Three days later. Silvermist City, Crossroads Square.
Adrian stepped out of the archmage's house with his new staff in hand. One quick appraisal later, the item details popped up—and suddenly, the world didn't look quite so sunny anymore.
> \[Staff of Wisdom]
> Rarity: Rare
> Durability: 100/100
> Status: Bound
> Level Requirement: 100
> Description: It's a *Staff of Wisdom*, not a *Staff of Idiocy*. Crafted by Archmage Seville.
> +300 Spell Attack, +666 Physical Attack
> Special Effect: When both you and your enemy are under 5% HP, there's a chance to trigger "Fatal Blow."
> Engraved Skill: Tiny Invincible Fireball
…What kind of "Staff of Wisdom" had more physical attack than magic attack? Was he supposed to bash monsters in the face with it?
And a rare-tier staff engraved with Tiny Invincible Fireball? Really?
Don't even get started on the status and level requirements. In *Celestial Saga*, once a weapon was bound to you, it couldn't be unbound. That meant Adrian was stuck with this thing. And if he hadn't just hit max level a few days ago, he wouldn't have been able to equip it at all.
Time to revoke Archmage Seville's dad privileges, Adrian thought.
Still, the staff was undeniably pretty. About cane-length, made from black walnut wood, sleek and well-balanced. A closer look revealed faint golden runes near the grip. It checked all the boxes for someone with a weakness for aesthetics.
And hey—free is free.
Adrian swapped out his old staff for the new one. Might as well test it out before judging too hard.
It was Saturday, and players were gathering in Silvermist City, eagerly awaiting the start of the King's Game.
Adrian hadn't walked far when he overheard two players chatting behind a flowerbed on the side of the street. Their eyes kept flicking toward an empty spot in front of them—they were looking at their system panels. Players' system panels appeared as virtual screens, visible only to them.
"That support rating is pretty insane," one said.
"Yeah, D.s is the top guild, of course their combat power is sky-high."
"Hasn't the specific task still not been announced? Who knows what kind of game it'll be. If it's a combat-focused one, fine, but if it's more puzzle-based, even K\&K Detective Agency with just five members might beat them."
"But they can still do battlefields. Strategically, they're no slouches either."
"True, true. But honestly, I'm keeping an eye on those 'Black Diamond' guys—the cash power, you know? Nothing beats money in this game…"
Adrian listened in for a bit before swiping open his own system panel and heading over to the discussion section.
The forum was going wild with speculation about the King's Game. New threads, new posts, and endless polls were being posted, with familiar names topping the list of favorites.
His eyes landed on the official winner's list, and at the very top, the winner of the very first King's Game was listed—an ID named
silver.
The legendary bounty hunter, a mysterious and powerful solo player who had emerged victorious amidst the collective onslaught of all the major guilds, his name became famous after defeating even D.s's guild leader. But shortly after that, he disappeared without a trace. No one knew why, but the moment *silver* vanished, the ID was elevated to almost mythical status.
Years passed, and new players came and went. While people didn't often think about him, the name *silver* became a benchmark no one could surpass whenever the King's Game came around.
Just like the two players whispering nearby.
"Did you see that dark horse in the prophecy post? They say they're decked out in god-tier gear. Pretty impressive."
"There's even an analysis post saying they're stronger than *silver*."
"Honestly, with all the skill and level adjustments over time, *silver* was amazing back in the day, but if they faced off against today's high-tier players, they'd probably just get stomped…"
"Shh, keep it down! The Bounty Hunter Alliance might hear you. *silver* is their idol."
"..."
Guild drama always made for the best gossip. But honestly, what did that have to do with Adrian? He closed the discussion and continued on his way.
The setting of Celestial Saga was on the continent of Cicerit, a world of swords and magic, home to dwarves, elves, and other exotic races, with the human kingdom ruled by the Duken Dynasty.
Silvermist City, where Adrian was now, was the royal capital, and the royal family's emblem was the dark-gold rose—historically known as the Bloody Rose.
As Adrian walked through the streets, he could easily spot the red flag fluttering from the clock tower in the distance. The golden-embroidered rose on it was as intricate and grand as the architecture of Silvermist City itself. This was an era of dazzling magic, where runes were embedded in every corner of the city. Even the players' chosen classes leaned heavily toward magic users.
Adrian, for example, was a summoner, a subclass of mage.
At 1 PM, the clock tower struck, signaling the start of the King's Game.
The royal guards, clad in dark-gold armor, marched out of the palace in perfect formation, their disciplined steps sending a chill through the crowd. Even though everyone knew it was just a game, the presence of these elite NPCs—who were known for their incredible combat abilities—left the players momentarily awestruck. These guards were usually the ones who protected the palace and rarely interacted with players on regular quests.
The royal guards brought with them a new announcement. Once they finished posting it, players eagerly gathered to read it. Adrian squeezed into the crowd and cast Identify on the notice.
A system prompt popped up.
> \[The King's Bride]
> Type: Combat, Story, Worldline Quest
> Difficulty: SSSSS
> Content: The King's fiancée, the youngest daughter of Duke Doreen, went missing last night and has yet to return. Adventurers from distant lands, use your wisdom as your spear and your courage as your shield to bring back Duken's new bride.
> Hint 1: This King's Game is single-player. Teaming up is not allowed.
> Hint 2: All resurrection methods are disabled. Remember, your life is limited.
"Holy crap, the highest difficulty worldline quest, no guides, one life to clear—who can even do this?" The crowd murmured in astonishment.
Worldline quests were linked to *Celestial Saga's* main story and could sometimes trigger major updates. Each player could create their own storyline, with countless pitfalls and choices that could lead to different outcomes.
Of course, completing the quest would unlock a conclusion, but the true ending—the real reward—was exponentially better than any other. In the context of the King's Game, that meant the last player standing would win.
Players whispered to each other, but the system had provided very little information. One thing was clear: the Doreen family lived in Grams Castle, outside the city.
That much was common knowledge, given the game's backstory. Duken was filled with powerful noble families, and the White Knight family, to which Duke Doreen belonged, was particularly renowned—having produced more than one queen in the past.
Looking at the announcement, Adrian realized that since the system hadn't allowed players to accept the quest yet, it would only be triggered once they reached a specific location.
Destination: Grams Castle.