Game Opportunities Become Reality Episode 57
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Game Opportunities Become Reality Episode 57
17. Leveling Up Again (4)
'First, let's organize the physical items obtained as rewards for clearing the Opportunity quests.
The stage 1 clear reward was only money and a Circle, with no other physical rewards, and while the stage 2 clear reward came with a 20㎥ subspace, that's hard to count as a physical item.
-Stage 3 Clear Reward
From stage 3 onward, the quality of rewards shoots up.
That's because I was given three bottles of 'Elixir' spare lives that money can't even buy.
However, since I used a few drops of one Elixir bottle during the war, it's hard to call it a full three bottles; calling it 2.9 bottles would be more accurate.
-Stage 4 Clear Reward
What more needs to be said.
The stage 4 reward is the eyeglasses that see through the essence of things the 'Myriad Mirror'.
Along with Arcia, who always watches over me, I consider it the greatest gift obtained through the Opportunity.
-Stage 5 Clear Reward
Thirteen pieces of top-grade Force equipment bearing the name 'Istro' were given.
Equipment with names like the Istro Magic Staff, Istro Robe, and so on.
Istro equipment looks like ordinary Force equipment, but it has the feature that if Aura is charged into it, even an ordinary person can use Force.
Since rechargeable Force equipment could stir up controversy, I've refrained from issuing it to anyone other than Arcia.
Currently, two of the Istro equipment pieces (staff, robe) are in my use, and four pieces (armor, shield, arming sword, short sword) are in Arcia's use.
I find it quite amusing that even mage equipment has Force functionality.
Aside from that, there are still seven remaining: 'saber, rapier, bastard sword, claymore, spear, crescent blade, and halberd'.
It's a waste to let these precious equipment pieces rot in the subspace, but there's no help for it.
If I were to give them to someone else and they leaked out, packs of jackals would come swarming from all directions.
-Stage 6 Clear Reward
The stage 6 reward is the 'Black Eagle', which also became the emblem of the newly founded Marquis Lawrence family.
Black Eagle, the black one, is a chimera with a dragon-bone body that's hard to destroy even with an Aura Blade, along with supersonic flight capability.
Using the skill called Sight Sharing, I can receive surveillance information, and by using the skill called Magic Sharing, I can fire magic from the black one's distant location.
That means it possesses outstanding abilities in both surveillance and surprise attacks.
However, since Black Eagle was a precious comrade alongside Arcia, it's probably better to exclude it from the physical reward tally.
-Stage 7 Clear Reward
A sky fortress named 'Icarus' was given as a reward.
Since the Opportunity quests cleared so far go up to stage 7, this is the last reward I possess.
I expected it when the Vanguard's Force equipment came out, but actually receiving it was a deeply bewildering gift.
That's only natural, since every nation in the world strictly manages sky fortresses.
The characteristics and specs of all sky fortresses worldwide were openly known as unclassified secrets, so I couldn't casually reveal an unofficial sky fortress.
Moreover, Icarus is completely different in appearance from ordinary sky fortresses.
If a normal sky fortress looks like a disc-shaped UFO, Icarus has a shape closer to an Earth-style fighter jet.
An absurdly massive and flamboyant fighter jet that reaches 600 meters in length, that is.
The reason sky fortresses look as simple as UFOs is because that design shows the most ideal defensive efficiency.
But Icarus's form has a clear reason behind it.
Namely, that it's a surprise-attack weapon with acceleration capability reaching Mach 3.
Surprise attack.
Those words truly couldn't suit a heavy sky fortress less.
Yet Icarus made it possible because aside from high-speed mobility, it comes with three innovative additional functions.
1. Independent Teleportation
Teleporting a weapon as heavy as a sky fortress requires a great deal of time and cost.
But the teleportation built into Icarus can be used continuously like an ordinary artifact, as long as the cooldown is over.
It removes the constraint of distance, so combined with high-speed mobility, it can quickly join battle from anywhere.
2. Subspace Storage
The second function is remarkable it can store and retrieve a sky fortress weighing hundreds of thousands of tons in and out of a subspace.
This means the sky fortress can be infiltrated even into areas where Spatial Movement Interference Magic is laid out.
If every sky fortress in the world were equipped with this function, those in power wouldn't be able to sleep a wink.
After all, you never know when or where a sky fortress might pop out and blow away a castle, bed and all.
Truly, just thinking about it is horrifying.
3. Unmanned Combat
The final function is unmanned combat.
It has the ability to charge Aura and release Force like Eestro equipment, allowing it to operate and bombard for a certain period without a pilot.
Because of this, there's no need to painstakingly assemble a crew.
Isn't that truly a trump card?
However, if Icarus were ever discovered, it would advertise Grand Duke Lucas's Opportunity Seeker status, so time is still needed before it can be used openly.
[Elixir 2.9 bottles, Myriad Mirror, 13 types of Eestro equipment, Sky Fortress Icarus]
Excluding Black Eagle, these are the four main tangible assets in my possession.
Each and every one is a treasure whose value is hard to put a price on.
With two stages of clear rewards still remaining, I look forward to seeing what pops out.
'Next: items from the treasures obtained by subjugating the four viscount families that haven't been sold off.'
Even if they aren't grand nobles, lords who rule cities, monopolize regional businesses, and have accumulated wealth over long ages are more powerful and richer than any South Korean conglomerate head.
Naturally, the property confiscated from them was nothing to scoff at mere liquidation alone came to 42 trillion, and there was no small amount of tangible goods left undisposed.
First, the Mithril and Mana Stones, called strategic resources, were stockpiled as they were.
Mithril and Mana Stones are core materials needed when personally crafting Vanguard equipment or sky fortresses in the future, so there's nothing wrong with hoarding them.
The Mithril and Mana Stones confiscated from the four families held a value of approximately 10 trillion Lute.
Beyond that, the gems, precious metals, and artworks set aside alone amounted to several trillion won.
The assets calculated so far approach a whopping 60 trillion isn't that quite lucrative?
It seems there's no easier way to make money than looting an easy Domain War target.
Of course, this can't continue forever.
Excessive Domain Wars aren't permitted by the royal family, and could even invite sanctions.
In the end, everything has an upper limit.
'I gained so much from this Domain War, but wouldn't this be the most eye-catching of it all?'
[????? / Relic]
-Detection functions are reflected, so detailed information cannot be confirmed.
-No information found online or in the Lucas Library.
-Analysis of the era suggests it is an item from the Mythic Age, 20,000 years ago.
-It has been confirmed to possess a function that absorbs mana or divine power, so it is worth injecting energy for a detailed investigation.
A Relic (artifact) that cannot be analyzed even by the Myriad Mirror, the legacy of Grand Duke Lucas.
But I conducted experiments according to the method the Myriad Mirror suggested, and as a result, I was able to uncover that it was an unexpected item.
[Sword Hilt of the Heavenly Tribe (?) / Holy Relic]
-Presumed to be the hilt portion of a sword used by the Heavenly Tribe in the Mythic Age.
-When mana or divine power is injected, it appears to condense, strengthen, and release energy, likely taking a form similar to an Aura Blade enhanced with Force.
-Currently non-functional due to part of the internal holy magic circuits being destroyed.
-A high-ranking technician at the Holy Land Everhill may be able to repair it.
-Materials: Orichalcum (350g), Holy Blood Stone (32g)
Just by looking at it, it's clearly no ordinary object, isn't it?
But it doesn't matter what this item signifies.
After all, its materials alone make it an object of immense value.
Orichalcum is the rarest of rare metals, produced in only tiny amounts of around 500g annually at the Holy Land Everhill.
It's widely used in the crowns of the Empire or powerful Kingdoms, and its price is whatever anyone asks.
With 350g of that Orichalcum included, this alone is worth rivaling a sky fortress.
Now I understand why such an inexplicable Relic (artifact) was enshrined safely in a vault.
I could make a lot of money selling it as is, but the fact that it seems repairable piqued my curiosity.
I was already planning to visit the Holy Land someday anyway I'll look into it then.
[Mana Stones and Mithril (estimated value: 10 trillion), gems and precious metals, artworks (estimated value: 7 trillion), Holy Relic (estimated value: 10 20 trillion?)]
Even excluding cash, the tangible rewards alone amount to this much.
The four viscount families became veritable trees that gave without limit.
Those who suffered would feel wronged, but still, for families who lost their titles and lands overnight, I left them enough money to live comfortably as commoners for the rest of their lives so I believe I upheld my own sense of duty.
'With this, the situation assessment is complete.'
A rather simple conclusion compared to the grand explanation, but from now on, I will gain even more than this.
The wealth and power I currently hold were merely a waypoint after all.
* * *
"That bastard's face is just unlucky-looking, isn't it?"
"Indeed."
Inside the game Chronicle Online.
Arcia and I spotted a vampire that bore an uncanny resemblance to the Second Prince and stomped it to a pulp.
Our actions were more brutal than ever, and the data-made vampire was tortured pitifully before finally dying.
"I shouldn't leave this place neglected. I've been too fixated on reality lately."
I had been too busy all this while.
My daily playtime was under three hours, and as a result, my level had only just reached 205.
But from now on, I intend to spend most of my day here.
After all, I need to achieve the 8th Circle as quickly as possible.
Together with Arcia and the black dog, I gleefully hunted down vampires resembling the Second Prince to earn experience.
Just how long did we remain absorbed in battle?
"Lord Adrian."
Arcia whose face every time I saw it made the word 'marriage' proposed by the Crown Prince flicker in my mind called me to a halt.
I raised a questioning look, and she delivered an unexpected piece of news.
"I have found a talent of the highest grade."
To an outsider, it would look odd two people stopping mid-monster hunt to talk about this.
But I let out an exclamation and responded enthusiastically to her news.
"Oh! Really? Recruit them right away."
"Yes, understood. I will entrust the negotiations to the attendants accompanying us."
The 'Genius Hall' is an institution that uses the Myriad Mirror to discover and recruit people with high talent, then provides education tailored to each individual.
Naturally, this is no mere academy it's a place that raises people who will work for my family.
Thanks to that, they receive treatment and money that ordinary commoners could never even dream of.
Nearly twenty people have entered the Hall so far, but with things getting so busy lately, I hadn't been able to invest time into recruiting new talent.
Recruiting talent required using the Myriad Mirror to examine abilities, and I couldn't bring myself to entrust the Myriad Mirror to anyone else.
But then, I thought of one method.
'Arcia, you snack on things outside while gaming, don't you? Can you act simultaneously? Handling work outside while playing the game.'
'It's possible as long as it's not something complicated.'
That method was having the Arcia on the real-world side wear the Myriad Mirror while I played the game, so she could find talent.
Simply examining people through the Myriad Mirror hardly seemed more difficult than drinking tea and eating cookies.
And the fruit of that effort bore.
Arcia had found a talent of the highest grade.
"Which talent is the highest grade?"
In response to my question, she said
"Divine power."
Divine power?
Unusual, but it's not as if such things are forbidden to appear.
There are countless supernatural powers in this world, and divine power was one of the primary forces supporting this world alongside magic and Aura.
"No special trait?"
"There is. They possess a trait called the quality of a Saintess."
"Oh, that's peculiar. A Saintess... wait, what?"
"The quality of a Saintess."
Hearing a trait I never expected, I blinked my eyes like a fool.
It's that Saintess I know, right?
"Where did a Saintess come from?"