Each item was so astonishing that it could make one's eyes widen.
Even after topping the main quest rankings four times in a row, there were still things that I couldn't afford.
Of course, they were items of such value that anyone would covet.
The first line alone was mind-blowing.
A Mythical Species' Egg.
Even Dramut, the Guardian of the Stars, is a type of Mythical Species.
Mythical Species are so extraordinary that they are treated as at least Elite Raid Boss Monsters.
But I was flustered for a different reason.
‘The Fang of the White King, Eldrich's Cursed Black Magic Book, Dragon's Heart.’
These names were familiar.
It couldn't be helped.
‘...These were the main materials I used to craft Unique-grade items.’
The stiffness I felt at that moment made me clutch the back of my neck.
If not for the Heart of the Iron-Blooded Overlord, I might have been spouting curses by now.
Unique. Items that can only exist as a single instance, of the Divine grade. The materials that were central to crafting such Unique-grade items were now listed in the Golden Rule Shop.
It could be a coincidence that the same materials appeared, but no matter how I thought about it, it didn't make sense.
‘The White King wouldn't pull out two of his fangs.’
The White King, or the Lord of the North, also known as Baekje.
That massive White Tiger is a semi-divine Mythical Species.
When I played as Wilhelm, I struggled for a month to obtain one of his fangs. He was so swift and adept at ambushes that I nearly died several times.
‘Even Wilhelm gave up on killing him.’
In the end, we reached a mutual agreement and went our separate ways.
In exchange for never setting foot in the North again, the White King handed over one of his fangs.
So unless someone had killed the White King, there was no way his fang would be in the Golden Rule Shop.
The only possibility was...
‘...After Wilhelm died.’
That would mean the Golden Rule Shop was somehow related to the whereabouts of the Unique-grade items Wilhelm possessed after his death.
Wilhelm had eight Unique-grade items.
There were fifteen Unique-grade items in Pangea, and Wilhelm had more than half of them.
But in this game, when a character dies, everything is lost.
The same goes for the items they possess.
When Wilhelm died, the eight Unique-grade items vanished.
But they didn't completely disappear.
“This is ridiculous...”
It was absurd.
The goddess, who was supposed to be fair and just, was collecting items from corpses, breaking them down, and reselling them.
While it might be better to reuse them rather than have them disappear completely...
Of course, the owner of the Golden Rule Shop might not be the goddess. There was no way to know the criteria or basis for items appearing in the shop.
Still, the back of my neck tingled.
It felt as if someone was dancing on my corpse, taking everything I had.
‘It was strange that the goddess's blessing was invoked when I recited the prayer of veneration.’
Was she trying to help a little, out of a guilty conscience?
Thinking about it, the one who killed Wilhelm was the goddess.
While he would have been taken over by the Demon King even if he had done nothing, I couldn't believe the goddess was purely good.
‘Not just Wilhelm. It's related to the deaths of all characters.’
Moreover, this wasn't just about Wilhelm.
For example, the Chalice of the Earth Deity was something I had never seen before.
But I knew who had it.
‘The Chalice of the Earth Deity. The chalice possessed by the Saint of the Earth, Albricht.’
There were rumors that he had died.
The Earth Deity Church suddenly started searching for the chalice.
It was hard to believe, but seeing the Chalice of the Earth Deity here confirmed that Albricht was indeed dead.
If that was the case, there was information to be gleaned from the Golden Rule Shop.
‘By looking at the items on the list, I could figure out who had died.’
Many people must have learned of Wilhelm's death for the same reason.
After confirming his death from the Golden Rule Shop, the news about the Eight Dragons and so on must have spread quickly.
‘Since they haven't been sold yet, it's safe to assume that almost no one has accumulated 1,000 hours of Golden Rule.’
The materials central to crafting Unique-grade items.
If I could afford them, I would definitely buy them. If I had the time, I wouldn't hesitate.
‘...Or maybe everything that could be sold has already been sold.’
I frowned.
If they were sold, who bought them?
Naturally, it would be the top players who consistently dominate the Hall of Fame.
Currently, the top players are Gracia, Mintchoco, Black Obsidian, Master, Carnage, Dark Star, and Baramus.
‘I can't underestimate the top players.’
I had to be cautious.
Wilhelm's Unique-grade items were now out in the world. Even if I don't know how many, the power level of those who obtained them must have increased significantly.
Just having the materials doesn't mean you can craft the items, but the top players might be even stronger than I expected.
‘What should I do?’
I had to think about it.
Should I save or spend?
But my contemplation didn't last long.
‘The more main quests I complete, the more fragments of the Broken Golden Rule I can obtain.’
I was confident about this.
Only a select few could buy these items, but I wasn't worried about the quest rankings.
No one understands and plays this game better than I do.
‘There are five items that can be bought with 140 hours.’
The Blessed Supreme Elixir regenerates a lost body.
The Universal Core allows for enhancement regardless of the type of material or soul.
The Cataclysm Talisman changes all special options on equipment.
The Moonlight Butterfly Talisman adds the Moonlight Butterfly option.
The Golden Branch is a material for the legendary sword Durendal.
Each of these items is almost impossible to obtain.
《You have purchased the ‘Blessed Supreme Elixir’.》
《You have purchased the ‘Cataclysm Talisman’.》
《You have purchased the ‘Moonlight Butterfly Talisman’.》
After buying three of them, I smiled in satisfaction.
Especially the Cataclysm and Moonlight Butterfly Talismans were as rare as the Tears of the Fairy Queen.
‘Excellent.’
I nodded lightly.
My level increased, and I obtained two excellent talismans and an elixir.
I now knew the purpose of the Golden Rule Shop, so the next step was to charge ahead.
The next main quest was one I had to win.
However,
‘...How thoroughly I can crush them.’
That was the only difference.
*
Hudson's eyes began to tremble violently.
The lower half of Serengeti's body, which had been lost, was gradually regenerating.
“Blessed Supreme Elixir...!”
Even a single drop caused flesh to grow and bones to form.
The Blessed Supreme Elixir is an extremely rare item, with fewer than ten produced by the Goddess Church each year. It is a treasure that only those with the right can see.
‘Players can obtain it from the Golden Rule Shop, but...’
It requires 30 hours of the Broken Golden Rule.
30 hours of the Golden Rule.
It's called 30 hours, but almost no one has that much time unless they are a top player.
Naturally, a question arose.
‘Is the Holy Knight a player...?’
Hudson didn't know the Holy Knight's name.
He had never heard it or seen him speak.
But he wasn't particularly curious.
The Holy Knight was a name and a title in itself.
However, here, the Holy Knight became the successor to the Knight King.
He met Serengeti and generously gave her an elixir that only top players could obtain.
Was he a player?
‘...Does it matter now?’
Whether he is a player or not, the fact that he is someone to follow remains unchanged.
The only savior who could save Serengeti.
If not for him, Hudson would never have met Serengeti again.
So, it didn't matter.
If he is a player, he could repay the favor received in Pangea in the real world.
It might be difficult here, but it could be possible in the real world.
“Drop one drop every two hours. It will take a full month to completely regenerate.”
“Then I'll have to stay by her side for a month.”
“I'll tell Duke Wiser. The Blessed Elixir works best when applied by someone who doesn't have a rejection reaction.”
“...Thank you, Holy Knight!”
A proposal Duke Wiser couldn't refuse.
With her lower half lost, Serengeti's future would be bleak, so he made it impossible to separate Hudson from her.
Indeed, he was a savior.
Hudson would never forget this favor, even in death.
“Randolph.”
“Huh?!”
Hudson coughed repeatedly, as if struck by a chill.
“Cough! Cough!”
He couldn't calm down easily.
He couldn't believe the name he had just heard.
Randolph!
Wasn't he the hottest topic among players recently?
Randolph is currently the most likely candidate for ‘Phantom (Phantom)’.
Phantom's top character is, of course, the Knight King Wilhelm...
‘Ah!’
When he thought that far, Hudson shuddered as if struck by lightning.
‘Unbelievable!’
The greatest and most secretive figure. Phantom was a legendary character to everyone who played Pangea.
The achievements of the characters believed to be Phantom are countless.
Just hearing about them made his heart race.
So, he must have heard wrong.
‘It can't be.’
Logically.
Could it be that the legendary Phantom was standing right in front of him?
A figure that was a mere legend revealing his true identity to him?
It was laughable.
“Serengeti called your name as soon as she opened her eyes.”
“...”
“If the White Knight believes it, I can believe it too.”
“...”
...It seems I didn't hear wrong.
“Ah...”
Tears streamed down Hudson's eyes.
Was it because he revealed his name? No, it was more than that.
He didn't know, but...
‘Phantom was a ray of light to me.’
To Hudson, Phantom was a light.
In the game, a character he loved more than reality, whose existence brought vitality to Pangea.
At first, everyone thought this place was fake.
Pangea was just a game world.
Everything happening to them was just a god's prank.
But Phantom explored this world seriously, more deeply than reality.
He showed everyone that this place was not just a game, but another reality.
The most brilliant light illuminating Pangea.
That was how Hudson saw Phantom.
“Is it so moving to know my name?”
“Yes.”
“...”
“It's so moving that I regret not recognizing you sooner.”
Why didn't I recognize him?
If he is Phantom, everything makes sense.
“I will take this secret to my grave, My Lord.”
“...My Lord?”
It was beyond comprehension.
“Yes, My Lord.”
Hudson's eyes were so serious that it felt like his face would crack.
Huff. He let out a small sigh.
“Just call me as you did before.”
“But... how can someone like me...”
“Shut up.”
“Yes, Holy Knight.”
He barely restrained himself from kicking him.
“I will return in a month to lift the curse. Until then, protect her from the Duke and the Duke's men.”
Serengeti is a Transcender.
Once the curse is lifted and her body is normalized, she will have many needs.
“Yes. I will protect her with my life.”
Nodding frantically, Hudson finally felt something was off.
“...But in a month? Where are you going?”
“To the Northern Fortress.”
“The Northern Fortress... Could it be the monster city Kramdel? Isn't that a place where humans can't enter?”
Kramdel, the monster city.
A city ruled by non-humans.
A place where humans are attacked upon entry.
An invincible fortress under the protection of the White King, a place with abundant resources that humans can't touch.
Going there?
“Yes. To Kramdel.”
His answer was simple.
Hudson's face turned pale.
“It's dangerous. Moreover, finding a warp is impossible...”
Even Transcenders avoid Kramdel.
It's a place filled with intelligent monsters, Mythical Species, and unknown entities.
The location of the warp connected to the city changes constantly.
Only qualified guide monsters know the location of the warp.
‘I can find the path with a mutation.’
But there was no worry.
One of the 13 hidden traits, mutation.
With this hidden trait, he could find the hidden warp.
‘I will complete the next main quest in a way only I know.’
A city where humans can't enter.
He planned to go there and complete the fifth main quest, ‘Obtain the Mystery,’ in a special way known only to him.
*
Priest Andrew.
He was praying in front of the statue of the goddess.
He had seen it clearly.
‘O Goddess.’
The form of the goddess that appeared when he recited the prayer of veneration.
It was hard to believe, but it was definitely the goddess.
The goddess kissed the successor to the Knight King.
This was the first time he had seen such a phenomenon in his time as a priest, so he couldn't help but pray.
The goddess, who never appeared no matter how much he prayed.
There are only a few who have actually seen the goddess in the Goddess Church.