Within the Helheim world of the Yggdrasil game.
Blood Maple Forest—its trees grew thick and dense, and both the trunks and the surrounding undergrowth were blood-red, giving the forest its name.
As one of the Nine Worlds, Helheim's Blood Maple Forest lay in a remote corner of the realm, a little-known area. A veil of mist surrounded the forest, and without a specific item, Players had no way of reaching it.
All kinds of monsters roamed within, their levels fluctuating unpredictably, adjusting at random according to the Players who entered.
"This is it. The hidden map—Blood Maple Forest."
Naohara looked at the forest before him and muttered to himself. A map rested in his hand; guided by it, he had passed through the mist and arrived here.
Name: Naohara
Race: Dragonoid lv15
Class: Sword Saint lv5
Karma: -450
"Sigh… Too bad I didn't get the [World Champion] class. I wonder what Hidden Class I'll get this time. Hopefully it's not something terrible."
Not long ago, the game had held a large-scale event tournament. Players from all nine worlds competed against each other to determine the strongest nine.
Those nine would not only receive generous rewards but also obtain a special class, the strongest warrior-type class in Yggdrasil: [World Champion].
Everyone knew the [World Champion] class was practically a bug in the game. There were only nine in the entire server, and their strength was so outrageous it was worse than cheating.
The winners would also receive a Champion's Armor Set specially designed by the developers. Although the set initially counted as the lowest-tier equipment, what drove players mad was that it could be unlocked. By completing the equipment's unlock quests, its level would continue to rise, eventually becoming Divine-class Items. Its potential was terrifying.
Knowing how things would unfold, Naohara signed up without hesitation. Since he was born in the Helheim world, that meant he would inevitably face Touch Me. Even so, he didn't waver. If he wanted a better chance of surviving in the New World, he had no choice.
With superior attributes and equipment, Naohara fought his way through the tournament step by step. Relying on his own effort—and a not-so-small amount of money—he made it all the way to the final round.
And then he lost.
Despite all his effort and financial investment, he was defeated by Touch Me at the very end.
The event had taken place at the end of the game's first year, when the overall player levels were still relatively low—around level 20 on average. Players couldn't learn many spells yet, so battles mostly came down to raw stats and equipment.
Naohara had thought this worked in his favor. With everyone's levels still low, he believed he had a real shot at winning.
In the end, that very assumption cost him.
He had overlooked something important. Even in a game filled with bizarre magic, early-stage PvP wasn't decided by equipment and spells alone. Skill mattered just as much.
Touch Me, an Insectoid, had slightly lower stats than Naohara, and their equipment was roughly equal. Naohara had assumed he had the advantage.
Instead, he was completely overwhelmed.
From start to finish, he was beaten down without any real chance to counterattack. Touch Me's positioning and close-quarters combat were relentless, leaving him struggling to keep up. By the time Naohara's HP dropped to zero, Touch Me still had half a health bar left. The outcome had been decisive.
After the match, however, the two of them had a long talk. They came away with a good impression of each other, and Naohara successfully added Touch Me as a friend in the game.
That gave him some comfort. At the very least, joining Nazarick in the future shouldn't be a problem.
As the runner-up of the Helheim world, Naohara couldn't obtain the [World Champion] class. Still, the developers had given him generous rewards. Among them was an ancient-looking map—the reason he had come to Blood Maple Forest.
Shaking off his memories, Naohara checked over his items and equipment. He drank more than ten potions that reduced his presence, put on an invisibility cloak, equipped a rare Cash Shop Item he had obtained through premium purchases, and kept a single-use teleportation scroll in hand.
Once he confirmed everything was ready, Naohara stepped into Blood Maple Forest without hesitation, moving carefully and cautiously toward its depths.
From time to time, monsters could be seen roaming the forest, some reaching as high as level 30. For Naohara, who was only level 20, they were extremely dangerous.
The map was a one-time-use item, so he didn't dare take unnecessary risks. If he failed to obtain this Hidden Class, he really would cry.
Blood Soul Demon Lizard
Level: LV35
Evaluation: A monster undergoing transformation due to an unknown influence. Extremely dangerous. Recommended to avoid.
After studying the creature ahead of him, Naohara thought it over and chose to take a detour. If he couldn't beat it, he could at least avoid it.
Along the way, he encountered all sorts of monsters, but he carefully avoided alerting any of them, continuing forward according to the direction marked on the map.
He gently pushed aside the grass in front of him and was about to step forward when a roar suddenly erupted from behind.
"Damn it. A mini-boss."
Catching sight of the massive creature behind him, Naohara shouted in alarm and immediately bolted forward. Ordinary monsters were one thing, but this boss? He'd rather not deal with it.
He could probably manage to kill it with enough effort, but the commotion would definitely attract other monsters. And at that point, he'd most likely be finished.
Catastrophe Giant Lizard
Level: 35 Area Boss
Evaluation: A monster that has completed its transformation under an unknown influence. Capable of unleashing terrifying breath attacks that destroy all enemies.
(Why can a level 20 protagonist defeat it? The answer is simple. To obtain this Hidden Class, Naohara prepared a large number of Cash Shop Items. Before the supreme power of money, a level 35 boss is not unbeatable.)
Naohara ran fast, but the Catastrophe Giant Lizard was faster. As a level 35 boss, its stats were far higher than his. Even though Naohara was equipped with top-tier gear, it wasn't enough to bridge that overwhelming gap.
"I'll remember this. Just you wait."
Seeing the boss closing in, Naohara didn't bother holding back. He turned his head and spat out a vicious threat.
Then he activated the Cash Shop Item [Blessing of Wind].
The power of money kicked in. Instantly, his body felt as light as a feather, and his speed surged dramatically. In the blink of an eye, he left the Catastrophe Giant Lizard far behind and vanished into the depths of the forest.
"Roar!"
After losing sight of its target, the Catastrophe Giant Lizard roared twice before giving up and resuming its aimless wandering.
...