Chapter 0: Prologue

[You have completed the SSS-rank quest: Defeat the Chaos Dragon.]

Lee Han closed the message window that floated before his eyes and wiped the blood running down his forehead with one hand.

‘It’s finally over…’

Catching his breath, he pulled a Soul Stone out of his inventory and used it.

Pa-bat!

A ring of light wrapped around his body, and in the blink of an eye, he was transported somewhere else.

A moment later—

When Lee Han opened his eyes again, a man with snow-white hair was standing in front of him, staring.

“Another summon from you?”

His gaze was condescending, full of arrogance.

He wore an ornate white outfit decorated with gold embroidery, radiating authority.

He was the Mediator of the World.

The Mediator existed to preserve the balance and harmony of the world, offering quests to Awakeners as a means to maintain that purpose.

When Awakeners completed quests, they received rewards and could use a special shop in return.

That’s exactly why Lee Han had sought out the Mediator.

Lee Han answered expressionlessly.

“I completed the quest.”

A glint of surprise appeared in the Mediator’s eyes.

‘…He really completed it. I’ve never seen someone this stubborn.’

The Mediator raised one hand and gestured lightly.

Immediately, message windows appeared before Lee Han’s eyes.

[SSS-rank quest: Defeat the Chaos Dragon – Completed!]

[You have been awarded 180,000,000 Contribution Points.]

[You are the first to save this world.]

[The Conqueror’s Privilege has been unlocked.]

[…]

Blinding messages poured out like a storm, but Lee Han closed them all without hesitation.

‘None of that matters now.’

Because in this moment—

There was only one thing Lee Han wanted.

He opened the shop through the Mediator.

A holographic display of the shop appeared before his eyes.

It was filled with nothing but the rarest of items.

And among them, something immediately caught his attention.

[<Resurrection Scroll> – Rank: SSS – Purchase Requirement: Level 999 or higher – Price: 1,000,000,000 Contribution Points]

This was it.

The Resurrection Scroll.

Lee Han had fought relentlessly for nothing but this one item.

‘With this…!’

He could bring back his dead younger brother.

His brother was the reason he had been able to fight so desperately and endure so much.

Taking a deep breath, Lee Han checked his Contribution Points.

[Current Contribution Points: 930,000,000]

Swallowing hard, Lee Han muttered to himself.

‘Just one more quest… and I can get it.’

The missing 70 million points wasn’t a small amount, but considering his most recent quests, even clearing one of those again would be enough to cover it.

He steadied his heart and calmly opened his mouth again.

“What’s the next quest?”

Silence.

All he received in return was an eerie stillness.

Lee Han frowned.

“…Can you not hear me? I asked what the next quest is.”

But the silence continued.

Lee Han’s gaze sharpened.

“This isn’t the time to play games, Mediator.”

As he pressed for a response, the Mediator finally opened his mouth after a long pause.

And what he said next—

“…Unfortunately, I have no more quests to offer you.”

Was something Lee Han could neither believe nor accept.

“What…? What the hell are you talking about…?”

Lost for words, Lee Han stood in shock.

The Mediator raised his hand and waved it lightly.

A hologram floated above it, displaying a peaceful, restored world.

“This world has been saved.”

“…!”

[…]

“And in a world that has been saved… there can no longer be any quests.”

The Mediator continued speaking to the dumbfounded Lee Han.

“It’s over now, Savior. You will be remembered as a hero.”

Lee Han couldn’t say a word.

But his pupils trembled violently.