"Didn't I—do—all—of—those—quests already?" Lee Kiwook asked through gritted teeth, each word sharp and deliberate.
Back then, in order to rebel against the so-called "fate" of being a magician, he had poured enormous amounts of time and effort into digging up every hidden quest across the entire world of Aetherra.
He had completed them all and painstakingly maxed out the skills of every other class, grinding bit by bit.
Now they were telling him it was all back to square one?
Even someone as calm as Lee Kiwook wanted to smash something to bits.
The heavy killing intent radiating off him made Bunbun's voice grow even more cautious.
[ According to data scans, the player has not triggered any hidden quests… Would you like me to report this bug to the development team? ]
Damn it! So the development team was just a scapegoat now, huh?
A vein popped on Lee Kiwook's forehead. He clutched his left chest tightly, forcing himself to stay calm and composed.
His expression darkened as he swept his eyes over the skill page, finally spotting a hint of something unusual.
Normally, skills that hadn't been obtained wouldn't appear on the list at all.
Even if someone completed the hidden quests, the unlocked skills would only be at the beginner level.
But now, judging by the faint outlines of those greyed-out icons, all the locked skills he had were the very ones he had painstakingly leveled to max before crossing over.
In other words, the world he'd entered was one where none of the hidden quests had been triggered yet.
On the flip side, the moment he finished those quests again, he would instantly unlock fully maxed-out skills without needing to grind.
Once that logic clicked into place, Lee Kiwook finally managed to suppress the rising violence in his chest.
It's fine, it's fine… Fine, my ass!
There were so many hidden quests across the entire world!
He had already forgotten nearly all of them!
On top of that…
Lee Kiwook thought of his old self, furiously hammering the skip button during cutscenes, and now he deeply regretted it, serves him right for not taking the game seriously!
Serves him right for loving to skip the story!
The plot he had scorned yesterday would be repaid in blood and tears today.
[ Would the player like to submit any more feedback? ]
The sparkling little cube rubbed obsequiously against Lee Kiwook's cheek.
"Dismissed," Lee Kiwook muttered through clenched teeth, swallowing his bitter regret.
He closed his eyes, once again restoring his calm, tranquil expression.
From inside his robe, he pulled out several pieces of orange-tier armor and stacked his defense up to forty or fifty thousand.
Only after confirming that he could turtle through anything did he reluctantly accept reality.
At least I haven't been reset to default stats, Lee Kiwook thought, clinging to this tiny silver lining.
DONG, DONG, DONG—
The deep chime of the bell echoed through the entire Magic Academy.
It rang to remind every young magician that the entrance ceremony was about to begin.