Chapter 4
Chapter 4
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 4
Chapter Title: A Unique Opportunity
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Lee Shin's hunt continued for hours.
Thanks to the high attack power he gained at the cost of unbalanced stats, his pace was incredibly fast.
*Shunk!!!*
"Guhk..."
After watching the thief's body turn gray, Lee Shin pulled out his sword.
[You have leveled up.]
[Your infamy has increased.]
[Your infamy has surpassed 4,000!]
[Now...]
*Flinch!*
[...the soldiers will recognize you!]
‘……?’
That's it? They just recognize me?
Lee Shin, who had been momentarily tense, read the follow-up message and was astounded by the city's poor security.
Infamy was a special stat, the opposite of fame.
It was a stat that increased when you killed people or acted against the will of the church.
Infamy above a certain level became an indicator of a user's alignment.
And if one's alignment skewed toward evil like this, they would suffer significant disadvantages throughout the game.
First, the amount of currency dropped and experience lost upon being player-killed increased significantly.
You could be chased out of town for exuding an evil aura and would be unable to receive quests from the church.
Furthermore, if your high infamy became known, other users wouldn't accept you as a party member.
Common sense dictated that high infamy meant you frequently engaged in PK...
Who would accept someone like that?
On the contrary, you were more likely to become a target for other players seeking a bounty.
In that sense, Lee Shin's current infamy was extremely high for his level.
Normally, it would be high enough that he'd have to be cautious even when using a town.
So, users like this usually lowered their infamy by making donations to the church.
Or they would work to offset it by increasing their fame.
But Lee Shin had done neither.
‘...And yet they're still not chasing me?’
Just how high did his infamy have to be for the soldiers to actually start chasing him?
As a former expert PK player, he was curious...
But he had other things to do right now.
Lee Shin looked at the updated notification.
[You have surpassed level 20.]
[The job advancement quest will now begin.]
<Job Advancement Quest>
Having moved beyond being a novice adventurer, you are now a proper rookie.
Find someone who can show you a professional path and obtain a job!
•Reward: Job
[Stats can be redistributed after job advancement.]
[The locations of relevant NPCs are now displayed on your map.]
***
Living up to its catchphrase, 'Another Reality,' Avala Online featured a vast number of jobs.
From the basic warrior, mage, and rogue, to merchant, blacksmith, and even chef!
You could choose from a variety of professions that were unattainable due to the barriers of reality.
In contrast, there were only four job grades.
Legendary, Unique, Rare, and Normal.
And naturally, there was a performance difference between the grades.
Legendary and Unique jobs were rated much higher than Normal and Rare, which made up 95% of all jobs.
Of course, it depended on the player, but they were generally considered to have a higher growth potential.
This was why rankers were so desperate to obtain Legendary and Unique jobs.
However, unlike them, Lee Shin had no intention of obsessing over job grades.
‘When would I even find one?’
Jobs of that grade required not just skill, but also luck and time.
It wasn't that he lacked the confidence to find one, but Lee Shin didn't want to waste his time on something so boring.
Games are meant to be fun, after all.
‘And there are plenty of other ways to get stronger.’
Titles, stat grinding, equipment enhancement, and so on.
So, as long as it was a rogue-type class, the job grade didn't matter.
With that in mind, Lee Shin headed to the area marked on his map.
Following a narrowing road, Lee Shin stopped in front of a shabby hovel.
*Knock, knock!*
Lee Shin knocked on the door.
"Anyone home?"
After a short wait, an old man with a face full of scars opened the door.
He looked exactly like a job advancement instructor.
[Your affinity is low.]
He looked Lee Shin up and down and asked coldly.
"Who are you?"
"I'm an adventurer who wants to become a rogue."
"Then go away and catch some more thieves."
[Your infamy is extremely high for your level.]
[You possess the title 'Rotten from the Bud...']
[The eccentric rogue instructor of Eteun, Kilgeo, has taken a great liking to you!]
"...No, wait. This can't be!"
"?"
*Grab!*
The job instructor, Kilgeo, suddenly grabbed Lee Shin's hand.
He spoke with feverish eyes.
"You! You have a talent for killing!"
"What do you mean by that..."
"Why ask something so obvious? It means you could become a serial killer of legendary proportions!"
"..."
Lee Shin's expression soured.
It wasn't exactly a compliment.
But regardless of Lee Shin's displeasure, Kilgeo continued excitedly.
"I can't let this talent go to waste! Young man, will you be my disciple?"
[Kilgeo is offering you a quest!]
"...!"
It happened in the blink of an eye.
As a veteran of Avala Online 1, Lee Shin quickly understood what was happening.
It wasn't common for a job instructor to make such an offer.
This was a reaction that only occurred when they offered a high-grade job on rare occasions.
<Unique Grade Job Quest - Kilgeo's Teachings>
As expected, the quest Kilgeo offered was a job advancement quest.
And a Unique grade one at that!
It might be a step below Legendary, but it was still a Unique grade.
Considering that Legendary jobs required a perfect trifecta of natural skill, luck, and the full support of a guild, this was practically the best grade a solo player could hope to obtain!
Lee Shin hadn't planned on getting a high-grade job, but that was because he didn't want to spend too much time on something uncertain.
This situation was different.
The quest had appeared without him doing anything.
‘It's even the right class type.’
There was no reason to refuse.
Lee Shin nodded.
"I'll do it."
"An excellent choice!"
[You have accepted the quest.]
Kilgeo's Teachings
Kilgeo, a once-legendary assassin, has been searching for a disciple to whom he can pass down his secret techniques.
However, for a long time, no adventurer vicious and blood-soaked enough to catch his eye has appeared. Thus, he is overjoyed to have finally found a worthy vessel for a disciple.
Pass the trials he sets before you. The skills Kilgeo imparts will vary depending on your achievements.
•Reward: Unique Job, Kilgeo's Secret Skills
"Oh...?"
Lee Shin let out a small gasp of admiration.
The fact that Kilgeo was a legendary assassin and the phrase 'vicious and blood-soaked enough to catch his eye' were a bit concerning, but what came after was more important.
The part about the skills he imparts varying depending on your achievements.
This meant it was a quest that could be overachieved.
A chance to score big!
Lee Shin rubbed his hands together and asked.
"What do I need to do?"
"You'll have to pass the tests I give you. Don't worry! I have no intention of giving you something difficult from the start."
"Thank you."
"Take this."
<Kilgeo's Trial (1/7)>
•Hunt the street thugs: 0/100
•Time Limit: 3 hours
‘Not difficult.’
Just as Kilgeo had said, the first trial wasn't a very difficult task.
After checking the details, Lee Shin moved immediately.
***
Lee Shin opened the quest window.
[02:57:41]
[02:57:40]
[...]
Nearly three minutes had already passed.
The timer had started the moment he accepted the quest.
But Lee Shin had already finished all the necessary calculations.
‘Fourteen respawn points in total.’
‘Four of which are close together.’
‘Seven of them respawn at each point, every ten minutes or so. If I kill them as fast as possible and move...’
Then I can kill about 500 of them within the time limit.
Of course, that was assuming he moved with machine-like precision, but Lee Shin was confident he could pull it off.
His condition today wasn't bad.
*Clench. Clench!*
‘Just as I thought.’
Clenching and unclenching his fist, Lee Shin nodded in satisfaction.
It had been a long time since he'd last played, but his senses were surprisingly sharp.
In this condition, it was worth trying to achieve the theoretical maximum.
Lee Shin drew his sword and headed for the thieves' respawn point.
A deep city alley where regular NPCs and city guards were nowhere to be seen.
‘Seven of them.’
After scanning the locations of all the thieves, Lee Shin moved swiftly.
He carefully approached the one at the very front.
He leaped out from beside a wall, clamped a hand over the man's mouth, and stabbed him with his sword.
[A powerful critical hit has landed.]
[The target is now bleeding...]
"Huk...!!?"
His health plummeted due to the stats that were all dumped into attack power!
On top of that, the level difference now brought additional effects.
*Stab! Stab, stab!!*
After stabbing him a few more times, Lee Shin confirmed the man's health had hit rock bottom and immediately switched targets.
[You have defeated an enemy.]
[You have gained experience.]
[Your infamy...]
The thief he'd left behind died from the bleeding damage he'd inflicted earlier.
Perfect damage calculation.
By the time the message about gaining experience appeared, Lee Shin was already lunging at his next opponent.
*Swish!!*
Lee Shin's sword sliced deep across the opponent's cheek.
Since it was a direct charge, it didn't land a powerful critical hit, but it didn't matter much.
The moment his opponent had allowed him to get this close, it was already over.
"What the—Ugh!?"
Lee Shin kicked the man's knee, knocking him off balance.
The thief staggered, losing his balance.
Lee Shin gripped his sword in a reverse hold and brought it down on the man's head with all his might.
*Crack!!*
[You have landed a fatal blow to a vital spot.]
[The target is now suffering from major blood loss...]
[The target has died instantly!]
‘Next!’
Lee Shin raised his head, his eyes darting around in search of his next target.
As he slowly rediscovered the familiar sensation, his head grew hot.
[The enemy feels threatened!]
"Get him!"
"Surround him!"
And now, his opponents were finally reacting.
Seeing two of their own die in an instant, the remaining men began to group together.
As expected of humanoid mobs, their AI was better than he'd thought.
"..."
A typical user would have panicked in this situation.
But Lee Shin was different.
Without a hint of panic, he stood with his back to the wall and faced his opponents.
On top of that.
‘…….’
A thrilling sensation in his hand.
Was it because it had been so long?
He'd rarely ever felt this much excitement from just killing AI, but today, the familiar feeling in his hands was particularly exhilarating.
So much so that he wondered how he had managed to endure for over a year.
*Shunk!*
Lee Shin's sword moved in a dizzying dance, cutting down the thieves who rushed at him.
***
*Slice!!*
[You have gained experience.]
[Your infamy has increased.]
[Level up!]
"...Hoo."
The level-up notification, a sound he hadn't heard in a while.
Lee Shin, who had been so engrossed in the hunt that he'd lost track of time, paused at the sound.
After confirming no one was around, he checked his quest status.
[01:44:11]
‘Thieves...’
[201/100]
201 kills in an hour and fifteen minutes.
It was an incredibly fast pace. If he kept this up, he could easily reach 500.
‘Just have to avoid making any mistakes.’
Lee Shin quickly made his way to the next point.
If he arrived right on time, seven thieves should have already respawned.
...Or, they should have.
"?"
Here, an unexpected variable occurred.
Arriving at the next respawn point, Lee Shin looked around with a puzzled expression.
‘They're not here?’
The thieves that should have been there right on schedule were gone.
As Lee Shin frowned at this deviation from his calculations, someone spoke to him from behind.
"Excuse me."
"?"
A man and a woman who appeared to be in a party together.
The man approached and said.
"This is our spot."
"!"
At those words, Lee Shin instantly understood the situation.
He'd experienced it often enough.
‘The spot's taken.’
It was a common occurrence, but with so few users here, he hadn't expected the hunting grounds to overlap.
Faced with this unexpected situation, Lee Shin's mind raced.
‘What should I do?’
But he couldn't afford to think for too long.
The clock was still ticking.
He wasn't confident he could resolve this with words, either.
Then...
‘...Should I kill them?’
A pleasing solution came to mind.
Lee Shin didn't hesitate for long.
‘I'll kill them.’
Lee Shin's hand moved to his sword.