"Which Guardian will you set as your contracted Guardian?"
I already decided on the answer to Senia's question. It was a decision I had made a very long time ago, ever since I decided I wanted to live like a real person and resolved myself to living more successfully. From that moment on, I made preparations for this choice.
I remembered very clearly. When I was sitting in the conditional safe zone that was the bus, I heard Guardian notices for the first time.
[The 'Nameless Observer' is carefully watching your actions.]
[The 'Nameless Observer' has begun to take an interest in you.]
That time was still vivid in my mind. The 1st wave of Goblin attacks began with the Primordial Fog, and all of the other people on the bus died.
That was when the 'Nameless Observer' granted me a bonus.
[The 'Nameless Observer' wishes to bestow upon you an 'Open Beta Bonus'.]
['Calm Observer's Eye' has taken effect.]
You could say that was the moment my Playing began. The Calm Observer's Eye I got back then fused with Sixth Sense to become the Eye of Perception I had now.
'But…'
The important thing was this.
'Back then, Senia wasn't in the bus.'
Not just Senia, but no other Intermediate Administrators had existed in the world at the time. I could say that for sure because after I was bestowed an Open Beta Bonus from the Nameless Observer, I received a notice like this:
[The 'Nameless Observer' looks at you with interest.]
And only then did I receive the following notices:
[The Tutorial Quest is beginning.]
[ The 'Intermediate Administrator' is appearing.]
The Intermediate Administrators began to show up only then.
'In other words, the Nameless Observer was watching the situation even before the Streamers were streaming.'
No Guardian, no matter who, could observe Players without a Streamer. That was a widely accepted theory. According to what I knew, that was how it was. But the 'Nameless Observer' was an existence that completely flipped that theory on its head.
Senia asked again.
"Player Kim Hyukjin. Which Guardian will you set as your contracted Guardian?"
"…"
So why did the Nameless Guardian not send me a message? Were they really pushed out by the other Guardians?
[True Master of the Heavenly Demonic Mountain]
[Herdsman of Las Vegas]
[Lady of the Scales]
[Whispering Devil]
[Merchant of Venice]
I opened the notes, which only I could see.
'The True Master of the Heavenly Demonic Mountain.'
The note held things I already knew the gist of. He started by praising himself as the strongest heavenly demon in the world and the true master of the Heavenly Demonic Mountain, and that he would turn me into the most outstanding martial artist alive, or something of that nature.
'They're all amazing Guardians, it's true.'
Even though I didn't know the Whispering Devil that well.
'But…'
I still couldn't understand.
'Why did the Nameless Observer not send one?'
I remembered another clue.
[Distributing rewards for clearing the quest 'Turtle Nest'.]
[7,000 Coins acquired.]
I was sure of it. I knew that quest wasn't issued by an Intermediate Administrator.
'The quest was cleverly disguised to look like a quest issued by an Intermediate Administrator.'
But that, too, was ridiculous. Because to describe it in our terms, Guardians were 'attention whores'. When they sponsored Players and Streamers, they received a great deal of attention. The more skilled Streamers actually gently coaxed Guardians into giving them a ton of sponsorships.
'If there's really any Guardian who isn't like that…'
I judged it was the Nameless Guardian. After all, the adjective in their name was 'nameless'. From every angle, it looked like 'anonymity' was this Nameless Guardian's fundamental attribute.
While I was thinking, I also checked the note I got from the 'Whispering Devil' again.
[Note from the Whispering Devil]
I will be straightforward. I will make you into the Demon King. If you choose me as your contracted Guardian, you can become the Demon King. Think long and hard.
The note made me sure of it.
'This guy's a total scammer.'
He wasn't called the 'Whispering Devil' for nothing. Demon King? His whole argument fell apart at Demon King. If this guy was really the Demon King's Guardian, I would probably be somewhere in the level 40s by now. Nothing was known about the Demon King's Guardian, but the Demon King had to be out there somewhere.
'You can't believe everything a Guardian says.'
You couldn't believe things that weren't explicitly stated. Unless they stated things clearly, like saying they would grant some skill or title, such vague words were merely empty promises. To put it simply, a scam.
With the notes floating in front of me in the air, I read through them again and again.
'I do have to choose someone…'
I needed a contracted Guardian to grow far more efficiently. The more they had to give, the more of a pushover Guardian they were, the better it was for me. In exchange for the fun I would give them, they would sponsor me.
'But what is it?'
I had the niggling feeling that something other was between the notes.
'How should I put it?'
It was a strange feeling, like there was something I shouldn't miss between the notes. It was like there was an unwritten message among them, but it was something that couldn't be seen with the eyes.
'I should put more focus on Eye of Perception.'
I looked through the notes not with my physical eyes, but with Eye of Perception. I just had a feeling that was what I should do.
Senia asked once again, "Player Kim Hyukjin. Have you made a decision?"
"No."
I shook my head.
"Each and every one of them are such great Guardians that I really don't know how an ant like me would dare make a decision."
Sure enough, the notices came in with lightning speed.
[The 'True Master of the Heavenly Demonic Mountain' is pleased.]
[The 'Lady of the Scales' is feigning modesty.]
[The 'Herdsman of Las Vegas' is earnestly waiting.]
[The 'Merchant of Venice' nods at your composure.]
[The 'Whispering Devil' detests you.]
Countless Guardians were watching right now. But it wasn't right for me to make my choice here and now. I didn't know why; I just felt it.
'Eye of Perception.'
This niggling feeling of something else, this feeling like I was missing something…
'Show me something… whatever it is.
I captured a sort of hazy shimmer between the notes.
'There's something… there.'
I was sure of it.
'There.'
I focused. I focused with everything I had. And then, a notice came in.
[Eye of Perception's proficiency has increased.]
[Eye of Perception's proficiency: 2]
The proficiency that hadn't gone up the whole time finally increased, and with it, I was able to see something new.
[Note from the 'Nameless Observer'.]
With the increase in proficiency, Eye of Perception picked up yet another note.
'There it is…!'
My heart began to thump.
'The max is originally five Guardians.'
For ten years following the beginning of Playing, countless people rose to the position of Rankers and became famous across the world. But not a single one of those Rankers was 'chosen by six Guardians'. I didn't know how it was for the Demon King, but officially, five was the max.
'But… I got six.'
Moreover, one of them was a hidden note, a special note I wouldn't have seen if Eye of Perception's proficiency hadn't gone up.
'It's all good now.'
My answer was decided from the very beginning.
"I…"
My choice was the 'Nameless Guardian'.
Each of the Guardians who weren't selected sent messages, saying they were disappointed, or detested me, or that they honored my choice. But I didn't really pay much attention to the messages. They were thirsty for good quality content, so as long as I Played properly, they would never be able to discard me. If they liked my Playing, then that was that—their fundamental characters would never allow them to hate me.
'The truly important thing is…'
That I made my contract.
[A contract with the 'Nameless Observer' has been completed.]
[The 'Nameless Observer' has been set as Player Kim Hyukjin's contracted Guardian.]
[A new class will be set in accordance with the contract with the 'Nameless Observer'.]
I'd been waiting for this. I wondered what class the 'Nameless Observer' would give me.
[You have been given the class 'Onlooker'. Accept the class?]
It didn't look like a very good class.
[Onlooker]
A class that is characterized by observing all things. No matter what happens, the Onlooker sees watching in the background without stepping forward as a virtue and simply stays one step removed from all things.
Detailed explanation
The description was nothing special. From the description alone, there was no trashier class than this. I didn't even activate the detailed explanation, because I never intended on accepting this class.
'I believe in you, Nameless Observer.'
I had taken a gamble of sorts with this choice, a gamble I judged had a very high chance of success.
'Even if I had chosen someone other than you, I would have been able to live a perfectly satisfactory life.'
There was no doubt about that. By my former standards, I'd already succeeded plenty. I even had a mana crystal that would fetch $10 million in three years.
'However…'
It was because I couldn't be satisfied with that, because I wanted to go even higher, that I took this gamble. That was why I went all in. Everything I did was for this moment.
[Use the High Advancement Assist Scroll?]
This was an item that only one lucky person could purchase. The items in the Hidden Item Shop were limited to one in stock. I was only able to purchase this by killing Gold Turtles and satisfying the Hidden Piece linked to them to get a ton of Coins.
'It was all for this moment.'
Opening the shop had cost 50k Coins, and purchasing had required 40k. When using this ridiculously pricey item, you had to do it boldly.
[Using a High Advancement Assist Scroll.]
It wasn't a low scroll, or a medium scroll, but a high one. I didn't know how much it could increase the grade of my class. It was random.
[The class 'Onlooker' has been upgraded to the higher grade class, 'Observer'.]
'Please, get upgraded just one more time.'
I put my hands together and prayed. Normally, 'High Advancement Assist Scrolls' would make your class jump in grade twice or thrice.
'Please…!'
But I didn't hear any additional notices.
'Once?'
It was over with this?
'Even though it's a High Advancement Assist Scroll?'
I'd been blessed by RNG all this time, but this time, it failed me.
'Ah… is this the end?'
Even the name didn't look all that impressive.
'Observer. Observer, you say…'
I'd never heard of a class like this. I prided myself on knowing about quite a lot of hidden classes, but it was a completely new class to me.
'It at least has the Guardian's name in it, but…'
It was based on the Guardian's name, but the name alone didn't give it much merit.
[You have been given the class 'Observer'. Accept the class?]
The milk had already been spilled. Refusing the class granted by the Guardian at this point wasn't a good choice. It could spoil the mood of the contract bearer, aka the Nameless Guardian, from the very first day of our contract. The dice were tossed and I was the one who had planned this, anyway. I couldn't do something foolish here and destroy it.
'It can't be helped.'
Though it was a shame, I had no choice but to accept.
[You have advanced to the 'Observer' class.]
[The Player's information is being updated.]
[The update will take a slight amount of time.]
I opened up the explanation about 'Observer' right away.
[Observer]
A class that is entitled to observe the world in its entirety. Observe all things in-depth. You will see a new path.
Detailed explanation
The description was at least a bit better than 'Onlooker', because at least there was a hopeful message of 'you will see a new path' at the end.
'I'll need a little more time to fully adapt after the update is finished.'
I opened up the detailed explanation. When I saw what was written, my mouth dropped.
'This is… the Observer class?'
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