The Player Who Can't Level Up

“Are you hard of hearing? Didn’t I say I’m not selling you squat? Get out!” the old man screamed. Gi-Gyu didn’t reply and just stood there, unmoving.

“Are these all Egos?” whispered Gi-Gyu. 

-How did a human do this?!

-Master, thankfully, none of the Egos here hold consciousness.

The old man’s shabby workshop was barely 35 square feet, but it looked like a gold-filled treasure chest to Gi-Gyu. The boy asked anxiously, “Hyung, hyung! What’s wrong? You don’t like Grandpa's items either?”

“N-no, that’s not it. Sir, may I please have a look at them?” Gi-Gyu asked respectfully. 

“What? Tsk. Min-Su, where did you find this strange man?!” the old man said in annoyance, but his eyes never left Gi-Gyu. To Gi-Gyu’s relief, the old man took the boy and stood against the wall as he replied, “Well, I doubt you’ll understand the true value of any of my items, but have a look anyway. Don’t you dare complain that there aren’t any status screens for them!”

“T-thank you, Sir,” Gi-Gyu answered gratefully. As if possessed, he began examining the items in the room, and the old man continued to monitor him. The blacksmith seemed interested in Gi-Gyu, perhaps because his grandson brought Gi-Gyu here. Or maybe it was because the old man suspected something. 

Gi-Gyu exclaimed in his mind, ‘Oh my god! I’ve never seen items with these kinds of abilities in my life.’

-I can’t believe these Egos without consciousness hold such great powers.

-That old man must be a great craftsman. 

The iron sword Gi-Gyu picked up looked clunky; in his eyes, it shone the brightest among all the items in the room. As soon as Gi-Gyu touched it, the sword’s status screen, invisible to all the previous customers, appeared in front of his eyes. 

[Unnamed sword]

[Level 79]

[Power: 187]

[Speed: 60] 

[Stamina: 210]

[Magic: 3]

[This blade will become sharper with each monster it slays.]

[Power and stamina will also increase with each monster it slays.]

[Sealed]

[Sealed]

[Sealed]

[Ego without a master. This Ego has lost its consciousness, so it only holds its power now and nothing else.]

“To you, this might just look like a blunt iron sword, but it’s the best item I’ve ever made in my life,” the old man claimed proudly. Gi-Gyu caressed the sword without a word. This blunt iron sword was Level 79 and had the abilities of a ranker. 

Gi-Gyu stammered, “H-ho-how much is it?”

“What?” 

“How much do I need to pay to buy this sword?” Gi-Gyu asked again. The old man grinned at his question and replied, “It’s not for sale. I’m not stupid enough to sell my best work to someone who can’t even use it. Stop this nonsense and put it down.”

“If I can use it, w-will you sell it to me?” Gi-Gyu stammered again, too mesmerized by the sword’s might. 

“What?” the old man asked, baffled. “What nonsense are you spewin—”

“This is a Level 79 unnamed sword. Its stats are…” Gi-Gyu began to read out the sword’s status screen.

“Y-you… You can see the sword’s stats?” 

“Yes, I can. Can you see them too, Sir?”

“Haha…” the old man gave Gi-Gyu an empty laugh, but his eyes were filled with euphoria. Gi-Gyu remained quiet and waited for the elder to speak. The old man ordered, “Give me a minute, Min-Su. Go see your father for a while.”

“See Dad…?”

“That’s right. Grandpa has to talk with the customer you brought,” the old man explained patiently. 

“Grandpa! So I did well today? Did I bring the right customer this time?” Min-Su asked excitedly.

“Yes, you did very well. Now, change back to your clothes before you go. Stop wearing the things Grandpa made, will you? Your dad’s going to lose it.”

“But this smells so nice, Grandpa…” Min-Su grumbled and walked up to a corner where a perfectly fine set of pants and shirt lay. This situation would pique anyone’s curiosity, but Gi-Gyu couldn’t care less because of the incredible objects around him. There weren’t many items in the workshop, but just like the unnamed sword, the rest were also Egos. 

[Unnamed armor] 

[Level 35]

[Unnamed boots] 

[Level 64]

[Unnamed hood] 

[Level 23]

They were all labeled unnamed because they weren't given any names yet. When Gi-Gyu was busy admiring the items, the old man offered, “Let’s talk now.” 

Min-Su, the old man’s grandson, had finally left the store. The old man’s eyes sparkled as they began their conversation.

***

“I guess I was right. Your rings were glowing so brightly that I suspected something, but… There are plenty of other players with glowing items, so I wasn’t completely certain." The old man only began an earnest conversation after Gi-Gyu briefly told him about his Egos. Gi-Gyu had no other choice because the old man refused to sell him anything before learning the truth. 

Gi-Gyu asked, “Did you make everything in this workshop?”

“I did.”

-What?!

-How can he create Egos? 

The old man’s answer drew comical astonishment from Lou and El. Gi-Gyu asked, “How do you make them?”

“What a shameless question! Are you really asking a blacksmith to reveal his secret?” 

“I’m sorry, but didn’t I also share my secret?” Gi-Gyu insisted, but the old man refused again, “Whine all you want; the answer is still no.”

Gi-Gyu asked another question, “Fine. Will you sell them now that you know I can use them?”

“I will, but only if you can prove to me that you can truly use them,” the old man promised, making Gi-Gyu glow with excitement. 

Why was this shabby workshop filled with Egos? Who was this old man? How did he come to make these Egos? What was the true identity of these Egos? 

He had many questions, but his current priority was to obtain the items. For something so precious, Gi-Gyu was willing to pay any price. Fortunately, the old man’s place and clothes looked nice enough to tell Gi-Gyu that he wasn’t in for the money. 

Actually, everything was going suspiciously well. 

Gi-Gyu offered, “Okay, I’ll prove that with this unnamed sword. You okay with that?”

“A blacksmith always wants his work to reach someone who recognizes its value. Only a player who can use my items to their full potential is worthy of them. So, yes, please go ahead.”

After getting permission, Gi-Gyu picked up the unnamed sword expectantly. Now, all he had to do was give it a name; then, he would be its owner. The excitement covered him with goosebumps as he thought about his amazing luck. Gi-Gyu announced, “Your name is Sharpness.”

It was not the trendiest name, but Gi-Gyu liked the sound of it when he read it on the sword's status screen. Now, all that was left was for Sharpness to sync with him and become his. Gi-Gyu’s heart refused to calm down; instead, it pounded louder with each passing second. But…

“Huh?” Gi-Gyu gasped in confusion.

“Huh." The old man looked unimpressed with this turn of events. 

To Gi-Gyu’s surprise, nothing happened. The sword didn't sync with him no matter how long he waited. Gi-Gyu tried again, thinking he wasn’t clear with his command.

“I said your name is Sharpness… Okay?”

“...”

Who could’ve thought that yelling the same command again and again would change nothing? The old man asked curiously, “What are you doing right now?”

Gi-Gyu replied in confusion, “Please excuse me for a moment.” 

Silently, Gi-Gyu asked Lou and El, ‘What’s going on here?’

-I told you these aren’t normal Egos. And even if they were, you aren’t even an Ego Master. So did you really think you could force a sync with all Egos in this world? Egos are very picky when it comes to choosing their masters. El and I had no choice but to accept you. Had we had a choice to wait out for someone else, did you really think we would’ve chosen you? Huh! I would’ve waited an eternity if I had a choice.

It seemed like the hard, depressing truth. Gi-Gyu felt sad. 

-I’m not like Lou. I like you, Master. 

‘Thanks, El!’ Gi-Gyu was happy again. 

Despite El's consolation, the fact still remained that Gi-Gyu couldn’t sync with this unnamed sword. It was a tad disappointing, but he wasn’t going to give up just like that. 

Gi-Gyu picked up the unnamed hood and yelled, “Your name is Brilliant Hood!”

His naming skills, again, failed to impress everyone.

-Are you serious?

Again, much to Gi-Gyu's confusion, nothing happened. Disappointed, the old man said, “I guess you can’t use my items either. Things must’ve worked out for you somehow with those rings, but it doesn't seem to be the case with my works. You should just be satisfied with those two items and leave.”

This seemed like a good time to give up, but Gi-Gyu stood his ground. Filled with frustration, he decided to try one last time. He picked up the unnamed armor and yelled desperately, “Your name is Brunheart! Please sync with me!” 

Gi-Gyu closed his eyes tightly as he prayed for this to work. This was his last chance to get an amazing Ego. 

[You have synced with Ego Brunheart.]

[You can now access Brunheart’s information.]

[You lack necessary skills, so you can’t use all of Brunheart’s abilities.]

[Brunheart has lost most of its abilities.]

The unnamed armor, now named Brunheart, shone brightly. 

“Ohhhhh! Thank you! Thank you, Brunheart!” Gi-Gyu exclaimed in delight. The old man, just as ecstatic, screamed, “You! I’ve finally found someone who can use my items!”

Gi-Gyu found the jet-black leather armor on his torso after the light dissipated. With a keen look in his eyes, he asked the old man, “Sir! How much is this armor?”

By then, the brilliance had disappeared completely, and Brunheart’s abilities had been transferred to Gi-Gyu, allowing him to feel a genuine satisfaction. 

“That’ll be 3.5 billion won, Sir,” the old man answered in a very business-like tone. His excitement from earlier was completely replaced by a perfect professional demeanor. Gi-Gyu stammered, “B-but Min-Su told me you’ll give me a discount.”

“That’s why it’s only 3.5 billion won, Sir.”

***

‘I now owe him 3.45 billion won, but he said I can take my time paying it back. So…’ 

Gi-Gyu was no novice, so he negotiated to the best of his abilities, but the old man refused to budge. Besides, negotiating the price of an object made by such an incredible craftsman seemed disrespectful and plain wrong. In the end, Gi-Gyu explained his situation, and they signed a contract. Gi-Gyu was now burdened with an unexpected debt of 3.45 billion won, but he was actually happy about it. He murmured, “I’m so lucky! I got it for just 3.5 billion won.”

Then, Gi-Gyu opened Brunheart’s status screen.

[Brunheart]

[Level 7]

[Power: 15]

[Speed: 3]

[Stamina: 40]

[Magic: 6]

[Accessory]

[Defense: 12]

Gi-Gyu obtained a single item, but its benefit would increase with each level up. There were some rare items high-ranking players used for a similar effect. However, their price and compatibility left a select few desiring them. 

Gi-Gyu murmured happily, “I think I’m really lucky.”

-Did you forget you can't sync with all the Egos.

“Why not?” Gi-Gyu asked Lou. He had been dreaming about how he could become the strongest player if he ever became rich enough to buy all the items inside that old man’s shop. He could even buy those overpriced Egos at the auction house with enough money. 

-To sync with an Ego, the said Ego’s intention matters, of course, but the master’s ability is key too. Do you really think you can simultaneously control several Egos' consciousnesses? Or even just their strength? 

-Lou is right. You already have Lou and me, two excellent Egos, Master. You may not realize it, but I suspect that just controlling us should be straining you at your current level. 

-As long as you’re a human, you shouldn’t have unreasonable expectations. El and I are already top-rate Egos. So, if you get to sync with an Ego in the future, think very carefully before jumping the gun. 

After hearing the explanation, Gi-Gyu realized Lou and El were right, and he just couldn't sync with an unlimited number of Egos. But from the way Lou said it, Gi-Gyu surmised the task would’ve been possible had he not been a human. But, Gi-Gyu couldn’t understand what Lou meant by it. Anyway, for now, he decided he had more than enough.

-Also, remember, we know as much about this new Ego as you do. Since it lacks consciousness and is only a fragment, I believe its growth will be much more limited than ours. 

“I see,” Gi-Gyu replied in understanding. He could see where Lou and El were coming from, considering their situation. But for now, he couldn’t help but be excited about the most effective item ever.

Now, he had four days left before his priority pass expired. He had spent the whole day looking for items, and he had to spend another day meeting with Tae-Shik. This meant he only had one extra day to do what he wished. Gi-Gyu’s plan was to spend that day hunting to maximize his offensive capabilities. He announced, “Now, let’s all work really hard! Lou! El! Brunheart!”

-You’re so childish.

-Don’t worry, Master.

Because Brunheart didn’t have a consciousness, it didn’t reply. 

Before long, Gi-Gyu stood on the 13th floor. This place was mostly inhabited by gargoyles. He murmured, “Shall I test out Brunheart's defense prowess first?”

Gargoyles were made of stones, so a single punch from them could cause much damage. Gi-Gyu had heard that the gargoyles on the higher floors could even shoot laser beams. Thankfully, the ones here could only throw punches.  

‘If I let their attacks graze me lightly, I’m sure the damage will be minimal.’

Gi-Gyu held stamina recovery and defense increasing potions; It was finally time to test Brunheart’s ability.  

“Kweeek!” a gargoyle from afar spotted Gi-Gyu and screeched. Then, it immediately began running toward him. The gargoyles had wings, but the ones on the 13th floor were too heavy to fly. 

Ktunk! Ktunk! Ktunk!

The human-sized gargoyle stormed toward him as it shook the ground. It threw its balled fist at Gi-Gyu as soon as it got close enough. 

‘It’s so slow.’

Gi-Gyu could clearly see the gargoyle’s movement as if the monster was moving in slow motion. He twisted his body slightly, and the monster’s fist grazed Brunheart lightly. Had there been direct contact, it would’ve been dangerous, but a little graze was something he could handle. 

Crack!

“Huh?”

To Gi-Gyu's surprise, the gargoyle’s fist crumbled as soon as it touched Brunheart. Gi-Gyu took a step back in confusion and muttered, “What is going on here?”

The gargoyle, obviously in pain, screamed. 

[Brunheart’s lost abilities have now been recovered.]

[Brunheart’s skills are being revealed.]

[Reflect: A portion of an attack’s damage is reflected back toward the enemy.]

“T-this is incredible!” Gi-Gyu murmured as he looked back and forth between the shrieking gargoyle and Brunheart