[? – ???(This is a temporary quest. Please remove this part before delivering it to the user. / Quest Management Team Level 2 Administrator Honyeon.)]
Purpose – Deliver the ‘Celestial Being’s Sacred Stone’ and ‘Reincarnation’s Fragment’ at the request of the ? (Representative of Kiki Island).
Reward – Representative of Kiki Island.
“Quest?”
“Yes. If you clear it, I will sever the contract with the Representative of Kiki Island. After that, you’re on your own.”
“Who is Level 2 Administrator Honyeon?”
“How do you even—ah, damn it.”
The Raccoon clutched its head as if it were in a pickle while glaring at the Blue Ring floating above.
Before I knew it, the quest window in front of me vanished, and a new quest popped up.
[? – ???]
Purpose – Deliver the ‘Celestial Being’s Sacred Stone’ and ‘Reincarnation’s Fragment’ at the request of the ? (Representative of Kiki Island).
Reward – Representative of Kiki Island.
The temporary note written beside the quest name disappeared.
“Forget about the last one; that was a mistake.”
“So who are you, then?”
“…A member of the Management Bureau. Be satisfied with that and go back.”
“Are you also a Level 2 Administrator? With the way you’re dishing out quests, you don’t seem to be of a low rank.”
“I will remain silent.”
Dressed sharply, the Raccoon firmly declined.
While I had seen other Raccoons being somewhat scatterbrained or free-spirited, this one was quite cautious.
The Raccoon I encountered in Blodia spoke properly too, but when cornered, it showed signs of desperation.
‘That one might be close to a high-ranking position.’
It didn’t seem like it held a position like Cheongsu or Hwanggwak at the top, but it surely had some clout.
If it was bringing quests managed by a Level 2 Administrator, that said a lot.
“Well then, I’ll take that as acceptance. If you ever attempt this again, I will bring a ‘formal permission,’ so please be careful…”
“I haven’t accepted it yet?”
“…Huh?”
“It’s not a bad condition, but one thing is a bit…”
To free Myeosin, I need to bring two items.
Not a bad condition.
The two items are the ‘Celestial Being’s Sacred Stone’ and ‘Reincarnation’s Fragment’, both of which are materials from the Multi-Dimension.
The Celestial Being’s Sacred Stone should be easy to procure from Ertarn.
I’ve cleared more than half of Ertarn, and since I’ve built a reputation with the owner, ‘Ertarn,’ I might just get it with a simple request.
I had no idea.
The problem was the fragment of transformation, which was presumed to be the Main Temple.
“How can we bring it without the Holy Seal of the Main Temple?”
The only Holy Seal missing in the Multi-Dimension was the Holy Seal of the Main Temple.
Other regions had obtained theirs through the 4th job advancement or by clearing episodes.
Even the Golden Sky could be accessed through the Golden Seal of the Dawn obtained by clearing the ancient island.
I wasn’t sure if that was the official Holy Seal, but at least it was a way in.
But the Main Temple was different.
Even though there had been some exchanges in Aether — where parts of various dimensions had merged — I couldn’t obtain the Holy Seal.
‘Other Users say they have no idea where else to acquire it besides the 4th job advancement rewards…’
The Raccoon looked at me with a slightly dissatisfied expression.
“…That’s something a User should solve with their own capabilities. Haven’t you already done it once?”
“Thanks to Lasty.”
The reason I was able to perform well in Blodia even after the penalty was due to the Progenitor Lasty.
I didn’t intend to go to Blodia until I obtained the Holy Seal, but I was forced to go because the situation was so urgent.
With the ‘Red Rain’ falling across the world, I had no choice but to head to Blodia.
However, the Main Temple was different.
Since there was no being that could manipulate a world like Lasty, if I went to the Main Temple, the difficulty of the strategy would likely increase significantly.
‘The penalty will stick with me, regardless.’
“If you give me the Holy Seal of the Main Temple, I’ll accept it. What do you think?”
“That’s not going to happen.”
“Well, then there’s nothing we can do. Let’s just do what we each need to do—”
“…If you keep coming at me like this, something big might happen someday.”
“Is that a threat?”
Hmm.
“It’s a warning. There’s no guarantee that indifference will last forever.”
The Blue Ring emitted light once again.
The light created a small wooden board, which then smoothly flew into my hand.
It was a Holy Seal that was similar yet different from the ones I had seen so far.
“This is a temporary Holy Seal for the Main Temple. It’s a one-time use and will ease the penalties upon entry.”
“Can’t you give me the official Holy Seal?”
“Going any further would be overstepping. If that happens, it wouldn’t just end with me, and the situation could get even bigger.”
“Hmm…”
“Well, it’s a bit disappointing, but should I just be satisfied here?”
“I wanted to bring Myeosin right away, but given the situation, it seems impossible.”
“I may be acting tough, but I’m on the edge of either Wings of Light or Sacred Transformation unraveling.”
“After all, it was an item I needed to acquire.”
I turned my head to look at Myeosin.
Myeosin was watching me with a face full of concern.
“Sister.”
“I’m sorry. You’ll have to wait a bit longer.”
“It’s fine. I’m used to waiting. Just don’t push yourself too hard.”
“Of course.”
I wouldn’t even call this much of an effort.
As we exchanged a few words, Raccoon had vanished without a trace.
─You must keep your promise.
Raccoon disappeared, leaving behind only a brief note.
I nodded and continued the conversation with Myeosin.
■
“…It’s definitely suspicious. There’s a reason they’re labeled as a person of interest.”
Raccoon, who had just been talking to Lily, moved away, casting a glance at the two women chatting away.
Beside him was a smaller Raccoon, one of the members of the Altar Management Team, Third-Class Administrator Gaeyeon.
Gaeyeon was the one who managed the Altar of the Impossible, a place that Lily had recently visited.
“Y-Yes. That woman is definitely…!”
“I see. You’ve acknowledged the danger, so let’s forget about reporting it to the higher-ups without following proper procedures.”
“Forget about it? That’s not the issue! There’s no way an ordinary user can have that much power! We need to take immediate action…”
“Action? How?”
Myeongbaek recalled.
He vividly remembered how the borrowed lightning easily countered him, inflicting substantial damage in retaliation.
Even that ‘thing’, which could only be used in a Level 2 crisis, seemed to have caused some wounds, but it was far from effective.
‘Compared to that person, she is weak, but I can’t shake off this unsettling feeling.’
Somehow, if that woman keeps growing, I had a grim premonition that she could even surpass that person.
‘That can’t be right. That person has gone through ‘trials’ after all.’
“I’ve already heard that from the Newcomer in the Sealing Team. There’s nothing we can do.”
“…I see.”
“If anything is to be done, it has to be the ‘higher-ups’. They’re not the type to move for just ‘one’ user, as you said.”
“But, can’t we report it? If the higher-ups take it seriously, they might act…”
“That’s not something we should decide.”
“That’s not a matter for us to judge.”
Myeongbaek decided to keep this matter to himself.
No, “keeping silent” was an arrogant term.
If it were such a strange being, they would have understood it long ago.
They already had hands and feet to serve them, and probably knew of her existence since the moment she arrived here.
Still, the fact that she walks around like that must have a reason.
“I’m going back. You should return to the altar management team as well.”
“Ah… yes!”
“……”
■
─Oh? Really? How did you manage to get it?
“Well, there was a bit of trade involved. I think I can get in.”
─Awesome. Then let’s go together. I felt a bit awkward going alone, so this worked out well.
After negotiating with the administrator, I logged out and sat in front of the living room computer with a view of the Han River, chatting on Discord.
The conversation partner was Yena.
Yena said she was behind on work and would take a break today to focus on it.
She must have been affected by the quests and training she’d been busy with all this time.
─Wow, I have a few things to upload…
“I feel the same way. Should I hire more editors…?”
By the way, I was in the same boat.
Even though my YouTube channel was known for its quick edits, the upload speed had somewhat slowed down due to the sheer volume of work I had.
I was using outsourced editors, but delays were inevitable.
Of course, I could leave all this to the editor or manager, but I preferred to do the final review myself as much as possible.
Suddenly, while talking, I noticed the towering skyscraper across the Han River.
That wasn’t just a tower.
It was a normal, or rather, quite luxurious building that was the tallest in Seoul and probably wouldn’t pale in comparison on a global scale.
‘Nutri Company.’
The company that made Deoen and a huge entity created by an unidentified alien.
To an ordinary person, it might seem like a magnificent building, but for some reason…
“Do you think the Demon King lives up there? Or maybe an angel?”
─Did it become tastier…? Huh?
“No.”
To my eyes, it appeared a bit differently.
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