Former Hero, Solo Play Oriented

Chapter 80

The auction for the *Green Dragon Heart* slipped from my grasp.

Was it the awe of the first legendary item? The auction price skyrocketed in no time.

"5,000 gold!"

"5,800 gold!"

"6,500 gold!"

I stamped my feet in frustration.

The *Hongbaek* guild had secured a deal where they would receive 30% of the items that could be converted into wealth from this World Boss raid. That was far better than the 70% that the GG alliance would have to divide among hundreds of players. Even though the GG alliance had the upper hand in the war, without *Hongbaek* guild, the World Boss wouldn’t have been taken down so easily.

However, the legendary item auction was open to all members of the alliance. The higher the bid, the more everyone would benefit, unless someone tried to keep the legendary item for themselves.

"7,000 gold!"

"10,000 gold."

"What!?"

"Who is it?"

Everyone’s gaze locked onto the player who had just bid 10,000 gold.

It was *We Got Married*, the guild master of the GG alliance, standing there with his arms crossed and a smile on his face.

Wow, he must be really wealthy.

I remembered how Gyuham Jo Hyunsu was decked out in elite+ grade Ecostones, worth thousands of gold. Do you have to be that rich to lead a faction?

The auction's excitement began to die down. Even among wealthy players, 10,000 gold was a hefty amount. Some players looked like they were considering borrowing more gold to keep bidding.

Someone wealthy from the crowd swallowed nervously and tried to make a higher bid.@@@@

"10,500 gold!"

"13,000 gold."

Ohhh!

The crowd gasped in amazement as *We Got Married* raised the bid once again.

That sealed it. Some players seemed to still have the funds to bid more, but they hesitated to invest in a weapon with unknown options.

*We Got Married* smiled victoriously, ready to close the auction.

"Anyone else willing to bid higher? Even if not, everyone should be satisfied with their share of the spoils."

"True. There will be more chances for legendary items later."

"The auction gold and the items will still give us a nice payout!"

"Our guild master is about to own the first legendary weapon!"

The crowd began congratulating *We Got Married* on his victory.

But then, a voice rang out from the front of the dragon's lair.

"20,000 gold."

"What?"

"Huh!?"

A stunned silence filled the air before the auction heated up again. *We Got Married* turned in surprise toward the bidder.

I looked up at the woman next to me.

"Chris... sister!"

"Hm?"

Chris smiled down at me.

I sent her a gaze filled with awe and envy.

I knew she was rich, but to bid 20,000 gold without hesitation... that's an incredible amount of money.

*We Got Married* shook his head with a smile, raising his hands in surrender. He could have continued to bid, but he chose to respect *Hongbaek* guild’s raid leader, who had played a crucial role in taking down the *Green Dragon*.

"Haha, 20,000 gold is a bit too much for me. Congratulations, *Hongbaek* guild master Chris, on obtaining the first legendary item."

Chris handed over the agreed 70% of the auction earnings and items to *We Got Married*, who immediately began distributing them to the GG alliance members.

The remaining 30% was our raid team’s share. It was still a substantial amount even when divided among the 13 of us.

"Oh, I can finally try crafting an elite+ Ecostone."

"Wow! One World Boss raid and we got this much gold and loot!"

"I'm converting all of this into cash."

*Deathmaster*, *Baymerung*, and *Cherni* all seemed very pleased. I licked my lips, accepting my share of the auction earnings and items.

It was a shame that I didn’t win the legendary item, but at least my favorite big sister, Chris, did. That was something to celebrate.

The crowd around us began murmuring again. While the distribution was wrapping up, no one seemed ready to leave yet. They were waiting for Chris to reveal the stats of the legendary weapon she had just won.

"Oh."

Suddenly, Chris let out a surprised sound.

What happened?

---

“Attack power 500 with a 60% boost to all skills!? Elite-grade weapons only boosted specific skills!”

“And six Ecostone slots! Plus, a cooldown reset ability and a 10-second buff that gives almost invincible status in PvP!”

“With that PvP buff, you’re almost untouchable during a battle!”

“Wait, did it really get a human-type attack boost? That’s PvP-focused, right?”

“Of course, it’s from a war-zone boss. It makes sense for a PvP-focused weapon. If you slot in PvP-specific Ecostones, you could wreck in faction wars.”

“Too bad *Whitey* is an instance dungeon player. She’ll probably enhance it for PvE, but even for PvE, this weapon is insane!”

“Man, this is what a legendary weapon looks like!”

“You must feel sorry for *We Got Married* right now.”

The crowd was abuzz with admiration as they examined the weapon’s options. Many envious eyes turned toward me.

It had a lot of impressive features.

The base attack power alone was nearly 200 points higher than the ancient temple weapons.

And with six Ecostone slots, how would I even decide which ones to use? It was almost overwhelming.

Two cooldown-reset abilities, including my bracelet... Could I now chain three *Ilseom* attacks back-to-back? And avoid AoE wipeout attacks over 15 times?

This weapon could enable some crazy playstyles. No matter how absurdly tough the boss’s rampage patterns were, I could break through them with this weapon.

However, the first legendary weapon, *Astaroth*, seemed to be designed mainly for PvP. That was a bit of a letdown for someone like me, who didn’t really enjoy faction wars. The PvP stats were pretty much useless to me—though, maybe I wouldn’t have to switch weapons for my daily faction quests anymore.

But still...

“Wow...”

I loved it.

Not just the stats, but the sword itself. It was beautiful.

The dark blade with its silver-white aura. The sleek, well-crafted design of the hilt.

My very own legendary weapon, *Astaroth*.

“How do you like it, Rain? Does it suit you?” Chris asked, looking pleased.

I gazed dreamily at the weapon, barely able to speak.

“I... I love it.”

But, 20,000 gold...

Chris had said it was her mistake, and I didn’t need to pay her back, but I couldn’t just accept that.

How could I possibly repay such a huge debt?

With a mixture of joy and guilt, I looked up at Chris, my face contorting into a strange expression.

“I’ll... I’ll repay you! All 20,000 gold! Please just give me time!”

“Really, you don’t need to. It was my mistake.”

Chris waved it off, as if the money meant nothing.

But to me, I felt like I owed her something huge. I couldn’t rest until I paid her back.

I’m basically employed by Chris. If I think of it as a loan from work, it makes sense. I could work hard to pay her back.

I had nothing else but my in-game character.

But with this body, I could grind, solo-run dungeons, sell weapons, and earn gold through bus runs.

I could pay her back.

With new determination, I shouted, “I’ll work hard to repay you... with my body!”

A moment of silence.

Then, chaos erupted.

The male players gasped. The female players shrieked. *Baymerung* collapsed, covering her mouth. Chris broke out in a sweat and hurriedly tried to explain.

And so, on the day I publicly revealed myself to the gaming community, it all ended with a small commotion.

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TL NOTE: Please don't skimp on the stars for the translation - it inspires me and gives me the strength to write more. Thank you~!