Phantom
The listings that had appeared in the Golden Rule Shop.
There was no dispute that each and every one of them was so incredible your eyes would spin.
To the point that there were quite a few things I couldn't buy even after taking first place in the main quest rankings four times in a row.
Of course, they were items worth that much, things anyone would crave.
From the very first line it was enough to take your breath away.
An egg of a mythical species, seriously.
Dramut, the star guardian, is also a kind of mythical species.
Mythical species were creatures whose very standards made no sense, to the extent that they were treated at minimum like elite raid boss monsters.
But there was another reason I was flustered.
'Fang of the White King, Eldritch's Cursed Black Grimoire, Dragon's Heart.'
Names I'd seen a lot somewhere.
That was only natural.
'...they're all key materials I used when I crafted unique items.'
At the sudden stiffness I felt, I grabbed the back of my neck.
If it weren't for the Heart of the Iron-Blooded Monarch, wouldn't I be cursing out loud right now?
Unique, divine-grade items of which only a single one can exist. The core materials for crafting those unique items were now floating in the Golden Rule Shop's list.
There could be a coincidence where the same materials exist, but no matter how I thought about it, it didn't make sense.
'The White King wouldn't pull out two of his own fangs.'
The White King, or the lord of the north, Baekje.
That gigantic white tiger is a demigod-class mythical species monster.
When I played as Wilhelm, I wrestled with that thing for a month to get its fang. It was so fast and so good at ambushes that I nearly got killed in reverse so many times.
'Even as Wilhelm I gave up on killing him.'
In the end, we came to an agreement with a single fang, and went our separate ways.
On the condition that I never set foot in the north again, the White King handed me one of his fangs.
So unless someone had killed the White King, there was no way his fang would be in this Golden Rule Shop.
If there was one possible case.
'...after Wilhelm died.'
Only then, after Wilhelm's death, if the whereabouts of the unique items he possessed were connected to this Golden Rule Shop.
The number of unique items Wilhelm possessed was eight.
The total number of unique items in Pangaenia, as far as I knew, was fifteen, and more than half of those had been piled onto Wilhelm.
But in this game, when a character dies, everything disintegrates into thin air.
Items are the same.
When Wilhelm died, those eight unique items vanished.
But turns out, they hadn't disappeared completely.
"This isn't some resale shop or what...."
I was dumbfounded.
A devoted goddess collecting items from corpses, dismantling them, and reselling them.
Reusing is better than having them disappear entirely, sure, but still.
Of course, the owner of the Golden Rule Shop might not be the goddess. I didn't know what criteria or basis determined what got listed there.
Even so, there was no avoiding the numb feeling in the back of my head.
Like someone was dancing on my corpse while confiscating my entire fortune.
'It was weird that the goddess's blessing got attached when priest Andrew recited the prayer of reverence.'
Was it guilt, trying to help me even a little?
Come to think of it, wasn't it the goddess who killed Wilhelm too.
Even if I'd done nothing, the Demon King would have stolen my body eventually, but I couldn't keep believing the goddess was purely good.
'It's not just Wilhelm. It's tied to every character's death.'
And this wasn't limited to Wilhelm either.
For instance, the Holy Grail of the Earth God was something even I was seeing for the first time.
But I knew who had owned it.
'The Holy Grail of the Earth God. The Holy Grail that Alfheid, the Saint of Earth, possessed.'
There had been rumors he died.
Because the Earth God faith suddenly started putting the Holy Grail on a wanted list.
Honestly it was hard to believe, but seeing the Holy Grail of the Earth God sitting right here, it looked like Alfheid really had died.
Then that meant there was information you could dig out through the Golden Rule Shop.
'Depending on the items on the list, you can tell who died too.'
By the same logic, many people must have learned of Wilhelm's death.
They saw the Golden Rule Shop, confirmed Wilhelm's death, and then rapidly spread stuff like the "Eight Heroes" and whatever else.
'Seeing that nothing's been sold yet, I have to assume there are almost no people who've gathered Golden Rule time in thousand-hour units.'
The materials that form the core of unique items.
If you can buy them, you have to buy them, no questions asked. If I had that much time, I wouldn't even hesitate for a second before purchasing.
'...unless everything worth buying has already been sold.'
I furrowed my brow.
If it was sold, who bought it?
Naturally it would be the regulars who'd swept the top ranks of the hall of fame.
Up to now, the ones monopolizing the upper to top-tier ranks were Gracia, Mintchocoisdelicious, Black Jade, Master, Massacre, Dark Star, Barmush, and so on.
'I can't take the top-tier players lightly.'
Times like this demanded caution.
The unique items Wilhelm wore had been released into the world. I didn't know how many, but the combat power of the people who got them would have jumped to another dimension.
You can't craft them with materials alone, but the level of the top-tier players might be even higher than I'd expected.
'What do I do?'
So I couldn't help but think.
Do I save it, do I spend it.
But the worries didn't last long.
'The more I progress the main quests, the more Fragments of the Broken Golden Rule I can get.'
I was sure of that.
Only a tiny minority would be able to buy anything anyway, and I wasn't worried about quest rankings.
Because no one understands and plays this game better than I do.
'With 140 hours, there are five things I can buy.'
A Blessed top-tier elixir(30h), an Omni Core(50h), a Great Cataclysm Talisman(60h), a Moonlight Butterfly Talisman(40h), a Golden Branch(100h).
The Blessed top-tier elixir "regenerates" a lost body.
The Omni Core allows enhancement regardless of materials, or the types of souls you possess.
The Great Cataclysm Talisman completely changes all special options an item has.
The Moonlight Butterfly Talisman, like its name, attaches the "Moonlight Butterfly" option, and the Golden Branch was a material for forging the holy sword Durandal.
Every single one of them was an item that's almost impossible to obtain.
"Purchased 'Blessed top-tier elixir'."
"Purchased 'Great Cataclysm Talisman'."
"Purchased 'Moonlight Butterfly Talisman'."
After buying three of them, I wore a satisfied smile.
Especially the Great Cataclysm and Moonlight Butterfly Talismans were ultra-rare talismans on a similar tier to Fairy Queen's Tears.
'Excellent.'
I nodded lightly.
My level went up, and I got an elixir and two outstanding talismans.
I'd also learned the Golden Rule Shop's purpose, so all that remained was to charge forward without hesitation.
Either way, the next main quest was something I was bound to take first place in.
Only.
'…how overwhelmingly I crush and annihilate.'
That was the only difference.
***
Hudson's two eyes began to tremble violently.
Serengeti's lost lower body was slowly regenerating.
"Th, that Blessed top-tier elixir...!"
Even though he'd only dropped a single drop, flesh split open and sprouted. Bone marrow fused and bones formed.
The Blessed top-tier elixir was an extremely rare treasure, with fewer than ten appearing a year even within the goddess church. Anyone unqualified couldn't even lay eyes on it.
'They say players can get it from the Golden Rule Shop, but.'
Even then you need 30 hours worth of Fragments of the Broken Golden Rule.
Golden Rule 30 hours.
It's "30 hours" in words, but unless you're a ranker, hardly anyone can hold that much time.
Naturally, a doubt arose.
'Lord Star Bearer is a player....'
Hudson doesn't know the Star Bearer's name.
He'd never heard it, nor seen him speak.
But he didn't particularly dwell on it.
Because the Star Bearer himself was name and qualification enough.
Yet after coming here, the Star Bearer became the successor of the Knight King.
Meeting Serengeti, he was generously handing over an elixir that only upper-ranking players could obtain.
Then was he a player?
'...what does that matter now.'
Player or not, the fact that he was someone Hudson had to follow didn't change.
The only savior who could save Serengeti.
If not for him, Hudson would never have met Serengeti again, forever.
So it didn't matter.
Rather, if he was a player, Hudson could repay in reality the grace he'd received in Pangaenia.
It's hard here, but in reality it would be possible.
"Drop one drop every two hours. You have to do that for a full month to regenerate completely."
"Then I'll have to stay right by her side for a month."
"I'll speak to Marquis Weiser. I'll say the Blessed elixir works best when someone without rejection reactions applies it."
"...thank you, Lord Star Bearer!"
An offer Marquis Weiser could never refuse.
Even if Serengeti's curse is lifted, having lost her lower body would make her future bleak, so this ensured Hudson couldn't be forcibly separated from her.
As expected, he really was a savior.
Even in death, Hudson would never forget this grace.
"Randolph."
"Keheok?!"
In an instant, Hudson started coughing as if he'd choked.
"Cough! Cough!"
He couldn't calm down easily.
Because he couldn't believe the name he had just heard.
Randolph!
Wasn't that the hottest topic among players lately.
Randolph was currently the name most strongly suspected to be "Phantom."
Phantom's greatest character was of course the Knight King Wilhelm...
'Ah!'
When that thought reached him, Hudson couldn't help but shiver as if struck by lightning.
'Crazy!'
The greatest, the most secretive one. Phantom was a legendary figure to everyone who had played Pangaenia.
The achievements of the characters presumed to be him were beyond counting.
Adventures, romance, and challenges aimed at the impossible.
Just hearing about them made your heart tremble.
So he must have misheard.
'It can't be.'
By common sense.
How could that Randolph, that Phantom, be right in front of his eyes.
That being who was fantasy itself, telling only him his true identity?
Even a passing puppy would laugh.
"Serengeti called your name the moment she opened her eyes."
"..."
"If the Pure White Knight believes, then I can believe as well."
"..."
...looks like he hadn't misheard.
"Aaah...."
Tears slid down.
Suddenly, tears welled up and spilled from Hudson's eyes.
Because he told him his name? No. It wasn't that simple.
Even if he didn't know it.
'Phantom was a beam of light to me.'
To Hudson, Phantom was light.
To Hudson who had loved a game character, his presence that brought life to Pangaenia, a world dearer than reality.
At first, everyone thought this place was fake.
That Pangaenia was just a game world.
That everything happening to them was just a god's prank.
But Phantom explored this world. Seriously. Even deeper than reality.
And so he was the one who told everyone that this place wasn't just a game, that it was another reality.
The most brilliant light illuminating Pangaenia.
To Hudson, Phantom was that kind of presence.
"Are you that moved by learning my name?"
"Yes."
"..."
"I'm moved enough to lament that I couldn't recognize you until now."
Why couldn't he recognize him?
If he was Phantom, everything up to now made sense.
"Absolutely, no matter what happens, I will take this secret to my grave, My Lord."
"...My Lord?"
It was getting ridiculous.
"Yes, My Lord."
Hudson's earnest gaze was so intense it felt like it might bore through my face.
Hoo. I let out a small sigh.
"Just call me like you used to."
"B, but how could someone like me...."
"Shut up."
"Y-yes. Lord Star Bearer."
I barely restrained myself from kicking him.
"I'll come back in a month and lift the curse. Until then, between you and Marquis Weiser, protect her well from the duke's plans."
Serengeti is a transcendent.
Once the curse is lifted and her body returns to normal, there would be many things I'd need her for.
"Yes. Don't worry. Even if I die, I will protect her no matter what."
After nodding like mad, Hudson finally felt something odd and asked back.
"...But in a month. Where are you going?"
"To the northern fortress."
"The northern fortress... d, don't tell me you mean the monster city Kramdel? Isn't that a place humans can't enter?"
Monster city Kramdel.
A city ruled by non-humans.
And a place where humans are attacked the moment they enter.
An invincible fortress that exists under the White King's grace, a blessed land overflowing with resources that humans can't dare lay a finger on.
You're going there?
"Yeah. I'm going to Kramdel."
The answer was simple.
Hudson's face went pale.
"I-it's dangerous. And they say it's impossible even to find the warp...."
Even transcendents avoid the monster city Kramdel.
Because it's full of all kinds of intelligent monsters and mythical species, even unknown things seeping out from cracks.
Besides, the location of the warp connected to the city changes from moment to moment.
Only guide monsters granted qualification know the warp's position.
'Finding the path with Mutation is enough.'
But I wasn't worried.
One of the thirteen hidden traits, Mutation.
With this hidden trait, I could find even a hidden warp.
'The next main quest, I clear it in a way only I know.'
A city humans can't approach.
I planned to go there and complete the fifth main quest, "Obtaining mystery."
In a special way only I knew, the most powerful mystery.
***
Priest Andrew.
He was praying before the goddess statue.
Because he had definitely seen it.
'Goddess.'
The figure of the goddess that appeared when he offered the prayer of reverence.
Unbelievable, but it was clearly the goddess.
The goddess, kissed the successor of the Knight King.
It was the first time he'd seen such a phenomenon in all his years as a priest, so he couldn't endure without praying.
Wasn't she the goddess who never appeared no matter how much they prayed.
In the goddess faith, those who have actually seen the goddess are counted on one hand.
And even those were only claims that couldn't be proven.
But the prayer didn't last long.
...because he appeared.
The successor of the Knight King, loved by the goddess, absolved of sin.
But Andrew couldn't just be happy.
"Then...."
Because the thing he had suddenly appeared and demanded was far too absurd.
Priest Andrew spoke with a flustered expression.
"...You're telling me to hand over indulgences?"