The Return of the Legendary All-Master

[Translator - Kiteretsu]

[Proofreader - Kyros]

The sudden, massive earthquake caused chaos around the world.

<A forced penalty is being applied.>

<The current penalty level is 'Level 1.'>

These words appeared in the sky.

It was a phenomenon reminiscent of when the game became reality.

Since such phenomena hadn't occurred after the initial stages, it had been forgotten for a while. But why was it appearing again?

Furthermore, just like before, the message was transmitted through all electronic devices.

<Level 1 will end when 1% of the current human population dies.>

1%.

While it might seem small as a percentage, in numbers, it meant tens of millions.

This implied that the earthquakes would continue until those tens of millions perished.

People turned pale and trembled in fear.

"Are you kidding me?!"

"Can't you see we're working like crazy to stop this penalty?!"

"You bastards of New World!"

<The penalty cannot be stopped.>

Even worse, it was stated that the penalty could not be halted.

"How are we supposed to handle this damage?!"

"Damn it!"

The issue wasn't just the death of tens of millions.

The world had already been devastated by monsters.

Many places were still undergoing restoration efforts.

If continuous earthquakes were to occur now, not only would the restoration efforts fail, but the very infrastructure of society would collapse.

<If you wish to prevent greater damage, the forced penalty must be removed.>

<The method of removal will be revealed shortly.>

Greater damage.

Those who received the message clenched their teeth.

The large-scale earthquakes alone had already brought destruction, but if there were to be even greater damage, humanity could genuinely face extinction.

"…This isn't the time to be completing a 4th Class Advancement Quest, is it?"

"You're right…"

Before starting the quest, Ha-Jin and Bong-Goo intended to share its details.

But with the sudden massive earthquakes, the message had come through.

"For now, let's contact Hoon."

"Understood."

Ha-Jin quickly tried calling Jeong-hoon.

The signal connected before the phone could even ring twice.

[Why are you calling instead of doing the quest?]

Jeong-hoon's voice on the other end was remarkably calm.

"No, it doesn't seem like the right time to be doing the quest."

[You two just focus on the quest. I'll handle this situation myself.]

"Handle it yourself?"

[Yeah. I already knew this large-scale earthquake was going to happen.]

"Really?!"

[Yes.]

As expected of Jeong-hoon.

Though it was unclear how he knew, if Jeong-hoon was speaking with such confidence, it meant he also knew how to resolve the crisis.

"Ah, got it. Then I'll trust you and head to complete the quest."

[Alright. Next time I see you, you better have completed your 4th Advancement. Got it?]

"…I'll try my best."

[Don't just try. Once you finish the 4th Advancement, you'll head straight to Rease.]

Rease.

It was the name of the village where Jeong-hoon had stayed before New World became reality.

The village was characterized by its formation of cities based on specific professions.

After reality and the game merged, Ha-Jin thought he'd never return, but Jeong-hoon brought up Rease again.

"Why Rease? Is there something good there?"

[Who knows? You'll have to see for yourself when you get there.]

"Huh?"

[Anyway, make sure you complete it.]

The call ended abruptly.

"What did Hoon say, hyung?"

"…He told us to finish the 4th Advancement, no matter what."

"Ah, I see…"

***

'This should motivate them.'

Jeong-hoon had intentionally mentioned Rease.

While there wasn't an immediate reason to head there, humans tend to work harder when given a tangible goal.

"For now, I need to deal with that penalty."

Koo-goo-goong!

Another massive earthquake struck, toppling even the few buildings that were still standing.

Jeong-hoon walked forward, recalling what he knew.

The method to erase the forced penalty required clearing a specific number of dungeons.

'Clear 2,000 dungeons to close them. Once all are cleared, a portal to the dungeon created by the Transcendent will open. Only by perfectly clearing that dungeon can the forced penalty be lifted.'

It was an extremely complex process.

In the early stages of the game's reality merge, penalties were erased through simpler tasks, almost like tutorials. But now, the difficulty had skyrocketed, making it significantly harder to remove penalties.

'I need to move as quickly as possible.'

Jeong-hoon stepped into a nearby shimmering portal.

Not just any dungeon would suffice.

The requirement was to clear dungeons of Lv.201 or higher. Only then would progress count toward the goal.

[Lv.245: Blood Snake's Den]

There was no time to waste.

Jeong-hoon entered the portal.

[Would you like to enter the Lv.245 Blood Snake's Den?]

***

<Clear Lv.201 or higher dungeons 2,000 times.>

<127/2,000>

The method to remove the penalty was revealed: clear 2,000 dungeons of Lv.201 or higher.

However, when the method was disclosed, the counter stood at only 127.

This meant that since the forced penalty began, only 127 dungeons of Lv.201 or higher had been cleared globally.

"Damn it… Why does it have to be 201 or higher?"

"This is going to drive me insane."

Dungeons Level 201 and Above

While the level was an obstacle, the real issue lay in the difficulty of the dungeons.

Starting from Level 201, the difficulty increased drastically.

Back in the days of New World, players could retry after death, but since reality merged with the game, death meant the end.

Even high-level players were reluctant to challenge high-level dungeons due to the risk.

The other problem was the significant number of players who hadn't reached Level 201.

Leveling up wasn't easy, and most impatient players quit around Level 100. This caused a sharp decrease in the number of players as levels increased.

Clearing 2,000 dungeons was no small feat.

<158/2,000>

…

<203/2,000>

However, as time passed, the count began rising rapidly.

Even though it was a global effort, the speed was unnaturally fast.

"Is it normal for the count to rise this quickly?"

"…Not really."

"Whatever! Just clear more dungeons!"

"Please… Just make these earthquakes stop."

Players below Level 200 could do nothing but hope that higher-level players would clear the dungeons.

***

[Master, aren't you overdoing it?]

'Yeah. You could take it a little slower.'

Mukho and Anima voiced their concerns, their tones heavy with worry.

But despite their protests, Jeong-hoon had already cleared his 38th dungeon without resting.

Because he only tackled dungeons Level 201 and above, his level didn't increase, but the count steadily climbed.

"I'm fine. I have divine power."

Jeong-hoon recovered his fatigue and stamina using divine power.

To replenish his mana, he drank premium-grade mana recovery juice purchased from the achievement shop.

No matter how many dungeons he cleared, his condition barely wavered.

He glanced at the counter displayed in the sky.

<272/2,000>

Despite Jeong-hoon's relentless efforts, the count was rising far too slowly.

This indicated that not all players were contributing to the effort.

"They'll regret this."

Jeong-hoon wasn't just closing dungeons to erase the penalty.

The forced penalty had been meticulously crafted by a transcendent being, likely of at least Demon King level.

This meant that those who cleared the most dungeons were bound to receive a reward.

If the final dungeon—crafted with the utmost care—was perfectly cleared, the reward would undoubtedly be extraordinary.

And one more thing.

The reward was highly likely to be connected to the Seven Deadly Sins.

'That bastard has what belongs to me!'

The artifact tied to the Seven Deadly Sins had reacted.

This gave Jeong-hoon even more reason to clear as many dungeons as possible.

With determination blazing, Jeong-hoon entered yet another Level 201+ dungeon.

***

<2,000/2,000>

19 Hours.

That's how long it took to clear 2,000 dungeons.

Of those, Jeong-hoon alone cleared a staggering 102—over 5% of the total effort.

<2,000 dungeons have been cleared.>

<Conditions fulfilled. The next condition is revealed.>

"What? It's not over?"

"Are you kidding me!"

Outrage erupted among the players as they read the message.

In the 19 hours it took to clear the 2,000 dungeons, no fewer than seven earthquakes had struck, leaving catastrophic damage in their wake.

Reconstruction would take considerable time, but Jeong-hoon knew it was manageable.

'Once this forced penalty ends, new items will be added to the point shop. Among them will be restoration scrolls.'

These scrolls could rapidly rebuild the destroyed structures, just as Jeong-hoon had used them countless times before during his regressions.

***

<Lv.??? Grand Cavern: Defeat the Sealed Colossus Ursus.>

The next condition had been revealed: defeat the Colossus Ursus.

'Back then, they failed to take it down.'

Even when the world's top-ranked players gathered, they couldn't defeat Ursus.

This crushing defeat made many rankers acutely aware of their limitations. It also led countless players to ally with James Marcus, swayed by his recruitment efforts.

Sophia Stephanie Agarette, the Dark Mage of France, was one such case.

'Looks like I'll be seeing most of them there.'

The path to Ursus was straightforward.

Thousands of crimson portals had appeared worldwide. Entering one would lead directly to the Grand Cavern where Ursus awaited.

Jeong-hoon used True Heavenly Demon Lord's Steps to swiftly locate one of the shimmering red portals nearby.

**

"Kill. Kill."

Alessandro Bryden seethed as he recalled the face of the Eastern man who had humiliated him.

He wanted nothing more than to tear the man apart limb by limb and throw him into a blazing inferno.

But his diminished power showed no signs of returning.

"Alessandro!"

"Wow, it's him!"

Everywhere he went, people recognized him.

And why wouldn't they? He had been the world's first Archmage to surpass Level 500.

But now?

'Damn it. I'm no better than some third-rate nobody now.'

His mana was so depleted that he couldn't even cast proper spells. At most, he could manage 3rd-circle magic.

To recover, Alessandro needed to raise his mana levels.

But he had already exhausted every known method.

All he had left were his meager achievement points—6,300 of them.

He couldn't even afford an elixir to increase his mana levels.

The cost of elixirs rose with each purchase, and Alessandro had already used most of his achievement points to boost his mana. Now, acquiring another elixir required a staggering 50,000 points.

"Alessandro! Please, defeat the Colossus Ursus!"

"Yes! If it's you, Alessandro, you can do it!"

Oblivious to his internal despair, the people who spotted him began chanting his name.

Their eyes shone with unwavering belief that Alessandro could lift the penalty.

'Damn it! Damn it!'

Overwhelmed, Alessandro fled from the scene as though running for his life.

"Please, we're counting on you!"

"May the gods bless you!"

The onlookers assumed he was heading toward Ursus and cheered him on with all their might.

But Alessandro wasn't heading for Ursus. He was retreating to the safety of his home.

How could I possibly defeat the Colossus Ursus with mere 3rd-circle magic?

Going there would also mean confronting James Marcus—the man who had abandoned him—and that insane woman, Amelie, who now clung to Marcus like a parasite.

"Damn it... Someone, anyone, just kill those bastards for me…"

Curled up and burying his face in his hands, Alessandro felt tears welling up.

The countless hours he had poured into New World now felt utterly wasted.

<Heh, watching you wallow in despair is quite amusing.>

A chilling voice echoed in his ears.

"W-What was that?"

Alessandro flinched, his entire body trembling. Slowly, he lifted his head.

And then, he saw it.

A massive, crimson eye staring back at him.

[Translator - Kiteretsu]

[Proofreader - Kyros]