F-Grade Arenas came in many varieties, but most of them offered safe Quests where no blood was shed.
The Quests the Players currently inside this Arena bragged about were all like that.
“You know? I jumped up and smashed a disc in midair!”
“That’s it? I set a new record in my last Arena.”
The other Players likewise puffed out their chests as they boasted about the Arenas they had cleared.
The viewers watching them were just as busy chatting.
- What’s the target in this Arena?
- Quest hasn’t appeared yet.
- Think Cosmo’s trainees will do well? Going straight from finishing F-Grade to a top-tier E-Grade Arena…….
- If they pull it off, Cosmo Guild’s going to hit it big.
Among those messages, however, another question appeared.
- Is the Necromancer not showing up?
- You think he’d come here already? He’s a chick that hasn’t even broken out of its shell yet lol.
- True. It’s only been a day since his debut Arena. He’ll probably rest for a while.
The viewers were right.
Dojin was nowhere to be seen in any ordinary Arena.
But soon, the message board was turned upside down.
- Holy crap, Necromancer spotted.
- Where?
- Under.
- ??????
***
Players were still human.
Awakening did not suddenly turn someone into a skilled, cold-blooded combatant overnight.
Even so, there were occasionally Players who challenged dangerous Arenas far beyond what suited their Level.
Some had been cast aside as sacrificial pawns by their Guilds.
Some had become so obsessed with streaming that they would do anything to attract public attention.
And occasionally, some simply overestimated their own potential.
- Dude, you Awakened into a unique Class and finally lost your mind?
And naturally, the Players who attempted such reckless challenges……
- I thought Korea finally got a High-Ranker-caliber rookie for once…… (sighing emoji)
……all paid the price.
By suffering a fate even more terrifying to a Player than death.
The viewers who had heard rumors about Dojin apparently knew that well, because they rapidly began joining his stream.
- It really is the Necromancer?!
- He’s challenging an Under Arena?
- He did well in an F-Grade Arena and apparently lost all sense of self-awareness lololol.
Of course, that attention was not particularly favorable.
Dojin had only made his debut yesterday in the lowest-grade Arena, and he had not yet built up anything resembling a proper fanbase.
But there was another reaction as well.
- Either way, I’m curious. No Player has logged into an Under Arena in over two years!
- I’m going to watch the Under Arena~
Watching all those messages, Dojin selected the Arena he intended to enter.
Log into the Under Arena? (Entry Fee: 1,000 Gold)
Yes / No
- lol Haven’t seen a paid Arena in ages.
- More like a money-losing Arena hahaha.
The viewers burst out laughing at the new window that appeared beside Dojin.
Paid Arena.
Money-Losing Arena.
Underground.
The Under Arena had become quietly infamous among the public, earning all kinds of nicknames like those.
As an Arena that devoured Players.
Even the notification window in front of him made the difference obvious.
Unlike ordinary Arenas, the Under Arena required an entry fee just to log in.
At minimum, that fee was paid in Gold.
At higher Grades, payment was accepted only in Mana Stones.
That alone meant the Player started at a loss.
But the real problem with Under Arenas was their Quests.
“You all recognize it too.”
The Quests were harder than those of ordinary Arenas, but that was not what had truly made Players despise Under Arenas.
Quests with penalties.
Players had already become accustomed to pursuing only safe clears, so there was no reason for them to deliberately take risks by challenging an Under Arena.
Ordinary Arenas imposed no penalty when a Quest was failed.
A Player could simply try again as many times as they wanted.
“Gold confiscation, Mana Stone confiscation, Item confiscation, increased entry fees, even Level Down and Rank Down. It’s an Arena that dishes out every kind of penalty imaginable.”
- lolol (crying emoji)
- That was why streaming these used to be so fun.
- Nobody does them anymore.
- Scared~ Scared~ Scared~
The chat was exactly right.
During the early days of the Great Upheaval, countless Players had challenged Under Arenas.
Since they carried penalties, viewers had gone wild for the thrill, and everyone assumed the rewards for clearing them would be even sweeter.
But the number of Players who had managed to clear an Under Arena, which continuously issued Quests far more difficult than those of ordinary Arenas, was……
Zero.
And that was not all.
Among the early Players who thoroughly avoided Under Arenas, some steadily leveled up until they eventually became Rankers.
But every single person who had taken the risk of challenging an Under Arena……
“Ended up as a Low-Grade Player. Some even had their Player status revoked entirely.”
- Yeah.
- That’s why they call it the Graveyard of Players. Damn.
- The Awakening Department even issued an advisory telling people to avoid Under Arenas, remember?
Once a gap opened, it was difficult to close.
None of the Players who had suffered Level Down and Rank Down ever became Rankers.
And with governments around the world desperate to increase the number of High-Grade Players essential for obtaining Mana Stones and Gold, it was more than enough to cement the perception that ‘Under Arenas are an antlion pit.’
“That’s why Under Arenas have basically become old stories these days.”
For Players already terrified of the penalties, the government advisories regarding Under Arenas gave them the perfect excuse.
“So!”
Dojin fixed his gaze on the chat.
“Today, I think I’ll bring that old story back to life.”
- For real? True?
- Like hell you will lol.
Without hesitation, Dojin pressed [Yes].
- Crazy bastard lol.
Under Arena Login Attempt
Target - Player Lee Dojin
Entry Fee of 1,000 Gold confirmed.
Under Arena E-Grade <Wolf Hunting Ground> Login
Participant – Player Lee Dojin
The moment Dojin logged in, every viewer saw it.
Another Arena, one that had practically been forgotten, appeared before them.
***
“…….”
Unlike ordinary Arenas, which always retained the general appearance of a stadium interior, the Under Arena created the illusion that he had entered another world entirely.
A sky with no sunlight.
Countless trees growing tall enough to seem as though they could pierce that sky.
The Under Arena Dojin had entered resembled the middle of a forest.
A strangely desolate, unnatural, eerie forest.
- This is an Under Arena?
- Doesn’t even look like the inside of an Arena. Damn.
It felt as though even the viewer message board had gone quiet.
Dojin, on the other hand—
- Bro’s smiling?
- Is he the type who smiles when he’s nervous?
Nervous?
Yes.
This was the first familiar sense of tension Dojin had experienced since regressing.
The feeling was so familiar that it was almost comforting now.
“Welcome to the Under Arena, everyone!”
Dojin’s speaking style had become much more natural.
“Some of you probably came after watching my debut yesterday, and some of you are probably just here because you’re bored. Right?”
- Yeah.
And that was indeed the case.
The number of viewers on Dojin’s Channel was currently rising at a considerable pace.
- Show us the Skeletons.
- So this is an Under Arena.
Most of them had come out of curiosity.
Curiosity about the new Necromancer Class.
And curiosity about an Under Arena no one had logged into for years.
SWOOOOSH-
The moment Dojin activated the Pyramid on the back of his hand, Apostle and the other Crow Skeletons immediately shot into the air.
‘If I’m going to stream, I should at least put on a little show for the viewers.’
- They really are skeletons!
- Looks even better live.
Watching the viewers’ reactions, Dojin spoke.
“The Quest should start soon. Until then, take your time and enjoy looking around the Under Arena.”
At that moment, a new message arrived for Dojin.
It came through a private chat window.
- CheerfulMask: Are you confident?
The message was extremely dry and focused solely on its purpose.
It came from Rahi, Dojin’s employer and the Guild Master of Test Guild.
Dojin merely smiled at the message, which contrasted sharply with her username.
“At the very least, you won’t regret the Gold you invested.”
At that moment, the Quest window finally appeared.
<Quest – Wolf Hunt>
Grade: E-Grade
Login Limit: 100 People / E-Grade or Below (Lv.1~30)
Clear Condition: Hunt 100 wolves within one hour
Reward: 1 Skill (Random)
Penalty: Level Down by 10
- Crazy.
- That penalty. Damn.
“…….”
As expected, the Under Arena was merciless from the very beginning.
Dojin was currently Lv.12.
‘If my Level were even slightly lower, I’d lose my Player status.’
Now this was a real battle!
Rather than fear, Dojin felt a thrill at the sense of reality he had not experienced in a long time since his regression.
Dojin looked around.
The Under Arena <Wolf Hunting Ground> was a dense forest.
It was clearly a hunting ground advantageous to wolves, the natural masters of the forest.
At the same time, it was an unfamiliar environment for Players accustomed to the game-like Arenas they had experienced until now.
Naturally, none of that mattered to Dojin, a Regressor.
AWOOOOOOOO-----
The howls of wolves echoed from deep within the forest.
This was an Under Arena.
Monster territory.
It was the sound declaring that the monsters’ hunt had begun.
But at the same time, the viewers heard another declaration.
“I promise you, everyone.”
The young Necromancer made his declaration with his Minions at his side.
“Today, every wolf in this Arena will die.”
***
The viewers were busy chattering.
- Where are you going?
- When are the Minions coming back?
- Aren’t they staying with you this time?
Dojin had already sent the Crow Skeletons ahead as scouts.
All he carried himself was a single spear.
“Of course I kept them as close as possible during my debut. But wouldn’t it get boring if I used the same tactics every time?”
- lol True.
- Other Players fall into routines way too much.
- Still, Under seems a little dangerous…….
“I’m also curious about my own limits. How far can I go by myself?”
- As if you can pull that off.
Then a Mission Window appeared.
This time, however, it had not been sent by CheerfulMask.
- [HecleJjang] donated 10 Gold.
Mission: Clear it alone and receive 1 High-Grade Mana Stone.
Accept?
Yes / No
Someone reacted even more sharply than Dojin.
Namely……
- CheerfulMask: HecleJjang?
“You know that username?”
Dojin asked quietly after noticing his Guild Master’s unusual reaction.
- CheerfulMask: …….
No answer came back.
But to Dojin, that silence was answer enough.
“Seems like someone you’re not particularly happy to see. Understood.”
There could not be many people wealthy enough to casually throw around Mana Stones while also making Rahi uncomfortable.
Especially someone watching an Under Arena that offered neither the Mana Stones nor Gold coveted by governments and corporations.
‘That can wait until later.’
Right now, he needed to focus on the Arena before him.
‘And the stream, of course.’
Meanwhile, the viewer chat remained as noisy as ever.
- A High-Grade Mana Stone? Seriously?
- Damn, this person’s generous.
- How much is one High-Grade Mana Stone worth?
- About the same as winning the subscription lottery for a decent apartment.
- HecleJjang, please buy me just one ice cream.
“……A High-Grade Mana Stone.”
Dojin had no reason to refuse personal income.
His contract with Test Guild explicitly stated that any Mana Stones and Gold earned through donations belonged entirely to him.
“……I’ll gladly take it.”
With his motivation to clear the Quest rising another level—
Dojin pulled out the secret weapon he had prepared for the <Wolf Hunting Ground> Quest.