Royal Shop (1)
Hyun-soo couldn't understand it.
He had long since filled the blessing to 100%, fulfilling the quest conditions for Grant Me Your Blessing.
But no notification had come for ages, and now he knew why.
You have achieved tremendous feats in an incredibly short time.
By annihilating a total force of 6,000 with just 4,000 troops, you have solidly established your position as a sage king's heir.
Additionally, one of your guild members achieved victory by overpowering the masses with unparalleled strength.
Looking back, defeating the rebels and Chinese users totaling 6,000 was an incredibly bizarre and remarkable feat.
Bringing in Bahala to block the users pushing in alone was too.
Atlas Territory's shop is even more special.
Acquiring territory contribution points here is more difficult than in existing territories.
Yet in such circumstances, you have succeeded in accessing the Royal Shop.
Everything was comprehensive.
Shaking hands with others through the sage king's quest Grant Me Your Blessing, repelling the enemy army.
The fact he'd just learned.
'Atlas's contribution points are harder to raise than elsewhere.'
Hyun-soo had uniquely earned 150,000 contribution points.
The sage king pondered long and concluded you deserve this.
The Wielder of Legends can access it upon using Grant Me Your Blessing one final time.
In other words, a reward was due, but deliberations dragged on whether it was fitting now.
Timing exists for everything, after all.
'The original reward for 100% contribution was Wielder of Legends.'
Pledge your loyalty to me.
Shortened to pledge-loyalty, he checked it.
◈ Special Abilities:
· When someone with power acknowledged by the system pledges loyalty to you or seeks to join your guild, you can receive a blessing.
· However, the blessing obtained is 50% of Grant Me Your Blessing.
· If you first invite someone to become your vassal, depending on their story and various factors, it may evoke greater respect, loyalty, and such emotions, potentially making them your vassal.
· It may react if someone who might pledge loyalty is nearby.
· However, it must be someone with power acknowledged by the system.
Hyun-soo nearly screamed.
Prior notifications had explained it.
The sage king was the ruler who embraced the continent's strongest.
His vassals were countless and exceptional.
This power proved and demonstrated it.
'I can invite them too, and depending on his current situation, it could foster loyalty like a lord's grace...'
A lord's grace was ultimately probabilistic.
Moreover, it didn't activate unless Hyun-soo proposed first.
The reason this was absurdly overpowered.
'Though it's only 50% of Grant Me Your Blessing, this differs vastly from it.'
That stark difference was the number of uses.
Like how even the most outstanding consumable artifact couldn't beat permanence.
'This is permanent.'
Even after 2 years, 5 years, 10 years. If someone acknowledged by the system became his guild member or vassal, he could receive the blessing.
This single title also hinted at the sage king's path.
'I will command the continent's strongest and most numerous.'
Endless shivers enveloped him.
He couldn't apply it to anyone right now.
But the more it activated, the more pledged loyalty.
'Weak Atlas will vanish, and a colossal Atlas will rise.'
Sage King. And ancient Atlas Territory would reveal its true power.
Shivering with thrill, Hyun-soo soon faced reality.
"First, we gotta get past this crisis..."
Bahala would guard the pass until Lukio arrived.
But everyone would eventually reach Atlas.
Shortest a month, longest two.
But as the notification said, Atlas's Royal Territory Shop was more special than ordinary territory shops.
'There must be things unique to this Atlas Royal Shop.'
Hyun-soo clicked the Royal Shop.
Most items were the same as the regular shop.
Hyun-soo's expression hardened upon confirming the special ones.
Atlas's were dormant.
Couldn't buy soldiers, but could awaken the sleeping ones.
The problem: too expensive.
'1,000 points for one ordinary soldier... Even using all mine, barely 150. Knights, maybe five.'
And Awaken Talent.
'Talents mean commanders like Bon.'
That required a whopping 500,000 points.
But compared to soldiers and knights, talents didn't feel overpriced.
'Bon was a legendary-level NPC.'
Issue was, awakening them didn't guarantee loyalty.
Past Bon only planted hope he might pledge to Hyun-soo.
Plus, Hyun-soo lacked 500,000 points.
'Awakening talents for 500,000 is wasteful.'
As he walked the sage king's path, they'd awaken naturally.
Other items matched the regular shop.
Good thing: they were dirt cheap.
'With 150,000 points scraped together, I can build some foundation to hold out.'
But just a foundation—no way to hold with this alone.
Another eye-catcher.
Talent Check revealed what talents lived in Atlas.
One realization sent chills down his spine.
"...I've had nearby talents?"
Today, he'd gained Pledge your loyalty to me.
Question.
Did awakened Atlas talents pledge to Hyun-soo?
No.
Even level 480s Bon hadn't, and unknown talents likely wouldn't upon awakening.
Yet they'd stay in Atlas regardless.
Pledge your loyalty to me's drawback: needed connection with exceptional talents first.
And such talents were limited.
'If I win their hearts after awakening, can I apply Pledge your loyalty to me?'
Hyun-soo resolved to buy Talent Check someday to see who was there.
A privilege to decide awakening order.
Meanwhile, he kept checking for other specials.
"There has to be something. Please. There has to be."
So far, no way to stop world rankers in the Royal Shop.
Hyun-soo held his breath searching, then spotted something unusual.
Hyun-soo checked the details.
***
CEO Lee Se-jin.
He was watching the red dots on the supercomputer Ares's screen.
As mentioned, red dots targeted Hyun-soo and Atlas.
They'd nearly doubled in a day.
"...A user's excellence exposes him to danger."
The Desire Dagger he'd made.
It would yield immense power later, but couldn't save Hyun-soo now.
Hyun-soo's Royal Shop view.
CEO Lee Se-jin knew its contents.
"Even the Royal Shop holds no salvation for current Atlas."
Then Se-jin's face turned puzzled.
User Hyun-soo was reading details on a purchase item called Another Atlas.
Se-jin checked Another Atlas's details too.
You can create and apply a fake Atlas. This fake Atlas is identical to the current developed Atlas in every way. Even if troops, knights, and talents possessed by the current Atlas die in the fake Atlas, they do not actually die, and the fake Atlas lasts for 3 days.
"Another Atlas is useful for hiding Atlas's current location."
Because it created a fake one.
People would believe it was real Atlas.
"User Hyun-soo could use that fake Atlas to masquerade as his real territory, draw people in, and briefly hide the true Atlas."
What Lee Se-jin meant to point out.
"It's only temporary."
Users weren't fools.
They'd quickly realize there was a real Atlas beyond the fake.
In short, it only delayed by 1-2 weeks at best.
Too easily exposed, solving no core issue.
"The core is people's greed for user Hyun-soo—they'll persuade or subdue him by any means for artifacts."
Yet Hyun-soo kept staring, pondering something.
Then.
-...This could stop those targeting me.
Se-jin tilted his head.
User Hyun-soo seemed to grasp hiding location temporarily with the fake Atlas.
But unaware it solved no core problem?
-Hiding function is useless.
'He knows it's useless?'
That meant he'd found another way.
'Make targeters stop with fake Atlas?'
Perhaps user Hyun-soo had seen a use for Another Atlas that even he missed.
Se-jin, genius scientist. His face flushed noticeably as he watched.
Just what was that plan.
What could he do with a mere fake Atlas.
***
"...This is the way to stop targeting Atlas?"
Nel checked Another Atlas and sighed.
"It only hides the territory."
Trying to ground him in reality.
But Hyun-soo said,
"Why hide the real Atlas?"
"Pardon?"
Nel couldn't comprehend.
Its purpose was hiding from the start.
A fake Atlas modeled on the real one, vanishing like a mirage after 3 days.
"Listen, Nel. The moment we buy this, fake Atlas troops won't die for real."
She knew that, of course.
"Meaning, even if all our guild members and troops die, no actual deaths apply."
Nel just nodded.
She knew; didn't grasp what he meant.
"I'll post an announcement soon."
"...Announcement?"
"Yes. It'll say this."
Nel focused.
"I'll duel all who want me."
"...?"
Nel's mind blanked briefly, then something flashed.
"...Those targeting you unite like a continental war, and we use fake Atlas to fight them in a 'massive territory war'? Is that possible...?"
Then Nel realized. It was feasible.
"Their goal in meeting me is good artifacts. Here, I'll tell them: come at me all at once. If you win, I'll craft artifacts."
Nel continued,
"But if you lose, never come to Atlas again...?"
This could work.
Why?
"It proves they promised before the whole world watching."
Nel found Hyun-soo's idea awe-inspiring. Summarizing:
The world recently saw the unprecedented Continental War event.
Everyone anticipated the next global spectacle.
But this host wasn't Purum Corp.
"Event. Atlas War."
User Hyun-soo.
Hyun-soo broke another mold, creating another special moment in Ares.
A world-thrilling event.
Prelude to the Great Atlas War opens.