Chapter 5
< Bad Ending Maker Episode 5>
Terio, the Dark Knight, is a member of the Dark God Cult. The Dark God Cult serves as the ultimate shadow organization within the game's lore, orchestrating countless schemes and established as the primary antagonistic force against regular players. To put it simply, defeating cult members grants players experience points and items. However, true to their role as hostile NPCs, their strength defies imagination—even max-level players find it challenging to take down a single ordinary cultist.
In the case of Din, the Dark Mage that Minchul and Oasis "captured," he had been intentionally weakened to accommodate potential class-change quests, unlike the overwhelmingly powerful rest of the cult's NPCs. Still, no matter how formidable they are, twelve hours of one-sided beatings will eventually bring anyone down.
"……."
Twelve hours later, Oasis shook her head in disbelief as she watched Minchul finally batter Terio into submission. Minchul stretched his stiff shoulders with satisfaction.
"Ah~ Not bad. Better than smacking scarecrows in the village to level up skills. Got to boost my skills, gain levels, and snag loot all at once~."
Thanks to twelve hours of relentless swordplay, his basic passive skill, "Swordsmanship: Beginner," had risen significantly. A little more training, and it seemed ready to evolve into "Swordsmanship: Intermediate." Leveling this skill added bonus damage to all sword attacks. Such passive skills could only be improved through prolonged grinding, leaving no choice but relentless practice—though most players wouldn’t resort to beating NPCs for it.
Minchul first checked his stats, eager to see his progress.
User ID: Labo
– Class: Dark Knight
– Character Lv: 25
– Item Lv: 10
– Strength: 5
– Agility: 5
– Intelligence: 5
– Stamina: 10
– Magic Power: 0
※ Characters of this class cannot increase Magic Power. Bonus stats are automatically allocated to Stamina.
– Remaining Bonus Stats: 120
"Wow, 25?"
This was a level that would normally take three days to achieve through standard grinding.
"Nice, nice. The twelve-hour grind was worth it."
A hollow voice piped up from behind him.
"You must be thrilled, Master……"
"Ugh."
Minchul turned, sweating nervously, to find Oasis pouting in a corner. Her level remained stagnant at 1. Though her "Beginner" class kept NPCs from attacking her, Minchul had disbanded their party preemptively to avoid aggro issues, leaving her to watch helplessly as he spent twelve hours burning and pummeling Terio—without sharing a single experience point.
"I was so excited to game with you…… but all I did was watch you torch NPCs……"
"Don’t sulk. We’ll team up from now on."
"Really……?"
"Of course! Let’s grab the loot and start adventuring together~."
Avoiding Oasis’s gaze, Minchul collected the items scattered around Terio’s fallen body.
"Let’s see what dropped……"
He first picked up the most radiant item.
Crow’s Mask
– Grade: Unique
– Item Lv: 85
– Durability: 30/30
– Physical Defense: -150
– Magic Defense: 300
– Intelligence +50, Magic Power +20
– Curse: Whisper of Darkness
A mask imbued with the curse of Crow, the Dark God. Those lacking Crow’s favor risk madness upon wearing it.
"Ooh, epic loot……"
A Unique-grade item was an excellent start. The stats aren’t terrible, but the curse…… Plus, I can’t even use it. Item level dictated equip requirements, and at Lv 85, this powerhouse gear was light-years beyond his current Lv 25. Worse, it was mage-class equipment, while Minchul’s Dark Knight belonged to the warrior class—utterly useless to him.
I’ll just sell it for funds……
The remaining items were mostly junk and modest gold. Minchul skimmed his inventory:
Dark God Cult Emblem x5
– Trade-in item: 100 gold each
An emblem bearing the cult’s ominous sigil. Likely redeemable at the Adventurer’s Guild.
Basilisk Venom Potion x3
– Creates a 5-sector poison cloud upon throwing, dealing 5% max HP/sec for 15s (ignores defense).
– Combinable.
Brewed from basilisk fangs. DO NOT CONSUME!
Mysterious Key
– Durability: 1/1
A key radiating sinister energy. What lock does it open?
Minchul’s eyes widened at the final item.
"No way…… this actually dropped……"
He cradled the key, sighing. Its drop rate was surely microscopic—likely granted only because he’d scored the server’s first kill on Terio.
"What’s that key for?" Oasis blinked curiously.
Minchul hastily stashed it. "I’ll explain when we can use it."
"You play solo, hoard knowledge solo…… Why’s this poor AI even here……?"
"Quit pouting. Let’s head back."
As the last item vanished into his inventory, Terio’s corpse faded away. A notification appeared:
[NPC slain. Dark God Cult Favorability decreased.]
Favorability Lv: 0
Minchul rubbed his chin. "Still not negative. Gotta come back."
"……?"
Oasis’s eyes trembled as she stared at him. Had she misheard?
"See you soon, Terio~ Stay on your toes~"
But there was no mistake. Minchul waved at the empty space where Terio had fallen and sauntered into the portal.
……He can’t seriously plan to keep farming NPCs……
With growing dread, Oasis followed.
Undertown
Returning to Beggar’s Square via portal, Minchul cheered, "Alright, Oasis! Time to get your class!"
"Really?" she asked, skepticism dripping from her voice.
"……After one quick errand," he amended, avoiding her gaze.
"Do as you please…… I’m just your eternal sidekick……"
Minchul roughly patted her head and ambled ahead, Oasis trailing like a resigned duckling.
Undertown boasted Wings Online’s smallest player population. Its grungy aesthetic paled next to other cities’ vibrancy, and the criminal playstyle—despite exclusive achievements and quests—offered more hassle than fun. Most dabblers quit after a few jail stints, leaving only the most unhinged veterans after five years.
"Everyone here’s a certified lunatic," Minchul remarked. "Today’s target’s a standout even among them."
"Why visit them?"
"Grand schemes need many things, but most crucially……" He formed a circle with thumb and forefinger. "Money. We’re fundraising."
Through winding alleys, they reached a shabby shack adorned with a golden serpent swallowing coins. Inside defied expectations—gleaming jewels and gold piles lined lavish shelves.
"Welcome to Akasa’s Cash Exchange!" A man in round sunglasses barked without looking up. "Minimum transaction: 100,000 KRW. Deposits processed in one minute."
Minchul rapped the counter. "Hey, scammer."
"…?! Oh shit—GM Anchovy?!"
"Still kicking, I see." Minchul perched on the counter. "Shop’s looking sharp for someone banned over illegal RMT."
Akasa’s face hardened. "Ha, well, that’s—"
"Don’t forget—I sued you, you begged on your knees, and I dropped charges. Ring a bell?"
"But how are you—"
"Parallel universe? Nah. Just feeling generous." Minchul’s smile turned razor-edged. "How much gold you holding?"
