Gear Farming (1)
[Arrived at the western Desra Desert, Alama Oasis.]
Originally, even after hitting level 100, you'd have to keep grinding at Jefferson Mausoleum. But thanks to the Holy Sword, I'd power-leveled in one go, so I headed a bit early to the next hunting spot I'd marked—the ant cave.
Desra Desert. There was only one in all of Tayen, but it was so massive that the central continent had tons of cities and villages bordering it. Naturally, there were countless hunting grounds too, segmented by region from beginner to high-level zones.
"Back in the day, I was so jealous of those pay-to-win whales farming here with this sword... Who knew restarting would let me finally scratch that itch!"
The 'ant cave' I was aiming for was super popular among mid-low level users. Drop into one of its hundreds of tunnels, and giant ants kept popping endlessly—almost like an instance dungeon for non-stop farming. Plus, holing up in a specific 'cave' meant low risk of random PKs, which boosted its appeal.
Rare, One-Handed Weapon
I planned to stick to the ant cave until level 150, so I'd bought this weapon ages ago. I'd already made bank off skeletons with the Eberutan Holy Knights' longsword, so this time I splurged on a fire-attribute longsword perfect for ants.
Tayen had an 'attribute' system—matching affinities added 25% extra damage. Higher weapon power meant bigger attribute bonuses, so picking spots and gear with attributes in mind was key.
"Yep... still a hot spot even now."
Mid-low level users dotted the area, farming the field instead of caves. I'd hit 110 in an absurdly short time, but most at my level struggled for even one level-up after grinding all day. In a full-dive VR where you physically hunted, all-day sessions were brutal labor.
Plus, subscription fees and pricey capsules burdened regular players without cash to splash. Their gear was usually subpar for their levels—no surprise there. Hell, until recently, I was rocking just a +6 rare at level 230.
The easiest fix for crap gear? Party hunting. But factoring in party-finding time and split EXP, regular players leveled painfully slow.
'And since they're the majority, my insane pace shines even brighter!'
Leveling easy for everyone? Nah—if it were, I wouldn't have even dreamed of restarting three years behind the rankers.
But in days, I'd caught up to half a year of an average player's progress. And snagged an S-rank achievement to chase rankers. Now? Just blast to 150 here fast for the next golden run.
"Someone's already in this one. Let's see... pass on that too!"
I skipped dozens of caves, pushing deep into the desert. Obvious parties had claimed the nearby ones. Long after field hunters thinned out, I picked an untouched cave and dove in.
Illuminates the dark ant cave with convenient magic—no need for carried or placed oil lamps.
"Pricey for a reason—scrolls are comfy. Used 'em rarely in full parties, but solo now? Wild!"
Blowing scrolls solo was chump change now; my old poverty felt ancient.
Scrrrtch.
No users here—ants aggroed quick to my presence and Light.
Low HP, but level ~150 monster attack power was no joke. Level gap meant my sword barely stuck, but with Sword Mastery at 3-stars, way easier than desert lizardmen.
Whish-crack! Thunk! Salamander's Burning Will slashed a great dane-sized combat ant. Red flames trailed the blade—flashy, but normal attacks missed one in every three swings.
"Levels are such bullshit. Why won't this thing connect?!"
Didn't expect easy clears here. But trusting my gear, I stood firm and swung—the attribute matchup paid off big; dropped faster than expected.
"Definitely tankier than I remember."
The +10 rare was earning its keep, and the accuracy boost shone against the level gap.
Popped a mana potion—no regen wait—and two more ants aggroed as I moved.
Classic ant cave regen rate—stake a spot, farm all day.
Grinded nonstop for over five hours till potions ran dry, then returned to town.
* * *
"Logged out since you did—taking a break too. How's the leveling? Pumped much?"
"Don't ask. Puked ants in that cave. One more dinner grind after, hit 120 and crash?"
"What? Already? Damn! Gear carry and EXP buffs slap. That pace solo—no support?!"
"You'd pull the same rerolling. Low levels? Cash = speed. Anyway, sword feel? From unique to legendary +4—night and day, right?"
Sword swaps don't Holy Sword-dramatize like that, but legendaries' unique options could skyrocket combat power. Lion King's longsword matched Hyunjung well too.
"One word: godly. Self-buffs, auras, heals up 28%—feels like a new char. And the unique 'Holy Weapon'? Jackpot!"
"How good?"
"You saw the stats, but Holy Weapon procs add light magic damage for 10s on hits. Stacks to 3x if it procs again in time! PvP beast, perfect for tanky mobs too!"
"Haha, glad you love it. Grind levels, raid bosses, snag loot. Huh? TV—my news? You got Taitonic TV on? Check it."
I'd half-watched TV post-shower when Hyunjung called—perfect timing. Flipped focus as my news hit.
Announcers chatted over a Hall of Fame screenshot, ID mosaicked.
"What? Evening news already? Too flashy? They requested interviews?"
"Had to—extra EXP achievement non-negotiable. Got whispers from broadcasters and community journos mid-hunt. Declined all grinding ants. Didn't expect TV though."
No time for interviews or appearances—blocked 'em all, pure hunt mode.
"ID's public on Hall of Fame anyway—fame incoming."
"Expected it. Holy Sword soon, dungeons next—no big risks."
"Gold cashed any? Game's key, but that haul? Spend some."
Inventory held over 300 million won in gold. Tempting, but cashing it'd just scream 'money' forever—staying in-game.
"Thought about it, but game earnings stay in-game. Snowball's rolling—keep pushing?"
"Fair, but don't hoard. Byte coins from gold—no trace..."
"Hm, right—you knew I had DX capsule?"
"Yeah, DX-SMART."
"What? Smart version? Dude, ancient relic! Knew DX, but cheapest? Lol, you're a legend!"
Capsules evolved fast: DX, FX, now TX—tiered by options. Mine: oldest DX, base model.
Better = higher sensitivity/sync. Subtle control edge, but millions extra? Rare for game-focused users.
"I know—upgrade first with earnings. Not cash-poor."
"Then why?"
"TX-PRO drops soon. Go top-tier once—100 mil, don't wanna burn gold now. Haven't tried better, so no complaints."
"Damn! FX from DX felt like ditching sandbags—you're nuts. Holy Sword on that relic?!"
"Haha, bro's always max value."
"Anyway, cash aside—hit up parents? Success now's the time!"
Three years 'job hunting' away—half-disowned. Last saw 'em six months back post-fight.
"Visit now? Can't focus on Tayen. Called though—said hired at small game firm, grinding onboarding."
"Hired?"
"Yeah. Half-year cash flow soon—told 'em that. They worry despite scolding; calls trickle. Covered with recent one."
"Lol, show bank in months—they'll faint. Who'd guess unemployed Jihwan hits jackpot?!"
"So grind too—pick scraps behind this hyungnim!"
"Sure, sure. Called for a reason—asked gold too. Good you didn't sell."
"Yeah? Spill."
"You know Hades99 from Atlantis? Mage ranker, up-down list."
Daily 0:00 official rankings update top 10 per class. Familiar ID.
"Heard of him?"
"Guild sis knows him—I crossed paths. Opera major, Tayen-stressed, went study abroad. Rushed gear dump... recent."
"Dump what?"
"+10 Jet-Black Archmage Set. Nuts?"
Unique-grade, 3-piece mage armor from Jet-Black Magic Tower
Famous for 'Mana Recycling'—returns portion of MP spent on spells/skills. Seems like 'Mana Save' (MP reduction on top staves), ignored at launch. But full set + staff save stacks—every mage's dream now.
Hell yeah, Hyunjung delivered fast. Hot item, never hits auction—+10 no less!
"Log in now! Gotta buy—hook me up. Please!"