I Start with 13 Hidden Traits Chapter-39

Ch-39. **Surpassing Expectations**

—

The warp rose above the earth’s horizon.

Before stepping beyond it to challenge the next trial, there was something I had to do.

“Pick out the hardest bones, caw.”

Caw!

Caw-aaak!

Eleven corpse crows descended from the sky and began searching through the giant’s bones.

【Lv.6】

The corpse crow, which had been a level 4 boss monster, had now been elevated to level 6.

A change created by the transcendence of the ordinary Corpse Crow Summoning skill into Advanced Corpse Crow Summoning.

But it wasn’t only the level that had changed.

When the corpse crow flapped its wings, two huge purple, curse-stained hands appeared and lifted the massive bones.

Having become an advanced corpse crow, it had also been granted a new skill.

The reason this skill could transcend so quickly was entirely thanks to the hidden trait, *Dexterity*.

*Dexterity also raises the level of transcended skills.*

When a skill transcends, its level resets.

But this was where the true broken nature of *Dexterity* emerged.

From the beginning, it had raised the level of the ordinary *Corpse Crow Summoning* skill by 1.

And when the skill transcended into *Advanced Corpse Crow Summoning*, it added another level, letting it start at Lv.2.

That was why there were eleven advanced corpse crows summoned now.

*It’s no different from Dexterity having raised the level by 2.*

Though “reset” by transcendence, in truth this was no different from “inheritance.”

It inherited the exact properties of the pre-transcended skill and even raised its limit level.

Whether this was a system error, a bug, or intentional, I didn’t know—but the more a skill transcended, the more *Dexterity*’s brokenness compounded like interest.

In addition, it accelerated the rate at which proficiency increased.

There was almost no trait in existence with better cost-efficiency.

A Weapon Master trait was limited to weapon proficiency, but Dexterity affected *all* proficiencies.

Caw-aaak!

Thud!

The birds selected the giant bones that weren’t damaged and were still intact, stacking them neatly before me.

*They only failed to endure because their levels were low—these are all giant bones.*

It wasn’t only the size of the skeleton soldiers that had grown.

The traits of the giants—their bones were the real thing, armed with powerful anti-magic force.

Their hardness exceeded that of steel and wouldn’t even scratch from average physical attacks.

The reason for gathering only intact giant bones was simple.

*Using the eleven advanced corpse crows, I’m going to create a single piece of work.*

I intended to forge a “piece” in preparation for the next trial.

And Corpse Crow Summoning wasn’t the only skill that had transcended and transformed.

<Using skill: “Master of Corpse Art (Lv.2)”.>

*Art of the Dead* had transcended into *Master of Corpse Art*.

Before, I could stack bones together to create something like a golem, but becoming a “Master” had greatly expanded my range of use.

I could now use more materials to create greater works of art.

*If a druid’s traits appear in the next trial, they’ll definitely be able to handle nature-element spirits.*

Druids were a natural race specializing in spirits.

With spirits, they could easily support and move a giant’s massive body.

What made druids terrifying was that they could handle *all natural-attribute* spirits.

But what I feared was something worse.

*…Void granted them the Light attribute. They might even handle light spirits.*

Light spirits weren’t nature-attribute.

They were evaluated as higher than natural-element spirits.

If they could summon those as well, clearing the trial in my current state would be impossible.

Therefore, I had to prepare thoroughly.

“Link it properly, caw! There must be no gaps, caw!”

*

*

The area around the Tower of Mystery had become fully occupied before anyone realized it.

The number of monsters gathered from all across Cramdel had exceeded tens of thousands.

Among them were quite a few individuals who held significant power in Cramdel.

“A young phoenix, an imoogi, an adult leviathan, a minotaurus king, multiple ogres, a king of corpse crows, true-bloods, serpents…”

The beasts wearing red helmets were writing things down at the tower’s entrance.

They were confirming the identities of those currently inside.

“So it seems there are 100 inside right now.”

“An exalted species is among them.”

The Hall of Mysteries accepted only 100 entrants at once.

And their job was to investigate all 100 entrants currently inside.

To determine whether the being undergoing the *Trial of Myth* within was friendly or hostile toward Cramdel.

If friendly, they would be treated accordingly; if hostile, preparations had to be made.

“There are four with real potential.”

“The imoogi, the leviathan, the true-blood, and the minotaurus king.”

Although exalted species transcended their original race, the foundation still had to be exceptional. The chances of an exalted species emerging from a low-tier race were nearly nonexistent.

Thus, after narrowing down the list, four remained.

Among them, the imoogi and leviathan were mythical species.

“The minotaurus king is not.”

“…Lord Gunggi?”

At that moment, Gunggi appeared.

The monsters wearing red administrator helmets bristled in his presence.

He was one of the four monsters with the greatest influence in all of Cramdel.

One of the White King’s four retainers.

One of the Four Main Forces—specifically, the Third Main Force.

He shook his head with unwavering certainty.

“The minotaurus king is one of mine. But he is not an exalted species.”

“Ah. Then the one who entered must be the minotaurus king born recently in the Third Main Force’s territory?”

“That’s right.”

Slash, slash.

Once his name was crossed off, three remained.

One of the red-helmeted administrators spoke.

“The leviathan has been identified as Awhendel of the Gloomy Lake. But we know nothing for certain about the imoogi or the true-blood.”

“So one of those two is undergoing the Trial of Myth?”

While the Trial of Myth was underway, the tower sealed itself.

No one could enter or leave.

If one successfully completed the Trial of Myth and came out, they had to be identified immediately.

Then Gunggi asked, baffled:

“Where are the other Main Forces? Why are only you lot here?”

Since it was Gunggi asking, the administrators had no choice but to answer truthfully.

“Lady Medusa still requires time to recover…”

“The Death King is conducting important research…”

“The Great Earth Dragon is entering its hibernation period…”

Hearing such excuses, Gunggi frowned.

“They stay relaxed even after seeing three rings appear? No… well, they were relaxed even when facing *that human*. It seems they still haven’t learned.”

He shook his head.

Two years ago, on that day, the Four Main Forces were defeated.

Had they fought together, perhaps the outcome would have been different, but because they underestimated the human race, they were defeated one after another.

All four—by a single human.

*He didn’t kill us only because he wanted to draw out the White King.*

How could he ever forget that humiliation?

The human had been strong—strong beyond comprehension.

Had the White King not sacrificed one of his fangs, a catastrophe would have occurred.

All of them would have died.

Since that day, Gunggi had changed.

He had whipped himself harder than ever, relentlessly strengthening himself.

To never repeat the same humiliation.

*If it were now…*

Now, he would not lose so easily.

He eagerly awaited the day he would face that human again.

If they fought again, he would not lose.

He had grown many times stronger since then.

He was simply waiting for the day.

*But… they should have come out by now.*

Three rings.

An exalted species who had achieved the same feat as the White King.

They should have emerged.

But the tower remained shut no matter how much time passed.

*…Don’t tell me—they’re challenging the fourth ring?*

If the fourth ring were completed…

That would be an achievement surpassing the White King.

The other Main Forces would not be able to sit still.

An immortal achievement never before accomplished would demand their attention.

Gunggi looked up at the top of the tower.

…There were still only three rings.

But should a fourth appear—

All of Kramdel’s Main Forces would gather here.

To meet the unknown exalted species.

As ally—or enemy.

*

*

 

Unlike the third trial, the fourth trial’s difficulty had spiked drastically.

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

<“Skeleton Soldier” gains the opposing attribute “Void.”>

<“Skeleton Soldier” gains the “Giant” trait.>

<“Skeleton Soldier” gains the “Druid” trait.>

Skeleton soldiers that had fully inherited the druid’s traits.

They supported their heavy bodies with spirits and fired arrows of light.

Their effective range, originally only 50 meters, had increased proportionally with their size.

Destructive power likewise increased.

Boom! Boom! Kwarrrrr!

With violent tremors, the walls shook.

Using the Master of Corpse Art skill, I had created an unimaginably thick “wall.”

A massive structure reaching a height of 10 meters.

I installed this wall between the narrowest section of the cliffs I could find.

*Arrows of light can’t penetrate a giant’s anti-magic force.*

I exploited the giant trait to its fullest.

Thanks to the anti-magic force making up their bones, the arrows could not pierce the wall.

To break through physically, they would need intense bodily force—but even with spirits supporting them, they could not generate that level of propulsion.

And by setting it in a narrow area, I prevented them from climbing over.

*A perfect fish farm.*

Quite literally, a fish-farm enclosure.

If it were the ordinary *Art of the Dead* skill, I wouldn’t have dared attempt this, but with *Master of Corpse Art*, I could create anything so long as I had enough star power.

*There were no time restrictions on entering the next trial.*

I used the time given to me fully.

A wall created simply by cutting, fitting, and reinforcing bones.

Repeating that process over and over until this masterpiece was complete.

Faced with a wall forged from their own bones, the skeleton soldiers could only stand still.

*All the trial terrains were identical. I worked hard to find the perfect spot.*

Every trial so far had the exact same terrain, as if copied and pasted.

So the first thing I did was look for a suitable location for the wall.

It had to fit with not even a 1-centimeter margin of error.

Then I constructed supports so the wall wouldn’t fall over, and installed nine pillars to anchor it into the ground.

With this, I could block the skeleton soldiers—but—

*The problem is the spirits.*

Spirits could assume an incorporeal form.

Thus they could pass through the wall and target me.

“If I endure, victory is mine, caw!”

Ssss—

Hwaaaaaa—!

Just as I expected, various spirits appeared, slipping through the wall.

But spirits, too, were summoned by mana.

They could not be maintained indefinitely.

The moment they exhausted their mana and were forcibly unsummoned, the skeleton soldiers would collapse.

If I withstood their attacks, I would win.

If the wall fell first—or if I couldn’t endure—then I would lose.

*I must survive.*

Still, it was better than facing both skeleton soldiers and spirits at once.

Suddenly, I remembered my very first moment in Pangaenia.

Falling into the desert out of nowhere, with death right before me.

Back then, I felt the same as I did now:

I had to survive.
I had to relentlessly yearn for life and challenge it.

<Using “Star Claw (Lv.2)”.>

<The energy of the stars surrounds your body for 76 seconds.>

*

*

 

Gunggi looked up at the tower.

“…Four.”

“The fourth ring has appeared!”

An emergency situation no one could have predicted.

Four rings!

A record surpassing the White King.

They could ignore it no longer.

In the end, all Four Main Forces gathered before the Tower of Mystery.

As they assembled, the monsters surrounding the tower could only retreat.

For the Four Main Forces *were* Cramdel itself.

“…It’s been a while since we’ve all gathered like this.”

The Great Earth Dragon.

The strongest among the dragons of the earth.

A colossal brown dragon whose end could not be seen, comparable even to the tower itself, revealed its form.

“It hasn’t been that long. Only two years and eighty-seven days.”

The Death King.

The king of the dead—said to govern all deaths.

A skeletal figure draped in robes, yet merely being near him drained all life. Indeed, all flowers and grass within several dozen meters were already dead.

“…”

Medusa appeared with her eyes covered and hands bound.

She had intended to observe from afar, but once the fourth ring appeared, she concluded she had no choice but to come in person.

“Gunggi. What do you think is inside?”

The Great Earth Dragon asked him.

He had watched the longest—had he discovered anything?

“…I do not know.”

Gunggi shook his head.

It was impossible to predict.

None of the entrants had seemed like an exalted species.

If any had potential, it would be the true-blood, but their bloodline clan had poor relations with Cramdel.

Only a Grand Master of the true-bloods could possibly achieve such a feat, and if one had arrived, he would certainly have known.

Then the Death King spoke.

“The four rings signify the completion of a myth. I wonder what kind of completion he achieved.”

“Even the White King could not complete it······.”

The Great Earth Dragon added.

At this point, they felt as though their curiosity would drive them mad.

To think that a being who had truly reached the end of the Mythic Trial would actually appear.

—If we judge him to be a threat to Cramdel, kill him immediately.

Medusa spoke through psychic waves.

All members of the Four Cardinal Powers agreed.

This place, Cramdel, was not a mere city.

It was an empire where the apex of monsters had gathered.

There was nothing that the united force of the Four Cardinal Powers—who governed the empire—could not kill.

Even if the opponent were that “Demon King.”

Moreover, only if the empire remained intact could they continue to uphold the White King.

“······ But why isn’t he coming out?”

“Don’t tell me······ there’s another trial?”

All of the Four Cardinal Powers were perplexed.

The Mythic Trial was composed of four stages.

If one overcame the fourth stage, the myth would be complete, and the Tower would open its closed door.

But even though the rings had reached four, the Tower’s door had not opened.

‘That can’t be······.’

Gunggi quietly shook his head.

There was no way the White King’s words were wrong.

An absolute king stating that he had failed right before completion.

*

*

 

“······.”

I silently looked up at the sky.

My whole body was in ruins.

‘Good thing the core didn’t break.’

As even the final spirit was reverse-summoned, all the skeletal soldiers self-destructed.

I barely endured it all, but my condition was terrible.

Lying down, I didn’t have the strength to move even a single finger.

That was when it happened.

《You have cleared the Trial of the “Wall of Species (4)”.》

《All trials of all species have come to an end.》

《The Tower expresses its reverence toward you, who have completed the myth!》

All the trials had concluded.

But I couldn’t understand it.

‘The Celestial?’

The Celestial was still left, yet it claimed completion.

Surely… this couldn’t really be the end?

《This is the Tower’s final gift to the one who has completed the myth.》

《As a reward, you may obtain the Unique-grade Mystery “Randolph.”》

‘Ah······.’

Unique-grade.

······Unique-grade.

I was speechless.

Because I had never even known Mysteries could possess a Unique grade.

And on top of that, the Unique-grade Mystery was named after me.

Randolph.

The proof of myself, the completion of myself.

It meant I had finally achieved my very own myth.

There existed no item grade above Unique-grade.

Likewise, there would be no Mystery grade above Unique-grade.

Didn’t the Tower itself say this was its final gift?

《All the constellations of the People’s Hall praise your efforts.》

Even the constellations acknowledged my struggle.

If I accepted this Mystery, Main Quest 5 would be completed, and I would receive further rewards and privileges.

The constellations of the People’s Hall had witnessed the Mythic Trials from beginning to end. I wondered how many of them would raise the grade of the rewards list.

Whether I would receive another transcendent weapon, or perhaps something even greater.

《You have declined the acquisition of the Unique-grade Mystery “Randolph.”》

But I rejected this completion.

‘I cannot accept it.’

Because I could not accept it.

Why force completion upon me?

There was still one remaining.

I had not yet seen the end.

I had not yet completed myself.

Therefore, I could never accept such an ending—such a completion.

At that moment—

《You have cleared the Trial of the “Wall of Species (5)”.》

—

 

 

 

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