From Epic to Mythic
Games vary a bit depending on the title, but in most MMORPGs, pets are a crucial element that directly ties into a player's combat power.
They boost your stats or skills, grant bonuses to drop items or experience points, and provide all sorts of beneficial effects.
Some games even let pets join the fray directly, hunting monsters alongside the player.
In RaSe, it was both. Pets offered users a range of helpful buffs while also being able to participate in combat directly.
Naturally, this made pets even more essential than in other games.
But if you asked RaSe players whether pets were absolutely necessary, the answers were always ambiguous.
"Pets? Of course it'd be great to have one. It'd be nice, but…"
"You can't just get one whenever you want. Oh, a friend just snagged one, but he said it wasn't as game-changing as expected."
"Maintenance costs are the real killer. They're total money pits."
"They're good and all… but they feel overhyped compared to the investment."
A Unique-grade pet or higher could bring dramatic changes, but those weren't something you could buy just because you had cash.
They required literal divine intervention from the heavens!
So the pets most users could acquire topped out at Magic or Rare grade—and those weren't particularly impressive.
"Even a Magic-grade pet costs a fortune. Might as well use that gold to enhance your gear one step instead."
Time and money are finite, after all.
Most people opted to gear themselves up rather than sink funds into pets.
Nice to have, but not essential.
That was the consensus among RaSe players.
—But that's only for regular pets. Evolved pets are a whole different story. Let's see… by now, a few top players should've completed pet evolutions.
While other familiars grew through 2nd and 3rd job advances like users, only pets could evolve for extra growth.
—No need to mention the combat power spike.
The boost was so massive that a Rare pet, which could barely function as a totem before, might pull the weight of 1.5 players after evolving.
—There are even users who skyrocketed to top ranks with one evolution. Plus, evolutions come with all sorts of extra rewards.
"Then it's a must-do, right?"
—Easier said than done. Evolution triggers are completely random.
Even pets of the same species had different conditions per individual.
Some triggered evolution quests naturally upon leveling, while others unlocked after slaying a specific boss.
Higher-grade pets had especially bizarre requirements—and according to Cheonma, Unique+ pets rarely met theirs before players quit the game.
—Mukhyang's was activating its potential with a Legendary elixir.
"Whoa, that's insane. How's anyone supposed to figure that out?"
Feed a Legendary elixir to a pet?
No sane person would ever dream of it.
Even Carpe, self-proclaimed enjoyment gamer, wouldn't have done it without Unlock.
—Dodged a bullet there. If you'd fed it to yourself, you'd be beating the ground in regret.
"That good, huh?"
—Obviously. Finish evolving, and the pet's grade jumps a tier.
"Ah, grade up…"
Carpe's movements halted abruptly. After a brief pause, he slowly opened his mouth.
"…What'd you say?"
—You heard me. Sigh… good times. In my 2nd playthrough, I lucked into a Legendary pet and evolved it once.
It was the fruit of grueling, inexpressible effort. And the reward? Delicious.
His Legendary pet had evolved into an Epic one!
"…Holy crap."
Carpe whipped his head toward Mukhyang.
Mukhyang's current grade: Epic.
So after evolution…?
"Mythic?!"
"Kyu?"
Despite Carpe's shocked yell, the "True Ancient Tamias" innocently tilted its head.
"Whoa. Whoa!"
—That's not all. Remember how I said evolutions give extra rewards? I got a skill pack.
Not just any skill pack, either.
—Guaranteed 8-star skill pack.
"…"
—Getting the idea? Epic evolution gave an 8-star. What do you think Mythic gives?
"…9-star, right."
—Yeah. Never confirmed it myself, but high chance.
Gulp.
Carpe's throat bobbed involuntarily as his heart raced at the sudden words "Mythic" and "9-star."
"L-Logging out for a calming pill real quick."
—Don't overreact. You can't evolve it right now anyway.
As mentioned, the elixir was just the trigger.
To fully complete evolution, you'd need to clear multiple evolution quests.
—Brace yourself. Epic evolutions can spit out any insane quest.
"No choice but to do it. Long as it's not 'hunt a Four Calamities,' I'm game."
Heck, in his current mood, he might charge one smiling.
Evolution Quest (Epic) - Stage 1
📍 Solo kill monsters higher level than player (0/500)
📍 Solo kill boss monster higher level than player (0/1)
"Huh? More normal than I thought."
It was basically what Carpe had been doing anyway.
"Ah, Stage 1's just a warmup. Thought it'd be ridiculous, but the quests have some mercy."
—…It's only 'normal' because it's you. Any other user would drop dead from that alone. Solo boss kills ain't easy.
"Hm, fair point. Anyway, perfect."
Carpe clenched his fist.
"Hyangi. Trust your bro. I'll get you to Mythic, I swear."
"Kyu kyu!"
"And once you're Mythic, give your bro a lift now and then."
"Kyuu?"
"Mythic Mukhyang. Mmm. Rolls off the tongue nicely. Gotta boost Mount too."
"Mukhyang… so cool…"
And so, Mukhyang's evolution quest began.
After finishing the White Tiger hunt, Carpe's group returned to Ramark Kingdom's royal castle.
"Hah… so the Black Plague and White Nightmare were just beasts?"
"Yes. Proof right here."
Carpe pulled the Elder Snake's fangs and White Tiger pelt from his inventory, handing them to Gillian.
Gillian examined them briefly before bursting into hearty laughter.
"Haha! Ramark's legendary monsters were mere beasts. No wonder old tales can't be trusted. Good work. I'll submit this to His Majesty myself!"
Quest progress has been updated.
Carpe checked his quest window: White Nightmare and Black Plague subquests complete.
One task left before 2nd job advance.
Slay the Centaur in the labyrinth.
—Labyrinth and Centaur, huh. Modeled after the Cretan Labyrinth's Minotaur.
'Wait, isn't that Theseus, not Heracles' 12 Labors?'
—Yep, Theseus' feat. Devs just mashed stuff together. Tsk. With lore like this, no wonder it's losing Godgame status. RaSe's dethroned.
'Whatever, long as we clear the quest.'
Unlike the prior two, no need to hunt the Centaur down.
"The Centaur lurks in the underground labyrinth right beneath the castle."
"…Underground labyrinth? Why's that under the royal castle?"
"Wasn't always one. Apparently, it was the Magic King's old lab for experiments."
After Arkram lost the War of Dignity and the Magic King vanished, it was abandoned.
"Then it turned into a Sausk ranch situation. Experiment monsters bred for 800 years. It's a full dungeon now."
"This nuisance king again…"
"Entrance is sealed tight, no worries there. But inside? Hard to say. Magic King-designed labyrinth crawling with traps. Still, plenty of hidden treasures too."
And legends spoke of a Centaur guarding those treasures, passed down through Ramark generations.
"Even if it's a mess inside… couldn't Gillian handle it?"
Was the labyrinth some demonic realm even Gillian couldn't survive?
A flicker of unease rose, but it was unfounded.
"Hm? Oh, sure, this general could clean it easily. But we can't."
"Why not?"
"Obvious, isn't it? Designed by the founding emperor, the Magic King himself. Sacred ground to us. How could we defile it? Absurd."
"Ah."
To the few who knew Arkram's truth, the labyrinth was a holy site.
So even as it became a monster-infested dungeon, they could only block the entrance and suffer.
"…But if the Magic King's sole heir cleans it personally? No helping that. Indeed. As a loyal minister of Ramark, how could I stop his heir? Heh heh!"
"…"
To Carpe's ears, it sounded like: "So please clean up the Magic King's mess!"
"Ahem. What's the plan? Head out now? Oh, Magic King's seals inside block return scrolls. Prep what you need first."
"Got it."
"Come when you're ready."
Carpe exited the castle and warped to beach city Ruana via NPC.
Ramark, being a minor nation, had no auction house.
Not yet level 50, Carpe moved freely without penalties.
In Ruana, he rushed to the auction house, scooping up potions and doping foods like every second counted.
"Got a stockpile, but better safe."
—Prep's never enough. Good mindset. Oh, grab that evasion potion too. Handy.
"Hm. While I'm here, list some items."
Two Unique drops from Elder Snake and White Tiger: Piercing Fangs and White Tiger Bow.
Even Cheonma, the ultimate vet, had praised these hidden boss loot.
As he went to list them, a thought struck Carpe.
"…Dagger and bow?"
Didn't Hanjo use both?
Ninja concept aside, her real job was archer, and she always carried a dagger for flair.
"Let's see."
Carpe opened his friends list. She was online.
He initiated voice chat immediately.
"Hm."
Hanjo was slightly moved.
Who'd have thought that Tusin would think of her like this?
Yeah. Buy 'em!
Sure, deposit and new gear strained her wallet, but money could be re-earned.
Even if unneeded, time to repay the favor.
'A bit over market price…'
With that in mind, Hanjo tapped the item link.
Ten seconds later.
Her original voice—slipping from archaic skin in panic—echoed through voice chat.