I Start with 13 Hidden Traits Chapter-65

Ch-65

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The *Spear of Impurity* had a long shaft and could be thrown, but only once—it was single-use.

The *Starwalker* and *Staff of Original Sin* were gear suited for a mage.

Only one remained.

**《You have chosen “Satyrus’s Terror.”》**

**【Satyrus’s Terror (Mythic)】**

* A bow beloved by Satyrus, the Embodiment of Terror.

* Imbues arrows nocked on its bowstring with **Terror (Lv.10)**.

* Enemies afflicted with **Terror (Lv.10)** lose their vision, and a random stat is reduced by 10. Until the terror ends, the afflicted cannot know which stat was lowered.

* Agility +5

* Requirements: Bow Mastery Lv.8, Strength 80

Short, but powerful.

It inflicts the terror effect on any struck target.

And not ordinary terror—this one comes with blindness and stat reduction as added options, a terror of an entirely different class.

Debuffs of this magnitude were almost nonexistent.

It was similar to a curse-caster transcending their main skill.

Moreover, the curse prevented the target from even checking which stat had dropped until it was over.

The name *Terror* was not an exaggeration.

*‘I’ll need to raise my Bow Mastery.’*

The problem was the equipment requirements.

Bow Mastery.

Even with Weapon Master and Dexterity combined, it was only at Level 6. Two levels short.

Of course, he wasn’t worried.

With the hidden trait *Dexterity* present, reaching Level 8 would be instantaneous.

*“The reward left behind by the Constellation of the Shining Hero.”*

This was truly the final one.

The Constellation of the Shining Hero—what he demanded as payment in exchange for eradicating “Will” and the “Dungeon”!

It was a moment as thrilling as waiting for the reward screen after clearing the main quest.

“······Are you inside?”

Knock, knock.

A knock came, and someone stood at the door.

Not just one—several.

“Come in.”

At my permission, the door opened, and three figures appeared.

Isaac, Isabella, and Serengeti.

“What brings all three of you?”

“Well······.”

Flushed faces.

Expressions that burned with strong yearning and desire.

Then Serengeti spoke.

“Please accept us as your disciples.”

“······?”

Wait. What on earth did I just hear?

Disciples? Did I mishear?

“Serengeti. You don’t have much time left, do you?”

At most five hours before the Demon King’s curse resumed.

Time precious even to spend with Marquis Weiser and Hudson.

Yet she came to me asking to be taken as a disciple?

“When we fought ‘Will,’ and You, Successor-nim, moved our bodies, I realized how lacking we truly are.”

“Please teach us.”

“······We beg you.”

The desire to grow stronger was something every being living in Pangaenia possessed.

Moreover, if someone else could use your own body better than you yourself could, shock was only natural.

Still, it was sudden.

I had never once considered taking disciples.

**《Linked Quest (1): Train Disciples has arrived.》**

**《Raise disciples through your teachings.》**

**《Honor and bonding increase depending on training results.》**

**《Future accomplishments of the disciple may increase the honor of the master.》**

**《However, the disciple’s infamy may also tarnish the master, so choose carefully.》**

**《Continues into Linked Quest (2): Faction Formation.》**

*An honor quest.*

In short, this was an honor-type quest.

A rare chained honor quest at that.

Conveniently, I needed more honor to feed Hel—perfect timing.

After a brief thought, I glanced at the bow in my hand.

*Satyrus’s Terror.*

To use this, I needed to raise my Bow Mastery.

And here, the perfect sacrifices for raising Bow Mastery had appeared of their own accord.

**《You have accepted the quest.》**

There was no reason to refuse.

A perfect chance to raise both honor and Bow Mastery—sweet as honey.

*‘Why is he smiling…?’*

*‘W-why did a chill run down my spine?!’*

*‘······!’*

All three trembled at once.

Unaware they had stepped into the gates of hell.

—

—

 

**《Ding!》**

**《A new announcement has been updated.》**

**《240 hours until the appearance of the “Abyssal Labyrinth” connecting Earth and Pangaenia.》**

**《To enter the Abyssal Labyrinth, a ‘Fragment of the Broken Golden Scale’ is required and is consumed according to time spent inside.》**

**《Please check the updated announcement for all details regarding the Abyssal Labyrinth.》**

—

—

Outside the outer walls of the lord’s castle, in a wide open space, four people—including Randolph—gathered.

“Starting now, each of you will take turns dodging the arrows I shoot. Ten times.”

A simple order.

Was this a test?

The three stared nervously at the bow in Randolph’s hand.

“Serengeti. You first.”

Serengeti stepped forward at her name.

Swish—

The test began immediately.

A standard training bow with practice arrows.

At first, dodging wasn’t difficult.

Arrows released at simple, predictable angles—she could dodge them with eyes closed.

*‘You underestimate me far too much.’*

Serengeti smiled inwardly.

She remembered the shiver that ran down her spine when she first entrusted her body to Randolph in Will’s Chamber.

She had devoured stars and ascended—a transcendent. A knight who had disciplined herself relentlessly, cutting even her sleep for training.

And yet, she couldn’t help admiring Randolph’s control.

His movements were impossibly refined, his chains of actions perfectly harmonious. Watching him use skills and spatial movement at precisely the right moments made her question whether the body being controlled was even hers.

*‘I was a frog in a well.’*

She had strutted around proudly, unaware she was just a frog.

Wilhelm.

To the Knight King, how pathetic she must have looked.

Those thoughts filled her mind endlessly, even after arriving in the city.

Hudson was important, of course, but—

—Hudson. I can’t take it anymore.

—Wh-what? What can’t you take?!

—If this continues, I…!

—Serengeti!

—I feel like I’m going to explode!

—Th-then don’t hold it in.

—Really? Is it okay?

—It’s sudden, but I’m ready. At last, the two of us will finally become o—

—Thank you. I’m going now!

—······Huh?

Unable to hold back, Serengeti had rushed to knock on the room’s door.

But the other two seemed to have had the same thought.

Three gathered—it was only natural that competition would spark.

Serengeti’s resolve ignited.

*‘He’s pretty good with a bow, but this is nothing!’*

Honestly, she had been confused at first.

Suddenly he wanted to shoot a bow at them?

But to her surprise—

She had thought he only excelled in swordsmanship, yet he handled a bow quite well too.

Compared to his exquisite swordsmanship, it was merely “competent,” but still.

*Six. Seven!*

Serengeti dodged arrows with keen vision and lightning reflexes.

Ten arrows per rotation—that was Randolph’s order.

She’d dodge them all and leave a solid impression of her skill.

*Ten!*

She clenched her fist.

She had dodged all ten.

“Next.”

He immediately moved to the next person.

Serengeti flashed a smug grin at Isabella and Isaac.

As if asking: *Can you two do the same?*

But both Isabella and Isaac dodged all ten as well and shrugged.

“Next.”

······That wasn’t the end?

It wasn’t just one rotation—they were doing this continuously.

Serengeti returned to her spot at the outer wall.

Swish—!

Thwack!

An arrow struck the wall behind her.

Cold sweat formed.

She had dodged it by a hair.

*‘He’s more accurate…?’*

His skill had suddenly improved.

No—perhaps he had been hiding it until now.

And so, for a full **three hours**, the three took turns continuously dodging Randolph’s arrows without rest.

“Let’s get serious.”

Randolph then switched bows.

A long black bow, emanating an unsettling aura.

Clearly far stronger than the training bow.

Being hit by an arrow from that bow might mean instant death.

“Each of you will take one hit first.”

Take a hit?

The three looked confused, but their doubts were soon answered.

Tuk—

He fired a short arrowburst at close range, just enough to lightly strike them.

What was the point of—

*Sssssssssss—!*

“······!”

Their vision darkened instantly.

They couldn’t see anything.

Their bodies felt sluggish.

······Could it be—

“In that state, dodge the arrows.”

Only then did the three realize something was terribly wrong.

—

—

**<Bow Mastery has increased to Level 7.>**

**<Bow Mastery has increased to Level 8.>**

**<Requirements for equipping ‘Satyrus’s Terror’ have been met.>**

**<Bow Mastery has increased to Level 9.>**

Half a day of nonstop shooting brought Bow Mastery to Level 9.

He had switched bows once midway, precisely when the mastery rose to Level 8.

At this pace, he could likely reach Level 10 within days.

“That’s enough for today.”

“Huff! Huff! Huff—khaaagh!”

“Haah! Haah!”

Isaac and Isabella collapsed on the ground, sprawled out.

There was no part of their bodies uninjured.

Pushing themselves to the absolute limit from an already extreme state.

Meanwhile, Serengeti had been dragged back to the lord’s castle by the Demon King’s curse. She had trained with all her might until the curse began—her passion was admirable, if nothing else.

**《Your disciples’ overall stats have increased.》**

**《Honor +30》**

The fruits of effort were sweet.

Thirty honor in a single day.

Normally, that required clearing two solid honor quests.

As for me, I hadn’t even *trained*—I had just farmed Bow Mastery. Truly two birds with one stone.

I returned to the castle, took a light shower, and went back to my room.

*‘I feel like something popped up earlier…’*

Wiping off the water with a cloth, I thought about it.

All my focus had been on the bow; I had no room for distractions.

But I had the feeling something appeared midway.

A moment later, the phrase “Announcement” surfaced faintly before my eyes.

*Announcement?*

Had something like this existed before?

I had never seen an announcement since becoming a Player.

Even as a gamer, I hadn’t checked announcements in almost a year.

As I opened it, lines of text poured out.

**《Announcement – “Abyssal Labyrinth” has been updated.》**

* The *Abyssal Labyrinth* connecting Pangaenia and Earth will appear in 234 hours 11 minutes.

* To enter, a *Fragment of the Broken Golden Scale* is required. Fragments are consumed by the duration of stay.

* If fragments run out, you will be forcibly ejected.

* Re-entry returns you to the original entry point.

* The Abyssal Labyrinth offers various rewards through trials and competition.

* A rare *Labyrinth Merchant* may appear, selling limited special items; its location is announced to all entrants.

* Eliminating the *Labyrinth Sovereign – Sword Saint Riley* at its end completes the labyrinth and terminates it.

For a moment, I doubted my own eyes.

A new labyrinth update.

Not just the contents—

*‘Sword Saint Riley?’*

The moment I saw the name of the being called the Sovereign of the Labyrinth, my brows furrowed.

Sword Saint Riley.

A name that surfaced whenever the lore of Pangaenia was discussed.

The Primordial Sword—he had accomplished countless feats, only to be swallowed by the Abyss.

One of the ancient ancestors of the Arhon Empire, known as the strongest on the continent—so formidable even the White King had been wary of him.

Why was that name suddenly appearing in the Abyssal Labyrinth?

*‘As long as you have a Fragment of the Broken Golden Scale, you can enter. Meaning even non-players can go.’*

There was no mention anywhere that only Players could enter.

The sole requirement was possession of a fragment.

Meaning even the monsters of Cramdel could, in theory, enter.

*‘Don’t tell me the Empire will…’*

I prayed it wouldn’t be the case.

—

 

 

 

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