Chapter 142
Chapter 142
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 142
Chapter Title: A Sudden Challenge
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Willy had no intention of participating in the dungeon breakthrough event. From the start, C.O.T.S didn’t want the rookies they were training to join these minor events.
They needed them to level up as quickly as possible and become real assets to the guild, not waste time on nonsense like this.
The money and items provided to rookies weren’t cheap, and the time of the guild members chauffeuring them around on buses was valuable too.
Willy had no complaints about that.
At least, not until Yuseong’s name started buzzing around the event.
‘…Maybe I should pop in for a bit.’
He glanced at Pattern up ahead. Anyone else, and he might not get away with it, but Pattern would give him some leeway. He’d been pulling strings for Willy ever since Python, his older brother, got involved.
‘Plus, that guy harbors a grudge against Yuseong too.’
Even if Pattern said no at first, a little ego-stroking and persuasion would probably work, given his nasty personality.
Willy was pretty good with words. Roasting someone straightforward like Pattern was child’s play.
He approached Pattern.
* * *
Willy’s hunch was spot on. When he first asked to pause hunting and join the event, Pattern scowled like crazy, but he soon nodded after Willy’s pitch.
Willy headed straight to the event site.
‘Yuseong’s top floor was 61.’
Yuseong’s revealed level this time was 41. That was a whopping 20 floors beyond his recommended level.
Willy’s own level was 44. Just a three-level gap.
That alone rubbed Willy the wrong way.
Here he was, getting C.O.T.S’s full support in every way to level up, and Yuseong was only three levels behind?
Yuseong wasn’t getting the same blank-check treatment Willy was. Sure, he had some help, but he wasn’t riding a bus.
Anyone who watched his streams knew how he leveled up—it wasn’t exactly a secret.
Hunt in areas way above your level.
A brute-force method, but it worked.
It was already circulating online as the most efficient way to level. Of course, since only Yuseong could pull it off, it was mostly meme fodder for laughs.
But Willy, now fixated on Yuseong, couldn’t just brush it off.
‘If he can do it, so can I.’
It seemed way better than trailing after reluctant bus drivers.
After this event, Willy decided to copy Yuseong.
He didn’t doubt for a second that he couldn’t do anything Yuseong could.
He entered the dungeon and started tackling the event in earnest.
Not long after, Utopia’s homepage updated with another record broken.
Floor 57. Lv 44, C.O.T.S’s Willy.
* * *
The dungeon breakthrough event wasn’t a big deal in Arc. The top rewards were meh, so rankers barely participated.
Still, as a large-scale event across all Arc settlements, it drew a crowd and did decently well.
But like life itself, it blew up for a completely unexpected reason.
It started with Yuseong’s run. People were impressed by him clearing floors way above his level.
But that was it. Yuseong’s skills were already legendary. This just reminded everyone—no big shock.
Then another participant caught eyes.
Willy.
The most famous face in C.O.T.S’s rookie project. You could tell they doted on him extra. And lately, even if things were quiet, hadn’t he taken down an extra boss to prove himself?
Pattern had even claimed on stream that his physicals were way better than Yuseong’s.
Anyone could see C.O.T.S pushing him as a counter to Yuseong.
For C.O.T.S—or rather Python—it was just how things played out back then, but it was enough to link the two in people’s minds.
-Yuseong and Willy both in the 40s already?
-Both have top-tier physicals.
-Clearing way above their recommended floors.
Some voices purely praised their skills. But if conversations were always that wholesome, 90% of the world’s conflicts would vanish.
-LOL Yuseong’s impressive sure, but what’s Willy got?
-Guy rides buses driven by others and he’s only 3 levels above Yuseong? Real?
-And his clear floor’s even lower.
The haters pounced.
His good looks, proven real-life athleticism via physicals, scouted by C.O.T.S early on—he was prime jealousy bait.
And now he looked inferior to Yuseong in every way.
His usual detractors joined casual bandwagoners in mocking him.
His new fans or casual supporters tried shielding him, but it was uphill.
Objectively, Willy had lost to Yuseong this event.
-Physicals better than Yuseong? And higher level but lower floor? LOL
-C.O.T.S didn’t care about losing Yuseong? Looks like they do.
-LOL these guys always lose to that solo player.
-Hilarious how they strut like they’re the best.
Even C.O.T.S got dragged.
They weren’t thrilled.
Everything Yuseong-related had been losses, and now their image tanked again.
Past incidents involved rankers, so they couldn’t push hard. But Willy was a fresh rookie, promising or not.
No direct clash, just event results sparking chatter.
But C.O.T.S was telling rookies to skip events and grind levels. Plenty of ammo there.
Luckily for Willy, no formal grilling.
He’d just taken a quick break for the event.
Still, enough to tarnish his image inside C.O.T.S.
And one person enjoyed the show.
“Idiot.”
No effort to hide the curse.
Mad Hammer, another C.O.T.S rookie project pick like Willy. The hammer warrior who’d picked a fight with him during joint hunts to bond newbies.
He scoured online for event-related dirt.
And savored the hate on Willy.
“Acting like he’s our leader or something.”
Technically, he was the rookies’ leader. C.O.T.S didn’t hide it.
Mad Hammer had always hated that.
He aimed to snag that spot and climb to the top.
He loathed Willy and didn’t think he was inferior.
Now, Willy’s rep was tanking live.
He felt great.
“Kekekeke!”
He chugged booze, laughing hard. No snacks needed. Online hate was sweeter.
“Yuseong, huh.”
Hunting Willy info meant Yuseong comparisons everywhere.
Not someone Mad Hammer cared about. But seeing their names together sparked an idea.
‘Should I crush this guy?’
With guild sentiment souring on constant losses to the solo player, it’d be a solid appeal.
Plus, a chance to prove he outshone Willy and steal the leader spot.
‘Hope an opportunity pops up.’
Yuseong joined Mad Hammer’s radar.
* * *
Yuseong eyed the monster before him. A giant with four arms, each wielding different weapons, all aimed at him.
The extra boss “Giant from the Heavens.”
Its massive frame packed serious power, but it couldn’t handle Yuseong.
Thud!
The boss fell.
[Done!]
[Clean as always!]
Viewers weren’t shocked anymore. How many extra bosses had Yuseong dropped?
Still, they enjoyed it. His counters to new attacks and patterns were spectacle enough.
“That wraps up this area.”
[Already?]
[Wow, so fast.]
Seemed like yesterday he struggled with field mobs here.
[Where to next?]
“Polton.”
[Bug monster central.]
[I hate bugs, never went.]
Polton info flowed. Then one viewer dropped something else.
[Mad Hammer’s hanging there.]
“Mad Hammer?”
[C.O.T.S’s hot rookie prospect.]
[Willy’s teammate.]
“I see.”
Polite reply, but zero interest. Viewers cracked up.
C.O.T.S might as well not exist to him.
“Let’s head back.”
Yuseong returned to the city, then beelined for Polton as promised.
* * *
In Polton, Yuseong farmed field monsters like last time. Huge level gap meant no dungeon runs yet.
But grinding way-overleveled mobs leveled him fast enough for field clears.
Then he asked the strategy guide about undiscovered dungeons here—for bonus points.
Its answer floored him.
“None?”
【Correct.】
Zero undiscovered dungeons. Even beginner zones had some, but not here?
That’s when it happened.
“Hey? Isn’t that Yuseong?”
Someone called out familiarly.
Yuseong turned.
A guy with a massive hammer strapped to his back stood out.
No one he recognized.
The man burst out laughing, then flashed a sleazy grin.
“Hey, fight me.”