Divine Glitch: I Regressed With Endgame Knowledge

While Ryan was fully absorbed in the grueling Death Siege quest, some of the newer guild members were already causing a stir.

The Ironblood Covenant had launched another wave of brazen provocations on the forums, drawing in a massive audience.

"Featherlight! You're just a lucky piece of trash!"

One particular thread in particular stood out. Though it hadn't been pinned by any moderator, it was being relentlessly pushed to the top by an endless tide of trolls. Any new posts were instantly buried in its wake. Comments poured in so fast that the page count jumped by the hundreds right before people's eyes.

"These Ironblood Covenant guys are absolutely unbearable!"

A few of the new guild members couldn't help but vent their frustration in the guild chat. "They're acting like their leader is invincible, like they can trample all over ours."

"Unbearable? Why?" Smoking Gun responded without much concern. "They just got one Glorious Achievement. Our guild leader has way more than that. There's no comparison."

"I'm telling you, Smoking Gun, just go look at the forums yourself. You wouldn't be saying that if you saw the trash those Ironblood clowns are posting." The speaker, a Human Warlock with the ID Soul of the Dead, couldn't hold back. Every insult aimed at their leader felt personal.

Smoking Gun hesitated, then slowly pulled up the forums.

Not long after, he stormed back into the guild chat. "Damn those Ironblood bastards! Absolutely shameless. If they were standing in front of me right now, I'd put a bullet between their eyes!"

The thread was a deliberate smear campaign, carefully ghostwritten to twist every detail. It dissected Featherlight's accomplishments with mocking analysis, subtly pushing players toward one conclusion: Was Featherlight really just a fluke?

The post laid out each of his Glorious Achievements one by one, lacing them with scorn.

"First, Featherlight was just the first to open a dungeon. Because of that alone, he managed to grab the first Glorious Achievement. Everyone knows there weren't any elite monsters in the starting zone back then. With the right preparation, two or three people could've easily killed the Guardian and opened the dungeon."

"Why did Featherlight know right away that the Guardian would get stronger if too many players showed up? Isn't it obvious? He'd already tested it himself. With a large group, the Guardian couldn't be beaten. Which guild that later killed the Guardian didn't rely on pure speed? Featherlight was just lucky to stumble on it first."

"The second Glorious Achievement was the first dungeon clear. I'm sure by now everyone's run the starting dungeon. No one could solo it from the beginning—too many mobs block the way. So how did Featherlight's name alone appear when the system announced it? Clearly, he must have pulled some kind of trick at the very end, made possible only because of that first Glorious Achievement!"

"Obviously, once he got that first achievement, it gave him a massive advantage right from the start. Then, when it came time to face the boss, his teammates must have dropped out, leaving him to finish it slowly with that reward boosting him. Isn't it clear that if any other guild member had snagged that first achievement, they could've done the exact same thing?"

"The third Glorious Achievement was Featherlight and a few guild members clearing the first official dungeon. The achievement was for being the first to clear it without dying. That took some skill back then, sure—but now, anyone can see that the first dungeon isn't difficult to clear without a single death."

"The fourth Glorious Achievement was First Blood, the first player kill. According to the victim, Featherlight simply ambushed him."

"Although he and Moonlight Beauty were the first to step into enemy territory, it was only thanks to earlier rewards that he managed the ambush. Honestly, I believe most players could have done the same!"

"And then there was the so-called Godslayer. Everyone saw the video of Featherlight killing Fallen Illyria. What ever skill he used reflected her own magic, forcing her to kill herself. Every Paladin knows no such skill exists in their repertoire. That alone is a prove it was another reward from his previous Glorious Achievements!"

"In other words, Featherlight's so-called legend is nothing but a chain reaction of early luck. He happened to be the first to discover the Guardian, then cashed in reward after reward, milking them into more achievements all the way to Godslayer. Strip away that initial luck, and what is he really? Just a fraud who's been fooling everyone!"

"Meanwhile, Ironblood Blade's strength speaks for itself. The Death Siege quest unlocks at level twenty-three. Plenty of players have taken it, and everyone knows how brutal it is to finish with full health. Ironblood Blade managed it, and that alone proves his strength is on a completely different level."

The post kept hammering at Featherlight while glorifying Ironblood Blade, and little by little, it swayed public opinion.

As more guild members came online, the chat lit up with outrage. But even so, some of the newer members hesitated. They knew their guild leader was strong, but doubts had been planted. What if it really had all been luck?

"Hmph. Anyone who's been here since the start knows just how terrifying Featherlight's strength is," Moonlight Beauty said coldly. "Even in the early game, if he stripped off all his gear, barely anyone could stand against him. Even if he had no Glorious Achievements at all, his skill alone would crush most so-called experts."

She spoke with complete disdain for the post's author, dismissing the accusations without hesitation.

Just as the guild was buzzing with heated discussion, a new notification flashed across everyone's screens.

At first, no one paid it much attention. It was just another common achievement announcement, just like dozens which usually appeared each day.

But then someone noticed the name of the person who posted it.

It was their guild leader.

—

[Escape from the Demonic Lair: Successfully completed the quest 'Death Siege' with full health. Achievement earned.]

—