***
"......Is Randolph really Phantom?"
Three men and women gathered at a cafe in Gangnam Station.
Two burly, identical-looking men and a beautiful woman.
They sipped their coffee at a corner table, continuing their conversation amidst the noisy surroundings.
"It's certain. Even if we don't know about Main Quest 1, getting a higher score than Gracia in the class section is impossible without extensive knowledge of the game."
The woman said.
As she said, the highest-tier classes couldn't be obtained with skill alone. It had to be backed by overwhelming luck and knowledge that surpassed even that luck.
If it wasn't Phantom, that score was incomprehensible.
"The 5-year ghost player, Phantom, has finally appeared. Things are about to get crazy."
"Can we make contact with him first?"
The two identical men spoke with heavy voices.
In response, the woman shrugged.
"How? We've been looking for years and couldn't find him, right?"
"That's because Phantom wasn't a real player until now. Now that he's become a real player, there must be a way."
"Then should we try 'phishing'? The secret auction house must be open, right?"
"'Phishing'......"
"He'll need a lot of good items to get first place in Main 3, so wouldn't he naturally use the auction house?"
'Phishing.' It was slang used by players.
It was a method of listing a high-quality item cheaply in the secret auction house and attaching the 'Twin' ability of a talisman to track its location.
The 'Twin Talisman' was an option that allowed one to know the location of the other even when they were apart.
Beginners who didn't know this would buy items from the auction house simply because they were cheap, only to be tracked down and killed or robbed.
Both in the game and in reality.
"But isn't that a low-life tactic used by scum like 'Massacre'?"
"If it's Phantom, he'll know all about the talisman's options. There's no way he wouldn't notice."
The two twin men both expressed their opposition.
Phishing was a despicable method used by scum like Massacre who hunted beginners.
Even if they used it, there was no way Phantom wouldn't know.
Only beginners of less than a year in Pangenia who didn't know the name of the talisman would fall for phishing.
But the woman clicked her tongue.
"You still don't know Phantom? He's the guy who actually went to kill the Demon King. He failed, but didn't you see his determination when he launched the grand expedition?"
Many were convinced that the character, Wilhelm, was Phantom.
And Wilhelm was a true madman.
Despite numerous interferences and the collapse of his forces, he had launched the grand expedition.
Although he had failed despite possessing eight unique items, Wilhelm's achievement was of a level that would be remembered for a long time in Pangenia's history.
He was a myth in himself.
"If there's a phishing item in the secret auction house, he'll buy it gladly. 'Bring it on if you dare, I'll kill you all if you come.' That's the Phantom I know."
The woman's eyes gleamed.
'Phantom fangirl.'
Thinking the same thing, the two men scratched their heads simultaneously.
"What do we do after making contact?"
"Of course, we have to invite him to our guild."
"Will Phantom join our guild that has nothing?"
"We have to try. Of course, Phantom is surely an amazing person in reality as well... but we're better than the other lunatics."
Most Pangenia players were insane.
They were full of people who couldn't distinguish between the game and reality, committing murder as if it were a daily meal.
With the appearance of monsters from the previous 'collapse' phenomenon, some of them had succeeded in cleaning up their image. However, their true nature doesn't go away.
"By the way, what kind of person do you think he is? A CEO of a large corporation? Ah, maybe the son of a chaebol family?"
The woman's eyes sparkled as she let her imagination run wild.
Watching her, the two men shook their heads.
✺✺✺
<<‘Sub Quest - Sanctuary Exploration’ has been completed.>>
<<Exploration Rate 100%! A figure that is unbelievable even seeing it with your own eyes!>>
<<You are the first to perfectly clear the Desert Sanctuary.>>
<<You have acquired a ‘Teleport Book’.>>
<<You have acquired the achievement ‘Sanctuary Conqueror (First)’.>>
<<Experience has been accumulated, and you have leveled up!>>
The moment I achieved 100% exploration rate while exploring the sanctuary with Dramuth.
The news that the sub-quest was completed was listed along with the rewards.
"Ha!"
I let out a sound of admiration upon seeing the rewards.
A Teleport Book and a first-time achievement.
As I picked up the thick blue book, a related description appeared.
『Teleport Book (Epic)
A magical book that allows you to move to a place you have finished exploring.
Casting time 30 seconds, can be used once a day.
Currently registered waypoint - Desert Sanctuary』
It was a book that allowed you to move to a dungeon or location once its exploration rate reached 100%.
There were warps that allowed you to teleport when moving between regions, but they were limited, couldn't take you to a specific desired location, and were expensive.
This was an epic-grade item that solved all those problems.
'It would probably fetch 1 million gold.'
1 million gold. The price of a mansion in Pangenia.
'If I list it on the secret auction house, there might be quite a bit of demand.'
The secret auction house that was activated by ranking in Main Quest 2.
It was a place where all players could trade anonymously.
I had no intention of selling it, but I suddenly became curious about how much demand there would be if I listed it.
The Teleport Book was also an 'ultra-rare' item, with less than 20 released.
'And an achievement on top of that......'
Obtaining an 'achievement' was only possible after overcoming all sorts of trials and tribulations. It could only be acquired by accomplishing something worthy of being praised as an achievement in Pangenia.
If recognized as an achievement, one's reputation would increase immensely. With a higher reputation, one could obtain a title or build rapport with named NPCs who only responded to those with a specific reputation.
Above all.
'Level 3.'
Finally, level 3.
It seemed I was leveling up every time I solved a main quest.
But it wasn't fast. In fact, it was too slow.
'It's a system where the required experience increases depending on your talents. My current required experience is probably at least ten times the average.'
Normally, one should be at least level 4, or even 5, by the time they solved Main Quest 2.
Yet, being only level 3 meant that my required experience was ridiculously high.
It was because I had too many talents.
'Instead, the max stats have been unlocked. The stat gain of 10 per level has been fixed at 12. It seems to be thanks to a hidden trait......'
Of course, there were advantages.
An advantage so great that the increased experience was a non-issue.
'Status window.'
As I thought of the status window, a parchment appeared before my eyes.
<Status Window>
Name: Randolph
Class: Star Successor
<Stats>
Level: 3
Strength: 36(+5) Stamina: 36(+5) Agility: 36(+5)
Intelligence: 36(+5) Holy Power: 36(+5)
......Exactly 12 points were being added to all my stats every time I leveled up.
A sight that would make anyone shout "Stop using bugs!" if they saw it.
It was a figure that was absolutely impossible through normal play.
'I know that all my talents are maxed out, so my stats are increasing to the maximum every time I level up. But even that should be capped at 10.'
Stats increased randomly every time you leveled up, depending on your talents and experience.
The maximum increase for an individual stat per level up was 10, and you had to reach mastery to have an individual stat of 100 at level 10.
To surpass that, you had to transcend.
But I was gaining 12 points. And for all stats.
'This means I'll have 2-star level stats when I reach level 10.'
I could have stats that could only be obtained by consuming two stars and transcending, at level 10. There was no cheat like this.
Furthermore, all my stats had increased by 5 due to the class trait 'Star Possession Effect.'
In my 5 years of playing Pangenia, this was the first time I had seen such a thing.
Once is a coincidence, twice is fate.
'There's something related to this among the hidden traits I've never seen before.'
I stroked my chin thoughtfully.
13 hidden traits. Among them, there were three I had never seen before.
【Glutton】, 【Great Sage】, and 【Heavenly Being】
I wasn't sure what they did exactly, but one of them was probably directly related to this phenomenon.
I would have to learn about these traits by experiencing them firsthand.
Anyway, I had obtained everything I could from this sanctuary exploration.
'Shadow Cloak, Tear of the Fairy Queen, Teleport Book.'
Just looking at them made me smile.
I couldn't discard any of the three.
They were all raid boss items that boasted extremely low drop rates.
Especially the 'Tear of the Fairy Queen,' it was an essential talisman. An extremely rare item that granted special options to equipment.
"Monster!"
"A giant sea beast has appeared in the sanctuary!"
Was it because I had delayed in the sanctuary exploration?
Warriors began to enter the sanctuary one by one and discovered Dramuth.
"We must leave before the great warriors and the Queen arrive."
Isabella's expression hardened.
The number of warriors was increasing by the second. We had to leave before the sanctuary was sealed.
"Dramuth, rampage."
Swaaaaaa!
At my command, Dramuth moved.
Even if he didn't want to, it was his master's command. He had no right to refuse.
As Dramuth began to rampage, I slowly took out the Shadow Cloak.
"Let's use this together."
"Yes?"
"We need to leave the desert before a pursuit team is formed. To do that, we need to get out of here without being seen."
"Ah."
If we were to slip out quietly while the sanctuary was in chaos, this was the only way.
If the soldiers were to see me or Isabella directly, things would get more complicated.
Isabella moved her body into the cloak.
"Get closer."
"......Yes."
Isabella's eyes trembled slightly.
Then, pressing close together under the cloak, we began to quietly leave the sanctuary.
✺✺✺
The warp to leave the desert region.
It took about half a day for the warp to activate.
"Don't worry. The curse is broken."
Due to the curse, Isabella could not use the warp.
She could never leave the desert region.
But now that she had received the blessing of the stars, she could use the warp.
"I... believe you."
Isabella nodded.
At the edge of the desert, the opposite side was a black precipice. It was filled with an endless darkness.
Isabella's eyes, as she looked beyond, were a mixture of longing and desperation.
Because the only way to the next region was through the warp.
This part was the same as the game. The fact that the regions were not connected.
It was already too late for Isabella to go back anyway. By now, the Queen would have noticed and sent search and pursuit teams.
"I need to communicate with the stars until the warp activates."
"I will protect you."
Isabella, understanding the meaning of my words, showed a sign of vigilance.
Communicating with the stars.
It meant logging out.
But this was not a safe zone. If I logged out, all sorts of beasts, monsters, or even pursuit teams could follow.
I was entrusting my safety entirely to Isabella.
If I had chosen the Amulet of Protection instead of the Tear of the Fairy Queen, I could have set up a safe zone. But I had no regrets.
The Tear of the Fairy Queen was an excellent talisman, far more valuable.
'Well, this is a hopeful start.'
A royal road, beyond a golden carpet, was spread out before me.
Considering the connection to reality, growth in Pangenia was extremely important.
If more monsters from Pangenia were to invade Earth in the future.
'......The Demon King. He might descend.'
The monster that even Wilhelm couldn't defeat might appear in reality.
That chilling destruction.
I sat down, took a deep breath, and closed my eyes.
'Log out.'
<<Logging out.>>
<<Please standby your character in a safe location.>>
<>
<<Log out complete.>>
✺✺✺
Swoosh!
I shaved while under the showerhead.
After finishing my shower, I dried myself with a towel and dried my hair.
"Hoo, that's refreshing."
How long had it been since I last showered and shaved?
The shower after a long time felt incredibly refreshing. To the point where I thought I should have washed more often.
'......I've really been living like a shut-in.'
I came out of the bathroom and sighed at the state of my room.
Indeed, I had lived for over a month without any contact with the outside world. I hadn't even cleaned properly and just lived messy.
It would be hard to call transforming and going out when the Giant Mantis attacked an 'outing.'
A shut-in. But I couldn't stay cooped up in my house, heartbroken, forever.
Even though I had quit my job, I couldn't continue living like this.
"Let's clean up."
It was the moment I decided to clean the room.
Tiriring~
My phone vibrated once with a notification that a text message had arrived.
After picking up the phone on my desk and checking the text message,
I couldn't help but frown.
―Oppa. How have you been?
......It was a text from my ex-girlfriend, who had broken up with me, saying I had no future.