Upon entering the Blessed Snowfields, Hyun-soo received this notification:
[To access the Sage’s Tower, you must hunt all the monsters in the Blessed Snowfields.]
The location of the Sage’s Tower changes every two weeks.
Accordingly, the trials Hyun-soo must face while climbing the mountain also change, and time is required for these changes.
However, Dun completely relieved him of this burden.
‘All the monsters around were levels far above mine.’
Monsters of at least level 330.
When hunting monsters of a higher level, a player gains more experience points.
Additionally, once reaching level 300, the total amount of experience needed to level up increases exponentially.
At this point, the triple experience gain was like a treasure sent from heaven.
Furthermore, before Hyun-soo came to the Blessed Snowfields, the monsters he hunted gave him an average of this much experience:
[You gain 8,862 experience points.]
But now, it has increased to about 24,000 per monster.
[Experience and drop rates are tripled.]
[The total experience gained from the monsters is combined.]
[You gain 1,310,010 experience points.]
[You have leveled up.]
[You have leveled up.]
[You have leveled up.]
[The total amount of gold gained from the monsters is combined.]
[You gain 331,689 gold.]
In addition to the miscellaneous items dropped by the mobs.
These items too, tripled, and were simultaneously coming from about 60 monsters.
[You acquire a Eetti’s Claw.]
[You acquire a Snowy Wolf’s Tooth.]
[You acquire a Snow Mountain Orc’s Token…]
The value of these miscellaneous items was also significant.
In Korean won, the gold alone amounted to about 3.4 million won, and the items themselves were worth about 5 million won.
Of course, Hyun-soo awaited something more.
NPCs and players judged as villains could yield experience and gold.
In other words, their Chaos value meant they would even drop money and experience.
And the higher their Chaos value, the more experience and gold they drop.
This could vary from as little as 20% to several times more.
[You have slain Won.]
[His Chaos value is the worst.]
[You have slain Bon.]
[His Chaos value is the worst.]
[You gain 293,013 experience points.]
[You gain 467,310 gold.]
[You have slain Burns…]
[You have leveled up.]
[You have leveled up.]
Hyun-soo managed to level up five times.
It was an unimaginable amount of experience for the 300 level range.
Additionally, from them alone, a total of 1.4 million gold was dropped, and the deceased had dropped the equipment they were wearing.
[You acquire a Blacklight Dagger.]
[You acquire an Assassin’s Mask.]
[You acquire a Crimson Knight’s Longsword.]
‘Epic, epic, unique, epic…’
Everything was replete with such items.
[Your HP is below 3%.]
[You are severely affected by a status ailment.]
[It is difficult to move your body.]
Dun, on his knees, knew about the items his comrades had dropped.
‘We’ve only lost the most important things….’
From as little as 20 million won to as much as 100 million won.
One could say that they played the game just to acquire those items.
Among them, the artifacts belonging to Dun, who was the leader and had the highest level, were the best.
What Dun feared more was this:
If you turn on the friend window, you can check the levels of those registered as friends.
The levels of his comrades shown in the friend window had dropped by at least 12 to as much as 18 compared to just before.
In fact, a drop of more than 10 levels is almost unheard of.
No, it’s practically impossible.
This happened because of the number of people they had killed.
Their Chaos value had become too high due to the number of users they had killed without reason.
The game Ares can sometimes be fair.
If you gain unethically, you will also lose unethically.
“Please, just this once, let it go!”
Dun sincerely begged.
“If I die, I will drop 20 levels. Do you know how hard it is to raise 20 levels from my level…”
He looked as if he wanted to grab onto Hyun-soo’s trouser legs.
“If I drop items here as well…”
“Isn’t that too selfish?”
Hyun-soo said emotionlessly.
“You must have only ever picked on those you could handle, and like you, many others must have worried about their experience and artifact drop rates before they died. They must have felt more miserable and upset, why? Because they were killed without reason.”
Swoosh—
Hyun-soo mercilessly cut his throat.
As if it hurt to even speak anymore.
[Dun’s Chaos value is the worst.]
[You gain 502,301 experience points.]
[You gain 735,203 gold.]
[You acquire the Ring of the Snow King.]
[You have leveled up.]
With this, Hyun-soo achieved a total of 6 levels up here and obtained many valuable artifacts.
Especially, the Ring of the Snow King that Hyun-soo saw was more incredible than he thought.
‘Closest to a legend…’
Then.
Ding!
[You are climbing Mount Beres faster than anyone else.]
‘…?’
Hyun-soo looked puzzled.
‘Does this mean I’m the fastest among the first entrants?’
Thanks to Dun, Hyun-soo had taken a shortcut to where the Sage Tower could be seen.
‘If I had climbed alone, it might have been hard to arrive in three days.’
That’s how rugged and monster-infested the land of Mount Beres was.
And Hyun-soo felt a sense of foreboding.
‘If such a notification appears…’
Notifications don’t appear without reason.
Soon, Hyun-soo could see.
Grrrrrrrrrr—
Suddenly, the blizzard intensified and a fierce gust of wind began to whirl.
Whiiiiiiiiish—
So much snow fell that it became impossible to see.
[A new story begins.]
Hyun-soo’s teeth clacked together at the ominous sound.
[A hundred-year blizzard whirls around.]
[The temperature drops sharply.]
[You are affected by a cold status ailment.]
[Your body shrinks, and your hands and feet might get frostbitten.]
[All stats drop by 20%.]
Ding!
[Sudden Quest: Braving the Blizzard]
Rank: S
Restriction: The one who triggered the new story
Reward: Something left by the God Blacksmith
Penalty for failure: Never being able to meet Sage Arte again.
Description: You have approached the Sage Tower faster than anyone else, and this is closely related to something left by the God Blacksmith. You must absolutely reach the Sage Tower.
Those who complete the new story will receive superior rewards.
As such, the reward states, ‘Something left by the God Blacksmith.’
Hyun-soo realized.
‘To arrive faster, even amidst such adversities.’
That it was a type of trial.
Ssssssssh—
“Argh!”
Hyun-soo was suddenly hit by a sudden gust and blown away.
Buried in the snow that had piled up unnoticed, Hyun-soo shivered from the icy feeling.
Hyun-soo stood up.
‘I must go.’
Something left by the God Blacksmith.
He must obtain those things.
As the days pass, many will discover Hyun’s superior forge.
He needed the power to protect many who believed in and followed him.
Hyun-soo put on the Ring of the Snow King on his finger.
[A warm energy envelops your body.]
In the blizzard where you can’t see even a foot ahead.
‘I will, without fail, go to the Sage Tower.’
A blacksmith who never learned to lose walks there.
***
Ssssssssh—
Grrrrrrrrrr—
The Sage Tower.
Absolute Shield Pehya and Grand Mage Luwon saw the blizzard pounding on the windows.
Suddenly Luwon asked,
“Pehya, can anyone survive out there for half a day?”
“……”
Pehya didn’t say anything.
No matter how superhuman the physique, that and this are different matters.
The fierce blizzard and the snow filling the view would destroy one’s sanity, and it would be difficult to take even a step as the fingertips and toes increasingly freeze.
No matter how strong one is, a natural disaster is just that.
Luwon moistened his throat with warm tea.
“He must be dead already. Not even halfway up Mount Beres.”
Both looked as if to say that it was a good riddance.
“It’s impossible for a blacksmith to survive out there.”
Pehya said with a faint smile,
“I too sought to become a legend when I climbed this Mount Beres.”
That’s not all.
Most of those who aspired to become legends must have climbed this Mount Beres.
To meet Sage Arte, who has been a legend for the longest time and is still alive.
“It took me exactly two days, the mountain was so rugged.”
Luwon also reminisced about that day.
“It took me two days as well. When I tried to fly using ‘Fly,’ the gusts slammed me back down to the ground.”
It was a long time ago.
Back when they were just greenhorns starting to make a name for themselves.
Now, they would reach it in a breath.
They had become much stronger than before.
“Dead from freezing in half a day, that is somewhat pitiful.”
Though they said this, both wore small smiles.
“Let’s go now, no need to wait any longer. I must say we are leaving.”
The two of them left the room together.
The audience hall of the sage, close to the entrance.
Sage Arte, Sword King Barad, and Spear Heaven Ben were seated, maintaining a certain distance.
Rumble—
A gust strong enough to shake the tower was heard.
And before leaving, Luwon spoke up.
“Arte, the test is over.”
In an atmosphere of silence, no one else spoke.
“We were supposed to meet again in two days, but it seems unnecessary now. I should return with Pehya…”
Just then.
“…It’s not over yet.”
Surprised by Arte’s statement, both showed puzzled expressions.
During this, Luwon and Pehya’s heads suddenly turned sharply.
‘Is something coming?’
Their senses were extraordinary.
They could feel something was coming through the blizzard.
Especially Luwon, who was exceptional.
His eyes could see through the walls to the outside.
Snow fluttering madly where the sun had set.
A man was walking towards them, wading through the piled-up snow that reached his stomach.
Luwon almost exclaimed in admiration without realizing it.
But then he pursed his lips and held it back.
Soon, Luwon knew.
The unknown figure that was moving had stopped.
‘Is he dying…?’
Yes, he was indeed dying.
He seems to have lost consciousness and couldn’t move.
‘It’s remarkable, but he will die like this…’
Just then.
“…!?”
Luwon saw.
The dying figure began to move again.
One step, two steps, he took a few steps.
His life force was fading with each step.
And once again he collapsed, but after a while.
‘What is this…’
He stood up again.
Like a small flame on a vast field of snow.
Luwon couldn’t believe it.
Suddenly, the dying being was standing in front of the tower’s door.
Luwon’s pupils trembled.
‘Why, why… He should have already been dead?’
Creak—
Luwon’s gaze fell on the source of the footsteps.
Then, a man appeared.
Pale lips, a face turned deathly white. A body buried under a mound of snow, his physique wouldn’t surprise anyone if he died at any moment.
[Your HP is below 1%.]
Yet, his eyes shone bright, undefeated.
After shaking off the snow from his body and pushing back his wet hair,
He slowly looked up at the legends and said,
“Master Craftsman Hyun (現). I have come to see Sage Arte.”
[You have arrived at the Sage Tower.]
[The hidden level of divine recognition is now accessible.]
Facing the legends, Hyun-soo knew. He had experienced advancements, negotiations, hatching rates, and various other things. The higher that percentage rose, the greater the rewards Hyun-soo received. The divine recognition Hyun-soo was unaware of. The invisible trials during the climb up the mountain. And the item left by the God Blacksmith mentioned in the sudden quest.
[You have reached the Sage Tower faster than any legend in history.]
[You gain 44% recognition.]
[You started climbing the mountain at the lowest level among all the legends in history.]
[You gain 25% recognition.]
[You have reached through the blizzard of the century.]
[Recognition…]
[You have demonstrated a strong mental fortitude surpassing death multiple times.]
[Recognition…]
Amidst endless notifications.
The final notification sends a thrill through Hyun-soo’s heart.
[Your reward is maximized.]
Cliche Novel 