Zenith Online: Rebirth of the Strongest Player
chapter-135

After journeying through the rocky terrain for another 2 hours, an alert finally appeared, notifying the party that they had entered another uncharted land.

〈System: You have entered the «Concealed Rocky Canyon»!〉

〈System: You have received 100 World Fame as the first players to enter this area!〉

Receiving another supply of World Fame was more than enough to cement everyone's standing inside the World Fame leaderboards. While it was challenging to maintain exclusivity on the level leaderboard, the fame leaderboard was another story.

The amount of fame rewarded for achieving an accomplishment was dependent on the feat's difficulty.

Most people wouldn't attempt to complete complex tasks right now, so the highest World Fame beneath any of Kieran's members was 300. Considering Knight-level reputation spanned from 251 to 1,000 Fame Points, it was nowhere near the requirement to elevate one's standing to one comparable to a Lord.

In contrast, Kieran's progress was astonishing. After all, his current Fame Points amounted to 650, over double the amount anyone else generated. While a considerable amount originated from area discoveries, the rest resulted from his skill.

'I'm growing much closer to the first requirement, but I can't neglect the others. That's the true reason I've been saving these Treasure Chests. In fact, I need more. For that, I'll have to recall different map locations, or….'

Kieran's gaze suddenly changed. 'Accept the right quest from the War Deity Council.'

Only quests on the level of Main Quests could offer Treasure Chest as rewards because these chests were intricately tied to Xenith's hidden treasuries. There was a chance every chest could draw a mystery item from said hidden areas. However, there was a blowback attached to this event.

For example, if the item had an unimaginable worth and somehow ended up in the hands of a lowly adventurer, the actual owners would conduct a manhunt!

Hence, caution was advised when opening a Treasure Chest above the Epic grade. Legendary items were enough for large powers to kill over, and some of those items had 100% drop rates upon death.

Nevertheless, this wasn't a worry that afflicted Kieran. Rare Grade Treasure Chests were practically harmless because this grading didn't enter the eyes of powers like the War Deity Council, Alchemist Circle, or the Merchant Association.

In fact, it could be considered fodder when compared to highly regarded Legendary items.

Kieran surveilled his surrounding before noticing a familiar path. But, upon detecting that path, Kieran did everything in his power to steer the caravans away from it—the mine he wished to keep secret was located that way, and they would eventually stumble across it if they traveled down that path.

"We'll keep heading straight. I've yet to sense any monsters," Kieran commanded. His expression remained neutral, so no one noticed his intentions, mainly because he was at the front, and his rear blocked any sight of his face.

The others followed regardless and crossed through the Concealed Rocky Canyon. As they moved, they saw humanoid figures far off in the distance. These figures were too far to grasp their appearance clearly, but Kieran ignored them anyway.

Not only were their movements sluggish, but he could tell they were somewhat large due to their size from this distance. If they were to move closer, the team would also realize these figures were considerably larger than they were.

Unlike the intermediary zone between the Desert of Crumbling Sands and the Concealed Rocky Canyon, the terrain here was dangerous. The rocks protruding from the ground were pointed and large. One misstep and these sharp rocks could skewer the horses.

Furthermore, the floor was littered with various fissures and small chasms, which was partly why this area was called the Concealed Rocky Canyon. However, the main reason for its name was the large crevasse Kieran and the others walked beside. One wouldn't notice it until they were close to the ominous edge.

"H-hey… I'm not scared or anything, but should we be traveling so close to the edge of this canyon? I mean, it is frighteningly deep!" Bastion muttered.

"Meh, it pales in comparison to the Chasm of Apogeton?" Kieran said indifferently.

"WHAT?!" Head Merchant Penni shouted in horror. He pulled on the horse's reins and stared at Kieran in disbelief. "W-w-what did you just say?"

"You mean regarding the Chasm of Apogeton?" Kieran said to confirm this was the reason for Head Merchant Penni's reaction.

"Yes, that! Why are you treating it so indifferently as if the name means nothing? Are you not aware?" Head Merchant Penni widened his eyes at Kieran's obliviousness.

Not everyone regarded the Chasm of Apogeton the way Agrianos did, but his opinion had rubbed off on Kieran, partly because of his power's origin.

"No, enlighten me, please," Kieran requested.

"The Chasm of Apogeton is a terrifying wonder of legends. It's rumored to be the slumbering place of a connection to an extremely dark world. A world once connected to this one. So, to disregard it so lightheartedly is insane! It could very well be the source of an apocalypse if it is real!"

"It's real—very real. I've even visited the place," Kieran shrugged.

Head Merchant Penni almost fainted as a result of Kieran's response.

"You jest! There is no way a budding adventurer has trek beyond the forbidden expanse."

"Ah, yes… yes, I'm just joking," Kieran said with a wry smile. The fact Head Merchant Penni treated the Chasm of Apogeton as mere folklore of this world made Kieran wonder if the world was privy to Agrianos' existence.

'I suppose the Chasm of Apogeton is a well-kept secret limited only to the War Deity Council and similar powers' knowledge. If that's the case, then…' Kieran's grimace deepened as a disturbing thought crossed his mind.

Obtaining the True Berserker Class was undoubtedly a condemnation!

'No, no, no. I'll have to ask Scar or Agrianos to tell me more about this matter when I see them again. Many parts of the Wildes are regarded as forbidden land, but to label something a forbidden expanse means that not even the races indigenous to the area dare intrude upon that area.'

Although Kieran understood the severity of the Nether Severing Hex Seal's presence, he didn't know this historic seal was withheld from the knowledge of the masses.

'I guess withholding information is a tactic practiced by all governing powers. Take a look at the government—it's an entity riddled with secrets despite its large realm of influence,' Kieran thought.

However, Kieran understood the need to withhold particular facts to maintain general peace and stability. People tended to panic when confronted with a life-threatening issue, but it was a human response ingrained into the fibers of their being.

"That is an inappropriate joke, Sir Aatrox. Don't condemn us with dark humor," Head Merchant Penni pleaded. He grasped his chest as the fright made his heart pound so hard it almost jumped out of his chest.

"I apologize," Kieran said.

Despite his apology, Kieran wasn't truly sorry. Instead, he wondered if Penni's fears were a foreboding omen. Piecing together this thought with Scar urging him to grow quickly, Kieran felt something was amiss with the Hero's Sanctuary.

But, if that were true, only three powers would be privy to the situation—one of which even Kieran had never experienced. There were only rumors in the past that a shadowy gathering of individuals existed with more power than the War Deity Council's entire forces combined.

With how strong Agrianos was, Kieran wondered if he was a part of this old rumor. It was certainly possible.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Shifting rocks falling down the canyon's gaping side alarmed the party as Bastion jumped before exhaling shakily. "Man, I can't take this anymore! I'm so close to the edge."

Meanwhile, Kieran looked ahead and saw towns, villages, and other civilizations in the extreme distance. "Stop complaining; the hard part is almost over. We're trying to avoid fights. Monsters would avoid the danger of being this close to the edge, but there are still a few meters separating us."

"Yeah, what are the odds of a few meters of rocks giving away?" Nemean interjected.

However, Bastion superstitiously scowled. "Don't jinx it, you knucklehead! You were known to have bad juju during our childhood! Take it back!"

"I refuse," Nemean smirked.

The two immediately devolved into a bickering match that made everyone groan. Everyone looked forward to the moment this long journey ended because frightened tantrums would no longer spur on this incessant bickering.

Just as the caravans crossed the last stretch of the Concealed Rocky Canyon an hour later, the sound of shattering glass resonated within the entire party's ears, raising their awareness.

At the same time, the sky brightened until it resembled crystalline water showered by a resplendent sun.

However, if one studied the sun closely, they'd notice the previously whitish-yellow sun gained a cerulean tint. Following this change, everyone frowned, especially Bastion. His body immediately felt the effects of the heavy armor he wore.

"What is going on?!" Bastion groaned. These effects exceeded his expectations by a large margin. But, before Kieran could give his input, an alert appeared before all players, robbing his need to do so.

┌───────────────────

«Zenith Online World Announcement»-

The metamorphosis has finished, and with its completion, you players have entered a deeper relationship with this world. The following things will affect all players who join this world:

-Stage One Life Realism (?)

-Stage One Combat Realism (?)

-Item Level System Revamp (?)

-User Interface Renewal (?)

-Economic Interface Update (?)

-Handicap Parameter Removal (?)

For more information, click the designated (?) beside each updated information.

└───────────────────

With the introduction of this metamorphosis, everything would change because the increased Life and Combat Realism meant players were being "integrated." After all, these updates didn't affect the denizens of Xenith; it was unique to the players who logged into the world.

These updates sought to elevate a player's perception of this world to a level comparable to a patron. That way, there would be no distinguished boundary between the player and the world.