Chapter 17

Many users watched the Act 1 event and left comments.

– It’s only a fun event for the vanguard.

– Magi taking over a town? Is that even possible? That’s basically the end of the server.

– Whether they clear it or not, I honestly don’t care.

===

The Heroes who had been diligently pushing at the front.

For casual users who simply enjoyed the game, excluding them, it honestly wasn’t the kind of event they could get deeply immersed in.

There hadn’t been enough time yet for the fear of what it meant for Magi to overrun a town to really sink in.

Even so, many people watched, and a blessing descended upon the village of Moina, which had regained its peace.

[The Magi in the village of Moina has been completely cleared.]

[The Goddess’s blessing will remain over the Moina region for 14 days.]

[● EXP Gained +30%]

[● All Stats +3]

[● Item Drop Rate +10%]

[● 10% discount on all goods]

The raid against the Cursed Ferocious Bear hadn’t been a simple Quest that ended with the defeat of a Field Boss.

It was part of Fantasia’s massive Main Quest, one whose roots had not even been properly revealed yet.

The boundary around the Moina region, which had been blocked off by Magi, disappeared, effectively opening the way to other regions.

– We can leave the forest now.

– Holy crap. Now this really feels like an open world.

– I’m going to look for a dungeon.

– I need to get ahead of everyone and gather herbs first.

===

Naturally, the next region would have higher-level Monsters, but combat wasn’t the only important content in Fantasia.

A vast continent.

There were many explorers who wandered around avoiding Monsters in order to find rare resources or discover dungeons.

And the blessing, in particular, became a factor that made growth much easier for latecomers and casual users.

– Han Youngwoong! Han Youngwoong!

– The hope of all gold farmers.

– Seriously, how much Gold is this Buff worth? We can move up to hunting grounds one level higher.

===

Users who had been hesitant to hunt because of the unexpectedly high difficulty cautiously started heading out to the hunting grounds.

There were many other fields besides Moina Forest, and now that the Magi had been cleared, active exploration began in earnest.

The place was bustling with life.

What had been unlocked along with the first step of Fantasia’s Main Quest was far broader and more profitable than anyone had expected.

Moreover, users were gradually reaching the level needed for a Class Change.

They changed into the Classes they wanted in town, learned Skills, developed their own unique strengths, found the game even more enjoyable, and became even more deeply absorbed in it.

[● 1 Gold : 1,967,000 Won]

And in the middle of all this, the price of Gold actually started moving against the expected trend.

With the number of new users hitting a new high every day and more and more users farming Silver, the amount being released should have been massive, so the fact that the price was rising was absurd.

– Is this the dollar? Why does the exchange rate go up every day?

– It was around 1.7 million on the first day of open beta, so why is it 2 million after only a week!

– Today’s price is tomorrow’s low.

– Forget U.S. stocks. Buy Fantasia Gold.

===

“…I should exchange some for cash now.”

In the middle of this boom, it felt like the price would climb even more if he waited, but he decided to set aside money for next month.

Just in case he went insane again and started hammering away at a Golden Light patch.

He just needed to leave himself enough that even if he burned through his entire fortune, he could recover without panicking.

“Thirty Gold should be enough.”

After buying the Holy Water, he had about 59 Gold left.

Since it was a Unique-grade hammer, even just getting it to +3 Enhancement would obviously cost far more than normal.

[30 Gold transaction complete]

[54,000,000 Won withdrawal complete]

It was the most money he had ever earned in his life, but he felt strangely calm.

“Phew.”

What he felt was relief more than joy.

The feeling that he no longer had to worry about his younger sister’s hospital bills, which had to be paid even if he went hungry.

With this much, he could pour everything into the game for the next few months without affecting her treatment.

“Shall we go?”

The remaining 30 Gold was more than enough.

He had wondered whether he had left too much, but the moment he arrived at the enhancement forge, he realized he had made the right choice.

[Hammer of Fortune (Unique)]

[+0 → +1 Enhancement]

[● Success Rate: 30%]

[● Failure Rate: 70%]

[● Required Materials: 5 Gold]

(T/N : TF. In all my time as a gamer I havent seen a very low success rate for just a +1 lol )

“Why are they backwards?”

He opened and closed the window several times at the bizarre sight of the success and failure rates being reversed.

Of course, nothing changed.

What shocked him even more was the amount of Gold required.

“So this is where all the money for the Temple of Fortune came from.”

The vicious Enhancement cost was enough to make anyone’s jaw drop, as if the temple had been built by squeezing the legendary Lucky Hero dry.

His hands trembled.

Compared to this, the top he had enhanced for 1 Silver to get +1 looked adorable.

Five Gold per attempt.

At a 30% chance, even by expected value alone, it would take over 15 Gold.

“I need to succeed on the first try if I want any money left.”

He had no intention of spending all 30 Gold he had left.

He had safely exchanged 30 Gold for cash, and originally he had planned to use maybe 5 Gold while saving the rest for something else or exchanging it later.

But now it felt like even if all his Gold was wiped out, he might still fail to reach +3 Enhancement.

To make matters worse, there wasn’t even a Golden Light patch over the enhancement forge today.

“Hoo.”

He steadied himself.

He had to stay calm at times like this.

Since when had he ever relied entirely on Golden Light patches?

A certain inevitability was nice, but he had something else that had followed him all his life.

Luck.

“This is actually better.”

The lower the odds, the better it triggers.

He raised the hammer and muttered.

“Once is a coincidence, twice is a godsend.”

Even though he knew he probably looked insane muttering to himself in a place with no Golden Light patch, he repeated it like a jinx while trying to recall the sensation in his hand.

The person who used to open Lucky Boxes saying you just had to do it without thinking was nowhere to be seen.

“Please.”

Ten million Won in one shot.

Just don’t let the worst-case scenario happen, where it fails and vanishes into nothing.

Clang!

[Enhancement Failed]

But the world was not so generous.

No matter how much Luck you had, it wouldn’t smile on you every time.

“Kuaaaack!”

He grabbed his head over the 5 Gold that had evaporated and rolled around on the floor.

It was far too much money to simply brush off with, ‘Oh well, it failed.’

You had to invest when it was time to invest if you wanted to make bigger money.

He had already proven that and believed it, but the sense of dissonance was unavoidable for someone who had never lived that kind of life before.

“What’s with him?”

“Looks like he failed.”

“Isn’t that Han Youngwoong?”

“Judging by the underwear and the Title, I think it is.”

(T/N: Yep. Truly a gag-character lol)

“I think he’s enhancing the Boing Hammer.”

“What level is it failing at? There’s no aura, so it must be low enhancement.”

“Don’t tell me… the 70% failure rate?”

“Wow.”

Hearing the people in the enhancement forge whispering around him, he pulled himself together.

“Hoo.”

What rose in him was stubbornness, not embarrassment.

He mentally lashed himself for even briefly thinking about stopping.

“I can’t be the kind of guy who runs away after spending 5 Gold.”

Besides, retreat wasn’t even an option.

As long as he didn’t give up on being the Lucky Hero, giving up on the Main Quest was the same as declaring he would never develop this Class any further.

Clang!

[Enhancement Success!]

“Yes! This is it. This is Luck!”

It had been a close call.

Right up until the moment he stubbornly hit the button, countless thoughts had crossed his mind, like whether he should wait for a Golden Light patch or whether another town might have one.

But he had swung the hammer, and it worked.

“Calm down.”

It was still too early to celebrate.

It was only +1 Enhancement.

The chance of reaching +2 was 20%.

Fortunately, the Gold cost seemed to remain 5 Gold up to +3 Enhancement.

Clang!

[Enhancement Success!]

“That’s right!”

He hit the enhancement button in a surprise attack while pretending to think about something else, and it succeeded.

Just one more step.

At that moment, Han Youngwoong’s eyes could see nothing except the hammer on the anvil.

He tried talking to it.

“It’s exactly four tries. If it doesn’t stick within four tries, I really won’t have the money to enhance anymore. I’m only giving you three tries.”

Vwoong-

He hallucinated the hammer vibrating.

“Now!”

Clang!

[Enhancement Failed]

“Right now!”

Clang!

[Enhancement Failed]

“…Guess it wasn’t. Sorry. I misunderstood.”

He steadied himself again and recited the prayer of inevitability.

Clang!

[Enhancement Success!]

“Knghhhh. Huuuhhh.”

It had been nerve-racking right until the end.

Looking only at the probabilities, it might have looked like the fuss of someone who always got lucky.

But for Han Youngwoong, this was yet another enhancement session that had drained his entire fortune.

“I’ve got 3 Gold left.”

He laughed blankly.

Still, he comforted himself with the thought that he had at least managed to finish as what people would call a ‘victorious idiot.’

===

Right below the head of the Boing Hammer, a tiny pair of wings had sprouted.

They were no bigger than a palm and didn’t stand out much, but they were pure white and attached like angel wings, which made them look special.

Wings on a Boing Hammer didn’t exactly suit its overall appearance, but—

he wasn’t in any position to be picky.

[Quest Complete!]

Five Gold came in almost like consolation money.

He was too busy sighing in relief and feeling happy to think about anything else.

It really had been close.

The thought of trying again later after earning more Gold was terrifying to even imagine, when every single attempt cost 5 Gold.

So he prayed.

Fortunately, it worked.

[Hammer of Fortune (Unique)]

[+3 Enhancement (1st Seal Release)]

[A divine weapon bestowed by the Goddess of Fortune upon her beloved first Lucky Hero.]

[A restriction has been placed on its power in order to preserve the order of the world.]

[● Lucky Hero Exclusive Item]

[● Attack Power +1]

[● Lucky Strike (Unique): 1% chance to apply ‘????’ additional attack power]

[● Lucky Harvest (Unique): 1% chance to apply ‘????’ additional acquisition rate]

Even so, it felt like a worthy reward for all the money he had poured into it.

Two Unique Options.

Could there really be a better weapon than this in Fantasia?

There was just one disappointing thing.

Its attack power was still only 1.

“So I’m supposed to hunt with luck, huh?”

In low-level hunting grounds, his Stats were so overwhelming that he could still hunt even when Luck didn’t trigger.

But as the Monster level rose, it seemed inevitable that he would eventually have to fight in a way that matched the characteristics of the Lucky Hero Class.

The Skills he would gain as he grew and the Options on his weapon were all pointing in that direction.

“Does that mean items drop more easily?”

The Lucky Harvest Option was easy to understand.

Kill Monsters with luck, and obtain better rewards with luck.

He was filled with anticipation, because he had already seen the damage displayed as ‘????’ send even the Cursed Ferocious Bear flying away in just two hits.

“I should leave before I spend more.”

Having finished the enhancement, he left the enhancement forge.

It had once been a place full of good memories from the days of his +12 enhanced top.

Now it had become a place of fear.

If he converted the Gold he had spent at the enhancement forge into cash…

“How am I supposed to do the next enhancement?”

Even if a Golden Light patch covered not only the enhancement forge but the entire town, once he reached +4 and beyond, each attempt would cost 8 Gold, so he wouldn’t be able to press the button freely.

The only consolation was that he would receive a 10% discount thanks to his enhancement Title.

“I don’t think 10% is anywhere near enough.”

He pushed the future problem aside.

If he worked even harder, he would eventually gather enough to enhance again even after selling the necessary Gold, just like today.

Staring at his empty wallet once more, he began moving mechanically toward the next Quest.

===

The moment Act 1’s Main Quest was completed and the barrier around Moina, the so-called starting village, was lifted, a few complaints slowly began appearing on Fantasia Life, even amid the users’ daily festive mood.

– I got PKed outside the village ㅠㅠ

– Four people suddenly attacked and killed me in a hunting ground. Is there no way to report them?

===

A word unfamiliar to users who had simply been enjoying the game until now.

The appearance of users who hunted other users instead of Monsters was still minor, but it quickly emerged as a problem on Fantasia Life.

– Be careful. When you die, they use a skill called Corpse Looting, and if you’re unlucky, they can steal your items or money.

===

This wasn’t simply an act done for fun, but part of a legitimate Class’s activity, so to ordinary users, especially those uninterested in combat, it was bound to feel frightening and grim.

In the middle of this, a post presumed to be from a PK user was uploaded to Fantasia.

– For an Assassin, killing users is more profitable than killing Monsters. There’s a Class-exclusive skill that lets you steal items if your special stat, Luck, is higher than the target you killed. There are several Penalties for becoming a murderer, and on the other hand, if a murderer is killed, there’s also a chance they’ll drop items depending on the Luck difference, so please don’t hate us too much and just accept it as part of a game with a high degree of freedom. – Assassin Guild Master

===

Sure enough, there was no official statement from the game company.

The playstyles of users who were gradually changing into a variety of unique Classes were finally beginning to reveal themselves.

(T/N : Interesting concept. )