***
"......There wasn't even the slightest movement?"
"Yes."
Isabella, having received the report from the women, sat on a chair made of lion's hide and stroked her chin.
She had subjected beautiful women, who any man would react to, to a foot-washing ceremony. It was the highest form of treatment in the desert city of Paisalmer and simultaneously a trap to observe the Star-Awakened.
And this trap was inescapable, even if the man were not a man.
This was because they had been trained so thoroughly that they could detect changes in heart rate and even the slightest tremor in the skin. Regardless of gender or age, anyone who touched their hands would inevitably show a genuine reaction.
Yet, there had been absolutely no movement.
It was a baffling development, but a smile bloomed on Isabella's lips.
'Unwavering, unshakable spirit. Just as I heard.'
Isabella had also encountered and researched numerous rumors and stories about Star-Awakened.
The most basic of these was an unshakable spirit. It was said that Star-Awakened, who devoted everything to the stars, were not swayed by any earthly temptations.
"Are there any further matters to report?"
The five women spoke in turn.
"They asked to have their feet washed from the beginning. They know Paisalmer's etiquette."
"They entered the palace and moved about without hesitation."
"They remained calm even when looking at the monster bones hanging on the walls. Instead of being surprised, they admired the skill in anatomical dissection and taxidermy."
"Their skin was as smooth as silk. However, their muscles were as elastic as those of a wild horse."
"Above all, they seemed to prioritize communication with the stars."
Isabella nodded at the women's honest impressions and reports.
Not a single detail was ordinary.
First, they knew Paisalmer's etiquette. The knowledge to request a foot washing implied they had visited Paisalmer in the past.
Furthermore, slaves or commoners would typically be overwhelmed by the sight of the palace. Moving about without hesitation even after entering indicated that their status was anything but ordinary.
'Are they nobility, or royalty?'
Their confident demeanor and tone. Their unwavering and even defiant stance when confronted with me certainly brought to mind nobles or royalty.
While it was said that Star-Awakened were born from the stars, they were still the children of humans. As children of humans, there were naturally distinctions in status.
To be able to recognize anatomical dissection and taxidermy skills would imply extensive specialized knowledge. To possess such knowledge would likely require a certain level of status.
'Their skin was as fine as silk, and their muscles were like those of a wild horse... Contradictory, yet it is all explained by them being Star-Awakened.'
Star-Awakened. Truly a magical term.
There were no Star-Awakened in the desert. Someone whose true nature no one understood had appeared here. No matter what they said, we had no choice but to believe them.
Isabella, having organized her thoughts, spoke.
"You said they were communicating with the stars?"
"Yes."
"I must see it for myself."
"B-but... If they don't communicate, they lose their qualification as a Star-Awakened..."
Isabella let out a slight laugh.
"If one more person joins, will you be unable to converse?"
The women pursed their lips.
It was not impossible to converse if one more person joined.
If they wanted a quiet conversation, they could simply observe in silence.
A private conversation for two?
Isabella couldn't hear the voice of the stars anyway. If they were already communicating privately, what hindrance would Isabella's presence pose?
Isabella rose from her seat.
And she walked quickly towards the Star-Awakened.
✺✺✺
......It would have been a disaster if I had been even a little later.
Isabella von Dersian. As soon as I opened my eyes, she was staring right at me.
I was fortunate to have logged in as quickly as possible.
After roughly settling matters in reality, I logged back into Pangenia. My calmed reason and sharpened judgment had led me here.
'Monsters have appeared in reality, and so have summoned players. Moreover, they are in their Pangenia character forms. The reason for the failure of this expedition is likely due to them.'
This game, Pangenia, had its difficulty increase exponentially from a certain point.
NPCs who were friendly suddenly betrayed you, and companions would unexpectedly turn into thugs.
Even considering all possibilities, they obstructed me in ways beyond imagination.
This grand expedition was no different.
......But what if those 'elements of obstruction' were all players?
Of course, not all of them, but what if there was a significant number of 'trolls'?
What if someone who didn't want the ending, or who considered me a rival, intentionally interfered...
"I must cut them all down."
Harmony? Camaraderie? We had already crossed an irreversible bridge.
Hundreds of characters were deleted due to such interference. My ultimate character, containing all my essence, had also died and been deleted.
Suddenly, I remembered what a soldier had said when I was first summoned to this world.
―Damn it. If there hadn't been infighting, the expedition would have succeeded...!
There was a backstory I was unaware of.
Moreover, I had faced the Demon King alone, but at some point, I had become one of the '8 Heroes.'
This meant there was a 'speaker' capable of fabricating such achievements. That speaker could be an individual or a group.
No, it must be a group.
There was a player group that intentionally interfered with and killed players suspected to be me. Furthermore, they had fabricated rumors about me and established themselves in Pangenia.
The 8 Heroes.
It was clear that the uniqueness and superiority of my last character, who had died, had been intentionally undermined.
Therefore, what I needed to do was to become strong quickly.
To secure the safety of both reality and the game.
To do that.
"......The sanctuary cannot be entered by just anyone."
"You can enter."
She was necessary.
Isabella von Dersian.
The tragic character I had created but later abandoned and discarded.
I had never done so, yet she was somehow called the Snake Princess and had become the second most powerful person in Paisalmer.
Her self-given nickname wasn't that either.
'Asuka Kirara...'
...I felt a pang of guilt. But in Pangenia, nicknames were treated as 'aliases.' The setting was that one's true name and existence were already present, and players possessed that body.
In any case.
"If it's discovered that you secretly took someone..."
"This is your last chance to leave the desert. Answer carefully."
Isabella's pupils trembled.
"How did you know... that I wanted to leave the desert?"
"The stars told me."
"......"
She had no words.
Of course, Isabella didn't have a setting to want to leave the desert.
There was no such setting.
But Isabella was a player's character. A being that had to traverse the world and see the ending.
Given that, how frustrating it must be to be bound to the desert by a curse.
In reality, I had felt the same. That's why I gave up.
"It was the fourth star I obtained."
And when I was raising my previous character, I discovered it. The supreme star hidden in the desert sanctuary. I alone would know its location among all players.
That star was undeniably special. It was best to obtain it as quickly as possible if possible.
"···The sanctuary kills those who are not permitted."
"There is absolutely no need to worry about that part."
I had already been there once.
I had already figured out all the traps that existed there.
Among my hidden traits, there were quite a few that operated within the sanctuary.
After hearing my answer, Isabella glared at me.
"This dawn. When the moon begins to wane, be awake."
Then, with a blank expression, she turned and left abruptly.
✺✺✺
At dawn.
"Gasp!"
I ran swiftly through a hidden path, following Isabella, deep beneath the royal palace. Isabella handled the soldiers we encountered along the way.
Her speed was impressive. She attacked and killed soldiers so swiftly that most of them didn't even realize they were dying.
Isabella possessed talents specialized in assassination. She was so agile that most soldiers closed their eyes without even realizing they were dying.
"She's like a ghost."
I felt a chill run down my spine.
If Isabella had intended to kill me from the start, I wouldn't be alive right now. Most beings considered powerful, including myself, would have met the same fate.
It was reassuring to have her as an ally.
As we ran relentlessly, a massive altar came into view.
With stairs leading underground at its center, Moai statues were lined up.
"This is the sanctuary."
Her gaze asked, 'What will you do?'
She herself seemed reluctant, her expression showing it. The desert sanctuary was that complicated and chaotic.
But I couldn't turn back. I had already crossed too far a bridge.
Why else would Isabella have killed all those soldiers?
'Evidence destruction.'
She was determined to ensure no one knew she had trespassed into the sanctuary.
If I said I was turning back, she would undoubtedly cut off my head without hesitation.
"I'll go in first."
Shrugging my shoulders, I stepped onto the stairs leading underground from the altar.
Then, numerous inscriptions swirled before my eyes, disorienting me.
《You have entered the Hidden Desert Sanctuary.》
《Sub Quest: Explore the Sanctuary.》
《Rewards can be obtained based on exploration progress.》
《Warning. Recommended level for sanctuary exploration (8) has not been met.》
《Warning. It is filled with poison and dark energy. It is not recommended to enter if your magic resistance is low.》
《Protected by the Hidden Trait ‘Giant’s Magic Resistance’.》
《Hidden Trait ‘Mutant’ is applied.》
The Hidden Sanctuary. A place that a level 2 beginner should not be able to enter.
It was a place that could only be reached after receiving permission from the Queen or defeating powerful warriors.
And I had entered through a trick, with Isabella leading the way.
The rewards obtainable through sanctuary exploration were quite substantial.
But that wasn't all. My target from the beginning wasn't some sub-quest.
《Main Quest 2: ‘Obtain a Class’ has begun.》
《You can obtain a class within the sanctuary.》
《This quest ends the moment you obtain a class.》
《Reward: Varies based on the rank of the obtained class.》
This was precisely the second Main Quest.
'Varies based on the rank.'
Looking at the conditions, a smile naturally spread across my lips.
It was the natural order of the world for the strong to monopolize everything. And there was no place that exemplified this condition more clearly than Pangenia.
However, it was subtly different from the first Main Quest.
To obtain a good class, one needed a corresponding amount of luck.
Even with excellent skill, not everyone could possess a superior class.
But I had no worries.
'I'll be first again.'
I possessed skill, luck, and even hidden traits that encompassed both.
One of the 13 hidden traits, Mutant.
'I can see the hidden paths.'
The trait that allowed me to see places invisible to the human eye began to manifest.