Lord Of The Lost

"No, forget it," William said, brushing off Calcifer's teasing.

Calcifer just smiled, clearly amused. "I wasn't planning on asking the king for a knight's lance anyway. But I do have other types of lances available."

With a soft tap, a massive light curtain flickered to life, displaying a wealth of treasures. Dozens of weapons appeared on the screen, many of them spears.

[Dragon Knight's Spear] – Silver quality, priced at 200 magic gold coins.

[Glory Spear] – Rare quality, priced at 18 magic gold coins.

[Spear of Evil Spirit] – Rare quality, priced at 15 magic gold coins.

[Flame Spear] – Excellent quality, priced at 10 gold coins.

… and many more.

William scanned the display, his eyes narrowing as he took in the high-quality options. These weapons were all top-tier, each one crafted with precision and care.

The most expensive of the bunch was the Dragon Knight's Spear, priced at a steep 200 magic gold coins. In comparison, the blacksmith in Moonlight Village had sold the knight's lance for only 2 gold coins, unaware of its true worth.

Ten years ago, the King's Guard had ventured into the Black Forest to quell a rebellion. Only a handful of knights returned, and the rest were lost in battle. The knight's lance, a piece of kingdom-standard equipment, had remained behind. In terms of status, it was akin to a special forces assault rifle in the real world; reserved for a select few, and not easily obtained.

William could understand why the blacksmith had priced it so low. In a border town like this, no one could afford such a valuable weapon. The blacksmith had only hoped that a potential knight might one day come along to claim it.

The other weapons on the list were priced in magic gold coins, and the numbers made William's eyes twitch. The prices were astronomical.

He spent a moment considering his options, then finally selected one.

[Name: Spear of Evil]

[Quality: Excellent]

[Additional Note: This spear was wielded by a knight sent to suppress a demon. The demon possessed him, leading the knight to lose control and commit a series of murders. A passing bishop intervened, restoring the knight's mind. In the end, the knight turned the spear on himself, ending his life and exorcising the demon.]

[Devil's Contamination: This spear is stained with the blood of both demons and knights. Only darkness can awaken its true power.]

It was priced at 8 gold coins, a reasonable cost for its dark attributes, and it seemed like a perfect fit for William's style.

Along with the spear, William also bought a few other items:

- [Mysterious Awakening Medicine] – 2 gold coins. This would unlock the weakening of the death penalty and restore mental value efficiently.

- [Energy Potion] – 1 gold coin. A simple but effective potion to restore energy.

- [Swift Attack] – 2 gold coins. A skill that would increase his attack speed.

- [Raid] – 4 gold coins. A close combat skill that offered a burst of speed in battle.

- [Stealth] – 3 gold coins. A classic assassin skill that allowed him to move unnoticed.

William looked over his purchases, feeling more prepared for the challenges ahead.

William spent his last five gold coins on the [Hand of Darkness], a magical skill that allowed him to pick up objects from a distance. With that, all his gold coins were gone.

Without much skill proficiency, using these abilities would be tough. He'd just barely mastered the [Slash] skill. Still, he figured that having skills; no matter how basic, was better than none at all. Over time, his proficiency would improve. But for now, he wouldn't be buying anything else.

Calcifer, watching him, smiled. "Your strength is growing quickly. But that spear? It'll only serve you for so long."

William took a closer look at the [Spear of Evil]. It was a slender, stabbing weapon, with a sharp tip that reminded him of a finely sharpened pencil.

"I know," William said, pursing his lips. His fighting style was intense, and the spear wouldn't last long in the face of stronger enemies.

Calcifer raised an eyebrow. "Would you like something even more powerful? A supernatural item, perhaps?"

William didn't hesitate. "I don't have any money."

Calcifer chuckled. "You won't need to spend anything. Well, not in the way you're thinking. You'll need to go on adventures and fight to earn them."

William's interest piqued. "Oh?" he asked, leaning in.

With a smile, Calcifer added, "The Lost Underground Labyrinth holds everything you're looking for. But it's not without danger."

William's curiosity only deepened. "Where is it?"

Calcifer's smile faded slightly as he asked, "Are you ready for it now? You might not be enough on your own."

William thought for a moment. "Let's talk about it in two days," he said. He was eager to learn more about this mysterious place.

---

Real World

William's eyes snapped open. His stomach rumbled, hunger gnawed at him. Even though [Energy] and [Devouring] could stave off hunger in the game, he still felt the need to eat.

Having spent so much time in the magical world, he was starting to lose track of what was real.

"Eat, eat!" he muttered to himself as he stood up. His bones cracked as he stretched, savoring the feeling of being back in the real world. After all, no matter how vast the world was, eating was the most important thing.

He headed downstairs, ready for his next mission: food.

It was noon, and the sun blazed down, casting a scorching light. William leaned on the pergola, scanning the area for his target.

He had already hit up the two nearby buffet restaurants. With his huge appetite, he could easily eat enough to feed seven or eight adults.

Thanks to his [Stealth] ability, he wouldn't be noticed while doing so. He could scarf down everything in front of the owner, and the boss would remain clueless. The true power of this ability wasn't just hiding his appearance, it made him completely invisible to others. Unless someone had an extraordinary sense of awareness or something felt deeply off, no one would detect him.

For ordinary people? He could do whatever he wanted.

The main reason William had held back before was guilt. Why should he just eat other people's food for no reason? So, he tried to follow the logic of changing his focus, shooting in different directions. But still, the trouble lingered.

He muttered under his breath, "Let's go somewhere else for the buffet."

So, he headed to Shopping Mall, just two kilometers away. The mall had only opened in the past few days, but despite the scorching heat, it was packed with people coming and going.

William walked through the crowd, a frown etched on his face. "So annoying..."

A nagging feeling from the demon wolf stirred in him. As he walked, he began to notice strange "things"—things that weren't visible to the naked eye. They were scattered everywhere: in the sky, in the bushes, tucked away in dark corners. It wasn't just his family; it was everywhere.

"Really..." He sighed in frustration.

His hands slipped into his pockets as he quickened his pace toward the square in front of the shopping mall, his annoyance growing. In his mind, the things he sensed were like mosquitoes buzzing relentlessly around his ears after the lights went out.

He wanted to pull out the [Developing Lantern] and start snapping pictures of these creatures, then eliminate them with a single punch. But he had no idea how many there were. Based on his feelings along the way, they seemed to be like flies. Even if he killed all the ones around him, more would just appear from somewhere else.

His expression darkened as he approached the mall entrance. As he passed under a huge balloon arch, he saw some staff organizing an event. He was about to keep walking when something stopped him.

Amidst the crowd, a girl caught his attention. She stood out, calm and quiet, as though she had a special aura about her. She seemed to sense something and turned to look directly at him.

In that brief moment, their eyes met.

For a split second, Gloria's pupils widened in shock, her calm demeanor shattering. Her heart skipped a beat, and her thoughts raced.

"Gloria, who are you looking at?" Her friend's voice broke through her daze.

Gloria quickly turned away, trying to mask her surprise. She had expected him to approach, to stand in front of her and quietly ask, "Can you see me?"

But nothing happened. When she glanced back, the figure that had caught her eye, the one without a shadow; was gone. Vanished, as if it had never been there at all.