Chapter 6: Max-Level Meddling

Episode 6

“…When did I ever say I like free stuff.”

The muttered complaint slipped out of Gyeongheon before he could stop it. But as if the other guy had been waiting for it, a reply immediately popped up in chat.

[General] Seohyun: I’ll help you.

[General] MachoKing: Uh, excuse me;;

[General] MachoKing: Is this like a hidden camera prank or what?

Was Odin’s Frontier running some Truman Show scam on its players? Unable to suppress his suspicion, Gyeongheon started firing messages back.

[General] MachoKing: Is this being broadcast somewhere

[General] MachoKing: You doing some game-streaming thing?

[General] MachoKing: Give me the link, I’ll at least throw you a donation

[General] MachoKing: So go find someone else to mess with

A game BJ? A streamer?
Approaching a newbie like him probably meant he wanted to drag him around for laughs and then ditch him once he got bored. That was the best guess Gyeongheon could muster. He sneaked a glance at the silent chat window, then inched MachoKing backward.

But then the guy suddenly hopped and landed behind MachoKing. Gyeongheon flinched.

[General] MachoKing: ♥♥

[General] MachoKing: Holy shit

He grimaced at the accidental heart he’d just typed, but Seohyun continued typing as if nothing had happened.

[General] Seohyun: Even if you farm here

[General] Seohyun: You can’t craft anything with the stuff you have

[General] Seohyun: Otherwise you’d have to buy items

[General] Seohyun: And if you had money you wouldn’t be stuck here anyway

Just like earlier, Seohyun effortlessly deduced his situation without asking a single question, rattling off observations at lightning speed. As the chat scrolled upward, Gyeongheon shivered a little.

[General] Seohyun: Macho-nim

[General] Seohyun: Talking won’t fix anything

[General] MachoKing: It’s fine

[General] Seohyun: nonono watch carefully

[General] MachoKing: Ah for f— since earlier

[General] Seohyun: Focus

When he finally managed to grab MachoKing’s attention, Seohyun pulled out a shovel. Unlike Gyeongheon’s cheap one, Seohyun’s had a gold leaf ornament on the handle. Premium shovel, maybe?
Gyeongheon bit back the urge to ask where the hell you buy something like that and watched quietly.

Clang! Clang! A few strikes later, a pale blue shimmer rose beneath Seohyun’s feet.

<You mined Crumbled Iron Ore! Iron Ore +1 added.>

[General] Seohyun: See?

A piece of ore floated between them before disappearing—straight into Seohyun’s inventory.
In the last week, Gyeongheon had farmed around three hundred of those damn things. They were worth three gold each—worthless trash. Even selling the entire pile wasn’t enough to buy a single crafting tool.

Watching Seohyun dig up ore himself, Gyeongheon realized what the guy was trying to say. He’d confirmed, right in front of him, everything the recent exposé post had claimed.

But… why?
Gyeongheon said he was leaving. There was no reason to go this far.

[General] Seohyun: The land is equal to everyone

[General] Seohyun: Even to a max-level player like me

“…Max level?”

In Odin, unless players added each other as friends, there was no way to check someone’s level. Sure, Seohyun’s gear looked expensive. But gear alone didn’t prove max level—some people just bought shiny gear and strutted around.

Besides, level didn’t matter right now. What mattered was getting rid of this headache.

He cracked his knuckles, typing quickly.

[General] MachoKing: Never mind

[General] MachoKing: If I add you as a friend will you leave?

[General] MachoKing: I’ll add you, just stop tearing up my screen

But the moment that line appeared, a notification popped up again—same as earlier.

<Player ‘Seohyun’ has sent you a friend request. Accept? Y/N>

[General] Seohyun: I can only see your storage if we’re friends

[General] MachoKing: I don’t give a damn about storage I’ll friend you just never appear again

[General] Seohyun: nono once we’re friends come strengthen your gear with me

[General] Seohyun: We enhance

[General] Seohyun: Then do daily quests

[General] Seohyun: Then pray at the chapel and call it a day

[General] MachoKing: Fine just goddamn

[General] MachoKing: My ears are bleeding trying to read your wall of text

His fingers hit the keys harder and harder.

[General] MachoKing: STFU so I can accept the friend request

Unlike Gyeongheon—already on the verge of despair—Seohyun stepped closer and tapped MachoKing’s shoulder with a friendly animation.

Then he added another bubble:

[General] Seohyun: You know the difference between Y and N, right?

[General] MachoKing: Hey

[General] Seohyun: Hit Y let’s go

<You are now friends with ‘Seohyun’! Congratulations!>

Congratulations, my ass.

Gyeongheon scowled at the hunter bouncing happily in front of him. Watching the guy hop around reminded him of a big, harmless farm dog. A dog so huge he worried the mine might collapse if the thing jumped too hard.

[General] Seohyun: Macho-nim

Having achieved his goal, Seohyun grew even more cheerful. Gyeongheon reluctantly replied with a half-hearted “ㅇㅇㅇ,” then stepped MachoKing backward again.

Seohyun put away his shovel, then spoke.

[General] Seohyun: C’mon let’s take a commemorative screenshot

[General] MachoKing: Oh for f—

Gyeongheon hammered the keyboard.

[General] MachoKing: Why would two guys take a picture together

He didn’t even bother with spaces in his panic. The reply was worse.

[General] Seohyun: Then I’ll just call you oppa

[General] Seohyun: Don’t look like a womanizer though

[General] Seohyun: Oppa~ look here

[General] MachoKing: Are you out of your damn mind, Seohyun?

[General] Seohyun: Come on stand here for our friend pic

“This nutcase…”

Disgusted, Gyeongheon pulled MachoKing far away—but Seohyun instantly closed the distance again.
Then he used a “Friendly Pose” available only among friends: an arm slung over the shoulder.

A thick arm wrapped around MachoKing’s tiny shoulders. As Seohyun took the screenshot, Gyeongheon’s eyebrows lowered further, wrinkling into a deep scowl. Finally he snapped.

[General] MachoKing: Stop taking pictures

[General] Seohyun: ?? It came out good though?

[General] MachoKing: You got your friend now get lost

Was this idiot’s “help” supposed to be stuff like how to take friend photos?
While Gyeongheon dissected Seohyun’s suspiciously overfriendly behavior, another line appeared.

[General] Seohyun: Elves were always this short?

No one in his life had ever called him short. Gyeongheon shot back immediately.

[General] MachoKing: Are you blind

[General] MachoKing: What part of this is short

MachoKing, despite his macho name, was a delicate-looking elf with black hair and hazel eyes—pretty typical for the race. Good mobility, solid bow skills, and universally attractive appearance.

But then Gyeongheon realized MachoKing barely reached Seohyun’s chest.

“…Okay he is small.”

His expression darkened.
Someday, if he was reborn in-game, he’d make a towering warrior with abs like armor plates—something worthy of the name MachoKing. He didn’t know respawning as another race wasn’t even possible.

While he was fantasizing about MachoKing’s impossible next life, red-colored messages began flooding the chat.

[Whisper] Seohyun: Red letters look better than yellow, right?

[Whisper] Seohyun: God I thought my eyes would fall out reading your general chat

In general chat, text appeared yellow; whispers were red. And Seohyun insisted red suited them better—like it symbolized their first meeting, of all things.
Gyeongheon grimaced.

He finally snapped:

[General] MachoKing: Hey

[Whisper] Seohyun: ??

Gyeongheon preferred things simple.
Maybe because he was a detective—outside investigations, he couldn’t stand complicated nonsense. The chat color didn’t matter. What mattered was how to shake off this weird bastard—or, failing that, figuring out what actual help he could provide.

He switched to whisper and pressed the matter.

[Whisper] MachoKing: You said you’d help wtf

[Whisper] MachoKing: Said you’d help if I friended you

[Whisper] MachoKing: I’m broke I have nothing left

But Seohyun answered in an even more cheerful tone.

[Whisper] Seohyun: This ain’t Blue Marble lol what do you mean broke

“Blue Marble, my ass…”
Irritation dripped from his voice as he typed again.

[Whisper] MachoKing: Whatever

[Whisper] MachoKing: I’m gonna go enhance

[Whisper] Seohyun: How many levels?

[Whisper] MachoKing: +8

[Whisper] Seohyun: You got materials and ore ready?

He thought of the rare Tier 3 ore in storage and the crafting tools he’d bought with the last of his cash. Then typed:

[Whisper] MachoKing: yeah

[Whisper] Seohyun: ok ok let’s go together

While Seohyun paused—probably opening a teleport—Gyeongheon opened his map. A large map filled the screen; at the center was a cross marker. His designated safe zone to avoid PvP.

Just as his cursor hovered over it—

[Whisper] Seohyun: Where you going?

Gyeongheon’s shoulders jerked in surprise.

“…Does this bastard have eyes on my fingers?”

Creepy or not, he clicked the cross anyway.
And just like that, MachoKing vanished from the mine.