Chapter 9

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Hall of Fame

The result of rolling a die two levels above by the two thrones.

There wasn't a single item I could discard from the ten lists.

'Should I just throw away the Raid Set and try to complete the Michel set here and now?'

The Michel set is one of the best armors to complete early on, but it's also one of the hardest to get.

There were only a handful of people who had all three pieces of the set.

They threw it at me as a main quest reward. It's a treasure that requires blood, sweat, and tears to obtain.

'... All ten items are treasures that only drop when hunting specific raid monsters.'

But there was a reason I had to think about it.

I'm not a beginner but a super veteran user of Pangea. I knew all too well that the remaining eight items were just as good as the Michel set, which is why I hesitated.

Up until about the first year of Pangea, it would be natural to complete the Michel set first.

'The Guardian Talisman. It can activate a resting place to prevent attacks from monsters in the field.'

In this game, if you don't log out in a designated location, you will be brutally killed.

However, as the game progresses, 'save points' tend to decrease. This is when items like the 'Guardian Talisman' that set up safe zones become essential.

It's not just necessary when logging out but also crucial for resting during hunts, making it as useful as the Michel set.

The downside is that it's volatile.

'The issue is the limited number of uses.'

These items that forcibly set up safe zones are all used up after a few uses. They are extremely difficult to obtain, so they must be used carefully, making them true treasures.

'The Gills of the Sea are essential for exploring the sea or rivers.'

This is also the case.

There are many hidden dungeons in the sea and rivers. Most are exploration areas after level 7, but by then, finding the Gills of the Sea could be a blood-soaked endeavor.

So, it would be a wise decision to obtain them in advance.

<The Anvil of the Adversary> is not really necessary. I have the hidden skill of dexterity, so I can quickly level up production skills with the anvil, but I'm not a blacksmith.

<The Red Knight's Banner> and <Crimson Steed> are not important to me either. The banner can grant a knighthood in a specific kingdom, but it binds you, and the Crimson Steed is a mount, but I already have the soul of a hydra.

<Pharam's Armor>, <The Fairy Queen's Tears>, <The Shadow Cloak>... Among these, the one that stands out the most is...

'The Shadow Cloak.'

A cloak that hides the wearer in shadows.

It's like getting a free stealth skill.

It's permanent as long as the cloak doesn't break, so it's a huge benefit.

It might be detected by high-tier exploration tools or high-level detection skills, but those are rare.

Most importantly, this cloak will be incredibly useful in the real world.

Being invisible. Isn't that a dream everyone had when they were young?

<I have chosen the Shadow Cloak.>

<I can choose one more reward.>

Without hesitation, I chose the Shadow Cloak.

Now, there's only one left.

I rubbed my chin, my eyes gleaming.

Which one should I choose?

Which one will make people say I made a good choice?

*

“...”

The space-time is collapsing. Everything is falling apart. Now, I can't even tell if this place is reality or a dream.

Of course, all these events only happened in Dramut's world.

Dramut watched the man, speechless.

I thought he would burn to death in the stars.

He walked over calmly and picked up the stars as if they had always belonged to him.

'It's a dream. This isn't reality.'

Dramut denied it. It's a manipulated reality. An illusion shown by someone. Yes, I must be in a hallucinatory state.

I must have been asleep for too long. Or maybe I ate something wrong. There were a lot of hallucinogenic mushrooms around, weren't there?

Dramut sped up his metabolism. If I was poisoned, detoxifying and returning to reality would be enough.

Now, when I close and open my eyes, I will return to reality.

Blink!

I closed my eyes tightly and opened them quickly.

Whoosh!

A flurry of stars poured down.

'... Damn it.'

It must have been an incredibly potent poisonous mushroom I ate this morning. Otherwise, the stars wouldn't have chosen this human, right?

The owner of the stars is like the owner of Dramut.

The previous owner, 'Wilhelm,' was a powerful human. A perfect superhuman, worthy of being Dramut's master.

The moment I met him, I realized the gap in strength. Even if I had a thousand or ten thousand, I couldn't match this human. So, I humbly acknowledged and led Wilhelm to the stars.

But look at this human.

'Not just Wilhelm, but even a golem outside is better than this human?'

There's not a hint of transcendence.

Does he even have the qualifications?

No, he doesn't.

He wasn't even prepared to possess the stars.

He's weaker than a golem outside, weaker than a rabbit on the hill.

The gap in strength between us is enormous. It's not just a difference between heaven and earth; it's a difference between dimensions.

So, when he challenged, I laughed heartily. I was sure he would burn in the stars.

But.

"Dramut, kneel."

“...”

"Ah, right. Snakes don't have legs."

This damn human is making the same demands Wilhelm made right after becoming the master.

Even the comment about not having legs is the same.

"Isn't your gaze too high for a new master?"

Sssss.

Damn it. Damn it. Damn it!

No matter how much I resist, I can't resist. Dramut's face was pressed to the ground, his body automatically reacting to match the man's eye level.

An unbreakable, perfect shackle.

It means this human is truly the master of the stars, my master.

"Good job."

Tap. Tap.

Dramut's nose was tapped, and the human laughed.

How dare he.

How dare he treat me, the guardian of the stars, called the old king, like a pet!

"I am Randolph. I look forward to working with you, old king Dramut."

“...”

"Hmm. Are you too moved to speak?"

“...”

"Alright. Let's start with exploring the sacred realm as a sign of loyalty."

This is a dream. A terrible dream!

Dramut denied reality.

But Dramut's nightmare was just beginning.

*

Thump! Thump!

Isabella's heart began to race wildly.

Because of the stars? Or because the Sacred One suddenly took the stars?

I don't know. What's certain is that she is in a state of extreme tension now.

"Isabella."

"...... Yes."

Her voice rose involuntarily.

The moment the Sacred One possessed the stars, he was no longer just a Sacred One.

He was the stars themselves. A goddess.

She was standing before a deity.

Even if she was the second-in-command of the desert metropolis of Faisalmer, even if she was revered as a princess, she could never compare to a deity.

Before a deity, she was an infinitely small existence. A speck of dust, a mere whisper of the wind.

Facing this giant, acting as a servant and governing everything, maintaining the same attitude as before would be an act of defiance.

"What will you do once the curse is lifted?"

"Leave the desert......"

"What will you do after leaving the desert?"

"...... I want to find my roots."

"The Dersian family?"

"...... Yes."

He knows everything. He sees through all the secrets.

Isabella von Dersian. She was not born in the desert. She was a noble born in the Dersian family somewhere on the continent.

She only learned she was from Dersian through the queen. The queen revealed her secret while cursing her.

But the queen also said this:

If you want to lift the curse, obey.

If you rise to the position of princess, I will lift the curse.

... The queen broke her promise.

He knows a secret she has never told anyone. Even if the stars told him, it's impossible for a Sacred One to know.

But if he is the master of the stars, the stars themselves, it's possible.

"I will bestow a blessing upon you. However, there is a condition."

"Condition...?"

"Serve me for one year. After that, I will grant you freedom and help you find your roots."

"Ah......"

"Do you think I'm lying?"

Isabella shook her head.

Then the stars laughed.

"I am not the queen. I do not lie."

Just a year of service, and he will grant freedom.

Even if it's a lie, it's fine.

As long as the curse is lifted. As long as she can escape this wretched desert.

"...... I will serve."

Isabella pledged her loyalty.

*

<<The Hall of Fame has been updated.>>

<<The ranking for 'Main Quest 2 - Obtain a Class' has changed.>>

<1st, 230 points. Randolph>

<2nd, 198 points. Gracia>

<3rd, 190 points. MintChocolateTastesGood>

<4th, 166 points. Obsidian>

<5th, 160 points. Master>

......

<<You are outside the ranking for 'Obtain a Class.'>>

<<The rights to the next 'Main Quest 2' given to 'Massacre' have been revoked.>>

<<The rights to the 'Secret Auction House' have been revoked.>>

Cough!

The sudden message made 'Massacre' frown.

"Damn, what's going on all of a sudden?"

Revocation of rights?

The rights only granted to those in the top ranks of Main Quest 2. The news that the rights to the Secret Auction House have been revoked.

'Massacre' is a ranker but has a normal class. He was barely hanging on to the edge of the top ranks of Main Quest 2, but was suddenly overtaken.

But the annoyance was short-lived.

"Randolph...... 230 points?"

Thinking he might have misread, he rubbed his eyes.

He finished Main Quest 1 with 220 points, and now it's even higher.

230 points. What kind of class could he have obtained to score that high?

I know Gracia, who is in second place, got 198 points by obtaining a super-class, the 'Sword Saint,' after transferring her secret class twice.

But 230 points?

"Is this guy really a phantom?"

Randolph. Is this guy really a phantom?

He probably is. The only one who knows all of Pangea's secrets and can obtain a class better than Gracia is a phantom.

He must have been summoned to Pangea after his character was deleted in the grand expedition.

'I will kill him. I will definitely kill him.'

Massacre gritted his teeth. No matter how good a class he obtained, he must be weak right now.

I will find him and kill him.

Whether in Pangea or in the real world. I will find him wherever he is.

'But first, I need to recover my ranking.'

Huff! 'Massacre' took a deep breath and calmly assessed the situation.

First, I need to recover my rights.

It wouldn't be that difficult.

Killing anyone in the ranks above me would naturally restore my ranking.