I Start with 13 Hidden Traits Chapter-189

Ch-189. # Dragon God VS Dragon God

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‘Again! Again it was stolen from me!’

Damn it!

Darkstar’s breath came ragged as he contorted his face in fury.

…This was truly a wretched turn of events.

The sudden appearance of the Guardian of the Black Egg and Union.

He, who should have been the protagonist, had his rightful position snatched away—everyone’s attention was seized by those two.

‘Why did those two show up together?’

But an even greater question gnawed at him.

According to the intel secured by the Hero Council, those two **could never** be together under any circumstance.

In particular, the *Guardian of the Black Egg* was said to have played the decisive role in returning the people trapped on Jeju Island back to Korea.

‘In the Abyss, Baal completed himself as the Abyss incarnate, then devoured the suddenly appearing ominous omen, only to abruptly die afterward. From Baal’s stomach the Black Egg emerged, and the Guardian of the Black Egg returned everyone to where they originally belonged…’

Countless witnesses confirmed it. There was no room for error.

Thus the survivors worshiped the *Black Egg* as a god.

Its Guardian, who protected it, was seen as a “Messenger of God,” or a “Representative of God,” and many had drawn its likeness and carried it as a talisman.

But Darkstar—and the Hero Council—held a different conviction.

‘No matter how you look at it, that’s a Reaper of the Empire’s Divine Reaper Cult.’

The white wings were unusual, but its appearance was unmistakably that of a Reaper.

Judging by the power to forcibly close a warp, it was likely that the opening of the warp in the Abyss that sent people back home was also the ability of that Reaper.

‘…The ability to control warp on such a wide scale. It’s of a completely different level compared to the other Reapers of the Reaper Cult.’

The Reapers they knew were evil beings that hunted down and killed players.

They were hunters of the condemned—taking the souls of those marked as “Sinners” by the Reaper Cult.

But this one surpassed the category of “different.”

Compared to the other Reapers, it was like an unscaleable wall.

If so, was that Reaper perhaps not a Reaper of the Reaper *Cult*?

“Demons won’t be able to use warp for a while. So, given his personality, Issera will surely fly here himself leading the demonic army.”

While Darkstar’s thoughts raced in circles—

…Union’s voice shook every player’s eardrum.

“Issera?”

“Did he say Issera?”

“Did he actually say—**Issera**?!”

There had been endless debate on who the enemy’s supreme commander was.

Rumors, guesses—until that very moment of confirmation.

With a frown, Darkstar spoke.

“Union, Wizard of the Golden Ratio! How are we supposed to believe that? You invaded Earth together with the demons!”

“I too was forced to comply because Issera held my weakness. But as you see now, I am the same human as you—and I despise the demons. Let us fight together.”

Union began his shameless performance.

And some of the Korean players spoke up.

“If the Guardian fights beside him…”

“Yeah, then he can’t be a bad guy!”

Absolute belief. Infinite trust in the Guardian of the Black Egg!

The event that shook the world was so massive that not a single player from another country was unaware of the *Guardian of the Black Egg*.

So Darkstar could not help but ask:

“Union, are you the god of the Black Egg?”

The one who slew Baal of the Four Calamities.

If Union was the being that emerged from the Black Egg, then his power would surpass reason.

The task that Gracia and countless armies failed to accomplish—he achieved alone.

If such a being stood with them on the battlefield… as much as Darkstar hated to admit it, the morale of the players would skyrocket.

Soon, Union opened his mouth.

“…Yes. I am the god of the Black Egg.”

*

—

 

The God of the Black Egg.

Not a single person doubted him.

If he was the one who killed Baal of the Four Calamities, then surely he could defeat Issera as well.

‘Oooooh!’

‘That’s incredible!’

The moment Union opened his inventory and weakened the demon army, the players’ eyes sparkled.

Victory in this war suddenly seemed within reach.

He kept pulling out dazzling items with ease—as if he were unfazed.

“We can win!”

“The God of the Black Egg fights beside us!”

“Uwaaaaaaaaa!!!”

A battle that must be won.

The otherworldly monsters could not even be harmed without the Golden Scale.

Defeat here would mean annihilation.

It would be nearly impossible to gather this many players again.

【Failed to trigger ‘Weak Point Detection’!】

‘…What?’

But on the contrary—Union was secretly panicking.

The effects of the Seeker’s Set were not activating.

Issera was undoubtedly a demon.

A mutated Dragon God who became a demon upon submitting under the Demon King.

Yet the activation failed?

“Burn.”

Fwooooooosh!

The moment Issera spoke, hellfire engulfed Union’s entire body.

“Gah?!”

Union’s eyes widened in horror.

Issera controlled the fires of Hell at will.

Union had prepared “Grace of Water” exactly to counter that—but it didn’t activate.

“Fool. Did you really think mere ‘Grace of Water’ could oppose my flames?”

“That’s… impossible…!”

It shouldn’t be possible.

Grace of Water was a myth-grade artifact.

It was the very embodiment of a blessing that extinguished all flames.

But Union was ignorant of one thing.

‘Don’t tell me every elemental attack is based on exploiting weaknesses?’

This wasn’t simply a fire attribute.

To block Issera’s power, **he had to find the weakness Issera had predefined.**

Having never fought him directly before, there was no way he could know.

【‘Seeker’s Robe’ has reached durability limit.】

【‘Seeker’s Pants’ has reached durability limit.】

【‘Seeker’s Cowl’ has reached durability limit.】

The Seeker’s Set that had been barely shielding him from the hellfire was burning away.

Union’s desperation rose.

“Inventory, Armor of Indomitability!”

“Inventory, Potion of Resistance!”

“Inventory, Earring of Paralysis!”

Survival came first.

Boost HP, reinforce all resistances, nullify pain.

With those, he had to hang on until he discovered Issera’s weakness.

‘Thirty minutes at best. Can I find it in time?’

Had he still possessed the EXP potions, he could have endured six hours without issue.

But now, weakened, thirty minutes was the absolute limit.

Issera’s flames dealt constant damage.

This was the unavoidable fate of anyone who faced Issera head-on.

Potion recovery and healing could buy a little time—but Issera would never allow him to heal freely.

“Spirits of Flame.”

Fwoosh! Fwoooosh!

Dozens of fire spirits manifested around Issera.

Titans of fire wrapped in roaring blaze.

All of them were among the highest rank of flame spirits.

Issera was a beloved being of the fire spirits.

But that was not the terrifying part.

“Spirit King Agnis.”

The Spirit King of Fire—Agnis!

The first summoned spirits swirled like a vortex and were sucked into a single point, forming into a man wearing a crown of flame.

Union’s eye twitched involuntarily.

‘Spirit King Agnis! But he shouldn’t be able to summon him!’

As Union understood it, Issera could summon at most dozens of the highest-ranked spirits.

A Spirit King, however, was an entirely different entity.

And the haughty Spirit Kings would never respond to a demon’s summons.

And yet—standing before him was the Spirit King.

Agnis, the Spirit King of Fire.

One of the primordial rulers who reigned like a god over the spirit realm.

-…

He quietly turned his head toward Union.

In that instant, goosebumps exploded across Union’s entire body.

‘I have to run…!’

He was already struggling against Issera alone—now the Spirit King Agnis was here as well!

He never had time to search for a weakness in the first place.

Issera had grown stronger than before.

His authority—his blessing—

Screeeeeeeeeech!

With a slight lift of his right index finger, Spirit King Agnis pointed at Union, and in a single heartbeat, a sun-sized spear of flame materialized.

“Inventory, Absolute Shield!”

“Inventory, Endless Sea!”

“Inventory, Frost Staff!”

Sensing the danger instinctively, Union desperately deployed every option he had.

The greatest treasures within his reach.

And especially—the Absolute Shield, a treasure so mighty that even a three-star Transcendent could not break through it.

And when imbued with the blessing of Endless Sea, even the Spirit King of Fire shouldn’t be able to overpower it in one—…

KWOooooOOOOOOOM!!!

Crack! Craaaack!

…Insanity.

The flaming spear from Spirit King Agnis **crushed** the Absolute Shield in an instant.

Cracks split across it, it shattered, and then it was pierced.

‘I can’t win.’

His body refused to move.

He lost even the will to swing his staff.

Only then did Union understand.

The outcome of this battle had been decided from the very beginning.

Blinded by greed for legitimacy, he had grown reckless.

He never imagined that Issera could command even a Spirit King.

If he had known, he would have never tried.

The Issera he knew was “endlessly tricky,” nothing more—his offense consisted only of incineration.

But now, Issera had summoned a Spirit King to compensate for his once-weak attack power.

‘Invincible…!’

Both Issera’s offense and defense had reached their apex—how could anyone kill such a monster?

He couldn’t defend.

He was going to die.

Union shut his eyes tightly.

“Fire, vanish.”

And at that moment—

KRRRRR-BOOOOOM!!!

The sky instantly darkened, and someone emerged amid countless bolts of lightning.

The newcomer erased Spirit King Agnis’s spear with his mere arrival.

-…?

Spirit King Agnis tilted his head.

A single spoken command had nullified his attack.

No such existence should have been here.

Yet he was here.

Seeing him, Issera allowed a small smile.

“Dragon God Lucaria.”

The Dragon God of Earth—Lucaria!

Never in his wildest dreams had Issera expected Lucaria to show herself.

Issera gazed at her as if Issera knew her well, and the colossal pure-white dragon Lucaria sighed in disappointment.

“…Issera.”

“To think you would be the Dragon God of this world.”

“…Haaah. Last time, we let it slide. But we can no longer overlook this.”

KRAAAAAK! KRRRRAAA-THOOOOM!

Lightning rained across the sky—thousands of streaks at once—annihilating the demonic army.

“Guaagh!”

“Kkyaaagh!”

“Screeeee!”

But Issera only glared brightly.

“Myrion said the same thing to me. But he died, and his heart was offered to the Demon King. Lucaria—how do you think you will end up?”

“…Fool.”

Lucaria clicked her tongue.

Issera—Dragon God of halves. Betrayer of the Celestial.

The Dragon Gods once overlooked his arrogance **once**.

But having invaded Earth, **there would be no mercy this time.**

“Wish Orb—reveal that creature’s ‘weakness’ to me.”

A massive Wish Orb rose before Lucaria.

A Wish Orb of a Dragon God.

Before it, Issera’s “weakness” would be laid bare with ease.

And Lucaria’s Wish Orb was one of the highest grade among all Dragon Gods.

There was nothing she could fail to uncover.

After a brief moment, the Wish Orb dimmed.

Lucaria nodded.

“You should never have come here, Issera.”

In that instant, Lucaria’s eyes blazed with lightning.

KRAAAAAA-BOOOOOM!!!

Twin lances of lightning shot from her eyes and struck Issera.

Lucaria had channeled her attack through her own sight.

Issera’s weakness was—**self-detonation.**

To attack by using one’s own body as the sacrifice.

But his opponent was not some other Dragon God—**it was her.**

Issera could never defeat Lucaria.

*

I slowly stared at the cracked egg of the Celestial.

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