Chapter 200

Chapter 200
## Chapter: 200
Chapter Title: Reforging the Wooden Stick

The Gilded Visage.

This was the individual I encountered initially during the imperial auction, the same person who ushered me into the Reaper Cult under the pseudonym ‘Golden Goat.’

I had managed to evade intense distrust primarily because the emperor’s crest, which I obtained through the ‘Empire’s Three Swords’ within the Abyss Labyrinth, remained recognized and active.

Regardless…

‘A unique gathering for the Reaper.’

Participating in this would mark my second time attending such a banquet.

During the previous event, Hell had made an attempt on the ‘All-Devouring Feast,’ seeking to assimilate an immense number of spirits only to find them rejected and expelled.

Those concentrated spirits were eventually utilized during the conflict with Baal, serving as the essential components for the ritual of revival alongside the ‘Eternal Randolph.’

‘They commanded the preparation of a unique spread. That instruction was aimed at me.’

I had arrived at the debut banquet without providing a single spirit.

However, to take part in this ‘unique banquet’ organized by the traditionalists, it was mandatory for me to provide spirits for the ceremony.

‘The majority of other contributors offered up the spirits of players, yet the regulations don’t explicitly demand them.’

I ruminated, slowly running a hand over my chin.

If that were the case, I possessed two spirits that could serve the purpose.

The first belonged to ‘Union,’ the sorcerer of the Golden Rule.

Hell had managed to surreptitiously retrieve it from Isera.

It likely occurred during the moment he accompanied Union to meet with Isera.

‘The complication lies in Union’s ties to the sovereignty.’

Because Union had confessed everything to Hell, I possessed a comprehensive understanding of his background.

He served as the very first court sorcerer for the Archon Empire.

A legendary figure who, mirroring the emperor, had endured through countless eras.

It wasn’t out of the question that the sovereignty had dispatched Union to facilitate the assault on Earth.

Presenting Union’s spirit risked triggering an investigation.

‘…However, I do possess a spirit that bears a curse.’

This was the spirit utilized when Destruction placed a hex upon the Mad Dragon Ainhasar.

That specific spirit had stripped Ainhasar of his status as a dragon deity and afflicted him.

I had successfully dispelled the hex and claimed the spirit, though its original identity remained a mystery to me.

Nonetheless, it clearly belonged to a being of staggering power to have the capacity to hex Ainhasar.

“What is our intended destination, my lord?”

“I’m considering.”

I provided a candid reply to Hudson’s inquiry.

I had a plausible theory as to why the White King was summoning me.

Virtually all primary battalions had been stationed in the southern territories.

Even I, recognized as one of the five foundational pillars, had been sent to the desert metropolis of Paysalmer.

For both the White King and the Black King to recall their elite forces in the middle of their territorial dispute suggested a massive pivot in the conflict.

I suspected I understood the underlying cause.

‘The White King is growing restless.’

He likely sensed that the conclusion of this struggle would result in his downfall—his expiration.

His ability to see ahead must have alerted him, triggering a desperate move.

Even from my perspective, the momentum of the war was shifting decisively toward the Black King’s side.

The primary battalions by themselves were no longer enough to stall the Black King’s faction.

While the Black King relentlessly grew his military might, the White King had remained remarkably stagnant regarding his own expansion.

‘The White King cannot be allowed to fall just yet.’

Currently, he functioned as a shield for me, simultaneously keeping the Black King in check.

Should I honor his request to appear?

One certainty remained: his time to depart the narrative had not yet arrived.

At least not until I had entirely surpassed Wilhelm and established my own independent power base.

He was a primary factor—and a source of leverage—that allowed me to press forward with such singular focus.

That was the reason I had to respond to the White King’s summons.

‘Marquis Wyzer. He desires my presence during his audience with the King of Ballan.’

For what reason?

It was another puzzle.

For a standard diplomatic encounter, the presence of Serengeti, the White Knight, should have been sufficient.

Serengeti’s combat skills had already reached the absolute peak of what a human could achieve.

And yet, he still requested my involvement…

“Hudson. Has there been any recent development within the Kingdom of Ballan?”

“Well… rumors are circulating. There are murmurs that King Frederick is personally traveling there to counsel King Ballan on the necessity of yielding.”

King Frederick, the sovereign of the Iron Kingdom.

A youthful monarch who took the crown only a year prior.

I had caught wind of the stories surrounding him.

A terrifying ruler had emerged in the eastern lands.

A man whose very essence was forged of iron, and whose crooked smile was a precursor to certain bloodshed.

Given his campaign to retake the east, the Kingdom of Ballan was inevitably next in his sights.

“It sounds as though the matter is settled.”

“If Marquis Wyzer has requested your presence, Sir Randolph… then yes. Behind closed doors, King Frederick’s arrival is considered a certainty.”

Marquis Wyzer was a subject of the Kingdom of Ballan.

To ensure the sovereign’s safety and brace for any unexpected turns, he sought to enlist my strength.

He had clearly concluded that Serengeti’s protection alone was inadequate.

A sense of impending doom was gathering there as well.

I could not afford to neglect either the White King or the Kingdom of Ballan.

‘Furthermore… the Primordial Forest is in a similar state.’

Elder Aruwen, who departed ahead of us, still had not reached the Primordial Forest.

The fact that Priest Andrew felt compelled to enter the woods himself was a testament to their crisis.

All four of these calls—from the sovereignty and other regions—poked at my curiosity.

However, I was only one person.

Therefore.

‘I will travel to the place where my specific intervention is required.’

I gave a firm nod, having reached a conclusion.

Then, noticing Hudson fidgeting and whining like a dog that desperately needed to go outside, I spoke up.

“Quit making those sounds and just ask me what you want to know.”

“D-Did my expression betray me?”

“It did.”

“Well… if it isn’t overstepping, could I ask one thing?”

“Go ahead.”

Hudson inhaled deeply before finally posing his question.

“It concerns the ‘Hall of Contributions’ rankings. Why is your name not at the top, Sir Randolph? ‘MintChocoDelicious’… I simply cannot wrap my head around it.”

Ah.

The Hall of Contributions.

It was indeed a strange situation.

Even if it wasn’t made public, my entry should have been listed as ‘Anonymous.’

Yet, I was entirely absent from the Hall of Contributions.

‘MintChocoDelicious securing the top spot is a shock to me as well.’

Naturally, I had my own questions.

A person shrouded in complete secrecy.

Out of every ranked individual, ‘MintChocoDelicious’ was the one who intrigued me most.

But I hadn’t encountered anyone fitting that description throughout this entire campaign.

‘Gate Destroyer. Likely operating within Pangeniar rather than on Earth.’

That specific designation provided a clue to their accomplishments.

Just as I had imprisoned the Necrolord Ahram within the depths of Cramdel, it was possible MintChocoDelicious had obliterated Isera’s transport gates in Pangeniar.

‘The invading demonic forces were surprisingly few in number. Particularly when compared to the legions Ahram commanded.’

No more than 200,000 at the most.

Ahram had amassed a far greater host in the pits of Cramdel.

Without the assistance of the star guardians and the elite forces, I wouldn’t have been able to imprison him.

It appeared that ‘MintChocoDelicious’ had obstructed the reinforcement gates, cutting off the flow of troops to Earth.

‘An individual with the power to annihilate invasion gates.’

Who could it possibly be?

The person who gained notoriety as the ‘Conveyor’ while facing Baal in the Abyss.

Undoubtedly not a common warrior.

The Master had suggested they were an ‘entity capable of shifting into various personas.’

That might be the reality of it.

The Mincho I recalled was a practitioner of necromancy who manipulated remains, but if they could track and destroy gates…

‘Perhaps not a single individual—could it be a collective?’

A sudden realization struck me: perhaps they could inhabit multiple personas simultaneously, or ‘MintChocoDelicious’ was the name of a clandestine group.

“…Sir Randolph?”

Hudson spoke up once more, noting my grim expression.

I shook my head, thinking back to my dialogue with the spirit of the Primordial God.

“Hm. I was informed that my status is rank zero.”

“I beg your pardon? Rank zero?”

“If you consistently surpass the expected limits of achievement, you are occasionally removed from the standard rankings. In doing so, you begin to encounter ‘unrecorded’ beings.”

“……??”

The Primordial God.

He, too, was an entity that left no record.

Because of my relentless streak of exceeding expectations and achieving impossible scores, I had been cast out of the system and granted entry into the Primordial God’s vault.

But he was far from the only one.

There were many more unrecorded beings in existence.

-Exercise caution. The ‘Primordial’ entities will begin to observe you. Do not expect others to show you the kindness I have.

-Those venturing into the ‘Primordial Era’ must remain vigilant as well. If they discover you possess ‘Primordial’ artifacts, they will stop at nothing to take them.

Primordial entities.

And those who were crossing into the Primordial Era.

I had to keep a close eye on all of them, but it also suggested I would have more opportunities to find and seize ‘Primordial’ items in the future.

This was a truth only accessible to those who had walked the path.

Expectedly, Hudson, who lacked that experience, was lost.

I simply shrugged and remarked,

“At any rate… have Auril, Isaac, and Balte come back from the Ruins of Lundella?”

The Ruins of Lundella.

I had dispatched Auril and Isaac Balte to that location, where the Master position sat empty.

Following its takeover, it was now managed by Park Tae-woo.

Hudson gave a nod.

“Yes. They arrived back several days ago.”

“Good. Convene everyone, including Andasar, in the main hall of the castle. I intend to ignite the ‘First Flame.'”

“The First… Flame?”

I offered a fleeting smile to the still-confused Hudson.

“You’ll understand soon enough.”

Whoosh!

The ember, moved from the simple wooden stick into the fire pit, erupted into a violent blaze.

Fire has a unique power to hold one’s gaze.

Every person present was under its spell.

“Th-This fire…!”

Auril was the only one to gasp in realization.

Being an elf, she had an intuitive grasp of its true essence.

‘The Flame of Life!’

The spark that signaled the dawn of all existence.

Auril began to shiver.

The staggering pulse of life radiating from the pit was unlike anything she had ever encountered.

Not even the Great World Tree had emitted such a concentrated force of life!

《The ‘First Flame’ is ignited.》

《The ‘First Flame’ provides sanctuary to the city.》

《While this flame persists, the city is immune to rot, siege, or being claimed by the Abyss.》

《Recognized citizens of the ‘Labyrinth City’ receive a +3 bonus to all attributes.》

《The progression of city culture is vastly accelerated.》

《The efficiency of treasure hunting is boosted by 100%.》

《Hidden sectors within the Labyrinth City are unveiled by the First Flame.》

《You have obtained the ‘Secret: Guardian of the First Flame (Unique)’.》

《’Set Collection’ is finalized and triggered.》

《’Guardian of the First Flame’ + ‘Winter (Final Twilight)’ = ‘The Alpha and Omega (+2 to all attributes)’.》

《You have completed the legendary feat ‘Guardian of the First Flame’.》

《Via ‘Great Presence,’ your reputation is doubled to 10,000.》

《Total reputation has exceeded 30,000.》

《You are eligible to claim the ‘Right of Exaltation’ at the Sanctuary of Honor.》

A barrage of notifications flooded my vision.

Yet this wasn’t the conclusion—it was merely the opening act.

《Rebuilding the ‘Wooden Stick that Sustained the First Flame’.》

《The ‘Cleansed Shard of Despair’s Remains’ is merged with the ‘First Flame’.》

《1 ‘Flawless Golden Rule’ is expended.》

Roar!

I cast the wooden stick into the heart of the rising inferno.

Fire.

It represented the totality of things.

The wooden stick that had served as its vessel shared that essence.

The ultimate artifact—possessing the potential to become anything, to reshape itself into whatever was required!

And the fire always bestowed upon its master the form that was most appropriate.

《The ‘Primordial Armor’ has been forged!》