“Oh! Ascender Kim Hajun!”
“D-Did you awaken?”
While I was distracted by the fact that my Trait had ten stars, excited voices erupted around me.
Ah, right. I was still in the middle of praying.
Setting aside the unbelievable message announcing my ten-star grade, I raised my head and looked around.
The people who had been praying were staring at me with their heads raised like meerkats.
‘Hmm.’
A thrill ran through me beneath their gazes.
Their eyes were filled with curiosity, wonder, admiration, and envy.
This was almost the first time in my life that I had ever felt like the center of everyone’s attention.
I proudly puffed out my chest and nodded.
“Yes. I awakened.”
“WAAAAAH!”
“OOOOH!!”
The moment I finished speaking, cheers burst out.
Another flood of dopamine erupted in my frontal lobe, and the corners of my mouth curled toward the sky.
“What grade of Trait did you receive?”
I hesitated at the question.
‘The Trait I received is ten-star.’
My eyes rolled aside as I glanced at the message still floating before me.
Unless my eyes were deceiving me, I had undeniably received a ten-star (★★★★★★★★★★) Trait.
It was a shocking development.
The highest known grade was currently nine-star.
Only seven people in the entire world possessed Traits of that grade.
Those seven nine-star Trait holders were known as the Great Seven Ascenders and were revered as the strongest rankers in the world.
Yet I had received a ten-star grade, surpassing even them?
‘Is it really safe to reveal that here?’
I swallowed hard.
It was far too great a treasure for someone like me, who possessed neither power nor influence, to handle.
‘I should keep it secret for now.’
When someone without the strength to protect a treasure came into possession of one, and when that fact became widely known, the treasure could easily become a terrible calamity.
For example, villain organizations based in lawless regions such as China, India, and South America had occasionally kidnapped people who awakened high-grade Traits.
‘Of course, something like that probably wouldn’t happen in our country, but one could never be too careful.’
That was not the only consideration.
I could also use my ten-star Trait to join a prestigious clan.
‘But they say the standard approach after receiving a high-grade Trait is to raise your value before joining. That’s a hundred times better.’
It was a basic piece of common knowledge about Ascender society that I had heard somewhere.
In other words, I first needed to examine my ten-star Trait and become stronger.
After completing my meticulous(?) calculations, I cleared my throat and spoke.
“Six-star.”
Yes.
Six-star should be safe enough.
Even that was an extraordinarily high-grade Trait to ordinary people.
“S-Six-star?”
“That’s incredible!!”
“WAAAAH! He got a six-star Trait!!”
“H-Holy…”
Just look at them.
Everyone around me was in an uproar.
They were reacting as though they had struck the jackpot themselves.
Perhaps they were looking at me and imagining themselves receiving six-star Traits in the future.
“Ascender! Congratulations on your Awakening. I represent the Porta Clan…”
“Have you already signed with anyone? Our Zeratul Clan offers newly awakened Ascenders…”
“We are from the Hwayeong Clan. Should you choose to join us…”
Somehow, the clan scouts wandering around the lobby floor caught the scent like ghosts and rushed over.
Countless hands reached out, asking for handshakes.
“Give me your business cards. I’ll consider your offers and contact you.”
For the time being, I accepted every card they handed me.
Was this what people in the Ascender community meant when they said it felt like collecting Dragon Balls?
As I looked at the business cards steadily piling up in my pocket, I could physically feel that my social status had risen overnight.
‘Heh.’
The corners of my mouth twitched on their own.
The pathetic Kim Hajun of the past no longer existed.
From now on, there would only be Kim Hajun, the successful super rookie who rose triumphantly through the ranks.
Just you wait, Yeonhee!
You’re going to regret dumping me.
I’m going to become such an overwhelming alpha male that your boyfriend won’t even be able to look me in the eye!
With a rosy future unfolding in my imagination, I returned home with light steps.
An old studio apartment measuring eight pyeong, with only a single room.
It was my longtime home.
“Haaah!”
The moment I returned home, I sat on the edge of my bed and took a deep breath, my heart pounding.
“All right, then.”
It was finally time to check my Status Window.
Every Ascender received a Status Window.
I had wanted to check it immediately after awakening.
However, I wanted to examine it calmly in the privacy of my home, so I had forced myself to resist several times on the way back.
“Status Window.”
I murmured quietly, filled equally with excitement and anticipation.
I had confirmed that my Trait was ten-star.
But I still did not know exactly what kind of Trait it was.
Nor did I know what skill and artifact I had received as special benefits.
‘I hope it’s combat-related.’
The number of Traits an Ascender could receive was so vast that no one had yet discovered their limits.
Combat-related Traits were far more numerous, but there were also plenty of non-combat Traits.
A non-combat Trait would not have been bad if I had received something below five-star, but with a ten-star grade, it would only be right to pursue the combat path no matter what.
After all, the world’s spotlight inevitably focused far more heavily on combat Ascenders than non-combat Ascenders.
SHIIIIING!
Golden light gathered before my eyes.
A translucent Status Window appeared.
[Name] Kim Hajun
[Trait] Sage (10-Star ★★★★★★★★★★)
[Level] 1
[Stats]
Strength: 5
Agility: 5
Vitality: 7
Magic Power: 1
Mental Power: 10
[Skills]
1. Sage’s Aura (10-Star): Special Skill. Amplifies the power of Magic Power tenfold. (Scales with Mental Power)
2. Sage’s Sight (10-Star): Special Skill. Sees through the truth.
“OOOOOH!!”
I let out a low exclamation as I looked at the majestic <Sage> Trait adorned with ten stars.
The name practically boasted, ‘I’m a magic-related Trait,’ at first glance.
Magic-type Ascenders were the rarest of all Ascenders, and they were treated like nobility wherever they went.
“I did it!!”
I thrust both arms into the air and cheered.
In my mind, I pictured myself standing shoulder to shoulder with the Great Seven Ascenders.
No, that was not right.
I had received a ten-star Trait. How could my ambition be so small?
‘The one and only supreme ruler above the Great Seven.’
Yes.
Only that would be worthy of a ten-star grade.
‘I’m about to become the strongest Ascender in the wor—! Huh? W-Wait a moment.’
I had been cheering after looking only at my Trait, but I fell silent when I saw my Stats.
‘My Magic Power is 1?’
My eyes trembled slightly.
Normally, the initial Stats of a newly awakened Level 1 Ascender ranged from 1 to 10.
A value of around 5 in areas such as Vitality or speed was considered average.
After all, most people began with initial Stats that converged around 5.
However, a value of 1 was a serious problem.
It was not merely because the number itself was low.
‘If an initial Stat is 1, that means its future growth rate will also be atrocious.’
That was right.
The growth rate.
That was the problem.
Five Stats increased whenever an Ascender leveled up.
Could I simply choose which Stats I wanted to raise?
No.
Stats increased automatically according to each Ascender’s natural disposition.
Therefore, Stats that began high were more likely to increase upon leveling up.
Conversely, Stats that began low were far less likely to rise even after repeated level-ups.
‘I remember being horrified when I heard about an Ascender who started with 1 Agility and still had only 7 Agility after reaching Level 30.’
That meant his Agility had increased only six times over more than thirty level-ups.
I now appeared destined for the same fate.
If my growth rate in Magic Power, the most important Stat for a magic-type Ascender, was complete garbage, would I ever be able to develop properly?
I had received the supreme grade of ten-star, yet at this rate, was I not going to become a half-baked Ascender?
A vivid image appeared in my mind of myself casting one spell, panting for breath, waiting for ages, and then casting another spell before collapsing from exhaustion like a man with no endurance whatsoever.
“Ughhhhh.”
A groan escaped my lips.
Should I at least take comfort in the fact that my Mental Power, said to be the second most important Stat for a magic-type Ascender, was 10?
“As for the Special Skill… What does it mean to amplify the power of Magic Power?”
Did it mean that the power of my spells would become stronger?
I tilted my head as I examined the skill called <Sage’s Aura>.
The same was true of the second Special Skill, <Sage’s Sight>.
What did it mean to see through the truth?
Why were these descriptions so unhelpful?
I might have found an answer if I had thought through them calmly, but the shock of having only 1 Magic Power prevented me from concentrating.
No matter how powerful the Special Skills were, I could not escape the thought that I was only half an Ascender as long as my Magic Power remained at 1.
“If this was going to happen, I should have awakened as a non-combat type instead!!”
I shouted in frustration.
At that moment—
SHIIIIING!
“Huh?”
Clusters of light gathered in the air.
FLUTTER.
They soon transformed into a book and descended into my hands.
[The exclusive artifact <Tome of the Sage (Mythic)> has been granted as a special benefit for awakening a Hidden Trait.]
“M-Mythic grade?”
My eyes widened when I saw the artifact’s grade.
And understandably so.
The equipment and artifacts obtained from the <Sky Tower> were ranked in the following order:
Common-Rare-Advanced-Heroic-Legendary-Mythic.
Even among the Great Seven Ascenders, only two had ever obtained Mythic-grade items.
As far as I knew, they had not received those items from the beginning as I had. They had only obtained them after extraordinary luck and tremendous hardship.
“So ten-star Traits receive Mythic-grade artifacts from the very beginning. Impressive.”
I unconsciously muttered while looking at the <Tome of the Sage> in my hands.
At that moment—
* Of course it is impressive. It was once a Trait possessed by this great one.
“……!”
A youthful voice suddenly came from somewhere.
I jolted in shock and nearly dropped the <Tome of the Sage>.
“W-What was that?”
* Hmph. Can you not tell even after seeing me? You are dimmer than I expected.
The youthful voice rang out again.
At the same time, the <Tome of the Sage> in my hands trembled.
“Did this thing just speak?”
* How dare you! You refer to this great one as ‘this thing’?!
With those words, golden light burst from the <Tome of the Sage>.
SHIIIIING!
A translucent boy the size of my palm floated above the <Tome of the Sage>.
* I am Aleon, the Great Sage once known as the strongest and most fearsome being in Pangaea. If you apologize immediately for your insolence, I may graciously forgive you just this once.
I stared speechlessly at the tiny creature(?) bouncing up and down above the <Tome of the Sage> before slowly opening my mouth.
“Uh… All right. I’m sorry.”
‘What is this little guy?’
I carefully studied the tiny figure who had introduced himself as a sage.
He was translucent like a hologram, so I could not be certain what he had looked like in life.
Even accounting for that, however, he was an extraordinarily handsome child with an air of nobility.
His glossy bobbed hair swayed gently.
He had a sharp nose and bright, lively eyes.
Baby fat still remained on his cheeks, and his skin was flawless and clear.
His face was handsome enough to put even a noble prince to shame.
There was one unusual feature.
His ears were pointed.
‘So this guy belonged to another race.’
I could guess that Aleon had been an elf while he was alive.
* Hmph. Why are you staring at me so intently?!
When I continued to stare, he crossed his arms and spoke irritably.
Did he think he was intimidating me?
No matter how curtly he behaved, his appearance made everything he did look adorable.
The reason I had briefly lost my words when he first demanded an apology was that his fairy-like appearance and expression had been so adorable that they left me speechless.
‘I don’t know whether he was truly a sage, but he does seem to have had an extraordinary background.’
I cautiously wondered whether he might have been a High Elf, a member of the elven royal family.
“It’s nothing. You just seem to have come from an impressive background.”
* Hmph. It appears those eyes of yours are not merely decorative after all.
For some inexplicable reason, the self-proclaimed sage Aleon twisted bashfully at my words, and I almost burst out laughing.
No matter how I looked at him, this little guy was undeniably cute.
‘Should I at least be grateful that I received such an adorable pet(?) while I was feeling miserable?’
Thanks to him, much of my gloomy mood had faded.
Yes, so what if my mana capacity was pitiful?
It was still a ten-star Trait, so surely I would at least become stronger than average.
The moment I comfortably adopted that optimistic outlook—
* Very well. I shall display my generosity! You seemed rather devastated earlier by your pathetically tiny mana capacity. Perhaps I should graciously tell you how to solve that problem.
Aleon glanced at me with a prim expression as he spoke.
My eyes shot wide open.
There was a way to fix my pitiful mana capacity?