Great Thief's Boots (2)

Thud, thud thud! The orc spearmen, drawn by my footsteps as I sprinted across the ceiling of the Kaljen Castle dungeon without even using Stealth, all turned to stare up at me. But it was pointless. Even if they craned their necks or charged right up to bash at the ceiling, there was nothing they could do.

'No matter how I think about it, this is way too overpowered. Who could've imagined someone playing like this?'

Racing along the ceiling of the Kaljen Castle underground dungeon, I once again marveled at the greatness of these Great Thief's Boots.

Unlike players, regular mobs sometimes included ones with innate abilities to detect even high-grade Stealth skills. These so-called "detector mobs"—one always lurking in every dungeon like this—made it systemically impossible to Stealth straight to the boss room. But with the boots' wall-climbing option? Now, even detector mobs were irrelevant. They might aggro on me, but they couldn't hit me, so they'd chase for a bit before the aggro dropped and they wandered back.

Click!

Waiting on the boss room ceiling until the pursuing orcs lost aggro and headed back, I spun half a turn ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠and landed lightly. Running upside down had been dizzying at first, but now I was so accustomed I could even show off a little flair.

Touching down on the ground, I didn't hesitate—stuck straight to Uulta and started piling on the damage like I'd done hundreds of times before.

"Groooh! How did you find this place?!"

Uulta, the shaman boss of the Orc Tribe Underground Dungeon. Aside from the brief naps I'd snatched at dawn, I'd been soloing this guy nonstop for a full day, skipping nothing.

As a mage-type boss, he summoned minions first while supporting with powerful spells. But I was his natural counter. Once my level was high enough, I'd cleared him every single time I entered the dungeon.

In just a week, I'd rocketed from level 305 to 313 in another explosive burst. Status ailments from spells cast by players at or below my level? Most resisted now—my magic defense was insanely high.

Thinking about it, I was probably the only player over 300 dumping all stats into mana. With full mana-focused gear on top? ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I might own the highest magic defense in the game.

So mage-type monsters—even bosses—were easy pickings. Especially ones overflowing with MP I could absorb!

"Guwek! The Orc Lord won't let you get away with this! Grook, your Kaljen Castle will become spoils for our Red Mane tribe under his hand!"

Thud.

Ignoring all the trash mobs to rush the boss room: 3 minutes. Kill, reset the dungeon, re-enter: 5 minutes. This insane 8-minute cycle, run without rest? Right before handing over the castle, I snagged one more.

Dungeon drops, especially high-grade items, had abysmal rates compared to field drops. But that was for party farms. Clearing dungeons dozens of times faster than a 6- or 8-man party? Monopolizing all the drops solo? The loot rate wasn't bad at all.

This priest helmet from week two fit perfectly—dungeon Legendary specs were a bit lower, but tailored exactly to my needs. And that option? Pure honey for me. I pushed hard the rest of the day to farm more.

Truth be told, I'd rarely used the common skill Insight before. Stealth was my default—no need to expose myself activating it. But this helmet kept it active passively. For a solo Stealth player forever wary of detectors, it screamed "lifetime gear" the moment I equipped it. I wanted a second for enhancement.

"Now I've got two headpieces! Wonder how high I can push this one?"

My character's specs improved daily, gear levels hitting absurd heights. Rare drops used to make my day; Unique from gacha felt like peak life. Now? Legendaries, and my first thought was "enhance and maybe blow it up"?

But fair enough—I'd already lost one necklace from the Orc Lord trying for +4. Pricey loss, but hearing Darius blanketed in +9 Legendaries? No skimping on gear investment.

His stuff was surely dungeon Legendaries. Taeseong's 3rd/4th sub-guilds—thousands farming castle-exclusive dungeons—funneled everything to him for enhancement rushes. Even accounting for dungeon gear being weaker than field drops, +9 was massive. To catch up, my gold wasn't "cash"—it was "game money" to reinvest in the character. Had to keep reminding myself.

"Still, can't find decent listings, so gold just piles up. What to do with it?"

My balance topped 12 million gold. Unique gear from Dumein Castle dungeon, dozens of Unique armor and fang mats from Orc Lord, player loot from fights—all sold piecemeal.

Wasn't hoarding entirely. Swapped to high-enhance Uniques for armor, kept buying Shining Mana Stones—burned 2 million, and still this much. Biggest earner not even counted yet.

The Orc Lord's Legendary axe was still unsold. I'd pondered options, then tasked Pink Rabbit with auctioning it as her first brokered deal—gave her a week.

"Farewell now. Take care, Patrick!"

"……."

Predictably, the NPC stayed silent at my random line. After staring at him endlessly—down to memorized eyebrows—I unsummoned him and collected the final tax from Steward Benedic.

The castle that was my first home for a month. The one that built my war chest for future moves. Like a giving tree, I'd left grateful Kaljen Castle behind and headed to the outer village for the trade.

Pulled from storage, this field-drop Legendary boasted stunning specs. Probability trigger or not, letting a player use the Orc Lord's unique Trembling Earth? AOE knockback on crowds—with tankiness to back it—this was siege chaos incarnate.

But useless to me—no weapon swap with the divine sword. Had to sell. Auctions? 99% chance Taeseong snagged it. That option? No way to them. Direct trade saved 10% fees too, so Pink Rabbit got the proxy gig.

"Already here?"

"Yep! Punctuality is a merchant's basics! Got the goods?"

"Of course. Tough one to move—thanks for the effort."

"No way! Handling a deal this huge was huge experience!"

"But definitely not Taeseong, right? You checked they won't resell there?"

"Oh right, didn't say who. Ah! There they are! Over here!"

Every time, Pink Rabbit blended cuteness and sharpness perfectly. Chatting all-cute till spotting someone, she waved wildly.

"Ah! You're early! Nice to see you, Pink Rabbit."

The approacher wore an ID proving my worries needless: Knight rank 3, Olympus guild master—Admiral.

"Long time, Magnum? Or Sandro now?"

"……Who're you?"

"Don't play dumb. Think I'd forget you?"

"Oh, Sandro—you know Admiral?"

And he... was one of my few connections from three years in Tayen.

"You still remember me. Long time, Admiral hyung. Hope you've been well—no, thriving as guild master. Watched steadily. Impressive as ever."

"Wondered what you were up to. Never dreamed you'd turn this ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠monstrous. Felt it back then—you're no ordinary guy."

"Nah, just got lucky once."

"Brat. Knew about the 'lucky' part. We set the table for that assassinate—missed, gutted me!"

"Haha! Sorry, hyung."

Early Tayen, I realized solo was dead-end fast. Predicted endless popularity meant gear farming over story—one raid guild join. Two-ish weeks in/out: my first and last guild life. Olympus—one of today's top four.

"Zeus hyung still ping you?"

"Cut ties ages ago. Old man whispered once—blocked instantly. Gotta have shame. Ah, but if you whispered? Might've considered... you never did."

Back then, Olympus was a dozen-man raid guild by 40s knight "Zeus II." Learned it was with his wife "BaekduMtn Hera"—solid members, but the couple's tyranny snuck up. They swiped my lucky Unique? Fought, quit quick.

Then guild master switched to initial member Admiral—grew huge, now top-four powerhouse. Knew he was sharp ex-military then; hindsight, legend.

"As you see, solo fits my style. Knew your personality—beg to rejoin post-success? You'd take me? If so, you'd have whispered the second you ID'd ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠me."

"Barely guilded together, yet you know me too well? Haha!"

Assumed he'd forgotten the brief guild stint... surprising. But also, me as "Sandro" enabled this one-on-one with "Admiral."

Amid catching up, Pink Rabbit whispered. Smart call making her exclusive broker.

"Heard from treasurer yesterday—you're handing the castle to Pandora. Shame, could've given us."

"Knew you remembered? Might've. But... awkward to say, sold but felt ripped off. Good you passed."

"Haha! Didn't know you joked? Selling this axe? You're raking it in solo. Impressive."

"Hey! Guy who turned nothing-guild into three-castle lord says that? I ate from one month—know the intake. Don't downplay!"

"Solo feast vs. two thousand splitting? Anyway, can I see the goods?"

"Sure, send trade."

Admiral griped theatrically, but no overflowing rich guy drops 6.9 million on one weapon lightly. Highest recent field-drop Legendary price, post-early game likely. Chaos picking it mid-interview; turns out, first Orc Lord Legendary ever. Rarity pumps value—Pink Rabbit hyped server-first and AOE skill perfectly.

"Wonder if this price was smart."

"Worth every gold. Hope to see it wreck Taeseong."

"……Will do."

Trade complete. Sent off the guy who'd earned more than a month's taxes.