Chapter 20: Frica’s Hero (2)
California, USA was where many gaming companies established their base. Pegasus, which had become one of the world’s leading companies, was also located there.
The meeting room in the high-rise building, where the West's freedom and sophistication perfectly blended, had an atmosphere that was considerably heavier than usual.
"Have you looked into it?"
When the middle-aged blonde Caucasian seated at the head of the table asked, and a young beautiful woman nodded, presenting her report.
"Yes. The player's name is Han Jung-Woo. He was level 46 when he changed his class to a Solaric Cleric. Currently, he is level 55 with 70% XP, and his activity record has been organized on the screen."
Beep.
As the woman clicked a remote, the screen lit up with neatly organized data. All of it was about Kai's good deeds and quests in the game.
"Hmm…."
Millionaire and CEO of Pegasus, Marco Fredrick, watched the screen for a while before slowly turning his head. "What do you think, Doctor?"
“....”
The man Marco questioned was an elder with white hair and beard.
After staring at the screen for a while, the old man said critically, "A waste of class."
"Hm? That's harsher than I expected. Why?"
"For a young man of this era, he's quite virtuous. That's probably why he was able to obtain that class." The elderly man irritably took off his glasses and glared at the screen. "But that's as far as it goes. His actions after obtaining the class are disappointing."
"Hahaha. There aren't many players that satisfy you, Doctor, are there? Please calm down. So, in your opinion, what's his potential for growth?"
"Growth potential?" the Doctor scoffed. "Well, if that fool doesn't find the right path eventually, he'll face Helik's judgment. The Solaric Cleric is a profession that requires constant acts of benevolence."
"I see. That's somewhat relieving, then."
"Yes. Moreover, since it wasn't acquired through a normal route, the class's power will only be about half of its original potential."
Hearing those words, Marco sighed in relief. The early release of the Mythic-class job had been a headache.
But if Doctor Jim is so confident, I guess I can stop worrying.
The elderly man in front of him was Jim Lewis. He was the genius scientist of the 21st century who had independently developed the super A.I. Ramus that operated MID Online, and was the game's general executive director. Therefore, his assurance was unquestionable.
"Then let's move on to the second report."
The screen, previously filled with Kai's activity records, changed. Next, a figure appeared, wearing a Full Plate Mail, a possession typically associated with Knights. Covered in black from head to toe, the term Black Knight suited no one better.
"The following report is about the player Yoo Ha-Rin."
The woman's report continued for about ten minutes, and the expressions of Marco and Doctor Jim hardened.
Marco asked with a serious look, "Doctor Jim, what do you think about this woman?"
"A genius." Doctor Jim confirmed with a decisive voice, "Of course beyond me, and even beyond what Ramus could imagine, she's a genius."
"A complete contrast to Mr. Han's evaluation. Of course, being ranked number one, she must have some talent..."
"No, it's not just because she's ranked number one. She has athletic abilities surpassing those of most athletes, a combat sense rare among modern people, and a sharp mind. It makes you wonder if she was born for this game."
Compared to the harsh words given to Han Jung-Woo, this was high praise. It carried even more weight because it came especially from Doctor Jim, who didn’t easily compliment people.
"She knows how to win in fights, without fail."
"What do you mean?"
Doctor Jim laughed as if he found Marco’s question funny, "Without getting hit even once, she makes all her attacks successful."
"Isn't that impossible?"
"Indeed, it was impossible."
Doctor Jim's gaze shifted to Yoo Ha-Rin on the screen.
"Don't tell me... are you saying she can do it?"
"MID Online has been released for just four months. Yoo Ha-Rin started a month later than others but has reached first rank. Closing a one-month gap isn't something easy to do."
"Hmm. The rate of content consumption is the issue," Marco sighed deeply, pressing his temples with a troubled expression. "Why do such players only emerge from Korea?"
To his question, the young beautiful woman shrugged and said, "Well, because Koreans live in Korea."
"....."
"....."
Neither Marco nor Doctor Jim could refute her statement. Korea, often called a gaming powerhouse and the country of gaming addicts, had never missed being number one in any game.
***
[Hero of Frica Village]
Rank: Special
Description: Title given to the one who resolved a crisis in Frica Village.
Effect: +3 All stats (This effect persists even when title is not equipped.)
Kai smiled contentedly. He had acquired special titles in succession! It was an event worth bragging about on community forums, even if it would be dismissed as a fabrication.
Well, I won't talk about it anyway, so it doesn’t matter.
Closing the title book, Kai opened the mini-map.
"Glendale. It's quite far."
Of course, he could easily travel using a teleport gate or a Town Transportation Scroll, but such things had never been greatly associated with Kai.
They’re too expensive.
He wasn't the type to use teleportation, which could cost hundreds of thousands in cash at a time.
Kai checked the mini-map and slowly walked. He enjoyed the scenery as he walked, fought monsters that appeared, rested by campfires, and sometimes used a music box to listen to music and enjoy the journey.
***
"Hello? Can you see me? Do you see me?"
The face of a cute girl with pink hair filled the screen.
She then greeted her audience with much excitement, "Hello, everyone! It's Aris, sniffing out exclusives for you as always!"
She made various cute faces, typical of an internet streamer. Interacting with viewers in real-time and dealing with unexpected situations were the charms of streaming. She had a good reputation among streamers for her cute appearance and relatively smooth hosting.
-You look pretty today too, unnie!
-Hi.
- Where is that?
-Stop pretending to be cute lol.
ㄴBut the thing is she really is cute.
-Isn't that Frica Village? I went there a while ago, seems right.
As she exchanged greetings with her viewers, her eyes sparkled. "Oh? Some of you already know! Yes, this is indeed Frica Village in the Kingdom of Rashion! Today, Aris has come here to personally investigate an intriguing rumor. Ta-da!"
A microphone, origin unknown, popped out of her inventory.
The viewers burst into laughter.
-Lol, when did you even make that?
-Do they make mics at a blacksmith's?
-Please, commission me, Colt, for it. My crafting skill is intermediate level 3. I’ll offer you a good price.
-What's the intriguing rumor?
Aris waved her microphone when she got the reaction she hoped for. "The interesting rumor is… that a new hero has emerged in Frica Village!"
The viewers' responses heated up instantly. The chat scrolled rapidly, making even the skilled streamer sweat to keep up.
"Who could be the hero of Frica! I, Aris, will interview the NPCs to find out."
She roamed around Frica Village, asking NPCs about the village's hero.
"Hm? Oh, are you talking about Kai? He was, well, a person of great character."
"Indeed! Not only was he outstanding, but he was also strong."
"He single-handedly defeated the Wyrm Lizard that was a nuisance to the village! Finding an adventurer stronger than him in this area probably won't be easy."
Aris hopped excitedly, encouraging responses from her viewers, "Wow! Did you hear that, everyone? He's not only of great character but also strong! To defeat a Wyrm Lizard alone, if he's also handsome, that would be perfect! What could his class be?"
Perhaps she had thoroughly prepared beforehand, she pulled out a chart from her inventory.
"Here, you can see the distribution of classes that have acquired the title of hero of the village so far. As you can see, Warriors, Knights, and Wizards make up an overwhelming majority, with archers and rogues being quite rare, right? Then what exactly could be the class of our hero Kai? I will personally visit the village's class tower to find out!"
Perhaps energized by her own investigation, she excitedly searched for the village's class tower. However, despite visiting the Wizard tower, the Warrior guild, and the class tower of Rogues, she couldn't gather information about Kai.
"Wait. I'm sure I've checked almost everything, right? Archers and Warriors, Wizards and Knights... Rogues, Bards, and even the crafting guilds..."
As Aris tilted her head, puzzled, a viewer donated and said,
[SpaceHero donated 50,000 won.]
[SpaceHero: You haven't visited the temple yet, right? Am I right?]
"Thank you for the 50,000 won donation! But a temple?" as Aris awkwardly responded, the viewers burst into laughter.
-A temple, meaning a Cleric? Logically, could a Cleric even become the hero of a village lol
ㄴCould be a Paladin though.
ㄴNope, neither is possible.
-Considering the NPCs' reactions, this player named Kai is said to be good-natured and strong, but being a Cleric is a stretch.
-There could be a chance of a battle Priest, right? As someone said, maybe even a Paladin.
ㄴIt's definitely not a Cleric, and the chances of being a defense-focused Paladin seem slim.
-Having a Wizard in my party rather than a battle Cleric is 100 times more beneficial.
-I've played both a Cleric and a battle Cleric and quit, so I know well that Clerics are hard to level up unless pushed by a named guild.
-Close your eyes. It’s dark, right? That's the future of a Cleric.
Eventually, both Aris and the viewers harbored doubts.
"Then, assuming I'm fooled, let's visit the temple…. Oh! A new update just came in! The latest hot hunting ground, the Forest of Spiders, has had a series of disappearances…."
Some of the viewers who watched the stream that day talked about the hero of Frica in the community, but their discussions were drowned out by news of famous rankers and various gameplay tips, fading away without a trace.
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