Hyunsoo had assumed that the title Hyun King had been born simply as a privilege for becoming king faster than anyone else.
That assumption was wrong.
At the moment he chose the name Hyun King, the system had judged it suitable.
Because among all users, he had received the love of the greatest number of NPCs—and because he had been acknowledged as someone fully worthy of becoming a virtuous and generous king.
Hyun King.
The boon granted to a king who possessed the first and only epithet ever borne by a user was more special still.
And the first activation of that boon would be more special than anything else.
That was something he had not known until the moment he invoked the title Hyun King.
*****
“You, awaken.”
The line was cringe enough to be lethally embarrassing.
Hyunsoo looked at Golemmy, who had already been so happy just to be summoned that it had looked like an overjoyed puppy.
At first, this had been his thought:
Someone who can gather materials for me in my place. A laborer who can work for me in fields, mines, and any other place where gathering and harvesting are possible.
That was why he had needed it.
But his thoughts had changed now.
“Golemmy...!”
A vast power began to stir inside Golemmy, which had closed its eyes after hearing everything.
I want you to become something greater.
Need had become secondary.
His first wish now was that the being called Golemmy would step into a new life.
Don’t shrink in on yourself like I used to. Don’t watch people’s moods. «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» Become the kind of being that sometimes does everything it wants, boldly and without fear.
Because he himself had once been like that, he understood Golemmy.
He had been pathetic back then, too weak to do anything but keep receiving from Chairman Taesung.
That was the kind of king he had once been. The kind who had craved the worried looks of friends, the kind who had wanted to be held by armfuls of affection.
Projection.
Because it was like looking at his former self.
And because, in one corner of his heart, there was also the thought—
Someday, I’ll repay it all...
He knew Golemmy would be the same sort.
As Golemmy stood there with its eyes shut tight, on the verge of a changed life, Hyunsoo silently recited to it.
Become outstanding. Don’t be cowed. Don’t cry. Don’t be timid—stand proud.
A red haze began to gather around Golemmy’s body.
RRRRRUMBLE—
Watching that small vortex, the Hyun King spoke inwardly.
This is a royal command.
Hyunsoo did not possess the power of Royal Command.
But in this moment, he understood.
[The first activation is special.]
[Until now, you have lived surrounded by the boundless love and affection of dozens of outstanding NPCs.]
[Their lives are a part of yours.]
[Your life is a part of theirs.]
[Within the virtue and generosity of the Hyun King, you embrace them with tolerance and love, and they embrace you with respect and loyalty.]
[Golemmy’s original awakening grade is Epic.]
[The first activation of a generous king overturns that.]
RRRRRUMBLE—
A larger, more powerful red haze billowed up from Golemmy.
“Golemoooom...!”
Golemmy groaned as the warm power inside it turned hot.
[It is a Unique trait.]
A smile spread across Hyunsoo’s face.
He had never held the foolish assumption that Golemmy’s Potential was so high it would automatically become Legendary.
Unique is amazing, Golemmy. You can live a whole new life now!
But Hyunsoo could not say those words aloud.
[Golemmy and you share the same will.]
[You possess a noble level of affinity in which each of you lives for the other.]
Hyunsoo’s eyes shook.
Notifications like this only appeared for Hidden Pieces.
In other words, this was the sign of a hidden treasure.
And Hyunsoo understood the conditions.
The first condition: the user and the pet must share the same will.
The second condition: they must possess a noble level of affinity in which each lives for the other.
And the final condition—
[It stands upon the path of growth.]
All pets grew. Every Summoner and Pet Master knew that.
A Hidden Piece was clearly a hidden treasure.
But just as there were conditional Multi-Titles that everyone knew about and still could not obtain, even though the method was publicly known—
this Hidden Piece too was one of those multiple-condition Hidden Pieces that the entire world knew of, yet no one could truly achieve.
[Hidden Piece: Together with Your Pet has been achieved.]
And what happened once those three conditions were fulfilled—
was so remarkable that it was the dream of every Summoner and Pet Master in existence.
Yet no matter how much people experimented, no matter how hard they tried, they had never been able to achieve it.
The most famous person in the world—and the one who had achieved this Hidden Piece three separate times—had once defined it like this:
“This isn’t a Hidden Piece that can be triggered by fake feelings of caring for each other. The Ares capsule is too extraordinary, and it even perceives the emotions you yourself feel.”
That was right.
It had to come from truly cherishing one’s pet.
[It grows once more.]
Hyunsoo was stunned.
What?
The first activation had already guaranteed it a Unique trait.
If it was going one step beyond that, then that meant Legendary.
Traits were usually used to define monsters, but NPCs could be said to possess traits of their own as well.
The legendary Sword Emperor Bolond embodied the trait of the sword.
Azure Heaven Ben embodied the trait of the spear.
And Sage Arte embodied knowledge.
A trait categorized as Legendary like that would do far more than merely bestow a new life.
It could overturn Golemmy’s very existence.
[Golemmy awakens a Legendary trait.]
[The awakened trait will be one specialized in gathering and harvesting.]
Hyunsoo felt that Golemmy’s trait awakening was finally complete.
All that remained now, or so he thought, was to watch the flood of notifications and check the status of Golemmy, who had awakened a new trait.
But then—
[Golemmy sees itself as a lacking being.]
[It believes its strength is insufficient.]
[Golemmy desires greater power.]
[If it does not accept, the Hyun King’s use count will be deleted.]
“...Golemmy?”
The red haze rising from Golemmy’s body began to fade.
This was the Hyun King’s first activation.
And it was also the first time Hyunsoo had learned that if the pet rejected it, trait awakening itself could fail.
Of course, a tiny handful of Pet Masters and Summoners had already known that.
Whether a pet accepted power or not was a matter of the pet’s own will.
Did it become aware of it because it jumped from Unique straight to Legendary? If this keeps up, the Hyun King’s use is going to vanish?
Watching the weakening red haze, Hyunsoo’s anxiety surged.
But then—
[Firebird has been activated.]
FWOOOOOOSH—
Four rings of fire formed before his eyes.
BOOOOOOOM—
A being opened its eyes with a presence that seemed to shake the ground beneath the fall of a massive forepaw, even though it wore the shape of a puppy.
[Lucky Lump has been summoned.]
Its true identity had never been revealed, but it was the greatest of pets, and it stood before Golemmy and looked at it.
“Nyaang!”
Beside it, a cat with odd eyes licked its forepaw and smiled at Golemmy, the youngest of them all.
FWOOOOSH—!
Then, on the other side—
Kkoko, which had activated Firebird, descended slowly. Gone was the blank, stone-headed tilt of its usual stare. In its place was a gaze full of affection as it looked at Golemmy.
FWOOOOOOSH—!
And finally—
the most mischievous, the most grumbly, and the most aloof of the pets, KyooKyoo, descended in the form of a hatchling.
“Golemmy, Golemmy, Golemmyyyy!”
[Golemmy desires greater power.]
[Golemmy is asking for help.]
[If it does not accept, the Hyun King’s use count will be deleted in 10 seconds.]
And in truth, Hyunsoo had first thought that this was why they had descended through Firebird.
To calm Golemmy down?
But that was not it.
The expressions on the faces of the four pets—
they resembled the expressions of those who had held him in the past.
Like Bark, who had told him they wanted him to live.
Like Chairman Lee Taesung, who had said he would guard the legacy of the Master Blacksmith, so Hyunsoo should keep moving forward.
Like Nell, who had said she would make him the greatest.
Like Jihoon’s face, when he had pressed a little bit of money into his hand and told him,
Hey, Hyunsoo. Make sure you eat.
There was sorrow in the way they looked at Golemmy.
But there was also something else in it.
Affection.
Hyunsoo’s eyes met Lucky Lump’s, and then those of the other pets, and Lucky Lump slowly nodded.
[6 seconds remain before the Hyun King’s use count is deleted.]
In that expression, Hyunsoo caught the ghost of a gaze he had seen once before.
That being’s name—
White, and Tiger.
White Tiger.
Hyunsoo realized why they had descended, and his eyes widened.
N-no way!?
TAP, TAP-TAP-TAP—!
Just as those three tigers once had—
Lucky Lump rose first into the sky.
To its left stood the legendary bird burning in flame.
To its right stood KyooKyoo, the hatchling and origin of magic.
And beside it stood the being known as the Brightest Moon on this land.
At last, Lucky Lump turned into light and poured down first.
[Lucky Lump’s blessing descends!!]
[It guarantees the target’s evolution, one time only!!]
Hyunsoo’s eyes shook.
But it made him realize this still was not the end.
[KyooKyoo’s blessing descends!!]
[All skill levels increase by 2, and the target’s total MP increases by 100%.]
And once again—
[Pretty’s blessing descends!!]
[Specialness is bestowed upon its probability-based passive skills.]
[The activation rate of probability-based passive skills increases by an irrational 60%.]
Without pause—
[Kkoko’s blessing descends!!]
[All speeds related to its gathering and harvesting increase by 150% over normal, and it is granted a new skill related to gathering!!]
And one final time—
[The system acknowledges the hearts of the pets!!]
[This is another pet the pets wish to protect!!]
[The system-defined highest-ranked pets have loved this pet. All of its stats increase by 10%, and all skill levels increase by 1!!]
When it was all over, Hyunsoo saw all the pets collapse one after another in exhaustion.
His shaking eyes turned toward Golemmy’s face, which had finally begun to look at peace.
[1 second remains before the Hyun King’s use count is delet—]
[Golemmy accepts.]
KURURURURURUR—
An indescribably massive light erupted from Golemmy’s body.
The brilliant explosion of light was so intense that it flashed across the entirety of Atlas, the capital itself.
Why... why didn’t I think of this?
Just as the White Tiger had once bestowed its blessing upon a single sword—
those beings, who had themselves reached the Legendary rank, all possessed blessings of their own.
And not only Hyunsoo, but Golemmy’s older brothers and sisters too—all of them cherished Golemmy just as he did.
As the exploding light began to settle, the notification came.
[A Transcendent trait awakens.]
[Its trait is Harvest.]
[As this is your first trait unlock, the system will provide an example of the current grade of the unlocked trait.]
An example?
Hyunsoo frowned at the word.
How is it going to explain it?
[The system will indicate the grade of the Transcendent trait Harvest by comparison to a being with a trait you have previously encountered.]
“Oh?”
Convenient system.
[Transcendent trait: Harvest is equal in grade to Legion, the trait of the Great Archdemon Gremory, whom you previously encountered.]
“...What?”
Hyunsoo’s eyes shook.
Gremory’s trait was Legion.
And Golemmy’s trait was supposedly equal to it.
That’s insane!
Then—
the system informed him.
[You have become the master of a high-ranked being.]
[The system acknowledges this and grants you a special privilege.]
A special privilege?
Hyunsoo realized that not only had Golemmy evolved, but he too was being rewarded.
[Of the things you have obtained, you may reuse once a thing that possessed a limited use count.]
[Any such thing is possible.]
Limited use count?
Hyunsoo thought carefully.
Right now, what did he need most?
And among the powers he had used until now, which one had possessed a limited number of uses?
The one ability he had wished, more than anything,
If only I had that one more time.
Only one came to mind.
It was a trait that had once activated for the Great Archdemon Gremory—
and now sought to activate for the little one who had become his pet.
“Golemmy.”
Hyunsoo reached a hand toward it and spoke in a firm voice.
“Grant Me Your Protection.”
