Chapter 22

Chapter 22
## Chapter: 22
Chapter Title: White Knight, Serengeti

If we refuse to surrender the egg, a conflict with the woods will be unavoidable.

However, even providing it presents a challenge.

“Hmm. What is your intention?”

I presented the Heavenly egg, but as I suspected, the High Dryad was unable to perceive it.

It made sense, given that only my eyes could discern the egg housing the Heavenly Spirit.

Furthermore, it wasn’t a spirit of nature, meaning it lacked the power to restore the woodland.

Should I simply make a run for it?

Failing the quest would damage my standing, but… if I deployed a barrier with Star Claw and Isabella and Hudson managed to hold their ground for thirty seconds, I could utilize the Teleport Book.

“Accept this, inhabitant of the wilds.”

Just as I was weighing the merits of fleeing, Isabella moved forward.

She then presented a spirit egg to the High Dryad.

The High Dryad’s gaze expanded in shock as she took the offering.

“A-A Wind spirit!”

An egg of the wind.

A spirit of the natural world capable of breathing life back into the withered grove!

Judging by its dimensions and the aura it pulsed with, the forest would not only recover but flourish far beyond its original state.

A wind spirit was significantly more effective for cultivating the woods than a rock spirit would have been.

Pure delight shone in the High Dryad’s expression.

“You have my thanks, truly! You are the saviors and companions of our realm!”

“The Forest!”

“Victory!”

The surrounding Dryads erupted in cheers of joy.

In that instant.

The notification for the quest’s end flashed before me.

Yet, I couldn’t quite process the text.

…To be blunt, I was caught off guard. I never anticipated that Isabella would surrender the spirit egg she earned by besting the challenges of the Spirit Tower so casually.

She understood the worth of spirits more than anyone else.

If anything, her knowledge of their value was profound.

“……”

When I glanced at her, Isabella gave a careless shrug.

She acted as if the gesture was trivial.

It was only then that I grasped that this was a form of the ‘service’ I had directed her to perform.

Had she not pledged her loyalty to me for a year as payment for being rescued from the sands?

By parting with something of her own, she was proving her total dedication to her role.

“A celebration is in order this very day!”

The High Dryad beamed and began a spirited dance of happiness.

[1st: 240 points. Randolph]

[2nd: 219 points. Gracia]

[3rd: 191 points. MintChocoDelicious]

[4th: 188 points. Black Night]

[5th: 180 points. Master]

[6th: 175 points. Massacre]

……

Massacre, idling outside the God of War Tower, wore a look of intense frustration.

‘What kind of nonsense is this?’

He had been patiently waiting for the individual thought to be Randolph, only to see his standing abruptly slide.

With that slide, the strength of his Guardian Wall weakened as well.

‘Think of the sweat I broke to scale the Storm Tower…!’

In Main Quest 3, breaking into the top 100 provided the ‘Guardian Wall’ benefit.

Those ranked 10th through 100th received a 1Lv Guardian Wall, but the top nine enjoyed varying levels based on their specific rank.

Gracia had invested months of grinding just to climb the tower and secure a superior Guardian Wall.

She had attained 219 points, ensuring a 10Lv version.

Massacre had followed a similar path.

He had put everything into conquering the ‘Storm Tower’, reaching 5th place and taking home a 6Lv Guardian Wall.

The Guardian Wall served as a shield for one’s physical body in the real world while the player was in-game.

Regardless of one’s level in Pangeniar, if the physical body died, it was game over.

Very few abilities could protect the real body without a rare item like the Fragment of the Broken Golden Rule.

Protective charms weren’t sustainable for long periods.

This was the reason for the desperate scramble to climb the towers.

Grind!

‘Phantom. No, Randolph…!’

He felt he might explode from fury.

Once a main quest was finished, it couldn’t be attempted again.

If his anger was this high, how must Gracia feel, seeing her top spot snatched away for the third time?

Gracia had spent months leveling in the most brutal environments to earn that 10Lv Guardian Wall, stalling her main quest progress.

Even against growth caps, she hit level 7.

She had even flirted with death to push through the Immortal Tower.

And yet, she only had 219 points.

How on earth did this cursed Randolph manage to pull in 240? What kind of tower did he find?

‘What sort of exploit did he find?’

One fact was certain: it had to be a tower of a higher tier than the Immortal Tower.

A standard ascent wouldn’t cut it.

Phantom had consumed every bit of lore regarding Pangeniar, so he must have found a glitch to abuse. There was no other explanation.

Huff! Huff!

Massacre tried to calm his breathing.

“Blast it! This garbage…!!”

But no matter how deep he breathed, his rage remained white-hot.

[‘Main Quest 3, Tower Climb’ standings have been refreshed.]

[‘Randolph’ has taken 1st place.]

[Surpassed ‘Limit Score’ with 240 points. Benefit ‘Guardian Wall’ quality has been enhanced.]

These were the alerts upon entering the Hall of Fame.

First place was an achievement, but this was on another level.

‘Benefit rank enhancement.’

Securing the top spot in the Tower Climb of Main Quest 3 provided the Guardian Wall benefit.

I immediately checked the details.

【Guardian Wall (11Lv)】

★ Safeguards and alerts of threats to the physical body while logged out.

★ Protective power is determined by the Guardian Wall’s level.

★ An 11Lv Guardian Wall cancels out all attacks below 1-star for a duration of 30 seconds.

My expression brightened.

‘One major concern handled.’

This was something I required more than almost anything else.

While logged into Pangeniar, it would keep Park Hyun-myeong safe; when I returned to the real world, it would shield Randolph in Pangeniar.

A flawless defensive barrier that could negate even 1-star transcendent strikes for thirty seconds!

‘The top rank usually maxes at 10Lv, but exceeding the limit score pushed it to 11Lv.’

Apparently, the quality of the benefit could evolve depending on the final score.

Furthermore, thirty seconds provided plenty of time to stabilize upon logging back in.

‘The Fragment of the Broken Golden Rule now shows 72 hours remaining.’

The first-place perks continued.

The Fragment was granted an additional 24 hours, bringing the total to 72. Having more time banked was always a plus for the future.

“Star Awakener, my thanks. I never imagined I would actually get a spirit.”

While the Dryads were lost in their festivities, Hudson came over to speak.

Hudson had secured a water spirit egg.

It was a perfect fit, considering his affinity for the ‘Water’ element.

“To establish a true contract, you’ll have to see it hatch first.”

“Indeed. I plan to purchase a ‘Spirit Incubator’ as soon as we return to civilization.”

The standard method for hatching such eggs was via a Spirit Incubator.

They were available for a steep price at Spirit Associations within the major metropolitan areas.

“What kind of egg did you receive, Star Awakener?”

“I have no clue.”

“……I beg your pardon?”

Hudson blinked, clearly confused by my response.

But what was I supposed to say? It was the honest truth.

Even I was in the dark regarding the nature of this Heavenly spirit.

I couldn’t say if ‘Heavenly’ referred to the demonic realms, the celestial planes, or an entirely different dimension.

“Kihihihi!”

“Uhahahaha!”

“Spin! Leap! Rejoice!”

The Dryads whirled in a joyful circle.

“……”

Isabella was positioned right in the middle.

Since she had donated the wind spirit, she was treated as the group’s most honored guest.

However, Isabella simply stood there looking stiff, clearly uncomfortable with the attention.

‘It’s a good thing she obtained two of them.’

During her time in the Spirit Tower, Isabella had managed to get two eggs.

That was the reason she could part with one so easily—she had a backup.

Still, it wasn’t a minor sacrifice. Spirit eggs were incredibly precious on their own.

Plus, spirits originating from the ‘Spirit Tower’ were significantly mightier than the average variety.

‘Bestowing a millennium-old mandragora.’

Isabella was holding a mandragora, a plant shaped like a human.

It was the peak of medicinal elixirs, having soaked up the forest’s vital energy for a thousand years.

Eating it would unlock a new talent.

Of course, I had no remaining slots for new talents, so it would have been wasted on me.

“I can’t wait for it to hatch. Having a spirit should fix every problem I’m facing.”

Hudson’s eyes were bright with anticipation.

Was he picturing himself hunting alongside a spirit?

Advancing from level 9 to 10 was impossible for a solo player, but it became feasible with spirit assistance.

“Before we do that, there’s another location we need to visit together.”

“There are still places to go?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll follow you anywhere, no questions asked.”

Hudson squeezed his hand into a fist, his gaze burning with conviction.

He looked ready to follow me to the edge of the world.

I let out a soft laugh.

No questions asked?

“I hope you can stand by those words.”

“……”

Hudson was already beginning to regret his pledge of blind loyalty.

After the warp was finished, he could do nothing but stare at the lands before him in shock.

He swallowed hard.

“Why… are we here…?”

“You find it familiar?”

“This is the Vallan Kingdom… the lands of Marquis Wyzer… isn’t it?”

There was no way he wouldn’t know it.

Serengeti.

The woman who had promised him her future, the one with whom he shared a private engagement.

The woman who had come home from the Great Expedition with both of her legs gone.

He began to shake.

He wasn’t prepared to look her in the eye just yet.

He hadn’t even reached level 10, let alone become a councilor.

But why had the Star Awakener led him here? Was it to force a confrontation with Serengeti?

“The place we had to visit together…”

Hudson asked with a dry throat, and I gave a firm nod.

“This is the spot.”

The Vallan Kingdom consisted of thirteen major cities.

It was famously referred to as the ‘Garden of Knights’.

However, my reasons for being here had nothing to do with Hudson.

‘The conclusion of the Great Expedition, the day of the clash with the Demon King.’

I had entered that expedition leading 500 knights.

The White Knight Serengeti, who was my right hand at the time, had saved my life but fell into a trap, resulting in the loss of her legs.

She was there during that final campaign.

She was the only person who had seen my fight with the Demon King.

So, she would have the answers.

…The truth behind Knight King Wilhelm’s final moments, and the inexplicable things that happened back then.