Epic Quest
It's extremely rare, but sometimes a special quest appears during a Trial of the Gods.Completing such a quest not only alters the storyline of the current trial but can even change the nature of future trials.The currently unlocked quest, The King's Road, was one such case.
"Our prediction was… somewhat off. That said…"[Hmm, an epic quest. Even I did not foresee this. Such quests rarely appear.]
They had only guessed that once Bed Haecheoling reached the 5th tier, a path to becoming the Lord of the Ruins might open up. That was the extent of their expectations.No one imagined a quest that could completely change the nature of the trial itself would appear.
[What will you do? This is a quest you can decline. But if you accept it, won't you lose your current advantage?]
That advantage was the experience from a previous life.Han Yuseong had experienced the trials in his past life as the True Name of the Destroyer, and he had knowledge and information gained through that.If the trial changed, that information might become largely useless. In that case, declining the quest could be the safer choice.However—
"There's no reason to refuse. If anything, this is getting interesting."[I knew you would say that.]
Han Yuseong was not someone who would back down for a reason like that.Of course, the trial might become more difficult, and things could go wrong in unforeseen ways.Even so—
"I want to see a lowly F-rank dragon soul become the Dragonborn Lord."[Kuhuhu, I feel the same. Isn't it exciting?]"In things like this, you and I really are on the same wavelength."
Han Yuseong and Kakasha burst into ominous smiles at the same time.At first, he hadn't liked the Guardian faction—it didn't suit his temperament. But the further he went, the more it kept growing on him.And so, Han Yuseong said:
"I'll accept the quest."
[You have accepted the Epic Quest. From this moment, you must guide Red Haecheoling to the destined location.][Unlocking the seal of The Dragonborn Lord's Lair.]
Krrrrrrrrrr!
The ground shook violently, as if an earthquake had struck.And then, before Han Yuseong's eyes, the scenery changed—it wasn't the place he'd been standing.In a once unremarkable mountain, a colossal gate rose from the earth.The gate slowly opened, revealing an enormous cave beyond.
[In this world exists a place called the 'Lair,' prepared for those destined to become the Dragonborn Lord.There was no one to claim it for generations, so it lay unused—But now, fate has shifted.][A special arrangement awaits Haecheoling here.][Be warned: within are monsters drawn by some unknown force and dragon soldiers who guard against intruders.][Break through them and reach the innermost chamber.]
Han Yuseong closed his eyes and opened them again.He didn't know the exact location of The Dragonborn Lord's Lair.And yet—he had a feeling.As if something deep within his senses was pointing him the way.
["Evolution" will be postponed until this quest is completed.]
Crackle!
The egg cracked open, and once again, Bad Hatchling revealed itself.It looked around with a dazed expression.
Kyururok... ?
"Tsk, you should've just let it finish evolving. It's clearly a 5th-grade, right?"[From the message, it seems that if the Epic Quest had been refused, it would've properly evolved into a genuine 5th-grade Dragon Soul. But it wouldn't have become a Lord.]
Bad Hatchling's official grade was 5th.However, it only appeared that way in name — its stats and skills hadn't changed at all.Perhaps once the quest was cleared, it would finally evolve properly.
"Well then, before I head out…"
Han Yuseong checked a message floating at the corner of his vision.During the trial, there had been a sort of "list" or record.
[You may view the top five Guardians and Destroyers who achieved outstanding results in this task. Would you like to check?]
"I should definitely check this before leaving."
It was the list that had been buried under the Epic Quest.The task where Guardians were asked to accumulate 6,000 growth points within 6 hours.Destroyers were likely given a similar tier of mission.Who were the ones that stood out in this task?
It was a chance to identify who would become a major enemy.
[Guardians][1. Han Yuseong (40,800)][2. Beo Edelman (12,500)][3. Yamamoto Yuki (11,900)][4. Li Xuemian (10,300)][5. Park Yongho (9,800)]
[Destroyers][1. Wemi Hamo (22,450)][2. Suzuki Haruto (15,850)][3. Inoue Seigo (14,600)][4. Ludwig Schmidt (10,100)][5. Lee Seongma (8,800)]
Han Yuseong carefully looked over the names listed.Some were familiar to him, others he was seeing for the first time.
"I'll probably end up meeting several of them in the Veil."
Some might become allies, others enemies.It didn't matter either way. If they became enemies—he'd just eliminate them.
Han Yuseong closed the list.
"All right, shall we go see what's waiting in the Veil?"
[This is going to be fun. Things are getting interesting!]
Kyurok...?
Bad Hatchling still wore a confused look, as if it didn't understand a single thing.
Han Yuseong set off down the road, taking the creature along with him.
**
Six hours passed — long if long, short if short.The surviving players cheered simply for being alive.But to Han Yuseong, it was nothing more than hollow joy.
[Someone has activated the
A message no one had anticipated appeared in front of everyone's eyes.The players were shaken.What was an Epic Quest? Why was the trial changing?
[The
The Dragonbone Lord's Vault.A name designed to stir desire in the hearts of many.Not just any dragon's vault — the Dragonbone Lord's. It had to be filled with rarities to match its grand title.
Greed lit up in the eyes of the players.The high-rankers were no exception.
"…The Dragonbone Lord's Vault? Epic Quest?""Just hearing it makes it sound like it's bursting with treasure. If we're allowed in, forget everything else — we just need to go in, grab the loot, and get out, right?"
"I don't know which Guardian opened it… could be one of the other rankers."
Guardian rankers from various locations began to react.Li Xuemian, Park Yongho, Yamamoto Yuki.And finally, Beo Edelman, who had just come out of a large-scale battle.
"…Help the Guardian, or stop them."
Remo stared grimly at the fading message.He had no way of knowing whether letting this unknown Guardian complete the Epic Quest would be to his benefit — or to his loss.The only thing that was certain was that many players would be gathering there.
In the end, there was only one choice: go to the vault and decide for himself.
"Everyone, check your gear. We're heading to the Veil.""Yes, sir!"
The Guardians began heading west one by one.And the same went for the Destroyers.
"Ha! I wonder how powerful a buff we'd get if we absorb the Guardian who triggered the Epic Quest. We're heading west too!"
"…Wait, there are three Koreans in the Guardian top ranks?"
Destroyers ranked 4th and 5th: Ludwig Schmidt and Lee Seongma.And the Japanese player duo ranked 2nd and 3rd.
"Oy, Haruto, you seeing this?""Yeah, I see it — the Dragonbone Lord's Vault? No way I'm missing this.""You think that guy Han Yuseong will show up too? That'd make things even more fun."
"Suzuki Haruto and Inoue Seigo also headed west.The only one left was the top-ranked Wei Hao.He was sitting atop a small mountain piled with corpses in a snowfield battered by a fierce blizzard, lost in thought."
"Master Wei Hao, what should we do?""I didn't expect to witness an Epic Quest with my own eyes, to be honest."
Epic Quests were either discovered through complicated processes or unlocked by meeting specific conditions, so encountering one in person was extremely rare.Some trials didn't even have an Epic Quest at all. Yet someone had managed to find and unlock one.
"Could it be… the same person as the guardian in the temple?""You mean the Korean who's ranked number one among the Guardians? His name was definitely…""Han Yoo-sung."
Wei Hao only realized the name after seeing the list.A Guardian who had achieved unmatched growth.Wei Hao was certain that Han Yoo-sung was the target of the emergency quest.And perhaps even this Epic Quest…
"If the top-ranked Guardian even completes the Epic Quest…"
There would be no way to stop him.He had to be stopped—before that happened.Wei Hao anxiously bit his lip.
"Other Destroyer rankers must be on the move as well. The Japanese duo would be the closest in the west. Contact them.We will hunt the Guardian who has unlocked the Epic Quest.""Yes, Master Wei Hao."
After the events at the temple, Wei Hao had formed a kind of alliance by contacting skilled Destroyers.
Haruto and Seigo were part of that alliance.Together with them, Wei Hao had to find Han Yoo-sung.
"And kill him."
Wei Hao stomped the ground.He had to head to the Forbidden Lord's chamber immediately.Thus, Guardians and Destroyers alike began to converge on a single point.
It was hot.Han Yoo-sung felt a scorching energy that seemed to burn his entire body.And it wasn't just a feeling—it was real.
Fwoooosh!Kuuuuuung!
A massive halberd barely missed Han Yoo-sung, slamming into the ground beside him.As debris scattered, Han Yoo-sung channeled mana into his sword and spun his body wide.The sword aura surged outward like a vortex, sweeping through the enemies around him.
Crack-crack-crack!Snap—snap…!
The ones cut to pieces by his sword aura were skeletons.But they weren't ordinary skeletons—their bodies were covered with razor-sharp teeth-like structures.Made from the teeth of dragons, they were called "Dragonfang Knights."
They must have been stationed there to repel unauthorized intruders.But perhaps due to the passage of time or a malfunction in their directives,they were now attacking even those destined to walk the path of the Lord.
"Monsters, Dragonfang Knights, and lava pouring from every direction… how fantastic."
Han Yoo-sung was currently in the
[To tremble at mere destructive energy—how disappointing! You are my Vowed One. You should be able to wield the energy of merciless war—at least…]"Don't say that unless you're handing me a blessing for fire resistance or something."[Ugh… U-ukyuuk…]
Han Yoo-sung wiped the pouring sweat from his brow and glanced around.Monsters and Dragonfang Knights he had defeated were strewn all over the area.He had lost count of how many battles he'd been through already.The inside of the Draconic Lord's lair was teeming with enemies.
"What a pain of a dungeon. The only saving grace is…"
He cast a glance toward the Hatchling floating ahead of him.It was moving deeper into the lair, its gaze unusually vacant—almost as if something was pulling it forward.
"At least it seems to know the way."[Whether it really knows or is just aimlessly wandering…]"Let's assume it's the former."
The Hatchling was born with the destiny to become the Draconic Lord.This lair was likely created for beings like it.Maybe it instinctively understood where to go, even if it had never been here before.
If that were true, it would make things much easier.And if not… well, he'd cross that bridge when he came to it.
[The Hatchling is moving.]"Yeah, looks like we've reached about the midpoint."[You've descended quite a bit, so that sounds about right.]"Probably. The real issue is how slow it's going."
Han Yoo-sung continued following the Hatchling.He extended his Predator's Sense and glanced back.From not too far behind, he sensed the presence of other players.And they were quite powerful.
"So, the pursuers have caught up…"
Whether they were Guardians or Destroyers, he couldn't say for sure.Given the distance, there was a high chance they'd run into each other inside the lair.And just because someone was a Guardian didn't mean they were on his side.He had to assume everyone was an enemy.
A faint smile formed on Han Yoo-sung's lips at the thought.It didn't matter who they were or when they showed up.
[What will you do?]"What else? Kill them and move on. I'll just have to find a good spot to set up."
Han Yoo-sung stomped the ground.He and the Hatchling vanished into the seething depths of the lair—like a mirage melting into the heat.