If you don't give the egg, the battle with the forest will begin.
But even if you do give it, there's a problem.
"Hmm. What are you doing?"
I extended the Celestial Egg, but as expected, it seemed invisible to the High Dryad.
Since the egg containing the Celestial Spirit can only be seen by me, it's only natural.
Moreover, since it's not a spirit of nature, it can't revive the forest.
Should I really run away?
Although it's painful to lose reputation when a quest fails... If I use the claw marks to build a wall and Isabella and Hudson hold out for 30 seconds, I might be able to use the teleportation book.
"Take it, inhabitants of the forest."
Just as I was seriously considering running away, Isabella stepped forward.
She then handed the Spirit Egg to the High Dryad.
The High Dryad's eyes widened to the size of saucers.
"Wind Spirit!"
The Wind Spirit Egg.
A spirit of nature that can revive the dead forest!
Judging by its size and the aura it emits, the forest will gain even more vitality and grow larger than before.
The Wind Spirit is far more suitable for growing the forest than the Earth Spirit.
The High Dryad's eyes filled with joy.
"Thank you, truly thank you! You are the saviors and friends of our forest!"
"O Forest!"
"Hurrah!"
The Dryads watching also cheered excitedly.
At the same time.
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A message appeared, indicating that the quest was completed.
But the message didn't really register.
... To be honest, I was a bit surprised. I never imagined that Isabella would so readily give the Spirit Egg she obtained by overcoming the trials at the Spirit Tower.
She must know the value of the spirits.
In fact, she knows it too well, which is a problem.
"..."
When I stared at her, Isabella shrugged.
As if it was no big deal.
Only then did I realize that this was also part of the 'service' I had ordered her to perform.
Instead of escaping the desert, Isabella had sworn to serve me for a year.
By giving up her own possession, she showed her dedication and willingness to serve.
"We must celebrate today!"
The High Dryad began to dance with a broad smile.
*
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< Your Guardian Wall has dropped to 5Lv. >
Massacre, who was waiting in front of the Tower of Devotion, frowned.
'What the hell is this?'
He was waiting patiently for the person he assumed to be Randolph, but suddenly his rank dropped.
And with the drop in rank, the level of his Guardian Wall also decreased.
'I put so much effort into climbing the Tower of the Storm...!'
For Main Quest 3, if you rank within the top 100, you are given a 'Guardian Wall'.
From 10th to 100th place, everyone gets a 1Lv Guardian Wall, but from 1st to 9th place, the level of the 'Guardian Wall' varies by rank.
Gracia spent months leveling up to climb the tower to get a higher-level Guardian Wall.
As a result, Gracia achieved an impressive 219 points and obtained a 10Lv Guardian Wall.
Massacre did the same.
He put his heart and soul into conquering the 'Tower of the Storm' and ranked 5th, securing a 6Lv Guardian Wall.
The Guardian Wall protects the 'real' body when logged out.
No matter how high Pangea's level is, if the real body dies, it's all for nothing.
However, there are few functions that can protect the real body as effectively as the 'Shattered Golden Rule Fragment'.
It's not possible to keep a protective talisman active all the time.
That's why everyone tried so hard to climb the towers.
Crack!
'Phantom. No, Randolph...!'
I feel like I'm going to die from frustration.
Once a main quest is completed, you can't challenge it again.
If I'm this angry, how must Gracia feel, having had her first place taken away three times already?
Gracia spent months leveling up under the worst conditions to get a 10-level Guardian Wall.
Even without prioritizing the main quest, she managed to reach level 7.
She climbed the Tower of the Immortals, risking her life.
Yet, despite achieving 219 points...
What tower did that damn Randolph climb to get 240 points?
'What kind of trick did he use?'
It's clear that he climbed a tower of a higher grade than the Tower of the Immortals.
It's definitely not a normal tower.
Phantom has mastered all the knowledge of Pangea, so he must have used a bug. Otherwise, it doesn't make sense.
Huff! Huff!
Massacre tried to calm his breathing.
"Damn it! What a dog's life!!"
But no matter how hard he tried to calm down, his anger didn't subside.
*
When I entered the Hall of Fame, the following text appeared.
1st place is still 1st, but it's clearly different from before.
'The upgrade in the level of the benefit.'
By securing 1st place in Main Quest 3, the Tower Climbing, I obtained the benefit known as the Guardian Wall.
I immediately read the description of the Guardian Wall.
γGuardian Wall (11Lv)γ
β Protects and warns the logged-out body from danger.
β The strength of protection varies according to the level of the Guardian Wall.
β A 11-level Guardian Wall nullifies attacks of 1-star or lower for 30 seconds.
My eyes widened.
'I can breathe a sigh of relief.'
This benefit is one of the most crucial things I need.
When I log in as Pangea, it protects the real Park Hyun-myeong, and when I return to reality, it protects Pangea's Randolph.
It's an absolute defense that nullifies 1-star attacks for 30 seconds, even beyond level 10!
'The 11th level is due to the score breaking the limit, upgrading from the 10th level.'
It seems that the level of the benefit can be upgraded based on the score.
Moreover, 30 seconds is enough time to regroup and return.
'The remaining time of the Shattered Golden Rule Fragment is now 72 hours.'
The reward for 1st place is not just that.
The remaining time of the Shattered Golden Rule Fragment has been extended by 24 hours, making it 72 hours in total. The more remaining time, the better for the future.
"Thank you, Holy Seer. I never dreamed I would obtain a spirit."
While the Dryads were dancing and celebrating, Hudson approached and said.
Hudson had obtained a Water Spirit Egg.
Given his talent for 'water,' it was a natural result.
"To formally contract, we need to hatch it first."
"Yes. When I return, I need to buy an 'Incubator' first."
The most common method to hatch a Spirit Egg is to use an Incubator.
It can be used for a very high price at the Spirit Association, which exists in a few major cities.
"What kind of egg did you get, Holy Seer?"
"I don't know."
"...... What?"
Hudson blinked at my answer.
But what can I do? It's the truth.
I have a Celestial Spirit, but I don't know its nature.
I don't know if 'Celestial' refers to the Demon World, the Divine World, or another world.
"Hehehe!"
"Hahaha!"
"Let's play! Let's spin! Let's dance!"
The Dryads danced in a circle, forming a ring.
"......"
And in the center, there was Isabella.
Isabella, who gifted the Wind Spirit, was the most honored guest among us.
But Isabella just stood awkwardly, not knowing what to do.
'I'm lucky I got two eggs.'
Isabella obtained two eggs while climbing the Spirit Tower.
I should have known. She gave one so easily because she had another.
Still, it was a difficult choice. Spirit Eggs are incredibly valuable.
Moreover, spirits obtained from the 'Spirit Tower' are much more powerful than ordinary spirits.
'Giving a thousand-year-old mandrake as a gift.'
Isabella held two human-shaped plants, mandrakes, in her hands.
The ultimate medicinal herb that has lived for a thousand years by absorbing the yang energy of the forest.
Eating such a medicinal herb can lead to the blossoming of a new talent.
Of course, I have no more talents to blossom, so it wouldn't make much difference for me.
"I want to hatch it as soon as possible. A spirit will surely help me solve my problems."
Hudson's eyes were full of excitement.
Is he imagining a future of hunting with a spirit?
The path from 9 to 10. It might be impossible alone, but with a spirit, it could be possible.
"Before that, there's a place we need to go together."
"Is there somewhere else we need to visit?"
"Yes."
"I will follow you no matter what."
Nodding, Hudson clenched his fist with a determined look.
He seemed ready to follow me to the ends of the earth.
I smiled.
Follow me no matter what?
"I hope you keep that promise."
*
"......"
Hudson regretted his words about following me no matter what.
He could only stare blankly at the territory in front of him, beyond the warp.
"Wh-Why... this place...?"
"Do you know where this is?"
"The territory of the Wiser Marquess family in the Balan Kingdom...?"
He couldn't help but know.
Serengeti.
The place where she, who had promised a future with me and had her legs amputated during the Great Expedition, was.
Hudson's body wavered.
He wasn't mentally prepared to meet her.
He hadn't even become a city councilor, let alone reached level 10.
But he didn't understand why the Holy Seer came here with him. Could it be that the Holy Seer was trying to arrange a meeting between him and Serengeti?
"Go, we need to go together..."
Swallowing hard again, Hudson asked, and I nodded firmly.
"This is the place."
The Balan Kingdom, consisting of 13 major cities.
Among them, the place known as the 'Garden of Knights'.
But I didn't come here for Hudson.
'The end of the Great Expedition, the day of the battle with the Demon King.'