Chapter 6
Chapter 6
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 6
Chapter Title: Paths of the Warrior
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"Slash!"
Boom... The golems crumbled under Galliard's attack.
Galliard, fresh off his first job advancement as a Swordsman, was out hunting for levels alongside the main storyline.
The adventure in this entirely new world set his heart racing at every turn.
The first time he'd used a real skill as a Swordsman after ditching snail shell tosses, he'd been so overcome with emotion that tears welled up in his eyes.
And now, pushing through the story, he'd hit level 29.
The warrior instructor had made it clear during his first job change: the second one unlocked at level 30.
His skill points had lined up perfectly, right on cue.
"Just one more level...!"
It was an exhilarating moment.
He toppled the golem, cleared the quest, and racked up the experience.
✨ LEVEL UP! ✨ Lv. 29 → Lv. 30 The instant he finally hit level 30.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ A lightbulb-shaped illusion popped up over Galliard's head. He touched it, and an illusion of the warrior instructor, Fists-Clenched-Sitter, appeared before him, starting to speak.
"Long time no see. You've grown tremendously in such a short span... How about it? Care to tread the path of an even mightier warrior?" He'd seen it plenty of times, but it still felt utterly unreal.
He knew it was all illusion magic, yet he couldn't fathom how anyone dreamed this up.
The maps and portal travel. A world flat as 2D. Chibi-style characters.
He'd adapted fast enough playing it, but the illusion mage behind this world was nothing short of brilliant.
Galliard figured the guy was one of a kind.
"Accept."
But none of that mattered.
If anything, he was thankful to the creator of this captivating world.
Starting from level 1, adventuring and growing in this mystical realm had given him a fresh purpose in life.
📜 NEW QUEST 📜 [Job Change] The Three Paths of the Warrior
That was the name of the quest Galliard had accepted.
At last, the second job change quest he'd been dying for.
To kick off the main quest in earnest, he trekked through the six-pronged paths to the warriors' city, Perion.
A desolate place without a single blade of grass—the warriors' city of Perion.
Galliard took a real liking to the dusty vibe.
"Good of you to come. You've bulked up nicely since last time."
He sought out Fists-Clenched-Sitter, who jumped right in like he'd been waiting.
They looked alive, but they were just game background—NPCs, really.
Talk to them, and they spouted the same lines, handing out quests based on conditions.
He felt lonely sometimes, but once development wrapped up, he'd get to party with other players.
It was fun now, but that fired him up even more. It reminded him of his early adventuring days.
"Hmm... Pick one of three, huh."
Anyway, the big deal now was the second job change.
Fists-Clenched-Sitter laid out the three options for warriors.
This choice would shape what kind of warrior he'd become down the line.
"Go on, then. Choose. What warrior do you aspire to be?"
"Hmm..."
Three quest options floated before his eyes.
📜 QUEST OPTIONS 📜 [Job Change] Fighter's Path
[Job Change] Page's Path
[Job Change] Spearman's Path
A weighty choice that demanded serious thought.
This would decide his future.
"Having second thoughts? Then let me show you what each path leads to in the end. The fourth job advancements. Then choose again."
"Sounds good."
Accepting the instructor's offer shifted the scene into illusions showcasing each class's fourth job form.
"Made your decision?"
Three classes, each with its own allure.
Now he really had to pick.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "R-Rye! Rye...!"
"Ugh... I'm dying here."
The tiny hand of Hina Sirius shook me awake from my desk nap.
"What's up, Tower Master...?"
"I-It’s been an h-hour."
"Ah, thanks."
I was deep into developing Maple Leaf Tale.
About ten months since securing investment, we were nearing the final stretch.
Hina had jumped in midway, speeding things up with her illusion magic.
I hadn't trusted her at first, but she was the Illusion Tower Master—her skills were top-notch.
"A-And that old g-grandpa's h-here."
"Oh, really? Where is he?"
"O-Outside."
"Huh? Why not let him in?"
"H-He’s s-scary..."
Stepping out of the lab, I saw the tower's front gate rattling.
Hina had already bolted to her room.
Outside stood Galliard.
"What brings you here again? You couldn't have hit max level already."
Impossible to finish in six months, as Galliard himself knew.
But he'd been hounding me to hurry, so I'd let him play the partial release up to the latest content.
Think of him as a beta tester.
He hadn't dropped by since. Was there a bug or something?
"It's almost ready for official launch. Just a bit longer..."
"That's not it. It's plenty fun already. It'll be even better at full release, sure."
"Then why..."
"Hit level 30 yesterday."
"Oh, second job change time."
"Exactly! No clue which class to pick!!! They all look too damn fun—I'm torn!!!"
"Ah..."
Another trivial errand.
Just go with his gut. Was this really the hero who'd saved the world?
Still, I got the dilemma.
Right now, players could only level one character.
Once we rolled out new jobs and zones, I'd enable multiples.
But that'd guzzle even more mana stones. We were stretched thin even with Galliard's funding.
"Haa... What a pickle. The choice of a lifetime...!"
I tuned him out and dove back into development.
The game itself was done. All that remained was finishing the main server—a supercomputer-like artifact.
Then mass-produce the client artifacts for sale.
They'd connect users to the server via shared illusion magic.
Design stayed true to the prototype: maple leaf-shaped.
"What I gave you is basically a demo. When it officially launches, you'll start from scratch. Play around for now and decide then. Gotta get back to work. Don't overdo the sessions—bad for your health."
I left the fidgety old man in the lobby and headed to Hina's room.
The final phase was tricky; I needed her help.
A month later, we wrapped up. Official release day loomed.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "No way... Even for you, Galliard, that's a hard pass. We're not digging ditches here—sell artifacts from the Illusion Tower? Who's buying?"
"But if he's pushing it... it must be solid."
"I get that, but every other guild turned it down too. No dice. This deal's tough enough."
Lipert, head of the top-tier Blue Hair Merchant Guild, waved him off.
A fresh deal had come in: an artifact from the Illusion Tower, endorsed by former hero Galliard.
No one would touch a product from there.
Merchant guilds thrived on buying low, selling high—not peddling duds.
"Anyway, send a polite rejection letter. If another guild bites, don't burn bridges—keep it soft."
"Got it."
Lipert had started as a humble peddler with a sack.
Fearless back then, he'd roamed cities hawking wares.
That built his rep, leading to the Blue Hair Merchant Guild.
Now, with all those achievements, he focused on protecting it.
Minimize risks, stick to safe trades.
The thrill of adventure was ancient history.
His rear end had gotten too heavy for that.
"We're under attack!"
Lipert and his guild were crossing the forest laden with goods for a deal.
Bandits hitting loaded caravans was routine.
Hence the escorts. But...
"...What? This is the elves' forest?"
Lipert had skimped on guards this trip.
Makes sense: just this forest to cross.
It was Ellium, the elves' domain.
Elves patrolled relentlessly—no bandits dared enter.
By human-elf accord, merchants used the path threat-free. Yet...
"Hide first, Guild Master!"
"Damn... This is bad..."
Lipert ditched his crew and fled.
Given the bandits' numbers, his escorts were doomed.
If he got captured as boss, losses would skyrocket. No choice.
Tears in his eyes, he plunged into the woods.
The pilfered goods' cost haunted him.
First loss since founding the guild—gut-wrenching.
"Where the hell are the elves...! Damn it... my money...!"
"Exactly. No elf presence since we entered. Normally, they'd be leaping treetops, guarding."
"Right? Something up with the World Tree?"
The World Tree was just a big tree to humans.
But to elves? Sacred. Only thing that'd distract them.
"Phew... They're not chasing."
"Lay low a bit, then loop back to the road and rally the guild. What a mess."
Lipert hunkered down amid the trees.
Wait out the chaos, then bail.
"...Hm?"
Leaning on a trunk, Lipert spotted something on the ground.
A red maple leaf, out of place in evergreen Ellium.
He picked it up.
Up close, not a leaf—a sturdy, leaf-shaped something.
An artifact, looked like.
"What's that?"
"Dunno. Artifact, I think. Dropped on the ground."
"Trap maybe? Better not..."
"Hah, you doubting me?"
Lipert cast his magic.
His attribute constitution: Observation (B).
Reveal object info.
Low-rank, so limited spells—but perfect for a merchant.
"Layered in illusion magic... Can't parse the full structure with my spell. What’s something like this doing roadside...?"
"Then it's riskier, right? If B-rank Observation can't read it."
"But it's all illusion magic, confirmed. No danger."
After a pause, Lipert decided to activate it.
Normally, he'd never.
But that leaf shape inexplicably stirred his old adventurer's blood.
"Keep watch. Yank the artifact if trouble."
"Yes, sir."
He poured in mana and triggered it.
What greeted him was a vast, mystical new world.
There, he dashed through the air, unleashed hero-like attack spells, commanded wondrous summons.
'What is this...'
Illusion artifact, so all fantasy.
Yet so vivid, awe-inspiring. He never wanted to wake up.
Then—
💥 IMPACT! 💥 Thwack-!
"Gah-!"
The artifact shut off abruptly, yanking him back to reality.
He tumbled on the ground; an elf woman loomed before him.
"Ugh... What the..."
"What do you think you're doing? Using someone else's artifact without permission."
"You're the one who...! Uh, uh...! Liana?"
"You know me, human?"
"Of course! Ages ago, we traveled together briefly. With Galliard and the hero party."
Early in his merchant days, he'd tagged along with the hero party for a spell.
War with the demon realm was wrapping up then.
That's how he bonded with Galliard.
Years later, most party members were gone.
Galliard, the youngest then, was an old man; Lipert had aged too.
Liana, being elf, looked unchanged.
"...Vaguely recall. You were a scrawny peddler kid."
"Haha, time flies. You haven't changed. So, what's that? Found it on the ground, gave it a whirl."
"A gift from Galliard—'Maple Leaf Tale.' So addictive, every elf in Ellium's snapped one up."
"Maple Leaf Tale..."
The exact artifact Galliard had pitched.
"Gotta level up fast—later."
Liana ditched him, vanishing into the woods.
Undignified sprint for an elf—rushed and reckless.
"...They slacked on patrols for that?!"
"Sir? You okay?"
"...Hey. Back to the guild, now."
"P-Pardon? Where to?"
"Illusion Tower! We snag exclusive rights before rivals do!"
"Huh?"
The born merchant smelled a goldmine in that tiny leaf.