I Start with 13 Hidden Traits Chapter-125

Ch-125

—

**“······.”**

I straightened my curled-up posture.

I stretched my back upright, put strength into my lower body, and pushed myself up to stand.

With my palms spread open, I rotated my shoulders and neck, confirming that nothing felt wrong.

“It seems there’s nothing wrong with my body.”

—Kyakya!

Hel laughed.

The large, grim Reaper-like form from earlier was nowhere to be seen; she had shrunk back down and began circling around me like before.

At the very least, my body was normal.

…Even though I definitely died, I came back to life.

‘Randolph (Eternal).’

When Randolph (Eternal) activated, the “Thirteen Hidden Traits” arose from the “Ashes of the Dead.”

Afterwards, by devouring Baal and subjugating the “Fragment of Ruin,” my body was reassembled.

On the outside, I still looked like Randolph.

There were no major visible changes.

‘I am me. I haven’t become someone else.’

And mentally, spiritually, I was intact as well.

But without a doubt—I had become different.

I had grown.

…To the extent that one could even call it evolution.

‘Status window.’

The window that displays my changes in the most intuitive way.

I opened it.

—

**<Status Window>**

**Name:** Randolph

**Class:** Successor of Stars

**Class:** Supreme Dragon Sword Saint

**<Stats>**

Level: 8

Strength: 117 (102+15)

Stamina: 115 (100+15)

Agility: 116 (101+15)

Intelligence: 115 (100+15)

Star Power: 128 (113+15)

**<Additional Stats>**

Natural Regeneration: 315%

Total Penetration: 12.8%

Curse Penetration: 15%

Curse Reflection: 30%

Curse Duration Increase: 30%

**<Special Notes>**

1. Possesses “Successor of Stars – 3 Stars (All Stats +15).”

2. Body has fused with the “Transcended Baal Set,” and related stats have been added. You can now equip new items on those body parts again.

3. Base stats have been calibrated through the effect of “Randolph (Eternal).”

4. Possesses “Baal’s Core (Fragment of Ruin)” inside the heart.

5. Through the skill “King of the Dead,” Strength (+2), Agility (+1), and Star Power (+3) have increased.

—

 

“······Amazing.”

Scanning through each and every window that endlessly popped up, I couldn’t help but marvel.

To think the fused Baal Set would extract only the sweetest, honey-like options.

And now all my base stats exceeded 100.

The hidden trait “Randolph (Eternal)” had applied its adjustments.

Among them, Star Power being about 10 points higher than the others was due to converting the Baal Set’s “+10 Magic Power” option into a base stat.

“No one will believe these are the stats of a Level 8.”

Even I found it unbelievable.

Just the stats alone were nearly equivalent to a 2-Star Transcendent.

Equipment that increases stats is rare, and their values are usually minimal.

They also don’t stack—so relying on “gear-carry” to massively boost stats isn’t easy.

And I hadn’t even equipped anything yet.

“…Since the Baal Set fused, I can now wear new gear again.”

This part was truly insane.

That even after growing this much, there was still room to grow.

The simple act of equipping gear would make me even stronger.

—Kyaaaaa!

Then it happened.

Hel suddenly began acting threatening—like a cat.

Staring off into the distance.

I turned my head as well.

Countless “eyes” protruded from above the black void.

Among those eyes, some looked somehow familiar.

A giant eye resembling the one from the Divine Flesh Hybrid.

I also knew why they were staring at this place.

“Baal’s Core. Or rather, the Fragment of Ruin.”

The Fragment of Ruin lodged in my heart—their gazes were fixed upon it with peculiar intent.

It had been this way from the beginning.

And—

“The Fragment of Ruin is a star.”

What I newly learned was that the *Fragment of Ruin* itself was a “star.”

As the Successor of Stars, I originally possessed two stars.

But suddenly, it had become three.

The class recognized the Fragment of Ruin as a “star.”

“If stars are fragments of the shattered flesh of a god… then the Fragment of Ruin is a piece of the God of Ruin?”

I stroked my chin lightly.

Then let out a faint laugh.

“So, you all want to see it too?”

The reason the Lords of the Abyss stared at the Fragment of Ruin—

Perhaps they were curious as well.

So I decided to show them.

I, too, was curious.

《Glutton activates!》

《“Baal’s Core (Fragment of Ruin)” manifests!》

Shrrrrak!

My body began to transform.

《The ‘Glutton’ trait has completed its evolution into ‘One Who Kindles Darkness.’》

Unlike the corpse-crow form—this was far more complete.

And simultaneously—

Screech. Sreeeetch—

The Lords of the Abyss widened their pupils as they welcomed the “One Who Kindles Darkness.”

—

 

Hero Alliance.

For Park Tae-woo, the past month had been nothing short of shackles—pure torment.

Even guilt had robbed him of proper sleep.

“Kim Hana’s journal. Each day, new content keeps appearing inside it.”

Against the government’s order to withdraw forces even from Udo Island, Park Tae-woo had been stalling with every excuse he could think of.

It was because of the book reporter Kim Hana delivered after their meeting.

New entries appeared inside that book every single day.

Park Tae-woo opened the book—he had already read it more than a thousand times.

Over thirty consecutive days, new entries had appeared.

He now stared at the “journal” written on the final page.

[Day 38]

People are gradually losing their minds.

Some who haven’t had a proper sip of water have started dying of dehydration.

And now some are screaming, asking why we can’t just eat the corpses.

Saying the living take precedence over the dead.

Even the warriors were no different.

Those with power grew dissatisfied under Gracia’s rule, and some began secretly stealing portions of the distributed food.

…Everyone seems moments away from going insane.

The worse it got, the more people relied on the “black egg.”

Believing that salvation would come when that egg cracks.

“······.”

Park Tae-woo focused his eyes and reviewed certain words—

Gracia.
Corpses.
And the black egg.

Too specific—far too specific to dismiss as fiction.

“If what reporter Kim Hana said is true, then someone inside the abyss is writing these journal entries every single day.”

He had been told that the journal written by someone inside the abyss was connected to this book.

And the person writing inside had *no idea* it was being transmitted outside.

…To dismiss it as a mere novel would be impossible—the details were too vivid, too experiential.

But the government had no reason to believe something that read like a fantasy novel.

Instead, they trusted the words of “Master” more.

So Park Tae-woo continued dragging things out stubbornly.

“Master. That bastard opened his mouth and spouted unnecessary nonsense…”

Grit.

He clenched his teeth.

Master, who strutted around calling himself a hero, was a sociopath and opportunist.

Most players already knew this.

The reason he supported the “Jeju Island has been lost” theory was so he could replace Gracia’s position himself.

His intent was obvious.

At this point, the divide between the Hero Alliance and Master was irreversible.

But there was nothing he could do.

“…Because I lack strength.”

It all happened because *he*, because Korea’s Alliance, wasn’t strong enough.

If Park Tae-woo had power, would Master ever have dared to speak of Jeju Island—dared to say “give up”?

If only there were a single proper city in Pangaenia, the Alliance’s power would have multiplied.

Rumble—

Then it happened.

“U-Union Leader! The barrier is collapsing!”

“The black region is disappearing!”

Ah.

Amid the uproar, Park Tae-woo saw it as well.

The black zone was dissipating—revealing Jeju Island once more.

Ziiing.

Ziiiing.

Splash!

…Countless warps appeared in midair.

Some landed inside Jeju Island’s territory, but others fell straight into the ocean.

“Gah! Gah!”

“P-please help!”

Seeing them, Park Tae-woo gave a sharp order:

“Bring every ship close and rescue them! All Alliance members—move immediately without delay!”

Leaving those words behind, Park Tae-woo dove straight into the sea.

—

—

When the abyss vanished and Jeju Island reappeared, the world turned upside down.

And not only did the island reappear—the 600,000 Jeju residents thought to have died over the past 38 days all returned alive.

Master’s claim that “once it sinks into the abyss, no one can return alive” was proven false.

“Look! Jeju Island, which we thought was lost, is visible again!”

“It’s a miracle! More than 600,000 residents of Jeju are alive!”

—

 

 

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