EDEN — Chapter 1 (Part 3)

Even as plain text, it felt like the man’s voice echoed in his ears. I-eon fiddled with his ear for no reason and turned toward the guild hall portal, which flashed loudly and brightly. The guild master must have answered right before stepping through, because the man everyone had been waiting for appeared. When their eyes met, he even gave a short, calm smile.

He acknowledged the guild members’ greetings with only a slight nod and headed straight for the Oath Altar in the hall. Not warm, not even cold, just a kind of polite indifference, yet no one seemed bothered. They were used to it.

Still wearing the guild robe Debbie handed him, I-eon stood across from the man, with a waist-high pillar between them.

“Just sign there.”

After saying that, the man signed first, then looked at I-eon. The promotion ceremony was simple: the guild master and the new guild member signed the two books placed on the glowing pillar. That was it. If the guild ever grew large, it would become a hassle, but for now, it was manageable.

Once I-eon finished signing, the books glowed and absorbed their names.

—I-eon has become an official guild member.

The guild members whistled and cheered when they saw the notification. It really wasn’t a big deal, but their cheerful reactions made the moment feel pleasant. Especially Debbie, who was grinning from ear to ear.

“Our guild has eight people now. Just two more and we finally hit double digits!”

“If you lowered your standards a little, we’d have plenty already.”

“No way. We’re going with a small, elite team!”

“Sure, sure. Whatever you say, deputy guild master.”

Debbie and Iraine bickered like siblings while Coco-pang, Ji Jong-sosi, and the wolf beastkin Valror teased I-eon as he stepped down from the altar. He laughed, ready to throw back a comeback of his own. That was when Raham, who I-eon assumed would disappear immediately, naturally joined the group and spoke.

More precisely, he spoke to I-eon.

“Where are you in the quest?”

The voices that had been lively for such a small group fell silent in an instant. Startled by the man suddenly approaching and by the guild members’ collective attention, I-eon tried hard to keep his expression under control.

“Finding the wandering bard.”

“You didn’t get very far.”

He spoke as if he knew the human-side questline inside out, despite being a demon.

“I’ll help you.”

“… Sorry?”

“I’ll help with the quest.”

“Why?”

“Just because.”

For a momen,t I-eon wondered if it was an apology for the previous incident, but “just because” had zero sincerity. He looked at the man with the same suspicion he showed in the dungeon. The guild members, who had been listening breathlessly without even making a sound, took that brief pause as a signal to explode all at once.

“What, you two knew each other?”

Debbie leaned forward between them, sticking her head in,

“Please tell the guild master to show up more often!”

“I thought Debbie and I were the ones closest to I-eon.”

“I-eon, don’t tell him I said he’s a figurehead guild master.”

“You’re saying that right in front of me.”

Iraine, Coco-pang, Ji Jong-sosi, and Valror all chimed in at once as if competing. Their mouths were moving nonstop, but all their gazes… were fixed on I-eon. What kind of guild was this, where the brand-new recruit felt more burdened by the guild master than everyone else? Surrounded by sparkling, almost gleaming eyes, I-eon finally confessed with a miserable look, as if being forced into an admission.

“We just randomly ran into each other in a public party a few days ago…”

“Really? Wow, lucky!”

Debbie even danced in place out of genuine envy, but then tilted his head in confusion.

“But how did you two know you were in the same guild? Guild tags only show during guild wars, and guild master doesn’t care about the guild board at all.”

“……”

I-eon couldn’t see the guild window as a provisional member, and he was certain the guild master didn’t know a new member had joined. The others also seemed curious, but I-eon kept his mouth shut. It would be… awkward to explain he found out they were in the same guild because the man tried to kill him, but didn’t succeed.

While only I-eon suffered the group’s barrage of questions and stares, the actual culprit of this chaos, Raham, ignored everyone and called to him.

“Let’s go.”

—‘Raham’ has invited you to a party. Accept?

When the man spoke, everyone fell silent again. Was this guild going to be okay…? I-eon hesitated at the invitation window, but eventually accepted. His opinion of the man wasn’t great, but ultimately the man hadn’t harmed him, and had even helped. There was no real reason to refuse. Only his own discomfort held him back. Yes, he was suspicious, but would he really lure I-eon somewhere dark, expel him from the guild, and kill him?

When the party formed, the guild members looked unfairly betrayed.

“Wow, when we begged him to run raids with us he ignored everything!”

“Isn’t this favoritism? If I leave the guild and rejoin, will he favor me too?”

“Actually, looks like guild master only gives special treatment to handsome men.”

“Are you calling me ugly?”

“I’m heading to town.”

Ignoring the wailing complaints and drifting chatter, Raham tore a scroll. The effect of the party movement scroll wrapped around the two of them.

When the flash faded, I-eon found himself standing in a quiet little village. Low wooden houses were tucked together under a red sunset, thin smoke rising from chimneys. It was a small settlement on the outskirts, called Habaum.

Since they were doing a quest, I-eon naturally assumed they’d head to the capital, so he looked at Raham in confusion. Without explanation, the man began walking somewhere, so I-eon followed.

“Did you decode the tablet?”

“No, not yet. I was going to look it up on the website…”

“The contents are different for every tablet. You have to decode them yourself.”

Raham stopped in front of a cozy house made of brown bricks and logs. He lifted his hand and knocked. From inside, a faint voice told them to come in. When they opened the creaky door, an old woman sat by the lit fireplace. She glanced at I-eon once while knitting at her slow pace and muttered:

“Another young adventurer looking for paradise, I see…”

Her line hinted she was tied to the quest.

Oh, he found the right place. Impressed, I-eon glanced at Raham, who held out his hand.

“Give me the tablet.”

I-eon handed over the heavy stone slab, almost the size of his forearm. Raham placed it before the old woman and demanded:

“Interpret.”

“…I need to prepare for the coming winter.”

Still focused only on her knitting, the old woman spoke nonsense.

“Young men, do me a favor. Go into the nearby forest and bring me twenty Habaum rabbit meats and some forest boar…”

Thunk. A heavy sound cut her off. The woman, who seemed impossible to interrupt, stopped knitting and turned her head toward the pouch lying on the table. A thick cloth bag jingled with coins rubbing together. Raham spoke again:

“Interpret.”

“Ah, buying time with money, are you?”

The old woman chuckled without regret, set aside her knitting needles, and finally examined the tablet. She gathered up the stone slab she had ignored earlier and the thick pouch of gold, as if it were only natural. Then she looked intensely at the tablet. Raham said quietly:

“She gives three fetch quests normally, but you can skip all of them with gold.”

“How much? I’ll pay you back since it’s my quest.”

“It’s fine.”

“I’ll pay.”

“I said it’s fine.”

“I’m paying.”

A pointless stubbornness flared between the two as they glared at each other. The brick house, warmed by the fireplace and the popping wood, felt cozy, yet a cold tension filled the space between them. I-eon didn’t want any more discomfort, but Raham only looked slightly annoyed.

Suddenly, the old woman’s voice cut through.

“The Wanderer’s Tomb lies at the cliff of the Balta Coast.”

The stone slab, covered in unreadable drawings or letters, crumbled into dust as if it had fulfilled its purpose. The old woman brushed her hands and calmly resumed her knitting.

“Let’s go.”

Taking advantage of the timing, Raham ended the cold war unilaterally and walked out the door. I-eon, wanting to return the gold pouch somehow, hurried after him, only to nearly collide with Raham when he stopped abruptly. The man turned suddenly, but even seeing I-eon flinch back, he behaved as if nothing had happened.

“You have the Essence of Earth, right?”

“…Yes.”

It was one of the items found in the treasure chest with the stone tablet. Raham nodded and pulled another movement scroll from his inventory, tearing it. In an instant, their figures vanished and reappeared on a cliff where waves…

The whisper of waves swallowed his next words. I-eon walked beside the silently leading Raham once more, repeating himself.

“I said I’ll pay you back.”

“It’s fine.”

“I’m paying you back.”

“……”

He wanted to bark, “Don’t repeat after me,” but that would make him seem petty. Right… this was kindness. A guild member showing kindness. That’s what he would tell himself.

Stopping where he stood, I-eon watched Raham’s back grow smaller for a moment, repeated the thought internally, then followed close behind.

Waves slammed endlessly against the steep cliffside, making sharp, crashing sounds. The salty wind blew I-eon’s hair in every direction, but the sunset beyond the horizon was breathtaking. Captivated by the view, I-eon walked blankly until he bumped into Raham’s back and finally stopped. Raham glanced at him briefly, then stepped aside without a word. Only then did what he had been hiding come into view.

“… A statue?”

At the edge of the dizzying cliff stood a single stone statue, an image of a man playing a lyre.

“Break the essence and pour it there.”

“This?”

They appeared again on the cliffside after another use of the scroll. I-eon walked next to the leading Raham once more and repeated himself.

“I said I’ll pay you back.”

“It’s fine.”

“I’m paying you back.”

“….”

When I-eon took out the Essence of Earth, Raham nodded. I-eon looked at the round glass orb, where golden ripples swelled and rolled inside, and after a moment of hesitation, he tapped the orb against the statue’s head as if cracking a hard-boiled egg.

The thin glass shell split apart after a couple taps and broke open, spilling all the essence over the statue’s surface. The golden waves shimmered under the glow of the sunset and flowed down the statue’s contours. Before the essence could even drip onto the ground, the statue absorbed it all and slowly regained color and life.

The statue soon turned into a man, and with long sky-blue hair fluttering behind him, he played his lyre with a sorrowful expression. Chara-lang… a clear, ringing note echoed.

“O divine one… why would you burden a mere poet, whose only possession is this melody, with such a mission… denying me even my rest…”

I-eon endured the NPC’s dramatic atmosphere as best he could and waited until the bard finished the entire piece. After plucking the final note, the bard elegantly flicked his fingertips, then slowly opened his eyes and met I-eon’s gaze.

“I know why you have awakened me. You must also be an adventurer who has received revelation from the god Tiog.”

“Yes.”

“……”

The bard plucked at his lyre strings again and fell into a long silence, then lowered his arms. He walked to the cliff’s edge and gestured for I-eon to come.

“Would you come here?”

I-eon followed without protest and stood beside him. The bard closed his eyes as he enjoyed the vast ocean view and welcomed the sea breeze. His long, seaweed-like hair repeatedly whipped I-eon in the face.

“Countless adventurers have devoted even their lives in their attempt to reach Eden throughout the ages. Enough to fill this sea and more.”

The sea is way too big for that, I-eon grumbled inwardly.

“Yet even now, not a single one has ever reached Eden.”

The bard turned to him. His sky-blue eyes, like the color of the sea, regarded I-eon solemnly.

“I do not wish to witness young adventurers losing their lives so recklessly. Their lives are far too precious.”

“……”

“That is why I give a small test each time.”

A test? Before I-eon could question the strange tone, the bard suddenly shoved him with great force. The moment I-eon realized it, his feet were already stepping into empty air, and he plummeted straight down the cliff. Fierce winds howled around him, and the dark sea pulled him downward as if welcoming him. The sensation was far worse than bungee jumping because there were no safety measures at all. Looking down at I-eon falling, the bard smiled like a low-grade horror villain, a deranged psycho murderer.

“That bastard…!”

He had no interest in extreme sports, so why was he being forced into this nightmare thrill ride? I-eon cursed the deranged bard with every foul word he knew and hurriedly summoned his pet dragon.

“Summon, Kkammy!”

Kyarrr…! A black dragon, larger than a bear but cute-faced, responded to his call and spread its wings. As I-eon quickly fell, his body landed safely on the dragon’s sturdy back. Riding the air currents, the dragon swooped in the direction I-eon had fallen, then kicked off the air just before they hit the water, soaring upward. The sea’s surface foamed white beneath them.

After straightening himself and grabbing the reins, I-eon rushed back toward the cliff as fast as he had fallen. The bard was impressed when he saw the dragon and I-eon rising from the edge, but I-eon’s eyes, stinging from being blind sided, were icy cold.

After dismissing the dragon and stepping back onto solid ground, the bard approached him shamelessly.

“Even without being a tamer, you’ve managed to tame a dragon. Now I can entrust you with this task.”

“……”

It was just a flying dragon mount from a random mount box, but that hardly mattered to an NPC whose only concern was whether the player survived. One way or another, I-eon remained alive, and the quest moved on. The bard took I-eon’s hand like an old friend and looked determined.

“To become a true prophet of Tiog, devote yourself and be acknowledged in the Sanctuary.”

“…Right.”

—Quest information has been updated.

“I can see it. Your limitless potential… Tiog will guide your path.”

Having said everything he wanted, the bard returned to his original spot and resumed playing the lyre with the same pitiable expression. I-eon watched with a sour look as the bard reverted into a statue once more. Clearly, the lore suggested he had lived too long as Tiog’s slave and had gone mad enough to seek stress relief in twisted ways.

Raham approached I-eon, who was frozen in disbelief, and even he received a glare.

“You knew he was going to push me, didn’t you?”

“Yes.”

“Then you should’ve warned me!”

“You weren’t going to die anyway.”

“……”

Sure, I-eon was a tank with the highest survivability and a decent level, so falling into the sea wouldn’t kill him. But still, he could’ve been mentally prepared. If he happened to have a fear of heights, he might’ve passed out on the way down.

These two are both… I-eon let out a deep sigh, staring at Raham, who was helping him in ways that somehow still managed to piss him off. Just be grateful, he told himself. Trying to calm his irritation, he checked the quest window. As expected, the conditions were already fulfilled.

~Proof to Become a Prophet~

“You have been acknowledged by the ancient bard. However, to become a true prophet of Tiog, you must prove yourself with fitting devotion at the Sanctuary.

Completion requirement: Tiog Temple Contribution (75226/20000)

*Requirement fulfilled.”

It was indeed high enough to start the main storyline directly from temple contribution. The satisfaction warmed him, and he smiled a little.

“He says we just need to go to the capital now.”

“Let’s go.”

As always, Raham took out a movement scroll. The sound of crashing waves vanished, replaced by the bustling noise of the capital. People passed by the two of them along the grand streets of Limbert, the capital and symbol of Tiog’s authority and prosperity.

I-eon glanced beyond the layered buildings at the towering Sanctuary upon the high grounds, then looked at Raham. He expected the man to leave now that they were back in the capital, but Raham just watched him with a look that said, Why aren’t you going?

Was he… planning to come along? I-eon’s expression turned complicated.

“I’m going to report to the Sanctuary.”

“Let’s go.”

“…You’re coming with me?”

“Is that not allowed?”

It wasn’t as if demons were banned from entering the temple… but how far was he planning to help?

In the end, I-eon walked to the sanctuary with Raham behind him. As expected from a temple that welcomed all, the gate knights were there only for security and didn’t stop anyone. Thanks to his high contribution, the temple knights who recognized I-eon even stood at attention and saluted him. Normally, he would’ve passed without a thought, but with Raham watching with interest, he suddenly felt embarrassed.

He quickened his pace, passed the twenty-four marble pillars lining the Path of Gratitude, and entered the main building. Opposite the prayer rooms used by regular worshippers was a reception room where one could meet with temple clergy. He had walked this path hundreds of times, enough to do it blindfolded, yet it felt strangely different. Perhaps it was because he had brought company for the first time. Raham followed leisurely behind, his eyes drifting to the beautiful garden on the left.

I-eon only felt something was off after they turned the third corner. At first, he was distracted by Raham trailing behind him. But the deeper they went inside, the more certain he became. He was encountering temple knights far more often than usual, and several unfriendly gazes swept over them. For a temple knight to behave coldly toward him, of all people, was unusual. Of course, the hostility wasn’t for I-eon, it was for the man behind him…

Raham, when glanced at, looked nothing but relaxed, as if he were on vacation. I-eon had seen plenty of demons visiting the temple before, so he thought it wouldn’t matter, but apparently it did. Carrying a slight sense of unease, he stopped in front of the reception room. The knights guarding the entrance recognized him and saluted smartly.

“I’m here to see High Priest Artenor.”

“Yes. He’ll arrive shortly, so please go in.”

The knights opened the doors to both sides and bowed deeply, inviting him in. I-eon stepped inside first, and Raham naturally followed behind him. But before he could even set foot past the threshold,

—Clang!

The knights crossed their swords, blocking Raham’s path. Despite having blades pointed at him, he didn’t even flinch and simply glanced at the knights. Their expressions were firm, leaving no gaps, as if even a needle wouldn’t slip through.

“Demons are not permitted beyond this point.”

“Step back.”

Raham gave I-eon a wide, reassuring smile as if to say not to worry, then obediently stepped back and waved.

“See you.”

“… Yeah. I’ll be quick.”

The added words weren’t because he was worried about Raham, just the idea of someone waiting for him was annoying. Before I-eon even turned away, the knights quickly shut the doors with obvious spite, cutting the two apart. I-eon let out a small laugh at the NPCs’ childish pettiness and sat down on the sofa of the reception room.

After he picked at the refreshments on the table for a while, the high priest in charge of I-eon arrived. I-eon briefly reported the quests he had completed so far and relayed what the attempted-murder bard had said. The high priest nodded with a serious expression.

“I see. You… have accomplished much.”

“How do I receive the proof?”

“What proof could you need? You are already a loyal servant of Tiog.”

—You have received the Temple’s Proof.
—The quest has been completed.
—Due to holding the highest temple contribution rank, quest progress has been greatly accelerated.
—A new quest has been generated.

… Highest contribution rank?

Startled by the unexpected rank and bonus effects, I-eon snapped his gaze to the high priest. The last time he checked his contribution, there had been about ten names above his, so he had assumed he was just in the upper ranks. But suddenly, he was ranked first?

“My contribution is the highest?”

“There are, of course, those above you. But they are all martyrs. Contributions paid with their lives cannot be compared to anything else… You have the highest contribution among adventurers.”

So in other words, the ones above his name were all NPCs. I-eon let out a dry laugh, realizing he hadn’t even known he was number one.

“Well, how is anyone supposed to know if you don’t give a perk or something…”

“Hm? What was that?”

“Nothing.”

Pretending not to hear I-eon’s grumbling, the high priest chuckled, then suddenly his expression hardened.

“By the way… who exactly did you come here with?”

“The person outside?”

“Yes.”

That displeased expression… the reaction was far worse than expected. I-eon wondered how he should explain Raham, then vaguely said he had received help while completing a mission and ended up coming together. Even so, the high priest’s expression didn’t soften.

“It’s not as though we are still at war with demons, nor do I discriminate based on race.”

“Is that so.”

“But! No matter what, the ones serving Nox are never decent. Smiling to your face while stabbing you the moment you turn around…”

Now that he thought about it, I-eon hadn’t really paid attention before, but his guild name, Nox, was also the demon lord’s name. It must have been snatched immediately in the early days as a rare guild name, yet the guild had only been created a little over three months ago. How much money did they throw at it?

While I-eon pondered the guild name again, the high priest’s expression grew even more sour.

“And that one in particular is especially vile. His name is known even among the clergy.”

“He’s famous.”

“I don’t know how you happened to receive help, but know this, if others see you together often, I will not be pleased.”

—High Priest Artenor’s favorability has decreased by 20.

“What?!”

I-eon shot up so violently that the table rattled. The teacup toppled over, leaving a huge stain on the priest’s white garments. The high priest jumped up in a fluster as well.

“Have you lost your mind? Do you know how hard this fabric is to dry?”

—High Priest Artenor’s favorability has decreased by 2.

“……”

Of course. This priest was the type whose affection barely budged even if you spilled tea on him or completed endless temple side quests, rising only one or two points here and there. Unlike many NPCs who responded well to material gifts, this one was on a whole other level of difficulty.

“But twenty…”

Lower favorability meant reduced rewards and fewer dialogue options. How long would it take to restore that again? I-eon collapsed onto the sofa like a deflated balloon, shocked by the enormous loss.

When he finally pulled himself together and stepped outside, Raham stood calmly, absorbing the knights’ hostility while admiring the garden. Seeing I-eon, he smiled and waved as casually as before. That serene face, always unbothered, made all the anger I-eon had barely suppressed surge up again.

“What the hell are you?”

“Hm?”

Raham blinked at the sudden accusation, as if wondering what he did this time. Yes, that face. I-eon hated how this big guy put on that innocent I-did-nothing look, making him feel like the only unreasonable one.

“How does my favorability drop by twenty just because I walked in with you?”

“Ah, I figured.”

“Figured? You figured?!”

The admission that he expected it made a vein pop on I-eon’s forehead. The bard pushing him off a cliff earlier was, fine, whether he warned I-eon or not was up to him. But knowingly letting I-eon take a hit like this?

Why should he stick around someone who caused trouble just by standing next to him?

Boiling inside, I-eon glared at Raham’s annoyingly handsome face, then turned away sharply. His stomping steps screamed that he wanted nothing to do with the guy, yet Raham followed without fail.

“Sorry.”

“……”

I-eon didn’t spare him a glance. His firm footsteps across the marble floor only sped up.

“I’ll help you restore favorability.”

“The priest told me not to stay near you, so get lost.”

“As long as we don’t get caught, it’s fine.”

“Hey.”

I-eon stopped cold and looked Raham straight in the eyes. He leaned in as if ready to headbutt him, making Raham’s eyes widen slightly before he slipped back into that fake, gentle smile. I-eon spoke clearly and forcefully so he wouldn’t misunderstand.

“I don’t know what you’re after, but whatever quest or reason you have, I’ll take care of my own business. Go do whatever you were doing.”

“……”

Even with the biting words, Raham only stared quietly at I-eon’s face. That unreadable expression made I-eon mutter in frustration and turn away again. Thankfully this time, there were no footsteps following him.