Episode 188 Dragon and Wool -1-
Olympus.
Land of the Gods.
In this world, you can see it with your own eyes.
Northern part of Thessaly, Greece.
Just above the 2,919-meter Mitikas peak.
I pushed the Red Cougar joystick forward.
The red cougar descends.
As the clouds beneath our feet approach, the world that stretches out in the distance also approaches.
A world turned upside down like a top.
A world that can be observed from afar, but cannot be approached no matter how hard you run.
A place dotted with golden forests and pure lakes.
Olympus.
“It’s pretty.”
There is only one way to approach Olympus.
Passing through Gaia’s Great Temple at Mitikas Peak.
I went down to the ground with my eyes on Olympus.
As I had investigated in advance, the area in front of Gaia’s Great Temple was bustling like a flea market.
“Don’t push!”
“Let’s keep that order!”
“Goddess Gaia is watching!”
The Great Temple of Gaia at Mitikasbong was as magnificent as a castle wall.
It actually serves as a castle wall and gate.
The world of the gods, which is generally inaccessible.
Olympus was different.
Something that you can enter while still in your physical body by completing tasks and ascending the heavenly path.
If you enter Olympus and pay homage to the gods, your physical body will evaporate and you will become a spiritual being, enjoying immortality.
Kiiing, kuung.
I parked the red cougar in the parking lot.
A magic spirit flew in and scanned the red cougar.
[Free parking for one month. After that, after one month of paid parking, ownership will be transferred to Gaia Grand Shrine. Do you agree?]
“I agree.”
[The flying car owned by Kim Jeon-sa, the Honorary Knight of the Gaia Church, has been confirmed. We hope that you will complete the Immortal Pilgrimage.]
I went and stood in front of the main shrine.
A wall that seems hundreds of meters high, strong enough to stop even a giant, comes into view.
That was actually the case.
It is said that the final battle took place here during the Gigantomachia, the end of the Olympian gods.
Zeus, Hercules and Athena all died at that time.
Only the goddess Gaia, the ancestor of the gods and giants, and a few gods, including Mars, who fled to Rome, survived.
Go up the road.
Although it is a wide pilgrimage route, it is strictly controlled with a single line.
When someone tries to steal, the magic spirit sends out a lightning bolt.
But that doesn’t apply to me.
I went up without waiting in line, but the magical spirits were all gone.
Naturally, complaints poured in.
“what!”
“Why is that guy acting like a swindler!”
“Hey! Hey! Keep order!”
Most of them spoke in English so I could understand.
But what do you want me to do?
I straightened my shoulders proudly.
From up ahead, pilgrims look back at me with grim faces.
That too was fleeting.
I turned my head to check the badge on my chest.
“You’re a knight.”
“shit.”
“Why is the knight walking up?”
“That’s right. If you’re going to Olympus, you should ride Pegasus.”
Considering my contribution, I can get one Pegasus.
But I don’t really like Pegasus.
It’s too slow.
Pretty one, One Tool Pegasus.
I’d rather have a dragon or griffon, it’s much cooler and better.
We arrived at the main shrine while walking briskly.
The knights armed with shields and spears wiggled their eyebrows at me.
I check the knight insignia on my chest and lightly exude divine power.
One is Gwanghwi.
The other one is Seongkwang.
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It was like a light greeting between the knights of the Gaia Church.
Just like the Norse warrior I met at the Indian embassy a while ago, who emanated threatening magical waves.
[Divine Power][Holy Light][Brilliance]
[Sacred][Magic Shield][Area Defense Shield]
I also laughed once and sprayed divine power.
The aegis on my left arm turns milky white, and a sacred light fills my surroundings.
A powerful paladin, even at first glance.
The pilgrims standing in line exclaimed in admiration, and the two knights bowed respectfully.
“Are you the commander of the knights? Please forgive my rudeness.”
“Nice to meet you. My name is Glaucus, and this is Miltiades.”
“I’m Kim Jeonsa from Korea. I have some business to attend to at Olympus. Can I come in?”
“Well, that’s it… … .”
Paladins looking embarrassed under their helmets.
I waved my hand lightly.
“I know the procedure. I’ll wait.”
“Would you like to do that?”
“As expected, you are the guardian of the stigmata. You are truly fair and just.”
“Do you know me?”
“I know. My brother-in-law is working at the Great Labyrinth. He recently cured his stigmata… no, he overcame them and returned. I am truly grateful. My entire family owes us a great debt.”
A knight who salutes and expresses gratitude.
The pilgrims who were listening began to murmur.
“Guardian of the Stigmata?”
“Is it really him?”
“Wasn’t that guy in Germany?”
“That’s right! It’s exactly like the picture! Look at this!”
“It’s true!”
It seems that the aftereffects of teaching the method of overcoming stigmata were greater than expected.
Pilgrims are slowly flocking to me.
All in one line.
Just when I was starting to panic a little, luckily a flash of light like fireworks exploded from inside the temple.
“Ugh! Augeas has been caught!”
A shout half mixed with joy and half with bewilderment.
The pilgrims clicked their tongues.
“Oh my, tsk tsk tsk.”
“Still, Augeas is a nobleman.”
“If you tell yourself to die for a few months, you can finish it. If you’re lucky, a lot of people will show up.”
“At least I don’t have to worry about dying.”
“I guess I’ll have to roll around in a field of shit. Puhahaha!”
Inside the temple.
The side door at the end of the rope swung open with a bang.
A bald man walks out, holding a scroll of parchment carefully in his arms.
The grass was completely dead.
The pilgrims shouted in support.
“Cheer up!”
“Clean it diligently as if it were dead!”
“Anyway, I can definitely go to Olympus!”
“It must be the goddess Gaia who takes care of it.”
“Hey, you’re not thinking about selling that?”
“Huh. Is there anything that deserves punishment from the goddess?”
To ascend to Olympus, one must pass tribulations.
The bald man chose to clean the Augean cattle pens.
After the Gigantomachia, the Augean stables were transformed into mythical structures.
Raising livestock on their own without separate management and supplying meat to Olympus.
Instead, you have to clean it.
Periodically, the sewage that piles up to the point where it fills up in just one day.
‘You shouldn’t get caught up in something like that.’
It might be great for normal people, but it’s a problem for me.
No matter how good the cleaning properties are, it has to be held for several months.
I must exchange it even if it means being punished by the goddess.
He rolled his head and approached the side door.
The priest guarding the side door smiles and opens the door wide.
“Please come in first, Guardian of the Stigmata.”
“thank you.”
“Ugh… … .”
“Ah… … .”
What can I do if the pilgrims whine like puppies who need to poop?
The regulations are like that.
I went through the side door and went inside.
The interior was a simple stone chamber.
The center where sunlight pours down through the open ceiling.
The well was full of blue water that reached up to chest height.
“Please put your hand into the well. Take out the parchment that you can hold at your fingertips. That is your task, Paladin.”
The blindfolded priestess spoke.
Originally priestesses who guarded the Temple of Apollo at Delphi.
It is said that it was moved here after Apollo died during the Gigantomachia.
It is said that the blindfolded Apollo mourns his death, but his power of prophecy remains intact.
I put my hand in the well as I was told.
A lump of magical power prickles the tip of my finger.
Then, a soft piece of parchment is caught.
I took it out in one breath.
The entire well glowed, spitting out golden fireworks.
Phew! Phew phwap!
The most gorgeous colors.
But the blindfolded priestess grimaced faintly.
“Why of all people… … .”
I know what it is.
Instead of opening my mouth, I unfolded the parchment.
The embossed sacred characters stood out and shot into my brain.
[Task: Dragon and Wool]
You.
You who ascend to the sky.
Go to the Georgian Valley in the Kingdom of Georgia.
There is a golden dragon above the gold mine.
Bring me the golden fleece guarded by the golden dragon.
The golden fleece of immortality and resurrection,
I will lead you to the land of the gods.
The most difficult task in the game.
The priestess whispered.
“You don’t have to bring all the golden fleece. Just a few strands of wool will do. The golden dragon is not a dragon that never sleeps, so the blood of Pan… … .”
“Ahem! Ahem!”
The priest who was observing coughed loudly.
The priestess’s whispering face quickly changed to a businesslike one.
“I wish you the best of luck. If you must go to Olympus, you may exchange parchments with other pilgrims. If you are the Guardian of the Stigmata, the Goddess will not punish you too severely considering your contribution.”
“Thank you for the advice.”
“No. If it weren’t for the Guardian of the Stigmata, my nephew would still be suffering from the stigmata.”
So that’s why you gave advice.
To use the flute of the board.
In Greek mythology, the flute of Pan was a treasure used by the hundred-eyed giant Argos.
If you use this, even the golden dragon will fall asleep.
Because he’s not the sleepless dragon from mythology.
The standard strategy is to sneakily steal the Golden Fleece in the meantime.
You will become qualified to ascend to Olympus.
But I don’t plan on using this method.
Why?
When success is divided into three categories: great success, success, and chin-up, stealing wool is only a chin-up success.
The reward is zero.
The Olympus entrance is everything.
Since we came this far, shouldn’t we get something out of it?
The Dragon and Wool task is said to be the most difficult of the twelve tasks, but has enormous hidden rewards.
Kuk.
I clenched my fist once.
The rough texture unique to Iron Fist stimulated my entire hand.
‘It’s time for a change.’
Of all my equipment, this is the only one that is SR grade.
If you collect all of the Geumoh set and Dasanchong set, you can get SSR level, but Iron Fist is definitely SR level.
The dragon and wool quest was a godsend.
Golden Fleece.
SSR-grade gloves with immortality and resurrection traits.
The magical weapon obtained by successfully completing a task was my first goal.
“Thank goodness. Oh my, if it weren’t for that paladin, I would have… … Ahem!”
As we come out through the side door, the pilgrim at the very front quickly shuts his mouth.
From a pilgrim’s perspective, yes.
If it weren’t for me, you would have been given the dragon and wool task.
Actually, I am more grateful.
If you had hurried even a little bit and gotten in before me, I would have had other tasks.
Whew!
He took flight on a red cougar.
The destination is the Georgia Valley.
In ancient times, it was an epic journey that had to cross the Aegean Sea, the Marmara Sea, the Bosphorus Strait, the Black Sea, the coastal lowlands, and the mountains.
It didn’t even take me an hour.
A wide valley between lofty mountains.
There stood a picturesque village.
Brick houses with blue, yellow and red roofs.
A chimney sticking out from every house.
White smoke rises leisurely from the chimney.
From the temple in the center of the village, a soft divine light spreads in all directions.
Kuoooooo!
It would have been better if it weren’t for the dragon’s intermittent roar.
But the townspeople seem to like that.
“You’re feeling great today too!”
“good morning!”
“Everyone, eat a hearty breakfast!”
A town that was once famous for gold mining and gold panning.
After the Golden Dragon took hold, mining completely declined.
Instead, a tourist resource was created.
Pilgrims who come to perform tasks.
Tourists come to see the dragon from a distance.
Thanks to them, the villagers are full today too.
Swoosh.
I parked my red cougar in the public parking lot.
Register your car and head straight to the gold mine.
It can’t even be called a mine.
The mountain right behind the village.
Because, on top of a large cave, a golden dragon was sleeping in a nest made of gold ore.
“Kururung… … Kururung… … .”
Even though the village is right in front of you, the golden dragon does not attack.
The first reason is the protection of the Temple of Gaia.
But the more important reason is that the golden dragon is full 365 days a year.
The boat is full.
The nest is not warm.
The golden fleece, the treasure of treasures, provides the comfort of being inside an egg.
Why do you hunt so hard?
At that time, it would be better to sleep or take a breather.
“Should I try transparency?”
“Are you crazy? Invisibility is not even a possibility.”
“They say that the spirit being has the ability to break through walls and floors… … .”
“If you get within 1 kilometer, everything will be detected, so how can you penetrate 1 kilometer? Even spiritualization is impossible.”
“What about using the flute of the board?”
“Is there a way to get it? The flute of Pan was buried when the god Hermes died.”
“Damn it. What are we going to do if this doesn’t work and that doesn’t work?”
“That’s why it’s a golden task.”
There was a forward base away from the Golden Dragon’s Nest.
Exactly 1,500 meters away.
Pilgrims gather here because the golden dragon reacts when they enter within 1 kilometer.
I went in there too.
No, it was too much.
Without speaking to other pilgrims.
As if there was no need for any preparation.
“Huh huh?”
“Hey, are you crazy?”
“You can’t go there!”
“If you’re going to die, die alone!”
“If you’re going to challenge yourself, say something and do it!”
The pilgrims fled in a hurry.
The moment the golden dragon awakens.
Because the dragon’s flames are pouring into the forward base.
Nowhere around the Golden Dragon is safe, not even within the village.
“Crrrrrrr?”
Approaching at a distance of 1,200 meters.
The golden dragon reacted.
The body is stiff and the tail twitches.
Anyone can see that he is about to wake up.
Ding ding ding ding!
The emergency bell rang at the Temple of Gaia.
A rapidly deploying divine shield.
People running into the village screaming.
I didn’t care.
I took a few more steps.
We quickly passed the 200-meter mark and crossed the 1-kilometer line.
Then the golden dragon opened his eyes.
He quickly gets up and glares at me.
Fiercely burning golden eyes.
Standing tall, pupils gleaming with anger.
“Kuaaaah!”
I burst into tears.
A type of sound wave, a dragon’s roar, poured down toward me.
A sound that makes your eardrums rip.
But I just laughed it off.
Because to me now, the dragon’s cry is not an incomprehensible loud noise or something scary, but rather a simple sound.
[Get out, you little bastard!]
It was a very brave warning, though.
It’s important to be able to communicate.
So instead of running or fleeing, I presented myself with a third option.
“[Hello. Nice to meet you.]”
There is no need to even cry.
I spoke to the golden dragon with only the dragon speech trait equipped.
The golden dragon opens its eyes.
As if in disbelief.
The golden dragon stares at me with its wide, round eyes.
Only after a long time did he finally blurt out the question.
“[Did you say something?]”
Conversation through verbs.
It was the first condition for the task to be a great success.
