It would not be an exaggeration to call hidden quests the core content of Elysium Online.
If you cleared certain hidden quests beforehand, they could later change the direction of the subquests you played, and sometimes even the main quests.
Because Elysium Online put so much effort into hidden quests like that, its season updates tended to be somewhat slow.
So back when I was playing actively, users complained about it constantly.
I had once started PVP while shouting, “Is this even a game?! Fucking trash game! Go crash and burn!” because the update was still dragging on even after my entire exam period had ended.
Hm. Looking back now, it was all a memory.
Anyway.
The point was that Elysium Online’s hidden quests boasted main quest-level direction and interaction depending on the situation.
The harder the hidden quest, and the higher the completion rate, the easier that was to feel.
For example, when you completed a high-difficulty hidden quest meant for a second playthrough, one that the developers had poured their hearts into hiding in the tutorial section, with the highest possible completion rate.
Just like now.
“Waaaaaaaaah!”
“Hero! Hero! Hero!”
Even though the quest completion message had appeared, the NPCs’ AI did not stop reacting or cheering.
Dozens of soldiers came out past the front gate, lifted me up, and carried me into the base while tossing me into the air.
“Everyone! The captain says he will receive the hero at once!”
“Bring the hero to the operations room!”
“To the operations room!”
“Hero! Hero! Hero!”
And while the NPC soldiers tossed me into the air, I was carried toward the center of the base.
“Captain!”
“We have brought our hero!”
“Mm! Good work, everyone!”
Only after the soldiers set me down before the captain standing in front of the operations room did they finally seem to calm down.
“Now! Welcome, our hero!”
The captain also greeted me with a dazzlingly bright smile.
“I am Amada, the acting commander of this Eighth Supply Base. I am commanding this base in place of Commander Count Grendel, who fell in battle yesterday. And you? What is your name? Which unit of the Human Army do you belong to?”
[Quest Dialogue Tutorial]
[Entered AI Interaction Sequence.]
[Interactions with NPCs change according to dialogue content. In addition, reputation and Karma may change according to your attitude toward NPCs.]
[Create your own story through interactions suited to your player's disposition!]
At the captain’s question, a dialogue tutorial message soon appeared before my eyes.
‘It’s been a while since I saw this too.’
Even during the battle earlier, weak interactions with the soldiers had been possible, but dialogue where this message appeared had an entirely different level of interaction.
Depending on attitude, tone, and answers, even the branch itself could change.
However, that was only true in ordinary cases.
In this hidden quest, I already had the overwhelming reputation of being the Hero of the Battlefield, so even if I trolled the dialogue in all sorts of ways, not much would change.
It was probably a message appearing because I had entered an interaction sequence for the first time.
“Kylo. I don’t know my assigned unit.”
Since I was not particularly interested in role-playing a concept, I chose a safe answer.
I wanted to skip it, but interaction sequences like this could not be skipped either. The only option was to move past it quickly with an ordinary answer.
GRRK─
Then the world slowed for a moment.
I did not know the technical details, but AI calculations placed a load on the client too.
‘Still, I don’t think it was this bad back in the day.’
It was a classic server, but the required specs seemed to have gone up compared to when I used to play. This made me worried about giant boss fights or raids.
“I see. You must have been conscripted for this grand offensive! And yet, to achieve such a magnificent feat of arms......!”
After a brief delay, Captain Amada reacted with undisguised admiration.
“I may only be an acting commander, but I express my gratitude on my name as captain. Kylo! You are a hero of the Human Army!”
“Thank you.”
“Adjutant! Bring the Gold Medal of Honor! Right now!”
“Yes, sir!”
At the captain’s command, the adjutant hurried into the operations room. He had gone to bring the quest reward.
However, I heard something a little strange.
‘Gold Medal of Honor? Was there something like that?’
Had I heard wrong? I remembered this hidden quest’s completion reward being the Silver Medal of Honor.......
“Here it is, Captain!”
“Good! From this moment, under the grace of the Holy Empire’s goddess and Her Majesty the Empress, in the name of Acting Commander Amada, I bestow upon you, soldier Kylo, the Gold Medal of Honor!”
““Waaaaaaaaaah!!””
When the captain personally pinned the Medal of Honor to my chest, the soldiers watching nearby let out another cheer.
[Obtained ‘Gold Medal of Honor’!]
[Reputation within the Eighth Supply Base has risen to the maximum!]
It was true. The Medal of Honor I had received was gold, not silver!
‘To think I found a new hidden element as soon as I came back......’
For a moment, I had obtained an even better reward than before. But the reward ceremony was not over yet.
“I am sorry. This is the highest medal that can be granted at the scene under a commander’s discretion. If we survive safely, I will make every effort to submit an application to the homeland so that an even greater medal may be granted to you.”
Even after giving me the medal, Captain Amada apologized with a shamefaced expression, as if he felt it was still lacking.
“With your feats, the Iron Cross Medal and the Silver Lion Medal are practically already yours. This is a great achievement that will remain in the Empire’s history. Please take pride in it.”
“Yes.”
“And though it is modest, these are additional supplies issued to you.”
[Obtained ‘Eighth Supply Base Item Selection Ticket’x10!]
[Obtained ‘Holy Empire High-Grade Supply Box’!]
The supplies were also several times greater than the amount I knew.
‘Wow, with this......’
The linked hidden quests after this also boasted fairly tight difficulty, but I had received precious supplies several times greater than the original amount.
With this much, I could guarantee clearing the remaining quests even if I played with my feet!
“In addition to this, I promise you knight-class treatment. If there is anything you need within the base, do not hesitate to give my name and request it from those in charge.”
[You can now obtain the cooperation of NPCs within the Eighth Supply Base!]
[Affinity is at maximum! NPCs will comply with even unreasonable requests as much as possible!]
“This concludes the medal ceremony for our hero! Everyone, return to your assigned duties! The hero must rest as well! Do not interfere too much with the hero’s rest!”
After finishing the reward ceremony, Captain Amada dismissed the soldiers.
“Come to think of it, what do you intend to do from here? Nothing would please me more than if you joined our unit, but......”
“I would like to. However, I would like permission to act independently when necessary.”
“Thank you! With you here, it is as if we have gained a thousand troops!”
Captain Amada was delighted, as though my joining was a stroke of fortune.
In any case, to finish the hidden quest, I had to use this Eighth Supply Base as my base. It was the obvious choice for me.
“I will tell the administrator to assign you lodgings. Go there when you need rest.”
“I will.”
“Come to think of it, that sword of yours seems to be in poor condition. Is it all right?”
“Hm.”
I reflexively lifted the Sword of the Lost Battlefield I was holding.
Then I saw a blade stained black, dirtied by the blood and poison of the [Medusius Serpent].
This event weapon, which had given a level 1 player far more power than he deserved, lost its strength in the aftermath of killing the [Medusius Serpent].
It had been part of the questline’s predetermined progression from the beginning.
“It has been damaged by poison, but judging by its make, it is no ordinary weapon. Is it yours?”
“No. I picked it up on the battlefield.”
“A hero’s weapon is also the weapon that saved our lives. If it is the weapon that took the [Medusius Serpent]’s head, it would not be undeserving for its name to remain in later generations. How about trying to restore it with help from the blacksmith? I will speak to them in advance.”
After saying that, the captain patted me on the back to encourage me, then returned to the operations room.
[Quest completed!]
[Obtained 3,000 EXP!]
[Reputation increased!]
With that, all event scenes ended.
The EXP gained from completing the hidden quest was a full 3,000.
Because leveling up was locked during the tutorial section, my level did not rise, but it was thirty times more than what I would have received by simply following the tutorial.
In the early game, that much EXP would not end with just one or two level-ups.
On top of that.......
[Obtained ‘Weapon of the Lost Battlefield’!]
[Great Achievement!]
[A hero’s narrative dwells within the ‘Weapon of the Lost Battlefield’!]
[Hidden Quest unlocked!]
Another hidden element I had been aiming for was unlocked.
‘Nice.’
This was the reason I had put so much effort into defeating the [Medusius Serpent].
If you simply retreated and fled to the Eighth Supply Base in this hidden quest, the Weapon of the Lost Battlefield was treated as an ordinary weapon.
Even if you obtained it as a completion reward then, it was little more than a souvenir.
But what if you faced the [Medusius Serpent] head-on?
It was completely different.
At that point, the Weapon of the Lost Battlefield was treated as a weapon that had achieved a legendary feat, and a derivative hidden quest appeared.
Just like now.
[Hidden Quest]
[Fighting Spirit of the Lost Battlefield]
◆ Grade: Hero
─[You have obtained a weapon containing a hero’s soul on the battlefield. However, the hero’s weapon has lost its brilliance due to the Medusius Serpent’s poison. Purify the poison and restore the weapon. A weapon containing the spirit of the battlefield will be revived.]
◆ Objective
─[Purify the Weapon of the Lost Battlefield.]
◆ Reward
─[Revived Battlefield Weapon]
‘Just as I remembered.’
If I carried out this second hidden quest, I could restore the Weapon of the Lost Battlefield and obtain a unique weapon!
Back on the original server, I had already had another weapon, so I only kept it as a keepsake. But now, starting over from the beginning on the classic server, things were different.
If I obtained a unique weapon at level 1, it would be quite a big help in my future play.
‘Weapon......’
Come to think of it, I felt like I had received a weapon along with the hidden class as a Legendary Player benefit.
The inventory function opened from this point onward, so it would be good to progress a little and check the benefit weapon.
[Tutorial]
[Inventory unlocked!]
[You can open the inventory through Mind Trace, Physical Trace, or voice input. For voice input, please say ‘Inventory.’]
[You can check information on items in the inventory by touching the item information or using trace controls!]
[You can now equip/unequip items in the inventory!]
[Controls can be adjusted in Settings.]
[Close]
I closed the tutorial pop-up and opened the inventory.
‘There it is.’
Inside the inventory, along with the various items received as hidden quest rewards, were the Legendary Player benefit items.
The Legendary Player benefit items, [Sword Saint’s Token] and [Sword of the Sky].
These two items were items I had never even heard of back when I played the original server.
Even as a ranker!
‘What kind of benefits are they?’
With my heart pounding, I began opening and examining the items’ options one by one.
[Sword Saint’s Token]
◆ Grade: Mythic
◆ Category: Event
─[A token containing the power of the Sword Saint left in myth. By overcoming the trial at the ancient observatory, you can inherit the power of the Sword Saint.]
“Ohhh......”
It was actually Mythic grade. On top of that, the item’s contents left nothing to be desired.
‘It’s a class advancement item.’
The observatory was the place where class advancement quests were carried out in Elysium Online. So.......
‘This must be the key item needed to advance into Blade Master.’
There was no doubt that this item had to be used in order to advance into the hidden class, [Blade Master], which had opened as soon as I started the game.
What kind of class would [Blade Master] be?
‘Next......’
Next was the [Sword of the Sky], which had been given from the start along with the [Sword Saint’s Token]. It was time to check this item.
[Sword of the Sky]
◆ Grade: Mythic
‘Ohhh......!’
The [Sword of the Sky] was also a Mythic-grade weapon!
‘A Mythic-grade weapon from the very beginning!’
There was a world of difference between an event item being Mythic grade and a weapon that you could actually own and use being Mythic grade!
That was because Mythic grade meant a weapon that could be used until the endgame level of the current season!
In particular, Elysium was a game that had emphasized horizontal content until the time I had played it.
In other words, it was not a game where a past Mythic-grade weapon became completely unusable just because the season passed!
If you went through the appropriate process, even an endgame item from a past season could have its performance raised through enhancement to a level suitable for the current season!
‘Receiving a weapon I might be able to use all the way to end content is huge.’
Having one less thing to worry about when it came to endgame items from the start meant having one less late-game concern.
‘What about its performance?’
[Sword of the Sky]
◆ Grade: Mythic
◆ Category: Weapon (Formless)
◆ Attack Power: Unable to Interpret
◆ Ability Correction: Unable to Interpret
◆ Equip Requirements
[Master Level], [?????]
─[A weapon born from the sky of the Mythic Age given form. The authority of the sky that holds the world dwells within it. The more its seal is released in suitable places, the more it regains its mythical power.]
‘O-ohhh......?’
Amazing!
I could not understand a single thing!
‘Still, this is right!’
A weapon whose specs I could not understand at all.
This was closer to good news, if anything!
High-grade items could not fully reveal their proper specs unless they were analyzed with an “Appraisal Skill.”
Rather, the fact that not all of its specs could be known before appraisal meant that it was not merely a giveaway Mythic item, but was being treated close to a true Mythic-grade item.
If anything, the fact that the item description was unlocked from the start felt like a consideration for Legendary Players.
If this had been an actual in-game item, I would not have been able to read that description before appraising it.
On top of that.......
─[The more its seal is released in suitable places, the more it regains its mythical power.]
‘I don’t think this text was just written there for no reason.’
In Elysium Online, text like this being hidden meant that corresponding content was guaranteed to exist.
In other words, I could consider myself as starting with at least two more hidden quest key items than other players.
‘That’s impressive.’
It was a reward so excessive as a privilege given only to rankers that I almost worried there might be controversy over favoritism.
Well, I would only know how it actually worked after opening the content, but.......
‘There’s no doubt it’s a powerful weapon.’
The equip requirement was Master Level, in other words, the level cap.
From the equip requirement of Master Level, to the Mythic grade, to the appraisal conditions.......
It had every condition of a powerful item.
‘I’m looking forward to when it becomes usable.’
After feeling satisfied, I turned my eyes to the next item.
‘Hm, aside from this, the thing that caught my attention was......’
The Gold Medal of Honor.
‘This bothered me quite a bit too.’
After all, my knowledge of this hidden quest originally stopped at obtaining the Silver Medal of Honor.
This item was close to a new discovery even for me.
What would be different from the Silver Medal of Honor?
[Gold Medal of Honor]
◆ Grade: Hero
◆ Category: Accessory, Event
─[A medal of the Argo Holy Empire granted only to those who have achieved heroic accomplishments on the battlefield. It is the highest reward that can be granted by a field commander.]
─[When equipped, NPCs within the Eighth Supply Base will cooperate fully.]
─[When equipped, you can gain favor from NPCs of the Argo Holy Empire.]
“Oh......!”
The Gold Medal of Honor truly was an item of a higher tier than the Silver Medal of Honor I knew!
Even its effects were far more extraordinary.
─[When equipped, NPCs within the Eighth Supply Base will cooperate fully.]
A tooltip saying the NPCs in the hidden quest zone would cooperate fully. This was the same as the Silver Medal of Honor I had originally obtained.
But the extraordinary part was the next line.
─[When equipped, you can gain favor from NPCs of the Argo Holy Empire.]
I would gain favor from NPCs of the Argo Holy Empire. The range had expanded to the entire “Argo Holy Empire”!
‘It has a bonus effect even outside the event area......!’
Content such as reputation, fame, and NPC cooperation belonged to Elysium Online’s longest-term content. There were no quick shortcuts when it came to raising NPC affinity.
And yet I had a bonus that let me gain favor right here?
At the very least, it meant I could skip past the most tedious early affinity section.
‘This will make things easier later.’
If I gained a reputation bonus from the early game, it would probably help quite a bit with leveling after leaving the tutorial section too.
‘I want to try all of them as soon as possible.’
At least until I tried using all these items myself, there was no way I could stop playing even if I tried.
‘Whew... For now, let’s stop thinking about later. Shall I focus on the quest?’
How the Legendary Player benefit items or the Gold Medal of Honor would affect things in the field was still a matter for later.
For now, I should focus on the rest of the hidden quest.
[Inventory]
─[Eighth Supply Base Item Selection Ticket]x10
─[Holy Empire High-Grade Supply Box]
The remaining items were, in one sense, the most important event items for completing this hidden quest.
In truth, they were not event items, but ordinary high-grade consumables.
The problem was that in this hidden event zone, these supplies were the only source for obtaining consumable items.
Even if I failed to carry out a quest after this, I could revive at the Eighth Supply Base, but used potions would not be restored.
If my skill was lacking and I used up all these supplies, I would have no choice but to give up on all the hidden quests.
In that sense, these supplies were perhaps even more important than the rewards.
‘Now, shall I return to the quest?’
Before returning to the quest, I removed the [Gold Medal of Honor] again and put it into my inventory. If NPCs reacted to the medal and came to interact with me when I did not need them to, it would be annoying.
After that, I opened the quest window and checked the hidden quest.
[Hidden Quest]
[Short Rest]
◆ Grade: Daily Life
─[You safely protected the soldiers and arrived at the Eighth Supply Base. Rest until battle resumes.]
◆ Objective
─[Spend time.]
◆ Reward
─[Linked quest unlocked]
The next quest was nothing more than an intermediate bridge that gave a gap between quests.
For the time being, the hidden quest connected from the tutorial would only continue after I spent some time at the Eighth Supply Base.
Until then, I had to visit NPCs in this Eighth Supply Base and proceed with quests like restoring the weapon or receiving supplies.
‘Night will come soon.’
The sun was slowly beginning to set. I felt I should quickly visit the NPCs and proceed with the quests before it got dark.
That was what I was thinking as I was about to move through the base.
GRRK─GRRK─GRRRRK─
Again. My old VR capsule could not withstand the game’s requirements, causing processing lag.
But right now, there was no giant boss, nor was this a section that required AI calculations. Why?
As I was wondering that, the reason soon revealed itself before my eyes.
VWOOOM─
Immediately after the VR capsule’s processing lag ended.
In an instant, the Eighth Supply Base began overflowing with people.
And they were not soldiers, but people who had not been visible until just now.
On top of that,
“Recruiting party for hidden quest!”
“Buying Mid-Grade Supply Potions for 100 gold each!”
“Anyone have a Feather of Revival? I’ll pay 1,000 gold!”
“Hurray for Pinpin-yang! Hurray for Pinpin-yang!”
“Hurray for Yang Pinpin!”
“Anyone want to do the Medusius quest together?”
“Hurray for Pinpin-yang!”
“Recruiting expert party for Medusius quest. Copper Medal or higher only.”
“Our party still has spots!”
The conversations of the crowded people were strange too. No matter how I looked at it, they did not belong to NPCs immersed in the world setting, but.......
“Players......?”
There was no doubt about it.
Other players, who originally should not have existed in the hidden quest area, had begun to appear!