I let out several long breaths, thinking about which items I’d lost after being slaughtered by the Gnawlord.

  “If my Dire Rat hides dropped, I’ll have to farm them all over again…” I muttered.

  Before I could finish grumbling, four girls in school uniforms walked in with two teenage boys. They chatted casually as they stepped into the store.

  Out of the four girls, only one made my head turn instantly: long flowing hair, a cute headband, a captivating aura.

  I’ve seen her before… but where?

  “Hey, mister, we’re out of sugar for the coffee,” said one of the boys—light brown-blond hair, neatly styled, good-looking, total playboy vibe.

  I’m not that old, you little punk… I shouted inwardly.

  “Alright, I’ll restock it. Thanks for letting me know,” I replied, forcing a smile.

  As I refilled the shelf, I glanced at them from time to time. The playboy was clearly the type whose life went smoothly—easy conversation, surrounded by girls.

  A life I didn’t have.

  Back at the cashier, I was still thinking about the girl with the headband.

  “I’ve definitely seen her somewhere… but where?” I murmured.

  “Hey, pervy old man. Stop staring at the girls, or I’ll report you.”

  The other boy—bigger, athletic—suddenly said that.

  I’m twenty-two, damn it. I’m not old enough to be called that, I grumbled inwardly.

  Because of him, all eyes turned to me. The girls giggled, except for the black-haired girl with the headband. She didn’t join in.

  “I’m serious. Want me to report you, perv?” the muscular one continued.

  I took a breath and stayed calm. “I was just looking at the billboard over there. It changed yesterday, and now it’s changed again.”

  I pointed at the holographic billboard across the street, showing two idol girls advertising energy drinks with bright smiles.

  “That’s the dumbest excuse I’ve ever heard,” he scoffed.

  “Come on, Daigo. Just let it go. Looking isn’t a crime,” said the playboy.

  “It’s not that, Ren. Look at his creepy face. The type who’ll hurt a girl someday,” Daigo shot back.

  “As if he could. Look at his tiny build,” Ren replied casually.

  Instead of defending me, he only crushed what little pride I had left.

  Daigo walked past me with a deliberately mocking smile.

  Ren approached the counter. “Sorry about my friend, sir. How much is the total? I’ll pay.”

  Tch… this brat… I thought, barely holding it in.

  But I kept smiling like a proper store clerk.

  “The total is 52 UniCred.”

  They left, still giggling.

  Ren glanced back and said, “I sent 60 UniCred to your Pulse. Consider the extra eight a tip—and an apology.”

  They walked out.

  “Show-off kids trying to look cool in front of girls,” I muttered.

  I stared blankly out the window.

  “If I’d stayed back in my hometown… maybe I’d have had friends like that.”

  -----

  “Welcome back, Nate,” Iris greeted me when I arrived in my room.

  “Finally back after working all day,” I replied.

  “At least someone welcomes me. Even if it’s just an AI,” I muttered.

  “Hehehe… thank you,” Iris said, scratching her head shyly.

  Who even programmed an AI to act like that when praised? Don’t they have anything better to do?

  I ate quickly, took a shower, then prepared to log in.

  Seeing me in a hurry, Iris sat on the Oracle Pod and said, “Nate, want to hear some hot news from Project Omniverse players?”

  “Hot news?” I frowned.

  “Yes. There’s a rumor on social media that a Project Omniverse player died while logged in.”

  I fell silent.

  “From the information I gathered, some say it was a heart attack… but others claim he died in the game, and then his real body died as well.”

  “Dying because you died in the game? That sounds impossible. A heart attack makes more sense,” I said. “Probably just rumors from people who hate the game.”

  “Alright. Once I’m logged in again, as usual, I’ll leave everything to you.”

  “Roger!!”

  -----

  WELCOME TO PROJECT OMNIVERSE

  “First, let’s check what I dropped yesterday…” I said while opening my inventory.

  “Thank God. Five Dire Rat Hides are safe. I only lost two Tails and one Eyeball. My weapon’s still there.”

  I let out a small breath of relief.

  But when I checked my status, my face immediately tightened.

  “Back down to Level 6? The death penalty in this game is brutal…” I muttered.

  If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

  “By the way, where’s Gerald? He should’ve shown up by now,” I said, walking around the town square.

  In the middle of the square, I saw a green-haired man in a gray robe with a sling bag, walking while staring at the ground.

  He bumped into several players and quickly apologized each time.

  “Sorry, what are you looking for?” I asked.

  “My recipe paper… it got blown away by the wind. I need it to perfect my potion,” he answered in a panic.

  “If I find it, I’ll let you know,” I said reassuringly.

  “Thank you so much,” he replied in relief.

  I continued walking while searching for the paper. I passed the item shop guarded by a pink-haired NPC. Her sweet smile was enough to make players hang around just to talk to her.

  A few blocks away, a man stood glaring at the players crowding around the shop.

  Ignoring him, I kept searching every corner. As I passed in front of the bar, I heard commotion.

  Several players and NPCs were watching, as if witnessing some drama. I immediately approached the crowd.

  Inside the bar, a chef looked frantic. He rummaged through his bag, his shirt pockets, even his pants pockets in panic.

  “What’s going on?” I asked a woman dressed like a witch, complete with a large hat.

  “The chef was asked for identification by the kingdom. Lately, fake chefs have been running around. If you’re caught without a license, you’re detained immediately,” she replied.

  “I’ve been playing all this time and never seen an event like this,” said the man beside her, dressed neatly with a large sword on his back.

  “The NPCs are acting up today,” I muttered, then went back to focusing on Gerald and the missing recipe paper.

  “Maybe someone triggered a Rare Hidden Quest,” the girl suggested.

  “But no one’s ever unlocked a Rare Hidden Quest in the Kingdom of Alphatya,” the man replied.

  Eventually, I found Gerald in front of the eastern gate, talking to the Knights.

  “Gerald,” I called out.

  “Oh, Yoruno. How are you? Well? Have you collected five Dire Rat Hides?” he asked.

  A notification appeared in front of me.

  ----

  [Quest Update]

  Collect 5× Dire Rat Hides

  5/5 — Complete

  Submit Quest?

  [O] Accept [X] Decline

  ----

  “Of course Yoruno is a trustworthy adventurer,” I said, pressing [O].

  Notification: Midnight Ember Dew has been added to your inventory.

  “You seem to be getting stronger, Yoruno. Planning to leave the kingdom again?” one of the Knights asked.

  “For now… I’m still thinking about it,” I replied, not yet daring to step beyond the gate.

  “We’ll be waiting. We want to be the first to witness your success in conquering that forest,” said another Knight.

  “You’ve inspired the younger Knights to keep fighting even after repeated failures,” the first added.

  I could only give a dry laugh. So they were the ones spreading stories about me among all the Knights in this kingdom.

  When I noticed Gerald and Berthard didn’t look as cheerful as usual, I asked, “What’s wrong? You both look down.”

  “Our grape harvest failed. Their growth has slowed. We might not be able to come here for the next few weeks,” Berthard said sadly.

  “Maybe there’s something I can help with?” I offered.

  “Thank you, but there’s nothing that can be done,” he replied quietly.

  “Then we’ll be on our way,” Gerald said, guiding his horse carriage forward again.

  “Poor them… selling grapes is the only way they support their family,” one of the Knights said softly.

  “Is there really nothing that can be done?” I asked again.

  “Unfortunately, there isn’t. The only thing that could restore the crops is a miracle,” he replied.

  “In that case, I’ll get going. I’ve got something to take care of,” I said, and they waved goodbye.

  “Today’s strange. Every NPC seems to be having problems,” I muttered.

  As I walked, someone called out, “Young man, you there!”

  I looked left and right, then spotted an old drunkard—an NPC who rarely ever spoke—calling to me.

  “Are you talking to me?” I asked.

  “There’s no one else here,” he said, motioning for me to come closer.

  It’s unusual for a background NPC like this to start a conversation, I thought as I approached him.

  “Why are you suddenly able to respond?” I asked.

  The old man didn’t answer. Instead, he leaned closer… and sniffed at my body.

  “Hey! If I were a girl, that’d count as harassment,” I protested.

  “I smell Midnight Ember Dew. May I have it?” he said.

  Unbelievable… he can smell alcohol inside my inventory.

  “Come on, give it to me. Or… I’ll trade you this pendant,” he pleaded.

  “Why would you trade something valuable just for alcohol?” I asked.

  “Alcohol’s more important than that thing. Besides, I just found it on the road,” he replied casually.

  Damn… I thought it was something precious. Turns out it’s just junk he picked up, I grumbled inwardly.

  “Please, trade it with me,” he begged, tugging at my pants so hard they nearly slipped down.

  “Alright! Alright! Just stop!” I said quickly.

  In the end, I handed over the Midnight Ember Dew, and he gave me the pendant.

  “What am I supposed to do with this? Selling it’s pointless—because of the curse, my Aether will just go further into the negative,” I muttered in irritation.

  “Guess I’ll help that green-haired NPC first,” I said as I continued walking—accidentally passing the entrance to the sewer gate.

  “Yoruno! You finally came out!” shouted the young Knight guarding the sewer.

  “So… have you obtained the Gnawlord’s Horn?” he asked hopefully.

  “Uh… not yet,” I answered quietly.

  His face fell instantly.

  “I’ve searched everywhere, but I still haven’t found it. Maybe I’ll run into it later,” I said, trying to sound convincing.

  “Really? Thank you,” he said, beginning to smile.

  “Why do you want it so badly?” I asked.

  “I want to give it to someone I love. Even though she knows who I used to be, I want to prove I’ve changed,” he said softly.

  “If only I hadn’t dropped that pendant… maybe I wouldn’t be chasing the Gnawlord’s Horn,” he added gloomily.

  Pendant? I thought quickly.

  “You mean this?” I asked, holding up the pendant in my hand.

  His eyes lit up instantly. “Where did you find that, Yoruno?!”

  “I got it from an old drunk. He said he found it on the road,” I replied.

  “May I have it?” he asked.

  “Of course. It’s yours,” I said, handing it over.

  “Thank you so much, Yoruno. You’ll definitely become a famous adventurer someday,” he said happily.

  I simply returned a small smile. Then he pulled out a broken knife and offered it to me.

  “Take this, Yoruno. It’s my treasure. Maybe you can repair it and use it,” he said, pressing the knife into my hand.

  I had no choice but to accept it. He kept thanking me repeatedly until I finally managed to escape.

  “What kind of knife is this…? The status only says ‘unknown,’” I muttered.

  I headed to the weapon shop where I had once bought my Wooden Sword. Maybe he’d be willing to trade a weapon for some Dire Rat loot, I thought as I stepped inside.

  “Welcome—oh, it’s Yoruno the Unyielding.”

  “Since when do I have that nickname…” I muttered.

  “How can I help you?” he asked pleasantly.

  “Want to trade a weapon for some Dire Rat loot?” I asked hopefully.

  “Sorry, this shop only accepts Aether. You can sell your loot at the item shop.”

  I let out a sigh. Just as I was about to leave, he suddenly exclaimed—

  “Do you have that rare knife?!”

  “Rare knife?” I pulled out the Iron Dagger. “You mean this?”

  “Not that! The broken one!”

  “Oh.” I placed the broken knife on the table.

  He examined it for a long time, and his expression turned serious. “It’s authentic. How did you get this?”

  “It’s just a broken item, isn’t it?”

  “This is the knife of the infamous killer, Michael the Ripper.”

  A parody of Jack the Ripper or something…

  “He killed his targets using only a knife. Many say he was only eight years old at the time… and then he vanished without a trace.”

  His words immediately reminded me of the sewer Knight.

  Wait… when the sewer guard said he wanted to change for a girl—don’t tell me he meant Michael the Ripper? I thought in shock.

  No wonder he had so many knives, from an Iron Dagger to a Carving Knife… just how dangerous is that NPC, really? I continued, growing more confused by everything happening.

  “Interested in selling it? One million Aether,” he offered.

  “One million Aether?!”

  “Of course. That’s a fair price.”

  A red flag shot up in my mind: my Aether is in the negative—if I accept, I’ll just sink deeper.

  Besides, this is a rare knife. If repaired, it could become a top-tier weapon.

  “One million is too low. This is a rare knife. If you want it, trade something of equal value.”

  He let out a long sigh. “You drive a hard bargain. Very well. How about what’s inside this box?”

  He pulled out a mysterious box.

  What now… I thought.

  “Inside is a sacred relic from my goddess of fortune.”

  “A relic? A goddess of fortune?” I found myself intrigued.

  “You can have it in exchange for that broken knife.”

  “How do I know you’re not lying?”

  “Simple. Take this box to the armor shop. They’ll definitely trade a fine piece of armor for this relic. If I’m lying, come back—I’ll return your knife. But do not open the box.”

  In the end, I took the box and left.

  But the farther I walked, the stronger my curiosity grew.

  When the alley was empty, I checked left and right. Clear.

  I slowly opened the box…

  Inside: pink fabric.

  I pulled it out.

  Underwear. Pink.

  Silence. I swallowed.

  Then—

  “Damn it, I’ve been scammed…! A rare knife for this!?” I shouted, slamming the box to the ground.