Chapter 21: Change (2)


    One by one, the <Number One> guild members copsed by my fist. Like a leaf that couldnt hold a single drop of water falling by the autumn wind.


    Five people who ran at me at the same time had to get knocked out first, before it made their guildmates stop for a second.


    I checked their bewildered expressions and looked around. The people who followed me from the city also had surprised looks on their faces.


    Who the hell are you! Which guild are you from, Huh?!


    One of their guild members pointed his finger at me with a loud nervous voice. But it seemed that he wasnt thinking of approaching me.


    Guild? What guild? I only wanted to go on the hunting ground, thats all.


    I said with as much sarcasm I could possibly express.


    Three months in the world of <Circuit> wasn''t enough time to change the person named Lee Ki-Ho, but it was enough time to change the personality of Lee Ki-Ho inside the world of <Circuit>, also known as Mose.


    It must be the result of my mind trying to adapt to the disparity between reality and virtual reality.


    After that ridiculous training, Mose realized the limits of his own strength, and nevertheless realized that he was more powerful than most of the yers out there.


    Moreover, there was no particr reason for him to feel any reluctance to hide that power from others. He would rather prefer to show his power which he umted through torturous training in any chance he gets without hesitation.


    The strength he possesses at this time is directly proportional to the amount of arrogance he also possesses, which he rightfully deserves. This is the state of mind Mose is in right now.


    What?!


    Im telling you, that I just wanted to get to the hunting ground but you guys got in my way.


    I answered the man who seemed upset with my shoulders shrugged.


    Hey, what do we do? Should we just let him in?


    However, the high tempered man quickly calmed down and started to carefully scan for my reaction. He then started whispering with his guild members who were sweating from nervousness.


    He seemed like a pretty quick-witted yer. He recognized how strong I am after watching me knock out his guildmates armed with magic rank items with my bare hands.


    He realized that they are not going to beat me with what they have right now.


    However, whether he was quick-witted or not was none of my concern.


    It is such an easy situation to find in reality that a minority with power takes profits without having any regards for the inconvenience of the majority, and the majority always end up dissatisfied with such unfairness.


    However, it takes a long time for the majority to express their dissatisfaction, so long that it could make one mathematically question the possibility.


    The reason for that was simple.


    Because the majority has less power than the minority.


    But this time, its different.


    I, who was included in the powerless majority suffering through the tyranny of the minority,


    Came across a chance to obtain a huge power in this world of <Circuit>.


    So it didnt matter to me if those assholes were quick-witted or not, because I was determined to use this power on them no matter what.


    I guess Im going in then?


    I needed to put away my manners I showed them in the beginning. The moment they started attacking and swearing at me, they were nothing more than my enemies.


    Besides, the crowd watching from behind me startedughing one by one or chanting for me by shouting loudly.


    How dare you act as if you own the ce!


    We should just call the Asparagan guards, huh?!


    I have to fish at the Bellinco coast to pay for my living, yknow!


    Shouts came from the crowd behind me from left and right. People started to gather courage since they had me as their trusty shield to protect them.


    Intimidated by the momentum of the crowd, the man took a few steps back, and started to discuss with his guildmates around him with a serious face.


    I paid no attention to that and proceeded to walk towards the Bellinco hunting ground.


    The <Number One> guild members finally started to run away as they saw me walk towards the hunting ground.


    Soon, the countless crowd of people who followed after me were finally able to step into the Bellinco hunting ground.


    As I went along the outskirts of the Belinco hunting grounds, which is the coast, dozens of heavily armed <Number One> guild members were blocking my way.


    Hah! Yikes, people. You do realize that this is outright business obstruction, right?


    A man equipped with a greatsword, which I could realize was an expensive magic rank item at first sight, stepped up front.


    Do you know who I am? I am the caporegime of the <Number One> guild, SukSa! You mustve heard about me. If you keep obstructing our business then Im not just gonna stand here, do you understand me?!


    The yer, who introduced himself as a SukSa with a coercive attitude, raised his weapon and began to point out the crowd, one by one, including myself.


    SukSa? That guy is a ranker!


    Oh my god, theres a ranker here?!


    The murmurs of the crowd began to grow louder and louder. This is also my first time seeing a ranker besides Silborun.


    Rankers were one of the hottest topics to talk about in the onlinemunity of Circuit for thest three months.


    Ranker, a word created by other yers, on the continent of Asparagan where yers adventures begin, is actually a word that can be easily found in other online games.


    However!


    The concept of a ranker had insufficient evidence to be epted by the general people. It was only a name bestowed to the famous yers within the onlinemunities.


    But the rankers now were clearly different from the rankers back then.


    It goes without saying that there is a limit to determining the strength of yers with a certain uniform criterion and system in the virtual reality game <Circuit>, which offers extreme degrees of freedom.


    Im saying that its a discrepancy by itself for a virtual reality game to determine strength with pure numbers.


    However, as many yers began to put their focus on evaluating each other''s strengths, the concept of rankers which slightly differs from the general game emerged.


    The concept of ranker created by the yers of <Circuit> was created in coboration with the information guild, which is known to have its roots in various ces other than the Asparagan continent.


    The people from the information guild would record notable yers course of adventures, equipment, or even appealing their strength through a duel.


    Like so, the information shared by the information guild would soon start to be the leaderboard of rankers and many users started to put their names on it.


    Whats worse is that there are more NPCs in the top leaderboard than the actual yers ever since the NPCs who walked the roads of martial arts decided to participate in this battle for the ranking.


    And if one was to be a ranker, the information guild would provide a badge ted with bronze, silver, or gold. The difference between each color of badges was around 3000 ranks.


    Due to the number of yers and NPCs, there are already 310,000 people who have registered their names on the information guild to be a ranker, and the difference in badge color gave a huge difference in rank.


    And that man named SukSa,


    He had a badge ted with bronze on his chest.


    The badge was the fastest and most reliable way to appeal your strength through letting others know that you are a ranker


    And the crowd who were very well aware of the meaning of the badge, were sure that the skill of the man named SukSa was guaranteed to be proficient, and had mixed expressions of fear and surprise.


    Considering that <Circuit> currently has 140 million concurrent users and 550 million yers signed up, it was obvious that there was no one who was unaware of the value of this badge, which only 9,000 people can possess.


    However, this ranking system had huge deficient loopholes.


    As mentioned earlier, the rankings werent determined and processed by a system with an absolute standard. It is simply a leaderboard of a very small number of yers created in coboration with the information guild. Not to mention that only 310,000 people out of over 550 million registered their names on the information guild to be a ranker. It was best to consider the ranking system of <Circuit> iplete.


    Still, the future of the ranking system of <Circuit> was pretty bright because there was information circting within the onlinemunity that some countries or continents wouldmission a national scale quest to some people on the ranking.


    As SukSa looked around to see the heat of the crowd wither away by his badge, he approached me with an arrogant attitude all the way to the front of my face.


    Buddy, do you have any clue how many rankers we have in our guild? We have 7 rankers, seven! We even have the power of the major corporation backing us up, aight? Now if you will excuse us, we have to get the minimum production value required. So either you get the hell out of my sight, or I call the guards and settle it byw.


    He acted very confidently.


    He was very proud of the fact that arge corporation, which jumped into the market of virtual reality that offered a limitless possibility, worked with the guild he belonged to and supported their back.


    However, this hunting ground was supposed to be open for everyone equally, and there were many yers and NPCs who made a living off of this ce, therefore it should not be possible for a minority to upy this ce only for themselves.


    I had this obvious reason to back up and justify my actions so there was no way I was going to back down from his arrogant attitude.


    InSu oppa!


    In the midst of such a tense confrontation, a intive cry of a woman came from SukSas group.


    The men on both sides of her were pressing her shoulders down, as she barely pulled her head out and opened her mouths with tears in her eyes.


    What the The spell wore off?


    Cast it again!


    I shall whisper by the serene lips of Spesus, Silence!


    They exchanged some short and quick words between them, followed by a resonant voice of somebody bursting out.


    M, Mmph! Mmmmph!!


    The woman groaned, unable to open her mouth to speak. One could easily find the traces of fierce resistance and violence on her armor. And there was a certain someone who ran out rapidly the moment he saw them.


    SooJung! You sons of bitches! What the hell did you do to her!


    Thick blood vessels emerged on his face with furious expression, and it was as if blood was about to flow from his vessels.


    However, his dash of fury was easily stopped by a punch SukSa threw out.


    Cough!


    Nam InSu was sent flying behind me and fell to the ground with a huge thud. Some people in the crowd started to take a few steps back after watching the ranker covered in magic items just send a person flying back a few meters with a simple light jab.


    Im tellin ya, this bitch shot an arrow at a Fiddleturtles shell! This brings down the product value by~ a~ lot~! This means that we will be paid less no matter how hard~ we~ work~!


    A member of the <Number One> guild who was pressing on the shoulder of a yer named SooJung gave a fishy smile and spat out a sly voice.


    SooJung was only doing her quest that told her to bring a Fiddleturtle shell!


    Nam InSu got back on his feet from the ground like a spring and screamed back at him with blood boiling out his nose.


    Wow, are you deaf or something, or is that your ss? A deaf? I told you multiple times that this is our business workce.


    Anyways~ If you continue to interfere with our business, Im going to fully utilize our guild and connections to investigate your upations and stuff. So, if you have a problem with us then either fight us or get the hell out of my sight~ Aight?


    The Number One guild members started to push their attitude towards us with SukSa in their back.


    ***


    ***


    Ah, and you, yeah you little bastard, you stay. Were gonna have to make you pay for the price of beating my boys up.


    One of the <Number One> guild members approached me.


    Huh, look at you starin at me. You little shithead. It doesnt matter how strong you are. If you cross us then our brothers are going to crush you like a worthless little fly. You got th-!


    <i>p!</i>


    I pped the man bbering in front of my face without giving him any time to react. Even before he could finish his words.


    The guild member who got pped by me spinned around in the air and crashed to the ground.


    The man on the ground was shaking with bubbles in his mouth.


    Looking at him having a seizure had made me remember a scene as if it shed through my brain. Right, I also had a seizure like him once.


    The situation was like this.


    My master said this as he stabbed me in various spots of my body with a sword with shing des, saying that this is part of the training.


    [Alright, Im going to stab you in various spots here and there. Then remember the ces that hurt the fucking most and engrave it into your brain. Dont worry. Ill make sure to stab you lightly so you wont die. Im doing this so you could stab the ces that will hurt the fucking hardest when you meet an adventurer as your opponent.]


    And suddenly, as soon as I remembered that incident, goosebumps erupted and cold sweats started breaking out all over my body.


    Because I remembered the eyes gleaming in my masters unfocused eyes.


    That abnormal and inhumane training. The training, which was so harsh that I was envious of an animal that only had to work hard, shed by pounding the back of my neck.


    For most yers, death in <Circuit> only means a penalty that makes them unable to log in for 7 days, nothing more and nothing less.


    However,


    Yes, it is exactly as my master told me.


    The only way to actually kill off an adventurer In the world of Circuit is just as what my master once said.


    It is to nt one bitch of a trauma onto that person.


    After finishing my thoughts, I started to quietly walk towards them as I opened my mouth with chills.


    Call the guards if you want. Ah, and I would prefer you call those brothers of yours. Because I n to destroy that so-called workce of yours right now.


    I red at them fiercely, spitting dialogue from my mouth that I could not even dream of in reality.


    Im going to show them how that idiot called Mose has changed mercilessly after suffering through the three months.


    Kill that bastard! Hey, call all our boys, and our brothers!


    As a result, the guild members behind them began to move in a hurry, and those in the front stood in a diffident manner.


    What the hell are you doing! I will beat the shit out of him so run at him! Hold him down!


    The <Number One> guild members jumped at me like springs at SukSas shout.


    I opened my mouth to whisper after having aplete grasp on their movement with one single movement of my eyes,


    Sharma.


    As the timing was tied precisely to my right hand, bingpletely mine, I was already in a stance to swing my de.


    I had to grab on to my de for quite a long amount of time because they were much slower than I would have preferred.


    And finally, the moment of the <Number One> guild members swinging their weapons at me have finally arrived.


    The de always points in a straight line. A true Sworder is someone who can deceive that straight line of the de into a curved line.


    This is my masters saying which I learned through my body as I was rolled left and right a thousand times like a meatball during the training.


    And the Sharma, a unique ss equipment in my hand, began to move smoothly by the subtle movements of my wrist, presented by my stats that transcended my level.


    And with precision,


    One sh in between the rib cage of one,


    And another in the back right rear of the next ones nk,


    And thest sh in the armpit of thest man standing.


    It probably didnt even take 2 seconds for my de to slice their bodies.


    Aaaaaah!


    ItIt fucking hurts!


    Gaaah!


    Soon they screamed and rolled their entire bodies on the floor, as they were having seizures, revealing the whites of their eyes. They started shaking on the ground, unable to continue their scream in pain.


    If someone asked them who they would like to see the most right now, theyd say they want to see a healer, not their parents.


    I was tired of waiting for the rest of the guildmates who were scared after witnessing the scene. So I decided to dash at them before they did.


    The jump with the sticity of a mountain sheep from the 50 speed stats and the kangaroo-like leg strength bursting from the 40 strength stat made me look like an eagle soaring into the sky, shooting down at prey.


    <i>Ssh!!</i>


    Uponnding after eliminating five of his guildmates, I stared at SukSa who was the only one left standing.


    Hey! Wait! Lets talk this ou


    I approached him as he was dismayed and stabbed him in all of his vital spots in his body in the blink of an eye.


    <i>Stab! Schunk! Shluk! Ssh!</i>


    Kurgh!


    Suksa fell to the ground rolling after taking a deep breath. Then he cautiously got up from the ground and looked at me with an astonished expression, then quickly changed hisplexion.


    You thought, bitch? Do you have any clue what this is? This is a chain vest made out of Telnoir metal!


    As he was bbering, I had already reached his bottom from where I was.


    Telnoir metal, its one of the things I have learned from my master.


    It was a metal that instantly gets its particles clumped together and deforms its shape when a very strong impact is applied to it.


    The reason that the chain vest, which is known to be inherently vulnerable to stab, was able to block the stab from my unique ss item, Sharma, was because this ce was a virtual reality game, a fantasy world.


    It is becausemon sense doesnt always work in this ce.


    A chain vest made of Telnoir metal is a concept of an armor that did not exist in real life.


    It was to block the only weakness of chain armor by using the nature of a specific mineral that only existed in this world of <Circuit>.


    To transcend beyondmon sense, and to ovee weaknesses. It was one of those things that happened very often and very naturally.


    So this time, I just swung my sword as hard as I could.


    <i>Crash!</i>


    As the sword smote SukSas stomach his back bent upwards like a camel cricket and floated into the air.


    As I put the floating man behind and walked towards the bastard who was holding a yer named SooJung down as I retracted Sharma.


    By the time I got close to them.


    <i>Thud!</i>


    A horrific sound echoed behind my back as Suksas body collided with the ground.


    I wouldnt even need to see his HP bar to check his remaining HP.


    The shoulder of the man pressing down SooJungs shoulder was also shaking. I opened my mouth as I lowered my voice as low as possible.


    Get the hell out of my sight.


    With that one sentence, they ran off for their lives without looking back even once.


    yers who were watching the scene became quiet as if they were muted. Some yers who still couldnt get a grasp of the situation were tilting their heads in question.


    After a little bit, cheers and chantings suddenly erupted from them. Apuse and shouts poured out at me.


    In the meantime, Nam InSu dragged his limping legs as he rushed at me in a hurry.


    He was weeping, not even thinking of wiping the blood flowing from his nose, he took my hand as he bowed his head multiple times.


    Then he sprinted towards his girlfriend right away.


    The chanting continued even as I awkwardly passed between the yers who looked at me almost in awe.


    And just as I was leaving the Bellinco hunting grounds, I heard Nam InSu shout loudly from behind.


    Thank you so much! I will never forget what you have done for me!


    I could feel my heart warm up as I heard his words. Having the power to do such things so casually presented me with unbearable pleasure.


    Among the yers I passed, a heated discussion began to follow over the distinctive pattern of my armor and the helmet that covered the face.


    I hurriedly set out to finish the real mission assigned to me, leaving the words about me behind.