While the new batch of players of Satisfy were busy struggling against level 1 rabbits and fumbling through basic tutorials, a silent storm was brewing in the headquarters of the S.A. Group.
Within the sterile, humming sanctuary of the supercomputer Morpheus, data was being processed at a speed that would liquefy a standard processor.
Lim Cheolho, the father of Satisfy, stood before a towering holographic display, his eyes wide with a mixture of disbelief and pure, unadulterated joy. Around him, the board members were in a state of soft panic.
"This is statistically impossible," one member stammered, pointing at a scrolling line of code.
"The 'Path of Enlightenment' quest... it's a master-level growth trigger. It shouldn't even be visible to a player for another three years! And the success rate..."
[User Arthur is currently performing the quest 'Path of Enlightenment'. Success rate: 99.8%]
"Ninety-nine point eight?" Lim Cheolho laughed, the sound bouncing off the reinforced glass.
"Hahaha! In all my years of designing this world, I have never seen Morpheus give a decimal that high for a player-driven event. This Arthur... he isn't just playing the game. He's inhabiting it."
"But Director!" another member argued. "If he completes this, his growth will accelerate beyond the 'Absolute' threshold. He's already being guided by the ghost of Madra! If he becomes a Transcendent this early, he'll break the world's balance. He's greedy—look at how he handled the Madra encounter! He wanted to sell the corpse of a Legend!"
Lim Cheolho's smile didn't fade. He turned to the holographic interface. "Morpheus, will this player cause chaos? Will he be a blight upon the other users?"
[Analyzing User 'Arthur' personality matrix...]
[Analysis Complete. Chance of unprovoked chaos: 0%. Current status: Guided by LGD-1098 (Madra). The user possesses a unique 'Rational Altruism'.]
"You see?" Lim Cheolho whispered, looking back at the board. "He hasn't just found a teacher. He's found the strongest teacher. Let the boy cook. I want to see how far a human can go when they know the destination before the journey even begins."
Unaware of the cosmic eyes watching his every move, Arthur walked through the darkening streets of Patrian. His stomach growled—a reminder that even with "Epic" gear and "Godly" potential, a human body, even though it's digitized still needed fuel.
He approached a sturdy, two-story building that smelled of hops, roasted meat, and old wood: Ozuna's Inn.
As he pushed the heavy oak doors open, the roar of the evening crowd hit him. It was a typical fantasy tavern scene, but Arthur's eyes weren't on the barmaids or the ale. They were on the man behind the counter.
The bartender was a titan of a man, likely in his late thirties. His silver hair was pulled back into a sharp ponytail, and a jagged eye patch covered his left eye. He wore a dark blue navy shirt that strained against shoulders broad enough to bridge a canyon.
But it was the shelf behind him that made Arthur stop in his tracks.
Resting on two iron pegs was a longsword of exquisite craftsmanship. The blade was dark—black iron ore—but it shimmered with the distinct blue veins of Blue Orichalcum.
That sword... Arthur thought, his mind racing through his memories of the original story.
Black iron and blue orichalcum? That's a 'Grandmaster' tier weapon. I don't remember any NPC like this in Patrian. Grid never met him. Kraugel never mentioned him. Did he die before the main story started? Or did he leave?
"Dear customer," a deep, gravelly voice broke his focus. The bartender was looking directly at him, a damp rag poised over a mug. "May I ask why you're staring at me? Or is my sword more interesting than my menu?"
Arthur blinked, realizing he'd been standing like a statue. "Ah! I apologize. It's just... this is my first time seeing a bartender with the physique of a frontline commander. Sir...?"
The man grunted, a small, amused quirk appearing at the corner of his lips. "Airgid. Retired swordsman. And you, boy? You don't look like the usual rabble."
"Arthur. A wandering adventurer," Arthur replied, stepping up to the bar. He didn't hide his gaze.
"I was looking at your arms. The way your deltoids are developed... you focus on a two-handed style, don't you? A single, overwhelming sweep or a heavy overhead slash."
The tavern went quiet for a moment. Airgid froze, his one good eye narrowing. Then, he let out a booming laugh that shook the glasses on the shelf.
[Affinity with Airgid +5]
"Hahaha! A keen eye! Most see the eye patch and think I'm a brawler. You see the muscle memory of a fencer." Airgid said, sliding a foaming mug of cider across the wood. "On the house, 'Little Hero'. I've heard the guards talking about you."
Arthur took a long draught of the cider, the cold liquid refreshing his parched throat. "Thank you. But I didn't just come for a drink."
"Oh? Information? A bounty?"
"Cooking," Arthur said simply.
Airgid stared. The customers stared. A fly buzzed in the silence. Then, Airgid laughed even harder than before, slapping the counter with a hand the size of a dinner plate.
[Affinity with Airgid +10]
"Cooking! The boy who killed the Great Rabbit king wants to use my kitchen! Fine, fine. I like your spirit. But tell me—how did you find this place? I don't advertise my kitchen to 'adventurers'."
"Anna told me," Arthur replied. "She said if I wanted to process rare materials or find a kitchen that understands 'Wild Game', I should come to Ozuna's Inn."
The mention of Anna made Airgid's laughter die instantly. His expression softened, turning into something weary and somber.
"Anna... she's a good woman. A saint in a city of stone. She's had a hard life, trying to save that girl of hers."
Airgid leaned over the counter, his voice dropping to a whisper. "I would have helped her myself, if my own home wasn't a tomb."
Arthur leaned in. "Your home?"
"My twin daughters," Airgid said, his voice cracking. "Alfia and Meteria. They were born with a curse the doctors call a 'Weak Constitution'."
"Every movement, every breath... it causes them agony. They hide in their rooms so I won't see them cry. Since their mother passed, the light in this house has gone out. I've spent every coin, every favor, looking for a cure. But there is nothing."
Arthur felt a pang of genuine empathy. In the original Satisfy, there were thousands of NPCs with tragic backstories, but seeing Airgid—a man who looked like he could take on an army—look so defeated was different.
'Ciel, Arthur called out internally. Can you identify the disease if I see them?'
Arthur looked Airgid in the eye. "Airgid, let me see them."
The bartender stiffened. "Boy, I've had the best priests in the kingdom—"
"I'm not a priest," Arthur interrupted, his voice steady and full of the 'Dignity' he had earned.
"But I have... unique eyes. I can see things others miss. If there is a chance—even a small one—that I can find the root of their pain, wouldn't you take it?"
Airgid's hands trembled as they gripped Arthur's shoulders. The grip was tight, bordering on painful, but Arthur didn't flinch.
"You... you're serious?" Airgid whispered. "You think you can cure them?"
[Hidden Quest: Alfia and Meteria's Salvation]
Difficulty: S+
Description: Cure the twin daughters of the legendary retired swordsman Airgid.
Reward: Affinity with the family (MAX), Title [Miracle Doctor], Title: [Prince Charming], +100 charm Stats.
Warning: This is a quest of the 'Fate' category. Failure may result in the death of the NPCs.
'JACKPOT!!!'
Arthur didn't hesitate. He nodded. "I can't promise a miracle, but I can promise the truth. Let's go."
Airgid left the tavern in the hands of his head waiter and led Arthur through a back door into the private residence attached to the inn.
The air here was different—it smelled of lavender and medicinal herbs, a quiet, sterilized atmosphere that felt far removed from the rowdy tavern.