The day the trial of the gods descended.
Monsters appeared all over the world, and many nations suffered severe damage.
The more densely populated a country was, the more uncontrollable the destruction became.
Buildings were demolished, and the infrastructure that had been carefully built collapsed.
People who saw the devastated cities thought to themselves:
"Can the city ever return to how it used to be?"
"Is it even possible to restore this?"
Fortunately, recovery wasn't too difficult.
That was because certain beings offered their support.
[The Eye of Justice offers aid for the restoration of the city.]
[The Eye of Trade sends the souls of oath-bearers to this place.]
[The Eye of Architecture exercises a portion of its authority.]
"It was the support of the Lords."
The destroyed cities were quickly rebuilt with their support.
However, their appearance had changed drastically compared to before the destruction.
The biggest change was the countless messages floating in the sky of Hanolme.
[I, the Eye Lord of Adventure, am recruiting adventurers to tackle the invincible fortress's unsolved mysteries. Interested adventurers, gather at my building.]
[Buying coins. In cash – Eye Lord of Hunting.]
[Warlord defeated again in a series of wars! Escaped alone?]
[From this spot, I declare: The Eye Lord of War has been defeated before the belief in justice! All of her possessions shall be absorbed by the authority of justice!]
There were so many messages that it was hard to even see the sky of Hanolme.
This was the most noticeable change since the appearance of the trials.
Having witnessed this sight since the previous life, it now even felt familiar.
And then came the second change.
"They really jacked up the buildings."
Each city had structures erected for the Eye Lords.
Seoul was no exception. The first thing to catch the eye was a towering skyscraper of massive size, something that looked like a combination of a courthouse and a temple.
The building had been erected to serve the Eye Lord of Justice.
Its name was the Hall of Justice. Oathbound and affiliates who had made contracts with the Lord of Justice made use of that building.
And even he—
"Lee Suho... he's probably there too."
Lee Suho was an oathbound who had received a calling from the Lord of Justice.
Around this time, there would also be other oathbound eyeing Lee Suho's position.
But they would be taken care of soon enough.
After that, Lee Suho would receive all kinds of support and grow rapidly.
"In this life too, I'll be the one to bring him down."
Getting revenge on Lee Suho wasn't a particularly difficult problem—
It was something that had been accomplished before.
All that was needed was to walk the same path from the previous life, only faster this time.
However, there was something even more important.
"Makiros... you too—"
It was to stop the Eye Lord who would bring about the end of the world.
Han Yuseong turned away.
The place he was heading to wasn't the Hall of Justice, but a building belonging to another Eye Lord.
**
The place Han Yuseong arrived at resembled a massive trading post.
What stood out about it was that the ceiling was wide open, and all sorts of items would appear from the building, float up into the air, and then vanish.
Conversely, some items would appear from thin air and descend into the building.
The name of the place was the Dimensional Exchange.
"A place like an interdimensional auction house, created by the Lord of Trade."
In games, there are systems like auction houses.
If you're at a location that supports one, you can freely register items for sale, and those items can be purchased across space.
The Dimensional Exchange was a real-world implementation of that system.
It was a miracle made possible by the Eye Lord of Trade unleashing their power.
"Welcome to the Dimensional Exchange!"
"Dear customer, if you're here to buy items, please go this way. If you're registering items to sell, that way please!"
Inside the building, numerous oathbound traders were guiding visitors.
This was because the Eye of Trade demanded it from the oathbound.
It wasn't a bad deal for the oathbound either. The more achievements and goods they amassed, the more favor they could earn from the Eye, and with that came various benefits.
There was less need to challenge life-threatening difficulties.
"I'd like to see the skill books. For novices."
"You're referring to novice skills, correct? Yes, I'll show you the list."
The staff member smiled warmly and gestured with their hand.
Then, a large hologram window appeared before Han Yuseong's eyes.
It was a list of the novice skills registered at the trade station.
- [Slash (Novice) – 1 coin]
- [Magic Missile (Novice) – 2 coins]
- [Spinning Kick (Novice) – 1 coin]
Normally, buying novice skills isn't recommended.
That's because most of them are flawed in some way—either they come with strange conditions, or if there are no conditions, their effects are oddly designed.
"Even if you learn them all, their coefficients are low, so it's hard to make use of them."
The skills Han Yuseong was about to purchase were like that.
Because their damage coefficients were low, they often didn't deal proper damage even when used.
That's why buying them often ended up being a waste of coins, and usually, people recommended purchasing skill books suited to one's class after completing a class advancement.
If it were the original version of him, Han Yuseong would've done the same.
"If not for the effect of the Blessing of Trial, that's what I would've done."
Thanks to the Blessing of Trial, the damage of novice skills was doubled.
Even with low coefficients, novice skills became quite usable with that kind of buff.
On top of that, considering the ordeal he'd be facing soon, he needed skills he could use immediately.
It was going to be a rather dangerous trial.
"I'll take these."
"Yes, that'll be 4 coins in total. I'll assist with the payment."
A device resembling a floating POS terminal appeared in midair.
When he placed four coins into it, the words "Payment Complete" appeared, the space split open, and three skill books popped out.
"Thank you!"
The staff member smiled brightly and saw Han Yuseong off as he left.
Even at a glance, they were employees with excellent customer service.
Most oathbound who had contracts with the Lord of Trade were like that.
They paid attention to even the smallest details if it could help boost their performance records.
Put differently—
Me.
"If it can increase their performance score, they're willing to do anything."
Whether it's a crime or something else.
Han Yuseong suddenly recalled a past incident where an oathbound of Trade had caused a massive scandal.
Clicking his tongue, he absorbed all three skill books at once.
[Slash (D)]
* Type: Active
* Learning Requirement: Novice
* Strikes the enemy with quick speed using a blunt force. Low power.
[Magic Missile (D)]
* Type: Active
* Learning Requirement: Novice
* Fires arrows made of magical energy. Low power.
[Spinning Kick (D)]
* Type: Active
* Learning Requirement: Novice
* Performs a large spinning motion to kick the opponent with the leg. Low power.
Since they were novice skills, their effects were simple.
All of these skills had low coefficients. You could say it was hard to deal proper damage with them.
However, for Han Yuseong, they were fairly usable.
"If I just pack a few minor mountain gear items on top of this..."
Preparations were complete.
Now, only one thing remained.
"Should I head to Namhansan?"
Han Yuseong adjusted the now-heavy bag on his back and began to walk.
The first trial of the gods brought monsters into the world.
Rifts opened in the sky, revealing distorted passages, and through those portals, monsters began to pour out endlessly.
Many of those rifts did not disappear, and some still remained to this day.
– Kekeheeeng!
– Kuhuhuk...!
In South Korea, there was one at Namhansan.
Here, monsters classified as "beast extinction level" appeared—mutated giant beasts or monsters resembling bipedal humanoid animals.
Han Yuseong moved through the mountain, eliminating them as he went.
"That makes six."
He wasn't just aimlessly wandering.
After a complicated task, Han Yuseong destroyed the hidden seal he had discovered.
Clicking his tongue in annoyance, he once again began walking through the mountain.
"It's fine to hide a challenge, but there should be limits. Some people just don't know when to stop."
Some gods create particularly difficult challenges and hide them away.
Their reasons vary: simply because they want to, to find a special player, or even for the sake of their own oathbound.
There are all kinds of motivations, but this particular challenge was... unusual.
"A challenge made for a dead oathbound."
Exactly what it sounds like.
The god who made this challenge was an eccentric, and so was the oathbound.
Anyway, it was hidden in such a convoluted way using all sorts of gimmicks that people didn't even know it existed.
Apparently, even the god eventually felt this was going too far, which is why:
[There exists a challenge in Namhansan created personally by yours truly!]
[Find it! I left my treasure there!]
The god went so far as to personally announce the location of the hidden challenge—a bizarre act in itself.
Only then did players start to gather and search for the challenge, competing for the treasure.
Of course, the one who emerged victorious was Han Yuseong.
In other words:
"It means I know exactly how to find these challenges."
Throughout Namhansan, various devices had been hidden.
Destroying each of them one by one would eventually reveal the challenge.
It might sound simple when put like that, but actually locating these devices was absurdly difficult.
You had to solve riddles, navigate gimmicks—handle all sorts of things.
For example, it went something like this:
[Though I cannot be seen, I move all things.]
[It hides in the place where life is born again.]
[I lie collapsed where all destinies begin.]
They were riddles meant to reveal the location.
And on top of that, you had to solve various gimmicks to actually find the devices.
Fortunately, for Han Yuseong—who had already experienced it before—it wasn't too difficult.
Crunch!
"This should be the last one."
A deep cliff in Namhansan—
so deep that it was impossible to see where it ended—
and hidden at the bottom was a skull.
When he destroyed it, a sound came from somewhere.
Clatterrrr!
"It's unlocked."
The sound of something being released.
Han Yuseong looked down the cliff and let out a deep sigh.
"Damn it, I'd rather fight all night than deal with this."
After all the trouble it took to climb down here, now he had to go back again.
Han Yuseong, having climbed the cliff, made his way toward the location of the challenge.
Thankfully, it wasn't too far.
Whoooosh!
A gust of wind blew in from somewhere.
Beyond the large, cracked ground, something that looked like a stone entrance came into view.
The moment he looked directly at it, a message appeared before his eyes.
[Challenge: Tomb of the Blood Ghost]
[A challenge opened by the God of Discipline. It was created to honor the oathbound who contributed most to his rise to fame.
The moment you enter this place, you become a disciple and must pass through several trials.
The soul of the Blood Ghost will personally welcome any disciple who conquers all the trials.]
[The strength of enemies here scales to the disciple's level. However, it does not adjust for levels below 40.]
[Entry requirement: One who has solved the riddle.]
[Entry fee: None! Praise my generosity!]
Generous, my ass.
Han Yuseong stood in front of the entrance, letting out a sigh.
This tomb was not a place where you could afford to let your guard down.
From the moment you entered, all kinds of traps would descend upon the disciple.
The way to deal with them was simple.
Ssss—
Run fast the moment you step inside.
Han Yuseong summoned his mana. It turned into a fierce wind, wrapping tightly around his legs.
"Let's go."
His vision was swallowed by light.
When he opened his eyes, Han Yuseong was standing inside the underground tomb.
A space adorned with elegant marble.
Cold blue torches set throughout dimly illuminated the tomb.
Even murals were carved into the walls.
'Never thought I'd be seeing this place again.'
Han Yuseong stood tall, wearing a grim expression, and waited for the words to appear.
There was no need to wait long.
["At last! Finally, someone has found this forgotten place!"]
Huge, needlessly oversized letters appeared in midair.
He let out a hearty laugh, as if genuinely pleased.
["Gahaha! Oh, seeker of the unknown! This place is a tomb I built to honor the one who once made a solemn vow! I created it in hopes of finding someone worthy to inherit that legacy, so it wouldn't be forgotten!"]
["And so—!"]
The booming letters were so loud they almost hurt to hear, even though they weren't actually sounds.
Han Yuseong bent his knees slightly, leaning his body forward.
And then—
["Prove your worth!"]
Rumble-rumble-rumble!
Without any warning, the ceiling and walls crumbled away.
From the openings, an uncountable number of arrows rained down.
The shimmering tips suggested that something had been applied to them—poison, perhaps.
But not a single one of those countless arrows struck Han Yuseong.
Fwoooosh!
["Oh?"]
A powerful gust of wind surged forth.
It had burst from Han Yuseong's very toes. Without the slightest hesitation, he stepped into a footwork technique and shot forward like a raging storm.
In an instant, he vanished down the corridor.
Watching the sudden disappearance, the one observing blinked in disbelief.
["O-oh…?"]
A fading line of text hovered in midair, drifting above the hall still filled with arrows.