The Irregular Patron Spirit's Quest
Normally, he should have informed Carpe of this through the Patron Spirit App, but right now, the capsule in the Room was off-limits.
—...I really have no idea anymore.
Cheonma just let out a hollow laugh.
He'd thought he knew this game inside and out, but now he wondered if he was completely clueless!
And it wasn't just shocking that a Patron Spirit was offering a quest—it was downright absurd. The reward was even more ridiculous.
—Raising its rank? A Patron Spirit's?
Once drawn, a Patron Spirit's rank never changed. You could abandon your current one through a special quest and contract a new Patron Spirit, but the rank itself? That was fixed. No exceptions.
That was the established knowledge, and Cheonma had believed it too... so what the hell was this quest reward?
—So clearing the quest turns it into a 1-star Patron Spirit? Feels like a downgrade...
After all that effort, just becoming a plain 1-star? That would be the most deflating reward imaginable...
—But something tells me this is just the start.
The phrase "Irregular Exclusive" implied this rank-up event for his Patron Spirit was unique to him alone.
The rank-up event for the one and only 0-star Patron Spirit in all of RaSe. In terms of rarity, it rivaled his unique 10-star skill Unlock.
So there was no way a sudden event would pop up just to bump a treasure like that up one measly rank to 1-star.
It was bound to trigger repeatedly, over and over.
—Hmm. In that case...
What if it happened ten times? Would he become a 10-star Patron Spirit?
No, jumping to conclusions was dangerous. The quest window said "rank"—not "grade." Becoming a 1-star was just Cheonma's guess.
"Rank" might not mean grade at all.
—Ridiculous situation, but... not bad.
No, it was actually great.
He'd been feeling frustrated lately, stuck playing strategist with no room to grow. Now, there was potential for development.
Even if 0-star to 1-star didn't unlock massive new powers... the mere possibility was enough to excite him.
—Alright. No penalty for failure, but I'll clear it clean.
It felt like returning to his roots as a player, not just a Patron Spirit, for the first time in ages.
—Looks like we'll have to handle things ourselves until Carpe gets back.
"Is that so? Excellent. While our lord rests, we'll rack up achievements on our own. I'm sure he'll be pleased."
Tina brimmed with enthusiasm.
Even when lounging in the Room, she'd always said, "I'd rather do something useful for our lord than just rest."
Being able to act autonomously after Carpe logged off was exactly what she'd wanted.
She'd labor like a horse and dog for her lord, even in his absence!
<Well said! Before the lord returns, why don't we hunt some monsters ourselves? He'd love that, right? Back in my day, I fought for ten days straight without tiring. Fourteen hours? Perfect warm-up. Heh heh heh!>
Like Tina, Gillian—the knight-turned-general—agreed wholeheartedly.
But...
"Mm. I'm against it. Rest is just as important as fighting. What if we get hurt pushing without Master? Then it'd be, uh, whatsit... the cart before the horse?"
—Putting the cart before the horse.
"Right! Cart before the horse! Thanks, strategist. Anyway, we rest when we should. I say waiting here for Master is best."
Mirage opposed the other two.
"Weak talk, Mirage. Think back to 800 years ago. Every battle was a fight for survival. This is nothing by comparison."
"We were strong then, but now we've lost power and we're weak? It's plenty dangerous."
"Calling yourself weak? Disgrace to knighthood."
"I'm not a knight..."
Mirage pouted in protest. It was a rare sight, given their usual sisterly bond.
And the real surprise was Royard.
"See? Royard's wise!"
Mirage patted her ally proudly, smiling. Tina's eyebrow twitched faintly at the sight.
"Sparing yourself for the lord's sake? Not the act of a true retainer."
"We're dolls! What doll acts on its own without orders?!"
"Gh... True, but..."
<Hmm. But sitting idle till the lord returns feels itchy, no? A little action would be more fun.>
<Opposed. This is the Spirit Realm. Unknown dangers lurk.>
"What about you, Mukhyang?"
With opinions split 2-2, Tina turned to Mukhyang.
"Kyu? Kyuu! Kyu!"
But Mukhyang was just hopping after a nearby butterfly, oblivious.
...Not interested in the drama.
Watching quietly, Cheonma narrowed his eyes.
—Hmm. This is it.
His usually inseparable retainers were clashing.
To Cheonma's knowledge, there was only one cause for this. And sure enough, a notification appeared.
Homunculi Dispute Has Begun!
With the master absent, you—as the Room's manager—represent them. Establish order among the homunculi and resolve the conflict.
Smooth resolution grants rewards.
The "Homunculi Dispute Event" they'd seen before!
Clear it for solid rewards, but failure tanked homunculi affinity—infamous among summoner classes.
Carpe's crew had triggered it once over who got an elixir.
Back then, maxed affinities let them sort it themselves—via some wrestling match.
—Eh, probably the same this time.
But the 2:2 deadlock held firm, mocking his prediction.
As impatience grew—"Why so long?"—Cheonma realized his oversight.
—Ah, right. No Carpe.
Without their anchor, tensions rose.
Max affinity was with Carpe, not him.
—Tch. No choice. Gotta step in.
Realizing it wouldn't auto-resolve, Cheonma intervened.
—Everyone, stop. Party without Carpe? What's this bickering over?
"Strategist! Whose side are you on? Mine, right?"
"I trust you'll judge wisely, Strategist."
Siding with one faction may lower the opposing side's affinity. Convince them thoroughly.
The warning flashed, but Cheonma didn't flinch.
Laughable, even. Over ten years in RaSe—this was child's play.
—Easy. Do both.
"Both?"
"Elaborate, please, Strategist."
—First, scout around. Safer than sitting. And grab any monsters we spot—EXP and drops are valuable.
—Mirage stays here.
"Huh? Okay?"
—Someone has to. If we move and Carpe returns to an empty spot? Awkward as hell.
"Ah!"
—Best if we return here, but no guarantees. Need a liaison. That's you.
Mirage was a doppelganger.
She could mimic terrain, minimizing risk. And if Carpe logged in, she could scout as a flyer.
—Born messenger. Suits you better than fighting.
"Ooh! Messenger! I'll do it!"
The chuunibyou in Mirage loved "messenger." Cheonma knew it well.
<Strategist. But staying is safer...>
—Oh yeah, Spirit Realm has 'procann' ore. Tough, pretty—perfect for golem plating. Makes 'em stylish.
<...On second thought, you're right. I'll follow anywhere.>
Homunculi dispute resolved smoothly.
After that, smooth sailing.
Under Cheonma's lead, they moved in sync, scouting to find new monsters.
"Kweeek?"
A dopey ostrich-like bird.
Buk Yeomjon's requested ingredient: the avian monster "Kuarum."
Not all Spirit Realm monsters were tough. Kuarum was mid-tier—level 60 players could handle it solo.
—Target acquired! Take it down!
"As Strategist commands! Mukhyang! Charge!"
"Kyu kyu!"
<This is thrilling! Fighting suits me! Even if I'm just bones now. Heh heh heh!>
Thus, 14 hours flew by.
Next morning, early login: Carpe faced a flood of alerts.
Player-Homunculi affinity at maximum.
Homunculi hunted independently while offline.
Hunted 73 Kuarum. Acquired 30 chunks of Kuarum meat.
Quest complete! Return to Buk Yeomjon for reward!
Level up! Points awarded as reward!
Homunculi dispute resolved. Player HP +100 as reward!
"...What the hell?"
Carpe just blinked in disbelief.
The 10-Star Player's Lucky Draw