MMORPG: Rise of the Peerless Pumpkinmancer

Jack couldn't help but happily stare at the flurry of notifications that were now flooding his screen.

[Congratulation: First player to Clear a Dungeon!]

[ +400 Reputation New Leaf Village ]

[ +200 Reputation Greenwood County ]

[ +100 Reputation in Terra Firma (Specific factions) ]

[ Acquired Title: First Dungeon Clear +5% Dungeon Dmg! ]

[Infinite cloak detected: earned "1𝔰𝔱-𝔇𝔠" symbol!]

[Unlocked a new global function: Highlights!]

[Highlights  are only available in dungeons]

[Export highlights from this run? Y/N ]

[First to clear the Fox Grove!]

[Reveal Dungeon Location?]

[Reveal for extra loot %!]

Funny how many goddamn notifications there were for a single clear! This was as ridiculous as welcome.

Jack slowly combed through it, analyzing it all:

1. Reputation in Terra Firma would eventually be helpful. This referred to the entire continent all the players were on right now. But, the local one would be better in the short term.

2. The title would be a nice boon to his damage in the dungeon. Then again, he already had the pretty neat regeneration one.

3. The symbol mainly was vanity, but it also would prove his identity. One can only capitalize on fame after establishing one's identity.

4. Highlights were an incredibly huge deal!

5. Dungeon revealing was very important too.

First thing first, Jack didn't hesitate one bit before calling out to the system:

"Reveal the dungeon right away and export all highlights of this run to my VR helmet. Also, show me a copy of what the other players will soon see."

[ Preparing to reveal Fox Grove to the world! ]

[ Loot increased (++) for a week for the user! ]

[ Showing help screen! ]

As Jack saw it all, he couldn't help but grin. People would go crazy for sure….

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The players in New Leaf village were as busy and as rowdy as usual. Such an example was a party currently hunting at the edge of the forest, two of their members lowly discussing:

"After killing a few more foxes, I'll be able to get my first armor piece from the village chief!"

"Bro, haven't you heard? Keep it on the down-low, but the village chief is a scammer. Sure, he gives armor, but it's worse than the one from the other NPCs."

"Wait, but don't they all have life-skills quests or something? Also, don't you need the mayor's quest, so corpses don't just disappear? I just wish we could carry more at a time…."

"Nope. You can make a similar deal with the other NPCs, and it's cheaper. Sure, you'll have to get friendly with them, but that shouldn't be too much of an issue."

"Bro, thanks so much for the info! How did you even figure that out?!"

"Hehe, this is part of playing an MMO. It says so in the name: massively multiplayer online game. I just observed the Wolves."

"The Wolves?"

"The Mighty Wolves, of course! I'm just copying their strategy, which they copied directly from the Demon King. They killed chickens to level up and farmed foxes for gear."

"I see! That's smart, very smart!"

"Psst— don't tell anyone, but I saw them heading deep into the forest. They're probably getting weapons."

"How do you know?!"

"I don't. I'm just guessing. The blacksmith in New Leaf gives a quest to find some fuel and ore. It has to be that!"

"What about the Mighty Dragons? Are the two guilds still fighting?"

"It has calmed down ever since the Demon King has defeated them 1 v 50. Hell, I still can't fucking believe it. It's so insane!"

"Yeah, man. I also want to know what happened to that New World. Is it—"

But their peaceful conversation was suddenly interrupted by an incredible commotion that left all the players gasping.

First, a loud and deep sound resounded across the realm. Yet, the NPCs and monsters didn't seem to notice it at all.

— ZZZZOOOOOMMM!! —

Then it was followed by an enormous and amazing golden beacon appearing. It was akin to a divine sign guiding one to a godly treasure! The light was golden-orange and visible to all New Leaf village players.

Finally came the system announcement that explained it all:

[ Fox Grove has been revealed by player Jack'O! ]

[ Special opening event: bonus loot for one week! ]

[ Fox Grove requires level 5 to enter! ]

[ Time remaining 604 669 seconds ]

What the heck was all that?! The players were about to die from excitement, yet this was only the beginning.

[ First Dungeon has been cleared: Unlocked Highlights!]

[ Opening Highlights Description (Shout help to see it again afterward) ]

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[Highlights]

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1. Only Usable in Dungeons.

2. Compiles the best moments of a previous dungeon clear from the user's POV.

3. Compiled data will be exported in any video format to the VR helmet directly.

4. Highlights are made solely by the Infinite master AI, and no ticket for complaints will be accepted.

5. Entering a dungeon in a party will give other players the right to use their own Highlights footage without anyone's authorization.

Please have fun. Gaming is Infinite! ^_^V

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There was a moment of silence as players stood, flabbergasted by such insane announcements. Then the peaceful conversations were no more:

"Wait, a new dungeon?! This is the new world, right?!"

"Revealed by Jack'O? That's the Demon King!"

"It's an event! Another event is upon us!"

"Is the countdown really in seconds?!"

"Bonus loot? Fucking count me in!"

"I can't wait to see the dungeon!"

"Fox Grove? Neat!"

At first, there was incredible happiness. There was nothing that gamers loved more than a new expansion, especially if it was free! Right now, they were euphoric from the sense of novelty and discovery.

They couldn't wait to experience it for themselves, only to have one of them remind them of a tiny detail:

"Fuck me! I'm just level 2 and nowhere near level 5!"

"Oh crap, you're right! That's a requirement to enter!"

"Can we even clear it before the event is over?"

"I'll go inside to sightsee no matter what!"

"Wait for me, beautiful kitsunes!"

Many wished at all cost to be able to finish the dungeon before the bonus loot ran out. They had no clue how much of a buff it even was. They simply feared missing out.

As for the kitsune lovers, they were bound to be disappointed. There was none to be found in the tutorial. They would have to go on a quest to find them or something.

But some players had already completely given up the dungeon:

"Screw that! I'll be too busy increasing my life skills."

"This sucks. I probably won't reach level five in time."

"So many events, so little time. Being a student sucks!"

"Being a student? Try being a housewife. That sucks even more! ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)."

Luckily, they weren't void of hopes just yet:

"Actually, it's not that bad, guys. Remember, there are now highlights!"

"Oh!! You're right. We'll be able to spectate it at least!"

"I'm setting up a twitching screen at work!"

"Bro, don't do it. Your boss will fire you!"

"Hehe, I'm the Boss. Now what?"

"Soooo, are you recruiting?!"

None of them wanted to miss the buzz. It was like how watching a movie at the grand premiere felt better than watching the very same film after a few years.

Spectating would be enough to sate the entertainment cravings of most of them. There only remained the question of who to watch.

"Guys, do you think the Demon King will release his highlights?"

"I fucking hope so! It would be so freaking dumb not to!"

"Well, we don't know anything about the dungeon."

"Maybe he won't, to hide the clear strategy."

"Does he even care about stuff like that?"

"Maybe to remain ahead of the others?"

"What if he doesn't, just to troll us?"

They could only shrug at one another since they were only speculating and had no way to know. But, they all crossed their fingers to see a Jack'O highlight.

As for the players in the other starting villages, they also received the Highlight announcement…but not the "Jack'O revealed Fox Grove" one.

[ First Dungeon has been cleared: Unlocked Highlights!]

[ Opening Highlights Description (Shout help to see it again afterward) ]

For them, the Fox Progenitor was still alive and kicking, the dungeon wasn't even opened, and the system didn't state who had cleared it. They were utterly perplexed.

Discussions similar to this one were happening:

"What, a dungeon has been cleared?!"

"Hell, there are dungeons in this game?!"

"Are you retarded?! Of course, there are dungeons in MMOs."

"No, I mean, I didn't know there were some in the beginner area."

"How did we all collectively miss out on it. Do you guys think its's hidden?"

They pondered for a few seconds before coming up with possibilities:

"I really think it has to be related to that Fox Progenitor monster."

"No way! It's impossible that it's been defeated just yet."

"Why? With enough skilled players, it should be possible."

"Nope. It just takes too much gear. Even the big guilds only have a few players with armor. Then it has a berserker state that is way too OP!"

The people listening nodded in understanding. They could only conclude that someone really had found a hidden dungeon. Talk about a lucky son of a bitch!

As to where it was….they lived in the age of information! Without hesitating, many rushed to their social media account to investigate.

- Big Cucumber: Anyone figured out who cleared the dungeon?!

- Model in my Freezer: No idea. So far, no one has a clue. I would have expected it to be all over the place already, even for a new game.

- Turtle Snaps Straws: Hahahaha, exclusive news from New Leaf motherfucking village! The Demon King Cleared the Fox Grove! It seems he did it alone too. Get wrecked, you all! XD

- I Lick Airplanes: Soooo, does anyone know?

- Gandalf the Gay: The poster above literally just answered! Demon King, New Leaf village, Fox Grove, GG!

- I Lick Airplanes: @Gandalf, Got any proof? Last time, the Demon King lies were exposed pretty quickly.

- Gandalf the Gay: Lies?! Literally, just ask anyone from the New Leaf village. There's golden glowing light falling from heaven directly onto the dungeon entrance. Even the blind can't miss it.

- Big Chungus: * Heavy Sigh * Guys, it seems that the Demon King trolls are back. Ping me if anyone finds the answer.

- Model in my Freezer: You have to admit that they sure are imaginative. Golden light from heaven? Watch it today on things that never happened!

- Big Cucumber: Yeah, they're such a pain. They like to exaggerate way too much. First, it's their idol winning a 1 v 50, and now he's suddenly the first to clear a dungeon. Why doesn't he prove it by releasing the highlights then?

Many fans of the Demon King came forward only to be ruthlessly shot down.

One such fan was currently sitting in his gaming chair, sighing to himself. Most people rejected his message. They hated him because he told them the truth.

So what? He eagerly awaited what would come next...

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[A/N] This chapter is sponsored by Imarques18! 🎃🔥🏰 Thank you a lot brother! ^_^v