[A few hours ago, moments after the [Mad Bear's] fall...]

  Savior sighed after he removed his blade from the body of a [Goblin Chief]. After one of his men's shocking defeat in Lunar's hands, he ended up in the beating up [Goblins], [Lizardmen], and [Wild Piranhas] nearby. Most of his guild members looked at their leader in concern, shocked to see him so angry in his life. He wasn't the only one, as Ewa was also on a war path as he crushed every head and limb on the monsters he came across. No one would dare approach them after seeing their bloodshot eyes filled with rage.

  "Uh... I hate to be that guy, Save. But haven't you completed all of our [Quests] an hour ago?" Sien sheepishly asked.

  "Who the f*ck said you have a right to backsass me, Sien?!" Savior screamed, causing his subordinate to back away. "I can't believe that d*mn Lowry... How the h*ll did he manage to beat Ewa like that in front of the crowd?! That was supposed to be our moment! How we punished that b*st*rd for letting us get penalized in that [Dungeon]?! Not only that, he somehow got his hands on some kind of cheat skill. There's no way in h*ll he carried Ewa like a ragged doll after disappearing and changing characters!"

  "About that, sir. That's the thing. His "new" character doesn't seem new to me..." One of the mages pointed out. "You have to spend hours to level most of your [Masteries] above 5. But judging by his skill he showed back then, there was no way he made an alt. You have to spend weeks to get his [Martial Arts] to 14."

  "So what? He just disappeared from my friend's list and reappeared in his hunky new character. That's a pure sign that he cheated and used a different character!"

  "That's the thing. He needs a new account to create a new one, and deleting one would require you to wait a month until you can make a fresh one. I don't think he needs time to change everything about his character, and you said he's too broke to go pay-to-win..."

  "SHUT UP!!! ALL OF YOU!!!"

  Everyone flinched, horrified at Savior's sudden outburst. The mage who spoke out grew silent while the others looked at their leader in fear.

  "Lowry is still Lowry. That win is just pure dumb luck on his end. Besides, he can't reach his MA by 15 on time. The arena event is tomorrow, and he needs to shed his sleeping time to get an extra day. Heck, I dare him he would waste it, only for him to go in there dead tired in real life. I'm not going to be surprised if his [VeilCon] kicks him out immediately when it detects his staggering vitals."

  Savior was not wrong about it. While the [Arena of the Strong] is technically occurring the day after tomorrow in [Isekai] time, that period mostly occurs between 1 AM to 5 AM, and the event itself is supposed to start at around 10 AM in real time. He knew that the chance of him getting his [Mastery] to level up in a short period of time would end up his undoing.

  "You said it, sir! There is no way Lousy Lowry would join in time!"

  "Yeah. It would be a blessing if he gets insomnia."

  "Or maybe if he tries beating a boss that's too high for his low level. I bet he might end up missing out because of his penalty."

  Everyone continued to berate the so-called lousy player as Ewa stopped fighting and stared at his fellow guild members with a frown.

  "Well, that cheers me up a bit. We still got an arena event to prepare, so let's finish up here and..."

  PING!

  Savior gasps when a new window pops up. "Huh? Another [World Notice]? Ugh... We have no time for other players' trivial achievements," he scoffed while turning his eyes away from the window. "All we should do right now is try getting ourselves first place..."

  "B-Boss! You have to read this!" One of the members shouted to Savior. "I-It's one of the lousy players' friends! His name is on the notice!"

  His eyes widened and his jaw dropped when he heard this, and he turned back to see the window.

  "[Mad Bear]?! Defeated by that werewolf otaku and a new guy?!" He screamed in rage. "Impossible! That monster isn't supposed to be killed by low-level newbies!! I'm supposed to be the one who defeats it, not them! Who even is this Lunar guy?!"

  Everyone looked at each other in pure confusion, knowing that he initially warned them not to face that monster until their [TMLs] are about 15-20. Not only that, they vaguely recalled that it was Lowry's new name that was displayed in the last [Duel].

  [Present time]

  After I took a shower (and almost had an allergy scare from a sneeze), I couldn't believe the new forum threads popping in the community right now in my [Browser Room].

  It's only been a few hours, and the new [World Notice] has already gone viral outside the comm and forums. Then again, I understand their shock since a [Mad Bear] and its related [Urgent Quest] were supposed to be impossible to defeat unless you maxed out one of your [Masteries]. By the looks of it, some might try to replicate our success with little chance of succeeding, while a few questioned the legitimacy of our victory. At this rate, I might make a quick guide about achievements so no one is stupid enough to get penalized over fame and fortune in the game.

  That aside, I've taken a big risk putting my name out in [Isekai]. But I have a good reason behind it.

  [A few hours ago...]

  So this must be the hidden title the [World Notice] mentioned. This was actually not bad. Now that I'm a [Lycan], I tend to hunt around the sometimes. This title should help me for a while. As for the other titles I've obtained...

  I got the second one from hunting those [Wild Boars]. I guess that [Mad Bear] counts as a beast, too. I wonder if it's the same with the [Invisible Lions] from before. As for the last one, it's when I endured that jaw attack that was meant for Lyco. If it wasn't for my [Wolf's Fury] activating in time, I would have lost him for the battle, along with his chances of watching the event live. I guess all of my risks of accomplishing this [Urgent Quest] were worth it in the end. Now all that's left is to...

  "DUDE, ARE YOU NUTS?!"

  All of a sudden, I found myself being shaken like a pi?ata by my own partner. I would push him away, but I have a feeling he's too pissed to listen anyway.

  "What part of being incognito don't you get here?! Thanks to you, we're gonna get paparazzi'ed back in town tomorrow!" Lyco shouted. "Why would you post our names out on the server?! Are you even thinking straight?!"

  That's the point. I quickly push him gently before I straighten my clothes. "Of course, I thought carefully about it. If I didn't, I wouldn't post it in the first place."

  "Then why did you do it?!"

  I took a deep breath before I answered his question. "Think about it. When the guardian said they will share our achievements through word of mouth, do you think it's limited to us players? What if the players aren't the only one who gets to learn about our achievements?"

  This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  Lyco flinched and finally calmed down as he let me go. "Are you saying that notice isn't for the Vipers?"

  "Half-correct. It's not only a calling card for them, but also our potential witnesses and targets."

  Lyco then went dead silent at my answer. What I said was true. The moment I saw the guardian's offer, I realized I might have a chance of achieving another goal here.

  "If we want to lure the giver who gave the guild that dreaded [Dungeon Quest], what better way to do so than to make my name in the adventurer field?" I explained further.. "With this, NPC residents would start making rumors about our achievements, and this way, they would reach our targets' ears. Thus, we might get a higher chance of getting an event related to them."

  Despite my maddened joy over this plan, I understand why Lyco was worried. This was a riskier method than the [Mad Bear] fight we're in due to how it may affect our reputations in and the lore consequences that followed. Regardless, I'm willing to accept responsibilities if I want to protect the village.

  "Dude, I thought you got into the fight merely for the EXP and loot. But I didn't think you've gone too far in progressing our [Hidden Quest]," Lyco sighed. "Still, it beats talking to NPCs blindly. I hope you know what you're doing."

  I know. I did have Hiromi watch the event as a backup plan. But I hope these plans were enough to make some progress.

  [Present time]

  And it worked like a charm. Many players were commenting about my achievements, while some questioned them due to my character's [Race]. It's tough defeating a dangerous monster with only two players, and it's even tougher when one of them has a [Race] with a lack of good combat [Racial Skills] and defenses. There might be a chance this topic is still ongoing within the game. If it does, I may be able to attract some important NPCs along the way.

  But that was the "if" and this is the "now". The [Arena of the Strong] will start in a few hours. I should meet up with Lyco to organize our loot from yes-

  BRRRIIIIINNNGGGG!!!

  Damn! That almost gave me a heart attack! I removed my [VeilCon] and checked my ringing phone. To my shock, I see Master's caller ID on the screen. I quickly picked it up before it stopped ringing. "Oh, hey, Master. Good morning! Is there something you need at the cafe right now?"

  "Just that you need to be on duty tonight. It's a rush hour due to an office party nearby, and I need some extra hands along with Harley's," Scott answered. "But more importantly, I heard a certain werewolf managed to defeat a powerful monster while I was offline."

  Crap... Did he log in at the same time that [World Notice] came out, or did he see those trending posts on social media?

  "Uh... I can explain. I was short on time, and I want to try my hand at defeating the [Mad Bear]..."

  "Save your excuses, Lowell. You know how worried my son was when I saw him screaming at the post on his phone. What would happen if you got penalized and ended up being offline for the whole event?"

  So Harley also saw it. I have a feeling he will kick my butt before the shift tonight. "Sorry about that, sir. But I kinda got hasty with my level grinding. If Harley is there, can you apologize on my behalf before he logs in again?"

  "It would be better if you were the one who should apologize in person, Lucas. You're a man, but you also need to be aware of others' feelings. Harley is the type to get too paranoid over our safety in and out of the game."

  I know how that feels. He did chew on me real hard when I ended up pissing David and his goons after the [Dungeon Run] incident. "Alright. There's a chance I might run into him in the game soon. Are you heading inside the game to watch the arena event?"

  "Only on livestream. I have a meeting with some fellow café baristas soon. Be careful out there and don't skimp out on your duties, okay?"

  I chuckle sheepishly, knowing he is now in charge of my paycheck. "I will, sir. See you."

  I ended the call after that. If what the Master said is true, then I have a feeling I will be stuck for half an hour scolding Harley. In the meantime, I should put my [VeilCon] back and lie down to log in immediately. I'm losing my free time, and Brycen is already waiting for me.

  "[Dive In]!"

  I yawned as I got up from the bed. But this time, I'm not waking up in Fenrir's cottage. Instead, I'm in a familiar wooden room with two beds, a wooden desk table and chair, and a mirror next to the door, the usual set-up in a room of a town inn. Originally, I had to go back to the village once we submitted our [Quests] for submission. However, since I was exhausted after yesterday and I had to finish college stuff afterwards, I decided to stay in Lyco's room for an in-game night to rest. Although this is mostly beneficial to me since I need to register for the event before the deadline today, and I can't go in and out of the forest to get here.

  "Morning, dude. You're up early," Lyco said as he approached me. "I was expecting you to do some last-minute finishing touches on your essay."

  This time, it looked like he removed his brown coat and left his gray turtleneck tank top, black pants, and boots on before I woke up, understandable and justified since we're in an inn.

  "I already finished it yesterday. But I had to check on the forums, and let's just say the reception of our successful fight is surprisingly positive," I explained while doing my daily stretches. "There were a few skeptics and rage-baiters, but it's enough to garner an audience."

  "Geez... You don't have to be too confident about it. But we're not only getting attention to the players, right? I wonder if our real targets would also get the message by now."

  I stand up from my bed and open up my inventory. "We just have to wait and see during the event. Since I will be busy participating, you should try joining Hiromi and his sister on the sidelines as backup. It's better than doing nothing but watching me try kicking Vipers' butts."

  "Easy for you to say. But then again, you have a plan for everything, so I won't complain any longer." He lets out a sigh before he collapses on his bed. "For now, let's check out the loot we got from yesterday. We didn't have time to do it since the [Mad Bear's] room almost closed on us."

  Right. We were lucky to grab all of the drops before they disappeared, and we even had a chance to grab the two chests that spawned after the [World Notice] was released. It's a good thing that my [Lycan] abilities came with [Physical Enhancement] or I wouldn't carry them out of the forest immediately. That aside, we quickly check the drops that the bear left us.

  An interesting material. By the looks of it, it should make a great leather armor. But its description seems troubling. It's probably because it came from a hostile and aggressive monster that might be a bit difficult to craft from this hide. Unless I can find someone to remove the rust or whatever's corrupting it, this material is considered junk to most players. Luckily for me, Lyco lets me keep this hide for my own use. For now, I should let them sit in my inventory until I find the right person to purify them.

  We're also lucky with these fangs, too. Most [Wild Bears] tend to give about 4-6 fangs per fight, but the mad one was surprisingly generous with the number of fangs that were dropped. This is a quick decision since Lyco is a ranged fighter, so the fangs go to him.

  Now this one is a bit tough. Despite its name, the claws in question are the size of a longsword. They could be crafted into blades or armor, and they seemed to be useful for my dream equipment. However, Lyco is also interested in crafting a new gun for his build as well, and we spent about 20 minutes discussing how we can distribute it fairly on account of spare materials in case of crafting failures. In the end, we decided to split them evenly, and I ended up with 2 claws instead.

  My mouth is already watering the moment I see this material. But as much as I want to eat it immediately, there's a chance my teeth and fangs will break if I take one bite of it, and neither of us are pro chefs in real life and in-game. So we decided to keep it in our inventories for now.

  Lastly in the drops is a pair of claw gauntlets. I'm surprised I got lucky with this item. The effects are subpar compared to a crafted weapon, but it's a decent substitute to use my [Claw Mastery] in public until I get better ones. Obviously, the gauntlets belong to me without any question.

  "And that's all in the drops. I'm surprised the RNG is generous to us despite our first time defeating a boss without the Vipers," Lyco commented.

  "It's officially called [Blood Monsters] for a good reason. When you lose a battle against them, you get a nasty [Death Penalty], but it will give you a double [EXP] boost for 30 minutes after the debuffs fade as compensation," I recalled. "On the other hand, it's rumored you will get a double drop rate when you defeat the monster in question. I guess that part is true."

  Lyco sighed. "I guess the only thing left is this one."

  We quickly take out the items in question. They are two green and white treasure chests covered in vines and leaves around the lock.

  "What do you think is inside?"

  I hummed in thought. "Mostly materials, I think. It's very rare for NPCs living outside the city to give us rare equipment. Either way, I'll take what they have as long as they aren't useless to our current [Crafting Masteries]."

  "Then how about we open them together for extra suspense?" Lyco suggested.

  "If you say so." I shrugged, and we put our hands over the chest's lid. "On the count of 3..."

  "1..."

  "2..."

  We take a deep breath.

  "THREE!!!"

  With one move, we open the chests together and look at what's inside.

  "No way... I can't believe it!"

  Neither am I. Did that guardian really give us all of these?!