Zenith Online: Rebirth of the Strongest Player

----

An uproar surged through the gaming community following the revelation of Kieran's new feat. Just under two weeks had passed, yet the name Aatrox had appeared in the world announcement several times. In comparison, all other players looked and felt insignificant because they had yet to snag even one of these world announcements.

Of course, like before, the notification withheld the information regarding Kieran's rewards in case envious players in the same kingdom or empire entertained thoughts of targeting him. While Kieran wasn't afraid of such a confrontation, it was different when he was a potential target of thousands or even millions of players.

Afterward, Hugo looked at Kieran silently after closely inspecting the cyclops head before him, 'This monster seemed to have been killed with extreme blunt-force, and considering how messy the cut to its neck is, it's safe to assume that it took multiple tries before he succeeded.'

Meanwhile, as Hugo was fascinated by Kieran's kill, Kieran was more interested in unveiling his rewards.

〈System: Congratulations, you have received the following: «Platinum Training Slip», 4,000 «Adventurer Prestige», 75 Unassigned Attribute Points, and 40 Skill Points.〉

Out of all his rewards, Kieran was most shocked by the Adventurer Prestige reward. Adventurer Prestige was a social construct similar to World Fame, except it was a strict reputation system accessible only to the Adventurer's Guild. The reason for Kieran's shock was because completing a quest usually rewarded 50 or so Adventurer Prestige, maybe more depending on the difficulty of the given mission.

To receive 4,000 in one sitting came as a genuinely great shock. However, the truth was slightly different. Kieran didn't receive an additional 4,000 Adventurer Prestige; he received 1,000. The Adventurer Guild required that an individual amass 3,000 Adventurer Prestige before the upgrade application became accessible. Thus, the system increased Kieran's Adventurer Prestige accordingly.

Even then, 1,000 prestige for a single task was a reward Kieran would gladly accept. Not only did it vastly reduce how much time Kieran needed to upgrade his status, but having this much Adventurer Prestige would also give Kieran a modicum of respect while inside the walls of the Adventurer Guild.

Aside from the Adventurer Prestige, the Attribute and Skill Points were much appreciated. Because of how high his skill ranks were, Kieran was essentially hemorrhaging points. To remain on par with normal classes in terms of skill level, Kieran would require at least quadruple the amount of SP.

Of course, the disparity in skill level didn't mean they even came close to touching upon Kieran's damage baseline.

After a short moment, Kieran considered Rautori's head sitting in his inventory. If the cyclops was in fact the quest item as Kieran suspected, what use did he have with Rautori's head? Judging by Rautori's last words, it was clear that someone or something he thought was vile had confined him to the Underground Labyrinth.

Considering the fact Kieran slew Rautori, Kieran wondered if he could obtain some type of quest linked to Rautori's past. After all, a minotaur should be something that spawns in the higher leveling area; Kieran was just fortunate Rautori was left severely weakened.

Lastly, Kieran's first reward—the Platinum Training Slip—was related to the Adventurer Guild's exclusive training hall. Having this slip allowed Kieran two options. He could either turn in the slip for training privileges equal to a Platinum Adventurer for one week or use it as a one-time offer to battle against a Platinum Adventurer.

The first option favored a player seeking to capitalize on a unique training advantage, while the latter existed as an option for the individual to challenge themselves. After all, a Platinum Adventurer usually meant the individual was Tier 2 class or at the very least a Lv.50 Tier 1 Class.

Fortunately, this wasn't an item that required immediate usage. It had a duration of 14 days before it expired, so Kieran could return at a later date if that's what he wished to do.

Suddenly, Hugo broke the silence after shifting his gaze away from the cyclops' head and sweeping it over Kieran. "I honestly didn't expect that you'd complete the task. While you may possess the emblem of the Bloody Hero, you're just a fledgling at best. Don't expect that emblem to hold much weight outside this place."

"Oh? I'm aware of that," Kieran nodded. While NPCs and other famed organizations wouldn't hold Kieran in contempt, they definitely wouldn't give him the best treatment. Although Kieran was the successor of a world-renowned figure, his advantages only extended so far.

Xenith was a world that operated on the rule of the strong. For Kieran to gain the respect of others, he would have to display strength worthy of admiration. Piggybacking off the reputation of another could only get a person so far before it petered out and the person was treated with scorn.

"I have no intention of relying upon Scar's reputation. I showed you this emblem because I knew there was a link between the Hero's Sanctuary and the Guild. So, I felt you should at least be somewhat aware of my potential," Kieran answered.

If not for Kieran showing that item, he would have indeed been turned away by Hugo and be forced to start as a Trainee. An individual needed a certain amount of credibility before the Guild could recognize you as strong enough to sport one of their higher badges.

"Nevertheless, as you are now a genuine Gold Adventurer, you may accept up C-Rank commission quest. That might seem low, but it truly isn't. Some of those requests can get quite difficult for someone of your power," Hugo commented.

What Hugo said was the truth. The Gold Adventure Badge Quest was a request the system would give a C-Rank rating. While some requests rewarded substantial pay, the objectives were similarly demanding because the majority were designed to be tackled by at least a Lv.40 individual.

Nevertheless, with Kieran's current stats, he was more powerful than the average Lv.40 player. Unless a player focused on a single attribute and was lucky enough to obtain powerful Unique Items, reaching over 500 points in a single stat would be difficult.

For the moment, Kieran wasn't interested in accepting any commission. Since he was a new adventurer, the system would protect his rank for a set duration. Afterward, whether or not a player kept or upgraded their Adventurer Rank became their issue alone.

'That completes one of the requirements. It's a shame that there are so many conditions before you can become a Guild Leader. But, it's understandable since a guild is indirectly an extension of the Adventurer Guild. A certain amount of strength and rapport is needed to be viewed as leader material,' Kieran thought.

Afterward, Kieran conversed with Sammy and Hugo for a while longer before parting ways. Having completed his quest and received the rewards, Kieran logged out briefly.

…

Kieran slowly exhaled and removed the VR Helmet from his head. As he removed it, a bright light flashed in his eyes, causing him to cover his face. However, he was startled by the winsome Dr. Riley after moving his hand. She combed a strand of her strawberry blonde hair behind her ear and smiled.

"You know, I don't know what happened in there, but you gave this little miss quite the scare. I thought you were having a seizure and dying with the way your body kept convulsing and seizing," Dr. Riley sighed. She shook her head and clicked her tongue while flicking Kieran's nose.

He found this interaction odd because Dr. Riley became far too cordial. In fact, she was too friendly now, making Kieran suspicious. "What… happened? Why are you acting as if you're on top of the world? Also? Did you say seizing?"

"That's what I said," Dr. Riley nodded. "And yes, approximately 6 hours ago, your body suffered from violent spasms, and frequent seizes." Regarding Kieran's second question, Dr. Riley momentarily left it unanswered.

"6 hours ago," Kieran muttered as realization hit, followed by a frown. A sensation of danger overwhelmed him as he revisited the cause of that episode. 'Crap… maybe I should have heeded Isadora's warning. I believe I made an oversight due to my inexperience.'

Kieran had no idea the effects of Argexes' Blood were this powerful. While he anticipated the high-ranking item would affect his character's body, he didn't foresee suffering so quickly in reality. After all, his resilience and brain activity greatly surpassed the average person.

Thus, Kieran added another strange power to his mentally composed watchlist. 'So not just the Ancient Crimson Aegis, the combined usage of Deranged Spirit and Abhorrent Paroxysm should also be used sparingly. I can't afford to alter my sanity, not right now, at least. I'm at a sensitive point where I need full recollection of my memories.'

Unsurprisingly, when Kieran was affected by Argexes' Blood, the only thing on his mind was to kill and destroy; there was no presence of self or his memories—only a shred of self-awareness peered through when Bastion called out to him. If not for Bastion's cheer, there was a chance he might've lost himself to the darkness threatening to swallow his reason.

Suddenly, Kieran's stomach growled like a ravenous beast as he and Dr. Riley watched each other in silence. Only after a few seconds did Kieran look away while Dr. Riley smiled faintly.

"Hungry, I suppose? But before you eat, let me know how your body feels. I received many alerts regarding your state, but only you will know how your body responded to the trauma," Dr. Riley stated.

As directed, Kieran performed a self-examination followed by sensing for anything unusual. The only inexplicable difference Kieran felt was his mental and bodily state. The strengthened link seemed to deteriorate due to both sides absorbing a ton of energy. However, if the amount had to be quantified, it appeared his mind absorbed 80% of his available energy while his body claimed 20%.

This left Kieran feeling unusually heavy and drained.

After receiving her answer, Dr. Riley revealed a mischievous smirk. "Say, are you up to doing something risky and dangerous?"

"How dangerous are we talking here?" Kieran grimaced. He had experienced his fair share of danger, but everyone had a unique view of what defined risk.

In response, Dr. Riley held up ten fingers.