Chapter 1
Prologue: The Money-Splurging Paladin
[Holy Wheel, this bastard just won’t die.]
[What kind of idiot came up with the concept of filling Divine Power through cash spending?]
[Ugh, I offer 10,000 Gold! Does it make sense that this crap fills up Divine Power completely?]
Holy Wheel was short for ‘Paladin + Cockroach,’ meaning a character that was annoyingly hard to kill and powerful.
“If you’re jealous, you know what to do, right?”
Park Ji-hun, the server’s first Paladin owner, smiled coldly as he looked at the crowd beyond his monitor.
MMORPG, Continental Online.
Park Ji-hun was this game’s first Paladin.
Continental Online had a system where a new class opened every time you hit max level with one character, but due to the game’s frequent PVP structure, unlocking all characters was no easy task.
However, Park Ji-hun stubbornly hit max level with every character and finally unlocked the ‘Paladin’ class.
‘They made such an overpowered character?’
After trying it out, the performance was insane.
He wondered why they would create a character that would completely break the balance.
“Hah, levels and everything become completely meaningless.”
Being able to enhance Divine Power with money.
How should he put it?
‘Maybe it means to have fun at the end and then quit…’
It was an absurd level.
In just two days, Park Ji-hun had hit max level.
He sold off all the assets of his other characters and even completely emptied the guild’s communal treasury, converting everything into Divine Power for his final character ‘Paladin Erik.’
As a result, he went beyond just hitting max level and became a continental enemy, spawning numerous events.
―The Emperor’s Protection envelops the battlefield.
―The Alchemy Magic Tower Lord has cast a wide-area enhancement magic.
Eventually, even NPCs came rushing to kill Park Ji-hun.
[Kill that guy!]
[Crazy bastard! He looted the guild treasury?]
[This is a no-resurrection zone.]
Even with users and NPCs joining forces, they couldn’t do anything to Paladin Erik.
This was because Park Ji-hun had holed up on the 65th floor of the Labyrinth, which consisted of narrow passages.
‘Ant tunnel terrain is sweet as honey.’
He simply blocked the narrow passages with the Paladin’s massive frame and thrust blades forged from Divine Power at anyone who came close.
―My Knight Order!
The Imperial Guard was annihilated.
Click.
All Park Ji-hun did was use basic attacks activated by left-clicking his mouse.
Since he hadn’t learned proper skills with his Paladin character, basic attacks and self-heal were all he could do.
Nevertheless, the Divine Power enhanced with hundreds of billions of gold showed overwhelming might.
[Hey, gather more people!]
[Tell all guild members to log in quickly! If that bastard learns skills, there’ll be no answer!]
Because the communal treasury had been looted and guild members were furious, numerous users rushed to the top floor of the Labyrinth.
Watching the spectacle of players and NPCs swarming like a pack of dogs, Park Ji-hun shook his head.
‘Just 10,000 Gold maxes out Divine Power, what a waste of time.’
He was getting sick of users who didn’t know the meaning of giving up.
That’s when it happened.
―The Labyrinth has detected an anomaly.
A system message appeared.
System messages were what informed players of NPC dialogue and various events big and small within the game.
But.
He had never seen such a message in over 10,000 hours of gameplay.
‘A new update?’
He had wondered why they gave such an absurdly overpowered character.
It seemed there was a reason for it.
Creak.
The Labyrinth was currently open up to the 65th floor.
Above that, no updates had been made yet.
But suddenly, the door to the boss room leading to the 66th floor opened.
―Conditions are met.
―The blood of ten thousand and magnificent Divine Power.
―The Labyrinth invites you.
With this message as the last, Park Ji-hun’s consciousness disappeared.
***
Chapter 1: The Materialistic Paladin Erik (1)
Morning broke over the massive city built atop the Labyrinth, the Imperial Capital Arman.
The Empire’s circular capital was arranged in ring-like districts from the central District 1, where the Imperial Palace stood, to District 5.
Among them, District 3 had a massive plaza connected to the Labyrinth, which opened to adventurers every first day of the week.
“Come on, it’s cheap, really cheap!”
“Selling discarded potions from the Alchemy Magic Tower at clearance prices!”
A weekly market opened in the plaza built with rough bricks.
In front of the wide stairs leading to the Labyrinth, merchants laid out their wares in orderly fashion and called out to customers.
Just by scale alone, it resembled a large shopping center.
“That guy’s build is so intimidating, it’s burdensome to buy anything.”
In one corner of the plaza sat a man with an overwhelmingly massive frame, cross-legged.
On the mat spread before him were precious Magic Tower-made goods.
Yet he had no customers.
It was because of the man’s overwhelming bulk and fierce gaze.
Then an old man approached.
“You’re not crazy, so why are you selling Magic Tower-made magical tools at a street stall like this?”
The giant man, well over 2 meters tall, looked ahead.
The old man was small in stature and hunched over, so even with the man sitting, they were at eye level.
The man with golden eyes showed the old man his identity plate.
Then he asked:
“Will you buy, or won’t you?”
“Heh heh, a real crazy bastard. A Religious Order member doing business?”
The identity plate the man showed proved he was affiliated with the Religious Order in District 2.
An identity card from District 2, where nobles, wealthy magnates, and high-ranking clerics resided, wasn’t something one could forge easily.
‘What the hell is his identity…’
The old man had no choice but to believe.
Impersonating such a status was tantamount to a crime punishable by death.
“Some crazy merchant doesn’t choose his customers… Just like the rumors said. I’ll buy everything you have here.”
He didn’t know why a District 2 resident, especially someone affiliated with the Religious Order, was playing street vendor here.
Whatever his identity, his status was certain.
So the old man shouted boldly:
“230,000 Gold.”
But the price was a bit strange.
10,000 Gold had a value approaching 1 million won in Korean currency.
No matter how good the item quality, there was such a thing as market price.
“Hah… There’s no rip-off like this rip-off.”
“250,000 Gold.”
“Oh my!”
“300,000 Gold.”
“I, I’ll buy it. Buy! You’ve got a real good eye.”
“Hush money is an additional 50,000 Gold.”
“…You crazy bastard!”
The old man cursed but obediently handed the money to the man.
Erik, the man once called Park Ji-hun, put the money in his [Inventory] while staring at the old man.
“Hah, a mere merchant even has a subspace pouch?”
“Even fugitives use them, so what’s the problem?”
“Heh heh, what kind of crazy bastard am I seeing in my old age…”
As the old man muttered and headed down the stairs toward the Labyrinth, Erik snapped his fingers. Immediately, Imperial Security disguised as passersby came over.
“It’s the raider Janson.”
“Sir! We’re always grateful for the Religious Order’s support.”
“The bounty?”
“…Ah, here it is prepared.”
Receiving the large money pouch, Erik stood up from his spot.
A cold smile formed on his lips.
The criminal who had backstabbed his party members and became a fugitive was the old man’s true identity.
Erik spread out the 350,000 Gold obtained from the old man and the 50,000 Gold received as bounty on the altar of the chapel.
“Older brother Erik!”
“Wow, did you earn all this?”
Children from the orphanage next to the church came running over, shouting in expectation of pocket money.
Erik frowned and ignored the children’s words.
‘Even thinking about it now, it’s absurd.’
During his days as Park Ji-hun, he had suddenly been dragged into the game world.
He had once dreamed the absurd dream of becoming an overpowered character in a game world while stuck in a boring job.
But he had never once thought he wanted to be born as a newborn baby.
Park Ji-hun was born in this world as an orphan named ‘Erik.’
And he somehow managed to survive by meeting a master affiliated with the Astia Religious Order.
[Golden Divine Power (黃金神聖)]
[Obtain Divine Power proportional to the gold offered.]
Fortunately, the overpowered privilege he had gained in the game remained intact.
However, living in an empire at the level of a barbaric medieval era was quite difficult.
If he hadn’t met his master right after birth, he might have starved to death as a newborn baby.
Even if he had survived, he wouldn’t have lived long.
[Required Resources: 200,000,000]
Because many things had changed from the game.
Unlike the game where he could thoughtlessly pour money to become stronger, here he had to know how to handle power.
The skill window and stat window had disappeared.
There was no UI support showing HP, MP, etc.
This was real reality.
‘Money is always insufficient.’
Nevertheless, Erik adapted.
Fifteen years of life had made him Erik of the Arman Empire, not Park Ji-hun.
While lost in such thoughts:
“Erik, ignoring the kids again?”
A woman with long blonde hair approached.
She was the kind of woman whose curvaceous figure and tight-fitting cleric’s robes created a sinfully attractive charm.
She claimed to be between 30 and 40 years old, but Erik estimated she was already approaching 40.
“Priestess Ruelle, good morning.”
As Erik bowed his head in greeting, a lecture poured out.
“Morning? The sun’s high in the sky, what kind of morning is this, and what’s with all that money!”
“It’s an offering to be dedicated to the Lord.”
“Ahh… Why did Riferoze bring such a child…”
“I’m no longer a child but a proper young man now.”
Seeing Erik’s money-splurging from the morning breeze, Ruelle felt a headache coming on.
From that annoying way of speaking, to his un-cleric-like worldliness, to his indifference toward children like they were dogs.
She wondered how such a guy had appeared, making her head throb.
“I’ll give you 500,000 Gold for this month’s operating expenses.”
However, she couldn’t do anything about Erik.
Erik had been the five-year-old child who came holding the hand of the Religious Order’s great pilgrim.
Back then, Erik had been scattering abnormally powerful Divine Power while spouting crazy things.
What did he say?
“We should collect tithes from the believers.”
It was that kind of crazy talk about collecting 10% of weekly wages from believers who came to pray.
That child grew up earning money himself.
Under the protection of the great Religious Order pilgrim, Erik grew without receiving any restraint.
As a result, he grew into a crazy Paladin who spread money in front of the sacred altar.
As Ruelle was thinking such thoughts, Erik asked again:
“Won’t you take it?”
“…I, I’ll use it well.”
As a child, he sold newspapers, as he grew he operated some bizarre mobile food stall called a ‘food cart,’ and recently he even opened a mysterious shop.
Following his growth process, Ruelle’s orphanage received tremendous funding.
Thanks to this, they could provide quality meals to the orphanage children, teach them reading, and guide their growth according to their talents.
That wasn’t the end of it.
“I heard Mica Trading Company is selling cream made from troll fat this time.”
“Ahem, hmm. A cleric spending money on such trivial beauty purposes is…”
Ruelle trailed off.
Erik was looking at her with a twisted expression.
So you’re not going to buy it?
That was the feeling.
‘Just last week you bought lipstick made from vampire essence.’
Erik actually felt somewhat bitter.
Religious Order clerics treated money like stones.
When they first met, Ruelle showed such tendencies.
Of course, it was Erik who changed that.
Not wanting to hear nagging, he gradually made her feel the comfort that ‘money’ provides.
“So where are they selling it?”
“I heard they’re opening something called a pop-up shop in front of Jang’s Magical Tools Store in District 2.”
He had turned Ruelle into a Priestess obsessed with appearance.
From tight-fitting priestly robes fashionable in District 1 to lipstick and nail art made from crushed vampire hearts.
‘Maybe I went a bit overboard…’
Well, it’s not a bad thing anyway.
Erik passed it off casually.
The game world was spinning crazily.
Starting a few years ago, numerous possessors had appeared and brought tremendous changes to the world.
‘It’s too excessive.’
Erik himself had created things like food carts and newspapers, but other possessors had gone way too far.
[Possessors are subject to immediate execution regardless of reason. Their very existence is declared a public enemy of the Empire in the name of Emperor Esperoja Rofen Arman.]
It had reached the point where the Emperor himself made such a declaration.
Whatever crazy bastards they were, thanks to them scattering all sorts of luxury goods, the world had changed in quite complex and subtle ways.
‘Why was I the only one born so early…’
Possessors lived by taking over other people’s bodies.
Cases like Erik, who started from infancy, converged to zero.
Erik was always dissatisfied with that.
***
“How is it? Anything different?”
After finishing class at the orphanage, Ruelle approached Erik and asked.
Her slim waist, swaying hips, alluring figure topped with bright red lips stood out.
Erik felt dizzy.
“Priestess, you might really be referred to the Inquisition at this rate.”
“…What would?”
“Those clothes! Are you trying to get married in your forties?”
“Hey! I’m between thirty and forty! And this outfit is fashionable in the Imperial Capital, so there’s no problem at all! Hmph!”
Things to worry about weren’t limited, especially with possessors around.
Possessors were even influencing Ruelle’s clothing style.
‘What if leggings become fashionable too?’
Leggings fashion, which he had commonly seen in America, no, even in Korea, came to mind.
He didn’t want to see people in leggings walking around medieval brick cities carrying swords and shields.
“At least wear a robe.”
Ruelle wore Religious Order sacred robes with a see-through chest area.
If asked whether it suited her or not, it suited her.
Stylishly well.
‘It’s much freer than South Korea anyway.’
Actually, there was no way clothing would lead to an Inquisition.
This world had a strongly open atmosphere regardless of gender.
As for clothing, it was just that they wore armor because of the high proportion of adventurers conquering the Labyrinth – didn’t they originally go around without underwear?
“Erik, you’re particularly fussy about clothes?”
“Ahem, hmm. I merely thought there was a need for reverence in our position serving God. Isn’t Priestess Ruelle also in her forties now?”
However, seeing her, who was like a mother to him, dressed like that felt somewhat unpleasant.
‘Maybe…’
Even though he had lived as Erik for 15 years, the remnants of Park Ji-hun, who had lived as a Confucian boy for 30 years, might be influencing such thoughts.
He suddenly had that thought.
So he changed the topic.
“I’m in my thirties!”
“Tsk, I’ve clearly remembered everything since I was five, and I heard it from Master too.”
From clothing to age.
“That old geezer… He’s eaten over a hundred years himself.”
“Pardon?”
Usually, conversations between Erik and Ruelle ended with Ruelle being flustered, but this time was different.
‘Over a hundred years old?’
Erik’s master was young.
In his twenties, no, he could even be considered a young man.
Of course, aging could be delayed with a strong body and magnificent Divine Power…
Still, it felt quite strange that a hundred-year-old had maintained such youth.
“Ah. This is a secret. You know his personality, right? I might really die.”
“I’ll take it to the grave.”
Erik also knew his master’s eccentric personality well.
So he planned to keep Ruelle’s secret.
‘He’s a special enough person to raise a possessor.’
The reason he forgot Park Ji-hun’s life and accepted Erik’s life was purely thanks to the existence of his master and Ruelle.
Anyway.
It was time to bring up the main topic.
Erik bent his massive body to match Ruelle’s eye level.
“Priestess Ruelle, I’m fifteen this month, aren’t I?”
“Uh-huh, th, that’s right?”
It felt similar to when he was ten years old, when he created something called a food cart.
Ruelle was anxious.
“I’d like to try doing some ‘church’ business attached to the orphanage.”
“Th, the orphanage is attached to the church… Sigh. Business is a bit. No matter how much Riferoze’s permission there was! Touching the church is! A bit… wouldn’t it be wrong?”
“I plan to maintain the operational method as is. However, I’m thinking of collecting donations called tithes from wealthy commoners.”
“…Are you talking about what you said when you were five?”
“Yes.”
Serious eyes and a heavy voice.
He was too serious.
If only he hadn’t received teachings as a Paladin, Erik had sufficient talent to become a great merchant.
But no matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t understand this thing called tithing.
“Common sense dictates, what reason would there be to visit the church while paying 10% of weekly wages? Even people who used to come won’t come anymore.”
“For peace and tranquility of mind, and for the miracle of healing, they would come even if they had to offer more than that.”
Seeing Erik’s half-mad eyes, Ruelle decided to give him bitter words.
“Erik, you’ve only succeeded until now, so your sense of reality has declined! Would you want to pay 10% of the money you earned as donations? Only nobles give money as sponsorship.”
It was a sound argument.
Actually, Erik wouldn’t pay even a single penny, not even 1%.
However, he had experience as Park Ji-hun.
Tithing definitely works.
‘I’ll have to sell indulgences too.’
He hadn’t known the exact timing until now, but watching the increasing number of possessors, he realized something.
The main story would begin soon.
The point when he possessed was long before the game’s story, so he hadn’t known this part.
The Labyrinth conquest, which had been opened up to the 66th floor in the game, was still struggling on the 32nd floor.
The Empire’s conquest wars hadn’t resumed yet either.
‘Who would remember years and such while playing a game…’
He had hit max level, but Park Ji-hun hadn’t considered main story elements, NPC dialogue, or background settings within the game as important.
If he had known he would possess someone, he would have remembered them importantly.
‘No wait, am I a reincarnation?’
Whether he was born as a baby or possessed a baby’s body.
This part was difficult to be certain about.
He didn’t even have a complete system.
“I didn’t want to do this either.”
So his heart was even more urgent.
Erik took out the identity plate his master had given him from his [Inventory].
On the crude rectangular metal piece, blue letters with a mysterious feeling were written.
[Former Holy War Knight Commander, Religious Order Certified Pilgrim, Riferoze Astia]
In short, it was a certificate proving that someone who held the highest position in the Astia Religious Order’s Paladin Order was active as a pilgrim wandering the world.
Like a Defense Minister living as a secret royal inspector?
And entrusting this meant:
Erik was his representative and successor.
“I didn’t want to suppress Priestess Ruelle with status…”
Erik had been involved in all sorts of businesses until now.
He had run food carts, operated stores, and even created information organizations.
Nevertheless, money was always insufficient.
In a world where the system of converting cash to gold had disappeared unlike the game, monetary value naturally became that much higher.
Obtaining infinite Divine Power using hundreds of billions in resources was a distant prospect.
However, he would soon gather 200 million.
‘I need to reach 3rd Tier at least.’
The absence of skills and stats had been somewhat resolved through his master’s teachings.
To survive the disasters that would unfold when the main story began, more powerful force was needed.
The power called [Golden Divine Power] increased the Divine Power pool when money was offered. It didn’t end there.
Enhancement was possible, and recovery too – it was an overpowered trait.
To use this properly, a tremendous amount of money was needed.
“…E, Erik. How did you!”
Toward Ruelle, who opened her mouth wide in bewilderment, Erik recited:
“Then, I’ll consider that you’ve given permission.”
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