The sun was already high in the sky as Ares logged out of the game, realizing he was running late for his classes. Hastily grabbing a quick breakfast, he hurriedly made his way to the classroom, barely managing to arrive on time. As the teacher entered and began the monotonous lecture, Ares couldn't help but let his mind wander back to the exhilarating game from the previous day. Thoughts of his amassed wealth, nearly a thousand gold coins, danced through his head. Considering their market value of $50 per coin, he couldn't help but calculate his newfound virtual fortune.
Lost in his musings, Ares was abruptly snapped back to reality as a new student walked into the classroom. The room seemed to hold its breath as the handsome figure entered, captivating the attention of every girl present. Unfazed by the admiration, the Korean newcomer had dark brown eyes and stylish, spiky hair that accentuated his K-pop idol-like appearance.
Introducing himself as Park Sejong, the newcomer unknowingly evoked a wave of frustration within Ares. To Ares' dismay, Park chose to sit right beside him, despite the availability of other empty seats. Fatty William used to be with Ares but now he has started to skip school to play mythology. Fatty said that he should call him as soon as he leaves the novice village. Ares was also very happy about the fatty's invitation. Ares glanced around, noticing the curious gazes directed at his now-shared seat. Irritated, he mustered the courage to ask Park to find another place to sit.
Ares mustered a low-key tone and requested, "Hey, could you sit somewhere else?"
Park glanced at him, seemingly unfazed, and replied, "Why? Is someone sitting here?"
Ares, his irritation mounting, responded curtly "No. but my best friend used to seat here and will seat here when he starts coming back to school"
Park nonchalantly shrugged and disregarded Ares' request saying "I'll leave if he shows up". Annoyed but determined to keep his composure, Ares decided to ignore the situation and cursed the fatty for skipping school. As the class progressed, Ares found himself growing increasingly drowsy, eventually succumbing to a peaceful slumber.
In his dreams, he embarked on epic adventures through mythological realms, basking in the glory of his triumphs. He laughed victoriously, unaware of the drool escaping the corner of his mouth. Suddenly, a sharp pain in his cheek jolted him awake. Ares couldn't believe it when he realized he had been slapped by none other than the Korean student sitting beside him.
Confusion and anger filled his voice as he confronted Park, "Hey, did you just slap me?"
Park, with a mischievous grin, replied, "Well, I couldn't tolerate your perverted face and drool. Consider it a wake-up call."
Ares, fuming, retorted, "You can't just come and sit next to me and slap me for such minor things!"
Park simply shrugged, as if the whole incident was a trivial matter. Ares, seething with rage, decided to suppress his anger and ignore Park's presence.
After a while, Ares noticed that Park was engrossed in reading mythology-related news and diligently jotting down notes in his diary. Ares couldn't help but be curious about what Park was writing but his pride prevented him from asking.
Opportunity struck when Park went to the washroom. Ares, unable to resist, glanced at the diary. To his surprise, he discovered a treasure trove of meticulous analysis, detailed strategies for each class, news about powerful bosses, and tactical insights that he struggled to comprehend. Ares was astounded, realizing that Park possessed the mind of a professional gamer.
Quickly putting the diary back in its place, Ares pretended to be asleep as Park returned.
Unable to contain his curiosity, Ares blurted out, "Hey, what level are you in mythology?"
Park, amused by the question, replied, "Oh, I'm already level 51, gone through the second awakening. What about you? Let me guess, you're a noob. It's written all over your face!"
Ares was speechless, his frustration boiling inside him. He gritted his teeth, thinking, "Does it really show that much? Just wait, you arrogant bastard. After I unlock the full potential of the Mythological Interface, I'll show you what I'm capable of."
As usual he made his way back home. Nobody was there as his parents worked till night and his sister was late because she was going to her friend's house to have girls' night or something. Soon he put on his gaming helmet and dived back into mythology.
As Ares found himself in the familiar underground tunnel, the place where he was transported back to after completing the dungeon, his mind wandered to the possibilities of what he could acquire with his current stash of mythological points. With anticipation bubbling inside him, he opened his Mythological Interface, navigated to the shop section, and began scrolling through the equipment options.
His eyes widened as he perused the vast array of weapons, ranging from divine and legendary to even mythical levels. However, the cost and level requirements of these mighty weapons left him disheartened. Realizing he lacked both the funds and the necessary level to wield them, he continued scrolling until he stumbled upon an intriguing section marked "S-Rank."
Within this section, a particular sword caught his attention. Known as the Lightning Sword, it boasted an impressive attack damage of nearly 5000 and was priced at 1500 mythological points. Ares was immediately drawn to its power and decided to purchase it.
[Lightning Sword]
[Description: The Lightning Sword is a masterpiece created by a renowned blacksmith who possesses exceptional mastery in the Dao of Lightning. Crafted from the highest quality lightning ores, this sword has been infused with the very essence of lightning itself.
Level Requirement: Level 10
Strength Requirement: 30
Damage:
Physical Damage: 3000
Lightning Damage: 2000
Special Skill: Lightning Slash
Description: Unleash the raw power of lightning with the Lightning Slash skill. This devastating ability engulfs a half-circular area with a radius of 50 meters, dealing substantial area-of-effect damage to all foes within its range. The sheer force of lightning unleashed is enough to leave a trail of destruction in its wake.]
Satisfied with the sword he bought; he turned his attention to choosing armor. The sheer variety overwhelmed him at first, but after a while, his gaze fell upon a seemingly ordinary-looking armor with a hefty price tag of 10,000 mythological points. He couldn't help but be astonished by the exorbitant cost of level 1 bronze-grade armor.
Curiosity piqued, he inspected the armor
[Infinitude Dragon Armor]
[Description: The Infinitude Dragon Armor is a legendary piece of armor forged by the greatest blacksmith to have ever delved into the depths of their craft. Utilizing the reverse scale of the Heaven Devouring Dragon, this armor possesses a unique ability known as "Unlimited Growth." This extraordinary attribute allows the armor to continuously evolve as long as it is nourished with other equipment, ores, and resources.
Level: 1
Rank: Bronze
Defense: +100
Skills: None (Can acquire and hold up to two skills at the bronze rank. The number of skills it can hold increases with each subsequent rank.)
Skill Slots: 0/2 (Skills slots available for customization)
Skill Options: None (Can acquire and select skills from the equipment fed to the armor)]
Flabbergasted by the price of the Infinitude Dragon Armor, Ares couldn't help but feel a pang of regret. He had been diligently saving his mythological points for the class change trial he had glimpsed in the interface, which required a significant number of points depending on the level of the class change. Nevertheless, his desire for the armor was too strong to resist, and with gritted teeth, he made the purchase.
Realizing that he still needed boots, leg guards, and shoulder guards, Ares hesitated to continue scrolling through the shop. He knew that his self-control was hanging by a thread, and he didn't want to spend all his points in one go. Reluctantly, he closed the shop tab and decided to head back to the village to consult with the instructor about leaving the beginner's village.