Interest - (1)

[Chapter 9]

The shield that had dropped from the Goblin Lord was notable, but the unexpected appearance of a new title was even more surprising, so I checked it immediately.

[Don't Touch Me]

■ Title Grade: D-rank

■ Title Description: Luck +30. Evasion +10.

■ Additional Effect: You can enhance a designated skill once. The increase will follow the coefficient designed for the player system.

"Luck 30, Evasion 10. Just like the Goddess of Luck. Do they think I avoided the hit just because I was lucky?"

[The Goddess of Luck says that avoiding a hit to this extent isn't something that happens by mere chance.]

"In situations like this, wouldn't you usually recognize it as skill?"

[The Goddess of Luck is delighted, saying that good luck is also a form of skill and that you are a player blessed with fortune.]

"This is completely one-sided, isn't it?"

I scratched the back of my head.

Either way, I had gained the stats I needed.

My evasion stat was steadily increasing too, and my expectations were growing.

Once my evasion stat surpassed 100, a mechanism would activate, granting a 10% chance to dodge incoming attacks.

This would occur independently of the player's perception, as various adjustments would allow for evasion.

From the attacker's perspective, it would seem as if a perfect strike had somehow missed.

That's why facing a player with high evasion stats often brought unpredictable outcomes.

Whether it was against monsters or players, the ones most likely to exchange blows at close range were sword-wielding players.

So, raising my evasion stat was undeniably beneficial for me.

Luck went without saying.

"For now, I'll hold off on enhancing any skills. It feels wasteful to combine it with Demon Bash."

After organizing my thoughts, I immediately checked my status window.

■ Level: 17

■ Titles: 5

■ Constellation: Goddess of Luck

■ Stat Status

[Strength 37 / Stamina 20 / Agility 28 / Mana 20 / Luck 102 / Evasion 30 / Defense 20]

[Unallocated Points: 0]

"Just by investing the stat points I gained from leveling up after defeating the Goblin Lord, my Luck already surpassed 100?"

I was surprised that my Luck stat had shot past 100 so quickly, especially considering my low level of 17.

According to a report I had read on the correlation between stats and probability, reaching 100 Luck provided a 10% boost effect, similar to Evasion.

For example, if a player had zero Luck, their acquisition rate would be 0%, but with 100 Luck, it would rise to around 10%.

Of course, this probability curve would taper off as the stat increased further, but the proven results were clear.

"The key is that, thanks to my Constellation, I can guarantee Artifact drops. On top of that, when an Artifact drops, the chance of it being higher grade also increases."

This was another correlation that had been somewhat proven through multiple samples.

If you started with a 0% chance, and compared that with someone who had a 5% or 10% chance, the gap would grow more and more obvious over time.

At a certain point, you'd start acquiring higher-grade Artifacts, widening the gap even further.

My investment in stats was aimed at a long-term vision. And it was an investment with guaranteed returns.

Even "lotto players" who focused solely on raising Luck typically didn't hit 100 Luck until around level 70.

Compared to that, my achievement at level 17 wasn't just a shortcut—it was remarkable.

"Time for a meal."

I picked up the shield lying next to the Goblin Lord's corpse.

It was a shield left behind by a warrior named Kudnis, one of the Goblin tribe's fighters.

It increased Defense by 20 and had a special Artifact effect called Sacrifice.

■ Special Effect: Sacrifice

"This thing's a mana-devouring monster too. If I use it as it is, the efficiency will inevitably drop."

Of course, since I was planning to consume it, there was no need to worry.

Once absorbed, the structure that required mana usage would naturally be replaced by a different system.

So, I immediately began my meal.

Since it was a Silver-grade Artifact, the absorption rate was 20%, allowing me to inherit 4 points in Defense and gain the useful Sacrifice effect.

The materialization was simple—white rice with a few pieces of kimchi. The perfect menu for a satisfying meal.

* * *

Vroom.

Driving down the highway toward Seoul, I pressed down hard on the accelerator, lost in thought.

Weeoo. Eeeeeng. Weeoo.

"Should I get a new car?"

I'd grown attached to this old secondhand car, but the roar of the engine sounded like it was straining just to stay alive.

Honestly, if it suddenly exploded with a bang, no one would be surprised.

Looking in the rearview mirror, I saw thick white smoke billowing out behind me—enough to scare anyone.

"I need to get a new house too."

There were so many things I wanted to do.

For the car, something new would be nice—an RV, perhaps, suitable for traveling all over the country.

I had my own thoughts about housing as well.

There were plenty of residential facilities specifically designed for players, offering strong security and specialized amenities.

These areas, often called Player Towns, had not only separate security companies but also top-notch protective facilities.

The price varied depending on the apartment's grade, but the lowest tier required a 100 million won deposit and a monthly rent of 5 million won—astronomically higher than what non-players paid.

Still, with slightly better earnings than now, it wouldn't be a burden.

Once a player reached a certain level of success, making money wasn't particularly difficult—as long as you didn't gamble everything on striking it rich overnight.

The real problem was that countless players died or were injured before ever reaching that level.

"For now, the fastest way to boost my stats and special effects is to consume as many Artifacts as I can."

I let out a sigh.

In the end, the conclusion was clear.

I needed money to buy Artifacts.

And to maximize the absorption rate and get more benefits, I had to buy cheap, well-used Artifacts.

Artifact absorption rates followed their grade.

For example: Bronze 10%, Silver 20%, Gold 30%, and so on.

There was also a way to further increase absorption rates—through Affinity with the previous user.

In other words, the more an Artifact had been used and handled by someone, the higher the absorption rate would be.

From an efficiency standpoint, consuming a used Artifact that someone else had already wielded was much better than eating a freshly dropped one.

And a good candidate came to mind.

Someone I knew well and had spent a long time with—Yoon Daekyung.

A player who had diligently cleared dungeons recommended for those under level 50, steadily working hard for two years.

He was likely to have a decent collection of low-grade Artifacts—at least a dozen from what I remembered.

The stats of each Artifact might not be impressive, but given how long he had held onto them and how frequently he used them, the absorption rate would likely be high. 

"First, I should secure some solid funds before meeting Team Leader Yoon Daekyung for a deal."

He had his pride, so it didn't seem likely that he would be entirely cooperative, but wasn't there no one who could resist money?

Sanghyun believed that the logic of capitalism would work just as well on him.

* * *

Two hours later.

Sanghyun arrived at the Quest Area located near Exit 10 of Jamsil Station.

He wasn't particularly tired, so instead of heading home meaninglessly, he decided to take on another job.

The Quest Area was a place where quests activated by the player system could be linked.

This operation was managed by the Player Union of Korea.

Since large amounts of Magic Stones and conversion devices were needed, it was nearly impossible to handle on an individual level.

On top of that, a rare mineral called the Quest Stone was required to receive and link quests, but it was notoriously hard to obtain.

'I heard that Quest Stones are treated as Artifacts. If I could consume them, I might be able to handle things on my own… What a shame.'

Clicking his tongue in disappointment, Sanghyun followed the signposts placed around Exit 10. The Quest Area was located in a wide space behind Songpa District Office.

As he moved, he checked on the changes to Kudnis's Shield that he had finished consuming earlier.

He wondered how Sacrifice, now fully synchronized with his body, had transformed.

■ Special Effect - Sacrifice

■ Effect Description - Converts all damage inflicted on a designated body part into healing power.

It takes 30 seconds to reactivate after activation.

'A well-balanced compromise. The system really knows how to fine-tune things perfectly.'

Pop.

At the same time, a small window appeared in front of Sanghyun, asking him to select which body part to designate.

First, he checked the back area.

The front could be defended with his sword, and if necessary, he could use a shield, making it easier to protect. But the back was a different story.

'Well, if it offered full coverage for the back, this wouldn't be reality—it'd be something out of a novel.'

The distinct division of the areas made Sanghyun chuckle. The back was divided into four sections.

With that setup, it wasn't easy to be confident about protecting only the desired area. So, he shifted his attention to the front.

'The abdomen would be better.'

He selected the area corresponding to his abs.

The abdomen was a strategically vital area during combat—it wasn't something you could afford to leave unguarded.

But with Sacrifice, it opened up a tactical possibility of intentionally exposing a weakness. It wasn't just a foolish thought.

While thinking about it, he found himself standing in front of the Quest Area.

From here on, a thorough verification process was required. The first step at the entrance was a player scan to check their level.

"Please stand still for a moment."

"Alright."

Following the instructions of the onsite association staff, Sanghyun stood on the designated spot, and a beam of light swept over him.

- Player level confirmed: 17.

Another staff member quickly recorded the number from the device and stuck a label on Sanghyun's left chest.

This was a marker that players were strictly forbidden to remove, intended to prevent them from dying by overextending themselves on quests.

"For your safety, we recommend taking quests under level 20."

The employee added a nagging remark.

But Sanghyun ignored the suggestion and instead moved toward the section marked with a recommended level of 100.

Just as he had felt in the previous dungeon, quests for double-digit levels didn't provide any sense of challenge.

His combat ability far exceeded the difficulty of such quests—there was no need to limit himself.

"Excuse me, hold on a moment."

As expected, an employee blocked his way. They were the type to blindly trust in levels.

In their eyes, Sanghyun must have seemed like a troublesome player, blinded by greed, recklessly trying to take on a quest beyond his means.

But to Sanghyun, who had long since surpassed the limitations of mere levels, their warnings were nothing more than outdated chatter.

"I understand what you're trying to say. But I have my reasons for doing this."

"I'm sorry, but could you reconsider? There's been a rise in recent fatalities, and even signs of potential suicides have been reported. I must ask you again—please think carefully."

Seeing the bloodshot eyes of the employee, it seemed that many players had indeed been dying lately.

They just didn't know their limits.