Chapter 2: SSS-Rank Hidden Quest
In the early morning, it wasn't an alarm clock that jolted Rovel from his slumber, but the insistent ringing of his phone.
The caller ID glowed with a custom note: 'World's Cutest Little Sister'.
A label, of course, that Yuki had programmed in herself.
"Hello… is something wrong? It's so early," Rovel mumbled, his voice thick with sleep.
"Good morning, my dear brother! This is a special wake-up service from your one-and-only sister! To make sure you don't oversleep and miss the server launch, Yuki decided to call you bright and early. Aren't I the most thoughtful?"
Yuki's cheerful voice chirped from the other end of the line.
He glanced at the time. It was 5:30 AM.
"Goodnight…" Rovel pressed the hang-up button without a second thought and burrowed his head back under the covers.
Not two seconds later, however, his phone began to ring again.
With a sigh of resignation, Rovel answered.
"To be treated so coldly by Brother… even Yuki will get sad, you know! Ah, I get it. Is this what they call 'the favored are always fearless'? Yesterday, you said I was more important than any game, but that was just a trick to tease a poor little girl, wasn't it? Hmph, hmph, hmph…"
Rovel could practically picture Yuki on the other end, puffing out her cheeks in a theatrical display of dissatisfaction.
"Yuki… you didn't stay up all night, did you?" Rovel asked suddenly, his tone shifting.
The other end of the line went completely silent. Then, the call disconnected.
In her room, the sound of a boiling kettle whistled sharply through the quiet.
"Ah~! He found out!!!" Yuki hugged her phone to her chest, squirming and writhing beneath her blankets.
Even she could get embarrassed, okay!
Wait… by hanging up so abruptly, didn't she basically just admit it?
How was she ever going to face her brother now!
But in the next instant, her phone lit up with an incoming call.
Staring at the words 'World's Best Brother' on the screen, Yuki hesitated for a moment before gathering her courage and tapping the answer icon.
"Hello…" Her voice was a tiny, wavering thing, laced with the guilt of a child caught red-handed.
"If you can't sleep, I'll stay with you," Rovel's voice came through, soft and steady.
Yuki felt a warmth spread through her chest, as if something had filled an empty space she hadn't known was there. Her heart began to beat a little faster, a frantic, uncooperative rhythm.
"Will… will Brother stay with me forever?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.
"Of course. Now, we still have some time. Hurry up and get some rest, or you won't have any energy later," Rovel soothed her gently.
"...You absolutely cannot hang up the phone, okay?" Yuki said, her tone suddenly serious.
"I promise," Rovel affirmed.
Yuki felt the tension in her heart gradually unwind. Her gaze softened as she looked at the glowing screen, and soon, her eyelids grew heavy. It wasn't long before she drifted into a deep, peaceful sleep.
Hearing the sound of her breathing even out, Rovel closed his eyes as well, letting himself doze.
Though they were in separate rooms, the distance between their hearts felt impossibly small.
The servers were set to open at 9:00 AM. After a solid two and a half hours of sleep, Yuki woke up.
"Hey, Brother, are you still there?" she asked, her voice clear and refreshed.
"Yeah, just woke up. Did you rest well?" Rovel greeted her.
"Mhm! As expected, I sleep so much better with Brother by my side!" Yuki replied instantly. Hearing the boundless energy in her voice, Rovel felt a wave of relief wash over him.
"So, from now on, can Yuki call Brother every time she goes to sleep?" Her words were laced with hopeful expectation.
"You can call me whenever you have insomnia," Rovel replied.
"I want to call even when I don't have insomnia!" she immediately whined, deploying her full spoiling power.
"Alright, alright. Yuki can call me whenever she wants," Rovel conceded with a helpless nod in his voice.
"Yay! As expected, I love Brother the most! I'm going to go take a shower, then I'll log into the game!"
Suddenly, the line went quiet for a beat.
When Yuki went quiet, it usually meant she was plotting something.
Sure enough, in the next second…
"Brother, do you want to video call? You can get a good look at Yuki's youthful body…"
Rovel decisively pressed the hang-up button. He got up, washed his face, and then settled himself into the sleek, white Gaming Pod.
The pod was a marvel of technology. It was filled with a Nutrient Solution that could sustain a person for nearly a month without food or water. It also featured a built-in cleaning system that periodically sanitized the user's body, a massage system to prevent muscle atrophy, and more.
, it was linked to the smart home system; if anyone were to enter his apartment, he would receive an immediate alert within the game.
Of course, the price tag was astronomical, but that wasn't a concern for Rovel.
As the canopy of the Gaming Pod sealed shut with a soft hiss, a clear, synthesized voice echoed in his ears.
[Link Start]
His vision plunged into darkness. A few seconds later, he slowly opened his eyes to a new world.
"Hello there, human. I am your Guide Fairy. Please follow my instructions to create your character."
The Guide Fairy was a tiny, ethereal being. Long, pink hair cascaded over her shoulders like a silken cloud, the ends curling into fluffy tufts. Delicate bow-shaped accessories on either side of her head swayed gently with her every movement.
Her blue eyes were as clear and bright as distant stars. When the corners of her eyes tilted up, a sweet smile bloomed across her face, a faint blush dusting her cheeks and making her all the more charming.
The translucent pink wings on her back, shimmering like gossamer, trembled with a soft, ambient light. She looked as if she had stepped directly out of a fairy tale.
"Fairy Elysia?" Rovel's eyes lit up. He never expected his guide to be this adorable little creature.
Fairy Elysia was the 'Remembrance Management Program' of the Elysian Realm, an ELF that perfectly replicated the personality of the original Elysia.
Optimistic, kind, and pure to a fault, she was the one who had guided Raiden Mei through the arduous journey of reliving her past.
"Eh?! Human, you actually know my name?" Fairy Elysia tilted her head, startled. She zipped curiously over to Rovel's side, her bright eyes sizing him up with genuine wonder.
Before Rovel could formulate a reply, she spoke again, her voice filled with delight.
"How incredible… In that case, I choose you!"
Fairy Elysia waved the small magic wand in her hand, and a brilliant beam of light descended upon Rovel.
[Congratulations, you have triggered the SSS-Rank Hidden Main Quest (Unique): Elysian Realm.]
The system notification chimed unexpectedly.
'Huh?' A large, metaphorical question mark materialized over Rovel's head. How in the world did he trigger the Elysian Realm main quest?
That content was supposed to be from Chapters 29 to 31 of the game's story. He had somehow activated it before the servers had even officially opened to the public.
In the next second, the character creation panel in front of him vanished.
His vision was consumed by a flash of blinding white light, forcing him to squint his eyes shut.
"Where… is this?"
[You have entered the Elysian Realm! (High Danger)]
[Recommended Level:???]
Rovel took a moment to let his eyes adjust, his heart pounding as he surveyed his new surroundings.
"This is the Elysian Realm? How did I end up here?" he muttered, finding the situation completely baffling.
Even if this MMORPG didn't have a traditional starting zone, it made no sense for a player to be thrown directly into a high-level endgame area.
He quickly pulled up his attribute panel.
[Name: Rovel Suou]
[Level: 1]
[Level Cap: 10] (Requires quest completion to unlock further advancement)
[EXP: 0/100]
[Race: Human]
[HP: 100/100]
[Honkai Energy Infection: 0%]
(Note: Prolonged exposure to Honkai Energy concentrations exceeding personal resistance will accelerate infection. This progress does not reset upon death.)
(Note: Upon reaching 100% infection, the user's race will be converted to Death Soldier.)
[Constitution: 10] (Affects HP, endurance, etc. HP ratio is 10:1)
[Strength: 10] (Affects physical attack power, toughness, etc.)
[Agility: 10] (Affects reaction time, movement speed, flexibility, etc.)
[Intelligence: 10] (Affects skill acquisition speed, mental fortitude, etc.)
[Honkai Energy Resistance: 300] (Can survive in environments with Honkai Energy concentrations below 300 HW)
[Equipment: Empty]
His inventory was completely bare.
And in his quest log, a single, glaringly golden quest was listed at the very top:
[SSS-Rank Hidden Main Quest (Unique): Elysian Realm]
[Quest Objective:???]
[Quest Rewards:???]
Rovel's brow furrowed. His sudden arrival was clearly tied to the quest he had just received, and the only thing he'd done was call out Fairy Elysia's name.
He glanced again at the 'High Danger' warning, then back at his pitifully average attribute panel.
The Realm was notoriously treacherous. It wasn't just filled with monstrously powerful data-constructs; it was also home to several Flame-Chasers who were… less than approachable.
Even Raiden Mei, after becoming the complete Herrscher of Thunder, had nearly died within the Realm on multiple occasions.
Most of that danger, however, stemmed from three specific individuals: Kalpas, Mobius, and Aponia.
As long as his luck wasn't completely abysmal, he should be able to find a way to survive…
"Well, well. Look what I found. A little white mouse that snuck in from the outside?"
A voice, equal parts chilling and playful, echoed through the space.
Rovel's entire body went rigid. A primal coldness seized him, the unmistakable feeling of being targeted by something utterly terrifying.
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