I Start with 13 Hidden Traits Chapter-130

Ch-130

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Rumbleeeee—!

The White King’s Palace shook violently.

KWA-RRRRRRNG!

The walls of the palace collapsed as a shattering sonic boom, like the rupture of an eardrum, tore through the air, and an earthquake began to shake all of Cramdel.

“What, what is this?”

“An earthquake?”

The monsters of Cramdel were startled out of their wits. Never in their lives had they experienced a quake of this scale.

If it wasn’t a natural disaster, then someone had attacked.

But the problem was that the source of the tremor was **the White King’s Palace itself**.

“No way—is someone attacking the White King’s Palace?”

“Who would dare attack the White King unless they were insane?”

“From where?”

“If it were an external enemy, Lady Medusa would’ve detected it first, wouldn’t she?”

It wasn’t an external attack.

Someone was clearly attacking the palace **from the inside**.

He had no idea how someone had slipped past the Four Pillars’ eyes, but the White King’s Palace being attacked—this was only the second time since the founding of Cramdel.

“······ His Majesty?”

Gunggi’s expression twisted.

He had just left the palace to prepare for war—and something like this happened the moment he did.

And this attack was unmistakably released by the White King.

The “Dragon Vortex,” an upheaval that tore open the earth—the White King’s signature technique.

But why?

Why would the White King suddenly use the Dragon Vortex **inside his own palace**?

At present, only three people remained in the palace:

The White King, Aria, and…

“······ Fifth Pillar!”

Gunggi’s mind snapped into clarity.

Right—Fifth Pillar was there.

For the banquet with Aria.

If someone had provoked the White King to the point he attacked personally, the only possible culprit was fifth pillar.

What had happened in that short span?

Gunggi swiftly retraced his steps.

—

—

Gunggi, Medusa, and Great Earth Dragon.

Every remaining major power in Cramdel immediately rushed toward the White King’s Palace at the sign of disturbance.

KWA-ROOM! KWA-RRRRUNG!

At the half-ruined palace, a **mushroom cloud** was rising.

A phenomenon that appears right after a Dragon Vortex.

Then dust flared upward, and a black tornado formed, crackling like falling lightning.

They couldn’t see inside, but every powerhouse who drew near shared the same thought.

*It’s over.*

······ It had ended.

After the first Dragon Vortex struck, no follow-up reactions or counterattacks came.

Which meant the opponent had been pulverized in a single blow.

No one survived a Dragon Vortex head-on.

Not even another major power.

How could anyone withstand such overwhelming destruction?

No doubt the target was fifth pillar.

“So fifth pillar must have died.”

Tsk-tsk-tsk.
Great Earth Dragon clicked his tongue lightly.

It must have been just like last time—he must have tried to climb over the White King again and brought disaster upon himself.

As if the White King would tolerate him forever.

*He’s crossed a river he cannot return from, that insane crow.*

He had seen it coming from the start.

Even if a crow goes insane, he should’ve done it gracefully.

But that mad crow crossed the line, and the limit was reached.

He had far underestimated the White King.

And once the White King turns his back, he is merciless.

Especially toward enemies—or those he deems traitors. He hunts them until death.

*In the end, he really was less impressive than he seemed.*

Still, he had expected the crazy crow to put up **some** resistance.

After all, his entrance had been nothing short of thunderous.

Completing the Tower of Myth—something even the White King had not done—
sealing Ahram, King of the Dead,
conquering the Abyssal Labyrinth…

His achievements had certainly been striking.

Yet to think—it was all just one hit.

He had been overrated.

They’d been too impressed by the feats he displayed.

But in truth, he was no more than a fragile corpse-crow.

Compared to the White King…

“Gasp! The White King’s Palace—!”

“M-Masters, what happened inside the palace?”

“His Majesty is safe, isn’t he?”

The citizens of Cramdel also gathered in panic.

The palace at the heart of Cramdel had collapsed—they couldn’t simply stand by.

In an instant, thousands of monsters amassed.

But even they received no immediate answer.

Only—

“······ The storm is clearing.”

Gunggi spoke gravely.

Just as he said, the tornado’s force was weakening.

Soon, the black storm slowly began to dissipate.

And when the ones inside the “eye of the storm” appeared—

“······!”

“What is that…!”

“Why is His Majesty stabbing fifth pillar?!”

All the monsters gasped in unison.

Those who recognized fifth pillar were even more horrified.

··· For the White King’s hand was lodged straight through fifth pillar’s chest.

However—something was strange.

······ Far too strange.

“He’s alive…?”

“How is he alive?”

fifth pillar was clearly alive.

With his chest pierced, he should have died instantly.

And this wasn’t any ordinary attack—it was the White King’s.

His attacks cut and pierce anything.
Even the soul.

Yet fifth pillar lived.

Perfectly intact.

Rather—

“Why are neither of them moving?”

“There’s… an eye on His Majesty’s chest…”

“A crow’s eye?”

Right.

The White King stood frozen in place, his hand still impaled through fifth pillar.

And on his chest, half-opened, was a crow’s eye—glaring faintly.

That eye seemed to be preventing the White King from moving.

And when that crow’s eye fully opened…

*Gulp.*

Everyone watched the confrontation with taut nerves.

Then, before long—

“You father and daughter share the same habit—you never let a man finish speaking, kaak.”

······ fifth pillar finally opened his mouth.

—

—

 

Like father, like daughter.

Or perhaps—like father, like **child**.

Attacking me before hearing a word—Aria and the White King were exactly the same.

*《By the skill ‘Darkness Incarnate’ of “He Who Kindles Darkness,” the attack is negated.》*

*《However, caution: In this state, “He Who Kindles Darkness” receives 1,000% additional damage from ‘light’ and ‘holy’ attributes.》*

*《‘Eyes of the Dreadful Omen (Lv 10)’ activates.》*

*《The White King falls into the state ‘Blooming Darkness.’》*

But the White King’s attack did not work on me.

**Darkness Incarnate**—a skill that turns me into darkness itself.

Not true invincibility, but close enough to mimic it.

Duration: 30 seconds.

Of course, it has drawbacks.

Once activated, I cannot dispel it at will.

And in this state, even sunlight is painful.

A direct hit from a light or holy attribute attack would probably end me.

But the White King possessed neither attribute.

And just as he couldn’t attack me, I couldn’t attack him.

‘The Eyes of the Dreadful Omen can be used even in Darkness Incarnate.’

The only skill I could use was this one.

The same skill that temporarily stole ownership of the North Heaven Ice Sword.

“A curious… little trick you’ve played.”

The problem was that the White King was truly a monstrous beast.

The crow’s eye on his chest—the Eye of the Dreadful Omen—
was not fully opening.

To fully steal something, the eye must completely open.
But the White King was resisting it.

He was slowly drawing closer to his “true form.”

*What a monster!*

Which was why—

The ominous eye was beginning to close again.

At this rate, both Darkness Incarnate and the eye’s effect would soon end.

And what would come after needed no explanation.

“Aria is alive, kaak. Or do you want to take this to the bitter end, kaak?”

“Alive…? But you clearly ‘bound’ her…”

“Did I not give you a demonstration earlier, kaak? Of my ‘Authority of Theft,’ kaak.”

“······.”

The White King fell silent.

The eye binding his body—

It was identical to the crow’s eye engraved on the North Heaven Ice Sword.

This must be fifth pillar’s authority.

An absolute authority that steals even bound equipment.

Experiencing it firsthand, he understood.

Which meant fifth pillar had engraved this on purpose—to clarify the misunderstanding.

“Will you persist, kaak?”

As the fierce resistance faded, I slowly released the Eye of the Dreadful Omen.

I was at my limit as well.

Not showing it outwardly was already the best I could manage.

*Even now, restraining him was the best I could do…*

Still, I had come far.

In the past, the Dragon Vortex would’ve reduced me to dust in an instant.

Now, I had even retaliated.

My strength had grown to an absurd degree.

Had the opponent been anyone other than the White King, I could have done far more.

“I will see with my own eyes. …But if I was mistaken, I shall apologize.”

Freed, the White King looked toward the frozen Aria.

Astonishingly, Aria was unharmed.

To maintain such delicacy while unleashing such a technique—even he found it impressive.

But there was no time to admire it.

—W-wait! Stop! What did I do wrong to deserve this?!

As the crow’s eye opened again, the spirit of the North Heaven Ice Sword screamed.

Was he doing this on purpose?

Even though I had taken control, it wasn’t my will that froze Aria.

It was the Sword’s.

*I should break you.*

—D-Don’t! I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I give up! Hiiing!

The moment the eye began to open fully, the blade finally surrendered.

And then—

Sssssss.

The ice melted.

Before Aria’s body could fall, the White King caught her in his arms.

“······ She’s alive.”

“That’s why you should listen until the end, kaak. And she was the one who attacked me first, kaak.”

“Aria… did?”

The White King looked bewildered.

But soon accepted it.

Aria would indeed do such a thing.

He simply didn’t expect her to do it even to fifth pillar—but it wasn’t impossible.

His whiskers trembled in agitation.

Then he turned to me.

“······ I am sorry.”

The White King apologized.

In front of everyone.

But this wasn’t something to be brushed aside with a simple apology.

“Fifth Pillar. What do you want?”

He asked what compensation I desired
—for Aria’s actions and for his own mistake.

 

 

 

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