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No matter what game you're playing, equipment is always king. In the Mercenary World, where every drop could be life-changing, the forums lit up like a fireworks show on New Year's Eve. Discussions about what kind of artifacts Burdock might have exploded from a god-level boss were endless. Guesses ranged from the wild to the absurd—one thread even claimed he picked up a weapon forged by the original gods.

The next morning, Dawei—Burdock in-game—headed to the local noodle shop by the entrance of his apartment complex. A bowl of Lanzhou ramen and a hot tea later, he returned to his rented basement, the soft hum of his PC waiting like a battleground calling for a warrior. He took a moment to check the forums, of course. Something this big wasn't just going to die down overnight.

His name—Burdock—was everywhere.

"It feels pretty damn good to be talked about like this," Dawei muttered with a smug grin, scrolling past thread after thread of wild speculations, black posts, wannabe insiders, and people pretending to be his cousin. A few tried to downplay his feat as pure luck, while others dissected his every move, theorizing how one man managed to slay a demigod boss solo.

"There's no way someone's not gonna drop stacks for an artifact," he said between bites of a convenience store sandwich. But strangely, even with all the forum buzz, no one had actually contacted him to buy the god-level wrench or any of the gear he listed.

Back in-game, he logged in and returned to the Sage's residence. As soon as the screen loaded, the great sage Dioser turned to face him with an astonished expression.

"You killed… Zhugutra?"

[System Prompt: Daxian? Dioser's attitude toward you has changed—Trustworthy!]

Dawei grinned. Trust was the most expensive currency in this game. Reputation with top-tier NPCs like Dioser was the golden key to unlocking world-shifting missions.

Dioser raised a hand. "My child, your strength is beyond my imagination. This is your reward."

[System Prompt: You have completed the side mission: Eliminate the Minions. Rewards: Substantial experience, two skill books, S-class armor: Sage's Robes.]

S-class loot. Dawei's eyes narrowed. This was the real reason players grinded day and night.

[Sage's Robes]: S-Class Armor. Slot: Chestplate. HP +300, Defense +300, Mana +300, Strength +5. Passive Skill: Sage's Barrier – 50% chance to absorb 100 damage once per combat instance.

Not bad, but it screamed support mage or cleric gear. Burdock's style was all about aggression—melee, momentum, and mayhem.

He registered on the official trading site, listed the robes, and sat back. "Let's see who wants to wear grandma's pajamas."

To his surprise, the bids came fast and fierce. Starting at ¥3,000, the price quickly climbed past ¥10,000. Some offers trickled in ¥500 at a time, others threw down chunks of cash like it was confetti. Eventually, it landed on ¥72,000. Not quite the ¥100,000 he fantasized about, but still more than enough to call it a successful sale.

"Seventy-two grand for a glorified bathrobe," Dawei chuckled. "Let's call that the Wrench Fund."

He had no intention of selling the god-level wrench for now. The Weapon Master class—although a secondary branch—had massive potential. Especially when paired with Jugutra's Wrench, which gave +2 to all engineering, crafting, and weapon-based professions. It was like giving a high school student a doctorate overnight.

Sure, he'd dreamed of cashing out early. Sell a few god-level skills, maybe buy an apartment, drop gaming forever… But now? That path felt boring. With his attributes skyrocketing from the back-to-back battles, and the wrench giving him such a huge profession boost, it felt like he had momentum. The kind that could make him a legend—not just a rich dropout.

"Finish the mission first," Dawei muttered, "then we'll see. If the reward is another artifact or god-level skill, maybe I cash in. If not… Burdock's going full myth-tier."

While he slept peacefully, the gaming community was in chaos. Forums exploded. Streams speculated. Even the official Mercenary World team had to step in with a statement clarifying that Burdock—real name unknown—was not affiliated with the company. Theories flew. People even claimed he must be a GM or dev playing under a hidden account. After all, who else could kill a demigod solo?

But just as the pitchforks came out, another wave of posts hijacked the spotlight.

Someone leaked screenshots of Burdock's gear.

One thread titled "Tu Shen Burdock's Loot—What He Dropped and What It Means" went viral. In it, fans dissected each drop: the ruined god-tier books, the SS+ gear, the space pocket. Another thread analyzed the passive skill [Perfect Defense], and theorized Burdock's current stat scaling.

The result? Dawei, now known globally as Burdock the God-Slayer, had narrowly avoided being outed in real life. Nobody knew his real name. The anonymity of his Burdock character saved him from both praise and persecution, while giving him the space to do what he did best—play the game hard and win big.

Now, all eyes were watching Burdock's next move.

But only Dawei knew the truth: the real mission hadn't even begun.