I Start with 13 Hidden Traits Chapter-20

Ch-20. **Celestial**

—

“Is it over already?”

At the mouth of an alley — a place where part of a wall had collapsed — Massacre, wearing his skull mask, clicked his tongue as he asked.

A man covered in blood, sprawled on the ground, dropped to his knees and desperately begged with his hands clasped.

“P-Please, spare me. We’re both players, aren’t we? PK in reality is against the rules…!”

“Rules? And who decided that?”

“L-Lord Gracia said so. That we should refrain from PK in reality.”

“So Gracia’s word is law?”

“N-Not exactly, but…!”

“Tsks.”

Massacre made a gesture of slitting his own throat.

Thwack!

The man’s head fell cleanly to the floor.

Massacre exhaled a long breath.

*‘Another bust.’*

He had baited the secret auction house with numerous items to “fish” out Phantom.

But all he caught were small fry like this one.

The only reason he killed this one in reality was because the fool happened to be nearby. By using a broken Golden Scale fragment to *descend*, the man had revealed his precise location.

But, as expected, he wasn’t Phantom, either.

If he truly were Phantom, the descent wouldn’t have ended after a mere five minutes of transformation.

He was far too weak.

Massacre pondered.

*‘Where do I need to go to catch Phantom?’*

Trying to hunt him down in reality had its limits.

Judging by how the man hadn’t purchased the concealed Twin Talisman options, Phantom probably didn’t use the secret auction house at all.

All the ones caught by the fishing method were nobodies.

Massacre stroked his chin.

*‘The Tower.’*

He recalled the contents of Main Quest 3.

Climbing the Tower.

*‘A being like Phantom wouldn’t climb a normal tower.’*

A basic tower like the Tower of Fundamentals? Absolutely not. If he intended to rank first, he’d need to climb a far more advanced tower.

Like the *Tower of Typhoons* Massacre had climbed, or the *Tower of the Immortal* Gracia had conquered.

*‘The problem is, if he focuses on leveling like Gracia did, he might clear it late…’*

Gracia had raised his level to 7 after clearing only Main Quest 2, all in preparation for climbing the Tower of the Immortal.

He leveled like a madman to conquer it and earn the highest score.

Even for someone incredibly strong, one needed at least level 9 or 10 to reach the top of that tower. Yet Gracia had done it at level 7 — a legendary feat still spoken of today.

Could Phantom surpass the score Gracia set?

*‘Towers beyond the Tower of the Immortal… even I can barely attempt them.’*

Massacre was strong. Level 10, and almost at the threshold of 1-Star transcendent.

But even he found fully conquering the Tower of the Immortal difficult. Towers beyond that? Even prepared to die, he wasn’t sure he could ascend.

And Phantom — who had only just become a player — climbing such towers? That was impossible.

But judging from Phantom’s movements, he was progressing *fast* in everything he did.

He wouldn’t spend months leveling like Gracia.

*‘…The Tower of the God of War. He’ll go there.’*

That was the only place where one could earn the highest score regardless of level.

The Tower of the God of War.

A coliseum for warriors who excelled in combat and reveled in battle.

But the gap that arose when a gamer became a player was an insurmountable wall. No matter how good you were in-game, it didn’t automatically translate into real combat ability.

But Phantom was different.

The legend of Pangaenia.

*‘Judging by his Main Quest 1 score, he’s insanely good at fighting even as a player.’*

When gamers turned into players, they all faced extreme conditions.

Scores were based on how well one adapted, survived, and fought while maintaining composure — and Randolph, presumed to be Phantom, had taken first place.

Meaning he hadn’t panicked at all, had survived ferociously, and had slaughtered his enemies without mercy.

*‘He handled things even more flexibly than I did…’*

Massacre recalled when he himself became a player.

Main Quest 1: Survival.

He had awakened in a chimera laboratory.

One of numerous test subjects. Though momentarily startled, he quickly adapted to the situation, assassinated the doctor and guards, and escaped.

And even then, his score had only been 163.

Randolph’s 220 still baffled him — he couldn’t imagine what one had to do to achieve that.

Regardless, such a monstrous individual definitely had the ability to go to the Tower of the God of War.

*‘I’ll wait for him there.’*

Having set his objective, Massacre smiled broadly.

Phantom would die by his hand. He would never allow anyone else to kill Phantom.

—

—

 

“Captain. We checked all surrounding CCTV, and there’s literally no trace.”

A member of the Alliance, combing the area around the Cheongdam steakhouse, let out a deep sigh as he reported.

The man referred to as Captain shook his head as well.

“This is absurd. Even the people who were inside the building claim to know nothing.”

Every CCTV within a 1 km radius had been examined. They had interviewed every person who was inside the building that day, yet no one had any clues about the man who defeated “Chid Mamba.”

Even if he wasn’t Phantom or an Operator, anyone capable of subduing Chid Mamba with such artistry deserved a place in the Alliance.

But they found no leads.

It was as if he had evaporated into thin air.

“Should we visit Jung Jin-woo again?”

“No. He seemed completely out of it.”

Jung Jin-woo was still in the hospital. Traumatized into insanity after losing both arms. Visiting him again would be pointless.

The young member asked again.

“What about Kim Hana? Didn’t she seem like she knew something?”

“So you want to storm CK Broadcasting?”

“No, but… can’t we just wait for her outside?”

“Don’t bother her. It’ll only cause trouble.”

“…? Does Kim Hana have some kind of backing?”

“You know Gracia’s visiting Korea, right?”

“Yes. Every player in Korea is losing their minds over it.”

“He’s doing a direct one-on-one interview with Kim Hana.”

“Huh? Why? Did he fall for her at first sight or something?”

“I don’t know, you idiot. Just don’t poke the hornet’s nest.”

Gracia.

A player acknowledged by all as the strongest.

A true hero whom every player revered.

And he suddenly declared he would visit Korea.

There were even rumors of a private 1:1 interview with Kim Hana.

The world was in chaos from invasions and erosion. Countries barely had the manpower to protect themselves — yet Gracia insisted on coming to Korea, despite the U.S. government’s objections.

*Something big was involved.*

Kim Hana was a hornet’s nest.

Curiosity was understandable, but if Gracia was involved, it was safest to stay far away.

If they so much as annoyed him, he could crush the entire Alliance in seconds.

The Captain was rank 4 within the Alliance. Level 10, and only a Star away from transcending. Even he couldn’t withstand Gracia for three seconds.

Sword Star.

No one knew how many Stars he held.

Rumor even had it that he was an equal to Wilhelm, a 5-Star Transcendent.

“But who do you think would win — Gracia or Wilhelm?”

“Wilhelm is dead. Comparisons are meaningless now.”

“But aren’t you curious? They were both part of the ‘Eight Heroes.’”

This part *was* interesting.

Wilhelm — Phantom’s most cherished, painstakingly raised character.

Fed five stars. Armed head to toe in unique-tier gear. A legend unmatched in Pangaenia’s history.

And Gracia?

He was writing new legends even now, as a player.

Some suspected he was using bugs or cheats — that was how limitless he seemed.

No one truly knew how strong he was. He had never met an opponent who pushed him to reveal his limits.

*‘I heard he consumed another Star recently…’*

It was only a rumor, but if true, he was even stronger now.

How strong had he become?

How strong *was* he?

*‘Still, Wilhelm must be stronger for now.’*

The Captain judged calmly.

Wilhelm was a monster among monsters.

And the Captain had witnessed Wilhelm’s combat personally.

He had participated in the Grand Expedition to the Demon Realm.

The overwhelming martial might with which Wilhelm cut down demonkind…

If a God of War existed, he would’ve felt like that.

The memory still gave him chills.

Moreover, the fact that Gracia had always avoided meeting Wilhelm spoke volumes.

But Wilhelm was dead.

And Gracia continued to grow ever stronger.

*‘But why is Gracia considered one of the Eight Heroes? He didn’t even participate in the Grand Expedition…’*

—

—

The moment I entered the Spirit Tower, Isabella and Hudson vanished.

From here on, it was solo.

Each of us was guided to the spirit gate suited to us.

The Spirit Tower answered only to those who desired desperately. Whatever Hudson truly yearned for, he would achieve as he climbed. Same for Isabella.

At the entrance, a massive stone door protruded a face.

One of the tower’s gatekeepers — a spirit of the stone door, serving also as the measurer who opened the appropriate path.

*–Remarkable. You possess affinity with all attributes.*

Its stone lips moved. It had read my talents and was expressing awe. Well, affinity with all attributes was a kind of “talent.”

The door measured one’s strongest affinity and opened the corresponding path.

Water affinity → Water Spirit Gate.

Fire affinity → Fire Spirit Gate.

But for one who possessed affinity with *every* attribute, it had no idea which to choose.

*–You even possess opposing attributes simultaneously. The attribute of Void… yet it is too much even for Void.*

The stone spirit hesitated.

Naturally, no being could possess opposing attributes.

Like fire and water could not coexist.

Except in the case of those who bore the attribute of Void — Void allowed conflicting attributes to exist together.

But even considering Void, this was too much.

I had *all* affinities.

Even the “Gate of Void” didn’t fit this case.

*–If everything is mixed, that would be Chaos. But the Gate of Chaos has never been opened…*

The spirit frowned.

The Gate of Chaos had never once opened since the tower was erected.

“Open it.”

Another mystery I had no intention of passing up.

With my immediate choice, the stone spirit stopped hesitating.

*–Hmph… an arrogant druid, aren’t you. Very well. I shall open it. You seem worthy.*

Creeeaaak!

The spirit opened.

*–But beware. If you are devoured by Chaos, you will never return.*

I shrugged off the warning and strode boldly inside.

—

—

The Tower of Chaos.

A place where curses that distort the mind permeated everything.

Pitch-black darkness itself.

《‘Iron-Blooded Monarch’s Heart’ fortifies your mind.》

《‘Giant’s Anti-Magic’ nullifies curses.》

《‘Mutant’ illuminates the chaotic path.》

I could see.

The hidden paths of the Tower of Chaos.

The spirit of the stone door likely had no idea I possessed thirteen hidden traits.

Thanks to them, I could walk even the domain of Chaos unharmed.

*–Chaos doesn’t affect him?*

*–What is this human? Or… is he a druid?*

*–Contract with me!*

Chaos spirits rushed at me.

I passed them by.

Ascending the tower, larger chaos spirits appeared.

*–Arrogant fool. You dare climb this place?*

*–We shall turn you into Chaos.*

One transformed into a giant and tried to crush me.

But they were illusions — manifestations meant to overwhelm the minds of cowards.

Whoosh!

I touched it boldly, and it vanished like smoke.

*–Have you come seeking lost glory? Can that even be regained?*

Ascending another floor, I found Wilhelm.

Sring.

I drew Michela’s blade.

And faced the chaos spirit wearing Wilhelm’s form.

Clang! Cha-ang! Tsssh!

It moved exactly like me. Cutting, thrusting, striking — identical.

I didn’t back down. Had it been the real Wilhelm, I’d have died instantly, but this was merely a chaos spirit mimicking *me* wearing Wilhelm’s face. Same power, same techniques, same actions.

How many hours did I fight?

More than the span of a day, surely.

Then time continued to fly by.

Two days, three, ten…

Perhaps even more.

*–Disgusting creature!*

Whoosh!

The chaos spirit dissolved into smoke once again.

Breathing hard, I climbed the staircase.

*–To reach this far… you are worthy.*

*–Form a contract with us.*

*–You have the qualifications.*

These ones were far larger than any chaos spirit before.

There were no stairs anymore.

Was this the top floor?

“Not a single one of you appeals to me.”

The chaos spirits before me were undoubtedly powerful — more than any spirit I’d seen.

But they didn’t interest me.

What dignity could beings possess if they were begging to form contracts simply because someone climbed this far?

*–If you contract with me, you’ll gain the same effects as obtaining a Star.*

*–Form a contract with me. I will reveal the location of a ‘unique’ piece of equipment.*

*–How about skills? I will grant you the finest high-tier chaos skill.*

They must have taken quite a liking to me.

They were even trying to sweeten the deal.

A unique-grade item paired with a top-tier skill from the Chaos attribute was admittedly tempting—but what was I supposed to trust in order to form a contract with Chaos?

They were beings who pretended to be giants, and spewed lies. There was every chance the contents of that contract were lies as well.

A contract must be made with caution.

You can’t contract with multiple spirits, after all.

—Where are you going?
—There’s nothing down there.
—A foolish choice.
—You’ll come back up eventually.

Leaving Chaos’s attempts to hold me back behind me, I descended the tower.

With every floor I went down, an even harsher ordeal awaited me.

As if urging me to turn back and climb up again.

But if something rubs me the wrong way, it simply does.

Thus began a long ordeal—a battle.

*

*

I faced two versions of “me.”

When I went down again, four versions of “me” were waiting.

Then eight, then sixteen.

Strangely, my body did not tire, but my mind was being worn down by time.

Even with a heart of an Iron-Blooded Monarch, one cannot preserve mental strength indefinitely. No matter how superhuman one’s mind may be, it is meaningless before time.

It’s not that the thought didn’t cross my mind—to just go back up and form a contract with any Chaos spirit without caring who.

But each time, I shook my head.

I could not form such a forced contract.

The choice of contract had to be *entirely my own*. If I were to yield to coercion or force once, I would continue yielding forever.

Time flowed with no end in sight.

Ten days.

Twenty.

Thirty…

So long that counting became pointless, I fought Chaos.

—You damn repulsive creature!
—Get out! Get out!

The Chaos spirits finally raised the white flag.

They opened an exit for me.

Most people would run outside in excitement.

But I did not leave.

Precisely because moments like this were when one needed to be most wary.

Sssk—!

As expected, Chaos lunged at me from behind.

‘Creeping, filthy things.’

They intended to cling to me until the very end.

When I cut down the shadow-like Chaos, a bright light appeared behind it.

A spirit.

Could it be a Spirit of Light?

The Spirit of Light was also considered a rare, top-tier spirit.

But why would a Spirit of Light be in the domain of Chaos?

‘That’s not a Spirit of Light.’

But it was also subtly different from what one would call a Spirit of Light.

Instead of heading for the exit that Chaos had revealed, I walked toward the light.

—That isn’t the exit.
—Are you planning to go back?
—Fool. Fine, then fight until you die!

The Chaos spirits tried to stop me.

Their attitude was clearly different from the mocking jeers they’d thrown at me until now.

Which only made me want to go even more.

The exit door was shrinking.

If I didn’t escape now, I might not get another chance.

But the light continued calling to me.

Something unmistakably different from Chaos.

—Stop! Halt!
—Go any farther and you can’t turn back.
—Do you wish to remain in Chaos forever?

Chaos was loud enough to hurt my ears.

I kept clearing away the Chaos and kept walking.

And the moment I touched the light—

《You have reached the summit of the tower!》
《Main Quest 3 has been completed.》
《Calculating results.》

…So *this* was the true summit.

Going up, going down, refusing to take the paths created by Chaos—that had been the correct answer.

《Several Constellations of the People’s Hall show interest.》
《‘The Masters of the Spirit Tower’ have begun to take notice of you.》

In an instant, countless beings suddenly grew interested and focused on me.

Even the lofty Constellations and the Masters of the Tower.

And among them, the Masters of the Spirit Tower would naturally refer to the Spirit Kings.

Was it because I climbed the Tower of Chaos all the way to the top?

No. That wasn’t all of it.

There was a greater reason. And I already had a good idea what it was.

The thing before me now, still radiating light—

《You have discovered the ‘Celestial(Heavenly) Spirit.’》

 

 

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