Chapter 182

When Seojin stepped into the entrance of the tower's 80th floor, he was met with a splendid altar, twenty names, and a woman in a pure white priestess' robe. The interior, save for the altar, was filled with modest decorations. Amidst the faint incense burning on the altar, Saint Aikora greeted Seojin with a kind smile.

"Welcome, visitor."

"I'm Seojin. You must be Aikora, right?"

"Yes, I am Aikora."

"The one called a saint."

"That too is my name."

Her smile never wavered.

Seojin looked around casually. All he really saw were the names of gods placed upon the altar.

"…Hmm."

He let out a low groan. Somehow, the names all seemed familiar. Exactly twenty names. Seojin didn't know all of them, but he certainly knew them.

'I get what this tower is for now.'

He had his guess as to what the grand temple called Pantheon meant in Midgard. And what this woman, Aikora, was doing here. In an instant, Seojin reached his own conclusion, and Saint Aikora watched his reaction closely.

"I see you remember them"

"These names?"

"Yes."

"I do. I had forgotten, but seeing them brought it all back."

"Are there others like you?"

"There will be many. None here yet, though."

"Aah…"

Aikora's face was soaked in emotion.

It was a look of having achieved something she had longed for over a long time.

Sub-quest Complete

*You have encountered Saint Aikora. Please inform Raul. However, there's no need to return immediately.

The message noting the quest's completion appeared. And, unusually, the message seemed to suggest that there might be something more to gain from this place.

And Seojin too.

"Nice to meet you, Aikora. I have a feeling we have much to talk about."

He had been thinking that ever since he entered this place.

* * *

Saint Aikora.

She wasn't always in charge of the tower.

Originally, the Pantheon, especially above the 80th floor, was managed by the Staff of Faith Harry, down to every detail. At that time, Aikora was merely a follower. She came to the tower to see the god she worshipped, to pay her respects, and to return with a heart full.

However, there was a clear difference between her and other normal believers. The name of the god Aikora followed wasn't found on the first floor.

So, she speculated, that the name must be above the 80th floor, a place not permitted to the general public. Now forgotten, she was convinced that her god deserved a place in this tower. Despite repeated failures, her faith remained steadfast. Though the god's name remained unseen, she believed her prayers in this tower would surely be heard.

Satisfied with just that for years, her belief, in the end, shone brightly.

"From this moment, you will be called a saint. I will leave the 80th floor to you. Faith must be rewarded."

Staff of Faith Harry, the person she had never dared hope to meet came to her. Aikora became a saint. With her own divine power, she opened a path and reached where Harry had been. Finally, she realized what she had hoped for was not mistaken.

"This is a place to honor beings greater than any gods. Many have forgotten their names, but we shouldn't do the same."

Aikora fervently agreed with Harry's words. She willingly bore the weight of the name saint, waiting for visitors who never came, for gods who never came. Just being there was enough for her to be happy.

And a decade had passed since she came to the tower.

"You're the first visitor to come here."

Aikora offered tea with a smile to her first visitor.

"The first in ten years?"

"Yes, adventurer."

"How did you know I'm an adventurer?"

"I saw your determination. It's not faith, but it brought you here."

"Adventurers can't really develop faith."

"I understand. You are not residents of this world."

Entrance to the 80th floor wasn't about faith. It was about enough divine power. Aikora had both divine power and faith. But even without the latter, she could have come here.

"Believing and following forgotten beings is difficult. It may seem materialistic even," Aikora said, almost apologetically.

She was saying faith wasn't necessary in a space dedicated to gods.

Of course, Seojin didn't care.

"You mean realistic."

He had long seen through the reason.

"The influence of gods comes from their followers, doesn't it? The more followers a god has, and the firmer their faith, the broader the god's domain becomes… Right?"

"Yes."

"The gods of this place have been forgotten. So much so that even records are scarce. Once mightier than any other beings, their greatness is now buried by time. A god without followers can hardly be called a god."

"You know a lot, adventurer."

"That's what being an adventurer is all about."

That's why the only qualification to enter here was divine power—faith could not be expected for these twenty.

Saint Aikora and Staff of Faith Harry were among those who desperately hoped these gods would regain their power.

"A god who lost its followers. But if a human with enough power to enter this place could be accepted as a follower… then these gods might have a high chance of regaining their strength."

"I can't deny that."

Harry's arrangement as the Staff of Faith turned out to be the right thing to do. Seojin was the first visitor in over ten years, and the first adventurer to come here.

And it had been barely a year since adventurers set foot on this land.

"Since one has already come, I believe more will begin to steadily visit. It's really heartening. If more like you keep coming…"

"The return of these great beings wouldn't be just a dream. And the expectation that adventurers will continue to come is somewhat correct."

"I'm used to waiting."

"That's not what I'm talking about."

Aikora's face showed confusion.

"You're not used to dealing with adventurers, are you?"

"…No."

"You've been here all this time, so you wouldn't be much interested in the outside world."

"That's true."

"That's why I'm saying, recruiting followers won't be easy if things keep going like this."

Seojin spoke casually, but for Aikora, it wasn't something to take lightly.

Before she could ask, Seojin continued, "Adventurers don't belong to this world. Some of the world's rules don't apply to them… As such, each country has found its own way to deal with adventurers. Either embrace them, use them moderately, or, in the case of the Camilton Empire here, exploit them."

"Exploit… you mean they are exploited?"

"The current emperor is very wary of adventurers. Wariness turns to rejection, and an overwhelming power imbalance naturally leads to restraint and exploitation."

Seojin listed the current situation plainly. For adventurers, entering the Empire was difficult, and only a few could act freely once inside. If the emperor's policy had been different, Aikora might have welcomed a visitor sooner.

"I'm a very rare exception. There have been adventurers in the Empire for a while, but I was the only one able to enter this tower."

"That's…"

"Moreover."

It wasn't enough yet. Seojin hit Aikora with another big revelation.

"There's no guarantee that those who come here will follow your will, including me."

Her god needed to secure followers to regain power. And not just any followers, but exceptional ones.

But without a sufficient reward, not many players would willingly follow with no benefit.

"I… see…"

Obvious dismay showed on her face. Saint Aikora was a great NPC, but this wasn't her area of expertise. Perhaps the story would be different if the Staff of Faith himself had stepped in.

Seojin approached the altar. Ignoring Aikora's gaze from behind, he focused on the names above.

"Familiar names. Truly."

"Do all adventurers remember them?"

"Not all of them, and those who do remember won't recall all of them here. There are twenty of them, after all."

"You sound… as though you're familiar with them, like humans."

"Ah, my mistake."

It was a mistake. Not something to say in front of Aikora.

But to Seojin, these 'gods' weren't so distant.

Whats_my_ID

Assassin_King

Corrupt_Power_Archer

Kelly_Kelly

…

All names too ridiculous to be called gods.

'It can't be helped.'

Their true identity was the top 20 ranked players from the old days of Asgard.

* * *

Midgard was a game about the story of humankind.

Asgard, on the other hand, was about gods. Though players started as lower-ranked gods.

'Midgard is a continuation of Asgard's legacy… and the developer is a fanatic about putting in hidden lore in the game.'

The result of these intertwining situations was far beyond Seojin's expectations.

Blue Dragon

The name of the greatest being.

In other words, Seojin's old ID was among the highest of the twenty gods.

The rest of the names were familiar too, as they were also rankers.

Though forgotten over time, Asgard had been a life-consuming game for Seojin.

"I have something to say directly to the Staff of Faith."

"Through me…"

"I can make those people return. Especially Blue Dragon, right now. Others might take some time."

Aikora's eyes widened.

A long-awaited moment.

The first visitor spoke of it as easily as taking an object out of a pocket.

"How…?"

"It's a bit much to explain. If you're curious, tell him to grant me some time. You can find out if I'm lying or not, right?"

She was a saint, after all.

The gods who established altars in this tower weren't few, and the Staff of Faith could intervene if needed.

"I'll be waiting."

Leaving behind a dazed Aikora, Seojin left the 80th floor.

Descending was the same as ascending.

Upon opening the door to the first floor, the priest who had guided him earlier approached.

"You were in there for a while."

"It wasn't easy. Has anyone else succeeded?"

"Not that I know of. Don't be too disheartened. Firm faith is always rewarded eventually."

"My faith is apparently still lacking."

One cannot believe and follow oneself, after all.

After exchanging pleasantries, Seojin left the tower.

* * *

And Raul, who had been anxiously waiting, was again surprised.

"You arranged a meeting with Harry?"