Chapter 8

Level Up IlDanSimPanGwan – Chapter 8 (8/227)

Chapter 8: Lu’s Believer (3)

“…Who are you?”

Ail asked with suspicion.

Judging by the equipment he wore, his level seemed pretty high. But there was no reason for a high-level player to be around here, and even less reason to stop a random beginner on the road. Maybe this guy was some nasty player killer targeting rookies.

But the man replied without hesitation.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Migapen from Digtanus.”

Upon hearing that name, Ail’s guarded expression shifted. While Migapen’s name meant nothing, the mention of Digtanus rang a bell. They were a guild based in Duel known for making a name for themselves in this region.

‘Could this be… a recruiter from the guild?’

Ail quickly thought it over. This guild had a decent reputation, so there was no need to worry about scamming or bad manners. And why else would someone from such a big guild approach a measly level 4 beginner? Only one reason made sense—scouting promising talent.

In a game like Warode where guild competition was fierce, recruiting skilled players wasn’t easy. Many guilds actively supported newbies to swell their ranks, especially since recognizing potential early could give them an edge against larger guilds down the line.

Especially in Warode, where combat skill mattered so much, spotting talent early and offering support could secure valuable connections before bigger guilds got involved.

And Ail’s guess hit the mark.

“It’s great that you’ve heard of us. We’ve been watching you hunt monsters and we’re really impressed! How about joining our guild? We can fully support you.”

Whether truly impressed or just part of the recruitment pitch, Migapen leaned in enthusiastically.

But Ail shook their head without another word.

“Sorry, but I don’t think that’ll work.”

As a latecomer, joining a guild would clearly help. There’d be free potions, easier hunts, useful connections, and protection from player killers. Guild members weren’t lightly messed with, after all.

But Ail couldn’t join any guild.

“Ah… Are you already being scouted by another guild?”

“No guild.”

“Then maybe this is an alt character…”

“Nope.”

“Well then, no problem! We’ve got over 90 members above level 110. It’s dangerous playing alone, so let us protect you. At least take a test run. Once you visit our guild hall, you might change your mind.”

Even after rejection, Migapen persisted relentlessly.

With a sigh, Ail asked,

“I’m an IlDanSimPanGwan. Is that okay?”

“An… IlDanSimPanGwan? Then you’re a follower of Lu…?”

Migapen’s hopeful face suddenly turned awkward.

An uncomfortable silence fell between them before Migapen slowly backed away.

“S-sorry. Have fun gaming!”

“Yeah, you too.”

* * *

Surprisingly, Digtanus wasn’t the only guild trying to recruit Ail.

Clowd, Omteek, Liquor…

Guilds with solid influence in the area approached Ail as they returned to the city after hunting. Likely drawn by reports of skilled players heading to the bunny rabbit hunting grounds near Duel.

As the Warode player base grew, competition among guilds intensified. Not just for established pros, but even for promising newbies.

“What should I do? I’m already part of a Church.”

Besides, this job required faith in a deity to select, leaving no room for guild membership.

While believers could technically join guilds, larger ones rarely accepted them. Mandatory divine events or stat restrictions often limited their actions, disrupting group activities like raids or stronghold battles.

Especially followers of Lu, infamous as the Crazy Goddess…

‘If one of the Rokuto dai guilds came knocking, I’d probably ditch everything and jump at the chance… but they don’t need to scout here.’

The six major guilds dominating Warode.

With massive resources, unmatched skills, and huge fame, they were collectively called the “Six Great Guilds.” Controlling most territories across the continent directly or indirectly, each member was a near-Ranker elite—untouchable forces.

From what Ail remembered, the owner of the large city Duel was one of those six: Nightmare. They didn’t bother deploying members to low-level hunting zones, having already gathered top-tier players.

‘Well, doesn’t matter. I wasn’t expecting anything anyway.’

Shaking their head, Ail entered the city gates.

The main street beyond buzzed with players and NPCs alike. Cutting through the crowd, Ail slipped into a smaller alley.

Designed to handle vast numbers of players in a single-server game, the city sprawled impressively.

Just as Ail navigated past the bustling northern commercial district, a commotion caught their attention nearby.

Two men were loudly arguing, one repeatedly smashing a straw dummy with a sword.

“Hey! Just stop already, you idiot!”

“Don’t mock me! I won’t quit until I finish ten thousand swings!”

Curious, Ail squeezed through the crowd gathering around them.

“Who is this guy?”

“Apparently, he’s been practicing nonstop for days now. He says he won’t move until he hits ten thousand swings. No amount of persuasion works. He claims he’s trying to unlock a hidden class or something…”

“Shut up, bastards! When I gain power, I’ll slaughter every one of you who laughed at me! Next, I’ll crush those giant guilds who look down on me!”

Suddenly clenching his fists, the man raged with vengeance.

“That… guy.”

Ail’s eyes lit up, struck by the sheer determination displayed despite others’ mockery.

Standing in the same spot endlessly attacking a dummy showed incredible patience and belief in his chosen path, however foolish it might seem.

Watching him, Ail muttered,

“What a lunatic.”

Blowing a raspberry, Ail turned away.

Wasting time on nonsense like this when, realistically, no game company would sabotage their MMORPG by adding overly powerful hidden classes. Even starting on equal footing, if someone got lucky and dominated with a broken class, other players wouldn’t applaud their hard work—they’d ragequit.

The official site would crash under complaints, and the game would flop within a month.

No game promoting fairness would ever implement such a system—not even Warode.

That man’s efforts amounted to epic stupidity summarized.

“This world is going downhill, fast.”

To Ail, thinking purely as a gamer, the behavior was incomprehensible.

Shaking their head, Ail hurried toward an alchemy shop tucked deep in a back alley.

“Welcome!”

Opening the door revealed the shopkeeper busy at work, who hastily turned to greet them.

Ail sold off junk items to clear inventory, then casually brought up quests.

“I’m heading out for my next hunt, but I don’t know what to do next… Any jobs around here?”

“Oh, really? Could you do me a favor?”

The shopkeeper clapped happily.

“Do you have any tasks?”

“Well, I run this shop, but I’m also passionate about alchemy. My teacher kicked me out, saying I had zero talent, but someday I’ll become a great alchemist! Through self-study, of course! Though I need rare materials not easily found. Like ‘a magic-infused red eye’…”

“A red eye? Could it be this?”

“Yes… wait, what?!”

Ail dramatically pulled out an item from their pocket, stunning the shopkeeper.

‘Never expected all the info I collected out of frustration would come in handy like this…’

Even low-level repeatable quests in this unfamiliar city held value thanks to Ail’s knowledge. In Warode, where NPCs generated quests dynamically, many were one-time affairs, but plenty allowed repeated completion too.

‘Normally, regular quests offer better rewards… but not this one.’

– You have obtained an item!

[Red-Glowing Magic Explosion Crystal x 6]

[Red-Glowing Sacred Explosion Crystal x 6]

“Thank you so much! I never expected to get what I needed so quickly. These are things I’ve been researching lately. Powerful crystals imbued with healing magic to aid adventurers like yourself.”

Upon completing the quest, she handed over a box of crystals.

[Quest Completed!]

[You Leveled Up!]

[You’ve reached Level 5! An initial job skill has been activated. Please select a skill to acquire.]

[Sacred Flame (Basic)]

[Blade of Hatred (Basic)]

[Frenzied Martyr (Basic)]