Seeds of Life (1)
“Nngh……”
After a good, long rest, Hyun-soo stretched and rose, feeling the accumulated fatigue finally melt away.
Now, time to plant the Saint's Sword back in its original spot.
Hyun-soo logged straight into Ares.
Once connected, he set off alongside the NPC Karn.
As they walked together, a certain thought crossed Hyun-soo's mind.
It was about the dual class Saint.
‘Hints about the dual class Saint will keep popping up as long as I stay in Atlas. I might even job-change soon.’
That was what Hyun-soo was mulling over.
‘But after switching to a dual class, you can’t equip weapons. And with the Second Ares coming, dual classes are going to flood the game……’
It was inevitable.
Over four years, players had grown stronger and craved fresh content.
Dual classes would deliver that new thrill.
‘Should I job-change to a dual class before the Second Ares even starts?’
There would be so many dual classes out there.
Was it worth grabbing one just because the opportunity presented itself?
‘Maybe I can snag something even better.’
And crucially, Hyun-soo still had no clue what powers the dual class Saint actually held.
‘It might not even synergize with me.’
Sometimes, mismatched class combos were better left alone.
‘Well, planting the Saint's Sword should reveal something.’
Hyun-soo slotted the Saint's Sword back into its original groove.
This was reversing the initial setup—originally, pulling the sword had triggered the quest.
Please pull the Saint's Sword.
Hyun-soo hadn't implemented any "unpullable" mechanic for the sword from the start.
With a firm tug, it slid free with a smooth shunk.
You have pulled the Saint's Sword.
‘Oh……?’
Hyun-soo grinned at the bonus seeds.
You possess a large number of Seeds of Life.
‘Hm?’
Hyun-soo frowned in confusion.
Why specifically call out how many he had?
“I promised to share more about the Saint once you pulled the sword, my lord.”
This was the moment Hyun-soo had been waiting for.
Karn zeroed in on exactly what intrigued him most.
“The Saint wielded a most extraordinary power—one so unique, even I can scarcely believe it.”
Hyun-soo leaned in, ears perked.
“His power shifted from moment to moment.”
“Shifted?”
Hyun-soo blinked, puzzled.
“Yes. At times, he borrowed the might of Ares Church's greatest pope from legend. When battling dragons, he channeled the strength of Kanzar, the ancient Dragon Slayer.”
Borrowed to fight.
That word hooked Hyun-soo.
Karn continued.
“In essence, he could summon the powers of history's mightiest legends.”
“……!?”
Hyun-soo's eyes widened.
Borrow the strength of those whose tales endured?
It hit way too close to home for Hyun-soo.
“Karn, hold on. You know about……”
“Yes, my lord.”
Hyun-soo's voice rose with excitement.
“……the Saga Stone?”
“……?”
Karn recoiled in shock at the name.
“Of course. The Saga Stone was forged 800 years ago when the Saint infused his power into exceptional ore.”
So, the one Arte had given him was the Saint's handiwork.
And the Saga Stone had a standout trait in Hyun-soo's mind.
He pulled up the screenshot he'd taken of its info.
Grade: Legend
Restrictions: Level 400+ Blacksmith
Difficulty: Supreme
Special Ability:
· Artifact effects scale from 50% to 350% based on how perfectly the story is recreated.
· For swords: 50% cutting power with no story; 50-100% with a decent tale; 100-250% if you craft an inimitable legend.
A special ore that embodies stories.
The Saga Stone literally drew power from tales.
Hyun-soo's Twin Dragon Swords had been forged from this legendary ore.
Fun fact: He'd crafted artifacts from multiple legend-grade ores before.
None had yielded transcendent results.
But the Saga Stone produced two.
Hyun-soo was convinced it was the stories.
The description proved it.
His deep knowledge of the Twin Dragon Swords had helped, sure.
‘Effects rise 50% to 350% based on story recreation.’
350%.
Mind-blowing.
Artifacts could hit that peak.
Though "perfect recreation" was vague.
One certainty: Korea's greatest legend—Admiral Yi Sun-sin and his Twin Dragon Swords—paired with flawless forging had maxed the system's boost.
‘With the right epic tale and skill to back it, Saga Stone might rival transcendent ores.’
That's why he'd asked Arte where it came from.
The sage didn't know the source.
Hyun-soo thought that was the end of it.
Until now.
“I've obtained a Saga Stone before. This one……”
“Matches the location I know. But how did you reach it……”
The place Karn knew was uncharted even for lords.
Those who'd fetched Saga Stones there? Absolute Shield Peya and Grand Mage Ruwon.
“Are there Saga Stones elsewhere?”
“Unknown. Maybe none exist.”
Hyun-soo sighed.
Then Karn eyed the Twin Dragon Swords.
“But my lord, do you need Saga Stones that badly?”
Desperately.
“Half my artifact power comes from stories. Even without Saga Stone, they're elite. But infused? They could be godlike.”
Leveling up the elite is toughest.
Here was a breakthrough—now gone.
Regrettable.
But Karn's eyes lit up.
“Then isn't there a simple solution, my lord?”
Simple?
Hyun-soo tilted his head.
It didn't track.
“The Saint merely infused power into fine ore to create Saga Stones.”
Karn smiled meaningfully.
“Meaning the Saint could turn ore into Saga Stone.”
“……!?”
Hyun-soo got it.
“If you become the Saint, you might gain that power.”
Hyun-soo muttered unconsciously.
“Ore creation……”
“Exactly. He just infused—the concept is ore creation.”
Hyun-soo marveled.
“Karn, I'm thrilled you're my subject.”
He could've hugged the man.
Still, same old dilemma.
Dual classes would proliferate.
Was Saint enough?
Not quite.
But ore creation? Sold.
“Karn, know how to get the Saint class line?”
Pre-sword-pull, Karn wouldn't have spilled.
Probably a quest detour.
But his lord had cleared it all.
“Simple again.”
Karn recalled Atlas's ruin under dragon breath long ago.
“Gather as many Seeds of Life as possible. Wouldn't the Saint deem you worthy?”
Job Quest: Seeds of Life
📍 Grade: ???
📍 Restrictions: Lord of Atlas
📍 Reward: Dual Class Saint
📍 Failure Penalty: Cannot job-change to Saint
You are the Lord of Atlas. Gather as many Seeds of Life as possible through quests, monster hunts, and all else.
“How many?”
“Even I don't know. More is better, no?”
Agreed.
Seeds revived Atlas's ancients.
One surprise, though.
‘Job-change guide NPC doesn't know the quota? Wild for Ares.’
‘They said China planned this territory, right?’
From Team Leader Wang.
‘Story planning's a mess.’
But Hyun-soo was wrong.
China branch's planning was flawless.
Just crumbling under him.
***
China branch head Tao frantically fired up a video call.
Atlas—all of it, even the Saint—was their design.
Soon, CEO Lee Se-jin's face appeared.
—I've heard the updates, Branch Head Tao.
Se-jin's voice was steady.
But that calm hid a blade at Tao's throat.
This was all on him.
Yet bigger worries loomed.
“User Hyun-soo has over 500 Seeds of Life.”
Yes—the seed quest had just triggered, and he was already past 500.
Fear of mass awakenings?
No.
“He's nearing one of the Absolute Monarch conditions.”
Only three Absolute Monarchs in Second Ares.
As the path to kingship, Purum predicted: one king in 2 years; several in 2.5; many by year 4.
Among them, three elite kings—a class unto itself.
—Absolute Monarch…… You mean the Saint's superior class.
Spot on.
Saint was for lords.
Even as Saint, ascending to one-of-three kings was tough.
—Reach it, and you'd get it upon kingship anyway.
True.
But Tao felt dizzy.
Saint's upgrade.
Se-jin sympathized somewhat.
—Seeds aren't normally farmable that way. He'd need astronomical numbers, right?
Yes—that eased Tao.
Maybe needless panic.
But Se-jin added:
—Don't get complacent.
And his expression turned intrigued.
—It was a class for three kings that might go unclaimed.
True.
Conditions too harsh.
Se-jin named them.
First king:
—Hegemon King. The undefeated strongest.
Second:
—Tyrant King. Blood-mad terror of the continent.
Last:
—Sage King. Leader of a continent.
The one Hyun-soo might claim: Sage King.