Heavenly Demon Armor
"Starting bid, 100,000 won! Any takers?"
The auctioneer's voice echoed hollowly through the room.
The crowd was ice-cold.
It was as if they'd only come to enjoy the AC, with the vibe screaming that no idiot would pay for a rock like that.
I slowly raised my hand.
"100,000 won."
All eyes turned to me.
Murmurs laced with sneers rippled through the room.
"That guy's got money to burn."
I didn't care.
The Pandora Cube's mechanism was simple.
Inject mana, and a die rolls inside.
Numbers from 1 to 1,000.
That number determines the item's grade.
I was certain.
Whether summoning Angra Gone or claiming sanctuary rewards.
My die always pointed to the system's absolute maximum.
This time would be no different.
"100,000 won! Sold!"
Bang!
With the gavel's crack, an attendant brought over the stone.
I paid up and gripped the cold rock.
It was heavy.
After that, I snagged a few more items.
A tattered scroll shoved in the corner.
A dagger with a rotted hilt.
To others, it probably looked like trash pickup duty.
But it was prime shopping.
I was pleased.
The auction ended.
I gathered my haul and slipped out of the gallery.
I checked into the motel I'd booked.
Locked the door and dumped my spoils on the bed.
About thirty relics swept up from the antique district.
I appraised each one with my Appraisal skill.
The results were satisfying.
Even conservatively, per item, it was worth at least 10 billion won.
Not bad.
The modern currency system wouldn't fully collapse for a while yet.
Exactly one year.
The moment that tower's gate—shimmering like a mirage in the sky—opened, paper money would become confetti.
But conversely.
For the next year, money was power.
My plan was clear.
This cash was seed money.
Just like sponsoring Park Haya, I'd scout future heroes with talent but tough circumstances.
I can't cover the skies alone.
Conquering the tower and slaying gods? That was me.
But I needed shields to fend off the minor disasters hitting Earth in the meantime.
Toppling the tower was hard.
Even if possible, the damage to Earth during it would be astronomical.
I needed heroes to protect the planet.
There was still plenty money could do.
If there were unsolved problems, it just meant not enough cash.
Sorting done.
Now for the main dish.
I picked up the mossy blue stone in the bed's center—the Pandora Cube.
A solid weight settled in my palm.
Tension hung in the air.
Open.
I injected mana.
Vmmm!
The stone vibrated faintly.
Cracks spiderwebbed its rough surface, blinding light leaking from the fissures.
Pandora Cube opened.
Die rolled (1~1,000).
A massive holographic die appeared in midair.
Numbers spun rapidly.
I expected the max, of course.
Roll...
The die stopped.
The number revealed.
"...?"
I doubted my eyes.
The range was clearly 1 to 1,000.
A glitch?
System messages continued.
System limit exceeded!
The God of Luck is dumbfounded!
Hidden condition achieved: 'One Who Surpasses the Gods' Luck'.
Off-spec, as they say.
Who'd have thought my luck outstripped the God of Luck's.
Breaking even the system's odds.
Just how high is my Luck stat?
Whoosh!
The light filling the room faded.
In the stone fragments' place, an object floated lightly.
Armor.
A full-body suit on a pitch-black base, red vein-like patterns writhing alive.
Overwhelming pressure crushed the cramped motel room.
"...!!!"
Mythic.
The weight of that word was incomparable.
The Land Boiling with Hellfire authority was Mythic grade too.
Of course, gear and authorities weren't directly comparable.
Even same-grade Mythic couldn't match an authority.
But what gripped me wasn't the grade—it was the name.
Heavenly Demon.
Back climbing the tower, the ultimate gear whispered only in legends among veterans.
A single piece could spark guild wars—or international conflicts.
And most crucially.
It's a set item.
Not standalone gear.
Helmet, armor, gauntlets, boots, weapon.
All pieces together unleashed true power—a set item part.
With trembling hands, I checked the details.
Mythic Grade
Durability: Infinite (Indestructible)
Wear Req: Steadfast Mentality
Base Effect: All Stats +150
Special (1): Heavenly Demon Aura. Wearer's intimidation surges. Weaker beings freeze in terror.
Special (2): Absolute Defense. Reduces physical/magic damage by 50%.
Set (1/5): Inactive.
"...Hah."
A hollow laugh escaped.
Insane.
Nothing else fit.
All stats +150.
Level-ups gave 20-50 points min-max.
Across five stats, max 10 each for 50 total.
Maxing all was near impossible.
Level-up points heavily influenced by talents.
Unless born with balanced talents, it was tough.
Not impossible—grind it out.
Anyway.
Just wearing this jumps you 15+ levels.
For Rag, equivalent to +3 levels.
And durability: infinite.
Indestructible.
Divine authority or nuke.
No physical force breaks it.
This was endgame gear.
Still.
I stroked my chin.
Wear req: Steadfast Mentality?
Usually level or stat limits.
Mentality only.
My specialty.
I touched the black armor.
"Equip."
Clank.
Metallic clink as it enveloped me.
Then.
My mind rang.
A heavy, arrogant voice like stirring my brains directly.
Vision tinted red.
Black haze climbed my optic nerves, assaulting my ego.
Mental corruption.
Why the mentality req.
Simple stats couldn't handle the Heavenly Demon's lingering will.
Sweet temptation.
Irresistible pressure crushed my body.
Any normal human would've lost their ego instantly, becoming the Heavenly Demon's puppet.
But I just smirked.
"A mere remnant dares judge my soul's weakness?"
"Be grateful I deign to wear you—instead you're lecturing me."
I glared fiercely.
Mentality?
I was the guy who'd resolved to self-destruct with Earth.
Who devoured gods, embraced tens of thousands of deaths.
No way I'd yield to armor residue.
"Kneel, you lowly cur."
The Heavenly Demon's will rebelled.
Fiercer killing intent bored into my soul.
Then.
The black energy ravaging my mind got sucked away somewhere.
The Heavenly Demon screamed.
I could guess now.
When it tried mental corruption, my contracted Angra Gone devoured it.
Or rather, the Prime Calamity Dragon's power dwelling in me.
Before the primordial predator, Heavenly Demon remnants were just a snack.
It fled.
Arrogant voice cowed in terror.
The armor shuddered, then went still as death.
Complete submission.
Sealed power nodes unlocked.
Rumble!
"Hoo..."
I exhaled deeply.
Power overflowed, cells screaming.
Muscles hardened like steel, thoughts flashed like lightning.
One piece does this?
Shivers ran through me.
Mythic dignity.
I checked the info window bottom again.
(2/5): Heavenly Demon Divine Art unlocked.
(5/5): Heavenly Demon Descent.
Heavenly Demon Divine Art. Heavenly Demon Descent.
Names alone set my heart racing.
Gather the other four pieces, and in human flesh, I'd touch demon god realm.
Two days later.
10 a.m., yet the sky was night-dark.
Storm clouds blanketed the city.
People gazed up anxiously.
Yesterday's scorching 95°F heat.
Now, in hours, temps plummeted below freezing.
Abnormal weather.
No—disaster prelude.
"...Cold."
"Look at your breath. This make sense?"
Street folk huddled.
Sleeveless citizens fled indoors.
And.
Shhh...
Something fell from the sky.
White crystals.
"Snow?"
Midsummer Daegu began snowing.
Not romantic first snow.
With flesh-slicing gale, vision-obscuring blizzard poured.
Whoooosh!
Sirens wailed.
Roads iced, cars skidded into wrecks.
City turned white.
I sat on the motel rooftop railing, overlooking.
Extended hand, caught a flake.
Not cold.
My mana repelled the chill.
Vmmm.
Right hand hummed.
Golden runes spun fiercely on my palm.
Like a compass needle.
Pointing one direction.
Confirmed.
Hypothesis verified.
Dormant normally, reacts when they unleash authority for disasters.
This signal: hunt start alarm.
3 km away.
Northwest.
Heart of Daegu.
Snow intensified.
Vision whited out.
Snow piled to ankles on asphalt instantly.
Traffic paralyzed, people isolated.
But cold wasn't the real issue.
"Wh-what's that?!"
"Monster! The snowman's moving!"
Screams rose.
Snow piles writhed.
Shhh.
Snow compacted, ice formed skeletons.
Ice soldiers with spears and shields.
Tundra wolves baring fangs.
With disaster, magic beasts summoned.
They mauled people indiscriminately.
Pandemonium.
I stood.
Edged the railing.
Five stories below.
Fatal for normals, but no hesitation.
Blood boiled instead.
Pulled Shattered Golden Rule Fragment from inventory.
Key shattering reality's limits, borrowing Asgard's power.
"Descent."
Crushed it, leaped into air.
Kaboom!
Golden aura wrapped me.
Body reconstructed.
Muscles swelled, mana surged wildly.
Thud!
Landed on ground.
Asphalt cracked spiderweb, cratered.
Shockwave scattered nearby snow.
"Grrr..."
A tundra wolf ahead growled.
It charged.
I didn't dodge.
Light punch.
Splat!
Wolf's head burst to powder.
Dusted hands.
No time wasting on trash mobs.
Eyes fixed one place.
3 km ahead, golden rune pointing.
But.
Annoying.
Too many blockers.
Ice soldiers poured from alleys.
Blizzard blinded from sky.
Snow dragging ankles. Biting cold.
Punching one by one? Too slow.
3 km.
Short, but like this? 30 minutes easy.
Need to clear path.
Spectacularly.
Overwhelming heat to negate this frozen gale instantly.
I halted.
Drew heavy energy bubbling from deep dantian.
Newly forged authority.
Fusion of Kartal's quake and Toolkacha's volcano—destroyer force!
As it gathered in left hand.
'Land Boiling with Hellfire' used!
Hellgate yawned open.