[Impervious Body] had been Antares’ <Talent> and <Trait>. He was Chang-Sun’s long-time nemesis, and ‘Scorpio’ of the Zodiacs.

His <Talent> had been the ability to remain unaffected by exposure to any kind of toxin in the world, and his <Trait> had been to absorb all of those poisons into his own blood cells. Those blood cells then formed his toxic blood.

Because of that Trait, Chang-Sun could not even dream of approaching the poison fog Antares could spray out, even though their power had been on the same level.

In the end, Chang-Sun had lost to Antares. Because of the [Gaia’s Curse] Antares had inflicted, Chang-Sun had gotten infected, rapidly breaking down his divine essence.

Thus, ever since Chang-Sun had come back to life with Thanatos’ help, he had set his mind to acquiring the [Impervious Body] any way he could.

Of course, that would be impossible if Antares had acquired a one-of-a-kind Trait. However, Chang-Sun had encountered a strange coincidence that could allow him to turn the tables.

“While the Door of Reincarnation is being opened, you’re going to learn as many secret techniques as possible here.” 

After saying that, Thanatos had selected a few <Fallen Stars> for Chang-Sun to learn secret techniques from.

“Among those techniques, there will be some you haven't even thought of trying. Or they could be techniques you did think of trying, but had no idea where to start.”

Moreover, there were several <Fallen Stars>, stars that had been captured and imprisoned in the Underworld, with deep grudges against the Zodiacs. The Zodiacs had made many enemies in order to earn their thrones.

“Most of those techniques will be very effective for knocking those guys off their pedestals. The techniques will no doubt intrigue you too.”

Even though they were <Fallen Stars>, they were very prideful. Most of them did not wish to reveal their skills and techniques, the root of their power. Still, there were some who desperately wished for revenge, even at the cost of their pride.

Chang-Sun had begun calling the ten <Fallen Stars> who volunteered to teach him the ‘Ten Elders’. They had taught him a few of their techniques, and one of them was a shortcut to achieving the [Impervious Body].

One <Fallen Star>, who refused to reveal his name, had said that Antares killed his daughter. He had unhesitatingly given away all of his painstakingly gathered research on how to kill Antares. Although the star had failed to find the last piece, the remaining pieces were still especially helpful to Chang-Sun.

Chang-Sun had called him ‘First Elder’, for being the first to enlighten Chang-Sun among the Ten Elders. First Elder was the one who had taught Chang-Sun about the Eight Trigrams Brazier.

“The Eight Trigrams Brazier is famous for being Daode Tianzun’s brazier. That artifact is the very same one that allowed the great, undefeatable, and arrogant Sun Wukong to obtain the Fiery Eyes of Truth in Wukong’s time as the Monkey King. However, its true essence is that of purification fire. It can burn away demonic energy, erase evil, and refine substances into their purest forms.”

“If you can light that fire within yourself, you will be able to refine your own body into its purest and toughest form.”

“Such a body would then be immune to the threat of any toxins!”

Of course, the Eight Trigrams Brazier could burn away one’s entire soul, let alone the body, if it were lit improperly.

However… What did it matter? Chang-Sun was determined to do anything that could allow him to grow stronger. Even if the path before him inflicted pain that could burn his soul to ash, he was confident that he could walk all the way to its end.

That was why he was intent on igniting the ember he needed to spark the flame in the Eight Trigrams Brazier. And that ember was…

‘The fire energy gained from consuming Sariras of Fire.’

A Sarira of Fire was a magical organ that held all the mana of fire-element monsters. If it could be digested whole, there would be no better elixir for accumulating fire energy. However, simply eating a Sarira of Fire would not normally allow someone to accumulate fire energy. If the method were that simple, it would not truly be a hidden piece, after all.

Still, it was possible for Chang-Sun, and the reason for that was very simple.

[The Authority ‘Soul Exploitation’ has been activated!]

[You have lit the fire in the Purgatory Brazier, successfully acquiring the ashes of a ‘Fire Lizard’.]

…

[The data of the ‘Sarira of Fire’ has been successfully analyzed using the ashes of the ‘Fire Lizard’.]

[Fire energy has been accumulated!]

How could there be any resistance when Chang-Sun was absorbing the sarira using the soul of its original owner? It allowed him to accumulate quite a lot of fire energy. No method could be more efficient than that.

‘I can’t create an ember with just this amount, though. I have to kill as many as possible to accumulate fire energy. Then, I need to locate their nest and ransack the place from top to bottom. The strongest, toughest monsters will be there, and I also have to eat their sariras.’

Although he felt that just one sarira was not enough, there was one thing that made Chang-Sun yell in delight. It was that the early activation of the Tutorial would enable him to accumulate even more fire energy.

The higher the difficulty level was, the bigger the reward would be. That had always been the nature of Dungeons.

And so…

Zoom, zoom, zoom―!

Chang-Sun broke through the Fire Lizards that rushed endlessly toward him as he searched for the location of the nest.

* * *

[The Celestial ‘Twil## ### ##’ is watching over her subordinate.]

[The Celestial ‘##ight ##ing O#’ cheers on her subordinate, telling him to keep swinging that sword.]

Paying little heed to the messages he received that contained several distorted letters, Jeon Choong-Jae watched the Fire Salamander in front of him. The monster was nearly three meters long, almost as if a model dinosaur from a museum had come to life. Still, Choong-Jae did not care, and he simply pounced on the monster to continue his hunt.

[Eliminated a Fire Salamander!]

[Experience points acquired.]

[Experience points acquired.]

…

[Level up!]

[Eliminated a Fire Lizard!]

[Eliminated a Fire Dog!]

[The Player ‘Jeon Choong-Jae’ is dominating!]

‘Yes, this is it. This is what I’ve been waiting for!’

Choong-Jae shuddered multiple times as ecstasy ran down his spine each time he killed a monster. He had always lived a life of oppression and restrictions, but when he held a sword, it seemed as if he could slash all of those restrictions away and gain real freedom.

The sensation of ‘getting stronger’ simply gave him that much of a thrill. Perhaps it could be said that he had felt the same way when he first experienced a videogame and discovered he had a talent for it.

At first, killing even one monster had been difficult. However, after five days passed, Choong-Jae had become strong enough to handle five of them at the same time. He owed his rapid progress to the blessing the goddess had granted him. Each time he brandished his sword, it spat flames. Each time he stomped his foot, the ground shook.

If he maintained such supernatural strength, he could do anything. Perhaps he could even smash that damned guy’s face in…!

That was what he had thought. However…

[Dungeon Ranking]

First Place: Lee Chang-Sun (7,500 Points)

Second Place: Jeon Choong-Jae (565 Points)

Third Place: Park Hae-Seong (150 Points)

From time to time, Choong-Jae checked the rankings because he wanted to see how great he had become. Alas, whenever he did, the thrill he felt was instantly extinguished.

It was true that Chang-Sun had shown outstanding performance in the first sector, but Choong-Jae had thought his performance was on par with… no, better than Chang-Sun’s. Despite that, in the time it took for Choong-Jae to obtain a mere 560 points, Chang-Sun had obtained 2,500, widening the gap even further.

That lit the flame of a certain emotion in Choong-Jae’s heart—an inferiority complex toward Chang-Sun.

‘How can this be true? What could he possibly be doing to achieve this kind of result? This can’t be true without him using some kind of exploit…!’[1]

When his train of thought reached that point, Choong-Jae’s eyes widened in shock.

‘Yes! An exploit! He must be using an exploit… or rather, a cheat that lets him abuse the system. Otherwise, he couldn’t be this strong already, right?’

Just then, a message popped up.

[The Celestial ‘### Pierc# ###’ says that with her subordinate’s current ability, it will be impossible to beat the target until the Dungeon Quest is over.]

The reason ‘Twilight-Piercing Owl’ provided for granting Choong-Jae power was that she ‘felt pity for Choong-Jae’s desperate cravings for power.’

It struck Choong-Jae like a bolt from the blue when a being such as her stated that so decisively. He exclaimed, “Dear goddess, how could you say such a thing…?!”

[The Celestial ‘##ight Pie## #wl’ says there is a way to narrow the gap.]

[The Celestial ‘Twilig## ### ##’ advises that if the enemy is using an exploit, her subordinate can do so as well.]

Jeon Choong-Jae was shocked. The powers he had received were already so great on their own that other Players would likely think he was ‘favored’ by deities. Was she telling him there was even a faster way?

[The Celestial ‘##ight ### ###’ says very cautiously that the exploit might cause horrible pain, depending on how it is used.]

“No! It’s okay. I can do anything if it means I can get stronger. Please, please give me more power…!” Choong-Jae exclaimed.

He had only one goal, and that to surpass Chang-Sun. Chang-Sun was a wall that Choong-Jae had failed to surpass even in games. Thus, he did not want to be a loser who failed to surpass Chang-Sun even in the world of Players.

[The Celestial ‘### ### ###’ says she will help her subordinate if he is determined to do so.]

[The Celestial ‘### ### ###’ whispers that insufficient ability and talent can be improved with alternative methods.]

Choong-Jae was mesmerized for a long time by the message sent by ‘Twilight-Piercing Owl’, so much so that he failed to realize that the divine name of his goddess had broken down completely, becoming illegible.

* * *

At first, when Choong-Jae had begun to hunt actively, others assumed he was just reckless, motivated by Chang-Sun. They also thought he would die if he continued the way he had, surrounded by so many monsters.

Despite that, he did not die. Rather, he kept going, only widening the gap between himself and the others. Slowly, the rest began to feel agitated.

“If… If we leave him like that, won’t that young man sweep the whole second sector clean?”

“How is he doing this…?”

“From what I heard, he received a blessing from a deity. A star, even.”

“A star? Is that true?”

“Do you see his friend who was with him? I heard it from him. I’m sure.”

“I guess the world really is only for the talented… I wish we could get stronger like him…!”

After the Gates to the Dungeons had opened, and the Celestials had begun interfering with the world, the word ‘Player’ had come to be synonymous with ‘life-changing opportunity.’

Becoming a Player came with a great risk of death, but it also came with an equally great opportunity to quickly accrue vast wealth. Thus, many people tried, but most failed because they lacked talent.

Organizations such as governments and the World Player Council for Freedom often held training sessions to prepare civilians for such things. However, they also tried to prevent those who failed their tests from jumping through the Gates.

However, a civilian who had been no different from the others merely two days before had suddenly become extremely active. More than that, there was not only one, but two such individuals. Naturally, the other civilians’ hearts fluttered with vague hints of possibility.

Park Hae-Seong had noticed their agitation and tried his best to control the crowd, preventing them from forming false hope in their hearts. Alas, as the monster wave continued for three days, people grew tired. That only made their jealousy and desire grow even stronger.

At that moment, Choong-Jae suddenly called several people over and announced, “Just now, I acquired… a new skill.”

“Skill?”

“What skill is that?”

“It’s a way to guarantee our survival. We can all become Players and exit this Dungeon alive. The goddess I believe in has answered my desperate prayer,” Choong-Jae said.

As he spoke, he gestured to his friend, Kim Hyeong-Won, to take his shirt off. A clear look of hesitation spread across Hyeong-Won’s face, but he could not say no to Choong-Jae for fear of him turning violent.

There was a moderately large tattoo on the right side of Kim Hyeong-Won’s back, depicting an owl perched atop a book. It was the symbol known as ‘Minerva’s owl’.

“Isn’t that the mark of the Illuminati…?” someone murmured.

The ‘Bavarian Illuminati’, as it was known in the East, was one of the biggest Clans in the world. And yet, the symbol of that organization had appeared. The onlookers’ eyes widened inadvertently as they thought of various possibilities.

“No. This is a seal. Actually, you could say that the Illuminati’s mark imitated this,” Choong-Jae said.

“…?”

As the crowd stood there silently awaiting an explanation, Choong-Jae emphatically said, “‘Twilight-Piercing Owl’ is the goddess I believe in.”

“Huh!”

“No way…!”

“So far, I’ve been able to get stronger with the help of the goddess. Just now, the goddess has given me a new revelation…” Choong-Jae said; his graceful demeanor made him resemble a saint from a holy icon, preaching doctrines to the masses. He concluded, “...to help you seek the truth.”

The following explanation given by Choong-Jae was very simple: Simply bearing the seal of ‘Twilight-Piercing Owl’ was sufficient to allow people to share power.

“It can allow us to share experience points. I can even share the skills I received with you. Of course, their power will differ depending on your ability… Still, it means we all can be the goddess’ priests.”

“…!”

“…!”

“I’ll take the lead. I’ll kill the monsters in advance, so everyone, please have my back. That way, we’ll be able to overcome this tribulation,” Choong-Jae said.

The others exchanged looks before rushing to volunteer. With the prospect of having access to skills and a powerful star watching over them, they had to take the offer. More than anything, their patience had long since worn thin from the constant damage they received from the endless monster waves.

“No! A seal can place a restraint on your soul! If we happen to make mistakes here…!” Hae-Seong called out, urgently trying to stop them.

“Move!”

“Right, what do you know?!”

“We have a goddess watching over us!”

“We’re gonna get slaughtered anyway if we do nothing! We have to get stronger somehow!”

Hae-Seong knew the risks involved with such seals, which were known as ‘skill marks.’ Thus, he tried to dissuade them no matter what. They were nowhere near as good as they sounded. On top of that, he had never heard of the Illuminati having a skill mark with such an effect.

However, it was difficult to persuade anyone who had gone half-mad.

“Lieutenant, are you currently accusing the goddess I follow of being evil? Are you sure?” Choong-Jae retorted.

“Th-That is…!” Hae-Seong spluttered.

‘It would be really dangerous if our formations broke down now!’ Hae-Seong thought desperately, trying to come up with something to say. Choong-Jae’s counterattack had only served to widen the divisions within the group.

To counter an onslaught of monster waves that continued day after day, it was best to have as many people as possible in a defensive formation, taking turns at fixed intervals and enduring until the end. After all, there was a limit to the number of monsters that would rush forth.

That was why Hae-Seong had been trying to rally people to endure at all costs, even though they had begun complaining about mental fatigue. However, if a large number of people were to break away from the group, it would be a major problem.

Despite all that, Park Hae-Seong was unable to finish his sentence. He could only watch as a smirk spread across Choong-Jae’s face.