Prologue

"Five minutes left!"

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

It was a spectacular sight—a gathering of users with the combined power to capture a small fortress. However, tension and anxiety filled everyone's face.

"Four minutes left!"

As time counted down, the nervousness of the guild members reached the peak. They were restlessly shaking their legs and biting their nails. Peak Sword gazed around with dark eyes. His hands which held his sword were soaked with sweat. 'I can't calm down.'

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

During the last month, Peak Sword and the elites of the Silver Knights strengthened their items with money, all with the intention of succeeding next time. They were definitely stronger after all the investments, but those who knew of Hell Gao's power couldn't garner any confidence.

"Three minutes left!"

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

"Two minutes left!"

A heatwave started to slowly permeate throughout the room.

'Shit.' Peak Sword wanted to encourage everyone, but he was afraid.

He was clearly reminded of the overwhelming appearance of Hell Gao, the staff-wielding boss monster enshrouded in flames.

'Are we still lacking the power to defeat him?'

It might be different if the power of the top 10 rankers were added, but he couldn't help thinking that this expedition would fail with their current strength. However, the guild's best ranker couldn't show his weakness, so Peak Sword endured it.

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

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

"One minute left… Eh? Intruder! There is an intruder!!"

"What?"

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

'Did he break through the defensive troops downstairs?'

Was he a highly trained assassin? No, an assassin wouldn't openly reveal their presence in a place like this. Peak Sword pondered on the name above the head of the black-haired youth. However, no matter how much he searched through his memory, Peak Sword still found it to be an unfamiliar name.

'He isn't a ranker?' Peak Sword glanced at his companions, but they all shook their heads.

'A non-ranker coming all the way here. Pathetic.' Peak Sword came to this conclusion and warned the youth with a frown, "This is an area controlled by the Silver Knights Guild. I don't know how you managed to reach this point, but if you don't want to die, go back."

The young man ignored Peak Sword's warning and threw off his cloak as he talked to himself. "My stealth suddenly disappeared. Was it because I was detected by Hell Gao?"

"Ohh!" There were exclamations from every direction.

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

"W-What's with that armor?"

"It's terrific... Unique grade?"

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

Peak Sword raised his voice, "That isn't important right now! Why aren't you throwing him out right now?"

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

Roaaaaar!!!

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

[Hell Gao's roar has applied fear, chaos, and debilitating effects.]

[Hell Gao's fire reduces heat resistance by 50%.]

[Fire pillars have risen to cover you.]

"Kuack!"

"Hiiik!"

Due to the silent flames that surrounded the whole body, half of the guild members either fell into a dying state or burned to the point where they couldn't even be recognized. Barely half of the people standing were able to hang on.

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

'I raised my fire resistance to 86%, but for me to still receive this degree of damage...!'

They would certainly fail again. As Peak Sword despaired, he suddenly doubted his eyes. While the others were surrounded by flames, the young man alone was moving forward, moving freely like he wasn't affected.

"H-How… Heok?" Peak Sword fell silent as he witnessed a ridiculous scene.

As Hell Gao ran amok and slaughtered the guild members, the young man pulled out a pickaxe, headed to the wall… and started swinging the pickaxe...?

Kaaang! Kaaang!

The young man swung it with good form and complained as he wiped off the sweat, "Ugh, hot! Isn't the labor getting more intense? Why does the mineral only appear when the boss mob is present? Based on this, I might have to visit a dragon's lair with my pickaxe!"

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

"Excuse me, Mister," the youth said, stopping his pickaxe for the first time and turning his attention toward Peak Sword. He asked with an irate expression, "Why are you just standing there blankly? It's hot now, but it will only just get hotter."

'What am I seeing now?' Peak Sword thought.

Then he belatedly regained his spirit and asked, "How can you be fine?"

The young man replied like it was obvious, "It's the item effect."

Chaaeng! Chaeng!

The tail on the young man's armor moved by itself and fought against Hell Gao's staff. Peak Sword couldn't close his mouth as he gaped at the unbelievable sight.

Chapter 1

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

"Wow, what is this?"

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

[This item can't be obtained.]

"How stingy and dirty."

There were items that couldn't be acquired despite them being right in front of him! When Grid put it in his bag, it would return to its original spot like a mirage. This situation was like that of a pie in the sky or a woman who was already married. No, a married woman was still different from a pie in the sky, as one could still obtain a married woman if one tried hard enough.

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

'Indeed... If a user could obtain all of these, Satisfy's economic balance might crumble. Unfortunately, I understand.'

In the first place, he didn't come here for the battle gear. Grid soothed his mind and turned his attention away from the pile of battle gear. There was an old book placed on a shiny gold table.

"Finally..."

All the hardships he experienced while coming here passed through his mind. Laughter emerged from his mouth as his nose became runny and tears dripped down from his eyes. Thankfully, Grid had patience and tenacity. Otherwise, he would've quit the game because of the terrible difficulty of the quest. He felt great pride at the thought of clearing this quest.

"Kukuk… Puhahahat!! I finally found it!! Oh, yehhhhhh!"

It was a damn S-grade quest that was impossible to give up! Incidentally, how many deaths had he experienced on this solo quest? How many items had been destroyed due to having no more durability?!

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

The face of Earl Ashur, who made Grid visit one of the Eternal Kingdom's five forbidden zones, popped into Grid's head.

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

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

[You have acquired the legendary craftsman's rare book!]

[It isn't in a proper state. You can check the details using the Eye of Pallalian.]

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

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

Eye of Pallalian was the most expensive among the existing appraisal items. Six months ago, Grid had bought it just in case he got a jackpot. Sadly, he couldn't use it, and it was left in his inventory.

"I don't want to miss a golden opportunity..."

Grid put the appraisal on hold and examined the golden table. He wondered if there was a way to take this gold away, but it wouldn't budge. Kicking, pulling, and even biting it was useless.

Like the battle gear, it was an item that users couldn't own.

"Ah, I really can't salvage anything because of this effective system. The price of my three months of work is very high."

He gazed at the book in his hand.

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

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

"Appraisal."

[Pagma's Rare Book]

[Rating: Legendary

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

Effects: Become Pagma's Successor.

Conditions: None.

* The level and stats will change when used.]

[A legendary item has been found!]

[Reputation will rise by 500 across the continent.]

Grid's body started trembling.

"Whoa… Jackpot..."

This was a legendary item! Grid's reputation rose by 500 across the continent just because he discovered it! It was an amazing harvest, given that it was difficult for a player to raise their reputation by 100 just in one city.

'Reputation is reputation, but...'

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

"Jack~~pot!!"

He wasn't hallucinating. Grid was extremely excited and could hear his heart beating wildly. He had thought it was just a skill book, but it was actually for a class change. Furthermore, it was legendary grade! This meant it was the strongest class in the world!

"Moreover, there is no condition to use it..."

Tears flowed down from his eyes. During the past year, he had to pay the interest on his loan and the fee for his Satisfy account, and he also took a leave of absence from school. His friends left him one by one. The alumni of his school laughed at him. People thought he was lazy...

His original plan was to sell the items he gained during the game and turn it into cash so that he could pay off his loan, account, and tuition. Nevertheless, Satisfy wasn't such a fair world. It was hard to earn money, and he could barely obtain equipment for himself, let alone ones he could sell.

However, it was different now. A thrill went through his body as he shivered.

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

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

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

"Puhahahahat!! Mother! Father! This freeloader finally made it! Now it's time to leave the game and forget about finding employment! My parents can quit feeling ashamed of their son in front of the neighbors! Sehee! Oppa finally did it! Now you don't have to be embarrassed every time you meet me on the street! When my friends want to come and play at my house, I don't have to refuse and make all sorts of excuses! And my friends! Alumni! They can't ignore me anymore as a pathetic game loser! I will become a success with a game! I have taken a few steps ahead of you guys in society! Puhahahat!!"

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

"Ahyoung is still pretty...'

He imagined attending his high school alumni meeting for the first time in two years in a foreign car. The successful alumni wouldn't be able to ignore him anymore. Then he blushed as the face of his first love, Ahyoung, came to mind.

"Okay, let's go and sell it!"

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

"Logout!" He exclaimed confidently.

Then a notification window flashed in front of his eyes.

[You can't log out of the game here.]

[Earl Ashur has appeared.]

"...?"

While Grid was struggling to understand what was going on, dozens of knights jumped into the cave. Then the familiar Earl Ashur appeared. Grid panicked when Earl Ashur found him.

The earl's expression became distorted. "Foolish traveler, you all have the same greed."

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

[Earl Ashur's Anger]

[Difficulty Level: SS

Earl Ashur chose you due to your average abilities, your stupidity, and because you are easy to exploit. He entrusted you with the task of finding Pagma's rare book that he wasn't even sure existed.

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

* Affinity with Earl Ashur has fallen by 100.

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

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

Clear Reward: Obtain the title 'Noble Killer.'

* Noble Killer: Intelligence -50.

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

Quest Failure: Level -2.

You will no longer be able to enter Patrian.

Any Patrian soldiers will kill you on sight.]

Patrian was the starter city where Grid first created his character.

He had built up a considerable amount of reputation while completing quests in Patrian from level 1 to the present, and his affinity with the residents was at its maximum. All merchants gave him a 20% discount when he bought goods, and the goods he sold were purchased at 15% above their value. There were also residents who gave him hidden quests when he approached them. All these achievements automatically flew away the moment this quest updated.

"...Ah, I— This is shit," a curse naturally emerged from Grid's mouth. "Earl Ashur... No, you bastard! This goddamn bastard forced me onto a quest where I wasn't sure if I could find the item or not!! If Pagma's rare book was something that didn't exist, I would've struggled for months in vain! You are the one who lied in the first place, yet you want to make me notorious in Patrian? Filthy jerk!"

Hearing their master getting cursed at, the hot-headed knights immediately pulled out their swords.

Earl Ashur restrained them and then said coldly to Grid, "You already decided to betray me before you knew you were deceived. Even so, you are still acting so proudly."

"Is it greedy to want a reasonable reward after the hardships of my journey? My betrayal wasn't certain!" Grid countered.

Earl Ashur sneered at Grid's words, "Didn't I already promise to give you a reward in return? We entered into a contract, but you have trespassed against my good faith out of greed."

This wasn't something that Grid could handle with words.

As Grid fell mute, Earl Ashur's momentum increased as he continued to chatter, "You are truly a poor man. The more I watch, the more I can feel it. But there are times when you can do extraordinary things, as I honestly did not expect you to find this cave that had disappeared from history. I will punish you for your ignorance, but as a reward for your patience, I will kill you as painlessly as possible."