Lord Of The Lost

The once-skeptical players began to shift their perspectives, a wave of belief washing over them.

"Is this really possible?" William thought, a touch of misery settling in. He remembered his own rough start in the game, but thankfully, he had Little Red Riding Hood by his side; a quirky little witch who had become his angel investor of sorts.

As he scrolled through the forum, he spotted a level 2 player named Yaoyao desperately asking if anyone could help her level up. The other players quickly vanished, unwilling to carry extra weight on their journey. William shrugged it off, continuing to read.

He soon saw a player boasting about reaching level 6, prompting a flurry of excited questions from the crowd. William tilted his head, noticing a lack of level 7 players. Curious, he chimed in, "I'm level 8."

An eerie silence followed his declaration before the forum erupted.

"What?! No way!"

"Is this for real?"

"Stop joking around!"

Skepticism hung thick in the air, but William didn't feel the need to defend himself. He had no intention of playing games or hiding his success. Why should he? The "Forum Master" had already set a bold tone, and it felt liberating to lay his cards on the table.

"Just hit level 8!" he declared confidently. "Let's see who's ready to challenge the big fish!"

As expected, the response was electric, sending shockwaves through the forum. Even the Forum Master reacted, urgently seeking confirmation of William's claim. "If it's false, I can delete your post," he offered politely.

William simply replied, "That won't be necessary." He felt secure in his standing, unfazed by the prospect of attracting attention.

In his mind, he reflected on the rarity of players like him; beta testers were rare. The player base was minuscule, barely breaking into three digits. In a world where only a thousand had the privilege to test this game, he knew he stood out. And with that distinction came a certain peace; after all, the powers that be had little reason to target someone as unique as him.

William never imagined that 'Sequence Game Lord of the Lost' would bring in a second batch of beta testers: at least, not before the current group had been wiped out. The thought crossed his mind with a tinge of irony.

"If it comes to that, I'll just play along for now."

William's mind was already racing with plans. Once he ensured his own safety, he would hunt down the player who had leaked his information. He was certain that no one could hide their tracks forever. And if they did manage to stay hidden? Well, he'd simply eliminate anyone even remotely suspicious. William didn't need solid evidence to act on his convictions.

His approach was simple: 'kill first, ask questions never.'

He chuckled to himself, considering the idea of players allying with real-world powers to target other superhumans like himself. 'What kind of lunatic would stoop to that?' But then again, he mused, the human species is incredibly diverse: there's always a chance someone would be dumb enough to try it.

However, William knew that at this stage, players were far from being true superhumans. Their primary advantage was their boosted stats, far beyond what an ordinary person could ever hope to achieve. But that wasn't enough. William had always believed that a true extraordinary player would be someone who unlocked a specific path through a job change.

With that in mind, he turned his focus back to the forum, scrolling through posts in search of clues about pathways or unique talents. He himself had unlocked the talent [Killing to Prove the Way], which meant other players were likely to have talents too. Yet, despite his searching, no one seemed to be talking about talents. What he did find were posts about careers and paths.

One post caught his eye:

"I triggered a job change notification at the blacksmith shop. I can become a 'blacksmith'. Does anyone know about this?"

Curious replies followed:

"What does it take to become a blacksmith? What abilities do you gain?"

The original poster responded:

"The prerequisites are harsh. You have to work as an apprentice in the shop for a long time. It's a transition period. Once you become a blacksmith, you can forge high-quality weapons and gear."

Then a player named "Metatron" chimed in:

"I got the same prompt in Border Town. My advice? Focus on leveling up first. Don't rush into the job change. When you're higher level, you can skip the apprenticeship altogether and directly become a blacksmith without the transition period."

"But honestly," Metatron added, "the blacksmith career doesn't seem like it has much potential."

It was clear that players were still fumbling around, unsure of which careers had real value. No one could distinguish the promising paths from the dead-ends, and most discussions were based on guesswork.

William wasn't much better off, only having a hazy idea of what might be worth pursuing. He sighed and moved on to the next post.

"How should I distribute my points after leveling up? What's the best way to maximize the three-dimensional attributes? I hesitate every time I have to add points!"

This post was popular; it was a dilemma every player faced.

Replies quickly piled up:

"Thanks for the invite. I go for an even distribution, but honestly, it feels pretty mediocre."

"I mostly pump my physical fitness. I'm able to kill monsters a lot faster now."

"To the guy stacking physical strength, I hope you don't run into something like the Illusion Butterfly; mind attacks are a nightmare if you don't have the mental resistance."

William smirked at that. The players were still figuring out the complexities of the game, struggling with balance and second-guessing themselves. But he knew the key lay in finding the right path, a path that would elevate him beyond a mere stat-boosted human into something truly extraordinary.

With that thought, he continued his search for more valuable information, driven by the desire to outpace everyone else.

"I initially added 2 points to my Spirit, thinking it would boost my magic skills. Instead, I just felt a bit more energetic and my memory sharpened. But that's it! What a waste!" the frustrated player vented.

"Feeling your pain, man," another replied, expressing solidarity.

William noticed that the Forum Master had also jumped into the conversation.

"Listen, if you want to allocate points wisely, focus on physical fitness. Aim to make your physical stat double the others to power through the early levels. You can adjust your allocation after level 4."

William couldn't help but admire the Forum Master's insight; he had to be at least level 5 to understand the game dynamics so well. Level 4 was indeed a pivotal point, and having high physical fitness early on could be a game changer for players.

"Don't underestimate the benefits of high physical stats," he thought. Sure, you might think other areas were suffering, but your error tolerance would improve significantly. Once players hit level 4, the grind only intensified, and changing point allocations after reaching level 5 could be disastrous.

He wished more players could avoid unnecessary pitfalls.

Metatron, ever the helpful commentator, added on, "When you reach the later stages, prioritize your career preferences when assigning attributes."

"If you're aiming to be a warrior or knight, pump your physical and mental stats. But if you want to be a priest, wizard, or fortune teller, focus on boosting your mental and energy stats instead."

He continued, "Sure, the guy who invested in Spirit might feel stuck now, but Spirit is crucial for certain roles. You'll need a solid spiritual foundation if you want to become a magician."

Metatron paused before concluding, "But I don't recommend going down the magician path. Magic is just a tool, not the core of any career."

William smiled, his eyes lighting up with understanding. 'Magic as a tool; the path is what matters.' He recalled how the [Piercing Attack] skill he wielded was a common warrior ability, reinforcing the idea that magic wasn't exclusive to magicians; any extraordinary individual could learn to cast spells.

Even though he wasn't a Pathfinder yet, he could still use magical rituals. If only he had some funds; he would've bought spells from Calcifer by now. After all, it wasn't the mages who understood magic that held power, but those who had the wealth to wield it.

Feeling inspired by Metatron's clarity, William realized the potential hidden within the beta testers. He scrolled down further, intrigued by another post titled, "Selling Silver and Copper Coins for Real-World Cash."

The poster, who called himself "Gambler," caught William's attention.

"What's this all about?" he wondered, clicking in. The discussion was lively, with players asking about the going rates for magic currency, which was essential in the world of 'Magic Century'.

Gambler responded, "I'm selling one copper coin for a thousand dollars!"

William raised an eyebrow, both impressed and amused. The stakes in this game were rising fast, and the opportunities seemed endless.