Legacy of the Lost: forbidden heir

> [Welcome to Floor 1 – Safe Zone]

Jin-Seok staggered a step forward, blinking away the teleport haze.

The ground beneath him solidified into smooth stone, cool and polished. For a split second, everything was quiet.

Then—

"—There he is!"

A wave of noise crashed into him.

Dozens of guild recruiters, scouts, and freelance climbers surged forward like sharks tasting blood in the water.

"Join our guild! We saw your score in the Trial!"

"We offer a 70-30 cut and free gear!"

"You're Jin-Seok, right? THE Jin-Seok?!"

Jin-Seok raised an eyebrow.

And vanished.

A flicker of [Speed] and a twist of instinct sent him vaulting over the crowd, boots tapping once against a rooftop before he disappeared into the alley maze below.

> "No thanks," he muttered. "I hate paperwork."

---

{Scene Shift – Safe Zone Exploration}

> He strolled through the backstreets, finally alone.

The din of recruiters faded behind him as he emerged into the heart of the Safe Zone.

The portal shimmered faintly in the distance, its glow slowly dimming as more climbers arrived.

Tower Floor 1's Safe Zone wasn't just a rest stop—it was a living city. Stone walls framed its perimeter, iron watchtowers rising like sentinels. The air buzzed with life and steel.

Newcomers stumbled in with wonder in their eyes. Veterans moved with precision and purpose, their armor scratched, their stares cold.

Guild banners flapped from balconies and tavern roofs, each bearing a different sigil.

Merchants shouted deals at passing climbers.

Potion stalls hissed with bubbling brews. Enchanted scrolls fluttered like restless pigeons, restrained by glowing seals. Swords glinted. Coins clinked.

Jin-Seok took it all in with quiet amusement.

"Now this… feels like the start of something real."

His voice was swallowed by the sudden bustle of life.

A massive open plaza stretched before him, ringed by towering structures made of marble and glowing obsidian. Stalls buzzed with activity, selling gleaming weapons, shimmering potions, glowing scrolls, and even exotic beast meat. Guild banners flapped in the artificial wind—golden lions, twin snakes, flaming fists—each representing a rising force in the Tower's brutal hierarchy.

Climbers of all kinds filled the zone: armored warriors laughing in taverns, robed mages deep in whispered debate, and rogue-like figures scanning notice boards.

Overhead, a giant translucent panel hovered in the sky like a HUD screen, displaying things like:

> "Guild Recruitment: The Valiant Hawks – Floor 12 and above only!"

"Auction House Now Open: Bid for a [D-Rank Flame Dagger]!"

"Warning: Monster Surge Near Eastern Gate—Proceed with Caution!"

It wasn't chaos. It was organized madness.

Jin-Seok exhaled.

"So this is what the real Tower looks like, huh?"

His coat flapped gently behind him, black and sharp like a hero arriving at the climax.

few recruiters even tried to approach him.

"Hey, you! You look like you've got talent—wanna join—"

Jin-Seok just walked past with a deadpan look, muttering,

"I have commitment issues."

He passed a smithy hammering out low-tier gear with sparks flying, a bar brawling with half-sober archers, a pet vendor holding a squealing chicken-lizard hybrid—and even a robed man shouting about the end of the Tower coming soon.

"This place has everything."

He chuckled.

That's when the Tower System message rang in his head.

> [Tower System Notice]

To proceed to Floor 2, clear the following objective:

Eliminate 10 Goblins or Hobgoblins outside the Safe Zone.

Optional: Party recommended.

Optional: Additional objectives may be discovered.

Tip: Goblins often form small camps.

Jin-Seok tilted his head, unimpressed.

"...Goblins?"

He blinked.

"Seriously?"

He started walking toward the eastern gate.

"I fought a thirty-foot minotaur with a broken horn and emotional trauma... not to mention a Hydra with a superiority complex—and now I'm being asked to slap green toddlers?"

He snorted.

"This feels like community service."

{Outside the Gate – Guards and Sage's Eye}

Two stern men guarded the massive eastern gate—broad-shouldered, in black leather armor etched with silver runes. Unlike climbers, they had no Tower System screens floating beside them. No levels. No names.

Tower Natives.

They stood like statues, impassive—but Jin-Seok, curious,

"Let's test this thing out…"

> [Activating: Sage's Eye]

> [Sage's Eye Activated]

And then—

[Entity: Gate Guardian – Aurok]

Race: Half-Titan

STR: 100 | SPD: 100 | STA: 100

Mood: Mildly Annoyed

Notes: Assigned to Floor 1 Border Patrol. Currently dislikes noise and weak climbers.

[Entity: Gate Guardian – Merkan]

Race: Human Variant (Undying Vow)

STR: 100 | SPD: 100 | STA: 100

Hidden Trait: "Cursed Oathbearer – Will never fall before mission ends."

Jin-Seok raised a brow.

"...Okay. I'm never picking a fight with these guys."

{The Goblin Hunt Begins}

Past the gate, the forest stretched like a wild green curtain—trees crooked like claws, the ground littered with bones, moss, and half-eaten fruit.

Jin-Seok stepped into the shadows of the woods... and bent down.

He grabbed a plain stick off the ground. A branch, dry and thin.

"Let's make this interesting."

He twirled it like a sword.

"I'll close my eyes for this one."

Then he let his Sage's Eye do the rest.

Goblins were hiding behind brush, under logs, even digging holes with their bare claws. Through the Eye, their weak stats floated around like party decorations.

[Lv. 3 Goblin Scout – STR 8 | SPD 10]

[Lv. 4 Hobgoblin – STR 14 | SPD 12]

"It's like watching kids play hide and seek."

Jin-Seok casually walked forward and—

WHACK.

One goblin crumpled like a paper bag.

Another tried to flee—he tripped it with his stick.

A third ran into a tree.

"Child's play."

He muttered.

"This is therapy."

Minutes later, ten goblins lay unconscious or twitching, and Jin-Seok hadn't even broken a sweat.

---

{Hidden Quest Discovery — Sage's Eye Bonus}

Just as he turned to leave, Sage's Eye flared again.

> [Unusual Object Detected]

Scanning…

[Item: Obsidian Ring – Enchanted]

Belongs to: [Tower Native – Elrik]

Status: Lost Item – Hidden Quest Triggered

Objective: Return to rightful owner for reward

The ring was hidden inside the goblins' filthy stash of bones and trinkets.

Jin-Seok picked it up and sighed.

"You little gremlins were using a magic ring as a chew toy…"

He shook his head.

"You guys need hobbies."

Tucking the ring into his coat, he turned and strolled back toward the Safe Zone.

The stick?

Still in hand.

"Maybe I should enchant this and name it 'Goblin Slayer.'"

He smirked.

His coat billowed behind him in the wind, the breeze catching at just the right time—as if the Tower itself wanted to give him a cool exit.

---

{The Hidden Task Triggered}

Jin-Seok twirled the obsidian ring between his fingers as he reentered the Safe Zone.

"Tower native, huh? Time to return lost property. Better than goblin guts."

He glanced at the ring again—simple, worn, but engraved faintly with initials and an unfamiliar symbol.

"Shouldn't be too hard to find a grieving NPC with sad music playing behind him…"

---

{Asking Around}

He started with a potion vendor.

"Hey, ever seen someone who lost a ring like this?"

The woman squinted.

"Unless it explodes or glows, I don't track jewelry, sweetheart."

Strike one.

Next, a blacksmith.

The man barked a laugh.

"If it's from a tower native, they'll be sulking near the slums. Try east quarter. Old shop ruins, mostly."

"Helpful and grumpy. Classic combo," Jin-Seok muttered.

---

{Discovery}

He followed the crumbled stone paths toward a quieter edge of the Safe Zone. The crowds thinned. Shops looked older, some abandoned.

There—outside a broken potion stall, an old man swept ash and debris with slow, heavy strokes. His robe was patched. His posture bent.

What caught Jin-Seok's eye wasn't the broom—but the man's expression.

Eyes flicking up each time someone passed. Hope flickering. Then dimming again.

Jin-Seok's fingers tightened around the ring.

He stepped forward.

"This yours?"

He held up the ring casually.

The old man's broom fell from his grasp.

Trembling hands reached out, clasping the ring as if it might vanish.

"You found it…"

His voice cracked.

"Thank you… thank you… I thought I lost this forever…"

A pause.

"It was my son's. The last thing I had of him."

Suddenly, the ring pulsed—soft, golden light blooming in the space between their palms.

> [Hidden Objective Completed: Return the Forgotten Ring]

Reward: +1 Favorability with Safe Zone Tower natives 

Jin-Seok blinked as the notification popped up.

"Wait. I get coins and good karma?"

He smirked.

"I'm a damn humanitarian."

Jin-Seok watched quietly.

"…You okay, old man?"

The man blinked, then laughed softly.

"You've got a strange way of asking. But yes… better now."

He wiped at his eyes, then looked up.

"You came all this way just to return something worthless to most."

He turned toward the door of his small home, gesturing.

"Come. Sit for a while. I haven't had a guest in ages."

Let me at least offer you a cup of tea."

---

{A Quiet Kindness}

The old man looked up, smiling through misted eyes.

"Name's Elrik. I used to be an alchemist. Retired now. Just… sweep the dust and remember things."

Jin-Seok scratched his cheek, suddenly a little awkward.

"…Nice to meet you."

Jin-Seok glanced around

The interior was small. Cozy. Worn by time but cared for.

Clay cups sat on a low table. A chipped kettle bubbled faintly in the corner, filled with something herbal and strong. The scent was unfamiliar, but calming.

Jin-Seok sat.

His eyes scanned lazily—not prying, just observing. Faded scrolls. A dusty shelf of dried herbs. Nothing fancy. Nothing loud.

Just… quiet.

Like someone who had seen much and asked for little in return.

Then something caught his eye outside the window—a jagged black shard embedded into the stone wall, half-covered in ivy.

"…What's that?"

Elrik followed his gaze.

"That? Just something my son found. Never knew what it was. He stuck it there for luck."

Jin-Seok felt a strange pulse from it.

His instincts prickled. Then—Sage's Eye flickered.

> [Unidentified Relic Fragment Detected]

Name: ???

Grade: ???

Status: Inert (1 of 5 shards)

Description: ???

"…You can take it, if you want," Elrik said suddenly, eyes soft. "You've got the kind of eyes that see real things."

Jin-Seok turned.

"You sure?"

Elrik nodded. "Something tells me… it's meant for you."

With a quiet pull, Jin-Seok dislodged the shard. It came free with a low hum, like a forgotten heartbeat stirring.

He tucked it away.

"Two mysteries in one day," he muttered. "Guess the Tower's in a generous mood."

{Warmth in a Cold World}

Elrik poured him a cup of herbal tea and sat across from him, firelight dancing in his eyes.

"You returned something precious. That means something… even here."

Jin-Seok sipped quietly. Then nodded.

Elrik didn't reply. Just smiled.

"A father never gives up. But thank you."

Outside, the Tower loomed eternal. But inside that old alchemist's shop—there was warmth, and memory, and a strange relic pulsing faintly in Jin-Seok's pocket.

And when Jin-Seok left, coat brushing the doorframe, the old man watched him with quiet eyes.

_______________________________________________

{An Original Series by Celestial Raven}