Part 2, Episode 143.
Continental Quest.
This, which could be considered a World Quest on the main continent, was effectively the largest-scale quest in the New World, and the very survival of the continent depended on it.
This is not a metaphorical expression; the very survival of the continent is at stake.
The moment you fail the quest.
Because an entire new continent could have vanished from the map without a trace, or become a region where life could not exist.
[The continent quest ‘Prelude to the Great Cataclysm’ occurs.]
[Warning! Failure to complete the continent quest may result in terrible changes in Elanis.]
[Join forces with other races to prevent the disaster.]
A continental quest like that has appeared?
In reality, it is a situation no different from a state of war.
“? What on earth are you talking about?”
What is it?
“You said a continental quest popped up?”
“Huh?”
It was a perplexing situation for users who had been spending peaceful days as usual.
No, there’s a limit to how bad a bolt from the blue can be.
This was no different from a breaking news report suddenly appearing on the morning news one day saying that a nuclear missile was coming.
If you wash your face and come out to the living room to encounter news like this, it is only natural to feel half bewilderment and half suspicion rather than a sense of crisis.
They’re saying a disaster is coming and we need to join forces with other races?
-? Is this for real?
Seeing that even the world message popped up, it seems real… but why are the NPCs so quiet?
-Because NPCs won’t be able to see the world message, right?
Then do we have to let them know?
-… … No, wait. My brain is freezing. So you’re saying the continent quest really went off?
Similar reactions followed not only from users within the game but also online.
There was no other choice.
Unlike during the World Quest when the Empire’s NPCs received news quickly, Elanis’s NPCs were now far too peaceful.
The NPC merchants are chatting about what to eat for dinner at home after work, and the guards are talking about how pretty the general store merchant Ramilli is.
With the scene right before your eyes looking like that, it is impossible to feel a sense of reality.
However, surprisingly, the sense of unreality did not last very long.
“crazy!”
“W-what is that!?”
“Damn it. It was real.”
“You f***ing b****, you’re really screwed.”
“and…….”
As if he had never been stunned, he accepted the reality of this crisis with his whole body in shock.
It wasn’t just the users.
Saaa-
The NPCs, who had been enjoying peace in the warm sunshine, suddenly stood up and looked up at the sky.
It was a natural reaction.
Because the warm sunlight that had been illuminating my body vanished, and a sudden, chilling darkness took its place.
“……oh my god.”
“D-That’s ridiculous……!”
The reactions of the NPCs, who looked up at the night sky with blank faces, were all different.
“It’s a disaster! Disaster has struck!”
“I, I have to inform the representative! Hurry!”
“R-run away!”
“Damn it, you’re asking how much the weapons cost? Is this the time to be asking that kind of nonsense? Can’t you see those wretched eyes covering the sky!?”
“Aren’t you going to snap out of it!? Hurry up and follow me!”
Those trembling and struggling in fear, those rushing somewhere.
Even those whose legs gave out and who fell on their buttocks wet themselves.
“Hey, Sinell! What are you doing not running away!”
“……Escape? Hah, such things are meaningless against that thing. Didn’t you experience it firsthand? The great catastrophe of ‘that day’……! Running away won’t solve anything. Now that it has descended, this continent is already finished.”
And among those fleeing in panic, even those who had given up everything in utter despair.
Reactions were erupting simultaneously not only in Nymph Village, but throughout Elanis.
The peculiar thing is that in the former case, most of them are young nymphs, whereas.
“Ah… has the end finally come?”
“Is this how it ends up…….”
“Damn it, I never thought I’d see that twice in my life.”
The latter case consists only of a few nymphs who have lived for a long time, the High Elves of the Elf village, and Elves who have lived for more than a hundred years.
It was not because they were old.
Rather, for those who have lived for a long time, their current age could be considered their prime.
Even so, why are they so terrified?
I experienced it firsthand.
Sssss-
[The sealed sky-devouring eye ‘Rag Behemoth’ has revealed itself.]
The terrible catastrophe that opened the unofficial continent quest over 100 years ago.
[Terrible magic is about to engulf the skies of the continent of Elanis.]
[The seal on ‘Rag Behemoth’ will be broken in 48 hours.]
[Prepare for a great catastrophe.]
At the same time as the message, beyond the darkness filling the sky, something massive flashed and revealed its presence.
“ah…….”
“Holly…….”
It was snow.
That of a reptile, yet not that of a beast.
A terrifying gaze that defied common sense—one that brings to mind nothing but cosmic horror—stood there like a massive mountain that had swallowed even the moon.
[You have encountered a powerful being from the Abyss.]
“……crazy.”
“The Strongman of the Abyss?”
“Holy shit, what the fuck is this shit!?”
“W-Wow, that’s ridiculous… You want me to catch that?”
Oh my God…….
It was the moment a distant presence, which the user had never before encountered, revealed itself.
* * *
And at that time.
When a great catastrophe swallowed the sky.
… … You aren’t even giving me a chance to ask if that is really true.
“……I know, right.”
“Wow, what is all that? The aura is insane.”
“……It really is formidable. Do I have to deal with that?”
-Lizariza… … .
-Eek. I, I don’t know.
Dohyeon and his group were the first to deliver this news to Rupalo.
To be precise, I stopped conveying it halfway.
Just as I was about to start talking, Lag Behemoth swallowed the entire sky, just as his title suggested, so there was no need for further explanation.
“Ugh. Seriously, why is it always like this when I get involved with you?”
“What? You didn’t even think this would happen when you said you’d come along?”
“Well, I was prepared, but I never imagined it would be this bad.”
“That’s true, though. Hehe.”
“-I won’t fight… Charlie? What’s wrong with your eyes? They’re gleaming like a serial killer.”
I want to chew up and swallow that despicable bastard right now.
-Liza… … .
His colleagues reacted with disgust yet familiarity, while Charlie struggled to suppress his deep anger.
If it is still an abyss, it must be something that makes one shudder.
And that looked similar to Rupalo and the fairies as well.
—… … To think that monster actually appeared.
Will we be okay?
I expected it, but this is way too early compared to the schedule!
I need to report to the Fairy King… Where is he?
“-If I report it? The Fairy King can’t intervene directly anyway!”
Is it because they have experienced it once?
Rupalo, who had been silently watching the fairies who could not calm down at all, soothed them in a calm voice.
“… … Calm down. Fortunately, it doesn’t seem to be a complete descent, so we have a good chance of winning. Especially since we’ve even been given time to prepare.”
That may be true, but…
-Hmm…
The fairies hesitated, trailing off, then nodded.
That’s right. Unlike last time, they aren’t at full strength. We’ve been given time to prepare, so there might be a chance of winning.
This might be the only chance to catch that guy.
-that’s right!
Rupalo was right.
The great catastrophe that occurred in the distant past was literally a catastrophe.
A disaster that struck suddenly, without giving us any chance to prepare. Compared to then, the current situation was like a fairy tale.
As the fairies seemed to be getting along, Rupalo breathed a sigh of relief and gazed intently at Dohyeon.
…Thank you. You did more than I asked. I express my gratitude for your hard work.
Rupalo’s eyes were full of sincerity as he said that.
It was a request to break the remnants of the abyss to prevent the barrier from weakening, and you exceeded expectations.
The energy weakening the barrier faded noticeably.
Perhaps due to the energy that had accumulated over time, it didn’t disappear completely, but this was likely just a matter of time.
At this point, it had to be considered that virtually all the remnants had been destroyed.
Is that all?
Not only did it shatter the remnants of the abyss more than expected, but it even destroyed the magic stone.
‘They must have prepared a magic stone to fill the void left by the sealed heart.’
It is probably certain.
Even though it is a replica, seeing how they recreated the stage called the Eye of the Abyss and accumulated the energy of the Abyss…
From Rupalo’s perspective, it was no different than being caught off guard.
Since the heart was sealed until just a moment ago, I thought it would be safe as long as Lucia didn’t wake up.
If we let our guard down like this and Lag Behemoth, having obtained the magic stone that stockpiled all his power, were to descend without warning as before… …
Gulp.
The mere thought of it gave me goosebumps.
That is probably why.
It is all thanks to you. I will regard you as precious friends. I hope you will accept my sincerity.
Ding-
[You have cleared the prerequisite quest ‘Remnants of the Abyss’ for the main derivative quest ‘Great Hero Submerged in the Abyss’.]
[Complete the quest with an overwhelming score to enhance the reward.]
[You have obtained ‘Rupalo’s Jewel’.]
The reason Rupalo offered a jewel that he had never given to a human before was.
This was the first time in Rupalo’s long life. And true to its special nature, the effect was tremendous.
Rupalo’s Jewel
– Grade: Legendary (Artifact) (Spirit Beast)
-Description: This is a jewel imbued with the spiritual power of Elanis’s noble deer, ‘Rupalo’. It contains the energy of a spirit beast, and whoever possesses it is influenced by it, their soul becomes clearer, and they gain the power to resist those of a higher rank than themselves.
-effect
[Harmony of Souls: Partially offsets the difference in status.]
[Spiritual Awakening: The soul becomes more distinct, amplifying the effects of transcendent abilities by 12%.]
“oh?”
“oh my god.”
Hoho.
“Crazy, transcendental abilities are being amplified?”
Enhancement of transcendent abilities.
Looking at the numbers, it was barely a little over 10%, but the numbers weren’t what mattered.
“You’ve never had an ability like this before!”
“With this, I think I can run wild even more freely from now on.”
“Does that mean it includes all the Transcendence traits and unique Transcendence abilities? If so… we might be able to break another wall.”
Ast, with his mouth gaping in astonishment, and the Empress, boldly tearing her lips apart.
And the Sword Saint’s reaction, lost in deep thought, was proof of that.
Dohyeon was just as surprised.
“This is insane. They call it a legend, but it’s not even legendary level.”
Transcendence is literally transcendence.
Since it is an ability that transcends limits, there is a set limit, but this gem is no different from forcibly increasing that limit even further.
That alone is incredible, but what’s even more important is that this is currently the only item that enhances transcendence abilities.
Seeing that it is related to class, transcendence and class are indeed connected.
And a life form that has surpassed the established hierarchy of its species time and time again is a spirit creature.
Even if it is not necessarily Rupalo’s jewel, there might be other items related to such spirits that possess this effect.
This might not be the end. Just obtaining the information was a huge gain.
Moreover, this was not the end.
[You have acquired the title ‘Rupalo’s Friend’.]
[Rupalo’s Friend]
– Grade: Legendary
– Description: A title given to those who become friends with the Elanis spirit, the ‘Noble Deer Rupalo’. It is a special occurrence throughout human history for humans to form a close relationship with a spirit.
All elemental spirits and benevolent creatures will lower their guard against you and show favor more easily.
-Effect: Lowers the wariness and increases the favorability of all elemental spirits and benevolent spirits.
All stats + 10.
[You are the first player to form a close relationship with the spirit creature ‘Rupalo’!]
[It will be recorded in the Book of Adventures.]
Lowered wariness and increased affection of spirit creatures… …
Now that I have realized that forming a close bond with spirits is more important than I thought.
‘Maybe this is even more incredible than I thought?’
It is probably not just my imagination that the short effect feels particularly grandiose, even though it doesn’t look like much for a legendary item.
Well, maybe the reward Rupalo gave is just exceptionally special…
Since there was no way to know at this moment whether his prediction would be right or wrong, Dohyeon soon closed the system window and turned his gaze away.
You have done more than enough.
To Rupallo.
Even so, I’m sorry to say this… but could you please lend your strength to prevent this disaster?
It wasn’t because Rupalo was looking at him with eyes filled with apology and desperation.
Of course.
—… … Thank you. I will never forget you.
Since the continental quest had opened, I had absolutely no intention of refusing.
Considering the content remaining in the New World, the graduation quests, and the main quests, I absolutely cannot let it be destroyed.
The reason Dohyeon was staring straight in the eye at Rupalo with a serious look lay elsewhere.
“More than that… I have something to show you. It was in the Eye of the Abyss.”
-… … What is it? Surely there isn’t another magic stone, is there?
This appeared when I broke the magic stone.
Dohyeon shook his head and took something out of his inventory.
He decided that showing it directly was better than saying a hundred words. The moment he saw the long, white thing Dohyeon pulled out like that.
-that……!
Rupalo’s eyes widened.
However, the strange thing is the moment Rupalo was shocked.
As if a chain reaction were taking place, Dohyeon’s eyes also opened wide.
[Conditions have been met.]
[The event that was scheduled to occur is deleted, and the hidden route event occurs.]
[A sudden event has occurred.]
“……!”
