This is Gonna Be Fun

When people face something utterly absurd, their words often fail them.

That was Carpe right now.

He felt like he should say something, but putting his current mood into words was impossible.

"Whoa, shit. What the... "

Cheonma was in the same boat, spitting out half-curses, half-exclamations like "Whoa, shit, what" one syllable at a time before swallowing them back down.

About thirty seconds passed like that.

Carpe let out a deep breath and burst into awe.

"Epic?!"

He blinked in disbelief, rereading the item info over and over.

Of course, nothing changed.

The word "Epic" etched in the grade field dazzled so brightly it felt almost holy.

"Whoa, I thought I was done for."

He'd figured he'd end up a frozen statue for sure, but what was this?

Far from dying, he'd scored an absurd gift of an item.

"Kuh. This must be what they call a blessing in disguise, right?"

-Nah, even blessings in disguise have limits. This is overkill. In my ten years of gaming, I barely saw ten Epic items...

For the world's strongest entity to just pop out of nowhere and toss him something like this.

No one would believe it even if he told them straight—no way they'd buy it without calling it a novel plot.

"And it actually happened."

Life really did favor the lucky ones. Carpe reaffirmed the truth of the world as he stroked the ring.

"'Borrow the power ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of Servingeje,' huh."

It was the item's sole option besides the all-stats boost.

But that one option alone was more than enough to justify its Epic status. After all, it came from the world's strongest being.

"How does it work? Does wearing the ring summon Servingeje?"

-No way. If it did, flipping a kingdom would be child's play.

RaSe wouldn't have added a feature that could wreck the game balance like that.

-Probably boosts ice-related abilities massively or something. I've seen similar items.

"Oh yeah? Kinda disappointing then. I wanted to test it with all the top ten guilds watching."

-...Why is every idea of yours designed to piss people off?

"Me? No way. A wholesome gamer like me?"

-Nah, I guarantee it. You're a pro at getting under people's skin.

Coming from Cheonma, who'd clutched his neck countless times over Carpe's antics, it carried real weight.

"Anyway... what makes it 'fun'?"

Servingeje hadn't just tossed the ring and left.

He'd sprinkled tantalizing bait—something "fun" inside, the "eternal shackles"—before vanishing.

-Hmm... two possibilities come to mind.

First, "Unlock."

The unprecedented 10-star skill never seen in history.

Even a primordial monster like Servingeje couldn't ignore that.

-If not Unlock... then me.

A 0-star Patron Spirit, equally unheard of, would surely pique ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a Four Calamity's interest.

-Info on the Four Calamities is scarce, so hard to say, but I think it's Unlock. The others didn't react like that when I met them.

"Huh? You've met them too, hyung?"

-Yeah. Once in my second playthrough, once in the third.

According to Cheonma, he'd encountered the South Wind Horse and Eastern Sea Dragon during hidden quests.

-They barely acknowledged me, let alone talked. Didn't even know they could converse until this quest.

"Indeed, my lord. No records exist of the Four Calamities initiating contact with humans. Servingeje must have recognized your greatness. As expected of my lord."

"...I hate Servingeje, Master. How about we toss that ring? That ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠jerk definitely cursed it."

"No way. Unlock would've triggered if there was a curse."

Mirage grumbled with her deep grudge against Servingeje, but even she knew it was a stretch and dropped it.

"Ugh. Eh, whatever. Good is good, right?"

No point dwelling now anyway.

He'd leave Servingeje's bait for future him and focus on the present.

"Alright, next hunting ground then. High-performance nav, please."

-You got it. Just follow me. Shortest path, max speed—I'll get you to level 40.

Cheonma's ultra-fast movement skill, unusable in the elf forest, was back online.

"Hey! You see that video from yesterday?"

"Duh. Man, elves are finally in RaSe."

"Heard someone spotted one near Trent Forest. Let's go check it out later."

"What? Dude, you should've said sooner! Forget quests—elves first!"

"They say they're hotter than any celeb... Bet we'd faint IRL."

With Carpe completing his quest in the Forgotten Forest, the elf race had gone public.

Every Ruana player was obsessed—no exaggeration.

Even high-level players were risking penalties to return.

RaSe users' elf fixation was scarier than imagined.

"It's a bit stifling, my lord."

Tina's voice came from inside Carpe's robe pocket.

"Yeah? Wanna head back to the Room?"

"I cannot. Escorting my lord is a knight's duty! I'll follow anywhere. I'll endure the discomfort."

Back in beach city Ruana, Tina was in doll mode again.

Her looks drew as much attention as an elf's—maybe more.

No choice with the crowds.

(Mirage, equally eye-catching, had fled to the Room earlier, scared of people.)

"Won't you be lonely without Mirage? Away from the elves."

"That's why Mirage asked Hyang. Hyang will be a fine companion."

"...Oh? Glad to hear it."

The familiars' community seemed thriving.

-You're blessed, man. Check the Tamer boards on IpVen. Nothing but complaints about familiars fighting nonstop.

"Really? Surprising."

-That's normal. Different personalities, backgrounds—getting along is the anomaly.

Favor one too much, others get jealous and affinity drops. Or they brawl mid-combo. Tamers pour everything into managing affinities.

Snack items alone cost 500k won monthly—rich man's job.

"Whole other world. For real."

-Tch. Even the old Magic King's dolls weren't blindly loyal... Weird. What's got them so hooked on you?

"An unworthy question from the tactician, sir. My lord is just, wise, virtuous..."

-Enough. I'll just look crazy. Let's move.

Cheonma's next spot was Wind Cave, far from Ruana.

-Darkened wind spirits spawn there mostly.

Cursed, corrupted wind spirits—great EXP and drops.

But Carpe headed to Ruana's Forge Street instead.

-Turn there, third building. Stands out—easy to spot. Quest from the NPC deepest inside.

A Wind Cave-related quest.

-Level 35+ only. Not hidden, but solid rewards. Especially EXP. Item's Rare, so meh for you now.

"Yeah, my gear's kinda busted."

Rare items weren't must-haves when Carpe was decked in player envy.

Inside the building, before the bushy-bearded NPC at the back:

"Oh, you there. Look like a skilled divine messenger. Care to help with a request?"

"Oh ho."

Classic RPG: Hunt mobs, bring mats, get crafted gear.

As Carpe went to accept:

"Uh, are you taking the Wind Essence quest?"

A brown-haired guy next to the blacksmith spoke up.

"Yeah. Why?"

"Better drop it. The dungeon's Wind Cave... Ever been?"

"Nah, heading there now."

The guy nodded like "Figures," pity in his eyes.

"Newbie, huh... It's an open dungeon."

RaSe dungeons: Open or Instance.

Most of Carpe's were Instances—private maps, no other players except party.

Open dungeons were public like fields: Compete for limited mobs.

That's where issues arose.

Limited monsters.

Crowds of players.

The classic RPG headache.

"KD guild 'controls' Wind Cave. Outsiders get PK'd on sight."

-Oh yeah, that'd be a thing now. I was always vanguard—forgot.

Inevitable for non-instances.

(Instances were added to curb exactly this.)

Strong guilds monopolize prime spots, grow stronger, crush rebels... RPG cycle.

"Control, huh."

"Yeah. Don't die and eat the death penalty... Happened to me. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠That's why I'm warning you."

"Thanks."

"No prob. Fewer victims like me. Enjoy the game."

The guy left.

-Well, shit... No need to ask, huh.

"Heh. Hehehe."

Carpe had played countless games, tons of RPGs.

And suffered plenty from control guilds.

So he laughed. Brightly.

"That sounds fun."