Zenith Online: Rebirth of the Strongest Player

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Scar's last statement didn't escape Kieran's attention. Prepare his own torment?

In no case did that phrase sound pleasing. Moreover, the class introduction painted a relatively grim picture for anyone bold enough to follow this path. Given everything he gathered, Kieran immediately attributed these words to the quest conditions.

If not, why else would Scar utter such ominous words? He wasn't really the joking type, so anything Scar stated should be taken seriously. If not, it'd be up to the recipient to bear the consequences of not heeding his warning or advice.

All things considered, Kieran exhaled strongly while bracing for whatever absurdity awaited him in the quest details. In fact, Kieran even prepared for the worst so he wouldn't receive the most disturbing shock of his life.

However, it still wasn't accomplished perfectly since he didn't quite know the qualifications required to successfully acquire the class. It was spotty as best since he made some inferences based on his experiences thus far.

「 True Berserker's Emergence I (Hidden, Class Promotion)

Quest Rank: SSS

Recommended Party Size: Solo

Recommended Party Level: 20

Objectives: As you have chosen the carnage-laden path of a True Berserker, you must walk the path doused in blood—both yours and your adversaries. The madness of a True Berserker feeds off the chaos found between the absolute white and black. As the sheer embodiment of power, vengeance, and mercilessness, repetitious mastery is advised to remain in control. A trail of destruction shall descend wherever the True Berserker walks under the firmament.

- Collect the Blood Essence of Lv.20 or higher Elite Monsters. 0/500

- Collect the Blood Essence of Lv.20 or higher Special Elite Monsters. 0/200

- Collect the Blood Essence of Lv.20 or higher Champion Monster. 0/3

- Collect the Refined Blood Essence of a Lv.20 or higher Rare or above Boss. 0/1

Rewards:

- «True Berserker's Emergence II»

- 5 Gold

- 200,000 Experience

- «Rare Grade Treasure Chest»

Failure Penalty:

- Demotion to «Berserker» Class

- Complete loss of «True Berserker» Legacy

- Removal of «Zero Loss of Potential»

Time Limit: 48 hours

*Special Notes: A desolate path walked alone is for a person of great internal strength. 」

Kieran's jaw dropped in exasperation despite preparing himself for the quest's absurd demands. He was left speechless for a few seconds before Kieran managed to regain his wits and break down what was required of him.

'48 hours?' Kieran thought to himself with a deepening frown.

The quest was quite challenging to accomplish in that short amount of time. Not to mention, he was due for an appointment in a day's time. Even though he was given 48 hours to accomplish this, to fit his own time, Kieran needed to clear this much faster.

His aim was to promote his class before his appointment with Dr. Riley. However, the chances of accomplishing his goal continued to thin, especially when he focused on the quest's name.

The roman numeral attached to the quest meant it wasn't the only quest segment in the series. There could be one, there could be two, there could even be three! There was no telling when it came to these types of quests because it gave no prior indication regarding how far it could stretch.

Aside from the time limit, Kieran was also worried about the quantity of the monsters! 500 Elites? Even if he could magically kill them within two or three minutes, that was over 16 to 24 hours dedicated solely to killing the weakest monsters.

Regrettably, the requirements grew more devastating as Kieran went down the list.

Ignoring the Elites, Kieran needed the Blood Essence of 200 Special Elites! This condition was simply ridiculous because, in the end, Special Elites were monsters on par with Hrulhar, who excelled in certain aspects of combat.

To make matters worse, Kieran needed Blood Essence from Champion Monsters. That was a monstrous category Kieran had yet to face thus far. Each and every Champion monster was a headache in and of itself. They were approximately 50% stronger than Special Elites of the same level.

All things considered, in Kieran's eyes, the worst part about this quest was the final two conditions. One, he had to solo a Boss! Two, Lv.20 was the minimum threshold of acceptance.

As briefly mentioned before, Lv.20 was a critical level for both monsters and players alike. Whereas players could promote their class, monsters received inherent buffs without having to fulfill any prerequisite standards.

All of their attributes increased dramatically, especially their defense. Because of this fact, most class promotions that required monster slaying could be completed in teams. Sadly, Kieran's situation wasn't so endearing; it was borderline torture!

It was exclusively a solo quest, so he was forbidden from partying up with anyone.

Hidden Quests were indeed notorious for being absurd. However, Kieran gradually understood why it was designed this way. A holder of a Heroic Legacy had to prove themselves worthy at all turns.

Fortunately, Kieran wasn't entirely hopeless. He had a few advantages at his disposal that he had yet to explore.

Meanwhile, Scar smiled at Kieran. "This isn't too demanding, is it? This minor task should definitely be achievable. In the end, it's nothing like what we were forced to face in the past. Imagine if your task took place inside the Wildes; how would you fare?"

"I'd rather not think about that," Kieran muttered with a prominent grimace. Frankly speaking, Kieran preferred not to visit that place for a long time. It was far too stressful, even with Agrianos' assistance.

"Then get going. We don't have much time," Scar insisted.

While Kieran could sense the urgency in Scar's tone and he too felt pressed for time, there was a matter he needed to clear up before departing. "Should I return to this village after completing this mission?"

"No, that'll be too time-consuming. Instead…"

Scar made an odd gesture which caused a collection of sanguine energy to spiral around Kieran's left hand. A blaze of crimson light flashed for a second before disappearing. In place of that flash of light, a crimson symbol was seared on the back of Kieran's hand.

"Once you finish the mission, place a droplet of your blood on this symbol," Scar directed.

〈System: You have acquired the «Bloody Hero's Symbol»!〉

Aside from the name of this item, there was no other information attached to the symbol. Perhaps the only way to gather information on the symbol was to activate it per Scar's instructions.

Now that Kieran was directed not to return to this village, he left in pursuit of a leveling field that existed outside of the Beginner Handicap Zone. While he was aware of many such locations, only one stood out in his mind because it housed monsters Level 20 to 23. Anything beyond this set level range would become tough to handle, even with his high Attack Power.

Once Kieran left the premises, Scar's expression underwent a drastic change. The letter's contents weighed heavy on his mind because it was directly linked to both the War Deity Council and the Hero's Sanctuary.

"Will the Mythical Heroes be forced to act once more? However… the last time we did, it resulted in an enormous loss of life. Surely, we won't be forced inside that Domain again, right?" Scar muttered to himself.

Agrianos' letter highlighted the chances of dark forces becoming more active in the coming days. Based on Zirgirak's Phantom, something known as the Lemegeton vowed to no longer follow the enforced mandates. If that were the case, then the situation would undoubtedly devolve and do so rapidly.

"It is a good thing we decided to take on successors. Otherwise, who knows if our legacies would survive another one of those incidents," Scar said while sighing deeply. Naturally, his past wasn't one filled with peaceful times. His strength was forged through challenging and nearly fatal battles.

With a morose expression, Scar held his hand forward, materializing a massive battle axe. While it was far from equal to Agrianos' blade, the weapon gave off a domineering feeling. The axe's large blade was secured by what appeared to be a type of dense bone material.

After Scar grasped it with two hands, he slashed downward and opened large a crimson rift. Compared to the rifts the Arcane One and Agrianos created, this opening was inferior in quality, appearing to want to collapse at any movement.

However, once Scar unleashed his powerful aura, it stabilized long enough for Scar to step through. It closed behind him like a doctor sewing up a laceration. A hint of his crimson eyes gleamed in the darkness as he glanced back at Kieran's departing figure.

…

After leaving Gena Village, instead of traveling west or east like he previously did, Kieran turned and traveled further up north until he reached a leveling field situated just outside of the Aeredale Kingdom's periphery.

The Aeredale Kingdom was the same kingdom to which Kieran suggested the others travel. It was a place he was very familiar with. Compared to Gena Village, the chances of acquiring a quest was much higher.

Furthermore, Adventurer Guild and Merchant Association branches were located in its capital city, otherwise known as Aeredale City.

Even though there were stronger kingdoms, according to Kieran's memory, it wasn't practical for him to visit those places over Aeredale. Because of his intricate knowledge, he could monopolize one area and establish a solid foundation rather than spread his attention thin and risk failing to acquire opportunities to complement his revenge plans.

Besides, Kieran recalled that at least one of the subsidiaries operated out of Aeredale Kingdom. What better decision than to stymie the progress of a subsidiary whose sole purpose was to provide the main guild with both funds and manpower? It would virtually cripple one of the Golden Brigade's limbs!

Thinking about this mattered made Kieran smile wickedly. 'Deceitful bastards, I'll make sure your downfall is slow so that you may slowly wallow in the despair of becoming obsolete!'

Eventually, Kieran withdrew the Scarlet Steel Greatsword from his inventory. A strange red glint radiated from the blade that didn't escape his notice. The radiance didn't carry a presence of enhancement; it felt more like a restraint being shattered.

And, just as Kieran suspected, the system delivered a few notifications that made him understand the current situation.

〈System: You have entered a leveling field unaffected by the «Beginner Zone Handicap»!〉

〈System: The parameters of the «Scarlet Steel Greatsword» has changed!〉