The result of rolling a die two steps above the two thrones.
There was nothing to discard from the ten items.
'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.
And yet, they were thrown away as main quest rewards. These were treasures that required blood, sweat, and tears to obtain.
'...All ten items are treasures that drop only when hunting specific raid monsters.'
But there was a reason to hesitate.
I am 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 made me hesitate.
Up until the first year of Pangea, it would be natural to complete the Michel set first.
'The Amulet of Protection. It can activate a safe zone to prevent attacks from monsters in the field.'
In this game, if you don't log out in a designated place, you will be brutally killed.
However, as the game progresses, 'save points' tend to decrease. This is when items like the 'Amulet of Protection' that set up safe zones become essential.
It's not just for logging out; it's also desperately needed 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, you might be spitting blood trying to find the Gills of the Sea.
So, it would be a wise decision to get them in advance.
The Anvil is not necessary. I have the hidden skill of Handiness, so I can quickly level up my production skills with a forge, but I am not a blacksmith.
The Flag and the Red Steed are also not important to me. Giving the flag to a specific kingdom can earn a knighthood, but it ties you down, and the Red Steed is a mount, but I already have the soul of a hydra.
Among these, the one that most appeals to me is undoubtedly the Shadow Cloak.
'The Shadow Cloak.'
A cloak that hides the wearer in the shadows.
It's like getting a free Stealth skill.
As long as the cloak doesn't break, it's permanent, making it 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?
Without hesitation, I chose the Shadow Cloak.
Now, only one remains.
I shone my eyes and stroked my chin.
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, it's hard to tell if this place is reality or a dream.
Of course, all this happened only in the world of Dramut.
Dramut watched the man, speechless.
I thought he would burn to death in the stars.
He walked over confidently 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. Maybe there were too many hallucinogenic mushrooms around?
Dramut sped up his metabolism. If I was poisoned, I just need to detox and return to reality.
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.
'...What the hell.'
It must have been an incredibly potent poisonous mushroom I ate this morning. Otherwise, the stars wouldn't choose 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 power. Even if I had a thousand or ten thousand of me, I couldn't match him. So, I humbly acknowledged and led Wilhelm to the stars.
But look at this human.
'Not even Wilhelm, but a human weaker than the golems outside?'
There's not a hint of transcendence.
Does he even have the qualifications?
No, he doesn't.
He's not even prepared to wield the stars.
He's weaker than the golems outside, weaker than a rabbit on the hill.
The gap in power 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. 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.
"Is your gaze too high when facing 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, flawless 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?"
「······.」
"Fine. Let's start with exploring the sanctuary 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 saint suddenly took the stars?
I don't know. What's certain is that she is in a state of extreme tension.
"Isabella."
"······ Yes."
She raised her voice without realizing it.
The moment the saint took the stars, he was no longer just a saint.
He was the stars themselves. A goddess.
She is standing before a god.
Even if she is the second-in-command of the desert metropolis of Faisalmer, even if she is revered as a princess, she can't compare to a goddess.
Before a god, she is an infinitely small being. A speck of dust, a feather in the wind.
In front of this giant, she is like a servant, governing everything. To maintain the same attitude as before is 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 her secrets.
Isabella von Dersian. She was not born in the desert. She is a noble born in the Dersian family somewhere on the continent.
She learned she was from the Dersian family from 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 reach the position of princess, I will lift the curse.
...The queen did not keep her promise.
He knows secrets she has never told anyone. Even if the stars told him, it's impossible for a saint to know.
But if he is the master of the stars, if he is the stars themselves, it is possible.
"I will bestow a blessing upon you. However, there is a condition."
"A 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 serve for one year, and I will grant you freedom.
Even if it's a lie, it's fine.
As long as the curse is lifted. As long as I can escape this wretched desert.
"······ I will serve."
Isabella pledged her loyalty.
*
<>
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Cough!
The sudden message made 'Massacre' frown.
"What the hell, suddenly?"
Deprivation of rights?
The rights that are only revealed 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 high-ranking player but has a normal class. He barely clung to the bottom of the top ranks of Main Quest 2 but was suddenly overtaken.
But the annoyance was short-lived.
"Randolph... 230 points?"
Thinking he had seen it wrong, he rubbed his eyes.
He finished Main Quest 1 with 220 points, and now it's even higher.
230 points. What class could he have gotten to achieve such a score?
I know that Gracia, who is in second place, got the super class 'Sword Saint' by obtaining two secret classes and scored 198 points.
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 and the secret to obtaining 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 got, he must be weak right now.
I will find him and kill him.
Whether in Pangea or in reality. I will find him wherever he is.
'But first, I need to recover my rank.'
Huff! 'Massacre' took a deep breath and calmly assessed the situation.
First, I need to recover my rights.
It wouldn't be that difficult.
As long as I kill anyone in the ranks above me, my rank will be restored.