I Start with 13 Hidden Traits Chapter-264

Ch-264. **Champion Randolph**

—

“Wow!”

“So those are the second-generation Awakened?”

“They’re amazing!”

A massive crowd gathered in front of a single building to watch.

The headquarters of the **Hero Alliance**.

On the stage that had been set up, about twenty people stood in a neat line, while Alliance Leader **Park Taewoo** was delivering a speech before them.

And among them stood one man.

**Choi Kang-nam**.

Ranked **3rd** in the Hall of Fame—the hottest topic among the second-generation Awakened.

“Vice Leader, what do you think? About the second-generation Awakened.”

“Hm.”

Vice Leader **Arin** crossed her arms as she looked up at the stage.

From the perspective of **Basara**, commander of the Seven Demon Legions, the second-generation Awakened were still little more than children.

Uncut gems.

However, judged purely by **potential**, they were quite impressive.

Unlike first-generation Awakened, who gained power through fragments of the shattered Golden Scale, second-generation Awakened had awakened on their own, granting them far greater growth potential.

Why had such a difference arisen?

“Probably because of the environment.”

Humans acting on Earth was only natural.

But for beings of Pangaenia to act on Earth required far greater energy expenditure.

It was the same phenomenon as spirits being unable to exert their full power when summoned from the Spirit Realm into the Middle World.

However…

“Second-generation Awakened can’t log into Pangaenia.”

That wasn’t entirely a good thing.

They had high potential, yes—but the environment for growth itself was overwhelmingly better in Pangaenia.

Earth had no proper dungeons, no towers, no ancient weapons steeped in long-standing legacies.

But Pangaenia?

It had all of that.

And more.

Wars broke out constantly.

Unlike Earth, people there fought directly with swords and bows.

Hunting monsters, exploring, achieving feats—the entire system for growth was far more developed in Pangaenia.

Still, there were always exceptions.

For example, a body that possessed **possibility** enough to transcend all of that.

“Not bad.”

She gave Choi Kang-nam a casual evaluation as she looked at him.

If honed properly, he could become a decent treasure.

“Ohhh…!”

“The Vice Leader rates him that highly?”

“This year’s a bumper crop.”

The alliance members were shocked.

It was the first time she had ever described someone as “not bad.”

But her true interest lay elsewhere.

“Where is Park Hyun-myung?”

“Th-that is… we still haven’t been able to find him.”

Tsk.

She clicked her tongue.

Among the top ten scorers on the Island of the Gods—

Park Hyun-myung was one of them.

Most likely… the man she had once handed her card to.

The man who bore the **Heaven-Slaying Star**.

“No matter how hard we search, he’s vanished without a trace.”

They had mobilized all available manpower, but still couldn’t find him.

They checked every Park Hyun-myung in Korea—nothing.

As if he had been erased.

As if someone had deliberately wiped him away.

—He fought all nine of the top scorers alone.

—He was… a monster. That man…!

Yet he clearly existed.

Because Choi Kang-nam and the other eight had all testified to Park Hyun-myung’s existence.

A man who had accomplished everything alone through overwhelming force.

Based on their testimonies, Basara reconstructed the scene in her mind.

The final battle.

“Eight seconds.”

That was all it took to crush the nine top scorers.

Just eight seconds.

Even for someone with a Heaven-Slaying Star, that was absurdly strong.

They should have achieved similar results, yet the gap was this unreasonable.

Whoosh!

Flick!

Before her eyes, Park Hyun-myung moved like lightning.

He stepped in and threw a punch—one man rushing in collapsed helplessly.

He extended his other arm at a right angle, blocking an attack from the opposite side, then struck the face.

A headbutt, a knee smashing into the jaw, a fist shattering the breastbone.

Every movement flowed seamlessly, like water.

“A born warrior.”

Basara’s **Reenactment Ability** had reached a godlike level—just from hearing a story, she could recreate over ninety percent of it.

Hoo…

Park Hyun-myung’s breathing after defeating nine top scorers in eight seconds was calm.

His movements, his gaze, even the activity of every single cell—

Like a seasoned veteran who had survived countless battlefields.

No.

That wasn’t enough to describe it.

“A born war god…?”

He was simply strong.

His starting line existed on an entirely different plane.

As if he had been born to become a god obsessed with battle.

It was impossible to believe that such power came from the same tutorial.

And yet, for some reason—

“War God Karas… Knight King Wilhelm…”

Their presence, their aura—though different in momentum, techniques, and vessels—

Why did she sense traces of those two in Park Hyun-myung?

Because he possessed talent on par with theirs?

“…I want him.”

Desire welled up.

It had been a long time since she had wanted a human this badly.

Even without being polished, he might already be complete.

But if she could dye him in her own colors—

Just imagining what kind of jewel he could become filled her with anticipation.

Clap clap clap clap!

“Applause for the heroes who will lead the next generation of the Hero Alliance!”

“Choi Kang-nam! Choi Kang-nam!”

“Woooo!”

Thunderous applause.

Certificates of appointment were handed out as they were welcomed into the Alliance.

Cameras flashed nonstop.

Massive publicity.

Every citizen of South Korea was likely watching live.

Yet her eyes and ears were already focused elsewhere.

Park Hyun-myung.

His movements. His breathing.

…Where in the world was he?

—

The place we arrived at with the successful candidates was completely unexpected.

“Wait—this is…?”

“Wasn’t it supposed to be held in the Empire?”

As soon as they arrived, voices of surprise rang out.

Before the massive crowd stood a gigantic tower.

Participants were pouring in from every city across Pangaenia.

To gather tens of thousands of people in one place, the facility would have to be enormous.

Building a new one would take too much time.

So using an existing structure made sense.

The problem was that this wasn’t just any structure.

“Tower of the War God?”

“What, it’s open again?”

The **Tower of the War God**!

The tower ruled by War God **Karas**.

It had been closed for a long time for unknown reasons.

But now it had reopened.

After killing the Demon of Jealousy, **Sansha**, and War God Karas reclaimed his original divinity, the tower had expanded from 20 to 30 floors.

The place tied to Main Quest 9, *Climb the Tower of the War God*.

I never thought I’d return here.

It seemed the tower had finally been refurbished enough to reopen the arena.

But if I encountered War God Karas, my identity might be exposed.

Divinity had the power to see through others.

“…I can clear Main Quests 2 and 3 at the same time.”

There were advantages that outweighed the risks.

By simply climbing, I could complete Main Quest 2 *Obtain a Class* and Main Quest 3 *Climb the Tower* simultaneously.

More importantly, even as Randolph, I had never conquered the 30th floor.

Because I lost to War God Karas.

“So how does this work, then?”

“Do we have to defeat the champion to win?”

“Who’s the champion?”

“It’s written there—‘Randolph.’”

But the tower’s champion wasn’t War God Karas.

Before the tower stood a massive, dazzling golden statue.

That appearance was unmistakable.

“…Randolph.”

Damn it.

I barely suppressed the curse that nearly slipped out.

“What the hell is that?”

Sparkle! Shine!

It was blindingly bright.

As if coated in glossy polish, it aggressively drew the eye.

And beneath the statue, in huge letters:

> **“New Tower of the War God, First Champion: Randolph”**
> **“Whoever reaches the 30th floor and defeats the champion shall forge another legend.”**

…It read.

My body trembled.

“Ka… Ra… S…!”

War God Karas…!

Having reclaimed his divinity, it seemed he had gone all out remodeling the tower.

Or maybe he had always been like this.

Sparkle. Sparkle.

…What on earth did he coat that thing with to make it shine like that?

“Hah.”

Staring at Randolph’s statue again, I pressed a hand to my forehead.

—

At the top of the tower, War God Karas gazed down at the spectacle with a satisfied smile.

“A successful reopening.”

The more the tower was used, the stronger his divinity became.

That was why tower masters prepared trials and welcomed challengers.

The newly reopened Tower of the War God had been improved far beyond before.

First—the dazzling champion statue at the entrance!

“Anyone who sees that will want to become the champion.”

It was designed to stimulate ambition.

The statue perfectly recreated Randolph as he had been when clashing with Karas.

Look.

That majestic, awe-inspiring form.

Not a single person wasn’t captivated by it.

“Isn’t it well made, even now?”

“Caw!”

“Just as expected of Randolph. The lines are alive.”

“Caw!”

Large crows dressed in priestly garb cried out beside him.

Ancient crows who followed Karas.

Not the ominous tribe that once managed the tower, but the **Tribe of Omen**, just as powerful.

Karas had originally been the god who led the Tribe of Omen.

“This tower exists to transcend limits. I allowed it because it fits that purpose—but whether any human will reach the 30th floor and challenge the champion remains to be seen.”

“Caw!”

“So you think the same?”

“Caw!”

“Yes, yes. By the way—where did Randolph go?”

“Caw!”

“Hm, it’s fine. No human will reach the 30th floor anyway.”

Randolph wasn’t here.

But from the start, Randolph wasn’t a participant in the tournament they were overseeing.

And humans reaching the 30th floor was an absurd impossibility.

The improved tower constantly tested limits.

If someone did reach the 30th floor, Randolph would have to be summoned—but that would never happen.

Brute strength alone wasn’t enough to climb this place.

“Follow my rules—not yours.”

A tournament run by imperial humans?

He didn’t care.

Rules, formats—none of that mattered.

Once inside the tower, everyone had to obey Karas’s rules.

—

“The tournament is divided into three categories: Warrior, Knight, and King. First, you’ll fight within your assigned category.”

Over a hundred thousand people filled the arena.

The first floor of the tower.

At its center, the announcer continued.

“From now on, a number will appear above your heads. That number will tell you where you belong.”

*Ding!*
*Ding!*

Sounds rang out everywhere.

Numbers appeared above people’s heads.

I looked up.

“4. My level.”

A four.

What did that mean?

Everyone’s **level** was now visible above their heads.

And the reason this was possible was likely—

“An Archangel.”

The same archangel once used by the Reaper Cult.

I could sense an archangel nearby.

The archangel in charge of information had likely quantified and displayed everyone’s levels.

“Numbers 5 and below are Warrior tier. Levels 6 to 10 are Knight tier. Levels 11 and above are classified as ‘King’ and will fight separately.”

Three tournaments.

But a question arose.

Wasn’t there only one winner?

“You’re wondering how the winner will be decided. There may be one winner—or three. Everything will be judged by **Sir Raiga**. However, the top ten from each category will all receive the honor of joining the **Fang Knight Order**.”

“…!”

Everyone held their breath.

At least thirty people would gain a chance to join the Fang Knight Order.

An opportunity more than enough to completely change one’s life.

The status of the Fang Knight Order surpassed that of most city lords.

“Now, Sir Raiga will give a speech.”

“…Raiga?”

“Are you serious?!”

Murmurs erupted.

Raiga had never once appeared publicly before.

This was his first appearance.

*Whoooom.*