MONSTER MMORPG: Mayhem Online

Wooooooooosh!

A cold wind brushed past my face. The whistling of the wind in a desolate cave like this sure sounds like a ghost's howl. I hope that a ghost doesn't suddenly pop out of nowhere.

Tak Tak Tak

Why do my footsteps sound incredibly eerie today?

Looking around, I can see the wide passage of the cave. After six months of continuous and arduous grinding, I finally reached my destination.

The notifications in front of me are proof of it.

[You're the first one to discover this hidden zone. For the next week, all types of drops and rewards are increased by 275%.]

[Field Boss Zone: Cave of Eclipse Keeper]

[The level gap between the player and boss is too wide, the player is advised to return.]

[You've entered a high-level boss zone, all movements, skills, and item effects are reduced to 30%.]

[The atmosphere is too cold, you'll continue to lose HP when you stay in the boss zone.]

[It is impossible to log out in a boss zone, you've to get out of the boss zone to log out.]

[Wyvern Prytiz, The Keeper of Eclipse, is a master of ice. All types of ice-related magic and skill effects will be reduced to 30% during combat.]

Shiver

What am I doing in this dangerous zone again? Who was it that told me I could get a hidden class if I explored the game's secrets?

For the last six months, I've abandoned leveling up. As a result, my level has only gone up by 1 or 2 levels.

After spending months looking for secrets of the game, I finally built up enough affinity with an old NPC, who told me about a legend regarding this icy mountain that nobody comes to.

Most of the players were still busy with their main quests and building up fame in the capital of Crisedia, leaving places like Bounty Village for players like me who preferred to adventure and discover secrets and new places in the hopes of making a sudden fortune.

Here I was, adventuring through a frozen mountain cave on Cannery Peaks, way above my current level.

I'd have already turned my tail and ran away if I didn't see that one particular notification amongst everything else.

[Wyvern Prytiz seems to be guarding something, beware.]

This was a clear indication for players that he was hiding some kind of treasure.

All these months of gaming would be worth it if I could find even one piece of treasure from such a place. I'd strike it rich in a single night.

Sneakily walking through the cave, I unequipped the mountain climbing crampons. They would only make more noise to alert the Wyvern.

Just for this trip, I spent all my in-game money and bought a set of equipment for mountain climbing, from ropes and harnesses to crampons. I had come prepared.

Just as I took a step more, a cold wind passed by me like a truck, almost freezing my bones. Looking in the direction where the wind came from, My body froze.

A huge blue-winged lizard was sleeping with its leathery eyes closed. Its sharp dragon-like face was resting on its fearsome-looking winged hands. A thorn-like pattern followed from its head to its sturdy tail with an arrow-like end.

'It's sleeping.'

I consoled myself. It's been months since I've been out to hit it somehow big. This right here was my chance. I can't walk out empty-handed now after getting so close to whatever treasure this giant lizard was hiding.

Just as I was busy thinking that, my eyes fell on the other side of the cave. Behind the Wyvern was a huge boulder, a palm-sized purple blade was dug into it.

'Fuck yes!'

'I finally found something. This will change my life once and for all. After all, a huge Wyvern is guarding it, it has to be precious. I'll sell it and become rich.'

Even though I had found something, I couldn't be hasty about it. I have to be cautious so that I don't get detected by this sleeping lizard.

Holding my breath, I walked very slowly in large strides. Put my one leg carefully and only move the other one when I've steadied myself.

After a few minutes, I could clearly see the blade.

'What the actual fuck is this? Isn't this just a hunter's blade?'

A hunter's blade was the most typical equipment that almost every person in-game carried around, regardless of their class. Because it had the effect of dealing more damage to beast type monsters. In fact, I have one of them in my inventory even right now.

The purple and shining blade dug into a boulder in the middle of nowhere and guarded by a high-level boss monster was just an ordinary hunter's blade.

'Scam, a fucking scam!'

I couldn't control my boiling self at the absurdity of the situation.

'Fuck, calm down. It must be something special if it's guarded like this. Yes! It had to be something of astronomical value!'

Drawing a last straw of hope, I went further and pulled the blade out of the boulder with all my might, and that seemed to be unnecessary as I fell back onto the ground with the blade in my hand.

Thud!

It was supposed to be a treasure stuck into the boulder so hard that normal people couldn't even dream of taking it out with their low-grade strength!

This felt like a scam with every passing minute. But, I could just pray to God that it was at least worth something.

I immediately checked the item description. Although all the odds were already laughing in my face, I still had a glimmer of hope inside me, after all, a random wise person once said—

"Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness."

And so I hoped that this item for which I risked my life– in-game life, was at least something worth all the hardships I went through.

[Hunter's Blade]

[+12 physical/magical damage

+5% extra damage to beast type monsters even when stored in inventory

Item Description- A basic equipment to guard yourself against beast-type monsters. Nothing Special.]

I was just about to curse out loud when I felt a shadow above me. Cold sweat trickled down my spine even in this chilly atmosphere.

I didn't even bother turning back and immediately ran towards the entrance I came from, the Wyvern nowhere to be seen on the way.

____ ____ ____

Prytiz looked at the human who had dared invade his territory when he was asleep. He didn't bother running after the human. If he wanted, he could catch up to the human anytime.

He was about to go back to sleep when he saw something shining in the running human's hand. A purple-colored blade. Rage instantly boiled inside Prytiz's eyes as he let out a menacing roar.

ROAARRRRRRRRRRR!!

Just a few inches above his eyes, a shining silver mark appeared. It looked like a square doodle. Soon something shiny shot out of it and instantly caught up with the human, ignoring him and diving right into the blade he was running with.

The human didn't notice this as he was busy running for his life without looking back.

____ ____ ____

ROAARRRRRRRRRRR!!

'Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Why are you getting all hyper just for a hunter's blade? What the heck is wrong with this rotten luck of mine. FUCK!'

As I was busy cursing and running for life, notifications started to pop up in front of me.

[Use the item 'Hunter's Blade' and change your class into a hidden class.]

[All pain calibrators are increased to 100% for the time being.]

[Do you want to use the item 'Hunter's Blade'?]

[Yes] [No]

What was all this? A hidden class? Wasn't that something super rare? How did I chance upon an item that could grant a hidden class?

'I'm going to be filthy rich. I'm going to be filthy rich. I'm going to be filthy rich!'

'I would never use such an item for myself. I'd sell it to those rich fat companies and earn a fortune.'

Suddenly, all my hard work didn't feel that pain anymore.

As I was busy thinking about the bright future, I had considerably slowed down, forgetting the reality of the situation I was in.

A shadow loomed just above me, and this time I looked up to see two fearsome snake-like golden eyes looking down on me.

Gulp!

I couldn't help but gulp. This shit was scary!

I didn't even get any time to decide what to do as the Wyvern shot an icy breath towards me. I instantly jumped behind a huge rock, regretting it right immediately as the rock shattered into nothingness.

"Fuck! Dude, Why are you using a Holy sword just to butcher a chicken?"

Even as I complained, I was running inside the cave again as the entrance was blocked by the Wyvern. The thought of trying to fight it never crossed my mind.

The '???' above its head indicated that it was an opponent far, far above my level.

[Prytiz has entered an enraged state, dying in his domain will make you lose all your levels and items in your inventory.]

Wait, What?

What is this? Isn't this too absurd? Are the developers trying to bully me on purpose? Are they targeting me to make fun of me so that they can laugh while having a sweet, sweet cup of coffee?

It clearly said that dying here will make him lose all his items and levels, meaning even the hard-earned class change item will be dropped!

Since it was like this, It is better to take the class for myself, and maybe I will get a class that can help me get out of this absurd situation.

[Do you want to use the item 'Hunters Blade' and change your class into a hidden class?]

[Yes] [No]

Yes!

[Please stab your heart with the item 'Hunter's Blade' to change your class.]

What?

ROAARRRRRRRRRRR!!

Fuck, I'm going to die either way.

I gripped the purple blade tightly and stabbed it at my own heart.

AAARGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!

I forgot the pain calibrators were increased to the max…Fuck the developers.

A stinging pain hit my heart as the blade pierced and punctured it like pudding.

What is this absurd amount of pain....

____ ____ ____

As soon as he struck his heart, a brilliant white light started shining from his pierced chest and the Hunter's Blade. Countless notifications passed in front of his eyes, but he couldn't focus on them while suffering from the unbearable pain.

____ ____ ____

Later that day, the media worldwide went into an uproar talking about the world's most popular VRMMORPG game, Mayhem.

The game was a virtual reality game officially dubbed the second life of humanity. It had everything one could hope for in-game, with an option to withdraw game currency into real cash! Moreover, it successfully gathered top businesses and government funding alike, receiving the utmost support a game could have.

It's been a year since the game's launch, and many of its players have become more popular than top superstars of the world.

But today, the heated discussion wasn't about those top players or the famous kingdoms of the game. Rather the topic of discussion was something else entirely.

One of the top channels of America, STS News–

"We have just received news that [Mayhem], the game which is being played by almost one-third of the world's population and is popular for its unending mysteries, one, the players have finally surpassed more than 2 billion people and is the first one to receive a legendary class in-game."

From Brazil, CBT News–

"The players of [Mayhem] from all around the world have recently received a world message mentioning the birth of a Legendary Class, The message was as follows–

[Rejoice as the blade of the Sage has found a new wielder, A new legend has been born on the Central Continent.]

[An unknown player has acquired the hidden Legendary Class: Dulwak's Heir']

From Korea, WS TV–

"The new Legendary class in [Mayhem] has already become the talk of the world and the envy of billions of players. Famous Guilds from all over the world are on the lookout for the player. Everybody wants a piece of this huge pie, namely the new Legendary Class."

Meanwhile—

[Delta, Utah] [United States]

A man in his early twenties got out of a VR capsule with a sour look. The room was already half-packed just from the capsule.

Instead of freshening up or getting something to eat, the man unfolded the couch beside the capsule and fell face-first into it.

Minutes later, a snoring sound resounded throughout the room.