I Start with 13 Hidden Traits Chapter-66

Ch-66

—

If the Empire were to learn of this and intervene in the labyrinth, it would lead to a catastrophe.

At any rate—

‘I’d better start preparing.’

The fact that they gave ten full days before entry was essentially telling us to make perfect preparations before going in.

It also meant that we should finish filling up the fragments of the Golden Ratio necessary for the labyrinth expedition.

‘The fragments are enough.’

I had fragments that I could use for nearly a thousand hours, so this part wasn’t a concern.

The only thing that bothered me was whether I would have a party.

Isaac and Isabella.

Both possessed fragments of the shattered Golden Ratio.

They were fragments obtained as they cleared the trials alongside me.

They amounted to only a few dozen hours at most, but they would undeniably help with the early progression.

It seemed I needed to properly help the two raise their stats during the remaining time—and I myself needed to grind proficiency in preparation.

‘There’s no time to delay rewards.’

The Abyssal Labyrinth required pouring out everything one had.

I immediately took out the golden fruit from my bosom.

The reward the Shining Hero’s Constellation had gifted me.

A type of elixir.

But my body wasn’t one that responded to ordinary elixirs. Due to the sheer number of talents and traits I possessed, no potion could really make me stronger.

‘This fruit is different.’

However, this fruit was different.

So different that it was almost alarming.

Honestly, it had seemed dangerous enough that I hesitated—but I no longer had the luxury of hesitation.

Without pause, I tossed the fruit into my mouth.

At that moment—

<You have consumed the ‘Fruit of the World Tree.’>

Grrrk! Gurururuk!

My stomach rumbled wildly, and an immense pain swept through my entire body.

“······!”

I bit down on my lip and covered my mouth.

The moment I opened it, I felt I would vomit the fruit back up.

A rejection reaction beyond imagination.

Even after becoming a Player, I had never felt agony like this.

I grabbed my throat with both hands. The fruit kept stimulating my esophagus as if it would burst out at any moment.

Before I knew it, I was flailing.

My whole body flushed red, and my consciousness drifted far away.

‘Damn it…!’

Regret surged like a tide, but once I had begun, I could not quit.

Just before my mind faded—

<The ‘Fruit of the World Tree’ has begun to digest.>

<You have achieved the achievement ‘One Who Breaks the Forbidden.’>

<The fruit’s effects begin circulating through your body.>

<Energy you cannot absorb is expelled.>

<‘Glutton’ absorbs all expelled energy.>

<Absorption rate 110%!>

<You have successfully absorbed the ‘Holy Lineage’ contained in the fruit’s seed!>

<Hidden Trait ‘Druid’s Affinity for Nature’ evolves into ‘High Druid’s Great Nature.’>

<Nature-related talents are specialized.>

<A skill has been created.>

······

*

*

 

The Demon Realm.

The Demon King, seated upon the throne at its end, looked down at his body.

‘This body… is perfect.’

The Demon King was in the midst of taking over Wilhelm’s body and making it wholly his own.

And the stronger his dominion grew, the more he was unable to hide his admiration.

A body trained to its absolute limit.

Though the star that once dwelled in this body along with Wilhelm’s life had been taken, the experience of surpassing all limits remained engraved in the flesh.

In all his long years of life, the Demon King had never seen such a perfected vessel.

The gods’ meddling had caused the body to die and prevented further growth, but it was enough.

If he could make it entirely his own, he would grow several times stronger than before.

“‘The Abyssal Labyrinth’ has opened, my lord.”

The seven rulers of the resurrected hells knelt before the Demon King.

Hearing their report, the Demon King stroked his chin with interest.

“So the specters of the abyss are beginning to crawl out at last.”

“Will you simply watch?”

“Of course not.”

The Demon King gave a soft laugh and clapped his hands.

From the darkness, a woman appeared.

The hell rulers who saw her were visibly shocked.

“She is…?”

“Isn’t she one of the treacherous agents of the Goddess’ Church?”

The Demon King nodded.

Then he spoke to the woman.

“You know what you must do, Saint Seia.”

“Yes.”

Saint Seia—who had sacrificed herself during the Great Expedition to protect her comrades.

She had not died.

More precisely, she had not been killed.

Instead, her entire will was erased, turning her into a doll.

The Demon King’s smile deepened.

‘Despair in everything you once called hope, humans.’

—

—

 

How long had I writhed in pain?

Only after resisting the temptation to log out nearly a hundred times did the pain finally subside.

I instinctively knew that logging out mid-process would severely hurt the absorption rate.

“Are you awake?”

“··· Hudson.”

When I opened my eyes, I was in my bedroom.

Hudson sat at my side.

He let out a deep sigh of relief, then asked in an extremely serious tone,

“Why didn’t you log out?”

Hudson had realized I was a Player.

From the moment I’d taken out the highest-grade elixir.

He was a Player as well, so he could tell.

And since he also learned my name—Randolph—it would be stranger if he *didn’t* know.

I shook my head and sat up.

“How long has it been?”

“Two days. You didn’t log out once during that time. Did you take some kind of special elixir?”

“I did.”

The Fruit of the World Tree.

To maximize its absorption rate, I stayed logged in for two straight days.

Grinding my teeth through endless pain.

Hudson shook his head.

“In those cases, most Players just log out. No Player endures two full days of pain like that.”

This was new information to me.

Elixirs—

Potions with mystical, miraculous effects.

They usually brought pain with consumption, and most Players simply gave up and logged out.

But after enduring it this time, I realized logging out wasn’t necessarily the smart choice.

“I stayed close just in case. Though Priest Andrew was also on standby outside… Please, never do something so foolish again.”

“I can’t promise that.”

“You’re saying you’ll do it *again*?”

“When you log out after taking an elixir, the absorption rate drops.”

I was certain of it. Logging out reduced the absorption rate. You had to endure the pain fully to receive the proper effect.

“It’s only about a one-percent difference at most.”

“Even one percent is huge.”

“······.”

Hudson stared at me, speechless, as if wondering what kind of lunatic I was.

Who would torture themselves for two days straight just to gain an extra one percent?

‘No one, probably.’

But that one percent stacked up and created Wilhelm.

I knew this well—so I did not back down.

After thinking for a moment, Hudson suddenly spoke with determination.

“Randolph. Are you taking care of your body in the real world?”

“Well… enough not to die.”

“······ You haven’t logged out in two days, and you call that ‘enough’?”

“After becoming a Player, my real body somehow became unusually sturdy.”

“That’s a placebo. Players’ real bodies are exactly the same as normal people.”

The placebo effect.

Believing a fake to be real, thus gaining real-like effects.

Players with strong and powerful bodies in this world believed their real bodies were similarly strong.

But reality differed.

Hudson knew the disparity between Pangaenia and reality better than anyone.

‘But it’s true.’

My real body had indeed become stronger—far beyond placebo.

Even without training, muscle grew; my strength was enough to lift a person with ease. I could even go two to three days without water and still feel fine.

Not on Randolph’s level, but far beyond the human norm.

Were other Players not like this?

“In seven days, the ‘Abyssal Labyrinth’ opens. You know this, right?”

“I do.”

“Players everywhere are in chaos. On interdimensional communities too… And based on my information sources, I doubt it will be only Players entering.”

“If not just Players, then who?”

“The Church of the Goddess and the Earth God have been talking about the Abyssal Labyrinth nonstop since the announcement.”

“Hm.”

My mind snapped fully awake.

The two largest organizations on the continent were speaking with one voice.

The entire continent would know in no time.

Or perhaps they already did.

And if, in addition to Players, the powerhouses of Pangaenia entered in force—

‘It’ll be hell.’

This wouldn’t be easy.

I didn’t bother asking about the entry requirement—the shattered Golden Scale fragment.

Even the monsters of Cramdel had possessed fragments.

And unlike Pangaenia natives, Players had restrictions.

Hudson pointed this out as well.

“It’ll likely be a long-term expedition. And since logging out resets your position, you’ll need someone in reality to take care of your body.”

“That’s true.”

Who knew how long the labyrinth would take?

If a free-for-all broke out, it would take even longer.

Entering lightly would be suicide.

Most importantly—even if I had nearly a thousand hours of Golden Scale fragments, logging out for my real body’s sake would still reset my position.

My real body had grown stronger, but not enough to leave unattended for dozens of days.

The same was true for other Players.

“If you have no one to manage you, come to England.”

“England?”

“I know the Phantom never relies on anyone… but if you come, I can help you safely and discreetly.”

Even as he spoke, Hudson shook his head internally.

He knew Randolph was Phantom—but that was all.

No one knew the Phantom’s real-world identity.

Absolute secrecy.

There was no way I would break that for someone like him.

“Alright.”

“You’re declining again—wait. What?! *Cough*! Ghhk!”

Hudson choked in disbelief at my unexpected answer.

He genuinely couldn’t tell if he was dreaming.

‘Hudson can be trusted.’

He was the one Serengeti chose.

Serengeti judged people far better than I did.

And I could see Hudson’s **Status Window**.

Seeing another person’s status window—this was a first, even after becoming a Player.

So I judged him trustworthy.

“Where should I go in England?”

“I’ll come and—no, that won’t work. Could you tell me your nationality and name? I’ll handle everything quickly.”

How much was a plane ticket to the UK again?

Hudson said he was born well-off, but even economy class cost several million won. I felt I’d burden him unnecessarily.

“I’ll go myself.”

“N-no! This is something I *must* do. Please let me handle it!”

“Well… if you insist.”

Since he was so adamant, refusing would be rude.

Once I told him my nationality and name, Hudson dashed out of the room.

“P-please wait a little!”

…It felt like a typhoon had passed.

Once Hudson left, I could finally calmly check the “changes.”

<Status Window>

Name: Randolph
Class: Successor of the Stars

<Stats>

Level: 6
Strength: 83 (73+10)
Stamina: 83 (73+10)
Agility: 89 (74+15)
Intelligence: 83 (73+10)
Star Power: 86 (76+10)

Notes: Stats increased due to ‘Successor of the Stars – Two Stars (+10 to all stats)’ and last equipped item ‘Satyrus’s Terror (+5 Agility).’

First—every pure base stat had increased by one.

A change not listed on the Fruit of the World Tree.

‘The high absorption rate must’ve raised my stats.’

Raising stats at max cap—this was something no ordinary elixir could do.

‘Agility is almost 90.’

My Agility had risen by 1 when I dominated Maxim earlier, and with Satyrus’s Terror added, it was my highest stat.

Agility 89.

Meaning senses and reflexes were insanely high.

Once Agility passed 100, “Sixth Sense” manifested, allowing you to counter surprise attacks.

But more important than the stat changes were the evolution of talents and the hidden trait.

‘The four elements changed.’

【Primordial Fire】【Primordial Water】【Primordial Earth】【Primordial Wind】

The simple elements of fire, water, earth, and wind now had the word “Primordial” added.

Primordial—

The origin, the beginning from which things arise.

What changed?

I glanced at the candle nearby.

When I brought my hand toward the burning flame—

‘Oh.’

The fire climbed onto my hand and coiled around it.

A sight so mystical it seemed like magic.

Yet—it wasn’t hot.

Only then did I begin to understand what “Primordial” meant.

‘My elemental resistance must have skyrocketed.’

Giant Resistance only blocked damage caused by magic. It didn’t allow you to walk through blazing flames.

But now—I could.

At this level, I could probably endure most elemental attacks.

Some element-focused classes even had their “Mana” replaced with “Elemental Power.”

—

 

 

 

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