Chapter 841

The Adventurers gave their all in order to have the chance to join Siegfried’s party.

Despite having only thirty seconds to showcase their strengths, they did their best showcasing their class, strength, equipment, titles, experience, and various other bizarre things within that short period of time.

Some of them seemed to have concluded that there was no way they could impress Siegfried with raw strength, so they opted to perform various unique talents, such as comedy, claiming they could keep Siegfried entertained throughout the raid.

“Do they… really need to go this far?” Siegfried muttered in sheer disbelief after watching one Adventurer resort to a performance that made an utter fool of himself just to stand out from the crowd.

He was indeed a celebrity and renowned for being strong, but this level of effort seemed quite excessive. After all, these were not just ordinary Adventurers but were high-level ones with strong pride and egos.

However, the only reason he was so surprised was that he did not fully understand the current situation in the Great Rift. He knew that the difficulty had increased greatly, but the reality was actually far worse than that.

Lately, the Great Rift’s difficulty had reached such a brutal level that even parties made up entirely of Level 299 Adventurers were wiped out within thirty minutes of entering the dungeon.

The death penalty would become worse, the higher one’s level, and dying even once would be devastating for the Level 299 Adventurers. Thus, they were not simply looking for high-level companions; they wanted someone reliable and proven.

Thus, it made perfect sense why some would go as far as sacrificing their pride just for a chance to join the party of someone like Siegfried, who was already proven to be powerful.

“

Kyuuu!

You’re out! Get your corny joke outta here!”

“

Sniff…”

“Kyuuu!

Next! Step up!”

Hamchi had even set up a makeshift desk and was now holding full-blown interviews to screen candidates for Siegfried’s party.

“Well, Hamchi seems to have everything under control,” Siegfried muttered with a shrug.

Leaving the task of recruiting party members to his "manager,"

Siegfried turned to a nearby Adventurer.

“Excuse me?”

“Oh my gosh! S-Siegfried?!”

The Adventurer’s face lit up as soon as he realized that Siegfried was speaking to him.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Of course! Ask away! I’d even tell you what color underwear I’m wearing today—”

“Yeah,

uh,

I’d rather not know,” Siegfried cut him off, discomfort visible on his face. Then, he changed the subject, “Anyway, why are there so many Level 299 people here? I heard this place is ridiculously difficult now. Doesn’t the risk of dying far outweigh the rewards? What’s going on?”

“Oh, you didn’t know? This place drops Amplification Shards,” the Adventurer replied.

“Amplification Shards…?”

“Here, let me show you.”

The Adventurer opened his Inventory and pulled out several items.

[Power Amplification Shard]

[A mysterious glass fragment that drops from the Great Rift.]

[It is brimming with immense energy, so handle it with care.]

[Type: Material]

[Rating: Legendary]

[Effect: Physical Weapon Attack Power +5]

[Wisdom Amplification Shard]

[A mysterious glass fragment that drops from the Great Rift.]

[It is brimming with immense energy, so handle it with care.]

[Type: Material]

[Rating: Legendary]

[Effect: Magic Weapon Magic Attack Power +5]

“What?!” Siegfried shrieked, his eyes widening from surprise.

He was puzzled by the Level 299 Adventurers' determination to risk death and raid the Great Rift, but now everything made perfect sense.

For Level 299 Adventurers, growing stronger through leveling up was impossible due to the insurmountable wall they would have to scale in order to become a Master. Thus, the only option they had to grow stronger was through strengthening their gear.

Unfortunately, the item enhancement system was like a bottomless pit that demanded absurd amounts of money, time, and luck. It was one of the main game mechanics notorious for bankrupting, demoralizing, and even forcing players to quit the game.

There was even news of some people recklessly enhancing their items only to face ruin in the end.

However, these Amplification Shards offered a ray of hope. While they wouldn't grant massive power spikes like traditional enhancements, they provided consistent minuscule boosts that made one’s weapons noticeably stronger over time.

If enough shards were collected, then the increased power gained could rival that of a single enhancement level.

Of course, amassing these shards in large quantities would definitely not be easy, but for these Adventurers, it was a relatively safer and more stable alternative than gambling with the traditional item enhancement system.

“Thank you for explaining.”

“Oh, it was my pleasure.”

“I don’t have much to give… but here, have a drink,” Siegfried said with a smile, handing the Adventurer a Mint Chocolate Ade as a gesture of his gratitude.

“

Oh!

Thank you so much, Siegfried!”

The Adventurer eagerly accepted the drink, twisted the cap open, and took one big swig.

One second later…

BLEUUUURGHHH!

The Adventurer spat the drink while gagging and vomiting his insides.

“What the…? What’s wrong with him? I went out of my way to be nice, and he does that right in front of my face?” Siegfried scowled in disappointment and anger.

***

One hour later, Siegfried found himself in the same party with the Adventurers who had beaten the competition of one hundred fifty to one to pass Hamchi’s interview.

Some of the most powerful Adventurers present at the Great Rift’s entrance abandoned their parties to join the interview. The result of such an intense interview was a group of fifteen Adventurers, all Level 299, with each boasting extensive experience and impressive careers in the game.

This newly formed party was far from a normal party, and it would not be an exaggeration to call them the dream team of the Great Rift.

In other words, it was a top-tier team through and through.

However, the party’s leader was not Siegfried. He was still unfamiliar with the updated Great Rift and was unwilling to deal with the hassle, so he handed over the party leader role to another Adventurer.

“All right, everyone. Gather around, please.” The party leader, an Adventurer named Kaisel, stepped up to take charge on Siegfried’s behalf. “Make sure you’ve got everything you need. Let’s move out!”

With that, the party ventured into the Great Rift.

***

[Great Rift: The Village of Happiness – Petit Village]

As soon as they entered the rift, a message revealing their location popped up in front of their eyes.

“Huh?”

Siegfried glanced around at the surroundings, tilting his head in confusion.

The Village of Happiness – Petit Village looked like something straight out of a fairy tale.

It had buildings constructed from colorful blocks, a rainbow arching across the sky, lush green hills covered in soft green grass, and even the street lights stood out.

How? They were made of Pepero and had cotton candy hanging at where the light bulbs were supposed to be.

‘

You’ve got to be kidding me…’

Siegfried grimaced at the scenery that resembled a children’s game more than a high-level dangerous dungeon.

“Is this really a high-level dungeon?” he asked the party leader.

“You’d better stay alert, Siegfried,” Kaisel replied.

“Excuse me?”

“It looks innocent and nice, but the monsters here are insanely powerful.”

“...Sure?”

“Even a moment’s carelessness could—”

Before Kaisal could finish his words, the atmosphere suddenly shifted.

“Friends! Let’s play together!”

“Welcome to our village!”

“Let’s be best friends forever!”

Teddy bears, toy soldiers, and scarecrows began emerging from all over the village, and they cheerfully approached and welcomed Siegfried’s party.

“Enemies incoming!” Kaisel shouted, alerting the party.

The party members immediately shifted into a combat stance, ready to engage in battle at any given moment.

‘

Eh? How strong can they be?’

Siegfried wondered while observing the cheerful, bubbly creatures.

Whoosh!

A massive teddy bear swung its paw at the tank standing at the helm of the party.

“

Argh!”

The tank, despite being someone who had poured almost all of his stat points into defense, was sent flying with a single blow.

‘

What the hell?!’

Siegfried’s eyes widened in shock after witnessing the teddy bear’s punch completely overwhelm the tank.

“

Argh!”

“Hey! I need some backup here!”

The Adventurers were struggling. Even though they were all Level 299, which was practically the maximum level of the game, they were still completely outmatched by the toy-like monsters.

‘

Why are they so strong?!’

Siegfried exclaimed inwardly.

He was stunned by the difficulty of the Great Rift, but he quickly composed himself and placed down Blaze Field and Shadow Hell.

Fwaaaah!

Seuruk! Seuruk!

The moment Siegfried’s powerful debuffs blanketed the battlefield, the tide of the battle shifted dramatically. The Adventurers began pushing back the monsters before completely destroying them left and right.

However, the monsters were just the beginning of their problems. The real problem was the champion monsters that were lurking among the ordinary monsters.

One of these champion monsters was the Enraged Toy Soldier, which was an exceptionally powerful monster.

The Enraged Toy Soldier jumped into the party’s formation and wreaked havoc, causing the Adventurers to scatter. Then, it jumped back out and escaped from the debuff fields before the party could counterattack.

Its sheer stats and Super Armor buff made it possible for the champion monster to keep slipping in and out of the battlefield.

It might seem like the party was afforded a short respite whenever the Enraged Toy Soldier slipped out of the battlefield, but that was far from the truth. The champion monster would aim its massive musket once out of the debuff fields and launch devastating long-range attacks at the party.

The musket looked like a toy from a children’s fairytale, but it easily surpassed the firepower of large-caliber cannons.

‘

What the hell is that?!’

Unable to just sit around and watch, Siegfried gritted his teeth and charged forward with his +15 Vanquisher’s Grasp in hand.

He left the

weaker

mobs to the party members and faced the Enraged Toy Soldier head-on.

***

Thirty minutes later…

Krwaaaang!

The Barrier of Victory crumbled, revealing Siegfried. Beside him were the shattered remains of the Enraged Toy Soldier, its once-imposing frame now reduced to nothing but scrap.

The new Great Rift had proven to be quite difficult, as Siegfried was forced to rely on the Grand Duel just to take down a champion monster.

“You’re incredible, Siegfried!”

“Thank you for your hard work!”

“You’ve outdone yourself again!”

“I knew you could do it!”

The party members swarmed him as soon as the Barrier of Victory crumbled, and they all showered him with praise.

However, it did not mean they were not doing anything or were simply riding on his coattails. While Siegfried was battling the champion monster, the others diligently cleared the mob and waited for him to emerge from the barrier.

“It’s nothing impressive,” Siegfried said with a chuckle.

Then, his gaze wandered on the ground. The battlefield that was once the stage for the intense battle was now littered with Amplification Shards.

Even next to the Enraged Toy Soldier was a single shard, which was a guaranteed drop. The champion monsters in the Great Rift would always drop a shard upon death.

“How should we split the loot?” Siegfried asked.

Kaisel smiled and replied, “Well, you can keep one for defeating the boss. Then we roll for the rest.”

BNW’s dice system allowed players to distribute loot fairly and randomly.

“Sounds good to me,” Siegfried said with a shrug before picking up the shard near the champion monster’s remains.

[Alert: You have obtained Amplification Shard!]

Then, they rolled the dice for the remaining five shards, which were to be distributed to the one who rolled the highest.

It was then.

Wooong…

Siegfried’s Luck Guy Earring emitted a faint hum.

[Alert: You have obtained Amplification Shard!]

[Alert: You have obtained Amplification Shard!]

[Alert: You have obtained Amplification Shard!]

Surprisingly, Siegfried ended up with three out of the five remaining shards. Thanks to his earrings, the dice seemed to heavily favor him by rolling high.

‘Well, it’s not like I took everything. Besides, luck is a skill too, right?’

Siegfried thought with a sly grin.

More importantly, nobody could argue about the result, as Siegfried’s contribution was the most significant in this battle.

“Let’s keep moving,” Kaisel declared.

With the loot divided, the party began heading toward what they presumed was the boss room.

***

Siegfried seemed to be deep in thought while walking with the group.

“

Hmm…

”

“

Kyu?

What’s on your mind, owner punk?”

“It’s bothering me…” Siegfried muttered.

“What’s bothering you?”

“Them slipping through.”

“Slipping through? Who?”

“I’m talking about Shadow Hell. They keep escaping from it.”

“

Kyuu?”

“It feels like I’ve hit the limit.”

The monsters he faced were becoming visibly stronger, but Siegfried’s trusty debuff field, Shadow Hell, was starting to become ineffective despite being at max level. Most of the enemies he had faced recently were equipped with Super Armor, so they easily broke free from the debuff field.

‘

This must be the wall stopping those who reached Level 299,’

Siegfried mused. He could no longer increase his stats or skill levels, but his enemies kept growing stronger and more formidable.

The gap was becoming clear, and so were his limits.

‘

But how do I break through this wall…?’

Siegfried wondered.

Becoming a Master was the only viable solution to growing stronger. Sure, he could collect Amplification Shards or enhance his gear, but those were just short-term solutions; they would not address the root of the problem.

‘

I need to figure out how to get past that wall,’

Siegfried thought, his resolve hardening.

He pondered over how to break through the wall that was holding back his growth.