Chapter 50

An emergency meeting was hastily convened.

Director Kwon surveyed his murmuring employees before speaking up.

“You’re all aware of what’s going on, right?”

“Yes, online forums have been blowing up about it. There were over twelve hundred articles written with headlines like ‘Miracle of a Non-Paying Knight.’”

“Wow, but this isn’t some kind of bug or manipulation, is it? The admin team confirmed that only the president has access to Mythical items, so how could someone obtain them without paying…?”

Assistant Manager Shin’s question prompted Deacon Yang, who had been quietly standing at one side of the conference room, to speak up.

“He’s not a non-paying player.”

“What? We’ve already checked his gear and collection records. Even if he did pay, it couldn’t be more than a hundred thousand won, right?”

“The total amount spent approaches one hundred million won.”

“What?”

“Huh? Seriously?”

“What? I thought he was free-to-play? His gear and collection have been all over the internet!”

In Revenge, players could easily check each other’s equipment, collections, and more. There was even a dedicated website where one could input a player’s ID to access their information instantly. Initially, this wasn’t how the system worked, but after incidents involving hacked accounts or exploiting bugs, everything became public during the game’s third year of operation. This decision came amidst ongoing controversy regarding developers’ super accounts.

“The controversial player, Killian’s payment history is displayed here.” As Deacon Yang spoke, one wall transformed into a screen showcasing relevant data. The developers and operators present scrutinized it carefully.

After a moment…

“No… What is this?”

“Is she insane?”

The screen displayed how much money Han Jaeyeon had spent on Revenge and what she did with her purchases.

[You have purchased ★☆Settlement Package for Ardenia☆★!]

[Would you like to delete ★☆Settlement Package for Ardenia☆★?] -> [YES]

[You have purchased ★☆Grand Master Package☆★!]

[Would you like to delete ★☆Grand Master Package☆★?] -> [YES]

[You have purchased 100 ★☆Class Summoning Rights☆★!]

[Would you like to delete 100 ★☆Class Summoning Rights☆★?] -> [YES]

[You have purchased 10 ★☆Box of 4,000 Diamonds☆★!]

[Would you like to delete 10 ★☆Box of 4,000 Diamonds☆★?] -> [YES]

Director Kwon slowly examined the payment history. He had already received a verbal report, but even upon re-examination, he was astounded by the content. The player spent enormous amounts of money on microtransactions and immediately deleted them without keeping any items in their inventory.

‘Does this person have more money than they know what to do with?’

However, if someone were truly wealthy, they wouldn’t bother spending money like this within games. Why would people make in-game purchases in titles such as Revenge? Isn’t it usually for bragging rights or showing off to others? Yet here was someone charging billions and deleting everything.

‘No, that’s not the important issue right now.’

He shook his head to dismiss those thoughts before speaking up.

“Manager Oh.”

“Yes, Director?”

“If I remember correctly, you mentioned that the first time someone obtained a Mythical Class using a High-Class Quest Summoning Right was when ‘Revenge’ ranked number one across the entire Leonhart Empire, surpassing District 34. The probability at that time was likely around…”

“You mentioned it was one in thirty-eight million.”

”…Right. I did say that. Do you think those odds were somehow beaten?”

Director Kwon couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity. Probability may be a science of possibilities, but these numbers were ridiculous. One in thirty-eight million? Even if Revenge remained popular, it would take another hundred years for enough high-rank quest summoning rights to be used to reach such a probability.

“No,” Manager Oh unexpectedly corrected him. “It was actually one in a hundred.”

”…What?” The previously relaxed employees’ faces hardened like stone.

“Are you serious? No way! Someone tampered with the probabilities? Assistant Manager Oh! What happened to system security?”

“Huh? No, no! It wasn’t compromised! Everything is perfectly fine. What are you talking about?”

The conference room erupted briefly into chaos. Manager Oh observed them for a moment before speaking up again.

“Please calm down. It wasn’t due to a bug or hacking.”

“What do you mean? If it wasn’t a bug or hacking, how could someone manipulate the probabilities?”

“Isn’t there such a thing as variable probability?”

“That’s crazy talk… Wait?”

“A variable probability sounds like some conspiracy theory—oh?”

Silence fell over the conference room as everyone pondered with blank expressions.

“Variable…probability…”

“Huh? Hold on. That Player…deleted all their items… Ah! Could it be?!”

“This is insane!”

These individuals were the developers and operators of Revenge, experts in monetization games. They quickly realized what Manager Oh was implying.

“The ceiling?!”

“Yes, the ceiling! Oh right! There’s a ceiling!”

“No way, this is insane! How could this happen?!”

“Was it intentional? Wait, no, that can’t be true! It’s only a one-in-a-hundred chance! If he doesn’t get it now, wouldn’t his count reset to zero?”

“Oh my goodness!”

In games like Revenge, there existed something called “variable probabilities.” This system adjusted the chances of obtaining items based on specific conditions when making purchases or attempting extractions. Naturally, these adjustments were often unfavorable and caused uproars among users, leading some games to collapse entirely due to such controversies.

However…there were instances where variable probabilities were acceptable, with both players forgiving them and game companies providing prior notice. For example, during the first extraction attempt, the actual probability might slightly exceed the displayed rate, or certain characters’ odds may increase during special events.

Moreover, there was always a ceiling.

“Oh my God.”

In freemium games, especially those with revenue models centered around gacha or loot boxes, implementing a ceiling acted as a safety net. Since draws ultimately rely on probability, and improbable events do occur within the realm of probabilities, this measure prevented any undesirable outcomes.

What if someone had extremely bad luck and spent one billion won trying to obtain a legendary-class item but failed every time? What then?

It’s possible in the world of probabilities.

That explanation wouldn’t cut it. Players are customers, and encountering such a scenario would understandably enrage them, leading them to quit the game. While it might generate more immediate profits, in the long run, the company would suffer losses!

As such, game companies implemented systems where players would receive guaranteed rewards after spending a certain amount on ‘duds’ or increased success rates with each consecutive failure. This limit was colloquially referred to as the “ceiling.”

“Everyone is aware of the ceiling threshold within our system, right?”

“100 million won…”

“To be precise, it’s equivalent to one hundred million won worth of diamonds, not exactly one hundred million won itself. It accounts for initial payments, package deals, event purchases, etc… Anyway, what matters is that player Killian spent over one million diamonds on Revenge and received absolutely nothing.”

“So, the variable probability was applied.”

“Yes, once his cumulative diamond usage exceeded one million, he hit the ceiling. Based on the data analysis, when he used the Advanced Class Summoning Rights, the class table reset to 90% Hero, 9% Legendary, and 1% Mythical classes.”

“One percent…?”

One percent wasn’t high, but compared to the odds of 1 in 38 trillion, it seemed quite feasible. Hardcore pay-to-win gamers would be thrilled with such a chance, exclaiming, “Definitely worth giving it a shot!”

“Then, could he have intentionally aimed for that?”

“That doesn’t make sense. It’s utterly foolish. What if a Mythical card didn’t appear?”

If there was a 90 percent chance of summoning a hero-class card, it would still be considered a win, and thus, the ceiling wouldn’t apply. That meant spending one hundred million won for just one hero card. If his aim had been to obtain a Mythical-class card, statistically speaking, he’d have to repeat this process about a hundred times…

“How could someone do something like this?”

The price of a High-Rank Class Summoning Right was 100,000 won, and the probability of summoning a Mythical class was one in a hundred thousand. In other words, with ten billion won, one could easily acquire a Mythical-class card by purchasing numerous High-Rank Class Summoning Rights. Considering all the different classes that could appear along the way, everyone agreed it was a foolish endeavor.

However, as is often the case with probabilities, once luck strikes, any prior discussions become meaningless.

“Well…it seems we can rule out bugs or hacking.”

“Yes, Director.”

“…Fine. Don’t report this to the president. Everyone, dismissed.”

The employees rose from their seats at Director Kwon’s command.

“Wow. I never thought I’d see something like this…”

“I’ve been working as a developer for over twenty years, and this is a first…”

Whispering amongst themselves, they left the conference room one by one. Meanwhile, Director Kwon remained seated, deep in thought.

Standing beside him, Deacon Go Gunhee asked, “Is there anything that concerns you, sir?”

“No, nothing specifically. But…it’s just too strange. It can’t be simply written off as the ravings of a lunatic. The president will also find it unsettling if we submit our findings as is.” Director Kwon stood up. “Please look into this matter more thoroughly.”

“Thoroughly investigate… Understood, sir.” With a nod, Deacon Go Gunhee bowed and exited the room.

Seven days had passed on Earth, and twenty-five days had gone by in Ardenia. The population of Starfall had increased to twelve thousand residents. Considering that only low-level Players were sent to deal with the Wild Boar incident, this was explosive growth.

People have started realizing how dangerous the interior has become.

Most countries on the continent lay in ruins. Countless refugees scattered everywhere, fleeing from hordes of monsters. Those who naively sought refuge inland either died or retreated deeper inside after realizing it wasn’t any safer there.

Amidst all this chaos…

My territory was developing at an astonishing pace.

“A high-rank red-tipped goblin dagger costs 12,000 gold!”

“Isn’t it too expensive? Even if it is high rank, doesn’t it have Hit?”

“Huh, why are you saying that? This small-sized red-tipped dagger has Agility attached to it. The stat buff occurs as long as it is worn on your waist!”

“I’ll buy it.”

“No need to even ask what it is… Hup! Battle Cry Vision Book! It’s exactly that—the one only possessed by the elite of elites…”

The elite soldiers went through dungeons whenever they had spare time, collecting dropped items and gold. Naturally, gold became the currency used for transactions.

Unlike gold coins minted and strictly controlled by the central authority, gold obtained from defeating monsters inevitably led to inflation. However, Revenge had several systems in place to prevent such issues.

“I heard you can buy ten of these enforcement incantation scrolls per day… So if we miss out on buying them one day, that’s it for us, right?”

“Of course. Oh, have you heard the rumor? If you get a goblin dagger up to rank nine, then—”

“Whoa! How is that even possible?!”

“You fools! Don’t take unnecessary risks; be satisfied with rank six! Weapons start breaking at rank seven!”

“Huff…huff… Is the effect at rank nine truly that amazing?”

“This guy’s gone mad! Snap out of it!”

The chaos didn’t last long as the people of this medieval land quickly adapted to the system despite their lack of knowledge about video games. Naturally, more items became available as the castle brimmed with activity.

‘It’s impressive that there is no food shortage despite such a rapid increase in population. When I was running the Bronze Sword Manor, we struggled greatly due to insufficient supplies.’

Both the low-level elite soldiers and physically strong villagers without classes ventured into the Windbreak Highlands dungeon near Wild Boar Castle for experience points and money. Occasionally, issues arose when entire parties failed to return from dungeons, but these incidents were balanced by the abundance of wild boar hams harvested.

In Revenge, my character had the Favor of the Goddess and could pick up items dropped by others, but there was no way to collect more items than the hundreds or thousands of people running through the dungeons. As a result, my characters in Revenge stopped hunting wild boars.

“Actually, it’s not that level yet. My character is now…not just for hunting wild boar.”

That’s right. Now, my character in Revenge wasn’t just for hunting wild boar. They had become too strong for such trivial tasks…

“Hah…”

While working at the convenience store, I briefly opened the collection window and selected the topmost collection.

[Collection]

Sword God who Divides Heaven and Earth (All Stats +10)

A groan escaped involuntarily from me.

“Why is it Sword God again…” With trembling hands, I opened up the class window.

[Sword God (Sword God) (Mythical)]

Strength +120, Agility +200, Stamina +120, Health +80, Mana +80

Attack speed increased by 100%.

Critical chance increased by 10%.

[Transcendent Boundary]

[Gap Between Experts]

[Cheonkyum]

[Sword and Body Unification]

[Sword that Parts Heaven and Earth]

“Ah, crazy. This is really insane…”

Killian’s equipment hadn’t changed at all. It was because I had transferred all the rare items obtained during the main quest to Ardenia. However, despite this…

Puck! Puck! Puck! Shk!

“Wahh. Cutting them down in 10 seconds…”

I was hunting hero-grade enemies en masse.

[Hundred Man Slash (Ice Slasher)]

[Sword that Cuts Heaven and Earth]

By coincidence, my unique skill and transcendent skill activated simultaneously, sweeping away all the surrounding Ice Ogre Heroes. Yes, with one strike, I killed 81 ogres. It was difficult to see these two skills occurring together more than twice an hour, but still…

“Wow, crazy.”

The dropped items, gold, and acquired experience were on another level compared to before. It took me several months to reach level 40, and after surpassing level 40, the required experience increased exponentially… Yet, my leveling speed accelerated. Already, I had reached level 45.

Jeryunniebpe: Wow! The Sword God is amazing. Crazy attack speed…

Someone started chatting enviously. This might be one of the most enjoyable situations for Revenge Whale users, but I couldn’t be happy about it.

It was because I knew something:

“Ah.”

If that profession, the Mythical Sword God class, had been obtained by me in Ardenia…

“I could’ve… gone alone to the flower shop… defeated the Ice Queen raid solo… and ended the siege…”

I would’ve taken steps as a munchkin that couldn’t be compared with my current actions. Perhaps I wouldn’t have bothered training the villagers and building up forces. It would’ve just involved going there myself and killing thousands or tens of thousands. The Sword God class possessed such insane capabilities that it made me think these crazy thoughts.

‘I thought it would just be slightly better than legendary.’

However, it wasn’t just that level.

“Ah.”

After finishing my part-time job at the convenience store, I started work at Woonnye Steelworks. Here, I assisted enchanters and carried steel plates.

“Wah! You’re just carrying this away? Wow, you are incredibly strong.”

“Uh, Jae-yeon? What’s wrong?”

“What? Is something bothering you, Jae-yeon?”

At the entrance of a club, I checked the dress code for youngsters and turned away troublemakers.

“S-sorry! I got too excited after having some drinks!”

“Hey! I paid to get in, so wha… Ahh, oww… My apologies. I’ll leave…”

“Excuse me, boss? While such incidents are common among bouncers, scaring off customers too much might…”

At my convenience store part-time job, I checked inventory levels and organized merchandise.

“Hey! You part-timer, move your ass when called upon…”

“What?”

“N-nothing…”

After finishing at the convenience store, it was time to report back to Wongnyeo Steelworks again.

As I did all this, thoughts ran through my mind.

“Ahh.”

It felt like a waste. Despite everything being great, I couldn’t help but feel angry.

“My Sword God…”