Message Unlocked: Clue Obtained

The message confirming the acquisition of a clue appeared.

Among Eternal World players, this was a well-known trigger—a signpost leading to a hidden piece.

Previously, all the hidden pieces Seong had found were thanks to the memories or assistance of ghosts.
But this one? It came through a standard method.

Despite playing the game from the start, Seong felt, perhaps for the first time, that he was truly experiencing the game.

With a faintly excited expression, he glanced at Village Chief Palm.

Palm chuckled softly.

“Go to Pursville to learn more about Garrick.”

It was clearly a cue for him to leave.

Seong bowed deeply in gratitude.

“Thank you. I’ll be on my way.”

Though his voice remained calm, an undercurrent of excitement laced his farewell.

Palm watched Seong’s departing figure and murmured to himself:

“Though the world has changed, this remains the village of the hero. As its chief, forgive me for not being able to wholeheartedly celebrate your birth here. But others will be different. They’ll gladly accept and rejoice in you. I look forward to that day.”

“Pardon?”

Seong, about to open the door, paused and turned back.

Before he could ask what Palm meant, his vision blurred as he was engulfed in light.

Scene Transition: A New Journey

The sound of rattling wheels and a jolting motion woke Seong.

As his eyes adjusted, he took in the scenery rushing past him:

A clear blue sky, expansive meadows, and fields stretching as far as the eye could see.

The earthy smell of dirt mixed with the fresh scent of grass, creating a vivid atmosphere.

Looking around, he realized he was in the cargo bed of a wagon, traveling down a dirt road.

He wasn’t alone—several other players were in the wagon, sharing the same bumpy ride.

Even the discomfort of the jostling ride added to the immersive charm of the moment.

“Wow!”
“Amazing!”
“I just opened the door at the chief’s house, and now I’m on a wagon? The presentation is incredible!”

Seong, though keeping his thoughts to himself, couldn’t help but agree.

The transition was seamless—stepping through the door and waking up on a wagon felt like a beautifully crafted scene.

Glancing around, he deduced that the other players must have come from different villages, just like him.

After all, he was the only one from Hindel Village.

Seeing their eager expressions, Seong felt a growing sense of anticipation.

“I’ll finally be able to level up and explore new places.”

The possibilities were endless.

The other players began chatting excitedly:

“What class are you planning to choose?”
“Heh! Obviously a mage. The centerpiece of any party, and unmatched firepower!”
“Pfft, you’re just picking mage because you suck at melee combat!”
“Whatever! What about you?”
“I’m going with warrior, of course! The manliest class!”

Listening to their banter, Seong smiled faintly. He realized his own advancement had been unusually quick.

He was likely the first player to advance their class in the Beginner’s Village, as evidenced by his title.

Unlike the others, he didn’t need to complete a quest or spend gold to advance his class.

Advancement required 10 gold, which translated to around 100,000 won.
While most players could grind quests to earn that amount, it was much easier to hunt rabbits in the Beginner’s Village to collect the gold.

Seong had not only saved himself the effort but also avoided tedious quests.

The Gravekeeper Garrick

“So now I need to find Garrick, the gravekeeper.”

The name alone suggested he’d be near a cemetery.

Graveyards were promising locations for Seong. The potential for undead encounters made them valuable hunting grounds.

The thought of finding his first hidden piece on his own filled him with anticipation.

“Pursville is ahead!”

The shout from a player snapped Seong out of his thoughts.

In the distance, a large palisade came into view—a settlement much larger than the Beginner’s Village.

This was Pursville, the first major stop after the tutorial.

Pursville: The Bustling Marketplace

The central square of Pursville bustled with activity, resembling a chaotic marketplace.

People wandered about, seemingly indifferent to the constant commotion.

The area around the fountain was crowded, filled with a cacophony of voices:

“Goblin extermination! Party recruitment!”
“Clearing undead in the cemetery! Need agile Level 7 players!”
“Hey, looking for a party! Aspiring warrior here! Add me if you’ve got space!”
“Level 9, almost advanced! I’ll be a great help!”
“Looking for adventurers to hunt orcs! Urgent!”
“Sweet apples for sale! Just 1 silver each!”

For newcomers, the chaotic atmosphere of the square was overwhelming.

The sheer volume of movement, noise, and activity often left beginners disoriented.

But Seong, remaining calm, quickly assessed the scene and made his way out of the square.

While he had expected the central square to be busy, the reality exceeded his expectations.

Players and NPCs alike were recruiting for parties, while merchants hawked their goods amidst the chaos.

Leaving the noise and confusion behind, Seong let out a small sigh of relief.

“Phew.”

Even with his composed demeanor, the bustling square had been exhausting.

Now it was time to focus.

The Cemetery

Seong’s next objective was clear: find Garrick, the gravekeeper.

As the name suggested, he was likely in the cemetery.

Cemeteries in large towns like Pursville were expansive, and undead activity was common.

Quests to clear out undead were often handed out by gravekeepers, making these areas popular hunting grounds.

“This shouldn’t be too hard.”

Even if Garrick wasn’t immediately visible, asking other gravekeepers would suffice.

Confident in his plan, Seong headed toward the outskirts of the village, where the cemetery lay.

The cemetery’s entrance was marked by a massive gate, flanked by two guards and a few NPCs.

Approaching the cemetery, Seong noticed several NPCs holding shovels and tools, chatting among themselves.

It was clear they were gravekeepers.

Seong walked up to them and asked, “Are you gravekeepers?”

“Huh? An outsider?”
“What brings you to people like us?”
“Ah, you must be here for a quest?”

Their friendly demeanor reassured Seong.

If they’d been unapproachable, this could have been more difficult.

Satisfied that he could ask without trouble, Seong inquired, “Do you know someone named Garrick, the gravekeeper?”

“Garrick?”
“Ah… old Garrick?”

The atmosphere shifted slightly.

While not hostile, the gravekeepers seemed hesitant, scratching their heads awkwardly.

“Garrick passed away.”
“He died last year.”
“He was an inspiration to many of us.”

“What?”

Garrick was dead?

Seong blinked, processing the revelation.

A message popped up, confirming the news:

[Garrick, the Gravekeeper, is deceased.]
[The clue continues.]

The continuation of the clue hinted that Garrick’s death wasn’t the end of the hidden piece.

Though momentarily disoriented, Seong quickly refocused, recalling past memories and experiences.

Relying on the recollections of Apik, the hunter ghost, he asked, “Do you know where Garrick lived?”

“Garrick’s quarters?”
“It’s been left untouched since he passed.”
“Yeah, we haven’t had a new gravekeeper to take over, so it’s just sitting there.”

A new message appeared:

[Clue about Garrick’s quarters obtained.]

The Clue Deepens

A message appeared, confirming the clue about Garrick’s quarters.

Seong reflected on how invaluable the hunter ghost Apik’s memories had been in situations like this.

Just as he was about to thank the NPCs for their help, he caught a snippet of conversation:

“Another outsider looking for Garrick, huh.”
“Yeah, they showed up a few days ago.”

“Excuse me?” Seong asked, alarmed.

“Ah, yes. Someone else came asking about Garrick five days ago.”

“Am I already too late?”

No, that couldn’t be it. The hidden piece was still intact; otherwise, the clue wouldn’t have triggered.
But it meant someone else was ahead of him.

“I need to hurry.”

With a sense of urgency, Seong was about to move when a voice called out from behind him:

“You looking for me?”

Turning, Seong saw an old man with a shabby appearance, covered in dirt and holding a shovel.
The figure was semi-transparent, his legs pixelated and faint.

It was a gravekeeper ghost.

“Found him.”

Seong immediately recognized him as Garrick.

Scene Shift: A Corporate Office

What does it feel like to show up to work after taking a day off?

No words could adequately describe the devastation.

The expression on Ji Hye-jeong’s face said it all as she marched into the office.

“Gasp! T-Team Leader Ji?! Weren’t you on leave?!”
“What? How…?”
“Ack!”
“Ahhh!”

Her sudden return sent her team members into a panic, as if they’d seen a ghost.

After all, their team leader had said she was taking leave to rest, yet here she was.

And with her grim expression as she walked through the hallway, no one dared to greet her.
It was clear from her face that she wasn’t “doing well.”

When Hye-jeong finally arrived at the User Management Team’s office, the atmosphere froze over.

Everyone exchanged nervous glances, trying to figure out who had summoned her back.
No one even dared to swallow audibly, afraid of drawing attention.

The only exceptions were Lee Won-sang, the deputy team leader, and Oh Jin-hyuk, a junior staff member.
Both reluctantly stood to greet her.

Hye-jeong’s usual polished appearance in a sleek suit was nowhere to be seen.

She was dressed casually in shorts, a shirt, and a T-shirt.
The only clue to her prior activities was the teddy bear headband she had forgotten to remove, betraying her recent trip to an amusement park.

“Let’s get to it. Give me an update,” she said curtly.

“Y-Yes! Here’s the report!”

Won-sang quickly handed her a tablet containing the prepared files.

Though Hye-jeong’s abrupt return was impressive, it was also mortifying for Won-sang, as it was entirely because of him.

As Hye-jeong skimmed the report, her expression hardened further.

“This ‘Unknown Power’—are we sure it’s not cheating?”

“Yes, ma’am! We verified it through Immortal!”

“And he acquired a hidden piece without any precursors?”

“Yes.”

“And advanced to an Almighty-class job in the Beginner Zone?”

“...”

Won-sang’s words trailed off as the list of extraordinary achievements grew.

Sensing the tension, Hye-jeong’s expression shifted from a frown to a blank, neutral face.

“Well, if Immortal confirmed it’s not cheating, then it’s unlikely anyone from our staff leaked information to him.”

“Th-That’s correct. Immortal’s calculations include monitoring for such possibilities.”

With a deep sigh, Hye-jeong asked, “So, what is this user doing now? According to the report, he just obtained a clue about Gravekeeper Garrick from the Hindel Village chief.”

“Oh, don’t worry about that!” Jin-hyuk interjected enthusiastically.

Surprised by the interruption, Hye-jeong gestured for him to explain.

Jin-hyuk, though momentarily flustered, steadied himself and presented the information:

“That hidden piece was already discovered by another player. Look at this.”

He pulled up a display showing a high-level user near the hidden piece.

“User ID: Veziron. Level: 30. Job: Necromancer.”

“The skills in his tree suggest he’s building towards a necromancer archetype.”

“And he’s pursuing Garrick’s hidden piece?”

“Yes, it seems so.”

A Level 30 Necromancer.

While Seong’s progress was impressive, the odds of a Level 1 player catching up to a Level 30 user were slim.

Even with an Almighty-class role, there were still steps and sequences to obtaining hidden pieces.

Feeling somewhat reassured, Hye-jeong allowed herself to relax slightly.

Suddenly, a new message appeared on her screen from Immortal:

[User 『Seong』 has permanently increased his stats through ‘Unknown Power.’]

The message set off alarms in her mind.

Though such an occurrence should have been impossible, an unsettling sense of foreboding crept over her.