Zenith Online: Rebirth of the Strongest Player
chapter-29

Hidden Quests were extremely difficult to trigger within Zenith Online because they required the user to fulfill many stringent requirements. In fact, Kieran was only aware of 2 Hidden Quests present inside Gena Village. However, if one triggered one of the quests, they couldn't activate the other.

Both Hidden Quests were related to accepting some type of special quest. In Kieran's case, his quest involved the Berserker Class seeing as it was the only class Scar mentioned. Naturally, Kieran was aware of the class and all the details regarding its strengths and weaknesses. He simply didn't know how the wielder of the class obtained it in the past.

Now, Kieran understood that it was more so up to Scar's arbitrary decision after evaluating many Warriors. Thus far, Kieran was the only Warrior with exceptional potential and growth speed to appear before Scar. General players were currently logging in to the game, so their levels varied from 1 to 4.

Meanwhile, people who played from the moment the game went online were around Lv.8 or so. But, the higher caliber players were all nearing Lv.10, especially the organizations who purchased Kieran's "guides" and took time to formulate viable clear strategies from the information provided.

Simply put, Kieran's level was almost twice as high as the other parties because of the Medallion of Growth. Without this item, his progress would only be on par with his former party. But, thanks to the medallion, Kieran didn't have to worry about being left in the dust once he logged out of the game.

To give equal opportunity, each region of Zenith Online possessed its fair share of unique opportunities. So, Kieran needn't stress himself about making the most of every early advantage. As long as he chose the right ones, he could split his focus between developing his life and strength.

Concerning the question Scar asked, Kieran rubbed his chin in thought for a moment before silently nodding. "I've heard of it before. It's a specialized path that a Warrior can take."

"Good," Scar nodded with a satisfied gleam in his eye. However, he didn't appear completely content. He crossed his arms while looking at Kieran with an imperious gaze. "What defines a Berserker?"

'What defines a Berserker,' Kieran repeated mentally. Instead of responding, Kieran closed his eyes with a faint smile. A Berserker was a class he was all too familiar with. It was a class famed for its destructive power and resistance toward outer force. Additionally, it was one that grew stronger in increasingly perilous situations.

Kieran basked in the glory of all his feats as he relished in his memories. He saw himself wielding his large greatsword of unimaginable weight and sundering a battlefield with a single overwhelmingly powerful attack.

What's more, he watched as countless people fled from his position but did so unsuccessfully because his great weapon fell them with a single attack. Even people of similar caliber couldn't withstand more than a few minutes of battle before falling against Kieran's imperious presence.

After relishing these memories, Kieran felt he would give anything to return to that realm of power. Therefore, he opened his eyes with a profound look in his eyes. "What defines a Berserker is their ability to persist under the onslaught of many perils. The strength to forcibly crush their opposition and emerge victorious all while withstanding tremendous forces."

Listening to Kieran's response, genuine shock appeared on Scar's face that was soon replaced by boundless pride. "Now, what if I tell you there is a Berserker who possesses these qualities but amplifies them far beyond the normal standard, entering a kind of power that isn't available to all masses."

"Does such a Berserker exist?" Kieran asked while feigning ignorance as best as he could. Of course, he was aware of such a Berserker! Otherwise, he wouldn't have gone through the trouble of trying to befriend Scar.

"Undoubtedly. I am living proof of such a character," Scar replied.

Afterward, a small change occurred in Scar's presence. He leaked a potent crimson aura, and his expression became savage as black markings filled his body. Additionally, the armor around his body cracked and fell apart, revealing a chiseled body seemingly forged by a god with keen attention to detail.

Once this aura appeared, Scar replaced his attire with equipment made from unimaginably powerful beast hide. Scar didn't like the restriction of heavy armor. Instead, he wore specially made attire that had the flexibility of leather armor while keeping the weight of heavy armor, completely liberating his movements.

At the same time, Kieran finally got a glimpse at Scar's true information.

「Lv.515 The Bloody Hero, Scar (*Mythic)

Class: Blood Fiend (True Berserker)

Health: ??? (100%)

Affiliations: «War Deity Council» «Hero's Sanctuary» 」

Kieran's jaw dropped in exasperation. Despite Kieran knowing Scar's general information towards the middle stages of the game, he didn't know his level was this high at the beginning of the game. He met Scar on one of the World Quests in the past, but at that time, he was already above Lv.600. In exchange, most players were only above Lv.150.

'As I thought, this dude is an absolute monster. Not to mention, he isn't really a Mythical NPC either,' Kieran thought after noticing the oddity regarding Scar's NPC rank. In truth, Scar's abilities were more robust than any typical NPC of the same level.

He was what's known as a Mythical Hero, meaning he played a pivotal role in maintaining the relative state of peace throughout Zenith Online. There were only seven individuals lauded as Mythical Heros. Each of them held a legacy that could only be obtained by one player.

Sadly, obtaining this legacy also forced these characters to accept unavoidable quests. In Kieran's case, he would undoubtedly end up visiting both the Hero's Sanctuary and War Deity Council at some point.

Meanwhile, Scar exposing his true strength meant he wouldn't remain in Gena Village for long. He would soon have to venture elsewhere.

"I only agreed to come here to search for some worthy fresh blood. Someone capable of taking upon the mantle of a True Berserker without being sullied by any other paths. The earlier I find said individual, the more potential for growth. Tell me, are you interested in accepting my request?" Scar asked while reigning in his pressure. If he let it run amok, it would destroy all of the Halls.

Not even the protective arrays could contain the power of a Mythical Hero!

"Without a doubt. I'm more than willing to follow this path," Kieran answered solemnly but he just couldn't hide his excitement well enough. Generally, the difficulty of class promotions coincided with the grade of the class. However, the overall difficulty could be manipulated. For example, standard class promotions ranged from Easy, Medium, and Hard.

The more complicated the promotion quest, the higher the rewards.

Scar leaned forward ever so slightly and smiled, revealing a few incredibly sharp teeth. His canines were similar to that of a ferocious wolf! "If what you say is true, then you'll have to be evaluated."

Kieran's eyebrow rose in shock because he had yet to reach Lv.20. How could he accept a class promotion quest without achieving the required level? Could Scar really circumvent the rules like this? However, Kieran's many questions were answered once the system revealed the "evaluation" Scar mentioned.

'Damn! I'm being scammed, I tell you!' Kieran thought with a disgruntled frown.

Ding!

〈System: Do you wish to accept the Hidden Quest «The Berserk Path's Original Wielder»? [ Y / N ]?〉

「 The Berserk Path's Original Wielder (Hidden Quest)

Quest Rank: SSS

Recommended Party Size: 1

Recommended Party Level: 18

Objectives: Although Scar's identity as the Mythical Hero of Blood has brought the renown of the Berserk Path to its current pinnacle throughout the kingdom and empires of the world, he is not the originator of this path. Therefore, it is not his sole right to bestow the famed path upon you. While his view of you is above the rest, only with the blessing of his master can he allow you to take upon this mythical mantle. Before the presence of the crimson glow, all potential will be laid bare!

- Meet with the original wielder. 0/1

- Enter the «Wildes». 0/1

- Gain the recognition of Scar's master. 0/1

- Return the letter to Scar without reading its contents. 0/1

Rewards:

- Ability to take up the «True Berserker» Promotion Quest

- Honored Favorability with Scar

- Exclusive Teacher (Scar)

- «Zero Loss of Potential» [Trait]

- 50,000 Experience

Failure Penalty:

- Loss of «True Berserker» Questline

- Reverted to a standard «Berserker» Promotion Questline

- Scar's Favorability will be locked at Neutral (0).

*Special Note: The opportunity outweighs the medal of growing stronger quickly. 」

〈Warning: This quest expires if the Original Wielder isn't met with one natural week's time.〉

A natural week referred to a week's time on Earth. Unless strictly mentioned, all skill cooldowns, quest timers, and other duration-related functions in the game operated on Zenith Online's time flow. Only special quests like the Hidden Quest above without a precise quest timer could issue warnings using natural time.

〈Warning: This quest automatically fails if you fail to gain the master's recognition.〉

〈Warning: Failing this quest will automatically set the Berserker Class as your class promotion.〉

After reading through the information, it wasn't Scar who would administer the evaluation, but his master! Even Kieran wasn't aware of some mysterious master. 'I never knew this guy wasn't the one who created this path… to think he received it from someone else. If that's true… then just how strong is this so-called master?'

Furthermore, it seemed this quest was set in the Wildes! The Wildes held a second name for anyone beneath Lv.100—the Forbidden Expanse. Not only was the Wildes home to many incredibly powerful enemies but there were also many wild races inhabiting that place.

As the name suggested, it was an expanse of land rivaling all four of Zenith Online's continents. The North Continent—Nelorias. The South Continent—Slazoya. The Western Continent—Waikrune. The Eastern Continent—Enira.

Nevertheless, Kieran still accepted regardless of the warnings and the mysteries surrounding this quest. Even his knowledge of the game wouldn't help with clearing this quest because it fell outside his realm of expertise!

Fortunately, the rewards were enticing, especially the trait that he had never seen before. 'Zero Loss of Potential? I wonder if it's just as useful as the rest of the rewards. There's only one way to find out though.'