Chapter 14

[The effect of ‘Blessing of Luck’ has been applied.]

[All Stats +22 for 600 seconds]

[Health Recovery Speed x2 for 600 seconds]

[Mana Recovery Speed x2 for 600 seconds]

[Attack Power +15 for 600 seconds]

[Defense +15 for 600 seconds]

The High Priest’s blessing descended upon the Land of Golden Light.

“Gasp!”

The Buff effects were enough to leave me speechless.

“The effects of blessings and abilities granted to those who serve the Goddess change according to the effect of Luck. The same is true of your power, Hero.”

He had already given off a benevolent yet dignified impression, but the High Priest standing within the Land of Golden Light felt like an insurmountable wall.

“It is the Goddess’s omnipotent authority, but the Hero who wields it is still lacking. That is why, when you face hardship and adversity, you must also know how to borrow the Goddess’s power.”

A golden land.

The authority to create a Land of Luck.

[Prayer of Inevitability (Unique)]

[Once is a coincidence, twice is a godsend, and three times is an inevitability. Luck is with me, so my gesture is the Goddess’s authority. I believe and follow, so inevitability follows.]

[● Low chance of activating Luck]

It was childish.

It was cringeworthy, and the words barely wanted to come out, but strangely enough, my heart pounded.

Because I had seen with my own eyes that it was a sacred power with a real effect.

How dizzy had my head gotten when I succeeded at +12 Enhancement?

Over 20 million won vanishing.

And the dopamine rush of breaking through impossible odds with ‘Luck’.

This was the power to artificially recreate that.

“Of course, there are restrictions. It is the Goddess’s authority, after all. You, as the Hero, will feel that most keenly.”

So it wasn’t something I could use whenever I wanted.

[● By reciting the Prayer of Inevitability, you may be able to wield the Land of Luck.]

A new line related to the Prayer of Inevitability had been added to the Lucky Hero Class information.

It wasn’t something you used like a Skill.

Did I just have to keep reciting it like the High Priest had?

“Do I just have to keep reciting it?”

“The prayer I passed on to you belonged to the previous Lucky Hero, and you do not need to memorize and recite its contents word for word. What matters is sincerity.”

“…Sincerity?”

“Faith and belief in the Goddess.”

“……”

“It is a prerequisite for wielding the Goddess’s authority.”

The High Priest’s words made me think it would honestly be easier to just memorize it.

Han Youngwoong was an atheist.

“Hoho. It seems difficult for you. To explain it a bit more simply, it is faith in the Goddess. Would it help if I said it is faith in your own confidence that you can see and wield the Goddess’s authority?”

“……Ah!”

I thought I understood what he meant.

He wasn’t telling me to believe in and worship the Goddess of Fortune, but that I needed to believe I could wield ‘Luck’.

Still, it felt too abstract.

This was a game.

“I will diligently recite the Prayer of Inevitability.”

There were people like that.

People who ran around digging for the truth, trying to uncover the underlying principles and fundamentals of magic inside a virtual reality game.

Han Youngwoong had neither the time nor the desire for that.

Why would I study how a Skill activated by simply shouting ‘Fireball’ was made, or how to use it without chanting?

“Once is a coincidence……”

Reciting it when no one was around wasn’t especially embarrassing.

But could I really do this in front of other people?

With a tone like some martial arts master?

“…I shouldn’t Party up.”

I had found yet another reason to go solo.

I left the temple, repeatedly reciting the prayer so I could get used to it.

– Breaking news! EasyLife is entering the final phase!

===

On my way to the forest, I stopped by the Exchange first, wanting to wrap up the First Subjugation event that was slowly nearing its end.

[All Stats are reduced by 10 due to the influence of Magi.]

[Defense is reduced by 15 due to the influence of Magi.]

[Attack Power is reduced by 5 due to the influence of Magi.]

As I approached the Cursed Ferocious Bear’s territory, the fog thickened, and my Stats began to get chipped away.

At low Levels, it was a pretty lethal Debuff, but for Han Youngwoong, wearing a +12 Enhanced top, it was barely a tickle.

“It really wouldn’t have been easy without the Enhancement.”

It had compensated for Han Youngwoong’s weakness.

Even though I had evasion, I lacked the sturdiness to hold out until ‘Luck’ activated.

But now, I had become durable enough to casually hunt while taking hits inside the Corrupted Forest, and I figured I could probably withstand one or two swipes from the Cursed Ferocious Bear.

“It’s better to be safe, right?”

I had secured a certain degree of safety, but not enough to get arrogant.

I was just about to take out the Magi Purification Water and sprinkle it when I spotted a Golden Light mixed into the Magi inside the Cursed Ferocious Bear’s territory.

“Huh?”

Golden Light mixed into Magi.

Did that mean something good was hidden inside?

For some reason, I had the ominous feeling that if I sprinkled the purification water, the Golden Light would disappear along with the Magi.

“…Should I try it?”

In the empty forest,

I muttered to myself and looked up at the sky.

I didn’t believe in gods, but in this place, the Goddess of Fortune undeniably existed.

Is it coincidence?

“A godsend… an inevitability.”

Even though I didn’t believe in gods, in a situation like this, I didn’t stop to make rational calculations like, ‘If I use the Magi Purification Water, will only the Magi disappear?’

I have to go.

My instincts were telling me so.

Of course, a realistic judgment was also backing up that decision.

“I’m not going to die anyway.”

If it got dangerous, I could use the Magi Purification Water then.

I had prepared that much.

So I stepped forward with confidence.

“Once is a coincidence, twice is a godsend, and three times is an inevitability.”

The moment I crossed the boundary into the Field Boss’s territory, stillness and chill brushed against my skin.

A wide, circular piece of land.

Inside the murky Magi-filled fog, I could see the outline of a giant bear.

It looked more like a building than a bear.

Thud- Thud-

The ground shook with each step it took, but I didn’t stop.

It was the same beast I had seen in the videos, only with Magi added on top.

Just a little faster and a little stronger than the Monsters I had faced so far.

“…Luck is with me….”

As I repeated the words endlessly, the surrounding Golden Light began to move.

“My gesture is the Goddess’s authority. I believe and follow, so inevitability follows.”

For a moment, I was so startled that I stopped reciting the prayer.

The Golden Light.

Until now, I had only known it as a place-specific aura that made things a little luckier.

But in response to the prayer I recited, the Golden Light soaked into the entire Field Boss zone and spread throughout it.

The energy rippled and gathered in my hands.

Fascinated, I kept reciting and thinking harder.

What would be the best way to use this Golden Light?

Roooar-

At some point, the giant bear had appeared right in front of me, casting a massive shadow.

Its two clasped arms crashing down felt like a building collapsing.

‘Hammer……’

The Golden Light moved according to my will.

Toward the Hammer of Fortune in my hand.

The red head of the Boing Hammer shimmered with Golden Light.

At the same time, I gripped it with both hands, drew it back behind my head, and swung it upward at the two giant arms crashing down toward me.

KABOOOM!

An explosive impact rang out.

A brilliant Golden Light burst from the point where it met the endlessly shabby Boing Hammer.

Boing!

Watching the Cursed Ferocious Bear’s arms bend miserably as its body was hurled into the air, I became certain.

“This is it!”

The Golden Light within the Land of Luck had visibly faded after using its power once.

In my urgency, I recited without pause.

“Once is a coincidence….”

The remaining Golden Light gathered on the Boing Hammer once more.

===

– Looks like the First Subjugation is about to happen?

– Is EasyLife in the lead right now?

– Who knows. There are probably plenty of users playing in another instance.

– Now that Magi Purification Water is starting to circulate, we really don’t know.

– Still, the specs looked insanely tough.

The Cursed Ferocious Bear raid had been going on for days.

Even the watching users could feel that the end was near.

– The part where it roars and bulks up is probably its last struggle. Its Health must be almost at rock bottom, right?

– I saw the info shared from the Hunter NPC Quest, and it seems about right.

There were all kinds of patterns, but the users grew stronger and more familiar with them by the day.

Amid the competition, they came back with more Enhancements, changed their weapons, and their Armor gradually became sturdier.

One more hit.

A Party that could endure just one more hit could land several more attacks, and in the end, it became a battle of who could take down the bear without making a mistake.

First Subjugation, the glorious honor and reward of being first.

[Savior of Moina Forest (Legendary)]

[A Title granted to the first Hero who saved Moina Forest, which was being covered in cursed Magi. It is proof of one who bravely defeated the puppet of the evil demon race.]

[● All Stats +5]

[● NPC Affinity in the Moina region increases to the ‘Friendly’ stage]

[● ‘Legendary’ Effect will be manifested]

Right around the time the event was heating up, the game company released information about the Title.

Because of that, users challenged the Cursed Ferocious Bear hunt even more desperately.

All Stats +5 was not a number you could just congratulate and move on from.

It was enough of a value to let someone move one or two steps ahead of everyone else and enter the next scenario first.

And then a buff item that could provide that very value appeared on the Exchange.

– What’s this Heroic Magi Purification Water?

– All Stats +5 for 120 minutes?

– If you use this on a run where you’re about to clear it, you could really beat it, right?

– Wow, it’s only 1 Gold?

– It’s an auction, lol.

– They cruelly set it for 4 hours.

It was a doping item that let you experience the Title’s All Stats effect in advance.

Naturally, the users making attempts immediately rushed to town.

They had to buy it.

Whatever the price.

– The thing that was 1 Gold is already 5 Gold.

– (Breaking) There’s no Gold left in stock for exchange lol

Not many people were even in a position to aim for it.

Even though the price of Gold had dropped a little, demand was still overflowing, and it held steady at around 1.5 million won.

That meant burning 7.5 million won on a single attempt.

And the price kept climbing.

– Scary.

– What happens if they still fail after spending all that?

– Is that Legendary Title really worth that much?

If anything, it might not have been this intense in the early days of the event.

But now, it was down to just one step.

And in the fight to see who would take that step first, the Blessed Magi Purification Water was an item that could fill that missing step.

[This item has been sold.]

In the end, it sold for 10 Gold.

This time, EasyLife smiled.

“Hahaha! Let’s go. Let’s go right now! We got it. Everyone. See? This is why you always need to keep Gold stocked up.”

This was the last attempt.

“If anyone dies because they screw up, I’m filming Yacha Rule content with that person.”

Filled with determination, he entered the Cursed Ferocious Bear’s territory with the Party members waiting in front of him, then casually uncapped the Blessed Magi Purification Water and sprinkled it.

Splash!

It was far too little to fill such a wide area, but the moment it was scattered, the Magi within that space vanished as if washed away.

At the same time, a bright light fell from the sky like a gentle rain and seeped into them.

[All Stats increase by 5 due to the influence of sacred energy.]

“We got it. Let’s go!”

All they had to do was what they had been doing all along.

“My Legendary Title, come to me!”

EasyLife was greedy.

There was nothing his overflowing money hadn’t been able to buy him.

Especially in games, there was nothing that felt impossible, but for the first time, something had been taken from him.

The Tutorial Tower.

He had been complacent.

But this time was different.

This wasn’t a race for a record, but a race to see who killed it first.

He was almost there, and he had bought the final key.

He would stab the heart of that charging bear, bring it down, and proudly claim his reward.

“Hyaaaat!”

As EasyLife followed behind the Tanker who charged ahead, a notification window that interrupted the battle appeared before his eyes.

[Congratulations! ‘Han Youngwoong’ has succeeded in the First Subjugation of the Field Boss ‘Cursed Ferocious Bear’.]

(T/N: What a scam. WTH. Sold an item for 10g then finished the raid by himself. )