Author's Note: Do you all know what this chapter means!? Take a second and just look at my title screen. I now have three of those white circle thingies at the bottom! I feel so important! I'm moving up in the world! :D

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David reads on for days. From the auction forums, he learns that you can actually use the 5x time effect of the pods without actually going into New Reality if you pay $300 for a lifetime subscription. In the future due to inflation, this amount isn't that much.

After he pays his fee, David gets inside his pod. Unlike before where he would just directly go into New Reality, a screen pops up. He goes under the 5x-time option. David then finds himself in a blank room with a screen floating in the air. This blank screen allows David to interface with internet.

'Should I just spend my solitude here? Hmm... No. I would eventually just get bored staying in here all the time. However, this place will be good for long periods of staying away from people.' Null thinks.

On the floating screen, David pulls up videos teaching him how to make things. While he learns, he goes back into New Reality to ponder what he learned. The great thing about New Reality is now his intelligence in the game has surpassed his intelligence in real life. He takes inspiration from the videos.

If there's something he has problems with, he goes back into the blank space to learn more from the internet. Null experiences a creation explosion. He creates many things.

First, Null makes glass using a furnace and glass a blower he made. He shapes the glass he makes into lenses. Using colored dye, Null makes one lens red.

He then makes a box with a opening on one of the sides. Null does the Light Orb technique and places it the box to see if it fits. Null then lines up the lenses so that the desired beam could be seen. Null had just made a laser. He makes new ones and places them on the crossbows and rifles.

It didn't take long for people online to catch on. At first, no one wanted to touch Null because he was a new user which implied that his weapons would be of shoddy quality. However, these unusual weapon designs made people stop and look just to see what they were.

Null also made little contraptions similar to his gauntlets. They ended up being a big hit. made hidden weapons. Thanks to these sales, he barely gets enough to buy a little of Damina's supplies. He doesn't yet have enough to even begin to experiment making his armor, but he does have enough to start experimenting.

He increases his proficiency in Miniature Smithing by experiment. He made things like retractable gauntlets that didn't require the need for a person to move their hands a certain way. If there was something Null didn't know, he would log off and go to that blank room to learn more. He uses some of the advanced tech he learned to create along with Aldan to create weapons the players of New Reality had never seen before. His ratings for his sales soon reach the top.

People start talking about Null's creations.

************

At one winged angel guild, currently ranked the 6th most powerful guild in New Reality. The people are in a frenzy. They're buying up as many weapons that can appear from the mysterious person called Null. However, there is quick competition on who is able to buy Null's weapons first.

“I don't care how much, just buy all of Null's things!” One of the commanders yells out.

“This person called Null creates some amazing things.”

“This shit again?”

**************

At Kurokage guild, located in the Qudao Empire.

“Who is Null?”

“This shit again?”

“Yeah. A few times it's happened, a person called Null created an amazing thing. First it was alchemy, then it was art. Now it's smithing. Do a group of Nulls of different production classes just come together and coordinate when they're going to release?”

*************

At New Reality News.

“Did you hear? A person called Null creates amazing weaponry through the auction site. No one knows who he is.”

“This shit again?”

“You can't say shit on the air!”

“But you just did.”

“We are so fired.”

As with the first two times Null made news, the vast majority of people don't care. Only the top players in New Reality are talking about Null's actions.

***********

Due to the auction site, Null finally has enough money to start buying and testing his armor. It takes him many days of trial and error to improve. Unfortunately, Null soon hits a wall. He hits the limits on what he can learn publicly.

'What do I do from now on?'

Null logs off and then goes online. He searches until he sees a site that he's heard before.

'The Anarchist Information Network huh?' Null thinks.

Ever since the USA's central government lost a significant amount of their power back in the 2050's due to climate change, and the rise of the price of oil, and the rise of both far left and far right movements, the government has been unstable. The world was in turmoil, as people were fighting over the scant resources that were left.

Scientists weren't making the money they did as before, so more and more of them started working for corporations. Soon, more and more scientific information was behind a paywall. There were people who shared their information to the public, but they barely receive any compensation for it, so it was common sense not to share to.

The common people felt that corporations were getting too powerful. This was before Basic Income was implemented. People were increasingly becoming unemployed. The causes of climate change and oil consumption was blamed on these corporations. The corporations tried to use propaganda to scapegoat a group and blame it on them, but it didn't work as well as in the past.

With the rise of unhackable computers due to using methods of quantum entanglement, no one could hack from outside. However, there was a group that was dedicated to bringing the information out. The person who started it went in from the inside and copied everything, spreading the scientific information to the common people.

Thanks to this, this brought about a new wave of open source that has people creating networks rivaling big corporations. Some called this person a hero while others a thief that should be punished. To this day, no one knows who started the movement.

This had sort of leveled the playing field between people and these corporations. Inspired by this person's act, many people decided to do the same thing, sabotaging the big corporations from the inside out. Seeing as how people were becoming more and more unruly, the government decided to implement Basic Income.

There were many groups that had contributed to the implementation of Basic Income, but the Anarchist Information Network was arguably the most important. Although they aren't as powerful as before, they are still active to this day.

David learned about the information activists.

'I couldn't care less about their cause. However, I'm also a pragmatist. These people have a lot of information. Guess I'll join.'

When Null joins, he gets access to information he's never seen before. This helps get Null out his slump, and he gets back to creating and testing new armor. Using Winford's blueprints to help him, Null further refines the armor, making it better and better each time. After a long time, Null finally finishes his armor.

It's clunky and looks shoddily made. The armor that Null had used to fight against Winford was better. However, Null feels this is the best he can do for now. He had only scratched the surface of understanding Winford's blueprints.

Null also thinks that this is good enough for now, as he can now manipulate his mana into stats quickly again. Damina looks impressed with Null's armor.

“Well looky here. Are you trying to be a lamp?” Damina asks Null.

“I'm ready to rescue your family.” Null tells Damina.

“No wait! I want you to do something for me. If you do it, I'll give you a lot of ores.”

“What?” Null asks.

“I need a weapon.”

“Oh. That's easily done. What like a sword? A spear?”

“A drill!”

Null frowns.

He then says, “I can't recommend drills in battle as they will only do damage if the drill is orthogonal to whatever it is you're trying to attack. If not perpendicular, they will tend to slide off. Surfaces that curve outward are also a no-no.”

“Enough with your unmanly logic! Drills are the dreams of all men! You must be the type that perfers to make holes than drills!”

“...”

Null just looks at Damina dumbly.

“With my drill, I won't stop! My drill will be the drill that will pierce the heavens!”

'Wait a minute.' Null thinks. 'I can't help but to think I've heard that somewhere before.'

Damina then clenches his fists and says, “We evolve and advance with each turn! That's how a drill works!”

David looks deadpanned. 'That was ripped straight from Gurren Lagann!'

It only took Null around four days of working in order to finish the drill. Damina accepts the drill while giving Null his ores.

“Now we're really talkin here! Those Goldcrest bastards will pay for kidnapping my family. My drill will shine brighter!”

'Please stop.' Null thinks.

“Okay, here's a plan I think will work.” Null says.

“Psh. Plan? Manly men do not need plans! So what if what I'm doing is stupid and wrong!? I'll just keep doing that stupid and wrong thing until I end up right!”

“But um...”

“But nothin'! I'm stronger, faster, and have a higher mastery than you! Why should I listen to you!?” Damina says.

'He does have a point.' Null thinks.

“Okay. Well I'm starting the rescue. You can do your own thing while I do mine.”

“Now we're talking here!” Damina says with a smirk.

********

“You call this food?” That person then knocks the prepared food to the ground. “Make it again!”

“As you command miss.” A person in chef clothes says.

He then bows and goes to the kitchen. The butlers on the side start to clean up the mess. There are numerous broken plate shards everywhere, suggesting this isn't the first time this person did this. Null quietly enters this room and looks to see who he's rescuing.

'My goodness. They are all so morbidly obese. I guess that miner guy likes them chunky.' Null thinks to himself.

“This is the life!” The youngest son says.

“Even when we were close to the Dwarf King, we didn't receive this kind of luxury treatment!” The eldest daughter says.

“Oh I hope that my dear won't try to rescue us too fast. I love it here!” The mother of those two and Damina's wife says. Suddenly, a canister is heard falling.

“Who's there!?” A guard yells out.

They get into formation around the hostages. Smoke bellows out of the canister. When smoke fills the room, paralyzing needles are then thrown to the guards' necks, knocking them out. They fell as if they were boneless.

“What's going on? I'm scared mommy!” The youngest son says.

When the smoke starts to clear up a little, Null is shown with his armor on. There are glowing blue lines all over it.

“Come with me if you want to live.” Null says in an apathetic, deadpan voice.

Damina's family shows fear towards this new person.

“Who are you?” Damina's wife asks.

“That miner guy and I are rescuing you. He's doing his own thing while I'm doing mine.”

“How do we know you're not from some enemy country trying to kidnap us?” Damina's daughter asks.

'You know, that's a really good question. I was so focused on the rescue that I didn't even take that into account. Meh. I'll just knock them out and take them with me. I'm sure that miner guy will understand.'

Just when Null was about to take out his needles, a barrage of rocks are flung his way. Null manipulate his stats into dexterity and dashes to the side, avoiding the boulders. Null looks and sees that it's that guy who had almost made Null fall into a sinkhole he created.

“It's you again.” The earth mage says. “You're meddling into affairs that have nothing to do with you.”

“Hey. I'm not the one who tried to make you fall into a sinkhole.”

“Okay, I admit I was too hasty. To think you could knock out all my men. I'll make you a deal Jeff.”

“Jeff?”

“That's your name, right?”

“Oh, right. Continue.”

“You leave and I will give you 50 gold. That's all you have to do.”

“Hmm... Nah.”

“Choose wisely Jeff. It isn't wise to look at a gift horse in the mouth.”

“Hmm... Nah.”

“*sigh* So be it. Terra...”

While the earth mage is chanting, Null starts running towards him.

“Strike down all those who do not respect your might! Earthen spikes!”

Spikes around one meter long grow out the ground. They steadily get larger as the wave of spikes grow out the ground like bamboo shoots growing out the ground. By the time the spikes make it to Null, they are already over two meters tall.

Null jumps over the spikes and pulls back his fists.

'He's much faster than when I seen him before. How did he get so fast in such a short amount of time? Is it because of that weird looking armor he has on?' The earthen mage ponders to himself.

When Null goes to punch the earth mage, an earthen fist rises from the ground and blocks Null's punch. Null punches through it. By the time the fist is destroyed, the earth mage is gone. Thanks to Null's armor, he can use his mana sense far faster. When he senses a perturbation in the ground, he moves out the way and dashes from some seemingly random spot.

Null didn't stay away for long, as he dashed back as the arm was coming out the ground. He punched through the golem arm, which had reached earth mage. The earth mage is hit in the face. The earth mage tumbles, then slides on the ground. He gets back up, holding his cheek.

“You've improved, Jeff!” The earth mage says with clenched teeth.

“Why thank you. You haven't.” Null replies back.

Null rushes to end the earth mage. The earth mage starts to glow a lot of energy. The other archers that were hidden take aim at Null. As the wind mage wasn't here to help him, Null had to deal with all these arrows by himself. One arrow was aimed at the ceiling above where Null was directly going to go. It explodes, and debris starts to fall.

As Null was attacked from arrows from the side, and was getting showered by debris from above, he had no time to go after the earth mage, as that was where the arrow fire was heaviest. The earth mage completes his summon, and the arch golem from before rises from the earth.

“You know the drill. If you do not want to suffer then do my bidding.”

“...”

“Answer me!”

The earth mage raises up his hand.

“Gaah!” The arch golem clutches his head in pain.

“Fine.” The arch golem says dispiritied.

“You must really hate that guy.” Null comments.

“I don't need any sympathy from a human.” The arch golem responds beligerent.

They then start running towards each other. The arch golem transforms his arms into bladed weapons. The arms turn black into some hard, unknown material. Null blocks with his own bladed weapons that are located on Null's forearms. They each attack and block, trying to find an opening.

The arch golem then stomps its leg into the ground. A leg pops up from under Null. Null has long ago gotten used to these tactics. He jumps up, grabs the foot with his hand, and uses it as a fulcrum to deliver a mana charged kick for strength to the face of the arch golem.

The arch golem is kicked back, but while being kicked back, the arch golem stabs at Null's side, delivering a nasty looking wound. However, thanks to the backwards motion from Null's kick, the damage was greatly mitigated.

The golem then starts to sink into the ground. Before it could sink further, Null rushes and kicks the

arch golem in the face. This only momentarily stops him as he sinks into the ground. He suddenly rises above ground. Null kicks, once again aiming for his head. The arch golem had covered his head into a rubbery substance, while keeping it's arm covered in a hardened, black substance.

Null had bounced off due to the kick, and the arch golem had stabbed into Null again while Null was surprised. Null held onto his side.

'So he can change different parts of his body into different compositions at the same time. What a pain in the ass.' Null thinks.

The battle continued. Each side started wearing the other side down. They were both panting heavily.

“You're *pant* not bad. *Pant*” The arch golem says with a smirk.

“Thanks. You are also annoying.” Null replies back.

They were about to charge towards each other again when suddenly, a huge cloud of sand attacked them from the side.

'Huh?' Null thinks in shock.

He rolls out the way before the sand could envelop him. The arch golem grew his palms wide, changing them into a hard material to block the sand.

'Why would that earth mage attack the ally it was controlling?' Null thinks in confusion.

“You!” The Goldcrest earth mage says in irritation.

Null looks and sees that new people have become involved.

“We were waiting for an opening to kidnap Damina's family. Thanks for the help, Jeff!” A person says with a smirk.

The black clothes that they were wearing reminded Null of the clothes the Dai Li wore from Avatar the Last Airbender.

'The Qudao Empire. Fucking hell. And right when I'm tired and weakened.' Null thinks with a frown.

The battle rages on. Null is starting to lose ground being attacked by so many multiple people. The arch golem stopped fighting with Null and started fighting with the Qudao Empire.

'Well, I'm about to die. It doesn't really matter to me though, as I can come back to life. Really. It's just a game. It's not that serious.' Null thinks to himself.

Just when Null was about to be hit with finishing blow from an arrow, a motorlike sound was heard.

“Interfering with a blood boiling battle!? That is super unmanlyyyyyy!”

Damina drills through the cave wall. He lands on the ground, kneeling down in a cool pose.

“Honey!” Damina's wife yells out.

“Father!” Damina's kids yell out.

Damina looks at who says that and gets a surprised look.

“Huh? Who are you people?” Damina says in surprise.

“Why we're your family!” Damina's wife says with a frown.

“No way my family would look like a bunch of morbidly obese slobs!” Damina yells out.

“How could you say that!?” Damina's wife says crying.

“Have you looked in a mirror!?” Damina yells out.

“That's no way to talk to your wife!”

“Lose some weight!”

She starts to cry. Damina pats her on the shoulder.

“There, there. I'm sure it's those Goldcrest bastards that forced you to do this.” Damina says.

“Actually-”

The son's mouth is covered by his mother.

“Yes, yes, that's right! They forced us into eating delicious food!” The mother yells out.

“Goldcrest bastards, you will pay for this!” Damina yells out in a rage.

“That is some fucking bullshit!” A butler yells out on the sidelines, flabbergasted at the mother's shamelessness. “She worked us like dogs getting food for her!”

“Enough of your lies!” Damina yells out.

Suddenly, Damina is attack by some sand.

“Stay out of this!” Damina turns on the drill he's been holding in his arm. It starts showing glowing blue lines on its surface. The drill spins faster and faster until it's a blur. The drill collides with the sand,leaving Damina unharmed.

“I would hate to interrupt the manly battle you were having with the arch golem, so I'll go and play with those Qudao bastards instead.” Damina says with a smile.

“Okay.” Null says not caring.

-------

Author's Note: This arc was intended to be short. I was planning on two chapters tops, but it just kept on getting longer and longer. The next time I write a short arc, I'll just let David eat lima beans the whole time or something.