I Start with 13 Hidden Traits Chapter-89

Ch-89

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The fact was—*that being* was none other than himself.

To be defeated by a mere crow?

But at the White King’s next words, the Great Earth Dragon was struck speechless.

“Perhaps… he is the only one who might be able to kill me.”

“······!!!!!”

It was the first time the White King had ever uttered such words.

If someone could kill the White King, then the Great Earth Dragon knew there was nothing more to question.

The same held true for the other Pillars.

“What the Fifth Pillar desires is an ‘equal seat.’ In other words, he has no desire to turn me into an enemy. Since we’ve now reached mutual understanding, there’s no reason not to accept his deal.”

“B-but! We cannot be sure where the Fang is, can we?”

At the final moment, the Fifth Pillar had proposed a trade.

Wilhelm had stolen the White King’s Fang.

And he claimed that he knew where it had gone after Wilhelm’s death.

“No, the Fifth Pillar speaks the truth.”

If he had simply said the Fang was in the labyrinth, they would have dismissed it as a lie.

But the Fifth Pillar had provided a rather convincing explanation.

—*The Fang was transferred to a ‘special place’ upon its holder’s death, kaak.*

—*Even if I told you, it’s a place none of you could ever reach, kaak.*

A place where even the mighty White King and the Pillars could not reach.

To say the Fang had been “transferred” there meant someone had intentionally moved it.

After Wilhelm had died during the Great Expedition.

Randolph felt certain that *he alone* knew what that place was—and that *he alone* could reach it.

Thus, the White King asked what the Fifth Pillar would accept in exchange for retrieving the Fang.

*Equal value. I will not trade unless the item is at least as valuable as my own Fang.*

But an item equal in worth to his Fang?

Such a thing could not possibly exist.

For the White King’s Fang was the most precious thing in the world.

He could not give away something equally precious.

“What, then, must be offered to reclaim the Fang?”

“You mean… you are willing to accept the deal…?”

The Great Earth Dragon asked in a half-dazed voice.

Too many shocking revelations had come all at once.

The White King shrugged.

“Accepting it is not the issue. The true problem is—what do we give? It must match the Fang’s value, and it must satisfy the Fifth Pillar as well.”

After a long pause, the Great Earth Dragon, half-resigned, opened his mouth.

“··· There is… one thing.”

“······One? Don’t tell me… you’re suggesting *that*?”

“Yes.”

“You mean… my daughter?”

“Yes.”

“······Hmm.”

The White King stroked his chin.

He did indeed have a daughter—one he cherished dearly, his most precious child.

A daughter equal—or perhaps superior—in value even to his Fang.

“Randolph is male, is he not?”

“I would assume so.”

“Hm. But she should still be in training.”

“You’ve surely heard the news—Black King’s pack is gathering at the ‘Mountain of Trainees.’ Either way, we have to pull her out from there.”

“It is… an idea. A cunning one.”

The White King let out a deep sigh.

Randolph—perhaps the only being capable of killing him.

If he tied him to his daughter through marriage, all risk would vanish.

Not only that—he would gain a powerful ally for eternity.

The problem lay elsewhere.

*I wonder if she’ll even listen to me.*

Whether that tomboy of his would obey was another matter.

He had sent her to the Mountain of Trainees for character correction and training, but given her bloodline…

He doubted her iron-willed, fiery disposition had softened in the slightest.

Still, if possible, no solution could be better than this one.

“Hmmmmm…”

The White King’s worries deepened.

*

*

 

After the Clear of the Abyssal Labyrinth…

The Player Talk was swept up in a wind of change.

—You see the article? The Korean piece about Randolph?

—Yeah. He’s seriously got balls of steel.

—Kim Hana? Isn’t she the reporter who interviewed Gracia?

—Yep. Looks like she did this one anonymously.

—“A true hero who fights monsters alone in another dimension—Randolph.”

—Well, not wrong lolololol

—Bet the one who said that is a Phantom Cult believer.

—Aren’t you scared of the Master’s assassins??

—Exactly. If I were the Master, I’d erase the name Randolph from Earth at all costs…

A Korean article under Kim Hana’s name.

It had triggered a frenzy, publishing information not only about the “Dimension Warrior” known here, but also about the Randolph fighting alone on another dimension’s battlefield.

Of course, the content itself wasn’t much.

Just that there existed someone named Randolph fighting in another dimension.

The problem was—the mention of the *name* Randolph itself.

—Someone summarize the article?

—The new warp gates being created are attempts from other dimensions to invade Earth. And a hero named Randolph sacrificed himself to stop them.

—What, that’s it?

—What do you mean ‘that’s it’? Now people will start wondering who Randolph is.

—The reporter and the interviewee—both must have more than one life.

—Actually, he’s gotten famous recently. They might not want to touch him recklessly?

—They’ll probably avoid making it an issue. I bet they bury it.

—You think that’s all they know? They probably trimmed it down on purpose just to publish *something.*

—Man, I’m getting nervous…

—Guys, wrong time for this. Something huge happened in Pangaenia.

At that moment—

Just as Player Talk was buzzing about the article, players who had suddenly logged out began talking about news from Pangaenia.

—What happened?

—There’s always chaos, stop overreacting lol

—Every city just got an official decree. Signed by the White King himself!

The White King—unexpectedly.

There wasn’t a single player who didn’t know that name.

—White King? The one from northern Cramdel?

—Holy crap, even guilds that own cities are panicking.

—What does it say?? Tell us!!

—Hold on—he’s officially declaring the Labyrinth City as his territory. It’s his second official proclamation after Cramdel. Basically saying, mess with it and die.

—What do you mean?? Didn’t Randolph take the Labyrinth City??

—The one who will *govern* the city is Randolph, the Fifth Pillar.

—…?

—?????

—Fifth Pillar???

—Yeah. Cramdel’s newly anointed fifth Pillar. The King of Corpse Crows—Randolph.

—Wait, what??

—What the hell are they talking about?

—So the one who cleared the Abyssal Labyrinth wasn’t the Randolph we know, but *the corpse crow* Randolph??

—So they’re homonyms????

—I’m really confused right now.

—My head’s spinning…

—So not Phantom Randolph, but monster corpse crow Randolph??

—What?? Is this real???

—Who the hell is corpse crow Randolph??

—This is insane—are you telling me the guy we worshiped wasn’t Phantom but a monster?

—Considering Cramdel never accepts humans, he’s definitely a real monster.

—Then where’s the real Randolph?

—Probably at the Mountain of Trainees?

—Someone go check.

—You can only go up to Level 7 there once though.

—And monsters swarmed the mountain—paths are blocked. Going means death.

—Whoa… chills.

—Holy crap ……

*

*

The Mountain of Trainees.

A stage that begins automatically once you reach Level 7 and clear Main Quest 6.

You can climb it only once, and unless you reach Level 15 in your class-related mastery, you cannot even descend.

A semi-forced training ground.

*What level of mastery you reach—that decides everything.*

While the White King contemplated what to offer in exchange for the Fang—

I was preparing to ascend the Mountain of Trainees.

But I must finish it thoroughly and completely.

One chance.

No second attempt.

From the moment I set foot on the mountain until the moment I descend, I must produce exceptional results.

*Each class has a different maximum mastery cap.*

For example, a typical class like Archer can raise bow mastery up to Level 15.

Level 15—that’s the baseline.

If you possess a class of higher rank, naturally the cap is higher.

In that regard, I already held an overwhelming advantage.

*The Dragon Sword Sovereign. A hidden class whose maximum sword mastery reaches Level 30.*

A hidden class—Dragon Sword Sovereign!

A class bestowed only after receiving acknowledgment from both the Supreme Dragon and Sword Saint Riley.

I had never heard of a class with a mastery cap approaching Level 30.

There were cases where you could surpass the max level by consuming special stars, but starting with 30?

*I need at least Level 23 before descending.*

But beyond Level 20, hardships and ordeals begin.

With the Baal Helm and my dexterity, I should be able to barely push to Level 23.

And among all who ever climbed the mountain, those who reached Level 23 could be counted on one hand.

“Let’s go.”

“Yes~”

Saintess Seia answered beside me.

She seemed a bit scatterbrained at the moment, but she was the only one who had never ascended the Mountain of Trainees.

Unlike Isaac or Isabella, she wasn’t a player character—she had been a saintess of Pangaenia from birth, so she’d never needed to enter the mountain.

A faint smile tugged at my lips.

The one before me now was no saintess.

*She was an infinite heal shuttle.*

Someone who would restore my exhausted body and mind during the climb.

A being meant solely for infinite training.

A heal shuttle—yet the strongest possible one, endowed with overwhelming divine power.

And not just that.

*If all goes well, I may be able to push beyond Level 23.*

If everything unfolded as I envisioned, reaching the pinnacle of Main Quest 7’s Hall of Fame might even be possible.

Perhaps—beyond that.

**Star of the Beheaded One**

Volcano.

A place known as the Sacred Ground of Fire.

Kyaaaaaaaak!

There, a giant bird made of fire screamed.

A phoenix—one of the highest tiers among mythical species!

But now, both its wings were pinned by swords, leaving it unable to move.

“Quietly hand over the star, Star Guardian.”

Before it, Gracia slowly rotated his Celestial Sword.

The phoenix was the Star Guardian of the Fire Star.

A special being who tested the qualified and bestowed its star upon them.

Yet the phoenix shook its head at the man before it—Gracia.

—*You are not yet ready…!*

Rumble!

Kyaaaaaaaa!!

Under Gracia’s relentless sword strikes, the phoenix was slowly dying.

But Gracia paid it no mind.

For he no longer even saw the phoenix.

《The Master of the Abyssal Labyrinth, “Sword Saint Riley,” has been defeated by challenger Randolph.》

《Phase 5 cleared. “The One Who Is the *Abyss*” has been eliminated by Randolph.》

《Abyssal Labyrinth cleared! Randolph rises as the new lord of the Labyrinth City.》

…The memories resurfaced again.

Gracia grit his teeth.

What he could not achieve—*that being* had achieved.

Even if he learned that it was not Phantom Randolph, but Cramdel’s Fifth Pillar—the King of Corpse Crows—it didn’t erase the bitter feeling.

*I am still lacking.*

He acknowledged it.

He had been arrogant.

Obsessed with the Sword of Radiance, calling himself a Sword Saint, he had neglected his growth.

As a result, he could not even surpass the former Sword Saint.

*I thought I had surpassed Phantom. I was wrong.*

If Phantom’s strongest character, Wilhelm, had fought Sword Saint Riley, he would have won.

And if—by a one-in-ten-million chance—this Randolph truly was Phantom…

*I must become stronger.*

Gracia turned his gaze back to the phoenix.

“Hand over the star, Star Guardian.”

*Ding!*

*Ding-ding!*

At that moment, the sound of black bells rang out from behind him.

The Reapers had followed him all the way into the Sacred Ground of the Volcano.

Lately, their visits had been growing more frequent.

And the Reapers who sought him now were unlike the ones he had met back in Korea.

Their number, their appearance—everything was different.

Only two of them, each with three horns protruding from its forehead.

Yet the pressure they radiated was on an entirely different level.

Gracia’s expression hardened.

“······Very well. I’ll settle matters with you two as well.”

*

*

“············This is the official decree sent by the White King?”

“Yes, Master.”

The masked man standing in the office of the Ruins City’s ruler replied.

At the same time, he handed over the decree that had just arrived in the city.

The Master read it, and his brow twisted sharply.

—*To all city rulers! The Labyrinth City is hereby declared territory of the White King.*

—*However, its actual governor shall be the newly risen Fifth Pillar and King of Corpse Crows, Randolph.*

—*Be assured: any fool who plays with fire shall be burned to death.*

There wasn’t even a speck of courtesy to be found in the message.

What?

*“Play with fire and you’ll burn to death”?*

Even for the White King, sending out such a decree to every city was crossing the line.

It wasn’t even a formal declaration of war…

Was he simply unafraid of anything?

In the end, the Master could only mutter bitterly:

“······There’s truly no one more insane than him.”

“Should we abandon the plan?”

“With the White King interfering, we have no choice. Cancel everything—wipe the plan clean.”

The plan.

It referred, of course, to the assault on the Labyrinth City.

 

 

 

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