Taming Monster (1)
‘They’re working so hard, but it’s all for nothing since they can’t even eat it anyway.’
No matter how eagerly they rushed in, users who hadn’t dealt any damage couldn’t loot a thing due to the system restrictions. Drops from field monsters were only lootable by those who had inflicted a certain amount of damage within the first 10 seconds.
Jumbaka's Head (Quest Item)
Orc Lord Slayer
The quest item and achievement had already popped up automatically in the system log. With the summon timer running low, I hurriedly opened my inventory to check the item I’d just snagged.
Legendary, Necklace
“Oh yeah!”
It was the exact legendary necklace I’d been gunning for! I’d hoped for it desperately, but seeing it right there in my inventory made a cheer burst out involuntarily.
‘Dropping on the first clear? Is this a dream or reality!’
If there was such a thing as the Deoktem God, it looked like they’d fully descended on me lately. I didn’t bother checking the other loot and slammed the inventory shut. Now came the crucial finish.
Physical damage from 0Bomber0: 345
Magic damage from TangTangTangTang: 786
…………………
Boom, boom, boom!
The Radiant Shield had worn off ages ago. The surviving Taesung guild members were unleashing ranged attacks. A quick scan showed the crowd had at least doubled while I was taking down the Orc Lord. Even with 8-star stealth, getting caught with the summon releasing in front of this many players meant no guarantee of escape. I glanced at the top of my HUD—exactly 40 seconds left on the summon.
‘Not that I planned for this, but scouting the map earlier was a godsend.’
This was one of the spots I’d eyed while circling the map. It had a wide-open clearing perfect for raids, but the massive waterfall nearby had caught my attention.
Judgment Advance!
I blasted toward the waterfall with the advance skill, bursting out of the clearing.
“Magnum’s breaking out! Get him!”
“That bastard’s summon must be almost up! It released right after he dipped during the siege too!”
“Grab him! Taking him down drops the holy sword!”
Shouts erupted from all around. The folks who’d gathered for the Orc Lord raid had morphed into a full-on ‘Magnum03 Raid Party.’
‘This is what Hyunjung meant. He said the second I show up in the field, players swarm like it’s a raid... Spot on.’
Up until now, it was just Taesung’s arrows and spells, but now three or four times as many rained down. Dodging the arrow storm, I pushed silently toward the waterfall. 28%, 27%, 25%! My HP, nearly half when I finished the Orc Lord, plummeted to critical in seconds. Just 10 seconds from release in this dire spot! But thankfully, a massive roar echoed from behind the trees ahead.
“Where the hell’s he going?”
“Shit! He’s not diving under the waterfall, is he?!”
Spot on, but too late. I vaulted past the last tree and leaped off the cliff ahead, mid-stride.
Whoosh!
Splash!
Plunging from what looked like a 30-meter drop, I dove straight into the enormous waterfall pond. The moment a titan-sized splash erupted, I released Luitus.
Stealth!
Seamless into 8-star stealth. Splash! Splash! Pursuers leaped in relentlessly, but with stealth active, it was game over for them.
“Where’d he go? Magnum that fucker, his titan’s definitely released!”
“Even piercing gaze shows nothing! No way he logged out in that time... What the hell?”
Leaving them spamming piercing gaze and AoE skills in the water, I slipped away leisurely and headed back to town.
Orc Lord Slayer (C)
Awarded to the one who contributed the most in an Orc Lord raid. (Strength +5, Agility +5)
Achievement effect: Immune to preemptive strikes from orcs lower level than you.
This was the achievement from the Orc Lord raid. Truth be told, I hadn’t given achievements a second thought. Taitonic was packed with them, but even minor ones were a pain to snag. Take this Orc Lord Slayer—not all field bosses dropped them. Only special ones with backstory did, and even then, only one participant got it. Fitting for C-grade, the effect wasn’t game-changing, but it was still impressive.
Achievements were exactly that—feats. Snagging a new one didn’t erase the old; they stacked, giving you an edge over others. That’s why even rankers just a few levels ahead got respect. They cleared new mobs and quests first, writing history at the forefront. They already had tons of achievements and prime position for more. You couldn’t just dismiss high-level players lightly. Even I, after three years, only had five now, while rumors said Darius had over 50.
Field bosses. One more reason to grind them relentlessly.
“Heh heh. Anyway, achievements aside, how much did I rake in? Raids like this net this much in one go? No wonder high-levels chase field bosses like mad.”
The Orc Lord dropped a legendary necklace, legendary material ‘Orc Lord’s Fang’, unique greaves, and 21 shining mana stones. Fitting for the massive orc village in the Ashen Mountains, it was a juicy boss that shared the wealth. Plus, a unique longbow and rare ring swiped from Taesung players... This raid alone netted about 300 million in items.
‘Life-changing! That holy sword really was the luck of my lifetime!’
I’d barely used it early on, then gone numb growing a new char for weeks, but now it hit home. If I played just one more year without dying... Hitting the original 10 billion valuation wouldn’t be a pipe dream!
Lost in happy fantasies en route to the warehouse, a whisper pinged from someone I’d excitedly forgotten.
Fair point. Only three weeks since the siege. ID change screamed fresh char, and hitting Orc Lord level that fast? Unthinkable. Even if it was with a titan.
A lucky snag, but stack luck and it’s fate, right? In that chaos, I became the holy sword’s owner. Folks didn’t know yet, but winds of change were stirring in Taitonic right after. Turns out Yeon Woo was one stirring them.
Broadcasts looped me grabbing the sword endlessly, so I’d missed it. Figured he died, but Yeon Woo did it!
Reason she wasn’t booted from the sub-guild but promoted? Me, indirectly.
‘If Merlin got the sword... No way he’d die easy—Yeon Woo would’ve shielded him instead?’
The moment our tangled fates began.
We clicked easy. Humble, considerate tone back then and now—felt like a good person IRL too. So why was someone like her playing spy instead of just gaming?
Last Chance paused, then continued.
‘Sis?!’
Yeon Woo and Last Chance siblings...? Time to upgrade my read on Last Chance from ‘watch closely’ to ‘kinda trustworthy.’
Three years in Taitonic—a long haul. I’d never reached out first to anyone I met. So I knew it clear as day. Post-sword, in no time, I’d changed big-time.