Lord Of The Lost

William didn't stop.

Using guerrilla tactics, he baited the deformed giants, leading most of them away before isolating a single target.

The process was slow and tedious.

Giants had ridiculous health bars, winning a fight quickly was impossible.

More than once, William had nearly beaten a giant to the brink of death, only for its companions to return and force him to retreat.

He quickly learned his limits:

1 vs 1 → Guaranteed victory.

1 vs 2 → Slight advantage.

1 vs 3 → Pure defense.

1 vs 4 → Only option: run.

Over the course of four exhausting hours, William only managed to kill four giants.

But his Gigantization skill improved.

Now, when he enlarged his fist, it was the size of a casserole dish.

It took longer than expected, but progress was progress.

His session was nearly over.

With that, William logged off.

Awakening to a New Reality

William sprang out of bed, his body crackling with renewed energy. Every bone, every muscle felt stronger. His attributes had improved yet again.

With a satisfying stretch, he exhaled deeply.

Pulling open the curtains, he let fresh air flow into the room.

Time to eat.

His daily routine was fixed, almost mechanical, except for the occasional irritating disturbances of the real world.

It was like having mosquitoes buzzing endlessly in his ears.

---

A Sixth Sense Awakens

Ever since becoming a Demon Wolf, William had begun sensing things, spirits that refused to move on, lingering in the world unseen by most.

At first, it was just a vague feeling, a fleeting sensation at the edge of his awareness.

But now, it was getting stronger.

Clearer.

Was it because of his level up?

---

[Super Sense] Has Activated

Your five basic senses have greatly improved.

Your intuition, spatial awareness, sense of time, and inspiration have slightly improved.

As a Demon Wolf, William's instincts were razor-sharp.

The maze was a twisted, shifting space. Retracing your steps rarely led back to where you started.

That's why the Forum Master and the others never dared to split up.

But William?

He never got lost.

That was the power of enhanced spatial awareness.

And then there was "inspiration."

It gave him a vague sense of things hidden beneath the surface.

Like the spirits of the real world.

---

Not Evil, but Not Human Either

These spirits weren't evil ghosts.

Evil ghosts had overwhelming malice, these ones felt different.

If anything, they were closer to vengeful souls, a type of supernatural entity.

But in the magic world, vengeful souls weren't just random ghosts.

They were part of the "Demon" path.

Given enough time, a vengeful soul could evolve, changing into another form of demon and even regaining flesh and blood.

Similarly, some low-tier monsters could also become vengeful spirits after death.

However, the "Vengeful Soul" path was extremely rare among extraordinary beings.

Why?

Because it required talent.

Not everyone had spiritual potential.

---

A Mystery Unfolds

William had fought vengeful spirits before, deep in abandoned mines.

Even though they were spiritual entities, they could still be seen with the naked eye, just like evil ghosts.

But here, in the real world?

These "ghosts" were different.

They didn't manifest visibly.

They didn't behave like the spirits from the game.

Even Vengeful Soul extraordinaires, who specialized in invisibility and stealth, could still be detected by trained eyes.

Yet these "real-world ghosts" couldn't be seen at all.

Unless…

He used the [Developing Lantern] to reveal their true forms.

Without it, he could only sense their presence, something there, yet not quite. Always lingering.

It was annoying as hell.

But for now, there was nothing he could do.

The best option? Ignore them.

---

The Chaos of the Forums

"Once I pass the internal test, I'm raiding your damn lair!"

William cursed as he logged into the player forums.

As expected, the place was full of wailing and frustration.

Players who had reached level 8 were struggling with job transfers.

By now, most of the forum's active members had shown unique talents.

Except for one.

A player named "Zeroer" had yet to awaken any talent.

And she was furious about it.

She had spent days ranting on the forums, swearing up and down that she had been cheated.

William?

He was thoroughly enjoying the show.

"Heh. Everyone struggling with job transfers? Oh? What's that? No talent? Guess some people just aren't cut out for this."

Rumors had started spreading—

Some claimed that the extraordinary characteristics from job transfers could suppress innate talents.

If that was true, then Zeroer's situation was even funnier.

The Great Job Change Discussion

The player blessed with [Nature's Heart] finally spoke up:

"Step into the Elven Forest, and you instantly become a Druid."

Zeroer: "…"

This wasn't a random event.

Long ago, Boss Metatron had already designated this player as the "Druid-in-Training." Now, with their talent and pathway aligning perfectly, it was as if their ancestral spirits had smiled upon them,

When a talent and its chosen extraordinary pathway match, leveling up becomes much smoother.

Some pathways fit so perfectly that progression is almost effortless.

For example, the Butcher and the Werewolf.

Had the legendary Butcher not met an untimely death, he would have easily surpassed even pure-blooded werewolves, eventually reaching Sequence 7, a level of power that few could rival.

---

Choosing the Right Path

Players had two key factors to consider when picking their pathway:

1. Does their talent align with the path?

2. Does the path have high potential?

Even if a player's talent matched perfectly, they wouldn't necessarily choose low-tier jobs like:

Blacksmith

Pharmacist

Fortune Teller

Clown

Magician

Why?

Because advanced pathways were limited.

Most players were chasing higher-tier professions, even if it meant sacrificing their talents.

That's why the [Nature's Heart] player had been hunting for a Druid pathway ever since Metatron pointed them in the right direction.

Now, they had finally found it.

---

Marathon, the Unlucky Player

Marathon: "Wow! Everyone's talking about job changes? This topic is so deep! Marathon doesn't dare interrupt… Marathon is only Level 4…"

A few players were stunned.

"Wait… Didn't we give you some basic equipment? How are you still at Level 4?"

The forum's most famous players were almost always high-level elites.

Most of them had already reached Level 8, establishing their dominance through sheer strength.

But Marathon?

She became famous for entirely different reasons.

Thanks to her tragic streak of misfortune, she had earned the nickname "Little Trash", a title that had actually gained her sympathy and recognition.

Though she was weak, players pitied her enough to donate discarded equipment.

---

Marathon's Full Moon Disaster

Marathon: "Waaah! I was leveling up on a full moon night… Then a werewolf appeared… I lost all the equipment you gave me… I just got out of intensive care…"

The forum went silent.

How unlucky could one person be?

---

Players knew that dying too many times created a vicious cycle.

Respawning wasn't free, every death meant time wasted at the church, resources lost, and an even bigger setback.

Those who had helped Marathon before…

Didn't know what to say now.

They were already struggling to maximize their own game time.

Giving away discarded gear was their absolute limit.

And that wasn't cheap, it cost several silver coins, enough to buy bandages, potions, and supplies.

They weren't like the top-tier players, who casually handed out high-end weapons like they were candy.

Some of those elite players could give away a dozen enchanted swords at once and not even flinch.

To normal players, that level of generosity was inhuman.

---

"Just Stay in the Village."

"You little piece of trash, why don't you just stop leveling up and stay safe in the village?" someone suggested, politely, of course.

Most players were racing against time, grinding as hard as possible to prepare for the main questline.

Nobody expected someone as weak as Marathon to contribute.

They just hoped she wouldn't drag them down.

---

But Marathon Had Bigger Dreams

Marathon: "But… I want to change too…"

She wanted to earn gold.

She wanted to make big money.

She wanted to change her fate, both in the game and in real life.

After all, making money in the magical world was far easier than in reality.

And with the forum's latest updates, trading had become a core feature.

The game wasn't just about combat anymore, there were many ways to grow stronger.

Even a "Little Trash" could find a way to survive.

The Price of Power

In the real world, it wasn't just the Forum Master who was rich. Several players had deep pockets, using their real-world wealth to boost their in-game strength.

Money could buy power.

The economy of the game followed a fixed exchange rate, one set by the Forum Master and the Gambler themselves.

1 Silver Coin = 1 Million in Cash.

Nobody dared to break this unspoken rule, it had become a tradition, an iron-clad price standard.

Even though the Forum Master himself wasn't buying silver coins anymore, other players still were.

Now, imagine if someone could get 1 Gold Coin.

It wouldn't be worth 100 million cash, but at the very least, it could fetch 50 million.

Enough to change a life forever.

For Marathon, this was her golden ticket, her way out.

If she could get just one gold coin, she could flip her entire fate.

Even if she failed the internal test and died in the other world, her family would still inherit a fortune.

Marathon smiled at the thought.

She pictured herself dead, but mysterious.

At her funeral, a squad of dozens of bodyguards in black suits would stand in silent vigilance, holding umbrellas, watching from afar.

Let the neighbors speculate.

Let them wonder about the secret life she must have led, the untold stories of wealth and mystery that died with her.

By then, her parents would finally realize—

Their daughter was never a burden.

---

But… getting one gold coin was easier dreamed than done.

Marathon had tried everything to turn things around.

She trained hard, but ended up with a bruised face and a bloody head.

She pushed herself to the limit and wound up in the intensive care unit.

She died too many times, leaving her even more broke than before.

Her level was embarrassingly low.

While other players grew stronger, she fell behind.

Now, she was officially the weakest player in the entire game.

Everything in the border town had already been picked clean by other players.

Weapons? Gone.

Supplies? Looted.

Money? Spent.

It was like a plague of locusts had swept through.

If she wanted to make real money, she had to leave the border town.

But in her current state?

She'd be walking straight into her own funeral.

Her body was frail.

Her talent was useless.

She was struggling to survive even here.

How could she possibly make it outside?

Players kept telling her to stay put.

To wait.

To not risk it.

Marathon: "Woo woo woo… What should I do?"