Streaming of the Absolute

Absolute’s Streaming –Episode 16

A holographic window popped up in front of Minseong’s eyes—it was a newly generated linked quest.

[Linked Quest ‘Proof of Qualification’ has been generated.]
[Do you accept the linked quest ‘Proof of Qualification’?]
– You still have an unchecked linked quest.

Minseong immediately checked it out.

[Proof of Qualification]

Prove your qualification to Elcid.
‘?????’
: Upon completion of the ‘Proof of Qualification’ quest, you will be able to claim the reward for the linked quest ‘Karen’s Request.’
Penalty
: Failure to complete the ‘Proof of Qualification’ quest will result in forfeiting the reward for ‘Karen’s Request.’
The meaning was simple.

This newly obtained linked quest, Proof of Qualification—if he completes it, then the previously linked quest, Karen’s Request, will be successfully concluded. That meant he would receive the reward for it.

That much was easy to understand.

But…

“This is a bit unusual.”

It was an odd situation.

Normally, a new linked quest wouldn’t appear before the previous one was completed.

And yet, here it was—one more linked quest, appearing out of nowhere.

“And it’s even putting the previous quest’s reward on the line.”

It was definitely different from before.

Previously, a new linked quest would only appear after completing the previous one.

Minseong stared at the chat window, deep in thought.

— So basically, if he fails, he just loses the reward, but the quest itself keeps going?
— Yeah, but it sounds like Elcid gives some crazy reward if he pulls it off.
— But isn’t this kind of quest usually stupidly hard?
— Exactly. That’s why barely anyone ever succeeds. But if you do? Jackpot.
— Bruh, just send it. No guts, no glory.

“Thought so.”

As expected, this was a different kind of system.

The difficulty went up, but in exchange, he could gain an additional reward on top of the previous one.

“I like it.”

For Minseong, this was perfect.

The harder the game, the better. That’s how he had always played Bless Online.

And now, if the difficulty increased, so did the rewards.

“That’s even better.”

It was like a buy one, get one free deal.

Minseong’s gaze returned to the quest window.

There was still one thing that hadn’t been revealed yet.

But before he could think too hard about it, Elcid spoke again.

“At your current level…”

Her gaze swept from his head to his feet, scanning him up and down.

“That guy should be just right.”

The moment she nodded, the holographic quest window changed. The ????? The section is finally updated.

[Proof of Qualification]

Prove your qualification to Elcid.
Defeat the Kobold Captain and collect the trophy item, the Kobold Captain’s Fang. (The item must be delivered to Elcid within 3 hours after accepting the request.)
Minseong noticed the change the moment it happened.

Elcid continued speaking.

“A Kobold Captain. That should be just about right.”

Now, he understood how the ????? Section worked.

“So the quest changes based on level… Interesting.”

The target monster scaled to match his current level.

If he had met Elcid later, he wouldn’t have been hunting a Kobold Captain—he’d be fighting something else.

The difficulty was adjusted in real-time.

“And the 3-hour time limit is probably because of that.”

His guess was spot-on.

— Wait… What? Did that just say Kobold Captain?
— Hold up, hold up, is this a dynamic quest?!
— Yeah, the monster changes every time based on the player’s level.
— Bruh, Kobold Captain is actually in hell mode…
— Dude, that’s a boss. You’re supposed to raid that thing with a party, wtf?
— How the hell is he gonna solo that?!

Even without looking, Minseong could tell—the Kobold Captain wasn’t just some regular mob.

— Bro, why is a Kobold Captain even in the newbie zone??
— It’s not. That thing’s way above the newbie zone’s difficulty. And it’s a boss on top of that.

Before anyone could panic further, Elcid tossed something to him.

A small, unassuming orb.

He didn’t get a chance to ask what it was.

His body wouldn’t move—probably because the quest explanation wasn’t over yet.

Elcid spoke again.

“Head out through Gate 5 and follow the cliffside to the left. That orb will react when you get close.”

“Once you reach the spot, a hidden area will reveal itself.”

“That’s where the Kobold Captain and its pack live. Of course, the entire area is something we created… Just in case someone like you came looking for a test.”

Elcid’s gaze flickered down.

For a brief moment, she looked at the box in Minseong’s hand.

An emotion flashed through her eyes—nostalgia.

But only for a second.

She quickly suppressed it and looked back at him.

“So? Think you can do it?”

Minseong didn’t even hesitate.

“All right. Let’s do this.”

He grinned and accepted the quest.

[Linked Quest ‘Proof of Qualification’ has been accepted.]

“Three hours. You have exactly three hours to bring back the trophy… and of course, you have to do it alone.”

After that, she acted as if nothing had happened and went back to sorting the storage room.

Minseong didn’t waste time, either.

He turned around and walked out without hesitation.

No need for more conversation.

They could talk again after he proved himself.

Outside, he headed straight for Gate 5, following the chat’s guidance.

Haas Village had ten different exits, each leading to hunting grounds for specific levels.

Gate 5 led to a field where Level 5 monsters roamed.

As he walked, the chat went wild with debate.

— So, does anyone else think he might actually pull this off?
— I mean, maybe? He did kill that mutated Whitefang at Level 3 before even allocating his stats…
— And now he’s got 20 in all stats, so…
— Bro, you guys don’t get it. Level 3 mobs are still part of the tutorial phase. The devs made that part easy so players could enjoy hunting. After that, the difficulty skyrockets. And the Kobold Captain? That’s a boss. A raid-tier boss. There’s no way he solos it.
— Damn… TL;DR next time, Grandpa.
— Man, just go to sleep already, you’re old as hell.
— Lmao, the boomer vibes are strong with this one.

Minseong smirked.

Reading chat was entertaining.

Not having to fill the silence himself was a nice bonus, too.

As he strolled toward the entrance, he casually absorbed all the useful info from the chat.

Whenever something wasn’t clear, he just asked a question.

Naturally, the chat caught on.

— Bro, this guy is straight-up watching chat like it’s a free tutorial.
— LMAO, WE’RE TEACHING HIM THE GAME FOR FREE.

Minseong just shrugged.

“And? What’s the problem?”

By the time he arrived at Gate 5, the guard recognized him instantly.

“Oh! Heading out, Absolute Being?”

After confirming, the guard pulled out a logbook and jotted something down.

“First time heading outside, huh? Be careful—there are a lot of monsters out there.”

Then he smiled.

“You’ll be collecting trophies from monsters. When you return, bring them to the guild hall in the central plaza.”

A system notification popped up.

[Common Quest ‘First Hunt’ has been generated.]

This time, there was no option to decline.

Minseong just chuckled.

“All right, let’s see what this is about.”

Then he stepped through the gate.

[Entering Field Zone: Abundant Forest.]

A lush green forest stretched out before him.

But before he could take in the scenery—

A massive horde of Kobolds came rushing straight at him.

Everyone else screamed and ran.

But Minseong?

He grinned.

“Well, well… Looks like someone just did my job for me.”