Chapter 123
Chapter 123
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>Translator: penny
>Chapter: 123
>Chapter Title: Fuse
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>It was a skill that thieves from the Delmrock era both cherished and despised.
The reason was simple.
‘It’s a bitch to use effectively.’
Powerful explosion damage, flashy effects, short cooldown.
On paper, the specs looked impressive, but as a trap-installation skill, it was a nightmare to deploy in actual combat.
The Fuse was especially tricky.
You had to lay out at least 10 meters of string to get any real effect out of it.
‘An archer could make it work, at least.’
Archers were built for traps anyway, and being a ranged class made it easy to keep a safe distance while setting them up.
But our Do-byeong?
‘Giving a trap skill to a melee DPS... no wonder they got flamed.’
A close-range dealer who wielded daggers like an assassin.
Unlike actual assassins, who had high mobility and the cheat skill Stealth, this one had jack shit.
Maybe that’s why they threw in the trap element.
‘Well... plenty of thieves went all-in on the trap tree anyway.’
As a DPS class, it was missing a few screws, so a lot of players leaned hard into trap tactics and ambushes.
In that sense, Fuse wasn’t a bad skill.
If you prepared it in advance, it could pack a serious punch in PvP.
‘The problem is it’s only really strong in PvP.’
Kind of like the same headaches assassins dealt with.
There was no way to use Fuse properly in boss trials, so players ended up using it as an instant detonator.
Which, obviously, didn’t pull full damage.
The short cooldown meant the total DPS wasn’t terrible, but it still fell short of Heroic-grade expectations.
‘What can you do? For thieves, it’s still a must-have DPS tool.’
All in all, a tragic class, but Do-hyun wasn’t a thief—he was an All-Master.
‘Pair it right with other class skills, and it’ll be usable.’
He could already think of a few ways to make it work right now.
He still had plenty of skill slots left, and hey, a Heroic skill was better than nothing.
He’d gotten his hopes up for the dream combo of Golden Dragon Dream and Yellow Taste, only to get a thief skill instead, but it wasn’t the end of the world.
Do-hyun tried to stay positive, but apparently his face didn’t get the memo.
-My liege, are you alr—
-...Shh, the lord’s nostrils are flaring. Best not to bother him. He’s in a bad mood.
-Liza...
-Indeed...! You truly know the lord inside and out. I have much to learn from you.
Do-hyun closed his skill window, ignoring the whispering guardians.
‘Yeah. It’s not like opportunities only come today.’
As long as he kept progressing the main quest and had Eyes of Truth, more chances would come.
Shaking off his disappointment, Do-hyun started walking.
-Lord, are we finally going?
-Liza!
He flashed a grin at his excited companions.
“Yeah, time to move on.”
The City of Promise, Brion.
He’d been through a lot and gained even more here. Time to graduate.
Leaving the Great Temple behind, Do-hyun stepped straight into the warp portal.
[You meet the qualifications.]
[Will you move to the City of Night, Sargis?]
[If you move to Sargis, you cannot return to Brion.]
“Yes.”
No hesitation. The message appeared immediately.
[Moving to the third city on the main continent, the City of Night, Sargis.]
In a blaze of light, Do-hyun and his guardians vanished.
The moment he set foot in his third city had arrived.
* * *
[You have entered the third city on the main continent, ‘City of Night, Sargis.’]
[The City of Night, Sargis, is also known as the City of Outlaws under the full moon. Beware of outlaws on nights when the full moon rises.]
[The night fields become lawless zones where PK is unrestricted.]
[Tip. Beware the night.]
‘So this is Sargis...’
Do-hyun opened his eyes and looked around in awe.
Nothing like the bright, dazzling Brion.
True to its name, moonlight bathed the city in a soft glow, creating a moody yet beautiful atmosphere.
The 19th-century London vibe of the buildings and streets only added to it.
‘That must be the lord’s castle.’
But the real standout was that castle.
As a city ruled by a lord, it had to be massive—and it was, towering imposingly at the far end.
The whole city felt like its garden.
Everyone had to look up to it.
The castle itself was grand and romantic, but the massive red bell just below the peak amplified its majesty.
‘It’s got real presence.’
Like a clock tower, almost.
Its sheer size made it visible from everywhere, giving the interior design an extra layer of gravitas.
Do-hyun was admiring it when—
-...Lord.
-Liza...
A cautious voice from beside him.
Jihard and Eliza sounded tense. Charlie stood nearby, hand on his scabbard.
‘No way—enemies here already!?’
Do-hyun whipped around, alarmed.
No enemies or weirdos in sight.
Just crowds of NPCs and players milling about.
So why was he freaking out?
‘Why’s everyone staring at me?’
Every nearby player had frozen mid-action, heads turned straight toward him.
Like that dream where you realize you’re dreaming and suddenly everyone’s staring.
Chills ran down his spine. He gripped his sword hilt, and those whose eyes met his quickly looked away.
“...It’s Kaiser.”
“No way... he just crossed over today.”
“Is that really Kaiser? He’s not in that armor.”
Their whispers were impossible to miss.
“The robe and silver-armored knight next to him... yeah, that’s gotta be it. Maybe he snagged some gear.”
“Graduation quest reward?”
“Nah, Berl said it wasn’t like that... probably the item from that boss in the video.”
“Damn... and he looks just like Charlie. Is that the real one?”
Maybe it was the massive scene he’d caused yesterday.
They couldn’t stop staring at his drastically changed look, but no one dared approach.
“The legend of 100-to-1...”
“Death Warrior Orc Salt? Even if that video boss was stronger—which it looked like—he soloed it.”
“He must be level 35 now that he’s here. How’s a level 35 that strong?”
Do-hyun’s feats were too outrageous and undeniable.
Even scouts didn’t see a scouting opportunity—not against achievements that screamed unbeatable.
“...Should we go say hi?”
“You nuts? That video? No chance in hell.”
“Orders from above: no contact until instructed.”
“Trying to take down a monster like that... Brion players must all be idiots.”
That was Do-hyun’s position now.
A powerhouse so absolute, you knew you’d lose without even trying.
Even backed by major guilds, no one touched him lightly.
A far cry from Brion, where eyes had gleamed with greed like he was a plump golden goblin.
-Kiruk-kiruk.
-Liza!
Maybe sensing the shift, his two companions looked far more at ease.
Jihard was grinning like an idiot, especially.
-Hmm!
Charlie had released his scabbard, standing tall and dignified.
As if this was all perfectly natural.
‘See, Lord was right. Get strong, and they don’t even twitch.’
-Liza-liza!
-Hmm! Who would dare raise a banner against my liege without fear?’
‘Pfft, it’s only like this here. Level cap lifts, and it’ll be chaos again. Empire this, next city that—their eyes’ll change fast.’
Do-hyun played it cool, but the corner of his mouth twitched upward.
‘Still... not bad.’
Maybe he’d drawn attention too soon.
But with the ranking system—and his return—it was inevitable.
As Gamillion put it, fate.
He’d just accelerated it.
‘No changing it now.’
And this situation? All too familiar.
As a latecomer proving himself, he’d done it plenty in Delmrock.
Just like always, stride forward confidently.
Thud. Thud.
“Whoa... they’re parting like the Red Sea.”
“His presence is insane.”
The crowd split before him like the Red Sea.
Lowest level here, latest arrival—but his influence dwarfed everyone else’s.
All eyes on Do-hyun. All expectations.
“Where’s he headed?”
That question grew with every step.
Players cleared his path as if on cue, eyes trailing behind.
Clack.
Do-hyun stopped in front of the massive castle.
The lord’s castle.
“Gasp!”
“No way... straight to the lord again?”
“How does Kaiser always go for the final boss right at the start?”
“This is what class looks like...”
The players’ shock was justified.
Here, the lord was the law. Equivalent to Brion’s Guildeti High Priest.
No—more than that.
Guildeti had been seen by thousands of players. The lord? Barely anyone.
“Damn... Kaiser’s gonna show us again?”
“Insane.”
A fresh transplant like Kaiser seeking an audience? How could they not watch?
Half doubting, half hoping, they stared.
Creak—
The gates opened. Guards emerged.
Kaiser conversed calmly with them.
The vibe was intense.
‘No way?’
‘He’s actually going in?’
Expectations tipped toward belief—
“Thank you for your service.”
“...?”
Kaiser gave a curt nod and turned away without a second glance.
Heading back the way he came.
The onlookers blinked in stunned silence.
Then it clicked. They exchanged bewildered looks.
“...Did Kaiser just get rejected?”
“Looks like it...?”
Maybe he’d shown off too much.
Or maybe it was the aura of parting crowds.
They couldn’t believe their eyes, tracking his every move.
And soon, they saw it.
“Oh my, an apostle of the gods? In some trouble? Hmm...”
“Care for a drink, friend? Hm? Looking for something?”
“Haven’t seen anything like that... but you look strong. Mind doing me a favor?”
Kaiser, chatting up NPCs all over the place.
Only then did realization dawn.
“...Yeah, he got shut down.”
“Didn’t expect it with that swagger...”
Kaiser had been entry-denied.
* * *
While Do-hyun was getting stonewalled by the guard and wandering around—
“Yeah, makes no sense otherwise. Brion was the outlier. This is normal.”
“Even Kaiser can’t do everything.”
“Watched outta curiosity, but he’s just grinding NPCs. Quest slog, looks like.”
“Fair... without a personal quest, that’s all there is.”
“Tch. Waste of time. Let’s hunt. Gotta rack up kills before nightfall.”
Bored of Do-hyun’s consistent routine, players started drifting away.
That’s when Do-hyun stopped approaching NPCs.
Confirming the stares had thinned out, he spoke.