Chapter 200

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Translator: penny

Chapter: 200

Chapter Title: Versia's Reward

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Shwaaa—

I snapped awake to the sound of waves.

A cool yet cozy, warm breeze brushed against me.

The first time I came here, it had been a dark night, but now it was bright daylight. The full, breathtaking view of the Island of Oracles unfolded before me—a sight I hadn't seen before.

An emerald sea, gentle waves, and leisurely flocks of birds reminiscent of seagulls soaring through the sky.

Shwaaa—

Splash.

As if signaling that everything was truly over, the island lay in perfect peace and beauty.

The expedition that had set out with 1,326 people was down to just eight.

Our party of five, plus Joo Ah-hyun, Kim Yu-rim, and Lee Eun-jeong. Maybe that's why the mountaintop plateau, which had felt so cramped when we first arrived, now seemed utterly desolate.

It left a lonely feeling, starkly at odds with the warmth around us.

"Everyone, you all did great."

And standing in the center was a familiar beauty smiling as she awaited us.

Ancient God Versia.

Her body, which had shone like a star when we first met, still glowed faintly even under the sunlight here. She looked happier than before—probably thanks to all the magic stones I'd given her during that time.

As far as I knew, there were quite a few ancient gods, and their popularity rankings were brutally hierarchical. For her to receive so many magic stones from me amid that must mean she'd clawed her way out of the bottom ranks with this opportunity.

"You completed this journey splendidly. Here's the promised reward."

Five choices appeared before my eyes.

"Hey, Dickhead. Choices popped up."

"What should we pick?"

"Hmm, tough call."

The options before us were life, wind, water, fire, and death.

Pick one, and you'd get a random box tied to that attribute. I already knew exactly what item I wanted from my party members.

"Choose death."

"Death?"

I nodded.

The reason I'd come here amid all these trials? To resurrect Varkus and Arkannon as [Death Knights].

To that end, I'd smeared their corpses with the elixir of immortality, and now I just needed one key ingredient.

A fragment of soul—better known as a lich core.

"Hey, death for real? That sounds ominous, like a trap."

"No worries."

If anything, that trap-like vibe made it the best reward. It was a hidden gem only those in the know would pick.

"Ugh, fine. Here goes."

Led by Shin Seo-yeon, the party all seemed to select the death box, receiving purple boxes bound with white straps.

I chose death too and got mine.

But as soon as I got the box, another set of choices appeared.

Huh? Looking around, I saw Han ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠So-hee getting two boxes.

"Rich sis! Why do you get two boxes?! Whoa, even the auntie too?"

"Must be because we landed the killing blows on the mountain ridge dragons. Seems like we get an extra one."

"Heh, see? Told you to grab whatever popped up quick."

Oh yeah, those two had each taken down a mountain ridge dragon in the ancient mushroom area. That explained the bonus random boxes.

"Whoa. Oppa got three?!"

I'd snagged two, so it made sense. In total, we had 13 death random boxes.

We opened them right away. The purple boxes, etched with strange patterns, shook violently before bursting with a pop, spewing purple smoke and dumping out items.

'Whoa, the [Seal of Immortality] makes sense, but [Torch Without Light] and [Black Sun] too?'

Maybe because the trial's difficulty was so high. Even these consumables were top-tier.

[Torch Without Light: Lights up everything invisible to the naked eye the moment you ignite it. Single-use; the item fully disintegrates after 10 minutes.]

Exactly what it sounded like—a scouting item. Perfect for spotting hidden doors in dungeons or ruins, dodging traps, or finding concealed loot.

Its best feature? It revealed invisible units too.

But the next item was even stranger.

[Black Sun: Blocks out the sun, forcibly turning day into night. Lasts 1 hour; cannot be canceled once activated.]

In short, an item that turned daytime into nighttime. Given how much deadlier night was, it was basically a lunatic tool that cranked up the difficulty on purpose.

'Still, its value is outstanding.'

It shone in farming spots only active at night, and some unique abilities got even stronger after dark.

Like the twins' [Shadow Wolf]'s [Shadow Stealth] from just recently. It worked in shadows, with deeper shadows boosting its perfection—a total cheat skill.

For players with night-loving abilities, night hunts were easier, making this item a godsend for them.

I pocketed them and glanced around. My party had mostly gotten similar consumables.

And luckily, we scored six [Seals of Immortality]—soul fragments.

Six out of 13 were lich cores. That high drop rate was exactly why I'd come to this trial.

[Seal of Immortality: Use on a corpse to immediately summon its soul, trap it in the fragment, and force a pact. The item then becomes a <Soul Fragment>. Until it breaks, the body won't decay no matter the damage, and it can't regain freedom.]

To most, just a consumable.

You carry it, use it on a corpse for a summon, then ditch it when moving on—a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠one-and-done temp tool.

But post-pet system? It became a permanent summon you could keep forever, turning trash into a priceless lotto ticket overnight.

'Universal permanent necromancy. It'll be worth a fortune later.'

Right now, its value wasn't fully priced, so the drop rate was still generous.

"Thank you all so much. Thanks to you, the world won't meet its end. We ancient gods and the people of this world will never forget this. Great job, and I hope we meet again. Everyone, you did amazing!"

Versia flashed a saleswoman's smile, conjured some smoke, and clapped enthusiastically. The Saintess, Han So-hee, and Kim Yu-rim clapped along.

Even though it must've been awkward, Versia powered through the act, then snapped her fingers.

"Now, beginning transfer to the next area!"

One ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠by one, the party started vanishing.

"Joo Ah-hyun, Kim Yu-rim. You know the plan, right?"

"Yes, Min-jun! In front of the dorm in one hour!"

I nodded.

I turned to Lee Eun-jeong after they disappeared.

"Eun-jeong, don't forget—we meet in front of the dorm in 30 minutes."

"Got it."

Joo Ah-hyun and Kim Yu-rim were headed to the bitch squad.

Kim Yu-rim's stats and abilities were too middling for our party—risky. Joo Ah-hyun was utility-focused, so she'd boost the bitch squad's survival big time. It fit.

Lee Eun-jeong, on the other hand, was high-spec enough for our crew, no issues.

Soon everyone was gone, leaving just me and Versia on the Island of Oracles.

"Min-jun!"

Versia, who'd been playing the haughty goddess until now, came bounding over, threw her arms around me, and looked up with sparkling eyes.

She'd been friendly last time, but this was next level.

I knew the vibe from women crushing hard—this was the type who'd reluctantly spread her legs if I pushed her down.

"Thank you so much! You offered me 21 magic stones! My ranking shot up 41 spots! Eek! Eek!"

Oh... she was bouncing with joy. Tempting to hop on right here.

But I played it cool—just in case. We'd cross paths often, after all. I barely restrained my hand from groping that shiny, plump ass.

Suppressing the blood rush downstairs, I changed the subject.

"Congrats. But saving Kumora didn't trigger the [Hidden Quest] completion."

"Oh, that. Well..."

Versia, beaming moments ago, pouted pitifully and clasped her hands. I nodded, getting the gist.

"Then let's head back to the rest area and try summoning first."

"For real?"

"Yes."

"Thank you! You're the only one for me, Min-jun! No matter how many timelines there are, my village of Bersh—packed with devotees—always ends in doom."

Figures. Easiest prey for mountain ridge dragons.

If it thrived for generations after rescue, Versia would rack up followers, fame, and votes. But even without dragons, too many dangers to build civilization there.

Hence her current rank.

From her view, planting a devotee in my dorm meant steady magic stones—and votes—if I tossed her one now and then. She'd push for Kumora hard.

Fine, but if I'm housing her, I deserve compensation.

Grab.

"Eek?"

I finally gripped Versia's ass firmly.

She startled, trying to pull away, but I locked her waist with one arm and kneaded her cheek with the other. Each rough squeeze sent soft, plump flesh spilling into my palm.

"What are you—?! Mmm?!"

Oh, goddess lips taste like this. Like licking sweet fruit—fruity and sugary.

Versia yanked her head back. Before she could speak, I cut in.

"I'll summon your devotee to my dorm, Versia."

"Not now...!"

"But it might take time, so have her wait somewhere safe."

My hand slid down, tracing the cleft of her banquet-dress-clad ass. Oh, our goddess wears panties. T-string? Intriguing.

"Hey, you...!"

I wanted to plunge in deeper, but that was enough. Cross the line too far, and I'd face divine wrath.

I gave her lips a light peck, stepped back neatly, and bowed politely before she could feel the shame fully.

"Lost my head to your beauty, Versia. Forgive my rudeness."

She froze mid-rage. I'd thrown off her timing—pissed, but now bowing made it awkward.

Her emotions muddled; she looked confused.

Normally, a player pulling this would've been screwed, but I had Arsena and Taladrass's favor. A low-tier god like her couldn't touch me lightly.

'Plus, steady magic stones make me too valuable to kill, and she sees I'll steamroll the selection process. Bonding early ain't bad.'

I could practically hear her wheels turning.

Finally deciding a little arrogance was forgivable, she straightened her dress and spoke.

"Ahem. Mind yourself next time."

"Sorry, your beauty bewitched me."

"Hmph. Still, show some restraint. More eyes watch than you think."

That was it. No favor drop, just a warning. Solid result for testing boundaries.

It clarified Taladrass and Arsena's clout—and Versia's place scrambling below them.

Ancient god or not, she was just another corporate slave like us.

She kept a clear distance now, fidgety from letting me grope her. Wary look at my slightest move.

'This won't do.'

I pulled three items from my inventory.

"Oh, and I want to give you extra magic stones."

"Really?!"

She bounded right over. So easy—like Shin Seo-yeon.

"Don't take them now—hold onto them first!"

"Huh?"

"System won't register votes if I hand them directly!"

Ah, got it.

"Guess it's time to part ways then."

"Yes! I'll send you to the next area—just keep your promise!"

"Of course."

I "accidentally" groped her ass once more.

Slid under the banquet dress, feeling plush flesh, T-string, and even her anus wrinkles.

"Eek, seriously!"

Versia puffed her cheeks and snapped her fingers. My senses faded, and I returned to my dorm.

Then, alerts exploded.

No reward yet—summoned right after hitting the dorm. Someone's in a real hurry.