I Start with 13 Hidden Traits Chapter-362

Ch-362. **He’s back.**

—

A hidden scenario.

It was a kind of story that had never appeared even once since the birth of the world.

Something no hero, no human—no one at all—had ever experienced.

A realm of pure creation, of absolute authorship.

A name that signified the birth of a new myth.

That was why not even gods could know how it would unfold or how it would end.

The only one who could create a hidden scenario was the one who personally wrote the story itself.

“Th-that light…!”

“Ahh, O Goddess!”

The land submerged beneath the Tower of Ruin.

A dark shadow swallowed Adrium whole.

The prayers of devout believers, the concentration of sacred power—none of it worked.

Just as everyone floundered in despair—

Flaaash!

…From a single man’s sword, a brilliant light burst forth, piercing the darkness and turning the world radiant.

Those who witnessed that light began to kneel, one by one.

Clasping their hands together, they fervently recited prayers.

The sight was upright and gentle, like the benevolent smile of a goddess.

It felt as though the blessings of the Two Goddesses were directed solely at that man.

“That man…”

“The new master of the Round Table…”

The cardinals, too, stared blankly at the new master of the Round Table.

Among them was the fanatic Aaron.

“Look! That man is the one who will show us the path we must follow! Believe! Faith alone will save us!”

Do not question. Do not doubt. Just believe.

Aaron had already witnessed that man’s miracles several times in the Tower of the War God.

To enemies, he was infinitely terrifying.

He bore the form of evil that brought endless darkness, but that was merely a signal—divine punishment delivered only to those who did not believe in him.

How could one who bore the blessings of the Two Goddesses and the power to walk an unwavering path ever be evil?

“Th-that sword…!!”

It was then—

The Pope began to tremble violently as he stared at the brilliantly shining blade.

As though he had realized something—or was struck with utter shock.

After confirming the sword’s form with his own eyes, the Pope shouted,

“The lost divine weapon… the Sword of ‘Patience’!”

Endurance.

A concept opposed to sin.

A sword of the gods, and thus called the natural enemy of evil.

But long ago, in an age when evil ran rampant and the demons of sin no longer feared the gods, it had disappeared—a tragic weapon.

The demons’ first act had been to erase that very Sword of Patience.

Yet there was no mistaking it.

It was the divine weapon the Church of the Goddess had searched for with desperate longing.

And yet—the lost, vanished divine weapon was now being wielded by a knight of the Round Table.

“Y-Your Holiness! A-are you saying that sword truly is the Sword of Patience?!”

“How can this be…!”

The cardinals were left speechless.

If that sword was truly *Patience*, then he was the Great Hero recorded in the Revelation.

“The one who illuminates the world from darkness!”

“The Sacred-Blood Bearer of Patience!”

“…The Knight of the Hundred Gods Hall!”

“So that legend truly existed…!”

He was no mere knight of a single god.

The Golden Age of civilization.

Before Ruin appeared, the term referred to the Seven Knights whom even the gods of the Hundred Gods Hall—at the height of their divine authority—were forced to acknowledge.

Yet their existence had long been disputed.

Because records of such powerful knights existed only in the Revelation.

There were no detailed accounts of what they had actually done.

As a result, the heroes of the Hexagon of the Old Empire were far better known.

However, the Sword of Patience could be wielded only by the *Sacred-Blood Bearer of Patience*.

Which meant—

The Revelation was true.

And since the Pope possessed the authority to directly read the Revelation, there was no chance of error.

“The will of the Goddess has been engraved upon that man!”

“The authority that fell to the earth has finally been restored!”

“At last… we can see the light…!”

They rejoiced.

They had been ignorant and faithless, and thus had allowed something petty to enter.

But now—by believing in the Knight of the Round Table who had come to save them—they could truly see the *light*.

They had shut their eyes, blocked their ears, and turned their heads away.

Because they could not accept the Goddess’s death.

Because they could not trust in the Goddess.

But now—

That was no longer the case.

They believed in that man, who carried the will of the Goddess while wielding the Sword of Patience.

And that belief opened their eyes.

“O Goddess!”

“I can see it! I can feel it!”

“Were you there all along?!”

“The Goddess has not abandoned us!”

The master of the Round Table.

Behind his back, the Two Goddesses could be seen smiling.

Their benevolence could be felt.

A hymn of hope began to rise.

Just before the Round Table entered the Tower of Ruin—

“I forgive your sins.”

…He spoke.

The sin of disbelief.

The sin of accepting something petty.

He forgave them for all of it.

At that moment—

Flaaash!

Flaaash!

Flaaaaash!

Across the entirety of Holy Adrium—

Sacred light began to rise above the shoulders and heads of the believers.

“D-divine power…!”

“It’s back!”

“The Flame of Sacred Power has been rekindled!”

People trembled and wept openly.

The Pope, the cardinals, the saintess, the high priests, the holy knights—everyone.

It wasn’t just divine power returning.

It was the revival of the Flame of Sacred Power that had long been extinguished.

The fallen authority.

The divinity they had believed to be lost forever.

“I… I was blind.”

The Pope repented his sin.

Salvation had been right before his eyes, yet he had failed to recognize it—failed to believe.

No trace of petty interference could be felt anymore.

The one who carried on the will of the Goddess—

He had removed it.

He had answered the Pope’s plea.

And now, the Pope finally understood.

The Knights of the Round Table—

…had fully returned.

Yet there was still concern.

Could they truly conquer the *Tower of Ruin*?

“Believe. You must believe.”

Aaron repeated endlessly.

The Pope quietly nodded.

He would believe.

He would no longer waver.

*

*

“….”

The Elf Queen trembled as she sensed the sign of Ruin.

It had not been long since they left the World Tree’s dungeon—

And yet already, such a *great evil* had emerged.

“We must… form an alliance. A Sacred Alliance.”

The Elf Queen had felt it deeply in the World Tree’s dungeon.

Just how powerless they truly were.

That if things continued like this, they would be devoured by evil.

The Order of the Golden Scale was powerful.

The White King, the Giant of Ruin, and other sacred beings had all ultimately been defeated by them.

Druid Albino, and the Empire’s strongest, Raiga.

Even their subordinates could not be taken lightly.

Had they truly been enemies—

‘We would have been annihilated.’

The elves had been too arrogant.

They believed they were invincible so long as they remained in the Primordial Forest.

But reality was different.

They were attacked by dark elves, and tasted bitter defeat at the hands of the Order of the Golden Scale.

If they continued to grow complacent, even greater calamity awaited.

“Well decided, Queen.”

The White King smiled at her side.

The proposal for an alliance had come from him.

He himself was under constant attack by the Black King.

The White King then looked around and spoke.

“Giant of Ruin, Radiant Transcendent Kasim, Ancient Phoenix, Guardian of Light—what will you do?”

He had gathered the most prominent among the monsters who had entered the World Tree’s dungeon and proposed an alliance.

But they had lived alone for countless ages.

Joining forces with others felt deeply unnatural.

The White King looked toward the distant tower rising into the sky.

“The Tower of Ruin has appeared. Abyssal monsters are targeting us as well. Countless others dream of becoming rulers of the continent. If we do nothing, we will fall.”

Individually, they could not oppose this.

The darkness—the evil—was too vast.

—Ruin… must be erased.

—I agree.

Two voices echoed in unison.

They belonged to the Ancient Phoenix Al Raum and the Guardian of Light, who bore the form of a massive stone statue.

To them, neither abyssal monsters nor the Black King’s forces compared to Ruin.

It was an enemy that *had to* be eliminated.

“Then shall we join forces?”

“Where is the Druid of the Golden Scale?”

Radiant Transcendent Kasim spoke.

If they were forming an alliance of those who cleared the World Tree’s dungeon, the Druid of the Golden Scale could not be absent.

The White King shook his head.

“It’s best that he remains hidden. If he appears openly, he’ll be targeted first.”

“True. The Black King, the dark elves, and countless other forces of evil would strike him first. Perhaps even evil gods…”

The Elf Queen agreed.

There was no benefit to revealing the Druid of the Golden Scale.

It was obvious they would seek to steal the Golden Scale’s power—or target the World Tree itself.

The White King nodded.

“We will unite and grow stronger, preventing our enemies from encroaching upon us. But the most important thing is protecting the Druid of the Golden Scale.”

“An alliance without even telling him?”

“He is the master of the World Tree and the balancer. For now, it is enough that he fulfills that role.”

“Then will we simply leave the Tower of Ruin as it is?”

The Tower of Ruin remained the issue.

Its appearance was what had accelerated talk of an alliance.

“That is human land. And as long as the Goddess’s barrier remains… there is no way, for now.”

The White King clicked his tongue.

Holy Adrium—the sacred land of the Church of the Goddess—belonged to humans.

Would they even welcome help from outsiders?

If fighting didn’t break out, that alone would be fortunate.

And crossing the Goddess’s barrier was no easy matter.

Unless the Pope granted permission, entry was impossible.

“…I understand. I will go.”

Radiant Transcendent Kasim spoke.

He was the only human among them.

A great hero believed to have died centuries ago—who, disillusioned with humanity, had buried himself in obscurity.

But if they did nothing, the Church of the Goddess would fall.

There had been no crisis of this magnitude in hundreds of years.

In the end, Kasim resolved to act personally.

*

*

Kasim arrived in Holy Adrium.

Though no one recognized him, he intended to enter the Tower of Ruin himself.

‘…What?’

Something was strange.

Hundreds of thousands gathered in Adrium—

“I believe!”

“O Knight of the Goddess!”

—were all clasping their hands and praying toward the Tower of Ruin.

The atmosphere was far more hopeful than he had imagined.

Tilting his head, Kasim headed toward the Papal Palace.

He was once a Radiant Knight of the Church of the Goddess.

Surely the Radiant Order and its traces still remained.

He would reclaim what he had left behind and properly conquer the tower.

“Radiant Knight Kasim?”

“Who’s that?”

Even after revealing his identity, the holy knights’ reactions were lukewarm.

The Pope and cardinals—who should have rushed out barefoot—were nowhere to be seen.

‘Have I been gone too long?’

Well… time had passed.

With understanding, Kasim spoke again.

“Return my equipment. I will climb the Tower of Ruin myself.”

“I don’t know who you are, but entry to the Tower of Ruin is not permitted.”

“…Why?”

“Because the *Knight of the Goddess* is already climbing the tower.”

“…The Knight of the Goddess?”

What did that mean?

Centuries ago, *he* was called the Knight of the Goddess.

And yet—a new one had appeared?

‘Something must have happened while I was in seclusion.’

Even so—

It was false hope.

From Kasim’s perspective, this tower was not something a mere human could conquer.

He sighed.

‘Then I’ll force my way in.’

As someone who once belonged to the Church of the Goddess—

Though he had lost the Goddess’s power, he could not simply watch their downfall.

Sching.

Kasim drew his sword.

At that moment—

“He’s out!”

“The Knight of the Goddess has conquered the Tower of Ruin!”

“Ahhh!”

“Hurrah!!!”

Thunderous cheers erupted.

Something was wrong.

‘…Already?’

They conquered it already?

Impossible.

It made no sense.

Kasim turned his head.

And then—

Ruuuumble!

The Tower of Ruin was sinking into the ground.

Soon, it vanished without a trace.

From where it disappeared, a single beam of light bloomed.

At the same time, from afar—

“O Knight of the Goddess!”

“You have returned!”

…the Pope and the cardinals came running barefoot in frantic haste.

This is seriously insane.

The Sword of Patience.

The holy sword created by combining it during the fight against the Giant of Ruin in the World Tree’s dungeon.

The holy sword *Path of Light*, used when fighting the Demon King as Wilhelm—

And another unique-grade holy sword, *Radiant Lu-Maria*.

By combining two unique-grade holy swords as materials for a *Transcendent Divine Sword*, the result was *Endurance*.

The Pope’s and cardinals’ reactions were only natural.

A holy sword of this caliber was unprecedented in history.

Crunch!

At the summit of the tower, I shattered the darkly glowing *Core of Ruin*.

A tower I had built myself.

There was no one here who could stop me.

‘The tower has five floors. I placed the Nameless Eagle as the gatekeeper at the entrance, and Lilith as the guardian of the second floor. I’ll need three more.’

Only *retainers* could serve as guardians of the Tower of Ruin.

At present, the third through fifth floors were completely empty.

To function properly, it needed at least three more retainers.

“Captain… is the Tower of Ruin now completely gone?”

Serengeti asked carefully.

Though she knew my true identity well, she never imagined I would even summon the Tower of Ruin.

I shrugged.

“It’s not completely gone. The Tower of Ruin that appeared in Adrium has merely been reverse-summoned.”

Just because I destroyed the Tower of Ruin here didn’t mean the *true* Tower of Ruin was gone.

The entrance that opened in Holy Adrium had simply been closed.

As long as I had enough Ruin Points, I could open an entrance to the Tower of Ruin at any time.

Ruuuumble!

The tower shook.

The door was closing.

“Let’s go.”

There was nothing more to do here.

From the start, no one stood in my way.

I simply climbed the tower calmly, as if ascending stairs, and locked the door.

This was, in a sense, a *show*.

A device to instill the pressure that Ruin could appear at any time—

And more importantly, to announce to the world that the *Round Table* had returned.

That way, no one would realize that *I* was Ruin.

I stepped into the warp that appeared the moment the core shattered.

At that instant—

【The aura of ‘Ruin’ disappears.】

【The ‘Goddess’s authority’ lingering on the land grows stronger.】

【You have become the first to destroy the ‘Tower of Ruin’.】

【Due to excess achievement, you obtain ‘3’ Sanctification.】

【2 Complete Golden Scales are added.】

【You have recovered ‘1 Ruin Point’.】

……

【The ‘Hidden Scenario’ has been completed!】

【The light possessed by the hidden class ‘Lord of the Stars’ grows fiercer.】

【Your Star abilities are strengthened.】

I stared at the endlessly appearing messages.

And only one thought came to mind.

‘Perfect for farming achievements.’

Three Sanctification and two Complete Golden Scales.

I even recovered the Ruin Point I spent.

Efficiency like this simply didn’t exist anywhere else.

It was practically *printing rewards*.

I created it, I destroyed it, and I reaped everything—an absurdly ideal setup.

“O Knight of the Goddess!”

“O Knights of the Round Table!”

“The valiant Knights of the Round Table have driven away Ruin—!”

As I stepped outside, the Pope was waiting right in front of me, tears streaming down his face.

Adrium was already in the midst of a grand celebration.

It was the signal flare announcing that the once-forgotten, vanished Knights of the Round Table had fully returned.