Han Yuseong felt it.
The gazes of transcendents watching him.
[The Lords respond to your prayer.]
[The Eyes of the Lords turn toward you. They have decided to bestow blessings upon your Dragon Spirit for your sake.]
[The Eye Lord of Training, the Eye Lord of Shadows, the Eye Lord of Pleasure, the Lord of War.]
[Their blessings descend upon your Dragon Spirit!]
Not just one, but four.
From the heights, four lights of different colors fell and infused into Haechuling's body.
[Haechuling has received the Blessing of the Eye Lords (S55)!]
[Blessing of the Eye Lords (S55)]
· All stats of the Dragon Spirit increase by 1 rank; EXP gain +200%.
· The Oathbound's Strength +25%, doubled during combat.
· When the Dragon Spirit uses "Manifestation," its power is greatly amplified. Additionally, shadows spread, increasing Defense and Magic Defense by 30%,
while reducing the enemy's Defense and Magic Defense by 30%.
· During combat, the Dragon Spirit and the Oathbound receive random buffs (related to Dragon Spirit skills, stats, attack power, speed, magic, etc.).
The blessing of the Lords had descended.
And not just any blessing — an S55-grade blessing.
The original grade wasn't that high. It's usually around grade 5, but with four Lords bestowing their blessings, the grade had been massively boosted.
"I didn't actually think they'd give it to me…"
[Th-this brat! That damned fox dares go after someone else's Oathbound again!]
He had thought, "It'd be nice if they did, but if not, that's just how it is."
But for three Lords he hadn't even made a contract with to bless him? That was unexpected.
It wasn't too surprising that Shadow or Pleasure offered blessings. Those two had shown clear interest in Han Yuseong.
But for even the Eye Lord of Training to bestow a blessing—
That, he hadn't seen coming.
"Training, Kakasha, Shadow, and then Pleasure—that must be the order."
Judging by the structure of the skill effects, that seemed to be the sequence in which the Lords granted their blessings.
Han Yuseong nodded, seemingly satisfied.
The effects were exceptionally powerful—befitting an SSS-rank Dragon Spirit skill.
"Hey, wait a sec… that…"
"No way… Did all four Eye Lords really bless him?"
"Based on the system messages earlier, it looks that way?"
"But why does his Dragon Spirit look like that? Is that… an egg?"
Meanwhile, the players who had witnessed the whole thing were stunned.
Receiving a Dragon Spirit with an Eye Lord's blessing?
That alone wasn't too surprising.
For a dungeon of this difficulty level, that kind of reward was within expectations.
But that wasn't the issue.
"Did they say four Eye Lords gave blessings?"
"The message didn't name them all, so we can't be sure—but one is probably contracted… the rest?"
"Is it even possible for Eye Lords you haven't made a contract with to grant blessings?"
After all, what kind of beings were the Lords of the Stars?
They were coin-crazed beings, obsessed with transactions.
They were indifferent to anyone who wasn't their Oathbound.
And sometimes, they were even cold to their own Oathbound.
So for such beings to show interest in just one player?
And to go so far as to spend coins to bestow blessings?
"This… this shouldn't even be possible…"
Yet it was happening—one extraordinary event after another.
From the appearance of Galveon's Warrior to the Lords' blessings,
everything had gone far beyond what anyone could have imagined.
And it wasn't over yet.
RUMMMMMBLE!
At that very moment, the ground began to tremble violently.
No—not just the ground.
The ceiling, the walls—everything that made up the temple was shaking, on the verge of collapse.
"W-what the hell?! Why is this happening all of a sudden?!"
"No way… don't tell me—!"
The players watching instinctively thought of one terrifying possibility.
And they were right.
KWA-RRRRRRUMBLE!
"Oh, you've gotta be kidding me! The temple is collapsing!"
"Move! Don't stand in the way! You wanna get crushed to death?!"
The temple was falling apart.
Han Yuseong had already used up all the power stored within the temple.
With its role fulfilled, the structure began to crumble.
"AAAAAARRGGHH!!"
"P-please! Help me!"
This was not the time to be fighting one another.
Whether Guardian, Destroyer, or True Name Unveiled,
every player hurriedly fled the collapsing temple in a panic.
It didn't take long before the entire temple came crashing down.
The shockwave sent up a massive cloud of dust and debris,
covering everything—so thick that you couldn't even see a step ahead.
And then, once that cloud of dust finally settled—
"Huh? Wait a minute…"
"Where did that guy go…?"
The players who had managed to escape at last realized something—
Han Yuseong was gone.
Vanished without a trace.
As if he had never been there to begin with.
Wei Hamo let out a short, involuntary laugh.
"Ha! Now this… this I didn't see coming…"
While Han Yuseong had been fighting Galveon inside the temple,
Wei Hamo and his subordinates had stayed outside, hunting the Guardians.
Thanks to that, he had absorbed many Dragon Spirits
and greatly strengthened his Destruction buffs.
Whoever came out of the temple next—he had planned to kill them.
That was the idea.
"Kuh, hack! Cough! Lord Wei Hamo! The temple… it's completely collapsed!"
Who could've predicted that the temple would just fall apart after fulfilling its role?
At that moment, a sense of doubt crept in.
"Did that unknown target… know this would happen?"
That the temple would collapse once it was cleared?
But—was that even possible?
That would mean he'd accurately understood the hidden mechanics of the first Trial of the Fallen God and used them to his advantage.
From a logical standpoint, that was completely unthinkable.
And yet, it had actually happened.
"What about the ones who escaped the temple?"
"We're tracking them. But… the collapse caused complete chaos. It won't be easy."
"Anyone among them stand out? What about Galveon?"
"No, sir. Galveon is nowhere to be seen either."
Wei Hamo's subordinate shook his head.
Whether Guardian or Destroyer, those who escaped had been too stunned by the unexpected collapse to think straight.
Though… there was still a chance some of that might have been acting.
"Further pursuit is probably impossible."
"Yes. We don't have much time left."
"Then kill who needs killing, capture who can be taken. We need intel.
Galveon likely died inside too—it's time to clean this up."
Wei Hamo's face hardened, his expression turning ice-cold.
"Did the target kill Galveon…?"
If so, this just got a lot more complicated.
It would mean the target absorbed Galveon's Dragon Spirit.
In other words—
an already powerful Guardian had just become even more dangerous.
"I'll need to contact the other Destroyers."
He needed to gather allies and build up power as a Destroyer.
If he wanted to defeat that unknown Guardian and win the Trial, it was absolutely necessary.
With a hardened expression, Wei Hamo turned and left the ruins of the collapsed temple.
[Time skip – 3 hours later]
Three hours passed in the blink of an eye.
Han Yuseong had used his abilities to shake off the pursuers,
and when that didn't work, he ambushed and eliminated them all.
It had been a better run than expected.
Time flew by, and finally—
[You have successfully survived for 3 hours!]
[Congratulations. You may now select a reward based on your growth score. Your contracted Dragon Spirit will also receive experience.]
The message he had been waiting for appeared.
Resting deep within a forest in a mountain inside the Dragon's Tomb,
Han Yuseong looked at the message hovering before him.
[Growth Score: 31,546]
An impressive number.
Thanks to the Growth Furnace possessed by Pet Haechuling,
he had reached an absurdly high growth score.
As a result, multiple rewards now appeared in front of him:
[Mythical Rank (Limited): Oathbound of the Dragon Spirit]
[Legendary Rank: Subspace Pouch of the Mage Tower, Oracle's Bell, Tome of Mastery, Speedster, Eye of the Typhoon, Map: Dragon's Tomb…]
[You may select up to four items.]
Legendary items—and even a Mythical-grade item.
Han Yuseong's eyes widened in surprise at the sight of the Mythical-tier reward.
But that awe lasted only for a moment.
[Oathbound of the Dragon Spirit (Mythical)]
· Slot: Necklace
· Various stats increase based on the contracted Dragon Spirit's abilities. This item can only exist within the Dragon's Tomb.
· Each unique effect has its own cooldown time.
· Strength A+: +400 Attack Power; can momentarily activate Superhuman Strength.
· Agility A+: Greatly reduces fatigue and increases reaction speed.
· Endurance A+: +200 Defense; grants a shield to the wearer.
· Magic Power A+: +300 Magic Attack Power; magic is cast instantly.
Han Yuseong's expression became hard to read as he read the item's description.
There was no doubt—it was a rare and practically unobtainable item.
The problem? It was a limited-duration item.
"So I won't be able to use it once the trial is over…"
[All unnecessarily good items come with a catch.]
Still, whatever the drawback, the item would be immensely useful for now.
There was no reason not to take it.
Han Yuseong selected Oathbound of the Dragon Spirit,
then carefully reviewed the rest of the rewards.
He made his choices from the remaining Legendary items.
[Speedster (Legendary)]
· Slot: Feet
· Defense: 80
· Agility +8, Movement Speed +15%
· When using movement-type skills, can activate Acceleration.
· Reduces the effects of terrain and debuffs that hinder movement.
[Tome of Mastery (Legendary)]
[Note: You've stopped mid-description. Let me know if you want the translation to continue from here.]
[Tome of Mastery (Legendary)]
· A book imbued with the experience and insight of a true master.
· Upon use: All stats increase by +5.
· Upon use: Level of two different skills can be increased,
or the level of one skill can be greatly boosted instead.
[Mage Tower's Subspace Pouch (Legendary)]
· A magically inscribed pouch capable of holding a large quantity of items.
· Incredibly compact—small enough to wear at the waist—and engraved with the Mage Tower's uniquely delicate enchantments.
· If the storage limit is exceeded, items will automatically be ejected.
With Speedster boots, the Tome of Mastery, and the Subspace Pouch,
Han Yuseong had selected his remaining three items.
"A subspace pouch, huh… What a lucky find."
When it came to spatial storage items, the smaller the item, and the greater the internal capacity,
the rarer and more valuable it was.
This pouch was small enough to wear on his belt—
no need to even say how much it was worth.
"And the Tome of Mastery… This one's a bit tricky."
[So, what skill will you use it on?]
Han Yuseong paused to consider.
Wind-Step Art
Bloodstorm Fist
Shadow of the Night
Nox Marcana
Judgment of the Gods
These were his leveled-up skills.
Would he spread the effect across two of them?
Or concentrate it all into one?
It didn't take long for him to decide.
[Using: Tome of Mastery]
[All stats increased by +5.]
["Judgment of the Gods (S)" has absorbed mastery and reached Level 8!]
Han Yuseong had chosen the latter option—
to focus the Tome of Mastery on a single skill.
Wind-Step Art, Bloodstorm Fist, Shadow of the Night, and Nox Marcana were all skills he would continue to use frequently.
They were already leveling up well, and they likely would continue to improve over time.
"But Judgment of the Gods... it's not a skill I can use lightly."
Its long cooldown and high mana cost made it burdensome to use frequently.
Raising its level through repeated use would be difficult.
That's why using this opportunity to boost its level all at once was the smarter move.
Plus, as a wide-area skill, it would be immediately useful in the near future.
[You've achieved much in a short time. Are you satisfied?]
"Not bad. But… it's still too soon to say I'm satisfied."
Han Yuseong turned his eyes to Haechuling, who was floating around him.
Still only A-rank—
but after the experience gained from this, a few more quests or dungeons would likely push it to 5th rank soon enough.
And once that happened…
"Then I'll finally find out what this one's fate really is."
Would it be—as he and Kakasha had speculated—the fate of a king?
Or something else entirely?
Equipping his newly acquired items, Han Yuseong began walking.
"Let's grind some levels."
He had no intention of wasting the time that remained—
he would use it all to grow his Dragon Spirit.
[Quest Complete: "Hunt the Twisted Dragon Spirits"]
[You have conquered the dungeon: "Abandoned Cavern."]
[Quest Complete: "Destroyer Subjugation."]
[Dungeon ...…]
Once again, time passed quickly.
Han Yuseong kept up a relentless pace—
clearing dungeon after dungeon and quest after quest,
all for the sake of raising his Dragon Spirit's level.
Because it was evolving to 5th rank,
Haechuling required a considerable amount of experience this time.
Even so, filling that requirement wasn't too difficult for him.
"With this much done, all that's left is to wait."
Han Yuseong had now raised Haechuling's level to the desired threshold.
He sat down for a short break, waiting for the next system message to appear—
the one confirming the completion of his objective.
Fortunately, he didn't have to wait long.
[6 hours have passed.]
[Current survivors: 312,899. Of those, 32,554 Guardians and 25,112 Destroyers failed to complete their objectives.]
[As previously warned, they will now be eliminated.]
Once again, countless people—even those with True Names revealed—lost their lives.
Reaching a Growth Score of 6,000 within 6 hours was no easy feat.
The fierce competition made it even harder.
Especially for Guardians, who were constantly targeted by Destroyers.
Many simply couldn't endure the pressure.
"So… we're down to around 250,000 now."
Considering that the original number of participants had been 700,000,
this meant a massive death toll.
An entire city's worth of lives had been erased.
What was truly frightening…
was that this still wasn't the end.
But for now, that didn't matter. Something far more important was happening.
[As previously announced, a special reward will be given to the Guardian who achieved the highest growth score.]
[Congratulations, Han Yuseong. You achieved the highest growth score.]
[Growth Score: 40,800]
This was the reward Han Yuseong had been aiming for.
A brilliantly adorned message appeared in front of him.
Moments later, a radiant light shimmered in the air and descended, enveloping Han Yuseong and his Dragon Spirit.
[As a reward, you and your Dragon Spirit have received massive experience.]
[Your Dragon Spirit has also awakened the skill: Manifestation (S5)!]
[Manifestation (SS)]
· Temporarily manifests your Dragon Spirit into physical form.
· While manifested, the spirit takes on a tangible body and fights with full power based on its current stats.
· If the manifested form suffers a critical injury, it will revert to its spirit state.
The skill reward came first.
Manifestation was a skill exclusive to Dragon Spirits—
a technique that allowed them to take physical form for a set duration.
The duration and power of Manifestation depended heavily on its grade.
While lower-tier versions were relatively easy to obtain,
higher-rank Manifestation skills were incredibly rare,
making it an essential acquisition for any Guardian relying on a Dragon Spirit.
[Level increased by 10 levels.]
[Strength +10, Agility +10, Endurance +10.]
[Due to the "Martial God" effect, additional bonus stats: Strength +5, Agility +3, Endurance +2.]
An S5-grade Dragon Spirit skill and an enormous flood of experience—
this was the payoff.
Han Yuseong had gained ten levels at once—
a dramatic leap, even for him.
Naturally, his Dragon Spirit's level also skyrocketed in an instant.
[Pet Haechuling has reached the maximum level for its current rank.]
[Haechuling (A-rank) is attempting to evolve into a 5th-rank Dragon Spirit...]
[The
He had nurtured Haechuling so intensely that it had already surpassed the threshold for evolution.
Now, with the massive bonus experience from the reward, it hit max level immediately.
And then—
Chrrrkk—!
Fine, translucent threads suddenly appeared and wrapped around Haechuling,
forming a shape that looked somewhere between a cocoon and an egg.
"So it's not the kind of flashy evolution effect that tears the air apart."
Evolution to 5th-rank would no doubt bring significant physical changes.
Han Yuseong, without thinking too deeply about it, simply observed the "egg."
[Congratulations!]
[Player Han Yuseong has discovered an
[Completing this quest will alter the future content of the Trials!]
He had no idea this was coming.
Until the message burst onto his screen, Han Yuseong had remained calm.
Now, his eyes widened.
[Epic Quest: The Path of Kings]
[This Haechuling was originally born with the fate of a Dragon Lord. However, before Haechuling could even hatch, the world was destroyed, and the one destined to become a Lord perished without ever awakening.]
[Guide Haechuling along the path of its destiny.]
[If you do not wish to pursue this path, you may reject the quest.]
Haechuling had become an egg.
And with that—an Epic Quest had suddenly appeared.
"This… was not something I expected."
Han Yuseong frowned slightly, his brows furrowing.