I Start with 13 Hidden Traits Chapter-12

Ch-12. **The Golden City, Arcana**

—

Kim Seoyeon’s face, sitting alone in the café, flushed red with irritation.

*‘I can’t tell what he’s thinking.’*

It had been that way from the beginning.

They were sitting face-to-face, yet it felt like his soul was somewhere far away.

Unlike before—when he focused entirely on her—today’s Park Hyunmyung didn’t seem to really listen to anything she said.

*‘I even cut my hair.’*

She had cut her long hair short. She had spent two hours finding clothes that would suit the new look. And yet, he didn’t say a single word about it.

A drastic transformation. There was no way he hadn’t noticed.

— *You don’t seem interested?*

— *Can I get up now?*

On top of that, he had even announced that he was going to leave first.

It wasn’t just a casual remark. He wasn’t pretending to stand either. He really pushed back his chair as if he meant to walk out.

A behavior she would *never* have seen from the old Park Hyunmyung.

Even the way he looked at her contained no emotion whatsoever.

It felt like he was looking at a stranger.

*‘It’s not like we’ve never broken up before.’*

They had dated for five years and broken up more than five times. But every time they broke up, he always came back for her.

This time was different.

Even though she had traveled a long distance just to see him, he was unbearably cold.

Something like this had never happened before.

*‘How can he act like that with me sitting right here?’*

Fine. She could force herself to understand the earlier things somehow.

She *had* said harsh things when they broke up.

What angered her most was that he turned his eyes toward another woman right in front of her.

— *We’re absolutely nothing. Not in any way.*

He had denied it more strongly than anyone, right in front of her.

Absolutely. Completely nothing between them.

And yet he took her number, received her business card. Even made a date appointment—with Seoyeon standing right there watching.

“Park Hyunmyung, that punk…”

If only Kim Hana had been ugly, Seoyeon wouldn’t have cared at all. She would’ve snorted and told them to go enjoy themselves.

But Kim Hana was worshiped on YouTube as *“Hero,”* the Goddess of Righteousness.

Goddess. A righteous beauty, apparently.

It was absurd. A woman of that level—what would she ever be lacking to meet someone like Park Hyunmyung? One cup of coffee and goodbye—obvious.

There was not a single thing outstanding about Park Hyunmyung.

He wasn’t from a wealthy family, didn’t have a respectable job, and he wasn’t handsome or tall.

Not that his body was good, or that he was overflowing with humor.

Outside of work and dates, he was a stay-at-home gaming hermit. Who would date someone like that? Only someone like her would.

*Brrrrrrr—!*

Her phone vibrated.

The name “Jinwoo Oppa” appeared on the screen.

Seeing the name, Kim Seoyeon smiled.

A man who contrasted 180 degrees with Park Hyunmyung. The complete opposite in every aspect.

Not an office worker, but wealthy because he ran a large business. Handsome, tall, great body, funny, active—there was nothing to criticize.

Except for one thing.

“Hello? Jinwoo oppa? What? Asking for forgiveness again? You’re sure you’re not hiding anything from me anymore? You even hid the fact that you could *‘transform,’* so how am I supposed to trust you? You looked like a completely different person—I was so scared. You won’t do it again? Hm, okay. This is the last time. If it happens once more, we’re really over. For real. So come pick me up. The address is…”

—

—

 

“Yo, the supreme being of our broadcasting station, Kim-won. I heard you caused trouble again?”

“…It’s Kim *Hana.* Please stop calling me Kim-won.”

Kim Hana collapsed into her seat with a long, exhausted sigh.

She was completely drained from going in and out of the police station.

Going once should’ve been enough, but they’d called her in again the next morning, saying they had more questions.

Seo Jeong-a, seated beside her, turned her chair and asked,

“Who was it this time?”

“The director of a plastic surgery clinic.”

“He must see plenty of beauties. Why did he pull something like that?”

“Who knows. I don’t.”

“Well, to be fair, our righteous goddess Kim-won is a *natural* beauty.”

“Don’t talk to me. I feel like dying.”

She truly felt like death.

The joy of being hired full-time had lasted only briefly.

Ever since *that incident,* work at the station had increased tenfold.

“The department head left this for you while going on a business trip.”

“What? Ah…”

Receiving the file folder, Kim Hana closed her eyes and sighed deeply.

“Wasn’t this ‘Gracia’ person American? Why give this to me?”

It was a file containing information on the figure known as Gracia.

A super-hero who split mountains and obliterated ten monsters at once the moment he appeared.

The footage was unbelievable—cinematic even. Especially the scene where he gathered thousands, tens of thousands of sword-shaped lights into one beam and fired it.

A monster that guns and bombs couldn’t kill—taken down in a single blow.

So why had such a man come to Korea all of a sudden?

“He said he wants to meet you.”

“Me? Why?”

“Maybe he fell for you at first sight.”

“Don’t joke around.”

“I don’t know. Anyway, it’s causing a huge fuss. Even the U.S. is keeping a close eye on it. They said the protocol will be above state-guest level.”

“…I really don’t want to.”

There was no way someone newly hired like her could handle interviewing such a big name.

Currently the most watched figure in the world.

Even other Dimension Warriors reportedly respected Gracia.

And now the final-boss-level hero suddenly came to Korea saying he wanted to meet her.

“Then what about that guy? Your boyfriend.”

Seo Jeong-a lifted her chin and pointed at a picture on Hana’s desk.

In the picture was a man.

Strictly speaking—his *back.*

A sharply built, muscular warrior. The man who subdued the monster in an instant before disappearing—Hana had photographed him herself.

Pouting, Hana retorted,

“He’s not my boyfriend. He’s just like a talisman.”

Ever since that incident, everything had gone well. That man was like a real lucky charm for her.

She didn’t know his name, where he lived—only the photo remained. But that was enough.

“For a talisman, you sure lick and polish it every day.”

“Hey, I was wiping the dust. How can you phrase it like that?”

Seo Jeong-a snickered.

Kim Hana was the kind of junior who gave satisfying reactions.

“I’m grabbing drinks with the entertainment desk reporters later. Coming?”

“I’ve got plans.”

“Man?”

“Yes.”

“Oh boy. The boys at the entertainment desk are going to drink bitter tonight.”

Seo Jeong-a shook her head, genuinely disappointed.

Still, she was curious. Kim Hana—who had rejected countless offers without a second thought—suddenly had a dinner date with a man?

Regardless, Hana focused on her work again.

If she didn’t want to be crushed under her workload, she had to get as much done as possible while her mind was clear.

—

—

 

“Kill the traitor!”

“Kill the vile Snake Princess!”

When I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was Isabella, drenched in blood.

Corpses lay everywhere—soldiers of Faisalmer.

The battle was still raging.

Turning my head, I saw the warp was active behind us.

She could’ve escaped long ago, yet Isabella had kept her trust with me.

*‘The queen’s royal guard.’*

A pursuit team that even included high-level warriors.

Had we been a little slower, we would’ve died.

“Have you finished your ‘Communion with the Star’?”

“Yes.”

At least, the queen herself was not present.

If she had come personally, Isabella wouldn’t have lasted long.

A stroke of fortune.

But relying on fortune forever was impossible.

“I’ll carve the way.”

Dozens of warriors blocked the path to the warp.

Isabella was completely exhausted.

【Lv. 6】

The royal warriors reached level 6.

If Isabella were in proper condition, defeating them wouldn’t have been difficult, but she had been holding this line for half a day.

Guarding someone and enduring without knowing when it would end.

She had accomplished that.

It would be shameless to ask her to cleave the path as well.

*‘Star Claw.’*

The main skill gained upon becoming the Star’s successor.

A skill I had never used—not until now.

<< All ‘Star Power’ will be burned. >>

<< Duration: 41 seconds >>

Countless starlights filled my fists. Then, as if I were wearing claws forged from starlight, sharp blades sprouted along my knuckles.

For a moment, I felt like Wolverine.

Star Claw was, as its name suggested, a wide-area skill capable of clawing even the stars themselves. I *could* use it as-is, but the duration was too short.

“Kill the vile traitor and the faithless heretic!”

“The will of Her Majesty the Queen!”

The vile traitor was Isabella; the faithless heretic seemed to be me.

I thrust my fist toward the warriors blocking the path to the warp.

At that moment—

KWWWAAAAAANG!!

FWOOOOOOOSH!

A blast so loud it hurt my ears erupted, and a pillar of flame rose up. But the pillar wasn’t fire—it was starlight.

The warriors caught within it had been completely vaporized.

“…”

“Go.”

I told Isabella, who was staring speechlessly at the pillar of starlight.

Once released, it persisted for 41 seconds.

Star Claw burned all Star power at once and created a barrier of annihilation over a wide area during its duration.

An absolute zone.

*‘Far beyond expectations.’*

Honestly, I was surprised.

It was just a level-1 skill, yet its effect was already this tremendous.

If I maxed it out and evolved it, how powerful would it become?

“Follow me. Those blessed by the Star can cross this ‘Pillar of Starlight.’”

I stepped through first. Isabella swallowed hard and followed.

But the other warriors, unable to cross, were reduced to bone dust.

Only after more than ten of them died did the pursuit finally stop.

Now, only the warp remained.

As she looked at the active warp, Isabella’s eyes trembled violently.

“Isabella. If you choose to return even now, I will not stop you.”

The freedom she had long dreamed of.

She had always prayed to cross this warp and head to another continent.

Yet now, at the moment she was about to leave the desert where she had lived all her life, countless emotions clashed within her.

Still—despite it all—

“…No.”

“Then this is the moment of liberation. Rejoice.”

“Yes.”

Isabella chose freedom.

With an awkward smile.

《The ‘Warp’ has been activated.》

《Warping from the ‘Starting Point’ is free.》

《Isabella’s ‘Limit Curse’ has been nullified by the ‘Blessing of the Star.’》

《There are 12 warp-connected cities from the Kaltzman Desert.》

《You have selected ‘Arcana.’》

《Initiating warp.》

—

—

 

《You have left the Kaltzman Desert and warped to the Central Continent.》

《Welcome to Arcana, the Golden City.》

《Tip: Arcana is a city of extreme materialism. Without sufficient gold—on the level of a magnate—it is not recommended to enter.》

Beyond the warp lay crowds of people.

Men wearing golden turbans and riding in carriages made of gold passed through the streets.

The next warp destination connected from the Kaltzman Desert was the metropolis of Arcana.

*‘One of the major cities connected to the Starting Point.’*

Every Starting Point connected to multiple cities.

Arcana was the wealthiest among them.

*‘And a place the queen can never follow us into.’*

The queen’s pursuit team wouldn’t give up. She herself might chase us to kill Isabella and me.

But Arcana was on extremely poor terms with the desert city of Faisalmer.

If the queen and her royal guard entered, war would break out on the spot.

The irony was that the cities were still connected via warp.

“The city… it’s incredibly dazzling.”

Isabella looked around in awe.

The towering buildings and ornate designs overwhelmed her.

It was natural—she had never been to a city outside the desert.

“In Arcana, gold decides everything.”

“If it’s gold, I brought some.”

She took out a leather pouch.

Judging by the weight, around 300 gold.

She had scraped it together in preparation for crossing into the Central Continent.

“With 300 gold, we’ll be out of money after one night of eating and sleeping.”

This was a fortune for a beginner, but in Arcana, one couldn’t even put food in their mouth for that amount.

Isabella stared in disbelief.

“Th-that can’t be. In the desert, 300 gold could buy ten slaves…”

That was because the Kaltzman Desert was a Starting Point.

The desert economy was mostly barter-based. Gold-purchasable slaves were limited to hunting slaves.

“Look over there.”

I pointed to a sign above a bakery.

“A… loaf of bread is 50 gold?”

“It’s made from premium wheat meant for royal tribute. They’re advertising 50 gold as *cheap.*”

“I can sell my dagger.”

A dagger embedded with topaz. It would fetch tens of thousands of gold.

Her willingness to sell her cherished blade was admirable, but I shook my head.

“No need. We’ll multiply the 300 gold.”

“…Multiply? Are you saying we’ll start a business with it?”

“A gambling hall.”

“…Pardon?”

Blink, blink. Isabella fluttered her eyes as if she had misheard.

I repeated myself.

“I’m going to a gambling hall.”

“W–what do you mean…?”

Isabella stared at me in shock.

To increase money through gambling—one would have to be out of their mind!

Above all, a Star-bearer, the very symbol of piety, gambling?

Her eyes said exactly that.

But I had something to rely on.

Namely, **【Golden Grace】**.

One of the thirteen hidden traits!

“I’m rather lucky, so there’s no need to worry.”

“…”

With a look that said she was worried to death, Isabella cast her gaze at me.

—