Lobby And City

## **After War-Ridden City**

(Ch33) Kieran teleported from the Newbie Dungeon to his room. He started by checking his loot, until he heard explosions from his room; he learned that there was a guild war happening. The game system then told Kieran rules about the game:

[Shop: Sells all kinds of raw materials, bullets, basic weapons, protective gear, medicine, etc. Provides player with skill leveling services.] (Ch33)

[Forum: A place where players meet up to communicate and trade.]

[Dungeon: Single Player, Team Dungeon World.]

[Tip 1: In the Single Player Dungeon, cooldown time is 1 week per entry. No matter how long that takes, it equals to 1 hour in real life]

[Tip 2: Team Dungeon (At least 2 Players), cooldown time is 1 month per entry]

[Tip 3: You have to enter the Single Player Dungeon or Team Dungeon at least once every 3 months. Those who do not enter, will be disqualified and considered dead in the game.]

He spent time learning about skill points, and how to level up skills. He then looked at forums and the market, to figure out how much to sell his two [Tekken-II]'s for. Upon entering the Forum, he chose the nickname "2567". He posted the rocket launchers and logged out.

When he logged back in, the best offer for the launchers was from Lawless, who caught Kieran's attention. One of the [Tekkon-II]s was sold, and Kieran sold the other one to Lawless for a blueprint and a cooldown reset card.

[Name: Basic Medicine Crafting Platform Blueprint] (Ch35)

[Type: Instruction Blueprint]

[Rarity: Common]

[Prerequisites: Medical and Medicinal Knowledge (Basic)]

[Remarks: It’s just a basic bandage crafting method, don’t get your hopes up! There’s a small chance of crafting a high quality gauze bandage!]

[Name: Single Player Dungeon Cooldown Reset Card] (Ch35)

[Type: Card]

[Rarity: Common]

[Attributes: Resets the cooldown for a single player in the dungeon]

[Remarks: To a coward, it’s useless; to an adventurer, it is priceless]

After the sales, Kieran used what he earned to upgrade skills.

[Sharp Weapon (Dagger) (Basic → Entry). Pay 200 Points to upgrade. Yes/No?] (Ch 36-37)

[Evading (Basic → Entry). Pay 200 Points to upgrade. Yes/No?]

[Hand-to-hand Combat (Basic → Entry). Pay 200 Points to upgrade. Yes/No?]

[Medical Treatment (Basic → Entry). Pay 200 Points to upgrade. Yes/No?]

[Medical and Medicinal Knowledge (Basic → Entry). Pay 200 Points to upgrade. Yes/No?]

[Tracking (Basic → Entry). Pay 800 Points to upgrade. Yes/No?]

[Hand-to-Hand Combat (Entry → Master), Pay 1,500 Points, 1 Skill Point to level up. Yes/No?]

[Firearm (Light Firearm) (Entry → Master), Pay 1,000 Points, 1 Skill Point to level up. Yes/No?]

[Tracking (Entry → Master), Pay 3,000 Points, 2 Skill Points to level. Yes/No?]

He upgraded all of his other skills as well.

Kieran learned that when he reaches [Master] in a skill, he has to choose an attribute, which strengthens an aspect of the skill. After upgrading all of his skills as much as he could, he waited for Lawless to come back online before using the cooldown card and entering the next dungeon. (Ch37)

## **After The Failed Great Detective**

(Ch64) Kieran returns to his lobby and immediately receives his dungeon results, notices the explosions from the guild war are still going on, and gets healed by the game system. He then inspects the [Primus Arm] that he had earned just before exiting the dungeon.

[Name: Primus Arm] (Ch64)

[Type: Protective Gear [Left Wristband)]

[Rarity: Legendary]

[Defense: Extremely strong]

[Attributes: 1. Primus Scale; 2. Primus Crunch; 3. Primus Greed]

[Special Effects: None]

[Prerequisites: None]

[Remarks: The Pope of the Church of Dawn wished to keep the millennium treasure safe, so he bred a special breed of giant crocodile called Primus. Primus was enforced with alchemy, which made it even stronger, but it was robbed of its senses in the process, making it impossible for anyone to control it. As a result, it became the last straw that crushed the Church of Dawn.]

[Primus Scale: When the skill is active, a force shield will appear with 3 Sturdiness (stronger than supreme protective equipment), Lasts 3 seconds, 2 times/day]

[Primus Crunch: When the skill is active, it grants the user the strength and sharpness of Primus itself. Effects: Left hand Sharpness +2 (equal to a strong attack with a sharp weapon), Sturdiness +2 (equal to strong protective gear), Lasts 10 seconds, 1 time/day]

[Primus Greed: When using Primus Crunch, the Lifesteal Effect is activated, recovers 10% of Damage dealt to HP]

Kieran was very excited about the riches he could get from selling this legendary item, but as he was about to contact Lawless he realized that he did not just want enough money to cure his illness, he wanted enough money to live comfortably; Kieran decided against selling the [Primus Arm]. He looked at the jewels he had savenged during the fight against Primus, finding only one of any real value, along with a few jewel fragments.

[Name: Cracked Topaz] (Ch64)

[Type: Jewel]

[Rarity: Rare]

[Attributes: When embedded on weapons or protective gear, it provides the weapon with 4-8 points of Lightning Damage, and the protective gear with 4%-8% Lightning Resistance]

[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]

[Remarks: Its value surpasses that of a normal jewel.]

Kieran asked Lawless how much the fragments went for, and Lawless explained that he could either sell them or embed them, along with the prices associated with each option. He then looked at the cost to upgrade all of his skills, realizing that even if he sold all of his jewels, he would not have enough to upgrade everything. He decided not to sell the [Cracked Topaz], realizing its potential to make a player stronger. Kieran wanted to immediately enter in another dungeon, but the week-long cooldown stopped him, along with his aversion to team player dungeons. He finished calculating the costs of upgrading his skills, and decided on which ones to upgrade, but he still needed more points, so he contacted Lawless in order to sell the fragments. Lawless introduced Kieran to Blacksmith, who bought all the fragments, and Kieran asked Lawless to find a dagger and gauntlet that Kieran could buy.

After Kieran and Blacksmith left the group chat, Lawless was contacted by another player named Monien the Broker. Broker wanted Lawless’s help in gathering together players for a team player dungeon run for their client Starbeck, and asked Lawless specifically to ask Kieran to join.

When Kieran logged back in, he was met with a trade offer from Lawless for a gauntlet.

[Name: Tiger’s Finger (Right Hand)] (Ch67)

[Type: Gauntlet]

[Rarity: Great]

[Attacking Power: Weak]

[Attributes: None]

[Effects: None]

[Prerequisites: None]

[Remarks: It might look like a punk accessory, but it sure can throw a punch if you know how to use it!]

Kieran bought it, then contacted Blacksmith asking to embed the [Cracked Topaz] into the [Tiger’s Finger]. After completing the transaction Kieran received his new gauntlet.

[Name: Lightning Tiger’s Finger (Right Hand)] (Ch67)

[Type: Gauntlet]

[Rarity: Great]

[Attack: Common]

[Attributes: Lightning Enhancement]

[Effects: None]

[Prerequisites: Hand-to-hand Combat (Entry)]

[Remarks: This is a product of embedding.]

[Lightning Enhancement: Each attack will trigger 4-8 Points of Lightning Damage Effect]

With his remaining points, Kieran upgraded several skills.

[Hand-to-hand Combat (Master→Pro), costs 4,000 Points, 2 Skill Points, Yes/No?] (Ch67-68)

[Firearm Weapon (Light Firearm) (Master→Pro), costs 3,000 Points, 2 Skill Points, Yes/No?]

[Evading (Master→Pro), costs 3,500 Points, 2 Skill Points, Yes/No?]

[Undercover (Master→Pro), costs 3,500 Points, 2 Skill Points, Yes/No?]

[Tracking (Master→Pro), costs 6,000 Points, 4 Skill Points, Yes/No?]

[Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Arts, (Basic→Entry), Received lecture from skill instructor, cost dropped to 2,500 Points, 1 Golden Skill Point, Yes/No?]

[Barsical Kick, (Basic→Entry), costs 3,000 Points, 2 Skill Points]

[Name: Explosive Weapon (Explosion) Master]

[Name: Lockpicking (Master)]

Kieran noticed that his attributes were upgrading at a slower rate than before, and in some cases they were being capped. Kieran was about to search for grenades to purchase, when Lawless contacted him, explaining that Broker was looking for Kieran. Lawless told him that Monien wanted to hire Kieran for a team dungeon run, and gave his price. Kieran told Lawless how many Pro level skills he had, along with the number of dungeon runs he has, and Lawless managed to double Kieran’s pay. Kieran agreed to do the team dungeon run; he and Lawless then signed team contracts.

Kieran asked Lawless more about the nature of the game, such as the rule that players need to do one dungeon per 3 months. Lawless told Kieran that if you do not do the dungeon run, then an accident will end up killing them in real life. The only way to avoid that fate is to complete 30 dungeon runs. Lawless introduced Cornelia the Witch, the only person to reach that goal. Lawless told Kieran about the Witch, and how she had started many wars and killed many players. Lawless also talked about Broker, and how he earned the Unique Title, The Broker.

Then Starbeck, No.1, No.2, and Zwayne joined the team group chat. They agreed that the dungeon run would start in an hour, to give time for people to finish preparing. Kieran bought [U-11] grenades, a set of [Shop Equipment], and used the blueprint Lawless had sold him for the rocket launcher before.

[Name: Basic Medicine Crafting Platform] (Ch71)

[Type: Automated Platform]

[Rarity: Minted (Constant)]

[Attributes: Consumes 2 pieces of raw material within 1 hour, Able to create 1 piece of gauze bandage, 3% chance of creating a Quality Gauze Bandage.]

[Special Effects: None]

[Remarks: This is an automated crafting platform. All you need to do is to put enough alcohol and gauze, and you can create unlimited gauze bandages.]

After an hour, they all met back up and entered the dungeon. (Ch71)

After Prison On The Island

(97) Once back in his lobby, Kieran looked at his rewards, specifically the special dungeon he had unlocked;

[Final Player Rating SSS, Acquired Special Dungeon] (Ch97)

[Special Dungeon: The Shaman’s Partner]

[The Shaman’s Partner: Your performance in Alcatraz Prison has caught the attention of a shaman on the West Coast. You have been invited by the shaman to work as his assistant to solve several puzzling mysteries…]

[Main Mission: Starts after entering the dungeon]

[Remark 1: The Shaman’s Partner and Prison on the Island exist in the same universe.]

[Remark 2: The Special Dungeon will not be counted towards the dungeon entries of the player.]

[Remark 3: The Special Dungeon difficulty will be the same as the dungeon where the player acquired the Special Dungeon.]

[Remark 4: The Special Dungeon requires the player to clear a single player or team dungeon. After the cooldown resets, it will automatically begin.]

[Remark 5: The Special Dungeon has a single player or team dungeon option. A team dungeon will grant all teammates the same authority. They will work on the same side as the initiator and the Main Mission difficulty will be determined according to the different dungeon entry numbers of the players.]

[Remark 6: If the player fails the Main Mission of the Special Dungeon, they will have to suffer a penalty equal to the player’s current dungeon entries.]

He realized this dungeon was a good opportunity to get whatever rewards the bronze coffin contained. Lawless and Starbeck messaged Kieran, and Kieran asked Lawless how much he could sell the [WK-22] machine guns and the [Soul Shards] for. Lawless introduced Kieran to the Bazaar. Kieran left his lobby and headed toward the bullet train which was the only public transportation available in the city. After disembarking, Kieran met with Lawless and they went to the secret bazaar. Kieran and Lawless paid the entry fee, then went through an oil painting which took them to the actual bazaar. Immediately they met Broker who introduced himself and greeted Kieran. Lawless then gave Kieran a tour before taking him to the auction, where all the good items were. They entered the queue to see if Kieran’s loot could be put into the auction, where Registrar Zorl appraised the items and made that decision. The two [WK-22]’s were easily accepted, but Zorl personally bought the four [Soul Shards] from Kieran instead of putting them into the auction. When he was done with Zorl, Kieran and Lawless waited for the auction to start where Kieran felt someone staring at him with malicious intent. The auction started and a player named Nobian, the one who was staring at Kieran, bought one of the [WK-22]’s at a high price. Nobian approached Kieran and started talking to him; he asked if Kieran had any more strong weapons for sale, and was overall very courteous. Kieran did not forget the malicious stare, though, and quickly ended the conversation. Lawless told Kieran about Nobian, and explained Advanced Skills, how lone wolves need to be careful when choosing what skills to upgrade and how to supplement lower skills with items. They spent the rest of the day talking and wandering around the bazaar, but had no luck in finding anything worth buying. As the bazaar reached its end, Lawless and Kieran left and went separate ways.

Kieran went back to his lobby and thought about what Lawless told him about the Spirit attribute, along with what Guntherson had taught him in The Failed Great Detective. Kieran started manually practicing [Knight of Dawn Body Tempering Art] using Guntherson’s teachings, and eventually discovered that through this training he can make it cheaper to upgrade the skill. He then used his points to upgrade some skills;

[Name: Hand-to-Hand Combat (Grand Master)] (Ch103-104)

[Name: Tracking (Grand Master)]

[Name: Mystical Knowledge (Master)]

He asked Lawless about the skills [Alchemy], [Potionology], [Astrology], and [Research of Mystical Beings] which he needed in order to continue upgrading [Mystical Knowledge], but Lawless recommended that those skills were too expensive for lone wolves to even think about pursuing. Kieran temporarily forgot about those skills and continued training [Knight of Dawn Body Tempering Art]. Later, Lawless showed Kieran some boots that were for sale;

[Name: Iron Flaming Boots]

[Type: Heavy Boots]

[Rarity: Great]

[Attack: Weak]

[Defense: Common]

[Attributes: Second Grade Fire Enhancement]

[Effects: Master of Kicks]

[Prerequisites: None]

[Remarks: Its creator had originally been making a different type of boots, but obviously they failed! Sometimes failure does not mean game over, though!]

Second Grade Fire Enhancement: Triggers 1-2 Fire Damage every time you attack with a kick.]

Kieran bought them, and continued upgrading skills;

[Name: Evading (Grand Master)] (Ch104)

[Name: Undercover (Grand Master)]

[Name: Firearm Weapon (Light Firearm) (Grand Master)]

Kieran went back to training [Knight of Dawn Body Tempering Art] until the dungeon cooldown reset. (Ch104)

## After Wandering Beast

(Ch132) [Third Dungeon: Wandering Beast]

[Dungeon Type: Free World]

[Dungeon Difficulty: Low]

[Main Mission: Find out the truth within 2 weeks!]

[Mission Completion: 100% (Rating: F)]

[Sub Mission 1: The Informant’s Aide]

[Mission Completion: 100% (Rating F→E)]

[Sub Mission 2: Unknown Attacker]

[Mission Completion: 100% (Rating E→D)]

[Sub Mission 3: Final Fight]

[Mission Completion: 100% (Rating D→C)]

[Battle Performance: Very Active (Rating C→B)]

[Exploration Performance: Average]

[Special Rating 1: Greatly shortened dungeon time (Rating B→A)]

[Special Rating 2: Eliminated Paul the Tamer (Rating A→S)]

[Special Rating 3: Assisted in eliminating Trumbo (Rating S→SS)]

[Acquired Title: Spectre Buster (Rep +1) (While Ghost Buster is active, kill 300 formless souls in one battle)]

[Spectre Buster: When the title is active, +10% Attack and Defense against Enemies in Spirit Form, A certain percentage is required to induce [Fear], Some places welcome you, while other places expel you!]

[Final Rating: SS]

[Calculating Player’s Third Dungeon Reward…]

[Player’s Final Reward is as follows…]

[Points: 10,000; Skill Points: 6; Golden Skill Points: 1; Golden Attribute Points: 1]

Back at his lobby, Kieran compared his new rewards with the rewards he got from Prison on the Island, noting that the latter had both a higher difficulty and a better rating. He put down the rocket launchers and other heavy loot he carried with him before considering how he might have been able to score a better rating in Wandering Beast, then he looked through his loot and used a skill book.

[Name: Cobra-I] (Ch132)

[Type: Rocket Launcher]

[Rarity: Excellent]

[Attack: Powerful]

[Magazines: 1 Round]

[Attributes: None]

[Effects: None]

[Prerequisites: Firearm Weapon (Heavy Firearm, Basic)]

[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]

[Remarks: The armor-penetrating effect might vary depending on the type of rocket round that you use, if you even have such a rocket.]

[Name: BK-20] (Ch132)

[Type: Firearm]

[Rarity: Excellent]

[Attack: Strong]

[Magazines: 100 Rounds]

[Attributes: None]

[Effects: None]

[Prerequisites: Firearm Weapon (Medium Firearm, Entry)]

[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]

[Remarks: A big amount of 5.56 mm bullets is the key to unleashing its destructive power!]

[Name: MG-08] (Ch132)

[Type: Firearm]

[Rarity: Excellent]

[Attack: Strong]

[Magazines: 250 Rounds]

[Attributes: Armor Penetration Lvl 1, Rapid Shooting Lvl 1]

[Effects: None]

[Prerequisites: Firearm Weapon (Medium Firearm, Master)]

[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]

[Remarks: 250 rounds is definitely not the limit. An extension might be possible if you remember to modify the reloading method.]

[Armor Penetration Lvl 1: Able to pierce light armor (Weak or Common Defense)]

[Rapid Shooting Lvl 1: Increases shooting speed (350 rounds per minute)]

[Name: Paul’s Camouflage] (Ch132)

[Type: Armor]

[Rarity: Magical]

[Defense: Strong]

[Attributes: Hiding lvl 2, Nimbleness Lvl 2]

[Effects: None]

[Prerequisites: None]

[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]

[Remarks: Paul had named his pet bear Paul as well. The bear was brought up with Paul’s special raising method, and it grew to an extraordinary size. Its size did not affect its nimbleness or specialty to hide itself though.]

[Hiding Lvl 2: Increases 20% Hiding Effect during Undercover or Hiding]

[Nimbleness Lvl 2: Armor will not affect your movements]

[Skill Learned: Burning Hand] (Ch132)

[Name: Burning Hand (Basic)]

[Related Attributes: None]

[Skill Type: Offensive]

[Effects: A 45-degree cone-shaped fire with a length of two meters will strike and inflict Strong Level Damage. There’s also a small chance of inflicting Burn Damage. (Burn Damage: Target is inflicted with a Burn for 1 second, If the authentication of their Constitution is lower than E Rank, Target will carry the Debuff for another 4 seconds, until the Burn Debuff ends.)]

[Consumes: 1 Cracked Rank Ruby and Jagen Volcanic Ash]

[Prerequisites: Mystical Knowledge (Entry)]

[Remarks: This is a spell that requires a hand gesture and tribute items. To make full use of the skill, every gesture must be done in a certain order. If you don’t want the spell to backfire, you have to remember the gestures!]

Kieran tried to learn the Potion Prescriptions: [Holy Blessing Potion Prescription]; [Beginner Healing Potion Prescription]; [Beginner Fire Resistant Potion Prescription]; [Underwater Breathing Potion Prescription]; (Ch 133) but he did not have any of the prerequisite skills so he was unable to learn any of them. He was disappointed that he was unable to use these potion prescriptions to get stronger quickly to revisit the bronze coffin, but comforted himself by recalling that he was already planning on learning Potionology, the needed prerequisite skill.

Kieran then contacted Lawless, sending him screenshots of the loot he wanted to sell, including the [Viper-M1], [Alloy Blade], [Soul Shard]s, and the rocket launchers and light machine guns. Lawless told Kieran that when the Secret Bazaar is not in session, Broker will only buy loot at a reduced price, making Kieran decide to sell his loot through someone other than Broker. Lawless gave Kieran the address to the Harvest Inn, which Kieran left his lobby for. Once Kieran arrived at the Harvest Inn, he realized that it was another player’s lobby, and entered it with the player’s permission. Once inside, Lawless shouted out Kieran’s name, attracting the attention of every player within the Inn; they all watched as Kieran went over to Lawless and Lawless introduced Kieran to Rachel, the owner of the Inn.

Rachel revealed that every player at the Inn was waiting for the auction that Lawless was going to host in order to sell Kieran’s loot, Rachel welcomed the business that the action was bringing her. When the auction started, Kieran was shocked to see the players aggressively bidding for his loot when Lawless explained they were all rich veterans who were struggling to find good weapons because of Broker’s price gouging and stringent terms.

Kieran noticed the weapons with attributes sold for higher prices than those without, and Lawless started explaining alchemy and enchanting. The veterans started teasing Lawless, when Nobian, the player who glared at Kieran during Broker’s Auction, approached them and started a conversation with Kieran and bought all the player’s in the Inn a round of drinks. While everyone drank, they waited for a player called Lemour the Alchemist who was the most trusted enchanter among the veterans. She introduced herself to Kieran after getting some liquor from Rachel and expressed her interest in buying the [Soul Shard]s from Kieran. Kieran asked if he could trade the shards for a [Potionology] skill book. Lawless tried to change Kieran’s mind, explaining that many players had tried to learn [Potionology] but failed due to the difficulty and extreme costs associated with the skill, but Kieran pressed on. Lemour unfortunately had nothing related to [Potionology]. Kieran sent her a screenshot of his [Jagdtiger-X1], asking if she could enchant the Armor Penetration attribute to Lvl 3, but that was outside of her skill level. Kieran decided then to enchant the [Jagdtiger-X1] with Critical Damage.

The auction and his deal with Lemour was over, but as Kieran was about to leave the Inn, Nobian messaged him saying he had a [Potionology] skill book. Kieran mulled over his suspicion of Nobian and the penalty for player killing in the game before interrogating Nobian about the deal. Nobian told him that the skill book and other [Potionology] related items belonged to his player friend named General, and told Kieran that Lawless would be able to tell him about General before ending the conversation. Still at the Inn, Kieran did ask Lawless about General despite knowing the whole conversation he just had was a trap. Lawless got angry at the name, and said General was a rival in his mercenary business but said little more than that before leaving.

Kieran arrived at Nobian’s lobby, as Kieran became more and more convinced that Nobian was a player killer. Nobian came out of his lobby and asked Kieran to come with him to the train station to pick up General so they could trade for the [Potionology] equipment. They went into an alley where Nobian then attacked Kieran, but to his surprise Kieran expected the attack and quickly retaliated with some kicks. With the combination of [Iron Flaming Boots] and  [Primus Scale], Kieran was able to quickly kill Nobian.

[Player Killed: Nobian]

[Treated as self-defense through authentication]

[Categorized as an Honor Kill]

[You will receive all the Points and Skill Points of the player…]

[Total: 12,000 Points and 4 Skill Points]

[Received the player’s house key]

[Granted the right to use the player’s house]

[All the player’s belongings are in their house]

[Honor Kill: 1] (Ch 140)

With the key to Nobian’s lobby, Kieran entered it and found it was very small and relatively empty. The only thing of interest was a black curtain, then when drawn back revealed a list of names, all crossed out, except for the last name, 2567. It proved that Nobian was a hitman, and his last target was Kieran. The other point of interest within the lobby was a pile of equipment:

[Name: Tessirot Blessing]

[Type: Armor]

[Rarity: Rare]

[Defense: Strong]

[Attributes: Scale of Blessing]

[Effects: None]

[Prerequisites: None]

[Remarks: Tessirot is a nomad earth element. It likes all sorts of jewels and gems, and when it collects enough, it will be happy to grant anyone it likes a blessing!]

[Scale of Blessing: When the skill is active, it grants the player a Medium Healing Effect (+200 HP) instantly. It also grants them a Medium Rock Skin Defense for one minute (Medium Rock Skin provides an extra 500 Strong Defense points. When the time is up or the 500 points are depleted, the Medium Rock Skin will disappear. When the Medium Rock Skin is active, Agility -2 Rank), can be used once a day] (Ch 141)

[Name: Burning Long Sword]

[Type: Sword]

[Rarity: Superior]

[Attack: Common]

[Attributes: Fire Empowerment]

[Special Effects: 2nd Grade Venom]

[Prerequisites: Sharp Weapon Long Sword (Entry)]

[Remarks: This is a special item with embedding craftsmanship!]

[Fire Empowerment: Each attack will inflict an additional 4-8 Burn Damage to Target]

[2nd Grade Venom: Each effective attack will force the Target to undergo a Constitution Authentication not lower than E+. If the Target fails, they will be poisoned with 5 Damage per second, duration 10 seconds. If they pass, the Target’s consumption of Stamina will increase for 5 seconds.]

[2nd Grade Venom: The effect will fade off in time, but the rarity of the sword will go down because of the corrosive attribute of the venom.] (Ch 141)

Kieran also saw a locked shelf, which he used his [Deceiver’s Key] to unlock, finding the [Title Dungeon: Blade of the Daybreaker (Sub Scroll)]; there was no [Potionology] skill book.

[Title Dungeon: Blade of the Daybreaker (Sub Scroll)]

[Blade of the Daybreaker: The Burning Daybreaker, who was stationed at the High Road, was assaulted by an unknown enemy and was heavily wounded. He was desperate to find someone that could inherit his spirit and title as the next Daybreaker!]

[Dungeon Cooldown Time: 5/10]

[Note 1: Title Dungeon will not be calculated in player’s dungeon count.]

[Note 2: Title Dungeon has a specific difficulty and is not related to the dungeon entry difficulty.]

[Note 3: This is only 1/4 of the scroll. A Sub Scroll cannot initiate a dungeon, only the Main Scroll can.]

[Note 4: The Title Dungeon initiator must have cleared at least 10 dungeons, single or team. During the 10th dungeon cooldown, the player can initiate the dungeon with the Main Scroll. Any players who have a Sub Scroll can enter the dungeon together.] (Ch 141)

When Kieran obtained the scroll, there was a knock on the door, and Lawless requested to enter the lobby. Kieran revealed he knew Lawless was following him, and let Lawless in as he put the scroll away. Kieran and Lawless brainstormed about Nobian, and the existence of a group of player killers, then Lawless accompanied Kieran back to his own lobby. Back at his own lobby, Kieran started upgrading his skills;

[Name: Hand-to-Hand Combat (Musou)]

[Related Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution]

[Skill Type: Offensive]

[Effects: Your punches and kicks are your best weapon, Increases Damage by 60%]

[Special Effects: Musou Combat Kicks (When you strike with your kicks, they temporarily grant you +3 Strength and Agility)]

[Consumes: Stamina]

[Prerequisites: Strength D, Agility D, Constitution D]

[Remarks: Your Hand-to-Hand Combat Skill is unparalleled!]

[Hand-to-Hand Combat leveled up, Related attributes increasing…]

[Strength D+ → C-]

[Agility D → D+]

[Constitution D→ D+] (Ch 143)

[Name: Firearm Weapon, Light Firearm (Musou)]

[Related Attributes: Strength, Constitution, Intuition]

[Skill Type: Offensive]

[Effects: You know how to use a handgun, rifle, revolver, assault rifle, submachine gun and sniper rifle better, Increases Damage by 60%]

[Special Effects: Unparalleled Aim (When you aim at your Target, +3 Intuition Effect, Small chance of triggering Critical Rate)]

[Critical Rate: When you hit the Target’s weak points, you have a bigger chance of dealing 2x Damage]

[Consumes: Stamina]

[Prerequisites: Strength D-, Constitution D-, Intuition D]

[Remarks: Your Target will feel True Fear under your scope!]

[Firearm Weapon (Light Firearm) leveled up, Related attributes increasing…]

[Strength has reached the capped limit, Unable to level up any further]

[Constitution has reached the capped limit, Unable to level up any further]

[Intuition has reached the capped limit, Unable to level up any further] (Ch 143)

[Name: Evading (Musou)]

[Related Attributes: Agility]

[Skill Type: Ancillary]

[Effects: You know how to evade incoming attacks better, Increases Evading by 60%]

[Special Effects: Unparalleled Swift Steps (Your steps make you even nimbler, Increases Evading by 40%)]

[Consumes: Stamina]

[Prerequisites: Agility D-]

[Remarks: You can use steps, rolls and other ways to evade your enemies’ attacks!]

[Evading leveled up, Related attributes increasing…]

[Agility has reached the capped limit, Unable to level up any further] (Ch 143)

[Name: Burning Hand (Entry)]

[Related Attributes: None]

[Skill Type: Offensive]

[Effects: A 50-degree, cone-shaped, 2.5-meter wide fire will strike and inflict Strong Level Damage, small chance of inflicting Burn Damage. (Burn Damage: Target is inflicted with Burns for 1 second, if the Constitution Authentication is lower than E Rank, Target will carry a Debuff for 4 more seconds, until the Burn Debuff wears off.]

[Consumes: 1 Cracked Rank Ruby and Jagen Volcanic Ash]

[Prerequisites: Mystical Knowledge (Master)]

[Remarks: This is a spell that includes hand gestures and tribute items. Every gesture must be done in a specific order in order to fully use the skill. If you don’t want it to backfire, please remember the gestures!] (Ch 143)

[Name: Undercover (Musou)]

[Related Attributes: Agility]

[Skill Type: Ancillary]

[Effects: Better use of shadows, Makes it harder for your enemies to discover you, Increases Hiding by 60%]

[Special Effects: Unparalleled Shadow Stalker (You can hide better in the shadows, Increases Hiding by 40%]

[Consumes: Stamina]

[Prerequisites: Agility D]

[Remarks: Your enemies cannot locate you with the naked eye.]

[Undercover leveled up, Related attributes increasing…]

[Agility has reached the capped limit, Unable to level up any further] (Ch 143)

Kieran then thought of the bronze coffin again, trying to analyze what kinds of upgrades he would need to be able to face it; he contacted Lawless and asked for equipment that could resist the [Fear] debuff, and something to help him fight the formless souls. They agreed on consumables, then Lawless asked more about the player Killer Organization, although Kieran had no more news. Kieran looked more at the [Title Dungeon: Blade of the Daybreaker (Sub Scroll)] and wished he had more information about it, but he eventually put it away and began cultivating [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Arts].

Kieran finished cultivating, got the consumables from Lawless, and entered the next dungeon. (Ch 144)

## After The Shaman’s Partner

[Special Dungeon: The Shaman’s Partner] (Ch 188)

[Dungeon Type: Mission Based]

[Dungeon Difficulty: Low]

[Main Mission: Be the shaman’s assistant for three months]

[Mission Completion: 100% (Rating: F)]

[Sub Mission 1: The Shaman’s Duties!]

[Mission Completion: 100% (Rating: F→E)]

[Sub Mission 2: The Shaman’s Package!]

[Mission Completion: 100% (Rating: E→D)]

[Battle Performance: Very Active (Rating D→C)]

[Exploration Performance: Normal]

[Special Rating 1: Fast Dungeon Clear Time (Rating C→B)]

[Special Rating 2: Completed an Extra Main Mission: Return to Alcatraz Island (Rating B→A)]

[Special Rating 3: Eliminated “Icy Killer” Wilco (Rating A→S)]

[Special Rating 4: Eliminated “Spectre” Gilfren Hatch (S→SS)]

[Special Rating 5: Eliminated “Usurper” Frostrill (Rating SS→SSS) Rep+1]

[Player Final Rating: SSS]

[Calculating Player Special Dungeon Rewards…]

[Player Final Special Dungeon Rewards are as follows…]

[Points: 10,000; Skill Points: 6; Golden Skill Points: 1; Golden Attribute Points: 1]

[Acquired Special Dungeon: The Shaman’s Partner II]

[Note: Reputation has reached 5. You have earned some reputation to your name. Some natives will remember you.]

Back at his Lobby, Kieran looked at the [Devil’s Heart] he looted from the bronze coffin in confusion, as the transportation process altered the heart in a way that made it very docile, no longer exuding [Fear] and beating very calmly. But he ultimately set the heart down and did not undergo a heart transplant. He then looked at the Special Dungeon he unlockled;

[Special Dungeon: The Shaman’s Partner II]

[The Shaman’s Partner II: Time flies. It’s already two years since the last incident, and the mystic world has undergone some tremendous changes. Nikorei and the five major societies have faded away from common people’s sight, and a couple of scoundrels have started to misbehave on the West Coast. Elli Jones had sent you a letter asking for help…]

[Main Mission: Starts after entering the dungeon]

[Remark 1: The Shaman’s Partner II shares the same universe as The Shaman’s Partner and Prison on the Island.]

[Remark 2: The Special Dungeon will not be counted towards the dungeon entries of the player.]

[Remark 3: This is the second Special Dungeon of the same universe, so the difficulty will be the same as the player’s first Special Dungeon Entry +1]

[Remark 4: The Special Dungeon requires the player to clear a single player or team dungeon. After the cooldown resets, it will automatically begin.]

[Remark 5: The Special Dungeon has a single player or team dungeon option. A team dungeon will grant all teammates the same authority. They will work on the same side as the initiator, and the Main Mission difficulty will be determined according to the different dungeon entry numbers of the players.]

[Remark 6: If the player fails the Main Mission of the Special Dungeon, they will have to suffer a penalty equal to the player’s current dungeon entries.] (Ch 188)

He theorized what might have happened during the two year gap in between [The Shaman’s Partner] and [The Shaman’s Partner II], and what might be required of him during the next Special Dungeon, and the conclusion he came to is that he needs to get stronger. At the Harvest Inn, Rachel treated Kieran and Lawless coldly because since their discovery of the Killer Organization, business had been bad for Rachel. Hanses reintroduced himself to Kieran. They then discussed a Special Dungeon that Hanses needed help clearing, and wanted to hire Kieran and Lawless as mercenaries.

[Player “Hanses” Final Rating: SSS]

[You have acquired a Special Dungeon]

[Special Dungeon: Escape from Morko Principality]

[Escape from Morko Principality: You were originally one of Grand Duke Morko’s elite infantry troops, but you stole the Grand Duke’s treasure from his vault during a time of war. This infuriated Grand Duke Morko, who sent out his best men and captured you, confiscating all the stolen treasure. You have been thrown into prison, and Grand Duke Morko is planning on executing you once the war is over…]

[Note: Because of your theft, all your items are running a risk of being confiscated. Please choose your equipment carefully.] (Ch 189)

For the dungeon, they would start in prison with all their equipment confiscated. Hanses said that when he cleared the previous dungeon, he was caught by guards before the five minute timer ended, and when he returned to his lobby his inventory was empty. Hanses offered Kieran a [Blade Kick] Skill Book as payment for taking the job. They came to an agreement, although both Kieran and Lawless still had two more weeks on their team dungeon cooldown so Hanses would have to wait for them. As Kieran traveled back to his lobby, he felt a malicious presence outside of his home. The Player Killers Shielder and Correy attacked Kieran simultaneously; Kieran was able to overpower Shielder’s shield bash, shoot Shielder to death, then immobilized Correy with [Shadow Chain] and kill him with another bullet.

[Shooting: Inflicts 100 Damage to Target, Target dies…]

[Player Killed: Shielder]

[Treated as self-defense through authentication]

[Categorized as an Honor Kill]

[You will receive all the Points and Skill Points of the player…]

[Total: 7,000 Points and 3 Skill Points]

[Received the player’s house key]

[Granted the right to use the player’s house]

[All the player’s belongings are in their house]

[Honor Kills: 2] (Ch 191)

[Shooting: Lethal Attack, Inflicts 400 Damage to Target, (200 Firearm Weapon, Light Firearm)(Musou) X2, Target dies…]

[Player Killed: Correy]

[Treated as self-defense through authentication]

[Categorized as an Honor Kill]

[You will receive all the Points and Skill Points of the player…]

[Total: 4,000 Points and 1 Skill Point]

[Received the player’s house key]

[Granted the right to use the player’s house]

[All the player’s belongings are in their house]

[Honor Kills: 3] (Ch 191)

As Kieran killed Correy, he quickly dodged a sniper shot and hid from a powerful cannon shot. He pulled out his [Jagdtiger-X1] and used its scope to find the sniper, who was able to resist Kieran’s bullets due to a special barrier. Kieran was about to request help from Lawless, when some Cyber Law Enforcers showed up and showed Kieran that they had already surrounded the sniper and killed the players who were manning a cannon. The Cyber Law Enforcer gave Kieran 3% of the total wealth of the players who were trying to kill him.

[Authenticated player has 3 Honor Kill Points, Player will receive 3% of the attacker’s total wealth as compensation (including but not limited to equipment, items, Points, and Skill Points)]

[Calculating Compensation…]

[Player’s Final Compensation: 15,000 Points.] (Ch 192)

Kieran felt extreme heartache when he realized if he got 100% of the wealth, he would have gotten 500,000 points, and demanded that Lawless bring him along on any Killer Organization hunting so he wouldn't miss out on the potential gains. Kieran was about to enter his lobby when Lawless pulled out a mine detector, and found a mine.

[Name: Z-II]

[Type: Landmine]

[Rarity: Great]

[Attack: Strong]

[Attributes: Power +45% against vulnerable targets]

[Effects: None]

[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]

[Remarks: This is an anti-infantry landmine, an explosive with a wider range than a common landmine.] (Ch 193)

They searched around for a few more hours, trying to find out how the Killer Organization was spying on Kieran, but were unable to find any clues. As they went back to Harvest Inn, Kieran told Lawless that they used a cannon to fight, and Lawless recognized them as the famous mercenary group Hellfire; he then started networking as Kieran rested. At the Harvest Inn, Hanses and Rachel accompanied Lawless and Kieran to nearby lookouts that they might have been watching Kieran from, but they found no clues from any of the locations. When Kieran started theorizing about an enemy with a spirit form, Rachel noticed a bird in the distance and caught it with a net. Inside the Inn, Rachel served Kieran the cooked bird, which was the spy.

After a few hours, Lawless informed Kieran that he had found who had put the mines in front of Kieran’s lobby and who had been spying on them, but both of them were hiding and logged out. Kieran and Lawless then went to the homes of Shielder and Correy; as they walked, Lawless explained that players could have pets, though unless they’re unique, pets are rarely worth the effort of raising them, the bird was a player’s pet. Correy’s house only had a single item of worth;

[Name: Mystical Grappling Hook]

[Type: ETC]

[Rarity: Magical]

[Attributes: Extension Lvl2]

[Prerequisites: Sharp Weapon, Rope Weapon (Master)]

[Remarks: This is a remodeled magical weapon. You need to have specific skills to fully utilize it.]

[Extension Lvl 2: Able to extend by twice its length, (5 meter extends to 15 meters)] (Ch 194)

At Shielders house, Kieran found many [Z-11] landmines and flashbangs;

[Name: Q-I]

[Type: Grenade]

[Rarity: Great[

[Attack: None]

[Attributes: Blindness (exudes a blinding flash to reduce the enemy’s vision to zero)]

[Effects:None]

[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]

[Remarks: This is a great flashbang. If you know how to throw it, you will get a lot out of it!] (Ch 194)

Lawless recommended that Kieran keep the flashbangs, as they would be very useful in dungeons, then he got a message from Hellfire requesting to speak with Kieran. Lawless and Kieran then left for the meeting spot, Shameiken Square. When they got there, Lawless offered Kieran a cigar, which Kieran accepted though he did not smoke it. Kieran and Lawless waited patiently for their reinforcements before entering the Square and meeting the sniper. The sniper was in the middle of blackmailing Kieran when his body exploded, and a black shadow fled from the scene while threatening Kieran and Lawless. Kieran, Lawless, and their reinforcements chased after the shadow. They followed the shadow to a hole in a wall, where they could tell a trap lay, so one of the reinforcements, Coll, sent in a robot dog to scout. The robot came across some motion-sensing explosives, and the group was just able to escape before the entire Square exploded. The group of reinforcements felt humiliated at almost falling for the trap, and Coll was angry at the loss of his robot dog. Over the next two weeks Kieran stayed in his lobby and read the books he recovered from [The Shaman’s Partner], hoping to gain the [Astrology] and [Alchemy] skills before the team mission, but he quickly ran out of time without accomplishing that goal. Kieran then paid attention to upgrading his skills;

[Learned Skill: Blade Kick]

[Name: Blade Kick (Basic)]

[Related Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution]

[Skill Type: Offensive]

[Effects: A slashing wave attack from either one of your feet, The damaging wave from the attack authenticated as a weak qi wave, Consumes 100 Stamina, 5-minute cooldown]

[Consumes: Stamina]

[Prerequisites: Hand-to-Hand Combat (Master of Kicks), Strength D-, Agility D-, Constitution D-]

[Remarks: This is a fierce martial art technique. You will need to seize the opportunity to use it!] (Ch 196)

[Name: Blade Kick (Master)]

[Related Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution]

[Skill Type: Offensive]

[Effects: A slashing wave attack from either one of your feet, The damaging wave from the attack authenticated as an average qi wave, Consumes 150 Stamina, 4-minute cooldown]

[Special Effects: Harder Training (Your Blade Kick attack and Sharp Edge will increase according to your level]

[Consumes: Stamina]

[Prerequisites: Hand-to-Hand Combat (Master of Kicks), Strength D-, Agility D-, Constitution D-]

[Remarks: This is a fierce martial art technique. You will need to seize the opportunity to use it!]

[Strength has reached the capped limit, Unable to level up any further]

[Agility has reached the capped limit, Unable to level up any further]

[Constitution has reached the capped limit, Unable to level up any further] (Ch 196)

[Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art has reached Master Level, Choose a Special Effect…]

[A: Strength +1]

[B: Agility +1]

[C: Constitution +1]

[D: Spirit +1]

[E: Intuition +1]

[Player chose D: Knight’s Focus (Spirit+1)]

[Name: Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art (Master)]

[Related Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution, Spirit, Intuition]

[Skill Type: Ancillary]

[Effects: You know how to perform special stances, movements and breathing techniques, All Attributes +3 (+1 Basic Level, +1 Entry Level]

[Consumes: Stamina]

[Prerequisites: Strength E, Agility E, Constitution E, Spirit E, Intuition E]

[Remarks: This is the Knights of Dawn entry course, but it will affect other related skills as well!] (Ch 196)

[Barsical Kick has reached Master Level, Special Effect Acquired: Bide]

[Name: Barsical Kick (Master)]

[Related Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution]

[Skill Type: Offensive]

[Effects: Your legs are more nimble than your hands. When you attack with a kick, the second and third hit will trigger an additional Agility +1, +2 effect respectively]

[Special Effect: Bide (Every kick that you launch will accumulate, when the accumulation reached the fourth time, +1 Strength and Agility to your kicks.)]

[Consumes: Stamina]

[Prerequisites: Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art (Master)]

[Remarks: Please note that the level of the Barsical Kick and other related skills cannot be higher than the Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art level!] (Ch 197)

[Name: Blade Kick (Pro)]

[Related Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution]

[Skill Type: Offensive]

[Effects: A slashing wave attack from either one of your feet, The damaging wave from the attack has been authenticated as an above average half-moon qi wave, Consumes 175 Stamina, 3-minute and 30-second cooldown]

[Special Effects: Harder Training (Your Blade Kick attack and Sharp Edge will increase according to your level]

[Consumes: Stamina]

[Prerequisites: Hand-to-Hand Combat (Master of Kicks), Strength C-, Agility C-, Constitution C-]

[Remarks: This is a fierce martial art technique. You will need to seize any opportunity to use it!] (Ch 197)

[Name: Lockpicking (Pro)]

[Related Attributes: Agility, Intuition]

[Skill Learned: Lockpicking]

[Skill Type: Ancillary]

[Effects: You are able to pick simple locks with a hairpin, a steel wire and a screwdriver]

[Special Effects: Silent Lockpicking (You are almost completely silent while lockpicking)]

[Consumes: Stamina]

[Prerequisites: None]

[Remarks: Make sure there is no one around when you pick the lock!] (Ch 197)

[Name: Secondary Elemental Damage Resistance (Unable to Upgrade)]

[Related Attributes: Constitution]

[Skill Type: Ancillary]

[Effects: When facing fire, lightning, or any types of elemental ice damage, you will be immune to Low, Weak and Below Average elemental damages. When facing Average or Strong elemental damages, you will receive Weak or Below Average elemental damage. When facing Powerful elemental damage, you will need to undergo a Constitution authentication. If you pass, you will receive -1 rank from the Powerful elemental damage. If you fail, you will receive normal elemental damage.]

[Consumes: Nothing]

[Prerequisites: None]

[Remarks: You have trained your body using a special method and increased your resistance against elemental damages, but please note that you are not completely immune to elemental damage!] (Ch 198)

As Kieran upgraded all these skills, he mentioned how the process of upgrading skills and feeling the knowledge course through his mind and body has a very soothing feel to it, but when he learned [Secondary Elemental Damage Resistance] his body was wracked with such an intense pain that he momentarily blacked out. Kieran started thinking about potentially upgrading [Secondary Elemental Damage Resistance] further, then went back to [Mystical Knowledge]. He remembered he got a significant amount of experience points after he brewed his first potion, which allowed him to learn the [Potionology] skill, and wondered if he could do something similar to learn [Astrology] and [Alchemy]; he eventually concluded that no matter how he faced it, he would have to be rich to be able to waste enough resources to do something similar. He decided to wait until [The Shaman’s Partner II] to continue, then entered the team dungeon with Lawless and Hanses. (Ch 198)

## After Prisoners

[Special Dungeon: Prisoners]

[Dungeon Type: Special Punishment Dungeon]

[Dungeon Difficulty: Average]

[Main Mission: Escape from Morko Principality]

[Mission Completion: 100% (Rating F)]

[Sub Mission 1: Sudden Arrival (Rating Good, Unable to increase rating any further)]

[Mission Completion: 100% (Rating F→E)]

[Sub Mission 2: Pursuers (Rating Great, Rating increased)]

[Mission Completion: 100% (Rating E→C)]

[Sub Mission 3: Prevention]

[Mission Completion: 100% (Rating C→B)]

[Battle Performance: Very Active (Rating B→A)]

[Exploration Performance: Average]

[Special Rating 1: Eliminated the Grand Duke’s second son, LeGrand (Rating A→ S, Rep+1]

[Special Rating 2: Eliminated the Grand Duke’s consultant, Ferlin (Rating S→SS, Rep+1)]

[Special Rating 3: Eliminated Grand Duke Morko, altered Main Mission course (Rating SS→Z, Rep +3)]

[Title Acquired: King’s Assassin]

[King’s Assassin: You eliminated either one of the faction leaders and altered their forces’ balance, causing tremendous effects in the dungeon. You brought a changing of the tides. When equipped, 20% Attack increase against nobles and natives with authority, +5% Defense Effect, You have a certain chance to induce Fear and attract hostility from local faction leaders]

[Player Final Rating: Z!]

[Calculating Player Special Dungeon rewards…]

[Player final rewards are as follows…]

[Points: 25,000; Skill Points: 15; Golden Skill Points: 2; Golden Attribute Points: 2]

[Note 1: As a participant of the Special Dungeon, you have earned no additional Special Dungeon.]

[Note 2: As a participant of the Special Dungeon, you have earned no additional share of the special rewards.]

[Note 3: Your total reputation has reached 10. You have made quite a name for yourself among the natives. Some of them will remember your name.] (Ch 225)

Kieran looked at the [Book of Undercover] skill book, grateful that he was able to upgrade the skill without needing to spend golden skill points;

[Book of Undercover used!]

[Undercover +1]

[Undercover (Musou → Transcendence)]

[Skill has reached Transcendence Level, Additional Transcendence options available]

[A: Shadow Cloak (Create a supernatural dark veil starting from you and extending to a radius of 5 meters. You will receive an additional darkness-dodging enhancement. Your enemies within that range will be engulfed in darkness and have to undergo an Intuition test. If they fail, they will be induced with a Blind Debuff.)]

[B: Shadow Dagger (When striking from the shadows, your attacks will have an additional shadow energy! That shadow energy will increase according to the time you spend in the shadows (+1 level for every 10 minutes), Final Attack unable to exceed a Powerful Attack)]

[C: Shadow Armor (Creates a defensive armor with shadows and blocks your enemies’ attacks! The defense of the Shadow Armor depends on the time you spend in the shadows (+1 level for every 10 minutes), Final Defense unable to exceed a Powerful Defense)]

[Option A: Shadow Cloak]

[Name: Undercover (Transcendence)]

[Related Attributes: Agility]

[Skill Type: Ancillary]

[Effects: Able to fully utilize the shadows for hiding, makes it even harder for enemies to discover you, increases Hiding by 80%]

[Transcendence Shadow Cloak (Create a supernatural dark veil starting from you and extending to a radius of 5 meters. You will receive an additional darkness-dodging enhancement. Your enemies within that range will be engulfed in darkness and have to undergo an Intuition test. If they fail, they will be induced with a Blind Debuff.)]

[Consumes: Stamina]

[Prerequisites: Agility C-]

[Remarks: You can hide in the shadows and use them to your advantage!] (Ch 226)

He then started looking at his other skills and calculating how much it would cost to get them to Transcendence level when he got a message from Lawless and Hanses asking him to come to the Harvest Inn. Kieran left his lobby, and immediately felt someone’s gaze. Kieran went back to the door, ready to escape back into his lobby at any given moment, but he did not see anyone. Remembering the bird spy from before, Kieran started looking for animals and saw an eagle; he was about to shoot at it when the eagle dropped a piece of paper. After making sure the paper was not trapped, Kieran opened it to see a smiley face drawn with fresh blood.

At the Inn, Kieran and Lawless teased Hanses by ordering expensive items from the menu, and Kieran told Lawless that the system had healed his previously crippled left hand. Kieran asked Lawless about when he said in [Prisoners] about firearm restrictions, and Lawless explained that if a dungeon’s setting is in a time period incompatible with advanced weaponry, then those weapons with either become weaker or completely useless; Lawless recommended having some sort of skill with sharp weapons to make up for that risk. Kieran apologized for breaking the [Piercing Spear] that Lawless let him use for the dungeon, and offered compensation through the [Rose Thorn] and [Monolith Armor]; Hanses realized when he saw those equipment that Kieran had killed the Grand Duke and Ferlin and was jealous. They then had their expensive meal after as veterans showed up to attend the auction of the [Rose Thorn] and [Monolith Armor].

When they were finished eating, Lawless stood up and flooded the Inn with a powerful killing intent, and Rachel brought him back to his senses by breaking a wine bottle over his head. Lawless apologized to everyone present, and explained that the Player Killers he was hunting had come back online and had killed one of Lawless’ friends and hurt Coll, the player with a robot dog. Lawless said the player who sent him the picture of a tortured Coll was named Nightingale, but none of the other veterans in the Inn recognized that player. Kieran observed the picture, and concluded that Nightingale was a woman. Lawless picked Raven, Ramont, and Hanses to help him and Kieran inspect the scene, while the others would network to learn more about Nightingale.

On the train, Kieran met Raven, a Chosen One, a player with a naturally high Spirit Skill; Raven communicated with all the stray cats and dogs in the neighborhood to help them scout. When the animals told them that the area was clear, they formed a defensive formation and slowly went to the scene. Although he game system movies corpses, they could still see traces of the battle; Kieran saw where Coll must have been hit, and where he crashed into a wall, knocking him unconscious. Raven then got a message from a sparrow that three people were leaving the area; the group got back into their formation and went to where the men were. The group went through an alleyway with many turns, but they did not run into anyone. When they started getting impatient, a hoard of Formless Souls attacked them.

After they killed all the Formless Souls, the group wondered if their opponent was Black Hell Banning, a member of the Ten Supernovas, a group of elite players second in strength to only the Witch. The group was nervous now, not wanting to fight against such a powerful opponent. Only Lawless was still thinking straight, and he asked Kieran to buy him some time. Kieran used his [Lightning Tiger’s Finger] and [Flaming Iron Boots] to fight the hoard of Formless Souls, struggling to keep up with their numbers while also protecting Lawless; meanwhile, Lawless had taken his [Tekken-II] and was supercharging it to fire one powerful attack. The Formless Souls were aggravated at Lawless’ actions, and fought with more vigor; the rest of the group realized what was happening, and helped Kieran fight. Kieran used [Tracking] to find the player, and saw him hidden among the Formless Souls. Lawless finally shot the rocket that was now glowing red hot, and the resulting explosion killed all the Formless Souls, and destroyed the black veil barrier they were inside of. After the explosion, the player that Kieran had not lost sight of attacked Lawless, but Kieran grabbed Lawless with the [Deceiver's Key] and pulled him out of the way of the attack. Kieran used the momentum to throw himself at the player, and attacked him with [Wilco’s Grudge]’s [Chilling Touch].

[Player Killed: Shadow Strike]

[Treated as self-defense through authentication]

[Categorized as an Honor Kill]

[You will receive all the Points and Skill Points of the player…]

[Total: 8,000 Points and 8 Skill Points]

[Received the player’s house key]

[Granted the right to use the player’s house]

[All the player’s belongings have been returned to their house]

[Honor Kills: 4] (Ch 231)

The group was not expecting a player hidden with them, but was excited at the implication that Lawless’s attack was powerful enough to defeat Supernova Banning’s attack. By the time they returned to the Inn, the other veterans had already been informed of what happened, and cheered for Lawless’s victory. Rachel urged Kieran to join the celebration, but he declined; in that moment, Rachel mistook Kieran for a different player, Crow. Quickly changing the subject, Rachel asked why Zorl, Broker’s right hand man, was at the Inn; she said he claimed to know where Coll was as she let him into the Inn. Zorl entered and spoke so respectfully, that it sounded unnatural; he requested to speak with Lawless and Kieran privately, which they agreed to.  They believed the topic would be about Col, but Zorl started by asking if he could purchase Kieran’s [Rose Thorn] and [Monolith Armor] to be the main attraction of Broker’s next auction; they then got a message from Monien the Broker himself, and he revealed that he had also been attacked by the Killer Organization. Broker said that the Killer Organization was interested in Lawless and Kieran, and Broker wanted to hire them to be bait to draw the Killers out. Kieran was interested, so he continued the conversation.

Broker revealed he knew where Coll was being held, and he said that all Kieran and Lawless had to do was go to that location. Kieran said they needed time to think about it, which Broker obliged, saying they had 7 hours to think it over. Broker then turned the conversation back to buying Kieran’s equipment, where Lawless said they would sell them for [Alchemy], [Potionology], [Astrology], and [Research of Mystical Beings] skill books. Broker was insulted at how much they were asking for, but Lawless knew the true value of Kieran’s equipment, and kept pressing it. Broker did not have any of those skill books though, and showed Kieran the [Boots of Modii] and the [Hundred Violent Kicks] skill book when Kieran said he wanted something kicking-related.

[Name: Boots of Modii]

[Type: Armor]

[Rarity: Rare]

[Attack: Common]

[Defense: Strong]

[Attributes: Modii Sprint, Modii Jump]

[Effects: None]

[Prerequisites: None]

[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]

[Remark: Modii is not the fastest, but he runs the longest! Modii is not the highest jumper, but he always jumps a second time!]

[Modii Sprint: When you wear the Boots of Modii, -30% Stamina usage while walking, running, and jumping]

[Modii Jump: When activated, after the first jump, you can perform a second one in mid-air by consuming more Stamina, three times per day] (Ch 234)

They were good equipment, but not worth Kierans equipment, so Broker sealed the deal by adding 10,000 points; Broker was not satisfied with this deal, but he ended the conversation and Zorl left the Inn. Kieran asked Lawless about Broker’s plan with Coll, but Lawless did not know what to think about it. Kieran concluded that he needed to get stronger, and asked Hanses about a  [Single Player Dungeon Cooldown Reset Card], as he did not think completing one more dungeon run was going to bring a significant enough strength increase to solve his problems. Hanses said he'd introduce a seller to Kieran, when Lawless told Kieran that he would explain his unusual behavior after everything was over. Kieran and Lawless went to the lobby of Shadow Strike, the player Kieran had killed earlier, with the intention of selling his equipment, but when they got there they found it was completely empty.

Back at his own lobby, Kieran was upgrading his skills;

[Hand-to-Hand Combat] Musou to Transcendence, costs 45,000 Points, 1 Golden Skill Point, Yes/No?]

[Skill upgraded to Transcendence, Additional Transcendence option unlocked.]

[Transcendence Kicks: After a lot of harsh training, cultivation and battle experience, your kicks have exceeded the limits of mortal men. You gain +1 Attack Level against any kind of spirit. (Base Attack notwithstanding, +1 Attack Level); you gain +1 Attack Level against normal beings (Base Attack included). Consumes more Stamina when you unleash your kicks]

[Name: Hand-to-Hand Combat (Transcendence)]

[Related Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution]

[Skill Type: Offensive]

[Effects: Your punches and kicks are your best weapon, Increases Damage by 60%]

[Special Effects: Transcendence Combat Kicks (When you strike with your feet, they temporarily grant you +4 Strength and Agility)]

[Transcendence Kicks: After a lot of harsh training, cultivation and battle experience, your kicks have exceeded the limits of mortal men. You gain +1 Attack Level against any kind of spirit. (Base Attack notwithstanding, +1 Attack Level); you gain +1 Attack Level against normal beings (Base Attack included). Consumes more Stamina when you unleash your kicks]

[Consumes: Stamina]

[Prerequisites: Strength D+, Agility D+, Constitution D+]

[Remarks: Your kicks are legendary!] (Ch 236)

After upgrading [Hand-to-Hand Combat] to transcendence, Kieran noticed that the muscles in his legs were bulging in a way similar to a magic circle, though his [Mystical Knowledge] was too low to make any sense of it.

[Skill upgraded to Transcendence, Additional Transcendence option unlocked.]

[A: Bullets of Conviction I (You filled your bullets with beliefs, Bullet range increased, similar to Long Range Lvl 2)]

[B: Bullets of Conviction II (You filled your bullets with beliefs, Bullet penetration power increased, similar to Armor Penetration Lvl 1)]

[Name: Firearm Weapon, Light Firearm (Transcendence)]

[Related Attributes: Strength, Constitution, Intuition]

[Skill Type: Offensive]

[Effects: You know how to use a handgun, rifle, revolver, assault rifle, submachine gun and sniper rifle better, Increases Damage by 80%]

[Special Effects: Unparalleled Aim (When you aim at your Target, +4 Intuition Effect, Small chance of triggering Critical Rate)]

[Critical Rate: When you hit the Target’s weak points, you have a bigger chance of dealing double Damage]

[Transcendence Option: Bullets of Conviction II (You filled your bullets with beliefs, Bullet penetration power increased, similar to Armor Penetration Lvl 1)

[Consumes: Stamina]

[Prerequisites: Strength D, Constitution D, Intuition D+]

[Remarks: Your bullets will scare anyone you fire at!] (Ch 236)

When he was done, Lawless gave him the items he had bought with the money he made from selling Kieran’s equipment;

[Name: Infantry Spear]

[Type: Polearm Weapon]

[Rarity: Great]

[Attack: Weak]

[Attributes: None]

[Effects: None]

[Prerequisites: None]

[Remarks: This is a great standard-issue piece of equipment!] (Ch 236)

[Name: Hunter’s Bow]

[Type: Bow Weapon]

[Rarity: Great]

[Attack: Weak]

[Attributes: None]

[Effects: None]

[Prerequisites: None]

[Remarks: Every hunter’s favorite! It has been crafted from the best laminated yew wood!] (Ch 236)

[Skill Learned: Sharp Weapon, Polearm]

[Name: Sharp Weapon, Polearm (Basic)]

[Related Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution]

[Skill Type: Offensive]

[Effects: You know how to use a spear, lance, and all sorts of polearm weapons, Increases Damage by 10%]

[Consumes: Stamina]

[Prerequisites: Strength F, Agility F, Constitution F]

[Remarks: This is the result of peasant training camp after three months.] (Ch 236)

[Skill Learned: Sharp Weapon, Bow]

[Name: Sharp Weapon, Bow (Basic)]

[Related Attributes: Strength, Agility, Intuition]

[Skill Type: Offensive]

[Effects: You know how to use bow type weapons, Increases Damage by 10%]

[Consumes: Stamina]

[Prerequisites: Strength F, Agility F, Constitution F+]

[Remarks: At least you won’t hurt yourself with the bow string!] (Ch 236)

[Skill Learned: Hundred Violent Kicks]

[Name: Hundred Violent Kicks (Basic)]

[Related Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution]

[Skill Type: Offensive]

[Effects: Use your left or right leg to unleash an indistinguishable barrage of kicks with 75% Strength at a 90° angle with 125% attack speed, Consumes 100 Stamina per second, Cooldown 10 minutes]

[Consumes: Stamina]

[Prerequisites: (Hand-to-Hand Combat, Master of Kicks) (Master), Strength D-, Agility D-, Constitution D-]

[Remarks: If you sacrifice your attack and mobility in exchange for lightning speed kicks, the power of your kicks will drown your opponent!] (Ch 236)

[Name: Hundred Violent Kicks (Master)]

[Related Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution]

[Skill Type: Offensive]

[Effects: Use your left or right leg to unleash an indistinguishable barrage of kicks with 65% Strength at a 110°angle with 175% attack speed, Consumes 150 Stamina per second, Cooldown 9 minutes]

[Special Effects: Phantasm Mirage (A mirage of your form will appear during your lightning barrage kicks. The mirage will not attack.]

[Consumes: Stamina]

[Prerequisites: (Hand-to-Hand Combat, Master of Kicks) (Pro), Strength D+, Agility D+, Constitution D+]

[Remarks: If you sacrifice your attack and mobility in exchange for lightning speed kicks, the power of your kicks will drown your opponent!] (Ch 236)

[Name: Sharp Weapon, Bow (Grand Master)]

[Related Attributes: Strength, Agility, Intuition]

[Skill Type: Offensive]

[Effects: You know how to use bow type weapons, Increases Damage by 50%]

[Special Effects: Grand Master Reload (When you reload an arrow, +3 Agility temporarily)]

[Consumes: Stamina]

[Prerequisites: Strength E, Agility E, Intuition E+]

[Remarks: You are the master of sharpshooters!] (Ch 236)

[Name: Sharp Weapon, Polearm (Pro)]

[Related Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution]

[Skill Type: Offensive]

[Effects: You know how to use a spear, lance, and all sorts of polearm weapons, Increases Damage by 40%]

[Special Effects: Pro Spearman (When equipped with a Spear, Damaged increased by 20%)]

[Consumes: Stamina]

[Prerequisites: Strength E-, Agility E-, Constitution E-]

[Remarks: You could work as a combat trainer at a military camp!] (Ch 236)

After learning several skills and upgrading all of them, Kieran entered the next Dungeon. (Ch 236)

## After Ancient City Foreign Matter

[Fourth Dungeon: Ancient City Foreign Matter] (Ch 264)

[Dungeon Type: Open World]

[Dungeon Difficulty: Average]

[Main Mission: Explore at least 20% of Isogu City within 4 weeks]

[Mission Completion: 100% (Rating: F)]

[Sub Mission 1: The Troublesome Chief Officer!]

[Mission Completion: 100% (Rating F → E)]

[Sub Mission 2: Sifting Through Bodyguards]

[Mission Completion: 100% (Rating E → D)]

[Sub Mission 3: Find the Lost Monument!]

[Mission Completion: 100% (Rating D → C)]

[Battle Performance: Very Active (Rating C → B)]

[Exploration Performance: Good]

[Special Rating 1: Herbert, Pierre, Harold, Cohen and Joanna survived (Rating B → A, Rep+1)]

[Special Rating 2: Eliminated the Night Race leader, Bartos (Rating A → S, Rep +1]

[Special Rating 3: Acquired the special Legendary item Eye of the Chimeras inside the dungeon, Rating increased greatly (Rating S → Z, Rep+3)]

[Acquired Title: The most essential natives of the dungeon world survived, You have acquired the title “Guardian”]

[Guardian: When equipped and protecting others, Defense +20%; You will be extra popular with anyone who is in need of protection!]

[Final Player Rating: Z!]

[Calculating Fourth Dungeon Rewards…]

[Final Fourth Dungeon Player Rewards are as follows…]

[Points: 30,000; Skill Points 20; Golden Skill Points: 2; Golden Attribute Points: 2]

[Acquired Special Dungeon: Primordial Invasion]

[Acquired Specific Dungeon Reward: Herbert’s Note]

[Player is Heavily Wounded, do you want to get healed up? Yes/No?]

[Heavy trauma detected around player’s heart area, Healing will cost 100,000 Points and 10 Golden Attribute Points…]

[Player has insufficient Points!]

[Player has insufficient Golden Attribute Points!]

[Player has special organ “Devil’s Heart’, Transplant available, Transplant will cost 50,000 Points and 5 Golden Attribute Points…]

[Player has insufficient Points!]

[Player has insufficient Golden Attribute Points!]

[Extra healing plan detected, Healing plan will cost 30,000 Points and 3 Golden Attribute Points…]

[Do you want to heal up? Yes/ No?]

At his lobby, Kieran was almost completely crystallized. The [Devil’s Heart] floated to Kieran’s chest wound and entered into Kieran’s body. Kieran’s own crystallized heart and the [Devil’s Heart] started fighting, summoning a Creature of Desire and a sulphuric Demon. They fought in Kieran’s lobby, ignoring Kieran as he crawled on the floor toward the game system’s green healing light. Kieran used [Primus Crunch] to break the crystals on his arm, and shoved his hand into his chest, squeezing the two hearts within his chest, causing the two creatures to calm down. The green light shrouded Kieran, causing the two hearts to merge into one heart, and Kieran fell unconscious.

[Healing Completed!]

[Player 2567 has acquired Fusion Heart…]

[Fusion Heart will replace the original heart of the player…]

[Name: Fusion Heart]

[Type: Organ]

[Rarity: Above Epic]

[Attributes: 1. Devil Transformation, 2. Desire Summoning, 3. Backlash]

[Effects: 1. Fiery Sulphur, 2. Eye of Evil, 3. Body of Evil]

[Prerequisites: Constitution A, Spirit S]

[Remarks: This is a fusion organ fused with the heart of a human, the Demon Lord, and the Creature of Desire. Its power is indisputable. but so is its backlash. As the owner of this organ, you will not just need a powerful body, but you will also need a powerful will! The organ will grow stronger after your battles, but if you do not grow with it, you will become a puppet made of flesh and blood!]

[Devil Transformation: This power has been granted to you by your new heart. When activated, you will take the form of the Demon Lord, duration: one minute, one time per day]

[Desire Summoning: Your new heart has granted you control over the Creature of Desire. When activated, you can summon the Creature, duration: one minute, one time per day]

[Backlash: Your heart allowed you to survive, but it was the product of an accident, created before you could truly adapt to it. Every time you activate Devil Transformation or Desire Summoning, it will consume one Golden Skill Point per use]

[Fiery Sulphur: Burning flames will follow the lineage of the devil like a shadow. When you cast Fire Element Spells, +1 Elemental Damage, extra Sulphuric Poison will be added to the spell. Any requirements, such as gestures, incantations or materials of Fire Element Spells will be down to half. If the spell fails to be cast, you will only suffer a quarter of the Magic Repulsion]

[Eye of Evil: The Creature of Desire was rooted deep inside your heart. Summon Eye of Evil, formed by the Creature of Desire, to fight for you, duration: three minutes, two times per day]

[Body of Evil: The combination of the Devil and the Creature of Desire, also known as chaos and sin. 200 extra HP, Stamina, Medium Tensile Skin acquired (100 Damage from Strong or weaker attack absorbed), Medium Devil Skin ( 200 Damage from Strong or weaker attack absorbed, extra Defense against Fire and Explosions); When facing Holy Element Attacks, you will suffer 150% Damage, Special counter items will deal extra Damage to you (including but not limited to blessed objects, holy objects etc.)] (Ch 266)

When Kieran woke up, he read the information about the [Fusion Heart] seriously, scared of becoming a flesh puppet. He also started thinking about saving up golden skill points to be able to use the powerful attributes. He realized he would have to be careful around holy energy, and decided to look into equipment that resisted holy damage when he sold the equipment he got from the dungeon at the last minute;

[Name: Piercing Dagger]

[Type: Weapon]

[Rarity: Magical]

[Attack: Common]

[Attributes: Armor Penetration Lvl1]

[Effects: None]

[Prerequisites: Strength F, Sharp Weapon, Dagger (Master)]

[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]

[Remarks: If you want to control this metal-crafted dagger, you will need both technique and strength!]

[Armor Penetration Lvl 1: Able to pierce through light armor (Weak or Common Defense)] (Ch 266)

[Name: Skeleton Ring]

[Type: Accessory]

[Rarity: Magical]

[Attack/Defense: None]

[Attributes: Dead Control]

[Effects: None]

[Prerequisites: None]

[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]

[Remarks: This is a replica of a great item!]

[Dead Control: You are able to control one to three dead bodies at once and make them fight for you (the bodies’ attributes cannot surpass F+), duration: one minute, two times per day] (Ch 266)

[Name: Arrogant Word]

[Type: Sharp Weapon, Heavy Arms]

[Rarity: Legendary]

[Attack: Powerful]

[Attributes: 1. Arrogance, 2. Wildness]

[Effects: None]

[Prerequisites: Strength B- Two-Handed (B+ Single-Handed) Sharp Weapon, Heavy Arms (Master)]

[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]

[Remarks: Arrogance will only understand the arrogant ones!]

[Arrogance: When the sword slashes at an enemy, +1 Strength or Agility for the next attack]

[Wildness: When facing an enemy twice your size, Stamina consumed -30%. When facing an enemy five times your size, Stamina consumed -60%. When facing an enemy 10 times your size, Stamina consumed -90%, Attack +1] (Ch 267)

Kieran was impressed with the [Arrogant Word]s attributes, and decided to use it as his main weapon. Kieran contacted Lawless, sending over the equipment he was selling and requesting the equipment to resist holy damage. Lawless asked if Kieran was coming to the Inn to drink, but Kieran was still too out of it and declined. Kieran then contacted Hanses, and bought the [Single Player Dungeon Cooldown Reset Card] he requested before the dungeon. Blacksmith the gemstone embedder then messaged him, offering to buy any gemstones of any color; Kieran told her he would let her know if he obtained any gemstones. Lawless quickly finished selling Kieran’s equipment, and bought the items Kieran requested and Hanses handed over the reset card;

[Discovered Skill Book, Sharp Weapon (Heavy Arms)]

[Prerequisites met, Learn skill?]

[Skill Learned: Sharp Weapon (Heavy Arms)]

[Name: Sharp Weapon, Heavy Arms (Basic)]

[Related Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution]

[Skill Type: Offensive]

[Effects: You know how to use a two-handed great sword, a battle mace, a spiked club and all sorts of heavy arms to fight, Damage increased by 10%]

[Consumes: Stamina]

[Prerequisites: Strength F+, Agility F, Constitution F]

[Remarks: You have gained the basic mastery of heavy arms!] (Ch 268)

[Sharp Weapon, Heavy Arms upgrade from Basic to Grand Master, costs 10,200 Points and 7 Skill Points. Yes/No?]

[Name: Sharp Weapon, Heavy Arms (Grand Master)]

[Related Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution]

[Skill Type: Offensive]

[Effects: You know how to use a two-handed great sword, a battle mace, a spiked club and all sorts of heavy arms to fight, Damage increased by 50%]

[Special Effects: Two-Handed Sword Grand Master (Damaged increased by 30% when wielding a two-handed sword)]

[Consumes: Stamina]

[Prerequisites: Strength D+, Agility D-, Constitution D-]

[Remarks: You are the Grand Master of Heavy Arms!]

[Notes: Related Attributes have reached the capped limit] (Ch 268)

[Hundred Violent Kicks upgrade from Master to Pro, costs 10,000 Points and 24 Skill Points. Yes/No?]

[Name: Hundred Violent Kicks (Pro)]

[Related Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution[

[Skill Type: Offensive]

[Effects: Use your left or right leg to unleash an indistinguishable barrage of kicks using 60% of your Strength, at an 120° angle with 200% Attack Speed, Consumes 175 Stamina per second, Cooldown: 8 minutes]

[Special Effects: Phantasm Mirage (During your lightning barrage kicks, a mirage of you will take form, The mirage itself will not attack.]

[Consumes: Stamina]

[Prerequisites: [Hand-to-Hand Combat, Master of Kicks] (Master), Strength C-, Agility C-, Constitution C-]

[Remarks: If you sacrifice your attack and mobility in exchange for lightning speed kicks, the power from your continuous kicks will drown your opponent!]

[Notes: Related Attributes have reached the capped limit] (Ch 268)

[Name: Sharp Weapon, Heavy Arms (Musou)]

[Related Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution]

[Skill Type: Offensive]

[Effects: You know how to use a two-handed great sword, a battle mace, a spiked club and all sorts of heavy arms to fight, Damage increased by 60%]

[Special Effects: Unparalleled Two-Handed Sword Wielding (Damage increased by 40% when wielding a two-handed sword)]

[Consumes: Stamina]

[Prerequisites: Strength C-, Agility D, Constitution D]

[Remarks: You are a beast in the battlefield. A meat grinder! When you wield your heavy arms, no one can match you!]

[Notes: Related Attributes have reached the capped limit] (Ch 268)

Despite having just left a dungeon, Kieran used the [Single Player Dungeon Cooldown Reset Card] and entered the next dungeon. (Ch 268)

## After The Shaman's Partner II

[Special Dungeon: The Shaman’s Partner II]

[Dungeon Type: Assistance]

[Dungeon Difficulty: Below Average]

[Main Mission: Reinstate order in the mystical realm on the West Coast in 3 months]

[Mission Completion: 100% (Rating F)]

[Sub Mission 1: Ghost Ferry (Perfect Completion)]

[Mission Completion: 100% (Rating F → D)]

[Sub Mission 2: Invitation from an Ancient Society!]

[Mission Completion: 100% (Rating D → C)]

[Sub Mission 3: Missing Town]

[Mission Completion: 100% (Rating C → B)]

[Sub Mission 4: Terrorism!]

[Mission Completion: 100% (Great Rating, Rating B → S)]

[Extra Sub Mission: Hundred Years of Hatred]

[Mission Completion: 100% (Great Rating, Rating S → SS)]

[Battle Performance: Very Active (Rating SS → SSS)]

[Exploration Performance: Average]

[Special Rating 1: Assisted in the killing of a Sealed Phantom (Rating SSS → Z, Rep +1]

[Special Rating 2: Special kills in the grand hall (Rating Z → ZZ, Rep +1]

[Title: Unable to acquire title “Bird of Death” (Requirements not met)]

[Final Player Rating: ZZ!]

[Calculating player’s Special Dungeon rewards…]

[Final Special Dungeon rewards are as follows…]

[Points: 45,000; Skill Points: 25; Golden Skill Points: 3; Golden Attribute Points: 3]

[Special Dungeon Acquired: The Shaman’s Partner III]

[Special Rewards Acquired: Kai Prism]

[Player has acquired a Special Trial, The Special Dungeon The Shaman’s Partner III will be initiated in advance]

[Special Trial and dungeon world share the same universe, Advanced Main Mission acquired…] (Ch 334)

After thinking about the stone gate from [The Shaman’s Partner II] and wondering what would be in store for him in [The Shaman’s Partner III], Kieran started upgrading skills, starting with [Mystical Knowledge] which he had worked hard to get all the prerequisite skills for;

[Upgrading Mystical Knowledge from Master to Pro costs 10,000 Points and 8 Skill Points. Yes/No?]

[Checking for prerequisites…]

[Alchemy (Basic), Potionology (Basic), Astrology (Basic), Research of Mystical Beings (Basic)…]

[Mystical Knowledge has been upgraded!]

[Name: Mystical Knowledge (Pro)]

[Related Attributes: None]

[Skill Type: Ancillary]

[Effects: You are getting familiar with an extremely rare type of knowledge and earning a certain level of understanding. This includes, but is not limited to, mythology, religion lore, mystical arts, special symbols, runes etc.]

[Special Effects: Runes & Symbols Pro (You will have a precise grasp of unknown runes, symbols and words)]

[Prerequisites: Alchemy (Basic), Potionology (Basic), Astrology (Basic), Research of Mystical Beings (Basic)]

[Remarks: You can read about any Alchemy, Potionology, Astrology and Research of Mystical Beings related knowledge and make use of their power, but you are still far from mastering this skill completely.] (Ch 335)

[Upgrading Burning Hand from Entry to Master costs 20,000 Points and 10 Skill Points. Yes/No?]

[Burning Hand has been upgraded to Master, Special Effect acquired: Splash]

[Name: Burning Hand (Master)]

[Related Attributes: None]

[Skill Type: Offensive]

[Effects: A 55-degree, cone-shaped fire with a three-meter radius will strike and inflict Strong Level Damage, with a small chance of inflicting Burn Damage. (Burn Damage: Target is inflicted with burns for one second, If the Constitution authentication is lower than E Rank, Target will carry the debuff for another four seconds]

[Special Effects: Splash (Burn Area increased by 5 degrees and 0.5 meters)]

[Consumes: One Cracked Ruby and Jagen Volcanic Ash]

[Prerequisites: Mystical Knowledge (Pro)]

[Remarks: This is a spell that consists of hand gestures and tribute items. Every gesture must be performed in a precise order so the player can use this skill. If you don’t want it to backfire, try to remember the gestures!] (Ch 335)

Kieran then looked at the items he had gotten at the end of the dungeon;

[Name: Kai Prism]

[Type: Etc]

[Rarity: Special]

[Attack/ Defense: None]

[Attributes: None]

[Effects: None]

[Prerequisites: None]

[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]

[Remarks: This is a special item Nikorei prepared for you. Although it can only be used once, it has a very high emotional value!] (Ch 335)

[Name: Deadly Crystal Staff]

[Type: Staff]

[Rarity: Rare]

[Attack: Common]

[Attributes: 1. Death Miasma, 2. Soul Dominance]

[Effects: None]

[Prerequisites: Mystical Knowledge (Master)]

[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]

[Remarks: This is among the most high-ranking equipment of the Shepherd of Death!]

[Death Miasma: Releases a cloud of a 25-meter radius Death Miasma within a 100-meter range. Duration: one minute. Any Targets within the miasma must undergo a D Level Constitution authentication and a Spirit authentication. Should the Target fail the Constitution authentication, they will suffer a Strong Rank Poison Mist Attack. Should the Target fail the Spirit authentication, they will suffer a Strong Rank Deadly Illusion Attack. Should the Target fail both authentications, they will suffer a Lethal Attack, Once per day]

[Soul Dominance: You are able to dominate no more than 10 unconscious spirit-like beings by capturing and trapping them into the staff, Current Souls: 0] (Ch 335)

Kieran did have a large amount of loot from this dungeon that he wanted to sell, but he held off on selling them all in bulk, careful to not let any other players learn about the powers of his [Fusion Heart]. Kieran then took a rest to prepare for the collaboration with Broker and Coll’s rescue.

Kieran and Lawless met up, Lawless feeling guilty for bringing Kieran into this dangerous situation. Lawless gave Kieran another cigar, and for the first time Kieran smoked it. Lawless contacted them and told them to meet him at Old Strea Street, which used to be a prosperous location before the most powerful player, the Witch, destroyed it. Kieran and Lawless arrived at the desolate street, and waited for Broker, who arrived late. Kieran and Lawless were not expecting Broker to arrive in person, but he came himself to the broken street and said he would be guiding Kieran and Lawless. Kieran and Lawless followed Broker to a different location, and the two were messaging each other to figure out what Broker was planning. Broker guided them to an abandoned plaza, and told them that Coll was in a destroyed six storey building. Broker then disappeared with a powerful [Undercover] skill. Kieran and Lawless saw a large man at the top of the tall building, and they watched as the man threw Coll off the building and hit the ground.

Lawless was instantly enraged and charged at the building before disappearing. Kieran was then ambushed by a blade wielding player. Kieran dodged the player’s attacks, and shot them in the head point-blank with his gun; Kieran then had to continuously dodge shots from a group of snipers, and Kieran noticed they paused their fire when he got close to a large fountain. Kieran pretended to run towards the fountain, as the fountain exploded. Kieran, using the dust from the explosion as a cover, charged into the building, killing enemy players as he went. Inside the building, Kieran saw several floors had been removed, making one very large floor. A bowman started taunting Kieran, saying Lawless was being tortured on the sixth floor, and pointed at a staircase five storeys up that led further up the building. Kieran recognized a pattern that when one enemy revealed themselves, another danger was hidden in the darkness; Kieran knew the bowman had intentionally revealed himself, and that there was a different enemy hidden somewhere in the room with him.

Outside, Broker was approached by the player killer Nightingale. She revealed that she had orchestrated all of this at Broker’s will, and she asked for her compensation. Broker teased her a little, but sent her a message with the information she wanted. Nightingale left, and Broker was very satisfied with this whole situation.

Kieran was looking for the hidden danger, but concluded that whoever it was had an advanced [Undercover] skill. Kieran looked at the chains strung all throughout the building, forming a sort of spider web for the bowman to travel on, and Kieran jumped up. The bowman shot an arrow at Kieran, while the hidden player moved behind Kieran and stabbed him with a dagger. Kieran then used [Boots of Modii] to double jump, and the hidden player was hit with the arrow. As Kieran fell back to the ground, he killed the hidden player with [Arrogant Word]. Kieran jumped back up to meet the bowman, and Kieran prevented him from running away by shooting spiderwebs at him from [Mardos Arm]. The bowman then used a skill that increased the strength of his arms, boasting that only a legendary rank item would be able to injure his arms now. Kieran used [Arrogant Word] to slice his hands off. Shocked at the realization that Kieran’s sword was a legendary item, which most players wouldn’t even hope to have, the bowman started saying something about the Witch before Kieran killed him.

[Player Killed: Blood Monkey!]

[Kill treated as self-defense through authentication]

[Categorized as an Honor Kill]

[You will receive all the Points and Skill Points of the player…]

[Total: 20,000 Points and 5 Skill Points]

[Received the player’s house key]

[Granted the right to use the player’s house]

[All the player’s belongings have been returned to their house]

[Honor Kills: 17] (Ch 340)

Kieran got excited at the rewards he had gained from player killing, and as he thought about gaining Golden Skill or Attribute Points from player killing, he got engulfed by a greed that made the [Fusion Heart] grow active, and the Creature Of Desire started forming. As Kieran forced the monster back down and calmed down his heart, Kieran was hit with slight backlash that left him immobilized for a moment. Kieran remembered that the system said he had to grow stronger with the [Fusion Heart] or else become a puppet.

Kieran regained his senses and jumped up to the staircase leading up to the fifth floor. Kieran went [Undercover] and quickly reached where Lawless was being held, only to find Lawless strung up in chains, being used as a punching bag by the man who had thrown Coll off of the building. Kieran shot the man before he could punch Lawless again, and Kieran was shocked when a single bullet defeated the man. Lawless told Kieran to run, as the man stood back up and a woman with three crystal balls floating around her appeared. She fired beams at Kieran through her crystal balls, and every time he was hit he would lose a skill or some power.

[Firearm Weapon, Light Firearm has been disabled by a Special Power, Firearm Weapon, Light Firearm is at Transcendence, Skill Level -1]

[Firearm Weapon, Light Firearm has been disabled by a Special Power, Firearm Weapon, Light Firearm is at Transcendence, Skill Level -2]

[Sharp Weapon, Spear has been disabled by a Special Power, Sharp Weapon, Spear is not at Transcendence, Skill has been blocked temporarily]

[Sharp Weapon, Bow has been disabled by a Special Power, Sharp Weapon, Bow is not at Transcendence, Skill has been blocked temporarily]

[Sharp Weapon, Heavy Weapon has been disabled by a Special Power, Sharp Weapon, Heavy Weapon is not at Transcendence, Skill has been blocked temporarily] (Ch 341)

The woman, Golden Canary, healed the man, and he threw a chain at Kieran with the intention of tying him up like Lawless. Kieran grabbed the chain, and as the two sides pulled they found they were equal in strength. Golden Canary used her attack to decrease Kieran’s strength attribute, and suddenly he and the man were not equal in strength anymore.

[Strength has been disabled by a Special Power, Spirit Attribute has not reach B, Strength Attribute has temporarily decreased by -1…] (Ch 342)

Kieran saw the battle log said “Spirit Attribute has not reach B”, so Kieran used Golden Attribute Points to bump his Spirit Attribute to B+, removing all of his debuffs and causing Golden Canary to suffer Magic Repulsion. With his strength back, Kieran broke the chain, and killed the man with a few kicks. Kieran was about to kill Golden Canary, but Lawless got up and put himself in between her and Kieran. Golden Canary stabbed Lawless in the back with a dagger. She started screaming at Lawless to die as Lawless apologized to her. Lawless then started reaching his hand out and grabbing hidden player killers, killing them with great ease. Lawless released a tiger mirage that hunted down all of the hidden player killers. Lawless then went into a frenzy, turning into a tiger himself, he started using his own teeth to rip out the player killer’s throats, and Golden Canary started panicking. Kieran was at a loss for what he should do, and Golden Canary remembered a conversation she had heard in the past, that the only person who could stop the “Tiger King” was a woman named “Butcher”. Just then, Rachel arrived and broke a wine bottle over Lawless’ head, waking him up from his frenzy.

Kieran was shocked at Rachel’s arrival, as he had not noticed her at all up until she broke the bottle. Rachel then told someone to come out, and Nightingale revealed herself. Nightingale glared at Kieran and referred to Rachel as “Butcher” before Rachel threatened Nightingale to leave, taking Golden Canary with her. As the two player killers left, Rachel, Lawless, and Kieran were silent as none of them wanted to be the first person to speak. Soon, Nightingale and Golden Canary returned, saying that Broker had told many people about Kieran’s title mission scroll.

Kieran was shocked that all of this was a result of getting the title mission scroll from Nobian, and Kieran realized that Broker must have known about the scroll well before Kieran had gotten a hold of it, since Kieran had not told a single person about it. Kieran looked out of a window and saw an army of players standing outside. He asked Nightingale about Coll, and she revealed that Broker hired her to kidnap Coll and tell lawless about it. The group discussed the situation they were in, trying to decide what their next action should be.

Outside, the army of players watched Kieran jump off of the roof, and use [Deceiver’s Key] to swing back into the building when shots were fired. A quarter of the army split off to hunt the sniper. The remaining player killers split into teams to storm the building, but before the leader of the army could give an order Kieran left through the main entrance. Kieran killed the stunned leader with [Arrogant Word] and used [Primus Scale] to defend against all the arrows and bullets targeting him. Kieran started slaughtering indiscriminately, never flinching at the wounds that were accumulating on his body, and never looking back at the bodies once they were dead. As Kieran went further into this frenzied state, the [Mardos Arm] activated, revealing a tiny spider mirage that no one noticed.

Lawless then left the building to sneak up on Broker, who was watching the scene from a monitor. Broker was not upset that Kieran was surviving, and did not feel threatened at Lawless’ plans to ambush him. Jason, Broker’s best robot, readied Broker’s robot army and sent them outside, as a few stayed to guard Broker.

As Kieran broke through the army, he ran into Broker’s robot army at Old Strea Street. The player killers who had been following Kieran wanted to retreat, knowing the strength of Broker’s robots, but the robots had already completely surrounded Kieran and all of the players. They opened fire, targeting everyone within their circle; Kieran realized that since they were not targeting him specifically, he was not Brokers target. Kieran realized that Broker’s real target was the leader of the player killers, meaning that his misunderstanding is putting Lawless in great danger. Kieran started breaking through the wall of robots, and his panic activated his [Fusion Heart], releasing Demonic and Chaotic energies that stunned the players and short circuited robots. Broker, still watching, instantly recognized this energy as a lineage power, and started mumbling to himself as Rachel appeared behind him, holding a knife to his neck.

Broker greeted Rachel kindly, but told her that she was not who he was waiting for. Then, a player named Extremus walked in carrying Jason’s robotic head. Extremus threatened Broker, but attacked Rachel, getting her knife away from Broker’s neck. Broker then asked for Extremus’ help finding the “Witch’s Legacy”, which Extremus agreed to in exchange for help in killing Kieran.

Later, Kieran, Lawless, and Rachel were inside Kieran’s lobby talking. Rachel revealed the collaboration between Broker and Extremus, and said she would need to do some investigating; before she left, she told Kieran that Broker knew of Kieran’s lineage power, and suggested that he not leave his lobby for the time being. She left, and Kieran asked Lawless about the Witch’s Legacy. Lawless explained that although she was no longer a player of the game, all of her items still remained and were hidden somewhere in the city; without explaining what her Legacy was though, Lawless just stressed to Kieran how terrifyingly powerful the Witch was. Broker then messaged Kieran, offering to buy his latest loot as if nothing had happened. Kieran realized that this was Broker’s way of saying he knew the addresses of all the players that Kieran had killed, and he would be making sure Kieran does not get the loot that belongs to him.

Lawless then started explaining everything that he had previously promised to tell Kieran. He explained he used to be a hitman in real life, but got tired of it and quit, and ended up getting into a fight with the organization. During that fight he killed Golden Canary’s brother, and the organization ended up destroyed and he gained his freedom. Recently though, someone who had survived was targeting Lawless for revenge. Kieran could tell Lawless did not want to say more, so he switched the topic to the loot he got from his dungeons that he wanted to sell. Lawless agreed, and recommended Kieran contact Blacksmith to get his armour repaired.

After some messages to Blacksmith, Kieran started drawing the Grand Demonic Heptagram he first saw in [Prison On The Island], hoping to understand more about it since he had upgraded [Mystical Knowledge]. He realized that even though he could fully comprehend it now, it did him little good as he didn’t know the invocation or any necessary materials. Blacksmith responded, saying she could repair [Crow’s Black Feather] but not [Paul’s Camouflage]. She showed Kieran the [Armor of Excellence] that she would sell Kieran in exchange.

[Name: Armor of Excellence]

[Type: Metalic Armor]

[Rarity: Magic]

[Defense: Powerful]

[Attribute: Heavy]

[Effect: None]

[Prerequisite: Strength B-]

[Remark: Armor of Excellence is not a standard typical armor. In order to bestow it with powerful defense, the blacksmith who crafted this forgot about the weight issue. When done, the mistake couldn’t be undone!]

[Heavy: Agility -2 level] (Ch 350)

Lawless then contacted Kieran with a status on selling the loot; Lawless got Kieran two skill books he had asked for, and said it would take a while to sell all of Kieran’s loot since he obtained a lot of it.

[Name: Riding (Grand Master)]

[Name: Riding (Basic)]

[Related Attributes: Agility, Constitution]

[Skill Type: Ancillary]

[Effect: If it is possible, you could ride a dragon’s back]

[Special effect: Master of Horse Combats (You skilled at horse combats, you will not be affected by the disadvantages of riding a horse)]

[Consume: None]

[Prerequisite: None]

[Remark: The grand master on a horseback!]

[Note: This skill is maxed out!] (Ch 350)

[Name: Adaptive Armor (Grand Master)]

[Related Attributes: Strength, Constitution]

[Skill Type: Ancillary]

[Effect: You know how to maximize the efficiency of a piece of armor, bringing out its defensive potential. Other than that, your armor will be more indestructible]

[Consume: None]

[Prerequisite: None]

[Remark: Whenever you wear an armor, you will be impenetrable like an iron wall]

[Note: This skill is maxed out!] (Ch 350)

Kieran planned which skills he would upgrade when Lawless finished selling his loot, and started cultivating [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art]. After a week, Lawless sent over the points and the equipment Kieran requested;

[Name: Safety Potion Pack]

[Type: ETC]

[Rarity: Great]

[Attributes: Constant Potion]

[Effect: None]

[Prerequisite: None]

[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]

[Remark: This is a pack that could hold a total of 12 potion tubes at once. It is built with anti-shake, anti-drop, and high water resistance. It can also be strapped around your waist, mobile-friendly!]

[Constant Potion: Potions, balms had a longer store period when placed inside] (Ch 351)

[Sharp Weapon, Heavy Arms, Musou to Transcendence, cost 45,000 Points, 1 Golden Skill Points. Yes/No?]

[Skill has reached Transcendence level, acquired additional Transcendence option]

[Shock: The fierceness of the great sword in your hand is unparalleled, and target that comes in contact, weapon or armor, will have to undergo a Strength authentication. When the Target’s Strength is lower than yours, target’s weapon will be struck off and armor will suffer extra damage. When you strike an unarmed or bare-body target, if target’s Strength is lower than yours, Target will suffer additional Heavy Would Status!]

[Name: Sharp Weapon, Heavy Arms (Transcendence)]

[Related Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution]

[Skill Type: Offense]

[Effect: You know how to use two-handed greatsword, battle mace, spiked club and all sorts of heavy arms to fight, increase 80% damage]

[Special Effect: Two handed Sword Excellence (Increase 60% damage when wielding two handed sword)]

[Shock: The fierceness of the great sword in your hand is unparalleled, and target that came in contact, weapon or armor, would have to undergo a Strength authentication. When the Target’s Strength is lower than yours, target’s weapon will be struck off and armor will suffer extra damage. When you struck an unarmed or barebody target, when target’s Strength is lower than ours, Target will suffer additional Heavy Wounded Status!]

[Consume: Stamina]

[Prerequisite: Strength C, Agility D+, Constitution D+]

[Remark:You are the beast, the meat grinder on the battlefield, when you are using heavy arms, no one could rival you!] (Ch 351)

After upgrading [Sharp Weapon], Kieran entered the next dungeon. (Ch 352)

## After The Queen's Shield

[Fifth dungeon: The Queen’s Shield]

[Dungeon Type: Free Mission]

[Dungeon Difficulty: Lower Medium]

[Main Mission: Locate the missing imperial envoy in 7 days]

[Mission Completion: 100% (Rating F)]

[Sub Mission 1: Rescue!]

[Mission Completion: 100% (Rating F → D)]

[Sub Mission 2: Help!]

[Mission Completion: 100% (Rating D→C)]

[Sub Mission 3: Breakthrough (Perfect Clear)]

[MIssion Completion: 100% (Rating C→A)]

Sub Mission 4: Protect the king! (Perfect Clear)]

[Mission Completion: 100% (Rating A→ SSS)]

[Battle Performance: Very active (Rating SSS → Z)]

[Exploration Performance: Good]

[Special Rating 1: Discovered key mission item, perfect clear of extra main mission: Escort Mary to the imperial city. (Rating Z → ZZZ, Rep + 1)]

[Special Rating 2: Completed special event mission, defeat the Prairies’ vanguard (Rating ZZZ→V, Rep +1)]

[Player final rating: V!]

[Calculating player’s fifth dungeon rewards…]

[Final player fifth dungeon rewards as follow…]

[Points: 80000; Skill Points: 35; Golden Skill Point 5; Golden Attribute Points: 5]

[Acquired special dungeon: The Queen’s Shield II]

[Acquired special reward 1: Practice Dagger]

[Acquired special reward 2: “Words of the Sects”] (Ch 391)

Kieran criticized the uselessness of the special rewards, then went to organize his damaged equipment before being messaged by Allen, a player he had never heard of before. Allen claimed to have a grudge against Monien the Broker, and asked for an alliance with Kieran. Kieran ignored the message and contacted Blacksmith, sending her screenshots of all his broken equipment and asking if she could fix them. She said she was only able to fix [Crow’s Black Mantel], and that Kieran would have to find a better repair technician to repair his guns and other equipment. He paid her the fee for fixing the mantle, then Kieran went to message Lawless about Allen, but Lawless was still offline. Kieran decided to ask him about Allen later, then started reading his books. After a while, Allen arrived at Kieran’s lobby, and asked for permission to enter; this shocked Kieran, as it was common knowledge that Broker had assigned spies around Kieran’s house. Kieran granted Allen permission, and Allen entered; after inspecting Kieran’s lobby, Allen again asked Kieran to join his alliance.

[Join Blood Alliance? Yes/No] (Ch 392)

Kieran instantly turned him down, and expelled Allen from his lobby when he reacted angrily. Allen started messaging Kieran rapidly, and Kieran muted his messages before going back to reading. Kieran eventually went back to his messages, and found Blacksmith had finished the repair; as he received his [Crow’s Black Mantel], he asked Blacksmith about Allen and she explained that he was the leader of Blood Alliance, and was crazy. She explained that Allen believed the game to be reality, and lived within the game, even marrying an NPC, until Broker killed his NPC wife. Allen formed the Blood Alliance, which was made up of other players who also believed the game to be reality, and they all considered Broker to be their enemy. Kieran sympathized with Allen a little, as he realized the realness of the game could easily lead to a confusion between the game and real life; Kieran also realized that Blacksmith constantly went offline in an effort to help differentiate between the game and real life.

Kieran then thought of the Witch, and aspired to be as strong as she was; as he thought this, the piece of paper with the bloody smiley face that the eagle previously gave him burst into flames. The smiley face formed out of the smoke, and Kieran felt like he was being watched from it; he attacked the smile with [Arrogant Word], but the smile quickly regenerated. Kieran fired a [Burning Hand] at it, but it absorbed the flames; he then splashed [Holy Water VIII] at it, but the water just passed through the smoke. Lastly, Kieran allowed the Chaotic energy of the seven sins to flood the room, though he was reluctant to use the [Fusion Heart] since the backlashes were getting worse. The smile then spoke, saying Kieran was “qualified”, and it lunged at Kieran. Kieran stood back up, the smoke gone, and saw the smiley face tattooed on the back of his right hand. Kieran did not like this development, but he knew absolutely nothing about the tattoo, smiley face, or the eagle that gave him the paper; the game system told him nothing either, so he could do nothing right now. Kieran strived to get stronger, in an effort to learn more about what just happened and what it means; he started upgrading his skills.

[Sharp Weapon, Polearm, Musou to Transcendence, cost 30,000 Points, 1 Golden Skill Points. Yes/No?]

[Skill has reached Transcendence level, acquired one Transcendence option!]

[Piercing: The spear/lance that you wield have extra piercing effect, +1 attack buff when facing defense authentication and when a polearm weapon is equipped.]

[Name: Sharp Weapon, Polearm (Transcendence)]

[Related Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution]

[Skill Type: Offensive]

[Effects: You know how to use a spear, lance, and all sorts of polearm weapons, Increases Damage by 80%]

[Special Effects: Transcendence Spearman (When equipped with a Spear, Damaged increased by 60%)]

[Consumes: Stamina]

[Prerequisites: Strength D+, Agility D+, Constitution D+]

[Remarks:Your knowledge of polearms transcends the commoners’ logic!] (Ch 394)

[Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art, Master to Pro, cost 28,000 Points, 4 Golden Skill Points. Yes/No?]

[Name: Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Arts (Pro)]

[Related Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution, Spirit, Intuition]

[Skill Type: Ancillary]

[Effects: You know how to utilize the special stances, movements and breathing techniques, All Attributes +4 (+1 Basic level, +1 Entry level, +1 Master level, +1 Pro level)]

[Knight’s Focus: Everyone has their own specialty, but not everyone can persevere; Spirit +2; Knight’s Persistence: When you persist on something, you are willing to sacrifice yourself to succeed; Ignite 200 HP to +2 level in Spirit, 1 second duration, cooldown: none]

[Consumes: Stamina]

[Prerequisites: Strength D-, Agility D-, Constitution D-, Spirit D-, Intuition D-]

[Remarks: This was the Knights of Dawn entry course, but it will affect other related skills!] (Ch 394)

Kieran then looked at his attributes, realizing that he had enough Golden Attribute Points to fulfill the requirements of the [Fusion Heart].

[Using Golden Attribute Points…]

[Constitution B+→ A-]

[Using Golden Attribute Points…]

[Constitution A- → A]

[Using Golden Attribute Points…]

[Spirit A → A+]

[Using Golden Attribute Points…]

[Spirit A+ → S-]

[Using Golden Attribute Points…]

[Spirit S- → S] (Ch 395)

[Fulfilled Fusion Heart requirements, Backlash cost removed…]

[Remark: This is a fusion organ fused with the heart of a human, the demon lord, and the Creature of Desire. You have acquired a strong body and a firm will to tame the special organ, but it won’t yield so easily. Not only will it grow stronger with your battles, it is still searching for chances to overtake your conscious. If you wish to conquer it completely, you will need a trigger chance or continue growing strong!] (Ch 395)

Kieran realized that although the backlash was removed, he still had to control his emotions to prevent the creature of desire and the devil from taking advantage of him. Kieran thought of [Lionheart] and [Mardos Arm], wondering if he could communicate with the souls of the Lion and Hell Fiend Spider within them, but he was interrupted by a message from Coll. Coll thanked Kieran for helping save him from Broker and the player killers, and told Kieran that Lawless put him in charge of buying and selling Kieran’s equipment. Coll started talking without stopping, eventually mentioning that Broker and Allen were having a war outside of Kieran’s lobby, as Coll reminded Kieran to not step outside. Kieran started hearing explosions from outside his lobby.

Outside, Allen was shooting Broker’s men with a revolver. Shandy, the manager of the group of mercenaries that Broker had hired to surround Kieran’s lobby, resented Allen for killing his men. There were three player killers hiding in the shadows, watching the fight between Shandy and Allen. They talked about Kieran, wondering what kind of person he was that he could have fought through the army of player killers before. They asked Shandy if Kieran was going to exit his lobby, and Shandy explained that Kieran would definitely come out to fight. Before long, they saw Kieran's door open, and they instantly threw several bottles of holy water at the open door, as they knew Kieran’s weakness to holy energy. The three player killers ran toward Kieran, who was shrouded in darkness from [Undercover]; when the darkness dissipated, Shandy was shocked to see the three player killers dead. Kieran used [Deadman’s Gaze] on Shandy’s men; his spirit attribute was so powerful compared to the average player’s that every single player succumbed to the [Fear] debuff, and they all died from it. Kieran knew the power of [Deadman’s Gaze] would get stronger as his Spirit increased, but he did not expect its current strength. Allen and his alliance members retreated, and Kieran let them leave as he thought of what it meant to be a “Chosen One”, a player with a high Spirit.

Kieran then chased after Shandy, and used [Mesly Ring] on him, enslaving Shandy’s mind; Kieran asked him about Broker, but before Shandy could answer, his head exploded. Someone possessed Shandy’s body, using his blood to form a dagger and attacked Kieran; he passed a spirit authentication, and the user received a heavy backlash. The person who possessed Shandy screamed in pain, and Kieran recognized the voice as Zorl the Registrar, one of Broker’s most trusted men. Kieran then started wondering if he should go to some of the lobbies of the players he had killed to look for loot, or if he should return to his own lobby for now.

Zorl immediately drank a healing potion after suffering the backlash, and sent a message to Broker. He was intimidated by Kieran’s strength, as Zorl was also a Chosen One, and had fought other Chosen Ones before, but this was the first time he had encountered someone with a higher Spirit Attribute than him.

Just then, the news was leaked that Broker had hired Black Hell Banning, the strongest Chosen One among the veterans, to kill Kieran. Coll messaged Kieran, reminding Kieran of Banning’s strength when Lawless used a rocket launcher to disrupt the large area attack, and pleaded with Kieran to stay in his lobby. Kieran wondered how strong Banning really was, but then thought of Broker; he had no way of knowing how strong Broker was, and Kieran wondered if he was also a Chosen One. Ultimately, Kieran desperately wanted to know what Broker’s true goal was, and he thought about the “Witch’s legacy”. He stopped thinking about that when he remembered the money he had gained from the players he killed, and started upgrading some more skills.

[Name: Great Sword Blocking (Master)]

[Related Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution]

[Skill Type: Defense]

[Effect: You know how to block enemy attacks effectively with your great sword, increase 30% defense]

[Special Effect: Extra Block (After familiarizing the structure of a great sword, whenever a successful block, increase extra 10% defense]

[Consume: Stamina]

[Prerequisite: Strength F+, Agility F, Constitution F]

[Remark: Skilled in two handed great sword blocking!] (Ch 399)

[Name: Sword Skill, Dragon Force (Master)]

[Related Attribute: Strength, Constitution]

[Skill Type: Offense]

[Effect: Whenever you attack, you could perform a 5-second charge-up and unleash a slash with 60% increase in attack, consume 150 Stamina, cooldown 4 minutes]

[Special Effect: Extra Charge (decrease charge up time by 0.5 seconds]

[Consume: Stamina]

[Prerequisite: Sharp Weapon, Heavy Arms (Master of Two handed Sword), Strength C+]

[Remark: This is one of the secret esoteric sword skill of the Dragon Sect, and the base for all Dragon Sect secret skills] (Ch 399)

[Name: Sword Skill, Tiger Stance (Master)]

[Related Attributes: Strength, Constitution]

[Skill Type: Offense]

[Effect: Whenever you use a two-handed sword, battle mace, battle axe and successfully block an enemy’s attack, if you counterattack, +20% in Strength, +20% in Agility, consume extra Stamina when attacking]

[Special Effect: Power Focus (+5% Strength in counterattack)

[Consume: Stamina]

[Prerequisite: Sharp Weapon, Heavy Arms (Master), Strength C+]

[Remark: This is one of the secret esoteric sword skill of the Tiger Sect, it’s the first step in mastering the two-handed sword.] (Ch 399)

[Name: Sword Skill, Fast Sting (Master)]

[Related Attributes: Agility, Constitution]

[Skill Type: Offense]

[Effect: Using an explosive speed to perform a stab at a target 4 meters in front you, +40% attack speed for that particular stab. (Consume 80 Stamina, cooldown 4 minutes)]

[Special Effect: Extremespeed (+5% attack speed)]

[Consume: Stamina]

[Prerequisite: Any of Sharp Weapon- Dagger, Knife, Longsword skill reaches Master, Agility E, Constitution E]

[Remark: You can choose either dagger, knife or longsword to perform the skill, but greatsword and two-handed sword are out of the range!] (Ch 399)

[Name: Spear Skill, Dash Lunge (Master)]

[Related Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution]

[Skill Type: Offense]

[Effect: When using a spear/lance, perform a forward lunge with the same Strength and Speed, Strength +20%, Speed +20%, consume 80 Stamina, 4 minutes cooldown]

[Special Effect: Combined Effort (Extra +2.5% of Strength, Speed)]

[Consume: Stamina]

[Prerequisite: Sharp Weapon, Polearm Weapon (Master), Strength E, Agility E, Constitution E]

[Remark: Share the same Strength and Speed, but not having both offense and defense!] (Ch 399)

[Name: Viper Kick (Master)]

[Related Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution]

[Skill Type: Offense]

[Effect: Your leg muscles and joints could be altered, slightly increasing the attack range or your kicks.]

[Special Effect: Viper Hiss (Whenever you launch a kick, your muscles will produce snake hissing sounds, targets who gotten struck will force to go through a Spirit authentication not lower than F+, Fear will be induced when failed)]

[Consume: Stamina]

[Prerequisite: Hand-to-Hand Combat, Kick Combat (Master), Strength D-, Agility D-, Constitution D-]

[Remark: A set of kicking techniques that is infamous for its bewitching movements, catching your target off guards!] (Ch 399)

[Name: Sword Skill, Myriad Viper (Master)]

[Related Attributes: Spirit]

[Skill Type Offense]

[Effect: Utilize your aura to pressurise your opponents in a 15 meters diameter. Target will be forced to undergo a Spirit authentication. When target’s Spirit is lower than yours, target will fall into the illusion of ten thousand snakes, allowing you to exert your will freely, consume 150 Stamina, 4 minutes cooldown]’

[Special Effect: Viper Venom (Whenever your target passed the Spirit authentication, another Intuition authentication will occur. Only after passing the Intuition authentication will the target break free from the myriad viper illusions.]

[Consume: Stamina]

[Prerequisite: Spirit B+]

[Remark: Although it is categorized as a Sword Skill, but in fact, it is actually an illusory attack, no weapon limitations] (Ch 399)

[Name: Greatsword Blocking (Musou)]

[Related Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution]

[Skill Type: Defense]

[Effect: You know how to block enemy attacks effectively with your greatsword, increase 60% defense]

[Special Effect: Extra Block (After familiarizing the structure of a greatsword, whenever a successful block happens, extra 40% defense]

[Consume: Stamina]

[Prerequisite: Strength D-, Agility D-, Constitution D-]

[Remark: The greatsword in your hand is enough to block off most attack!] (Ch 400)

[Name: Barsical Kick (Pro)]

[Related Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution]

[Skill Type: Offensive]

[Effects: Your legs are more nimble than your hands. When you attack with a kick, the second, third, and fourth hit will trigger an additional Agility +1, +2, +3 effect respectively.]

[Special Effect: Bide (Your attacks will be accumulated, during the fourth and fifth hit, Strength and Agility will +2, +3 respectively with each kick]

[Consumes: Stamina]

[Prerequisites: Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Arts (Pro)]

[Remarks: Please note that the level of the Barsical Kick and other related skills cannot be higher than the Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Arts skill!] (Ch 400)

Kieran thought about his strengths, and realized how much of an advantage his high Spirit gave him; he concluded that if he continued levelling up [Myriad Viper], which was a spirit related skill, he could eventually reach a point where no one would be able to fight against him. Kieran used his remaining points to repair his equipment after Coll introduced Kieran to a machinist named Stacker, and Kieran also sold the damaged [Hidden Wrist Bow] and [Buckle Stinger] to Stacker.

Kieran used the rest of his time studying [Herbert’s Note], which he got as a reward from [Ancient City Foreign Matters], in order to prepare for his next dungeon. (Ch 400)

## After Primordial Invasion

[Special Dungeon: Primordial Invasion]

[Dungeon Type: Free Mission]

[Dungeon Difficulty: Below Average]

[Main Mission: Protect Herbert for 3 months]

[Mission Completion: 100% (Rating F)]

[Sub Mission 1: Tracking!]

[Mission Completion: 100% Rating F → D)]

[Sub Mission 2: Escaping Threats]

[Mission Completion: 100% (Perfect Completion, Rating D → B)]

[Sub Mission 3: Persuasion!]

[Mission Completion: 100% (Rating B → A)]

[Battle Performance: Very Active (Rating A → S)]

[Exploration Performance: Average]

[Special Rating 1: Complete Main Mission in advance (Rating S → SS)]

[Special Rating 2: Eliminated Mutant race leader, Benz (Rating SS → Z, Rep +1)]

[Special Rating 3: Eliminated Mutant race leader, Mozorc (Rating Z → ZZZ, Rep +1)]

[Special Rating 4: Eliminated heir of the Royal bloodline, Edgar (Rating ZZZ → VV, Rep +3)]

[Player final dungeon rating: VV!]

[Calculating player’s special dungeon rewards…]

[Final player’s special dungeon rewards as follow…]

[Points: 100,000; Skill Points: 40; Golden Skill Points: 6; Golden Attribute Points: 6]

[Acquired special dungeon: Primordial Invasion II]

[Acquired special reward 1: Herbert’s Note II]

[Acquired special reward 2: Night race Herl City communication logs]

[Acquired special reward 3: Mutant race Herl City communication logs] (Ch 439)

At his lobby, Kieran looked at the special rewards he got and wondered if he would ever get something that actually had any value. Kieran then looked at his messages, starting with Lawless who was finally back online; Lawless assured Kieran everything was okay, but Kieran could tell it was a lie. Kieran thought of ways to help Lawless, since his problems were in real life and not online, and he thought of the Mimosa Starbeck, the rich but cowardly player he had been hired as a bodyguard for in [Prison On The Island]. Kieran was not narcissistic enough to think he was the only person Starbeck would consider hiring as a bodyguard, and concluded that to make himself valuable enough to be worth Starbeck helping Lawless in real life, he had to get stronger. Kieran remembered the Supernova Black Hell Banning was waiting for Kieran outside of his lobby, ready to kill him, and Kieran wondered about his strength. Kieran’s devil bloodline was common knowledge to players now after Broker figured it out, so Kieran could not rely on [Devil Transformation] to kill Banning, and Kieran had no clue how to locate Banning in the first place.

Kieran went back to his messages, seeing Coll continuing to remind him not to leave his lobby, and Allen of the Blood Alliance still trying to tempt Kieran into joining his alliance. He then started upgrading the skills he thought he would most need when fighting Banning;

[Tracking, Grand Master to Musou, cost 30,000 Points, 1 Golden Skill Points. Yes/No?]

[Name: Tracking (Musou)]

[Related Attribute: Intuition]

[Skill Type: Ancillary]

[Effect: You can observe and inspect all sorts of leftover traces and trails to locate your desired target!]

[Special Effect: Musou Trace Inspection (No type of trace can escape your eyes!)]

[Consume: Stamina]

[Prerequisite: Intuition D+]

[Remark: Not only you can clearly sense the special existence of other beings, you can also locate the traces they left behind!] (Ch 441)

[Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art, Pro to Grand Master, cost 45,000 Points, 5 Golden Skill Points. Yes/No?]

[Name: Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Arts (Grand Master)]

[Related Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution, Spirit, Intuition]

[Skill Type: Ancillary]

[Effects: You know how to utilize the special stances, movements and breathing techniques, All Attributes +5 (+1 Basic, +1 Entry, +1 Master, +1 Pro, +1 Grand Master]

[Knight’s Focus: Everyone has their own specialty, but not everyone can persevere; Spirit +3, Knight’s Persistent (When you persist on something, you are willing to sacrifice yourself to succeed; Ignite 200 HP to +2 level in Spirit, 1 second duration, cooldown none)]

[Consumes: Stamina]

[Prerequisites: Strength D+, Agility D+, Constitution D+, Spirit D+, Intuition D+]

[Remarks: This is the Knights of Dawn entry course, but it will affect other related skills!] (Ch 441)

[Using Golde Attribute Points…]

[Spirit SS- → SS]

[Using Golde Attribute Points…]

[Spirit SS → SS+]

[Using Golde Attribute Points…]

[Spirit SS+ → SSS-]

[Using Golde Attribute Points…]

[Spirit SSS- → SSS]

[Using Golde Attribute Points…]

[Spirit SSS → SSS+]

[Detected Spirit has reached your character limit, do you want to set Spirit as your main attribute?](Ch 441)

Kieran was unsure what “main attribute” meant, so instead of answering the game system, he messaged Lawless asking him about it.

[Using Golden Attribute Points…]

[Intuition B+ → A-]

[Using Golden Attribute Points …]

[Intuition A- → A] (Ch 442)

[Sword Skill, Tiger Stance, Master to Pro, cost 10,000 Points and 24 Skill Points. Yes/No?]

[Name: Sword Skill, Tiger Stance (Pro)]

[Related Attributes: Strength, Constitution]

[Skill Type: Offense]

[Effect: Whenever you use a two-handed sword, battle mace, or battle ax and successfully block an enemy’s attack, counterattack +30% in Strength, +30% in Agility, consume extra Stamina when attacking]

[Special Effect: Power Focus (+10% Strength in counterattack)

[Consume: Stamina]

[Prerequisite: Sharp Weapon, Heavy Arms (Master), Strength B-]

[Remark: This is one of the secret esoteric sword skills of the Tiger Sect, it’s the first step in mastering two handed swords.] (Ch 442)

After upgrading his skills and attributes, Kieran left his lobby. Because of the war between Broker and Allen, and because of the constant threat of Banning, the entire street Kieran lived on was abandoned. Kieran immediately used [Tracking], seeing spirits all around the street; they started gathering around Kieran. The spirits confirmed Kieran’s theory that Banning’s spells had a very long casting time, and Kieran kicked the surveillance spirits, killing them. Kieran went [Undercover] as a large veil of darkness was summoned. The veil was full of negative energy and vengeful spirits; the Creature of Desire within the [Fusion Heart] thrived in such a negative environment, and started devouring the vengeful spirits; Kieran used the eyes of the Creature of Desire to locate Banning within the darkness. Banning was holding a cross-shaped dagger, and stabbed it into his palm when he too located Kieran.

Kieran could tell Banning’s attack was about to begin, so he had the Creature of Desire shoot lasers at Banning; the rainbow light pierced the dark veil, and Banning pulled the reverse cross out of his hand, releasing a blood-colored energy that shrouded Banning like an armour. The lasers hit Banning, but could not break through the blood energy; the black veil that was ripped from the lasers also started repairing itself, and purple lightning started thundering in the sky. The lightning hit the Creature of Desire, killing it instantly as it withered away; Kieran recognized the power as a curse, and Banning shot several purple lightning bolts at Kieran.

Away from the battlefield, many players were gathering to watch the fight, as many had anticipated it, and mocked Kieran when they saw the purple lightning hit him. A lot of spectators were rookies of the game, and were either frightened off by the power Banning and Kieran were displaying, or they were inspired by the strength. Veteran players who were part of alliances started recruiting the inspired rookies, feeling they had potential. A group of Lone Wolves then gathered to support Kieran, and the players who were part of alliances started trash talking the Lone Wolves, saying they knew nothing about cooperation and friendship. A rookie doubted those words as they watched the Lone Wolves charge into the battle, ready to fight Banning to avenge Kieran.

Hanses and Coll led the charge into the battle; also in the army of Lone Wolves was Ramont, Raven, Blacksmith, and Lemour. Banning saw the army, and stabbed the reverse cross into his hand again, but before he could pull it out, Kieran gripped his hands, preventing him from being able to pull it out. Banning and all the Lone Wolves were shocked, all of them couldn’t believe that Kieran was still alive after they saw the purple lightning hit Kieran. Kieran crushed Banning’s hands with his own bare hands. As Kieran bantered casually with Banning, enraging him, the Lone Wolves backed off when they saw Kieran had gained the upper hand in the fight, but were startled when Kieran started summoning the Sin Kierans.

Kieran explained that he had used [Ring of the Serpent King, Snake Molt] to survive the purple lightning, then summoned Pride and Wrath to bewitch Banning. Kieran was cautious, and did not reveal himself until he was sure Banning had been bewitched, but was shocked at how physically weak Banning was; Kieran was able to easily catch and injure Banning even with the weakened state that Kieran was in from [Snake Molt]. Kieran then broke Banning’s knee with a kick, and kicked his head, killing him.

[Player Killed: Banning]

[Treated as self-defense through authentication]

[Categorized as an Honor Kill]

[You will receive all the Points and Skill Points of the player…]

[Total: 3000 Points and 0 Skill Points]

[Received the player’s house key]

[Granted the right to use the player’s house]

[All the player’s belongings are returned to their house]

[Honor Kills: 46] (Ch 445)

Right as Kieran killed Banning, a player snuck up on Kieran and thrust a dagger at his back. The Lone Wolves started shooting at the player, but their bullets were reflected away; that was the signature skill of The Enlightened King, Acala, another Supernova. The Lone Wolves hyped up Acala, saying he had slaughtered an army of thousands without taking a step, and said he had even survived an encounter with the Witch. But, before the player could reach Kieran, Kieran summoned the two headed hydra, which simply ate them. Kieran then stood on one of the hydra's heads, and started traveling to Banning’s lobby to collect loot. Kieran messaged Coll and the other Lone Wolves, and they all learned that the player was not Acala.

Kieran arrived at Banning’s lobby, and was heartbroken to see the only thing within the entire lobby was the cross dagger;

[Name: Reverse Scar]

[Type: Accessory]

[Rarity: Legendary]

[Attack: Strong]

[Defense: Extreme]

[Attribute: 1. Whisper of Evil Demon; 2. Blood Cerements; 3. Drain]

[Effect: None]

[Prerequisite: None]

[Remark: Using this cursed object is nothing good but it’s better than being dead, right?]

[Whisper of Evil Demon: 20 minutes casting time, summon a black veil of a hundred meters in diameters. Curse of Evil will be casted on the targets within, the cursed targets will be forced to go through Constitution and Spirit authentication of A rank at least. Fail either one and the targets will suffer a Lethal attack, 1 per 3 days.]

[Blood Cerements: Acquired a defensive coat made out of the Blood of Evil. Has Strong level defense, 30 second duration, 1/day]

[Drain: You can spend an extra 10,000, 20,000, or 30,000 points respectively to increase the authentication level of Whisper of Evil by +1, +2, +3. You can spend extra 30,000 Points to increase the defense level of Blood Cerements by +1. If you spend 1 Golden Skill Point or Golden Attribute Points, you can temporarily acquire a brand new Whisper of Evil or Blood Cerement effect. In the absence of Golden Skill Point, Golde Attribute Points, you can choose to lower any of your five stats by 1 rank to acquire a similar effect!]

(Ch 447)

Kieran was disgusted by Banning and his lobby, and quickly left, boarding the train to return to his own lobby. While on the train, he messaged Starbeck, asking for him to give Lawless assistance in real life in exchange for two dungeon runs. Starbeck replied, saying one dungeon run would be enough compensation, and after Kieran signed a contact, Starbeck sent over the information of the dungeon run he wanted Kieran’s help with;

[Title Dungeon: Blade of the Daybreaker (Main Scroll)]

[Blade of the Daybreaker: The Burning Dawn, who was stationed at the Supreme Road, was assaulted by an unknown enemy and was heavily wounded. He is desperate to find someone that could inherit the spirit and will of the Blade of the Daybreaker!]

[Dungeon Cooldown Time: 5/10]

[Note 1: Title Dungeon will not be calculated in player’s dungeon count.]

[Note 2: Title Dungeon has a specific difficulty and is not related to the dungeon entry difficulty.]

[Note 3: You have the only main scroll of the dungeon, you can decide when to initiate the dungeon but you can’t trade, discard or expel it by any means unless you choose to die.]

[Note 4: You as the main scroll owner will have a higher difficulty than the other sub scroll owner, but at the same time have more conveniences to aid you.] (Ch 448)

Kieran told Starbeck that he would explain the situation to Lawless, and that Lawless would contact Starbeck from there, and agreed to help Starbeck in the [Blade of the Daybreaker] title dungeon when the cooldown was over. The train reached Kieran’s stop, and when Kieran arrived at his own lobby, he was shocked to see Rachel standing in front of his lobby. Rachel was angry at Kieran, explaining that Lawless did not want to drag Kieran into his real life matters. She said that since Starbeck’s family had gotten involved, the matter was temporarily settled, but ultimately advised Kieran to never reveal his real life identity. As she left, Rachel told Kieran to stop wearing [Crow’s Black Feather], saying it was hideous.

Inside his lobby, Kieran started upgrading more skills;

[Viper Kick, Master to Pro, cost 12,000 Points, 24 Skill Points. Yes/No?]

After asking Coll to trade Skill Points for Points, Kieran went on with [Viper Kick]’s leveling.

[Name: Viper Kick (Basic)]

[Related Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution]

[Skill Type: Offense]

[Effect: Your leg muscles and joints could be slightly altered, slightly increasing the attack range or your kicks.]

[Special Effect: Viper Hiss (Whenever you launch a kick, your muscles will produce snake hissing sounds, targets who gotten struck will force to go through a Spirit authentication not lower than E-, Fear will be induced when failed)]

[Consume: Stamina]

[Prerequisite: Hand-to-Hand Combat, Kick Combat (Master), Strength D, Agility D, Constitution D]

[Remark: A set of kicking techniques that is infamous for its bewitching movements, catching your target off guards!] (Ch 449)

Kieran practiced his skills, sold equipment to Coll, and gave Blacksmith the [Ghastly Sapphire] to Blacksmith for appraisal. He then entered the next dungeon. (Ch 449)

## After The Shaman’s Partner III

Immediately after teleporting back into his lobby, Lawless knocked on Kieran’s door, requesting to enter. Kieran allowed him to enter, saying before Lawless could even speak that he had done Lawless a favour and did not want to be scolded because it was a dangerous thing to do. Lawless calmed down, and gave Kieran a cigar as he just said he did not want Kieran to get involved. Kieran lit the cigar with his fire, impressing Lawless. He said that “those guys” had noticed Kieran, and Kieran worried for a moment if he meant real life people. Lawless explained that unless Kieran personally revealed his real life identity, no one from the game could connect 2567 to Kieran; Lawless continues to explain that anyone in real life who tried to probe for secrets about the game would be cursed and die, similar to how you would just randomly die if you don't complete a dungeon run in three months. Lawless remembered the real life assistance that Starbeck gave him after Starbeck and Kieran made their deal, and thanked Kieran. Lawless explained that with Starbeck’s assistance, Lawless was able to destroy his real life enemy’s headquarters, killing most of them.

Lawless and Kieran then talked about Broker and Extremus, who they still had no leads on. Lawless revealed his plan that the two of them would sit quietly for a little longer and wait for Broker and Extremus’ next move. They would act then. Kieran did not like how passive this plan was, but then they realized they could use Allen of the Blood Alliance to lure out Broker and Extremus, hastening the plan. Kieran contacted Allen, asking if they could meet, and Allen instantly agreed; he set the location and the terms that kieran would meet him alone. Lawless did not like that, but Kieran agreed, and started looking at his skills and attributes to prepare for anything.

Kieran asked Lawless about character template limits, and Lawless explained that reaching the character template limit was something that happens to everyone as their attributes increase, and explained that when a player sets their main attribute, they can gain talents related to it. Lawless said in order to unlock these talents, the player would have to go through an extra dungeon run that gets more difficult the higher the player’s attributes are, making it harder to unlock the talents. He also said that the talents a player unlocks is related to their skills, making Kieran wonder what talent he might get from cultivating [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art]. Kieran asked Lawless what would happen if a player tried raising all of their attributes to the limit, and Lawless hastily explained that several players have tried that in the past, and none of them survived the dungeon because of how difficult it was; most players choose only one maximum limit attribute to limit the difficulty of the dungeon. Lawless said he did not know how many maximum limit attributes the Witch had, but the top few Supernovas all have around three. Kieran admired the power and prestige the Witch carried, then started upgrading his skills.

[Sword Skill, Myriad Viper, Pro to Grand Master, cost 30,000 Points, 3 Golden Skill Points. Yes/No?]

[Name: Sword Skill, Myriad Viper (Grand Master)]

[Related Attributes: Spirit]

[Skill Type Offense]

[Effect: Utilize your aura to pressure your opponents in a 25 meters diameter. Target will be forced to undergo a Spirit authentication. When the target’s Spirit is lower than yours, the target will fall into an illusion of ten thousand snakes, allowing you to exert your will freely. Consume 100 Stamina, 3 minutes cooldown]

[Special Effect: Viper Venom (Target will have to go through another Spirit plus Intuition authentication +2 effect when the target passed the first one. Target will only be freed after passing the second authentication)]

[Consume: Stamina]

[Prerequisite: Spirit B]

[Remark: Although it is categorized as a Sword Skill, in fact, it is really an illusory attack, no weapon limitations]

[Note: Related attribute has reached the skills maximum limit] (Ch 525)

[Hundred Violent Kicks, Pro to Grand Master, cost 20,000 Points, 2 Golden Skill Points. Yes/No?]

[Name: Hundred Violent Kicks (Grand Master)]

[Related Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution[

[Skill Type: Offense]

[Effect: With your left or right leg, unleash an indistinguishable barrage of kicks with 55% Strength, towards a 130°angle area with 225% attack speed. Consume 200 Stamina per second, cooldown 7 minutes]

[Special Effect: Phantasm Mirage (During your lightning barrage kicks, 3 mirages of yourself will form during the attack. The mirage has no attack.]

[Consume: Stamina]

[Prerequisite: [Hand-to-Hand Combat. Master of Kicks] (Grand Master), Strength C, Agility C, Constitution C]

[Remark: By sacrificing your attack and mobility in exchange for lightning speed kicks, the power from the continuous kicks will drown your opponent!] (Ch 525)

[Barsical Kick, Pro to Grand Master, cost 20,000 Points, 1 Golden Skill Points. Yes/No?]

[Name: Barsical Kick (Grand Master)]

[Related Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution]

[Skill Type: Offensive]

[Effects: Your legs are more nimble than your hands. When you attack with a kick, the second, third, fourth, and fifth hit will trigger an additional +1, +2, +3, +4 Agility effect respectively.]

[Special Effect: Bide (Your attacks will be accumulated and during the fourth and fifth hit, Strength and Agility will +3, +4 respectively with each kick]

[Consumes: Stamina]

[Prerequisites: Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Arts (Grand Master)]

[Remarks: Please note that the level of the Barsical Kick and other related skills cannot be higher than the Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Arts skill!] (Ch 525)

Kieran and Lawless then left to meet with Allen, though Lawless couldn’t be with Kieran since Allen asked Kieran to be alone. Kieran arrived at Reeder Irla Bridge near the outskirts of the big city. Kieran could see robots working on expanding the city nearby, and Kieran tried reading a plaque that had been destroyed, making him wonder if the area had been abandoned, despite still looking in relatively good shape. Kieran saw Allen waiting for him on the bridge, and as he went to meet Allen, Kieran realized Allen had purposely destroyed the area to delay the renovating robots. Allen was angry, having realized Kieran wanted to use him to attack Broker, though he said he did not mind being used as long as Broker ended up dead. Allen did not fully trust Kieran though, and asked for a show of sincerity, and Kieran realized that some of Broker’s men would be passing by soon. Kieran also did not mind Allen taking advantage of the meeting to hurt Broker, and before long a group of tanks and armoured vehicles arrived, immediately shooting at Allen.

Allen dodged the machine gun fire, and shot at a driver of one of the vehicles, but then an army of men poured out from a truck and surrounded Allen. Allen quickly hid in the shadows, laughing delighetly at the opportunity to kill Broker’s men, and Kieran came out of the shadows. Kieran used [Half-Dead’s Gaze], killing the few men who weren’t able to cover their eyes quick enough, and shooting several others. Kieran didn’t pay any attention to the players who retreated, and instead focused on the player who was able to stop Allen’s previous revolver shot. Kieran and that player fought briefly, Kieran’s kicks breaking through his barrier before [Blade Kick] killed him.

[Player Killed: Lizard]

[Treated as self-defense through authentication]

[Categorized as an Honor Kill]

[You will receive all the Points and Skill Points of the player…]

[Total: 100,000 Points and 20 Skill Points]

[Received the player’s house key]

[Granted the right to use the player’s house]

[All the player’s belongings are returned to their house]

[Honor Kill: 61] (Ch 527)

Kieran wondered why Lizard hadn’t used all of his points to upgrade his skills, and looked in the trucks that Broker’s men were driving. He found a huge amount of iron ore, making Kieran realize just how much property Broker had within the city. Allen asked Kieran if he was scared at the realization of the depths of Broker’s power, and taunted Kieran, saying all the iron ore here couldn’t compare to his true strength. Kieran admitted he was intimidated, but would not be backing down. Kieran noticed a layer of frost covering the bridge, rapidly spreading toward Kieran and Allen. Allen activated a barrier, and watched as Kieran allowed the frost to touch his body, realizing happily that Kieran had a resistance type skill. Kieran used [Charles’ Fire] to dispel the frost, revealing the player that had summoned it; Kieran noticed that he wore a hood that effectively covered his eyes.

Kieran fired another [Charles’ Fire] at him, and he used his frost and water powers to extinguish the fireball before it could reach him; the player then fired freezing mist at Kieran. Kieran used [Burning Hand], causing an explosion when the two forces met. Allen backed off when the air started turning cold and his HP started decreasing from it; he put on some glasses that allowed him to see through the mist, and saw the player repeatedly stabbing icicles into Kieran, who just stood and looked at the player arrogantly. Allen watched as the player succumbed to his anger, and Kieran killed him with [Arrogant Word].

The player exploded as he died, dropping a piece of paper. Kieran recognized this paper, and opened it up to reveal a smiley face drawn with blood. The paper burst into flames, and the smiley face formed out of the resulting smoke; this time Kieran did not attack it. The smiley face said the same thing, “You have proved yourself! Now then… Find us and join us!” (Ch 528), and disappeared. The tattoo on Kieran’s palm changed, revealing another layer of red. Kieran went back to Allen, and requested they continue talking elsewhere.

Back in his lobby, Kieran and Lawless were talking.Kieran explained that Allen agreed to their plan, and in exchange Kieran and Lawless would have to assist Allen if he were to be in trouble. Lawless also couldn't believe that Broker had created an industrial chain, realizing that's why he was so wealthy. Kieran also showed Lawless the tattoo of the smiley face on his hand, and Lawless started worrying about Kieran; Lawless couldn’t think of a single person who not only had powerful ice skills, but could also create clones and invade a player’s lobby. Kieran joked with Lawless, saying if he just thought of the situation as another dungeon run he would be able to solve it easily. They thought of Allen, who was no longer able to differentiate between the game and real life, and Kieran concluded that Allen is more vigilant than people give him credit for.

Lawless started incessantly talking, and Kieran was grateful when he got a message from Blacksmith so he could ignore Lawless;

[Name: Ghastly Sapphire]

[Type: Gemstone]

[Rarity: Rare]

[Attribute: 1. Consume 2.Embedding]

[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]

[Remark: This is a magical gemstone. It is more valuable than you could imagine!]

[Consume: Consume the Ghastly Sapphire to acquire a fraction of Frost Bloodline.]

[Embedding: Embedded on weapon or armor to gain a special Frost effect]

[Note 1: High percentage of failure during consume and will not cause damage to the consumer!]

[Note 2: A certain percentage to fail during embedding. The gemstone and the equipment will be destroyed together!] (Ch 530)

Blacksmith gave Kieran the appraised [Ghastly Sapphire], and Kieran was amazed with the stone. He remembered the [Dark Nether Stone] he got from [The Shaman’s Partner III], and wondered if that stone also carried a bloodline in it. Kieran knew he couldn’t add another bloodline to his body without breaking the balance of the [Fusion Heart], so he gave the [Ghastly Sapphire] to Lawless, who quickly returned it, showing Kieran his own bloodline;

[Son of Bonnar: Your bloodline has granted you extraordinary knowledge of any weaponry. Not only can you familiarize the weapons quickly but it also allows you to show off extraordinary effects with the weapons. Any weapons you use will have a +1 attack buff and +1 related skill level buff (Unable to exceed Transcendence level). Every 7 days you will get an option to specify a certain weapon to receive +2 attack buff and +1 related skill buff (Not affected by skill limit, refreshes every 7 days and unable to carry over. New option would have to be chosen after)] (Ch 530)

Kieran wondered why Lawless used the rocket launcher on Black Hell Banning with such an impressive bloodline, and Lawless started furiously ranting that every single time he picks a weapon arsenal, he gets sent to a dungeon where the weapons he chose were completely useless. He explained that he once had to destroy a spaceship with only a sword, and he cursed how unlucky he was with choosing a weapon that fit the time period of the dungeon. When Lawless was done cursing, he asked Kieran what he was going to do with the [Ghastly Sapphire], and Kieran said he would embed the sapphire into some equipment, because he did not want to sell it and risk it landing in Broker’s hands. Kieran contacted Blacksmith, asking about her embedding services, and she quoted Kieran an extremely high price, which Kieran agreed to after a moment.

Blacksmith gave Kieran her address, saying the owner needed to be present during the embedding. Kieran asked Lawless to find him a glove that he could buy, and lawless quickly returned with the [Seattle Right Hand].

[Name: Seattle Right Hand]

[Type: Glove]

[Rarity: Rare]

[Attack/ Defense: Strong]

[Attribute: Hand Shield]

[Effect: None]

[Prerequisite: Hand-to-hand Combat (Grand Master)]

[Remark: Defense is not the strongest but it will keep you alive!]

[Hand Shield: The glove will transform into a tower shield temporarily. It has Extreme defense level and lasts for 5 seconds, 3/day]

[Note: Gather Seattle Left Hand to activate its hidden effect] (Ch 531)

Kieran and Lawless went to Blacksmith’s lobby, though Lawless’ request to enter was rejected; she said only Kieran could enter. Kieran went inside, and took out the glove, giving it to Blacksmith. She started the embedding, consuming rubies to start a fire in her hands, and set the glove on fire. [Seattle Right Hand] turned gold, indicating it increased in rarity, and Blacksmith gave it to him. Blacksmith was tired after the embedding, but said she benefited from appraising and embedding such high level gemstones; she asked Kieran to think of her the next time he found another gemstone, and Kieran pulled out the [Dark Nether Stone]. Blacksmith was shocked and suspicious, asking Kieran how he knew she needed to appraise a legendary gemstone to ascend, but Kieran assured her it was just coincidental timing. Blacksmith did not fully believe Kieran, but took the gemstone anyway and told him she would need a week to appraise it. Kieran left Blacksmith’s lobby, and showed Lawless the upgraded glove;

[Name: Seattle Right Hand]

[Type: Glove]

[Rarity: Legendary]

[Attack/ Defense: Strong]

[Attribute: Ice Hand Shield]

[Special Effect: 1. Frozen Touch, 2. Frost Breath]

[Prerequisite: Hand-to-hand Combat (Grand Master)]

[Remark: Its defense is not the strongest, but it will keep you alive!]

[Ice Hand Shield: The glove will transform into an ice shield with Extreme defense. Lasts 5 seconds and when the ice shield duration is up, it will fire out 1 Strong freezing air attack with a 3 meters radius range with the user as a starting point. When the defense reaches its threshold and the ice shield is broken, reflect 20% damage to the attacker, 2/day]

[Frozen Touch: When activated, the glove you wear has to touch the target in order to fire a Powerful freezing attack, lasts 5 seconds. When you touch any other things other than yourself and your belongings, it will be deemed an attack and the freezing duration will be over after the attack. 2/day]

[Frost Breath: Create a 60° cone-shaped icy breath in a 5-meter range in front of the user, has Powerful damage and a small percentage to trigger the Freeze effect. (Freeze, the target will have to undergo a Constitution authentication, when lower than C rank, the target will be frozen on the spot for one second and receive Lethally Wounded worth of damage), 1/day]

[Note: Gather Seattle Left Hand to trigger the hidden effect] (Ch 532)

Kieran realized [Frozen Touch] would effectively replace [Wilco’s Grudge], and put it on his list of equipment to sell. Kieran gave this list to Lawless for him to sell, and he recognized [Wilco’s Grudge] as being a cursed item; if he could get a curse dispeller to remove the curse, the equipment could level up. Lawless sold the other equipment, and tried contacting the Curse Dispeller, though that player was rarely online. Allen got into daily fights, though he hadn’t called for Kieran and Lawless. The dungeon cooldown ended, and Kieran entered the next dungeon. (Ch 532)

## After City Of Fiends

Once back in his lobby, Kieran started by looking at the [Great Swamp Scale] that came from the box that Artitelgar removed the talismans from.

[Name: Great Swamp Scale]

[Type: Scale]

[Rarity: Legendary]

[Attack: ?]

[Defense: ?]

[Attributes: ?]

[Effect: ?]

[Prerequisite: A Gift from Great Swamp]

[Remark: It isn’t a dragon scale but it has its own magical properties!] (Ch 574)

He then thought of all the other Special Dungeons he had lined up before he went into [City Of Fiends II], thankful he had many opportunities to get stronger before potentially fighting a real God. He then contacted Raven, hoping she would be able to help him get a contract for his Pawn Fire Raven; before he could massage Blacksmith about his [Dark Nether Stone], Raven replied informing him that someone was selling a contract at Harvest Inn.

Kieran quickly went to the Inn, which was relatively empty at the moment. Kieran sat down after messaging Lawless, and Rachel looked at Kieran blankly, looking at the Fire Raven perched on his shoulder and mumbling nostalgically about the player Crow. Kieran greeted Rachel, waking her from her memories, and she turned her back to Kieran as she silently started crying. Kieran awkwardly left, and went to Raven who was waiting at a table; she praised the Fire Raven, saying it looked reliable. She pointed at a player who was sitting alone in a corner of the Inn, stroking one of the city’s stray cats that sat in his lap. Kieran got up and walked towards the play, asking about the contract, which the player sent Kieran a screenshot of.

[Name: Companion Contract]

[Type: Contract]

[Rarity: Magic]

[Attribute: Form a contract with any life form that fits the regulations, to become your companion and fight with you. (Doesn’t include natives)]

[Prerequisite: None]

[Remark: You can choose any life form within the regulations, cats, dogs, even birds. As long as you aren’t afraid of their death!] (Ch 575)

Kiera saw the price tag and deemed it fair, and sent the player, General, a trade request, though General was shocked when he saw Kieran’s gamer tag. He claimed that he wouldn’t do business with anyone related to Lawless. Realizing the deal was off, Kieran got up and left without another word, returning to Rachel. Rachel handed Kieran a drink, and told him to drink it though Kieran really didn’t want to;

[Name: Orange Light Sorante]

[Type: Wine]

[Rarity: Fresh]

[Attribute: Recover 100 HP within 10 seconds, recovery rate increased by +100%]

[Prerequisite: None]

[Remark: This is a special cocktail cooked up by Rachel, the taste is nothing special but it has a special effect!] (Ch 575)

Rachel told him to drink with a friendly, yet threatening tone, so Kieran drank it, falling asleep immediately;

[Player consumed Osiris Brew…] (Ch 575)

When Kieran woke up from the very deep sleep, Rachel told him unapologetically that the drink was for Lawless, and Kieran just unluckily ended up getting it, and she handed Kieran a [Companion Contract], saying she didn’t want Lawless getting mad at her for the mix-up. Kieran had a feeling Rachel was hiding something, but he didn’t press it as he used the contract on his Fire Raven, and left the empty Inn. It was night out, which Kieran hadn’t seen before online since he usually stayed holed up in his lobby during the in-game night. He also recalled night was when player killers were most active; as Kieran walked toward the train station to return to his lobby, he opened his messages, seeing that Blacksmith had finished her appraisal of [Dark Nether Stone], and Lawless had found a curse dispeller for [Wilco’s Grudge].

Kieran got Lawless’ location, and as he continued walking toward the train station, Kieran found himself surrounded by four player killers. They started shooting at Kieran, which Kieran deflected with [Primus Scale]; Kieran ran toward the leader of the group, easily killing him with [Arrogant Word]. The other players threw an electric net over Kieran, though his [Secondary Elemental Damage Resistance] made the electricity not do any damage; Kieran killed the other players with his guns and [Arrogant Word].

Kieran was suspicious of the timing of the players, although they were way too weak for it to have been a planned attack. The train finally arrived, and when Kieran boarded, he saw the train was full of people wearing the same black hood. They all attacked Kieran in unison, some firing, some holding up shields, and others wielding daggers. Kieran hid behind a chair, and used [Shadow Cloak] to fill the train with darkness. They set up a defensive formation within the darkness, and Kieran threw a fireball at them, killing them all.

[Player involved in battle within the train!]

[The conductor authenticated your action as self-defense!]

[Categorized as Honor Kill!]

[Sanction waived…] (Ch 577)

Kieran watched as a few robots entered the carriage, and started repairing the damage caused by the guns and the Devil Fire. As the robots left, finished, Kieran admired their repair work, as the carriage had no signs of repair. He then tried desperately to remind himself that it was virtual, and he was just playing a video game, though he was not entirely successful.

Kieran sent Rachel a message, asking about a group of players who wore the same black hood and had great teamwork, but Kieran was shocked when he saw Rachel go offline the minute he sent her the message. He sent similar messages to Coll, Blacksmith, and Hanses, though none of them replied, making Kieran wonder how bad of a situation Lawless was in.

When Kieran arrived at the street where Lawless was, he was shocked to see an army of players all wearing the same black hood waging a war against the Lone Wolves. Hanses, Coll, and Blacksmith were all fighting, while Coll tried to use his robot dog to find other Lone Wolves. The three of them were in bad shape, and Blacksmith was being tortured by a player who kept shooting flying daggers into her body. She threw some gemstones at the man, which exploded and almost killed him, but he started preaching his superiority over Lone Wolves as one of his team members healed him from a distance. A group of machine gun-wielding players advanced and started firing nonstop at Blacksmith, who raised a shield with her gemstones, though it quickly started breaking.

Before it could break though, Kieran stepped in front of her, and asked how she was holding up. Blacksmith saw the game’s facial blur covering Kieran’s face, reminding her that she was in a video game, and she started warning Kieran that the guy with the flying knives could pierce through space. Kieran gave Blacksmith a healing potion, and used [Deadman’s Gaze] on the whole group. They all died except for the knife player who passed the Spirit authentication, but he quickly turned round and ran from Kieran as fast as he could. His teammate healed him as he ran, and he threw a few daggers at Kieran also, though to Blacksmith’s surprise Kieran simply caught the daggers. Kieran caught the player with [Shadow Chains], and killed him with a kick before he could say a word.

[Player Killed: Terry]

[Treated as self-defense through authentication]

[Categorized as an Honor Kill]

[Detected target has limit broken character model template!]

[You will receive 150% of the Points and Skill Points of the player…]

[Total: 30, 000 Points and 10 Skill Points]

[Received the player’s house key]

[Granted the right to use the player’s house]

[All the player’s belongings are returned to their house]

[Honor Kill: 84] (Ch 579)

Hanses and Coll had just barely survived when the building they were hiding in exploded during an attack from the black hooded army. Hanses suggested they split up, Hanses would divert the enemies attention while Coll stopped a turret, and Hanses left the destroyed building. Coll used a remote controlled car, controlling it like a part of his own body, until it infiltrated a building controlled by the enemy. A player then snuck up on Coll and thrust a sword through his abdomen. Coll’s robot exploded, consuming the building that the turret stood on, but a barrier formed, protecting the turret. The player killed mocked Coll, saying Lone Wolves would never be able to defeat allied players, but then Ramont appeared, and used his duel swords to break through the barrier.

The player killer was very angry, as he had personally been tasked with protecting the turret, and pulled his sword out of Coll, readying a swing to kill him. Hanses returned and threw a brick at the player, temporarily blinding them as dust got into their eyes, and Hanses grabbed Coll, taking him out of the player’s reach. Hanses gave Coll a healing potion and also put his coat over Coll’s chest, which was exposed from the sword, revealing that Coll was a woman. The player taunted Hanses, and Hanses attacked the player, killing them after his strength increased from his anger. Hanses returned to Coll, asking why Coll hid her gender, but Coll just asked Hanses to hide her secret; Coll then asked Hanses to carry her to the turret that Ramont had frozen.

After freezing the turret, Ramont dashed into the main army of the black hood-wearing players. He slaughtered them all with Raven’s help. They discussed the player that kept healing the black hooded players, and whichever player was capable of cutting off their communication, and decided to reach Lawless at Small Path Square. Just as they started walking, they saw Kieran’s two-headed serpent rampaging in that direction.

Kieran had learned his war was related to the Title Dungeon Sub Scroll, and also learned that the black hooded players were the subordinates of the Supernova Black Robe Rayerwent; Rayerwent’s strength directly stemmed from the might of this army, which specialized in precise teamwork. Black Robe used the curse dispeller Lawless was looking for as bait, luring Lawless and Kieran into this war. Kieran realized he needed to take out the healer as quickly as possible to help out the other Lone Wolves also involved in the war. Kieran ran toward the group of healers, who were heavily guarded and surrounded by many traps, but Kieran could easily spot and dodge the traps with [Tracking]. Kieran sent an illusion of himself forward with [Illusion Puppeteer Ring] which distracted the guards as Kieran snuck up on them and used [Reckless Rush], pointing [Arrogant Word] like a spear. Kieran rammed into the barrier that the healers set up, managing to break through it with the combined might of [Reckless Rush] and [Arrogant Word]. Kieran shot webs from [Mardos’ Lair], binding the healers, and killing them before they could free themselves. Kieran saw what was going on at Small Path Square through the Fire Raven which was surveilling the area, and he summoned his two-headed serpent to rampage in the area.

Ramont and Raven watched as the serpent started destroying the square, but they were shocked when a giant swarm of insects appeared and attacked the serpent. The two were intimidated, realizing how high of a Spirit Attribute a player would need to control a swarm of that calibre, yet they decided to charge in and assist Kieran’s serpent, yearning to help Lawless. They saw that the serpent was very capable in a fight though, and decided that they would be more useful in searching for Lawless instead of fighting insects. Raven, as a Chosen One, had his own means to locate Lawless, and led Ramont to a dried up fountain within the Square that he could sense Lawless from. The insects then turned their attention from the serpent to Raven and Ramont, but Kieran jumped in front of the two of them and fired a [Burning Hand] at the swarm. Raven opened up the fountain, and the two of them jumped in while Kieran and the serpent blocked the insects from following them.

A large group of Black Robes surrounded the fountain, and Kieran declared that nobody would get past him; the Black Robes were doubting themselves, knowing the Healers had been killed and they did not want to fight Kieran without that assurance that they wouldn’t die. Kieran shot a [Charles’ Fire] at the Black Robes, angering them as they did not expect Kieran to attack first. The army charged as Kieran, attacking unrelentingly as Kieran filled the Square with his [Devil’s Flame]. Kieran was attacked with bullets, arrows, and rockets which kept accumulating injuries, but Kieran fought back without pause. The Black Robes continuous attacks eventually broke through all of Kieran’s defenses and wounded the serpent, yet Kieran kept fighting to buy Raven and Ramont as much time as possible.

Raven and Ramont were running through the underground passage at their max speed, despite the rough rocky walls constantly scratching at them, leaving them bloodied and tired. They reached the end of the passage which opened up into a larger room, and as Raven used his Animal Companions to light up the room, they found themselves surrounded by insects. Ramont merged his dual swords, causing an explosion, and Raven finished lighting up the cave; they saw the insects forming a shield around Black Robe Rayerwent. Lawless and the curse dispeller were unconscious behind Rayerwent. Ramont confronted Rayerwent while Raven ran around towards Lawless and the cursive dispeller, giving the two of them healing potions. They woke up, and the curse dispeller glared at Rayerwent; Black Robe laughed at the glare, provoking them by saying the curse dispeller had sacrificed one of his main Attributes in order to seal him, only for two useless reinforcements to arrive. Ramont fell for the taunt, and attacked Rayerwent, before forcibly stopping himself, feeling something was not right. Raven also felt something was off, and shot Lawless’ head off. Ramont killed the curse dispeller, and the two of them melted into a yellow goo. Raven took out a special candle, illuminating Rayerwent with it’s light, and Rayerwent started melting, revealed Lawless. There was a red insect clamped onto Lawless’ neck, and when it felt the warmth of the candle, it grew agitated, causing Lawless great pain. Ramont and Raven realized they had fallen into a trap when they realized neither Rayerwent nor the curse dispeller were in the cave

In the Square, the serpent had died from the Black Robes, and Kieran was covered in injuries. Kieran saw a Black Robe wearing a grey robe, and realized it was Rayerwent. Rayerwent demanded the title sub scroll from Kieran, and the Black Robes started firing [Bullets of Blessing] at Kieran. Kieran jumped into the fountain, and used the [Reverse Scar] he got from Black Hell Banning, summoning the veil of darkness. Recognizing the darkness as Banning’s signature attack, Rayerwent ordered his army to retreat, but the spirits and negative energy of the veil started attacking the Black Robes. The attack killed all of the remaining insects, and massacred a large portion of the Black Robes, and Kieran enjoyed the feeling of being surrounded by negative energy;

[Dense negative energy field, player acquired temporarily boost, Strength +1…]

[Dense negative energy field, player acquired temporarily boost, Constitution +1…] (Ch 585)

Kieran attacked Rayerwent with [Arrogant Word], and Rayerwent stood still, unable to comprehend how or when Kieran knew that he would be ambushing him. After being dismembered by the sword, Rayerwent did not die. Kieran set him on fire with his Devil’s Flame and he still did not die. Rayerwent demanded to know how Kieran knew about his ambush, and sent a curse towards Kieran when he did not reply. The curse was the same shade of grey that shrouded him, and it constantly floated toward Kieran at a slow but constant pace. A Black Robe approached Kieran, taunting him that the curse from the curse dispeller would follow him for the rest of his life, and the only way that Kieran would ever be safe again would be if he quickly returned to his lobby and never left. Kieran asked the Black Robe if he was the real Rayerwent, and he honestly confirmed it. Kieran attacked the real Rayerwent with [Arrogant Word], but Rayerwent blocked it and shot some insects at Kieran; he pulled out a dagger shrouded with a very powerful holy energy, saying Broker told him to kill Kieran with blessed items, and thrust it into Kieran’s heart.

Kieran activated [Saint Thorns], surrounding Kieran with halos of light, and the damage from the dagger was reflected back onto Rayerwent, making his body explode into insects which fell to the ground lifelessly. Kieran regained his HP, and the dagger was expelled from his heart, reactivating the [Fusion Heart]. Kieran reached for the blessed dagger that was still in his chest, but it burned his skin on contact. Kieran activated [Saint Thorns] again, reflecting the holy damage back onto the dagger, which summoned an illusion of old men radiating a bright light who sung a hymn, and a young beautiful girl walking toward Kieran, carrying a golden holy grail.

Kieran gave the girl no mind, as he was giving all of his effort to trying to pull the dagger from his chest. The holy energy was burning him down to his bones, and the pain the holy energy put him in was torturous. The girl reached Kieran, knelt before him, and looked at him pitifully and compassionately as she dipped her hand into the holy grail. She then reached toward Kieran’s forehead. Kieran felt an extreme sense of danger from the water and the girl’s action, and yelled at her to get away from him; he shot some devil’s flame at her, burning her down to ashes. The holy grail floated despite not being held, and the girl reappeared, looking at Kieran with the same compassionate look as she reached toward Kieran’s forehead again. Kieran repeated his actions over and over again, mercilessly burning the girl before she could baptize him. This repeated until Kieran had almost succeeded in pulling the dagger out of his chest, and the girl realized he was almost free from the dagger; the golden holy grail morphed into a sword, and the girl glared at Kieran with a chilling murderous intent. Kieran fired the last fireball at her while simultaneously pulling out the dagger, and then he used [Seattle Right Hand] to freeze the dagger and the illusion.

The dagger shattered, and the illusion faded, and Kieran saw that he had fallen into [Fear]. He looked at Rayerwent and the Black Robes, and he saw as maggots escaped from the Black Robes, grew into giant insects, and returned back to their player and ate their body. Kieran fired a fireball at the swarm of insects, but most of them managed to escape, and flew away, following Rayerwent. Kieran sent his Fire Raven to follow them, and escaped into the shadows when he saw the grey curse still slowly floating toward him.

Zorl the registrar informed Broker that Rayerwent had failed, though the curse dispeller did successfully cast his curse on Kieran. Broker told Zorl to get rid of Rayerwent since he was useless, and even mocked all of the Supernovas. Zorl left, and Broker looked at a piece of paper that he had drawn a red smiley face onto.

Kieran was outside of the building he saw Rayerwent enter into through the Fire Raven, though he was sure Rayerwent lured him here on purpose. Kieran knew Rayerwent was working with Broker since Rayerwent basically admitted to it, and he guessed that the Supernova wanted to use Kieran to get back at Broker’s men, wanting to blame Broker for his failure. Kieran saw someone retreat from the building, and it exploded and collapsed. Kieran realized Broker had some way to nullify contracts, and also some way to delay the cyber police.

Blacksmith then approached Kieran, and returned [Reverse Scar], but before she could leave Kieran asked her if she could repair [Armor of Excellence] and [Crow’s Black Feather], and embed the [Dark Nether Stone]. Blacksmith reluctantly agreed, and said Kieran would need a doorguard because of the curse, and nominated Lawless. As they traveled to the train, Kieran was sure that Blacksmith was trying to avoid Kieran, though he could not figure out why.

They arrived at Blacksmith’s house, where Lawless, Coll, Hanses, Ramont, and Raven were all waiting. Blacksmith immediately entered her lobby, and Coll, Hanses, Ramont, and Raven left so Lawless and Kieran could talk privately. Lawless apologized, admitting he had no clue the curse dispeller was one of Rayerwent’s men; they then smoked cigars together. Lawless then explained that the curse following Kieran seemed to have no effect on anything it touches, just constantly floating closer to Kieran. Lawless said he would work hard to find another capable curse dispeller, but told Kieran he had to stay within his lobby until then. Kieran agreed, knowing he wouldn’t be safe anywhere else, and Lawless gave Kieran the ring back;

[Name: Wilco’s Redemption]

[Type: Accessory]

[Rarity: Rare]

[Attack/Defense: None]

[Attributes: 1. Chilling Touch; 2. Chilling Spike]

[Effects: None]

[Prerequisites: None]

[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]

[Remarks: A mission that Wilco had considered easy ended up leading to his death. Wilco’s hatred and grudges are sealed in this ring!]

[Chilling Touch: You need to touch your target with the ring for the skill to be activated. It strikes with a Powerful Cold Attack that lasts 5 seconds (When combined with other equipment on your body, it still lasts the same amount of time), 2 times/day]

[Chilling Spike: Fire a long ice spear at your target, 30-meter maximum range. When the ice spear hits the target or any other obstacle, it will trigger an ice explosion of 3 meters in range. Direct hit target, will receive Powerful ice attack, other target will receive Strong to Weak ice splash damage depending on how near they are to the blast point. 2/day] (Ch 588)

Kieran then went into Blacksmith’s lobby, not wanting to waste any more time, and he saw the appraised [Dark Nether Stone] on a table;

[Name: Dark Nether Stone]

[Type: Gemstone]

[Rarity: Legendary]

[Attribute: 1. Consume; 2. Embedding; 3. Tribute]

[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]

[Remark: This is a magical gemstone, its value will surely exceed your imagination!]

[Consume: Consume the Dark Nether Stone to acquire the Dark Lineage]

[Embedding: Embed on your weapon or armor to acquire various Dark effects]

[Tribute: Offering it as a tribute at a certain temple will give you unexpected encounters!]

[Note 1: High percentage of failure when consumed, but no damage to consumer when failed]

[Note 2: A certain percentage of failure when embedding, the gemstone and item will be destroyed at the same time if failed!]

[Note 3: When offered as a tribute, good things or bad things might happen depending on your luck!] (Ch 588)

Kieran took off his [Armor of Excellence] and [Crow’s Black Feather], giving them to Blacksmith for repair. Blacksmith told Kieran he had to be silent during the repairing process and not watch, so Kieran turned his back to Blacksmith and looked at his messages. Kieran messaged Rachel, asking if she knew everything related to Black Robe Rayerwent all along, and Rachel claimed that Lawless was not “normal”. She reminded Kieran of how Lawless exploded into a murderous rage when Coll was kidnapped, and she explained that she feared he would develop a personality disorder if nobody did anything. Kieran asked if she purposely let Lawless walk into Rayerwent’s trap, and Rachel justified herself by saying she had hoped the experience would knock sense into Lawless, that “His kindness will not always bring sincerity in return” (Ch 589). Kieran asked about the drink, [Osiris Brew], but Rachel went offline without saying any more. Kieran thought about what Rachel said, and realized he agreed with what she said, and decided to not mention any of it to Lawless.

Blacksmith finished with the repairs, and handed Kieran back the armour and mantle; the [Armor of Excellence] had successfully been embedded.

[Name: Armor of Excellence]

[Type: Plate armor]

[Rarity: Legendary]

[Defense: Extreme]

[Attribute: 1. Soul Summon, 2. Shadow Cover, 3. Shadow Terror]

[Effect: None]

[Prerequisite: Spirit SS]

[Remark: This is a very special armor of excellence, different from what others know of it. It has a more mysterious power to it and the wearer will need to be iron-willed to wear it safely!]

[Soul Summon: You can dominate 10 unconscious souls within a 100-meter radius range, 3 times/day]

[Shadow Cover: While hiding in shadows, gain extra Undercover +1 effect. You can also shuttle through shadows in a short range without breaking cover (10-meter limit), 3 times/day]

[Shadow Terror: Targets who lay eyes on this armor will have to undergo a test of will (includes but not limited to Spirit attributes). Failure will send target into Panic debuff] (Ch 589)

Kieran was very satisfied, and was not going to be stingy with paying Blacksmith, but she said the [Reverse Scar] Kieran had lent her resulted in enough loot to pay off the fee; Kieran knew she was lying, and pressed the matter until she said part of the fee waived as a thanks for saving her life. Kieran thanked her, and left since Lawless messaged Kieran saying the curse was approaching. Once Kieran left, Blacksmith removed her facial blur and harshly reminded herself she was inside of a video game.

Outside, Lawless showed Kieran a [Secondary Medicine Crafting Platform Blueprint], and Kieran asked him to buy it, giving Lawless the necessary points.

[Name: Secondary Medicine Crafting Platform Blueprint]

[Type: Crafting blueprint]

[Rarity: Great]

[Prerequisite: Medicine and Medicinal Knowledge (Master), Basic Medicine Crafting Platform]

[Remark: This is an upgraded version of the basic crafting platform. Able to craft bandages and also a small chance of producing healing syringes!] (Ch 590)

They arrived at Kieran’s lobby without complication, the curse slowly following behind them, and Kieran safely got inside. He immediately upgraded his [Medicine Crafting Platform]

[Basic Medicine Crafting Platform upgrade, requires Secondary Medicine Crafting Platform Blueprint, 10,000 Points…]

[Prerequisite met!]

[Upgrade? Yes/No]

[Name: Secondary Medicine Crafting Platform]

[Type: Automated Crafting Platform]

[Rarity: Great (Constant)]

[Attribute: Consume 4 Points of raw materials every hour to create a bandage and create a high-quality bandage every 4 hours. Have small chances of crafting an extra healing syringe.]

[Effect: None]

[Remark: This is an automated medicine crafting platform. All you need is to put in sufficient alcohol, gauze and medicine to create an endless supply of bandages.]  (Ch 591)

Kieran considered how much profit he would get if he sold the bandages that the platform crafts, and was happy that he now had a stable source of income independent from dungeon runs, even though it was not a great amount of profit. He then turned to his skills, upgrading them;

[Name: Sword Skill, Fast Sting (Musou)]

[Related Attributes: Agility, Constitution]

[Skill Type: Offense]

[Effect: Using an explosive speed to perform a stab at a target 5.5 meters in front you, +55% attack speed for that particular stab. (Consume 65 Stamina, cooldown; 2.5 minutes)]

[Special Effect: Extreme speed (+20% attack speed)]

[Consume: Stamina]

[Prerequisite: Any of Sharp Weapon- Dagger, Knife, Long Sword skill reaches Master, Agility D+, Constitution D+]

[Remark: You can choose either dagger, knife or longswords to perform the skill but greatswords and two-handed sword are out of range!] (Ch 591)

[Name: Spear Skill, Dash Lunge (Musou)]

[Related Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution]

[Skill Type: Offense]

[Effect: When using a spear/lance, perform a forward lunge with the same Strength and Speed, Strength +35%, Speed +35%, consume 65 Stamina]

[Special Effect: Combined Effort (Extra +10.0% of Strength, Speed)]

[Consume: Stamina]

[Prerequisite: Sharp Weapon, Polearm Weapon (Master), Strength D+, Agility D+, Constitution D+]

[Remark: Share the same Strength and Speed, but not having both offense and defense] (Ch 591)

[Name: Sword Skill, Dragon Force (Musou)]

[Related Attribute: Strength, Constitution]

[Skill Type: Offense]

[Effect: Whenever you attack, you can perform a 5-second charge up and unleash a slash with a 75% increase in attack, consume 125 Stamina, cooldown; 3.5 minutes]

[Special Effect: Extra Charge (decrease charge up time by 1 second]

[Consume: Stamina]

[Prerequisite: Sharp Weapon, Heavy Arms (Master of Two-handed Sword), Strength B-]

[Remark: This is one of the secret esoteric sword skill of the Dragon Sect and the base for all Dragon Sect secret skills] (Ch 591)

[Name: Sword Skill, Myriad Viper (Musou)]

[Related Attributes: Spirit]

[Skill Type Offense]

[Effect: Utilize your aura to pressure your opponents in a 30-meter range, the target will be forced to undergo Spirit authentication. When target’s Spirit is lower than yours, the target will fall under the illusion of ten thousand snakes, allowing you to exert your will freely, consume 75 Stamina, 2.5-minute cooldown]

[Special Effect: Viper Venom (Target will have to go through another Spirit plus Intuition authentication +3 effect when the target passed the first one. Target will only be freed after passing the second authentication)]

[Consume: Stamina]

[Prerequisite: Spirit A+]

[Remark: Although it is categorized as a Sword Skill, in fact, it is really an illusory attack, no weapon limitations] (Ch 591)

[Name: Blade Kick (Grand Master)]

[Related Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution]

[Skill Type: Offensive]

[Effects: A slashing wave attack from either one of your feet. The damaging wave from the attack authenticated as a Strong qi wave, Consumes 150 Stamina, 3-minute cooldown]

[Special Effect: Hardened Training (The attack and sharpness of Blade Kick will increase slowly with its level)]

[Consumes: Stamina]

[Prerequisites: Hand-to-Hand Combat (Master of Kicks), Strength C, Agility C, Constitution C]

[Remarks: This is a fierce martial art technique. You will need to seize the opportunity to use it!] (Ch 591)

[Name: Viper Kick (Grand Master)]

[Related Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution]

[Skill Type: Offense]

[Effect: Your leg muscles and joints could be slightly altered, slightly increasing the attack range of your kicks.]

[Special Effect: Viper Hiss (Whenever you launch a kick, your muscles will produce snake hissing sounds, targets who are struck will be forced to go through a Spirit authentication not lower than E+, Fear will be induced when failed)]

[Consume: Stamina]

[Prerequisite: Hand-to-Hand Combat, Kick Combat (Master), Strength D+, Agility D+, Constitution D+]

[Remark: A set of kicking techniques that is infamous for its bewitching movements, catching your target off guard!] (Ch 591)

Kieran then contacted Lemour, asking her if she could enchant [Arrogant Word]; she agreed, and Kieran sent over his sword and the payment. Kieran then looked at his Attributes, and started upgrading them with his leftover Golden Attribute Points;

[Using Golden Attribute Points…]

[Strength S- → S]

[Using Golden Attribute Points…]

[Strength S → S+]

[Detected attribute has reached Character Model Template Limit, do you want to set it as your main attribute?]

……

[Using Golden Attribute Points…]

[Agility S- → S]

[Using Golden Attribute Points…]

[Agility S → S+]

[Detected attribute has reached Character Model Template Limit, do you want to set it as your main attribute?]

……

[Using Golden Attribute Points…]

[Constitution S- → S]

[Using Golden Attribute Points…]

[Constitution S → S+]

[Detected attribute has reached Character Model Template Limit, do you want to set it as your main attribute?]

……

[Using Golden Attribute Points…]

[Intuition A+ → S-]

[Using Golden Attribute Points…]

[Intuition S- → S]

[Using Golden Attribute Points…]

[Intuition S → S+]

[Using Golden Attribute Points…]

[Intuition S+ → SS-]

[Using Golden Attribute Points…]

[Intuition SS- → SS]

[Using Golden Attribute Points…]

[Intuition SS → SS+]

[Detected attribute has reached Character Model Template Limit, do you want to set it as your main attribute?] (Ch 591)

Kieran found it interesting that Intuition capped at SS+, while Constitution, Agility, and Strength could only go up to S+, and wondered what determines the cap. Kieran looked at his door, feeling the presence of the curse waiting outside, and knew it would be very difficult for Lawless to find someone willing and able to dispel it. Kieran remembered Mary’s mother from [The Queen’s Shield] was knowledgeable about curses, and was hopeful that he would be able to find something to help him in the next dungeon. (Ch 591)

## After The Queen’s Shield II

(Ch 641) Kieran was proud of his VVV rating for the dungeon and of the immense amount of loot he got. The first thing Kieran did was contact Lawless, sending him all of the loot he wanted to sell, which shocked Lawless at how much loot there was. Kiean then asked Lawless about the “I” rarity that the [Wolf’s Remnant Feast] had, though Lawless hadn’t heard of that rarity before. Kieran quickly changed the subject, and Lawless said he was still working on finding a curse dispeller. Kieran knew that since the curse was cast with the caster’s life, it would not be easy to dispel and would also cost a great amount of compensation.

He thought of Nikorei in [The Shaman’s Partner] and wondered if she would be able to dispel the curse, though he knew that he was not in a position to ask for her help since [The Shaman’s Partner IV] would be in Naveya and not the West Coast. Kieran wondered more about Nikorei and the cat Tiki, before turning to his Character Model Template.

He had reached the Character Model Template Limit for all of his attributes, and he needed to Limit Break all of them in order to be able to further upgrade them. Kieran decided to undergo the Limit Break Dungeon, fearing the difficult enemies waiting for him in [City of Fiends II] and [The Shaman’s Partner IV]. He remembered Lawless telling him about how dangerous the Limit Break Dungeon was, especially how it increases in difficulty with how many Attributes a player wants to Limit Break, and he started seriously preparing for it.

First he contacted Blacksmith, showing her the [Armor of Excellence] and [Crow’s Black Feather] that had been broken during the fight with the Prairie King, and she agreed to repair the mantle, though the armour was outside of her skill level; she gave Kieran the name of a player who should be able to fix it. Kieran immediately messaged the repair technician, Shu, and introduced himself while also sending a screenshot of the armour. Shu’s price was suspiciously cheap, and Shu explained that although the armour was a legendary rarity, it was only legendary because of the [Dark Nether Stone] embedded into it, therefore making the repair cheaper than a true legendary item.

Lawless then messaged Kieran, expressing concern at how Kieran went into a dungeon the moment the cooldown ended, and Kieran explained that his time was very limited. When they were done talking, Kieran started upgrading his skills;

[Sword Skill, Myriad Viper, Musou to Transcendence cost 50,000 Points, 5 Golden Skill Points. Yes/No?]

[Sword Skill Myriad Viper has reached Transcendence, extra Transcendence option: Ouroboros]

[Name: Sword Skill, Myriad Viper (Transcendence)]

[Related Attributes: Spirit]

[Skill Type Offense]

[Effect: Utilize your aura to pressure your opponents in a 35-meter diameter, the target will be forced to undergo a Spirit authentication. When target’s Spirit is lower than yours, the target will fall into the illusion of ten thousand snakes, allowing you to exert your will freely, consume 50 Stamina, 2-minute cooldown]

[Special Effect: Viper Venom (Target will have to go through another Spirit plus Intuition authentication of +1 and +4 respectively when target passed the first one. Target will only be freed after the passing the second authentication)]

[Transcendence Option: Ouroboros (Consume 3 times Stamina to recast another Myriad Viper regardless of cooldown. When Ouroboros has been successfully cast, Myriad Viper’s cooldown will be added on to the previous existing cooldown)]

[Consume: Stamina]

[Prerequisite: Spirit S+]

[Remark: Although it is categorized as a Sword Skill, in fact, it is really an illusory attack, no weapon limitations] (Ch 643)

[Sword Skill, Tiger Stance, Pro to Grand Master, cost 20,000 Points, 2 Golden Skill Points. Yes/No?]

[Name: Sword Skill, Tiger Stance (Grand Master)]

[Related Attributes: Strength, Constitution]

[Skill Type: Offense]

[Effect: Whenever you use a two-handed sword, battle mace, battle-ax and successfully block an enemy’s attack, counterattack +40% in Strength, +40% in Agility, consume extra Stamina when attacking]

[Special Effect: Power Focus (+10% Strength in counterattack)]

[Consume: Stamina]

[Prerequisite: Sharp Weapon, Heavy Arms (Grandmaster), Strength B+]

[Remark: This is one of the secret esoteric sword skills of the Tiger Sect, it’s the first step in mastering the two-handed sword.] (Ch 643)

[Name: Living Rope Technique (Grand Master)]

[Related Attribute: None]

[Skill Type: Ancillary]

[Attribute: Control a rope object not longer than 25 meters]

[Effect: Nimble (The controlled rope will be as nimble as your own fingers]

[Consume: Stamina]

[Prerequisite: Mystical Knowledge (Pro), Spirit A+]

[Remark: This is a basic technique that requires talents. Its incantation has only one note but you cannot neglect it!] (Ch 643)

[Name: Dormant Viper (Master)]

[Related Attribute: None]

[Skill Type: Ancillary]

[Attribute: A high ranking technique among the Viper Sect, uses a special way of breathing to send the wounded into a slumber and heal for 1.5 HP/minute]

[Effect: Snake Rest (Slightly decrease the cost of Stamina and increase 0.5 HP recovery rate per minute.]

[Consume: Stamina]

[Prerequisite: Spirit S+]

[Remark: It will consume your stamina but its roots are within Spirit, it is the entry level technique to the real Viper Sect ultimates!] (Ch 643)

When done, Kieran wondered what the Viper Sect’s true ultimate skill was, believing the rumor that it was something similar to his [Snake Molt] which could give him an extra life. Since Kieran had used [Snake Molt] while fighting the Prairie King, he needed to wait a week for the cooldown to reset, and he did not intend to enter the Limit Break Dungeon before that cooldown reset. While waiting for the week to pass, Kieran decided to gather as much information about the dungeon as possible, since Lawless did not know much about it.

Coll had broken through two Attributes, and she told Kieran that those two attributes were heavily restricted during her dungeon run; she claimed to be lucky to have survived the dungeon. Other than that, every other Lone Wolf Kieran was friendly with didn’t have any more information than what Lawless already told him. Kieran thought about the Supernovas and Broker, wondering how many Attributes all of them broke through, and concluded that the only way to protect himself from Broker in the future was to break through all five of his attributes.

Kieran logged off, and by the time he logged back on Lawless had sent him several messages, warning him about how dangerous the Limit Break Dungeon was. Kieran smiled, grateful at how much Lawless cared, and started entering the Limit Break Dungeon;

[Detected Character Model Template Limit, do you want to set Spirit as your main attribute?]

[Detected Character Model Template Limit, do you want to set Intuition as your main attribute?]

[Detected Character Model Template Limit, do you want to set Strength as your main attribute?]

[Detected Character Model Template Limit, do you want to set Agility as your main attribute?]

[Detected Character Model Template Limit, do you want to set Constitution as your main attribute?]

[Player “2567” has chosen to limit break 5 attributes of Character Model Template Limits…](Ch 644)

When Kieran confirmed he would break through all five attributes, he heard a giant explosion, and he was knocked out. When he woke up, he found himself staring at a sky full of stars which stunned him by its beauty. He got up and noticed he was standing on a stone platform the size of a football field, and Kieran was overwhelmed with how tiny he and the platform were compared to the vastness of the starry sky above him. As he thought that, five stone doors appeared, each one representing each of the five attributes Kieran chose to Limit Break. Two more ornate doors appeared, representing the Devil and the Cardinal Sins, then two more doors appeared, representing Saint Thorns and Knights Of Dawn Body Tempering Art.

Kieran started laughing when he saw the four ornate doors appear beside the five attribute doors, realizing the reason why the Witch and Broke were so powerful was because they Limit Broke through their skills and bloodlines also.

[Detected Devil Force has reached Character Model Template Limit, do you want to set it as Origin Force?]

[Detected Original Sins has reached Character Model Template Limit, do you want to set it as Origin Force?]

[Detected Saint Thorn has reached Character Model Template Limit, do you want to set it as Origin Force?]

[Detected Dawn Force has reached Character Model Template Limit, do you want to set it as Origin Force?] (Ch 645)

[Player has chosen 4 Origin Forces!]

[Player has chosen 5 Basic Attributes!]

[Authentication starts…]

[Player will receive authentication results when player enters the dungeon world!] (Ch 645)

When Kieran confirmed he would be breaking through all five attributes as well as all four of his origin forces, all nine doors moved toward each other and overlapped, creating one giant door. Kieran grabbed the handle and opened the door, and stepped inside, closing the door behind him. After the door closed, it vanished into sparkles of light, and the stone platform also vanished, leaving only the starry space.

After a while, a very tiny stone platform appeared, with only a single door. The player on that platform was scared, but walked through the door which turned into dust as it vanished, with no light. Another stone platform appeared, with two doors, and that one also vanished into lightless ash when the player walked through it. (Ch 645)

## After Talent Dungeon

(Ch 769) Immediately after returning to his lobby, Kieran was bombarded by messages from Lawless, and before Kieran could even open the messages up, Lawless asked to come into Kieran’s lobby. Kieran agreed, and Lawless hurriedly entered, extremely grateful to see Kieran safe; Lawless started gushing about how happy he was that Kieran didn’t rush into the Talent Dungeon, and advised Kieran to go through a few more dungeons before taking on the Talent Dungeon. Kieran smiled and calmly told Lawless that he just cleared the Talent Dungeon, but it took him a moment to comprehend what Kieran said. Lawless was very curious about how many Attributes Kieran chose to limit break, but he pushed down the curiosity and sincerely congratulated Kieran on his achievement. Kieran was grateful for Lawless’ respect of privacy, and accepted a cigar from him.

Lawless said they should get a drink to celebrate, and Kieran noticed that Lawless was very happy. Kieran asked if he found a curse dispeller, and Lawless said that Starbeck was able to dispel the curse. A half hour later, Starbeck and his newest bodyguard arrived at Kieran’s lobby. Starbeck went inside after sizing up Kieran’s broken garage-like lobby and the curse, and then greeted Kieran. Kieran quickly went to business, asking Starbeck to dispel the curse and assuring him that he would compensate accordingly. Starbeck told Kieran he would not need to worry about compensation since Lawless had already signed a contract to guard Starbeck in a dungeon for compensation, and Lawless refused to allow Kieran to change the contract. Starbeck watched as Lawless and Kieran spoke, seeing the obvious friendship and loyalty between the two of them; he felt a little jealous, and wondered if he could find a true friend also.

Starbeck pulled out the [Virgin’s Tear] and gave it to Kieran, which Kieran quickly used.

[Name: Virgin’s Tear]

[Rarity: Rare]

[Attack/Defense: None]

[Attribute: Pardon 1/1]

[Effect: None]

[Prerequisite: None]

[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]

[Remark: The merciful virgin’s tear is sympathetic and forgiving.]

[Pardon: Effectively remove Extreme rank or lower curse or negative attributes.] (Ch 770)

A mirage of a young girl appeared, and she walked over to the curse expressionlessly, and she guided the curse into the [Virgin’s Tear] stone; when the curse entered the stone, it turned very dark. The three of them were surprised by the item, though Kieran was surprised because he felt the aura the item released was very similar to the Prairie King from [The Queen’s Shield II]. Kieran then turned to his attributes;

[Strength: SS-; Agility: SS-; Constitution: SS-; Spirit: Z+ (Pre I); Intuition: SS+] (Ch 770)

Kieran guessed that Rank I meant strength that surpassed the strength of mortals, and wondered what would happen when his Spirit reached I. Kieran started using his Golden Attribute Points;

[Using Golden Attribute Points…]

[Spirit Z+ → ZZ- (Pre I)]

[Using Golden Attribute Points…]

[Spirit ZZ- → ZZ (Pre I)]

[Using Golden Attribute Points…]

[Spirit ZZ → ZZ+ (New I)] (Ch 771)

As his Spirit rose, Kieran realized that he was able to see the energy within his own body; he saw his four Origin Forces, the Devil, Cardinal Sins, Dawn Force, and Saint Thorn Force circulate through his body. Kieran looked at his legs and saw runes covering his legs that represented [Hand-to-Hand Combat, Kick Combat]. Kieran tried examining his body looking for more runes from different skills, but was not able to find any more. He guessed that his Spirit was too low to see the other skills, and theorized that his body was well-suited to [Hand-to-Hand Combat], which was why he could easily see those runes. Although Kieran had more Golden Attribute Points, he decided not to use any more for the time being.

As Kieran monitored himself, his body slightly emitted the aura of his four Origin Forces, which disoriented Lawless and Starbeck from their power. Lawless changed the subject, again asking Kieran if he wanted to go to Harvest Inn, and Kieran agreed. They invited Starbeck along, which he agreed to despite him realizing that it might potentially be dangerous. Kieran gathered all of his sellable loot before they left.

When the three of them arrived at Harvest Inn, all of the Lone Wolves congratulated Kieran, and Kieran nodded to everyone before revealing the screenshots of all the equipment he would be auctioning off. Kieran sat next to Lawless and asked about all of the new faces, and Lawless explained that there had been a recent surge in new players. Kieran asked if the new players were related to Broker, but Lawless explained that no player can affect the real world to that degree; if a player tried to break any of the rules related to the real world, they would suffer from severe punishments, including death.

Rachel approached the two of them and reminded Lawless that he had an outstanding tab, and Lawless hastily started working to try and pay off his debt. Rachel gave Kieran a drink, and he and Rachel started quietly messaging each other. Kieran expressed his interest in helping Rachel find a cure for Lawless’ personality disorder, but Rachel said Kieran’s strength was a little lacking to be of any real help to her. She congratulated Kieran for entering the “advanced ranks”, which stunned Kieran. He asked her if she knew about Rank I, which she said she did know about. Rachel said that Lawless should have entered the advanced ranks a long time ago, but because of his disorder he was unable to break through; she also said she hosted a gathering for people who were in the advanced ranks, and that she would invite Kieran next time. Kieran asked if the Witch was in the group also, but Rachel started trembling and stressed to Kieran how superior in strength the Witch was from every other player. She then left after telling Kieran to check on his auction.

Kieran admired the fear that the Witch instilled into everyone, and strived to surpass her strength. Kieran quickly sold a good portion of the loot, some items were sold to newbies, but then he saw Ramont and Rhino fighting over [Calga’s Crush]. When the auction ended, Kieran left the Inn as Lawless continued working. Kieran was in a good mood, which quickly was ruined when he saw a person waiting for him at the train station.

The player called Kieran his competitor, which confused Kieran; the player laughed at Kieran for being clueless, and showed Kieran the back of his palm, that had a red smiley face tattooed on it. Kieran suddenly realized that the smiley face was related to an organization, and this was their way of recruiting players.

The player attacked Kieran without another word, creating a smokescreen that not even Kieran could see through. Kieran used [Undercover], but the player attacked with a sonic attack that was undodgeable. Kieran used [Myriad Viper] three times in a row, using the Attribute [Ouroboros] and [Priority Timing] to refresh the cooldown twice. The third [Myriad Viper] finally hit the player, immobilizing him in the illusion long enough for Kieran to kick him to death.

[Player Killed: Tyler]

[Treated as self-defense through authentication]

[Categorized as an Honor Kill]

[You will receive all the Points and Skill Points of the player…]

[Total: 10,000 Points and 0 Skill Points]

[Received the player’s house key]

[Granted the right to use the player’s house]

[All the player’s belongings are returned to their house]

[Honor Kill: 90] (Ch 774)

Kieran decided to visit Tyler’s lobby first, but when he got close to the lobby he decided to approach slowly. Using the Fire Raven as a scout, Kieran saw that Tyler’s lobby was being monitored by several players and a hidden pet cat. Kieran was not sure if these players were part of the organization or Broker’s men, but Kieran decided to retreat when he saw an army of players approaching, making Kieran not confident in his ability to win any more. Kieran was frustrated, hoping to learn more about this organization, and he suddenly messaged Lawless, asking if there was a map of the city.

Lawless said a few months ago some players mapped out the city, but due to the game constantly expanding, the map would be out of date by now. Lawless sent Kieran a screenshot of the map, which Kieran examined, comparing it to the tattoo on his hand.

Kieran arrived at a large building on the outskirts of the city, called Dome Clock Tower by players. Kieran monitored the building while [Undercover], and eventually walked out of the shadows and toward the front entrance, ignoring messages from Lawless.

Kieran rang the doorbell, and was answered by a puppet who greeted Kieran by name, saying they were expecting him. The puppet led Kieran to a small door underneath a staircase, and opened it, gesturing for Kieran to follow him through the door. Kieran did not move, and after looking at the door, Kieran started walking up the staircase instead. Kieran had been using [Tracking] since he walked into the building, and although he saw several different tracks, none of them went anywhere near the door underneath the stairs. The stairs forked, and Kieran saw the tracks looked very intentionally placed. Kieran took out one of his guns and shot at the right fork, and he started going up that side when nothing happened.

On the top of the stairs was a balcony completely empty except for a table with a letter on it. Kieran picked up the letter that was addressed to him; it congratulated Kieran, saying that if he read this letter, he had joined the organization. The letter told him to reach the advanced ranks, and it was signed as “Some people who are forced to hide.” (Ch 776). When he finished reading it, the letter lit itself on fire, and Kieran mocked how secretive the organization was being.

Kieran concluded that since they didn’t know Kieran had already reached the advanced ranks, it meant the smiley face tattoo could allow them to track Kieran, but they couldn’t eavesdrop or know anything about him. Kieran realized though that the organization would undoubtedly be filled with people much higher in the advanced ranks than Kieran, and he quickly left the building out of fear of getting into a conflict with one of those powerful people. As Kieran left, Lawless reached the building and was upset that Kieran didn’t wait for him. They boarded the train together, and Kieran told Lawless about everything, including the organization.

When they reached Kieran’s lobby, Lawless was shocked when Kieran didn’t let him into the lobby, and Kieran told Lawless to go back to Harvest Inn to continue working off the debt, threatening to tell Rachel that he ditched work. Kieran looked at his points after the auction and looked at his skills.

[Sharp Weapon, Dual Wield Heavy Arms, Basic to Grand Master, cost 80,000 Points, 10 Skill Points. Yes/No?]

[Name: Sharp Weapon, Dual Wield Heavy Arms (Grand Master)]

[Related Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution]

[Skill Type: Offense]

[Effect: You know how to wield two heavy arms together, Stamina consumption +110%, Agility -2.0]

[Special Effect: Agility Compensation (Through relentless training over the years, you’ve compensated yourself with more speed and nimbleness, when dual wielding heavy arms, Agility +0.6)]

[Consume: Stamina]

[Prerequisite: Sharp Weapon, Heavy Arms (Pro)]

[Remark: Fiercer attacks will consume more stamina] (Ch 777)

Kiera tested out the new skill by duel wielding [Arrogant Word] and [Elmerius Sword], and Kieran was pleased with the strength he gained from the skill, even though it reduced his Agility.

[Sharp Weapon, Special Heavy Arms, Basic to Master, cost 15,000 Points, 3 Skill Points. Yes/No?]

[Name: Sharp Weapon, Special Heavy Arms (Master)]

[Related Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution]

[Skill Type: Offence]

[Effect: You know how to use special heavy arms such as a Morningstar mace in battle, increase destructive power by 30%]

[Special Effect: Extra Enhance ( +1 Strength when wielding special heavy arms)]

[Consume: Stamina]

[Prerequisite: Sharp Weapon, Heavy Arms (Entry)]

[Remark: You only know the basics of welding!] (Ch 777)

Kieran then looked at [Primordial Invasion II], wondering if the arrangements he placed before leaving the first [Primordial Invasion] would have any effect on the new special dungeon. Kieran spent the rest of his time in his lobby without leaving, declining Lawless’ offers to get some drinks.  (Ch 777)

## After Primordial Invasion II

(Ch 809) Kieran was not disappointed with the low rating he got, expecting it, and was grateful that he unlocked the next Special Dungeon [Primordial Invasion III]. As he thought about the dungeon, the [Gezardrake Sacrificial Spell] skill book he got flew out of his backpack, and started floating in midair, vibrating. The skill book started emitting a golden light that forced Kieran to squint his eyes, and then he heard a scream from the book, indicating the book was cursed. The skill book then shattered, revealing a disk;

[Name: Emerder’s Deal (Damaged)]

[Type: Wondrous Item]

[Rarity: I]

[Attack/Defense: None]

[Attribute: Equal Deal, 1/3]

[Effect: None]

[Prerequisite: Mystical Knowledge (Master)]

[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]

[Remark: Emerder is willing to make a deal with any intellectual beings, as long as you satisfy it, it will also satisfy you!]

[Equal Deal: State your request and barter it off with of similar value]

[Note 1: Damaged items needed to be repaired before used]

[Note 2: Trade items have limits on their values] (Ch 809)

Kieran looked at the disk, and checked to see how much it would cost to repair it, disgusting Kieran when he saw it would cost one million points. Kieran started calculating how many points he would have if he sold his loot, but he knew that unless he sold every single one of his items he would not reach a million points. He looked at the [Great Swamp Scale] and a tablet embedded with many gemstones he got from [City Of Fiends], but concluded that he would not hastily sell anything.

A player named Blair was guarding a player’s lobby, happy with his assignment because he was under the impression that nothing would happen which would require him to fight. Blair looked at the other players guarding the same lobby with him, and although he knew that his purpose in the team was to allow any attacker to attack him, he did not complain. He started admiring his new equipment, a Magic rank spear and leather armour, and he admired the skill of the craftsmen who made it. He thought about his own skills, which were still in the Entry level, and he was suddenly inspired to grow stronger; he mentally started making plans to upgrade his skills, but quickly realized he had nowhere near enough points to make the upgrades he wanted.

As Blair was deep in thought, he did not realize his team members were silently being slaughtered. After a while, Blair finally looked at his team members again, realizing that all of them were gone. He felt like something was wrong, but since they would occasionally sneak off, he decided to send a message to the leader of the team first to check if everything was okay. As he opened his messages, the game system told him that the leader of his team was dead.

At Harvest Inn, Lawless was tending the bar while Rachel was away, though instead of working he was smoking a cigar. Coll teased Lawless, saying he would never pay off his debt to Rachel like that; the rest of the Lone Wolves joined in on the lighthearted teasing. As Lawless enjoyed the merry atmosphere in the Inn, he sent Kieran a message inviting him to join them; he immediately got a message in response, though it was from the player General, Lawless’ rival. Lawless wanted to ignore it, but answered anyway, and after reading the content of the message, he dropped the glass he was holding.

The Lone Wolves instantly knew something was wrong, and Lawless started frantically cursing that Kieran had gone after all of the lobbies of the players he had killed, which were all heavily guarded and trapped by Broker. The Lone Wolves all started receiving messages about the news, as the Lone Wolves had an impressive networking system in place, and they all read that many of Broker’s men, including many veterans, hundreds of rookies, and several assault squads, were all eliminated. The Lone Wolves stood in silence, awed by the news, and Ramont said that Kieran’s display of power here was similar to the Witch.

After Kieran finished looting the lobbies of the Chosen Ones who worked for Black Robe Rayerwent, Kieran started wondering how many people Broker had working for him, that he was able to assign whole teams for every single lobby that Kieran had access to. As Kieran left the lobby, he saw an assault squad approaching, and he shot a spiderweb at them like a net, capturing all of them, and used [Reckless Rush] and a fireball to kill them.

[Killed a dozen more players…]

[Detected as an initiated attack!]

[Categorized as Cruel Kill!]

[You will receive all the Points and Skill Points of the players…]

[Total: 100,000 Points and 17 Skill Points]

[Received the player’s room key]

[Granted the right to use the player’s room]

[All the player’s belongings are returned to their room]

[Cruel Kill Count: 177] (Ch 812)

A player who was hidden in the shadows revealed himself, confident that Kieran’s Devil Fire had a high stamina cost and therefore Kieran couldn’t use it again. He asked Kieran how often he could shoot a fireball, and attacked after mocking Kieran. The player used a set of sharp claws to attack, paired with an overwhelming Agility. Kieran started running, using spiderwebs and a small explosion to give him momentum, but the player was easily able to keep up with Kieran, not even affected by the Strength authentication that the spiderwebs bring.

Kieran and the player, Casswell, fought, but Casswell was so quick that all of Kieran’s attacks missed; Kieran summoned the two-headed serpent, which appeared to have swallowed Casswell, but Kieran quickly realized that the whole time he had been chasing Casswell’s afterimages. Kieran then used [Shadow Chain] to bind Casswell for a second, and slashed at him with [Arrogant Word]. Casswell formed a barrier that blocked the sword, but Kieran then shot a spiderweb net over the two of them, trapping both of them within the net, and Kieran grabbed Casswell with his right hand as he charged up a fireball in his left hand.

There was a group of players watching the fight, and they were shocked to see Casswell, one of the ten Supernovas, beaten so easily. They were even more shocked when they saw Kieran release the fireball he was charging, and couldn’t believe the strength of the flames. When the fireball hit the ground, it caused a giant explosion that all of the watching players were caught in. Kieran then looked at the players, killing all of them that did not look away in time with [Deadman’s Gaze]. As one of the players died, their contracted companions, two giant monsters, appeared and also died with the player. The two players that survived [Deadman’s Gaze] recognized the monsters as the contracted companions of the player named Dory, who was a well known veteran that was renowned for his Strength; with his death, they finally started believing that Kieran was a Chosen One. Kieran walked toward them, and threw countless fireballs around the area, setting the entire street on fire. The two players, who were high-rankers, players who had entered the Advanced Ranks, died in the fire.

Kieran looked at his points, realizing he had reached a million points, and wondered how high of a bounty Broker had put on his head that encouraged high-rankers to try and kill Kieran. He then heard people calling for him and left the street block that was still completely engulfed with Devil Fire, to see Lawless and many Lone Wolves ready to fight. Kieran was happy to see so many people willing to back him up, and told them that he was fine, even joking about if he made too much of a commotion. Kieran and the Lone Wolves joked with each other until Coll announced that the cyber police were arriving, and they all started joyfully running, laughing as they avoided being captured by the police. As they ran, Kieran looked at Blacksmith who was happier than usual, and she messaged Kieran telling him that she was increasing the price of her embedding services for him; Kieran was shocked speechless, especially after she uncharacteristically sent him an emoji and laughed as she ran past Kieran. The group of Lone Wolves then ran to Harvest Inn.

The news about Kieran’s battle spread quickly, and many players confirmed the rumors themselves by visiting the completely burnt down city block. Lawless had gleefully told Kieran that some players were making up titles for Kieran like The Fire Emperor, The King of Flames, and The Blazing Devil. Kieran did not respond to this news since he was well aware that he had just barely entered the Advanced Ranks, and there were plenty of stronger players within the city. After returning to his lobby, Kieran spent the million points to repair [Emerder’s Deal], which started glowing brightly before transforming into a clean, undamaged state. Kieran took a lot of his loot and placed them on the disk, which grew in size to accommodate the loot placed on it. When Kieran felt he put enough payment on the disk, he wished to acquire [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art]’s advanced mystical skill.

Kieran thought about what would happen when he reached Transcendence level of [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art], and he knew that once he was no longer able to upgrade the Origin Force, the [Fusion Heart] would quickly grow stronger and the balance would be ruined, turning Kieran into a puppet of flesh and blood.

Kieran watched as the disk glimmered, but nothing happened, making Kieran wonder if he did not place enough payment on it; Kieran grinned as he started pouring more loot onto the disk. It did not take long for Kieran to realize no matter how much payment he placed onto the disk, it still demanded more. He had run out of Magic rank items, and started to place loot he got from the Advanced Ranked players onto it. Kieran reread the description of [Emerder’s Deal], and changed his request to be able to acquire the methods to gain [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art]’s advanced mystical skill. The disk told him that the trade was possible, and Kieran tried taking back some of the Advanced Rank loot, though when he took anything off the disk he was told there was not enough payment. Kieran felt a heartache when he watched all of the valuable loot disappear when he approved the trade; the disk disappeared, and in its place lay a [Extra dungeon entry scroll];

[Extra dungeon entry scroll: After use, enables player to enter the dungeon that hasn’t opened a special dungeon]

[Note 1: Because it is an extra entry, the dungeon world will not have missions and ratings]

[Note 2: Player can stay no longer than 12 weeks]

[Note 3: Player cannot acquire equipment through the orthodox way]

[Note 4: The number of equipment and items that player can bring depends on the dungeon]

[Note 5: Player’s companion has to stay back in the game room]

[Note 6: Able to enter anytime, unaffected by dungeon cooldowns and likewise will not be calculated towards dungeon entry count] (Ch 818)

Kieran felt the restrictions were acceptable, and looked at his points and skills;

[Name: Charles’ Fire (Transcendence)]

[Related Attribute: None]

[Skill Type: Offense]

[Effect: Create an Extreme attack devil flame on your left hand, able to burn continuously. Common water and sand are unable to extinguish the flame. Has the special ability to burn souls and devour life energy.]

[Special Effect: Devil Flame (Your bloodline has the element of fire. It is your gift and also proof of your identity. You ignite the devil flame with an attack from None, Feeble, Weak, Average, Powerful and Extreme at will. After charging for 4 seconds, attack of the flame +1, has greater chance to trigger Flame Burst effect on enemies.]

[Transcendence option: Rapid Accumulation (Charging time decreased by 2 seconds)]

[Consume: Stamina]

[Prerequisite: Constitution SSS]

[Remark: This is a spell without incantations, casting gesture and casting time. A skill created by the alchemy master fusing ancient hidden knowledge together!]

[Note: You have acquired this skill through learning, not through a Skill Book. Therefore, you cannot upgrade it with Points and Skill Points. If you want to level it up, you will need to continue learning or acquire a Skill Book!]

[Note 2: This skill has reached its limit!] (Ch 818)

Kieran knew that if he wanted to make the most use of the [Extra dungeon entry scroll], he would wait until he had a lot more Golden Skill Points, which he was currently very low on. Although Kieran was eager to return to [The Failed Great Detective], he put the scroll aside for later. He contacted Blacksmith and showed her the [Thunder Fall Stone] which he wanted to have embedded onto the [Brutal Lightning Hand]. Blacksmith said that since both of the items had similar traits, a successful embedding would most likely be a much higher rank, and would also likely have a new attribute. Kieran paid her fee, and then he realized Allen of the Blood Alliance was messaging him.

Allen told Kieran that he would be visiting Kieran, and as Kieran waited he started theorizing that Allen either had a powerful backer, or was actually working for Broker; Kieran couldn’t think of any other explanations for why Broker hadn’t already dealt with Allen. Kieran made some guesses as to who the powerful backer might be, and sent some messages to Rachel asking her for her opinion, but Rachel was still offline.

Kieran gave Allen permission to enter his lobby, and immediately after entering, Allen looked at Kieran and told Kieran that he was talented. Allen then started sobbing, and Kieran charged a fireball as he felt like something was horribly wrong.

[Player Allen used 10-times Increase Cooldown Card on you!]

[Player Allen’s action is detected as malicious, elimination starts!]

[10-times Increase Cooldown Card will not inflict actual damage on you but its effect will apply!] (Ch 819)

Allen’s body started disintegrating into light particles, similar to how dead players would vanish, and Allen’s screams and sobs echoed in Kieran’s lobby. Kieran stared coldly at the game system notification;

[Name: 10-times Increase Cooldown Card]

[Type: Card]

[Rarity: Legendary]

[Attribute: Single and Party dungeons will go into cooldown immediately and cooldown time increased by 10]

[Remark: This isn’t a prank, it is a card that bears malicious intent.]

[Note: If cooldown time reaches the limit time of character outside the dungeon, card effect will immediately subside] (Ch 819)

Kieran realized that this was Broker’s way of preventing Kieran from gaining any more strength for a while, and it proved Kieran’s theory that Allen was allied with Broker. Kieran messaged Lawless, explaining what happened, and Lawless quickly came to Kieran’s lobby and cursed repeatedly when he saw for himself the [10-times Increase Cooldown Card]. Kieran and Lawless then started plotting how they would get back at Broker; they knew he had been planning this for a while, since he used Allen who had worked so diligently as a spy for so long.

After Lawless left, Kieran picked up the [Extra Dungeon Entry Scroll], not wanting to use it so soon but also not willing to just sit in his lobby and wait for his increased cooldown to end.

[Do you want to use Extra Dungeon Entry Scroll? Yes/No]

[Please choose your dungeon!]

“The Failed Great Detective!”

[Extra Dungeon Entry Scroll conflicts with 10-times Increase Cooldown Card…]

[Extra Dungeon Entry Scroll has priority!]

[10-times Increase Cooldown Card loses its effect!]

[Entering dungeon…] (Ch 819)

## After The Failed Great Detective (Extra Dungeon)

(Ch 877) When Kieran returned to his lobby, he felt a little sad when he recalled he promised Guntherson he would return, though he knew it would be very difficult, borderline impossible, for him to return to the [The Failed Great Detective] dungeon world again. He resolved to not give up trying to return though as he checked his messages, and saw Lawless worrying about him and nagging him while Kieran was in the dungeon. Lawless told Kieran that the members of Blood Alliance still held a grudge against Broker even though Allen turned out to be Broker’s spy, and the Blood Alliance was helping Lawless fight against Broker.

Kieran then saw he got a message from a player named J.Pearlman, inviting Kieran to join his guild, the Freedom Alliance. Kieran messaged Rachel, asking her about it, and she explained that the Freedom Alliance was a guild made up of casual High Ranking players, and she suggested that Kieran consider the invite. She also told Kieran that J.Pearlman, also known as the Fisherman, was a nice player who was skilled in fishing and cooking. Kieran messaged J.Pearlman, asking to meet up, and they agreed to meet at Harvest Inn.

When Kieran arrived at Harvest Inn, he went to the bar where Rachel was chatting with an old man wearing fishing gear, who greeted Kieran when he noticed him. J.Pearlman told Kieran that he watched Kieran’s fight against the High Ranker Casswell with one of his friends, another High Ranker named Hilton, but J.Pearlman said Hilton led a smaller faction. Kieran was confident that Hilton was the one who released killing intent at Kieran, so he asked more about Hilton, learning that Hilton’s faction was called the Burning Bottle. J.Pearlman then started promoting his Freedom Alliance as Rachel watched, knowing that many factions would be eager to recruit Kieran after his fight with Casswell.

Rachel returned after Kieran declined J.Pearlman’s recruitment and J.Pearlman left, and gave Kieran a drink. Kieran asked Rachel more about Hilton, and Rachel said he was one of the beta testers, who was a normal player up until he reached the Advanced Ranks, when he started making his own faction and acting mysteriously. Blacksmith then arrived at the bar, ordering a drink before giving Kieran the newly embedded [Brutal Lightning Hand];

[Name: Brutal Lightning Hand (Left Hand)]

[Type: Glove]

[Rarity: Legendary]

[Attack: Powerful]

[Defense: Powerful]

[Attribute: 1. Thunder Strike; 2. Chain Lightning; 3. Brutality]

[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]

[Remark: This is entirely new equipment that has been embedded with the Thunder Fall Stone]

[Thunder Strike: Additional Strong rank electric strike following each successful attack on a target]

[Chain Lightning: Each time you hit the target, there is a certain chance to trigger a Strong rank chain lightning that jumps 3 times (Jumping targets can’t be more than 5 meters apart and when all the chain lightning strikes the same target, lightning attack +1)]

[Brutality: After killing a target, glove attack +1 for the next attack; after killing 2 targets in succession, Thunder Strike level +1 for the next attack; after killing 3 targets in succession, Chain Lighting will trigger for the next attack] (Ch 879)

Kieran admired the strength of the glove, then asked Blacksmith if she could embed and increase the rank of an item originally at Legendary Rank. he told her that he wanted to improve [Arrogant Word], but Blacksmith told Kieran that her skills were a little too low to attempt it. Blacksmith then left, and Kieran also left after giving Rachel some of his loot for her to sell.

Kieran boarded the train, and got off at Uruhal Street, where a very tall skyscraper stood, the headquarters of the Burning Bottle. Kieran went [Undercover] and surveilled the street, but he quickly noticed that the entire area, despite having many buildings and skyscrapers, was completely empty of players and was completely silent. Kieran ended up waiting near the headquarters for two days before he concluded that Hilton had abandoned the skyscraper the moment he suspected Kieran would be paying him a visit, and Kieran messaged Rachel. He asked her if he could set up a bounty, using the loot he gave her as payment, for any information regarding Hilton’s location. When Rachel confirmed the bounty, Kieran returned to his lobby and logged off. When Kieran returned, he had received many messages from Lawless.

Lawless went with a guild to raid one of Broker’s buildings that was abandoned when Broker started shutting himself within his lobby; the building was full of herbs and half finished potions, which one player tried snatching. This caused the players to start fighting amongst themselves, which then led to a full blown guild war. Lawless was trying to ask for help to stop this war, believing Broker purposefully abandoned specific buildings to incite players to fight amongst themselves, but Kieran declined to get involved because he concluded that Broker would likely have wanted Lawless and Kieran to get involved. Kieran just advised Lawless to warn guildmasters that any of their members inciting violence might be Broker’s spies, and Lawless and Kieran then left to visit Starbeck, hoping he might know more about Broker’s plans.

Lawless and Kieran arrived at Starbeck’s lobby where Starbeck was gardening peacefully. Kieran explained to Starbeck about the massacre in Broker’s abandoned building, and Lawless asked Starbeck if he knew any wealthy players that worked with Broker’s bazaar. Starbeck sighed, and explained apologetically that he had a contract with Broker that prevented him from disclosing that information. Lawless shouted in frustration, startling Starbeck, but Kieran supported Starbeck to prevent him from falling. Kieran’s [Blade of the Daybreaker (Sub Scroll)] then flew out of his bag, opening itself up, revealing that the cooldown had increased from [5/10] to [6/10] (Ch 881).

In front of Starbeck was the Main Scroll, which also had the updated cooldown. Kieran turned to Starbeck who was trembling in fear, and ordered him to gather all of his life-saving equipment, declaring that they would be entering a dungeon since Starbeck’s dungeon limit, the requirement that a player must enter a dungeon at least once every three months, was up. Starbeck tried complaining, but when Kieran released some Devil’s Aura, Starbeck complied and started preparing. Kieran and Lawless then concluded that Broker and his men had disappeared recently because Broker was trying to hasten the cooldown of the Title Dungeon, which Kieran figured had to be possible since he used [Emerder’s Deal] to re enter a dungeon he shouldn’t have been able to enter into again.

Kieran then started explaining that Monien’s Unique Title “The Broker” was the reason why he was able to dominate the markets and build his business so such heights, but if he had a fighting related Unique Title like “Blade of the Daybreaker”, he would be able to reach a strength comparable to the Witch. As the cooldown rose again to [7/10] (Ch 881), Lawless tried to team up with Kieran and Starbeck, but he realized that the teaming function was disabled. Kieran explained that Broker had likely figured out how to change the terms of the dungeon to force Kieran to carry Starbeck through the dungeon by himself.

Lawless started worrying about Kieran, knowing it would be dangerous to carry Starbeck through the dungeon due to Starbeck’s cowardly nature, but Kieran then pointed at all of the equipment that Starbeck was wearing, saying that every single piece of visible equipment was a very high rank and very powerful. Lawless grunted and opened the door to leave, but when the door opened, the three of them saw Starbeck’s lobby was surrounded by Broker’s robot army.

Lawless used an item to summon two gatling guns which he dual wielded, shooting down the robots and opening up a path for Kieran to grab Starbeck and run.

[Entering Party Dungeon!]

[Special Dungeon: Party]

[Party Members: 2]

[Party leader 2567 that initiated the special dungeon has 5 dungeon entry count; Party member Starbeck has 6 dungeon entry count]

[Calculating Special Dungeon difficulty…]

[Party member has dungeon entry count that surpass the Special Dungeon…]

[Difficulty confirmed: 5th dungeon]

[Background: You have entered Naveya City and are involved in huge unexpected trouble but this is just the start…]

[Main Mission: You need to be in Naveya City for 4 weeks and make sure you and your party member’s identities aren’t exposed; remaining time: 0/28]

[Acquired temporary language pack, Disappears upon exiting the dungeon.]

[Clothing, backpack, weapons, and other items remain unchanged, Temporarily altered appearance, Returns to normal upon exiting the dungeon]

[Detected firearms and grenade do not match the dungeon period, power decrease 90%. When you entered the dungeon, you will be compensated with corresponding skills. (Compensated skills can’t be leveled up and will disappear upon exit of the dungeon]

[Note 1: This is a special dungeon and because you have reach I rank, you can not fail the main mission. Once you fail, it’s game over!]

[Note 2: Party member’s main mission and punishment (if fail) will be determined by their own dungeon entry count.] (Ch 883)

## After The Shaman’s Partner IV

(Ch 942) Kieran returned to his lobby, completely drained of stamina from his use of [Dawn Sword] which had been significantly buffed. Starbeck had been transported to Kieran’s lobby already, since he completed his main mission a little sooner than Kieran, and asked Kieran if he was alright. Kieran weakly explained his stamina was drained, and Starbeck then fed Kieran some Stamina Recovery Potions when Starbeck saw that Kieran was too fatigued to so much as reach out to grab the potions. As Kieran felt the Potions course through his body, he fell asleep; Starbeck recalled how Kieran acted within the dungeon, constantly fighting or theorizing and never resting. Starbeck then started talking to himself, asking Kieran to share his plans with him ahead of time, and muttering about how scary the Devourer was.

Outside, Lawless was waiting for Kieran and Starbeck, worrying about them. Lawless then thought about how Broker was altering the Unique Title Dungeon, and Lawless became enraged at the thought of Broker, whom he had never liked. A gatling gun then appeared in Lawless’ hands, and he started shooting into the shadows, until a player stepped out, unharmed, saying they meant no harm. Lawless saw through the player’s fakeness, and prepared to continue shooting, when the player just said he was a messenger, and placed an invitation on the ground, saying it was for Kieran. On the letter was an image of a burning bottle, which Lawless recognized as the symbol of the Burning Bottle alliance, led by Hilton who Kieran had placed a bounty on previously. Lawless took a step toward the messenger and the invitation, and the messenger quickly pulled out a teleportation scroll, using it to teleport away before Lawless could get any closer. Lawless picked up the invitation, then he saw that Kieran and Starbeck were done with the dungeon; he quickly went to Kieran’s door, but he started panicking when his request to enter Kieran’s lobby went unanswered.

When Kieran woke up a half hour later, he granted Lawless permission to enter, and Lawless barged in, expecting something to be horribly wrong; he was confused when he saw both Kieran and Starbeck in good shape though. Kieran briefly explained he was sleeping, and asked Lawless about the invitation Lawless was holding. Lawless told Kieran about the messenger, and Kieran was interested in the teleportation scroll; Kieran wondered if he should tell Lawless about the Advanced Rankers, but decided to be safe and check with Rachel first. After quickly getting Rachel’s permission, Kieran mentioned the High Rankers to Lawless, but was surprised when Lawless already knew a lot about them. Lawless pretended to be insulted that Kieran thought he was ignorant about High Rankers, and explained that he had many contacts within the game.

After lighting up some cigars, Lawless asked Kieran about the Unique Title Dungeon, and Kieran showed Lawless the updated cooldown;

[Dungeon cooldown, 10/10] (Ch 943)

Lawless got angry at Broker again, and feared for Kieran, who would not only have to fight against all of Broker’s plots, but also carry Starbeck through the dungeon. As Starbeck was unconvincingly assuring Lawless that he wouldn’t drag Kieran down, J.Pearlman, the leader of Freedom Alliance, requested to enter Kieran’s lobby. Kieran granted him permission to enter, and J.Pearlman entered, greeting Lawless and Starbeck as he came in. Kieran figured that Starbeck must have business connections with Freedom Alliance, as J.Pearlman and Starbeck chatted for a moment before J.Pearlman turned to Kieran.

J.Pearlman became serious, and carefully explained to Kieran that he had heard a rumour about Kieran, and was tasked with investigating, though he assured Kieran that he did not have to answer if he did not want to. J.Pearlman then explained that there was a rumour that Kieran had obtained a part of the Witch’s Legacy, and he wanted to know if it was true. Kieran and Lawless looked at each other, both concluding that Broker was behind this rumour; Kieran turned to J.Pearlman and asked him if he knew Kieran and Broker’s relationship before explaining that Kieran and Broker were at war with each other, and Broker wouldn’t hesitate to fabricate false rumours to cause Kieran more problems.

After J.Pearlman left, Kieran theorized that the purpose of this rumour was not to cause Kieran more trouble, as such an obviously false rumour would be easily dispelled, but rather to cause other players to distrust Kieran. He wondered if Broker did not have all of the other [Blade of the Daybreaker] sub scrolls, but soon he got a message from Rachel, telling him that Broker had given the two remaining sub scrolls to the leader of the player killers Extremus, and the Supernova Darde the Titan. Kieran was suspicious that Broker had given the sub scrolls to such reliable players, feeling it would be more like Broker to do something more unexpected.

Kieran then wondered about the Witch’s Legacy again, and then told Lawless and Starbeck everything that he had learned and theorized. Lawless suggested they attack Extremus and Darde now, rather than waiting while they were in the dungeon, but Kieran said they had no way of knowing if Broker was in the Unique Title Dungeon yet or not, and concluded it would be best if he and Starbeck enter the dungeon right away instead of stalling. After confirming with Starbeck, the two of them started preparing to enter the Unique Title Dungeon.

First, Kieran looked at the results of the previous dungeon, seeing that he had gotten a high enough rank for a special reward;

[Acquired special reward: Randomly draw an item from the dungeon world] (Ch 945)

Kieran immediately drew the reward, excited, but was upset when the item he drew was just a completely normal rock. He threw it in anger, then walked away, clutching his two hearts in grief. In order to distract himself from the disappointment, he looked at the [Devourer Shadow Mail] he got from the Devourer’s clone, and [Mardos Lair] which had leveled up greatly after eating half of the Devourer;

[Name: Devourer Shadow Mail]

[Type: Equipment]

[Rarity: II]

[Defense: II]

[Attribute: 1. Devouring Force; 2. Devouring Strike; 3. Devourer’s Wrath]

[Special Effect: Huge Appetite]

[Prerequisite: killer of the Devourer’s clone]

[Remark: It is as powerful as it’s name despite it being just a shadow.]

[Devouring Force: When interacting with any attack lower than rank II, the mail will absorb them (Includes but not limited to slashing, blunt attacks, piercing attacks); Any attack higher than rank II will grant 20% damage mitigation to its wearer]

[Devouring Strike: When the same target triggers Devouring Force twice in a row, the wearer can counterattack with damage received on the second strike with a +1 attack buff on the target]

[Devourer’s Wrath: When the wearer is attacked more than 10 times within 1 second (can be from different targets), targets within a 25-meter radius will receive a Powerful shockwave attack that ignores defense, 2 times per day]

[Huge Appetite: Able to consume a lot more food than usual and acquire better effect from food. Has high chance to trigger special attributes from consuming food] (Ch 946)

[Name: Mardos Lair]

[Type: Armor (Right-hand wrist guard)]

[Rarity: III]

[Defense: III]

[Attributes: 1. Mardos Web, 2. Mardos Net, 3. Mardos Devour]

[Effect: 1. Mardos Fire II, 2. Mardos Terror]

[Prerequisite: The one who killed Mardos (Binds to player)]

[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]

[Remark: Mardos was hatched from a Hell Fiend Spider egg that was left on earth, through a special and hastened hatching process, it had a growth disorder in nature, in addition to losing its intellect, strength, and lineage of a Hell Fiend Spider, all it has is the natural predatory instinct, but your presence has started to change it!]

…

[Mardos Web: Fire a tensile and sticky retractable spider web no longer than 100 meters, the spider web has a rank l defense, the target will be required to have rank I Strength to break away from the stickiness, 10-second duration, 2 times per day]

[Mardos Net: Fire a 20-meter radius sticker spider web laced with poison, binding multiple targets 150 meters within sight, spider web has a rank I and above defense, the target will be required to have rank I Strength to break away. The poison will force the target to undergo 3 Constitution authentications of rank II, Strong rank I, and New rank I. If the target fails all 3 authentications, the target will receive rank II poison attack. If the target fails 2 authentications, the target will receive Strong rank I poison attack. If the target fails 1 authentication, the target will receive New rank I poison attack, 5-second duration, onceday]

[Mardos Devour: Player will absorb the soul energy of each target killed, replenishing player’s HP, Stamina, the recovery rate is based on the target’s soul level. The soul can be temporarily stored in the armguard, able to replenish at will. The restoration level is equal to 1 Lethally Wounded Status worth of HP and Stamina, 2 Heavily Wounded Status worth of HP and Stamina, 3 Moderately Wounded Status worth of HP and Stamina. (Current stored Lethally Wounded Restoration: 0; Heavily Wounded Restoration: 0; Moderate Wounded Restoration: 0)]

(Note: This is pure soul energy and has no specific harmful elements, suitable for all Origin Forces.)

…

[Mardos Fire: When using Mardos Web or Mardos Net, the bound target will receive rank I fire damage and rank I negative energy corrosion. Able to activate Hell Fiend Spider Fire at your will. ( Mardos Fire is not mortal fire, water and sand cannot extinguish it.]

[Mardos Terror: The monsters that lived around the hell sulfur river were not as simple as they look but they chose to bow down to Mardos. When using Mardos Web, Mardos Net, the bound target will be forced to undergo a Spirit authentication not lower your own and Intuition authentication not lower than your own Fear and Illusion level. If the target fails 1 authentication, the target will receive a mental impact attack equivalent to your Spirit rank. If the target fails 2 authentications while receiving the mental impact attack, the target will be forced to undergo another Death authentication (Judged based on the special life energy belonging to you and Mardos), the target will die instantly if failed and the soul will be devoured!] (Ch 946)

Kieran especially looked at [Mardos Arm], excited for the day that the tiny spider would regain the true strength of a Hell Fiend Spider, which was capable of devouring Gods. As he praised Mardos, he felt all of his other Legendary equipment with souls react and communicate with him, though he was unable to comprehend what they were saying. [Mardos Lair], [Lionheart], [Primus Arm], [Wild Soul], [Rudenmoren Skin], [Ring of the Serpent King], [Wolf Remnant Feast] and [Arrogant Word] started buzzing and sending their thoughts to Kieran, and in response Kieran touched each of them, remembering how it was because of these equipments that he was able to fight against the Devourer. He asked the equipment if they were partners, and they responded by sending him illusions of themselves; Kieran saw the lion leading a pride, the rhino and the white wolf running freely, Primus the crocodile, the golden snake, and the sea serpent swimming, Mardos resting in lava, and he saw himself wielding [Arrogant Word]. Before he could say any more, the illusions left him, though he felt like he understood his equipment better.

Lawless heard Kieran talk to his equipment, and when he asked Kieran if he was okay, Kieran changed the subject by asking Lawless for someone who could repair [Orinder Soft Mail], as well as a [Sharp Weapon, Special Sword Weapon] skill book. Lawless took the loot Kieran gave him to sell, and suggested Kieran talk to the player Shu. Kieran immediately contacted the player and sent Shu the [Orinder Soft Mail] along with the funds to repair it. Kieran then looked at his skills. Kieran made a list of all his skills, and quickly realized he did not have enough Golden Skill Points to upgrade all of the ones he wanted to upgrade, so he asked Lawless and Starbeck for advice when he couldn’t decide on which skills to prioritize. Lawless suggested he upgrade his offensive skills, while Starbeck suggested he focus on his Basic skills. Lawless then started debating with Starbeck as Kieran decided to take Starbeck’s advice;

[Detected Tracking as special rank skill….]

[Requirements remain unchanged!]

[Tracking, Musou to Transcendence, costs 60,000 Points, 2 Golden Skill Points. Yes/No?]

[Name: Tracking (Transcendence)]

[Related Attribute: Intuition]

[Skill Type: Ancillary]

[Effect: You can use all kinds of tracks and traces to track down the target you are chasing!]

[Special Effect: Transcendence Trace Checking (As long as the trace exist, it will not escape your eyes)]

[Transcendence Option: Eye of Insight (While tracking targets within your sight, there is a small chance to locate the target’s weakness)]

[Consume: Stamina]

[Prerequisite: Intuition A]

[Remark: Not only you can clearly sense special existences, but you can also even find the traces left behind by them!] (Ch 947)

[Name: Sharp Weapon, Dagger (Transcendence)]

[Related Attribute: Strength, Agility, Constitution]

[Skill Type: Offense]

[Effect: When you wield a dagger, targets will feel chills. Increases damage by 80%]

[Special Effect: Transcendent Slicing (Has 30% chance to trigger Tendon Rip effect)]

[Transcendence Option: Silent Attack (When you attack with a dagger, the noise will be lowered to it’s minimal)]

[Consume: Stamina]

[Prerequisite: Strength C, Agility C+, Constitution C+]

[Remark: You dagger is not only sharp but deadly!] (Ch 947)

[Name: Sharp Weapon, Bow (Transcendence)]

[Related Attributes: Strength, Agility, Intuition]

[Skill Type: Offensive]

[Effects: Your arrow is the grim reaper’s scythe, Increases damage by 50%]

[Special Effects: Transcendent Reload (When you reload an arrow, +5 Agility temporarily)]

[Transcendence Option: Arrow of Will (Your Strong I rank Spirit allows you to have extra +1 attack buff upon firing)]

[Consumes: Stamina]

[Prerequisites: Strength C+, Agility C+, Intuition B-]

[Remarks: You are the grand master of sharpshooters!] (Ch 947)

[Name: Evading (Transcendence)]

[Related Attribute: Agility]

[Skill Type: Ancillary]

[Effects: You will never fail to evade an attack during battle, Increases Evading by 80%]

[Special Effects: Transcendent Swift Steps (Your steps make you even nimbler, Increases Evading by 60%)]

[Transcendence Option: Ignore Weight (When your weight is less than 1/3 than your own, you can choose to ignore 1/2 of it. It won’t affect your evading effect and despite your weight reaching its maximum, you still have the usual 80% dodge]

[Consume: Stamina]

[Prerequisite: Agility B-]

[Remark: Your attack is so slow, you can’t even hit my shadow!] (Ch 947)

[Name: Greatsword Blocking (Transcendence)]

[Related Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution]

[Skill Type: Defense]

[Effect: Your sword is sturdier than your shield, increase defense by 80%]

[Special Effect: Transcendent Extra Block (After familiarizing yourself with the structure of a greatsword, whenever a block is successful, increase defense by an extra 60%]

[Transcendence Option: Iron Wall (Each successful block increases your defense level by 1 (Only self, excludes equipment but can be stacked)]

[Consume: Stamina]

[Prerequisite: Strength C+, Agility C+, Constitution B-]

[Remark: You are an iron wall when wielding a greatsword!] (CH 947)

[Name: Explosive Weapon, Explosion (Transcendence)]

[Related Attribute: Strength, Agility]

[Skill Type: Offense]

[Effect: You know how to use homemade explosives, dynamite, grenades, and mines. Increase damage by 80%]

[Special Effect: Transcendent Throw (Astounding throwing technique that will shock your target, able to land explosives on your enemy in a smarter way)]

[Transcendence Option: Lock-On (Thrown explosives easily land on your enemies without making a sound in a 30-meter radius)]

[Consume: Stamina]

[Prerequisite: Agility C-, Intuition C-]

[Remark: Explosion is art!] (Ch 947)

[Name: Sharp Weapon Dual Wield Heavy Arms (Transcendence)]

[Related Attribute: Strength, Agility, Constitution]

[Skill Type: Offense]

[Effect: When you wield two heavy arms, you are the butcher of the battlefield. Stamina consumption +90%]

[Special Effect: Agility Compensation (Extensive training allows you to compensate your speed and nimbleness more. When you wield two heavy arms, Agility +2.0)]

[Transcendence Option: Overlay (When you attack a target with two heavy arms, Strength +3)]

[Consume: Stamina]

[Prerequisite: Sharp Weapon, Heavy Arms (Grand Master)]

[Remark: Fierce attack costs more Stamina consumption so you have to take out your enemies faster than before.] (Ch 947)

[Name: Sharp Weapon, Special Heavy Arms (Transcendence)]

[Related Attribute: Strength, Agility, Constitution]

[Skill Type: Offense]

[Effect: No matter how weird the special heavy arms is, you can wield it like your own arm. Increase damage by 80%]

[Special Effect: Extra Boost (When using special heavy arms, Strength +4)]

[Transcendence Option: Suppression (Whenever hard contact with a target occurs, the target will have to undergo an authentication to your Strength. If the target fails, the target will receive Suppression damage worth the difference in Strength and induce extra Wounded status)]

[Consume: Stamina]

[Prerequisite: Sharp Weapon, Heavy Arms (Grand Master)]

[Remark: This is only the basic usage!] (Ch 947)

Done with his skills, Kieran then used his Golden Attribute Points to increase his Spirit;

[Using Golden Attribute Points…]

[Spirit ZZZ+ → V- (Pre-rank II)]

[Using Golden Attribute Points…]

[Spirit V- → V (Pre-rank II)]

[Using Golden Attribute Points…]

[Spirit V → V+ (Pre-rank II)]

[Using Golden Attribute Points…]

[Spirit V+ → VV- (Pre-rank II)]

[Using Golden Attribute Points…]

[Spirit VV- → VV (Pre-rank II)]

[Using Golden Attribute Points…]

[Spirit VV → VV+ (New rank II)

[Using Golden Attribute Points…]

[Spirit VV+ → VVV- (New rank II]

[Using Golden Attribute Points…]

[Spirit VVV- → VVV (New rank II)]

[Using Golden Attribute Points…]

[Spirit VVV → VVV+ (Strong rank II)]

[Using Golden Attribute Points…]

[Spirit VVV+ → G- (Pre-rank III)]

[Using Golden Attribute Points…]

[Spirit G- → G (Pre-rank III)]

[Using Golden Attribute Points…]

[Spirit G → G+ (Pre-rank III)] (Ch 947)

Kieran examined his body every time he used a Golden Attribute Point, noticing how he could see the runes and the darkness within his body more clearly with each upgrade. When Kieran was done, Starbeck gave Kieran some tea that he had brewed;

[Drank Concise Tea, triggered attribute with a certain rate: Tranquility]

[Tranquility: It is easier for you to recover from exhaustion and messy thoughts, lasts 12 hours.] (Ch 947)

Lawless then returned with the skill book and the rest of the points he got from selling the loot, and grumbled when he realized that there wasn’t any tea for him.

[Name: Sharp Weapon, Special Sword Weapon (Transcendence)]

[Related Attribute: Strength, Agility, Constitution]

[Skill Type: Offense]

[Effect: You are not only skilled in using a soft blade, double edge blade, and other special sword weapons, you have an outstanding understanding of the weapons as well. Increases damage by 80%]

[Special Effect: Soft Blade Pro (When using a soft blade, increase damage by an extra 60%)]

[Transcendence Option: Finger Twist (You can control the soft blade that you wield with your will, able to deliver a surprise hit and have Lvl 2 Armor Penetration)]

[Consume: Stamina]

[Prerequisite: Strength E, Agility C+]

[Remark: Soft blade is like a venomous snake and you are the best snake charmer.] (Ch 947)

After learning the new skill and upgrading it to Transcendence, Kieran pulled out the soft blade [Burwell’s Slaughter] to practice. Satisfied, Kieran then used the rest of his points to purchase potions and other consumable equipment. He and Starbeck then entered the Unique Title Dungeon [Blade of the Daybreaker]. (Ch 947)

## After Blade Of The Daybreaker

(Ch 1031) Kieran spawned in the same starry realm that he visited before entering the Talent Dungeon; a single star approached Kieran and merged into his body, giving him the [Blade of The Daybreaker] Unique Title;

[Name: Blade of the Daybreaker]

[Type: Title]

[Rarity: Unique]

[Attribute: 1. Sword Type Enhance; 2. Sword Skill Increase; 3. Dawn Amplification; 4. Dawn Sword Veil.]

[Special Effect: Dawn Summon]

[Prerequisite: Bind to player]

[Remark: Whenever your blade points, you will be invincible.]

…

[Sword Type Enhance: When using any type of sword-type weapon, weapon attack level +1]

[Sword Skill Increase: Increase any kind of “sword” skill by 1 level (Is not limited to Transcendence), 2 per day]

[Dawn Amplification: During Dawn, player gains a special effect of +3 to all attributes. Additionally, player is able to assign a certain attribute with an extra +1 buff]

[Dawn Sword Veil: Player can activate this skill during dawn. It will not be restrained by any other existence. This skill can make a copy of the sword type weapon that player currently has equipped, the copy of the weapon will have the all the original attributes, effects, and will have attack and defense based on player’s sword type skill. The copies of the weapon can be accumulated when the skill isn’t activated during dawn, the number of copies will accumulate to the next day (max 3 times), once per day]

[Dawn Summon: During Dawn, player can summon the soldiers of Burning Dawn based on player’s own will. They will answer the player’s call and fight for them, once per week] (Ch 1031)

He admired the strength of his new Unique Title, though he was concerned that he could only use it during Dawn. He then thought of Broker and the Witch, and concluded that both of their titles must also have limitations, that they make up for using their own personal strength. He then thought about the information about Broker he tortured out of Darde before killing him, though Kieran did not reveal what that information was yet. Kieran was disappointed with the amount of points he got from killing Darde, but was excited at seeing the loot in Darde’s lobby. As he made plans to find someone who could appraise [Fenrir’s Crown], Kieran saw the [Key of Grave] that he was absolutely certain he was previously not allowed to bring out of the dungeon;

[Name: Changed Key of Grave]

[Type: ETC]

[Rarity: ???]

[Attack: ???]

[Defense: ???]

[Attribute: Initiate (Reopen Blade of the Daybreaker dungeon with corresponding energy)]

[Effect: None]

[Prerequisite: Corresponding energy]

[Remark: It is buffed by a certain energy, granting it a more magical effect] (Ch 1032)

As Kieran inspected the key, wondering what made it change, he was offered to reenter the Title Dungeon;

[Detected special dungeon, enter? Yes/No] (Ch 1032)

Kieran frantically declined, knowing he needed to get much stronger before attempting to reenter this dungeon, not daring to underestimate the strength of the giant being within the grave. As he thought about the potential dangers and gains of the dungeon, he was teleported out of the starry realm and back to his lobby, where Starbeck appeared next to him. Starbeck instantly began trembling in fear at the memory of the giant hand, and Kieran put his hand on Starbeck’s shoulder to calm him down. Lawless then barged into the lobby, and heartily congratulated Kieran and Starbeck. After giving Kieran a cigar, Lawless urged him to go to Harvest Inn where the other Lone Wolves were waiting. Starbeck looked at Kieran and Lawless enviously, wishing he had a friendship like theirs, and asked if he could join them to the Inn. Lawless agreed and the three of them left Kieran’s lobby.

Kieran and Brokers war, and the existence of the Unique Title scrolls were not secrets to the other players. As a result, many players were camping outside of Kieran’s lobby in order to see for themselves what the result of the dungeon would be. When Kieran stepped outside, he was met with many gazes of fear and admiration, who silently watched as Kieran led the three of them to the train station. When Kieran, Lawless, and Starbeck were gone, the players all started an uproar, and learned that both Extremus and Darde were dead; they celebrated Kieran’s victory as the holder of the Unique Title.

Throughout the city, the news of Kieran’s victory spread fast, especially paired with the rumour that Kieran had wounded Broker. Most players did not care and minded their own business, while many started plotting. One player was meditating in front of a portrait of the Enlightenment King Acala, and after a few rounds of deep breaths the player and the Enlightenment King swapped places; another player was forging weapons near the border of the city; several players were sitting at a table, theorizing that Kieran had to pay a price in order to wound Broker.

At the Inn, there was a giant celebration, and almost everyone got blackout drunk. Kieran was carrying around Starbeck, who was unconscious after a drinking contest with Lemour, and he went to the bar to talk to Rachel. She teased Kieran, saying he was too sober for the person being celebrated, but Kieran defended himself by saying he already had a single drink. Rachel then looked at Blacksmith, who was watching the bar, and Blacksmith suddenly coldly turned her head. Lawless noticed this and asked her what was wrong, but Blacksmith just fed him more alcohol until he passed out instead of answering.

Rachel then led Kieran behind the bar and through a hidden door. He saw runes on the wall that isolated noise, to prevent spying and to disconnect this secret room from the bar; Kieran felt like he could do something similar to his own lobby, but was not willing to put in the money to renovate. Rachel stopped him before they entered the meeting room, and reminded Kieran that many of the Advanced Ranked players that gather here are prideful, and Kieran would have to prove himself in order to be allowed to join in the future. They walked into the room, where three players were already waiting. Rachel introduced them as Mark, Karles, and her real life friend Wu. After Rachel introduced Kieran to the three of them, Mark and Karles sent their aura at Kieran testingly, and Kieran sent a little bit of Devil Force at them, shredding through their aura. Kieran then sat down and gazed curiously at Wu, who did not even flinch at the Devil Force.

Kieran decided to not speak first, so he sat in complete silence as the room grew awkward. Rachel looked at Kieran with a smile and also chose not to speak. Finally, Mark broke the silence by greeting Kieran, and Karles asked if they could start the meeting. Wu gave permission for the meeting to start, and Karles eagerly placed loot on the table they sat around;

[Name: Nightmare Lasso]

[Type: Accessory]

[Rarity: Legendary]

[Attack: Extreme]

[Attribute: 1. Nightmare Invasion; 2. Nightmare Imprisonment; Nightmare Demon]

[Effect: None]

[Prerequisite: Spirit A+]

[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]

[Remark: Those disturbed by nightmare will never find peace]

…

[Nightmare Invasion: Choose a target and put it into a deep sleep. A Spirit authentication will occur; when higher than the target, the target will be assaulted by nightmares. Able to inflict a Light to Medium mental impact to target, able to activate Nightmare Imprisonment as well, able to use once every 3 days]

[Nightmare Imprisonment: Spirit authentication of target +3, while the user receives one of -3. When successful, the target will be imprisoned as Nightmare Demon]

[Nightmare Demon: Summon the Nightmare Demon to carry out the user’s deeds, once per day (Able to store up to 3 Nightmare Demon at once, once a Nightmare Demon dies, the user will lose it forever and will suffer a Medium mental impact] (Ch 1034)

Karles asked if it was enough for Wu to do a divination, and Wu said it was not enough after looking at the equipment. Kieran was in shock, as he knew how difficult it was to learn and level up divination skills, but he was more shocked when Karles readily pulled out several other Legendary equipments and added them to the pile. Kieran couldn’t comprehend how powerful Wu’s divination skills were that would make the cost so high, as he knew from Nikorei that divinations were very unreliable. When the payment was enough, Wu pulled out a deck of cards and arranged twelve cards on the table after shuffling. Everyone picked up a card, including Kieran. Everyone told Wu which card they got, but Kieran was suspicious of Wu as they had never met before, and asked Wu for more information about the divination session before he revealed his card.

Karles explained that the divination would predict things, locations, or people that could help him. Karles’ card was the garden, meaning that if any other player drew a card related to nature, farming, ect. that player would be able to help him. Mark drew the mining cave and Rachel drew the butcher’s knife, meaning neither of them would be of any help to Karles. He then explained that Wu’s divinations were reliable, and many players go to Wu for help if they run into an obstacle in the game.

After admiring Wu’s skills and admitting that she was more powerful than Nikorei, Kieran revealed his card, the crow. Karles slumped in his seat, disappointed that no one here would be able to help him, but both Rachel and Wu stared at Kieran’s crow card. Suddenly, Wu gathered the cards again and reshuffled, asking Kieran to draw again. Kieran was confused, and Wu urged him to draw again, saying she wanted to confirm something; Wu even offered to pay Kieran to draw again. Seeing an opportunity, Kieran asked Wu if she had ever heard of the guardians of the Witch’s legacy.

The room went completely silent and everyone looked at Kieran; Kieran finally revealed that the information he got from Darde was that Broker was involved with the guardians. Suddenly, Karles and Mark both revealed killing intent toward Kieran, though neither of them outright attacked Kieran. Rachel assured them that Kieran was not a spy or an enemy, and she tried talking to Kieran, though he only waited for an explanation from Rachel.

Rachel then started explaining that she and her group of Advanced Ranked players had been attacked by the guardians before; many players had been tempted by the power of the Witch’s Legacy, and tried looking for it, but there was one player who was dedicated to finding it. This player unearthed many secrets regarding the Witch, and as a result the guardians got involved, and attacked these players. Kieran asked her if they knew that Broker was involved with the guardians, and Rachel said they did know that, but they knew very little details about it. Kieran asked more about the guardians, but Rachel said she knew little about them other than that they were also players and that they had unbelievable strength.

Kieran then redrew a card from Wu’s deck, and pulled the golden crow card. Rachel, Mark, and Karles all gasped when they saw the card, and Wu asked the two to leave the room for a moment. Mark and Karles left without a word, and when the door closed behind them, Rachel started sizing up Kieran, making him feel on edge. As Rachel was about to start explaining, they heard a roar from the bar, and Rachel left to calm down Lawless, the source of the roar. She urged Kieran and Wu to stay, but Kieran went to follow her before Wu suddenly appeared in front of him, blocking the exit. When Kieran ordered Wu to move, Wu told him that she wanted Kieran to take a card, and offered Kieran a card with a bloody red crow on it. Kieran coldly rejected the card, and walked around Wu; as he brushed by Wu, the card trembled, and when he left the room the card burst into flames until it was reduced to ashes. Wu started crying with joy as she mumbled “crow” repeatedly.

When Mark and Karles left the meeting room, they quietly talked to each other, Mark asking if he thought Rachel and Wu were treating Kieran differently than other people. Karles really did not care about this, and tried brushing Mark off by saying Wu and Rachel were acting the same way they always do. The two of them left through the secret entrance, entering the bar, and Mark continued the conversation in a whisper, but the two suddenly froze as if petrified. Lawless towered behind them and demanded to know why they were talking about Kieran behind his back. An illusion of a tiger king appeared behind them and let out a loud roar that sent the two into [Fear]. While they were stunned, Lawless grabbed their tongues and threatened to rip them out. When they regained their senses, the two tried defending themselves, but then Starbeck, who was heavily intoxicated, walked over and told Lawless that Afu could sense both greed in their hearts, and Kieran’s scent on them. Lawless and Starbeck ganged up on the two of them, revealing their true strength, and Mark and Karles were convinced they were going to die.

Rachel came up behind Lawless and smashed a wine glass over his head, yelling at him to calm down, and poured another drink down Starbeck’s throat, making him pass out again. After Rachel dumped a bucket of ice water over Lawless’ head, she then turned to Mark and Karles; Karles immediately told Rachel that although he was jealous of Kieran, he did not betray anyone, then he looked at Mark. Mark cursed, but told Rachel that he did betray them, and offered to compensate for the betrayal. Rachel glared at him and told him that collaborating with and leaking info to Broker was unforgivable, and she expelled him from her bar. Mark was in shock that Rachel knew he was leaking info to Broker, and tried asking her why she didn’t expose him earlier before he was expelled. Rachel then turned to Karles, who protested, saying jealousy was a natural emotion, but then Rachel revealed that she knew that he was actually a guardian of the Witch’s Legacy.

After Rachel told Karles that she knew he was a guardian from the beginning, she took a step back and Kieran walked in through the front door. Karles wondered why Kieran came from the front and not from the secret entrance, before he realized that Rachel had set up a trap for him and Mark. Karles revealed that he was here to gather info about Wu, whose abilities as a seer were completely unique, but he also realized Kieran was about to kill him, so he offered intel in exchange for his life. Kieran let Rachel take care of the negotiations, and picked up Starbeck off of the ground to move him to a chair, he also moved Lawless who was standing with the bucket of ice water still on his head. After the negotiations, Rachel went to Kieran and apologized for getting him mixed up in this; she genuinely had only planned on Kieran meeting Mark, Karles, and Wu in the secret room, but she couldn’t predict Lawless and Starbeck entering a rage. As compensation, Rachel gave Kieran the [Nightmare Lasso] from earlier. She then messaged Kieran to secretly tell him the intel she traded from Karles, which, she said, was related to herself and Kieran.

Broker was sitting in one of his hideouts, enduring the extreme pain of part of his soul being defeated. He was thinking about his plans, and concluded that even though he did not get the Unique Title, his plans did not fail. He then mumbled about Kieran and the guardians before drinking an [Osiris’ Brew] and falling unconscious.

Kieran boarded the train, then looked at the invitation from Burning Bottle he had previously gotten; the only thing written on it was an address, where Kieran was planning on interrogating and killing everyone inside of. Kieran revealed that one piece of intel Rachel got from karles was that Hilton was a leader within the guardian’s organization. Kieran wondered about the relationship between Burning Bottle and the guardian’s organization, and then about how the guardian’s organization started. When Kieran got off the train, a player greeted Kieran and asked him to follow him. The player then ran down an alley before disappearing. Kieran laughed when he felt malicious gazes from several other players, and walked into the alley after a moment.

The alley was filled with a poisonous, odorless smoke as well as many poisonous insects that were hidden in the smoke; the player that guided Kieran to the alley was confident that Kieran would succumb to the poison soon. Before Kieran got close enough to the insects though, Kieran vanished, and the guide instinctively tried putting up a defensive barrier, but he acted too late and was caught in Kieran’s [Myriad Viper] illusion. Kieran then set the alley on fire, killing the other players and the insects; Hilton activated some equipment to give him fire resistance, but the devil fire was too strong and broke through the equipment. Hilton threw a javelin that split into ten more javelins that all flew toward Kieran. Hilton believed the most important part of being a High Ranker was having appropriate equipment, and he was very confident that this javelin would kill Kieran; he then lifted his hand and look off his glove, revealing a red smiley face.

Kieran suddenly remembered the eagle that gave him the piece of paper that tattooed the smiley face on his hand, and he remembered the clocktower also. Kieran concluded that if he actually followed the puppet in the clocktower that he would have become a guardian, but then he wondered what criteria the eagle had when choosing a player as a candidate to become a guardian. The javelins then hit Kieran, but were unable to pierce [Devourer Shadow Mail], and Kieran used [Devouring Strike] and [Devourer’s Wrath] to kill Hilton.

[Player Killed: Hilton]

[Treated as self-defense through authentication]

[Categorized as an Honor Kill]

[You will receive all the Points and Skill Points of the player…]

[Total: 200,000 Points and 30 Skill Points]

[Received the player’s house key]

[Granted the right to use the player’s house]

[All the player’s belongings are returned to their house]

[Honor Kill: 94] (Ch 1040)

Hilton’s body disintegrated the same way all players do when dead, but Hilton’s smiley face tattoo was transferred onto Kieran’s hand. The smile’s energy poured into Kieran’s body, strengthening Kieran’s Origin Forces, and the darkness within Kieran’s body was dispelled slightly. Kieran wondered about the energy, and concluded that there must be many other players with the tattoo that had also figured out that they could steal other player’s energy by killing them. He then messaged Rachel and told her that he killed Hilton before he could get any information out of him, and Rachel said she would work to get more intel from Karles. Kieran then got a message from Wu, which was just a screenshot of an item;

[Name: Lucky Card]

[Type: Card]

[Rarity: Epic]

[Attribute: Use it and the next dungeon will grant the player more luck than usual. Even if it is trivial, it will be enough to alter one’s destiny.]

[Remark: Creating this card requires extremely skilled techniques, expensive ingredients and a little bit of luck]

[Note 1: Usable in normal, single player dungeon]

[Note 2: After usage, the effect will last till the end of the dungeon] (Ch 1041)

Kieran was reminded of the effects of [Vanessa’s Favour] from [The Shaman’s Partner IV] and asked Wu how much the [Lucky Card] was. Wu told him that he could buy it using points or equipment at an auction in Harvest Inn. Kieran agreed and went to Darde, Mark, and Hilton’s lobbies to gather loot for the auction. The three most valuable items Kieran got from the lobbies were;

[Name: Titan’s Blood]

[Type: Blood]

[Rarity: II]

[Attack: None]

[Defense: None]

[Attribute: 1. Consume; 2. ???]

[Effect: None]

[Prerequisite: None]

[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]

[Remark: As Darde’s unique item, it gains enhancement to not just one but all sides]

[Consume: Has a great chance to acquire the Titan’s Bloodline if one consumes it]

[???:???] (Ch 1041)

[Name: Danian’s Grip]

[Type: Firearm]

[Rarity: Epic]

[Attack: Extreme]

[Attribute: 1. First Fire; 2. Second Fire; 3. Scatter Fire]

[Effect: None]

[Prerequisite: Firearm Weapon, Special Arms (Grand Master)]

[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]

[Remark: This is Danian’s beloved pistol, it is also Danian’s everything and it represents the honor of a shooter.]

[First Fire: The first shot is a charged shot, attack +1, extra 1-second charging; usable twice per day]

[Second Fire: After First Fire, able to fire at will to perform a follow-up attack.]

[Scatter Fire: When Second Fire strikes a target, user can perform another Powerful scattershot of 45° angle, 15 meters to all targets within range.] (Ch 1041)

[Name: Phantom Stinger]

[Type: Sharp Weapon]

[Rarity: I]

[Attack: I]

[Attribute: 1. Pierce; 2. Extreme Shot; 3. Phantom Strike]

[Effect: None]

[Prerequisite: Sharp Weapon, Polearm Weapon (Grand Master), Sharp Weapon, Hurl (Grand Master)]

[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]

[Remark: Enemy will never see it coming as it strikes like a phantom.

[Pierce: Grants Extreme piercing effect against any defensive gears lower than rank I.]

[Extreme Shot: When thrown, Phantom Stinger will acquire one-time acceleration speed of the higher order]

[Phantom Strike: Create phantom images of the javelin to attack targets in an area. The real javelin will possess its rank I attack while the images have Powerful attack, usable twice per day] (Ch 1041)

Kieran returned to the secret room in Harvest Inn hoping that these three items would be enough leverage for the auction, and entered the room that was already filled with many other High Rankers. Kieran chose to stand, but Wu noticed Kieran and called out his name. Everyone in the room looked at Kieran, as he was popular right now after getting the Unique Title, but Kieran ignored everyone and walked over to Wu who offered Kieran his seat. Kieran felt suspicious, as Wu was acting too friendly for someone he has only met once, and declined the seat. Everyone looked at Kieran and Wu weirdly when Wu went to stand next to Kieran; no one took Wu’s abandoned seat.

Rachel then got the attention of the crowd and revealed the items up for auction. Kieran looked through all of the items, all of which were card-related, but he looked at Wu when he did not see the [Lucky Card]. Wu messaged Kieran asking him to follow her, and she left the room. After a moment Kieran followed, and saw her waiting underneath a lamp in the hallway connecting the room and the bar. As Kieran approached, Wu complemented Kieran’s [Crow’s Black Feather], and slowly asked if Kieran believed in destiny. Kieran did not believe in destiny, but he did not like this conversation so he coldly asked Wu if the [Lucky Card] was real, or if this was a joke. Wu stared intensely at Kieran, before starting a trade with Kieran after telling him that she just wanted to chat with him. She offered the [Lucky Card], but accepted the trade, meaning that if Kieran wanted to, he could also accept it without giving Wu anything in return. Kieran offered many points, [Danian’s Grip], and [Phantom Stinger] before accepting the trade.

Kieran then immediately left, and Wu said that he is exactly the same, and she wondered if this was the gift of destiny. She pulled out her deck of cards, and twelve cards flew out of the deck and circled around her. The card faces were changing and overlapping each other, until they ultimately stopped on knight, devil, beast, palace, scepter, and crown, but Kieran had entered the bar and closed the door behind him before the last card could be revealed.

Starbeck greeted Kieran, and wanted to apologize for what he did while drunk, but was too embarrassed to say anything. Kieran gave his loot to Lawless to sell after Lawless complained about Rachel not letting him in the secret room. Kieran then told Starbeck he would escort him back to Starbeck’s lobby, and the two of them left the Inn. An unknown player was walking toward Harvest Inn, and that player and Kieran walked right past each other; the player did not react, but Kieran took a moment to look back at the player before continuing to Starbeck’s lobby.

Over the next few weeks, the uproar over Kieran’s Unique Title died down since Kieran never publicly used it. Broker also never showed himself in the city, and many players and organizations started busying themselves with preparing for Broker’s eventual retaliation; this brought temporary peace to the city. Kieran had received many invitations from alliances, but he rejected all of them. After auctioning off all of his loot at Harvest Inn, Kieran spent the rest of his time in his lobby to train his skills and prepare for the next dungeon. (Ch 1043)

## After Hero And Villain

(Ch 1094) Kieran was a little disappointed with his final rating, but consoled himself by remembering he got quite a bit of loot. He then wondered about the “place” that Grudge Dragon and Death Knell mentioned, and he concluded that there was a heavily injured god that he would have to fight when he returns to this dungeon. He decided to message Rachel and ask her about gods who merge with cities, but he got a message from someone else before Rachel responded.

In the outskirts of the city, Kieran met with Karles. Karles thanked Kieran for coming, saying he had asked many people for help with no response. Kieran said he just came to learn more about the Guardians though. He had a feeling that Karles was in worse trouble than he thought, and asked Karles why he wasn’t in his lobby. Karles explained he needed Kieran’s help reaching his lobby, since other Guardians had set up ambushes around his lobby. Kieran laughed and said that if he helped Karles, then the Guardians would just start targeting him instead; Karles started offering larger payments, until they agreed on an Epic Rank item and intel on The Witch. They signed a contract, and Karles gave Kieran the [Ceremonial Silence].

[Name: Ceremonial Silence]

[Type: Defensive Gear]

[Rarity: Epic]

[Attack: None]

[Defense: Extreme]

[Attribute: Silence]

[Effect: None]

[Prerequisite: Spirit A]

[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]

[Remark: This is one of the holy relics of Holy Eyes Church. Although Holy Eyes Church wasn’t recognized by the people, one must admit how magical their relics were]

[Silence: Any Chanting, Singing spells or divine techniques lower than rank I will be silenced; +50% casting time of any Chanting, Singing spells or divine techniques that are below rank I; +20% casting time of any Chanting, Singing spells or divine techniques that reached rank I or above. Unable to target Chanting, Singing spells or divine techniques over rank III. Able to use twice per day.] (Ch 1095)

Right after, a group of players approached the two of them. Kieran looked at them, but Karles recognized the players as excavators; players who spent their free time exploring and mapping out the city. Kieran confirmed that these players were harmless, but the two of them still decided to change locations.

Rowl was the player who led the excavation team. The team was made up of the rookie members of the Iron Chariot guild, and the purpose of the excavation was to test the strength of these rookies. He was giving a pep talk, but in his heart, he knew that many of these rookies wouldn’t survive past their second or third dungeon. Rowl then changed the subject by mentioning that even the city itself was not safe for players to casually wander around in, and suggested the rookies ask the guild for an experienced player to escort them if they wanted to leave their lobby. One rookie asked about the dangers of the city, and Rowl named a few players nearby their guild that were very strong. He assured the rookies that there was strength in numbers, before he went completely still and trembled in fear. The rookies were confused at his sudden silence, and at that moment Kieran and Karles walked past them, not even sparing the excavators a glance. When the two were gone, Rowl let out a gasp of relief, and some of the rookies asked about them. Rowl told them  about Kieran “2567”, and tried stressing to them his strength, but one rookie tried asking if the Iron Chariots guild could fight him. Before the rookie could finish asking the question, Rowl yelled at him to shut up, and said that words like that would lead to all of their deaths.

Despite being a good ways away from the excavation group, Kieran still heard the question and the yells, but he gave them no mind. Karles had just told Kieran the intel, and Kieran was shocked to learn that the eagle that gave Kieran the piece of paper that gave him the smiley face tattoo was The Witch’s familiar. Karles said that everyone who joined the Guardians had been handpicked by the eagle, but he did not know what criteria the eagle followed when choosing players. Karles signed another contract to verify that he was telling the truth, and said he learned this by accident; all the other Guardians just assumed the eagle belonged to the leader of the Guardians. They continued walking for a while before Kieran showed Karles his smile face tattoo, and and Karles explained it is the “Witch’s Gift”, and allows a player to increase their attributes and skills by killing another player who also has it. It was also because of this that the other Guardians were so excited to hunt Karles down.

The two arrived at Williamson Path, which was abandoned before the most recent surge of new players. Now, a guild called the Holy Mercy Association was located here, and there were many shops that had been created. They walked down the busy street, and Karles grew more nervous with every step he took. Kieran was annoyed with him, but he also realized that it was because of his cowardliness that he was chosen to be a spy that the Guardians could easily dispose of. Kieran then wondered about who the first Guardian was, and if this first Guardian was planning on eventually slaughtering all the other Guardians for the benefits from the Witch’s Gift.

They got closer to Karles’ lobby, and Kieran saw two Guardians standing in front of the building. Karles trembled and he recognized the two as the Prifen Brothers, two agility High Rankers who had joined the Guardians a long time ago. The brothers looked at Kieran and confirmed with each other that Kieran was the Bird of Death before both of them turned around and ran. Karles was astonished that these players that he feared would run at the sight of Kieran, but he still did not hesitate to run to the safety of his lobby. He thanked Kieran before going inside. Kieran was deeply suspicious of the Prifen Brothers, because he did not think that an experienced High Ranker would be that scared of him. Kieran decided to scout out the area around Karles’ lobby, but found no traps.

Kieran then felt a cold presence around him, that felt like an ice-cold dagger was slicing him. He again checked his surroundings, but saw nothing until he received a message from Karles; he was begging Kieran for help, and was about to warn Kieran of something, but the system told Kieran that Karles was dead before he knew what to be careful of. Kieran was in shock, knowing that lobbies were supposed to be completely safe from other players, but Karles was just killed in his own lobby. Kieran checked his surroundings and left, since there was nothing he could do here.

Kieran went to Harvest Inn, and greeted everyone before secretly messaging Rachel, asking her if it was possible to kill someone in a lobby. She froze and looked at Kieran seriously before he explained to her through messages what had happened. Rachel calmed down and explained to Kieran that she had once been hired to kill the Witch in real life, outside of the game, but it had failed. She said that while she was on this mission, it seemed like the whole world was operating against her, but this phenomena only happened while she was targeting the Witch. Rachel’s words suddenly reminded Kieran of a book he read from Nikorei’s library in [The Shaman’s Partner] about a Child of Destiny; the Child of Destiny could use any hardship as a stepping stone, but most importantly, there was a verse that read “don’t ever go against the Child of Destiny, because the whole world will turn against you!” (Ch 1099)

Rachel continued to say that it was one of the Witch’s friends who hired her, but that friend and everyone related to them had ended up dying. Several of them even ended up dying while they were in their lobbies. She said she was able to survive because she paid a price equivalent to a life, without elaborating on that. Kieran went into deep thought, then remembered how Allen was able to use a [10-times Increase Cooldown Card] on Kieran in his own lobby, so he wondered if it was possible to kill someone through similar means. Rachel said she didn’t know anything about that, and changed the subject to gods, in response to Kieran’s message when he first exited the dungeon.

Rachel said Kieran would need to purchase the intel about gods and cities, though Kieran was pained by the very expensive price she named. Kieran tried bargaining, and Rachel said she would waive the fee if Kieran had dinner with Wu. Kieran instantly transferred over the fee when Rachel said that, disgusted at the idea. Rachel tried reasoning with him, saying Wu meant no harm, but Kieran remained silent and Rachel gave up. She led him into the secret room and they sat down before Rachel started telling him about the gods.

She started by saying gods who merged with cities aren’t true gods, but can be more powerful than one if their city is prosperous. She then said that entering the Advanced Ranks means a player is closing the gap between mortality and godhood, though an Advanced Ranked player is still only equivalent to a fifth generation descendant. A sixth generation descendant of a False God is little stronger than a common man. She then explained the difference between a True and False God, saying True Gods had divine flames and divine kingdoms, while False Gods had no flame, and were only able to live off of the beliefs of mortals. True Gods are unimaginably strong, and the only player that is confirmed to have met a True God was the Witch. She then guessed that Kieran hadn’t yet met a False God that was more than a Second Generation descendant, as a player needs to go through another Limit Break dungeon to achieve Rank V attributes to meet a First Generation descendant.

Rachel teased Kieran a little when he wanted to try and guess Rachel’s true strength, but he remained silent. She then turned serious again and told Kieran the god he described to her sounded like a Second Generation descendant, and she told him gravely to never fight a False God within their own city. Rachel was about to say something else, but she stopped and left without another word. Kieran knew she was hiding something, but did not press it and returned to the bar with her.

Lawless was in the bar, engaging in a drinking challenge until he passed out. The Loners who were at Harvest Inn were enjoying the entertainment Lawless provided. Kieran walked over and picked him up off of the floor, setting him on a seat while he felt Lawless was acting like a child trying to blend into a crowd. Concerned, Kieran messaged Rachel to ask her about Lawless’ treatment for his personality disorder, but she said it was not ready yet. Kieran then left the Inn after telling Lawless to rest.

Later, in his lobby, Kieran was seriously looking at his Attributes after the talk with Rachel. He continued to use his Golden Attribute points on his Spirit despite his strength and agility being relatively weak. He then thought about the god Great Swamp and wondered if he was strong enough to engage him in a fight.

[Using Golden Attribute Points…]

[Spirit G+ → GG- (Pre III)]

[Using Golden Attribute Points…]

[Spirit GG- → GG (New III)]

[Using Golden Attribute Points…]

[Spirit GG → GG+ (New III)]

[Using Golden Attribute Points…]

[Spirit GG+ → GGG- (New III)] (Ch 1101)

Meanwhile, at the domed clock tower, a figure was sneaking through it. They moved silently in step with the ticks of the second hand, and they moved between shadows, hidden. After a minute, the minute hand also ticked, and although it was not any louder than the second hand, the figure staggered back in extreme pain. They willed themselves to not cry out in pain, and continued going until he exited the clock tower and reached an empty alleyway. They cursed, but left the clock tower and headed toward Harvest Inn. This player, Borl, entered the inn and caught the drunk Lawless who was about to fall out of his seat. Borl then went to the bar and ordered some honey water, which Rachel served him. Rachel watched as Borl gratefully drank the cheap drink, and she couldn’t help but feel like Borl and Kieran were very similar people. Even Lawless, who was barely conscious, thought it was Kieran who had caught him.

Kieran spent the next few days in his lobby, using all of his Origin Forces to work on expelling the darkness and chaos from his body. It was a long process, but Kieran knew that he could gradually chip away at the darkness like this, until the day when he was free of it. The cooldown quickly ended, and Kieran entered the next dungeon. (Ch 1102)

## After City Of Fiends II

(Ch 1178) The first thing Kieran did was go to Harvest Inn to give Lawless all of the loot he got from the God of Forest City’s treasure vault for him to sell. Lawless was astonished at the amount of Magical items Kieran had looted, and asked how he got them. Kieran honestly told him that he raided a God’s treasure vault, which Lawless praised him for. Lawless then offered to hold an auction, which Kieran agreed to. As Lawless started arranging the auction, Kieran went to the bar and ordered a glass of lemon water from Rachel. Rachel teased Kieran, saying a Godslayer should order something more expensive, but Kieran joked with her about opening a tab. As they joked, Kieran sent her a message asking her if there was a blacksmith that could repair advanced ranked items.

After paying her for her intel, Rachel told him about the players Xui Bai, Doordolde, and Swordsmith Alistritter. She recommended Xui Bai the most, but gave him the addresses of both Xui Bai and Doordolde; she said that Alistritter was constantly wandering the city, and no one ever knew where he was. Kieran thanked Rachel and was about to leave, when Borl entered the Inn. Kieran watched him, getting a strange sense of familiarness from him. Kieran watched him as he walked up to the bar and also ordered some lemon water. Rachel introduced Borl and Kieran to each other, and she said that the two of them were very similar. Kieran was very cautious, but decided that he wouldn’t be able to learn anything by just staring at Borl, so Kieran left the Inn.

Borl and Rachel continued talking, but Borl mainly asked questions about Kieran. Rachel offered to answer his questions in exchange for the intel fee, but Borl didn’t pay. Borl then walked over to Lawless, though he was still deep in thought about Kieran and the Witch. Lawless then snapped Borl out of his thoughts by offering him a drink, but Borl declined and left the Inn. Lawless was about to follow Borl, but Rachel held Lawless back and told him to leave Borl to Kieran, since the matter only concerned Kieran. Lawless backed down, and Rachel returned to the bar. She then announced to the players in the Inn that the interest on tabs was increasing, and she watched as the players complained and fought amongst themselves.

Wu entered the Inn and walked past the fighting players. She entered the secret room behind the bar, where Blacksmith was waiting. Wu said she had asked Rachel to have Blacksmith wait for her here, since Wu wanted to ask Blacksmith some questions about Kieran.

Kieran got off the train and arrived at Xui Bai’s smithy. Kieran requested entry and was quickly allowed in. They greeted each other, and Xui Bai gave Kieran a contract. Kieran read it, and showed Xui Bai the [Extreme Night]. She closely examined the sword, before telling Kieran that she did not have the confidence to fix it. Kieran asked if she would be able to fix it if she leveled up her skills, but she said it would take a long time for her to level them up to an appropriate level. Kieran thanked her anyway and left for Doordolde’s lobby. When arriving, he was rejected entry immediately, and was only told that Doordolde was too busy to meet Kieran.

Kieran messaged Rachel, asking her to place a bounty for Swordsmith Alisritter’s location. He placed a low bounty, and was planning on increasing it every half hour, but Rachel almost immediately told Kieran that someone had spotted Alisritter in the outer ring of the city. Rachel even gave him a screenshot of a map with Alisritter’s location marked, but Kieran instantly realized the location was exactly where he and Karles met last time, right before Karles was killed inside of his own lobby. Kieran got a bad feeling that a major storm was brewing, and he quickly boarded the train to get to Alisritter.

In a dark room, five people were sitting around a table. One reported that Kieran was heading toward Alisritter, and another claimed that this was a chance. One man protested, saying the last time they tested Kieran, all of his men died, but his complaint was ignored. Another man said that if they tried anything, the most likely result would be Kieran and Alisritter teaming up to kill them; the other men in the room realized that they weren’t prepared to fight both Kieran and Alisritter at once. After considering that they would also have to fight all of the Lone Wolves at the Harvest Inn also, one man wondered if Kieran and Broker were working together. They then said that Broker’s true goal was the Witch’s Legacy, and they started worrying that they wouldn’t be able to fight against Broker. The leader of the group then started making plans to interrupt Broker’s plans.

Kieran arrived at the outskirts, and watched the robot workers continue their construction to expand the city. He walked, and eventually came across Alisritter who was in the middle of hammering a block of metal. Kieran watched the process, and Kieran realized that with every blow from the hammer, the blunt weapon started emanating an aura of sharpness. As Alisritter finished forging a sword, Kieran noticed that Alisritter’s aura grew slightly stronger. Kieran was surprised, but he realized it was similar to his own [Knight of Dawn Body Tempering Art]. With that realization, Kieran decided that he did not want Swordsmith Alisritter to repair [Extreme Night]. Kieran then thought about his special dungeons, trying to remember if any of them had any blacksmiths who would be able to repair the sword.

Kieran started to walk away, but then he felt a malicious gaze on him. It was not Swordsmith Alisritter, but at the same time Alisritter finally noticed Kieran and greeted him. Kieran briefly responded without stopping. Alisritter continued to watch Kieran, and his aura grew sharper and sharper. Kieran countered Alisritter’s aura by summoning the Devil mirage, which only made Alisritter excited to fight Kieran. However, Alisritter reminded himself that he already had a rival he was training to fight, and he asked Kieran if they could fight once he defeats his current rival. Kieran said he was not interested as he continued walking away. At that moment, Kieran located the source of the malicious gaze, and shot a fireball at them. Alisritter wanted to fight Kieran even more, and started trying to barter with Kieran. Kieran declined again, and ran away from Alisritter.

Soon, J.Pearlman messaged Kieran and asked him to visit him; J.Pearlman said he could help Kieran find a blacksmith. They met up at Harvest Inn, where Kieran was confused to see J.Pearlman alone. J.Pearlman showed Kieran a [Reliable Repair Scroll], which he said was for sale in the Freedom Alliance.

[Name: Reliable Repair Scroll]

[Type: ETC]

[Rarity: I]

[Attack/ Defense: None]

[Attribute: Repair]

[Effect: None]

[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]

[Remark: This is a miraculous scroll. Its ability isn’t about how powerful it is but its reliability! No matter if its success or failure, the repairing process will not damage the item.]

[Repair: 100% chance of repairing items of rank I or below; 50% chance of repairing items of rank II; 10% chance of repairing items of rank III or higher.] (Ch 1183)

Kieran was impressed that the Scroll wouldn’t damage the weapon even if the repair failed, and decided that he would buy it. However, Kieran knew that J.Pearlman was still trying to recruit him, so Kieran asked how much the Scroll would cost if he doesn't join the Guild. J.Pearlman was depressed that he was shot down before he could even ask Kieran to join, but he asked Kieran that if, in the future, the Freedom Alliance was in trouble, if Kieran would help them out. Kieran agreed with some additional conditions, and also paid market price for the Scroll. After paying J.Pearlman a million points, J.Pearlman offered to buy Kieran a drink, which Kieran accepted. As J.Pearlman stood up, Wu sat down in his empty seat.

Kieran was very vigilant against Wu, and he coldly told her that the seat was already taken. She brushed him off. She then initiated a trade with Kieran, offering him the [Lucky Card II] and [Lucky Card III]. She said she knew Kieran just traded with J.Pearlman, and she offered that Kieran could pay her back by buying her dinner if he was low on points. Kieran silently put the [Titan’s Blood] and [Strange Little Finger] in the trade, and Wu accepted when she realized both were very valuable bloodline items. J.Pearlman then came back as Kieran was sitting in silence, and Kieran gratefully accepted the drink from him as Kieran walked to the bar.

Rachel chided Kieran, saying he should be more gentlemanly as she looked at her friend Wu. Kieran brushed her off and drank the juice, until he saw Blacksmith exit from the secret room. Kieran was surprised, and asked Blacksmith if she reached the advanced ranks. Blacksmith responded very coldly, and exited from the Inn. As she was leaving, Blacksmith and Wu were having an argument in their messages. Kieran also decided to leave, and told Lawless that he was going to Starbeck’s for a meal.

Starbeck was finishing cooking, and was meticulously setting his table. Kieran arrived just as Starbeck finished plating the food, and Kieran walked in the lobby. When Kieran smelled the food, Gluttony started growing active in Kieran’s heart. Envy, Wrath, and Greed started complaining, but Gluttony threatened to kill all of them if they got in the way of the meal, causing all of them to go quiet. Kieran ate the meal ravenously, and Gluttony’s energy dispelled a little bit of the chaos and darkness in Kieran’s body. Kieran got a little depressed when he wondered if he would ever be able to eat a meal as good as this again, and Starbeck suggested that Kieran come back next week for another meal. Kieran gratefully accepted, and helped Starbeck clean up.

Starbeck went outside to tend to his garden, but Borl suddenly arrived and asked if he could talk to Kieran. Borl cautiously looked at all of the equipment equipped on Starbeck, and he felt a great sense of danger when he saw the pouch that contained Starbeck’s dog. Starbeck’s garden was still a part of his lobby despite being outside, so Borl couldn’t attack him, but Starbeck still felt nervous as he went inside to talk to Kieran. Starbeck told him that Borl was waiting outside, wanting to talk to him, and Kieran went outside.

Borl told Kieran that he knew he was here by asking around Harvest Inn, which didn’t surprise Kieran. Kieran then asked if Borl wanted to know about his Unique Title and the Guardians, which Kieran then said he was not going to talk about. Kieran then turned around and started walking back inside, when Borl tried reaching out to physically stop Kieran. One of Kieran’s swords flew out and rested against Borl’s neck, and Kieran threatened Borl, saying that they were not friends. Borl started getting angry, not at Kieran but at the Witch, and Borl told Kieran that he knew the Witch’s secret. Borl quickly said that he did not know if the secret is related to the Witch’s Legacy, but he does know that it is related to the Guardians. Kieran turned to face Borl, and he watched as Borl removed his right glove, revealing a red smiley face. Borl said that the smiley face used to be called the Witch’s Mark, but when Kieran told him that it’s called the Witch’s Gift now, Borl explained that if Kieran gets too strong, it will no longer be a gift.

Borl started explaining that he used to be very strong, but once he started nearing the Witch’s strength, the mark activated, and his powers were crippled. Ever since then, he has been failing dungeons, and is only alive because of life-saving items. Because of the use of these items, his strength had decreased even more, so that he is only as strong as a common veteran player, despite the fact that he still has to run Advanced level dungeons. Kieran asked for proof, and Borl said the proof would be in the Dome Clocktower. Kieran laughed and guessed that Borl just wanted Kieran’s help removing the mark; Borl was surprised when he realized Kieran didn’t want to remove his own mark. Kieran then turned around and walked back inside Starbeck’s lobby, ignoring Borl. once inside, Kieran sent Rachel a message, asking her to watch Borl, as they both agreed that he was hiding something.

Kieran and Starbeck then had dessert, before Kieran left with a doggy bag. Kieran returned to his lobby, and used the [Lucky Card II] before doing the item draw.

[Used Lucky Card II, your luck will increase slightly before the next dungeon…]

[Player chooses to continue item draw…]

[Detected Lucky Card II effect, draw authenticating…]

[Player acquired…] (Ch 1187)

A small, round piece of Jade appeared on Kieran’s hand. It was just a regular piece of jade, without any special characteristics. Kieran threw it in anger, and it landed next to the common rock that he received from the previous item draw. He was angry and heartbroken that even after using the [Lucky Card II], he still got something that was completely unusable, something that he couldn’t even sell. He calmed himself before using the [Reliable Repair Scroll].

[Using Reliable Repair Scroll on Extreme Night…]

[Repair starts…]

[Repair abnormality…]

[Extreme Night rarity is higher than Reliable Repair Scroll’s safety repair limit!]

[Attempt highest rank of repair?Yes/No] (Ch 1187)

[Extreme Night] started glowing, and when the glow dissipated, Kieran carefully unsheathed the sword. On the blade, Kieran could still see cracks, though the damage was significantly reduced, and the attributes leveled up;

[Name: Extreme Night (Damaged)]

[Type: Sword Type Weapon]

[Rarity: III]

[Attack: III]

[Attributes: 1. Night Veil; 2. Night Slash]

[Effect: Night Protection]

[Prerequisite: Eliminate Ye Jing]

[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]

[Remark: As the longsword that Ye Jing gained in an accident before following him on his long conquest, its power is undisputed, but it was damaged during the battle with you. Not only has its rarity gone down, but its power has also been weakened a lot as well. Although it is still usable, be careful when you wield it. Maybe you can find a master swordsmith to repair it.]

[Night Veil: Extreme Night transforms into a black moving light, blocking attacks that don’t surpass rank III; 30-second durations, two uses per day]

[Night Slash: Perform a black light slash with rank III attacks on a single target within a 150-meter radius; two uses per day]

[Night Protection: In the night/darkness, Night Veil’s duration increases by 15 seconds; Night Slash’s range increases by 50 meters.] (Ch 1188)

Kieran got excited to see how strong this sword would be once it is fully repaired, but he looked at his points to see he was completely broke. Kieran had to wait until Lawless’ auction finished before he could upgrade some skills, so in the meantime Kieran started upgrading his Attributes.

[Using Golden Attribute Points…]

[Spirit GGG- → GGG (Strong III)]

[Using Golden Attribute Points…]

[Spirit GGG → GGG+ (Strong III)]

[Using Golden Attribute Points…]

[Spirit GGG+ → P- (Pre IV)]

[Note: Player’s Spirit has reached current Character Model Template Limit. 2 Golden Skill Points and 2 Golden Attribute Points are required to level up further] (Ch 1188)

[Using 2 Golden Attribute Points, 2 Golden Skill Points…]

[Spirit P- → P (Pre IV)]

[Using 2 Golden Attribute Points, 2 Golden Skill Points…]

[Spirit P → P+ (Pre IV)]

[Using 2 Golden Attribute Points, 2 Golden Skill Points…]

[Spirit P+ → PP- (Pre IV)]

[Note: Player’s Spirit has reached the current Character Model Template Limit. 3 Golden Skill Point and 3 Golden Attribute Points are required to level up further] (Ch 1188)

Kieran didn't like this steep curve, and started calculating how many dungeon runs it would take for him to reach Strong IV. After thinking about it, Kieran decided to use the rest of his points to level up Spirit one more time.

[Using 3 Golden Attribute Point, 3 Golden Skill Point…]

[Spirit PP- → PP (New IV)] (Ch 1188)

He was satisfied with the result of reaching New IV, as he could see the chaos inside of him more clearly, and he realized that he could think faster. Kieran then got the points from the auction, and started upgrading a skill.

[Viper Kick, Grand Master to Transcendence, requires 120,000 Points, 5 Golden Skill Points. Yes/No?]

[Name: Viper Kick (Transcendence)]

[Related Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution]

[Skill Type: Offense]

[Effect: Your leg muscles and joints would be slightly altered, slightly increasing the attack range of your kicks.]

[Special Effect: Viper Hiss (Whenever you launch a kick, your muscles will produce snake hissing sounds. Targets struck will be forced to go through a Spirit authentication no lower than C+; fear will be induced when failed)]

[Transcendence Option: +1 on enemy Spirit authentication]

[Consume: Stamina]

[Prerequisite: Hand-to-Hand Combat, Kick Combat (Transcendence), Strength B, Agility B, Constitution B]

[Remark: A set of kicking techniques that are infamous for their bewitching movements, catching your target off guard!] (Ch 1188)

Kieran spent the next week quietly, before entering the next dungeon. (Ch 1189)