Chapter 98

**Tembal 15 - Chapter 3**

There was a mysterious figure following behind Grid's party.

He was a man with long arms that reached his knees, thick lips, and skin as black as coal, making quite an impression.

The man's name was Cassim.

He was the last descendant of the Nero race, which had been destroyed by the Saharan Empire, and was the strongest assassin known as the "King of Shadows."

"Hmm."

Cassim had been observing Grid even before he obtained the title of Duke.

He always maintained a distance of about five meters while following Grid.

Recently, due to the improvement in the skills of a young assassin named Faker, he had to keep a distance of seven meters, but it didn't significantly hinder his observation.

This was a testament to the significant gap in skill between Cassim and Faker.

"City of Vampires..."

Cassim's expression was not good when he learned of Grid's party's destination.

Vampires.

A branch of the demonic race that had settled in the human world rather than in hell.

Their strength was overwhelming.

Naturally, they were a superior species designed to prey on humans from birth.

Diving into their lair was akin to a suicidal act.

'Especially the Purebloods. While a Viscount-level Pureblood might be manageable for Duke Grid, anything higher is still a challenge.'

Cassim was well aware of the capabilities of Grid and the other Tembal members, so he was confident in this assessment.

'If they encounter a Count-level vampire, they will all be wiped out.'

Should he intervene?

No, there's no need to.

From what Cassim had observed, most of Grid's companions, including Grid himself, were users who had received the curse of immortality.

Death was not a significant penalty for them.

'Sometimes, defeat can be a good medicine.'

Isn't that right, Doran?

We've fought thousands of times, and the one who lost the previous day's sparring always won the next day.

"...I miss you."

Doran. A friend who grew up under the same master and his only rival.

Why did Grid possess the ring that Doran inherited from their master?

Cassim was puzzled and followed Grid to find out.

It didn't take long to discover the reason.

After learning that Grid was Irene's husband, all his questions were answered.

However, the reason he still lingered around Grid was because he saw the potential for Grid to grow into a counter to the Saharan Empire.

The Saharan Empire!

A den of evil spirits that not only oppressed innocent minority races but also destroyed those who refused to submit!

Cassim's hatred for the empire was immeasurable.

He wanted to witness Grid's eventual destruction of the empire from close by.

Swoosh.

Cassim's figure disappeared. He would be by Irene's side until Grid returned.

He planned to protect Irene thoroughly to prevent any situation that might hinder Grid's growth.

In the city of Raidan, where Piaro worked the fields and Asmofel trained the soldiers, Cassim was hiding.

Raidan was now much safer than when Krauzel was around. It was virtually impregnable unless a demon or dragon attacked.

Thanks to this, the city administrator, Rabbit, could focus on developing the city.

'In two months, we'll finally be able to escape the deficit. To improve the workers' efficiency, I should raise their wages. A 0.1% increase should be enough to impress them.'

While Grid was unaware, there were many talented individuals around him who positively influenced him.

All these results were a testament to Grid's own growth and changes, and he could take pride in them.

***

[You have defeated the Giant Worm.]

[You have gained 2,330,900 experience points.]

[You have defeated the Desert Toad.]

[You have gained 2,607,400 experience points.]

'Indeed, they are excellent.'

On the way to the City of Vampires.

Grid's party was advancing by slaughtering the desert monsters.

Gekkeun was constantly amazed.

'The experience points from the monsters are too high. It's almost overwhelming.'

The desert monsters gave at least 20% more experience points than the top-floor monsters in the Cocro Island dungeon.

And it didn't take much longer to hunt them.

It was like hitting a gold mine.

After Grid was appointed as the lord of Raidan, this was the reason the Tembal members dominated the top rankings.

'They say the vampires give even more experience points than the desert monsters. Perhaps I can reach level 307 on this expedition.'

The prospect of entering the top 10 rankings made Gekkeun very excited.

In contrast, Grid was full of complaints.

'The experience points are too low.'

While most users level up through hunting or quests, Grid was a special case who primarily leveled up through raids.

It was natural for him to be dissatisfied.

Considering that the Holy Knights and the elders of the Rebecca Church gave tens of millions of experience points, and Pascal gave hundreds of millions, the few million experience points from the desert monsters were pitiful.

'When will I ever reach level 300?'

The Legendary class "Pagma's Descendant" had no concept of second or third job advancements.

However, reaching level 300 would trigger a third awakening of stats, just like for regular users.

With his abnormally high stat total, Grid would become significantly stronger upon reaching level 300.

He dreamed of that day, but his current level was only 296, and his experience bar was barely half full.

Sighing, he suddenly thought of the "Fame Shop."

A system he could use after obtaining the hidden piece "Sealed Ability" and surpassing 30,000 fame.

He had examined it in detail before.

'There was an experience point buff potion.'

If he took it after entering the City of Vampires?

'I can level up rapidly!'

With a joyful heart, Grid summoned the Fame Shop.

"Fame Shop!"

Ding~

[Special service for the finest of Satisfy!]

After the inspiring message appeared, a golden carriage visible only to Grid descended from the sky.

It felt very similar to the golden carriages that occasionally visited the frontlines, where PX (Post Exchange) did not exist.

Grid was certain that the designer of this system had served in the military.

[Welcome, distinguished guest!]

<Sweet Candy>

A small lollipop!

A candy that provides a soft, natural sweetness, making it extremely delicious!

No chemical additives were used!

Effect: Eating the sweet candy increases all abilities by 30% for 5 minutes.

*Each account can purchase this item only five times.

Price: 20,000 fame.

From limited edition items with the best performance,

<Fashionable Sunglasses>

A square-framed sunglasses that is the epitome of style!

Its large size can cover half your face, making even an ugly man look handsome!

Effect: Looks handsome.

*Does not actually create or increase charm. It is a simple accessory with only a visual effect.

Price: 5,000 fame.

To useless trinkets.

The golden carriage, or rather, the Fame Shop, displayed about 30 different items.

It seemed that limited-time items were occasionally released as event items.

Regardless, there was only one item Grid needed right now.

'Where is the experience potion? Ah, found it!'

Grid's gaze fixed on a specific item.

<Draw! Draw! Draw All!>

A random vending machine!

For just 999 fame, you can get various items from the shop at a discounted price!

*Limited edition items are not included.

*There is a certain probability of obtaining an experience point boost potion.

Price: 999 fame.

'This is it!'

In Satisfy, where there was no level cap, an experience point boost potion could exponentially increase the gap between users.

Therefore, such potions were not commonly found in regular games.

However, the Fame Shop was a special place.

Only a select few users who had achieved significant accomplishments could use it, so it had to offer something worthwhile.

And that something was the experience point boost potion.

Grid was completely sold.

'It's cheap. 999 fame is less than 1,000, right?'

There are many items in the world that are priced at 29,990 won, even though they are in the 20,000 won range.

It's a marketing tactic that effectively lures people in.

'This is a chance to get an experience point boost potion at a discount!'

999 fame.

Considering that creating a unique item gave 150 fame and a legendary item gave 500 fame, it wasn't a cheap price.

However, Grid believed it was worth the investment and used 999 fame on the vending machine.

[You have purchased <Draw! Draw! Draw All!>.]

Rattle!

The items inside the machine started spinning rapidly.

And after a moment,

Clunk!

An item popped out of the machine.

[Congratulations! You have obtained a pretty hairpin!]

<Pretty Hairpin>

A beautiful and elegant hairpin.

It would make a great gift for a woman.

Weight: 0.1

"…?"

This was the result of being captivated by the experience point boost potion.

Grid had momentarily forgotten the risks of probability games.

"Damn it!"

The blue hairpin was indeed beautiful. It would complement Irene's silver hair perfectly.

However, it wasn't worth 999 fame.

After cursing, Grid picked up the hairpin and put it in his inventory, thinking of giving it to Irene.

Thinking of Irene calmed his anger.

"Well, things don't always go smoothly."

Exactly twice.

He decided to try two more times.

Grid purchased two more draws.

[Congratulations! You have obtained the most delicious skewer in the world.]

<The Most Delicious Skewer in the World>

A skewer made from the hind leg of a hell hound, marinated for 100 days and grilled with a secret sauce.

It is so delicious that even the gourmet dragon, Raiders, enjoys it.

"It's just dog meat!"

[Oops! It's a miss! Unfortunately, try your luck next time.]

"Even a miss exists?"

Before virtual reality games were released,

Grid had never experienced the mobile games that had the most users worldwide.

He had only played MMORPGs on PC.

Therefore, he was unaware of the risks of random draws and ended up in this predicament.

"Damn it! Shit!!"

Grid's anger was directed at the innocent monsters.

Until they reached the City of Vampires, Grid slaughtered more monsters than anyone else.

Even Fon and Regas were amazed by his incredible hunting speed.

"Grid is really motivated."

"Having reached a high position, he feels a strong sense of responsibility and is working even harder."

"Grid has matured even more after the guild merger. He is truly excellent."

Preconceptions can be scary.

Amidst the misunderstandings, Grid's party finally arrived at the City of Vampires.