Riddle Note I
◈ Material
◈ Durability: 1/1
◈ Usable Level: Level 1+
An enigmatic note whose contents are unknown. It appears to be a page torn from an old book. Among the faded script, the name Chief Justice Roan stands out as the only discernible detail.
Reading the note's description turned my suspicion into certainty.
It's definite. This is a quest for the Gray Schoolmaster.
The Gray Schoolmaster, known as the dungeon where the relics of Well Bahar—the ancient master of necromancy—were said to slumber.
They say collecting three relics there can elevate one to the pinnacle of necromancy.
In my memories, even the mightiest necromancer, Wraith Lord Kalman, had acquired just one relic from the Gray Schoolmaster: a necromancer's staff. Yet with it, he commanded a legion of the undead that shook the continent.
Imagine the power if he'd claimed all three...
⊳ 1st: Rerto Karen
⊳ 2nd: Red Sickle
⊳ 3rd: Phlia
Note: Contribution leader (Party Leader Kim Do-hyun) has acquired one drop item, Myocheon Mahwi. Rankings adjusted for equivalent item distribution.
In party hunts, loot for members excluding the leader is divided by contribution.
Too bad to just let it go...
I clicked my tongue silently.
Even Rerto Karen wouldn't grasp this note's significance. Boss drops included junk like this anyway.
But handing it off casually is risky with him in the party.
Rumors of Well Bahar's relics in the Gray Schoolmaster spread later when a single bone was unearthed from the three magic towers' basements.
That bone was Well Bahar's, and each tower held a will mentioning the riddle notes.
"Gather all three notes and my remains, then head to the Gray Schoolmaster to claim the relics."
That was written identically in all three wills.
But absurdly, instead of seeking the Schoolmaster or the notes, the mages waged war among themselves.
The week-long Moonlit War ravaged the continent like a kingdom-level conflict.
If world events unfold sequentially, the magic tower war is inevitable. After that day, the towers' influence crumbled overnight.
Massive spells scarred the land; even in just a week, the continent's geography was obliterated in places.
We can't let that war happen again. It would cripple countless mages' forces.
And unlike the dream, players would intervene this time, ballooning the scale beyond imagination.
If this note reaches one of the Eight Great Clans—like Kabala—Red Tower's Itsuki Minami would lead the war.
True to her past moniker Scarlet Calamity, her conflicts were brutally savage.
Jin-su and Chan-ho need Zodiac Successors before the Moonlit War erupts...
Only the apostles of the twelve spirits—the Zodiac Successors—could overwhelm tower mages with magic.
Unlike elemental tower magic, spirit arts wield the ancient attributes of light and darkness alone.
Ironically, spiritists were the sole dual class mastering priests' holy light and necromancers' black magic.
If Jin-su and Chan-ho become spiritists and claim Well Bahar's relics, they'll wield both spirit and necromantic power.
Thus, unifying the towers before the war—that's why I started them in the Deus Union.
Normally, I'd go there as the only mage player... but completing Chilya is an endless quest chain.
No point brooding alone. I have to trust them.
They chose Deus Union for me, prepared meticulously for the Illusion Rock Altar without complaint. Worrying about them might be overstepping.
"Hmm..."
Rerto Karen eyed the chest's contents.
"Fitting for a mid-level dungeon boss—dropping heroic gear."
He inspected the dagger and boots alternately, ignoring the note entirely. With a sneer, he spoke.
"Kim Do-hyun. Is this what you want?"
Teasing me, he pocketed the dagger and boots, then pulled out the note.
Bastard... sharp as ever.
I just smirked casually, watching him.
"The name's odd, but normal-grade items are usually junk. Remember Dimension World 1? Trends like collecting the Five Labyrinths' Diary or Lightning Island's Hellgate books."
Rerto read the note aloud.
"They were dismissed as fiction... but I still wonder if those stories weren't invented—just undiscovered by us."
"Server-top dungeon conqueror's pride?"
"Call it a player's curiosity. And did you know? Dimension World 1 ran without a single update event. So much content, no one noticed."
His eyes seemed to sparkle oddly.
"I think scraps like this might spark upheaval. Rational suspicion from a conqueror."
"Pointless musings."
I shrugged indifferently.
"Item picks follow contribution. You just got pummeled by corpse spiders—lucky. Choose your reward."
Rerto gave a wry smile.
"Kim Do-hyun. Want it? I yield it if you grant one more favor after we clear Pharhum's Tomb together."
"Favor? What could the great Rerto Karen need from me? You have clanmates who'd die on command."
"Personal, not clan-related."
I tilted my head at the unexpected offer.
"Why trust you? You don't trust me—reeks of ulterior motives."
"Your call."
Rerto Karen has acquired [Riddle Note].
Bastard...
I hid my bitterness at his predictable choice.
"If I'm wrong, oh well. Heroic gear floods the market eventually—no rush. Think it over till we clear Pharhum's Tomb. If interests align, I can halt the Eight Clans' watch."
Now I was curious about his favor.
What's his angle? Something the Eight Clans can't know?
A secret even from his inner circle. In Dimension World, that meant one thing: a quest.
Besides Divine Knight trials, he's on another quest.
Riddle notes were random world drops, not zone-specific—normal from the Spider Queen.
But the timing bothered me. Too early.
Meant someone here had a Gray Schoolmaster-related quest.
Excluding the two NPCs and me, only Rerto Karen.
Worth investigating how he got Well Bahar's tower-exclusive quest.
"Guessing blindly without knowing what it is. Heroic gear will circulate later, but that's why people cash shop—to surge ahead now. You wouldn't get it."
"..."
"Figures, as head of an Eight Clan."
Rerto stayed silent. Fooling him further seemed impossible.
At least he hasn't guessed my class. Good enough.
To probe his quest, I'd need time too.
"Then this?"
Phlia and Red Sickle took the remaining items. Red Sickle eyed the magic dagger Poison Cloud Dagger—useless to him—and glanced at me.
Zodiac Successors have dedicated weapons—no need for offhands. Auction it? Buyer class gives info value.
"Hold it for now. I'll buy back if needed."
Red Sickle nodded; Phlia seemed pleased with her new boots.
◈ Leg Guards
◈ Durability: 100/100
◈ Usable Level: Level 40+
These boots are said to have flowed in from untamed lands. Their owner was renowned for legs strong enough to cross deserts on foot alone.
◈ Agility +10
◈ Equip Effect: Movement Speed +5%
◈ Equip Effect: Reaction Speed +5%
◈ Exclusive Effect: Wind Step — Entrust your body to the wind for 30 seconds, instantly covering short distances. Max range scales with stamina.
Not bad.
Perfect for Phlia. Wind Step would amplify her Dark Step Lv3.
She can handle mounted scouting for Pharhum.
Lucky break.
Rerto eyed me handing gear to an NPC curiously. Some players solo-partied with NPCs to avoid sharing—repurchase at tier-based gold.
"Back to town? Need resupply?"
Rerto asked once distribution ended.
"Nah. Waste of time trekking back. If you're quitting the quest, go ahead."
"Then...?"
I pocketed the mana stones and gold from the Spider Queen's remains, standing.
Toss—I lobbed the last potion to Rerto.
◈ Usable Level: Level 30+
Restores substantial health and stamina. Crafted solely by master alchemists—expensive and scarce.
"One of those fully heals us at our level. Straight to Pharhum."
"Potions are zero now. Web-trapped before you arrived—HP drained constantly, used 'em all to hold out."
Rerto's face hardened.
"That was without me."