Chapter 3 - 0.0000001% (2)
3.
“Gold?”
The moment he saw the hologram, he opened his status window without a second thought.
▶ Gold Owned: 2G
His gold had increased from 1 to 2, right as the clock struck midnight. This was a currency no other player possessed and was only tied to his Legendary class, Gold Maker.
Gold is the key, he realized.
He had a strong feeling that gold was the core mechanic of this growth-type class, which fit into none of the standard attack, defense, or support archetypes.
Check skills.
He immediately pulled up his skill list.
[Skills Owned]
1. Wait for Free Gold (L)
2. VIP Level (L)
Two Legendary skills. It was a skill window that would make any other player’s jaw drop. The information for the first skill appeared.
[Wait for Free Gold]
▶ Grade: Legendary
▶ Classification: Passive
▶ Level: 1
[Generates 1 gold every day at midnight.]
[Cost to level up: 10 gold.]
[Unlocks Trait (1) at Level 10.]
[Level-up cost is discounted by 1% due to Gold Power (1).]
“Oh.”
An extremely common AFK mobile game immediately came to mind.
“Growth and idle mechanics, huh?”
A rough plan for his progression began to form in his head. It was still vague, of course. He had only seen one skill, and the level-up cost was ten times the daily gold he generated.
“It’s going to be rough early on.”
It was a universal truth in any game: a perfectly balanced class didn’t exist. Those with powerful classes early on often fell off in the late game, while those that started weak became powerhouses later. Buja had always preferred the latter, and his new Gold Maker class seemed to fit that mold perfectly.
“The question is, what is gold used for?”
The next skill answered the biggest question looming over his future plans.
[VIP Level]
▶ Grade: Legendary
▶ Classification: Passive
▶ Level: 0
[No benefits at Level 0.]
[Cost to level up: 50 gold.]
[Next Level Benefits: Gold Enhancement, VIP1 Skill]
“So there’s nothing I can do yet,” he concluded.
It wasn’t the answer he wanted, but he hadn’t expected instant gratification.
[Status Window]
▶ Name: Kim Buja
▶ Level: 1
▶ Class: Gold Maker (L)
▶ Stats: Strength (1), Agility (1), Stamina (1), Magic (1), Divinity (1)
▶ Special Stats: Gold Power (1)
▶ Gold Owned: 2G
[Due to the (L) Class effect, stat point distribution is sealed.]
[Due to the (L) Class effect, only skills exclusive to ‘Gold Maker’ can be learned.]
[Due to the (L) Class effect, you acquire ‘Gold’ instead of ‘Experience’ when hunting.]
[Due to the (L) Class effect, you acquire ‘Special Stat Points (1)’ upon leveling up.]
Two new penalty lines had appeared after his initial class confirmation. Far from being satisfied, he could have easily complained. The system seemed to be daring him to enter a dungeon, less to level up and more to get a guided tour of the afterlife. Yet, Buja smiled.
High risk, high return.
He couldn’t yet imagine what benefits leveling up VIP Level and Wait for Free Gold would bring. But it was clear that the class was designed to steer a player toward passive, time-based growth rather than active hunting in the early stages. Any player with a lick of common sense would see that.
“With all stats at one, I’m no different from a regular person.”
And that’s what made it so exciting.
“If I can just find a way to fast-forward through the beginning…”
Perhaps he could close the five-year gap between him and the players who had already dominated the dungeon market. Staring at the $38,000 in his bank account from the sale of his capsule and game items, he began to formulate a plan for the next day.
“I’ll just buy some decent weapons and armor and head straight…”
His train of thought derailed the moment he saw the final hologram: the beginner’s exclusive equipment set. He had to scrap his entire plan.
* * *
Catching his reflection in a mirror, Buja let out a smirk.
“What a fashion statement.”
He wore a black mask that covered his face from his ears to his neck, a plain white t-shirt, and a pair of jeans. If it weren’t for the two sharp daggers strapped to his waist, no one would ever mistake him for a player.
“Not bad, actually.”
While it was hardly suitable attire for dungeon diving, he didn’t mind. In fact, he was more than satisfied.
“My apologies, Gold Maker,” he said to his reflection. “I’m sorry for misjudging you as a class that just levels slowly by killing time at the start.”
He couldn’t help it. His stats were no better than a normal person’s, so he couldn’t expect them to increase with levels for now, and he didn’t have any flashy Legendary attack skills. He had only his own skill to rely on, but the system had given him the gear to back it up.
[Beginner’s Mask]
▶ Grade: Epic
▶ Defense +5
▶ Stamina +1
[Gold Maker exclusive. Options do not apply to other players.]
[3-Set Bonus: All Stats +1.]
[Beginner’s Top]
▶ Grade: Epic
▶ Defense +8
▶ Strength +1
[Gold Maker exclusive. Options do not apply to other players.]
[3-Set Bonus: All Stats +1.]
[Reinforced over the heart. Defense for this area increases by 2.]
[Beginner’s Bottoms]
▶ Grade: Epic
▶ Defense +7
▶ Agility +1
[Gold Maker exclusive. Options do not apply to other players.]
[3-Set Bonus: All Stats +1.]
[Reinforced over vital areas. Defense for this area increases by 2.]
[Beginner’s Dagger]
▶ Grade: Epic
▶ Attack Power: 8
[Gold Maker exclusive. Options do not apply to other players.]
[Bonus Attack Power from Gold Power effect: +1.]
The items looked crude, but their grade, Epic, and powerful options were nothing to scoff at.
“So this was a god-tier class that hands out free Epic items.”
A basic set of leather armor, handmade from ghoul hide just to prevent a 1-star monster from tearing you to shreds, costs over $7,700. And that was for Normal-grade gear. Occasionally, a player with a crafting class would post a Rare-grade piece on the online communities, but even those rarely came with bonus stats.
In this game-like reality where each level granted three stat points, the value of a single point was immense. Including the set bonus, Buja had just gained eight stat points he couldn’t even earn yet. His weapon’s attack power was also significantly higher than the average of five that most newly awakened players started with. How could he not be ecstatic?
“With this much defense, I can go in right now.”
This gear completely upended the plans he had so carefully crafted in the early morning hours. Grabbing his wallet and phone, Buja left his tiny apartment, his mind already racing with a new strategy.
4.
People claimed the sharp decline in player deaths over the past five years was thanks to the establishment of online communities and the availability of cheaper, high-performance armor. A minimum of 10 defense points was the standard for entering a 1-star dungeon. As armor that could prevent a one-hit kill from a magic-infused sub-boss became widely accessible, the danger of 1-star dungeons, once the deadliest, visibly decreased.
But veteran players knew the real reason.
—The death rate dropped because we’re in an age where you can buy and sell dungeons.
—You buy a safe dungeon, the profit is lower, but you don’t die. They give you a full map with the dungeon grade, monster types, the conditions to clear it, and even the terrain.
The era of blindly walking into any random dungeon off the street was over. Unclaimed dungeons still existed, but they were unclaimed for a reason. Now, players purchased pre-scouted dungeons for a safer, more calculated approach.
Buja was no different. He had decent armor and sharp daggers. His analysis told him he was ready, but he had no intention of entering just any dungeon. He was even more meticulous. Which one should he choose?
The logical choice was a Normal-grade dungeon, a place to experience the difference between a game and reality firsthand. It was the perfect way to gain both safety and experience.
But Buja was a little more ambitious than that.
“Welcome, honored player. How may I assist you?” a voice chimed.
He was in the Dungeon Store, a luxurious department store that soared over twenty stories high. As he stepped inside, an attendant with a bright smile and stylish, casual clothes approached him. This personalized service, where an attendant guided a customer from start to finish, was a hallmark of the Dungeon Store and one of the reasons it had monopolized over ninety percent of the global market since dungeons first appeared.
Buja took a subtle step back as the woman’s perfume tickled his nose.
“I’m here to purchase a dungeon,” he said coolly.
Male players were assigned female attendants; female players, male. It was a service designed for the customer, but he knew its cost was simply baked into the price of whatever he bought.
“Right this way,” she said, her voice smooth as she pressed a button for one of the dozens of elevators.
He asked casually, “There’s no discount for going without a guide, is there?”
“No, sir, there is not,” she replied, her professional smile never wavering.
The elevator doors opened onto the fifteenth floor, the dungeon purchasing department. Unlike the opulent, varied decor of the first floor, this level was sleek and minimalist. After being led to a private consultation booth, a staff member got straight to business.
“Could you please tell me your desired region and star-rating?”
“1-star. Anywhere from Seoul to Gyeonggi Province is fine.”
At his relaxed response, the staff member’s expression shifted slightly. 1-star dungeons weren’t particularly expensive, but that was only true for Normal-grade ones. A Rare-grade dungeon costs as much as a 2-star Normal Grade.
“Shall I look up Rare-grade dungeons for you, then?” the staff asked, her tone now a little more attentive.
Requesting such a wide area was unusual because it meant he was willing to travel wherever a dungeon was available. She was certain he was at least a Rare-grade buyer.
“No,” Buja said, shaking his head.
He had originally planned to tackle a Rare-grade dungeon. But after seeing his beginner’s set, he had made up his mind.
“A 1-star Epic,” he declared, his voice firm. “With an entry condition of one person or more.”
As always, he would be different from the rest. More spectacular. Dungeons would be no exception. Buja had just thrown down the gauntlet.
