Ryan woke early, dragging himself out of a tangle of half-forgotten dreams.
With a huge yawn, he stretched until his shoulders popped, then shuffled into the living room in his slippers.
Mia was still asleep. She and a few other guild mages had been grinding at Cragshore until nearly dawn, chasing levels and loot after getting their new staves last night. No surprise she hadn’t woken yet.
Molly was up, but she looked like she’d only just rolled out of bed, which told Ryan she’d been gaming late too.
A small pot bubbled quietly on the stove, filling the air with the faint, sweet sll of porridge. Ryan peeked inside, decided it was still too early for breakfast, and made up his mind to go out for so exercise. He’d been glued to the ga for days, and his body felt like it was starting to rust.
He jogged for about ten minutes through the quiet morning streets, breathing in the cool air, when sothing unusual happened. A young woman he didn’t recognize stepped into his path and handed him a letter. In an age where everything was handled digitally, a physical envelope felt almost surreal.
She didn’t say a word. The mont he took it, she turned on her heel and disappeared down the street. Ryan had the distinct impression she’d been waiting near his building for him to co out.
When he got ho, Molly was sitting cross-legged on the couch with a book in her hands, too absorbed to look up. Ryan walked straight past her to his bedroom, shut the door behind him, and tore open the envelope.
Inside was a single sheet of paper. At the top, printed in bold black letters, were the words:
Glorious Achievent Tier Breakdown
Ryan frowned slightly and began to read.
’The lowest tier of Glorious Achievents can be repeated, but require a significant investnt of in-ga ti. Rewards typically include one or a few attribute points, so reputation, and gold.
Players earning this Glorious Achievent will trigger a system-wide broadcast only for the first completion. Subsequent completions will be visible only to the player and their guild. This tier generally serves as an encouragent award, recognizing persistent, long-term engagent in specific activities.’
Ryan nodded to himself. That tracked with what he knew. In his previous life, the only Glorious Achievent he’d earned at that tier was Pet Hoarder, which had given him a handful of attribute points but no Auxiliary Talent Points.
The next section read:
’Higher-tier Glorious Achievents are unique, awarded only to the first player to complete them. They typically grant one or a small number of attribute points, one Auxiliary Talent Point, and so health and mana bonuses.’
Ryan understood exactly what that ant. These were the "firsts" — first to open a dungeon, first to clear it, or eventually, the first to hit the level cap.
The letter continued:
’Even higher-tier Glorious Achievents are exceptionally difficult to complete and also awarded only to the first player. These achievents grant two Auxiliary Talent Points, additional attribute points, and substantial health and mana bonuses. Players who complete such an achievent will also receive a 3,000,000 credit reward from the Federal Governnt.’
That part brought back a vivid mory. He’d earned one of those with Evelyn’s team after clearing the Abandoned Mine, and sure enough, a tidy sum had been deposited into his account by the governnt afterward.
It was the last part of the letter that made his pulse jump. The font changed — the formal black type was replaced with a jagged, hurried scrawl in crimson ink, as if to make sure the reader knew this was sothing else entirely.
’The highest tier of Glorious Achievents are considered impossible tasks. Completion of such a task will grant this tier of achievent. Only those with an unparalleled combination of luck, skill, and opportunity have even a one-in-ten-thousand chance of success. The reward will include three Auxiliary Talent Points, additional attribute points, massive health and mana bonuses, and other potential rewards.
Upon completion of this tier of Glorious Achievent, the Federal Governnt will provide an additional 6,000,000 credit reward.
Please dispose of this letter after reading. Burning is recomnded.
Federal Intelligence Agency: Kingdom Forge Special Division’
Ryan let out a long breath. He’d always known this ga wasn’t as simple as it looked, but to be handed a letter from the Kingdom Forge Special Division? That was a whole new level. Now he wasn’t just playing a ga—he was brushing shoulders with the highest rungs of the Federal Governnt.
He dug around in a drawer until he found a pair of tweezers, then carried the letter and envelope into the kitchen. Molly, halfway through a bite of porridge, stared at him as he struck a match.
Without a word, Ryan touched the fla to the paper. The edges curled and blackened, the red ink twisting away into smoke.
When it was nearly gone, he moved to the bathroom, holding the last burning scraps over the sink. A gentle flick of the tweezers sent the ashes scattering down the drain.
"Well," he thought with a faint, self-mocking smile, "at least now I’ve got the Federal Governnt watching my back. Guess that cos with a few perks."
Still, the letter had rattled him. He’d already suspected he was on their radar, but it was clear now that Godslayer—the Glorious Achievent he’d earned recently—was what had truly set things in motion. And it wasn’t just one impossible task, he’d completed three.
The thought made him wince and grin at the sa ti. No wonder the governnt was in a frenzy. The top brass who’d once been content to let him roam free probably now saw him as an asset worth guarding. Maybe even a banner-bearer for humanity’s so-called rapid evolution.
That was a lot of weight to carry. But then his mind jumped to the rewards. If each impossible-tier Glorious Achievent ca with 6 million credits... that was 18 million in total. He could feel the distance to his financial goals shrinking fast.
Ryan all but inhaled the rest of his porridge before hurrying back to his bedroom. Sliding his bank card into the virtual setup, he brought up his account balance. Sure enough—the transfer had already gone through.
A satisfied chuckle escaped him as he slipped on his headset. Being monitored, being protected... at this point, it was out of his hands.
If you couldn’t fight it, you might as well enjoy it.
Besides, protection wasn’t a bad deal. When his parents ca back and restarted their business, there was a good chance they’d get so high-level assistance along the way.
The familiar login sequence flashed before his eyes, and he appeared in-ga. Only a handful of guild mbers were online—most had logged out to rest after draining their stamina last night.
"Guild Leader, did you see the forums?" Smoking Gun called out from Stormhold Fortress, where he was busy leveling his professional skills. His voice crackled with excitent. "Explosive news just dropped."
Ryan leaned against a stone wall, still adjusting from the switch between realities. "Explosive news? I’ve had my share of shocks already today. What now?"
"A brand-new Glorious Achievent just got unlocked! Ironblood Covenant’s guild leader earned it—the sa guy who’s been hunting you non-stop!"
That stopped Ryan cold. As far as he knew, there weren’t any Glorious Achievents up for grabs right now.
So what in the world had Ironblood Blade managed to accomplish?
Could it be... maxing out a professional skill?
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