I Start with 13 Hidden Traits Chapter-242

Ch-242. **The Monk of Eternity**

—

“So the one controlling the ‘Hybrid of God’s skin’ is Ruin?”

A mention of Ruin.

If the Monk of Eternity had lost, had his body stolen, and been imprisoned, then I had no choice but to ask: who, exactly, is the ‘Hybrid of God’s skin,’ the current master of this island?

The massive eyes shifted left and right.

—*It is Ruin, yet not Ruin. It moves by the will of Ruin’s fragment.*

A fragment possessing a will of its own, using a body as its host.

I had seen such a thing before.

In the Abyss, the Fierce Calamity Baal had also been dominated by a fragment.

The empty shell that awakened and sank into the Abyss to evolve—everything Baal did had been the will of the fragment.

“If it’s being controlled by a fragment, then why did the ‘Hybrid of God’s skin’ bother creating all these rules?”

That part made no sense.

Gathering competitors on the God’s Island and setting up game-like rules—

—*That is my influence. I have been continuously calling you.*

The Monk of Eternity answered as if it were trivial.

Though the control of his body had been taken, his influence remained.

Instincts, habits—things of that nature.

Because of that residual influence, the ‘Hybrid of God’s skin’ created this game.

And that meant my arrival here was also by his intent.

…Only now do things begin to make sense.

The pieces of the puzzle clicked into place.

“I suppose the reason I instinctively recognized the ‘Hybrid of God’s skin’ was also because of you.”

—*The ‘Eternal Monarch’ and the ‘Monk of Eternity’ are inseparable. You recognized me by instinct.*

Instinct, he said.

I nodded.

My earlier doubts dissolved in an instant.

Now it was time to address a new one.

“If I become the master of the ‘Island of God,’ will you be able to take back your stolen body?”

—*Once a body has been taken by a fragment, it cannot be reclaimed.*

…Cannot be reclaimed?

But the Race Rebuilding quest clearly stated that once I became master of the island, the Monk of Eternity would awaken.

Wasn’t he supposed to reclaim his body and rebuild his race?

More than anything, *I* had once reclaimed my body.

When I was devoured and killed by the fragment within Baal.

Through a hidden ability of “Eternal Randolph,” I had reclaimed my body and resurrected.

*So unless a miracle of that magnitude occurs again, it is impossible.*

What happened before was a miracle born from countless coincidences.

I could not expect such luck a second time.

No—I needed to prepare so such danger would never arise again.

—*Eternal Monarch! The wish of our race begins with my death. Only by killing me can you sow the countless ‘seeds’ stored within my body upon the island.*

The Monk of Eternity declared strongly.

Not awakening—but killing him?

I had never considered such a method.

But apparently the seeds required for the restoration of the race were within his body.

Only by killing him could the sealed wish of race reconstruction be released.

“So you summoned me here to spread the seeds?”

—*Half of it, yes. The ‘seeds’ within my flesh must never fall into their hands.*

“Their hands?”

—*The Lords of the Abyss. Should one of them win this trial and complete themselves, they would move even closer to becoming an ‘Abyssal King.’ Right now, the Abyss is filled with countless lords and fragment hosts all claiming the title of king. If the ‘seeds’ fall into their grasp… merely imagining it is horrifying.*

The Abyss must never be conquered.

The moment it is, its gaze will turn solely toward Pangaenia.

Another form of Ruin would be born.

To prevent that, the Monk of Eternity had summoned me here—

To the battleground beginning on the Island of God, where the true master must be decided.

But that was only half the reason.

I frowned slightly.

“And the other half?”

—*For your completion, Eternal Monarch.*

“…?”

—*The time has come for you to choose.*

Choose?

Choose what?

Winning this game was already a foregone conclusion. There was nothing to choose.

Even my arrival here had been orchestrated by him—so what decision was left for me to make?

The Monk of Eternity—his enormous eye stared at me.

—*Abandon it. And be completed. This place exists solely for that purpose.*

“…Abandon what?”

Abandon.

Cast aside what I have—what I am carrying.

But I had no idea what he meant.

When I asked, the Monk of Eternity spoke with a faint mocking tone.

—*You already know, do you not? Your most precious thing. And yet, it is now unnecessary. Everyone who has arrived on this island carries lingering attachments—and souls!*

…My most precious thing.

But I didn’t know what it was.

Not pretended ignorance—*true* ignorance.

Seeing this, the Monk of Eternity clicked his tongue.

—*The Heavenly Demon Blade, the coin, the diary—all those were not memories. They were souls. What you have been reading all this time were the souls themselves.*

So the most precious thing is actually a soul.

That was not wrong.

The evil god within the Heavenly Demon Blade had indeed been the soul of the first Heavenly Demon.

But unlike objects, I could recognize that one because its ego was overwhelming.

Which meant the coin the Tomb Master cherished, the diary Laiga wrote—all contained souls as well.

But I have lost nothing.

And no soul related to me came to mind.

—*Souls that must be abandoned for completion. Typically, souls reside within objects—but your ‘most precious soul’ resides within yourself.*

A soul residing within *me*?

Then…

—*Think back. When was the last time you logged out? Do you even remember when you last returned? At some point, you remained logged into Pangaenia and never once logged out.*

“…!!!”

My eyes widened.

Those words—

Login. Logout.

As the Monk said, I had not logged out in an extremely long time.

I couldn’t even remember the last moment.

Perhaps around the second invasion?

After that, I became immersed in Pangaenia and never questioned it.

But…

*What is this?*

There was something else I couldn’t understand.

*Why was I even trying to log out?*

Something had been cut out—like carved away.

A name I couldn’t recall no matter how I tried.

*Who am I?*

I move this body.

“I” exist.

But who is “I”?

What am I, where did I come from, how do I exist?

The Monk of Eternity continued, as if my confusion were perfectly natural.

—*You lost that name. You forgot it. But you do not need to retrieve it. You are Eternal Monarch Randolph. You began as Randolph and were completed as Randolph.*

—*Even when imprisoned, when you recalled your memories, that name alone could never surface. Because you no longer need it.*

—*Forget it. Forever.*

—*You are already complete.*

—*You no longer need be controlled.*

—*From now on, live only your own life. Eternal Monarch Randolph!*

—

*Goooooooo…*

The Master of the Tomb stared at the Terrible Omen.

That shimmering object.

The Terrible Omen had received his most precious thing—so the Master of the Tomb also had something he must receive.

“Do you wish to know that badly? Where your master is?”

*GOOOOOOO—!*

The Master of the Tomb reacted violently.

He desperately wanted to know. He had wandered the Abyss for ages searching for any trace.

But he found nothing.

The Terrible Omen continued.

“Did someone tell you that if you came to the Island of God, you would find the master?”

*Goo. Goo…*

The Master of the Tomb nodded.

It was the reason he had come here.

“Who?”

*Goooo…*

“…The Operator?”

*GOOOOOOO—.*

The Master of the Tomb confirmed it.

*The Operator, huh.*

Someone who called themselves the “operator” had led the Tomb Master here…

What exactly did they operate?

The Abyss?

Pangaenia?

Or perhaps even the world itself?

One thing was clear—everyone gathered on the Island of God had their own purpose.

Not just the Tomb Master—every participant.

Each sought something.

The Island of God and the Holy Star?

Those were secondary.

The true desires—their irreplaceable wishes—those were why they came.

Just like the Master of the Tomb.

*Gooooooo…*

At last, the Tomb Master stared at the Terrible Omen.

It was time for the promised answer.

He had protected and returned the most precious thing—so now the master’s whereabouts must be revealed.

After a moment of thought, the Terrible Omen shook his head.

“Sorry, but I can’t tell you.”

*…Goo?*

What did he just say?

He couldn’t tell him?

“Even if you learned the truth, it would bring nothing but pain.”

*GOOOOOOO—!!*

The atmosphere turned violent.

The Tomb Master was furious.

The Terrible Omen was breaking their agreement.

Pain was his own burden to bear.

He had searched the Abyss for countless ages and finally found a lead—

And now he was told nothing?

Was this because the Terrible Omen had reclaimed his own precious thing, and now everything was finished?

*GOOOOOOOOO—!!*

He would kill him.

Just like the abyssal monsters he crushed before.

Just like the domain lords.

He would leave not even dust behind.

*SSSSSSS—!*

Then—

Behind the Terrible Omen, countless starlights rose.

【‘The Master of the Tomb’ and ‘The Terrible Omen’ are initiating a ‘Starlight Expedition Duel.’】

【The Master of the Tomb’s Attack Power is 85, Health is 60.】

【The Master of the Tomb strikes first.】

But striking first does not always mean winning.

Crushing him now wouldn’t be bad—he could take his precious thing again, and kill him later at night.

Confidently, the Master of the Tomb arranged his starlight.

He believed that striking first would allow him to defeat the Terrible Omen.

At that moment—

【The Terrible Omen’s Attack Power is 126, Health is 120.】
【The Master of the Tomb has been defeated!】
【‘The Terrible Omen (Night Wraith)’ has stolen the Master of the Tomb’s most precious thing.】
【Stolen by a Night Wraith, a ‘most precious thing’ can only be retrieved by annihilating the Night Wraith.】

*Goo…?*

The Tomb Master stared at the Terrible Omen in disbelief.

More shocking than defeat—

The Terrible Omen was a Night Wraith?

Was the Night Wraith impersonating the Terrible Omen all this time?

*GOOOOO—!!*

He had been deceived.

His own precious thing—and the Terrible Omen’s precious thing—were both now lost.

The Tomb Master swung his hand.

But before it could connect—

【The defeated party will be transferred to the ‘Star Prison’ for one day.】

*Shuuu—!*