The Golden City of Arcana

The Golden City of Arcana.

Kim Seoyeon's face flushed crimson with irritation as she sat alone in the café.

I have no idea what he's thinking.

It had been like this from the very start. They sat face to face, yet it felt as though his soul had wandered somewhere far away. Unlike the old days, when he had focused on her completely, the Park Hyunmyung of now seemed not to hear a single word she said.

I even cut my hair.

She had chopped her long locks into a short bob and spent two full hours agonizing over the perfect outfit. He hadn't mentioned any of it. A radical transformation—there was no way he could have failed to notice.

"You don't seem interested."

"Can I get up now?"

On top of everything, he had declared he would leave first. It wasn't an empty threat or a half-hearted gesture. He had truly shoved his chair back, ready to walk out. An attitude the old Park Hyunmyung would never have shown. Even the gaze he turned on her held no emotion at all. It was as if he were looking at a complete stranger.

It's not like we've never broken up before.

In five years of dating they had split more than five times, yet after every breakup he had always come crawling back to her. This time was different. She had raced all this way just to see him, and still his manner was ice-cold. It had never been like this.

How can he treat me this way when I'm sitting right in front of him?

Fine—she could force herself to understand the rest. She had said cruel things when they ended it. What truly enraged her was that he had turned his eyes to another woman while she sat right there.

"Not at all. We're nothing to each other."

He had denied it more fiercely than anyone, with her watching. Not at all. Absolutely nothing between them. He had written down his number, accepted the business card, even set a date—right in front of her, for all the world to see.

"Park Hyunmyung of all people…"

If Kim Hana had been plain, Seoyeon wouldn't have cared in the slightest. She would have snorted and told them to enjoy themselves. But Kim Hana was being worshipped on YouTube as the "Goddess of Justice." A righteous goddess, they called her. It was absurd. Why would a woman of that caliber waste time on Park Hyunmyung? One coffee and they would part ways for good.

Park Hyunmyung, who had nothing going for him. No family money, no respectable job, not even good looks or height. Decent body? Overflowing humor? Who would ever date a hikikomori who did nothing but game at home except when working or on a date? Only she had ever put up with him.

Buzz-buzz!

Her phone rang. The name saved as "Jinwoo Oppa" lit the screen. Looking at it, Kim Seoyeon smiled. A man who was the complete opposite of Park Hyunmyung—literally everything reversed. Not a salaryman, yet thanks to the big business he ran he had money to spare; handsome, tall, fit, funny, and active. There was nothing to criticize… except one thing.

"Hello? Jinwoo Oppa? What? Forgive you? You don't have any more secrets you're hiding from me, do you? You hid the fact that you can 'transform,' so how am I supposed to trust you? You seemed like a completely different person and I was terrified. You won't do it again? Hmm, fine. This is the last time. One more slip and it's really over—over. So come pick me up. The address here is…"

"Yo, our station's supreme being Kim Won. Heard you caused another incident?"

"…It's Kim Hana. Please stop calling me Kim Won."

Kim Hana let out a long sigh and collapsed into her chair. Running back and forth to the police station had drained every last drop of energy. Once should have been enough, yet they had summoned her again the next morning at the start of her shift, claiming they had more questions.

Seo Jeonga, seated beside her, spun her chair around.

"Who was it this time?"

"The director ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of a plastic surgery clinic."

"He sees beautiful women all day—why pull a stunt like that?"

"How should I know?"

"Well, our Goddess of Justice Kim Won is a natural beauty, after all."

"Don't talk to me. I feel like I'm dying."

She truly felt ready to drop. The brief happiness of landing a full-time position had vanished the moment "that incident" happened; the station's workload had multiplied tenfold.

"The chief left this for you before he went on his business trip."

"What? Ah…"

Kim Hana accepted the file folder, closed her eyes, and exhaled heavily.

"Isn't this 'Gracia' guy American? Why give it to me?"

The dossier was packed with information on the man called Gracia—the superhero who, the moment he appeared, had split a mountain and blasted ten monsters out of existence at once. Watching the footage was surreal, almost like a movie. The scene where he fused thousands upon thousands of sword-shaped flashes of light into a single beam and fired it was especially breathtaking. One strike had finished a monster that guns and bombs couldn't touch. So why had someone like that suddenly come to Korea?

"Apparently he wants to meet you."

"Me? Why?"

"Love at first sight, maybe?"

"Stop joking."

"No idea. Anyway, it's chaos because of him. The U.S. is watching closely, so the reception is going to be higher than most state guests."

"…I really don't want to do this."

There was no way a freshly hired full-timer like her could handle an interview with a heavyweight of that caliber—the most watched figure in the world right now. Word had spread that even other Dimension Warriors treated Gracia with respect. And now the final boss himself had decided to visit Korea just to see her.

"Then what about that guy? Your boyfriend."

Seo Jeonga pointed her chin at the photograph lying on Kim Hana's desk. In the picture stood a man—or rather, the man's back. A warrior with a solid, muscular build. Kim Hana herself had snapped the shot of the figure who had subdued a monster in an instant and then vanished.

Kim Hana stuck out her lower lip and scolded her.

"He's not my boyfriend. More like a good-luck charm."

Everything had gone smoothly for her ever since that day. To Kim Hana the man truly was a lucky talisman. She knew neither his name nor where he lived; all she had left was this single photograph, and that was enough.

"For a charm you sure polish it every single day."

"I was just wiping off the dust—don't make it sound weird."

Seo Jeonga snorted. Kim ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Hana was a junior who always gave good reactions.

"I'm grabbing drinks with the entertainment reporters tonight. You in?"

"I have plans."

"A guy?"

"Yes."

"Aigoo. The male reporters are going to drink themselves silly tonight."

Seo Jeonga shook her head in genuine regret. Still, curiosity prickled. The invincible Kim Hana, who had turned down countless love calls without a second thought, suddenly had a dinner date with a man?

Whether her coworker fretted or not, Kim Hana focused on her work. If she didn't want to be crushed under the load, she had to clear what she could while her mind was still clear.

"Kill the traitor!"

"Kill the wicked Snake Princess!"

When I opened my eyes, Isabella stood before me, drenched in blood. Corpses littered the ground—all of them soldiers of Faisalmer. The battle still raged.

I turned and saw the warp still active. She could have crossed long ago, yet Isabella had kept her promise to me.

The Queen's Royal Guard.

A pursuit squad that included Great Warriors. A moment later and we would both have been on the road to the afterlife.

"Has your 'Communion with the Stars' finished?"

"It has."

The one silver lining was that the Queen herself was nowhere in sight. Had she come in person, Isabella could never have held out this long. Pure luck. But we couldn't keep relying on luck forever.

"I'll clear the path."

Dozens of warriors blocked the road to the warp. Isabella was already exhausted to her limit.

【Lv.6】

The Great Warriors' levels approached a full six. In peak condition Isabella could have cut them down without much trouble, yet she had already endured half a day like this—protecting someone with no end in sight. Asking her to open the way as well would have been shameless.

Star Claw.

The main skill I had gained upon becoming the Star's Successor. For the first time, it activated.

Countless motes of starlight sank into my fist. Sharp blades of light sprouted over my knuckles like claws forged from the stars themselves. For an instant I felt like Wolverine.

Star Claw, true to its name, was an area skill capable of raking even the stars. I could have unleashed it as-is, but the duration was far too short for that.

"Kill the wicked traitor and the faithless heretic!"

"It is the will of Her Majesty the Great Queen!"

The wicked traitor was Isabella; the faithless heretic was clearly me. I drove my fist toward the warriors blocking the path to the warp.

In that instant—

KRAAAAAAAAAANG!

WHOOOOOOSH!

An explosion loud enough to split eardrums erupted, and a pillar of fire roared upward. Yet the pillar was not true flame—it was pure starlight. Every Great Warrior caught inside it simply evaporated.

"…"

"Let's go."

I spoke to Isabella, who stood speechless before the stellar column. Fired straight out, the Star Pillar would last the full forty-one seconds.

Star Claw burned every scrap of Sacred Power at once, creating an absolute domain that barred entry and annihilated anything within for its duration.

Even better than I imagined.

I was honestly surprised. A level-1 skill, single-use though it was, already possessed this much power. Once it hit level 10 and evolved, I couldn't even guess how terrifying it would become.

"Follow me. Those who have received the blessing can cross this Star Pillar."

I stepped through first. Isabella swallowed hard and followed. The other warriors, unable to pass, evaporated down to the bone. Only after more than ten of them had died did the pursuit finally break off.

All that remained was to cross the warp. Isabella's eyes began to tremble violently as she stared at the active gate.

"Isabella. If you want to turn back even now, I won't stop you."

The freedom she had dreamed of for so long. She had prayed and yearned every day to cross the warp and reach another continent. Yet the moment she truly prepared to leave the desert that had been her entire life, a storm of emotions crashed over her.

Even so—

"…No."

"Then this is the moment of liberation. Rejoice."

"Yes."

Isabella chose freedom, an awkward smile on her lips.

The moment we crossed the warp, throngs of people filled my vision. Figures wearing golden turbans rode carriages of pure gold. The next warp destination linked to the Calzman Desert was the great city of Arcana.

One of the major cities connected to a Starting Point.

Every Starting Point linked to multiple cities. Among them, Arcana was the wealthiest of all.

And a place the Queen can never follow us into.

Her pursuit squad would not give up. She might even come herself to kill Isabella and me. But Arcana and the desert city of Faisalmer were bitter enemies. If the Queen and her Royal Guard set foot here, war would break out on the spot. That the warp still connected the two places was pure irony.

"The city… is incredibly splendid."

Isabella stared around in a daze, overwhelmed ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠by the towering buildings and the surrounding architecture. It was her first time seeing any city outside the desert; the reaction was only natural.

"In Arcana, gold is everything."

"I brought some gold with me."

Isabella produced a leather pouch. Judging by the weight, roughly three hundred gold—everything she had scraped together in preparation for crossing to the Central Continent.

"Three hundred gold will buy us one night of food and lodging, then it's gone."

To a beginner that was still a fortune, yet in Arcana it wouldn't even cover a single meal. Isabella looked at me in disbelief.

"Th-that can't be. In the desert three hundred gold can buy ten slaves…"

That was only because the Calzman Desert was a Starting Point. Barter ruled the desert; the only slaves you could buy with gold were hunting slaves.

"Look over there."

I pointed at the sign hanging in front of a bakery.

"One loaf of bread… fifty gold?"

"Because it's made from the finest wheat offered to the king. They're advertising that fifty gold is actually a bargain."

"Then I'll sell my dagger."

The dagger set with amber. Selling it would fetch tens of thousands of gold. The willingness to part with her beloved blade was admirable, but I shook my head.

"No need. We'll multiply the three hundred gold."

"…Multiply it? You mean ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠start a business with this money?"

"The casino."

"…Excuse me?"

Blink. Blink. Isabella stared as if she had misheard. I repeated myself.

"We're going to the casino."

"Wh-what are you…?"

She looked at me in pure horror. Multiplying money through gambling? Only a madman would suggest it. And for a Sacred One—the very symbol of piety—to gamble? Her eyes said exactly that.

But I had an ace up my sleeve.

Namely, 【Golden Grace】.

One of the thirteen Hidden Traits!

"I'm rather lucky, so don't worry."

"…"

Isabella fixed me with a gaze that screamed she was worried to death.