The Price of Life (2)

6.

When people did something long enough, they were called ‘stagnant water’. (‘Stagnant water’ is a Korean expression for ‘veteran’ or ‘early player’.)

The stagnant water had a few characteristics.

One of them was knowing people’s old stories better than the people directly involved and gossiping about them.

Midas was the same.

He couldn’t be a star, but he knew every single tiny story about stars in God Wars.

“I helped the drunkard when he failed to hunt the jewel alligator in the swamp because the capsule room’s electricity was out. I got close to him and I’ve been helping him since then. I never expected that incident to betray me like this.”

Lola couldn’t help thinking that the player in front of him might have a relationship with the guild master of the Seven Stars Union.

“I’ve spent as much as the price for a car.”

Besides, there were rumors about BJ Archmage that he was a very rich guy and had a connection with Azmo. They added authenticity to his story.

“Huh? What kind of a car do you think I could buy with that money?”

Lola didn’t doubt the relationship between BJ Archmage and the guild master anymore.

‘Fuck, of all times……’

He only thought about himself being fucked up.

This situation was pretty serious.

What Lola did was basically the worst thing in God Wars.

Getting paid for PK was enough to be killed.

“I was like eating with him last time. Huh? Do you know?”

Also, the player in front of Lola seemed like his supreme boss’s best friend.

He attacked his boss’s close friend.

It would be a relief if he was killed right away.

If things went wrong, he could never play God Wars with his name again.

‘It’s driving me crazy.’

Lola had nothing to do at that moment.

“Hey, what are you going to do?”

When Midas asked the question, Lola only dropped his head instead of answering.

He was showing a gesture that he was waiting for disposal.

“Do you really have to kill me? Are you going to have a big problem if you don’t?”

Lola shook his head strongly.

“Then let’s cover this up.”

“Pardon?”

Lola was surprised at his words.

On the other hand, Midas was calm.

“To be honest, I don’t want to be awkward with the Seven Stars Union because of this. I’m not just hiding my name behind this funny name, BJ Archmage, for no reason. Do you think that I’m doing this boring hunt here because I have nothing to do?”

Then Lola’s face started to become brighter.

“You just failed and I got out successfully. This conversation never existed.”

When Midas finished his words, Lola’s face was just like he was finally saved by the god he believed in while being persecuted.

Midas continued, “What would you do if I did that for you?”

Lola’s face changed back because of the scary voice.

“Sorry?”

He didn’t understand and had a doubtful face.

“I’m sparing your life even though you were going to fucking mess with me with your second character. What can you give me to pay the price?”

Only then Lola understood and hardened his face.

Midas’s mind was also hardened.

‘It’s still worth it even if I fail.’

Midas actually wanted this incident to end here.

He was going to be satisfied with that because he shouldn’t become an enemy to the player who got paid six-digits a year from the Seven Stars Union.

‘That’s why I gotta get something from him.’

The thing was that it wouldn’t solve the problem even if nothing happened between them.

‘I shouldn’t show good will in this game.’

If Midas let go of Lola without any price, Lola would let out a sigh of relief.

And then what would happen next?

Would he be afraid of Midas and show a hysterical reaction?

Or would he talk about every single thing that happened at a pub and cause problems?

It was obvious what would happen.

Therefore, he needed evidence to show Lola that he would have to pay the expensive price no matter what he did to BJ Archmage.

‘I have to be certain that he’ll have to pay if he does anything to me.’

Lola understood the situation and his eyes started to move towards his bow in his hands.

He quickly moved his eyes towards Midas again.

His eyes were saying, ‘No, this can’t be taken….’

Midas said, “If you’re agonizing, how about this? I kill you right here and loot items. Let’s leave what will come out to my luck.”

Gold and Lucky moved when Midas moved his chin as a gesture.

“You may command my services.”

Krrr!

They both showed their will to kill Lola anytime and Lola made up his mind in the end.

“…..Will you cover this up for sure?”

“If I ever tell anyone about this, you use the price you give me as an excuse.”

After the short conversation, Lola handed out the bow in his hands to Midas.

Then he said, “I’m sorry.”

At that moment the problem was solved.

7.

Parting was simple, unlike the strong meeting.

There wasn’t even a goodbye.

“You failed to hunt me and I hunted you and got this item luckily. The story ends right there. You don’t know me and I don’t know you. If you and I make a mistake while talking to people, take care of it alone.”

As soon as Lola listened to Midas, he nodded and logged out right away.

“Now, let’s go.”

Midas left without hesitating after Lola was gone.

Woof!

Lucky shook his tail while following Midas.

“I learned a lot from your generosity.”

Gold was also shaking his tail not to lose.

At that moment.

“Ergh!”

Midas was gently walking in the swamp, but he suddenly gasped out.

“My lord!”

Then Gold put his shield forward and watched their surroundings.

“Who dares attack my lord!”

He seemed like he misunderstood that Midas was attacked.

Ah uh ah uh!

On the other hand, Lucky only shook his tail in front of Midas just like he already knew that his owner was doing his normal dumb thing, not that he was attacked.

It was such a skit.

However, Midas couldn’t think about the fact that he was doing a skit.

‘It worked.’

He could only think about the fact that what he planned actually worked.

‘I’m glad he was from the Seven Stars Union.’

Actually, the biggest reason why it worked was the leader of the Seven Stars Union, Diony.

He wasn’t one of the very talented players.

Instead, he knew how to network and how to use alcohol while doing that.

He even flew 10 hours to drink with someone to get close to him.

That was how he was called the drunkard.

His position as the center of the Seven Stars Union was also thanks to networking through alcohol.

Midas was very lucky.

‘It worked only because he was from the Seven Stars Union.’

If their leader wasn’t the drunkard, his plan would never work.

“Phew.”

Midas continuously let out a sigh of relief after the terrifying incident.

That was the last sigh.

“Inventory.”

As soon as Midas saw the item in his inventory, his face became the brightest ever.

[ Wiga’s Bow ]

He didn’t need to look at the option in detail.

‘I still can’t believe that I got one of the Wiga series.’

The Wiga series were the best items that players could get in Wiga city. It was a dream weapon for level 50 players.

‘When it came out, it was crazy.’

When Midas started the game, it used to be a more powerful weapon than it was at that moment.

Just because a player had it, everyone tried to hire him.

The weapon transcended a player’s ability.

‘The market price for this weapon isn’t as high as before…..’

Of course, its market price had dropped since then.

Players leveled up faster and supply was released more than before.

‘Still, it’s at least more than $40,000.’

Nevertheless, it was much more expensive than other unique item sets.

He could always sell it later and get cash.

‘I can’t get that much even if I sell everything I have.’

Midas thought about so many things.

‘What should I do with $40,000?’

He started to think about how to use money happily.

‘Definitely paying off the debts?’

First, he thought about paying off the house payment.

He would’ve chosen this option before.

However, things had changed.

‘Or should I buy a skill?’

Midas could even make more money if he invested at that moment.

He didn’t need to refuse the investment.

‘Should I buy a capsule?’

Furthermore, he could even buy an expensive personal capsule with the money.

‘No, there will be extra costs such as installation fee and maintenance fee. There’s even no space for that at home.’

Of course, there was a problem that there was no space in the place where Midas lived with his brother and niece.

‘The personal capsule gets taxed even more.’

Besides, the gate capsule got taxed a lot if it was purchased as a personal item.

‘A lot.’

The government strongly decided to tax the buyers since only rich people bought their personal capsules.

‘……Let’s buy a house first.’

That was why Midas was still struggling while walking towards the capsule room

‘Let’s just rent a house with two bedrooms, put some rehabilitation tools for my brother in one room, and decorate the other room for Hyerin.’

Anyway, one thing was certain.

It was that he got a sum of money.

‘Alright, let’s keep it for now.’

He could put off the worry about where to spend without suffering.

‘Wait.’

Then Midas came up with an idea.

‘If I can sell it later……, it means I can use it now!’

An idea where he uses the bow.

He could do that.

‘I can use it.’

If a player’s level matched an item’s except for special ones, the player could use it without class requirements.

It was always possible for a magician to use a sword, for a warrior to use a wand to poke an enemy’s eyes, and for a priest to pray with a two handed axe in his hands.

Only one thing was that they couldn’t use the weapon’s occupational trait.

For example, a wand transformed in accordance with magic when a magician used the wand.

When the magician used arrow magic, it transformed into a bow and when he used sword magic, it transformed into a sword.

A bow also transformed in accordance with an archer’s skill when an archer used it.

Same as a sword and also a spear.

Jobs didn’t exist uselessly in God Wars and people weren’t just going crazy about the jobs.

‘I wouldn’t normally use a bow unless I’m going nuts, but……’

That was why players didn’t normally use other weapons except for their occupational weapons.

Even if they used those weapons as a second weapon, switching was a problem.

To switch their weapons, they had to open their inventory, touch the item, and equip it.

That was a dumb thing to do and also the weapons weren’t free.

‘Wiga’s bow is different.’

However, a legendary grade item, Wiga’s bow, was a totally different story.

First, an arrow chased a target by itself once a player hit the target.

‘It’s a perfect combination with Dragon’s Eye.’

He didn’t have to think about what the combination would be like.

One more thing was that he could shoot quickly as soon as he hit a target.

He didn’t have to aim but only pull the bowstring.

There was only one problem.

How would he switch?

When Midas thought about the question, he slowly let go of Sahalin’s wand in his hand.

Then the wand stopped in the air right away.

‘I guess switching won’t be difficult if I use psychokinesis.’

Midas’s eyes started to glow.

8.

Spark!

A thunder arrow hit a lizard warrior’s body with the sparking sound.

Sha!

The lizard warrior shouted shortly and fell forward right away.

It didn’t look so special in the swamp where a lot of lizardmen and lizard warriors existed.

[ You have hunted a lizard warrior. ]

[ You have acquired a title, ‘Lizard Warrior Hunter’. ]

It wasn’t special for Midas who had hunted over 333 lizard warriors.

There was nothing surprising.

Only watching it from 130 meters was surprising to him.

‘Holy cow.’

Midas looked at the Wiga’s bow in his hand with his surprised eyes.

The power increasing through switching with psychokinesis was a lot higher than his expectations.

No, it wasn’t about power.

‘I think I have to change my tactics.’

His strategy was changing.

“Haha.”

He couldn’t help laughing.

‘It doesn’t make sense. No sense.’

He laughed because of the ridiculous situation. He couldn’t be more surprised than this.

At that moment.

Howl!

Lucky howled to congratulate his owner’s new power.

Midas’s laughter became a smile.

“Definitely, you are the best……Oh!”

Then he removed the smile instantly.

“There was one more legendary skill.”

Midas just realized that there was one more thing to celebrate about.