Chapter 63
Chapter 63
But the arrow had already been nocked and drawn. Goldring burst into thunderous laughter that shook the entire estate as he pulled an item from his subspace, shrouded in a transparent box, and handed it over to me. It was a pair of scales. Tiny enough to fit in the palm of my hand, yet brimming with immense power that belied its size. "Come on! Give it a shot and clear it if you can! No being has ever passed this trial! Even those ancient gods strutting around with puffed-up chests knelt and cried out in surrender! You've probably noticed the lord's arrogance by now, but hubris is poison to any leader
Unless the lord bears the sin of pride like that monstrous Lucifer! No, even Lucifer himself was devoured by his own pride in the end! So taste failure once, and learn from that despair!" What? So he's not doing this out of malice? And learn from failure? I couldn't help but scoff at that. It was absurd. Spouting such nonsense without knowing a thing about me. And so presumptuously. A mere subordinate daring to test his lord? "I've already learned from failure once and started this life." Failure was just a worthless word that made me pathetic and weak
In this life, I couldn't afford to experience it. My path ahead must only hold victory and conquest. Yes, I had to be arrogant. I had to press on without faltering, until everything lay beneath my feet. Giggle, giggle. Something laughed, but I ignored it. More importantly, I had lifted the scales in my hand.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙
[Item: Scales Containing Half of a Certain Origin [Origin-EX+] prepares a trial to test you!!] A divine, mystical energy poured from the small yet colossal scales, enveloping my body
"Alright, go experience it. I'll pick out something even better for the lord." Goldring raised his hand dramatically, and the trial was about to engulf me...! ......? Huh? What? Where'd the trial go? I tilted my head, wondering if the scales were defective, and tapped them lightly. "What's this?" Apparently, I wasn't the only one baffled by the situation. Goldring was frantically glancing between the scales and me, equally perplexed. That was the moment. The scales dissolved into a mystical light and began absorbing into my body
"Whaaaat?!" How many times had he gasped, exclaimed, and freaked out in that split second? Tsking at his over-the-top reaction, I racked my brain to understand what was happening. And the answer to that inexplicable mystery soon floated before my eyes.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙
[Item: Scales Containing Half of a Certain Origin [Origin-EX+] detects the other half residing within you!] "Huh? I have the other half?" Me? Do I have something like th... me?
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙
[Unique Ability: Equivalent Exchange [Origin] merges with its other half, the scales!] Equivalent Exchange! You were the missing half! The corners of my mouth shot up to the heavens Talk about manna from heaven! This felt like good luck. No, luck alone couldn't explain it. Was it fate?
"Did Fortune lend a hand?"
No message appeared, so maybe not—or the sleepy guy was just ignoring me. Either way, I had no clue. For someone as notoriously unlucky as me to snag this miraculous opportunity for free? It didn't add up, so I leaned toward the latter. Anyway, excitement over my newfound power coursed through me. What would it evolve into?
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙
[Unique Ability: Equivalent Exchange merges with Item: Scales Containing Half of a Certain Origin!]
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙
[Authority: Equivalent Exchange LV 3 has been created!] Another authority had been etched into me
As if finally reuniting with its complete self from the depths of my psyche, Equivalent Exchange shed its stifling constraints and revealed its true ego with a roar. It surged past the others, claiming the highest spot in the Tower of Gold. Even the lofty tower seemed to acknowledge this equal, showing no reaction. Now I understood why it had a fully formed ego despite being a unique ability. Equivalent Exchange was originally an authority. Split in half, its rank and power halved, it had been trapped as a mere unique ability
"Perfect." It had leveled up just recently, and now another level on top. I swallowed hard and opened my status window to check the authority.
⚔ STATUS ⚔
[Authorities][Tower of Gold LV 2][Fortune LV 1][Noon Sun LV 2][Equivalent Exchange LV 3]
⚔ AUTHORITY: EQUIVALENT EXCHANGE LV 3 ⚔
Rank:OriginGrade:OriginDescription:One of the oldest laws, existing before the dawn of time
Its very existence embodies the concept of origin, with infinite potential.Abilities:
The most striking change was clear: exchanges now covered not just stats, but boosting ability levels and even creating skills! And it could be used on others too, not just myself
'On others, it'd lower stats, drop ability levels, delete skills, right?' Satisfactory growth indeed. A fitting evolution for an origin-grade ability into a true authority, with enhanced performance. 'Permanent application ratio up a bit, special conditions slightly eased, cooldown shortened too.' Worth every bit of that origin-grade item. And this was just the start—further growth promised even more power, making it invaluable long-term. As I grinned and closed the status window, Goldring stared at me like he was dreaming, rubbing his eyes nonstop
"Too bad. I wanted to try that trial. Sadly, I already had the origin's other half." "You possessed an origin-grade ability? A mere mortal? No, I knew you were freakishly superior to other mortals, but... how?" "Beats me. How do you explain awakening such a unique ability? Must be my exceptional potential." Goldring sighed in dismay, marveled like he'd witnessed a miracle, grieved over losing his priciest item, and rejoiced that its true owner had appeared. He looked like a textbook case of bipolar disorder, so I ignored him with a smile
Radiant Nectar—thanks to you, a possibility bloomed from my origin, linking all the way to this authority. 'Even calling it fate feels hard to believe. Fortune, that was you, right?' No intent came from him, but I was certain. Fortune had intervened. And as payment, the guy who'd woken up ages ago was still slumbering. 'Fell asleep before Misfortune, so he should've been up already.' Which meant I'd have to break through Misfortune's next assault without relying on Fortune. It'd be brutally tough, no doubt
I didn't kid myself it'd be easy. Misfortune always dumped trials beyond my power or vicious pranks to corner me. Probably the same this time. But after I'd tamed my temper and stockpiled strength like this, it'd surely make another move to kill me. Now, though, I just shrugged it off. I'd crossed death's door a time or two—life itself was a spectacular hard mode, and freaking out every time got old. I'd just prepare more thoroughly, judge more cautiously, and push through more desperately. So, time to buy my cheeky estate resident a nice item to aid my survival, eh? "Down to 10,001 coins now
What should I get with these?" At my cheerful dilemma, Goldring looked utterly defeated, handing me the list like "pick whatever" and becoming plaything to the golden lord. How long did I agonize with choice paralysis? In the end, I picked one item. "Goldring, I'll take this one." He grumbled that I was stripping him to the roots but took the coins and handed over the item.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Splashhh~~ In the primordial city of Teraium's underground lay a canal system rivaling the city's size. Long ago, when the primordial city was swallowed by the Abyss, the first settlers commissioned grand mages and master magitech engineers to build this vital facility
Divided into two zones: one pumped up groundwater, amplified and sterilized it into drinking water, distributing quotas to every home; the other purified and annihilated village sewage. But at some point, under the guard captain's orders, the magnificent system was fully sealed off, becoming a forbidden demon realm no one could enter. Some whispered the guard captain had gone mad. Shutting down a vital village facility out of nowhere? What if something went wrong with the canals—how would he take responsibility? They gossiped behind his back
Oths firmly believed he'd found a monster too overwhelming in the canals. Otherwise, a man of infinite devotion to the village wouldn't seal them without reason. Both the former issue and latter truth were facts. The guard captain could never forget that rainy evening when he'd descended underground to check the canals. Just recalling it sent chills down his spine, filled him with terror, and numbed his mind. Those muttering he was crazy? Yes, he was mad. Who wouldn't go insane after witnessing it with their own eyes? It existed yet didn't
A ghost? Nothing so trivial. It was malice incarnate. A soul that devoured every negativity in the world. Shiver. His clenched fist trembled. As thick darkness blanketed the village that deep evening, the guard captain sighed. "Can he do it?" After first spotting that entity, he'd secretly commissioned countless players to subjugate it—rumored powerhouses, no matter how wild the tales. But the results were disastrous. Not one player emerged alive from the underground canals. "Ah...! Because of me!" Guilt gnawed at him
But an even greater terror eroded him. Would that malice return for him? For a while, he couldn't sleep; closing his eyes summoned its form. So he set criteria. Raw strength alone wouldn't cut it anymore. 'Only goodness can repel malice.' Only kind, good souls could challenge this monster. Only players recognized by villagers as truly kind and good could take the quest. But the world wasn't so beautiful. No player met the conditions, let alone helped purely out of kindness. All chased rewards or potential hidden quests—selfish, greedy hearts through and through
As he nearly gave up, planning to reveal everything and recruit stronger players, he appeared. The man who took his lone daughter everywhere and cleared quests for villagers. Shin Juha. To Brymoon, he was the last hope, the savior of this village.