The subtle twitch of the NPC's lips, the precise focus of their eyes tracking my every move. It was so incredibly lifelike that I caught myself wondering if I was talking to a real human being.

  'They really outdid themselves with this...'

  But this was no time to stand around admiring the tech. The only thing that mattered right now was moving faster than everyone else.

  'I need to get out to the hunting grounds, fast.'

  After blowing through a series of mundane tutorial quests—mostly just greeting various NPCs—the message I had been waiting for finally popped up.

  [Main Quest: The Farm's Uninvited Guests, Boar Subjugation]

  Mission: Hunt 10 Wild Boars on the farm

  Progress: 0 / 10

  Obtainable Rewards:

  1. [Select] Weapon Supply Box x1

  2. [Consumable] Health Potion x20

  3. [Experience] 500 EXP

  4. [Currency] 40 Silver

  'A Weapon Selection Box!'

  The absolute prerequisite for a gold farmer, and the core of early-game efficiency. To secure the 'first hit' from a distance and avoid having my mobs stolen by others in the starting zones, getting a bow was the most surefire method.

  Passing through the city gates, a sprawling farm surrounded by a wide wooden fence over a green field came into view.

  The farm was already swarming with players. It was a bizarre sight with more people than boars, but the atmosphere was brutal.

  "Agh! It hurts, it really hurts!"

  Screams erupted from all directions.

  Players who had underestimated virtual reality were getting knocked flat, horrified by the 'vivid pain' that felt like their ribs were shattering from the boars' charges.

  The game's default pain setting was 30%. It was a level of agony that absolutely could not be ignored.

  'Nothing to be scared of. As long as my HP doesn't hit 0, I won't die anyway.'

  Biting my lip, I approached the nearest wild boar.

  Drawing the crude wooden sword from my waist, the rough texture of the wood and a faint vibration transferred through my palm.

  'Alright... let's do this.' My first hunt to make money. I glared into the boar's eyes and adjusted my grip on the wooden sword.

  "Hah!"

  A short shout burst from my lips. But the moment I aimed for the top of the boar's head and swung my wooden sword down, my vision flipped upside down.

  The beast's ignorant headbutt had struck my body dead-on.

  "Keugh!"

  I exhaled roughly as I rolled across the dirt. The pain radiating through a body without a single piece of reliable armor to cushion the blow was beyond imagination.

  'Crazy, why is the damage like this?'

  But I couldn't back down here.

  I hurriedly pulled a potion I'd received as a reward from my inventory and downed it.

  A minty coolness spread through my body, restoring my paralyzed senses. I gripped the hilt tightly and lunged at the boar once more.

  After being rammed and rolling across the ground countless times, my wooden sword finally lodged deep into the boar's vital spot.

  "Kweeegh—!"

  With a final squeal, the boar's massive body collapsed powerlessly. Its heavy form disintegrated into bluish particles of light and scattered into the air.

  In the spot where the beast vanished, only the spoils of the hunt remained.

  [Clink!] A few silver coins and an item labeled 'Wild Boar Fur' dropped to the ground. My first successful hunt.

  'Dodge immediately after swinging.' I had completely read the mob's attack pattern during our first clash. Once I got the hang of it, the next ones were a piece of cake.

  I could take them down easily without having to chug any more precious potions.

  Before I knew it, I only had one boar left out of the required ten.

  As I constantly moved and figured out the most efficient pathing, a welcome notification rang in my ears, right on cue.

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  [Ding! Combat proficiency has increased. The 'Agility' stat has increased by 1.]

  Was it just my imagination? It was a microscopic difference, but my movements felt slightly smoother than before.

  'It only went up by 1, but I can already feel the response.'

  Just as I was about to approach the last remaining boar with a much lighter step.

  "Excuse me! Hey there, Savior!"

  '...Are they calling me?' I turned my head at the unfamiliar call.

  'Ian'. His glowing blue name caught my eye first, followed by a sharp-looking man with his blonde hair swept back smoothly, walking toward me.

  He seemed to have been watching my hunt from nearby, his eyes gleaming with considerable interest.

  "I saw you hunting just now, you know? Wow, you're absolutely amazing. Everyone else is crying about their bones breaking from the boar charges, but how are you taking them down so cleanly without even drinking a single potion?"

  Ian expressed his awe, looking back and forth between the crude wooden sword at my waist and my unscathed condition.

  "Looking at your movements, you weren't just dodging; you were moving the absolute minimum distance required. Do you practice martial arts or sports in real life? Or are your reflexes just naturally that good?"

  It was an unexpected question.

  I had just analyzed the attack patterns a little more desperately than others because I needed to make money.

  "No, I just got used to seeing them, so I dodged."

  "Wow, you can just see that? Your adaptability is insane. Hey, if you still have quest mobs left, do you want to party up with me? I've only caught three so far. With your skills, Savior, our clearing speed would be no joke if we teamed up!"

  'Party hunting...' I hesitated for a moment. But the efficiency of pushing through the main quest quickly as a duo outweighed the profits I'd make alone.

  Plus, considering the fierce competition for preempting hunting grounds that lay ahead, joining hands with Ian now was a net positive in the long run.

  I casually scanned Ian's equipment and asked.

  "What weapon are you planning to use?"

  "Ah, I'm thinking of going the Warrior route. Men are all about swords, right!"

  At Ian's response, the abacus in my head started calculating rapidly.

  'A Warrior... Not bad.' If I pick up a bow, I'll need someone in the front to block the monsters' charges.

  If I could use Ian as a meat shield and comfortably plant arrows from the back, I could save money on potions and exponentially boost our hunting speed.

  If I utilized this cheeky guy well, he would become the ultimate 'meat shield.'

  Pretending to be generous, I nodded and opened my mouth.

  "Sounds good. I only need one more kill to finish my quest. Let's have me go get my reward first, and then I'll come back and help you with your remaining quota."

  "Oh, really? Wow, thank you! As expected, Savior, you're generous too!"

  [Notice: Player 'Ian' has requested a party. Do you accept?]

  As I pressed the accept button, Ian's status window was added to the corner of my vision.

  I immediately smashed the head of the next mob and backed away, and Ian dug in as if he had been waiting, slashing across the beast's belly.

  "Snort, squeeeal!"

  An ignorant headbutt cleaved through the empty air.

  In the split second the boar's massive bulk brushed past, I stepped aside and raised my wooden sword high above my head.

  Throwing my entire body weight into it, I struck down on its back. Right then, Ian, who had been looking for an opening from behind, lunged and deeply sliced the beast's right temple.

  For our first time syncing our breathing, it was quite a smooth combo.

  Finally, the last boar turned into particles and scattered. 10 kills completed.

  "Congratulations, Savior! You really live up to your name."

  Leaving Ian's banter behind, I organized my quest window.

  "Thanks. I'll go get my reward real quick. You know the mob spawn locations, right? Keep hunting them there!"

  Upon completing the quest, a transparent hologram window floated before my eyes.

  [Reward: Please select a weapon.]

  As the weapon selection window opened, a list so vast it made my eyes widen was displayed.

  Bows, staffs, greatswords, crossbows, not to mention harps, gauntlets, and more. It felt like the expression 'they have everything but the kitchen sink' was made for moments like this.

  But only one thing caught my eye.

  [Bow]

  I selected the bow without even a tenth of a second of hesitation. Having secured the core of early-game efficiency, a faint smile spread across my lips.

  A hefty wooden bow materialized in my hand. In the quiver provided with it, twenty arrows were neatly slotted.

  'Every single one of these arrows is money.' I hurried back to the farm.

  In the distance, I saw Ian struggling, being chased by two wild boars. I took my position and pulled the bowstring.

  [Archer-class weapon equipped: The 'Aim Assist' system has been activated.]

  As I drew the string back, a faint blue guideline was drawn across my vision. It was an unfamiliar sensation where my real-life senses intricately locked into the system's calibration.

  'This is it.' The moment the guideline aligned with the boar's forehead, I let the string slip from my fingers.

  Thwip—! The sound of tearing air brushed my ear. The arrow traced an arc and buried itself perfectly into the boar's eyeball.

  [Critical Hit!]

  Just one shot. The mob I had to strike dozens of times with a wooden sword crumbled with a single scream.

  "Wow, amazing! Savior, did you pick a bow as your weapon? Wait, more importantly, your skills..."

  Ian stared at me with his mouth hanging open.

  Instead of answering, I nocked the next arrow.

  Thanks to the system's assist, a clear trajectory was painted across my vision, but the tension residing in my fingertips grew even more taut.

  [System: Aiming stance has been maintained for 2 seconds. The 'Focus' bonus is applied.]

  [Accuracy increases by 15%.]

  'Ten arrows cost 1 silver. The moment I miss, it's a net loss.'

  Even if they were beginner arrows, nothing was truly free for a gold farmer. Wasting an arrow just because I had aim assist was an unacceptable luxury in my dictionary.

  Thwip—! [Critical Hit!]

  [Ding! 'Bow' weapon proficiency has reached a certain level.]

  ['Basic Accuracy' increases by 1%.]

  Shooting without wasting a single arrow. The projectile pierced the boar's vital spot yet again.

  Hunting was no longer a simple chore for me; it was a precise 'harvest' where one shot yielded maximum profit.

  It was right when I had cleared the last boar for Ian's quest and was catching my breath.

  The sky instantly dyed crimson, and a majestic bell tolled across the entire continent.

  [Dong―! Dong―! Dong―!] Tens of thousands of players in the hunting grounds stopped in their tracks all at once to look up at the sky.

  [Global Server Notice: The first Mythic-grade pet in Liberty Online has been born!]

  [Player 'Martial God' has summoned the Mythic-grade pet 'Hell's Cerberus'!]

  "...Wow, holy shit. Someone pulled that already?"

  Ian mumbled from beside me, looking dumbfounded.

  "We're just barely finishing up with boars and getting ready to move to the next zone, but that guy has already wiped out all the goblins and unlocked the Premium Shop. He's a total monster."

  Given the structure of Liberty Online, one had to complete the Goblin subjugation quest to unlock the cash shop.

  Ian's voice felt distant.

  The first Mythic pet. Someone had already seized that miracle, and from that moment on, they were playing a game in a completely different dimension from me.

  However, my eyes were fixed on another line of text quietly resting below the server notice.

  [Remaining Constellation Eggs out of 12: 12/12]

  "Looks like they didn't pull it from the limited Constellation Eggs..."