Chapter 152

“Mmm.”

I tilted my head slightly and checked my surroundings.

The team members were each busy checking their rewards.

Thanks to that, no one noticed the box in my hand, glowing with a mysterious light.

“Hoo.”

I let out a short sigh and stared blankly at the box resting in my palm.

[Item: ??? Rank Gift Box]

[Rank: ???]

[Type: Box]

[Description: Open it. The item you need most will appear.]

[Effect 1: Obtain a ??? Rank item.]

Why was it that…

For some reason, I felt like I already knew what was going to come out of this.

As an intelligent creature capable of learning, how could I not, when this was the third time I was opening one?

That only made me even more excited.

An Essence.

The previous Themes had already proven just how powerful each one was.

Fwump!

I boldly opened the box.

[Opening the ‘??? Rank Gift Box’.]

Drrr.

The box began to vibrate along with the light.

A vibration only I could feel.

Along with it, a surging energy began to activate.

[Item selection will now begin!]

[The gift box has identified that you possess a personal weapon!]

[Well, there’s nothing else to see!]

[What you need most right now is something that can strengthen your personal weapon!]

“……”

Wait, Mr. System.

Why is this explanation somehow cuter than before?

[……ing…………. OK!]

[The item has been decided, and the item has been found!]

Kugugung!

The trembling finally stopped.

At the same time, the color of the mysterious light surrounding me began to turn green.

A vivid, clear verdant green.

[The surroundings are filled with the source of life.]

Huh?

I sniffed the air.

Something smelled fresh.

A grassy scent—like the kind you catch on a mountain trail—washed over me.

It felt as if the vividness of nature’s mountains, rivers, plants, and trees was seeping into my weapon.

[The Essence of Water shows a pleased expression.]

[The Essence of Fire yawns and wakes up.]

“Oh.”

The Essences, which hadn’t responded no matter how I called, had awakened.

[The Essence of Wood shows a surprised expression.]

[It asks if everyone was here.]

The new Essence this time was the Essence of Wood.

I stared at the messages, intrigued by the way they were written.

‘It feels… warm.’

These messages carried the Essences’ will and emotions.

The Essence of Wood felt gentle.

And I could tell at a glance.

It wasn’t the type to bicker and fight like the Essence of Fire or the Essence of Water.

[The Essence of Fire says that it, too, is surprised.]

[It says this Spirit user is worth looking forward to.]

[The Essence of Water thinks that’s a load of bull, a very arrogant statement.]

[The Essence of Water considers the ‘user’ a lowly being not even worth a speck of cosmic dust yet.]

Oh, dear.

‘User’ means me, right?

The Essence of Water has been prickly since last time, hasn’t it?

Fwoosh!

I reinforced the red power within my weapon and accepted the green power along with it.

[T-ring!]

[The Godslayer-rank item, Sealed Spirit of Seven Essences (2/7), is being updated.]

[You have acquired the Sealed Spirit of Seven Essences (3/7).]

Three out of seven were already filled.

I immediately checked the item information.

[Item: Sealed Spirit of Seven Essences (3/7)]

[Rank: Godslayer]

[Type: Weapon]

[Description: Fragments of the seven essences that even the primordial gods feared. The seal will be released when the essences of all attributes are gathered. Currently contains the Essence of Fire, the Essence of Water, and the Essence of Wood.]

[Effect 1: Transforms into any form the user desires.]

[Effect 2: Can never be destroyed.]

[Effect 3: Uses the power of the collected Essences.]

[Effect 4: Energy +3,000.]

“……”

My Energy had increased by another 1,000.

At this point, it wasn’t even surprising.

If anything, my curiosity only grew.

‘What in the world are they?’

Just the fact that even the primordial gods feared them told me they were tremendous beings.

But I still knew nothing beyond that.

They wouldn’t explain even if I asked.

In the first place, they didn’t converse at all unless it was a special situation.

Just as the Essence of Water said.

Maybe they really didn’t even treat me as dust.

After all, I didn’t talk to the dust beside me, either.

‘No, but still.’

If there was a speck of dust that could trap me inside a weapon and control me, I think I’d talk to it. Out of sheer curiosity, at least.

[The Essence of Wood smiles.]

“Huh?”

[The Essence of Wood looks at you gently.]

Ooh?

Did I finally find an Essence that was interested in me?

[The Essence of Wood advises you not to be too hasty.]

[The Essence of Wood says that growth must come first in order to know the truth.]

Qualification.

A gentle way of saying I wasn’t yet worthy of a conversation.

Honestly, I could feel it even before reading the message.

The Essence of Wood was also keeping its distance.

No, rather than reluctance, it felt like it was maintaining distance because of the difference in status.

Like how it would be a disaster for a human without an atmosphere to be exposed directly to the sun.

How could a mere human casually peer into the history of gods?

Maybe just hearing it would shatter my mind and erase my very existence.

“Tsk.”

What a shame.

It would’ve been nice if the Elder were here.

But the Elder was currently unsummoned.

I had to wait for the full 12-hour cooldown to pass before calling him again.

‘As expected.’

The Elder really was the best.

Just floating nearby and watching was reassuring enough.

“Everyone.”

That was when Olena’s voice rang out.

“Did you all get good rewards? It looks like you’ve all opened your boxes.”

“Mine’s SS-rank again, so of course. I think this’ll be the weapon of my life. I absolutely love it.”

“You too? Same here. Haha.”

Olena, Vladimir, even Maximilian.

They all looked pleased.

‘Well, yeah.’

There was no reason for me to feel uneasy, either.

Unlike my teammates, I’d received an additional Godslayer-rank item as a special privilege.

So why look so glum?

From experience, if you don’t know something, you just wait.

No—if you keep running toward your goal, you’ll learn it naturally.

Just as the Essence of Wood said, there was no need to rush.

Step, step.

Everyone began to gather in the center.

When the seven of us, on the verge of Theme 5, faced one another—

I suddenly felt a gaze on the back of my neck.

I turned.

A red-eyed swordsman was staring at us.

It was the senior examiner, Magic Swordsman Luka.

“Huh?”

I froze for a moment.

He’d appeared behind me so quietly that even I—who had faced the Shadow Shepherd King—hadn’t noticed.

And a Magic Swordsman, not even an assassin.

My god.

Is this the level of the world’s 25th-ranked?

“When… did you get here?”

I asked awkwardly.

At my question, the others also turned around, startled.

The corner of Luka’s mouth curled up.

“Well, we should start right away. Quite a bit of time has passed, has it not?”

His voice was as heavy and solid as ever.

“There’s really not much time left. The other examiners have all gone home for the day. In this Dungeon, only you, myself, and Lady Delilah remain.”

“Not much time left…”

I muttered.

He was right.

Four out of the six Themes had already passed.

It had been a long time.

It felt like we’d cleared four top-tier Dungeons in a row with almost no rest.

‘No, was it five?’

Theme 2 was practically two Dungeons.

One to find the giant castle and fight the Dragon Tooth Soldiers.

And another to release the Great Demon Dragon and fight Aranvalon.

‘Oof.’

When I thought of it like that, it really was intense.

There’s no way I wouldn’t become a Ranker.

“Honestly, your progress has been beyond expectations. It’s been nothing short of shocking. Not only did you break the records I set in the past… the new records you’ve established… perhaps they might become records that will never be broken for the rest of time…!”

He sounded calm on the surface, but Luka’s voice was brimming with excitement.

‘So this person isn’t just stiff and formal after all.’

Maybe it was because I’d grown.

Now I could sense the human side of Luka, who had always seemed like a cold, iron-blooded swordsman.

I smiled.

“We were just lucky.”

“Don’t say that, Joo Donghoon. That’s disingenuous. It’s a statement that mocks all the Rankers who have taken this trial until now.”

He shook his head.

“You caught the Toxin Mist because you were lucky, you found the giant castle first because you were lucky, you caught the dragon because you were lucky, you reached Stage 5 because you were lucky, and you achieved 500,000 points because you were lucky? What kind of nonsense is that?”

“W-Well… is that so?”

When he laid it out like that, he had a point.

As I scratched my head, his smile deepened.

“Yes, I hear your country is famous for its humility, isn’t it? The Land of Eastern Propriety, was it? But humility is not the only virtue. You must know how to acknowledge things when they need to be acknowledged, and you must know how to enjoy things when you are happy.”

“Those are wise words. I’ll take them to heart.”

“Ahem, anyway. I am very much looking forward to seeing what path you will take when you finish the trial and return.”

“……”

“If you continue to develop as you are now… there might be a shift within the top 20 of the world rankings, which have been unshakable for years. No, it will definitely happen. I will believe it to be so.”

Curiosity and expectation.

‘Ah.’

The look Luka was giving me was full of genuine favor.

He was acknowledging me—even though I hadn’t finished the trial yet.

As a Ranker.

No, as something beyond a Ranker.

‘I can feel it.’

I could feel his respect.

‘So this is what it feels like.’

My heart pounded.

To be acknowledged by a top-tier Ranker…

Wasn’t this the scene I’d always dreamed of back when I was an E-rank Hunter?

Every time I summoned skeletons to train.

Every time I researched Ranker data and watched the media.

A scene I’d treasured in my heart.

Ah.

Why is it?

My heart hadn’t pounded when my teammates praised me, or even when the Elder praised me.

Thump, thump, thump!

But now it was racing uncontrollably.

It was going absolutely wild.

‘A Ranker.’

Those who stand at the pinnacle of humanity.

Is this what it feels like to be acknowledged by someone like that?

It felt like all the fatigue that had piled up until now was melting away in an instant.

“So, continue to strive forward. Now that you are before the final journey, do not grow weary.”

Luka continued.

“For my sake as well, as I believe you are the talent who will represent this world. Do you understand?”

Then he raised his right arm.

Woooong!

Magic power began to rise slowly from all directions.

That kind of movement meant a new Theme was about to begin.

“Whoa, wait a minute?!”

Vladimir tilted his head and shouted.

“Mr. Examiner. You said the final journey? Isn’t this Theme 5? Didn’t you say it goes up to Theme 6?”

“Yes, I did.”

Drdrdrdr!

As the surroundings warped, Luka spoke over the trembling ground.

“However, Theme 5 and Theme 6 will proceed almost simultaneously. Besides, this time… it won’t take as long as last time.”

“……What did you say?”

Vladimir’s eyes went wide.

My pupils dilated, too.

If they were happening together…

Did that mean this was really the end?

“Because it will be that much harder to endure.”

Luka’s voice reached me, chilling to the bone.