I Start with 13 Hidden Traits Chapter-238

Ch-238. **Destruction(Ruin)**

 

 

Raiga focused every shred of his consciousness.

He couldn’t fully understand the situation he was in, but fragments of memory still lingered.

No matter how sudden the ambush had been, no matter how violently he was struck down, someone of Raiga’s caliber did not simply lose consciousness.

Not unless his breath had completely stopped—unless he had *actually died.*

He possessed an absolute sense that allowed him to see and feel everything even with his eyes closed.

*He was Raiga.*

*I clearly… saw the Goat emerge from the cave.*

He began piecing together the shattered fragments of memory.

Picking up each scattered shard one by one.

And when the picture finally reassembled—

*…What the hell.*

Raiga’s body shuddered.

Nothing about what happened after the Goat emerged from the cave could be called normal.

*What… is that thing’s true identity?*

Recalling the memory, Raiga looked at the Goat.

—

—

 

**Boom—!!**

A deafening roar that seemed capable of bursting eardrums.

From within it appeared a colossal monster.

“……!!!”

“…….”

At the appearance of **Baal**, one of the Four Calamities, countless gazes turned.

Feeling the weight of attention from all the powerful beings present, I pushed off the ground and leapt upward.

Naturally.
Without an ounce of panic.
As though this had always been the way things were.

*Too big.*

The problem was simple—Baal’s body was far too large to ride as-is.

Ssssshh—

As if sensing my discomfort, smoke wafted from Baal’s body as its enormous form compressed.

Still huge, of course, but reduced from the size of a mountain to roughly that of a dump truck.

Something that had never happened before.

*Must be related to the evolution of the hidden trait.*

Fusion and evolution of hidden traits.

And the molting—.

Leaping through two stages at once had brought massive change.

This was clearly one such result.

For Baal to shrink at my subtle intention—
The “dominion” connected to the trait had increased to an abnormal degree.

“…Baal.”

At that moment, the Sunken Emperor spoke.

As expected, the Abyssal Sovereigns recognized Baal immediately.

Not as a mere summoned beast—but as the **true** Baal.

“You… are you Baal’s master?”

He wasn’t just identifying Baal—
He wanted to confirm *my* identity.

The question carried several implications.

The ancient Imperial families that once handled the Four Calamities…

But they had never fully *controlled* the Calamities, so he clearly wasn’t asking whether I was one of their heirs.

What he truly meant was:

**“Are you *Destruction(Ruin)*?”**

*He doesn’t recognize me?*

I had already realized the man on the blue-flamed horse was the Sunken Emperor.

If I could recognize him, he should be able to recognize me.

But his attitude was utterly different from the clone I had spent a day with.

It felt like the elderly man I saved from the Heavenly Demon and the being before me were entirely separate entities.

*My transformation must have altered how I’m perceived.*

I nodded inwardly.

**Eternal Monarch Randolph.**
The Iron-Blooded Monarch’s Heart evolved into the Eternal Monarch’s Heart, then transcended—
My true name completed.

The trait not only sharpened my perception and bent rules but instilled fear even in Abyssal Sovereigns.

To the point they mistook me for Destruction himself.

So I didn’t mind that he failed to recognize me.

More important was answering his question.

Was I Baal’s master?

“No.”

I was not.

“……”

For the first time, a flicker appeared in the Sunken Emperor’s eyes.

And the other Sovereigns stirred.

Someone who was *not* Baal’s master was riding Baal?

Clearly unnatural.

I smiled faintly and continued.

“I told you—‘a decent mount.’ I do not regard *this* as my possession.”

I tapped Baal’s head as casually as one might pat a stray mutt on the street.

If I truly were Destruction, I would answer exactly this way.

The Four Calamities were known as Destruction’s possessions.

But Destruction had released the Calamities across the continent.

Was it intentional—to make the Empire collapse by its own hand?

*Destruction has no concept of ‘mine.’*

No.

He simply let them go.

Destruction(Ruin) destroys all.

To call something one’s possession is to value it.
To cherish it.

But Destruction cherishes nothing.

Because he cherishes nothing, he can annihilate the world without hesitation.

Therefore—he possesses nothing.

True, absolute non-possession.

The same applied to the Four Calamities.

“……”

The Sunken Emperor did not reply.

Instead, he turned away.

The other Abyssal Sovereigns followed suit.

Slowly, they retreated.

There would be no further fighting.

With a single sentence, I had made the entire assembly of Abyssal Sovereigns withdraw.

Goooooooh—

Except for one.

The ancient golem—**the Master of the Tomb.**

—

—

 

Blue hair. Blue eyes.
White ivory-like horns protruding from her forehead.

Tap. Tap.

Ssssshhhhh—

With every step she took, anything her presence touched was drained of moisture.

Plants, trees—everything shriveled into brittle husks instantly.

“The Celestial Whale. I didn’t expect you to take interest in this ‘island.’”

Crackle! Crackle!

A man materialized as though rising from thin air.

He steered a chariot made of thunder—
The **Storm’s Amplifier.**

“I thought you disliked taking that form. Or are you planning to turn the entire island into wasteland?”

“……”

“I wasn’t expecting an answer. I already know you don’t speak.”

The Storm’s Amplifier shrugged.

The Celestial Whale—
An absolute being that never left its domain.

Any intruder died without exception.

Its entire territory was said to be a boundless sea.

And yet, the colossal whale had transformed into a human-like shape.

*The rumors were true—
When it takes the whale form, it becomes the Reaper of the Sea.
In human form, the Reaper of the Land.*

There was even an ancient rumor that when it shattered the World Pillar long ago, its two forms fused into a third one.

But despite all rumors, the Celestial Whale had not stepped outside its domain for thousands of years.

Naturally, curiosity was inevitable.

And its presence suggested the island’s value was far beyond ordinary.

“At first, I thought this might be one of the ‘Godskin Hybrid’s’ traps, so I erased all the starlight traces… but I’ve changed my mind. Celestial Whale, won’t you join hands with me?”

“……”

There was no response.

But intention had surely been conveyed.

The Storm’s Amplifier spoke again.

“Don’t you want to win? Or at least kill the Four Calamities?”

The Celestial Whale stopped.

She stared at him without expression.

*As expected—she responds to talk of the Calamities.*

Baal’s appearance had forced all of them back.

More precisely—
Baal, *and* the “terrifying harbinger” riding him.

*…Is he truly Destruction?*

He wasn’t completely convinced yet.

But if anyone could ride Baal, it would be Destruction.

To command a Calamity like a mere mount.

For Baal to shrink in submission—
It was definitive proof of subjugation.

*But it wasn’t Baal alone…
There was something far worse. Something deeply unsettling—like the real Destruction…*

The unease he felt from me surpassed even Baal.

My attitude.
My composure.

Even my denial of being Baal’s owner was perfect.

If I *had* claimed ownership, he would have doubted me.

Destruction claims nothing.

That was what the Storm’s Amplifier believed.

Everything pointed toward me being Destruction.

Thus, he withdrew.

He could confront me later—after proper preparation.

The Storm’s Amplifier spoke toward the Celestial Whale again.

“I’ll help you. If you become the island’s master, you’ll earn Destruction’s favor.”

“……”

“I see that look—you’re wondering how I know.”

He smiled.

There was a truth he knew—one unknown to the world.

“The ancient rulers of the Abyss—known as the Four Calamities—were actually five, weren’t they? Celestial Whale. One of Destruction’s suitors.”

“……”

“Don’t worry. I won’t spread it.”

Four Calamities were said to appear alongside Destruction.

But in truth, there were *five.*

The Celestial Whale simply hadn’t joined the war.

It was born later than the other four.

The Storm’s Amplifier approached her slowly.

*If I join hands with the Celestial Whale, I can achieve my goal.*

With her, he could surely win.

She alone could counter the abomination he feared most.

*Only she can prevent the ‘unborn being.’*

The unborn being had not manifested because the Celestial Whale existed there.

“She didn’t come to this island to concede it to Baal, did she? She came to prevent him from taking it.”

He drove the wedge in.

He now understood why she had come.

If the “harbinger” truly was Destruction, and he had called Baal, then the Celestial Whale’s presence was inevitable.

The Calamities—no, the *Five* Calamities—were rivals vying around Destruction.

The Storm’s Amplifier extended his hand.

“My goal is simple. To kill the ‘Godskin Hybrid.’
Whoever gets the island, I don’t care. I’ll give it to you, Celestial Whale.”

—

—

**Morning came—bright and clear.**

Only after moving far away from the cave did I feel relieved.

*Seems no one followed.*

If even one had come after me, escaping wouldn’t have been easy.

Proof that my act worked.

Though it wasn’t *just* acting.

If they had attacked, I was confident I could kill *one* of them.

And now that it was morning, I had nothing to fear.

*They won’t dare attack at night anymore.*

I had planted fear in them, forcing them to rely solely on **starlight duels.**

That immensely favored me.

*And the Night Wraith didn’t attack indiscriminately either.*

One of the Night Wraiths even helped me.

No doubt it guarded me during my molting.

What exactly was a Night Wraith?

Was it connected to this island—
Or to *me*?

Regardless, after discovering these things, it was clear:

**The night was the most dangerous time.**

But if they believed I was Destruction, they wouldn’t dare attack me at night.

They would try to win solely through starlight duels.

*Then now…*

Finally, I had breathing room.

For the first time in ages, I decided to check my changes.

I could *feel* the transformation—but humans always want numbers.

The most objective way to measure my strength—

*Status Window.*

When the window appeared, and the changes engraved there became clear—

*…This is insane.*

I was at a loss for words.

—

 

 

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