“Tsk... What a shame...”

Siegfried clicked his tongue as he steadied himself.

“Kyuuu? What do you mean by that, owner punk?” Hamchi asked.

“Ah, it would’ve been better if I had subdued him, but I accidentally ended up killing him instead,” Siegfried replied.

“Kyu?”

“I could’ve restrained him and locked him up in prison, you know.”

What Siegfried really wanted to do was to throw Lee Geon into the Aoji Prison and slap him with a long ban.

Something like ten thousand years, perhaps?

Unfortunately, he couldn’t subdue and capture Lee Geon.

Getting close to him was already a huge risk and was nearly impossible. In the end, Lee Geon had died after triggering a massive explosion, and there was really nothing Siegfried could have done about that.

Not to mention, Lee Geon was simply too powerful to be restrained. His stats were pumped up to crazy levels after his mana hall was overloaded with the energy he had absorbed using the Devouring Grand Art.

To make things worse for Siegfried, Lee Geon did not leave behind any items.

The explosion was so devastating that the entire underground city collapsed, making it impossible to retrieve anything, even if the items somehow managed to withstand the explosion.

Moreover, the collapse of the underground city meant that his plan to explore it went up in smoke. Sure, he could bring in the Proatine Empire’s Labor Vanguard and some engineers to conduct excavation works, but that was impossible right now.

He was in the Marchioni Empire’s territory, so any excavation would have to wait until the war was over.

‘I’ll subdue him next time,’ Siegfried swore inwardly.

He vowed to completely overpower Lee Geon in their third round, completely restraining him and slapping him with a permanent ban, banishing him forever from BNW.

“Let’s head back. I’m exhausted,” Siegfried said.

“Kyuuu! Let’s go!” Hamchi exclaimed in response.

“Yes, master,” Plague replied with a bow.

With that, Siegfried left behind the ancient ruins of the Illuminati and left the Jukai Jungle.

***

“Done!”

On that evening, Tae-Sung uploaded the video of his battle with Lee Geon onto G-Tube.

The rivalry between Tae-Sung and Lee Geon was already one of the hottest topics among gamers worldwide, so the full video of their battle would surely attract immense attention.

As Tae-Sung had expected, the results were immediate.

[Breaking News: Pro Gamer Han Tae-Sung Defeats Top Amateur Master Lee Geon!]

[Hot Issue: Lee Geon vs Han Tae-Sung! Who Won the Duel of the Century?]

[Breaking News: Han Tae-Sung Wins Dominant Victory Over Lee Geon!]

Within less than ten minutes of uploading the video, news articles of their battle hit the front page of every news website.

The views skyrocketed into the millions in the blink of an eye, and comments poured in so quickly that it was impossible to keep up with all of them. The likes on the video reached millions, while the dislikes didn't even reach a hundred.

While all gamers recognized Lee Geon’s gaming talents and skills, his negative image was so strong that he had little public support outside of his small circle of fanatics.

Thanks to that, Tae-Sung was now recognized as the undisputed number one BNW gamer in the world after the video of their battle went viral.

Up until now, people would match him up against Lee Geon, but those days were over.

Everyone had to acknowledge that Tae-Sung was the better one, as Lee Geon couldn’t even lift a finger against his long-range attacks and was beaten to death.

‘Kekeke! That bastard must be losing hair from stress right now!’

Just imagining how much agony the proud Lee Geon must be in made Tae-Sung extremely happy.

While he enjoyed being recognized as the world’s top BNW pro gamer, the feeling of crushing Lee Geon’s arrogant pride gave him far greater satisfaction.

‘Ah, if only I had his phone number. I’d call him a few times just to rub it in...’ Tae-Sung regretted not having a way to contact Lee Geon.

Bzzt! Bzzt! Bzzt!

His phone rang just then.

— Hello, Tae-Sung.

It was Daytona on the line.

Clearly, he had seen the video and had called because of it.

“Oh, hi, Daytona.”

— I watched the video. It was amazing.

“Thanks.”

— I feel a bit better now, all thanks to you.

Daytona had lost his beloved NPC wife, Amelia. Lee Geon and his lackeys murdered her, and Daytona was so traumatized by the ordeal that he hadn't been able to play the game since then.

He genuinely loved Amelia, so the pain of losing her was simply unbearable.

Though lately, it seemed that he was slowly recovering.

“This is only the beginning,” Tae-Sung replied. Then, he said, “I will have to fight him at least once more. I won’t allow someone like him to continue playing the game. And I won’t stop until he’s completely subdued.”

— I believe you. I know you can do it.

“I don’t know when you will return, but I’ll be waiting for you. Also, let’s meet up sometime soon if you’re feeling better.”

— Okay, Tae-Sung.

Tae-Sung felt relieved after hearing that Daytona’s heart had eased a bit.

Of course, he knew that his wounds would never fully heal. The woman he loved was only an NPC, but he sincerely loved her with all of his heart and soul.

Watching her burn to a crisp was far too unbearable for him.

This was the reason gamers were wary of being too emotionally attached to NPCs. In a virtual reality game, the sensations and feelings were so real that the sense of loss was no different from losing someone in reality.

‘Okay, at least he’s doing better,’ Tae-Sung thought. He stayed in front of his computer and replayed the video of his battle with Lee Geon.

From start to finish, he watched it slowly, carefully reviewing and analyzing the fight.

What mistakes had he made? What had he done right? What mistakes had Lee Geon made? What had he done better than Lee Geon?

Tae-Sung broke the fight down second by second and critiqued himself well into the night.

He did not bask in victory, nor did he relax.

He studied, evaluated, and prepared himself for their next battle.

He knew this was far from over, after all.

Even though he had won against Lee Geon in both the first and second rounds, the rivalry between them was far from over. Lee Geon would resurrect after the death penalty timer.

While waiting, he would without a doubt grit his teeth, review their battle, and prepare for their next battle. Knowing how resilient and stubborn he was, Lee Geon would definitely return stronger than ever before.

Thus, Tae-Sung, too, had to prepare for their next clash. Next time, he had to win decisively and subdue Lee Geon instead of killing him. In order to do that, he had to be stronger than ever before. Getting drunk on this victory and growing complacent was not an option, which was why Tae-Sung refused to take a break.

After hours of self-reflection, Tae-Sung finally picked up his phone and called Cheon Woo-Jin.

‘I’ll treat him to a meal this time,’ he thought.

If it hadn't been for Cheon Woo-Jin, then he would not have caught wind of what the Marchioni Empire was plotting. Thus, Tae-Sung wanted to finally buy Cheon Woo-Jin a proper meal as a token of gratitude for his help.

Well, he did feel a bit guilty about all the times he dined and dashed, and it was another reason he was going to treat him.

— The person you are calling is currently unavailable.

— Please leave a message after the beep.

— The person you are calling is currently unavailable.

— Please leave a message after the beep.

But for some reason, Cheon Woo-Jin was not picking up.

‘Is he currently in-game? I was finally in the mood to treat him, but he’s not picking up.’

Feeling a bit disappointed, Tae-Sung put the phone down.

‘Oh well, I guess I’ll treat him to a meal next time.’

It was not like today was his only chance.

He could treat Cheon Woo-Jin later once he got in touch with him.

***

The winds of change were sweeping through the continent while Siegfried crushed Lee Geon and cemented himself as the undisputed top BNW gamer in the world.

The biggest change was in the growth of the Adventurers themselves.

Thanks to the appearance of the Ancient Dungeons scattered across the continent, high-level Adventurers were now experiencing explosive growth.

In the early days when the Ancient Dungeons first emerged, countless raid parties were wiped out without mercy.

However, those days were long gone.

The Adventurers gathered data on the Ancient Dungeons, allowing them to compile guides for each of them. In addition, most Adventurers were now equipped with Transcendent-rated and Relic-rated items.

The average level of Adventurers had also gone way up compared to before. Thus, the Ancient Dungeons were no longer seen as insurmountable content.

Of course, a few Ancient Dungeons boasting an ultra-high difficulty level remained unconquered, but the situation had definitely improved significantly compared to the early days.

Most importantly, those stuck behind the insurmountable wall that stood at Level 299 had begun to surpass it with ease.

[Elixir of Transcendence]

[A mysterious potion that allows one to surpass their limits.]

[Drinking this potion allows the user to level up without having to break through the wall.]

[Type: Potion]

[Rating: Legendary]

[Effects]

- Allows the user experience points to be gained at Level 299

- Allows the user to level up past Level 299

[Note: For medicine, go to the pharmacist.]

Thanks to the Elixir of Transcendence distributed by the Marchioni Empire, the average level among Adventurers skyrocketed.

Most Adventurers considered the wall to be an extremely unfair system. Unless one was blessed with sheer divine luck or extraordinary circumstances, it was literally a wall that couldn’t be overcome.

Thus, for the overwhelming majority of high-level Adventurers, it was understandable why they would do everything in their power to get their hands on an Elixir of Transcendence.

For those whose growth had halted at Level 299, the Elixir of Transcendence was like rain in a drought, a lifeline cast down from the heavens.

As a result, the average level of high-level Adventurers was now beyond Level 400.

The second elixir that would allow one to surpass the next wall and enter into the realm of Grandmasters was still unavailable, but Adventurers who managed to step into the realm of Masters were now everywhere.

Thanks to this, the Ancient Dungeons within the Marchioni Empire began to be cleared at a rapid pace.

And with that, Emperor Stuttgart could finally catch his breath. Though the uprisings and the plagues still ravaged many regions, the situation was far more manageable than it had been before.

***

“...Due to that, we foresee the Ancient Dungeons will no longer be a threat to our empire.”

“I see. You are dismissed.”

After receiving the report from his vassal, Emperor Stuttgart made his way to the bath.

There, he washed his face.

Splash!

The emperor put his hands underneath the faucet and splashed a handful of water on his face. Then, he scrubbed his face with great force. Afterward, he took the finest soap the continent had to offer and foamed it up in excess.

He continued washing, washing, and washing. For nearly an hour, Emperor Stuttgart rubbed his face, rinsed it with water, lathered it with soap, and scrubbed it once more.

The cycle of washing was repeated endlessly.

“...”

The maids attending him stiffened with nervous unease.

As of late, the emperor had been compulsively washing his face almost every chance he got.

“Bring me a towel.”

“Yes, Your Imperial Majesty.”

At last, Emperor Stuttgart took the towel offered by a maid and wiped down his face.

Then, he looked into the mirror.

His flawless, fair complexion was now flushed bright red.

The endless scrubbing had irritated his skin until it had gone red.

“...The stench won’t go away,” Emperor Stuttgart muttered under his breath while staring at his reflection.

“Perfume. Bring me perfume.”

“Yes, Your Imperial Majesty.”

He sprayed the finest perfume the continent had to offer on his face again and again.

Any normal person would have felt their nose sting and feel nauseous from the overwhelming smell, but the emperor paid no mind.

It was as though he intended to wash himself with perfume this time.

The more he did so, the more his face twisted into something that resembled a monster.

Though he still looked calm and composed just as he always did, his eyes shimmered with a chilling, murderous light.

The reason was simple.

“This stench... It won’t go away. I can still smell this repulsive stench...”

It all began with the gift from Siegfried von Proa.

The rotten squid inside the box slapped Emperor Stuttgart across the face, and that was the moment that the emperor developed this compulsive disorder.

Who would have imagined that the supreme ruler of the world, a figure of absolute dignity, would be struck in the face by a rotten squid of all things?

Ever since then, the stench had lodged itself in his memory, haunting him with no end.

No matter how many times he washed his face, he could still smell that rotting stench.

While the stench had already disappeared from the excessive washing, it had become a trauma that etched itself into the emperor’s mind.

“Just wait a while, Siegfried von Proa...” The emperor’s voice turned cold and sinister as he whispered to himself. “I will not forgive you for this insolence. I will destroy everything you hold dear and watch you suffer for all eternity. That is the price you will pay for inflicting this torment upon me...”

The rage boiling inside the emperor couldn’t be put into words.

“Once that is complete, I will reduce your nation to ashes, Siegfried von Proa. Enjoy things while you can.”

After muttering to himself for a while, Emperor Stuttgart finally calmed down.

Right now, the only thing on his mind was the thought of invading the Proatine Empire and razing it to the ground.

***

The next day, Siegfried logged in early that morning and met with Cheon Woo-Jin.

“Huh? What brings you here at this hour?” Siegfried asked, tilting his head at the sight of him.

Cheon Woo-Jin had come looking for him in the game.

“Why? You don’t want me to pay you a visit?” Cheon Woo-Jin grumbled in response.

Siegfried pouted and replied, “It’s not that. You didn’t even pick up my calls yesterday.”

“I was busy,” Cheon Woo-Jin said with a shrug. Then, he flashed a sly grin and added, “And I’ll be busy for the foreseeable future.”

“Huh? Why?”

“I’ll be gone for a while.”

“Gone? Where are you going?”

“I found the ruins of the Ancient Corals.”

“...!”

“It looks like it will turn into a long-term project. I’ll probably be away for at least a month or two.”