Rest

As Doran descended into the basement of the temple, Gilgamesh shifted his gaze toward the thirty Yatan believers encircling him.

"Hmm, how long has it been since I hunted you guys~" he said, a wide grin spreading across his face, sending a chill down the spines of the believers.

They had all heard the tales of him—the Yatan's Believer Slaughterer, as they called him. Now, faced with the reality of the blonde-haired man wielding a massive greatsword, their fear intensified. The stories of his ruthless efficiency and overwhelming power were not mere exaggerations; they were standing before the embodiment of their nightmares.

"Well, whatever." The atmosphere thickened with palpable tension as Gilgamesh then equipped a white hooded jacket from his inventory and took a deliberate step forward, "I hope you're ready for a little reunion."

And then he disappeared.

"Quick! Use area search magic to find him!" one of the black magicians shouted, urgency lacing his voice as he and the others hastily unleashed their spells.

But the outcome was far more terrifying than they had anticipated; the magic revealed that the one they sought was lurking right behind them.

"Peek-a-boo!"

"Hikk-!!" The screams of Yatan's believers echoed through the chamber, a cacophony of terror as Gilgamesh descended upon them, dispatching them one by one with ruthless efficiency.

The average level of Yatan's believers in this temple was a mere 160, a stark contrast to Gilgamesh's current overwhelming prowess. Immune to any form of abnormal effects, he cut through them with the ease of a farmer reaping his harvest, leaving nothing but chaos in his wake.

___

"Hmm, hmm." Gilgamesh hummed softly to himself as he descended into the basement, the designated site for the sacrificial ritual.

"Oh?" He halted, his keen gaze locking onto the fierce clash between Doran and Yura. It was clear to him that Doran held the upper hand; his stamina remained robust, a testament to the assistance Gilgamesh had provided in dispatching Yatan's believers earlier. Doran still had plenty of reserves left.

Deciding to bide his time, Gilgamesh chose to observe the battle, waiting for Yura to unleash her ultimate magic or for Doran to reach a point of desperation.

A twinge of regret flickered within him at the thought that Doran would ultimately meet his end here. Gilgamesh needed Yura to succeed in her quest, so like in canon, ensuring that, she can become Yatan Eight Servant and feeling indebted to him. However, unlike Grid, he intended to fail his quest intentionally.

As Yura began to chant her spell, Gilgamesh sensed the moment had arrived for him to intervene.

"Dark Storm!"

In a heartbeat, he leaped between the incantation and Doran, bracing himself to absorb the full force of the magic.

[You have been hit by a blow!]

[You have suffered 10,000 damage.]

'Whoa, she quite a punch.' Gilgamesh mused, noting that he had lost a staggering 80% of his health from that single spell as he wondered, 'Was it fixed damage?' 

"Gilgamesh!" Gilgamesh then hears Yura cry out his name. His sharp eyes were looking at her, making her gulp, unfazed despite the damage he had taken.

But Yura couldn't stay focused on him. As Doran stepped on Gilgamesh's back and launched himself at her.

'Now it's time!'

"Log out!"

[You can't log out when the timed quest is in progress.]

A red notification appeared in front of him, but Gilgamesh didn't panic because he had been expecting this.

'Thankfully, I have this.' Gilgamesh mused, mentioning the white hooded jacket he wearing.

[Invisibility Jacket] 

Rating: Unique

Durability: 61/61 Defense: 10

* Movement speed will increase by 30%.

* Wind resistance will increase by 20%.

A cloak designed by a legendary blacksmith. However, the appearance is different from the normal look of a cloak.

Thanks to the sylphid scales being used as the material, affinity with wind and movement speed will increase. You can hide while wearing it, but the stealth will be turned off when an enemy is attacked.

Conditions of Use: None.

Weight: 5

The sylphid scales, being thin and akin to cloth, suggested a craftsmanship more suited for a tailor than a blacksmith. After all, blacksmiths typically specialized in smelting minerals or crafting leather goods. However, thanks to his Legendary Blacksmith Creation skill, Gilgamesh had been able to forge this remarkable piece.

True to its name, the Invisibility Jacket cloaked Gilgamesh in a shroud of stealth, rendering him unseen as long as he was not attacked. With a swift motion, he zipped up the jacket, feeling the fabric tighten around him, and in an instant, he vanished from sight just as Yura's attention began to shift back in his direction.

'Now let's get out of here.'

Gilgamesh said as he left the place. Backtracking his way out with the Invisibility Jacket still cloaking him, he moved silently, weaving through the remnants of the fight.

[You have failed the quest.]

A notification appeared after Gilgamesh was quite distance away from Yatan Temple.

"Now log out."

***

Youngwoo left the capsule and glanced at the clock beside his bed. Rain poured down outside, the rhythmic patter against the window creating a chill that seeped into the room.

"4 a.m.... hooah, what a day." Youngwoo yawned; he had been tense in the past few weeks, waiting for the canon. He even had to make sure if he really in correct Yatan Temple, because its not funny if he come all the way just to find Irene is not held there.

"...sleep..." he murmured, heading to his bed and falling asleep almost instantly, happy to finally get the job done.

........

.....

.

Opening his eyes, Youngwoo saw it was already 10 a.m. His parent went to work at dawn and Sehee would be in school for two hours already.

"Anggheehhh~" he groaned, stretching and scratching his hips above his underwear as he made his way to the kitchen.

He spent some time preparing breakfast before plopping down on the sofa with his food in hand and turning on the TV. The screen was tuned to a channel dedicated to Satisfy.

Satisfy had even made its way onto the housewives' channel, with a program titled "How to Meet a Young Man Through Satisfy!" The show focused on creating characters in Satisfy that looked as young and attractive as possible.

'...PD Cheon Jaende?'

It seemed to have a pretty high viewership. Youngwoo skipped past a segment featuring a man who looked like he wouldn't survive a phone call from his wife and stopped at a program called "Satisfy's Hot Issues."

A cute female reporter was interviewing an Asian youth around his age. The camera zoomed in on the young man's face, and subtitles appeared at the bottom of the screen, displaying the ID 'Katz' and his level '203.'

"Katz is already level 200?"

Katz was a celebrity in the game, notorious for his arrogance but consistently ranking among the top in the warrior class. Just three months ago, he had been level 170, and now he had climbed to level 203.

"But meh, he's nothing compared to the Tzedakah members."

Youngwoo recalled that Jishuka had been level 189 two months ago and ranked 19th in the unified rankings. She wasn't even the highest in the Tzedakah Guild, there was still Regas above her.

Still, he had to admit it was impressive to gain over 30 levels in three months and secure a spot in the top 100 unified rankings.

-Katz, did you know that you are one of the biggest issues in Satisfy these days? Our producers were very surprised. In just three months, Katz has climbed to the 53rd ranking. What is the secret to your rapid growth over such a short period of time?

Katz swept a hand over his well-trimmed hair and smiled smugly.

-Three months ago, I obtained an epic class. I accepted this interview today to reveal my epic class.

-Yes?!!

The reporter was taken aback, and Youngwoo continued scratching his itchy groin, unimpressed.

The news of an epic class was so shocking that the reporter couldn't respond to Katz. In the past year, only two epic class changes had appeared in Satisfy. Its value transcended imagination. But Katz got his hands on a new epic class.

There was no information about the previous epic classes that appeared. The contents of the first class change book were confidential when circulated around the item trading sites, and no one knew who the owner was.

'Well, I got two of them in my inventory.' Youngwoo mused as he continued watching TV.

-What class are you?

-The name of my epic class is 'Blood Warrior'.

-Is it as special and terrible as the name implies?

It wasn't special or terrifying. It was a very common and mundane name. A sloppy name for an epic class. But Katz seemed to like the childish name.

-The name isn't that great, but it is a very fantastic class. Let me tell you one important feature...

Katz pulled out the sword hanging from his waist, and it emitted a tremendous aura.

"Bah." Youngwoo scoffed

-Look.

Katz's eyes glowed red, and at the same time, his sword began to writhe. The camera zoomed in on the weapon.

Hundreds, no thousands of blood vessels appeared on the blade, rapidly covering it. Within moments, Katz's sword was enveloped in pulsating red veins, resembling a living heart. Strangely, the sword's edge became sharper instead of dulling. It was a menacing yet bizarre sight.

Youngwoo's eyes were fixated on the sword. "Okay... I admit. It's cool..."

-This is my passive skill. Any weapon I hold transforms into this shape. When I attack an enemy with this modified weapon, I can absorb a portion of their health proportional to my attack power. Thanks to this, my reliance on potions has greatly diminished, and hunting alone has become much easier. The more I attack, the more I can take advantage of this incredible hunting speed. Plus, powerful combat skills have been created, allowing me to level up quickly.

The reporter, whose face was pallid, continued the interview while ignoring the hideous sword.

-Is an epic class that much stronger than regular classes?

-That is a stupid question. Isn't this natural? Even if it was only a rare class, it exerts a special power over general classes. I can assure you of this: I will rise to the number one ranking sooner or later. I have that type of ability.

-Number one in the top 10 rankings that haven't changed in the past year? All ten users fiercely protect their positions and won't give them up easily. The top 10 rankers are extraordinary. Isn't it a bit much to claim you can catch up to them just because of one class?

"Ohu~ he's going to get upset~" Youngwoo thought, smirking as he anticipated Katz's reaction.

As expected, Katz's expression darkened. He glared at the reporter and declared.

-You think it's just because of one class? How laughable! I have natural talent! The Blood Warrior class is merely a tool to showcase my abilities! Agnus got an epic class much earlier and could only reach 7th place in the rankings. I'll prove to everyone that I'm fundamentally different from Agnus!

The second epic class belonged to Agnus, who was ranked 7th in the unified rankings, which was why Katz sought to draw a comparison between them.

Rumor had it that Katz was the son of a prominent Japanese conglomerate, which contributed to his inflated pride. After scaring the reporter who spat the mocking remark, Katz took the microphone from her and proclaimed.

-Everyone listen up! This is Katz, and I will soon be in first place in the unified rankings! The reason I'm announcing my class today is to make the existing rankers aware of my strength and to make them tremble in fear. Just wait! Sooner or later, I will cast you all aside!

As Katz was about to return the microphone to the reporter, he suddenly paused and asked the reporter.

-Did you say this is a Korean broadcasting station?

The reporter nodded at the words. Katz smiled at her.

-Tell this to Yura: don't be so proud of being part of a country that has nothing except for S.A Group. The era of Korean gaming experts is over. I will trample on her, the last pride of Korean gamers, sooner or later. Hahahaha!

The reporter's eyes were tearful while her face distorted as if she had just caught a whiff of something foul.

Turning off the TV, Youngwoo returned to his room to prepare himself to go to the gym.

After returning from the gym two hours later, he freshed himself, it was when he heard a big fuss from the TV as he entered the living room.

The 'Breaking News' subtitle appeared on the TV screen.

-I just received breaking news. It is said that the Yatan Temple, located in the northern part of the Eternal Kingdom, has collapsed. It is surprising and unusual for a well-preserved temple to collapse overnight. What is the story behind it? Let's go to the scene. I am Reporter Lee Kyungmin.

The screen shifted from the studio to a familiar place.

Yes, that was Yatan Temple from before. The huge temple, larger than the Capitol Building, was half collapsed.

The male reporter conveyed the news.

-At around 3:40 a.m. today, a user visited this place and witnessed an amazing sight. Korea's number one ranker, who is fifth in the unified rankings, Yura was fighting someone. Who did she fight that she had to use enough strength to destroy the temple? Was it a struggle with a top ranker? If so, why were they fighting in this place? Was there perhaps a hidden quest? There are many questions. Then, let's listen to the testimony of an eyewitness.

A boy who seemed to be a middle school student was caught on camera.

The boy's ID and level were subtitled at the bottom.

The boy spoke,

-Yesterday, I was here because of a quest. I was forced to flee to the temple while being chased by a monster. The believers who should've been present weren't there. However, a loud commotion was coming from underground, so I went down to the basement...

The boy stopped talking and asked the reporter.

-Is there a mosaic over my face right now? It is time for me to go to school. If my mother catches me in the capsule, I'm dead.

At almost the same time, the boy's face and ID were completely covered with a mosaic. The reporter nodded.

-Of course, there is a mosaic. There is voice modulation as well. Please tell me with confidence.

The stupid boy sighed with relief.

"Poor guy... his mom gonna kill him."

(A/N: Press F for respect.)

The boy continued,

-I went down to the basement and saw Yura. I was captivated by her beauty. Mister, have you seen Yura? Really! She is even prettier than Kim Taehee! A complete goddess!

-People around the world are already aware of her beauty. We will put aside that story. What was happening in the basement?

-It was amazing.

-What specifically was so amazing?

-There were almost 30 Yatan's believers constantly casting magic at a single person, but he didn't receive a single point of damage. Even the curses had no effect. He laughed like he didn't feel anything, and when he appeared in front of Yura. Yura was nervous.

The reporter was confused.

-The basic level of the Yatan Temple's NPCs is known to be 160. He was attacked by level 160 NPCs and received no damage?

-It was like he resisted all of it. Really.

-Resisted dozens of spells? That is impossible, even for a top ranker...Is he ranked higher than Yura?

The reporter's expression wasn't happy, but the boy didn't care and continued speaking.

-He isn't a top ranker. I had never seen the face before. Nevertheless, he defeated all of the black magicians and threatened Yura. Yura used Dark Storm...no, it seemed like she used every bit of magic she had. It was so strong that it even broke the temple, but that user was fine. Yura's expression was disturbed as she stared at him with an expression similar to fear...I am a member of Yura's fan club, so I know that Yura isn't the type of person to look like that. I never imagined that Yura could make such an expression.

The reporter looked dubious but still showed great interest.

-So what happened in the end? And what was the man's ID?

The boy shook his head.

-ID...Well, that... what was it? Ah heard Yura shouting his name, but I can't remember. I was so entranced by Yura's beauty that I didn't observe him properly. Then I was killed by a falling pillar, so I don't know the result.

-I see...Who is the man who dealt with 20 black magicians and Yura, despite not being a top ranker? I would like to know. This is Reporter Lee Kyungmin.

"Well, that it? My first appearance to the world, just that?" Youngwoo asked with a sigh, feeling the same situation as Grid.

"Damn curse of the manhwa protagonist," Youngwoo thought bitterly. The curse he referred to was a common trope in manhwa featuring overpowered protagonists. No matter how many times Grid proved himself superior, people continued to underestimate him, and it frustrated Gilgamesh to no end.

His attention shifted back to the TV screen, where a familiar figure caught his eye.

"Doran."

It was indeed Doran. The broadcast displayed a large image of the ruins of the Yatan Temple, with a small box at the top where experts were discussing the events unfolding. Doran was at the center of the screen, but he appeared so small that the cameraman seemed oblivious to him. Yet, Youngwoo recognized him immediately.

Doran was barely crawling from the wreckage of the temple, a woman cradled in his arms. The woman was none other than the esteemed daughter of the earl, Irene.

The destruction of the temple had thrown the believers into chaos, providing Doran with the opportunity to rescue her. The woman stood up, her voice rising in a scream directed at Doran, tears streaming down her face. In a poignant moment, Doran handed her something small, a token of his sacrifice. After a short time, he died and turned into a grey light. The woman shed tears and headed elsewhere while cherishing the item she received from Doran.

"He really was dead, huh..." Youngwoo murmured, his heart heavy as he watched the scene unfold in silence.

He looked out the window where rain was still pouring down. The chill in the air seeped into his bones, and he felt a profound sense of unease settle over him. He didn't feel well.