Chapter 20 – Change (1)

A lot of things have changed.

During the three months in the world of Circuit, I mean. It’s also been an entire month in the real world too, so one can only imagine how much things have changed.

Changes also started happening in the major Circuit online communities. More players have started adventuring, which started the appearances of the ‘named’ players from left and right.

And naturally, many players have gotten easier access to the Magic rank items, therefore the value of ‘Magic’ rank items have dropped a lot compared to before.

Younger people who have been working part time jobs in this world called Circuit have started to leave to go on adventures, and so the NPCs started to fill in for their spots.

In line with these three factors: easily obtainable magic rank items, well organized parties, and the experienced users, the world map began to be explored much faster.

The world map progress percentage which was revealed from the online community was 8.8%. This was an explosive improvement. For the last month, no, for the three months in the world of Circuit, this online community was my only way to get news from the outside world.

After all, the only thing I did in this place for three months was torturous training.

It was my first time I have ever had to train my body to the point of my heart almost exploding. Not to mention the fierce blades from Robin, who is my master, with my entire body.

The difficulty of the training was so intense that one day when I disconnected from the game and went back to the real world, my body was so tense that my shoulders were having muscle spasms.

And so, after going through such intense training, I have changed a bit, no, a lot.

The online community started to get crowded with people due to the various events they started holding, as if they were keeping pace with the changes I went through. First things first, the word ‘Mose’ had become very difficult to find in online communities.

‘Mose’ was just a common topic that flowed and disappeared very quickly in that huge community. I felt a little sad inside, but my heart was feeling much lighter.

I lightheartedly looked into the sky. The sky in this world called Circuit has always been exquisitely covered with clouds like a single canvas.

“Don’t get too excited. There are a lot of Sworders who have died on their first mission.”

“I’m rather nervous.”

I responded naturally to Khea speaking tongue-in-cheek.

“I heard being nervous is what killed them on their first mission.”

Said Khea, adding to her joke. I closed my eyes and opened up my mouth with a smile.

“I swear on the blade of Adiath that would never happen.”

Now, I was able to naturally spit out the words that contained the cultures of this place. The level of the language I spoke in this world was almost at the level I spoke in reality.

“Khea, what is your mission?

“Funny.”

I lightly teased her while watching her beautiful profile in copper colored skin.

Contrary to her dazzling appearance, the only things I received from her for the last three months of training under the master were sarcastic jokes and teasing.

Khea and I got off at the same time from the back of a huge carriage we were riding on at the intersection of some fields.

“Is it time to say goodbye?”

Khea didn’t even look back at my words and showed an impish smile.

“Do you already miss me? Aw, aren’t you a little baby whinier than a baby imp?”

Her leather armor shimmered particularly even more in the sunlight.

“I hope to see you again alive, at the Sanctuary.”

“I shall ask the truth only to the blade.”

Kea smiled sheepishly at my words, pulled out her sword, placed it in the middle of her body, and bowed her head to me.

“Sharma.”

Therefore, I also summoned my engraved sword, and took the same pose as she did.

“I shall ask the truth only to the blade.”

And bowed to her as she had already left to disappear beyond the horizon. The emptiness I felt after her leave reminded me of the day I was discharged from the army.

Keeping my silence, I once again decided to face the changes that had happened to me with my own two eyes.

“Status window.”

[Lee Ki-Ho]

[Nickname: Mose]

Class: Sworder

Lv: 21

Vitality: 2160 / 2160

Mana: 420 / 420

Strength: 52

Health: 43

Speed: 50

Intelligence: 24

Honor: 4,207

Abilities:

[Polorun’s Star] – Health regeneration per second +101

[Polorun’s Star] – Health regeneration in party + 43 (Form: Aura, Max range 250M)

Contract Magic – Sharma

Seal of the Sworder – Melee Attack damage increased by + 14%

The most standard and ideal method to obtain stat points is through leveling up, but the stats can also be raised through simple physical training.

However, because the act of raising stat through physical training was considered heinous and ignorant, therefore many users decided against the challenge despite knowing this fact.

During my life and death training, when Robin’s blade was swung at my bare body, I avoided them with all of my will to live.

And through that kind of insane movement, I was able to obtain a whopping 3 whole stats quickly.

The result of raising the stats after suffering through such a terrifying experience was placed in front of my eyes.

This was a huge noticeable change even in my own eyes. I felt like I could even fly with this many status points.

I looked at the ring on the index finger of my right hand with a proud feeling.

The status window that appeared for the item was blazing with flames around it.

[Seal of the Sworder]

Type: Ring

Class: Unique

Effect: Melee Attack damage increased by + 14%

This item permanently grants you first class benefits in Asparagan, Pantheon, Tikris, Lowsvan, and Ice-Karavan continents. (This option is not in effect when unequipped.)

History: Those who swear their lives on swordsmanship, those who carry out their mission while hiding the truth, and those who seek the truth with their blades, deserve this seal.

– ‘Swordmaster’ of the Asparagan Sanctuary Nuah.

This was my greatest achievement from the journey I went through for the past three months. The fact that I have gotten a rare class, is the best thing I have ever done after deciding to start my career in this game.

Shivers went down through my spine from excitement.

“Right, the quest!”

Finally, it was time for me to review the huge mission I have received to carry out.

<Super (超) Clash Battle Quest>

Class: S

Investigate the source for the supernatural phenomenons in the farthest northeast side of the Asparagan.

Requesters: The 14 Holy Knights

Reward: ???

S Class, this alone told me how ridiculously important this mission is for me.

Fortunately, due to the nature of a Sworder’s missions, the duration of the mission was indefinite until resolved. And each quest was close to a grand campaign, so by the time I cleared this mission, my level might have reached triple digits.

Most of a Sworder’s missions always required the people carrying out missions to reach the answer on their own with barely presented clues at the beginning. So the first thing I had to do was simply head to the farthest northeast side of Asparagan.

My master taught me the phrase ‘the only way to get a clue is through experience’. If I were to gather information as I pass by, someday it will be solved somehow.

Then I suddenly remembered my senior, Kia, who was brutally murdered. He committed a rather dumb mistake of breaking the rules, because he was excited at the fact that the mission would soon be resolved. Kia’s case has taught me a valuable lesson.

The mission he had was transferred to a different Sworder in a different post, likewise if I were to fail my mission it would be given out to a different Sworder to finish. Not that I would ever let that happen.

I looked around my surroundings carefully and threw the portal stone I received from my Master. And honestly,

I haven’t said that word in such a while.

“To Asparagan!”

Soon, the portal shattered into pieces and an oval shaped portal emerged from the shattered pieces, and I carefully headed towards the portal.

<Asparagan>

Oh, how have I missed this magnificent background music! Why am I feeling so content with the words that appeared before my eyes! Arriving, my heart was racing from the excitement, I could see that Asparagan had changed a lot.

Previously, most of the people in here were workers who were moving containers, now there are people dressed and armed in fancy and splendid equipment everywhere.

The fancy armor I am wearing currently seemed like it would mix well into the people. That’s how much the state of the quality of equipment of average players has improved.

“I’m going to ride the mountain this time. I feel like it’s going to be pretty troublesome but I would guess it won’t take that long if I just wear my speed boots.”

“Why is the price of troll leather so expensive again nowadays?”

“Let’s get prepared to harvest some leather from the trolls soon.”

The conversations between players were full of will to make their equipment stronger and the will to go on an adventure.

You could also find NPCs looking for a party full of players so that they can stably finish their personal tasks.

However, the main thing that took me by surprise was this crowded amount of users itself. I haven’t been able to see this amount of players and NPCs in three months. Oh, who could’ve thought how much I missed being in a crowd of people!

But without even noticing, the thought of my mission suddenly ran through my head. I didn’t have any more time to be emotional since I was in the middle of my first mission.

I made haste to go out to the gate to search for a carriage that would travel a long distance in Asparagan. Right as I was about to leave, I heard a cry for help from a player.

“Somebody, help me! Please!”

He kneeled down on the floor as if he didn’t care that his bottoms were covered in dirt, and grabbed an NPC or a player passing by their legs and begged for their help.

“My girlfriend is in the Vellenco hunting ground, and she’s…”

His face was bruised and bloody. A thick stream of tears flowed between his crumpled eyelids. Feeling that something was wrong, I cautiously walked towards him.

And someone grabbed me by my shoulder from the back.

“Hey, I suggest you don’t. The ‘Number One’ guild is taking control of the Vellenco hunting ground right now.”

“Taking control?”

“Yes. The Fiddleturtle’s shells are the materials used to make sunglasses, and the sunglasses are mega hot among the NPCs right now. Have you heard about the company called Loengic? That huge company auctioned off the right to deliver and provide fiddleturtle shells to several guilds.”

“So?”

“What do you mean ‘so’? So the famous Number One guild pushed normal users off that hunting ground by force, and took control of it. I understand that player is in a dire situation but it’s his fault for not knowing about this. I’m guessing his girlfriend who went with him is in trouble.”

I was speechless at what he said. I hurried over to the player who was crying out loud for help. The man who grabbed my shoulder from the back shouted at me but I paid no attention to what he said.

As soon as I got in front of him he also grabbed my legs as he did with others.

“Please, please help me! I went to the Vellenco hunting ground with my girlfriend then a bunch of gangsters surrounded us and… “

His chin was trembling from how much he cried, and he kept repeating the same words over and over as his words were muffled by his convulsive jaw.

“Please calm down, I will help you out.”

I kneeled on the ground to get him to stand up. My heart was pounding and in pain. But a strange feeling took hold of me.

This feeling came from the fact that I, who is scared to help others in real life, am able to help people in this world as if it’s nothing.

Then a middle aged man approached me and shouted,

“You think you’re the only person who has tried helping him? Everyone who tried helping, thinking that this isn’t a big deal got beaten to death and was threatened to get spawn killed!”

All the eyes of NPCs and other players were focused on me at this loud noise. How ironic that I was just thinking to myself that this fancy armor of mine wasn’t gonna attract any attention anymore.

He grabbed my hand and appealed to me again with tears as he got up with my support.

“I’m so sorry, but this is the only thing I can do. Please, this is all I have on me. Please!”

< Nickname ‘Nam InSu’ requested a player quest for you. >

Resolve the trouble in the Vellenco hunting ground.

Reward: 54 Silver and 27 Bronze

My heart was feeling numb as I felt how desperate he was feeling. I reached out my hand to him and said,

“It’s okay. You don’t have to do this.”

And walked towards the Vellenco hunting ground without any hesitation as I supported him. And behind me were the NPCs and players who wanted to see a show following me.

As soon as I arrived at the beach of Vellenco, where the white sand beach was conspicuous, at a glance, I noticed the players with magic items all over their bodies were blocking the entrance.

I could tell that these players were stronger than an average player, since even though the value of the magic items have dropped, they still were pricey to equip all over the body.

“Ah~ That bastard is here again.”

A man with his arms crossed spat on the ground. Then the man beside him said,

“Sigh~ How many times do I have to tell you that this field is taken control by the <Number One> guild. C’mon now, I suggest you go somewhere else if you don’t wanna get hurt~”

And waved his hand to the crowd without fear.

“This is a public hunting ground open to anybody, who are you to take control and tell people to back off?”

I asked the man swearing at the man I was supporting with my teeth clenched.

“So what, asshole? Says who, says our guild. Have you not heard of our guild Number One? Num…ber… One?”

The man quickly approached me and started to talk to me grudgingly, and swung his fist towards the man beside me.

But that punch was way too slow for my reaction time.

His fist was completely blocked and caught by my hand.

“Hey, Hey, you bastard. Let me go!”

“As you wish.”

He stared at me with an angry expression. I pushed his fist as hard as I could. Soon his body flew away and rolled a few times over the sand before stopping.

“What the hell? Are you starting a war against us, Number One?”

Soon the player standing next to him shouted loudly, and dozens of his other guildmates ran out. As a result, the surrounding crowd began to murmur in anxiety.

“Oh, you’re so dead.”

“By the way, didn’t Chul’s equipment have all of its stats in strength? How did he just get thrown that far?”

The confident looking man who called his guildmates shouted at his ally’s question as his answer.

“Who the hell cares? He can’t deal with all of us! Stomp him! Kill him!”

<Number One> guild members started to confidently approach me. Not that I’m overly egotistical, but

All of them,

Cannot handle me.

This is honestly nothing compared to the branch which my Master was using when he was training me.

I don’t even need to bring out my blade.

Soon, all of the <Number One> guild members ran towards me to attack.

< ‘Number One’ guild has expressed their hostility toward you. >