God-Tier Enhancement: My Upgrades Never Fail-Chapter 197: Episode _You Can Come Whenever You Want, But You Can Only Leave When I Say So (5)

Chapter 197: Episode 197_You Can Come Whenever You Want, But You Can Only Leave When I Say So (5)

9.

A black magic mage craze swept the continent. It wasn’t easy to become one, but the mere possibility of a different playstyle was enough for players to risk their lives. A black magic mage! The protagonist of the continent’s downfall! What a compelling class. In Fantastic World, you could do things that were absolutely impossible in reality—a world where even holding a stranger’s hand could get you arrested for sexual assault. And you could do it legally. It was your job, after all.

There was also a thrill to it. You couldn’t be seen. You had to act without arousing suspicion, and you had to kill players or NPCs without getting caught. The reward for all that effort was experience, levels, skills, and magic. Even those with no interest in black magic agreed that it sounded far more exciting than just grinding monsters in a hunting ground all day. The phenomenon even led to people who had never played games before buying VR capsules.

[I’m a total black magic mage stan, and they’re finally here. Buying a capsule now.]

[Looking for people to party with after changing to the black magic mage class.]

[Will pay for info on black magic mage locations to change my class. OK to DM.]

It was a completely pointless fantasy, a romanticized notion. But it was inevitable. Reality is too kind to justice. The good guy gets everything, and the villain, no matter what they have, is ultimately defeated, their life ended or their existence erased from history. Poetic justice. It wasn’t a bad concept, but there were people who didn’t want that, not even in their imagination.

Thanks to this, the number of new players in Fantastic World surged. Even players with moderately developed characters were abandoning their original classes and clamoring to become black magic mages. Of course, it was no easy task. The black magic mages didn’t just accept anyone.

“Please, take me as your disciple!”

“Trash is not qualified.” 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Such rejections were commonplace. Most players were killed before they could even get a word in. Perhaps that was what made it even more popular.

[Wow, the black magic mage class is insane. You get curses and plagues right after changing. It’s not exactly a good thing, but considering I had to mop floors in the Magic Tower just to become a mage, this is beyond generous. F*ck those Magic Tower bastards. I’m going back for revenge.]

[LOL, the requirement for advancing a circle is how many people you’ve killed. The concept is seriously amazing.]

High difficulty, with rewards to match. It was exactly what players wanted. Even those who hadn’t given black magic mages a second thought were now taking a look. A new trend had emerged in Fantastic World, one that perfectly matched the current mood.

*

As the trend grew, the Emperor’s head felt like it was about to split open.

“Your Majesty, the number of adventurers converting to black magic is increasing exponentially.”

“Hmph.”

The black magic mages were selective, but they occasionally accepted a few riffraff to create distractions. Naturally, these new player black magic mages, unafraid of death and dreaming of a rosy future, were being captured left and right by NPCs who were desperately hunting down anyone associated with black magic. But this was not good news.

“It’s actually hindering our efforts to capture the real black magic mages.”

“Cunning bastards.”

It was already difficult enough to root out the genuine black magic mages. Now, they had to deal with these decoys muddying the waters. Yet, they couldn’t simply ignore the adventurers who had become black magic mages.

“If we don’t capture them, we can’t rule out the possibility of real black magic mages disguising themselves as adventurers to carry out their plans. It’s a difficult situation.”

In a fight between the haves and the have-nots, the former is always at a disadvantage. Losing even one thing is a net loss. Of course, the have-nots don’t have it easy either, and the Emperor knew this all too well.

“Do not panic. Continue the search as planned. Whether they are adventurers or original black magic mages, they are all black magic mages in the end. Eradicate them on sight. Increase the bounty and strengthen the punishment for practicing black magic. As for the adventurers, we will give them a punishment they fear more than death.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The wealthy do not die from their losses. It may sting, but compared to losing one’s life, it’s a trifle. The poor, however, have nothing to lose but their lives. In the end, as long as he remained composed, the psychological pressure would be greater on the other side. It was a headache, but the Emperor was the man who had unified the continent. He would weather this crisis without faltering.

And so, a heavier hammer began to fall on the unsuspecting new black magic mage players.

*

In Fantastic World, Player Killing (PK) is not illegal. PK within a castle is another story, but disputes and battles between adventurers are all permitted. In a world where even NPCs duel to the death over matters of pride, it was only natural. However, players generally avoided PKing without a good reason. It was a sort of culture that had carried over from previous games. Or perhaps it was a desire to maintain a good image in a realistic game. Or maybe it was a tacit agreement to refrain from hindering each other’s growth in the early stages of the game.

Whatever the reason, PK was frowned upon. The rare player who engaged in indiscriminate PKing would be exposed on the community forums and hunted down. PK required a justifiable reason.

This ironclad rule was shattered with the arrival of the black magic mages.

It started small, with something trivial. A player had just changed his class to black magic mage and was hunting in a party with similarly leveled players he’d found through the community.

Stab.

The black magic mage, who had been contributing little more than casting curses on monsters to stay alive, felt a sword plunge into his back. He turned in confusion to see his own party members.

“Sorry, but you get a pretty good reward for killing a black magic mage. The EXP is great, too.”

“What are you... This is an unprovoked PK!”

“What do you mean, unprovoked? You’re a black magic mage.”

A PK committed for the sole reason of being a black magic mage! The player, who had become one simply because it looked fun, pleaded his case in outrage, but his party members were already laughing amongst themselves, celebrating their reward.

That was the beginning. A single post on the forums. A few comments in agreement. A few more in opposition. As always, the fight started with a small argument. Right. Wrong. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. But a clash of firm beliefs inevitably leads to a fight.

—So what? What’s wrong with being a black magic mage? It’s a new class in the game. This is ridiculous. Aren’t you established players just creating a barrier to entry?

—According to the story, black magic mages are the enemy. What are you talking about? Are we supposed to help the black magic mages conquer the continent and then just let ourselves be ruined? Who does that benefit?

—Dude, you’re taking this game way too seriously.

—Yeah, well, if I see one, I’m killing them on sight. :)

Within a day, a war had begun. In truth, it wasn’t much of a war. It just became the new normal. The old rule—that players shouldn’t hinder each other’s growth through indiscriminate PKing—still existed. It just no longer applied to everyone. A player was a player, but a black magic mage was not. The same went for the black magic mages themselves. Naturally, high-level players who had converted to the class began to form guilds and factions. Some even started raiding small territories and using them as their bases.

*

10.

The players were doing an excellent job of creating a distraction. Thanks to them, the original black magic mages could operate more freely. The fact that they would be killed on sight hadn’t changed, but there was a world of difference between walking through an open desert and navigating through a cactus grove. The cover not only made them harder to spot but also put their own minds at ease.

Taking advantage of the situation, they began to plan something bigger.

“I’ve heard that high-ranking nobles from across the continent have been frequenting a place called the Rich Territory lately.”

“We will strike there.”

They shifted their strategy from targeting small villages. Their hearts pounded with a mix of fear and excitement, but it was something that had to be done. The number of demonic energy-imbued gates was increasing, but at this rate, it wouldn’t be enough. To hasten the advent of the demons, they needed to inspire not anger, but terror and horror in the humans. And for that, they needed a massacre.

“Moving as a large group is too risky. We will infiltrate in several waves over time and then begin the operation.”

The emboldened black magic mages split into groups of three and began to seep into the Rich Territory. There were only nine of them in total, but considering the other active groups, their numbers were practically an army. They had judged that the chaos resulting from the destruction of the Rich Territory would be immense.

Naturally, they were cautious. The first group of three entered and began to wander around, pretending to be ordinary people. Of course, they weren’t actually sightseeing. The plan was to feign interest for a while before finding a place to stay and figuring out how to rendezvous. But as they wandered aimlessly, shadowy figures latched onto them.

“Well now, young man. I haven’t seen your face around here before,” a woman said.

“Pardon?” the black magic mage replied, startled.

The woman continued, unfazed. “Is this your first time here?”

“Ah, yes. Yes, it is.”

“I thought so. This place is a little different from other castles, isn’t it?”

“Yes, it is.”

“Of course, of course. That’s the charm of this territory. And that’s why there are people like me here.”

“...Excuse me?”

“Yes. I’m the one who kindly guides young men like you when they arrive... so they don’t get taken for a ride.”

“Oh, no, I’m fine.”

“What do you mean, you’re fine? Young men who come here alone are so grateful for guides like me. No need to be shy. I’ll show you the world of adventurers by day, and an even more amazing world by night. Hohoho.”

The black magic mage was at a loss for words.

“The ladies here are top-notch, too. What do you say?”

Before the black magic mage could even respond, he was bombarded with words. By the time he came to his senses, his arm was linked with hers, and he was being dragged from place to place. No matter how much he refused, she wouldn’t let go.

“How about it? This is your lodging for tonight. It’s a theme hotel, very highly rated. Fifty gold a night.”

The black magic mage was dumbfounded.

“For dinner, we have a menu you can only find in the world of adventurers. It’s a bit pricey, but it’s an experience you won’t find anywhere else. If you want, I can even arrange for a woman to accompany you, like you’re on a date. I’ll make myself scarce, of course.”

He was too stunned to speak.

“Oh! And if you want to explore the real charms of the Rich Territory after dinner, just say the word. I’ll guide you to the best places for a reasonable price. It might be a little much for a young man like you, but I promise it’ll be worth the money.”

He remained silent.

“And don’t forget my guide fee for today, alright? It’s three gold.”

It was the same for the other two black magic mages.

*