Chapter 966. Altanus (3)

If this invitation wasn't just a simple invitation, and if I assumed that this wasn't a simple gathering, then I had an idea about why I traveled back in time. After all, there was a reason behind every happening.

Just like how the masked hero made plans for me, I also had to make a plan for the masked hero in the future. I had to act in a certain way to achieve the results that I wanted to achieve.

I still lacked information, but an outline of what I needed to do was becoming clearer in my head. In the past, Benigoa was nothing more than a maid part of the so-called Atenta.

To make things worse, she was just an ordinary, nameless maid. The first thing I needed to do was give her a name and then support her so that she could take her place as Benigoa. Afterward...

‘Would gnawing away at Saint Altanus’ power be the right move?’

Everything started with the downfall of Altanus.

It all started when her power and holy power went down.

I assumed that event was the blueprint needed to solve the puzzle.

The number of Templars went down drastically during her downfall, and they started thirsting for Altanus' blood. The Templars proceed with the ritual of succession, and Altanus ends up locking herself up in the iron maiden, which made the continent walk down the path of destruction.

Lucifer was managing the continent right now, but she failed spectacularly.

The culture and religion that she had made were hidden in the shadows.

The Order of Altanus was created later, and its creation brought upon new culture, a new continent, and a new order.

However, I still had no idea why the Order of Altanus managed to settle on the ground later on when they had been stuck underground all this while.

‘I think it's my job to uncover that, too.’

I couldn't say that I had a lot of time, but I definitely had enough time to establish and polish them.

‘This must happen no matter what.’

Altanus had to be born, and Altanus' opinion herself did not matter at all. Upon entering the iron maiden, her soul had to leave her body and rise to become a goddess ruling over the continent.

'She’ll make Kim Hyun-Sung a regressor, after all.’

Altanus, who had fallen in love with the hero while observing his story from up above, would then be erased.

Altanus’ will would then be handed over to Benigoa, and the second life would begin just like that.

I felt like the timeline that had brought me to this point was being drawn in my head, but there were still many details that needed to be tweaked.

I wasn’t sure whether that accessory from Mirror Lake was something that was agreed upon between the Masked Hero and her. It could also be simply Altanus acting on her own, but there was a chance that it was a part of my plan.

It was possible that everything would happen in order without me having to do anything about it. The saint’s downfall, Lucifer’s downfall, and the birth of the Order of Altanus could all be events guaranteed by the system.

However, I wasn’t completely certain.

I didn’t even know what exactly the system wanted, so it was better to do something for now rather than just sit around.

‘This is better.’

I felt more comfortable moving around than doing nothing, which was why I called her "Benigoa."

“I-I don’t want it,” the maid said.

“...”

However, it seemed that it wouldn't be that easy.

“You’re more rude than I thought,” she said.

‘What is she saying all of a sudden?’

“Is it because I look similar to the person you cherished in the past?” she asked.

‘What the hell is she talking about?’

“That’s why you called me 'Benigoa' as soon as you saw me, right? I don’t know what’s your relationship with her... but we must really look alike... I understand how you feel... but I can’t replace her—”

'Looks like she just wrote a strange story in her head.'

“It’s nothing like that,” I interrupted her.

“Then...”

“Benigoa... means a sky shining brightly,” I told her.

“...”

“...”

“A sky shining brightly...” she repeated.

I said it without thinking, but it was effective.

“A sky shining brightly...” she muttered, looking flustered because I had just told her that she was beautiful. I

did

call her Benigoa upon seeing her. Anyone would have the same reaction as her upon being called "a sky shining brightly."

She was definitely feeling kind of embarrassed. I couldn't read Benigoa's thoughts, but my words had affected her positively, and it was proven by how she nodded slightly.

“I-Is there... a reason why you want to call me Benigoa...” she asked.

“It's because I want to meet you again...” I replied.

“I... see. I’m not the only Atenta in the Underground Temple... I-I understand what you mean. Despite your looks... I mean, I knew you were aggressive from the get-go, but you’re more aggressive than I thought.

"I don’t think I can reciprocate your feelings

yet...

b-but please know that I’m thinking positively about it,” she explained.

“Then, Miss Benigoa-”

“I...! I’m pretty busy... and I’m behind on my work, so I need to go take care of them. W-Will you be in the library tomorrow as well?” she asked.

"I’ll probably stay here if I have no tasks to handle, Miss Benigoa,” I answered.

“P-Please stop calling me Benigoa! I-It’s embarrassing and really shocking. I-I’m grateful that you think I’m that charming, but a sky shining brightly? People from the surface world really are aggressive,” she said.

“Will you help me tomorrow as well?” I asked.

“I’ll... think about it, but don’t expect too much. I-I have high standards when it comes to men,” she answered.

“...”

“G-Goodbye.”

With that, she ran excitedly toward the exit, but she ran too fast and ended up falling to the ground. Her silly and clumsy attitude made me laugh. Of course, I couldn’t just stare at her back because I needed to confirm my assumptions.

If my presence here would affect the future...

‘I should do a simple experiment.’

I left a letter for the expedition team members.

It had been quite a while since then, so there was a chance that the first strike squad had already entered this library on the eighth floor.

Kasugano Yuno had to have already delivered the letter to Commander Jin.

We were in different times, but he and I had to be in the same place right now.

I took out an alchemy kit from my bag and removed a portion of the floor.

[Creating an Epic-rank Hidden Quest.]

[A Warning From the Past - Epic Rank]

[Someone from the past sends you, the one who discovered this place, a warning. If you discovered this place, you must be someone who came down here to protect the continent. You must’ve come here to fight against the evil that threatens the continent. I understand it’s not an easy task, and it’s full of hardships. A gift was left for you in this secret place. It’s a legacy passed down from the past for the heroes who will arrive here in the future. I pray that your future will be bright.]

[Someone from the distant past has given you a warning. Since you've stumbled upon this place, you must have come down here to protect the continent. You must be here to fight against the evil that threatens the continent.

[I understand that it is not an easy task, and you will experience many hardships later down the road, so I left behind a gift for you to take. It's a legacy for the heroes who will be here in the future.

[I pray that your future is replete with light.]

[Quest Reward - A Potion From the Distant Past]

‘This should be enough, right?’

I shoved a few useful potions into the floor. It was an Epic-rank quest, so it would be best to include a few items that could be used right away.

I covered the ground and made sure to clean things up. I didn’t want to leave any traces, so I decided to use a reagent upon burying the quest that I had created into the ground along with the potions.

It was a simple and common trick often used in dungeons for the sake of easter eggs, hidden quests, and hidden pieces.

The reward wasn’t that great, even though it was well hidden, but I thought that it wasn’t so bad.

After all, this quest was available to everyone.

It was possible that someone would find it before them, but I didn't believe that a lunatic would suddenly start digging up the ground. I was more worried that someone might find it accidentally upon tripping over a book and noticing the incongruity on the floor.

With that in mind, it wasn't bad to include those potions as the reward. The finder would be really happy about finding it, as it was like finding a hidden treasure. Those potions were rare, so I believed that they wouldn’t analyze the potion's ingredients.

‘Actually, they might.’

I wasn't convinced that they'd be able to uncover all the ingredients, but what if an alchemist stumbled upon the stash and decided to analyze the positions? What if they ended up succeeding, and alchemy became extremely popular throughout the continent?

What if the librarian, whom I assumed was the boss of this area, ended up throwing away the potion upon discovering it accidentally?

They were meaningless thoughts, but I was pretty sensitive to the butterfly effect.

The smallest action could change the future. The changes wouldn't be that massive, but there was a risk that many things would change.

At this point, I couldn’t help but wonder whether I got a bit too impulsive.

I looked around and started tapping on my thigh, but this was the time to take risks.

‘I’ll be a fool if I don’t do anything just because I’m afraid of the butterfly effect.’

“Commander Jin, please...” I mumbled. I had been pacing around for hours. I had been reading books to prepare for the social gathering and obtain more information about this continent, but I couldn’t focus at all.

“Father, about dinner—”

“I’m fine, Templar Genny,” I interrupted him.

Templar Genny decided to check up on me.

“I’m worried about your health, Father,” Genny said.

“They say that books are food for the mind, Templar Genny. This is also part of my practice, so you don’t have to worry too much,” I reassured him.

“But still...”

“...”

“Father,” Genny said.

“If you’re that worried, I’ll eat a small piece of bread...” I told him.

“Okay! I’ll bring it for you,” he said.

I even had to take unnecessary meal breaks.

“By the way...” I trailed off.

“Yes?” Genny answered.

“Do you know of an Atenta with brown hair and freckles?” I asked.

“I’m sorry, Father. I've never talked to an Atenta,” Genny replied.

We had a decent conversation...

‘Are they still dealing with the librarian?’

Perhaps they had yet to reach this library.

I thought I could relax, but there was a limit to how much time I could spend here. I thought it would be best if I left tricks in the other parts of the library, but that would increase the chances of the items getting discovered prematurely...

[Epic-rank Quest, A Warning From the Past, has been completed.]

I couldn’t tell whether it was Jin Cheong or not, but I couldn’t stop smiling.

***

[You have discovered the Epic-ranked Hidden Quest—A Warning From the Past.]

“What the hell is that idiot up to now?”

[The quest is completed automatically.]