Before logging out, Jhin first confirmed all his gains from the dungeon.

His total gains were:

548 Iron coins, 270 Copper coins, and 50 Silver coins.

Veteran Adventurer's Arm Guard (Rare) - [Class equipment restriction: Warrior]

Veteran Adventurer's Rogue Set Box (Rare) - Tap to open.

x83 Goblin Monster Materials (Ears, blood, spleen, fangs, etc.)

x10 Friendship Tokens

x18 Romantic Tokens

x15 Loyalty Tokens

Fatal Bandit Ring (Rare) - Received as a drop inside the [Goblin's Nest]

After confirming their amount, Jhin decided to open the [Veteran Adventurer's Rogue Set Box].

Ding! Ding!

[You have received, x1 [Veteran Adventurer's Mask], x1 [Veteran Adventurer's Vest],
x1 [Veteran Adventurer's Greaves], x1 [Veteran Adventurer's Grips], x1 [Veteran Adventurer's Walker],
x1 [Veteran Adventurer's Dagger]. ]

Jhin smiled and immediately replaced his current equipment.

[Veteran Adventurer's Mask (Rare)
Equipment Type: Headgear
Level Requirement: 7

-It is an equipment that was once worn by a Veteran Adventurer who unfortunately met his end in [Goblin's Nest]. Can be received upon clearing [Goblin's Nest].

+8 VIT, +7 INT ]

[Veteran Adventurer's Vest (Rare)
Equipment Type: Upperbody
Level Requirement: 7

-It is an equipment that was once worn by a Veteran Adventurer who unfortunately met his end in [Goblin's Nest]. Can be received upon clearing [Goblin's Nest].

+9 STR, +8 VIT ]

[Veteran Adventurer's Greaves (Rare)
Equipment Type: Lowerbody
Level Requirement: 7

-It is an equipment that was once worn by a Veteran Adventurer who unfortunately met his end in [Goblin's Nest]. Can be received upon clearing [Goblin's Nest].

+8 VIT, +9 AGI ]

[Veteran Adventurer's Grips (Rare)
Equipment Type: Subweapon
Level Requirement: 7

-It is an equipment that was once worn by a Veteran Adventurer who unfortunately met his end in [Goblin's Nest]. Can be received upon clearing [Goblin's Nest].

+9 STR, +7 AGI ]

[Veteran Adventurer's Walker (Rare)
Equipment Type: Footwear
Level Requirement: 7

-It is an equipment that was once worn by a Veteran Adventurer who unfortunately met his end in [Goblin's Nest]. Can be received upon clearing [Goblin's Nest].

+8 STR, +8 AGI ]

[Veteran Adventurer's Daggers (Rare)
Equipment Type: Main Weapon
Level Requirement: 7

-It is an equipment that was once worn by a Veteran Adventurer who unfortunately met his end in [Goblin's Nest]. Can be received upon clearing [Goblin's Nest].

+10 STR ]

[Fatal Bandit Ring (Rare)
Equipment Type: Ring
Level Requirement: 7

-Can be obtained from [Beginner Village Dungeon]

+AGI 5, +VIT 4 ]

Since he leveled up six times, he gained additional 12 points to all attributes, 12 skill points, and 6 free attribute allocation points.

He then allocated his 6 AP points to 3 in STR and 3 in AGI resulting in his character window to look like this:

[ Name: Hoarder Level: 12 (EXP: 13%)
Title: Adventurer's Will
Class: Rogue

HP: 910/910
MP: 650/650
Status: Healthy
-
Strength: 88>106
Agility: 81>97
Intelligence: 54>65
Vitality: 76>91
-
Available Attribute Points: 0
Available Skill Points: 12
-
Active Skill(s):

-Oblivion Smite: Available
-Shinpo: Available

Passive Skill(s):

-Decay: Available ]

He held his excitement in and allocated his 12 SPs all to his skill [Decay].

[Decaying Effect (Passive Skill)

Level: 2 (SP: 3/100)

➥8% chance to induce "Decaying" status towards the target in all forms of attack.

Mana cost: None

Cooldown: 1 Minute ]

Jhin was more than happy after seeing his character window. His fists were trembling excitedly as he almost wanted to pump it in the air.

He was almost as happy as the time when he received the [Holy Grail of Time].

Why exactly was he very happy?

Well, aside from his overwhelmingly disproportional stats for his level, his [Decay] passive skill had reached level 2!

This means that he could induce that skill in 2 out of 25 of his attacks!

He didn't mind the fact that his next SP requirement became five times of its first upgrade because he understood that it was needed to balance the game.

He was sure that with his current stats, he was unbeatable even by mobs from level 25 or even 30!

Even he, someone who was over three thousand years old, could not help but be amazed by his own strength and leveling speed.

The additional attribute points granted by the achievement system was a very game-changing mechanism of the game.

However, when Jhin stopped for a moment to think about, it wasn't very unfair at all considering the clueless conditions that one needed to meet in order to unlock them. The conditions of the achievements were completely random and one needed to aimlessly explore just for a chance to fulfill the unknown conditions for those achievements.

Especially the special title [Adventurer's Will] which had only been discovered in the latter parts of the game. Unfortunately, because it was discovered late, there were much better titles and the discovery itself didn't rouse much attention from the player base.

The only reason that discovery remained in Jhin's head was because at the time, he thought that it could've greatly changed the strength of the players in the early phase of the game.

Just as he was in deep thought, he heard an announcement in his head.

[Regional Server [South East Asia] will enter a maintenance in T-00:20:00. Please log out before the time duration in order to avoid loss of progress.

Maintenance schedule has been announced in the forums, please keep updated.]

The announcement occurred two more times which Jhin had anticipated as much.

The same announcement happened in his previous life to which the Daily Quests were added after someone cleared the [Goblin's Nest] for the first time.

As for the servers, there are 9 regional servers located around the world.

This was done because aside from the game being released world wide, the unprecedented continuous growth of the amount of players overloaded the servers to the point where they needed to created another server in the near future.

After being notified by the announcement, Jhin logged out as he was satisfied with his early beginning of the game.

-

Jhin got up from his bed and removed the head gear from his head. His body was sweaty so he decided to take a bath while also refreshing his fatigued mind.

Playing nonstop for hours also drains one's mentality, causing them to have mental fatigue.

It is exactly due to those medical conditions that using a game capsule console to play the game was recommended as it not only watches over your health but also provides a physical conditioner to keep your body healthy at all times.

Drip! Drip! Drip!

Wet water dripped down from the tips of his hair as he stood in front of a mirror inside his bathroom. He only wore a towel to cover his lower part while his gaze remained on the reflection of his eyes.

He wasn't admiring his own figure as one would think if they were to see him like this.

Instead, he was in deep thought for his next steps.

'Since I want to spend more time playing the game, I first need to deal with my current situation in real life especially when my college starts tomorrow.'

'The problem is, how do I convince my parents to allow me to drop out of college and focus on gaming?'

While Jhin could balance his life between gaming and studying, he didn't want to lose those few hours that he could have spend inside the game while he was out in college studying.

If one were to hear Jhin's thoughts, they would think that he was addicted to the new game.

Jhin knew his parents would never allow him to drop out since a college degree was essential if one were to look for work in the modern society.

He knows that they wouldn't support his decision since gaming wouldn't guarantee a stable income for his future to which Jhin highly doubts since he already knew what the future held.

The problem was that he didn't know how to convince them.

One reason was because his mother is a traditional woman born from an eastern farmer's descent. She grew up in a rural area where their family owned vast field for farming. She was raised as a farmer and she knew how it was to work in the fields to harvest and plant crops.

Which is why she grew up with a strict and hardworking mentality.

To her, success in life could only be brought by hard work and high grades in school. That was, after all, what helped her in getting a stable job in the city.

She wasn't really strict with them since Jhin in his previous life was a hardworking student who was earnest in his studies.

His sister was the same so their mother never got mad at them.

However, growing up under her, Jhin and his sister both know how their mother is especially worried when it comes to their studies.

Jhin understands that she was only worried about their future and while he could present proof that what he will do is more beneficial to them, his mother would never be reassured according to the way she was taught.

'No wait...'

That was when Jhin remembered a very crucial point that he had neglected.

His progress was fast. Too fast compared to those top national players.

And while being the fastest would have advantages, there would naturally be disadvantages as well.

One of which him being put under the radar of the Game Developers.

He wouldn't really mind if that was the case and he was sure that his dungeon clearance already brought him on their sights.

However, what he needed to consider was the Game Developers readjusting the game due to his own progress.

Of course, Jhin knows that due to the "Butterfly Effect", the appearance of unknown variables would be inevitable. Therefore, while he cannot prevent their appearance, he wanted to limit the amount of variables that could appear.

He needed to slow down his progress. Otherwise, the developers might tweak or add new features that weren't present in his previous life.

And his solution to that is by slowing down his explosive progress long enough that the developers wouldn't add much readjustment solely dedicated to his own progress.

'...As it turns out, I wouldn't need to drop out after all.'

Besides, what would he be worried for?

The other players were long left behind by him.

Plus, with his future knowledge, he was sure that no one could ever stand in his way.

'I'm getting too hasty... too impatient...'

Jhin looked at his own reflection and thought to himself, 'I'm not running away from anything... but knowing what kind if enemies I have to face in the future is what's making me subconsciously feel the need to hastily accumulate strength.

'This is bad... my anxiety is affecting my plans...' His rational self was prickling him once again, telling him that it's his attachment for his family's fault as to why his ever calm mentality was being bothered.

'Calm down.' Jhin took a deep breath.

"It's fine... everything is under my control."

And like that, he finally felt reassured and exited the bath. He then wore comfortable clothes before heading outside his room.

It was currently nearing lunch time and Jhin went downstairs to eat.

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Jhin sat in the dining table along with his little sister Mia, who was currently eating with a nervous face.

While Jhin on the other hand, maintained a neutral face while eating their meal.

The reason Mia was nervous was because their mother was sitting opposite to them, looking at them with a stiff expression.

Eventually, the uncomfortable silence was broken by their mother.

"...Son...?"

"Yes, mother?"

"Did you really buy that console for Mia?"

Jhin glanced at his little sister who had sweat falling down her face. He didn't understand why she was so anxious.

He then turned to his mother and answered. "I did."

His mother's eyes narrowed. "Where did you get... that huge amount of money to buy it?"

Jhin tilted his head for a moment and said, "Didn't Mia already tell you everything?"

His mother nodded. "Yes, but I wish to hear it from you."

"Very well then,"

Jhin proceeded to tell her in the most understandable way in how he was able to earn that money from inside the game. The reason his mother felt that way was because 410,000 USD was a very huge amount of money for their family and he thought it was only natural for his mother to be concerned for him who suddenly received that amount.

Eventually, their mother came to terms with everything after understanding precisely how it went down. She was surprised to hear the name of Bavellion family since she knew how famous they were in the business industry.

'...My son spoke to the heiress of that family?'

That's what got her very surprised.

She was able to eventually accept the situation. However, even after doing so, her worried expression didn't leave her face.

Jhin stared at his mother for a moment before saying, "I won't drop out of college."

Hearing this, heaved a deep breath as her face finally softened.

"Thank goodness..." She whispered.

Jhin realized the root of the issue was that his mother wad worried that because of the profit he made inside the game, it will influence in what he needed to do for his future. And so, Jhin decided to reassure her by telling her he wouldn't drop out of college.

They returned to eating their meal quietly before Mia finally spoke.

"This means that... we won't be returning the console, right mom?" She asked nervously while glancing at their mother.

Their mother looked at her for a few seconds and finally gave her an answer.

"...We won't"

"Yes!!!!" Mia pumped her fists in the air happily.

So that's why, Jhin nodded after finally realizing why his little sister looked so anxious.

"But be sure to thank your brother, he bought it for you after all." Their mom said before taking a mouthful for herself.

"Yes!" Mia nodded excitedly before turning to her brother and said, "Thanks, Big Bro!"

She was grinning from ear to ear, very obvious that she was feeling extremely happy. Her happiness made Jhin smile as well as he thought that his decision to buy the console for her wasn't wrong.

"No problem." Jhin said and returned to eating their meal.

"No really!" She stood up from he chair and hugged him.

"Thank you... so much big bro..." She whispered sincerely.

Feeling his sister's arms wrapping around his neck, Jhin sighed softly and tapped her on her back.

"Anytime... little sister."

Their mother watched them with fluttering smile as she thought that her children were very wholesome.

.

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"Hey Jhin."

"Yes?"

While washing dishes, Mia looked at her brother curiously and said, "How did you know about that?"

"About what?"

"That achievement, you know, the 5 gold coins and the [Adventurer's Will] special title?"

Jhin made a mysterious smile and said, "That's a secret."

Mia pouted and softly elbowed her brother on his arm. "Eyy... come on, won't you tell your cute, adorable, siste~r?"

She tilted her head to the side while leaning closer and acting cutesy at him.

Jhin glanced at her sparkling eyes and only stuck out his tongue in response before continuing to wash the dishes.

"Ow fineee..." Mia finally relented.

"However, do you really want me to keep this a secret? Jhin, you should know how much this achievement could change the game."

"I do." Jhin nodded. "And I trust that you keep it to yourself."

"But why?"

When she asked this, Jhin had finished washing dishes and was now drying his hands in the drying cloth. As he was doing so, he answered Mia with an indifferent face.

"Mia, I'll offer you some life advice." His turned to her with a serious expression and solemnly said, "In this life, you need to take every advantage you can get."

"Don't ever let other people hinder your path towards your goal because all it takes is just one... just one moment of carelessness for everything you hold dear to disappear."

Jhin stared at Mia with a grave expression, making the latter feel slightly uncomfortable.

Mia couldn't tell why but she felt as if her brother had suddenly aged a hundred years old or so. The way he spoke was like an old person giving children advices as the emotions behind his voice couldn't be faked.

"...Understand?" Jhin asked.

Mia softly nodded.

"...Yes... Big brother..."

Jhin nodded briefly and rubbed her head. "Good."

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Jhin was now laying in his bed while scrolling through the forums of the Ascended Order website.

He had just finished working out his body and digesting the meal he ate during lunch. He wanted to go out for a run but the sun was still too hot so he decided he'll go later in the afternoon.

While going through the forums, he saw the notice that the maintenance will finish until tomorrow by UTC+ 17:00.

"What a coincidence, that's also the time I'll get home."

After seeing that there was nothing new in the forums, he put down his phone and began to contemplate about what his sister said earlier.

After the conversation about keeping the console, Mia told him that she wanted to join him in leveling up but he declined, saying that if she chose to do so, she would need to act secretive like him as well.

He told her that if she joined him, she wouldn't be able to enjoy the game since his playing time mostly consisted of training and grinding.

But Mia told him that she was prepared for it.

When he asked, 'What brought this on?' and 'Don't you have your classmates to play with?'

She told him that because of the class she chose, her classmate didn't want to party up with her.

'What's your class?' He asked.

Mia hesitated for a second before answering, 'Cleric.'

At that moment, Mia looked at him with a hint of anxiety. She was worried that her brother would reject her too since clerics dealt the weakest damage in the early game.

This is because clerics are support focused classes that gave "Buffs" or enhancing effects to their teammates.

Unfortunately however, they were incredibly weak at the beginning of the game. Most especially in the first five levels.

After all, they lacked strong attack skills and their healing skills wouldn't be unlocked until level 15.

Jhin agreed as soon as he saw his sister's worried look but didn't agree out of pity. Instead, he thought that he should use this opportunity to teach his sister and raise her to become a powerful player.

Jhin didn't really mind doing so since it coincided with his plans and he was already teaching someone inside the game as well.

His contemplation ended when it was already afternoon. He went to run outside his house while his mind tries to recover the blank and nameless pages in his memory palace.

He had to regularly do this since although some details were vague, others were still in a completely blank state. Which is understandable, considering that he had lived for so long to the point that he even forgot the faces of his family.

This was why Jhin was taking every moment he could get to try and refresh his mind to remember the memories that he had long forgotten.