I Start with 13 Hidden Traits Chapter-284

Ch-284. **Total Convergence**

—

Eternal Randolph!

The moment that name appeared, the Tower of the War God was thrown into turmoil once again.

“Finally…!”

“Is that the real Randolph?”

“Phase 3 is the last boss?”

The Four Calamities Baal, and the Blade Dragon God.

There was no doubt that both were monstrous beings of an entirely different tier—walls of despair that utterly crushed challengers.

So it was only natural that everyone had been tense about what would appear in Phase 3.

But if Phase 3 was Randolph—

“It’s over! It’s over!”

“At last, we can lift the curse!”

Perhaps they had finally entered the phase of the true last boss.

However, the problem lay in the *challenge conditions*.

“Hmm…”

“Just attempting it is absurdly difficult.”

People swallowed hard as they read the messages that appeared.

《Phase 3, ‘Eternal Randolph’ appears.》

《You may challenge him on the 25th floor of the Tower of the War God.》

《The 25th floor of the Tower of the War God is a ‘Free Arena’.》

《Increase your victory points to challenge!》

《The higher your victory points, the more ‘Eternal Randolph’ is weakened.》

《Those who are defeated in the ‘Free Arena,’ or who are defeated by ‘Eternal Randolph,’ will be returned to the 1st floor and afflicted with the ‘Curse of Dominion’.》

《If three stacks of the ‘Curse of Dominion’ accumulate, you will be dominated by ‘Eternal Randolph’.》

Only the 25th floor allowed the challenge.

Yet the number of challengers who had even reached beyond the 20th floor was extremely small.

Ten thousand skeleton soldiers matching the challenger’s level.

And as one climbed higher, additional traits were added—so no matter how thoroughly one prepared, a limit was inevitably reached.

And that wasn’t all.

“Damn it…!”

Choi Kangnam.

A second-generation awakened who had placed third in the Tutorial of the God’s Island!

With the Hero Alliance’s full support and his overwhelming talent, he had somehow managed to clear up to the 22nd floor—but even he had been stopped cold by the wall of the 23rd floor.

“The higher the floor, the higher my level rises. And when my level rises, the skeleton soldiers’ level rises too.”

That was the biggest problem.

Even if you armed yourself with so-called “gear advantage” at a low level, slaughtering ten thousand skeleton soldiers inevitably raised your level.

And as your level increased, the difficulty skyrocketed exponentially.

“Did they really make this expecting anyone to clear it?”

A curse rose unbidden to his throat.

Choi Kangnam’s appearance was no longer even human.

Once tall and striking enough to draw everyone’s gaze at a glance, he had rolled across the ground countless times and was now practically fused with dust.

《Entrants to the Tower of the War God have surpassed 500,000.》

《The tower’s difficulty has been adjusted downward.》

The only sliver of hope was that challengers were flooding into the Tower of the War God.

The number had already reached five hundred thousand.

The tower’s difficulty continued to decrease, yet it still didn’t feel remotely clearable.

*If I can’t clear it, no one can.*

That was what he believed—until that confidence was shattered in an instant.

“How did Park Hyunmyung clear this?”

Park Hyunmyung.

That monster who had crushed everyone with overwhelming martial prowess on the God’s Island and claimed first place.

He had already reached the 25th floor.

“Just what kind of massive organization is backing Park Hyunmyung?”

He had thought he could catch up.

The Korean Hero Alliance was currently the most promising organization in the world.

With his talent and the Hero Alliance’s full support, he believed he could surpass even that monster named Park Hyunmyung.

But as if mocking that confidence, Park Hyunmyung was climbing at an untouchable speed.

Was there an organization even greater than the Hero Alliance supporting him?

This tower was not a place one could climb alone.

That simply wasn’t possible.

《‘Gracia’ has reached the 25th floor.》

《‘Golden Ratio Magician Union’ has reached the 25th floor.》

《‘Isabella’ has reached the 25th floor.》

《‘Dark Elf Lord’ has—》

Yet the number of challengers reaching the 25th floor continued to rise.

“Ghk—!”

Choi Kangnam bit his lip.

Clatter!

Clatter!

Staring at the detestable, enormous skeleton soldiers.

“I am the strongest. I *am* the strongest…!”

He raised his sword.

—

—

 

The moment Gracia and Union arrived on the 25th floor, they scanned their surroundings.

“Did we get here first?”

“Hmm. Park Hyunmyung should be on the 25th floor.”

A vast arena.

Only Gracia and Union were there.

Park Hyunmyung, who should have arrived before them, was nowhere to be seen.

The method Gracia and Union used to reach the 25th floor so quickly was simple.

They converted experience into potions and stored it.

Then they forcibly lowered their levels before climbing the tower.

Of course, having a lower level didn’t make it easy.

They had only barely reached this point after the tower’s difficulty had been adjusted downward several times due to the growing number of challengers.

Swoosh!

Slash!

Then, as if on cue, other challengers began to appear.

Regardless of race, gender, or age.

Each of them must have dealt with those massive skeleton soldiers in their own way.

“Gracia?”

At that moment, a familiar woman’s voice reached Gracia’s ears.

When he turned his head, he couldn’t help but look slightly flustered.

“…The Pure-White Knight, Serengeti.”

The Pure-White Knight Serengeti!

After defeating King Friedrich of the Iron Kingdom, she had become the hottest topic in all of Pangaenia—there was no way Gracia wouldn’t recognize her.

But it wasn’t just fame.

The two had crossed paths directly before.

*After losing to Baal, we met in the Abyss.*

The last time he had seen her was when they faced Baal in the Abyss.

Back then, Gracia had made a fool of himself in front of Serengeti.

After being defeated by Baal, he had lost his senses.

—So beautiful.

—If angels like you exist, heaven wouldn’t be so bad.

—Then why is there an angel in hell?

He had acted as if he’d fallen for her at first sight.

The memory was as vivid as if it had happened yesterday.

…Perhaps that was why.

“Hmm.”

Gracia found it difficult to meet Serengeti’s eyes directly.

For some reason, it made him uncomfortable.

Of course, Gracia had no idea that Serengeti at the time had been Hudson transformed through a polymorph potion.

“Hudson… and… there are quite a lot of them.”

And she wasn’t the only one who appeared.

Those who seemed to be her companions.

Among them was Hudson.

The de facto administrator of the Labyrinth City.

The human leading the place on behalf of the Fifth-Pillar Randolph.

Judging from Hudson and Serengeti’s conversation, their relationship didn’t seem ordinary.

Especially considering how flustered the Pure-White Knight looked.

*Randolph’s companions, then.*

They were all Randolph’s companions.

The companions of Randolph, the one who had caused this powerful curse, were climbing the tower.

Yet each of them was formidable.

Especially… those kids.

A boy and a girl who looked ordinary at first glance.

From the two of them, Gracia felt an inexplicable sense of foreboding.

Even though he was far stronger than before, they didn’t seem easy to deal with.

Swoosh!

Soon after, more figures appeared.

“The main forces.”

At Union’s words, Gracia nodded.

The monsters of Cramdel who followed the White King.

Gunggi, Great Earth Dragon, Medusa, and Aria.

The main forces, including Aria—the White King’s daughter—had all gathered.

*They’ve grown stronger.*

The monsters of Cramdel.

If they were the same as before, Gracia alone could have dealt with all of them.

But the main forces had grown stronger too.

And if the main forces had grown stronger—

*Has the White King regained his power?*

It meant the White King had recovered his full strength.

Above all, the aura they emitted was incomparable to before.

Especially that half-beast woman.

*She has the same fangs as the White King.*

Gracia knew the moment he saw her.

That woman—Aria—was the White King’s child.

She didn’t fall behind the other main forces in the slightest.

While the Black King was expanding his power, they clearly hadn’t been idle either.

One of them—

The massive dragon, Great Earth Dragon, spotted Hudson and spoke.

“So you are Hudson. Where is the Fifth-Pillar Power?”

“…Great Earth Dragon-nim. It has been a while.”

Hudson bowed politely.

Great Earth Dragon and Hudson had met several times before.

Hudson, together with Saintess Seia, had treated Great Earth Dragon when he collapsed on the first floor of the Tower of Rifts, and they had crossed paths a few more times afterward.

*If they know each other, this could get troublesome.*

Watching their familiar exchange, Gracia cautiously brought his hand to his sword hilt.

In a one-on-one, he was confident he could win against anyone—but there were too many of them.

Union and he were only two.

And it wasn’t just numbers.

Both quantity and quality were overwhelming.

“I asked where the Fifth-Pillar is.”

“I’m sorry, but I cannot tell you.”

“Hm. I expected as much. Still, if we climb the tower, we’ll find out.”

“…It won’t be easy.”

Fortunately, the two factions didn’t seem friendly with each other.

They glared at one another, preparing for battle.

That was when—

Swoosh!

Another warp opened.

Great Earth Dragon turned his head, killing intent spilling forth.

“…Raktusha.”

“…So you really didn’t die.”

Raktusha—the Orc Lord and Swordmaster—also frowned.

The Tower of Rifts.

He had thought he’d killed Great Earth Dragon there and reported it to the Black King, but the Black King had said Great Earth Dragon was likely still alive.

And now—he truly was.

Seeing it with his own eyes was absurd.

How had he survived those wounds?

“Abandon all thoughts of returning alive, Raktusha.”

“That’s my line.”

A brawl was inevitable.

But Raktusha wasn’t the only one who appeared.

*Ant King Pheromone.*

The moment he saw him, goosebumps rose over Gracia’s entire body.

Disgust, perhaps?

Just breathing the same air as him felt revolting.

Still, neither Raktusha nor Ant King Pheromone was in perfect condition.

They had already suffered massive damage after being defeated once by the Blade Queen.

The only one who looked unscathed was the third arrival.

*Dark Elf Lord…*

A mysterious figure, face and body shrouded in black cloth.

She, too, was troublesome.

“I’ll challenge first.”

“…Pheromone, are you going to act on your own again?”

“I don’t have time to waste fighting trash like this. I’ll fight someone stronger. That ‘Eternal Randolph’ fellow is surely stronger than the Blade Queen.”

With those words—

《‘Ant King Pheromone’ challenges ‘Eternal Randolph’.》

Whoosh!

He started the challenge on his own.

As Ant King Pheromone vanished, Raktusha closed his eyes.

And when he opened them again—

“……”

“……”

Silence fell.

Yet everyone was tense beyond measure.

Randolph’s companions, Gracia and Union, the White King’s main forces, and the Black King’s closest aides.

If all of them fought together, upheaval was inevitable.

But it still wasn’t over.

“Interesting fellows have gathered.”

“Hmm, the Tower of the War God really is becoming strange…”

Raiga, the Empire’s strongest sword.

Sansha, the former champion.

Once again, the atmosphere shifted.

Now, no one could guarantee victory.

Cold sweat formed in Gracia’s palm.

The mere presence of those two was enough to put everyone else on edge.

And then—

Whooosh!

“Aaah, O Goddess! One guided by the Goddess! One favored by the Goddess! Where are you?! I, Aaron, have come!!!”

…What is *that* guy now?

—

—

 

Ant King Pheromone had no intention of competing with the others.

He simply wanted to see.

He wanted to face stronger beings and fight them.

Even though he hadn’t been able to defeat the Blade Queen—

*That one battle made me stronger.*

Pheromone had grown stronger.

The stronger the opponent he fought, the more exponentially Pheromone grew.

At this rate, even if he fought the Blade Queen again, he could claim at least a fifty percent chance of victory.

He could win.

If he just kept getting stronger, he could defeat anyone!

“…? Are you Randolph?”

Soon, a man appeared before Ant King Pheromone.

The man was human.

He didn’t look particularly strong.

If anything, the Blade Queen seemed stronger.

*Nothing to learn here.*

Pheromone felt disappointed.

Compared to the Blade Queen, Randolph truly looked unimpressive.

But at the same time, Pheromone was forced to let out a strangled cry.

“Huh?”

Crack!

Something was breaking.

Shattering.

Being destroyed.

Yet it wasn’t anything material.

It wasn’t his physical body, nor his energy.

Craaaack!

And yet, it was undeniably disappearing.

Something more important than flesh or mana.

The very metric that represented the rank of his existence—his proof of self.

“W-what…?”

Pheromone panicked.

He couldn’t comprehend how this was even possible.

What Randolph was doing was utterly incomprehensible to him.

Yet even as he panicked, the destruction continued.

And before long—

“W-what is this…?!”

It vanished.

Completely—without a trace.

Had he ever faced such utter powerlessness?

Pheromone shrank back, his entire body curling inward, and cried out toward Randolph in a trembling voice.

“H-how did you destroy my ‘Mystery’…?!”