Chapter 118
Chapter 118
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 118
Chapter Title: Off to Steal Again Today
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The next day.
The area around Jermi was in an uproar.
The Iron Mask.
The Dokkaebi Guild had come to scout him, followed by the Anti-Dokkaebi Alliance.
A fierce recruitment battle was underway between them when a major incident erupted.
Getrol, representing the Anti-Dokkaebi Alliance, had visited Jermi.
During the recruitment process, he lost his temper and unleashed a barrage of insults and threats at the Iron Mask Man.
And that wasn't all.
He even drew his weapon right there, attempting to strike him down.
In the Lord's Castle, no less, where the Viscount himself resided.
That day.
Viscount Chainver launched an investigation based on statements from those in the room and the guards. Soon after, the crime was confirmed, and Getrol was promptly dragged away by the guards.
Relations with Viscount Chainver.
Scouting outcomes.
Future whereabouts.
News about the Iron Mask Man continued to dominate the internet and broadcasts for a while, keeping him in the spotlight.
As a result, his notoriety soared even higher...
At the same time, his value was skyrocketing endlessly.
On the flip side, Getrol had been hauled off by the guards on multiple charges.
Articles poured in about him too, and public opinion was overwhelmingly negative.
These were the tame reactions.
The fallout even rippled into the Alliance side, intensifying the negative public opinion.
It was an utterly awkward situation for Anti-Dokkaebi.
- The Baekho Guild Master and we have no connection—this was his solo act...
Alliance leader Benkal belatedly stepped in to clean up the mess, but it was too late.
- Solo act?
- Bullshit, now they're trying to cut off the tail?
Users only piled on the criticism.
In the end, Benkal gave up on damage control.
He erupted in rage at his immature little brother's blunder.
"Kim Hyun-tae, you mad bastard!"
Talk about humiliation.
He'd sent him to scout the Iron Mask Man, and instead, he tried to attack him.
He heard the full story from him, but to Benkal, it just sounded like excuses.
The deal was dead.
The backlash was pouring in.
Friction with Jermi's Lord too.
Deeming it unsalvageable, Benkal decided to ignore public opinion and focus on the war.
'It's just noise from low-tier players anyway.'
So he'd crush it with force.
By winning the war against Dokkaebi.
But he didn't know.
'Oh man, Mr. Risiner's got deep pockets.'
That their key intel had already been sold off somewhere.
Diamonds.
The currency unit above gold.
One diamond was worth a whopping 100 gold.
Over 10 million in cash.
So where did this huge sum come from all of a sudden?
The answer lay in the ant nest passage blueprint.
'They paid an advance of 1 diamond before even verifying the info properly. What a big spender.'
Indeed.
Luke, the Dokkaebi scout who had contacted Guild Master Risiner via Deus.
He'd proposed an intel trade involving the blueprint.
And that's how he got 1 diamond.
An advance payment for the blueprint.
- How the hell did you get this info...? Never mind, that's not important right now. Deal. We'll trade.
Right after that exchange.
Risiner sent over a contract via Deus.
A Mana Oath, Agas's unique vow item for major deals and contracts.
The key terms outlined the trade for the ant nest passage blueprint.
Pay Luke the advance first, then full payment upon verification.
With the Mana Oath sealed.
The advance amount was more than satisfactory.
Luke grinned, recalling his comm with Risiner.
- You've exceeded my expectations by far. If this intel pans out... regardless of the deal, I'll make sure to repay you later.
Was it his reputation?
Risiner didn't hesitate much and proceeded with the trade.
Even leaving room for future relations with those meaningful words at the end.
Of course.
'Just pay up and we're good.'
Luke wasn't particularly interested in that part.
'Anyway, handled it well.'
The two scouts who suddenly showed up at the Lord's Castle.
He hadn't planned to meet them at first, but the Dokkaebi name caught his attention immediately.
Ant nest passage blueprint.
He'd been mulling it over when the buyer approached first.
That's why he'd returned to Jermi.
'Didn't expect to run into Kim Hyun-tae there.'
The guy who'd hosted that alumni meetup.
His real-life classmate, Kim Hyun-tae, was there.
Representing Anti-Dokkaebi, no less.
His eyes lit up.
He'd been itching for payback ever since they ripped him off.
'My 40 silver.'
He'd never forget.
The 40 silver the guard demanded when entering Chandler.
Just thinking about it made his fist clench.
In a way, Kim Hyun-tae became the scapegoat for that pent-up rage.
Though he hadn't anticipated the jail part.
'Karma, though.'
The guy couldn't hold back and charged in alone.
'Anyway, deal's done.'
No business left around here for a while.
Time to climb to the next stage.
Recognizing that, Luke promptly left Jermi and hailed a carriage.
"Where to, sir?"
The coachman asked.
Luke answered without a second's hesitation.
"Proficiency Gate."
Proficiency Gate.
A key pass at the northern edge of the kingdom.
The mandatory route to escape the low-tier zone.
That was the Proficiency Gate.
'There are other routes, but...'
They were complicated and costly in every way.
Illegal paths even infamous players could use.
Hire expensive brokers.
Wait ages to sneak through.
Moving to mid-tier was one thing, but returning was a pain too. Luke had done it once before his class change.
He'd had no choice then, but now was different.
False Identity.
Thanks to that skill, his infamy was hidden.
That's why he was taking the carriage via the standard route.
The Proficiency Gate.
To step up to the mid-tier zone.
Neigh!
The carriage halted.
A long wall stretched before him.
And at its center, a massive building.
That was the Proficiency Gate.
"Here we are."
"Thanks."
Clink!
Stepping out, Luke scanned the surroundings lightly.
As expected.
Crowds of users from the entrance.
All low-tier players who'd hit level 100+.
"Man, crossing this gate feels harder than hitting level 100."
"Tell me about it. I went with the second condition."
"What? That one's a grindfest in the southern loop."
"Better than the third."
"Nah, the third—named mob hunt—might be easier..."
The bustling crowd.
Conversations about the Proficiency Gate.
Mostly the conditions to pass.
The passage exam.
"Halt!"
Guards at the gate approached Luke.
"To cross, you must prove your worth!"
The gate-related quest.
'One of the condition quests, pick and clear.'
Similar to the royal hidden quest last time.
Four choices total.
Clear any one.
First: Achieve a certain Fame threshold.
But with his massive infamy, impossible for Luke.
He'd need to wipe over a million infamy first.
Pass.
Second: Complete sub-quests across the south.
Too time-consuming. Pass.
Third: Hunt a southern named monster.
'Time issue again. Pass.'
Only the fourth left.
Thinking that, Luke turned.
A temple stood beside the gate.
The Trial Arena.
Luke headed straight inside.
Users here had a different vibe.
Levels, gear, weapons.
Top-notch equipment everywhere.
At the center, a massive stele.
The Trial Stele for the fourth exam.
Luke approached the priest guarding it.
Whoosh.
He slowly lowered his hood.
Revealing the iron mask underneath.
"I request the advancement exam."
All eyes snapped to him.