Chapter 230
Chapter 230
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>Translator: penny
>Chapter: 230
>Chapter Title: The Brooch of the Forgotten King
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The sudden message left Do-hyun stunned.
He had no choice but to be.
‘……What? World Quest?’
It was a name he had never even imagined.
What was a World Quest?
Exactly as it sounded—a quest given on a world scale, one that every user could join the moment it began.
Given the sheer number of participants, it naturally unfolded on a massive scale.
In God Ose, which had no main quests, it was essentially treated as the main quest—an incredibly important event.
‘World Quests have opened only twice in history.’
Once by the hand of the most popular player, the Hand of Extermination.
And once by the Adventure King Bariyon.
Those two World Quests opened by them were still topics of hot discussion even now.
‘In nearly two years, only twice—that’s obvious. But beyond that, how could it not be popular?’
The overwhelming scale.
New dungeon and boss formats akin to events.
The chance to join what had seemed like an event exclusive to the elite without any burden.
That alone guaranteed its popularity.
The rewards for ranking on the clear leaderboard were tremendous, drawing everyone from confident experts to average users.
That was the essence of a World Quest.
‘But that was already half a year ago.’
Even then, the last one had been a miracle opened by that eccentric Adventure King Bariyon.
Afterward, despite reaching the New Continent, no one had even found a clue to trigger another.
From the mighty Top 10 Guilds to Bariyon, who had no equal in filling the Book of Adventures—they had all failed.
So the prevailing opinion was that no World Quest would open for years to come……
[World Quest item ‘Forgotten King’s Brooch’ discovered. Quest generated.]
[Forgotten King’s Brooch]
-Grade: World Quest
-Description: A brooch shaped like a white lion, worn by the Forgotten King.
It symbolized him, and in his time, all villains who saw it trembled in fear. But now, even his name is unknown.
The brooch emanates the Forgotten King’s lingering resentment toward being forgotten by all. It also pulses with an inexplicable energy.
Take it to the ‘Spirit of the Lion King,’ the only being who knows the brooch’s true nature. Perhaps you’ll learn something.
-Accepting the quest: Triggers World Quest on the main continent, provides info on the Forgotten King, unlocks linked quests.
-Declining the quest: Cancels World Quest and deletes linked quests.
‘……It pops up here?’
Do-hyun let out a hollow laugh at the utterly absurd situation.
Who could have guessed that climbing the Lion King’s Tower would trigger a World Quest?
Thinking about it, the rankers’ predictions of years away weren’t entirely wrong.
According to the Spirit of the Lion King, the trial wouldn’t have ended for at least three years.
That must have been the AI’s judgment on when it could conclude, or perhaps some change was set for the tower three years later.
‘Well, whatever…….’
But that wasn’t what puzzled Do-hyun most.
‘Then why the message linking it to the main quest?’
No matter how he read the quest, it was all about the World Quest.
Did that mean the World Quest and main quest were connected?
If so, that was bad news.
The moment a World Quest opened, users would swarm in hordes. If any of them found a fragment, it’d be a disaster.
He frowned for a moment, but Do-hyun quickly regained his composure.
‘……No, it can’t be related to the Fragment of Destiny. The main quest would’ve reacted if it was.’
If it were a clue, the ‘Fifth Fragment of Destiny’ quest would have triggered.
Which meant this was likely tied to a different main quest route……
‘Sigh, still not sure.’
After pondering briefly, Do-hyun shook off the thought.
Accepting the linked quest—which opened upon acceptance—would reveal something, right?
And……
‘Better to hold off on the reward, just in case.’
‘I agree.’
‘Yes! Excellent judgment, my lord.’
‘Liza-liza.’
There was no time limit on claiming the reward, and plenty of playtime left.
He could hear what the Spirit of the Lion King had to say and decide then.
With the brooch in hand, he stepped out the door. The Spirit of the Lion King approached as if waiting.
[So, you’ve brought it out after all. That energy I sensed earlier was real, then…….]
It nodded at the brooch in Do-hyun’s hand.
[If I offended you, I apologize. Even though you were asked to check the door, I was curious if you’d notice the energy inside.]
“Well…… It’s fine.”
[Now that my curiosity is sated, it’s time to satisfy yours.]
The Spirit of the Lion King smiled at Do-hyun’s cool response and spoke.
[The rotten flesh you faced…… You’ve probably realized, but it’s not my body.]
“……Yes.”
The name itself—rotten flesh of the Forgotten King, ?? King—made it no surprise.
But the words that followed were enough to shock Do-hyun.
[The world calls me the king who alone reached the supreme realm in his era…… But that’s not true. There was a king who achieved it before me. A king like a white lion.]
‘Whoa?’
‘This…… doesn’t match history at all, liege?’
Even now hailed as the Great Lion King and counted among history’s strongest kings, he wasn’t the pinnacle?
And the discrepancies didn’t end there.
[They call it the Lion King’s swordsmanship…… But in truth, I learned it from that king. Even I, confident in my sword skills, couldn’t replicate that chilling aura or sculpt the form of a white lion.]
“…….”
[But the world forgot him. More precisely, he was made to be forgotten through his sacrifice.]
The Spirit of the Lion King’s voice was bitterly wistful.
A tone blending apology, guilt, gratitude, and pity.
Gazing at the ceiling as if reminiscing, it soon parted its heavy lips.
[……Do you know of the Abyss?]
“……Yes.”
Do-hyun answered a beat late at the unexpected name.
The Abyss—how could he not know?
The entity that overwhelmed Brion, the ones who turned Taxinel into a murderer.
Also the primary culprits who sacrificed humanity in the ancient war against the gods.
[The Abyss is nearly forgotten now, but back then, it was pure terror. I only heard legends as a child, but that fear was etched vividly in me.]
“…….”
[But I didn’t truly grasp it. Deep down, I thought at my current level, I could face the Abyss or whatever…… Foolish notion.]
“…….”
[When the Abyss truly engulfed the empire, I couldn’t protect a thing.]
And that name surfaced once more.
This time, in the form of a World Quest.
With a bitter voice, as if unburdening long-pent-up emotions, the Spirit of the Lion King revealed the truth.
[In my place, unable to save anything, the one who leaped into the Abyss’s maw was none other than that king…… No, my dear friend.]
[The horrific Abyss monster…… The Devourer of Existence…… He self-destructed after being swallowed, allowing his existence to be erased from the world in exchange for saving the empire.]
*Ding-*
[Learned of the Abyss’s existence in the Lion King’s Tower.]
[Recorded in the Book of Adventures.]
[Heard the tale of the Forgotten King.]
[Recorded in the Book of Adventures.]
[Learned of the empire’s forgotten history.]
[Recorded in the Book of Adventures.]
‘……The scale’s going wild.’
Do-hyun chuckled dryly at the barrage of notifications.
Was it just his imagination, or had things been nonstop since arriving in the empire?
‘Yeah, it was about time. First time since Brion.’
Before the empire, it had been chaos too, but arriving in the massive Arnis Empire naturally escalated things.
The Abyss had been quiet for a while, too.
Above all, if it linked to the Abyss, the notification tying the brooch to the main quest made sense.
-Those lowly bastards again……
Hearing the voice, Do-hyun glanced aside to see Charly trembling, gripping his sword.
A fury as if he’d cleave them if they appeared now.
For Charly, who harbored deep hatred toward the Abyss, it must have been unbearable.
“……Charly.”
-……My apologies, my lord. I showed an unknightly demeanor.
“No, it’s fine.”
- Liza-liza……
Eliza quickly patted his shoulder as he regained composure.
To lighten the mood, Do-hyun swiftly changed the subject.
“A tragic tale. Now that I know the truth, I can’t sit idle. What must I do?”
[To hear such a story without flinching—truly the qualities of the knight I acknowledged. I can entrust this to you.]
Pleased, the Spirit of the Lion King finally revealed the quest.
[If the Forgotten King’s body remains, surely his soul does too. What I ask of you is this: Save the soul of my friend, trapped in the ‘Forgotten Tomb.’]
“Gladly.”
*Ding-*
[World Quest: Forgotten Tomb has been generated.]
[World Quests are open to all users, with rankings based on contribution scores.]
[Rewards are granted differentially by ranking.]
[Rescue the Forgotten King slumbering in the Forgotten Tomb.]
Do-hyun grinned at the messages.
End the conversation soon, claim the linked quest, and join—that was the plan.
But the world doesn’t always go as wished, or so they say.
[Whew…… Truly grateful. I’ll never forget your merit. On that note, just to be sure…… Have you heard of the Forgotten King’s Wraith?]
“No, first time……?”
Do-hyun trailed off mid-answer.
He paused, thinking.
‘What is it? Why does it feel familiar?’
It should’ve been a name he’d never heard, yet it rang a bell.
Retracing his steps carefully, Do-hyun paled as Pratelle and Lluidra came to mind.
He remembered where.
‘The Spark of Purification and Lluidra’s gravestone…….’
The wraith dwelling within.
The one who’d wailed desperately that this couldn’t be its end before death.
Its name was none other than the Forgotten King’s Wraith.
Oblivious to Do-hyun’s turmoil, the Spirit of the Lion King continued.
[I hear it’s sealed in a gravestone guarded by the Witch of Dreams. Hard to fathom, really. Unless someone intervened, how could it have drifted there?]
“……I…… see.”
[Well, that’s not the point now. The key is that wraith is vital.]
“……Vital? How much?”
[The Forgotten King’s Wraith is a thought-form born from my friend’s negative emotions.]
“Ah!”
Do-hyun’s face brightened instantly.
If so, destroying it was a good thing!
It must’ve meant it absolutely had to be exorcised.
Relieved at escaping a potential grave sin, he felt his tension ease.
[There’s something only that thought-form can provide. Prophecy speaks of an apostle chosen by the thought-form, who will become a hero…… Ring any bells?]
“…….”
Do-hyun couldn’t speak at the Spirit’s nail-in-the-coffin words.
An hero chosen by the thought-form? Never heard of it.
And never would.
He’d heroically shattered the wraith sealed in the gravestone, and stomped flat the would-be heroes just recently.
Cold sweat trickling down his back, Do-hyun nodded.
‘……Fuck.’
Things were royally screwed.