Just a few years ago, the position of players was far inferior to that of NPCs. The days when Grid was helpless against the dukes of the empire proved this fact. Most of the people in power in each kingdom were NPCs and the players were just employees who moved according to their will. Players had very little power and experience to surpass the power and system accumulated in hundreds of years of history.

In the first place, they didn’t feel the need to go beyond it. The vast majority of players wanted to be part of the already existing society and thought this was enough. However, a handful of players were deeply dissatisfied. They couldn’t tolerate serving or relying on NPCs and hoped to become the main subjects of society.

Over the years, the world finally started to change. The system that was centered around the Saharan Empire collapsed due to Grid and Basara. The kingdoms liberated from the oppression of the empire strengthened their business and armaments and offered players all types of benefits and opportunities. As meritorious players became nobles of various kingdoms and owned territory, the status of players was developing day by day.

More players were enjoying the ‘lord system’ which used to be the home of just a few high rankers. The aftermath was serious. They were opposed to the existing system, saying they didn’t want to serve NPCs who were just artificial intelligence. They didn’t guarantee the human rights of NPCs. They ruthlessly exercised the power they finally gained. It was a basic thing to raise the tax rate to the maximum, exploit human resources at will, or take handsome women or men as concubines.

Every land ruled by players was full of misery and it was hard to watch.

“This is how refugees are created. It is natural for them to enter the Overgeared Kingdom and Valhalla.”

Lion—he was one of the ‘five wealthy merchants’ who surpassed the fallen king Kir in the rankings. He was lacking when compared to Muto, who remained overwhelming number one thanks to the full support of the Overgeared Kingdom, but he still accumulated financial resources at an amazing speed.

“Hahaha... I instructed the soldiers to seal the castle doors... those bad guys. The jerks didn’t even protect the gates but instead ran away with the people...” High smiled with embarrassment and scratched the back of his head.

Lion was amazed that a fool who had lost half his territory’s population after becoming lord for half a year could laugh. However, he didn’t express his feelings. His emotions weren’t cheap enough to be used on a moron.

“This is the price I promised. Take this and transfer over all rights to the territory.”

“Gulp. I'm not responsible for any problems that happen afterwards, right?” High looked at the amount of money with greedy eyes and confirmed it again.

This was a small territory that could accommodate up to 6,000 people. High was granted this land by the king as a recognition of his service as a nobleman of the Arc Kingdom. All the rights of the land belonged to him, but no one knew what type of future trouble would be waiting if it was sold to a third party or a merchant from another kingdom. To be honest, the king might try to take the land away.

“Correct. From the moment the deal is struck, you are free from all responsibilities.”

There was no need to take responsibility for any problems that might occur...

Lion handed over a contract roughly stating this along with the payment and urged hastily, “Sign it quickly.”

“U-Understood.”

High had a grasp of himself. He might’ve used all types of dirty means to become a lord, but he didn’t have the ability to gather talents or manage a territory. His willpower wasn’t strong enough to resist the hedonistic temptation of power. Thus, he coldly signed the contract. It wasn’t a bad deal for him because he would receive a lot of money for passing on the land that started costing him a lot of money.

[You have purchased the rights to the ‘Bichio’ territory.]

[You have become the lord of Bichio.]

[The Craftsman Trading skill has increased to level 3.]

[It is rumored that the king of the Arc Kingdom has become alert to you. A summons might arrive sooner or later.]

The king’s vigilance? It was just a formal procedure. It would be better than regretting leaving this land to the garbage who destroyed the precious population. The king might ask for proper sincerity and monitor him openly for a while, but Lion was well prepared. Now Lion wasn’t the one who had to worry about his life...

“Huhuhu.”

It was the garbage in front of him who happily sold his land at will. He never imagined that he would be chased and hunted by the Arc Kingdom forever.

‘It is good that there are many things on sale due to garbage like this.’

Lion only smiled after High left. Similar things were happening all over the continent. A huge amount of money was being spent by merchants to buy broken territories.

***

“There is no romance, no romance.”

Satisfy had a number of effects on people’s real lives. One of them was the new and flexible use of space. Now when it was time to meet someone, people lay down in capsules without getting ready to go out. It was also very common for singers to perform in Satisfy. The same was true for Guseha’s 20th anniversary concert.

Regas heard the grumbling Peak Sword and looked like he didn’t understand. “Is there anything unsatisfactory? Both the visual and sound effects are the same as reality. You can still feel the enthusiasm of the people.”

“However, we aren’t seeing the real Guseha.”

“Isn’t Guseha’s customization famous for looking like his real self?”

“Sigh, it is like a monster born from modern society. Stop talking, stop talking. Eh? Kimchi pie specialty store? Is it a new fusion dish? Let’s go and see it.”

“Didn’t you eat three hours ago?”

“Why does that matter? You won’t gain weight eating in games anyway.”

“Haha, you are the monster born from modern society.”

Guseha’s 20th anniversary concert was being held in Reinhardt, the capital of the Overgeared Kingdom. Reinhardt’s opera house was so large and beautiful that it was increasingly being rented as a stage by famous stars. Lauel’s foresight shone in these small areas. It was rumored that Grid, who hadn’t wanted to invest so much money in creating cultural activities, was fond of the opera house these days.

“Deli...cious!”

A fusion that mixed kimchi with British recipe. Peak Sword felt admiration after taking a careful bite of the kimchi pie. The flavor of the kimchi juice spread throughout his mouth as he chewed on crispy layers of pie. It was also pleasant to see the change in texture as the crispy pie became soft as it was soaked by the kimchi juice. It was a dish where foreign flavors and the flavor of home co-existed.

Regas had a somewhat subtle expression. “I think it would be better to add beef than pork. I don’t like the texture of fat.”

“Kimchi is best matched with pork belly.”

“It does well with beef and lamb...”

“Kimchi is a great food so it goes well with anything. Um?”

Peak Sword was licking the kimchi juice with his tongue when he suddenly cocked his head. It was because the man ordering kimchi pie at the counter was very familiar. It was a strange thing. It was obviously their first time meeting but he felt like he was seeing a person he had known a long time.

“I can feel your hot gaze. It turned out to be Peak Sword and Regas. It is an honor to meet two of the Overgeared Kingdom’s 10 meritorious retainers. I’m going to buy a lottery ticket today.” The man with the pie in his hand smiled and greeted them. It was a cool smile as refreshing as a carbonated drink.

The unknown player. There was a high probability they had a low level. However, Regas didn’t judge people based on level or reputation. He greeted this person politely with a smile.

On the other hand, the reluctant looking Peak Sword had his mouth shut. He watched silently as Regas and the man had a casual conversation until they separated.

“Then I’m going now.”

Was it because he was embarrassed by the speechless Peak Sword? The moment the man left, Regas pointed out Peak Sword’s impolite behavior. “Why did you stare at an innocent person like that?”

“...Guseha.”

“Huh?”

“The person just now, it was Guseha.”

“Was there poison in the pie?”

“No, really! I’ve been a fan of Guseha since middle school. Do you think I can’t recognize him? I don’t know how he concealed his unique stride and other habits but he can’t hide the special shape of the muscles around his eyebrows when he smiles!”

“......”

Regas retreated stealthily. Regas boasted a strong mentality and physical strength but he felt particularly tired whenever he was with Peak Sword.

Peak Sword shouted at him, “Don’t you know? Skin Maker! Guseha knows the Skin Maker!”

“......!” Regas’ eyes widened. The Skin Maker was someone who changed the outer appearance of items and players in exchange for large amounts of money. He had recently become a more difficult person to meet and could only be found through special routes. Rumor had it that a third generation chaebol with a bad personality chased the Skin Maker because he was made to look like a beggar. It was just a rumor.

“Chase Guseha!”

“Ah, yes!”

Peak Sword and Regas used their skills to find the man from a moment ago.

It was a basic law of the Overgeared Kingdom that combat-related skills were banned in the cities but the authority of the 10 meritorious retainers was above the law. Moreover, it was backed up by their skills.

Thousands of people filled the street but the two men smoothly moved through it without a single collision. The two people’s ability to completely control their bodies while using dash skills that temporarily amplified their movement speed was no different from a superpower in the eyes of ordinary people.

***

-Brother Seha! Where are you now?

The manager kept sending him whispers. It was crazy to be caught in Satisfy as well. Guseha shook his head and answered.

-I’ve come all the way here. Why can’t I take a look at the Overgeared God Temple and Khan’s statue?

-What about the concert interview? The reporters are waiting!

-I’m not giving the interview~

-No, Brother. This isn’t just a concert, it is the 20th anniversary concert. Today isn’t good... fans will be wanting an interview with you.

-It isn’t the fans. This is what the reporters want. I communicate with my fans every day on social media. So I will see you tomorrow.

-Brother!

[The target has been blocked.]

‘It is quiet now.’

The rest of the leftover kimchi pie. The taste was ambiguous, so Guseha had been wondering whether to throw it away or not. Eventually, he put it in his mouth while his vision captured Khan’s statue. The blacksmith who became a legend shortly before his death. It was Grid’s master...

Every player knew his story. The process of the destruction of Immortal was extremely loud.

‘Please be happy in Heaven.’

Guseha approached the statue and expressed his brief condolences. He, a master representing one field in reality and Satisfy, admired Khan, who was a master as well. Even if the field was different, the tough process of becoming a master would’ve been similar.

Guseha’s gaze headed toward the street lined with dozens of smithies. ‘Grid must be somewhere over there.’

Of course, there was a much higher probability of Grid not being there. It was funny to expect him to be in the smithy everyday when he was probably busier than Guseha. Still, it was something that couldn’t be known.

‘If I have to pick someone who can take care of this item without any greed, I can only think of Grid. I want to see him once...’

He didn’t know when he would be able to visit Reinhardt again. Guseha felt a sense of anticipation and moved to the smithy area.

His eyes were deep and his expression was complicated. It was such an elaborate expression that it was hard to believe he was wearing a skin mask.

“I finally found you, Skin Maker Guseha.”

“......!” Guseha was startled as he walked into a deep alley. A man with a black cloth covering his face was blocking his way. “How do you know me?”

“You might be able to change your appearance but you can’t change your soul. Guseha, I don’t want to make things big in the capital of the Overgeared Kingdom. Please accept the transaction. My employer said that he will forgive all your mistakes during this period if you hand over the item to me.”

“Is it because I made his face funny? It wasn’t a mistake. It was on purpose.”

“I’m just delivering the message.”

“Um... Don’t you know the danger of the thing your friend is after?”

“I’m not curious.”

Behind the man who spoke firmly, the figure of a death god with a huge scythe appeared and disappeared. Then Guseha’s soul gauge that was only visible to the man started to be consumed.

“You will die in five minutes. Your resurrection point is in the empire and my employer is waiting with his men. I think it would be good for you to accept the deal.”

“Um... I can’t log out when in battle. Do I have to kill you to get rid of this?”

“It will be lifted if you can get more than 10 meters away from me.”

“Haha, it is possible?”

“It is impossible...”

The man’s head suddenly tilted back as he was speaking. There was a flash of sword light that cut off the man’s disheveled hair. It was the effect of drawing a sword at high speed.

“If you mess around more, next is the neck.” A figure appeared behind Guseha. Peak Sword took back the drawn sword and placed it back in the sheath. Then he stared at the man who attacked Guseha. “Who are you? Didn’t you see the notice that fighting in Reinhardt will lead to imprisonment?”

“I have no... luck.” The man clicked his tongue and jumped. It was extraordinary that he could jump into the roof of a four storey smithy in one go. It was just that Regas’ physical ability was better than this.

“I need to inspect you, so I’ll hit you once.”

“......!”

The man was startled from the voice heard behind him and pulled out his weapon from his inventory. He protected his waist with a steel rod that looked like a spear handle. Regas’ kick hit the steel rod. The man’s body couldn’t withstand the shock and flew through the exterior wall of the next building. He rolled around a few times before finally barely stopping. Regas chased straight away. Just then, a death god appeared and swung a scythe at Regas.

“Knight?”

Regas noticed the identity of the man and was flustered. Of course, he didn’t stop his actions. He moved into the arms of the death god, blocked the scythe with the back of his hand, and used his fists. The death god’s huge body was pierced by the fist and shook precariously.

Regas’ eyes were shaking as well. It was because Knight completed his movement technique and left as Regas was temporarily confronting the death god. Peak Sword saw this and clicked his tongue. “Is it high power escape magic? Hidden classes are tricky in this way.”

It was hard to respond when the skills weren’t known.

Guseha came to the side of Peak Sword and Regas to soothe their regret. “Thank you for your help. I... I am the Skin Maker, Shift.”