I Start with 13 Hidden Traits Chapter-58

Ch-58

—

**Thud.**

In that instant, I was back in my original position.

What?

*Was it… a dream?*

I was dumbfounded.

What was that just now?

But it wasn’t a dream.

**Thud.**

**Thud.**

**Thud.**

Thud. Thud. Thud. Tututututuk—.

I felt dizzy. Like I was about to vomit. The scenery changed relentlessly, the position shifting nonstop. Sky and earth spun back and forth in a blur, the distance gradually closing.

Before I knew it, the Massacre was outside the carriage.

Far off in the distance, the armored figure who had appeared where he’d been hiding kept swapping places with him, the gap between them shrinking with every flash.

And when at last they reached arm’s reach—

“Uweeeeeeegh—!”

My insides twisted like mad as I vomited.

That was the end.

The Massacre collapsed backward onto the warm vomit he had just expelled.

The world spun. There was no resisting it.

“Pff!”

That was the last voice the Massacre heard while still alive.

*

*

 

《You have executed the Massacre in Chaos state.》

《Honor increased by 30.》

《You have obtained ‘Fragment of the Broken Golden Scale (49h)’.》

*A player, huh?*

I stroked my chin as the messages surfaced.

Massacre who became Chaos from constant PK.

Given that the Golden Scale fragment was awarded for 49 hours, the opponent was definitely a player.

Had someone placed a level 10 assassin along my route?

Or was it coincidence?

*Massacre.*

I checked the Hall of Honor and confirmed that Massacre’s name had vanished.

Among those who’d been at the top, the only one gone now was him.

*That lunatic must’ve come for me and gotten killed by Serengeti.*

Massacre was infamous as a PKer who preyed on low-level zones.

The so-called “Beginner Reaper” was Massacre.

He must’ve tried to kill me quickly since I had become a player—but he picked the wrong opponent.

Serengeti was a 1-star Transcendent.

Not just any 1-star either—Serengeti was a monster capable of going toe-to-toe with 2-star Transcendents.

That’s why I kept her as my closest subordinate.

*If Massacre was here, that means no other forces are.*

Not surprising.

I had assumed that, by now, someone would be aiming for me.

If it was Massacre coming for me, all the better.

That meant no other player factions were in this area.

“It wasn’t even a warm-up.”

Serengeti spoke as if she’d simply gone for a stroll.

A level 10 was tremendously strong, but even so, there was a wall that couldn’t be crossed against a true Transcendent.

“You look to be in good condition.”

“Leave it to me. I’ll finish everything quickly.”

*Thunk! Thunk!*

She struck her armor confidently.

I only hoped that confidence wouldn’t turn into a scream later.

Passing through the forest and running for some time, a massive cave appeared.

“A dragon’s nest…?”

Serengeti froze for a moment, stiffening as she stared at the cave.

A cave of this size was rare.

If one existed, it was usually a nest claimed by a dragon.

“It’s the nest of a dead ancient dragon.”

A nameless dead ancient dragon’s nest.

This was the place that led to the Demigod Dungeon.

We got off the carriage and approached the cave entrance.

*Ziiiiiing—!*

The entrance rippled.

A barrier set by the ancient dragon, preventing entry to those without the proper qualifications.

《The barrier has verified your eligibility.》

《Number of entrants: 4.》

《By the will of the Demigod, all entrants will receive the following restrictions.》

《1. All stats fixed at 20》

《2. Skill usage prohibited》

《3. All tools carried before entry unusable》

《4. All equipment carried before entry unusable》

A “Trait Dungeon.”

A dungeon where one must fight using only the talents and traits they possessed.

Everything except the power gained from devouring stars and transcending would be unavailable!

Since strong and weak alike would be placed on equal footing, betrayal and scheming were guaranteed to run rampant. The dungeon itself encouraged betrayal, making it a complete madhouse.

Tools and equipment had to be used only if found inside the dungeon—and they all had conditions attached, making the place absurdly demanding.

《‘Main Quest 6: Clear a Party Dungeon’ has begun.》

《This quest will be completed the moment you clear your first ‘Party Dungeon’.》

《Reward: Varies based on the dungeon cleared.》

The notification announcing the start of Main Quest 6.

No reason to hesitate.

My goal was to fully conquer this place and set a record.

That was when—

《‘Heart of the Eternal Monarch’ resists the intimidation of the ‘Demigod’.》

《‘Heart of the Eternal Monarch’ deletes one of the Demigod’s conditions.》

《Condition ‘3. Tools carried before entry unusable’ has been deleted.》

A hidden trait—the Iron-Blood Monarch’s Heart that had evolved into the Eternal Monarch’s Heart.

Its effects manifested before my eyes.

*Condition deletion, huh.*

The Iron-Blood Monarch’s Heart stabilized emotions and protected against mental-type skills and attacks.

A tremendous hidden trait that even allowed me to stand unfazed before the White King, but it wasn’t something that offered direct advantage on its own.

Yet after evolving into the Eternal Monarch, not only did it endure a Demigod’s intimidation, it deleted a condition.

I had never seen, nor heard of, condition deletion.

It was literally an act of surpassing the limits of a “trait.”

Four absolute propositions set by the Demigod.

And one of them—tool usage prohibition—had been shattered.

This wouldn’t just apply here, but also in other “Condition Dungeons” or “Towers.”

*…Incredible.*

Thinking of the advantages the Eternal Monarch’s Heart granted made my shoulders tremble.

A place where everyone had to start from zero.

And this turned that zero into one.

In a running race, it wasn’t simply starting a step ahead—it was like starting half a lap ahead.

*I can prepare more before entering.*

We had not entered yet.

If tool usage was enabled, I could prepare beforehand and then enter.

《By the Demigod’s will, the party will be forcibly teleported.》

So no more loopholes?

A bit disappointing, but this was more than enough.

*

*

“Hm…”

After the interview with Gracia, Kim Hana began full-scale coverage of the world’s “Dimension Warriors.”

Who were they? Where did they come from?

And what exactly was the “Descent” they spoke of?

“What’s with that serious face, Kim-won?”

The CK Broadcasting Network’s Warrior Correspondents Office.

Kim Hana sat gripping her notebook, a troubled expression on her face.

When her colleague Seo Jeong-ah asked, Kim Hana let out a deep sigh.

“I just can’t figure it out.”

“There’s something the best reporter in our department doesn’t know?”

“It’s Kim *Hana*, not Kim-won… sigh, never mind.”

Kim Hana shook her head.

Now, not only Seo Jeong-ah but every CK reporter was calling her Kim-won.

Gracia’s interview had been the catalyst.

“What’s wrong, anyway?”

“Something feels… off.”

“What feels off?”

“The things the Dimension Warriors say. Like they’re hiding something…”

“When I interviewed them, they all said the same things though?”

As Seo Jeong-ah said, their interviews were all nearly identical.

The Warriors repeated the same story as if rehearsed.

For example: they were great warriors who crossed dimensions to protect Earth, using Earthlings’ bodies as vessels for their alternate-dimension “Descent.”

But Kim Hana had a *hunch* that they were hiding something.

“Are those people… really heroes?”

“You mean the so-called 8 Heroes from the other dimension? It sounds a bit silly, sure, but considering how the other warriors worship them, it doesn’t seem wrong.”

“Do people usually fear heroes?”

“Fear them?”

What was a hero?

There were many kinds, but the heroes the Warriors spoke of were the archetype of “heroes.”

Protectors who saved the world from threats—true heroes.

Then why did they *fear* their heroes?

Seo Jeong-ah hadn’t noticed that the other Warriors were afraid of those hailed as heroes.

Probably none of the reporters except Kim Hana had noticed.

*A subtle discomfort—fear and unease that they themselves probably no longer consciously recognized, born of long exposure.*

They feared heroes more than monsters.

Shouldn’t it be the opposite?

And her suspicions grew stronger today.

She carefully opened her notebook, revealing a single yellow memo tucked in the middle.

—Do not trust those who call themselves heroes.
—There are no Dimension Warriors. Only addicts.

Only three lines of text, but someone had slipped it into her own notebook with perfect precision.

The Warrior Correspondents Office had strict security.

CCTV showed no intruders.

There was no reason for anyone inside to play this kind of prank.

Moreover—

“Can you read what this says?”

“What is this, some kind of worm scribble?”

To others, the note looked like meaningless doodles.

Only she could see it as writing.

The only ones capable of something like that were Dimension Warriors.

*The only people who call themselves heroes… are the 8 Heroes.*

Gracia, the Master, and the other six.

Technically seven, since Wilhelm was missing and even they were searching for him.

In any case, the message said not to trust them.

*There are no Dimension Warriors. What does that mean? That their existence itself is a lie? And what’s an addict supposed to mean?*

There were countless types of addicts.

Drug addicts?

Gambling addicts?

Alcohol? Games?

It couldn’t mean workaholics or fitness freaks.

—*What is your relationship with the owner of ‘Hydragon’? Do you know where he is?*

Gracia had suddenly asked that during the interview.

He spoke of the man who controlled the massive monster called Hydragon.

The man who first protected her from the Giant Mantis.

The same man who saved her again at the steakhouse in Cheongdam.

They had no relationship whatsoever, but an inexplicable dread surged up, prompting Kim Hana to deny it immediately.

*Park Hyunmyung… could it be him?*

For a moment, she wondered if he could be the Warrior who controlled Hydragon, but she shook her head.

It must’ve been coincidence.

But what if it wasn’t?

What if that slim possibility was true?

Should she tell someone?

A chill ran down her spine. Gracia seemed to be searching for him, and not out of goodwill.

And not long ago, Gracia had appeared in Eunpyeong District.

A pillar of light filled the sky, chaos everywhere—and Kim Hana knew Gracia was the cause.

She lived in Eunpyeong herself, after all.

She had seen that pillar of light with her own eyes.

*Why did Gracia go to Eunpyeong?*

Eunpyeong.

Not only her home district, but also the place she first met Park Hyun-myung.

It was where the Warrior who controlled Hydragon appeared as well.

Naturally, Gracia searching Eunpyeong wasn’t strange.

But her intentions were the question.

*Was he trying to wipe out the entire district…?*

Kim Hana couldn’t shake the eerie feeling Gracia had given her.

Perhaps they were not heroes in the true sense of the word.

That suspicion began to sprout.

*

*

 

Warping into the dungeon brought a bit of dizziness.

All stats fixed at 20, and all equipment I’d worn had vanished cleanly.

Should I be grateful that the Demigod at least left us with shirts, pants, and underwear?

“Urgh.”

Serengeti, Isaac, and Isabella all swayed slightly, feeling the dizziness.

It was only natural—the sudden drop in stats.

Serengeti recovered first.

Scanning the front, she spoke.

“There are weapons and armor.”

As she said, gear was lined up before us.

An invitation to choose equipment before proceeding.

But a signboard displayed the conditions:

《Choose only one each.》

《For every additional item chosen, a random stat of your party members will be reduced.》

In other words, we were to take only one each.

Serengeti tilted her head.

“What does it mean by lowering other party members’ stats?”

“It means the other three—everyone except the one who picks—will lose stats.”

“This Demigod fellow is truly wicked.”

Understanding its intent, Serengeti’s brow furrowed.

This was just a preview.

A warning that the rest of the dungeon would proceed in similar fashion.

“If we can only choose one each, shouldn’t we pick weapons first?”

Weapons for everyone.

Given our offense-oriented party, it wasn’t wrong.

But I shook my head.

“One weapon is enough.”

“Just one?”

“The rest—shield, armor, helmet.”

Hearing that, Serengeti nodded.

—

 

 

 

---