[The effect of
[You have discovered a hidden piece, 'Seed of Evolution'.]
[A guide to the location of this hidden piece is now being provided.]
An entirely unexpected situation unfolded.
What appeared in front of Han Yuseong was a long arrow—
just like the message said, a sign pointing the way to the hidden piece.
And the effect of the blessing didn't end there.
[Due to the effect of
[In addition, quest rewards will be enhanced upon completion.]
He had forgotten he even had the blessing, since there had never been a reason to use it.
Now he realized just how ridiculously powerful the blessing was.
[Hup, so are you going to look for this hidden piece right away?]
"Not yet, I should follow the original plan and find the Dragon Soul first."
[Huh? The Dragon Soul?]
Han Yuseong nodded.
The reason was simple and clear.
"The name of the hidden piece caught my attention."
['Seed of Evolution'... Hmm, I see. Doesn't it sound like something that could evolve the Dragon Soul? Or make it grow or something like that?]
"Exactly. That's why there's a Dragon Soul I had in mind."
In his past life, Han Yuseong had belonged to the Destruction faction, so he didn't know the exact locations of all the Dragon Souls.
At best, he only knew the approximate locations of the more well-known ones—the so-called "special entities."
And among them, there was one so unique that even Han Yuseong, a former Destroyer, had been stunned by it.
"Normally, it's a Dragon Soul with no real value..."
[If it has no value, then it must be a low-grade Dragon Soul. Why would you go out of your way to get something like that?]
"Simple."
Kakasha looked puzzled.
Han Yuseong changed direction and began walking.
"It's a Dragon Soul that I think pairs perfectly with this seed."
Normally, it would be a completely useless entity.
But if combined with the "Seed of Evolution," it might gain special value.
It was worth testing out at least once.
Hidden quests were scattered throughout the Dragon's Grave.
The conditions to trigger them varied—finding something, killing someone, or simply entering a specific area.
"C-rank! It's a C-rank Dragon Soul!"
"If you don't want to die by my hand, back off! That one's mine!"
"W-wait, we're on the same side...!"
The Guardians were all frantically running around to claim Dragon Souls.
They had to secure the best Dragon Soul they could within a limited time.
To do that, players would even fight to the death against their fellow Guardians.
And there were also those who took advantage of the chaos.
"Now's the time! Attack! Kill all the Guardians!"
"We can't miss this opportunity. I'm going too!"
"D-destroyers… Damn it—!"
It was the Destroyers.
A fierce battle broke out between the Guardians and the Destroyers over the Dragon Souls.
It wasn't even close to an organized conflict—it was utter chaos, a brawl in every sense of the word.
But not everyone was caught up in the disorder.
"Lord Galveon! The enemy is falling back!"
"Everyone, rally around me, Galveon! Do not fear!"
Those who had gained fame for their prowess outside the game quickly gathered allies and formed factions.
The one who stood out most in the Guardian faction was a paladin clad in golden armor from head to toe.
'As expected of Galveon… Even in my previous life, he was one of the last survivors of the Guardian faction.'
He was a renowned player recognized even in the U.S., once called a rising star—but now well beyond that label.
He was the Guardian who had obtained the unique entity known as the "Noble Golden Dragon."
He was now drawing in Guardians to form a powerful force.
"Don't let a single one escape—kill them all!"
"Yes, sir! Kill the Guardians!"
Likewise, a standout player emerged from the Destroyer faction.
A man in crimson armor led a surprise attack against the Guardians with his subordinates.
Flames burst from his legs and swept across the land and their enemies.
He crushed the foes who stood in his path and absorbed the Dragon Souls as he advanced.
"Anyone who wants to survive the Trial! Anyone who wants to rise above and claim victory—come to me, Wei Hamo! I will lead you!"
The man's name was Wei Hamo.
Like Galveon, he had been a prominent figure among the Destroyers in his previous life.
He had cooperated with other famous Destroyers, clashed with them at times, and even killed them when needed—all to drive the Destroyer faction toward victory.
'There are a lot of dangerous players to watch out for.'
Galveon. Wei Hamo.
And not just them—every player who had made a major impact in the previous life needed to be watched closely.
But that wasn't the priority right now.
"We've arrived."
Han Yuseong looked ahead.
A quest had begun in a place where countless stone monuments stood tall.
[Quest: Peace for Those Who Have Passed On]
[Monsters are disturbing the rest of the Dragon Souls. Eliminate the incoming enemies and rescue the resting Dragon Souls.]
[Reward: Additional skill upon forming a contract with the rescued souls.]
The vast sanctuary was filled with many Guardians.
Monsters were swarming in from all directions, and the Guardians were desperately fighting to protect the Dragon Souls.
And then, there was something else.
"Hey, isn't this our chance? They're busy fighting monsters."
"Wait. We hold off until they're exhausted."
"Tsk, no matter how you look at it, now seems like the best moment..."
Destroyers were lying in wait nearby, watching for the perfect opportunity to strike.
They, too, had been given a quest.
[Quest: Eternal Rest for Those Who Have Departed]
[The Guardians are trying to rescue the Dragon Souls. Eliminate the interfering Guardians and absorb the souls instead.]
[Reward: Additional stats upon absorbing the souls of the sanctuary.]
In this way, the quests were designed to pit the two factions directly against each other.
And not just here—battles were likely breaking out all across the Dragon's Grave.
In the process, countless players were probably losing their lives.
But when survival is on the line, such conflict was inevitable.
"Hm? Hold on... what's that?"
"Someone's moving alone."
The Destroyers watching the sanctuary noticed something odd.
While Guardians and monsters clashed violently in the main area,
one player—apparently a Guardian—was wandering alone far away from the fight.
And he was geared with quite decent equipment.
"Hey, keep your eyes on that one. Could be a nice catch."
"You, go call the others—bring the ones who'll listen."
"Got it, boss."
The Destroyers began tracking the lone Guardian.
The Guardian looked around cautiously as he walked,
then stopped in a secluded corner of the sanctuary.
There, he found a large hole—its origin unclear.
Inside were countless eggshell fragments.
[Dragon eggs, huh... Seems like they were buried here after dying without ever hatching.]
"Which means... maybe here too—"
The Guardian, Han Yuseong, sifted through the fragments of eggshells.
Among the countless broken shells, one stood out in particular—
a shell glowing with a bright red hue, like Kakasha's Crimson Flame.
"Here it is."
[What do you mean here it is… Hoh, what's this one?]
Han Yuseong lifted the shell.
Inside the crimson-colored fragment,
there was a very faint soul—barely visible.
A "Dragon Soul" so small it was difficult to tell whether it truly existed or not.
[You have discovered a Dragon Soul.]
[As a Guardian, you may form a contract with it. To proceed, place your hand on the soul's forehead and concentrate.]
It was smaller than the palm of his hand.
Tiny wings, a tiny body, even a tiny head.
But its smallness wasn't the typical size of a baby dragon—
It was underdeveloped, having been born without fully absorbing the essence of its egg.
[Immature Hatchling (F).]
[Congratulations! This Dragon Soul is a "special entity"!]
Among F-rank Dragon Souls, the only one known to be a special entity: "Immature Hatchling."
It was a Dragon Soul once found by a Guardian in Han Yuseong's previous life.
The man had jumped into a pit to escape death—and found this soul there.
At the time, with almost no time left and nowhere to go,
he figured it was a special entity, so maybe it was worth something—and chose to form a contract.
"Only to realize it meant absolutely nothing."
[Haah, whoever that man was, I doubt he made it out alive.]
"He died at the hands of the Destroyers. Thanks to that, I came to know about this too."
Han Yuseong had overheard the Destroyers talking and pieced things together.
Now, he gazed down at the Dragon Soul, unable to even open its eyes, lost in thought.
[So, will you choose this Dragon Soul? It doesn't seem to suit you. Something bigger, more fierce... that would be more fitting—]
"Hmph, this is far more pitiful than I expected."
[Don't ignore me when I'm talking to you!]
If the "Seed of Evolution" didn't work the way he anticipated, it would complicate things.
But it was still within controllable risk.
If things went wrong, he could always take a 5th-rank Dragon Soul from another Guardian by force.
"It's a gamble—but one worth making."
—Creak...
Fwoooosh—
Han Yuseong reached out and placed his hand on the Dragon Soul's forehead, even though it couldn't open its eyes.
A soft glow emerged, and a connection formed between them—
a bond only they could sense.
[You have chosen your Dragon Soul.]
[Immature Hatchling (F) has become your bonded Dragon Soul.]
At the same time, a status window appeared before him.
It was the hatchling's status screen.
[Immature Hatchling (F)]
• Level: 1 / 10
• Strength: F
• Agility: F
• Endurance: F
• Magic Power: F
Growth Rate: 0
• Skills Possessed:
(1) Destiny (?) – This hatchling was born with a unique fate. However, in its current immature state, that fate holds no meaning.
(2) Growth Absorption (S) – EXP gain is increased by 300%. Once the level cap is reached, excess experience is stored for later use.
As expected of the lowest tier, an F-rank Dragon Soul—everything about it was at the bottom.
Dragon Souls varied in starting level and growth potential depending on their rank.
For example, a 5th-rank Dragon Soul typically started at level 70 and could grow up to level 100.
They had high base stats, a wide range of skills, and were advantageous in many ways.
"Starting at level 1 with a max level of just 10…"
Its stats were low, and it only had two skills.
Worse, one of those skills was practically useless in its current state.
And yet, the true value of this special entity was...
'Growth Absorption.'
A skill that boosts EXP gain by a staggering 3x.
On the surface, it seemed meaningless.
After all, what use is earning triple EXP when the level cap is only 10?
Even if the extra EXP were stored, what would it be used for?
But—
"If the 'Seed of Evolution' hidden piece works the way I think it does…"
Then that changed everything.
And if he was right, this gamble was more than worth taking.
"Did you finish forming the contract?"
Just as Han Yuseong was about to leave the quarry area with Yonghonmol,
a group of players blocked his path.
There was no need to ask who they were.
The Destroyers. He had felt their gaze even before entering here,
so it was obvious they had been watching and finally decided to make their move.
"You've just been sitting there watching Molbae — finally feel like moving now?"
"Watching? I was observing the situation."
"You're the one who made a pact with a dragon spirit, huh? But... hmm..."
A sense of doubt spread across the Destroyers' faces.
A contracted dragon spirit either merges into the guardian's body,
or remains in spirit form circling around the guardian.
Just like the immature Hatchling now floating aimlessly around Han Yuseong.
After confirming the spirit's grade, the Destroyers' expressions twisted.
"F-rank?"
"Damn it, is this even worth hunting?"
"Who the hell chooses an F-rank dragon spirit?"
Because the rank was just too low.
They had thought he was boldly traveling alone because he had a strong spirit with him —
but an F-rank spirit? What a disappointment.
Still, they had no intention of backing down.
"Well, whatever. The gear he's got looks pretty good."
"Surround him! Kill him and take the gear!"
It was the equipment the prey in front of them had that made the difference.
The Destroyers' eyes gleamed with greed as they saw what Han Yuseong was wearing.
Up close, it looked even better.
In fact, this might be for the best.
If he made a pact with an F-rank dragon spirit, he probably didn't get much of a bonus anyway.
"That guy will be easy to take care of anyway…"
Crack!
"G-guh… wh-what?!"
Before they could even finish that thought, a shadow shot up.
It surged from the ground and turned into sharp, blade-like thorns that pierced through the Destroyers' bodies.
The shadow that had risen behind them transformed into countless weapons,
mercilessly striking the confused Destroyers.
A fierce storm of blood swept through their ranks.
"I just happened to need some experience points. Perfect."
The Destroyers' desperate screams echoed in all directions.
They were too weak to even trigger the War God's buff.
Han Yuseong tore the Destroyers apart with the ease of a routine task.
Their corpses were absorbed by the Hatchling, converting into experience points.
"M-monster! That guy's a monster… Run!"
"Ahhhhhh!"
Han Yuseong impaled the fleeing enemies with his shadows.
He dodged the frantic attacks of another charging Destroyer,
then firmly grabbed the attacker by the throat.
"And whether your spirit stays F-rank forever is…"
Crack!
Han Yuseong glanced briefly at the terrified eyes of the man before snapping his neck.
Ironically, it was the same Destroyer who had just called him a "moron" earlier.
"We'll see soon enough."
Han Yuseong tossed aside the limp body of the Destroyer.
The shadows he had summoned swiftly cleaned up the remaining enemies.
Since none of them were particularly strong, it didn't take long to finish them off.
[Your dragon spirit has gained experience and leveled up by 10 stages!]
[The Hatchling has reached its maximum level!]
[From now on, all gained experience will be stored as "Reserve XP."]
A message popped up in front of him, stating that the dragon spirit had reached its max level.
But Han Yuseong didn't bother checking its status window —
because nothing would've changed.
That was, in a sense, the reason people avoided choosing F-rank dragon spirits.
Unless you were desperate and on the verge of death, you wouldn't pick one.
[Breath, I'm not entirely sure what exact effect the "Seed of Evolution" will have… but I hope it's what we're thinking of.]
"Agreed."
Han Yuseong started walking again.
If the Seed of Evolution turned out to be different from what he had in mind,
he'd have to change his plans.
Still, he hoped it would be just as he envisioned.
"Raising this little guy might be more fun than I thought."
— Kkyururok...
Han Yuseong looked down at the Hatchling's vacant expression.
Guardians who raise dragon spirits tend to play more passively compared to the Destroyer archetype.
That's why it never really suited his style or held his interest.
But now, the idea of raising an F-rank dragon spirit…
was oddly exciting.
It felt like taking on a challenge filled with uncertainty — and potential.
"Sounds like fun."