Chapter 63
Chapter 63
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>Translator: penny
>Chapter: 63
>Chapter Title: Gamillion's Test
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Ironically, the one who turned the tide of this war was a single human.
A man who had been royalty of a small kingdom.
This young man, barely over thirty, charged into the battlefield alone and ultimately achieved the feat of slaying four Mythic Gods.
"The strongest man in Avtartel history and a man of misfortune."
Sole Martial God, Battle God.
Now called the last adventurer, the Martial Emperor Kashyar, who gathered all of scattered humanity in one place amid the war.
Because of him, the tide had turned, and even the gods could no longer touch humanity easily.
Instead, the gods, who now had to face all five Overlords, found themselves at a disadvantage.
'Whoa... That guy was on this level?'
'What an incredible person... Master. As expected, personality and power are inversely proportional, huh?'
'? Why are you saying that while looking at me? Wanna die?'
'Ah, no. Misunderstanding, Master.'
'L-Liza!'
Seeing Eliza frantically stepping in to stop him, Do-hyun decided to let it slide with a sigh of admiration.
He had expected the man to be impressive, given the grandiose titles and the fact that he even triggered the main quest, but this was beyond imagination.
Most gods couldn't even hand him their business cards.
"So, what happened next?"
-Liza!
Unable to contain his curiosity, Do-hyun urged her on.
It wasn't because he was thrilled to learn about the strength of his own class. It was right then that Gamillion's face, which had been smiling faintly, darkened.
"We thought we could drive them out like this... until 'those things' appeared."
Fate was cruel.
One-third of Avtartel vanished, and the immense divine power and magic from the countless races and gods who died in an instant corrupted the land.
A vicious darkness, a bottomless pit.
Born from the mingled wreckage of countless gods and races, another new race emerged.
"The Abyss."
They appeared all over Avtartel, swallowing not just intact cities but entire kingdoms.
The terror of the ground suddenly being engulfed in darkness.
Now, Avtartel's inhabitants had to fight not only the gods but also the horror of the Abyss.
The true terror of the Abyss lay in how it corrupted and assimilated those who fell into it.
"Fallen gods returned as the Abyss, and former comrades came back as monsters. It was a brutal war where I had to kill with my own hands those with whom I'd shared meals and dreamed of the future."
It was clear that Avtartel would vanish if things continued this way.
That was something even the gods didn't want.
For them, there was no better home than Avtartel.
In the end, they agonized over it, and the five Overlords made a choice.
-Sacrifice humanity.
Gods who grew stronger through faith drew the greatest power from humanity's belief.
Given their nature, dominating humanity was an inevitable necessity.
Ultimately, the gods settled for the position of humanity's rulers, and the five Overlords accepted the proposal.
Better to offer up one race and coexist than face total annihilation.
"This was agreed upon by humanity, including Lord Kashyar. They had no choice. But Lord Kashyar had no intention of going down quietly."
Sealed away in an instant and unable to emerge into the world, Kashyar did not give up.
He poured his last strength into creating the 'hope' that would one day save humanity.
Just before being sealed, he succeeded in extracting the vessel that formed his own origin.
Though shattered into fragments by the seal's power, it was enough.
[Only the completed 'Fate' shall reach me.]
On the day fate is completed, the eternal seal shall break.
With those words, leaving behind a small hope, Kashyar and humanity vanished.
Those who knew the history all disappeared, and the current humanity, with their blood diluted, lost their boundless potential.
"The variable was the sudden appearance of otherworlders... but they were clever. Instead, we decided to use them."
Otherworlders—players—were assimilated into the Abyss once before fully entering Avtartel, destroying their vessels and creating new ones to become apostles of the gods.
It was a strategy exploiting the otherworlders' immortality, and it worked perfectly.
The resilient immortals became the gods' apostles, spreading their fame, which in turn bolstered the gods' prestige and faith.
"Huh?"
"What is it?"
"Oh, nothing."
Do-hyun couldn't help but be startled at this revelation.
Finally, the mystery was solved.
'So that's why I couldn't choose Tyr.'
The reason he had no choice but to pick Kashyar.
Wasn't it because the Mythic God One-Armed Sword God Tyr, his first choice, had been invalidated?
Now it all made sense.
Do-hyun had maintained the vessel of an adventurer, not an apostle.
In a way, Do-hyun had already qualified to reach this moment from that time.
'Thinking about it this way, it's kinda amazing.'
Was this coincidence or inevitability?
It was funny to think like this in a game, but the situation was that exquisitely perfect.
Even as these thoughts crossed his mind, Gamillion continued the story, which was nearing its end.
"It was a time of grueling endurance. I wanted to tear those vile things apart right then, but we held back and waited. For the moment the prophesied successor would arrive...!"
"......"
Gamillion's eyes gleamed as he stared into the void.
As if those bastards were right in front of him, vivid hatred blazed, tearing at the empty air.
Realizing Do-hyun's presence late, he regained his composure and concluded the tale in a low voice.
"And so, after 997 years that felt like an eternity, the successor appeared. It was prophesied for a thousand years... but this must be fate as well."
Ding-
[You have learned the lost history of humanity and the truth of Avtartel.]
[It will be recorded in the Book of Adventures.]
[You have cleared the class quest 'One Step to Truth.']
The message appeared with his final words, but Do-hyun focused on Gamillion's last statement.
'A thousand years?'
What else could that mean?
'He said 997 years have passed... so it was supposed to unlock three years from now?'
Originally, the main quest was set to unlock in three years, in some form or another.
Do-hyun had pulled it forward.
It probably wouldn't have been in this exact form back then, but whatever it was, it was monumental.
'It's been a year and six months since launch... insane, this was rice cake meant to drop in about five years?'
Five years in reality was one thing, but five years in-game was huge.
Even Do-hyun, a top-tier Demlock ranker at his peak, was a third-year player.
Five years was the point where things would rot from being left too long.
He had forcibly dragged out a story they had meticulously shelved to drop around then.
He didn't know what changes this would bring, but one thing was clear.
[The Main Stream is activated. The Main Quest tab has been created.]
[From now on, quests related to God of Savior will appear.]
[You have met the conditions to enter the Main Stream.]
[Fate's Fragment]
-Rank: Main Stream
-Description: Battle God Kashyar, who sacrificed himself to save Avtartel. Gather all the fragments of the vessel he left scattered across the world to complete fate.
-Fate's Fragment 1 / 10
-Gathering all Fate's Fragments will unlock the Main Event.
'......Sweet.'
This would set Do-hyun on a path more special than anything else.
And that first step was about to begin.
"It worked out for the best. After the promised thousand years pass, 'they' will move. War will start then. So......"
Gamillion took a step forward and dropped to one knee.
"Before that, please carry on his will and become humanity's ray of hope, Successor... Only you can reach him."
Do-hyun, who had instantly become humanity's sole hope.
His expression turned solemn as he looked at Gamillion paying his respects.
Like a knight receiving an oracle before war, Do-hyun grew strict, solemn, and serious, then spoke in a firm voice.
"Of course. I was born for this moment."
"Ooh... You possess a heroic spirit utterly worthy of inheriting his will! As expected of his judgment!"
[Title 'Max Affinity from the Start?' effect activates. Affinity rises greatly.]
[Hidden NPC 'Gamillion Adran's affinity has greatly increased.]
Such unwavering resolve even boosted Gamillion's affinity.
Without a doubt, Do-hyun was more sincere than ever.
'Hell yeah, I was born to suck this sweet nectar. This kind of honey, only I should savor it.'
How could he not be sincere when he got to monopolize such a honey pot?
Any player not sincere about this wasn't a true gamer.
Do-hyun proudly considered himself a gaming genius, one who could gratefully savor this sweetness.
"I look forward to working with you, Successor."
"Yes, me too. So, what should I do now?"
Hunt down massive god-related rice cake? Or smite some heretics?
Or something else?
Whatever it was, it would be something tremendous, befitting the title of promised successor and main quest.
Gamillion spoke with a serious expression, confirming Do-hyun's expectations.
"You must gather all the Fate's Fragments, Successor. Only then can we fulfill our long-cherished wish and stand against them. Moreover, when that promised day comes... half-baked humanity as it is now will be in danger."
"What is that promised day?"
"......I cannot say yet. It's a promise."
The 'promised day' he kept mentioning piqued his interest, but Do-hyun brushed it off.
RPGs slapped restrictions on key rice cake like this all the time.
As long as he progressed the main quest, he'd learn it eventually.
"The sooner, the better. With so many eyeing the Fate's Fragments, them not knowing you've appeared yet is our chance."
"Quite right. Let's move right away. Where should I go?"
"I've heard sightings in Baron Brion... but first, there's something you must do."
Something more urgent than finding a Fate's Fragment?
It had to be no ordinary matter!
Naturally imagining the juicy rewards, Do-hyun asked with eager anticipation.
"What is it?"
"It's something Lord Kashyar personally requested for his successor."
"......!"
"Will you do it?"
"Of course."
A task requested personally by Kashyar himself.
It couldn't possibly be trivial.
Eyes sparkling, Do-hyun awaited the next words, and Gamillion moved his wrinkled lips.
"Please hunt monsters. About a thousand should do."
"......Pardon?"
......Did I hear that wrong?
The answer to his doubt didn't come from Gamillion.
[Linked to derivative quest 'Gamillion's Test.']
['Gamillion's Test' is a main quest.]
[Gamillion's Test]
-Rank: Main Quest, Class Quest
-Description: Gamillion, tasked with serving the successor promised after a thousand years.
Following the last will of Kashyar, he will test the successor's qualifications. Pass his test successfully and leave a deep impression.
-Hunt monsters near Brion [0 / 1,000]
-Quest Success: Links to chained quest '???', Gamillion's Ring
-Quest Failure: Class quest deleted and class revoked.
-Time Limit: 60 hours
[You cannot refuse the quest.]
[Quest success will unlock the Main Quest tab.]
"......"
He inadvertently looked at Gamillion, who seemed to read his eyes? Flustered, he cleared his throat and put on a stern face.
"His words were... 'A worthless punk who can't even walk can't handle great affairs. If you're to succeed me, you must roll!'"
"......"
"That's what he said."
In short, do some X-wheel spins, kid.
'......Yeah, that fits his personality perfectly.'
Though their meeting was brief, it suited the Kashyar that Do-hyun had seen.
Kill a thousand monsters within 60 hours.
That was the first button of the one-and-only main quest in God of Savior.
A deflating first button, but on second thought, not entirely.
'A thousand isn't some dog's name.'
He had expected more from a main quest, disappointed by the plain grind, but objectively, the difficulty wasn't low.
No, it was actually high.
Normally, hunting a thousand would take at least a week.
'Brion... orcs, right? Even with tons of orcs, this is too much.'
Hunt them in 60 hours?
From a player who just arrived in Brion?
Even partying up and dumping all playtime into orc hunting would be tight.
Maxing login time at 10 hours a day would take a full 6 days of pure grind, and even then, failure was possible.
Quest failure meant class revocation.
A quest that naturally made one curse, but it didn't matter to Do-hyun.
'Well, that's for normals.'
Tough for others, but for Do-hyun's specs, it was lying down eating rice cake.
He didn't even know how much stronger the recent rewards had made him.
Numbers were numbers, so it'd take time, but solo or whatever, time shortage wouldn't stop him.
Swoosh.
Do-hyun's gaze turned to the system window.
Countless unconfirmed rewards twinkled, tempting him.
Yeah, perfect timing.
'I had a ton to check anyway. Might as well test them thoroughly.'
They were screaming to be used ASAP, so he planned to savor every bit.
'Alright, let's go.'