Jaeho’s suspicion became reality.
All the recent requests for work that had suddenly increased were actually from Pro Gaming Team members.
At the same time, a question arose.
Why were they so obsessed with him?
“Well, that’s because… everyone is under the impression that Lady Alicia is a ranker…”
“That’s right. Even I can’t believe Lady Alicia’s level isn’t much different from mine,” Mei agreed with Samantha.
“Still, this is going too far. It’s basically interference with business.”
“So Lady Alicia has no interest in the tournament at all?”
“It’s not that I have none at all.”
But no matter how much he thought about it, Jaeho couldn’t imagine himself being truly competitive there.
In a fight among monsters with a base level of 300 or more, would he do anything but get beaten up?
Of course, that was just Jaeho’s own thought, and the Pro Gaming Team members thought differently.
In any case, the League runs with everyone adjusted to the same fixed level.
In other words, Jaeho would receive base stats several times higher than he has now.
Not to mention his natural physical talent.
The Pro Gaming Team members decided that alone gave him powerful competitiveness.
But just knowing that hardly changed Jaeho’s mind.
The reason his previously positive thoughts about the Pro Gaming Team vanished after hearing about them from Wooram—
To Jaeho, his flower shop was still the number one priority.
“My father is already grabbing the back of his neck because of the flower shop.”
If he said he’d chased away Pro Gaming Team members for the sake of the flower shop, his father would grab not his neck but his tongue.
“Sigh. I really wish the flower shop would start making some real money soon.”
That way, he wouldn’t have to worry about things like this.
“Um… but haven’t you already earned quite a lot?”
Mei tilted her head and asked.
“I do earn money, but…”
Once you subtracted the trading fees, the small materials purchases, the maintenance fees for the Flower Garden, there wasn’t much left.
The gold bars he got from Angler were basically only being used for city upkeep.
Even all the money he made was actually coming from selling potions.
“I want to earn money with flowers…”
Though the expressions of the two women watching Jaeho were different, their thoughts were the same.
“So what exactly do you want us to do…?”
***
The many Pro Gaming Team members who had come to find Jaeho didn’t think to give up just because he turned them down.
They struggled day and night just to show their faces.
But they quickly realized that meeting Jaeho in Elysia was an extremely difficult task.
The Flower Garden in the city center, where Jaeho stayed, was off limits to anyone without permission.
So now, they even stationed staff permanently in Elysia.
Just so they wouldn’t miss even the smallest opportunity.
But they still didn’t know much about Elysia.
Except for a very few humans, even just staying in Elysia was difficult.
— Uh, Team Leader? The Elves are dragging us into Luxi Forest?
— What the! You fool! Are you really letting yourself get dragged off? Hold on! Stick around and at least try to get friendly with Alicia!
Absolutely impossible.
Anyone who spent even a short time in Elysia would know that.
Sure, Alicia was the highest authority here, but an even scarier presence was the Elves themselves.
The Elves’ hatred of humans was so pure and unfiltered, it was almost shocking.
Just enduring that was hard enough, but to try to stay close to Jaeho while fleeing from the Elves’ forced labor and exploitation?
Impossible.
And so, the Pro Gaming Team managers found themselves working at construction sites and lumberyards and the like.
There was no such thing as human rights in those places.
Infinite labor continued until forced game logout…
“So this is what they call… the reality of the Federation of Labor…”
For the first time, the managers felt the emotion, ‘it’s disgustingly hard,’ inside the game.
But not long after they started working, a question arose.
“This is such exhausting manual labor… Why aren’t those guys getting tired?”
They were referring to the veteran laborers of Luxi Forest.
Those people never showed fatigue, no matter how endless the work.
All the managers were over level 150, but these laborers handled the workload with ease, even though they should’ve tired quickly.
“Their levels should be low…”
Most people who didn’t start in Luxi Forest never even made it here.
“Um… How are you able to work tirelessly like that?”
One of the managers, unable to hold back, asked.
“Ah, this? You just get used to it after a while.”
“Huh?”
“Your strength and stamina go up like crazy, you know.”
“Eh?”
In that moment, the Pro Gaming Team managers realized.
This repetitive labor was actually stat-grinding in disguise!
“Actually, I’m this kind of person.”
A manager awkwardly handed over his business card, introducing himself.
“Excuse me, but could you tell us your level and stats?”
He knew it was rude… but he really wanted to know.
Maybe there was a hidden pearl in this muddy swamp…!
“Hee, heeek!”
“?!!!!”
The managers stepped back in shock as the Federation of Labor slaves suddenly convulsed.
They expected annoyance, but not such an extreme reaction…!
“If you don’t want to say, you don’t have to…”
But it was a misunderstanding.
These laborers, repeating the same work every day, were utterly uninterested in attention.
At most, they were used to the Elves’ scornful remarks like, ‘Pathetic fools! That’s all you can do with an axe?!’
But for these people, the managers’ interest was practically a lethal dose.
“H-here…!!!”
“Move! Over here! Please, look at my stats!!!”
“?!!!!”
Their parade of personal stat reveals was so explosive, it was frighteningly mad.
“What is wrong with this place?!”
Despite trembling in fear, the managers checked the stats.
“Their levels are all under 30… but there are tons of people with over 100 strength?!”
Just how hard had they been worked…
“No, wait! This is really a gold mine!”
Of course the Pro Gaming Team wanted completed Players they could use right away.
But if they looked at the League long-term, it was a different story.
If people who already had huge bonus stats continued to grow normally…
“They could definitely turn into monsters…”
At the same time, they began to understand why Jaeho’s strength was out of proportion to his level.
He’d gone through this very process, becoming a stat mutant!
As always, it was all a misunderstanding.
***
— These days, I hear Pro Gaming Team members are gathering at Elysia Garden?
ㄴ Everyone’s desperate to recruit Alicia, I guess. Can’t blame them.
— But I heard Alicia’s level is just 100.
ㄴ No way. You’re telling me Taylor got beaten up like a dog by a level 100? Come on, be realistic.
— But compared to how badly Taylor got beat, he didn’t die that much. Maybe it’s true.
ㄴ – No matter how good your physical ability is, if your level, stats, and skills suck, it’s over.
— Hey, my friend’s brother’s friend is in the Federation of Labor. And apparently even there, Pro Gaming Team managers are showing up and trying to recruit people.
ㄴ That’s bull. Everyone there is a noob, why would a Pro Gaming Team care?
ㄴ How would I know?
ㄴ – But seriously, there are a lot of Pro Gaming Team types showing up.
ㄴ – Must be a scam.
The rumors spread quickly, and with so many Pro Gaming Team people gathering, there was more labor available.
And soon after, at last, there wasn’t a single Homeless Elf left.
Only then did Giant finally step up in earnest.
His mission was to bring harmony to the jumbled buildings the Elves had thrown together!
Giant learned a lot by incorporating the Elves’ architecture, but there was one thing he couldn’t give up.
“No matter how complicated, there must be order!”
Right now, Elysia Garden was a total mess.
But as a brilliant architect, Giant found and established rules that others didn’t see.
“However! You must not suppress! That goes against the Elves’ free spirit!”
And for this plan, there was one person he absolutely needed.
“Hmm? You need my help?”
Jaeho tilted his head at Giant, who had come looking for him.
“Yes. This isn’t just brick-laying work.”
“Well, it’s not like it’s that difficult.”
That’s what he said, but inwardly he was dissatisfied.
“What is this guy actually doing?”
All the gold bars Jaeho got from catching God of Gambling Angler had been registered as operating funds for Elysia Garden, and Giant was using them for the project.
Jaeho had told him to use as much as he needed, but…
“What is he spending all that money on?”
Other than the houses the Elves built or the gardens, there was nothing outwardly changed.
It had been months, but it didn’t seem like Giant had done anything noteworthy.
And yet, the money kept flowing out, so it was only natural for Jaeho to wonder.
But Giant’s expression was full of confidence.
“Fufu. Elysia Garden will become a place like nowhere else, perfectly fitting the city’s name.”
“Uh, really?”
“Come, let’s go!”
For now, Jaeho followed Giant.
As they walked, Giant explained his plan.
“Actually, the city is almost finished now.”
“This is?”
Jaeho’s honest confusion.
“Haha, I suppose it’s confusing. The truth is, up to now, I haven’t really done anything.”
Giant stated the facts plainly.
Jaeho didn’t deny it.
“Haha! I understand! But I, too, have been secretly preparing to add a grand finishing touch.”
Chuk—
The place Giant stopped was none other than the Shinmok.
“Why here…?”
“Soon, this is where the miracle will begin.”
Jaeho tilted his head.
“For details, you should ask the Shinmok here rather than me.”
“?!!!”
Jaeho turned to him in surprise.
Anyone in Elysia who mattered knew about the Shinmok.
But, as far as he knew, no human other than himself could speak with it…
Standing nervously in front of the Shinmok, Jaeho waited.
[So you’ve come?]
“What’s all that about?”
[Huhu, you are a human that truly pleases me.]
“Huh?”
[You bring me special meals morning, noon, and night, and pray for me. I am truly touched.]
“Eh? Don’t tell me…”
Only then did Jaeho realize.
Where all the missing money had been going!
“So you dumped all the money here?!”
Jaeho’s head snapped toward Giant as if it would break.
“Haha!”
Giant misunderstood Jaeho’s resentful gaze, straightened his shoulders, and smiled proudly.
“I got advice from the Elves. If you pray earnestly, your wishes will come true. So I prayed every day, sincerely, for Lady Alicia’s goal.”
[Even though you couldn’t hear my voice, you fervently asked me. You wanted to fill this area with flowers.]
At that, Jaeho turned again to the Shinmok.
“Fill it… with flowers…?”
[You wanted to surprise him, so you prepared thoroughly. Thanks to that child’s effort, I, too, have recovered quite a bit of strength—it’s not bad.]
Then, a new notification appeared before Jaeho.
[The Blessing of the Divine Tree seeps into you.]
[You have acquired the <Protection of The Divine Tree> skill ]
[ <Protection of The Divine Tree> lv.1]
[The power of the Divine Tree blesses you: for 10 seconds, the efficiency of all class skills increases by 1000%.]
“Wha?!!!”
… It was such a strong skill, he gasped aloud.
Boosting all class skill efficiency by a factor of 10—honestly, it was practically a cheat code.
[That should be more than enough.]
She said it was enough, but in fact, Jaeho still didn’t know what Giant’s plan was.
“Mr. Giant…”
Jaeho looked at him with a completely different expression (though Giant didn’t seem to notice at all).
“What?”
“Haha, anyway, it was all done with Lady Alicia’s money. And I’ll need your help for my greatest masterpiece.”
Giant led Jaeho to the Oasis Region.
“I’ve already marked the entire Elysia Garden. Following those marks, we’ll build a natural wall of climbing vines.”
“A wall?”
“Yes. By using that, I plan to resolve the disorder that has crept into the city. And…”
Giant took out something like a willow stick from his inventory.
“The material for the natural wall is this !”
Jaeho was at a loss for words at Giant’s remark.
“Surprised, aren’t you? It was really hard to get this.”
Giant spoke with pride, but Jaeho’s situation was entirely different.
“…Milky Way?”
He had never even heard of such a plant.