1.

He sniped from a distance with his bow, then switched to daggers for the ensuing melee. While the gap between his Special-grade bow and Epic-grade daggers was significant, his 'Beginner's Dagger' was an exclusive Gold Maker weapon, its power amplified by his Gold Power. Even though its attack rating was less than half that of the bow, the twin blades were more than enough to handle enemies up close. The seamless flow of combat—switching between bow, daggers, and the power of his Legendary necklace—left viewers breathless.

[How does he use a bow and daggers like that? They both look like his main weapon.]

—And he's not using any obvious skills.

—Could it be he has a dual class?

—They exist, but his proficiency is just off the charts.

Most importantly, his actions never made viewers question his decisions. That was the cardinal sin of dungeon streaming. The moment an audience felt a scene was being staged for the camera, their immersion would shatter, and they'd click away. People had been both excited and worried. 'Is he pushing himself too hard just for show? Is he just going to fire a few arrows and then do all the real work with his daggers?' But not a single comment of that nature appeared.

Every action in the video was logical and understandable. The thought of it being staged never even crossed their minds, because his strategy was pure common sense, applicable anywhere from a video game to a real battlefield. You weakened the enemy from a distance when you could, then switched to whatever gave you the best odds of survival up close. Even real-world wars followed this principle. The only reason this perfectly logical display was so astonishing was that Kim Buja was doing it all alone, and unlike a movie where actors pull their punches, these monsters were real, and he was dodging every lethal attack.

[He's not dodging everything, so how is he taking no damage?]

—His armor must be at least Unique-grade too.

—The guy is insane. He's got the gear and the skills to back it up.

His movements were theoretically possible for anyone, yet his execution was flawless, his offense and defense unhesitating. There was a very good reason the video was racking up views so quickly.

[Wait, Buja's cleared a ton of dungeons, all Epic or higher. Shouldn't he be close to level 10 by now? Why is he still 1-star?]

—Leveling isn't that fast, dude. He's probably almost there, though.

Watching his relentless hunt, people began to speculate. He had to be grinding so hard for a reason.

—He's preparing for 2-star dungeons. Maybe he's leveling up to take on a Legendary dungeon before he ranks up.

* * *

"Yes! Finally got it all."

▶ Gold Owned: 1,004G

Leveling up was the last thing on Kim Buja's mind; he'd all but given up on the idea. Ignoring the stubborn number '1' next to his level, he basked in the warm glow of his one thousand gold. In a way, the whole endeavor had been a pointless grind. He wasn't running dungeons to gain experience like other players, nor was he farming for better items—the odds of finding an upgrade for his current gear were practically zero. Even the primary motivation for most players, making money, no longer held the same appeal.

Ever since his bank account had crossed into the millions, his perception of cash had become numb. And the money just kept rolling in. If his second video performed as well as his first, he'd be making hundreds of millions from his channel alone, placing him among the most successful 1-star players in the country.

The only reason he could enjoy such a seemingly meaningless grind was his special class: Gold Maker. Even without it, he would have worked just as hard to level up, but the fact that every kill contributed to a different kind of growth coin—all while filming for profit—made the process incredibly rewarding. And today, after all that repetitive work, was the day he would finally see the fruits of his labor.

"Let's do this."

He already knew exactly where the gold was going.

['VIP' Level has increased.]

[Due to the influence of Gold Power (5), the level-up cost has been discounted by 50 Gold (5%).]

[950 Gold has been used.]

This was just the beginning. No matter how he looked at it, he was still a level-1 newbie stuck in 1-star dungeons, but the hologram itself was proof of how far he'd come. A mere five points in Gold Power had saved him fifty gold. Considering the ever-increasing number of skills and features that would require gold, it was a stark reminder of just how crucial that stat was. If he could buy Gold Power directly, he would have poured every last coin into it. The system notifications continued.

[You have become 'VIP Level 3'.]

['VIP Level 3' benefits have been granted.]

[You have achieved the 'Achievement: Tutorial Complete! (L)'.]

[You have acquired 5 All Stat Points.]

[You have acquired 3 Special Stat Points.]

This was even more shocking than the 50 gold rebate. 'Wow, this was the tutorial?'

If completing VIP Level 3 triggered a "Tutorial Complete" achievement, it meant everything up to this point had been nothing more than the training wheels for the Gold Maker Class. His surprise quickly morphed into giddy anticipation. 'If the tutorial was this good, then what in the world…'

What incredible features awaited him now? And how much more gold would the system demand he earn? He let out a sigh that was equal parts excitement and exhaustion.

['VIP3 Skill' has been activated.]

['Gold Shop' has been activated.]

['Today's Mission!' level has increased.]

['Daily Gifts Galore!' level has increased.]

His worries vanished as the new content was revealed. 'What could it be?' The names gave him a hint, but he resisted the urge to jump to conclusions and decided to explore them one by one.

"Is this everything?"

For an achievement heralding the true start of his journey, only the 'Gold Shop' seemed entirely new. 'This looks promising.'

But he wasn't disappointed. He hadn't expected much from the previous VIP levels either, and they hadn't unlocked a flood of new features. The true power of the Gold Maker was in the synergy that built up as each new piece was unlocked and integrated with the others. He cautiously opened the system's gift box. His jaw hit the floor.

* * *

The Gold Shop was so incredible that it felt like a worthy reward for completing the tutorial of a Legendary Class. After the Gold Enhancement and Pet System, he had wondered if anything could top them. This was more than satisfying. 'I can buy food. Food.'

Nothing else mattered.

[Gold Shop]

▶ Grade: Legendary

▶ Classification: VIP3 Skill

▶ Level: 1

▷ You can use 500 Gold to level up.

He opened the Level-1 Gold Shop, and a hologram resembling an online supermarket materialized before him. The sheer number of items, neatly organized into categories, was staggering. As the shop had just been activated, gear with special options like weapons and armor was locked, but he couldn't care less. At this stage, equipment wasn't his priority. 'I can probably just leave this at level 1.'

Food. Daily necessities. Based on what was available in the level-1 shop alone, the Gold Shop had already proven its worth. In fact, he even began to question whether it was worth spending a staggering 500 gold to level it up. 'Totally worth saving up a thousand gold for this.'

Every time he'd looked at his balance, he'd fought the temptation to spend it on 'Wait for Free Gold,' 'Daily Gifts Galore,' or 'Gold Enhancement.' He'd forced himself to endure by not even looking at his gold total. He'd been so desperate for an outlet that he'd even considered dumping it into Hwangdo. But after two long weeks of patience, he had finally unlocked VIP Level 3 and the Gold Shop. 'You're a hundred times better than this little freeloader,' he cooed.

"Kkyuuu!"

Hwangdo, who had been enjoying a hot bath with him, squawked in protest. Buja completely ignored it and cautiously made a purchase.

[1 Gold has been used.]

[You have purchased a 'Hamburger'.]

He didn't have to wonder which of the world's countless hamburger varieties the shop would offer; simply selecting 'Hamburger' brought up a menu where he could choose the brand and specific type. Considering he only got six free gold a day, one gold for a single meal felt steep. But the moment a hot, fresh hamburger materialized before him like a dropped item, any thought of the cost evaporated. 'If I never have to worry about supplies in a dungeon, how could I possibly die?'

The number one logistical nightmare for any player was inventory management. No matter how magically lightened their bags were, food was dead weight for players who needed to be as unencumbered as possible to survive. On long expeditions, subsisting on the same bland canned goods day after day also took a toll on one's stamina and morale. This solved everything. Nutrition aside, the psychological boost from a good meal was a priceless luxury. For Buja, it was paradise. 'I could live in a dungeon forever.'

His satisfaction was boundless. As he explored further, he saw the benefits of upgrading the shop for 500 gold, and his excitement grew. 'Buff food, huh. The moment I have gold to spare, I'm upgrading the shop first.'

At this point, he wondered if his class was Shop Maker, not Gold Maker. Maybe the whole point of the class was to give a player the means to open and grow this shop. Food that boosted stats, drinks that restored health and increased attack power—the temptation to unlock them was so strong he could taste it. These items wouldn't just help his own dungeon clears.

"I'm going to be filthy rich."

If he could trade these items with other players, he could become wealthy in a way that transcended mere money. His very value as a player would skyrocket. Just as he was finishing his review for the day, about to step out of the bath, he froze.

"Huh?"

He had just discovered that the gift for finishing the tutorial wasn't just one thing. The Gold Shop, it turned out, was merely the first rest stop on the long road ahead.

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