The Final Boss Has Returned — Episode 16
Drakan’s dedicated support team.
The support team, comprised of experts from all walks of life, poured out various analyses after reviewing my play footage and the oracle quest’s contents.
“The quest’s objective and content are simple, yet its Hero rank is excessively high. Moreover, seeing that the quest name is the ‘Beginning’ of the Dark Journey, it is clear that this oracle quest Sir Drakan received is not a one-time quest, but the starting point of a linked quest chain.”
“The value of a linked quest chain beginning at the Hero rank is so immense that it is scarcely possible to predict. It can be said that this quest is highly likely to lead to a large-scale linked quest chain of a magnitude rarely seen even by ordinary rankers or large guilds.”
“Synthesizing the quest’s contents with the information we have gathered, it is certain that the chief of Argan Village is a black mage hiding his identity. The Mark of the Demon God, a contract skill granted by the Demon God of Darkness, was clearly given with the intention of having Sir Drakan prove his status as the Demon God’s contractor at the point of contact with the chief, thereby earning the chief’s trust.”
Among them were also things I had already guessed through experience.
For example, that the quest I had received was not a one-time quest, but a linked quest chain, and that its scale would obviously be enormous!
And that the Mark of the Demon God skill was not merely decorative, but would become the key to the quest!
These three analyses were all things I had already anticipated, so I wasn’t particularly surprised.
Having experienced countless quests, dungeons, and events on my way to becoming a top-ranker in the previous game, this level of analysis and prediction was child’s play for me.
Of course, I hadn’t expected the support team to provide such obvious analyses that I could have done alone.
“According to the information gathered, Argan Village is a quiet rural village not far from Lawless Port Granado. Aside from beginner players occasionally visiting to complete quests due to the abundance of starter monsters like rabbits, foxes, and goblins in the nearby hunting grounds and dungeons, it is an ordinary NPC village that players hardly visit.”
“Lawless Port Granado was known as the Lawless City of Granado in the previous game. During that time, it was a city ruled by the black mage organization, the Black Ring. However, due to the Great Cataclysm, the surrounding areas all sank, turning Granado from an inland city into a coastal city. The Pirate King invaded to seize its strategic position, drove out the existing ruling black mages, and developed it into a port, thereby giving birth to the Lawless Port Granado of Second.”
“The lord of Lawless Port Granado is a user named Zarc. He was a ranker and a Named Player notorious for his PK in the previous game, and is currently one of the Pirate King’s trusted confidants.”
“Information regarding the current state of the Black Ring in Ard Saga Second has been nonexistent until now. Sir Drakan’s quest marks the first appearance of any information about the Black Ring.”
What I had expected from the support team was exactly that: information.
I knew very well from experience that going into a quest armed with information and rushing in blindly without knowing anything were as different as heaven and earth.
Of course, I had studied Ard Saga Second until my nose bled over the past month, but I was only human. I couldn’t possibly know about some podunk village like Argan.
I had hoped the dedicated support team would fill in such information gaps, and they had splendidly met my expectations.
‘As expected, taking the easy road is the best.’
I smiled, recalling the quest-related information I had obtained so easily.
You suffer when you’re young because you choose to!
I didn’t believe in so-called famous quotes that emphasized trials, failures, and effort.
‘If you suffer hardship when you’re young, you’ll end up with chronic illnesses when you’re old!’
If there’s a way to go about things comfortably, it’s better to go comfortably.
Just because I worked hard didn’t mean that effort would always be rewarded.
That was the truth of life I had realized after becoming a debt collector and experiencing every imaginable hardship, from manual labor to working on deep-sea fishing vessels.
Anyway, having familiarized myself with all the information beforehand, I finally arrived at Argan Village.
Argan Village.
As I had heard during the briefing, this village, where black mages were presumed to be hiding, had the appearance of a typical quiet rural village.
“I’ve come looking for the village chief. Do you happen to know where he is?”
“An adventurer, are you? The chief should be at the village hall. It’s over there.”
A rural village that looked utterly peaceful at first glance.
After entering, I asked one of the village NPCs and easily got directions to the village hall where the chief was.
Opening the door of the hall—modestly sized, befitting a small rural village—I spoke.
“Chief, are you there?”
“I am the chief.”
The chief answered my call.
An elderly NPC with an impression so benevolent that one could never think him a black mage, sporting a thick, Santa-like beard!
That was exactly how the chief appeared in my eyes.
“By your attire, you seem to be an adventurer. Have you come to accept the goblin extermination commission?”
The chief said, eyeing my outfit.
I laughed at the chief’s words.
[The Demon God is watching you.]
The Demon God’s message appeared out of nowhere.
He was probably watching to see how I would handle the situation.
I closed the notification window and naturally presented my left hand.
“Mark of the Demon God.”
As I activated the contract skill, a black demonic emblem emerged on the back of my left hand.
It was the Mark of the Demon God, proof that I was the Apostle of the Demon God.
At that moment.
A violent tremor ran through the chief’s pupils, which had been masking themselves with benevolence.
Thud.
It did not take long for the chief, having seen the Mark of the Demon God, to fall to his knees before me.
“Aah. Finally, finally… the Demon God’s contractor stands before me…!”
The very moment the chief gazed at the Mark of the Demon God and wept.
[The Demon God sponsors you 1,000 points with a satisfied expression.]
[You have completed the quest.]
[As a quest completion reward, your reputation with the black mage organization ‘Black Ring’ increases to maximum.]
[Your reputation with the ‘Black Ring’ changes from ‘Normal’ to ‘Unshakeable Alliance’.]
[Achievement unlocked! You have raised the reputation of the ‘Black Ring’ to maximum for the first time.]
[You have obtained the title ‘Comrade of Black Magic’.]
[Your level has increased.]
[As a quest completion reward, your affinity with the leader of the Black Ring, ‘Kalid’, increases to maximum!]
[Your magic power has increased by 20.]
[All of your attributes have increased by 5.]
[Your level has increased.]
…
Notifications of rewards generously pouring out—not just level-ups, but reputation, affinity, and attributes!
The very moment I was savoring the lingering sweetness of those notifications.
“Two thousand years ago, after the previous contractor tragically passed away, our Black Ring has awaited only the advent of the Great One for a long age. And today, that wait has finally reached its resolution. Thus, I now wish to pledge my loyalty on behalf of the Black Ring to the Great One. Please accept this lowly old man’s oath!”
Kalid, prostrated before me, looked up at me with a tear-streaked face and spoke thus.
[The leader of the Black Ring, Kalid, wishes to pledge eternal allegiance to you.]
[Will you accept the oath of allegiance from Kalid and the Black Ring?]
Along with it rose a recruitment-related message I had seen countless times when waging war in the previous game.
I looked around.
The Black Ring!
Though in the previous game it had been a colossal organization that inspired fear as the ruling power of the Lawless City, by the time of Ard Saga Second, it was nothing more than a wretched organization hiding in a rural village.
[The Demon God of Darkness urges you to accept Kalid’s oath of allegiance.]
But the moment I saw the message, I realized.
That accepting Kalid’s request was the key to advancing to the next quest.
Thus, I could not refuse Kalid’s request.
“Very well. I accept your oath of allegiance.”
[The Black Ring pledges eternal allegiance to you.]
[Your level has increased.]
[Your level has increased.]
…
[Your level has increased.]
[Great Achievement! You have obtained the eternal allegiance of the Black Ring!]
[You have obtained the title ‘Great Elder of the Black Ring’.]
[Your magic power has increased by 50.]
[All of your attributes have increased by 10.]
The moment I accepted the request, a flood of messages once again covered my vision.
Stats and levels rising breathlessly.
This feeling of fullness without even eating!
It was fantastic.
“Thank you, Great One! I, Kalid, shall devote my body and heart to serve you with all my loyalty, Apostle!”
[The Black Ring]
[The Black Ring is a historic black magic research organization founded by Rukal, the great black mage who first contracted with the Demon God in the world of Ard.]
[Since the era of the ancient Dark Empire until now, for countless ages, the Black Ring has acted as a bridge between the Demon God and His creations, spreading darkness throughout the continent.]
[They ruled the Lawless City of Granado for over a thousand years, but completely lost their power and fell into ruin due to the Great Cataclysm that occurred over a decade ago and the subsequent invasion by the Pirate King.]
[Kalid, the master of the Black Ring, and the five black mages never abandoned their faith toward the Demon God even amidst persecution and suppression.]
[To the Demon God’s contractor who has finally appeared after two thousand years, they shall pledge infinite loyalty.]
As I was smiling while reading the contents of the Black Ring information window that had finally appeared.
An additional notification window popped up with a ding, and upon checking its contents, my expression twisted horribly.