One SSS Affix per Level: My Novice Club Can Slay Gods!

"Why does he get all that?! I was just helping an old lady look for her cat!"

"I spent forever running errands and only got three copper coins! He kills a bunch of people and gets an entire equipment set?"

"Brothers, I understand now. The correct way to play the Novice Town is to find someone and start swinging."

Irina ignored the commotion among the players.

She continued looking at John.

"Our exchange just now was merely a test."

"You have considerable skill, and no shortage of courage."

"If you are willing, I can make an exception and allow you to join the Blackstone City Guard."

She paused briefly.

"As vice-captain."

The moment those words left her mouth, the surrounding players erupted even more violently.

"Vice-captain?!"

"He’s becoming a government employee ten minutes after launch?"

"And he gets an official position in the knight order?"

"Why him? Because his briefs can glow?" a jealous player shouted.

John, however, did not immediately accept.

Joining the City Guard certainly sounded appealing.

The problem was that his most important priorities right now were leveling up and acquiring more Affixes.

An official position might appear attractive in the early game, but in practice, it would only bind him with responsibilities.

John shook his head.

"No."

"I don’t want to join any organization."

Irina did not seem surprised, nor did she attempt to persuade him further.

"I respect your decision."

"However, I have another commission for you."

John looked at her.

"What’s the reward?"

The corner of Irina’s mouth seemed to move slightly.

"You will be well compensated."

John nodded.

"Go on."

Irina turned and looked toward the northern side of the town.

A vast range of black mountains stretched across the horizon. Beneath the gloomy sky, it resembled an enormous sleeping beast.

"The lifeblood of Blackstone is its blackstone ore."

"It is a rare mineral that reacts violently with the fire element. It is also the foundation of Blackstone’s trade and military supplies."

"However, an accident occurred in our largest ore vein one month ago."

"None of the people sent inside to investigate ever returned."

"We can now only mine the smaller veins around it, and our output has fallen to less than thirty percent of what it once was."

She turned back toward John.

"I want you to investigate the main vein."

"At the very least, discover what happened inside."

A system notification immediately appeared.

[Ding! You have triggered the A-rank hidden quest: Shadow over Blackstone Mine!]

[Quest Objective: Investigate the anomaly within Blackstone Mine’s main ore vein.]

[Level Requirement: Lv. 5.]

[Do you wish to accept?]

John stared at the words "A-rank hidden quest."

He did not hesitate.

[Accepted.]

Irina removed a silver-black badge from her waist and tossed it toward him.

John raised a hand and caught it.

[You have obtained a special token: City Guard Badge.]

[While carrying this badge, you may enter the Blackstone City Guard Headquarters.]

Irina mounted her horse.

Before leaving, she glanced at John once more.

Her gaze paused briefly on his White Briefs.

"One more thing."

John looked up.

Irina spoke calmly.

"Put some clothes on."

"If you run around the town half-naked again, you will be fined five gold coins."

With that, she pulled on the reins.

The cavalry formation swiftly turned around and rode away along the street.

The sound of hoofbeats gradually faded.

John remained where he was.

He looked down at himself, then at the crowd that had yet to disperse.

The players’ eyes were still shining brightly. They clearly intended to continue watching.

Some of them had even activated their recording functions.

Expressionlessly, John bent down and picked up a broken brick from the ground.

He tossed it into the air.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

Then he looked up at the crowd.

"Never seen a body this good before?"

The crowd fell silent for a second.

John raised his wrist as though preparing to throw the brick.

"Why are you still here?"

Whoosh!

The surrounding players immediately scattered.

...

After the crowd had disappeared, John finally opened his inventory and examined the B-rank Squire’s Set he had just received.

A moment later, he let out a long breath.

Finally.

He would no longer have to rely on a pair of briefs to preserve his dignity.

[Squire’s Set]

[Quality: B Rank]

[Includes: Squire’s Tunic, Squire’s Trousers, Squire’s Gloves, Squire’s Boots]

[Total Set Attributes: Physical Defense +48, Magic Defense +46]

[Special Effects: None]

Silver-gray light armor quickly covered his body.

A tunic.

Trousers.

Gloves.

Boots.

Although it was only a Squire’s Set, John’s overall appearance finally changed from "half-naked pervert" to "budget knight."

John rotated his wrists.

Not bad.

He could barely feel the equipment’s weight.

He reopened his status panel.

[Player: Endbringer]

[Level: Lv. 3]

[Class: The Forsaken]

[Talent: God-rank Supreme Evolution]

[HP: 200 — Constitution 20 × 10]

[MP: 100 — Wisdom 10 × 10]

[Physical Attack: 1,020]

[Spell Power: 10]

[Strength: 10]

[Constitution: 20]

[Agility: 10]

[Wisdom: 10]

[Physical Defense: 68 — Constitution 20 × 1 + Squire’s Set 48]

[Magic Defense: 66 — Constitution 20 × 1 + Squire’s Set 46]

[Skills: None]

[Equipment: Novice Club, Wooden Board Shield, White Briefs, Squire’s Set]

[Current EXP: 700/800]

John looked at his defensive attributes and nodded in satisfaction.

During the Novice Town stage, most players began with only one hundred HP.

A single equipment set that provided nearly fifty points of both Physical and Magic Defense was already absurdly powerful.

It was practically the equivalent of wearing half an extra life.

His current experience was locked at 700 out of 800 at Level 3.

He needed only another one hundred experience points to reach Level 4.

The hidden quest, Shadow over Blackstone Mine, required him to reach Level 5 before he could officially proceed.

He was not far away.

John opened the map.

The location of Blackstone Mine had already been marked in the northeastern corner.

To reach it from Blackstone, he would have to pass through several leveling zones.

The low-level zone.

The mid-level zone.

The Wildgrass Slope.

And the outskirts of the Abandoned Mine Tunnels.

The route was clear.

He would fight his way through.

Level up, obtain more Affixes, and make his way toward the mine at the same time.

Perfect.

John closed the map, rested the Novice Club on his shoulder, and headed toward the town gates.

...

Outside Blackstone lay the low-level training zone.

It was intended for players below Level 5.

In theory, it was perfectly suited for beginners.

In practice, it was not suitable at all.

There were simply too many people.

Players could be found everywhere—across the grasslands, beside piles of rocks, and around the edges of the small forest.

Several players were crouched outside the same rabbit burrow, staring fixedly at the entrance as though waiting for their long-lost father to respawn.

A gray rabbit had only just poked its head out.

The next second—

A fireball, an arrow, a wooden club, and a dagger struck it simultaneously.

The rabbit had not even managed to see the world clearly before more than a dozen players sent it away.

"Who stole my monster?!"

"Bullshit! I clearly locked onto it first!"

"Why is a Priest fighting over rabbits?"

"What’s wrong with being a Priest? Priests aren’t allowed to eat meat?"

John shook his head as he watched them.

Ordinary quests were not worth doing.

Low-level monsters were impossible to claim.

Just as he had expected, this place held no value for him whatsoever.

He did not stop.

Instead, he passed directly through the low-level zone and continued deeper into the wilderness.

Before long, the number of nearby players visibly decreased.

A broad grassland stretched ahead of him.

The grass grew so tall that it nearly reached a person’s chest.

Whenever the wind blew, waves rippled through the grass, accompanied by the occasional low breathing of wild beasts hidden within.

This was the mid-level training zone.

Most of the monsters here ranged from Level 5 to Level 10.

For players who had entered the game only a short while ago, this was already considered dangerous territory.

Those who dared to come here were either players with powerful combat Classes, skilled independent players, or members of real-world gaming guilds.

This was the true frontline of the game’s early progression.

John walked through the grass for a while before suddenly hearing the sounds of battle ahead.

He parted the tall grass and saw an open clearing.

At the center of the clearing, a four-person party was surrounding and attacking a crimson wolf.

Three women and one man.