Chapter 115
Thanks to Floriana, Seong-Hwi and the others were freed from detainment. They stayed at a Black Market safe house, but according to Kwan Hoi-San, their marketer, hidden eyes throughout Pollon Nest kept watch on them. Even the safe house wasn’t safe, but they could at least take a breather.
Seong-Hwi took the chance to examine the Akasha Messages he received.
[You made a decisive contribution to the defeat of Dungeon Boss: Adolf Hixler.]
[32,250,808 Karma obtained.]
...
[Dungeon Quest: What to do at a Research Institute, cleared.]
[50,000,000 Karma obtained.]
[Stat cube (A) x 3 obtained.]
...
[Closing Dungeon: Research in Progress.]
[You left a seed of last hope in the ending world.]
[Adjusting purification merit rank.]
[Purification merit rank: 1]
[Item cube (S) obtained.]
...
“Haha... Hahahah!” Seong-Hwi laughed as he shook his head.
He was filled with ecstasy despite this being the second time he had examined the Akasha Messages. First, he obtained thirty million Karma by killing the half-dead dungeon boss, Adolf Hixler. The Karma was divided since it had been a party hunt, but it was a significant amount regardless, considering he only fired two arrows.
This was the reward he had hoped for, but was shocked by the other two rewards because he had not expected them at all.
I cleared the dungeon quest?
It was an S-rank quest, and two conditions needed to be fulfilled to clear it. The first was to defeat the one in charge of the Weishaupt Research Institute, which he understood. However, he did not understand why he cleared the second condition, which was to help the two remaining resident survivors in the research institute.
No.1,000 and No.1,002... I helped those babies? All I did was fill their tanks with nutritional fluid.
According to the information Curiositas planted in his head, the two babies were subjected to constant testing in the tanks filled with the diluted Elixirs because the fluid alleviated the side effects of the tests.
Yeah... they were like lab rats. I suppose I helped them by removing the Elixir fluid and replacing it with nutritional fluid.
Seong-Hwi cleared the dungeon quest without even expecting to, and was likely the only one to do it. The deceased Seriel and Krypta would have fulfilled the first condition since they assisted in defeating Adolf Hixler. Leo, Sonya, and Frank might have fulfilled the second condition since they found the two babies in the director’s room with Seong-Hwi. However, Seong-Hwi was the only one to fulfill both conditions.
Fifty million Karma, and three A-rank item cubes.
This reward was already surprising, but it only looked ordinary compared to the one after.
“The closing reward is an S-rank item cube... How was I even able to get this?”
The merit system meant nothing unless the dungeon was closed. Also, the Akasha Message mentioned that Weishaupt Research Institute was in a world guaranteed to end. In other words, purification merits meant nothing compared to corruption merits.
“The answer probably lies in... the seed of last hope.”
Seong-Hwi guessed from the Akasha Messages that he had sown a seed of hope in an ending world, which had budded into hope. Hence, the purification merits, which seemed useless, influenced the closing rewards, resulting in Seong-Hwi receiving an S-rank item cube.
“This might also be... thanks to No.1,000 and No.1,002. I’m first in merit rank.”
Purification merits could be earned by hunting Chaos or helping the residents, and Seong-Hwi had done both. His teammates were likely using the Karma and cubes they earned to raise their stats at this very moment. He also needed to hurry. They were in Pollon Nest; their mission was not over yet.
“Status window,” he said.
[Cheon Seong-Hwi
Health: C(58) Strength: C(66)
Dexterity: C(85) Sense: C(74)
Magic: A(1) Destiny Force: A(1)
Karma: 98,425,211
Coins: 50,034,225
Destiny Weapon: Tarot Deck of Destiny B(7)
Skills (6) Traits (5) Items (8) Cubes (6)]
The caliber of his stats had significantly risen. His B-rank Health, Strength, Dexterity, and Sense stats were demoted to C-rank, and his A(10) Magic and Destiny Force stats went down to A(1). However, he had 98,425,211 Karma.
It’s time to grow stronger again! Seong-Hwi shouted inwardly.
He was ready to smash with all his might into the unfathomably large wall he felt when encountering Curiositas. He would likely shed just as unfathomable amounts of blood, but it would only weaken the wall.
[Health C(10) obtained.]
[Health C(11) obtained.]
[Health C(8) obtained.]
...
***
It took Seong-Hwi an hour to finish opening cubes, but the result was worth it.
[Cheon Seong-Hwi
Health: B(69+30) Strength: B(69+30)
Dexterity: B(99) Sense: B(99)
Magic: A(11) Destiny Force: A(11)
Karma: 5,137,511
Coins: 50,034,225
Destiny Weapon: Tarot Deck of Destiny A(5)
Skills (6) Traits (5) Items (8) Cubes (3)]
[Common Skills: Rust of Ruin A(8)]
[Unique Skills: Symbol Embodiment, Borrowing Destiny]
[Item Skills: Myriad Faces, Bucephala’s Steps, Steel Plate]
[Traits: Natural Enemy of Chaos B(6), Thousand-Man Killer C(13), Giant Killing D(99), Scorn for the Weak D(99), Helping Hand D(99)]
[Items: Wings of Evolution A(3), Silver Bracelets of Queen Consort Muryeong B(9), Myriad Cheoyong Mask C(10), Bucephala Hoodie D(99), Zanaka Karambit D(99), Iron Tortoise Heart Guard D(99), Tom’s Leather Boots F(0), First-Class Murder License Ring F(0)]
[Cubes: Item cube (S), Item cube (A), Item cube (B)]
He raised Health, Strength, Dexterity, and Sense to B-rank; Health and Strength were easier to max thanks to the Silver Bracelets of Queen Consort Muryeong. The difference between C-rank and B-rank was comparable to a soft yarn thread and a steel cable.
His Magic, Destiny Force, and D Weapon stats were A-rank, and he also raised Rust of Ruin, the skill with S-rank potential, and his most important item, Wings of Evolution, to A-rank. His status as a Double-A human did not change, but the power within was far stronger.
The amplification amount of the Wings of Evolution rose. I think it’s almost double, Seong-Hwi thought.
He couldn’t be sure since he hadn’t converted his secondary force yet, but its power and duration had undoubtedly risen.
Lastly, the S-rank item cube.
Seong-Hwi fell into thought. He and the others would go through endless battles to escape Pollon Nest. He wanted to open it now, but he decided to wait until later.
William’s destiny isn’t omnipotent; it’s all or nothing. It won’t always give all. It could very well give nothing.
He shook his head, not even wanting to imagine the latter. It was only natural since it was an S-rank item cube. In terms of Karma, it was worth three hundred million. Just like how useful the skill Rust of Ruin, which he had gotten from an S-rank skill cube, had been for him, an item from an S-rank item cube would also be irreplaceable for him to trailblaze his destiny.
Nino Manfredi, tenth in the human ranking, had risen to become a High Ranker solely through his golem Antaeus, which he had obtained from an S-rank item cube. Hence, Seong-Hwi couldn’t use such a chance lightly.
Opening it in enemy territory is a bad idea. I should wait until we’re safe and open it when I’m as calm as I can be.
Seong-Hwi left his room after the decision. It was time to escape Pollon Nest as quickly as possible.
***
“Please let the God of Heaven know. If you will excuse me, I must report this matter to the chief justice,” Floriana said as she turned to leave the room.
Gabriel, the Angel of Revelation, was an androgynous angel with silver hair and eyes, and a messenger who relayed the words of the God of Heaven from the celestial realm to the mortal realm.
He stared silently at Floriana’s back as she left the room and mumbled as he activated a skill, “This isn’t good.”
[Activating Race Skill: Open Halo Channel.]
The halo above Gabriel’s head spun as it shone with a golden light. Gabriel was a first-grade angel—on top of that, an archangel. Although there were three others with the same rank, only one was above him. It was the Second Lord of the Ten Lords and Fiends—the only god worshiped by the angel society, Orbis—Creo, the God of Heaven.
Gabriel reported everything that happened in Pollon Nest to Creo through the Open Halo Channel. His expression, which had not changed until now, began to crumple. His face, which had been as perfect and beautiful as a sculpture, wrinkled hideously.
“As you wish,” he responded as his halo returned to normal.
Someone knocked on the door from outside, and an old man with turquoise wings entered.
“Master Gabriel—Gasp!”
Fragor, the birdfolk High Ranker, was shocked by Gabriel’s murderous expression and the caliber he was exuding.
“Urgh! Great Archangel Gabriel!”
“The almighty God of Heaven... expressed disappointment in me. I can’t believe I’ve disappointed him!” Gabriel expressed unrestrained rage.
He only existed to serve the God of Heaven, so failing him made Gabriel feel like his existence was being denied; it was as if he had become useless to the God of Heaven.
“You must find the Elixir! The God of Heaven desires it! No birdfolk in Pollon Nest will live another day if you fail!”
“Ah... Ahhh!”
Fragor fell to his knees, pressured by caliber beyond his wildest imagination. Gabriel covered his face with his nine pairs of white wings as if embarrassed. He withdrew his wings moments after, returning to his beautiful appearance.
Fragor couldn’t stare at Gabriel despite Gabriel withdrawing his caliber.
Gabriel asked, “Where is Remus?”
“S-Sir Remus is... at the birdfolk capital, Harpy’s Embrace.”
“Contact him. I will allow him to wipe away his humiliation from being defeated by Lee Kang-San.”
***
“W-where are you going in such a hurry, Master Taizet?!“ Jato, the vice-captain of the Honor Knights, shouted as his armor clanked.
Taizet was running through the plains on the outskirts of Pollon Nest. Jato was shouting something behind him, but he couldn’t hear it.
I have to get out of here! If the Supreme One’s toy is here, he could be watching from somewhere!
If that weak and cunning human was the Supreme Demon God’s toy, this entire area was his playground. He could very well obliterate everything on a whim. No one could predict the thoughts of a child who repeatedly built and destroyed sandcastles.
Dammit! I should’ve brought a warp gate user! No... I might be overreacting. That human could’ve lied to survive! Taizet said inwardly to console himself.
Just then, a gust blew from behind him, bending the blades of grass forward as if they were bowing down to someone.
“Ah!” Taizet stopped in his tracks and looked forward blankly.
“Master Taizet! Are you sure we should just leave? The angels broke the agreement! If we continue to pressure them, we could drive them into—Huh?”
Jato, following behind Taizet, also looked forward. A beautiful young man with black silky hair fluttering in the wind stood before them, reading a book with a leather cover in his left hand. His heterochromatic black and green eyes slowly moved from left to right, up to down. The natural shifts of his gaze and the smooth tracing of the pages with his hand were like a work of art.
“A demon?” Jato said once he noticed the sheep-like curled horns on the man’s temples. He shouted, “Who are you to block our path?!”
The man didn’t answer. Only the sound of the wind filled the space.
Jato, thinking he was just ignored, shouted, “Do you have any idea who this man is?! He is eighteenth in the demon ranking, Demon of Hellfire, Taiz—”
Taizet punched Jato and sent him flying with only his lower body remaining, which was incinerated by black flames. Taizet knelt, smashed his head into the ground, and raised his arms toward the sky as if lifting something—the highest form of worship.
“Please forgive this insignificant demon for looking upon the pinnacle of demons. I beg mercy of you... O Benevolent One.”
Taizet did not dare to make his signature vulgar laughter, speaking as respectfully and seriously as possible.
The young man closed his book and turned to look at Taizet. Monstrously enormous caliber pressed down on him. Taizet forced down his groans and groveled even lower.
“Are you not going to attack me?” the man asked.
“I-I wouldn’t dare—”
“How boring... That human did. I still remember his eyes.” The young man shook his head and asked Taizet, “Do you remember me?”
“How could I forget? You are the venerable demon of demons, Demon God Curiositas.”
“I gave you a small flame long ago. I am happy to see you have cultivated it well.”
“Thank you very much!” Taizet responded tremblingly.
Curiositas turned away from Taizet and stared at Pollon Nest. “I can feel one of Creo’s fragments in that direction.”
“Yes, the archangel Gabriel resides there,” Taizet responded.
“Kill him.”
Taizet’s eyes widened in shock.
“You can’t?” Curiositas asked.
“I-I...” Taizet stuttered, unable to find the right words.
The angels were one of the races that did not use a ranking system. The hierarchy was determined solely by the number of wings bestowed by the God of Heaven. They were divided by grades, and a first-grade angel was on par with the strongest High Rankers. Although Taizet was eighteenth in the demon ranking, he was slightly weaker than Gabriel.
“Tsk, tsk... Flames do not distinguish between what they burn. I bestowed you with a flame that could incinerate the entire world, but you’re using it to light a candle,” Curiositas remarked.
“M-my humblest apologies—”
“I will give you a chance to pay for the flame I have given you.”
Taizet could instinctively tell that if he refused this chance, Curiositas would retrieve the flame that allowed Taizet to become a Ranker.
“W-whatever you wish!” Taizet shouted.
“You may be cowardly, but at least you’re quick-witted.” Curiositas nodded and continued, “I can sense that the one I have taken a liking to will be in danger. Give him a helping hand.”
Taizet expressed shock and thought, The toy! He wasn’t just any toy, but the Supreme One’s cherished toy!
Curiositas’s voice echoed in Taizet’s head, “All that occurs in that process will be justified in the name of Curiositas.”
The gust blew again, and Taizet could no longer hear Curiositas’s voice. However, he only raised his head after over an hour and saw an unbefittingly clear blue sky.