Ch-249. **Rewards**
—
The end of Main Quest 11!
As the “hunt list” rose before me, I tilted my head.
*“So the process remains?”*
Denial of results.
The true authority of the Eternal Monarch did not simply ignore a rule—
it **negated the result itself**.
However, it did *not* turn back time.
Therefore, certain aspects of the *process* inevitably remained.
It seemed those remaining elements were what the main quest reflected.
*“Even if I didn’t kill them, as long as I won the Starlight Expedition, it counts as a hunt.”*
I hadn’t killed all participants.
But “hunting” holds two meanings:
1. Using tools to capture wild animals,
2. Or a stronger beast preying upon a weaker one.
If both were considered “hunting,” then this hunt list made sense.
Except—
*“I never hunted the Godskin Hybrid.”*
I had never even properly seen the hybrid god, the owner of the island.
Yet the reward said “Monk of Eternity” had become the Eternal Lord.
Searching for the answer, I looked at the man standing before me.
“…You did not abandon it.”
A man nearly 2 meters tall.
A robust body, and three eyes.
Each eye held a different nature:
the right blazed with fire, the left was frozen over, and the one on his forehead was filled with pitch-black darkness.
This man was the Eternal Lord.
The being who, in ancient times, protected the Island of God from destruction.
“What didn’t I abandon?”
“Yourself. Your future. Every possibility within you.”
“You abandoned them?”
“Yes. For a fleeting moment of completion. You saw it too—the Monk of Eternity. Another version of myself, twisted into a horrifying hybrid.”
“…The Monk of Eternity is the ‘Godskin Hybrid’?”
The Eternal Lord nodded.
“By using my authority to avoid the ending delivered by Ruin, and to protect our land and our kin, I discarded myself. I became a monster intoxicated with power. And the same reason is why the hybrid tempted you.”
*Abandon it.*
Yourself.
The Godskin Hybrid had acted in order to make me abandon myself.
“The Hybrid dwelled within you. It exerted all its strength to intoxicate you with ‘power.’ That is why you were able to face Abyssal Rulers and primeval beings.”
Randolph became strong by abandoning me.
But that was not the only source of his power.
The Godskin Hybrid had been fueling him from within.
“Why did it do that?”
“…Because in the end, he was only half. No matter how strong he became, no matter how far he surpassed his limits, with only half of himself he would continue to lose. The horrific form of the hybrid is proof of that.”
The Eternal Lord shook his head, as if regretting his past choice.
He became strong for a moment—
but lost everything.
Nothing gained through abandoning oneself held meaning.
Even if one gained something, what value did it hold?
That path ended only in despair.
The remaining half of him had lost itself and become a hybrid.
*“…I see.”*
So that was how it was.
Now I understood.
I opened my mouth.
“So he tried to take over my body… and failed.”
“Yes. The Hybrid sought to become king. But you did not abandon yourself. Losing its foothold, the Godskin Hybrid perished. In Isabella’s stead.”
“…Hm? It perished instead of Isabella? That’s strange—I distinctly offered the Gate as the price.”
“Truth is a coy one.”
The Eternal Lord smirked, as if imagining the scenario.
“Your decision itself completed the price. You did not abandon yourself—that which I could never accomplish. Which no one else ever could.”
“The Gate… remains?”
“No. Of course not unchanged. ‘Eternal Lord Randolph’ was one of the things you gained on this island. And my authority nullifies *all rewards*.”
“Then…”
“Park Hyunmyung.”
“…”
I could not speak for a moment.
How did he know my name so clearly?
His three eyes pierced straight through me.
“The Hybrid surely believed Isabella would abandon you. That upon learning the truth she would rage. Perhaps even *you* believed so, in some corner of your heart.”
“…”
“The result was the exact opposite. Isabella accepted her own extinction for your sake—and you attempted to sacrifice what was most precious for hers. Truly beautiful, is it not?”
The two characters spelling *connection.*
Nothing in this world is more beautiful than that.
Yet my mouth refused to open.
As if telling me to simply listen.
As if our time was short.
The Eternal Lord continued:
“You do not exist alone. Your existence becomes complete only through connection. And that connection possesses far greater power than you imagine.”
“You now possess a bond strong enough to release even the sealed memories imposed by the ‘Administrator.’ The characters you once played will, even without transcending, begin to recall memories related to you.”
The Administrator had hidden memories when contracting with the people of Pangaenia.
The Divine Sickness.
A character being controlled by a gamer.
But it hid the most important truth—that *they themselves* had made the choice.
It turned players into “sinners” and forced conflict between them.
At first I thought the twin goddesses were responsible.
*“Leah, Pina. They had nothing to do with it.”*
There was no way they would incite human conflict.
Likely—the Architect.
The one who designed this system.
He must be the Administrator.
The Eternal Lord spoke again:
“Accept it. Through connection, balance will finally be restored.”
Accept the connection.
Then reality and Pangaenia would be brought into harmony.
And then he added something more meaningful:
“Though the results vanish, the process remains. Abyssal Rulers and primeval beings will lose their memories of you. But their *feelings* toward you will remain.”
“Use those feelings.”
“Use the memories that remain within you.”
“And thus—rule.”
“For that is the true power of the Eternal Monarch.”
“I failed… but you will succeed.”
Rumble!
The black sky crumbled and began to pour down.
“Our time is up.”
The Eternal Lord extended his hand.
Another Door appeared.
“I entrust my descendants… and this land… to you.”
Swoosh!
And with that, I was pulled through the Door.
—
—
The scenery changed.
Before I knew it, I was outside.
Not in the Abyss—
—in Pangaenia.
“The path… closed.”
The black-hole-like corridor into the Abyss had vanished entirely.
“…It seems we were ejected.”
Isabella stood beside me.
But she was not the only one.
“What is that?”
“Eh?”
Isabella blinked.
Did she not notice?
“That thing floating beside you.”
When I clarified, Isabella turned—and recoiled.
“Th-this is…?!”
Because something truly strange was floating there.
—I am outraged! Why must I be trapped in such a body?!
A hybrid the size of a grown man’s fist.
A massive floating eyeball drifting through the air.
No matter how one looked at it, it was a shrunken form of the Godskin Hybrid.
“Why is something like this next to me…?”
Isabella’s face turned pale.
She clearly suspected something.
—Why must I be bound to this woman, damn “Truth”!!
“…”
So it *didn’t* perish instead of Isabella?
It seemed even the Eternal Lord hadn’t predicted this.
Who would imagine the Godskin Hybrid becoming Isabella’s pet?
And judging from how it cursed Truth, it seemed the Gate had forcibly bound it instead of extinguishing it.
*“So that’s what he meant by ‘coy.’”*
Truth indeed produced results no one anticipated.
In that sense, it resembled me.
“Sir Randolph… what is this?”
I couldn’t help but chuckle.
“It’s the Godskin Hybrid.”
“…? That’s a very long name for an insect.”
“Hahaha!”
Insect!
Who else in the world would dare call the Godskin Hybrid an insect?
Only Isabella.
And the fact that she didn’t even recognize its name confirmed something:
Isabella had lost her memories.
All the memories connected to me.
But that was fine.
Memories can always be rebuilt.
—She is pretending not to remember.
“…?!”
—Ashamed, are you?
“…!!!”
—Foolish woman. I know everything about you. I see all you are. Now kneel before—
“Shut up.”
—…guh?!
What was this comedy routine?
At Isabella’s single word, the hybrid snapped its mouth shut.
A scene clearly showing who was above whom.
But wasn’t the Godskin Hybrid supposed to be half of the Eternal Lord?
*“What a vulgar way of speaking.”*
Hard to believe they were once the same being.
Even if he’d lost himself and become a hybrid, it was hard to reconcile.
But something else concerned me more.
“You didn’t… lose your memories?”
“…”
Isabella pressed her lips shut.
But her reaction made it certain.
She had not lost her memories.
She *should* have lost them.
Why didn’t she?
*Truth’s whim again?*
Or perhaps because of that insect—
no, the Godskin Hybrid.
And if her memories were intact—
*—I will yearn for you for eternity, Park Hyunmyung.*
What did those words truly mean?
Yearning.
A longing that persists forever.
If not for those words, I could not have returned.
I wanted to ask—
—but my mouth would not open.
“Good.”
“…Yes.”
Silence followed.
Surprisingly comfortable silence.
I shrugged, intending to use this quiet time.
*Status window.*
There was something I needed to check.
The Eternal Lord had said:
I did *not* sacrifice the Eternal Lord Randolph’s hidden trait.
But that I would no longer remain “Eternal Lord Randolph.”
If things had changed, I needed to know what name had replaced it.
And other changes surely existed.
“…?”
And when I opened the status window—
I could not react at all.
No shock, no scream, no sense of having gone insane, no feeling of being lucky.
It was beyond expectations, beyond imagination—
—but so unexpected that emotion failed to form.
Before I could process it, the system messages began.
—
—
**《Settlement for Main Quest 11 – Abyss Monster Hunt is complete.》**
**《Estimated Score: 10,000.》**
**《You have stepped into the realm of ultimate mystery, beyond the incomprehensible.》**
**《This is the domain of ‘0,’ a possibility no challenger has ever achieved.》**
**《‘0’ is infinity—and also the number denoting absolute nothingness.》**
**《We praise your supreme accomplishment.》**
**《Hidden Reward, Hidden Piece “Achiever of Zero” activates.》**
**《You receive 10 units of ‘Complete Golden Scale.’》**
**《You obtain 10,000 Achievement Points and 10,000 hours of ‘Shards of Broken Golden Scale.’》**
**《The fixed reward for Main Quest 11, the “Talisman Cube,” transforms according to your score.》**
**《You have obtained: “Talisman Cube of Infinity (Hidden).”》**
**《You have become the Master of the Island of God.》**
**《You have acquired the Holy Star.》**
**《Hall of Fame rankings are changing.》**
**《You have forcibly taken ‘Angel of Blessing.’》**
**《Select the vessel to host the Angel of Blessing. Different vessels grant different powers.》**
…
**《Due to excessive achievement, you may select one of the following Talismans》**
**《Talisman of the Sole Monarch》**, **《Talisman of the Heavenly Demon》**, **《Talisman of the Unborn Being》**, …
—
This was such an amazing end to this arc