I Start with 13 Hidden Traits Chapter-36

Ch-36. **The One Thing in This World Only I Can Do**

—

The Tower of Mystery.

Its official name was *The Coffin of Mystery*.

A place where countless monsters entered to obtain the “mystery” befitting themselves.

For any monster that entered Cramdel, it was a place they passed through at least once—just like the goddess’s hot springs.

“Do you know why there are so many beasts in Cramdel wearing the same-colored helmets?”

“……?”

Leaning against the tower wall, Isaac spoke to Isabella.

When Isabella glanced over, Isaac tapped the wall with his right hand.

“They say ranks are determined by the type of mystery obtained in here.”

“Really?”

“‘Really?’ You sound a bit short with me?”

“You’re the second servant.”

“So… you’re the first servant, then?”

Nod.

When Isabella nodded with a face that was utterly expressionless, Isaac was left speechless.

“Then should I be calling you senior?”

“No.”

“Do you not want to talk to me, by any chance?”

“Keep going.”

She told him to keep babbling.

It seemed she was curious after all.

That self-proclaimed star-bearer crow was strange enough, but this woman was no less bizarre.

*Strange. My charm should work on any humanoid female—regardless of species.*

Isaac was very self-aware.

Objectively, he was handsome.

Overflowing with charm.

There did not exist a woman who didn’t fall for his allure.

Regardless of race, as long as she was humanoid.

But the woman before him was so cold it radiated a chill.

*That peculiar gaze, as if looking down on someone beneath her. The gaze of a queen.*

Yet Isaac saw right through women.

Isabella’s eyes were those of a queen who never bowed.

A unique air that only those who ruled, who governed, could possess.

*Which makes it even stranger. She’s not the type who would bow to something like a corpse crow.*

The one who used to rule was now being ruled.

And by nothing more than a corpse crow.

She had submitted completely—yet her nature hadn’t died. Aside from that self-proclaimed star-bearer, she would show the same gaze to everyone else.

“So you also made a one-year service pact?”

“Something like that.”

“What did you receive in return?”

“Freedom.”

“Freedom?”

Nod.

Isabella had gained freedom the moment she left the desert.

But it wasn’t complete freedom.

She wanted to know her bloodline—her origin.

To learn that, she’d made the contract of one year’s service with the star-bearer.

*He’s gathering people. People who will serve him for a year. But by what standard?*

Isaac crossed his arms.

The star-bearer had suddenly come to him, speaking as if he knew everything. He had clearly known Isaac was in Cramdel from the beginning.

But there was no one alive who knew Isaac’s personal history in such detail. He had never talked about those useless private matters.

*Does he really know everything because he’s a star-bearer?*

He couldn’t understand.

He couldn’t even guess.

Why the star-bearer had come to him, what he intended to make Isaac do.

What was certain was that he was seeking those who yearned for freedom.

*Those eyes. He wants me to keep talking.*

Isabella silently stared at him.

A silent pressure telling him to continue.

She had more curiosity than she showed.

“Anyway… depending on the race, the mysteries they can obtain vary. Lower races like goblins usually get some trivial mystery and end up wearing white worker helmets.”

“What about black helmets?”

“That’s the designated color for guides. Beasts who obtain the mystery that lets them see hidden paths—those usually wear black helmets. Blue helmets belong to higher-ranked overseers who manage the workers.”

“And other colors?”

“Red helmets are for Cramdel’s administrators. They’re the ones who wield considerable power here—like a noble class among humans. Those above them wear crown-shaped fangs. You could say they’re basically Cramdel’s royalty.”

“Just like humans.”

The ruling and ruled classes were divided clearly, just like among humans.

Even then, beasts endlessly sought to belong to Cramdel. For simple reasons:

Shards of Evolution, and the goddess’s spring water.

What ordinary visitors received, and what Cramdel’s servants received, were different in quality entirely.

Isaac shrugged.

“Very human-like.”

Elsewhere, beasts were not like this.

Only in Cramdel were beasts so desperate to belong.

Isaac slowly turned to look up at the tower.

*What mystery did he go in there to get?*

Human mysteries and beast mysteries were different.

In meaning, and in use.

Human mysteries were merely proof of position, or auxiliary abilities.

Things like becoming the ruler of a city or the master of a guild—the typical, predictable mysteries.

Or simply decorative effects purchased from mystic artisans.

*Human mysteries really aren’t that significant.*

Which was why humans didn’t care much about them.

But beast mysteries were equivalent to a beast’s qualification.

Strictly determined by species and innate grade.

Yet the corpse crow had entered the Coffin of Mystery.

*At best, a corpse crow is a mid-tier species. Any mystery it could obtain would be nothing special…*

Even if it reached the end, the mystery would be remarkable by human standards, but worthless among beasts.

If it wanted to work in Cramdel, it would immediately receive a white worker helmet.

If lucky, a blue overseer helmet.

But red administrator helmets required high-grade mysteries and overwhelming strength.

Anything above that was essentially impossible.

*Special beasts have special mysteries.*

Among beasts, mystery was like a lion’s mane.

Who possessed the fullest, richest mane—that was how they judged.

Mythical or legendary species were said to receive legendary-grade mysteries from the Coffin, though Isaac had never seen it himself.

In any case—

*At best, he’ll get some sensory-enhancing mystery like “Corpse’s Eye.”*

Beasts obtained mysteries tied to their species traits.

Corpse crows were a curse-type species.

Naturally, the mystery granted would likely amplify curses.

Mid-grade at best.

Obtaining some enormous mystery capable of affecting all of Cramdel, like Medusa’s—completely impossible.

Rumble!

Just then—

“The tower…?”

The tower and the ground beneath it began to shake.

And that wasn’t all.

“It—it’s turning gold…!”

Isaac was too shocked to finish his sentence.

The tower was suddenly glowing gold.

He had never seen anything like this in all his time in Cramdel.

“What is happening?”

“The tower is enraged!”

Other beasts around them panicked.

Countless beasts were climbing the tower or standing in line for their turn.

As everyone stared at the impossible phenomenon—

“The tower is giving a trial directly to the challenger!”

A black-goat-shaped beast trembled as it spoke.

The murmurs grew louder.

“The tower?”

“When has that ever happened?”

“A challenger strong enough that the tower itself must give a trial?”

“No way… The Minotauros King who entered earlier?”

“That child who entered earlier—must’ve been a young mythical species.”

“What are you saying? Obviously the Leviathan.”

Everyone threw out their own guesses about who had triggered the phenomenon.

The tower’s master had personally bestowed a trial on someone inside.

But with so many challengers, who it was became the subject of heated debate.

Isaac shook his head inwardly.

*No way…
The timing is too perfect.
It happened the moment he entered.
Could it be that self-proclaimed star-bearer?*

No.

Isaac shook his head again.

There was no way the tower would personally grant a trial to a mere corpse crow.

—

—

 

Sssssss—

The moment the tower turned golden, Medusa—the Queen of Gate—reacted upon her throne.

The serpents that formed part of her body flicked out their tongues and began to move.

“L-Lady Medusa…!”

“She hasn’t moved like this in years!”

Serpents similar in form to Medusa, but much smaller.

Born from Medusa’s blood, the serpents cheered at her stirring.

After “that incident,” she had ceased all movement for years, focusing solely on recovering her wounds.

Splash—splash.

The serpents worked frantically.

They continuously bathed Medusa’s body in hot spring water infused with the tears of a high goddess.

Beings of Medusa’s exalted tier could not be healed by ordinary means.

But her reaction was brief.

*So someone has opened the Mythic Coffin of Mystery.*

The Mythic Coffin had opened twice before the city ever bore the name Cramdel.

Once by the White King.

Once by the radiant golden dragon.

The White King succeeded in breaking through the Mythic Coffin, but the golden dragon failed and met a tragic end.

*It has never opened since.*

The Coffin grants mysteries to beasts.

But it rigidly discriminates between species.

Only dragons that transcended all species, or beings like the White King, could open the mythic-grade coffin.

Which meant someone comparable to those two had challenged it.

*It won’t matter. They cannot succeed.*

Even the radiant golden dragon died.

Even the White King grew sick of it.

The Mythic Coffin produced endless impossible trials, based on the challenger’s species and grade.

The White King, guardian of the North, gained power and mystery through his challenge—but even he did not reach the end.

—*The trials of mystery cannot be completed. They are designed that way.*

Since the White King himself declared it, there was no room for disagreement.

Thus Medusa was certain.

No one would succeed.

Still, for caution’s sake, she placed an eye high above the Tower of Mystery.

She needed to watch the changes.

—

—

 

Caw!

Caaaw!

Sharing vision with two corpse crows flying overhead, I looked down at the cliff below.

*Incredible.*

The moment I reached the Mythic Coffin of Mystery, I found myself staring at an unbelievable sight.

Clatter.

Clatter, clatter!

Endless ranks of skeletal soldiers.

Their number must have been at least ten thousand.

*And I’m supposed to kill all of these alone?*

And this was just the beginning.

At least one thing was fortunate:

**【Lv. 4】**

Every skeletal soldier was Level 4.

<“Skeleton Soldier” level matches the challenger’s level.>

<All tools except equipped gear are prohibited.>

<All blessings and protections are stripped.>

They were ordinary monsters—but ten thousand of them.

Even equal-leveled monsters would normally be impossible to kill in such numbers.

*Good thing I’m not a normal Level 4.*

My level was 4, but I far exceeded the standard.

Each time I leveled up, every stat reached its max value, and those stats were 1.2× the normal baseline.

All my stats at 48 meant I matched a typical Level 6–7 fighter.

And—

Because of the stars I owned, all my stats had increased by 5 more.

Meaning I could even take on an average Level 7 elite.

*Being higher level would’ve been a disaster.*

If I’d been Level 10?

Level 10 skeletons wouldn’t be normal skeletons anymore.

They would use skills, infuse mana into their bones, and produce sword aura.

Facing ten thousand aura-wielding swordsmen.

Better that I was lower level.

The required experience had been so absurd I’d cursed it countless times—but perhaps this was a blessing in disguise.

Clatter! Clatter!

The skeletal soldiers pushed up the cliff.

If I stayed still, their sheer mass would crush me.

“Rise, kaaak!”

With a shout, I selected a target and activated a skill.

One corpse crow dove straight down and entered a skeleton’s body.

Clatter!

The corpse crow was a Level 4 boss monster.

A mere Level 4 skeleton soldier was nothing to possess.

“Merge, kaaak!”

The king of corpse crows could beautify corpses even further.

“Artist of the Dead” was the right expression.

The corpse crow controlling the skeleton began seizing the surrounding skeletons one by one.

Then, as I infused star power, the possessed skeletons merged and formed a massive golem-like entity.

Two corpse crows connected the skeletons; I controlled the whole thing.

*Corpse Control, Art of the Dead.*

Skills unlocked only after I became the King of Corpse Crows.

There could be no better skills for breaking this trial.

“Break them all—kaaak!”

KWA-BOOOOM!

—

—

 

How many hours have I been fighting?

<The skill level of ‘Corpse Manipulation’ has increased by 1.>

<The skill level of ‘Art of the Dead’ has increased by 1.>

<The skill level of ‘Corpse Crow Summoning’ has increased by 1. You can now summon one additional corpse crow.>

<The skill level of ‘Corpse Manipulation’ has increased by 1.>

<The skill level of ‘Art of the Dead’ has increased by 1.>

<The skill level of ‘Corpse Crow Summoning’ has increased by 1. You can now summon one additional corpse crow.>

…

……

The proficiency kept rising without end.

In a way, it was only natural.

My hidden trait, *Dexterity*, grants +1 proficiency to all skills and equipment, but beyond that, it raises skill experience at an absurdly fast rate.

Even more so in an extreme situation like this.

Just when the endlessly swarming skeletal soldiers were becoming sickening to look at—

Caw!

Caw!

Caaaw!

Before I knew it, seven corpse crows were circling around me.

Skill level 7. If I push it to level 10 and summon ten of them, the skill’s transcendence phenomenon will occur.

But the joy of leveling the skill wasn’t even 1% of the happiness I was feeling right now.

“CraaaAAAHHH!”

At the peak of the mountain of shattered skulls, I screamed with every ounce of strength I had.

*I did it!*

At last, I had broken through the wall of ten thousand.

These damned pests!

If I weren’t practically the king of the corpse crows right now, I wouldn’t even have taken down half of them.

At this point, even the cries of the corpse crows sounded almost endearing.

《You have cleared the Trial of the ‘Species Wall’.》

《As a reward, you may obtain the Myth-grade Arcane Artifact ‘Overlord’.》

《Will you obtain it?》

《If you choose not to obtain it, you will proceed to the next trial.》

So this isn’t the end?

A name of an arcane artifact I had never heard before.

If I get this, I can get out!

*A Myth-grade Arcane—anything at that level is more than enough.*

If it’s a myth-grade arcane used by monsters, it’s an insurmountable power.

Whatever it is, it’s certain to have an incredible effect.

I had no strength left to fight.

I couldn’t move a single step.

At this point, even glancing at another skeleton made me want to retch.

But apparently, this wasn’t the end of the trials.

Still, challenging a trial with no end in sight would be nothing but foolish.

It would be nothing short of asking for death.

《You have refused to obtain ‘Overlord’.》

Anyone watching would yell at me, asking if I had a death wish.

*If not now, I’ll never clear it.*

If my guess is correct, this is the only chance I will ever have to climb into the coffin of a Myth-grade mystery.

The higher the level, the more exponentially the difficulty will rise.

And what if my level goes up while challenging the trial?

*My level is fixed anyway.*

Even after killing ten thousand skeletal soldiers, I didn’t level up.

Even if I kill hundreds of thousands, millions of monsters of the same level, my level won’t rise.

In other words, this place is practically the only place in the world where I alone can reach the end.

《The Challenger proceeds to a higher stage of the trial.》

《You have achieved the achievement: ‘The Reckless Challenger Who Aims for a Higher mystery’.》

《The Constellations of the Hundred-Throne War begin to focus on you.》

 

 

 

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