2.

'I must have seen that wrong.'

"Not funny," Buja muttered to the empty room, a hollow laugh escaping his lips. "Stop messing with me."

[A Lucky Day!]

▶ Classification: Achievement

▶ Grade: Special

→ Oops, my hand slipped! By overcoming a 1% chance, are you truly a lucky person?

"You son of a…"

The appearance of the 'A Lucky Day! (S)' achievement shattered his last sliver of hope.

'Whew.'

A one-percent miracle. It wasn't something that happened to just anyone. Even Buja, who'd spent more time in games than in the real world for five years, could count such occurrences on one hand. It wasn't impossible, but for it to happen on his very first enhancement attempt was just absurd.

"Should I take this as a good sign or a bad one?"

As the achievement description sarcastically suggested, he was, in a way, incredibly lucky. He'd lost 10 gold, but he'd defied 99% odds. Under different circumstances, it could have been a massive win. This time, it was the opposite.

"Haah," he sighed.

After staring dumbfounded at the hologram for a long moment, Buja waved it away. Enough complaining. He'd lost 10 gold but gained a Special-grade achievement that money couldn't buy. More importantly, he'd received a stat point. All things considered, it wasn't a loss. In fact, it was a net gain. The only downside was the bitter, unlucky feeling, as if he'd just stepped in a pile of shit.

"So this is how you raise stats."

The stat point he'd earned was instantly converted into a 'Special Stat Point' by his Legendary Class effect. The class description mentioned gaining them on level-up, but apparently, points from achievements and other sources were converted as well.

"Nice."

The nagging worry over how he would increase his stats hadn't vanished, but if he could acquire rare Special Stat Points like this, he was certain to pull ahead of other players over time. Plus, raising his Gold Power would increase the discounts on all Gold-related expenses. He used the point without hesitation.

[Status Window]

▶ Name: Kim Buja

▶ Level: 1

▶ Class: Gold Maker (L)

▶ Stats: Strength 1(+2), Agility 1(+2), Stamina 1(+2), Magic 1(+1), Divinity 1(+1)

▶ Special Stats: Gold Power 2

▶ Gold Held: 25G

▷ Detailed Information (5)

Nearly a week after his Awakening, he had finally raised a base stat. Considering he'd cleared two Epic dungeons, it was an almost tearfully emotional moment. Unfortunately, the feeling was fleeting. As soon as he conquered one challenge, the next loomed.

"But how do I raise my level and stats normally?"

If he could figure that out, he felt he could grow at an incredible pace. The cycle of repetitive hunting, efficient growth, and pushing his limits was what he did best. While his mind raced, his hands moved with simple purpose.

[10 gold has been used.]

[Enhancement has succeeded!]

[Weapon Level has increased: 0 → 1]

[Achievement Unlocked: Success is the Mother of Failure!]

[You have acquired 5 gold.]

Time to get back to it. After the successful +1 weapon enhancement, he immediately moved on to his chest and leg armor.

[10 gold has been used.]

[Enhancement has succeeded!]

[Chest Level has increased: 0 → 1]

[10 gold has been used.]

[Enhancement has succeeded!]

[Legs Level has increased: 0 → 1]

Thankfully, there were no more one-percent miracles. He drew the dagger from his hip and checked its stats.

[Beginner's Dagger]

▶ Grade: Epic

▶ Attack Power: 8

▷ Exclusive equipment for the Gold Maker. Options do not apply to other players.

▷ Additional attack power from Gold Power: +2

▷ Additional attack power from Weapon Level: +3

His chest armor showed a similar bonus. A smile spread across his face. He'd failed one enhancement, but the 5 gold he'd received from the subsequent success allowed him to complete all three upgrades as planned. On top of that, the Special Stat Point from the achievement had added another point of attack power to his dagger. For a no-level-restriction, one-star weapon, a total attack power of 13 was insane.

'A Unique dungeon?' he pondered.

His defense was now close to 25, thanks to his Epic gear and enhancements. That meant he could afford to take a hit or two from most monsters without having to dodge. The only lingering concern was his base stats.

"If only I could get ten more points from somewhere."

With a small stat boost, he'd be ready to challenge a Unique dungeon anytime. He scanned his activated abilities.

[Achievement Information (6)]

▷ 6 achievements on record. Basic Achievement Effect Lv1 is active. Next Level (6/10)

▷ 1 Rare achievement on record. Collective effects not yet active. (1/10)

▷ 2 Epic achievements on record. Collective effects not yet active. (2/5)

▷ 1 Special achievement on record. Collective effects not yet active. (1/5)

▷ Basic Achievement Effect Lv1

→ Strength +1, Stamina +1

"Huh?"

He felt like he'd just found the answer.

* * *

[24:00:00]

▷ (L) Wait for Free Gold effect is active.

▷ (L) VIP1 Skill: A Cornucopia of Daily Gifts! effect is active.

[You have acquired 3 gold.]

[You have acquired 'VIP1 Attendance Box (2)'.]

With his increased Gold Power, the number of daily attendance boxes he received had also grown. After opening the first one, he hadn't expected much, but considering the potions inside would cost a small fortune at the Dungeon Store, it wasn't a bad daily reward. It was like a fortune cookie. He could just open it and see what he got.

[EXP 2x Coupon]

▶ Grade: Unique

▶ Duration: 3 hours

▷ Upon use, EXP gain is doubled.

▷ Note: Identical coupons cannot be used concurrently.

Even if it wasn't something he could sell, items like this were a huge boost to his growth.

'The Gold Maker system would probably turn this into a gold 2x coupon for me, right?'

Today was a day for experiments.

"First things first. When your specs go up, you have to see how much stronger you've gotten."

[You have acquired 'Lesser Fishing Bait (5)'.]

[You have acquired 'Beginner's Safe Campfire (2)'.]

[You have acquired 'Lesser Healing Potion (3)'.]

[You have acquired 'EXP 2x Coupon'.]

It was a perfect day for an experiment.

3.

After nearly a week in a dungeon, Jeong Seora headed straight for the guild house. As a player, head of operations, and vice guild master, she couldn't afford to focus solely on dungeoneering. This was the life she had chosen. While she enjoyed leveling up and clearing dungeons, her true passion was in managing the guild founded by her father—the man she respected most—and elevating it to become the best in South Korea. Upon her return, she chose work over rest.

"Anything out of the ordinary?" she asked her team.

The employees, accustomed to her routine, delivered their reports efficiently. Her refusal to rest immediately after a dungeon run was a testament to her dedication and a source of trust among her subordinates. They knew she would never neglect her duties as a player.

The first report she checked among the mountain of paperwork was Kim Buja's.

"Another Epic dungeon?"

"Yes. He entered under the same conditions as his first one."

"So Epic is his baseline now," she murmured, impressed.

She herself had just returned from a four-star Epic dungeon, but she'd had a party of eight and a support team of twenty. Normally, clearing an Epic dungeon was a monumental undertaking that happened only a few times a year, requiring months of research and flawless preparation. It took that level of coordination to clear one without casualties and claim the items within, which could be worth billions. Yet Buja was treating them like a walk in the park, even if they were only one-star.

"Has any player ever cleared three Epic dungeons in a row right after Awakening?"

A handful of top-tier players worldwide might have, but she'd never heard of anyone progressing at such a blistering pace right from the start.

'Maybe this is normal for Legendary Class players.'

The thought that his class might be something truly extraordinary crossed her mind again. As she made a mental note to ask him, an employee corrected her.

"It wasn't his third."

"What?"

"It was his fourth."

"No way."

"He completed a five-day survival dungeon, took a single day off, and entered a boss subjugation dungeon four hours ago."

The math was simple. It was entirely possible that for his fifth dungeon, Buja would attempt a Unique-grade clear. Solo.

"That's unbelievable."

One-star dungeons were far from easy. In fact, most players considered them the ultimate test of individual skill, where fighting technique and survival instincts were paramount. Gear helped, but for a player under level ten, personal ability was what truly mattered. And there was no better way to showcase that ability than in a solo-entry dungeon.

Suddenly, it all clicked into place. She understood why Buja was so fixated on solo runs.

'He's putting on a show.'

Whether it was for her or for a world that had yet to notice him, he was making a statement. As a longtime subscriber to his old video channel, she recognized the pattern.

"I need to have a serious talk with the Guild Master."

Seora stood, her expression resolute. But her determination was cut short.

"Ma'am! You need to see this!" an employee shouted, his voice uncharacteristically urgent.

She turned, and her eyes widened as she saw the reason for the commotion.

"Mr. Kim Buja is out."

"Dad!" Seora's voice, sharp with urgency, echoed through the guild headquarters.

* * *

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