Team Leader Kim Taeseok came to CEO Lee Sejin’s office.

“What? Once again, a story breaks out again?”

Sejin was shocked.

In the VR game Ares, there exists a “new story” system.

This new story is an exclusive domain for users who clear things better than others.

And sometimes, it also becomes a reward that triggers because the clear rate is high.

And this new story is divided by grade.

A typical new story of grade 7.

Grade 6 was a story for you and once again, a story.

This once again, a story is usually the triggering of a Linked Quest, but it also contains more special subtleties.

“So the grade can keep rising.”

Once again, a story can rise in grade additionally.

It means a grade 6 one can rise in steps into grade 5, grade 4, grade 3.

“A quest linked to the demon Graut.......”

Because it was Demon Graut, Lee Sejin could not know how far it could rise.

“If once again, a story triggers and rises one grade, story rate will begin to apply.”

“That’s right.”

Story rate would be gained each time the grade rises, each time once again, a story begins.

And like stages, it rises each time you clear it.

And if you accomplish it with astonishing results, with wondrous deeds, it rises absurdly, and when you reach the end and complete everything, it is consolidated and delivers rewards.

“If once again, a story breaks out again, can it even be cleared?”

Lee Sejin threw the question to himself.

Within the bounds of his common sense, it was hard to judge. Because it was a quest linked to Demon Graut.

“I don’t know either.”

Taeseok was the same.

Then Sejin formed an interested smile.

“If he clears it, what will he obtain?”

When you see the end of the story, what reward will be delivered?

All of it would depend on what User Hyunsoo accomplishes.

*****

Graut smiled.

A mere human blacksmith’s arrow.

To Graut, who toys with humans like bugs, it was laughable.

A demon.

Among the Demon Tribe, a combat race, they are nobles who rule over the Demon Tribe, having risen to the highest ranks.

Graut belongs to the lowest ranks among those demons.

But even so, he was strong.

The true body of Graut, who exerts complete power, possesses strength in the level 700 range.

It is a bizarre level range that has never once appeared in Ares.

Of course, the Ares game thoroughly maintains balance.

The level 700 true body of Graut cannot descend recklessly.

To descend like that, enormous risk follows even for himself.

So Graut manifested by borrowing the power of a fragment.

In fragment state, Graut could not even exert 50% of his usual power.

Even so, he had power above level 400.

That is why a single arrow shot by a mere bug is nothing but laughable to Graut.

At that moment.

Graut’s senses felt a gigantic power.

“......?”

Piiiiiiing-!

It was a movement fast to a bizarre degree.

Graut instinctively formed a pentagonal shield.

In that instant.

An arrow flying at the speed of light collided with the shield.

KWA-RRRRRK-!

Most things called shields have their durability determined by the user’s total defense.

Demon Graut’s defense was in a range humans could not even imagine.

Even if he had been weakened by more than ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) 50%, all the same.

However.

KWAJAAAK-

The arrow that pierced the shield lodged in Graut’s chest.

[You have taken 61,313 damage.]

Graut’s body was pushed back.

“Keuhaaaak!”

Graut, flying about 15 m, was flustered.

‘Th-this is......?’

Soon, Graut realized it.

Clearly, the arrow’s power was more than enough to pierce him.

But it was lodged in his chest.

With a foreboding expression, he looked down at the arrow, and it was heating red.

The genius blacksmith prepared for contingencies.

Even while forging a single arrow, he judged he might not even be able to break a fragment.

So he put in one power.

That probabilistic, activating power reveals its wit in this moment, like his will.

[Four arrows.]

It drives in the damage you took four additional times consecutively.

Once.

“Keuhaaaaaaak!”

[You have taken 53,313 damage.]

Twice.

“Keoheuk!”

[You have taken 54,075 damage.]

Three times.

“Kyahaak!”

[You have taken 44,317 damage.]

Four times.

“Keuuup!”

[You have taken 57,976 damage.]

[Graut’s HP falls below 40%.]

[You took drastic damage at once.]

[Status ailment Fainting is activated.]

[You are stunned for 2 seconds.]

Graut’s current HP amount is not even half of usual.

That less-than-half total amount was filled to 100% on the HP bar, and this single arrow shaved off about 60%.

Graut felt such pain for the first time in hundreds of years.

He even fainted briefly in midair from pain that was far too intense.

When he came to his senses, his noble face twisted.

“I’ll kill youuuuuuaaaak!”

A mere bug.

Graut intended to repay, by all means, the humiliation inflicted by that bug.

At that moment.

Oso-so-

Graut, who was about to fly to the Sage’s Tower, felt a chill from behind.

Graut turned his head and was shocked. Because Hyunsoo was standing as if he were stepping on the sky as the ground.

*****

(The one who made the most powerful single shot)

Unique title

Grade: A

Special ability:

·If you create, once again, an attack that surpasses the existing most powerful single attack, 2x damage is applied.

The arrow Hyunsoo shot just now is one blow of damage that can be counted among the top in Ares.

The level ranges of top high-rankers are between 360 and 370.

Even world ranking 1st is known to be in the level 400 range.

Hyunsoo is confident.

If the one this arrow hit had been a level 360–370 high-ranker, depending on the class, it would have forced logout, or shaved off over 90% of HP.

“......If you do that, it seems like it will be fine.”

And right after shooting, Hyunsoo talked with Arte.

After finishing the conversation, Hyunsoo stepped on the window frame.

At that moment. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

[You inflicted immense damage to Blood Demon Graut.]

Hyunsoo was surprised. Because he couldn’t understand.

‘I already accepted the quest, so why again......?’

[Once again, a story begins.]

“......!?”

It was a notification he had already heard before receiving Linked Quest: Cage from Arte.

Generally, the beginning of a new story notification lies in increased difficulty along with maximization of rewards.

‘Could a notification like this be heard twice in a row......?’

To begin with, once again, a story was something he was receiving for the first time, and there could be hidden systems he didn’t know.

Ding!

[Linked Quest: Blood Demon Graut’s Fragment]

Grade: S

Restriction: One who triggered a new episode

Reward: Gain story rate 25%, experience and drop rate X2

Penalty on failure: Arte’s death.

Description: The single arrow you shot provoked Blood Demon Graut. Execute Blood Demon Graut’s fragment.

The quest content had something called story rate.

And he could understand the advantage of this once again, a story.

‘2x experience gained and 2x drop rate......?’

Even if it was a fragment, it was boss-class. And it had an enormous level of 400.

The 2x experience application rate of such a named boss-class was unimaginable.

‘Up to now, I’ve defeated many named ones.’

But a fragment’s level was far higher than those, and it meant it gives that much experience.

How much the experience gained would rise with the 2x reward couldn’t even be imagined.

“I’m going.”

Calamity Leap.

Hyunsoo moved behind him in an instant.

Graut, who discovered him, was shocked.

‘This man is a blacksmith?’

The blacksmith bugs Graut knew were ones who make artifacts inside a forge.

Existences living a life lower than soldiers or knights.

Graut felt it was strange.

He had once fought some legend hundreds of years ago.

For an instant, he felt that legend’s fighting spirit from the man.

‘But.......’

Graut’s gaze turned cold. Because of that one great arrow, he failed to see the essence.

The body he looked into was paltry compared to that legend.

And even among the humans he had seen, it was the most lowly and miserable.

Graut smiled.

“To be arrogant just because you pushed me once.”

Graut and Hyunsoo moved.

Graut’s arm, sharp like a blade, and Hyunsoo’s sword collided without rest.

KKARARARANG-!

Hyunsoo marveled. Because Graut’s speed overwhelmingly outclassed him.

And it was a movement that felt irrational to even call skill.

‘He didn’t learn martial arts, and he didn’t learn how to fight.’

Innate.

They received blessed genes from birth.

Hyunsoo’s face twisted sharply as he allowed an attack.

Sgagaaak-

[HP falls below 90%.]

[HP falls below 84%.]

[HP falls below 81%.]

It was damage stronger than any enemy he had met until now.

“Do you know this?”

Graut sneered.

“That this is not the source of my power.”

Blood that flowed from Hyunsoo’s body, slashed all over, formed droplets.

Droplets floating around Hyunsoo soon changed into sharp spikes.

And.

Pupupupupupupupuk-

[HP falls below 75%.]

[HP falls below 71%.]

[HP falls below 54%.]

Hyunsoo’s HP fell exponentially. Blood Demon Graut was, literally, a demon that uses blood as its main weapon.

Combat technique itself was nothing but support.

Hyunsoo urgently activates it. Sword King’s subtlety, the sword of Raging Surge that inflicts additional damage if you attack a vital point.

In that moment.

Hwaaaak-

[It is nullified.]

“......!?”

Hyunsoo was flustered.

With a single gesture, all of his things are blocked.

“Blood Explosion.”

KWA-AAANG-

The blood Hyunsoo spilled exploded under him, dropping HP below 20% in an instant.

“Keuhp!”

Graut imagined something fun.

“I will place a curse on you, and take you to my demon castle.”

Graut’s eyes gleamed.

“You will have to make masterpieces like the arrow you made, for me and my army, for the rest of your life.”

NPC freedom is absurd. Users cannot undo their bondage, and Pureum Co., Ltd. cannot interfere.

Just as it does not interfere in a user’s greatness, it cannot interfere in a user’s fall, either.

“I will cage you too, and look at you.”

[HP falls below 12%.]

“This is all you had! Huh!? Kahahahaha!”

Graut felt like he would go mad with joy. The fact that he gained another toy like this thrilled him.

Then Hyunsoo’s expression changed.

“You think this is all?”

He could see Arte inside the Sage’s Tower, behind him.

Sage Arte.

They were not a strong person.

But they had the power of temporary skill creation.

Before flying to Graut, Hyunsoo had said.

‘Arte, let’s return it. The pain you received.’

The power Arte temporarily created.

“Graaauuuut!!!!”

[Heartbreak Sword Strike]

[It dwells in one designated man, and dramatically pulls up the level of one skill he possesses by 3.]

[It is a mass of rage and resentment. Pain increases 7x, paralyzing the enemy’s reason.]

Graut’s eyes trembled. The man who had been endlessly weak until now changed and rampaged.

[Rampaging Sword.]

[By a 10% probability, the sword’s basic attack power increases by 401%.]

[It lasts for 15 seconds.]

And it dwells within it.

A collaboration of Sage Arte and Master Blacksmith Hyun.

[Heartbreak Sword Strike is applied to Ghost Steps.]

[Ghost Steps’ level increases by 3.]

[Ghost Steps’ damage increases by 180% per strike and is upgraded to 3 seconds.]

[One attack causes 7x pain.]

Hyunsoo was truly furious.

“Arte probably suffered more.”

Of course, Arte and Hyunsoo were only a small connection, not having met long ago.

But that holds the power called empathy.

No one can even imagine the pain of being locked in a small room for 300 years.

My family, my lover, my home, the world. Having lost all of that, Arte had screamed endlessly within it.

“You, too, suffer.”

Hyunsoo walks the road Arte paved.

“Ghost Steps.”

Now it was Graut’s turn to scream.