Chapter 427: Transcendent (1)

Marco, who had been silently watching the giant screen, lightly gestured. As he did so, the dim lights of the meeting room turned back on and light sighs filled the room.

“Transcendent,

huh...

Dr. Jim, was that kind of system originally in our game?”

Dr. Jim kept quiet. Transcendent? Surpassing ranks if a stat goes over 5000? Even as Ramus’s developer, he had never heard of that setting.

“Say something, anything. I feel like I’m going to lose it here.”

Marco eventually pulled a cigar case from his pocket and placed a cigar in his mouth despite the ongoing meeting.

By the time Marco lit the tip of the cigar, Dr. Jim, who had been holding back, finally said, “It seems Ramus created that setting on its own...”

“So, I’m asking why Ramus created a setting even the lead developer didn’t know about.”

“Well, we did create

MID Online

but we didn’t exactly

complete

it.”

With nothing to say in response to Dr.Jim’s words, Marco simply puffed on his cigar. Of course he had nothing to say because Jim was right. Even the executives of Pegasus seated in the room nodded.

“Sir, these days people jokingly say the world is made of six continents and seven seas.”

Instead of the usual five oceans and six continents, it had become six oceans and seven continents including

MID Online’s

world.

Such talk had been spreading in the world. It meant

MID Online

had become a major part of modern society and held great influence.

“No person could possibly design every adventure and quest that happens in such a vast world.”

Another sigh slipped from Marco’s mouth, this time with a puff of smoke. “I know. That’s why we had Ramus, the super A.I., take charge of building the world.”

“Yes. We designed the basic history and framework, but left all the finer details to Ramus. The main storyline would follow our scenario, but every branch and twig that grew in between was filled in by Ramus.”

Millions of quests were newly updated every single day in

MID Online.

From small quests like a village boy asking one to deliver a letter to the girl he liked, quests that called for adventurers to wipe out an orc tribe in a city, and requests for slaying powerful monsters, such things were created daily. No human mind could possibly generate millions of quests in one day.

“

MID Online

has already become another world. That’s also why we can’t carelessly interfere with the game anymore.”

The basic control of the game still belonged to Pegasus. That fact hadn’t changed. But now, they had set foot on a beast they couldn’t control, meaning they couldn’t bend the course of history however they pleased. To change history meant altering the memories of hundreds of millions of NPCs across the continent. Of course, that wasn’t something easy, and if even a single bug occurred in the process, the consequences would be beyond serious.

“

Hm

, so you’re saying this setting was necessary as well, is that it?”

“Yes. Of course, if you think about it logically, I don’t believe that setting was ever meant for regular players.”

“Of course not.”

What kind of player would possibly be able to build their stats beyond 6,000, even 5,000?

“That was something we didn’t expect to happen until the latter half of our thirty year service plan... if at all.”

“Exactly. So in short...” Dr. Jim paused as a certain man’s face came to mind. A bold young man from South Korea who had spoken his mind even in front of a global CEO and a genius scientist. “Kai, no, Mr. Han, is the abnormal one.”

“Well... clearly.”

By now, Pegasus had given up trying to define what Kai was. His gameplay was monitored around the clock in rotating shifts, but no one had been able to slow his growth.

“At this point, there’s nothing else we can do.” Marco placed his cigar on the ashtray brought by his secretary and brought his hands together. “Let’s just pray.”

As the company’s executives exchanged glances, Marco shouted with his eyes still closed, “What are you all doing?! Pray that Mr. Han stops wasting content already!”

So-called prayer meta, that was the only countermeasure the greatest minds of the century gathered at Pegasus could come up with.

***

“Temporarily,

huh.

”

The Transcendent rank Kai gained was maintained only while certain buff skills were active. In other words, only while Holy Frenzy and Bless were in effect.

This is dangerous.

Kai became certain he needed to level up.

The Church of Muldine is also infamous for its curses. Naturally, Muldine himself would be too.

That meant he had to prepare even for the rarest, most unlikely situations. What if Muldine could use a skill that reduced his opponent’s stats?

I need to raise my level as much as I can in the next two weeks. Every stat point I gain will go into Holiness.

With that resolve, his movements naturally quickened. When Kai stepped out of the training chamber, the two paladins guarding the entrance bowed respectfully to him.

𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

“Greetings, Commander of the Holy Blood Order.”

When the paladins lifted their heads and looked at Kai, their eyes trembled violently.

W-what is this...?

I can’t sense anything at all from Commander...

Where did all that overwhelming power go...?

No, I’m not even sure if he is overwhelming anymore...

Thud.

The paladins dropped to one knee before they even realized it.

The one most surprised by it was Kai. “Wait, what are you doing?”

“F-forgive us.”

“I’m not even sure why I did so... I just suddenly felt this deep respect and wanted to show it.”

What...?

Strictly speaking, things had changed. No, in fact, there had been massive changes before and after entering the training chamber.

Come to think of it...

The special title! Remembering it, Kai quickly opened the title book.

[

Transcendent

]

Rank: Special

Description: A title given to one who surpasses the limits of humanity.

Effect: Grants the dignity of a transcendent being. You gain transcendent power that is bound by no phenomenon. (This effect remains even when title is unequipped.)

The dignity of a transcendent being, huh.

To them, he must have appeared as a saint sent by the gods.

I can’t walk around carelessly like this then.

Kai pulled up the hood attached to his cleric robe and said, “May the light be with your path.”

Though it was a blessing he always said like a greeting, the two paladins had tears in their eyes.

“

Oh

, such a holy blessing... This is the first time I’ve received anything like this.”

“The rumor that the Commander of the Holy Blood Order is an envoy of God was true.”

Leaving the moved pair behind, Kai headed straight to Arkan Academy. Since he had acquired the dignity of a transcendent being, there were things he wanted to ask Helik.

“Where would Helik be at this time of day...”

He wandered through the academy garden searching for Helik and Rashya. Before long, High Priest Albert came rushing from afar with clerics and paladins behind him.

“

Huff, huff...

”

Breathless, Albert stood before Kai and panted heavily.

As Kai, still wearing his hood, silently looked at him, Albert caught his breath and said, “I felt a tremendous presence of holy power and came rushing here. Forgive me, but may I ask where such a noble guest has come from...?”

“

Oh,

I thought it was something serious.” Feeling awkward, Kai lowered his hood. “It’s me, Your Holiness.”

“Kai...?”

“Greetings, Your Holiness.”

When Kai gave a slight bow, the clerics and paladins let out quiet gasps. They barely held themselves back from dropping to one knee and offering the highest form of respect. No matter how much reverence they felt for the Commander of the Holy Blood Order, they were still the direct guard of the High Priest.

“In the short time we haven’t met... something has changed significantly. Have you gained some kind of enlightenment?”

“Yes. I was fortunate.”

When Kai answered humbly, Albert admired, “There is a saintly aura flowing from you. In the scriptures, it is written that High Priest Shimizu, the first high priest, inspired reverence in people's hearts with every step she took. Seeing you today brings that verse to mind.”

“You flatter me. More importantly, could we speak privately for a moment?”

“Of course.” When High Priest Albert signaled with his eyes, the quick-witted clerics and paladins stepped away. “What on earth has happened during this time? I was truly shocked.”

“You really do seem surprised,” Kai glanced at Albert’s shoes with a faint smile.

“Pardon? What do you... oh no!” Only then did Albert realize he was wearing mismatched shoes and flushed with embarrassment. “I-I left the temple in such a rush that I didn’t notice...”

“I haven’t even said anything.

Hahaha

.”

“You’re really quite mischievous.” Finally letting out a helpless laugh, High Priest Albert continued, “By any chance, Kai, have you become an angel, a resident of the Heavenly Realm?”

“Likely not,” Kai shook his head. “To be honest, I don’t even fully know what I’ve become. That’s why I came here, hoping to speak with Helik.”

“

Ah

, I see. However...” Albert tilted his head. “Why did you come here if you were seeking Helik...?”

Oh, shoot.

Kai realized he had made a slip of the tongue. High Priest Albert didn’t yet know that Helik and Helizabeth were the same person.

“

Oops,

I misspoke. I meant that I stopped by here before heading to the Heavenly Realm to see Helik.”

“I understand. I’ve also been making more slips of the tongue as I get older. Did you come today to see Rashya and Helizabeth again?”

“Yes. I’ve been looking for them, but haven’t seen them. Did they go to the garden again today?”

“No. I happened to run into them earlier, and it seemed they were heading to the library.”

“The library, I see. Thank you for letting me know.”

“No problem. Congratulations again on your enlightenment. I’ll do my best to follow in the path you’ve left behind.”

Leaving behind the High Priest’s warm smile, Kai headed toward the library. Perhaps because the school term hadn’t started yet, the library was quiet. There was only one librarian at the entrance, and two girls within the vast library that held tens of thousands of rare books gathered from across the continent. Though the library was empty, Helik and Rashya whispered into each other’s ears perhaps because it said ‘Silence’ at the entrance.

“Hey, come on! That part isn’t even going to be on the exam.”

“How would you know that?”

“The professor explained it. Be honest. You fell asleep in class, didn’t you?”

“N-no I didn’t...”

“Then why can’t you remember it, you dummy.”

“The one who calls someone a dummy is the dummy.”

“Now that I think about it, you

were

dozing off. I totally remember it now.”

“I-I said I wasn’t... Please believe me...”

Perhaps because of the temporary senses he had gained as a Transcendent, Kai could clearly hear the whispers between the two girls. As he slowly walked toward the two who were getting along well as always, both girls turned their heads at the exact same moment.

“This presence is...”

“A god?!

Hm

... no, not quite.”

As soon as they saw Kai’s face, their expressions filled with surprise.