The silver light from the teleportation faded, and South Glade's ambient sounds returned in full. Kaito stood motionless for a moment at the base of the plaza fountain, letting the buzz of the new town wash over him.
The shift from Verdant Hollow's quiet woodland charm to South Glade's gleaming plazas and sky-facing towers was no small leap. Here, the architecture shimmered with a blend of alloy and cultivated stone, roads paved with reinforced mineral glass that responded faintly to spiritual energy. Futuristic carvings adorned every fountain, every railing, and every path marker.
But Kaito didn't stop to admire.
He already knew where he needed to go.
The Town Square, where a wide granite pedestal towered in the center. A small crystalline monument floated just above it—untouched, overlooked by the other players. Kaito stepped close.
[System Notification]
You've discovered: Monument of Lost Names
Would you like to activate?
He pressed confirm.
A soft hum resonated as the monument flickered to life. Words etched themselves into the air.
"Before cities stood, we walked forgotten fields.
To rebuild what was lost, the brave must give again."
[Quest Unlocked – Remnants of the First Pilgrims]
Objective: Offer three items of historical relevance .
Without hesitation, he opened his inventory and pulled out the three relics he had prepared earlier:
Lantern of Dusk – a first discovery from behind the Verdant Hollow blacksmithIron Shard Token – looted from the Ironback Fiends near Moonspire PlateauEngraved Root Fragment – a moss-covered keepsake he'd picked up beneath the Gravepelt Ridge
He placed all three onto the offering plate.
[System Notification]
Item 1 Accepted: Lantern of Dusk
Item 2 Accepted: Iron Shard Token
Item 3 Accepted: Root Fragment of the First Era
[Quest Complete – Remnants of the First Pilgrims]
You have restored memory to the Monument of Lost Names.
Reputation with South Glade: +1 (Friendly)
Passive Skill Unlocked: Forerunner's Grace (Lv. 1)
While exploring new zones, gain +3% movement speed and +5% item discovery rate.
Reward Received: Town Contribution Token ×3
Bonus Reward (First Completion): Town Access – Hidden Class Questline Activated
Kaito's eyes sharpened. That was the trigger.
Without delay, he turned and made his way toward the South Glade Town Hall. The building sat at the top of a short flight of granite steps, guarded by two silent NPC sentinels. As he approached, the large brass doors swung open.
Inside, a slender official in robes greeted him.
"So you are a recent transfer from the Verdant region?"
Kaito nodded and presented his Advancement Scroll from Chief Halros.
[System Notification]
Scroll Verified
South Glade Town Registered as Respawn Point
Local Permissions Unlocked: Storage, Transportation, Mail, Residential Access
The official nodded politely. "Your citizenship has been confirmed. May Glory recognize your name."
[Respawn Point Updated]
Kaito stepped out of the town hall just two minutes later.
And now—his real goal.
He turned back toward the alley behind the alchemy shop, where a cloaked woman stood beside the shadowed stairwell. Her gaze found him at once.
"You've answered the monument," she said. "Then follow me."
Kaito followed her down the narrow stone path into the hidden training chamber.
Inside, spiritual light wove through floating runes. At the center of the room stood an aged pedestal with a black sword hilt embedded in its center—etched with glowing runes and a sigil from an older age.
Kaito stood motionless as the mysterious woman gestured toward the glowing pedestal between them.
"You've awakened the monument," she said calmly. "But that alone is not enough."
Kaito narrowed his gaze.
She reached into her cloak and withdrew a crystal tablet—etched with swirling runes and jagged glyphs that shimmered with residual energy. A faint pulse of magic echoed through the room as she pressed the tablet into the air.
[System Notification]
Quest Unlocked: The Trial of Twin Echoes
Category: Hidden Class Trial
Type: Dungeon Clearance
Level Requirement: 10
Dungeon Name: Echoing Deep
Required Difficulty Rating: Elite
A golden rune formed over his quest log as the map updated with a flicker. A new icon appeared west of the town—a small spiraling insignia near the base of an abandoned watchtower just beyond the farmland border.
"Your sword carries weight," the woman said. "But unless you master both the blade and the unseen, your growth will end here."
Kaito's lips curled slightly. So this is it.
In his past life, this trial had appeared in forum leaks a few months after the game's launch but the quest had vanished after a player who was considered among the few top level gods completed it .
So Kaito knew that this was one of the unique hidden class quest.
If anyone else clears this trial and completes the class binding, it disappears from the entire system. Forever.
And now, he would claim it first.
He turned to leave.
"I accept the trial."
The woman said nothing.
But behind him, the door slowly closed—sealing the chamber once more.
Kaito stepped back into the sunlit streets of South Glade.
His quest tracker pulsed quietly in the corner of his interface:
Trial of Twin Echoes – Travel to the Echoing Deep and conquer its core.
The streets of South Glade were still quiet—The advantage of time was his to wield.
But he wouldn't waste it on the dungeon. Not yet.
He had other priorities before the flood arrived.
He turned west, cutting through the merchant district until he reached a building framed in clean blue-white alloy, its rooftop bearing the symbol of a winged coin.
South Glade Central Bank
Inside, a pristine marble interior greeted him. Rows of NPC bankers stood behind counters, each flanked by floating ledger screens and sleek transaction nodes. There were no other players yet. Kaito stepped up to one of the vacant desks.
"Account inquiry," he said.
The teller, a middle-aged man in silver-trimmed robes, nodded.
"Registered balance not yet created. Would you like to open a vault?"
"Yes. Deposit: Full."
He opened his pouch and allowed the interface to calculate the amount.
Gold Deposited: 10,008
Silver Deposited: 114
The coins vanished in a shimmer of light, safely stored in the central grid.
Kaito received a token—a hexagonal rune disk with his name etched on it.
[Vault Access Token – Tier: Common]
Permissions: Withdraw from registered city or estate access points.
With his wealth now secured from potential loss or theft, he turned to the next task.
Only an hour had passed since his arrival in South Glade.
And still, no other players had appeared.
The streets remained quiet—too quiet. NPCs walked their paths like clockwork, town guards rotated shifts without comment, and the market stalls sat unopened beneath the glowing sunlamps. Kaito stood at the edge of the plaza and exhaled slowly.
He continued towards his next target.
South Glade's artisan quarter curved around a low-domed building with a glowing blue sign overhead—depicting a bubbling vial and a sprig of herb. The entrance shimmered faintly with passive purification enchantments.
[Life Guild – Potion Division]
Kaito stepped inside.
A soft medicinal scent filled the air. Counters lined the circular chamber, manned by NPC clerks in muted gray uniforms with pale green sashes. Transparent cabinets displayed a variety of dried herbs and vials, mostly decorative for now.
A clerk at the reception desk looked up and smiled.