I Start with 13 Hidden Traits Chapter-372

Ch-372. **The Devourer**

—

Over fifty thousand hours’ worth of *Broken Fragments of the Golden Scale*.

An amount comparable to the *total* fragments possessed by all five hundred people combined.

But what mattered even more was that I also held *six* **Complete Golden Scales**.

‘If you convert a Complete Golden Scale into fragments, it’s easily worth ten thousand hours.’

Depending on circumstances, it could be worth even more than that.

A Complete Golden Scale *can* be converted into fragments—but no amount of fragments can ever be assembled into a Complete Golden Scale.

Therefore, unless I transform into **Randolph**, no matter how many fragments are consumed here, it won’t deal me any real damage.

In contrast, everyone else’s situation was dire.

True, Gracia possessed around three thousand hours’ worth, but from my perspective, even that amount left no room for comfort.

And on top of that, he had no intention of sharing his fragments.

But my thinking was different.

‘The benefit of lending fragments isn’t just the contracts.’

I had clearly said I would form a *contract*.

I planned to use **Winter (Final Twilight)** to make sure refusal would be impossible.

Those who borrowed fragments would, as a result, become heavily subordinate to me.

To successfully clear this trial, that process was essential.

The Black Dome—*the Bottom of the Abyss*—was, at its core, a group battle.

‘This trial is on a far larger scale than God’s Island.’

The Abyssal Lords and supreme beings I encountered on God’s Island—

If Isabella hadn’t chosen self-sacrifice back then, I would have lost in the end.

But the trial here was premised on *groups*.

Not only humanity, but the Abyssal Lords themselves had brought massive numbers of followers.

In other words, we were in the middle of a *war*.

And war can never be fought alone.

More importantly, the most critical thing in war is making sure your *allies* are truly on your side.

Hands and feet that would act in my stead.

People who would die *for* me.

‘Soon, internal strife over fragments will erupt.’

That made now the perfect moment.

No one was yet assuming the *worst-case scenario*.

After all, the World Tree Community wasn’t the only way to obtain fragments.

I hadn’t mentioned it, but there was a far easier method.

**Kill.**

Kill another Awakened and take theirs.

If no one helped you, and fragment depletion was guaranteed, people would be forced to choose extreme measures.

I intended to open a breathing hole—so they wouldn’t spiral that far.

With a mere ten hours’ worth of fragments.

Through contracts, I would turn them into *my* people.

There was another crucial point as well.

‘You can find out their World Tree Community nicknames.’

Fragments are granted only when someone uploads a guide and I purchase it.

The buyer remains anonymous—but the seller inevitably exposes their nickname.

I would know them, while they wouldn’t know me.

The more I magnified my presence in their minds, the less likely betrayal would become.

Through powerful subordination, we would overcome this trial.

And among all of them, the one whose nickname I was most curious about was **Arin’s**.

After organizing my thoughts, I spoke.

“Anyone who wishes to form a contract, come with me one at a time. I guarantee complete secrecy regarding the nickname you use on the *World Tree Community*.”

“Ah…!”

“Th–Then I’ll go first!”

The final resistance broke.

Community activity built on anonymity.

There were many people who wanted to hide their nicknames for countless reasons.

When I had called five people aside and lent them fragments—

“…I… I’d like to ask as well…”

It was **Choi Kang-nam**.

He appeared with a miserable expression.

Given that he possessed only forty hours’ worth of fragments, it wasn’t strange.

I shrugged and asked.

“Before we proceed with the contract, I’ll ask first. What’s your World Tree Community nickname?”

Five people had already completed contracts.

That should have been proof enough that I wasn’t lying.

“D–Do I really have to say it…?”

Choi Kang-nam hesitated.

He fidgeted, his cheeks flushed red.

“I need to know in order to buy your guide.”

“You’ll… you’ll really keep it secret, right?”

“Don’t worry. I’m not as petty as you.”

“J–Just… please don’t tell Vice Leader Arin…!”

This was the first time I’d seen someone stall this much.

Just what kind of nickname could it be?

“If you don’t want to say it, you don’t have to. I just won’t lend you anything.”

“I–I’ll say it! I’ll say it! My nickname is…”

Stammering, Choi Kang-nam finally spoke his nickname.

And when I heard it—

“……”

I was left speechless.

*

*

 

《Contracts via ‘Winter (Final Twilight)’ have been engraved upon 11 individuals.》

《These contracts rank above all others.》

《Effect: One request must be fulfilled within set limits.》

《As contracts stack, the allowable scope of requests increases.》

《Refusal results in complete bodily freezing.》

*Winter* possessed the ability to sever all lower contracts and engrave itself anew.

Its authority was absolute.

However, contracts are normally formed with mutual consent.

No one would gamble with death over ten hours’ worth of fragments.

But once contracts *stacked*, the story changed.

Every time I formed a new contract, I added a clause for stacking.

Those who borrowed fragments multiple times would eventually be forced to gamble even their lives.

“……”

I shifted my gaze to Choi Kang-nam, who stood with his head bowed.

After the contract, he couldn’t bring himself to raise his head.

The reason was simple.

The nickname he used on the World Tree Community was far more degenerate than I had imagined.

‘…PantyMask.’

It was absurd even after hearing it.

A nickname that would earn him the universal label of *pervert* the moment it was revealed.

I hadn’t really wanted to know—but now I held his secret.

“…We’ve finally arrived.”

After evading countless pursuers, the party reached their destination.

Fwoooosh!

A mountain burning with fire.

The Fire Mountain, where the Fire Spirit King **Agnis** raged out of control.

The moment we set foot there—

【To enter ‘Fire Mountain,’ you must form a contract with a ‘Rampaging Fire Spirit.’】

【One person who contracts with a ‘Rampaging Fire Spirit’ may enter simultaneously with four who do not.】

【Elemental contracts may be formed only once per element.】

【Upon contracting with a ‘Rampaging Spirit,’ you will be subjected to continuous spirit attacks.】

As expected.

The very entry condition of the Spirit Mountain assumed sacrifice.

Naturally, no one stepped forward easily.

But my gaze was already fixed on one person.

“…Damn it.”

Choi Kang-nam’s face turned deathly pale as he grasped my intent.

*

*

 

“Aaaah! It’s hot! It’s burning!”

Choi Kang-nam screamed repeatedly.

The moment he contracted with the rampaging fire spirit, he was continuously set ablaze by it.

That wasn’t all.

“Why am I the only one getting attacked?!”

Ssssh!

Fwoooosh!

Most of the rampaging fire spirits targeted only the contractor.

The party tried to help, but there were simply too many.

In the end, all of Choi Kang-nam’s hair was burned away.

But that was only the beginning.

“Hot. Hot. Hot.”

“It hurts. It hurts. It hurts.”

Corpses charred by fire lay scattered around.

And those corpses rose up and attacked.

They were the bodies of those who had died trying to climb this mountain before.

Boom! Boom! Kraaash!

If you got too close, they exploded outright.

All we could do was press forward as fast as possible.

That was when—

“…Is it over?”

“There are no spirits here.”

“No corpses either!”

People let out sighs of relief.

Choi Kang-nam collapsed flat on the ground, shedding tears of survival.

We had passed one hurdle.

…Or so we thought.

Sss. Sssssss.

From somewhere—

The unpleasant sound of flesh scraping against the ground.

“Ugh!”

“What is that smell…?!”

A stench so foul it clogged the nose.

In that instant—

Arin’s expression hardened sharply.

Not just her.

Gracia, and every other powerhouse present—

“…What is that…?”

They stared at the newly emerged *thing* in horror.

*

*

 

At the entrance of Fire Mountain.

Nearly a thousand yaksha halted as they gazed toward it.

“Blood Moon Priestess. The sacrifices have ascended Fire Mountain. Shall we enter?”

At their center stood the Blood Moon Priestess.

She shook her head.

“Unfortunately, we cannot ascend.”

“Cannot? What’s there?”

“…Ah. Something even other Abyssal Lords hesitate to touch.”

Fire Mountain was a forbidden zone.

Because *it* resided there.

The absence of other Abyssal Lords and followers nearby alone proved how dangerous it was.

Even the Heavenly Demon had designated this place as *forbidden*.

“…What is it?”

At the yaksha’s question, the Blood Moon Priestess clicked her tongue.

“Tch. The *Unborn One* is there.”

“T–The Unborn One…?!”

“The Abyss’s janitor. The one that devours everything.”

All the yaksha gasped in shock.

The *Unborn One*—the Abyss’s cleaner—was a monster infamous even within the Abyss.

There was nothing it couldn’t devour.

Countless Abyssal Lords had already been eaten by it.

The only saving grace was that the Unborn One possessed no self-awareness.

As long as one didn’t provoke it or draw too near, it posed no threat.

“…Then none of them will come back alive.”

“We were a step too late. It can’t be helped.”

Human resistance had been fiercer than expected.

By the time the Blood Moon Priestess arrived, the humans had already climbed Fire Mountain.

But being devoured by the Unborn One was better than being stolen by the Ice Moon Priestess.

As long as that monster was there, they couldn’t survive anyway.

‘Of all places, they climbed Fire Mountain first. Unlucky.’

The worst possible choice.

Not that it mattered now.

“Withdraw.”

Shaking her head, the Blood Moon Priestess turned away.

*

*

Everyone saw it.

They encountered it.

The price of seeing what must never be seen is always horrific.

Instinctively, we knew—

Once it began feeding, it would never stop.

Not until everything here was devoured.

“Scatter…!”

Arin shouted urgently.

She knew what it was.

One of the Abyss Kings—and among them, the most abhorrent.

‘Why is the Unborn One here…?’

It had felt strange how easily we entered Fire Mountain.

To think that monster had made its nest here.

Now that we’d encountered it, victory was impossible.

If this were the true body of the Seven Lords’ Basara, there might be hope—but she was Arin now.

In a human body, opposing that monster was impossible.

The best outcome would be to divert its attention and save even one person.

No—

‘It’s too late.’

She knew it already.

The moment they saw it, it was already too late.

They had seen what must never be seen—there was no escape now.

This was the end.

‘We’re going to die.’

Humanity’s game seemed to be over.

If the party was wiped out here, Earth had no future.

Once the Chaos Spirit King was born, both Pangaenia and Earth would be doomed.

Of all things—

They had encountered the one thing they must never encounter.

…It was then, as they faced the Unborn One with despair—

Sliiide.

Sssssshk.

“…It’s retreating?”

“W–What?”

Suddenly.

Abruptly.

The Unborn One began to back away.

It was inexplicable.

No one had ever heard of the Abyss’s janitor retreating with prey before it.

And that posture looked almost like—

‘Is it… backing away in fear…?’