2.

He had one week. Kim Buja visited the Jeongcheol Guild House for the first time in a while.

"Are you confident?" Jeong Cheol asked.

Kim Buja boldly returned the question. "How about you, mister? Do you believe in me?"

He wasn't chided for his familiar tone with the Guild Master. Jeong Cheol didn't care much for titles. Besides, ever since the thought had crossed his mind that he might one day be called 'Father-in-law,' he'd actually started hoping Kim Buja would stick with 'mister.'

"You're a rookie worth believing in," Jeong Cheol answered seriously. "Not many players get mentioned in the same breath as Fly, especially when it comes to the International Competition."

Personal feelings aside, there was ample reason to send Kim Buja to the individual qualifiers—a once-a-year, perhaps even once-in-a-lifetime, opportunity.

"For the individual match, we'll have the advantage as long as we beat SJ."

Kim Buja had star power in spades. A vocal majority of the public wanted to see him in the individual competition, hoping to set up a dream match against Fly.

Kim Buja, the rising star whose meteoric ascent was reminiscent of Fly's early days. Fly, the current, undisputed king. A duel between two players proficient in both PVE and PVP. Was Buja the heir apparent, or a threat that would force Fly to watch his back? It was the perfect stage to settle the debate.

"So, we plan to go all-in on the team match," Jeong Cheol declared.

"Well, that's a heavy weight to put on my shoulders," Buja replied.

In any contest, the weight of experience could not be ignored. Even with little PVP history, the skills and savvy honed from countless monster battles were significant. The higher a player's level, the more profound that experience became. It was often said that monsters in high-grade dungeons were stronger and smarter than players; for those who fought them regularly, facing another player felt almost relaxing.

The Jeongcheol Guild was a small, elite force that boasted the highest average level in Korea. Yet, bypassing all of their seasoned, high-level veterans, Kim Buja—only level 7—would take the spot in the individual match.

"I believe in you," Jeong Cheol said, his tone leaving no room for doubt. "All of our guild members do."

He made it clear the decision had been unanimous.

"Wow, the pressure is no joke."

It was a heart-touching moment. Realizing once again how this small guild had climbed so high, Kim Buja hardened his own resolve.

"Anyway, I'll do my best. I came here with dreams of making it big, so I have to uphold the contract and hit the jackpot for myself, too." With his determination renewed, he made a bold request. "So, about that. I think I might need a few items to prepare for this individual match."

It was a sharp attack, perfectly timed to pierce the heartwarming atmosphere. It would be hard to refuse. Even the most cold-headed people are swayed by affection, by the warmth of camaraderie.

"Item effects are normalized anyway, so what items?" Jeong Cheol shot back flatly. "Stop with the useless tricks and go prepare."

"Tsk."

Unfortunately, it seemed Buja wasn't quite family yet.

"Pfft."

Hearing Jeong Seora's stifled laugh beside him, Kim Buja shrugged and backed off without another word.

"Well then, let's do our best, Guild Master."

He hadn't come expecting anything in the first place.

'Guess it's time for a little shopping.'

He had no room to feel like he was lacking anything.

* * *

Was this what it felt like to get rich overnight? He'd gone from playing games in a studio apartment to living in a penthouse overlooking the Han River, but this was a different kind of satisfaction.

'What should I buy?'

Truthfully, when all that money had hit his bank account, he hadn't felt much desire for luxury. The guild contract had already provided the typical male fantasies—a house, a car, nice clothes. He had also extorted a fortune from Park Sijun, and his global assets were substantial.

He didn't want to buy anything, because anything he needed was readily available. The most he could do was flaunt his wealth on social media and bask in the envy of others. It was a good way to kill time, but he knew how meaningless it was. He was already getting attention for his skill in dungeons, not his money. The cash in his bank was just a safety net.

But gold was different. It didn't pour in all at once; its uses were endless, and no matter how much he spent, it was never enough. Most importantly, there was one clear difference from real money: the more he spent, the more he could see himself grow.

'Just how much stronger can I get with 8,000 gold?'

Of course, he could get stronger just by buying items. Other players saved up money like their lives depended on it for that very reason, just as he saved up gold.

'For now, I'll put off Wait for Free Gold again.'

He was willing to convert his cash into items eventually, but the value of high-end gear had skyrocketed, making it difficult to find anything worthwhile with his current earnings.

Everyone prefers tangible growth. That's why he valued gold more highly and spent it with much greater care.

This time was no different. Determined not to waste a single coin, he fell into deep thought. He hadn't even been to a dungeon, yet he found himself back at the player hospital, submerged in the special bath. The warmth and the medicinal herbs from the dungeon water stimulated his circulation.

'8,000 gold for something that will help within ten days, with stats being normalized.'

It wasn't easy. This wasn't a problem he could solve with quick thinking alone.

If he were just trying to raise his specs, the options were endless. The gold required to level up his skills kept increasing, and 8,000 gold could now vanish with a few clicks. Yet, in certain contexts, that amount was still immense. That was the advantage of having such diverse content.

However, not all of that content would help him in the stat-normalized qualifiers. The videos that had mesmerized the public were a product of his skill, yes, but also the stats from his class and the effects of his items. Two of those three pillars were being taken away.

Against players with higher base stats, this might seem advantageous for someone like him who was confident in his superior skill. But his opponents would use their class advantages to close that gap. A Legendary Class built for growth versus a Special Class built for combat—it was no contest.

He had to choose wisely. He had to find a way for the Gold Maker to shine even when the playing field was leveled. He opened his skill list.

"Soul Harvest is useless."

It had zero value in a 1v1 duel.

"The Event Shop is out, too."

Using it would be tantamount to revealing his class secrets to the entire world.

"Today's Mission, Wait for Free Gold, Daily Gifts Galore, VIP Level..."

Nothing particularly helpful stood out.

"I guess I can count skills out."

They were all for growth, fitting the theme of his class. He boldly dismissed them as an option. That was fine. He had other things to work with.

"As I thought, raising my true base stats is the best bet."

Achievements, Constellations, Pets, Enhancement. These systems strengthened the abilities permanently tied to his character just by spending gold. They had a direct impact on combat and, if they worked as he hoped, they would be a cheat code, adding bonuses on top of the normalized stats.

"Still, just in case..."

He hadn't tested it, so he couldn't be certain. But if base stats, items, and even standard achievement rewards were all normalized, it was highly likely that class-specific systems would be exempt. To restrict those would be like cutting off the arms and legs of any class with buff skills.

To him, weren't these systems a type of buff? Passive buffs that were always active without costing magic. Just those alone were significant. And even if everything else was blocked, if Enhancement alone applied, he would have a massive advantage.

'So, that's the baseline assumption.'

The assumption that the match would be based on pure skill was meaningless. If that were true, there would be no point in preparing at all. The very reason he and countless others were training so hard was because, even behind the word 'normalization,' there was disparity.

Class. The one thing a player could never change. In the end, the system was a luck-based crapshoot from the moment of awakening. There were no bugs or errors, but finding and exploiting loopholes was entirely up to the player. The vague descriptions and unfriendly progression made it all perfectly legal.

And so, he had to choose.

"Ha," he sighed. "There's no end to this RNG-based power-up bullshit."

The first thing that came to mind was Enhancement. Nothing was as effective, and no combat ability was more noticeable. As for Constellations, they were currently just a tool for leveling up his 'Wait for Free Gold' skill. Achievements were also unlikely to yield tangible results in just one week.

That left only one other option that could stand against Enhancement.

'Pets... do I really have to touch this?'

The fact that he was even agonizing over this felt pathetic.

'Gacha and enhancements. To think this garbage content is the most efficient way to power up my class.'

In a way, his class was remarkably balanced. Rapid growth came with the risk of probability, while the slower, effort-based upgrades were stable and rewarding. The way they stacked over time suggested that steady growth would eventually surpass the gains from RNG.

But when faced with an immediate hurdle, he had no choice but to bet on probability.

Enhancement and gacha. A life-or-death deliberation began between these two titans of the RNG world.

* * *

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