Human beings feel self-reproach when they realize that no matter how desperately they struggle, they still cannot grow.

That was exactly what Atlas was like right now.

There were several conditions necessary for a rise in military power.

First, it had to possess multiple great high-level hunting grounds.

Second, it had to trade endlessly with multiple territories or kingdoms.

Third, it had to wage war or engage in plunder against other kingdoms, and so on.

There were countless such conditions.

But Atlas had none of them.

After the Battle of Goyard, the other territories showed an average growth rate in the 4% range.

Those were the statistics Hyunsoo knew.

Financial growth rate: 3%.

Military growth rate: 4%.

Territorial expansion: 4%, and so on.

It was a representative example of how, as the users grew, the NPCs grew as well.

By comparison, how was Atlas doing overall?

Financial growth rate: -9%.

Military growth rate: 4.7%.

Territorial expansion: -3%.

Overall, it could not even stay above 1%.

This is the worst.

The reason the financial growth rate was low was that no place was currently willing to trade with Atlas.

Atlas’s core strength lay in weapons and equipment superior to anywhere else.

The problem was that Atlas’s arms trade was failing to happen, as if it were being ostracized.

The biggest reason for that has to be Emperor Bolond of the Parion Empire.

After the Battle of Goyard, Emperor Bolond had been using all sorts of methods to isolate Atlas.

The nations within the Asgan Continent.

And the nations across the sea, throughout the world as well, could not help but watch Bolond, one of the figures leading the current era.

Of course, there were Ben and Brad.

But I don’t want to reach out to those two.

Atlas had declared itself an independent territory.

No matter how close they were as friends, if it kept receiving ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) help from someone else, it could never become a true kingdom.

And the military growth rate was low for the same reason.

In truth, under normal circumstances, it should have recorded -10%.

But outstanding retainers had been growing stronger through grueling training.

The problem was that although the soldiers and knights were increasing their stats, raising their skill levels, and improving in ability, their level growth had stagnated.

As for territorial expansion, that was proportional to population, so it was also true that Atlas had failed to expand compared to the number of new blacksmiths it had recruited.

It was all linked together with the financial growth rate.

If there was no money, how was it supposed to expand?

At that moment, mob duplication had become, just as Nell said, dragon wings.

Was his name Eom Seokjin?

A true expert worthy of the title!

At the time he made that broadcast, Atlas had ranked 64th among the great territories, and by now even that had slipped to 66th.

But not anymore from today onward.

[You have hunted a total of 121,003 monsters.]

[You have set a new record.]

[This fact will be delivered to the previous record-holder, Bahala.]

[You obtain 1,200,000 Honor Points.]

[Atlas’s rank among the great territories is updated.]

[Atlas’s rank among the great territories rises to 14th.]

[A marvelous achievement.]

[Experience is doubled additionally.]

[Atlas’s military power increases by 18%.]

[Ordinary territories will not even dare to face Atlas’s ordinary soldiers and knights.]

The reason it had been able to rise by such a huge margin was thanks to the repeatedly updated “new stories.”

“We’ve recovered all the spoils.”

Luxiu had promised Hyunsoo.

He had said he would cut down ten thousand monsters and offer up the supplies gained from them.

And yet Luxiu’s kill count had reached sixteen thousand.

Even more staggering than that were the spoils.

[Financial growth rate is 17%.]

Hyunsoo wondered just how much he had gained to record such an absurd number.

And in the end, the financial growth rate was deeply tied to territorial expansion as well.

[You obtain 1,030,041 gold.]

That was an enormous sum, equivalent to 1 billion won in cash.

How many boss monsters did we hunt?

Hunting boss monsters was never easy.

It was said that users, on average, hunted only one per two months.

Of course, the level of the boss monsters here was not especially high, but even so, it was still astounding.

At the very least, they must have hunted around a hundred boss monsters.

[You obtain 1 legendary artifact.]

[You obtain 34 Unique artifacts.]

[You obtain 641 Epic artifacts......]

“Ghk.......”

And the miscellaneous loot was worth no small amount either.

“Most users make their living off gold and miscellaneous drops.”

Just going out hunting and getting an artifact drop of Normal grade or above was considered a good result for ordinary users.

Using the miscellaneous loot and the excellent artifacts as a basis, Nell tapped away at a calculator.

“The total comes to 2.2 billion wo.......”

[A marvelous achievement.]

[Dropped gold is doubled additionally.]

“Huh? Is the money duplicating itself?”

“Huh? Really?”

“Huh? Huh? Huh?”

“???”

“The total is 4.4 billion won.”

Hyunsoo could truly feel what it meant to have dragon wings.

But once again, Nell tapped at the calculator and then spoke.

“If we spend it here and there, there won’t be anything left. But if we invest the entire budget, I think we can pin ourselves at around 10th place.”

It was like an office worker’s bank account.

You had it, and then you didn’t?

We have to spend it all, but it’s not a waste.

Because he believed it would come back as taxes.

Taxes were great.

If users or NPCs so much as ate a meal in Atlas, that meant taxes.

If they bought weapons, equipment, or potions, that meant taxes.

Or when they completed quests, taxes could be collected depending on the case.

So in that sense, this was an excellent investment.

And then there were the NPCs and the guild members.

Their own growth had also been dazzling.

Hyunsoo alone had cut down fifteen thousand monsters, gaining three levels and climbing into the 440s.

The guild members’ average levels had also risen.

And the most dazzling growth of all had been accomplished by one woman.

[Bella is approaching a new legend.]

It was a shocking notification.

But Hyunsoo, Nell, and the guild members all exchanged glances.

Since they knew she was approaching legend, was the right response to congratulate her and say, “Work even harder!”?

He did not think so.

Bella has approached it. She has not become a legend.

And it was also true that she was still weaker than Bon or Luxiu.

Of course, the moment she became a legend, she would surpass both Bon and Luxiu.

The reason she was the first to approach a new legend, despite not yet being stronger than them, was the difference in talent.

Compared to Luxiu or Bon, she had been born with far greater talent.

That was the truth.

Bella was only around twenty-one years old now.

That meant that compared to Bon and Luxiu, who had lived for a very long time, the amount of time she had lived was short.

Which means she could become arrogant that much faster.

So Hyunsoo looked at her, flushed with excitement.

Under the effect of Awaken, she had temporarily approached legend and cut down a truly enormous number of monsters.

...This is honestly a little shocking.

The number she had cut down by herself reached seven thousand.

And so she had gained three levels.

That’s insane......

No wonder a notice had suddenly appeared saying she was approaching legend.

And she knew that cutting down many monsters was for the sake of her lord, who had collapsed from exhaustion.

So she had cut with everything she had, and because she thought she had proven the result, she was visibly elated.

But—

“You still need more discipline, Bella. If this had been a prolonged battle, you would have been the first to tire.”

“......”

Bella looked deeply shocked.

And Luxiu, Bon, and the guild members all remained silent.

Because they understood very well why Hyunsoo had said that.

And Bella felt it.

...Am I still this lacking? Well, of course I am. Compared to Sir Bon and Sir Luxiu, I’m endlessly weak.

To begin with, a “genius” was a monster that grew by feeding on self-reproach.

Those present did not know, on that day, that Hyunsoo’s words would raise her into an overwhelming legend, and that they would have a great influence on the legendary epithet she would one day bear.

*****

“See you all again soon.”

“You have to come back with the real Four Tiger Sword, Hyunsoo!”

Floor 8 emptied out.

Hyunsoo left, saying he was going to sleep, and the people of Atlas knew they could not leave their territory unattended for too long.

But there was also someone who did not leave.

“......”

Once everyone else had vanished, the King of Stories remained standing there.

And in this place, Kkoko had also stayed behind.

[Kkoko says to go back.]

“Now that I think about it, Kkoko isn’t a bad name at all.”

“Kkie?”

Kkoko knew this was the moment of parting.

And this was also a gift of sorts that the King of Stories was passing on to Hyun.

“Kkieee......”

Watching Kkoko make a sorrowful face, he gave a small smile.

“He will protect our sea. I trust you understand what that means.”

Through Kkoko, that meant he was asking for Hyun to be guided to the Island of Stories, so that he could become the General.

And before returning once more to the Island of Stories, there was one scene that came to his mind.

“......”

He had wanted to return carrying that one scene with him today.

That was Full Bloom, the blacksmith, and the people who had protected him.

With that, the branch heads also began preparing to leave work one by one.

-Atlas has risen all at once to 10th place among the great territories.

-The world is going to go wild over this.

-Has there ever been another territory that achieved such explosive growth at this speed?

Because Atlas had grown stronger, they were full of anticipation.

And also—

-Will the Atlas army join the war between the Ares Church and the Calamity Church as well?

There was anticipation about that too.

Holding all kinds of expectations in their hearts, the video calls began ending one by one like that.

And just as the King of Stories had returned alone—

there was one man watching the videoconference room after it had become completely empty.

His name was Lee Sejin.

In truth, while others contacted the people they loved, Lee Sejin had merely contacted the cleaning staff.

Unlike the other branch heads, he was single.

The reason he had been able to possess the splendor of a genius scientist was because he was used to loneliness and knew how to be alone.

That was what let him immerse himself even more deeply in his work, and it was what let him remain in this position all the more firmly.

...I’m tired.

Of course, he too needed to go home and sleep.

But right now, he had not left because something had happened that he could not understand.

That fact had been relayed to him by the supercomputer Ares.

The reason he had not bothered informing the branch heads of this was because he believed he ought to bear more than they did.

Well, I’m the representative, so it can’t be helped.

He spoke to the supercomputer Ares.

“What exactly does it mean that the Nameless King has undergone an emotional shift?”

The Nameless King.

It was, literally, the Nameless King, but if interpreted another way, it could be called “the king whose name is hidden.”

In Floor 8, he did not reveal his existence, and he was actually a being that appeared on Floor 14.

And Lee Sejin had believed that users would not reach Floor 14 for at least another half a year.

Even so, the reason the Nameless King had been inserted into Floor 8 was merely to provide users with a hint that “he” existed.

-The Nameless King is showing interest in User Hyunsoo.

“......The Nameless King is showing interest in a mere user?”

Lee Sejin, who knew the Nameless King’s true identity, was flustered.

At present, the Nameless King was like an empty doll.

It was not that he could not think at all, but compared to an ordinary person, he was deficient, and he had lost most of the emotions he had once possessed.

That sort of being was reacting to someone?

And the things that changed because of it—

[The Nameless King ascends to Floor 9.]

[Floor 9 is obstacle avoidance.]

[All obstacles are destroyed by the Nameless King.]

Ares could not be predicted.

That was why it was more entertaining, because it was like a real world.

Even Sejin, who emphasized that more than anyone, found this development bewildering.

[The trial of Floor 9 changes to the Nameless King.]

At that continued development, Sejin thought it over.

Just what could the Nameless King possibly be interested in......?

Then it struck him.

“Don’t tell me... Full Bloom? Does he want to steal Full Bloom?”

After all, Full Bloom was something anyone would covet.

Lee Sejin thought the coming Floor 9 would be extremely dangerous for Hyunsoo.

But as always, he could not intervene.

This was part of the current called fate.

***/**

Lee Sejin’s thoughts were completely wrong.

The Nameless King stood there in Floor 9, motionless, waiting for him to appear again.

It was true that he had begun taking an interest in User Hyunsoo after seeing Full Bloom.

However, Lee Sejin’s assumption had gone much too far.

He had no desire to steal Full Bloom.

Nor did he wish to kill him.

The Nameless King recalled that the man’s profession was blacksmith.

And then a fragment of memory brushed past him.

“A gift? I want to have a good sword, so I can become a cool swordsman like my father!”

That was right.

The Nameless King merely had something he wanted to commission from him.