***
The result of rolling the dice two stages higher due to two constellations.
There wasn't a single item on the ten lists that I could throw away.
'They just handed over a raid set. Should I complete the Michaela set here now?'
The Michaela set was one of the best armaments to have in the early game, but it was just as difficult to complete.
The number of people who possessed all three pieces of equipment could be counted on one hand.
And they had handed it over as a main quest reward. A treasure that had to be obtained through blood, sweat, and tear-inducing grinding.
'......All ten of them are treasures that only drop from specific raid monsters.'
But there was a reason I had to hesitate.
I wasn't a beginner, but a super-veteran user of Pangenia. I hesitated because I knew all too well that the remaining eight items were no less valuable than the Michaela set.
If I were a first-year Pangenia player, I would naturally choose the Michaela set first.
'The Amulet of Protection. It allows you to create a sanctuary where you won't be attacked by monsters in the field.'
In this game, if you didn't log out in a designated location, you would be gruesomely killed.
However, as the game progressed, the number of 'save points' became scarcer. This was where items like the 'Amulet of Protection,' which created a safe zone, were needed.
It wasn't just necessary for logging out, but also for resting during hunts, making it as valuable as the Michaela set.
The downside was that it was a consumable.
'The problem is that its uses are limited.'
Items that forcibly created a safe zone like this were all destroyed after a few uses. But they were incredibly difficult to obtain, making them true treasures that had to be used with caution.
'The Gill of the Sea Beast is essential for exploring the sea or rivers.'
This was also the same.
There were many hidden dungeons in the sea and rivers. Most of them were exploration areas for level 7 and above, but trying to find the Gill of the Sea Beast at that point could be a blood-spitting endeavor.
So, obtaining it in advance would be a wise decision.
The <'Anvil of the Adversary'> was, frankly, unnecessary. With the hidden trait Dexterity, it would be fast to raise production skills with an anvil, but I was not a blacksmith.
The <'Banner of the Red Knight'> and <'Crimson Steed'> were also not important to me. The banner could grant me a knighthood if I took it to a specific kingdom, but it would tie me down, and the Crimson Steed was a mount, but I already had the Soul of the Hydragon.
<'Armor of Palam'>, <'Tear of the Fairy Queen'>, <'Shadow Cloak'>...... Among these, the most appealing was undoubtedly.
'The Shadow Cloak.'
A cloak that hid the wearer in the shadows.
It was essentially a free stealth skill.
As long as the cloak wasn't damaged, it was permanent, making it a great bargain.
It would be detected by high-tier exploration tools or high-level detection skills, but those were also rare.
Above all, this cloak would be incredibly useful in reality.
An invisible man. Wasn't that a dream everyone had at least once in their childhood?
<You have selected ‘Shadow Cloak’.>
<You can choose one more reward.>
I chose the Shadow Cloak without hesitation.
Now, only one remained.
I stroked my chin, my eyes gleaming.
Which of these should I choose?
Which one would be considered a good choice?
✺✺✺
「......」
Time and space were collapsing. Everything was shattering. It was getting to the point where I couldn't even tell if this was reality or a dream.
Of course, this entire sequence of events was only happening within Dramuth's perception.
Dramuth watched the man, at a loss for words.
He had thought he would be incinerated by the 【Star】.
He had walked up resolutely and lifted the 【Star】 as if it had been his from the beginning.
'This is a dream. This isn't reality.'
Dramuth denied it. It was a fabricated reality. A hallucination shown by someone. Yes, I must be hallucinating right now.
I must have been asleep for too long. Or maybe I ate something bad. Weren't there quite a few hallucinogenic mushrooms around?
Dramuth's metabolism kicked into high gear. If he was poisoned, all he had to do was detoxify and return to reality.
Now, if he closed his eyes and opened them, he would return to reality.
Blink!
He closed his eyes tightly, and the moment he opened them.
Fwoooosh!
A cluster of stars poured down.
'......This is crazy.'
It seemed the mushroom I ate this morning was a very potent poisonous mushroom. Otherwise, there was no way the 【Star】 would choose that human.
The master of the 【Star】 was also the master of Dramuth.
The previous master, 'Wilhelm,' was a powerful human. A perfect superman, lacking nothing to be Dramuth's master.
The moment they met, he realized the difference in their class. He knew that even with ten thousand of him, he couldn't defeat that human. So, he humbly acknowledged it and led Wilhelm to the stars.
But look at this human.
'I have to serve a human who is inferior to even the golems outside, let alone Wilhelm?'
There wasn't even a trace of transcendence.
So, was he qualified?
That wasn't it either.
He wasn't even prepared to possess the Stars.
In fact, he was weaker than the golems outside, weaker than the rabbits on the mountainside.
There was an enormous gap in class between them. Heaven and earth? No, they were on completely different dimensional levels.
That's why he had sneered when he said he would challenge it. He was certain he would be incinerated by the stars.
But.
"Dramuth, kneel."
「......」
"Ah, right. Snakes don't have legs."
This damn fellow was making the same demand that Wilhelm had made right after becoming master.
Even the remark about not having legs was the same.
"Isn't your gaze too high when facing your new master?"
Ssssssss.
Damn. Damn. Damn it!
No matter how much he resisted, he couldn't resist. Dramuth pressed his face to the ground. His body had automatically reacted to match the man's eye level.
An inescapable, irresistible, perfect shackle.
It was synonymous with the fact that this human had become the sole master of the 【Star】, his master.
"Well done."
Pat. Pat.
The human smiled as he tapped Dramuth's snout.
How dare he.
How dare he treat me, the Old King, the guardian of the stars, like a pet!
"I am Randolph. I look forward to working with you, Old King Dramuth."
「......」
"Hmm. It seems you're too moved to speak."
「......」
"Good. Then, as a sign of your loyalty, let's begin the sanctuary exploration."
This is a dream. A terrible dream!
Dramuth denied reality.
But Dramuth's nightmare was just beginning.
✺✺✺
Thump! Thump!
Isabella's heart began to pound wildly.
Because of the stars? Or because that Star-Awakened had suddenly taken the stars?
She didn't know. What was certain was that she was in a state of extreme tension.
"Isabella."
"......Yes."
She spoke formally without realizing it.
The moment he possessed the stars, the Star-Awakened was no longer a Star-Awakened.
He was the Star itself. A god.
She was now standing before a god.
No matter how much she was the second-in-command of the great desert city of Paisalmer, no matter how she was revered as a princess, how could she compare to a god?
Before a god, she was an infinitely small being. Like a speck of dust that could be blown away with a single breath.
He commanded the colossus as if it were a servant and presided over everything. To maintain the same attitude as before towards such a being would be an act of sacrilege.
"What do you want to do once your curse is broken?"
"To leave the desert..."
"And after you leave the desert?"
"......I want to find my... roots."
"The Dersian family, you mean?"
"......Yes."
He knew everything. He saw through all secrets.
Isabella von Dersian. She was not born in the desert. She was a noble born into the Dersian family somewhere on the continent.
She had learned of her Dersian birth from the Queen. The Queen had told her her secret as she cast the curse.
But she had also said this.
If you want to break the curse, obey.
When you rise to the position of princess, I will break the curse.
...The Queen had not kept her promise.
He knew a secret she had never told anyone. No matter how much the stars told him, it should be impossible for a mere Star-Awakened.
But for the master of the stars, for the Star itself, it was possible.
"I will grant you a blessing. However, there is a condition."
"A condition...?"
"Serve me for one year. After that, I will grant you freedom and help you find your roots."
"Ah..."
"Do you think I am lying?"
Isabella shook her head.
Then, the Star smiled.
"I am not the Queen. I do not speak falsehoods."
The promise of freedom after just one year of service.
In truth, it would be fine even if it were a lie.
If only she could break the curse. If only she could leave this wretched desert.
"......I will serve you."
Isabella pledged her loyalty.
✺✺✺
<<The Hall of Fame has been updated.>>
<<The ranking for ‘Main Quest 2 – Obtain a Class’ has been changed.>>
<1st Place, 230 points. Randolph>
<2nd Place, 198 points. Gracia>
<3rd Place, 190 points. Mint Chocolate Taste>
<4th Place, 166 points. Obsidian>
<5th Place, 160 points. Master>
......
<<You are located outside the ‘Obtain a Class’ ranking list.>>
<<The privileges for the next ‘Main Quest 2’ granted to ‘Massacre’ have been revoked.>>
<<The privileges for the ‘Secret Auction House’ have been revoked.>>
Cough!
At the sudden message, 'Massacre' frowned.
"Damn, what is this all of a sudden?"
Revocation of privileges?
The news was that the privileges for the Secret Auction House, which were only revealed to those who ranked in Main Quest 2, had been revoked.
'Massacre' was a ranker, but he was the only one with an ordinary class. He had barely clung to the bottom of the Main Quest 2 rankings, but he had been suddenly overtaken.
But his annoyance was brief.
"Randolph... 230 points?"
He rubbed his eyes, thinking he had seen wrong.
He had finished Main Quest 1 with 220 points, and now he was even higher.
230 points. What kind of class could you get to achieve such a score?
He knew that Gracia, in 2nd place, had passed on a secret class twice to obtain the super class 'Sword Saint' and scored 198 points.
But 230 points?
"Is this guy really Phantom?"
Randolph. Could this guy really be Phantom?
Probably. Only Phantom knew all the secrets of Pangenia and could obtain a class superior to Gracia.
It seemed he had been summoned to Pangenia after his character was deleted during the grand expedition.
'I'll kill him. I'll definitely kill him.'
'Massacre' gritted his teeth. No matter how good a class he had obtained, he would be weak for now.
I'll find him, and I'll kill him.
Whether in Pangenia or in reality. I just need to find him wherever he is.
'First, I need to recover my rank.'
Hooo! 'Massacre,' taking a deep breath, calmly assessed the situation.
First, I needed to recover my privileges.
It wasn't particularly difficult.
All I had to do was kill anyone above me in the rankings to recover my rank.