Chapter 70: Reward Time (2)
〚Hidden Quest: Follow the Footsteps of the Titan〛
〚Rank: Mythical〛
〚Grade: C+〛
〚Description: A quest awarded to those who have obtained fragments of power from the Primordial Titan, whose existence has faded from the memory of most. Those who follow their history and power will inherit their abilities.〛
〚Objective: Collect all Titan set skills (2/5)〛
〚Time Limit: 1,000 years〛
〚Success Reward: Transformation into the race Primordial Titan, inheritance of their legacy〛
〚Failure Penalty: Permanent disappearance of this quest〛
Although this should have been cause for celebration, a sigh escaped me first.
Something else to collect now.
‘It’s already maddening to think about gathering all 24 of Lucifer’s Wings.’
Still, I consoled myself with the thought that this quest only required three more items.
The quest had a time limit, which was unusual, but 1,000 years would allow me to reincarnate several times as a human if necessary.
A newbie Hunter who had entered the Abyss less than a month ago now held two mythical quests and was about to acquire a third.
“Now that I think of it, let’s check that next.”
I had started this endeavor in the first place to obtain a particular item.
Opening my Inventory, I pulled out an old, tarnished ring.
It was a simple ring, large enough to fit on my head like a crown.
But the value of this item wasn’t in its appearance.
It resonated with the power of Lucifer’s Arrogance, capable of drawing out dark and destructive Mana.
Mana—an exclusive domain of the Demonic Race—was a force frequently associated with Demons even before my regression.
Demons and the subordinates of the Seven Deadly Sins, collectively known as the Demonic Race, competed to create villains like the Mages.
Naturally, these beings weren’t friendly toward humans.
The nature of their Mages, known for committing atrocities, clearly reflected their personalities.
The only reason humans hadn’t dealt with them was that they were simply too powerful.
‘Not that Demons or Devils were particularly interested in Earth.’
To them, Earth and its humans were merely toys, objects of fleeting amusement.
Even then, only a handful of Demons or Devils ever made contact with Earth.
‘Lucifer is said to have no subordinates.’
According to ancient texts, Lucifer was too arrogant to serve anyone, wielding enough power and ability to remain solitary.
He didn’t command a single subordinate yet still overwhelmed the other rulers of the Seven Deadly Sins.
That’s why I was so desperate to gather Lucifer’s Wings and inherit his power.
The moment Mana touched the ring, it began to react.
Its tarnished, broken appearance started to mend, restoring itself to its original form.
As the transformation unfolded, an unexpected system message appeared.
〚Item: The purified soul of ??? resonates with this item.〛
〚Unclaimed Item: The Holy Flame of Repentance from the Throne of Sin: The Penitent Fallen Lamb resonates with this item.〛
“What?”
This was unexpected.
It didn’t seem like a bad thing, so I decided to leave it for now.
The ring continued to change.
Its once dull and worn state turned darker, its form becoming elegant and regal.
It wasn’t extravagant but exuded dignity and beauty, befitting an emperor’s crown.
A crown meant only for the Emperor of All Spirits.
Despite the unforeseen development, the final appearance matched what I remembered.
Before my regression, the one who had obtained this hidden piece spent over a year uncovering its secrets.
For me, it wasn’t so difficult.
That’s the advantage of possessing knowledge of the future.
Sure enough, as soon as the Black Crown of the Emperor revealed itself, my Mana was entirely absorbed, binding the crown to me.
Then, the long-anticipated quest emerged.
〚Hidden Job Quest (1): The Deepest Underground of the Holy Kingdom〛
〚Rank: Mythical〛
〚Grade: EX+〛
〚Description: You have obtained an unknown crown. You are given the chance to inherit the power of a great being. Follow where the crown leads you.〛
〚Objective: Investigate the secrets of the Holy Kingdom’s underground (Incomplete)〛
〚Success Reward: Hidden Job Quest (2) unlocked, ???〛
〚Failure Penalty: Permanent disappearance of the Hidden Job Quest, item: Unknown Crown [Normal-S] destroyed〛
I frowned.
Something was off.
“This isn’t the quest I know.”
My frown deepened.
Why did the Holy Kingdom suddenly appear here?
This was a variable.
My knowledge of the future had become meaningless.
The original quest pool contained a total of 66 options, all of which were tedious but not particularly difficult.
At the end of this journey awaited the job Emperor of All Spirits [Mythical-S+].
Considering that even in the future, only two Earthlings were known to possess a Mythical-grade job, its value was immeasurable.
However… this variable had significantly increased the difficulty.
Originally, the quest should have started at Mythical-F- and ended around Mythical-E at best.
Instead, it began at an EX+ grade.
Of course, it would be misleading to say that the quest’s rank and grade directly represent its difficulty.
If a true Mythical-EX+ stage existed, even the Throne of Sin occupants in the highest stages wouldn’t be able to clear it.
The rank and grade of a quest hold different meanings.
Rank represents the quest’s value within the Abyss, while grade measures its level of danger.
For instance, the first Mythical quest to collect Lucifer’s Wings had a grade of A.
The quest to gather Fragments of the Titan was graded around C+, indicating its level of danger.
It would be foolish to underestimate these grades.
Danger level isn’t about difficulty but actual threat.
Even an E- grade is hazardous for someone of my current level.
That said, the danger level isn’t always accurate.
Even the System can’t account for every variable or predict every player receiving a quest.
Take the quest to defeat the underground sewer monster, for example.
Its danger level was E+, but thanks to the Purifying Four Tiger Sword and my mental resistance abilities, I cleared it relatively easily despite its stated threat.
From my understanding, quests graded B- or higher typically required risking one’s life.
Similarly, Lucifer’s Wings received an A grade because it involved confronting invaders or other quest holders searching for the wings.
Naturally, as the value—rank—increases, so does the danger level.
Even a Mythical-ranked quest at an E grade could be life-threatening.
If not for this method of adjustment, hidden items granting Mythical-grade quests wouldn’t exist on low-level stages like Stage 0.
The System would have imposed restrictions, banishing players to higher stages instead.
But with an EX+ grade danger level…
It was practically telling me I was destined to die and daring me to attempt it anyway.
“Well, at least they’re not asking me to fight a god, right?”
I held my head, sighing as I closed the quest window.
Thinking about it now wouldn’t yield any answers.
Besides, I’d need to return to Earth and make my way to the Holy Kingdom, which would take some time.
Setting aside this frustrating variable, I began reviewing the rest of my rewards to improve my mood.
Rewards poured in.
The quality was extraordinary, befitting the defeat of a Fragment of a God.
〚Mythical (Incomplete) Rank S- LV 333 Throne of Sin: The Penitent Fallen Lamb, Azazel’s Fragment, has been defeated!〛
〚Contribution: 100%〛
〚Rewards: 10 Black Coins, Item: Throne of Sin – Holy Flame of the Penitent Fallen Lamb [Mythical-D+], Title: Godslayer [Mythical-EX-]〛
〚Additionally, you have acquired the Authority: Altar of Sacrifice〛
“They’re giving an Authority as a reward?!”
Before I could fully process my surprise, another message appeared, leaving me stunned.
〚A higher-tier Authority exists beyond this!〛
〚Authority: Equivalent Exchange forcibly absorbs Authority: Altar of Sacrifice〛
Screech!
The newly acquired Authority was reduced to nothing more than a meal for Equivalent Exchange.
However, the following messages left me somewhat satisfied.
〚Authority: Equivalent Exchange expands the range of acceptable sacrifices on the left scale〛
〚Authority: Equivalent Exchange becomes more efficient!〛
〚Authority: Equivalent Exchange manifests a new ability: Descent of Sacrifice〛
〚Authority: Equivalent Exchange obliterates the consciousness of the original owner of the absorbed Authority〛
“So, Azazel tried to meddle, huh.”
There was no need to guess who the original owner was.
It had to be Azazel.
Equivalent Exchange had anticipated this and absorbed the Authority accordingly.
At least, I hoped so.
Regardless, the result was favorable.
The power of Equivalent Exchange improved, and the Authority’s capabilities were fully inherited.
Still, Descent of Sacrifice…
Sacrifice likely referred to offerings, and descent might mean summoning a divine presence.
Was it a transformation of Altar of Sacrifice?
I wasn’t sure.
For now, I set it aside and continued reviewing my other rewards.
〚Hidden Stage: Throne of Sin: The Penitent Fallen Lamb, Azazel’s Fragment, has been cleared!〛
The next reward was for clearing the Hidden Stage and represented my final reward.
Naturally, the stage was of such absurd difficulty that even the System deemed it nearly impossible.
Given the Mythical rank of this stage, which was unheard of in low-tier levels, the rewards had to be proportional.
This was the reward I had been most eagerly anticipating.
With a racing heart, I read through the messages.
The system messages contained acknowledgments of my survival and gratitude for handling the Fragment of a God.
The messages dragged on for quite a while, and I began to frown.
Ultimately, aside from the final message, all the others were largely irrelevant.
Did the System gain a personality?
Why write such a long letter?
Not that it was a bad thing.
After all, I had broken the balance it had established and used unconventional methods to deal with a god’s fragment in this low-tier stage.
Earning the favor of the System in the Abyss would never be a disadvantage.
Finally, I reached the last message and understood why the reward could be summarized in a single line.
〚The System has created a reward most suitable for you!〛
〚You have obtained Rune: Time – Hourglass [Origin-SSS]〛
An Origin-SSS grade rune.
The System rewarded me for achieving the impossible with an unimaginably valuable prize.
I gazed at the rune in my hand.
It was small, barely a fraction of the size of the two ancient-grade runes I had acquired earlier.
However, its power and mystery were overwhelming.
The rank of Origin symbolized the very essence of a concept, embodying a staggering amount of power now residing within me.
〚You have acquired Rune: Time – Hourglass [Origin-SSS]〛
Thus, my first venture into the Abyss was complete.
Amid countless dangers, I had built a brilliant foundation to soar even higher.
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