Chapter 122
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 122
Chapter Title: God Grade
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God Grade.
An item grade called the rank of the gods, it held the highest value among all items.
‘Especially weapons, helmets, armor, gloves, and shoes. If I equip all five with God Grade, it’ll unleash an incredible set effect.’
One of those types was now in Ryu Min’s hands.
[Combining God Grade items.]
[Converting to an item suitable for your current class.]
[Combination successful!]
[Created ‘Thanatos’s Black Demonic Armor.’]
Thanatos’s Black Demonic Armor.
It was an item Ryu Min had crafted even in his previous regression.
With a smile, he checked the item details.
[Thanatos’s Black Demonic Armor]
-Classification: Armor
-Grade: God
-Defense: 2,000
-Effect: +1 to all stats per level. 67% chance to deflect enemy attacks upon being hit.
-Durability: 20,000/20,000
-Requirements: Master grade or higher
-Description: Demonic armor crafted using the divinity of the god of death, Thanatos. Grants additional effects when wearing the set.
-Thanatos’s Robes Set Effect (1/5)
-2 Set Effect: ?????
-3 Set Effect: ?????
-4 Set Effect: ?????
-5 Set Effect: ?????
‘+1 to all stats per level. As expected of a God Grade item.’
On top of that, there was a 67% chance to deflect enemy attacks.
It was incredibly useful in dire situations where facing an overwhelmingly strong opponent or multiple foes at once.
Options truly befitting a divine item.
A smile naturally crept onto Ryu Min’s lips.
‘And God Grade items have set effects, so the more I collect, the greater the synergy.’
He’d need to gather materials for the next God Grade, but it wouldn’t take long.
He couldn’t say exactly when.
‘At least it won’t take eight months like before.’
The reason was clear from the additional message that appeared while crafting the God Grade.
[Confirmed as the first player to combine a God Grade item.]
[Reward: Acquired ‘Condensed Ether.’]
Condensed Ether, the core material for God Grades.
The rare item had been easily granted as a first-time reward.
‘With this, making the second God Grade won’t be hard.’
Satisfied, Ryu Min equipped the item and opened his equipment window.
[Weapon - Death Scythe]
[Helmet – Demon Ring]
[Armor – Thanatos’s Black Demonic Armor]
[Gloves – Ogre Gauntlets]
[Shoes – Ghost Step Boots]
[Necklace – Orb of Eternal Sleep]
[Ring – Red-Eyed Skull Ring]
Excluding the Orb of Eternal Sleep, all equipped items were Unique grade or higher.
‘Status window.’
-Name: Ryu Min
-Nickname: Black Scythe
-Grade: Master
-Titles: Last Time Regressor (Hidden), First Angel Slayer (Hidden), Defier of Divine Punishment (Hidden), The Forerunner (Hidden)
-Level: 80
-Class: Grim Reaper
-Strength: 566, Intelligence: 586
-Agility: 466, Luck: 444
-General Skills: Tracking, Presence Detection, Trace Erasure, Emergency Treatment, Area Scan, Dynamic Vision Enhancement, Basic Resistance, Sleight of Hand
-Exclusive Skills: Seal of Death, Night of Death, Moonlight Slash, Blood Moon
-Runes: Rune of Massacre, Rune of the Grim Reaper, Rune of Radiance, Rune of True Intent, Rune of Clone, Rune of Equilibrium, Rune of Mental Barrier, Rune of Durability, Rune of Foresight
-Gold: 364,850
-Remaining Stat Points: 0
[Additional Functions]
[Shop: Purchase items.]
[Combination: Combine items.]
[Trade: Trade items or gold.]
[Duel Request: Challenge to a consensual duel.]
[??? : Unlocks at Lv99]
‘Even without the Rune of Massacre buff, my stats are over 500.’
That meant with the buff, he could exceed 1,000.
Add Min Ju-ri’s blessing, and it could surpass 1,600.
‘And I’m only level 80. Impressive.’
If he’d claimed the human caravan quest reward in Round 8, he’d have hit level 84.
‘Since it was my clone that arrived at the destination, not my main body, it didn’t count as a successful escort.’
That explained why the human caravan escort completion EXP hadn’t come through.
‘Anyway, for level 80, these are impressive stats. Compared to other players, that is.’
Other players wouldn’t reach level 80 until after Round 15.
‘But Round 15 is called the devil’s section for its high difficulty.’
Only 50 or fewer survivors worldwide.
No wonder.
‘By then, I need to secure at least three God Grades.’
Though reaching max level first might be quicker.
* * *
Once the round ended and players awoke from lethargy, most went back to sleep.
Mental fatigue from the otherworld carried over to reality.
But there was always one person who moved after every round.
Ahn Sang-chul.
Beep- Click!
“Representative!”
As usual, he headed straight to Ma Kyung-rok’s hotel room upon waking in reality.
Ma Kyung-rok narrowed his eyes at the sight.
A subordinate barging into the boss’s room uninvited?
Without even being called?
“Manager Ahn? What’s with visiting like this every time? I didn’t give you the master key for that.”
“Ah, sorry.”
“No need to apologize. What brings you here today?”
Ma Kyung-rok was curious about Ahn Sang-chul’s unusually flushed expression.
‘What good news could it be?’
Had he finally started something with Seo Ah-rin?
That would be great.
Time to lock her down.
But contrary to expectations, disappointing words came from Ahn Sang-chul’s mouth.
“I hit level 40! I finally reached Expert grade!”
“Oh…… Good for you, Manager Ahn. Must feel great killing your boss and all.”
“Pardon? Ah, sorry.”
“I know you’re rubbing it in on purpose. Don’t even say sorry.”
Ahn Sang-chul realized too late his shortsightedness as Ma Kyung-rok turned away bitterly.
He truly hadn’t realized.
“Sorry. I was just so excited, I didn’t think about you, sir…….”
“I want to hit level 40 soon too. Stuck at 38. Does that even make sense?”
Ma Kyung-rok vented his frustrations.
“And in the latest round, I even lost my zone ranking. For the first time. Well, ‘lost’ sounds petty—better to say I couldn’t climb.”
“……My condolences.”
“1st place is that level 80 monster camping it, so impossible. But I thought I could take 2nd and 3rd. Instead, I got pushed out by a priest and a buffer. One of them’s my fiancée, though.”
Ma Kyung-rok let out a wry smile and filled a whiskey glass.
“Getting zone 2nd and 3rd rewards every time, then missing once—it feels weird. I thought I was ahead, but suddenly lagging behind an employee? Feels like I’m falling back.”
“D-Don’t be too down, sir. You’re only 2 levels ahead of me. And you have a special, powerful class like no one else. You’ll reclaim your spot in no time.”
“You think? If the zones merge with Black Scythe later, even that ranking 1st is at risk. Is there really a comeback?”
“…….”
Ahn Sang-chul held his tongue.
No words of comfort would help now.
It’d just upset him more.
“What level is Seo actress at?”
“I heard 37.”
“Yeah? At least she lost to Seo actress. Not that it feels great.”
Ma Kyung-rok downed the whiskey in one go, letting out a satisfied groan as he set the glass down.
“The Prophet’s alive, right?”
“Yes. I confirmed on the way here.”
“I want the Round 9 info ASAP. Maybe analyze ways to level up faster.”
“Should I call him now?”
“What blasphemy. Treat the Prophet like a god. Hell, think of him as a divine messenger delivering oracles. He’s young, but sharper and quicker on his feet than you’d think. Don’t get on his bad side. That mindset leads to win-win. We’re the ones who’d suffer, not him.”
“Ah, got it. I’ll watch my words and actions from now on.”
Ma Kyung-rok recalled it.
Ryu Min praising him in front of his father.
‘Humble? Or no ambition? Hard to tell.’
Then his phone vibrated.
‘Who at this hour?’
He approached from the city view and widened his eyes in surprise.
He quickly answered in English.
“Christine. What’s up?”
-I just boarded a flight to Incheon Airport.
“What? Suddenly?”
-I verified most of the Round 8 info you gave me was true.
Of course.
Ryu Min’s prophecies were never wrong.
Thanks to it, Ma Kyung-rok had gained tons of EXP from the human caravan in Round 8.
So he caught on.
“No way you’re flying to Korea right after waking up because…….”
-I want to meet your business partner ASAP.
“Ah.”
Just as expected.
Anyone hearing the oracle would seek Ryu Min.
‘There are those who’ve never heard a prophecy, but none who’ve heard it just once.’
The saying fit perfectly.
Ryu Min was light and salt to players.
“Got it, Christine. I’ll set something up.”
-Thanks.
For the first time, his fiancée thanked him.
* * *
Player Place.
The so-called PlePle Market’s growth was terrifyingly steep.
Subscriber count suggested nearly every player worldwide used it.
‘The problem is subscribers halving every month.’
User numbers plummeted by over half monthly.
Yet PlePle’s growth showed no signs of slowing.
How?
‘PlePle has the consignment system.’
Consignment meant the company sold items registered by players on their behalf.
Sellers shipped items to the company via courier; PlePle sold them, took a fee, and sent profits.
If the seller died, profits went to family accounts as promised.
‘Even if the seller dies, the items can still be sold for profit.’
Sellers were happy too, knowing families would get the money in emergencies.
A win-win consignment sales system.
That’s why revenue held steady despite dropping users.
‘Plus, as rounds progress, item quality and value rise.’
Eventually, PlePle would become a site for the tiny elite VVIPs.
“That’s why no need to worry about bankruptcy.”
“Haha, I was fretting over nothing.”
Ma Kyung-rok felt somewhat relieved by Ryu Min’s explanation.
Worried the company might collapse with users dropping per round, he’d called Ryu Min to vent.
Turned out it was baseless.
The Prophet understood the business better than the businessman himself.
‘Though it’ll eventually go bust.’
Post-Round 15, users crash.
Not a gentle curve—a cliff.
Down to double digits, bankruptcy inevitable.
‘I’ll bail then, of course. Milk it dry for now.’
Ryu Min kept that to himself.
No need to worry him.
“Good call asking you, Prophet. Otherwise, I’d be stressing alone like a pauper. Haha.”
Watching, Ryu Min noticed Ma Kyung-rok’s smile had softened.
‘Less pretense toward me.’
Ma Kyung-rok always wore a business mask around him.
Today, though, the guard was down.
‘Must be because I credited him in front of the chairman.’
Reading his mind confirmed it.
‘Well, he didn’t call just to ask about the company.’
Ryu Min eyed Ma Kyung-rok.
Foresight Rune showed 7 seconds into the future.
“Hm, Prophet. Truth is, I gathered you here for another reason.”
“I know.”
“Pardon?”
“No need to say it. A guest will arrive soon.”
No sooner had Ryu Min spoken than the office door opened.
Two guests from America entered.
Christine and Jeffrey.
Ma Kyung-rok looked back and forth between Ryu Min and Christine in shock.