by Park Saenal
The employee took out her smartphone since it was better to show proof instead of saying it 100 times. She entered her SNS and searched the Grid-related tags. “Look. People are feeling concerned about you, Youngwoo-ssi. They are worried if you are sick, if you will be damaged from not getting the gold medal rewards, and if you will suffer from a great hit.”
It was true. Many people were worried about Grid.
‘Grid caused South Korea to suffer.’
‘The Korean players would no longer be eligible for the compensation buff.’
It was hard to find anyone saying these words. On the other hand, Shin Youngwoo became more uncomfortable.
“I…”
Shin Youngwoo had accepted the role of the demon king for individual gain. He hadn’t paid attention to the fact that South Korea would miss out on several gold medals due to this absence and that the Korean players wouldn’t enjoy the benefits of ranking highly in the National Competition. It was someone else’s business anyway. Shin Youngwoo just fought for himself and the Overgeared Kingdom.
Yes, Youngwoo wasn’t a hero. Despite this, the woman in front of Shin Youngwoo and the people on SNS were currently praising Shin Youngwoo as a hero. Naturally, Shin Youngwoo enjoyed being liked and praised.
‘I’m not qualified.’ Shin Youngwoo’s face filled with unexpected guilt though.
The employee sensed something and said, “You don’t have to worry. We call you a hero because we have been comforted by your existence. It is a type of thanks, not an intention to place more burden on you. Don’t make such a pained expression. Do what you want to do. Nobody has the right to blame or resent you. If someone points a finger at you, then someone else will criticize them.”
The employee was a very ordinary person. She was a neighbor who could be met anywhere, and she represented the hearts of most people. What she said sounded like something Lauel would say. Shin Youngwoo’s shaky eyes gradually firmed up. “…Thank you.”
The essence of ‘patriotism’ that Shin Youngwoo felt in the meantime was formed by the army. He vaguely thought that he should be loyal to the country and fight for its people. However, that changed at this moment. Shin Youngwoo realized the importance of his neighbors. He realized how important it was to have the ‘country’ where his family and neighbors lived. Then one thing was for certain.
‘First, I have to protect the Overgeared Kingdom.’
He would give complete peace to his kingdom and its people.
‘Become the hero of my kingdom.’
As a hero, he had to become essential in the game and make the people feel proud. This was the level of work he needed to do. If someone else discovered Shin Youngwoo’s commitment, they were likely to laugh at him, calling it ‘small and insignificant.’
Still, that was just a story at the present time. Just as the emergence of virtual reality changed the world, the world could be changed at any time. Youngwoo’s ridiculous commitment might be the spirit that would protect South Korea in a world which would someday change.
***
The Chiyou test was one of the few trials and games for the yangbans who were born absolute. The yangbans took the test every 100 years when they were engulfed with a strange melancholy. Every time they overcame the frustration, their talents would blossom. The yangbans themselves were what people would call ‘power.’
“Sigh… Sigh…” The man who barely managed to pass the test was bloody. His hair was disheveled, and his eyes were filled with intense killing intent. The five seniors didn’t care.
“The yangban exist to correct everything in the world.”
“Garam, if you have chosen the path of killing, it means you need to kill all of the world.”
“Help the cycle of birth by killing. It is for the well-being of the world.”
“Once your killing intent calms down, peace will fall all over the world.”
Four of the five seniors gave advice to Garam. There was only one person who remained silent. Garam asked him, “Hanul. Do you remember Pagma?”
The five seniors frowned at the unexpected name. Pagma was the heretic who questioned the existence of the Hwan Kingdom that had ruled the East Continent since the beginning. The thought of the mutation who had shouted that yangbans and humans should be equal to each other was an unpleasant memory for the five seniors.
On the other hand, Hanul of the five seniors didn’t reveal the same hostility. “I remember. Isn’t that smoking pipe of yours Pagma’s work?”
It happened at this moment. Garam pulled out the smoking pipe hanging from his waist and broke it with one hand. The smoking pipe, which had previously blocked Grid’s sword, turned into powder and scattered in the air.
“He is dead.”
“…”
The five seniors’ reactions were nonchalant. They knew that any yangbans who left the Hwan Kingdom for a long time would lose their eternal life. Pagma’s death had just been a scheduled procedure. It was Garam’s next words that were surprising.
“Before he died, he handed his trivial techniques to the ignorant masses.”
“Power to the masses…?”
Passing on techniques was a taboo in the Hwan Kingdom. The blossoming of talent should only rely on the effort of the yangban. For a yangban, his power was his symbol. The act of transferring it or letting another person borrow it was no more than a denial of their existence.
“Who has inherited Pagma’s power?”
“We should find him and destroy him. We can’t tolerate any contact between the yangbans and the ignorant masses.”
Garam confirmed the angry faces of the five seniors and said to Hanul, “That person… He is a king in the west. Hanul, please divide the Red Sea. I will punish the beasts of the west and the kings who abandoned us thousands of years ago.”
“Absolutely not!” One of the five seniors shouted. “The western lands are polluted by all types of wicked gods! Once you step on that land, you will be hit by them and lose some of your power! You might lose your eternal life just stepping onto the western lands!”
“…” Garam was shocked. He didn’t know that the western lands, which the five seniors had abandoned a long time ago, were this polluted. Garam might even lose his eternal life…
The unexpected warning incited a vague fear in Garam’s heart, but his anger swallowed up the fear. Garam was reminded of the small wound that the ignorant person who used Pagma’s techniques had dealt him.
“I am willing to sacrifice my body if it will fix the world. Please part the Red Sea…”
“You won’t be the one crossing the Red Sea.” Hanul cut off Garam’s words.
Hanul’s ‘vision’ crossed Pangea and faced the Red Sea. The city was empty.
“The enemy will be the one to cross the Red Sea.” Hanul’s power was manifested.
[★Hidden Quest★ ‘Call of Heaven’ has been created.]
The same notification window appeared in front of tens of millions of players. Many of the Overgeared members were included. The thing they had in common was that they were blacksmiths.
There were 50 days until the 4th National Competition, which meant 150 days in Satisfy. A land more brutal than hell opened its mouth.
Chapter 922
“The operator has moved.”
The S.A Group gave codenames to NPCs. It was for convenience. The arrangement of the code intuitively told them the function and role of the NPC. Only a very small number of NPCs was given nicknames instead of codenames. It was because they had special personalities, so the nicknames could be remembered even after hearing it once. Among them, the ‘operator’ was different.
Codename S-001—his name was Hanul. Like the great demon Baal and archangel Raphael, he was at the top when it came to ‘creating quests.’ He was different from Baal whose ‘episodes’ were limited by his contractor (Agnus). Hanul was able to create more diverse episodes by giving roles and situations to a number of unspecified players.
Five years after Sat
isfy was released, the S.A Group was pleased to see that Hanul was finally moving. It was predicted that Hanul would rekindle stories that had become stagnant due to players like Grid and Kraugel or that he would write completely new stories, invigorating Satisfy.
***
[Call of the Heavens]
[★ Hidden Quest ★
Some transcendental beings need your help.
Go to Pangea, the starting city in the East Continent. Meet the troubled inhabitants of Pangea and listen to their stories.
Quest Clear Conditions: Arrive in Pangea within 3 days.
Quest Clear Rewards:
1. Create a linked hidden quest.
2. Unique rated weapon production method (one-time consumable item)
Quest Failure Condition: None.]
“Heok. What is this?”
Levels, skills, stats—none of these things mattered. Every player who was a blacksmith received the same quest. It was a sudden phenomenon that came without any warning signs. All over the continent, the blacksmiths danced with joy.
“The rewards are enormous! I don’t know what’s going on, but this is a huge jackpot! Puhaha!”
“This is the first time I’ve received a hidden quest… What is this?”
“Every other blacksmith has received the quest as well? A specific class quest… Will other classes get this type of quest one day?”
“No, it is a perk only given to blacksmiths. This is probably because of Grid.”
“Why did you bring up Grid’s name all of a sudden?”
“You idiot, have you forgotten? Grid was blessed by the blacksmith god, and all blacksmiths received a buff. This quest might be an extension of that.”
“Ah…!”
Grid, Grid, Grid—the name of the Overgeared King popped out from the mouths of the happy blacksmiths who weren’t thinking. They benefited from having the same class as someone else. It was very gratifying. After all, it was a free bus.
“It is great that Grid is a blacksmith… Really great.”
A production method based on the ‘rating’, rather than the ‘item name’, was special. Items of the specified rating would be produced unconditionally. The reward for this hidden quest was definitely a ‘unique rated weapon.’ There was no one who wouldn’t covet a one-time consumable production method.
The value of unique rated equipment was in the tens to hundreds of millions of won depending on the options. The value was similar regardless of whether it was a level-100, level-200, or level-300 limited weapon. It was a game with a large number of users, so people overflowed in every level segment and the supply of high-grade items was insufficient.
‘I must clear the quest!’ All the blacksmiths shared a common purpose. It was the same for players who hadn’t reached level 100 because they had started the game later or for the players registered in the rankings. There was one problem though.
How would they get to the East Continent? In recent years, many people had traveled between the West Continent and East Continent, but the number was still less than 10,000. It was in the thousands. This number was tiny considering there were over 2 billion players. It was virtually impossible for ordinary blacksmiths to cross to the East Continent, and curses started to spread throughout the continent as the blacksmiths realized this.
“Damn. What are they doing, giving a quest that can’t be cleared?”
“I thought it was good… Are people teasing me?”
On the various community sites, posts titled ‘Purchasing method to move to the East Continent’ were frequently registered. However, none of them were able to step on the East Continent. No one was stupid enough to sell an opportunity to dominate the stage they hadn’t experienced yet.
***
‘A hidden quest is literally a hidden quest…’ The 1st ranked Panmir couldn’t help questioning it. All blacksmiths had been given a hidden quest. This easy-to-access quest was a hidden quest…? It felt like a trap.
‘The quest can’t be cleared anyway. There is no need to think about it.’
Panmir closed the quest window. Then he resumed his work while the other blacksmiths were still agitated.
Ttang! Ttang! Ttang! The hammering sound rang out from the Reinhardt smithies, the pride of the Overgeared Kingdom. Due to the large number of blacksmiths in the Overgeared Kingdom, the production of battle gear was now the best in the continent and the ‘mass-produced Grid set’ was spreading to the soldiers. The smithies were the heart of the Overgeared Kingdom, and it was hot there.
“Everyone seems to be doing well.” Overgeared King Grid appeared in this place.
“Ohhh!” The blacksmiths cheered. The legendary blacksmith who was acknowledged by a god… They welcomed the emergence of the hero who made a great profit for them.
“Grid! Please show me how to make an item!”
“I really wanted to see you!”
“You actually look very handsome!”
Grid asked one of the blacksmiths, who were making a disturbance, “Did you receive the hidden quest?”
Panmir acted as their representative and replied, “Of course, we have received it.”
“Then why are you here? Aren’t you going to clear the quest?”
The blacksmiths were agitated.
“We gave up because we can’t get there.”
“Grid, do you know how to get to the East Continent?”
As the questions poured in, Grid nodded. “It is ominous.”
Panmir quietly whispered into Grid’s ears, “I have lived a short life, but I have rarely been given favors with no conditions. This quest doesn’t have any specific conditions, and it attracts people with great rewards. I feel that it is a trap.”
This deduction was from his years of experience. Panmir advised Grid based on what he had seen and experienced in his old age. Grid nodded again. “I understand why you are concerned. It is right to be wary when a hidden quest suddenly pops up.”
“I’m glad that you know.”
“However, is it really a quest without any conditions? This quest also has a condition. It is the blacksmith class.”
“…”
“I have been to Pangea. More of the residents are now people of the Overgeared Kingdom. Still, not everyone followed me here. Some people stayed in Pangea and protected the lonely city.” This was Grid’s reasoning. “This quest is a divine revelation to help them. The transcendental being spoken of in the quest is God Hexetia who is favorable to me. God Hexetia is giving an opportunity to the blacksmiths who serve him—help the suffering people of Pangea and receive big rewards. It is a type of prize.”
“It is a plausible interpretation. The Rebecca Church members who serve Goddess Rebecca often receive this type of quest. However, why Pangea? Is there a relationship between Pangea and Hexetia?”
“Eh… I don’t know…” Grid thought about it, but he didn’t know why the stage of the quest was Pangea. Was there anyone in Pangea who served Hexetia? No. If there were such a person, Hexetia wouldn’t have become so crooked.
“…Well. I will know when I get there.” Grid couldn’t shake off the belief that the transcendental being in the quest was God Hexetia, so he accepted it as a positive situation. With this, Panmir no longer questioned it as Grid’s reasoning was moderately plausible. There were some aspects which made him feel uneasy, but he thought it would be good to go to the East Continent.
Panmir asked, “By the way, aren’t unique rated production methods useless to you? You don’t need this.”
“Yes. Still, it is necessary for other blacksmiths.” Grid looked at the blacksmiths who were gathered in the smithy district. Their country and gender were all different, but they all believed in him and had moved to the Overgeared Kingdom. Grid wanted to help them. There was also the expectation that if they produced more unique rated items and circulated them around the Overgeared Kingdom, the power of the kingdom would develop further.
“There is also the linked quest…”
; “That’s right. More quests will give better rewards.”
“Panmir, will you go?”
“No. I will stay here.”
“Why? Don’t you want the rewards?”
“Somebody has to lead them.” Panmir’s gaze was aimed at the blacksmiths lined up in the square. There were blacksmiths eager to work in every smithy. The number was very high. They didn’t seem interested in the crowd gathered in the square. “There are those striving to reach a certain level. They dream of becoming the third or fourth legend after Khan. In particular, that person named Latz… He only logs out twice a day and spends the rest of the time at the anvil.”
“They are talents who will carry the future of the Overgeared Kingdom.”
“Yes, but they are also competitors threatening my ranking. I will remain here and work with them. There are also many jobs that have accumulated. Lauel will scold us if too many people leave their positions.”
“I know. That’s why I don’t plan to move everyone over all at once. I will split them into teams and move sequentially. Then our work won’t be hindered. Panmir, this quest only requires us to arrive in Pangea. We can go there in minutes with Sticks’ help. You can’t spare that much time?”
“I don’t know if a linked quest will occur the moment I arrive in Pangea. Then I might not be able to come back quickly. It would be a shame.”
“Hrmm… I must prove with the first team that it is quick and safe. Okay.” Grid ended his conversation with Panmir and shifted his gaze. There were thousands of blacksmiths filled with expectations.
“The 100 blacksmiths with the highest level, you will be the first to go with me to Pangea.”
Grid didn’t delay and called out the names on the list which he had the soldiers prepare beforehand. He grabbed an East Continent Movement Scroll from Sticks and made a signal. Then…