In the following two days, no players tried to ambush Rozen outside the arena again.
It was laughable—after witnessing so many previous examples of the consequences of targeting Rozen, players had learned their lesson. Why would anyone willingly put themselves in danger just to hand over gear and fame to Rozen?
Even entering a notorious death zone, where over a hundred players had set an ambush, only to be countered and defeated by Rozen, was proof enough. The ambushers took to the internet, begging Rozen to return the gear he looted. With such a vivid and painful lesson in front of them, no one was foolish enough to provoke him again.
As a result, over the next two days, Rozen faced no further targeting from GGO players. On the contrary, some even avoided the areas where Rozen hunted, fearful of upsetting him. Compared to the scenario just days earlier, where he was universally pursued, his situation had completely transformed.
However, new reports regarding Rozen's activities continued to emerge online.
"On December 12, 2025, the player known as 'Magus,' Rozen, appeared in GGO's global capital, Glocken City, where he auctioned all the weapons and equipment he had obtained from other players. The items sparked a bidding frenzy, eventually earning him a profit of 80 million credits—three times the income of top-tier professional players."
This incident stirred another wave of discussion.
While it might not have been as sensational as some of his earlier exploits, the amount Rozen earned from selling his spoils made many green with envy.
80 million credits, converted to real-world currency, was equivalent to 800,000 yen.
For wealthy individuals, such an amount might not be significant. But for the average household, earning that kind of money in just a few days was enviable to the extreme.
Professional GGO players, in particular, could hardly contain their jealousy. Even the best of them could only make around 200,000 to 300,000 yen a month from GGO. Rozen's earnings in just a few days were several times that figure. How could other players not be envious?
That said, this was likely a one-time event.
With players now unwilling to foolishly ambush Rozen and gift him their equipment, his future earnings from such sales would undoubtedly decrease.
This thought brought some solace to the professional players.
What they didn't realize, however, was that Rozen wasn't playing GGO for the money.
If making money had been his goal, the revenue generated by The World Seed alone would have been enough to earn him billions daily. His current savings were astronomical, making the tens of thousands of yen from GGO irrelevant to him.
In truth, Rozen wasn't out hunting players to make money. Instead, he was familiarizing himself with GGO's combat mechanics and experimenting with various weapons. If he managed to acquire usable gear from hunting bosses in training areas, that was a bonus. As for the rest, Rozen didn't care much.
To put it into perspective, Rozen had already spent around a million yen on in-game purchases, such as equipment, ammunition, and items. The 800,000 yen he earned from his auctions didn't even cover his expenses—how could that be considered profit?
The auctions of looted weapons and equipment weren't for profit but simply a way to return those items to the players who had dropped them. Of course, Rozen wasn't generous enough to give them back for free after they had ambushed him. Instead, he chose to auction them off, forcing the players to pay dearly. Naturally, he kept any items he found useful, so the actual value of what he sold could have been even higher.
And so, December 12 came to an end.
Soon, December 13 arrived.
On this day, the registration for the third Bullet of Bullets (BoB) tournament, GGO's official strongest-player elimination contest, officially began.
Registration wasn't done online but within the game itself, at the Presidential Palace.
The Presidential Palace, commonly known as The Bridge, was located in the heart of Glocken City. It was a towering structure that reached into the sky, much like the World Tree in ALfheim Online (ALO).
Most major events in GGO took place here. Whether it was signing up for competitions or handling other game-related procedures, The Bridge was the hub.
As a result, the Presidential Palace became far busier than usual on this day.
One by one, heavily armed players entered the palace, registering in the expansive first-floor hall.
The hall was a vast circular space, with futuristic columns forming a cross-shaped layout that extended all the way to the ceiling. The surrounding walls were lined with large flat-screen displays showing event previews and advertisements from real-world companies. The most eye-catching screen was at the front, playing promotional footage for the third BoB tournament.
Along the walls of the hall, dozens of sleek machines resembling ATMs were arranged. Players used these machines to register for the event.
Amid this bustling scene, at some point...
"Hey, look over there…"
"Isn't that…?"
"Yeah, it's him…"
"He actually came…"
The players in the hall began murmuring amongst themselves, their attention drawn to a figure entering through the main doors.
The figure wasn't carrying any visible weapons but was dressed in high-performance combat gear with a stylish coat draped over it. Their appearance radiated the aura of a seasoned warrior, commanding respect and a hint of fear.
However, this seasoned warrior had an androgynous appearance. At first glance, it was hard to tell if they were male or female. But their strikingly handsome and cool looks were undeniable. In the real world, they could easily debut as a celebrity.
This was none other than Rozen.
Yawning nonchalantly, Rozen walked into the palace hall.
"So, this is where I sign up?"
Recalling the reminder from Yui earlier that morning, Rozen lazily turned toward the machines by the wall.
At that moment...
"Hm?"
Rozen felt a sharp gaze fixed on him, causing him to stop and turn toward the main doors.
There, a cold-looking girl was staring intently at him.
Rozen immediately recognized her.
After all, just a few days ago, she had shown him some favor, leaving a strong impression.
During the death zone ambush, Rozen hadn't expected this girl—who had once spoken up for him against Yamikaze—to join in the attack. Given her impressive skills, Rozen remembered her well.
"You're signing up too?" Rozen raised a hand in greeting.
But the girl was not in the mood to reciprocate.
"We're not close enough to exchange greetings."
Shinon replied coldly.
This girl was none other than Shinon.