just like him, but in the tournament he realized it wasn’t so simple. He had met many people in the Evil Silrion who also learnt martial arts. Indeed, the tournament format tended to have higher odds for people who learnt martial arts. However, they didn’t match well with Ark and Shambala. Although they only learnt it later, but it was the influence from their two professions. Dark Walker and Saint Assassin. They were two professions with similar skills and characteristics, and there were many times when their function strangely complemented each other. For example……… “Petrification of Blood! Shambala used his ‘Petrification of Blood’ skill. When the skill was used, red spots would appear it was possible to stun the opponent for 20 seconds. But their defensive power at the time was at 500% so it wasn’t possible for him to do any damage. It was a skill that was used so that he could deal with a large number of enemies. However, the situation was different when Ark followed up with an attack. “Dark blade!” An attack that ignored defense and landed a critical hit! In the end, the 500% increase to defense was nothing. They suffered continuous critical hits in their petrified state. Above all, the degree of harmony for the two of them was the best for basic skills. Ark learned Sword-Hand combat, which was a technique that took advantage of any gaps in the enemies attack. On the other hand, Shambala used Kung Fu which had the effect of creating a gap in the opponent’s attack. Their natural battle system was that Shambala would create a gap which Ark would take advantage of to attack. Of course, it wasn’t easy to use this battle system in the Evil Silrion where the fight was always changing every moment. But using Shambala’s Kung Fu skills, it wasn’t difficulty to overcome those problems. In fact, Shambala’s standard was quite high and it wasn’t easy for Ark to follow in the early stages. As the fights continued, Ark gradually managed to match Shambala’s pace. ‘Honestly, I hate to admit it…….” Lee Myung-ryong’s training showed no effect on the outside. But sparring with boxing, wrestling and taekwondo developed his ability to adapt to circumstances. “Now, Ark!” Shambala shouted as he stabbed the warrior with his dagger. Ark used Shambala like a stair case and flew forward. The warrior was astonished and lifted his sword above his head. However, Ark stepped on the shield and landed behind him, turned and then kicked the warrior in the head. “No way!” The warrior stumbled as he received a critical hit. At the same time, Shambala’s and Ark’s eyes were glittering. Afterwards, Shambala attacked with a whirlwind. Ark continued with a spin kick. Shambala’s attack had the possibility of stunning the opponent. Abnormal conditions could be caused by Ark’s kicks, but the probability was quite low. However, when the opponent was hit by two different attacks, the probabilities increased. Once they were trapped, it was impossible for them to escape. Thus, it was named ‘Whirlwind of Death.’ In the end, the warrior’s body shrivelled like a balloon because the doping effects disappeared and died. The magic eye had been watching while holding his breath and finally shouted. -They did it! Dark Wolf and Blue Sword! They defeated the favourites using surprising acrobatics and advanced to the top 4! As expected, the last winning combination was the Whirlwind of death!

“That’s it! I paid the expensive entrance fee to see that combo today!” -Ohhh, Blue Sword was great, but the biggest surprise in this tournament is Dark Wolf. Who would have expected? Everybody is talking about the unknown Dark Wolf who appeared for the first time in this tournament! Combined with Blue Sword who has won several times in the solo tournaments, they have quickly broken through the top 8! There’s a sold out crowd every time they have a match! Bravo!

“Wahahah!” “Dark Wolf and Blue Sword are the best!” Under thunderous applause, Ark and Shambala returned to the waiting room. ‘Huhuhu, this feeling is surprisingly good?’ Ark had a satisfied smile. The sound of thousands of spectators applauding was quite inspiring for his mood. At first, it was just frightening but after he adapted, it became exhilarating pleasure. “You’re now quite a decent partner.” “Grrrr, good? This much is perfect.” “Don’t be too giddy. There are still two matches left.” “Grrrrr, I know.” “Anyway, the tournament has ended for today. Let’s separate for the rest of the day.’ “Grr? Where do you go so busily every day?” “There is something I must discover in Selebrid. It’s information related to my profession so you don’t need to know the details. Anyway, don’t be late to the match tomorrow.” Shambala said as he changed his mask and mantle in the waiting room. He changed his mask and mantle so that people wouldn’t recognize Shambala. Of course, since Ark could transform his face he didn’t have to worry about that. However, once he transformed he couldn’t reuse it for 24 hours. When they left the waiting room, they had to leave separately. “Look, it’s Dark Wolf!” “Wah, his force is really different!” When Ark exited the Evil Silrion, people’s interest was immediately concentrated on him. Normally, their attention would be a burden but at the moment, he had changed into a wolf form. If people continued to be focused him while transformed then there was no need to be worried about his normal state. He didn’t have to worry about other people looking while doing event quests. ‘I’m also depending on it to compete safely in the Evil Silrion.’ Ark smile warmly. At first, he hadn’t been happy about participating in the Evil Silrion since it didn’t give any money or experience. However, as he continued fighting in the matches he discovered a unexpected effect. ‘My skill proficiency increases several times faster!’ During a fight, his skill proficiency would go up considerably. When thinking about it, it was the inevitable result. In New World, skill proficiency wasn’t affected by how much it was used. The important thing was how intensively it was used. Because of that, the skill always increased faster when fighting against a monster that he had met for the first time. When fighting something for the first time, he is always much more concentrated. However, no matter how difficult the monster, they would become easy after killing them several times. This was because they had a certain pattern of attack so the growth of his skills would slow down. In the Evil Silrion, he was always fighting opponents with new styles. In addition, his opponents weren’t ordinary monsters. They were users armed with a variety of skills, just like Ark! When he fought against someone of high standard, of course his skill would grow at a tremendous speed. Thanks to that, his Sword Mastery increased to the advanced level. “Skill check!” Sword-Hand Combat (Advanced, Passive 316/500):

You have become an expert in Sword-Hand combat. You are able to use any kind of swordsmanship and the destructive power would also increase. You will receive additional damage on every type of sword as well as knuckles, and your evasion rate and critical hit probability would increase.

<Overall combat power increases by 40%. When wearing a shield, the effects of Sword-Hand combat disappears.>

• Additional effects: Chance of a kick hitting a small monster 8%, medium monster 5% and 2% chance of causing an abnormal status on a large monster. When difficult techniques succeed, the probability of causing an abnormal status increases.

Increasing his basic skill raised his general attack power. Furthermore, the probability of triggering an abnormal state also increased. That was the reason why the Whirlwind of death was possible in the last match. His adrenaline and counter attack skills also increased to the intermediate level. When adrenaline rose, his reaction rate in a critical condition also rose, and the chances of a successful counterattack also increased. Naturally, his chain skill Riposte became more powerful as well. It was even possible to succeed when the warrior was further than 10 metres away from him! ‘There is no other great place to raise my skills.’ Ark also experience situations where the skill growth would stop and that was useful information. “Master, I’m here.” Then, someone called from the side alley. It was Dedric who was transformed into a small boy with slicked back hair. Ark laughed as he approached Dedric. “Grrrrrr, how was it? The odds are?” “Because you’ve kept winning, the odds fell a little bit. This time it was 1.2. Here is 76 gold.” “Kukuku, the upper limit is high and the earning is better than before.” In fact, this was one of the reasons why Ark didn’t summon Dedric during the match. It was a tournament where people could bet money on the pair that would win. Of course, the gambling part of the Evil Silrion had a few limitations in order to prevent fraud. First, users and NPCs could only bet on the user’s victory when the match was a user versus a monster. This was intentional so that they wouldn’t rig a game against the monster. And for the tournaments where it was user against user, there was an upper limit that existed when betting money. The first match 10 gold, second match 20 gold…….It also wasn’t possible to double the amount of profits received. In addition, participants were unable to participate directly in the gambling. But Ark couldn’t miss out on the chance to make money. Before the tournament started, Ark summoned Dedric in order to make money. Of course, he had every intention of winning the bets. In the first round, he scraped all his money together from selling loot and bet 10 gold. The odds for the first round were 1.8. It was quite high. Shambala was a strong favourite even though Ark was unknown, and Justin and Dior were also well known names so the dividends were raised. Thanks to that he made 18 gold, and the odds in the second round was 1.5 so he made back 27 gold. The increased awareness of Ark meant that the odds kept on getting lower. But because the upper limit restriction rose, he could still earn money and he made at least 10 gold with every match. When there were two or three games a day, he earned an average of 20-30 gold. ‘Although I’m not completely satisfied, the earnings are acceptable.’ ‘Where there is a will then there is money.’ That was Ark’s motto. Ark laughed while holding the purse, and when he noticed Dedric asked. “Master, you feel good right? Am I not a good person because of I made you money? So give me some money so I can buy food.” “Grrrrrrr, what the?” Ark’s countenance immediately stiffened. In Selebrid, there were thousands of street venders where users gathered. Merchants who have learnt to cook would make tempting snacks and sell them. Although Dedric claimed to be 300 years old, his appearance was that of a young boy. “Grrr, I don’t always make disgusting food!” “Ugh, how is that food? It’s torture.” “Noisy, the outer appearance is not the only thing plausible about food. Isn’t it known that food that is good for you tastes bitter? Instead of talking, you should eat the food I give you.” “Sometimes I also want to eat tasty food! It’s unjust money! Since you came by the money unjustly, can’t it be used sometimes? I even went to the Evil Silrion and did some unfair gambling for you.” “Grrrrrr! Unjust money?” Ark snorted and said. “What do you think all our money is used for? Your master has fought with blood, sweat and tears to make money. Don’t you know I did that in order for us to live and eat well? Do you know how money was used to make you grow well?” “Sheesh, and now you want pocket money What about clothes? The cost of the ingredients also wasn’t free.” “I bought expensive spices and ingredients and poured it into the food you ate……..doesn’t that also cost money? And I also wasted a lot of money and sweat educating you guys. Man, tears are obscuring my sight. Nevertheless, haven’t I still been earning money for you? Yet you want to make me a beggar?” “Sheesh, is it that difficult for you to part with 5 copper?” “When copper is gathered it becomes silver and then silver becomes gold.” This was Ark’s unchanging view on life. In the real world, Ark would never spend money on anything except the minimum calories needed to survive. Even if the weather became chilly and the roadside stalls sent him tempting looks, Ark never succumbed to the temptation. But now his pet was trying to tempt him to part with money? Over food? Although he was frugal with his money, he was happy to buy a fruit basket for his mother. “Then do you want me to make a similar food for you?” “Whoa, it’s dirty and black. I won’t eat, don’t make me eat it! Damn, I met the wrong master!” He got annoyed with Dedric and returned him to the Netherworld. ‘Hmm, is it time to discipline those guys again?’ Deimos had become distracted with bones while Dedric was openly rebellious. ‘Since I have a lot of time these days, should I discipline them?’ Ark was seriously contemplating it. Suddenly someone’s voice was heard from inside the alley. “Are you really certain?” “Don’t worry. This tournament is a joke for us.” “Only two people are needed.” The voice spoke from somewhere. Since it was a dark night, he was cautious. Ark hid his body using ‘Stealth’ and peeked inside the alley. ‘Are they……….?’ Inside the alley were users from the Evil Silrion. It was the user wearing the mask with a five star design. It was the two pioneers that were eager to fight Shambala. Three hooded people with large builds were confronting them. The three of them observed the surroundings before taking a large breath. “Although we recruited players using our information network, all of them have fallen. Now you two are the only ones remaining.” “I told you so from the beginning. Other people aren’t needed if we’re there. Thanks to that, the number of matches increased and thousands of hours wasted. You morons.” “But………” “But if the identity of the secret map is correct, then we would have the money to hire as much people as we want. You wouldn’t be so eager for an ordinary treasure map. Did you obtain some useful information?” “That, I can’t tell you that. It is top secret information……..” After he was pressed, the person inside the hood spoke confused words. Then, the eyes of the pioneer Jewel narrowed. “Well, that’s okay. We aren’t particularly interested. Only a beginner cares about treasure maps. But about that earlier price you promised.” “Yes? What is it? Didn’t we already sign a contract with the NPC?” “We did. But we did so thinking it wouldn’t take that much time. You didn’t believe us and hired more guys so it has taken twice as long. Naturally we should revise the agreement. Don’t you think? After looking at the situation, I think it should be twice as much. An extra 1000 gold to the promised 500. So 1,500 gold in total.” “We don’t have that type of money!” One hooded person took a deep breath and exclaimed. “If you don’t like it then we can just cancel the agreement. And I’ll search for other people to buy the map. Well, we could also search for the treasure directly.” “If you break the contract………” The penalty of breaking a contract didn’t only apply to the merchant who made it. If a contract was signed and received, then the penalty applied to everyone involved. But strangely, Jewel just laughed and said. “We’re pioneers. Do you think we’re scared of something like that?’ “…………It isn’t useful to you. But 1000 gold is important for the person that would lose it.” “That’s our requirement.” Jewel spoke in a firm tone. Of course, Jewel had no thoughts about treasure hunting. But there was a reason the people that hired her wanted that specific item. Perhaps it had information about enormous profit or was related to a quest or profession. Therefore, she had no intention of transferring it obediently for the agreed upon price. Ark who was hiding also nodded. ‘Hmmm, Jewel knows how to make a deal.’ In this situation, it wasn’t possible to assume that Jewel was bad. Rather, the weakness that the hooded person showed was bad. Therefore, it was natural to attempt to get as much profit as possible. Anyway, the hooded users exchanged worried glances. But in the end they were forced to agree. “Okay. 1,500 gold.” “Good. Have it prepared for when the two matches end tomorrow.” Jewel spoke in a satisfied look and disappeared out of the other side. The hooded figures immediately cursed. “Sheesh, they’re like robbers, 1500 gold for one tournament!” It’s times like these that I feel like I chose the wrong profession. Hyung-nim.” “Although it’s regrettable, we have no other choice. We have to believe in those guys.” “But it is 1,500 gold……..wouldn’t we be struggling as soon as we lose all that money?” “You don’t have to worry.” The man they called hyung-nim muttered in a low voice. “This is the quest that a Grandmaster from one of the top guilds gave directly. The other day, I heard that one person who received a grandmaster quest took two months to complete it. The compensation he received was a rare skill and an additional 4,000 gold. In other words, the reward for this quest would be a minimum of 4,000 gold.” The eyes of the rest of the hooded figures turned to gold. It was an obvious response. 4,000 gold! That was 40 million won! “But for now we must sell our items and make 1,050 gold. Those guys don’t appear likely to help us without that.” One hooded figure rummaged through their pockets before sighing. “We still have time before the finals. We’ll find a way to raise the money in the meantime.” “Hukhukhuk, does that mean an additional debt?” “Don’t cry. It’s not good to become too indebted. But think of it as an investment. It is really lucky that I have received the Grandmaster’s quest. No matter what happens, we have to seize this opportunity to live. We’re betting everything on this.” “Yes, I understand. But even if we obtain the supplementary prize, the other 2 items are in those guys hands. What is you plan?” “Hu hu hu.” The man called Hyung-nim wore a wily smile. “That’s why this supplementary prize is especially important. If we are holding one of the three clues then those guys can’t find the treasure. It would become useless to them. Then, you offer them a deal for a sneak peek.” “Would they easily accept the deal?” “That’s our specialty. We’ll persuade them and have the contract be stamped with a seal. Well, we can also use other methods. The important thing is that we have one of the clues. If we don’t then there is no chance for us.” “As expected of Hyung-nim!” “Huhuhu, that’s right. “Huhuhuhu. It’s like that.” The hooded figures laughed sinisterly. ‘What the, this is?’ Ark stared blankly from directly behind them…………

ACT 4 Finals ‘How many quests does this item overlap with?’ Ark’s mind became complicated. When he received the <Genius Alchemist’s Laboratory> quest, he didn’t think it was that serious. He expected some decent compensation. He decided that it was only a little bit better than normal quests. But that wasn’t the case. Whenever there was a quest where a specific item was needed and there were no limitations on the number of that item, then there would be many people who have received the quest. If one restriction of the quest was friendship points, then the items couldn’t be shared. Several people would receive the quest and consequently most of them were bound to fail. ‘In order for me to receive the quest, it was necessary to have a lot of friendship points with the Magic Institute. Shambala received the quest from a quest item. As the items couldn’t be shared, one of them had to give up the quest. But there were also other people who received the quest?’ Furthermore, the place where they received the quest wasn’t ordinary. Last night, Ark shadowed the three people. But he soon lost them in a restricted area. The place where they went to was Midus, the merchant guild. ‘They said they received the quest from the Grandmaster. Then……….?’ The Grandmaster was probably from the Merchant Guild. Ark’s employer was also the Grandmaster of the Magic Institute. In other words two of the top three guilds, the Magic Institute and the Merchant Guild were involved. So let’s think about it. The NPCs of New World don’t move abruptly without any justification. This was the justification of the Grandmaster of the Magic Institute. Since Magaro was a member of the Magic Institute, the research materials that he left behind belonged to them. Therefore, it was justifiable to regain it. Then what about the Grandmaster of the Merchant Guild? There was no obvious reason at the moment. However, he had a small idea. Magaro was a well-known genius alchemist. The research from his later years would therefore be worth a lot of money. Even if it wasn’t directly used by the Merchant Guild, it was possible to use it in political negotiations with the Magic Institute. That was the rough idea that he immediately thought of. ‘The three big guilds are political rivals. Naturally they would spy on and try to outmanoeuvre each other. And the Magic Institute was trying to discover Magaro’s lost legacy. Of course the Merchant Guild quickly took action. If so……..Shambala finding the diary might be 100% due to chance, but the appearance of the secret map in the Evil Silrion shows that it might not be a coincidence. The Merchant Guild is probably behind this tournament in order to discover the other users who have found clues…….’ Perhaps it wasn’t only the Merchant Guild. ‘While normally 100 people participate on average, this tournament had more than 1,000 applications. Many large guilds are also gathering to go to Nagaran.’ The hooded figures hired some players, but it was impossible for them to have hired 900 people. In that case, maybe other powers have intervened in the quest. “Then out of the three guilds, the one with the highest chances of intervening is the Warrior Guild. The quest is probably something like taking the top prize from this tournament……if that is the case……” The situation was becoming quite interesting. Of course, Ark wasn’t interested in something like the three guilds’ power struggle. He also wasn’t didn’t want to compete with other users for the quest. The point that Ark found interesting was that the Merchant Guild made its move following the Grandmaster of the Magic Institute’s action. This meant that there was likely to be a huge reward! ‘If the guy who received a quest from the Grandmaster was rewarded with 4,000 gold, then the compensation for this quest would be at least that much!’ Without a doubt, it would be a large amount of money! Indeed, the hooded men were willing to pay 1,500 gold to Jewel for the secret map. Money was the most important thing to a merchant. If the rewards for the quest was uncertain, they wouldn’t have been willing to part with that amount of money. In other words, this quest was guaranteed to have a large profit! ‘I could get thousands of gold from one quest!’ Ark’s pupils turned to gold. If he did well then he might be rewarded with rare potions or scrolls as well as gold. ‘Huhuhu, unexpectedly I received some good information. I’m lucky that I transformed myself. While I can guess their real identities, they can’t guess mine. I have the upper hand.’ Ark hid the information from Shambala. Shambala still didn’t know how large this quest was. Since he had already received the quest, he only wanted to complete it if it was possible. However, if he knew about the huge reward then he might change his mind. In the worst case, he might require more in exchange for the diary. ‘That’s not possible. This is my quest! My money!’ And Shambala couldn’t afford to listen to such talk. The semi-finals and finals were on the same day. 1 hour ago, Ark and Shambala had won in the semi-finals and now they were waiting for the next match in the waiting room. In the meantime, Shambala sat down with crossed legs and closed his eyes. The posture of a person who learnt Kung Fu and was concentrating his mind was remarkable. Thanks to that, Ark was unable to breathe properly and sat a distance away. Then, a shout was heard along the suddenly loud passages. -The opponents for the winners of the previous match, team 14 Blue Sword and Dark Wolf have been decided! It is team 89 who defeated their opponents in only 3 minutes with overwhelming skill! Now the only match remaining is to determine the final winner. In 5 minutes, a special match will be held and then it will be the final match of the hotter than ever 186th Pairs tournament!

Shambala’s eyes flashed in response to the televised announcement. His eyes moved to Ark. ”As expected, the final opponents are the pioneers.” “Arc, this time we’ll fight separately.” “Grr?” “Among the pioneers, the magician Jewel is mine. I have to pay back my debt. With my own hands……..” “Is this because of what happened the other day?” He had surprisingly childish parts to him. Ark asked with a smile. However, Shambala spoke seriously with no signs of a laugh. “That’s not the reason. Because this game was not the first time that I’ve seen the ID Jewel.” Once he looked in his eyes, Ark realized that there was another serious matter. If it was an NPC, they would kindly listen but if it was a user then they would question it closely. But if it didn’t have anything to do with the quest or the money then he wasn’t interested. When his 40 year old uncles would drink alcohol and recite history, he had no interest. Fortunately, Shambala didn’t make a fuss with his story. “Anyway, in this tournament let’s go with individual combat. I think even Jewel intends to fight this way.” “Grrr, I also prefer it like that…….” Even though simple, a magician’s magic could vary widely depending on the type they studied. Therefore, magic had the largest scope of study. If someone prefers dealing elemental damage, they would become a sorcerer that has a lot of magic to deal with many opponents. There was also a wide variety of magical buffs but the one that was used by two or more magicians ‘Willpower exchange’ was particularly outstanding. That’s why magicians favoured being in a party the most. Meanwhile, the Warlock was a dark magician that specialized in PVP. Warlocks had no magic to help in a party. Instead their buff or protective magic could only be used on themselves, and they were often clad in something to increase their damage. In New World, the warlock was the ultimate damage dealer. “Grrr, are you sure you can beat her by yourself?” “I honestly don’t know.” Ark was slightly amazed at Shambala’s answer. He thought that Shambala was confident about winning. Naturally, the pioneers were strong. But if it was the confident Shambala saying this, then his partner wasn’t behaving boldly anymore. “Are they that strong? The pioneers?” “I fought them one month ago. I clearly remember the memory from that time and used it for image training. The amount of victories was 7 to 3. It wasn’t unexpected for Jewel who had been fighting for a month. So at that point it was considered 5 to 5.” “Grrr, it’s the case where I wouldn’t be able to understand until I see it in person.” Shambala silently nodded. “That’s right. I haven’t fought against a warlock yet. Therefore, individual combat might be easier than fighting together. Since I don’t know how great the pioneers are, let’s just go out and try it.” Then, after the special match ended the loudspeaker made an announcement again. The final match will begin in 10 minutes. After Ark heard the broadcast, he immediately took out his pot. “The only thing I can do is prepare for some bleeding. Okay. Bleeding is released. Snake, please give me the materials for ‘Racing Cocktail, ‘Hot Syrup Cake’, and ‘Drink with refreshing taste.’ Ssak ssak ssak! At Ark’s command, Snake spat out a handful of ingredients. It was quite annoying looking through his bag every time he wanted to make a dish. Therefore he made Snake remember each recipe off by heart, so that it could spit out the ingredients just from the name of the dish. Thanks to that, the time hunting for ingredients was reduced and he could grasp the different flavours of the dish. ‘What happens to the pets also depends on the master.’ The price of Snake’s effort was a simple stroke on the head sometimes. Anyway, it was already the final match. If they lost then all his efforts so far would be in vain. Ark also used ingredients that weren’t easy to find in his dishes. The cocktail increases the reaction rate, the cake boosted power while the drinks boosted magical resistance and so on………they were rare dishes without any side effects. Of course, it was less effective than the drugs that the warriors would dope themselves with. However, doping drugs were often only for warriors. Maybe because the effects of the drug were strong, but the warrior’s physical strength was needed to resist it completely. On the other hand, his dishes had no restriction on the professions and the duration was also longer than the drugs. And it was much cheaper. If Ark wanted to make a dish with a similar effect to the drugs then it would cost him 100 gold. Even so, the sight of a black wolf squatting down to cook was……..a little strange. “Grrr, it’s done!” Anyway, Ark instantly produced a buffet style meal. It was ten medicinal dishes that Ark had carefully selected. “Shambala, I’ll do my best to help you with your revenge. So eat to your heart’s content.” “Thank you.” Shambala picked a dish and looked impressed before eating it. Ark’s eyes flashed at the sight. “I’m a kind person. Because it’s hot, the price is half off. One dish is 5 gold.” “…………” Shambala coughed as he was caught and stared at Ark. Was he really trying to get money from this? His glowing eyes seemed to ask. Ark silently nodded his head. “Catering is expensive you know? But that’s between you and me. Since I took of the labour costs, shouldn’t you be thankful?” Shambala was at a loss for words.

Putt putt pow! The tournament had spread out for a long time over six days and it was finally time for the final match. As expected for the finals, the stage and special effects was really different. When Ark and Shambala entered the stadium, colourful fireworks were lit up and the stadium had been divided into four arenas which had the attention of as many as 10,000 spectators. Because there were an unprecedented number of participants, users and NPCs flocked like bees. There were even VIP seats at the stadium, where the nobility NPC stood out. -Now, they have come! The newcomer warrior who’s fired up Evil Silrion, Dark Wolf! And the undisputed leader of the solo matches who won many times, Blue Sword! Please give them a big round of applause!

“Wah ah ah!” “At last. Give us a good show!” “I bet 100 gold on you guys!” The crowd screamed as they gained momentum. -And confronting them are Jewel and Duke. Incredibly, they are known as the first foreigners to walk on this land, a pioneer! They also showed amazing ability and finished every match within 3 minutes. A fight with the rising newcomers against the pioneers! No one knows what kind of match will occur when the old and new warriors clash……. Oh, as expected the odds are even at 1.5-1.5 each!

The pioneers Jewel and Duke were introduced by the magic eye and appeared on the opposite side. -Now, these warriors who have defeated numerous enemies to reach the final match stand confronting each other. Do I need to say anything more? Let’s start the match immediately. First, let’s select the arena………

The eyeballs of the magic eye rolled around. Its eyes turned silver and looked like a slot machine. ‘Pandemonium!’ A vague smile spread on Ark’s mouth. Pandemonium was an arena that he had already experienced. It was a place where the ancient ruins of the game were spread. It was laid out like a complicated labyrinth, making it difficult to remember the way. But the most extraordinary aspect of this fight was the roof. Roof………That’s right. Pandemonium was crafted like a dungeon! ‘Luck has followed me.’ A battle in the darkness was something that Ark naturally desired. As a Dark Walker, Ark received a 40% boost to all his abilities in the darkness. Thanks to that, he was around level 140 without any special doping. It was also possible to use ‘stealth’ in this situation. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that this arena seemed especially crafted for Ark. In addition, Shambala was a Saint Assassin and assassins also received various bonuses in the dark that was equal to Ark’s. Then Jewel muttered in the distance. “If it’s Pandemonium………do you remember fighting here in the past? That match where you were beat like a dust cloth?” “Huh?” Ark looked at Shambala in surprise after the unexpected words. Shambala muttered with an expression that looked like he was chewing poo. “Jewel’s profession is a Dark Stalker among the warlocks. The bonus that she gets from the dark is just as good as ours. And there are many powerful spells that can be used only in the dark. The dungeon arena won’t give us any advantages.” Damn, his excitement was quickly released. “But it doesn’t matter. Since it’s like this, I can return the favour.” When the arena was determined, the magic eye was so excited that its blood pressure immediately increased. -Oh, as expected the warriors refuses to budge in this battle of nerves. However, this match will be decided by strength, not their words! So, begin! “Go!” Bang bang double bang! The arena shook with loud vibrations. Pillars sprung up and the dark and massive ruins were created. Of course, the voice of the magic eye and the spectators couldn’t be heard any more from the interior. But those watching from outside the arena had no difficulties viewing the interior. As soon as the match started, Shambala used Blink to reach Jewel. “Huhuhu, this punk. Don’t be hasty. There’s no time limit so let’s do this slowly.” Jewel laughed and scattered like fog as she flew to one side. It was the rare skill of the Dark Stalker that was only available in the darkness. It was Mist. The body changed into fog and it was a skill which increase speed and dramatically raised the evasion rate. “Your opponent is me. The other guys don’t matter.” “Ho oh, is this a 1 on 1 match? I have no reason to refuse. Warp!” “Dark Wolf, I’ll leave Duke to you!” Jewel used spatial movement magic to move Shambala to a different area. In order to use spatial magic, it required at least 7 circles of magic. It was barely even possible for magicians that used ‘Willpower exchange.’ The person who used such magic calmly was his opponent. It meant that the lowest level possible was a level 160 magician. Additionally, what was even more important than the level was the type of magic used. Levels were insignificant to magicians. ‘When it is to that degree, it is impossible to guess whether Shambala would win or not.’ However, it wasn’t the time to be worried about Shambala. An arrow suddenly flew at him from the darkness. ‘Archer! Duke was an archer?’ Ark was surprised and avoided the attack by rolling his body. ‘As an opponent, archers aren’t that difficult!’ Ark stood up and held his position. After measuring the timing of Duke’s movements, he swung his sword like lightning. Riposte! The arrow returned to Duke at a faster speed than it had flown earlier. If he was good enough to enter the finals, then arrows of that degree were easily avoided. Ark expected Duke to dodge the arrow, and aimed for the moment when he would dodge. Then Duke’s lip stealthily raised. “Nice move. Has your skill been trained to return this many arrows?” Tu tu tu tung-! Incredible rapid fire! Duke whipped out dozens of arrows and fired them at a dazzling speed. Ark managed to return 3~4 of the continuously firing arrows while the rest were flying at him. In a moment of carelessness, 1 arrow was driven into his shoulder. “Ugh!” -The arrow has caused a critical hit! 300 damage! Your attack speed will decrease by 10% for 30 seconds.

Even with his increased defense thanks to the dishes, he still received 300 damage. The only penalty to long distance attacks was that the archer’s attack speed was slow. However, Duke was faster than the sword. It couldn’t be that high because of the archery skill level. He probably had various passive skills that would increase attack speed. ‘He is also a pioneer…….!’ However, Ark just tediously tried to face the archer. Luckily, there was a weak point to rapid fire. The speed was so quick that accuracy fell. The arrows flew over 10 feet, and only some of them got within 1 foot of Ark. ‘Then I don’t have to be afraid of blind arrows!’ Ark stopped the arrows that were in his way while avoiding the rest. And little by little he narrowed the distance between them using explosive acceleration. Duke saw this and protested with an arrow volley. The chances of striking a critical hit was the timing. ‘Got it!’ It was at that time. Suddenly light emerged from Duke’s shoes and he slid back a few metres. Thanks to that, Ark attacked in vain and was hit in the side by an arrow shot by Duke. ‘Ugh, that, that was…….!’ “Kukukuk. Magic shoes of this calibre can’t be seen anymore.” ‘Shoes? You mean that just now was an item effect?’ Ark looked at Duke’s shoes with surprised eyes. The reason that an archer wasn’t able to fight directly with a warrior was their stance. Warriors could wield a sword from any position. However, archers had to hold their position to draw the bow. Of course, it wasn’t possible to do a proper attack when the warrior’s sword was swinging at them. However, Duke’s shoes ignored that penalty. Gliding didn’t move his feet, so he could still hold his stance and shoot while avoiding attacks. That’s right. That was the scary advantage of the pioneers that Shambala pointed out in the beginning. While unusually high skills was a problem, the real worry was about their items. The pioneers had already hunted in the high-level areas in the early stages and gained all sorts of rare items. Duke smirked and shouted. “The core of online gaming is the equipment.” Ark ground his teeth together. Of course he knew. Equipment was very important to online gaming. But Ark believed that it wasn’t everything. If equipment was everything, wouldn’t that mean that a person who started late wouldn’t ever be able to catch up with them? He didn’t ever want to admit that. That was why he carefully raised his skills from the bottom up and never skipped exercising every day. No, equipment wasn’t everything in New World! “Damn, Dark Dance!” It was the skill that significantly increased his evasion rate! Ark stepped on the red footprints that floated on the ground and disappeared like a ghost. At the same time, Duke again used rapid fire. However, Ark swung his sword at all the arrows at an incredible pace. Duke began to look puzzled as his evasion movements continued. Crunch, tu tu tu tung, bang, tu tu tu tung! Duke slid back with the magic shoes while using rapid fire. Ark moved like a ghost using Dark Dance and wielded his sword. He didn’t even look up at the fighting magician that was randomly using warp. He was able to understand the two locations using the sparkle of the sword and the arrow in the darkness. Naturally, Ark and Duke confirmed the opponents with their eyes and attacked. If he could intuitively grasp the path of the opponent, then he would be able to break through the barrage of attacks. And this was Ark’s specialty. “Ugh, damn this guy.” Thanks to Dark Dance, Duke retreated with a groan. Ark attacked between arrows, so Duke was hit three or four times with the sword. However, Ark was the one confused. Even with the various dishes and a bunch of bonus darkness attribute stats, only 10% of Duke’s health was decreased even though he was hit three or four times. Either his health was ridiculously high, or his armour with loaded with defensive stats. No, if he was a pioneer then both reasons were probably applicable. Still, he couldn’t make any attacks with Dark Blade. But Ark soon braced himself. ‘If it’s this much, then it is worth doing!’ “Hmm, a frontal confrontation is troublesome as expected. It’s better to enjoy myself my way.” Duke slipped around the corner and went into hiding. He was trying to use guerrilla warfare that the terrain was suited for. That was also Ark’s specialty, but it was disadvantageous against an archer. If he was showered with arrows from a high place like a balcony, there was no way for he to avoid all of it. “You must be quite concerned about me if you’re trying to leave.” Ark turned the corner. However, the figure of Duke did not appear. It was a large square so no matter how fast he was, he wouldn’t have been able to hide himself in time. Then? ‘Don’t tell me that Duke can also use Stealth?’ Tu tu tu tung! It was at that time. There was a mechanical sound and countless arrows started falling from the sky. -You have activated the Poison Arrow trap. 300 damage received.<Thanks to the acid poison, your health will reduce by 10 every 20 seconds for 2 minutes.>

“Hu hu hu, have you finally noticed?” ”Tr-trap? If he can use stealth and traps then…….Ranger!” His laughter was audible in the darkness. Learning stealth and archery, as well as tracking and using traps was one of the most difficult jobs in the archer profession, the Ranger! That was Duke’s real profession. Once Duke showed the characteristics of his profession, Ark was immediately backed into a corner. Duke would hide himself with ‘Stealth’ and when Ark got stuck in a trap then he would shoot arrows before running away again. Yet Ark couldn’t follow blindly. That was because he would intentionally invite him into a trap. In the end, it wasn’t possible to do it in this state. But there’s even more. The weak point of ‘Stealth’ was that he couldn’t move without Ark hearing the sound. But since the sound of the shoes sliding were light, Duke couldn’t completely eliminate the sound of his footsteps. So Ark tried to capture the sound…….. Waeeeng! -A Siren’s trap was activated.<Your ear has become paralyzed for 3 minutes and you can’t hear any sounds from your surroundings anymore.>

Duke overwhelmed Ark in terms of equipment, skills and every other way. Because the level was fixed to 100, the difference was shown even more. Ark’s clothes became wet and he steadily losing health. He also didn’t have an effective way to discover the traps. The traps that Duke used didn’t simply do damage. There were also traps that could bind and stun. If would take falling into just one dangerous trap for him to be defeated.Duke was a pioneer and had already found a way to overcome the weakness of ‘Stealth.’ ‘I should have done everything I could in the beginning………I took it too lightly.’ Ark also had a bag of tricks. His poisonous pet snake. However, if was a huge burden for him to use so early so he didn’t. It was a mistake. He should’ve used it early to make the opponent’s health decrease even more. He missed the timing, and now the circumstances meant that he couldn’t use it easily. ‘If I summon my pets now then they won’t be any help. Deimos can’t avoid the traps, and Dedric was vulnerable to arrows so he would just receive damage instead. And there is no chance to attack with Snake’s poison……..’ He was contemplating for a moment before something flashed in Ark’s head. ‘Pets, poison! Okay, maybe……..!’ “Snake, Paralysis!” Once his health was reduced to 60%, Ark finally pulled out a trick from his bag. Ark coated his sword with Snake’s poison and walked to the corner where Duke had disappeared, sticking closely to the wall. Then while Deimos was summoned, he hid using ‘Stealth.’ “Summon Demon, Deimos. I can only believe in your defense!” Clack clack clack! Deimos rushed forward vigorously. Duke had laid out a bunch of traps around the corner. There was a large roaring sound before visually frightening dust flames and smoke began to spread. Deimos had advanced using his body as a shield. It worked for a while before Deimos was bound in a trap and targeted by arrows. “Did that stupid guy give up?” Duke appeared at that time. In the passage shrouded by thick smoke, Deimos was easily mistaken as Ark. “It’s now. Dark Dance!” Ark quickly rounded the corner and rushed at Duke. He poured a shower of kicks on him. Duke who had been trying to shoot an arrow never expected the barrage of attacks. He confirmed that it was Deimos a step too late and tried to run away but Ark had barely managed to catch him. Ark used Dark Dance to move around Duke while kicking and swinging his sword. His sword was stained with paralysis poison and his kick could also cause abnormal conditions! Meanwhile, Deimos had also managed to escape from the trap and went behind him to block Duke’s attack. ‘I have to end it here!’ But Duke’s defense surpassed his expectations. Although he was attacked non-stop for 30 seconds, his health did not fall below 50%. But the paralysis condition was stacked up every time an attack hit and was also layered over with other abnormal conditions. “Damn, this was expensive………Warp trap!” Duke installed at trap at his feet using quick hand movements. Then Duke activated the trap and disappeared before appearing 10 metres away. The moment they were in a desperate situation, the pioneer’s experience showed its power once again. The warp trap was a trap that allowed him to move to an area where another trap was laid out. The user could also use the traps as a combo on himself. It was a method of escaping that couldn’t have been imagined by Ark. ‘But his health is already at 40%. I have an advantage now!’ “I will not forgive you!” Duke protested and pulled out a bunch of arrows that flashed. It was the magic arrows that cost 40 silvers for 1. In addition, it was level 140. It was a high level archery skill where the arrow would explode once it connected with something. When it was shot, a huge explosion immediately occurred in the area. Rocks fell down as flames rose from all sides. Clack clack, clack clack clack! Suddenly, Deimos pushed Ark out of the way at a desperate moment. He received all the falling rock and fire damage! He was a pet that overflowed with loyalty. However, Ark wasn’t thankful for the loyalty shown. -Your pet ‘Deimos’ had been recalled to the Netherworld. You have received 50% of the Familiar’s Health as damage.

The problem was that thanks to evolving in the Underground World, Deimos had 1000 health so Ark received 500 damage. He had put all that effort into making Duke’s health 40% and now Ark’s health was also 40%.Deimos’ health was low from the traps so he was forcefully recalled with that last attack. “Ugh, damn this guy……!” Duke had already hidden his body using ‘Stealth.’ “Hu hu hu, now your shield has disappeared entirely. Rest assured however. He’s not the only one I will kill. I’ll slowly crush you.” Duke’s voice was heard in the darkness. When he used it, the skill was useful but if it was on the other side then it was an annoying skill. ‘Damn, I didn’t realise a ranger was this difficult.’ Since then, the same situation was repeated. When he moved to avoid traps, magic arrows would fly from behind him. If he tried to focus on the arrows then a trap would be triggered. After all of that, Ark’s health fell to 20%. -Shambala has used the ‘Trill’ skill on you. Would you like to accept?

‘Shambala? Maybe he managed to defeat Jewel? ‘ Ark accepted Trill with an expectant look. -Ark, what is your situation? -Honestly, not very good. You? Did you perhaps defeat Jewel? -……..Wrong. -What? -That Jewel is even stronger than before. I was trapped in the passages where she used magic I’ve never seen before. I’ve managed to reduce her health to 40% but I’m in a critical condition. -……..Damn it! Are we going to lose to them after all? Ark ground his teeth together. Even though it was a dark dungeon, it only acted as a penalty to them so far. This was because Jewel and Duke were also of the dark attribute. Even if they had the same dark attribute, their skills were entirely different. Ark and Shambala were close combat specialists. But they were professionals at ‘hunting’ with all the magic and traps. It was obvious that something like a maze of darkness would be beneficial for traps and hunting. -I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have proposed an individual battle. -…………….. Ark was silent for a moment. Shambala was already half-way to giving up. However, Ark had no intention of giving up. If he gave up here, then all his efforts in the last six days would’ve been worthless. And Magaro’s secret map that might show the location of huge amounts of money would be given to the unidentified merchants. The merchants knew the value of the map so he wouldn’t be able to obtain it with money or intimidation. Of course, there was still Ark’s fight with Duke remaining. However, if Shambala was defeated by Jewel then it would be useless. If Shambala was defeated by Jewel then Ark wouldn’t be able to handle her as well as Duke. ‘If Shambala dies then everything is finished. But Shambala is in a different area. In order to defeat Jewel and Duke, we must join forces……..’ At that time, a thought flashed through Ark’s head. -Shambhala, didn’t we previously have a fight in this cave? It was made clear that the ruins were symmetrical. And there is only one pathway that joins both sides. -So? -That’s it. Let’s use it. -Let’s use it? How? Shambala asked Ark who began to tell him the plan. Then Shambala thought for a while before replying. -Certainly…..Yes, there is a possibility that it will work. -We have no choice but to try it. We have to grasp the initiative, because timing is essential for this strategy. If one of us doesn’t make it, or the timing is off by even 1 second then the whole thing will fail. Do you understand? -I know. Then let’s apply your strategy for the last match. -Let’s forward it to exactly 1 minute later, I’ll see you there! Once Ark disconnected the communication, he immediately triggered Adelaine’s necklace. It was a method of recovering mana in an emergency. However, this time Ark triggered the necklace for the 40% increase in defense option. With his defensive powers increased, Ark stepped on the traps that he had avoided previously. There was a ringing sound and Ark’s body was tied to a tree trunk. The Chain Trap was activated.<It isn’t possible to move for 30 seconds.>

Once the trap worked, Duke immediately appeared and showered him in arrows. Even if he was chained up, he could still move his arm. Ark tried his best to hit all the arrows. However, his health quickly decreased from the rapid fire of the magic arrows. Even though his defense had increased by 40%, by the time the chains came loose he was in a critical condition.”Ha ha ha, I finally caught you!” “You bastard, you’re planning to keep fighting like a coward!?” Duke had immediately done a hit and run. “Hu hu hu, what’s the point of a frontal confrontation when you’re already in a critical condition? What nonsense. But did you just intentionally step on a trap? Kukukuk, how stupid! Do you think that I’m so stupid that I wouldn’t notice you have something planned? Rangers have to be vigilant until the end. You’ll tasting more of my hellish traps yet again!” “Even if I die, I’ll bring you with me! Summon release, resummon Dedric!” Ark had been waiting for his spiritual power to recover to 100%. “Ugh!” Dedric appeared with a scream. Ark had summoned Dedric to the stadium. Ark had originally summoned Dedric to gamble on the matches in the stadium. Because he was outside, there was no way to communicate with him. However, when he summoned him in an emergency then his former shape was shown. Dedric had looked like a little boy holding the hand of his father, therefore a young boy holding a megaphone appeared in the arena. In addition to that, he had a large piece of bread stuffed in his mouth. While his master was fighting and almost dying, he was just having a snack! “M-master! A kind ajusshi gave this to me. Really. I would never use the money from the dividends to buy food.” Dedric couldn’t even think of a good excuse. It was like a fish was left to a cat. Since he had earned quite a lot gambling in the Evil Silrion…….. Ark couldn’t enter the gambling place as a participant. Therefore, he used Dedric as a smoke screen who ran around buying snacks with the money. Although he wanted to throw it away, now wasn’t the time. “Shut up and pursue that fellow immediately!” “Then, this never happened…….” Damn, more time was being wasted thanks to his cheap tricks. “I get it so hurry up before that guy gets away! If you lose him then you’ll die!” “Got it Master!” Dedric turned into a bat and caught up with Duke. ‘Stealth’ couldn’t be used if someone was looking at them. That was the trump card that Ark came up with. When Duke couldn’t use ‘Stealth,’ he shot his arrows with a puzzled expression. But who was Dedric? Among the summons, he was the second to none in terms of combat agility! “Heung, I’m not afraid of arrows! My master is more scary!” Dedric used the pillars as shields and kept his eyes on the ranger until his eyeballs popped out. Thanks to that, Duke couldn’t use ‘Stealth’ and had no choice but to be chased by Ark. After a while, Ark measured the time and gave an order to Dedric. “Dedric, block the passage to the left and drive that guy towards the right passage!” “Okay!” Dedric blocked the left passage and shouted at Duke with a loud voice. “Shrimp! I’m going to capture you and eat you!” “Ugh, that annoying bat!” But Duke held his ground and didn’t waste time arguing with Dedric. Ark was coming up behind him with a menacing expression. In fact, Ark was already in a critical condition. There was no reason for Duke to be afraid of him. However, the fact that Ark deliberately stepped into the trap made Duke feel anxious. ‘That guy, he definitely has something. Perhaps he has an item capable of recovery magic…….’ Eventually, the psychological warfare won and he turned his body and headed down the right passage. Then, he heard Shambala’s voice again through the use of Trill. -Ark, I’m heading to that place! -Okay. I’m also almost finished driving him there. -Count it down. 3, 2, 1……..now! 6 o’clock at my back, 3 m above! -Duke is at the front just around the corner! Ark and Shambala shouted at the same time. Just before Duke turned the corner, Shambala popped out from the rock. That’s right. In the Pandemonium arena, the left and right side structures were the same. Shambala and Ark were battling on separate sides. And there was a corner where the 2 caves connected that was broken by a sharp angle. Ark and Shambala had worked out a strategy to aggressively swap partners there. “What, what the? How did these guys…….?” Duke was puzzled and lifted an eyebrow. However, after Shambala turned the corner he had already used a deadly skill. “Torpedo Sword!” The dagger sparked with lightning and a vortex was formed around the dagger as it rushed towards Duke. It was the hidden profession, Saint Assassin! The destructive power was enormous. Duke fell into the critical condition and he also had the ‘electric shock’ status. Of course, Ark wasn’t just watching. Taking advantage of Duke’s paralysis, Ark jumped and used his strongest skill. “Take this, Blade Storm!” Ark always had decent swords in a bag or two. It was in order to use Blade Storm at the last moment. As soon as Ark had pulled out a black sword from the bag, he used Blade Storm in the air. He was following Shambala’s directions of the target being 3 m up in the 6 o’clock direction! Kwa ru ru rung! The well-made sword was crushed to pieces and the fragments stated to stir. At that moment, Jewel who was chasing Shambala appeared around the corner. Jewel was floating in the air with a translucent shield to protect herself. It was the protection magic which caused certain amounts of damage to become invalid. But the protective shield was quickly destroyed by the powerful offensive of Blade Storm. Jewel was surrounded by a vortex of shield fragments and was forced to the ground. “Ugh, what on earth is this……….?” Jewel still couldn’t grasp the situation. “Don’t you realise whats going on? You guys have become the targets!” “Ugh, hell…….! You say that like it was planned!?” “Its the end. Dark Blade!” Ark ran up to Jewel and used Dark Blade. “Damn, don’t look down on me, Warp!” When a magician and warrior battle became close combat, the warrior would be superior because the magician’s magic would fail. The magician had to memorize a chant in order to use the magic. When the magic was invoked, it would appear in front of them and they would have to activate it. In dire situations, the magic reaction speed would naturally slow down and the magic would fail. The magician’s magic would fail without the right words. But that didn’t happen. Even when the situation was dire, Jewel was experienced enough to remember the chant and her warp succeeded. Jewel appeared 10 metres away using warp and immediately used mist magic to disappear. “Dedric, after her!” “There’s no need. Leave it to me, Ark. I’ll take care of it!” Shambala shouted at Ark while he was wielding his sword. At that moment an amazing thing happened. The crowd couldn’t understand what it saw. Shambala…….. and maybe even Ark couldn’t of imagined that such a perfect picture would be created. However, at the moment Ark understood Shambala completely and swung his sword at him. He didn’t intend to do it but they suddenly flashed and separated. Although they had forgotten for a while, Ark and Shambala had a strange synergy with each other while fighting together…….. words couldn’t describe it. “Riposte!” Ark made his Riposte hit Shambala’s sword. The two swords clashing together caused sparks to fly! Ark’s counter struck Shambala’s chest. At the same time, the additional effect of Riposte kicked in. Shambala didn’t fight it and instead added to the pushing force, propelling him even more powerfully into the sky. He surprisingly flew 15 metres and struck with his dagger while using Torpedo Sword. A ray like lightning burned through the darkness. And Shambala penetrated Jewel’s body that fell to the ground. In her last moments, Jewel’s laughter came flowing out. “Ah ah ah ak! U-unbelievable…….. lost……. to guys like you!” It was like the reaction of a boss monster. Anyway, Jewel was surrounded by blue sparks and disappeared. Ark turned around and quickly looked at Duke. “Ugh!” Duke was barely out of the electric shock state and only had 1% health left. When Jewel had died in vain, he immediately lost his fighting spirit. Duke jumped up and tried to run away. Ark smiled and gave an order to Dedric. “Dedric, how much have you piled up?” “Ohuhuhuhu, tormenting weak guys are my specialty. Leave it to me! Dark Dash!” Dedric flew like the wind and struck Duke in the head. Duke received the ‘Darkness’ status and struggled as he fell down. “Damn this guy! How dare you shoot an arrow at the master I respect? And you even sent Deimos back to the Netherworld? Then let me return the favour to you!” Thus, the pioneer Duke was stepped on so much by Dedric that he died. Dedric who had controlled Duke trembled and reached out with both hands. “Hehehe, Master. I handled the villain. Aren’t I awesome? Right?” Dedric was really showing off. Shambala who was watching suddenly laughed. “Kuk, hahaha, hahahaha. It really is fun fighting with you!” Ark also let out a silly laugh. It was the toughest battle he ever had, and it was also the most exciting. When the two died, there was a ringing sound and Pandemonium suddenly disappeared. However, the crowd was so quiet that it was strange. Then like a needle falling, a voice was heard……. Like the crowd, the magic eye had been looking at the two of them with a bemused expression. Then like he suddenly woke up, the magic eye burst out with a loud noise. -A, awesome! Blue Sword and Dark Wolf player! They were able to overcome the disadvantage in skills using strategies and the two opposing players were eventually defeated! This is it! The real beauty of the Evil Silrion arena!

Have you ever seen such a wonderful battle? The winners of the 186th Pairs Tournament have been decided! Blue Sword who, in this tournament, holds the record of 49 consecutive winning matches! Dark Wolf, even though he only recently debuted, made a shocking impact and won 12 straight matches.

Now the whole arena vibrated with shouts. Firecrackers burst in the night sky while the crowd stomped their feet and chanted Blue Sword and Dark Wolf. The users who bet on Jewel and Duke also generously cheered.”Wah ah ah!” “That was more amazing than watching a real fight!” “This fight was worth every penny, even if the admission fee was expensive!” “The best. I had to watch that match no matter what!” “Blue sword and Dark Wolf, this time you should become pros!” “That’s right, you should play in more matches. I’ll get to see it every day!” The stadium shook up and down. Ark realized that 1,000 people had competed in this tournament and he had actually won.

ACT 5 Frenzied Night Ark and Shambala raised a hand to acknowledge the cheers and returned to the waiting room. “It was quite fun.” “The next match won’t be as fun.” Shambala replied with a slightly stiff expression. Yes, they’ve won the tournament as planned. And in the next match, Shambala would be his opponent. In order to obtain the three clues, the two of them need to have one final battle. So far, they’ve decided to join hands and feet and fight together. That wasn’t a good thing at all. However, Shambala soon lost the tension in his face and laughed. “Well, for the moment let’s just rejoice. We’ve managed to beat the pioneers in the Evil Silrion that many people couldn’t manage to do. We’ve earned the right to be happy.” At that time, an administrative NPC came to the waiting room. “Blue Sword and Dark Wolf. Can you come to the VIP room right now?” “The VIP room?” “Yes, an honoured guest is eager to meet the two of you.” Ark and Shambala tilted their heads and followed the NPC to the VIP room. It was a nice room overlooking the arena and when they entered, an NPC with a chubby belly spread out his arms and welcomed them. The large number of jewellery hanging on his body shook and rattled carelessly. “Ooh, come come! The great warriors that brightened the Evil Silrion. I’m Voltaire, the main person in charge of the Evil Silrion. I can see that your experience is truly overflowing!” “What can I do for you?” Shambala asked in a brusque voice. Shambala acted quite different from the way he normally treated NPCs. Voltaire winced, but quickly smiled and nodded. “Ha ha ha, the warrior is showing a well-suited arrogance. It’s okay, I understand. Because you showed skills that are a match for your arrogance.” Ark hadn’t said anything but he was also treated like gold. “I was quite impressed when watching your match, the way an ordinary foreigner managed to defeat the pioneers! It was quite boring to watch the pathetic warriors that would give up when fighting the pioneers. But you refuse to do that and faced each other beautifully. It was the first time I had seen such an admirable match. Thanks to that, the reputation of the Evil Silrion will increase even more.” Voltaire praised them until the saliva in his mouth became dry. “Did you call us just to say that?” Shambala showed signs of annoyance. And Voltaire asked in a coy voice with astute eyes. “Have you ever thought about becoming an exclusive gladiator?” “Exclusive gladiator?” “Yes. There are many special gladiators under contract with the Evil Silrion and sometimes they would hold special matches. Of course, the prize money and supplementary prize given to the gladiator exclusive matches cannot even be compared to the ordinary tournament prizes. There is also a separate pay that is given every month. Anyone who knows about the Evil Silrion would covet the job. How about it?” Once he finished talking, there was a ringing sound and two message windows popped up. You have received the proposal to become an ‘Exclusive Gladiator’ from Voltaire, the moderator of the Evil Silrion.

In addition to their profession job, a player is also given an opportunity to choose a sub-occupation. You can receive a sub-profession from the senior NPC once you fulfil certain conditions. These sub-professions aren’t related to your main profession. When choosing a sub-profession, it is possible to learn exclusive skills. However, if you choose to leave the sub-profession and pick another one then the exclusive skills will disappear.]

Become an Exclusive Gladiator in the Evil Silrion

Gladiators can be exclusively hired by the moderators of the Evil Silrion. Only warriors that display and excellent ability that charmed the crowd are able to choose this profession. If you become a gladiator, it is possible to receive many bonuses such as gladiator exclusive training facilities, stores and so on. They are also informed in advanced of the schedule of all the tournaments as well as the prizes, and they are also automatically seeded and receive the right to start in the round of 16. There is also a monthly pay of 30 gold per month. A special bonus for special matches will also be paid. However, it is required to participate in at least one tournament per month.

Would you like to accept the offer of the sub-profession ‘Exclusive Gladiator?’ “I refuse.” Shambala didn’t even have to think about it as he replied. Voltaire sighed in disappointment and looked at Ark. He could improve his skills and earn quite a lot of money in the Evil Silrion. The conditions that Voltaire suggested were also pretty good. Aside from the salary, the other rights were quite plausible as well. However, there was a part that was quite worrisome. The provision that he would have to participate in at least one tournament once a month. Didn’t that mean that he couldn’t leave the vicinity of Selebrid? New World was quite wide and there were a number of things to do. Ark was too young (?) to sit in one place. “I’m also not going to become an exclusive gladiator.” At the end, Ark also politely declined. Voltaire lowered his shoulders and sighed. “Valuable. With your capacity, the reputation of the gladiators in the Evil Silrion would certainly grow……..but I can’t force you. Alright. Instead, I just want to see the wonderful sight of you two again. Please participate in a tournament again when you get the chance. Can you promise that?” “Thank you. Although I have to decline the proposal due to various circumstances, I won’t forget the fact that a popular noble like Voltaire-nim thinks so deeply of me.” Ark smiled his business smile and gently answered. Voltaire fidgeted with his ring and laughed. Thanks to Shambala’s indifferent attitude, Ark’s kindness seemed to shine even more. “Oh, your modest character is a wonderful thing. I would love to see thousands of warriors like you! Ah, I suddenly remembered. Although I only promised the original compensation to the winner. Thanks to you two, the Evil Silrion was unusually prosperous for the last couple of days. As a repayment for that, it isn’t so great but here is a little souvenir I’ve prepared.” When Voltaire reached out his hand, an administration immediately handed over a box that contained a thick leather bracelet.

Gladiator’s Honour (Unique, Locked) Armour type: Leather Bracelet Defense power: 15 Durability: 60/60 Weight: 10 User restriction: Level 100 or more

This is a symbol of honour that is given to gladiators that have fulfilled certain conditions in the Evil Silrion. It is a special compensation for the popular gladiators that have managed to draw a crowd of 10,000 spectators to the Evil Silrion.

Although the Gladiator’s bracelets are valuable, its true value lies with the honor it bring. Those who prize the honour of warriors will treat you with respect. This Gladiator’s Honour will be forever carved with the name ‘Ark’ on the inside. This means that transferring the item to someone else is impossible. In addition, it is impossible for magic or scrolls to break it.

<Option: Strength, Agility, Stamina +10, Fame +500, Sword-based Skill Growth +5%> ‘U-unique bracelets! Wow, I’ve been quite lucky!’ It was an unexpectedly huge reward. That fact that Ark had gone through a lot of trouble in the Evil Silrion to only obtain one quest item had made him feel quite dissatisfied. But he never imagined that he would receive an additional item for drawing lots of spectators. Not to mention, it was an unique item! The performance of the unique bracelet was enormous. It was rare that bracelets with a defense of 15 would also increase strength, stamina and agility by 10 points. But the first thing that caught his eye was the +5% of all sword-based skills option. Thanks to the 5% increase, it was possible to make his Sword-Hand Combat grow even faster. The only downside was that the item was character locked so it wasn’t possible to sell it. But since it raised his Sword-Hand Combat growth, he wouldn’t have wanted to sell it anyway. With the bracelet that he hunted in the Forest of Souls, he now had it on both arms. However, he didn’t want to sell the Amulet of Vitality. Last night, the power boosted by 5 was barely enough to save him. Although it couldn’t compare to the warrior’s honour, it was pretty useful. Ark looked at the Warrior’s honour on his right arm. ‘Hu hu hu, I managed to obtain two bracelets and shoulder plates from this.’ However, he felt that he wanted more. As he put it on, he thought it would be good to wear it on both wrists. ‘Sheesh, if it wasn’t a locked item then I would try to obtain it somehow……..’ In front of items, friendship didn’t matter to Ark. “Starting from today, a weekly magazine published by the Evil Silrion will be sent to your mailbox for free. And the offer to become an exclusive gladiator is still open so if you ever change your mind, come and see me. I’ll leave my door wide open for you!” The NPC was offering quite a lot. Was it okay to receive the unique item and a free weekly newsletter? Furthermore, he could become an exclusive gladiator anytime he wanted to. Ark sent ‘Hu hu hu, my social life is going to be like this’ with a look from his eyes. Then Shambala responded ‘Do you want to live?’ with his eyes. “Well, take this and go. You can receive the victory cash prize and the supplementary prize at the management office.” Voltaire smiled and shook hands with only Ark. He was quite a narrow minded guy for someone with a large bulk. Anyway, they finally went to the management office to receive their compensation.

-You have won the 186th Pairs Tournament. Current record: 12 wins <Tournament Winner Bonus: Fame +300, Experience + 20,000>

-You have received the prize money of 200 gold for the 186th Pairs Tournament. -The supplementary prize for the 186th Pairs Tournament is Magaro’s secret map.

There was a side alley next to the Evil Silrion. The hooded merchants A, B, C gnashed their teeth furiously. They had spent 24 hours crying thanks to Jewel and Duke’s blackmail. They weren’t poor merchants, but nevertheless 1,500 gold was a lot of money. Most of their money was tied up in trade investments, so the only cash they could move was 1,050 gold. Then they had to desperately find an extra 450 gold in 24 hours. ‘We have to obtain it. This is a good investment!’ But it wasn’t an easy task to find all that money. Eventually they had to sell off items piled up in warehouses for a much lower price than the market price. But they were still short 100 gold so they pledged their investments as collateral and borrowed money from high interest lenders. After all the blood and tears shed, they barely made 500 gold…… “What the hell is this!” Merchant A shook his fist and spat out curses. “Those damn pioneers! They dared to bluff and raise the price only to fail! Those empty noisy cans! They should go to hell, those bastards!” “We tried so hard to make the money that we even took out high interest loans……” “Huk huk huk, now we’re going to die.” The pioneers were beaten to death in the final match. Immediately after the fight, the pioneers vanished. Indeed, why would they face their partner unless forced? Thanks to those guys, they went through all that suffering to make money and now they vanished like chickens. While he was crying, Merchant C muttered with a concerned face. “Sniff, Hyung-nim. What do we do now? We received damage and even racked up a huge debt, but now the final clue is in their hands.” “……….There is no other way.” Merchant A was locked in thought for a moment before he said in a deliberate voice. Merchant B and C swallowed their spit and avoided his gaze. “Hyung-nim, by the way…….” “Mercenaries, should we hire mercenaries?” “We have no choice. We are merchants after all. We shouldn’t just resign ourselves to these damages. If possible, I didn’t want to use a fearsome or vicious method…….but, Blue Sword and Dark Wolf asked for it.” “But they are the tournament winners. Don’t you think they’re very strong?” “Yes but they are only two people. Even including their colleagues that we saw at the main entrance, it’s only a few people. In addition, the levels of those 10 people don’t seem that high.” Although Ark was well hidden they were already aware that Dark Wolf and Ark was the same person. After listening to Ark’s and Shambala’s conversation, they had secretly followed them back to the main gate. “Wow Hyung-nim! You’ve even managed to find out something like that!” While Merchant B and C raised their voices, Merchant A just shrugged. “Hu hu hu, I didn’t make it this far as a merchant without raising my insight. Anyway, if we hire 10 level 120 mercenaries then that should be enough to take care of them. No matter how good Blue Sword and Dark Wolf are, they wouldn’t be able to defeat such a number of people.” “Indeed. But our purpose isn’t to kill them but to retrieve the items.” “Of course.” Merchant A smiled and took out a few scrolls. Then Merchant B and C became frightened. “H, Hyung-nim! That surely…….!” “I see you’ve figured it out. Yes, this is the rumoured chaotic scrolls [Peek] and [Robbery]. It is a fearsome item that allows someone to peek into the target’s bag and steal one designated item from them. Most merchants are afraid of these scrolls but I’m different. In some cases, they should be used. I happened upon these scrolls a while ago and kept them.” “Oh oh, what wonderful foresight!” “Ohu hu hu hu, are you surprised? I’m surprised. Because the chaotic scrolls are still items that only few merchants know about. I’ve never dreamed that I would use these scrolls. Recently there was a hobbit merchant that was hanging around Selebrid selling these scrolls. Although the market price was a little bit high…….” Merchant A smacked his lips and murmured. “Even if it is Blue Sword and Dark Wolf, they won’t be able to stop the scrolls. When they die, they will be robbed and any extra items can be sold as extra profit. I don’t want to kill, but if they hang onto it then it is the last resort. When threatened with the scroll then they should hand over the items.” “As expected of Hyung-nim!” “But don’t we need plenty of money to hire 20 mercenaries level 12?” “You don’t have to worry.” Merchant A replied. “Selebrid is overflowing with tons of unemployed people.” Unfortunately, it was an undeniable fact. In Selebrid, there were many users over level 100. However even though their levels are high, not all of them lived affluent lives. No, higher level users that had a profession other than merchant tended to be poor. Even though their health was higher, they needed deluxe wheat bread to recover it and the repair price for equipment was also no joke. The users who couldn’t manage their finances were no different to beggars after their equipment completely breaks. Naturally, if they drank potions then hardships would only increase. That wasn’t the only reason they were poor. In Selebrid, gambling thrived thanks to the Evil Silrion. And the simple warriors were weak to such temptation. They would waste all their savings in a pub binge or find a casino with high inflation until they lost so much that they were forced to mortgage their equipment. It was to the extent that with no money and no equipment, the level 100 users couldn’t even go out hunting without dying. Probably, the rehabilitation group and Roco would end up in a similar situation. It was a miscalculation to think that a high level user would earn a lot of money like Ark. He had strict money management and would even run 1 kilometres to get an extra copper or go an extra 10 kilometres to cut the cost by 1 copper. Other users had no concept of such a method of saving. Anyway, the users that have become like beggars were desperate for jobs. A job where they would clearly be paid was even more of a blessing than hunting! “Hire level 120 users but draw the line at 50 gold for 1 day.” “But they might have to kill someone.” “The final blow is limited to 2~3 people with the highest level. And when they become chaotic and enter the prison, we will pay compensation for the penalty. We still have the 1,500 gold we promised to the pioneers.” “Oh oh, it is a perfect plan!” “Isn’t it? Hu hu hu, sometimes I’m afraid of the inside of my head as well.” Merchant A rolled his eyes and said. “Now, I don’t have the time. The fellow who obtains the clue can’t know that we are seeking treasure. “I understand!” Merchant B and C moved their short legs and disappeared into the alley.

“What now?” At that time, Ark and Shambala faced unexpected problems. Ark and Shambala had won the Pairs Tournament so there was only one thing left to do. But before the decisive battle, they had to put the clues together first. However, Sid who had left at the beginning still hadn’t returned. He had sent a letter using the Magic Institute’s letterbox. Ark-nim, this is taking longer than expected.You don’t have to be concerned because business is still fine. That was the letter send to him from Sid. But there was no way to figure out why he was late from the contents of the letter. “Maybe he forgot the items and had to return for it?” However, Ark had no way to contact Sid straight away. Because Sid was a poor merchant so he didn’t have a transfer mailbox. Of course there was a way to send general mail, but general mail had to designate a village rather than a person. However, Ark didn’t even know the area that Sid was wandering around. An item was an item, but Sid was carrying thousands of gold so he was worried about him leaving behind schedule. But Ark shook his head. ‘It would take a lot of time to organize the items and turn it into 5,500 gold. There are a number of significant items. Yes, my hyungs and I invested a lot of money, so even if it takes a long time, it is important to sell it at a suitable price.’ “What should we do Shambala? Sid doesn’t seem to be returning for a while?” Ark explained the truth to Shambala. Shambala looked thoughtful for a while before nodding. “If you can’t contact him then it’s not possible. Since he also has to hold the items while conducting business. Then our fight will be postponed until Sid returns.” “I suppose. What else can we do?” Ark nodded while looking at the secret map. In fact, Magaro’s quest wouldn’t be able to proceed even if Sid was back now. He never thought that there would be a restriction on the secret map. Magaro’s Secret Map (Quest Starting Item) An old parchment with unknown letters and geometric symbols written on it. Although it shows tough terrain, it is difficult to guess the location just by looking at the map. It seems to require other clues in order to decipher the symbols and characters. <Quest Progression Minimum Condition: One or more additional clues, Level 150 >] ‘This is what Shannen means by the quest being difficult.’ Ark recalled Shannen’s words. When he gave the quest, he added that it wouldn’t be an easy one for Ark to complete. Although he didn’t pay attention at the time, now it was a small hint. This was a virtual reality game, so naturally there would be a limit restriction on an NPC’s request. If the minimum progression requirement for the quest was level 150, then if he had to guess then he would have to be level 160~180 before he could start it. However, Ark’s current level was 127. Although his skills gained a lot of experience in the Evil Silrion, he could only raise his level by 4 in the Forest of Souls. In the end, he had to be 23 levels higher in order to continue the quest. Shambala’s situation wasn’t too different from Ark’s. “Shambala, what are you going to do?” “Let’s see………” “We can wait for Sid here, or I can gain 23 levels in some decent hunting grounds and meet up again later.” “I’ll consider the problem a little bit more. I still have a job to do in this area. But I don’t know how long it will take.” That was when someone started hitting the both of them. “Hey, you’ve just won the martial arts tournament so why are you giving off a bad impression? I don’t know what you guys are talking about but let me buy you a drink!” Ark and Shambala jumped and turned around. He had turned off the transformation and Shambala had also changed his mask and cloak so they felt wary. However, Ark quickly solved the problem. “JusticeMan ajusshi? How?” “Ha ha ha, we heard that you were in the finals and ran here.” “Oppa, I’ve come as well.” Roco poked out her tongue and interrupted JusticeMan. But they weren’t alone. The rehabilitation group was also gathered. They were one of the groups cheering in the stadium while wearing a cap and holding megaphones along with Dedric. “Ark, I saw the match.” “Was it challenging? Also Shambala as well, they are indeed our younger siblings.” “He he he, thanks to betting on you we earned quite a bit of money.” “It was thrilling. To such an extent that we want to go and fight in a tournament right now.” The anticipation caused Bul-kkun’s chest to rise as he took a deep breath. And then Jjak-tung said in a gentle voice. “Easy. We have more important things right now.” “Eum, I know.” “Yes? Something more important? Weren’t you looking for the thief, Hyung-nim? “We already found that guy.” Jjak-tung smile subtly and looked at Ark. “While solving that job, we ran into a bigger problem. Well, let’s talk about that one later. Because you’ll soon know anyway. Hu hu hu, these hyungs will probably see it again.” “Now it is time for alcohol! You won so of course you have to drink alcohol! Come on, Ark!” His expression became light as he shouted. New World was so realistic that they could even get drunk in the game. Because it isn’t real liquor, it would break up over time but while they were drinking it would feel like the real thing. That was the main reason the taverns in New World were always busy. People could get drunk comfortably while drinking but there would be no hangovers. If someone drank then they would get the drunk ‘condition.’ In addition, the tavern atmosphere was quaint. The alcohol tasted good and sometimes a good looking minstrel would sing. Where else could a drinker find a better environment? Thanks to that, they would often dine in the taverns in New World. The rehabilitation company was also very fond of the liquor in New World. However, Ark didn’t like drinking that much. He couldn’t understand why people would spend a lot of money on drinks. “No, I’m a little weak to alcohol………. ” Ark tried to refuse the drinking party. Then he became frightened as the rehabilitation group surrounded Ark. “Ark, you aren’t trying to say that you don’t like alcohol are you?” “Hey, your character must be really dull.” “Please speak clearly. Do you want to drink alcohol or break off our relationship?” “Yes? Yes? But what……?” Ark was confused as the attitudes of the rehabilitation group suddenly changed. However, the rehabilitation group was serious. The atmosphere seemed like it would become really serious if he refused. “I’ll take some. I’ll drink.” “That’s it! Ark, you’re a man as expected!” The rehabilitation members clenched their fists firmly and cheered. Then they looked pathetically at Roco and said. “He he he, Roco. Drinks with Ark. Because it is a celebration party. It would be worthless not to drink today, yes?” “Ugh, really…..I understand. But only for today.” “Yeah that’s more like it! Drinks for today!” The rehabilitation members danced joyfully before grabbing Ark and Shambala and running to the tavern. The rehabilitation members couldn’t drink the favourite drinks for several days. Of course, it was because the dictator Roco was clutching the money tightly. So the rehabilitation members had been waiting for today with bloodshot eyes. They were convinced that Roco was likely to open the wallet strings for Ark’s celebration party. And their guess was right. “At any rate, I couldn’t stop them.” Roco checked the wallet and sighed. However, it was for Ark. She was willing to spend money for him.

“For the champions!” JusticeMan and the rehabilitation company lifted their glass with a happy expression. Although it had been a long time since he went to a tavern, he could hear a sound every time he drank. The reason was simple. Every time Ark drank alcohol, it was impossible to tell that Roco was accepting something from Ark underneath the table. “Sheesh, I never thought that you would be the champion first.” “Well, I only say the final match but it was wonderful. The audience was also hanging on to every move.” “Yes, we contributed quite a lot to the pot for you in the final game. Because Roco was gambling, everyone bet to the upper limit.” “Tonight we’ll drink until we’re satisfied!” “Hey, bring 30 cups of beer here! When will the pork barbeque come out?” If the rehabilitation group had a chance, they would drink away the whole bar. Nevertheless as the rehabilitation group had difficult pasts, their standards were different. There was yelling across the bar and some people were even getting up on the tables to dance. It was to the extent that someone could feel drunk from the atmosphere. When they started drinking, their behaviour when drunk immediately showed. When he became drunk, Jjak-tung’s attitude went through a 189 degree change. “Hey, Ark……..Hiccup. You mean……..you know who we love? He he he, I’m really good looking. However, that……..don’t do it……..what……..it’s Roco. Eh, taken? What was I saying? Oh, so……..Because I think I do like you?” Jjak-tung clung onto Ark and kept on repeating the same words. The bar was a part time career that was quite a tough opponent for Ark. Shambala was the only one that remained sullenly unchanged. Shambala was staring at a 1000 CC mug of beer on the table. “Now, time for a one-shot again.” When Bul-kkun emptied the beer mug, Shambala just glared silently at the empty mug. Shambala had a strong fighting spirit and rose to the provocation as he emptied a mug of 5,000 CC beer. “Hu hu hu, you, do you like it? Let’s see who will give up first.” “Drink! Drink! Drink!” The rehabilitation members surrounding the two of them cheering while knocking on the table. Fortunately, the rehabilitation members didn’t talk about Roco becoming the leader. “Hah, why is it noisy? Excuse me.” “He he he, it’s okay. Isn’t a tavern the place where you drink and make noise?” The tavern owner generously laughed and replied. However even if the NPC didn’t mind, it weighed on Roco’s mind as she took the tray. “Give me that. I’ll take it.” It was at that time that a problem occurred. When she carried the tray, in the eyes of the users Roco’s form became visible along with the NPC. A company of users froze and smirked as they noticed her. “Hey, pretty lady?” “Why don’t you sit here and I’ll give you some tips on drinking?” “What?” When Roco raised an eyebrow, the boys giggled. “Ho oh, why do you look even more attractive when you’re angry?” “A woman that prickly would have more passion at night.” “Hu hu hu, the director knows a bit about women.” If you go to a bar then theres always people just like this. The people who would unnecessarily tease a woman. New world was a place where many types of people gathered. But today they picked the wrong opponent. The atmosphere of the rehabilitation group that was laughing instantly became chilly. “Hey, you. What did you say just now?” They lowered their glasses angrily. It wasn’t enough. JusticeMan, Hae Gyeol-sa, Yapsab and even Jjak-tung stood up and glared at them. Although they lived a new life, they were rehabilitated children of the darkness. Even though they were in a game, their bloodthirsty impression was no joke. The director of the group of men stuttered. “What, what the. Who are you? A gang?” “Say one more word if you want to go scuba diving into cement off the coast of Incheon.” “I don’t know what you are but do you know who I am?” “You’ve just decided your fate with your answer. As fish food.” The guy flinched away frightened from their rage. However, it was a slow game. The users drinking alcohol in Selebrid were quite high level. Furthermore, the company numbered 10 people. Anyway, thanks to the rehabilitation members the atmosphere had become quite tense. However, the tavern owner just looked at it with a pained expression. Although he wanted to intervene, he didn’t have the courage. However, his salvation was soon offered from an unexpected place. “Oppas, please have some moderation!” Roco banged on the rehabilitation group’s table who instantly became like rabbits. What is this? You’re adults now! Do you know how unsightly it is to start a fight in a bar? You also made the owner nervous.” “Eh? W-we just……” “That’s enough. Don’t make excuses.” Roco turned to JusticeMan who cleared his throat. “Hmm hmm, yes, Roco is right. Well, the tavern isn’t the place for this. Let’s just drink.” In the end, the rehabilitation members sat dejectedly in their seats. And the other company started chatting with tense faces. “Sheesh, what the? They started trembling just because of a girl.” “Right. Its surprising for fellows that look like that.” “Anyway, thats the problem these days. Those sort of guys just run wild. They would probably be forced into the corner of a room when playing a game. Those fools, the only ones that would probably understand them for the rest of their lives are their parents.” “Just by looking at them, I can tell that they’re the type to play roughly.” “They probably haven’t even stepped through the threshold of a university.” “They’re probably punks or delinquents.” Every time the guys in the company spoke, an angry vein would throb on the foreheads of the rehabilitation members. They were sticking pins into the painful parts of the rehabilitation members. Roco also felt the same. However, Roco ground her teeth and shook her head. “It’s okay. Oppa, don’t bother with them.” “Kyaak, what are you doing?” Suddenly a sharp scream could be heard from one side of the tavern. The eyes of the rehabilitation group immediately looked over there. There are several female users over there chatting. Then one of the guys from the company went over there and stroked a body. JJak-tung’s eyes flashed as he immediately grasped the situation. “A lady is in a crisis!” “If you’re a true South Korean man then you won’t stand for something like that!” Bul-kkun stood up with a happy face. That’s when Roco suddenly banged the table. They jumped and turned to see Roco staring angrily at them before she said. “Those uncles, get them!” That was enough to sort out the whole situation. The rehabilitation members shouted with joy before rushing towards the company of men. In fact, Ark had also been annoyed by their words earlier. Since he knew how the rehabilitation members’ lives used to be, Ark couldn’t forgive them for those words. “Dark blade!” Ark made a scene as he jumped over the table and used his special move. The director of the company screamed and rolled onto the ground. As he cursed and tried to pull out his sword, JusticeMan grabbed his throat and threw him. The company was definitely higher level than them. However, when it was a fight in a bar they were no match for the rehabilitation members. They were also attacked by surprise so they couldn’t get their swords out in time. After a few moments, they were all stretched out bruised on the ground. Then the guy that was the director shouted. “Th-these guys! This is Selebrid! Do you think you’ll get away with killing us?” That’s a problem. A grey name was quickly restored but if they became chaotic then it was a much larger problem. It was at that time. Shambala sat up and murmured in a sleepy voice. “Death’s Agent………..” Death’s Agent! It was the special skill of the Saint Assassin where they received permission for certain actions from the Death God, so even if he killed someone then he wouldn’t become chaotic! Shambala looked at the ceiling while idling watching the director shout. “I don’t like these guys either. Ark, tell the hyungs to surround these guys. If others see then it would become difficult.” Ark and the rehabilitation members laughed as they turned and made a wall. That was because Death’s Agent would be ineffective if seen by other NPCs or users. Soon, an awful ringing sound was heard and the guys became corpses. After Shambala took care of it, the rehabilitation members went back to eating and drinking like nothing had happened. After a while, the tavern owner approached with an appetizers. “That lady bought these for you.” “Eh? The rehabilitation members looked over in surprise and saw the female user wink. “You were cool, scary ajusshi.” “L-lady.” Bul-kkun trembled and muttered. “I……..New world is very good.” Roco also felt pretty good and laughed as she said. “Okay. Since the noisy ajusshi is in this state, let’s drink all night.” “Oh oh oh, all night!” “Yes! Roco!” The rehabilitation members shouted and began to enthusiastically order alcohol. Ark was confused at the change in Roco that he never imagined. Then Roco stumbled as she moved back into place. Ark quickly caught her before she fell and held Roco’s head. “Hehehe, Ark oppa……..today you were pretty cool.” He could quickly smell the alcohol coming from her. “Roco, how much alcohol did you drink?” “Drink, I drank one earlier because I was upset about those guys oooooh.” Roco’s tongue curled as she answered. “Oppa, oppa, listen when I talk. Do you remember the guy at work I told you about before? That guy started teasing me again yesterday. I really dislike those kind of people. So I slapped him on the cheek. Hehehe, I did well right? If oppa saw me off every day then that wouldn’t happen………and I’ll get to see oppa every day……..Roco is sad.” From the side, Shambala looked at Ark with sympathetic eyes. “What a flashy brother, able to put her to sleep with one word…….Ark, I can roughly see your future.”

“Damn, noisy,” At that time, the noise from the drinking party inside the tavern was at its peak. The still in debt Merchants A, B and C were still on the corner of an alley, shivering from the cold wind. Just like reality, New World also had pretty cold nights. “Ooh, Hyung-nim. It is cold.” Merchant C murmured with a tearful voice. “Please hang in there. We don’t know if they will go to another place. There must be eyes on them at all times.” “B-but…….cold……cough!” “Damn, wouldn’t those guys be drunk and happy by now?” Merchant B glared at the tavern. “Huk, while we had to live on wheat bread to hire the mercenaries…………” Merchant C was close to tears as he chewed on a wheat bread. “Don’t cry. Stop crying!” Merchant A started to become angry. But he was the leader so he clenched his fist firmly with a resolute face. “Although we are cold and hungry, in the end we will be the winners. At the end of the quest, we will rent out an entire tavern and party for many days. Then we can laugh freely at those guys. Okay? So for now just endure it. Although it is difficult, endure it.” “Whimper, yes, Hyung-nim. But it is too cold.” “My younger brothers. I’m sorry.” “You don’t have to be. It’s not Hyung-nim’s fault!” “That’s right. Those guys are the bad ones!” “Younger brothers!” Hyung-nim!” As the icy winds blew through a dark alley, it looked like Merchants A, B and C was re-enacting a drama. And in another alley, two pairs of eyes were also looking at the tavern. “I found the targets. I’ll report it to the top.” The masked man disappearing into the darkness was stamped with a red palm.