Episode 163

2.

It was easier to think of the rewards in broad categories.

First, there was his level.

[Your level has increased by (2).]

For Kim Buja, "experience points" were practically nonexistent.

They technically existed, but because of his Gold Maker class trait, which converted them into gold, leveling up through quests that offered experience was essentially impossible. That was why, unlike other players who went wild over quests rewarding "a large amount of experience," he accepted them with complete indifference.

Of course, since he received gold based on his experience, he didn't feel he was losing out. But since his level remained low compared to his stats, barring him from certain content and special abilities, what he coveted most were rewards that directly granted levels.

That was why he tried to enter the Tower of Trials and Gold Missions whenever he had the chance.

And now, he'd leveled up from an unexpected source.

Two whole levels.

He had vaguely hoped for it. Given his contribution, he'd wondered if they might at least give him one level.

He had only entertained the idea in passing, never truly believing they would actually give him one level, let alone two. The surprise made it all the more satisfying.

"Not a bad start."

A good start was a good omen.

[You have achieved the Achievement: Death Knight Slayer (L).]

[You have achieved the Achievement: Soul Unleashed, Stage 6 (S).]

[You have achieved the Achievement: Hero of the Comeback (L).]

There were so many achievements that it was exhausting just to read through them.

And this wasn't just a list padded with Normal-grade achievements, either. At a glance, the list was clearly skewed toward the top, with a disproportionate number of Legendary-grade achievements. In fact, the proportion of Normal-grade ones seemed low.

'It really was something else.'

It made sense.

He had pulled this off in reality, not in some event field like the National War, where stats and levels were normalized. Granted, there had been a prerequisite—the "Gnawing Soul" he had obtained from the Point Dungeon, though whether that counted as good luck or bad, he still wasn't sure.

Even so, in the end, it was Kim Buja who had done it. He had run himself ragged unsealing the "Gnawing Soul" and, on top of that, had boldly poured a staggering 15,000 gold into a fight that lasted less than thirty minutes.

If, after all that, he had lost the battle, he wouldn't be looking at this hologram. He'd probably be living out a new life as a cockroach in some other dimension, or lying in pitch-black nothingness, waiting for his end.

So yes, he was entitled to pat himself on the back. The achievements would surely bring out rewards worthy of that effort.

[You have obtained 92,150 gold.]

[You have obtained 21 Stat Points.]

[You have obtained: Equipment Tempering Slot +1.]

"…Huh."

Buja, who had been so confident just a moment ago, fell silent. The unexpected scale of the rewards made him scratch his head.

'Is this for real?'

Objectively speaking, it was more than reasonable.

A mere level 14 player had single-handedly taken down a catastrophic monster, one strong enough to force back an army of one hundred thousand that included China's top-ranked players.

It was a miracle.

If it hadn't been for him, they might still be reeling from the aftershocks. That was how bloody the battle had been, how much of a war it was, and how dramatic a story it made.

The problem was that, to him, it had been nothing more than a fleeting dream, a brief moment that stirred some long-forgotten nostalgia.

In any case, the 21 stat points, the Equipment Tempering Slot +1, and the mountain of miscellaneous loot were one thing. But the 15,000 gold he had burned for that thirty-minute miracle had not only been instantly recouped—he now held the most gold he had ever possessed.

'How am I even supposed to spend ninety-two thousand gold?'

The number in his status window was so enormous that the thought crossed his mind unbidden.

He knew that if he really tried, he could blow through it all in under an hour, but he deliberately pushed that thought aside and chose to be satisfied.

It was an excellent reward package—level, gold, and stats.

Even if only one of those three had been included, it would have been worth the time and effort, but he had received all three.

He had nothing more to wish for. Besides, there were no other outstanding rewards left worth hoping for.

He skimmed through the holograms, dismissing them without much care. He had far too much to do to spend time savoring every little detail.

As soon as he finished sorting through his rewards, he needed to enter a Gold Mission.

Then he paused.

"Huh?"

[Event: Catastrophe video saving is now available.]

The hologram brought the battle scenes back to his mind.

Despite how dazzling and unforgettable those moments had been, the memories in his own head were already starting to blur around the edges.

It couldn't be helped, even though it had only happened a few hours ago. That was just how the human brain worked.

No matter how unforgettable a memory might be, time inevitably causes the images to grow hazy, fade, and be partially erased.

That was why people took photos and recorded videos—to keep from forgetting.

The Mileage System was an extension of that.

Unlike physical items that, once lost, could never be recovered, anything saved here would remain stored in the hologram forever, as long as he, Kim Buja, did not die.

He immediately hit the save button.

[You have used 500 Mileage.]

[You have saved the video: Event – Catastrophe.]

[Saved videos can be played back at any time.]

[You have used 1,000 Mileage.]

[Video Sharing for Event – Catastrophe has been activated.]

Even though he had previously burned through all his Mileage, the amount that had quietly accumulated since was just enough to activate video sharing as well.

"This system really is trash. I spent all that, and saving one video wiped me out again."

It was content he didn't particularly need, and it didn't help his stats much, either. He had figured that if he just kept mindlessly spending gold, the Mileage would eventually pile up on its own. Seeing it like this, though, the prospect felt a bit daunting.

As time went on, his gold income would increase, and even now, if he spent the gold he had just earned, he could probably rack up close to four thousand Mileage. Still, it struck him that it wasn't enough to spend freely whenever he wanted.

On top of that, while the only Mileage content available at the moment was video saving, there was no telling when new features would be added. He decided it would be better to focus on saving Mileage and raising his tier as quickly as possible.

"Whew, is that it?"

Once he had finished sorting everything, a wave of fatigue washed over him.

Complaining that even receiving gifts was tiring sounded like a rich man's problem, but the fatigue was real.

Even so, he dragged himself out of bed.

"Time to go."

He had delayed for far too long.

It was less that he had procrastinated and more that he had been caught in a chain of unavoidable situations. It had been so many months since he cleared his last Gold Mission that he'd lost count.

That was how busy his days had been.

He didn't think a huge problem would suddenly pop up, but life was unpredictable—especially on a continent in its current state.

"Let's go."

He didn't hesitate.

There was no reason to.

He had already saved up 30,000 mission gold from the previous Gold Mission, and he had an additional 92,000 gold in cash waiting in his wallet.

Even if he was given a mission as difficult as the battle in the canyon, he was confident he could clear it.

[Reformation]

▶ Grade: Chapter 2-2

▶ Objective: Reform the rotten, decayed Temple!

▶ Reward: 5 Special Stat Points, 50,000 gold, 3 Levels

[Activating Gold Mission: Chapter 2-2 – Reformation.]

* * *

He arrived in a forest thick with the scent of nature.

It was pure wilderness, with not a trace of human presence to be found.

Towering, ancient trees formed a dense canopy, filtering the fresh sunlight as it streamed down through the leaves.

In the midst of that natural harmony stood a massive Temple.

It bore a statue of a god and showed the marks of long-endured years, yet its dignity and grandeur had not faded.

It wasn't just because it was a Temple.

"Wow, that looks expensive."

At a glance, the building looked to be at least several hundred, if not several thousand, years old.

Even so, there was no rust or decay; only its exterior had blended with the surrounding nature.

It was clear how much care—and money—had been poured into its construction.

Which was only natural. It was a building for a god.

None of that mattered much to Buja, so he headed straight inside.

What mattered now wasn't marveling at the temple's construction, but figuring out why he'd been sent to this remote place.

Up to now, the starting point of every Gold Mission chapter had always held some kind of meaning.

In 1-1, the key had been his encounter with the princess. In the Choice mission, he had been dropped into a position where he could choose between the princess and the Allied Forces. In the Battle mission, they had even given him a makeshift social status so he could move around more freely.

During the Allied Forces mission, he had been dropped near his previous return point, not far from the fortress.

This time would be no different.

The fact that he had been dropped into a place he had never seen before, a forest with a different layout from the canyon's woods, meant that he needed to find something meaningful here as well.

Something tied to the chapter's title.

He didn't need to overthink it.

Reformation.

Given that he, now on the princess's side, was the one to carry out this "reformation," there were only two possibilities.

He could reform the rotten, collapsed Empire with the princess.

Or he could reform the Temple that had helped bring about the Empire's downfall with the saintess.

Looking at the place in front of him, it was obviously the latter.

So he started walking.

There had to be something here.

'Maybe some kind of holy relic? Or a big sign saying I'm the god's chosen representative, hidden away in plain sight?'

If this were a novel, that would be the case.

At the very least, if they were going to give a mere level 16 player the absurd mission of reforming the Temple that held the continent in its grip, they needed to provide that much of a boon for the sake of balance.

He didn't think for a second they would just hand it to him for free.

Not in the slightest.

'Would I even be allowed to take something like that?'

He had expected this to be difficult from the start. The mission's difficulty was clearly linked to the Hidden-grade "Corrupted Temple" mission he had received last time, and the rewards were insane.

It was going to be a tough fight.

He had spread the saintess's power across the continent and bolstered her influence, but he didn't believe for a second that she could handle everything on her own.

Even if she had headed straight for the Temple, there was no way she could have untangled this whole mess alone with just the Holy Knights.

If she were smart, she would have traveled the continent building power and influence instead of marching directly to the Temple. If not, then by now she was probably in despair, having lost her will again, or desperately searching for a way out of her helplessness.

If there was something here, he would take it, then join up with the saintess and figure out a plan.

"Hm?"

With that in mind, Buja stepped into the Temple, only to immediately realize there was no need for such planning.

"What the hell? Why are you here?"

At the heart of the massive Temple, beneath the statue of the god, he found the saintess collapsed on the floor.

* * *

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