I Start with 13 Hidden Traits Chapter-232

Ch-232. **Rebirth**

—

The Hall of the People.

There appeared the 101st Constellation.

The Constellations could not help but fix their attention upon the incomprehensible being who appeared, scattering radiant starlight.

“You are…!”

The Constellation of the Most Radiant Hero.

Even he was equally startled upon seeing the 101st Constellation.

He had never before witnessed the birth of a Constellation that transcended every law.

But what was even more shocking—was the 101st Constellation’s identity.

“…A question mark?”

The Constellation’s face was not visible.

It was veiled in a hazy mist.

Above the obscured face floated nothing but a single question mark (?).

He had never seen a Constellation like this before.

No, could something with a question mark even *be* called a Constellation?

Constellations were those who, possessing lofty glory, became stars.

A riddle-like entity should not be able to become a Constellation.

“What are you? How did you become the 101st Constellation?”

Thus the Constellation of the Most Radiant Hero could not help but ask.

From the question mark, no presence could be sensed.

Unlike other Constellations, it bore neither glory nor holiness.

It was far too ordinary.

And at last, the Constellation with the question-mark face opened its mouth.

“I am the one who opened the ‘Gate of Truth’ and emerged.”

“…Wait. What?”

“The Gate of Truth?!”

The listening Constellations recoiled.

The Gate of Truth!

They knew the name, but no one had ever confirmed its actual existence.

Yet this being claimed to have opened that Gate and come out from it.

At the same time, the Most Radiant Hero recalled a memory, and his expression hardened.

*‘Could it be what I saw at that time…?’*

When he used all his starlight and was about to lose his qualification as a Constellation—

Satisfied with Randolph’s story, he had been about to vanish with a smile.

While his story was being drawn to its end, something appeared from the “other side.”

A mouth emerging from the darkness.

—*Do you have more to offer?*

…The voice that flowed from that mouth was identical to the voice of the question mark now.

When he expressed the desire to see more of Randolph’s story, that mouth appeared.

—*You said you wanted to see more. Then shouldn’t you give me something more?*

He handed over everything to the mouth that appeared in the darkness.

—*The story you’ve built up until now. How amusing.*

And after devouring all that “story,” the mouth elevated his tier, making him the Most Radiant Heroic Constellation.

*‘That was definitely the Gate of Truth.’*

Thus he had been convinced that the mouth was the Gate of Truth.

But now—it claimed it had *opened* the Gate and emerged?

Furthermore, that question mark was speaking with the exact same voice as that “mouth.”

Under the shock of every Constellation watching, the question mark spoke again.

“I am the ‘Constellation of Purity.’ Before any rules existed, I was the first Constellation of the Hall of the People. I alone was permitted to enter the ‘Gate of Truth’ as the ‘Highest Star.’”

“The Highest Star…!”

“Then why did you come back out?”

The Highest Star.

The throne all Constellations of the Hall longed for.

Only the star shining above all others—surpassing every Constellation—could claim that position.

And the Constellation of Purity proclaimed that he was the very first to ever become the Highest Star since the Hall’s creation.

Then the Constellation of Purity said:

“I was given another opportunity—yet I failed.”

“You failed?”

“Constellation of Purity, do you receive an opportunity when you become the Highest Star?”

They asked desperately.

Everyone gathered here had failed at least once.

No one desired a second chance more than they did.

The Constellation of Purity nodded.

“Yes. And my appearance here means that the true war for the ‘Highest Star’ has begun. Constellations, with your lukewarm attitudes, you will never become the Highest Star.”

Step. Step.

The Constellation of Purity walked forward.

He stopped in front of the Most Radiant Heroic Constellation.

“Struggle. Use any means necessary and gather ‘Golden Scales.’ Crush other Constellations beneath your feet. Only the one who completes the ‘Brilliant Golden Scale Starlight’ can become the Highest Star!”

“…A declaration of war?”

The Most Radiant Hero’s expression stiffened.

Until now, Constellations had never invaded each other’s domains.

They mimicked the old ways and avoided anything that broke the rules.

This “lukewarm attitude” was what Purity referred to.

The Constellation of Purity was unlike any Constellation before him—by 180 degrees.

He was not glorious.

The Constellation of Purity clicked his tongue at the Most Radiant Hero.

“You truly are fools.”

“…”

He kept crossing the line.

The Most Radiant Hero frowned.

Yet the Constellation of Purity remained unfazed.

On the contrary—

“You foolish Constellations!”

He provoked them.

“Do you truly believe the Hall of the People exists only here?”

As if urging them—*wake up already.*

—

—

 

 

Slowly, I opened my eyes.

Crack. Crackle!

I twisted my neck, loosening the hardened muscles.

I raised my hands, stretched with my fingers interlocked, confirming that my body still moved properly.

“Hm.”

It was indeed my body.

No abnormalities.

The evil god’s attempt to deceive me had failed miserably.

“He ran.”

In the end, the evil god had fled into the Heavenly Demon Blade.

I still didn’t know why he called me specifically the *Demon of Greed*, but I hadn’t come away empty-handed.

The words floating in front of me made me smile faintly.

《You have obtained the skill ‘Heavenly Demon Divine Art (Lv1)’.》

《Due to Hidden Trait ‘Dexterity’, it is elevated to Lv2.》

《You have achieved the achievement ‘Heir of the First Heavenly Demon’.》

《Due to ‘Great Aspect’, honor is doubled (+3,000).》

《Your ‘Honor’ has surpassed 40,000.》

《You may now acquire ‘Sacred Qualification’ at the Sanctuary of Honor.》

《You have gained the right to enter ‘Heavenly Mountain (Cheonsan)’.》

I had stolen the essence of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art from the evil god.

I had not mastered it fully yet, but I had successfully made it *my* skill.

—*Let’s see whether you can master the Art without abandoning your humanity!*

That had been the evil god’s final scream.

He then hid himself deep within the blade.

*‘It was never really my sword to begin with.’*

Still, this much was fine.

Unless I killed the current Heavenly Demon, the rightful owner of the blade, it would never fully belong to me anyway.

The title *Heir of the First Heavenly Demon* did not particularly please me.

I had been dumbfounded at first.

Me, the successor of an evil god?

I shrugged and checked the skill information.

【Heavenly Demon Divine Art (Lv2)】

– A study to become a Asura.

– Only one possessing pure malice can learn it.

– Amplifies internal energy (Star power) and explosively increases the power of Strength (Aura).

– The higher the mastery, the more the amplification increases—but proportionally, resistance to “evil” diminishes.

– If the growing internal energy surpasses the vessel’s capacity, the “vessel” will shatter, and the user will become crippled.

The details were not long.

But the moment I read them, I couldn’t help saying:

“…It’s insane.”

Truly insane.

A skill that amplifies internal energy?!

I had never heard of such a thing.

It was extreme brute-force enhancement—precisely what the Heavenly Demon Divine Art was.

A function rivaling Hidden Traits.

After all, “Celestial” also increased stat limits by 1.2 times depending on level.

The Heavenly Demon Divine Art increased only Star power, but the amplification was extraordinary.

So much so that the side effects barely even registered.

*‘No wonder my body feels overflowing with power…’*

I took a deep breath.

Before opening my status window.

But before I could—

《The ‘quality of evil’ writhes.》
《The ‘prepared vessel’ expands.》
《‘Shedding the shell’ has begun.》

My body stiffened.

I couldn’t move.

Then my skin began to rise and unravel like thread, forming a cocoon.

Shedding the shell.

Just as the word implied, the outer layer was being shed, and my body was being reconstructed anew.

‘…’

A sudden, unexpected metamorphosis.

The problem was—this was the Island of the Gods, and I was still a challenger.

If I failed to engage in “Expedition Battle” for more than 72 hours, the Night Wraith would appear.

If someone found me mid-transformation, I would be as good as dead.

I had to decide.

Stop it?
Or continue?

But if I missed this chance, who knew when another shedding would occur?

*The vessel… It strengthens the body that contains internal energy.*

If I didn’t take this chance, the swelling energy might break the vessel, leaving me crippled.

Pros and cons.

In the end, it came down to a choice.

I closed my eyes tight.

And accepted the metamorphosis.

—

—

 

“Aaah…”

Isabella bit her lip hard.

Starlight—Eternal Randolph.

She had realized that protecting it was no longer the issue.

The memory shown by the starlight—

If she did not confirm whether it was real, she felt she would go mad.

Had Randolph deceived her all along?
Had he deceived *everyone*?

If the starlight’s memory was true… then it was something she could never forgive.

‘…My body?’

At that moment—

Her body began to stiffen.

But she was currently borrowing the outer appearance of the “Dreadful Ill Omen.”

The Dreadful Ill Omen—Randolph.

*‘I think… I know where Lord Randolph is.’*

At the same time, the form of the Ill Omen tugged at her—pulling her toward somewhere.

Likely toward Randolph.

She didn’t know why, but it felt instinctive.

A natural instinct to return to one’s original place.

*‘Something has happened to Lord Randolph.’*

She didn’t know why this phenomenon was occurring, but it was clear that something had happened to him.

If she followed the instinct, she would find him.

But she hesitated.

If she met Randolph, she would be erased.

And even if she met him—she wasn’t sure she could ask about the truth.

“…Let’s go.”

Isabella shook her head.

She had to confirm what this phenomenon was.

Asking the truth would come afterward.

She could not forgive him—but if something had happened to him, she wanted to see it for herself.

She moved in the direction the Ill Omen’s form guided her.

How long did it take?

*A cave. He must be inside.*

She found a cave halfway up a cliff.

Inside it, Randolph’s presence grew stronger.

After a deep breath, she stepped in.

And then—

“A cocoon…?”

At the end of the cave, she discovered a cocoon.

*Lord Randolph.*

She understood instantly—it *was* Randolph.

Her eyes wavered.

She understood roughly what was happening.

Randolph was breaking through his limits.

He was reconstructing his body to advance further.

But no one knew when that reconstruction would finish.

And during the reconstruction—he could do nothing.

“Lord Randolph. Is the memory shown by the starlight truly real?”

Of course, no answer came.

Crack—

Isabella trembled, clenching her fists tight.

Rage.

Boiling rage burst forth like an explosion.

And thus, this was an opportunity.

A perfect chance to release this uncontainable fury.

…If she intended to kill Randolph, she would never get a better chance than this one.

—

 

 

 

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