Chapter 89
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 89
Chapter Title: The Ring of Greed
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89
- These new products are quite satisfactory. I didn't expect to see such talent emerge from the 1-star juniors, fulfilling the conditions.
- Thank you for the high praise, senior.
- Starting with Chapter #3, we need to produce decent results, so let's all work a little harder. It's just a game, so let's not get too worked up.
- Understood!
The chapters marked with a '#' are part of each dimension's commercialization process.
Among them, the reason Chapters 1 and 2 are treated as the 'tutorial' is simple.
Simply put, the objectives could be met just by letting enough time pass.
And because the systems and monsters added through those updates weren't powerful enough to drive the dimension's humanity to extinction.
However, that also meant that from Chapter #3 onward, there was a possibility of monsters dangerous enough to annihilate humanity appearing.
As such, the conditions to trigger Chapter #3 were quite demanding.
[You have met the conditions for the Chapter #3 update. -> 10 players at level 40 or higher across all servers]
[The Chapter #3 update is now in progress. 3, 6, 11%...]
The condition was to have 10 players at level 40 or higher across the entire world.
Anyone who has ever leveled up would know just how grueling that difficulty is.
The leveling system was designed so that the higher your level, the exponentially greater the experience required for the next.
Naturally, the fact that 10 people had met this condition meant it was time to break out of the eggshell known as the tutorial.
[...100%, the Chapter #3 update is complete. Check the notifications now to see the new system content!]
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[Update Details]
* Disaster-class monsters and dungeons will now appear in specific regions. These predators, designated as Disaster-class, will grow stronger at an unimaginable rate over time. Defeat them quickly. Otherwise, you will face a true 'disaster' capable of devouring the entire server.
* Very special and unique items, with only one of each existing in the entire world. Treasure items will now appear on all servers! They can be obtained through various methods, such as gathering, exploring, and hunting. As a little tip, the easiest way is to try clearing Disaster-class monsters and dungeons!
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With the Chapter #3 update came the appearance of 'Disaster'-grade monsters and dungeons, along with one-of-a-kind Treasure items.
It was a time when the powerful players of the Asian, European, and Middle Eastern servers began to covet the appearance of these greed-inducing items.
The one who claimed a Treasure item faster than anyone else was none other than the dictator of North Korea, Kim Jeong-su.
How did he acquire it?
The method was incredibly simple. All he had to do was press a single button.
Fwoooooosh—
A single missile soared through the air, tearing through the wind.
But what couldn't be ignored was the payload it carried.
[Ruler's Nuclear Warhead (★★★★★+)]
A 5-star+ grade nuclear warhead boasting incomprehensible firepower.
Upon launch, it fell right into the center of the Japanese server, where a Disaster-class dungeon had appeared.
KABOOOOOOOM—!!!
A mushroom cloud of death bloomed from the immense explosion.
In the aftermath, radiation spread, and in an instant, the Japanese server was transformed into a server of death.
【Philippines/HalfnHalfMoreCilantro: Did a Disaster-class monster already start moving?】
【Japan/MoneyForSori: D-Don't come. This place is hell!】
【Japan/Brother's_Sword: This is my last will and testament before I die...】
【Korea/Jeongrichung: I will gather information as quickly as possible and post an update!】
…….
The fall of the Japanese server, considered one of the powerhouses of Asia alongside China.
If you told someone this all happened because of a single item, how many would believe you?
But whether they believed it or not, it had already happened, and the one responsible simply let out a hearty laugh.
[You have leveled up. You have gained 5 stat points.]
[You have leveled up. You have gained 5 stat points.]
[You have leveled up. You have gained 5 stat points.]
…….
The immense amount of experience and coins was the result of slaughtering the countless players and monsters at the point of impact.
It was only natural to feel satisfied watching his level rise an uncountable number of times.
However, there was one thing.
The nuclear warhead didn't only have advantages.
Because it was so powerful and spread radiation, even the items from the deceased entities were annihilated.
Furthermore, even if the items weren't destroyed, the dense radiation made it impossible to collect them, not to mention the collapse of the natural ecosystem.
It was an incredibly detrimental effect in the long run, but if Kim Jeong-su was the type to consider such things, he never would have been born with the karma of the 'Ruler of the Nucleus' in the first place.
Clap, clap, clap—
Despite ruining the environment and taking countless lives, he simply applauded the destructive power he had unleashed.
And above all, Kim Jeong-su hadn't just gained experience and coins.
[You have hunted the Disaster-class boss monster - Greedy Basilisk Lv. 50 (★★★★★+). You have obtained EXP, 4,000,000 coins, a ★★★★★+ Royal Gacha Ticket, a Greed-Soaked Basilisk Scale (★★★★★+), and the Ring of Greed (★★★★★+) - Treasure.]
[The administrator of the North Korean server, Peggle, urges you to check the acquired Treasure item.]
The Treasure item was the biggest reason he had used his one and only nuclear warhead without hesitation.
Unlike the loot from ordinary monsters, which would have been destroyed and fallen to the ground, the items obtained from hunting this Disaster-class monster were placed directly into Kim Jeong-su's hands by some unknown force.
"I know, you don't have to tell me."
He wasn't pleased with the nagging, but since it was Peggle who had informed him of the Treasure item's existence and the Disaster-class monster's spawn location, Kim Jeong-su examined the item's information.
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[Greed-Soaked Basilisk Scale (★★★★★+)]
* Classification: Material (Evolution)
* Related to greed and top-tier hardening properties.
* Requirements: Strength, Control 1,000 or higher.
* Description: A ★★★★★+ grade scale left behind by the Greedy Basilisk. It is as hard as Orichalcum, the metal of the gods, and even possesses magic resistance. Because it is incredibly durable and imbued with the nature of greed, only those with high Strength and Control are qualified to handle it.
[Ring of Greed (★★★★★+) - Treasure]
※ Binds on equip and cannot be unequipped. To claim ownership, you must kill the bound target.
* Classification: Accessory
* Defense, Magic Resistance +300
* Health, Mana +2,000, All Stats +30
※ Avarice: Gain 50% additional EXP and coins from hunting.
※ Greedy Adaptation: Gain an additional 5 stat points per level.
* Durability: ∞ / ∞
* Description: A ★★★★★+ grade Treasure that holds the power of greed. It contains a greed more powerful than any other item and can never be destroyed. A profound sense of greed can be felt just by possessing it.
※ Warning! Treasure items reveal their existence to all players. They also increase the respawn rate of nearby monsters and attract them.
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Even at a glance, the effects of the Treasure item were on a completely different level from ordinary items.
Believing that effects like these were more than worth the use of a nuclear warhead, he slipped the Ring of Greed onto his finger.
"Kekekek, kuhahahahat!"
Lost in a fantasy of conquering the world with these unimaginable effects, Kim Jeong-su reveled in his good fortune.
* * * * *
The shock of the nuclear missile dropped on the Japanese server.
As a result, all sorts of posts flooded the community forums, but the main points could be boiled down to two.
The fear that the same nuclear missile that had brought the Japanese server to the brink of collapse could fall on them at any moment, and the question of why the Japanese server was the first target.
While there was no way to know the answer to the first, everyone on the Asian server soon learned the reason for the second.
[The Greedy Basilisk that appeared on the Asian server has been subjugated.]
[The Treasure item, Ring of Greed (★★★★★+), has been revealed. Current Owner: North Korea/Baekdu_Bloodline]
The Treasure item with its game-breaking effects appeared along with the news of the swift subjugation of the Greedy Basilisk on the Asian server.
Through the revelation that its owner was using the name 'Baekdu_Bloodline', the people of the Asian server understood why the nuclear missile had struck Japan.
* * * * *
Rumble—
An earthquake, felt while Seong-hyeok was collecting the honey his bees had worked so hard to gather.
Seong-hyeok wasn't the only one who felt it.
"What's with the sudden earthquake?"
"Is it related to the Chapter #3 update?"
Nearby, Yeon Su-hee and Lee Yeon-bun, who had been tending to their farm and livestock, also came out, looking puzzled.
And above all...
Bzzzzzzzz—!
Buzzzzz—!!!
The bees, seemingly enraged by the current situation, buzzed angrily, their wings trembling violently.
For the bees, who rarely got angry over trivial matters, to show this level of collective rage meant the situation was dire and could pose a great danger to the colony.
And sure enough?
[The player Jeongrichung has sent you a message.]
『Honeybee. I'm not sure if you've seen the community forums, but this seems to be a pretty serious problem...』
The Jeongrichung team, top-tier on the Korean server when it came to information gathering.
They had managed to contact a few survivors on the Japanese server via message and learned that this entire incident was the result of a nuclear missile launched by the North Korean server.
"Even if you can't cooperate, you shouldn't be trolling."
Honestly, Seong-hyeok, who had walked the path of the beekeeper, couldn't comprehend why humans were still fighting amongst themselves in a situation like this.
A crisis where they were facing the end of the world.
Hadn't the Chapter #3 update just been released, heralding the appearance of Disaster-class monsters and dungeons?
Disaster-class monsters that would surely require immense sacrifices to defeat.
Cooperation among humans was indispensable to deal with them quickly.
Yet, someone had completely ignored that reality and, for no reason other than greed, shattered a major power on the Asian server that could have been a decent asset.
"...The fact that they didn't attack other countries along with Japan must mean there's some kind of penalty for using it."
It's not like I'm new to games.
There had to be a limit to using a weapon with enough firepower to nearly annihilate an entire server consecutively.
And even setting that aside, North Korea's nuclear weapon had a high probability of becoming a major threat in the future.
"I have to wipe out all enemies of my bees. Besides, that item is too good for a troller to have, isn't it?"
Every item.
In this bizarre world, every item is destined to have its rightful owner.
His eyes gleamed at the thought of the Ring of Greed, an item he could obtain by dealing with this most dangerous potential enemy.
"Little ones. It's time for an outing."
Bzzzzzz~
Buzzzzzzz-
At Seong-hyeok's call, a million bees swarmed into his Dimensional Beehive skill.
"Yeon-ah. Could I ask you for a favor?"
"What is it?"
The Transcendent Being, Blanqui, the Mover of Dimensions.
The signature ability Kang Yeon-ah gained from her incarnation contract with him.
The time had come to use Blanqui's large-scale dimensional tunnel.