Chapter 4

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‘The Soul of Hydragon!’

The names etched vividly in his eyes.

He couldn't take his eyes off the rewards floating in the air.

『Soul of Hydragon (Raid)

Can summon and control a Hydragon (Lv5).

Hidden attribute – can be enhanced by ‘Beast Lord’』

First, the soul of a raid boss monster.

He knew it existed, but this was the first time he had seen it directly.

An artifact that had never appeared even after over a thousand hunts, a stone containing a soul that allows the summoning of a Hydragon, the highest-grade artifact!

The soul of a raid boss monster is a treasure that appears with the most extreme probability. It can be ridden or summoned to assist in battle, but its rarity meant there was no market for it.

‘Only one has appeared in five years since the game’s release.’

Among them, the Soul of Hydragon was even rarer than the souls of other raid boss monsters. Only one had appeared three years ago.

That one was only indirectly mentioned in the community, as it was photographed. No one knew the player, and it was a character he had never seen before.

‘There were only rumors that it was a game admin.’

In some sense, this soul was even harder to obtain than a unique item.

He was overwhelmed. Normally, he would have posted about it on the community forum and started the process of preserving it.

The fact that it could be enhanced by a hidden attribute was the cherry on top. He felt a tingling sensation, as if electricity was coursing through his body.

‘And then there’s Micaela’s Sword.’

Not only that.

A massive two-handed sword, a blade that seemed to weigh over 10 kg, was shining brilliantly.

『Micaela’s Sword (Raid) (Set)

The sword of Micaela, the giant knight who first killed a Hydragon. It is imbued with the curse of the Hydragon and the soul of Micaela.

Required stats - Strength 20 or higher

When used by someone who understands honor, ‘Micaela’s Strength (Strength +3)’ is activated.

Collect three pieces of Micaela’s equipment to use ‘Heavenly Dragon Person (天龍人)’.』

There is no better sword for the early stages of the game.

Especially for those who use swords, it boasts the best value for money. Equipment that boosts stats usually only appears in the mid-game stages.

It also has a set option.

When the sword, armor, and helmet are collected, the transformation skill ‘Heavenly Dragon Person’ can be used, allowing the user to sprout dragon wings and fly for extended periods.

‘To overcome the hellish specific sections, the Micaela set is essential. It’s as hard as plucking stars from the sky to obtain it in the early stages...’

The Heavenly Dragon Person skill, which helps find specific quest areas, hidden dungeons, and hidden quests, is as hard as plucking stars from the sky. The sword, armor, and helmet must all be collected, and the probability of obtaining them is extremely low.

Especially Micaela’s Sword, which is the hardest to obtain among them. He was lucky.

‘But what is this Fragment of the Broken Golden Rule?’

The first two items were ones he was familiar with.

But this one, the golden coin, was something he had never seen before.

『Fragment of the Broken Golden Rule (???)

A fragment of the Broken Golden Rule.

It allows ‘synchronization’ between reality and Pangea. On/Off possible (remaining time 24 hours).

Can be used at the ‘Golden Rule Shop’.』

All of this was new to him. He had never heard of the Golden Rule or the Golden Rule Shop.

Most importantly, synchronization with reality.

“Are you kidding...?”

The Snake Princess frowned upon hearing his exclamation.

“...I’m not kidding. I am the Snake Princess Isabella.”

He quickly composed himself.

Snake Princess Isabella von Dersian.

She glanced at him with a strange look and then spoke to the centurion.

“Attend to him.”

“Huh? The Queen said to kill them all...”

“He is a Returnee (歸人). He must be treated with the utmost respect.”

*

The great desert city of Faisalmere.

A world ruled by an absolute monarchy under the Queen!

Suddenly, I became a Returnee and rented an entire luxurious palace.

‘I never thought the character I raised would become the second-in-command of Faisalmere.’

I stood in the palace, lost in thought as I looked outside.

I learned that Isabella was one of the most powerful figures in Faisalmere. The great desert warriors treated her with utmost respect, which I immediately noticed.

The great desert warriors only follow those recognized by the Queen.

“Would you like me to wash you?”

Turning around at the voice from behind, I saw five beautiful women standing in a line.

The palace, given to me with the freedom to do as I pleased, had many women. Beautiful young women lined up.

...This was heaven.

The realism was so vivid that it was hard to believe it was a game. Every detail, even the smallest breath, felt natural.

The women, wearing only thin silk, revealed their sensuous figures.

Even with the heart of a stern ruler, the feeling of excitement was an unavoidable male instinct.

“Just wash my feet.”

“Yes.”

I tried to speak as emotionlessly as possible.

The women, who had brought a basin of water made of clay, sat down in front of me.

Washing the feet.

This was a welcoming ritual in Faisalmere.

If the feet of an outsider are not washed, it means they are a slave. If they are washed, it means they are a guest.

I was a guest. And a very important one to the Snake Princess.

‘This is a test in Faisalmere.’

All of this was a test set by Isabella.

A sage would not be blinded by lust. She would observe my reaction and report it. However, if I refused to have my feet washed, it would mean I did not understand the desert’s etiquette.

Therefore, the correct answer to this test was to have my feet washed while maintaining composure.

Swoosh.

The gentle sound of water and the soft touch of skin on my feet.

Hands without a single blemish. The skin touched my skin directly.

Ten hands were gently massaging my feet.

It felt like being tickled by thin cotton.

I tried to focus my thoughts.

‘Is there a way to return to reality?’

I was sucked into this world while creating a character.

But even in this world, there were repeated mentions of reality.

That means there is a way to return.

‘There’s no log out function. I can’t force a shutdown either... Wait a moment.’

A sudden thought made me open my status window.

<Stats>

Level: 2

Strength: 24 Health: 24 Agility: 24

Intelligence: 24 Magic: 24

...

<Until Pangea’s Collapse: 7.66%>

<<As the collapse progresses, the boundary between reality and Pangea will break down.>>

<<When the collapse reaches 10%, the first crack will begin.>>

I frowned.

The growth in stats was impressive, but the more important part was below.

When I first saw it, the collapse was at 6.12%.

After completing the main quest, it increased by about 1.5%.

Will the Earth and Pangea really collide when it reaches 100%?

‘There was also a mention of the Hall of Fame. What was that about?’

I had more questions than just that.

But the mystery surrounding the Hall of Fame was quickly solved.

As soon as I thought about it, a window appeared before my eyes.

<<The Hall of Fame has opened.>>

<<Names can be left in the hall based on the scores of main quests.>>

<<The rankings for ‘Main Quest 1 - Survival’ have been updated.>>

<1st, 220 points. Randolph>

<2nd, 195 points. Gracia>

<3rd, 187 points. Mintchocoismylove>

<4th, 170 points. Obsidian>

<5th, 163 points. Carnage>

...

<<Those who enter the top ranks of ‘Survival’ will have the ‘Log Out’ function activated.>>

<<Be cautious when logging out, as the character will be left defenseless.>>

‘...What?’

Familiar names.

Especially 2nd place ‘Gracia’ and 3rd place ‘Mintchocoismylove’ were my long-time gaming partners.

I thought they had quit the game.

‘They didn’t quit. Could they have been summoned to Pangea like me?’

My head felt as if it had been hit by a blunt object.

My character wasn’t the only one here.

The people I played with were also here.

Moreover.

‘Log Out...’

Log Out.

In other words, I can leave this hellish game.

“Stop.”

My heavy voice made the women washing my feet pause.

“Yes...?”

“Leave. I need to communicate with the stars.”

“But...”

The women’s expressions showed confusion. Refusing to have one’s feet washed was not a good sign in Faisalmere.

I knew, but I had no choice.

“If I don’t communicate with the stars on time, a sage will lose their power. Go and ask the Snake Princess if she truly desires this.”

“Ah...”

The women nodded.

As expected, they were all spies sent by the Snake Princess.

I already knew why she had brought me here.

“May your communication be peaceful.”

The women bowed solemnly and left.

...Phew. Thank goodness this flimsy excuse worked.

Alone in the room, I sat up straight and pressed the red button that appeared at the 1 o'clock position in my field of vision.

<<Logging out...>>

<<Please place your character in a safe location.>>

...

My vision flickered.

And.

<<Log out complete.>>

The world changed.

*

“...”

I looked down blankly.

On the chair in front of the computer. A worn white sleeveless T-shirt, black training pants bought casually from the market.

A mountain of cigarette butts in a plastic bottle.

The same clothes, the same posture, the same environment as before I started playing the game.

‘Is this a dream?’

Could I have been living like a shut-in for so long that I dreamed this?

But it was too vivid to be a dream.

Moreover.

“I couldn’t possibly have this golden coin...”

On the desk, something else was there.

The Fragment of the Broken Golden Rule!

The brilliant golden coin was in front of me.

Next to it was a small leather pouch.

The log out button, which was outside my field of vision, was now clearly marked in red as ‘Log In’.

I slowly searched the leather pouch. Two items came out.

“Guh!”

Thud!

A massive sword. The opening of the pouch stretched and the sword was spat out.

When I placed it on the floor, it made a thud and the house shook.

...It was definitely Micaela’s Sword.

And there was an artifact with a rune drawn on a small stone, the Soul of Hydragon.

“Is this a game?”

The game window was closed. No, the game was completely uninstalled.

I picked up the mouse and opened the internet.

I searched for Pangea and accessed the site.

[This homepage does not exist.]

...The homepage was gone.

It was fine just a moment ago.

Just in case, I looked for related news articles.

But there was not a single news article about the service being terminated. On YouTube, only videos from at least two years ago were available.

‘When did the service end?’

The fact that YouTube videos exist proves that the service was running. The game wasn’t gone; people were definitely playing it.

But at some point, the videos and players disappeared.

Fine. All of this is fine.

The question is, if I was summoned to Pangea, there must be others who logged out like me. And if there are others who logged out, there must be traces to find.

‘Only those in the top ranks can log out.’

But if the number is limited?

If it’s a very small number?

If many people are still trapped in the game?

The remaining information could be scarce or non-existent.

‘I should have exchanged social media with someone.’

I was a thorough solo player. Even during raids, I handled everything alone. I only exchanged greetings with others, never playing together properly.

Naturally, there was no exchange of emails or messages.

Damn mysticism. I cursed my past self, who thought it was cool, as I typed on the keyboard.

‘List of vegetative state patients and missing persons...’

My fingers moved faster.

The number of vegetative state patients and missing persons has increased explosively in recent years.

There was much speculation about this phenomenon. Perhaps it was related to Pangea.

Rumble!

Then.

A vibration that made my body slightly rise, and the floor began to shake.

“Monster! Monster!”

“Save us!”

At the same time, chaos erupted outside.

Monster? What kind of monster suddenly?

I pulled up the curtain and opened the window. The thick cigarette smoke cleared, and the scene outside was the worst.

A giant mantis, easily 4 meters tall, was wreaking havoc in the city.

It was catching people with its long, tentacle-like antennae and slicing everything with its blade-like front legs.

The strangely familiar appearance made me open my mouth without realizing it.

‘Giant Mantis...?’