Chapter 9

The One-Piece Gang members, perhaps worried that Carpe might try to escape, slowly closed in, maintaining a wide distance between each other.

However, this was their first mistake. Carpe had not the slightest intention of running away.

Without hesitation, Carpe charged at the user on the far left of the One-Piece Gang.

"Ugh, what? This guy?!"

"Fast! Be careful!"

The speed of Carpe, which was ten times faster than they imagined, caught them off guard. In an instant, Carpe was right in front of the targeted user, who, in a panic, swung his dagger horizontally.

Whoosh.

But there was no way he would hit. The difference in stats was significant, and the dagger's path, swung reflexively in a panic, was too straightforward.

Carpe easily dodged by bending his waist, and the dagger sliced through the air.

"Hah!"

Carpe's palm then flew towards the opponent's chin. With a crack, the palm struck directly, and the opponent began to stagger, as if his brain had been shaken.

"Are you crazy? What? He got stunned from a single palm strike?"

"Hey, hey! Snap out of it!"

The other gang members rushed over in shock, but Carpe was much faster. Carpe quickly moved to the back of the stunned dagger user.

"Grgh!"

Carpe then wrapped his right arm around the opponent's exposed neck and kicked the back of his knee, the popliteal fossa.

Thud! The One-Piece Gang member's knee hit the ground, and Carpe stepped hard on his back again.

Crack.

With the sound of a broken neck, the One-Piece Gang member turned gray and disappeared, leaving behind a single dagger.

[The opponent has died.]

"..."

"..."

-...Wow.

The fluidity of the combo left not only the other two gang members but even Cheonma speechless for a moment.

"Did I just see what I think I saw? Are you a former special forces member or something?"

"I, I think I've seen this in movies. Like John Wick."

X Forget it.

Although they had been harassing beginners in the starting village, they were still quite experienced in player killing (PK).

Thus, they knew from just that move that they could never defeat him, no matter what!

"Run!"

"What the hell! Did he get a hidden class after reaching level 10?! How can he move like that!"

The two immediately turned and fled.

And that was their second mistake. If they had at least fought, they might have bought some time to escape.

"Ugh!"

Carpe picked up the dropped dagger and threw it forcefully at the fleeing gang members. The dagger hit the back of the user on the left, and he fell over. Seeing another companion fall, the last remaining One-Piece Gang member, in sheer panic, tripped and fell.

Carpe picked up the dagger again and slowly walked towards the last remaining One-Piece Gang member, a young man around Carpe's age.

"Wait, just a moment. Please look at me once! If I die again, I won't be able to log in for three days... I'll have to eat nothing but instant noodles for three days."

"That's funny. Have you ever spared someone when you were PKing...?"

"Yes, I have."

"..."

What?

Carpe, who had spoken offhandedly, was taken aback by the gang member's serious response.

"I've done it twice. Once, I spared someone who promised to give me all their items, and the other time, it was a female user who was pretty. I got her number in exchange for sparing her."

"Ah, I see."

Carpe let out a hollow laugh and gripped the dagger tightly.

"So, please spare me! I'll give you all my items!"

"I don't need them. You'll drop them when you die anyway."

"I'll give you my number too!"

"Die!"

Thud.

Carpe's dagger pierced the last gang member's chest like tofu. He looked down at his own chest, then glared at Carpe with a sense of injustice.

"Every time I eat instant noodles, I'll curse you."

"You're crazy."

[The opponent has died.]

With those words, the opponent turned gray and disappeared, leaving behind a pair of wrist guards.

"Phew. It's over."

The direct combat lasted less than five minutes, but fatigue was setting in. Or perhaps the fatigue was due to the mental attack from the last gang member.

"Alright, let's gather the items..."

-Hey, what the hell are you?

"Huh? What do you mean by that all of a sudden?"

-It's not me, it's you. Why are you so good at fighting? Are you really a former special forces member? You said you've never exercised.

"I'm not a former special forces member, and I haven't even gotten my driver's license yet. I've never really exercised. But am I good at fighting? I don't really know."

-How can you say that after taking them down so quickly? And why didn't you use the sword you got from the tutorial?

"It's a dense forest. A dagger is fine, but a long sword would be cumbersome because of the trees."

-...Is this your first time playing Lase? Normally, you wouldn't think of that until you've experienced it... Oh, right. You said you only played the arena in Real Fantasia, right?

It wasn't an old conversation. If Cheonma's memory served correctly, Carpe had mentioned that he enjoyed the arena in the first virtual reality game before Lase.

-What was your rank in the arena?

"Rank? Hmm, highest rank? Or the rank before I quit?"

-Both.

"My highest rank was 2nd. It dropped a few hours later, though."

-...What?

Cheonma was shocked. 2nd place?!

-But, I've never played it, so I don't know... Was it a global server? So, 2nd in the world?

"It was, but it's not as impressive as you think. When I hit 2nd place, the game was already rumored to be a piece of crap, and most users had left."

-Still, that's impressive...

If many users had left, it meant that those who remained were hardcore players. Of course, some might have stayed out of necessity, like Carpe, but most were core players who loved the game.

To hold the 2nd place even for a short time among such players was no small feat.

"The day I hit 2nd place, I was in great condition. I was also lucky. After that, my rank dropped steadily... I quit because the game room fees were too high."

-Still, 2nd place is impressive... Wait, what?

Cheonma's mouth dropped open again.

-Game room fees?

"Yes. My family isn't that well-off. The allowance I get as a college student wasn't enough to keep going. VR game room fees are really expensive."

-Did you play in a luxury premium VR room?

"No, just a regular VR room near my university."

-...Ha.

Cheonma let out a hollow laugh. He was so flabbergasted that he couldn't even speak properly.

-So, you played on an 'entry-level' VR machine?

The entry-level VR machine, 'Mark-1,' also known as a 'tin can,' was the first-generation entry-level machine that filled most neighborhood VR rooms.

Why? Because it was cheap.

And it was famous for its poor user synchronization. Cheonma had played on a 'tin can' once by chance and almost broke the machine out of frustration.

When synchronization is poor, there's a delay in recognition and response. The brain can keep up, but the body can't, leading to more than just frustration—stress.

Top pro gamers, without exception, used the latest VR machines.

-2nd in the world on a tin can... Do you really believe that? Wasn't it uncomfortable?

"No, I've never used anything else, so I can't compare. I just thought this was normal."

-So, are you still using a tin can?

"Now, I'm in the Lase Korea branch building's first-floor game room. It's an entry-level Mark-3. Oh, that's why moving was a bit easier."

-Still, it's just an entry-level machine...

Cheonma had sensed that Carpe was not ordinary, but he never imagined he was this physically gifted.

If his experience and future information were combined...

He might really put an end to the game.

Cheonma was seized by an unprecedented thrill.

-If that's the case, we need to clear that dungeon... or find other hidden pieces... and 10-star skills...

"What are you mumbling about? We should gather the items first."

-Okay. I have a rough plan. First, you need to buy the latest premium VR machine.

"Premium? Don't pro gamers use those? They're really expensive."

-Yes, those.

"I'd like to, but I don't have the money. How can a regular college student from a regular family afford a machine that costs millions?"

-There are many ways. I'll take care of it. After regressing five times, money is just a joke... Hmm?

"Huh?"

When Carpe picked up the wrist guards and checked the items of the user who had been hit by the dagger, he found an unexpected item.

-Coin.

"Items other than equipment can drop too."

-Except for bound or special items, everything drops. Hmm, this changes things a bit.

"Is there a problem?"

-Problem? No, quite the opposite. What do you think the Mammonism Guild is collecting coins for?

"Obviously... Hmm?"

I don't know.

According to that idiot Rohan, they collect coins and sell them to 'merchants' using the haggling skill.

"That's obviously a lie. Collecting and selling minor items? Helping with quests and running the One-Piece Gang? They wouldn't even cover the labor costs."

But the beginner's best strategy clearly stated...

-You're surprisingly naive.

"Huh?"

-Who do you think wrote that beginner's best strategy?

"Obviously, the guy who called it a 'crap game' or something."

-There are many users in Lase. Do you think only he writes strategy guides?

"Surely not..."

-That's right. The beginner's best strategy was written by the Mammonism Guild, by the guild leader himself.

"Wow. I thought the best strategy was something anyone could follow."

-Not at all. It's a well-written guide, which is why it's the best. Of course, they manipulated the recommendation count in the early stages, but it's fundamentally a well-written guide. Even after playing Lase for over ten years, I can nod in agreement. There's only one line of false information in that guide.

Cheonma smiled and continued.

-'Coins are minor items, so sell them to the shop to get some early potions.'

A single line of falsehood hidden among countless truths by Mammonism.

A 10-star player who became strong through luck.