A Shoddy Temple and a Genial Scam
In short, this quest boiled down to: "We don't know if it exists or not, so you need to go check. Even if you fail, consider it a good learning experience!"
No, you're supposed to help me grow my class or character, not my "vessel"! If it's not there, is that just the end of it?
The most annoying part was that this was only the beginning. From now on, whenever information about the Authority of Archisus cropped up, he would have to investigate every single lead to see if it was real or just a rumor! A Legendary Class truly lived up to its reputation.
If it was going to be like this, they shouldn't have forced the class change on me in the first place!
If not for that forced class change, Tae-hyun would have lived a happy, prosperous life as a Jobless player! He clicked his tongue and stood up. Complaining was pointless. Instead of wasting time whining, he needed to track down even one more lead and grow stronger.
“Lord Tae-hyun!”
“...?”
“I have a proposal!”
Perhaps sensing his position was in jeopardy now that Ed-an was climbing the ranks, Pelmas eagerly raised his hand.
“What kind of proposal?”
“We should construct a temple in this valley!”
“...?”
A temple. Just as merchants conducted business in shops, a religious order operated out of temples. The more powerful an order was, the larger and more numerous its temples would be. In that regard, the forgotten god Archisus didn't have a single temple to his name.
“I was planning to build one eventually, but you want to do it already?”
Tae-hyun wasn't particularly keen on the idea. It was because of the other religious orders. Every time he acquired an Authority of Archisus, warning messages would pop up like an ominous threat!
Other religious orders are watching you!
No matter how he looked at it, it was a blatant danger signal. The established orders of this world weren't going to welcome a newcomer with open arms, saying, "Haha, aren't we all fellow believers? Let's get along." He didn't want to draw unnecessary hostility before he was ready. He was already bound to face plenty of scrutiny as it was...
Well, now that the broadcast has started, there's no turning back. Tae-hyun frowned. While his special broadcast was enjoying explosive popularity, he was deeply concerned about the inevitable fallout.
An unaffiliated ranker is the easiest target to suppress. Players were constantly competing to climb to the top. Naturally, a ranker who suddenly burst onto the scene like Tae-hyun—even if his level wasn't technically top-tier—would be viewed as a threat. Since he didn't belong to any giant guild, he was the perfect target to keep in check.
Of course, he could handle that much. Tae-hyun had already anticipated that level of pushback when he agreed to the broadcast. The real problem would arise if people realized he was the same Kim Tae-hyun from Fantasy Online 1. The moment his identity was exposed, it wouldn't just be standard rivalry—a horde of vengeful enemies would swarm him to settle old scores! Tae-hyun had defeated so many top-tier players in Fantasy Online 1, and almost all of them now held prominent positions in Fantasy Online 2.
Surely no one has intuition that sharp. "Kim Tae-hyun" was an incredibly common name. In fact, thanks to his past fame, the number of players who had created characters named "Kim Tae-hyun" in Fantasy Online 2 had skyrocketed. There were virtually no clues linking the legendary Kim Tae-hyun of Fantasy Online 1 to his current self. His class was completely different, and his playstyle had naturally shifted to match it...
Lee Se-yeon closed the whisper window and prepared to move to her next quest location. I feel like I'm missing something... Ever since she watched the broadcast, a faint, nagging discomfort had been lingering in the back of her mind. It wasn't because of the show itself. The broadcast had been genuinely entertaining and informative. The newly emerged ranker, Kim Tae-hyun—his quest-clearing methods and playstyle were fascinating, and his skills were undeniable. It was surprising to realize he was the same player she had run into on the road. But that alone shouldn't have kept her mind occupied for this long. There had to be another reason.
What is it? What could it be... It was right on the tip of her tongue, yet frustratingly out of reach—like the agonizing sensation of a sneeze that refused to come out!
Unaware of the unimaginable threat awakening in the distance, Tae-hyun spoke to Pelmas. “Is it really okay to build a temple so soon? Won't we just get attacked by other religious orders?”
“We can just build it in secret!”
“...”
Tae-hyun wore a dubious expression. The Valley of Despair and Sorrow was rapidly turning into a very strange place. As if storing smuggled goods for the McCraney Merchant Group wasn't enough, now they were going to house a temple for an unrecognized god.
Is the feng shui of this place just bad? Considering that the evil Sadiq Church had occupied this land before Tae-hyun became its lord, there was definitely something cursed about this territory.
“We'll already get in trouble if we get caught using this place as a smuggler's warehouse, and now you want to build a secret temple?”
“We just don't have to advertise that it's a temple!”
“...?”
“The adventurers who visit this place hold you in high esteem, Lord Tae-hyun. Do they not?”
“That's only because I sell things to them cheap. If you call that respect, then a zookeeper is respected by monkeys.”
“...Regardless, we must exploit that!”
Pelmas passionately laid out his plan. As Tae-hyun listened, his expression grew increasingly bizarre. “So... you want to use a shop building as a temple?”
A plan completely devoid of any dignity! Pelmas's scheme was as follows:
1. Renovate the temporary shops into decent-looking buildings.
2. Designate those buildings as the Temple of Archisus.
3. Erect a statue of Tae-hyun at the entrance of the shop and have people express their gratitude to it.
“In short, it's a scam.”
“Ahem! Watch your tongue!”
Pelmas reacted defensively to Ed-an's blunt remark. Tae-hyun tilted his head and asked:
“Let's say we disguise the shop as a temple. No one will know anyway. But does expressing gratitude to my statue actually do anything?”
“Lord Tae-hyun, you are special.”
“...?”
“You are the Avatar of Archisus! Therefore, when they offer their faith and gratitude to you, that power is directly funneled to the god Archisus himself!”
“Hmm.”
Pelmas was brimming with enthusiasm, but Tae-hyun remained skeptical. Was it really necessary to go so far as to construct a building just to make a makeshift temple? Followers like Pelmas, who had spent years searching for their lost god, would naturally want a temple as soon as possible. But Tae-hyun didn't share that sentiment. To him, personal growth took precedence over building temples and gathering a congregation. It was a fundamental clash of values!
“Lord Tae-hyun, just so you know, building a temple and receiving the prayers of the people will increase your Holy stat.”
“Really? Let's build it right now.”
The Valley of Despair and Sorrow was still bustling with players. In fact, their numbers had actually grown. The valley's greatest drawback—the lack of a town—had been resolved thanks to Tae-hyun. By bringing in merchants from the McCraney Merchant Group to sell items cheaply and buy up miscellaneous loot, players could comfortably hunt in the surrounding areas.
“Huh? A building went up?”
“Whoa, that was fast. Are they going to build a whole town here?”
“I hope so. Then we might get some quests.”
Chatting amongst themselves, the players stepped inside the shop. A genial-looking merchant NPC welcomed them.
“Welcome, welcome! Before you enter, please pay your respects to our Lord's statue.”
“Excuse me?”
“This is our Lord's territory. Is it not thanks to him that we can do business and make a living here? We must show our gratitude!”
“Uh... sure.”
“It's just a quick bow...”
Though bewildered, the players bowed to Tae-hyun's statue. It didn't cost them anything, and they were genuinely grateful to him anyway.
“When did they build that statue?”
“More importantly, who made it? It looks kind of shoddy...”
Since every player visiting the shop bowed to the statue, the numbers quickly added up.
14 people have prayed at the Shabby Low-grade Temple. Holy stat increases by 1.
23 people have prayed at the Shabby Low-grade Temple. Holy stat increases by 1.
“...Isn't that a bit too slow?”
Tae-hyun muttered from atop his mount. Of course, he was glad it was rising at all, but still. So to increase it faster, I need to build a better temple and gather more people, huh? He could finally understand why the various religious orders of the continent built massive cathedrals and gathered massive followings.
It's like those pay-per-click ads that give you a single cent each time... Leaving the Valley of Despair and Sorrow in the hands of the McCraney Merchant Group for now, Tae-hyun led his companions toward the Erangs Kingdom.
The Erangs Kingdom. A vast, prosperous nation located in the center of the continent, just west of the Salz Kingdom. With the Magic Tower and various other facilities, it was an ideal starting zone for beginners. Naturally, it boasted a massive player population. I need to go and check it out myself...
“Lord Tae-hyun. To get to the Erangs Kingdom, we could take a boat directly or keep heading north. Why are we taking this route?”
“I need to stop by the royal palace first.”
Although Tae-hyun had received an unexpected fief and title as the top contributor of the large-scale subjugation quest, he still had a significant amount of Contribution Points left at the royal palace. He could use them for various purposes, such as requisitioning royal soldiers or requesting rare items. He had been saving them in case of future need, but he decided to spend them now. I'm going to leave my fief unattended for a while anyway. Since he had decided to abandon his territory temporarily, there was no reason to hoard his points.
“How many Contribution Points do I currently have available?”
“Yes, Count. Your current Contribution Points stand at 5,208.”
“Are there any items that accelerate growth or speed up power recovery?”
“Please follow me. I shall guide you to the royal treasury.”
Tae-hyun's priority was Yong-yong's recovery. Since he had poured so much of his Luck stat into summoning the beast, he had to find a way to make use of him. Otherwise, the lingering regret would keep him awake at night!
My master, a wise choice indeed. Once my power is restored, compared to those other trivial things...
“Keep in mind that even those three idiots are more useful than you right now.”
Tae-hyun was referring to the three blacksmiths who followed him around to handle chores and carry luggage!
Yong-yong wore an incredibly humiliated expression.
That is preposterous! At the very least, compare me to that fellow over there!
Yong-yong pointed at Cain. He had likely chosen him because Cain's level was at least higher than the blacksmiths'.
“You didn't want to be compared to those idiots, so you chose that moron instead?”
Tae-hyun stopped bickering and began inspecting the items in the royal treasury.
An EXP growth elixir crafted from carefully selected, highly nutritious ingredients. The eccentric royal mage Sansunyu, who created this, was punished after telling the king, "This is truly excellent for adventurers, but I simply cannot find the words to explain why..."
Effect:Grants a 300% EXP boost for 72 hours upon consumption.
Cost:1,200 Contribution Points
It's good, but... if I want to restore Yong-yong quickly, me drinking an EXP elixir and hunting won't cut it. I need something that can provide a massive, immediate recovery. Tae-hyun examined the items one by one. Since they were housed in the royal treasury, their effects were undeniably outstanding, but most were either awkward to use right now or not worth the high Contribution Point cost. Then, his eyes fell upon a certain item!
As his body grew frail from practicing countless esoteric arts, the mage Rag-abi desperately sought a way to restore his failing health. This elixir is the culmination of his research.
Effect:Completely restores stat and skill reductions caused by curses. Removes 100% of death penalties.
Cost:4,900 Contribution Points
“...!”