A Problem Has Arisen
The south entrance of Boa Village had become the site of a massive PK incident. What’s more, it was a one-sided slaughter where a single player was massacring everyone else.
‘……He’s much faster than me.’
A massive sword carved through the air, leaving crimson afterimages in its wake. The trails swept outward like a colossal wave, cutting down everything in their path. All I could do was predict where the next wave would crash.
‘Our eyes met. He noticed me too.’
Running was no longer an option. My only weapon now was my tongue.
Thud. Thud.
I slowed my steps and feigned composure, frantically searching for a way to survive. I needed to figure out which guild this man belonged to and what his connection was to the Black Dragon Society.
Swish.
By the time I reached him, everyone else was already dead. At least he didn’t seem intent on killing me immediately.
“……”
He looked down at me in silence. Fortunately, I was taller.
“……”
Yet he showed no sign of intimidation. Instead, he seemed to be scanning the surroundings for anyone else nearby. A moment later, our eyes met again. Since I was the one trying to extract information and assess the situation, I decided to speak first.
“Do you have business with me?”
The man stared at me wordlessly before slowly opening his mouth.
“So you’re the one impersonating the Black Dragon Society.”
My identity had been exposed in an instant. Was I going to die here? As I swallowed hard, the man continued.
“Actually, I’m Korean too.”
“Cough.”
A path to survival had appeared. The old saying about being wary of fellow Koreans overseas was famous, but right now, avoiding death took priority.
“You’re probably impersonating them because you have your own goals here, right? Same for me.”
“Yes, that’s correct. May I ask what your purpose is for doing this here?”
The man’s expression softened for the first time. A good sign.
“Hmm. For now, I can only say it’s a quest.”
A quest. Most likely a hidden quest. Something related to PK, targeting a remote village where kingdom law barely reached.
Since he’d shared some information, it was my turn.
“Same here. I plan to cause trouble in this village for about ten days.”
“Oh. Our timelines match. How about we cooperate?”
I wanted to dig deeper into exactly what he wanted, but realistically, I was the weaker one. I decided to maintain a respectful and friendly attitude.
“May I ask what kind of cooperation you need?”
“Hmm. How about this? Since you’re already impersonating the Black Dragon Society, why don’t you drive me back? Make it look like we fought fiercely, but I was slightly at a disadvantage.”
“……What?”
The offer was far too favorable to me. Simply by appearing to push back such a powerful opponent, my standing in Boa Village would skyrocket without limit.
“I can’t reveal everything, but my goal is also to cause chaos. If the Six Great Heavens get directly involved, it’ll put me in a difficult position. So I need to show them a scene where a high-ranking member of the Black Dragon Society is pressuring me.”
“Ah. So the Six Great Heavens won’t send anyone?”
“Exactly.”
Surprisingly, his goal aligned perfectly with mine. The odds of meeting someone with such similar intentions were absurdly low. Even good luck felt excessive.
“Wow. I really am lucky.”
The man expressed pure admiration. There was something odd about it, but it didn’t feel harmful, so I played along.
“I feel the same. Rather than letting the Six Great Heavens intervene, it’s better for me to stir things up alone while impersonating the Black Dragon Society.”
“Then our intentions match perfectly. It must be fate. My name is Eden.”
“……I’m Kael. If it’s not too rude, may I ask which guild you belong to?”
It was risky, but I needed to know his affiliation to establish a proper cooperative relationship. After all, I had powerful connections—Kim Sung-chul of the Seogwang Guild, Cha Eun-kyung, and Bella of the Lumière Guild.
“Seogwang.”
“……I see.”
It was hard to believe, but when Eden showed me the Seogwang Guild emblem embroidered on his clothes, there was no doubt.
“If you’re with one of the Four Great Guilds, I can trust you.”
“That’s a relief.”
Conversely, Eden didn’t ask about my affiliation. The ease with which someone from the Four Great Guilds—wealthy in both reality and the game—could afford such nonchalance was enviable.
“Very well. Let’s cooperate.”
“Thank you for agreeing.”
Now that I knew Eden was from Seogwang, the worst-case scenario was off the table. If things went south, I could always call on Cha Eun-kyung directly.
“Alright, attack me freely now. With everything you’ve got. I’ll just make sure not to take any fatal wounds.”
“Understood.”
Since he’d asked me to go all out, I had no choice but to gratefully accept. If anything, it was an advantage. This was the first time in any of my playthroughs that I’d been given the chance to unilaterally attack an overwhelmingly strong opponent. It was both valuable experience and an opportunity.
“Huu……”
I allocated the four unused points—three to Strength and one to Luck. My plan was to bring all stats above 20 for now.
“Hup!”
I twisted my body and brought the wooden sword down diagonally. The target was obvious—the neck, a vital point.
BOOM!
“Whoops.”
Even though I’d struck with full force, it was blocked in an instant. As expected from someone in Seogwang, his skill was undeniable. There was no way I could beat Eden at my current level.
Whoosh!
Whenever my attack was blocked, I carefully chained the next strike.
BOOM!
Seven Impact
Strength +7, Agility +7, Vitality +7, Wisdom +7, Luck +7
The first seven attacks deal double damage.
Duration: ∞
At the very least, the seven attacks empowered by Seven Impact represented my maximum output. I intended to throw everything I had at him.
Clang!
“……Your strength is greater than I expected. I’ll start blocking seriously from here.”
This time, our swords clashed from the very beginning. I could clearly feel that Eden possessed overwhelmingly superior agility.
I twisted my body and swung the sword in the opposite direction.
Whoosh! BOOM!
“An unusual sword style that doesn’t rely on conventional techniques. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Eden made for an excellent sparring partner. He seemed to have real-world martial arts experience and gave positive feedback on my self-taught swordsmanship. At this rate, attempting 200% output might be a good idea.
“Huuu……”
I recalled the strike that had shattered the training dummy and instantly killed the golden fox, steadying my breathing. If raw power was lacking, I would use my entire body more aggressively to amplify destructive force—my own unique technique. From now on, I would rely solely on physical power and unleash the skill I’d never even named across all my previous playthroughs.
Rumble!
When I pushed my body to superhuman limits, dust began rising around me. Whether this was possible in reality was uncertain, but at least in the game released by Mason, it worked.
“Hmm? What skill is that? Never seen it before either.”
I answered with my sword. Try blocking this.
“Haaah!”
Whoosh!
The wooden sword felt as though it had extended over three meters. In reality, the space it passed through could deliver actual damage—just like how wind pressure alone had knocked out a rabbit earlier. This strike was an amplified version of that previous attack.
BOOM!
Eden blocked it again. But this time would be different. From here on, I would add equipment effects to my buffs.
“Kuh. What kind of power is this……”
I drove Eden all the way to the corner of a building. This spot was deep in shadow—the perfect condition to activate an equipment skill.
‘Shadow Assimilation.’
Defense: 83
Shadow Assimilation: Increases concealment rate in darkness.
Medium Magic Resistance: Resists some magic attacks.
A luxurious overcoat woven from specially processed Shade wool. Extremely lightweight, though its darkness affinity has diminished.
At point-blank range, Shadow Assimilation boosted my concealment rate and threw off his senses. At the same time, the activation condition for a new finishing move was met.
Defense: 44
Strength +4, Agility +4, Vitality +4
Advanced Darkness Affinity: Basic stats double in darkness; increases resistance to light-attribute magic.
A legendary masterpiece crafted from the refined souls of wraiths. It automatically adjusts to the wearer’s physique and repairs damage.
Because the condition for Advanced Darkness Affinity was fulfilled in the shadows.
This was no longer the stat line of an ordinary level 15 player. These were the stats needed to read Eden’s every movement.
Adding the effect of Ashen Step on top. He wouldn’t be able to tell how my feet were moving—whether I was planting my lead foot or tripping him up.
“W-Wait a second!”
And to finish it off, I activated the item skill I’d been using the most lately.
Gale Rush
Instantly generates a gust of wind to push back surroundings and accelerate.
“Gale Rush.”
Whoosh!
Adding instantaneous acceleration to the sword strike doubled the perceived attack power once again.
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!
Eden desperately twisted his sword to block, but this was an attack that had to be dodged, not blocked.
Crack!
The sword that had been blocking my strike was now being driven backward by the Mauro Wooden Sword, pressing down on Eden’s body. The grudge imbued in the wooden sword was recognized as an attribute, granting additional damage. It was a finishing move that combined realistic physics with game knowledge.
Crack! Crack!
“Kuhak!”
Finally, Eden pulled back, dropped to the ground, and clutched his wound to stop the bleeding. The attack had landed properly.