[The selection of starlight has ended.]
The moment I seized the cluster of emerald light, a message appeared before me.
[Congratulations. You will receive the skill contained within that starlight.]
WHOOOOOM!
At those words, the emerald light in my hand surged and formed a distinct shape.
‘Is that… lightning?’
Yes. No matter how many times I looked, it was unmistakably shaped like a bolt of lightning.
You obtained something perfectly suited to you!
Had Aleon realized what the shape of that lightning signified?
He shouted at me in a slightly excited voice.
And soon, I also learned what the lightning represented.
You have acquired the skill ‘[Mythic] Thunderbolt (1-Star ★).’
“Ah.”
An exclamation escaped my lips.
Was Mythic grade really something I could encounter as easily as a stray dog wandering around the neighborhood?
The sheer absurdity of the situation left me dumbfounded.
Well? Do you not think you might be able to attain the highest rank with this?
Had Aleon foreseen even this?
His demand had seemed nearly impossible at first, but now it genuinely seemed achievable.
This was a ‘Mythic’-grade skill.
It might only have been one-star, but Ascenders below Level 10 could not learn skills above one-star anyway.
In other words, on the first floor, a skill’s grade reigned supreme.
How many of the billions of Ascenders had ever obtained a Mythic skill?
I had certainly never heard of anyone learning a one-star Mythic-grade skill, so I was probably the first in this regard as well.
‘Hehehe.’
A foolish grin spread across my face.
‘Inspect Thunderbolt.’
I immediately examined the Mythic-grade Thunderbolt I had just obtained.
[Thunderbolt]
Grade: Mythic (1-Star ★)
Element: Lightning
Magic Attack Power: 100
Special Effect 1: Mana Consumption -40%
Special Effect 2: Shock Chance +70%
Special Effect 3: A shocked target has a chance to be Stunned
Special Effect 4: Bonus Critical Hit Chance +30%
Special Effect 5: Chain Effect within a 20-meter radius (Chain attacks deal 90% damage)
“Wow.”
An exclamation escaped me before I even realized it.
From its Magic Attack Power to its Special Effects, these were not attributes that could possibly belong to a one-star (★) skill.
Its Magic Attack Power alone placed it in a league of its own among one-star skills. Even a one-star Legendary skill usually possessed only around 60 to 80 Magic Attack Power.
And there was no need to explain how extraordinary its Special Effects were.
It reduced mana consumption, inflicted Shock, could Stun enemies, increased the Critical Hit Chance, and even possessed a Chain Effect.
It was impressive enough to make me question whether this was truly something that could still be called ‘Thunderbolt.’
‘Mythic grade truly exists on an entirely different level.’
The moment I saw the specifications of the Mythic-grade Thunderbolt, I became certain of one thing.
Utterly dominating the tutorial might not be impossible after all.
[The Sacred Ritual intensifies.]
The message arrived at the perfect moment.
The current flowing through the space twisted, and the scenery changed in an instant.
RUMBLE!
The space resembling the universe disappeared.
A rocky landscape formed beneath my feet.
‘It is a rocky area.’
The transformation of the terrain signaled the beginning of the tutorial in earnest.
“Grrrrrr.”
The howls of savage beasts echoed around me.
Goosebumps rose along my arms.
The surrounding air abruptly grew oppressive, and monsters covered in dark brown fur emerged from every direction.
They possessed vicious fangs and protruding snouts.
Standing roughly a meter tall at the shoulder, they resembled hyenas.
They are gnolls.
Aleon spoke when he saw them.
Gnolls.
They were not Level 1 monsters.
They were Level 3 monsters.
That was why something seemed strange.
As far as I knew, Level 1 monsters such as slimes were supposed to appear in the tutorial.
It seems that obtaining a Mythic-grade skill increased the difficulty. This is actually fortunate. You will be able to earn a higher score.
Aleon spoke as though this were good news, but I could not agree with him.
“Grrrr.”
“BARK! BARK! BARK!”
More than a dozen gnolls began charging toward me, saliva dripping from their mouths.
I-Is this really the tutorial?
I had heard that even though injuries sustained during the tutorial were not real, the pain experienced in the moment was indistinguishable from reality.
If those vicious fangs tore my entire body apart, the agony would be unimaginably horrific.
What are you doing? Activate Sage’s Aura and immediately use Thunderbolt!
I had been slightly intimidated by my first real battle, but Aleon’s words instantly brought me back to my senses.
‘Sage’s Aura.’
WHOOOOOM!!
The ten-star skill.
Sage’s Aura.
Golden energy rippled around my body.
The moment I activated Sage’s Aura, an inexplicable confidence surged within me.
I immediately extended my hand.
“Thunderbolt!”
I unleashed Thunderbolt toward the gnoll leading the charge.
CRACKLE!
Emerald lightning erupted from my hand.
It shot forward like an arrow and struck the foremost gnoll.
FLASH!
CRACKLE-CRACKLE-CRACKLE!!!
The Chain Effect activated, and the emerald Thunderbolt swept through more than a dozen charging gnolls at once.
At that same moment.
Suspicious figures were wandering around the God Tree on the first floor of the Sky Tower.
“Did you find the target?”
“No. There has not been so much as a glimpse. I am beginning to wonder whether the person foretold by our master is truly here.”
“Do not doubt him. His prophecies have never been wrong.”
“I am not doubting him. I am merely suggesting that the timing might be different.”
“…That is possible.”
Two intimidating men exchanged quiet words.
One of them was the heavyset man Kim Hajun had encountered earlier.
Had Kim Hajun known their true identities, he would have been shocked.
That was because they were Ascenders affiliated with <Tiamat>.
Tiamat was a global Black-Rank villain organization.
It was a common enemy of people throughout the world.
‘Tsk. I see nothing but worthless insects.’
The heavyset man, Shin Myeongjun, was an executive-level villain in Tiamat’s Korean branch.
None of the people he had seen today came remotely close to matching the existence described in the prophecy.
‘Especially that fool.’
The dim-witted man who had blocked his path on the lobby floor.
His face had been presentable enough, but the moment Shin Myeongjun examined his information with the ‘Eye of Detection,’ his brow had furrowed involuntarily.
‘A Breath-Holding Trait. I did not even know such a worthless Trait existed.’
It was already a one-star Trait of the lowest possible grade.
What possible use could such a Trait have?
No matter how Shin Myeongjun considered it, that man would never be able to function properly as an Ascender within the Sky Tower.
Could he even complete the tutorial?
He looked like the sort who would collapse and fail after killing only a few slimes.
‘That girl was probably the most promising one.’
She was the daughter of the leader of one of the Five Great Clans of Korea.
Shin Myeongjun had heard that she had only recently turned twenty.
She had manifested an eight-star Trait and seemed destined to become one of the next generation’s leaders in Korea.
However, she was not the prophesied existence either.
The prophecy had not spoken of something as insignificant as an eight-star Trait.
It had declared that a person possessing the greatest Trait in the history of the tower would appear.
‘That must mean a Trait belonging to the highest tier even among nine-star Traits.’
His eyes sharpened.
The prophecy had never been wrong.
The prophesied person would undoubtedly appear here.
Therefore, Shin Myeongjun replenished the Magic Power he had exhausted by using the ‘Eye of Detection’ and resumed his hurried search.
CRACKLE!
Emerald sparks continued to dance across the bodies of the gnolls, which had been burned so thoroughly black that their original forms were no longer recognizable.
“Huh—”
I stared at the scene with my mouth hanging open.
‘Does this make any sense?’
This was insane.
A single use of one skill.
That alone had annihilated more than a dozen gnolls.
Was this the result of combining a Mythic-grade skill with Sage’s Aura?
On further consideration, perhaps this outcome was only natural.
A Magic Attack Power of 100 was a figure that an ordinary Level 1 Ascender could never produce.
The gnolls might have been Level 3 monsters, but the damage had been amplified 10.5 times by ‘Sage’s Aura.’
That meant an attack power of more than 1,000.
Ordinary monsters on the first floor could never withstand such overwhelming power.
However, activating Sage’s Aura also increased the amount of mana consumed by my skills, so using it recklessly would be difficult for now.
It was extremely fortunate that Thunderbolt reduced its mana consumption by 40%.
It was disappointing that I could not fire it indiscriminately, but I still possessed enough mana to use it several times in succession.
I could gradually increase my inadequate mana capacity in the future.
Do you now understand why I instructed you to break the highest record? I only made such a demand because I believed it was entirely possible.
As though entranced, I nodded at Aleon’s words.
Master, this humble disciple has finally realized why you were called the Great Sage.
I humbly ask for your continued guidance and instruction.
At that moment, I began seeing Aleon in an entirely new light.
[Congratulations. You have broken a historic record.]
Yes!
I clenched both fists at the perfectly timed message from the Sky Tower.
Who could possibly have produced a greater record than annihilating an entire group of gnolls in a single strike?
Furthermore, they had not been Level 1 monsters, but Level 3 monsters.
It was only natural that I had broken a historic record.
‘What happens now?’
It was widely known that the Sky Tower granted an appropriate reward to anyone who achieved the highest rank in the tutorial.
Could I receive another Mythic skill after already obtaining one?
Anyone who heard me might ask whether I possessed any sense of shame.
Admittedly, even I felt somewhat guilty for thinking it.
But I was free to hope, wasn’t I?
Filled with inexplicable anticipation, I swallowed nervously and waited for the next message.
[Congratulations. As a result of breaking an unprecedented record—]
Here it comes.
Something enormous is coming!
[—you may undergo an Additional Ritual. Would you like to accept the challenge?]
……?
What was this?
An Additional Ritual?
I had never heard of anything like it.
Oh. It seems that an Additional Ritual truly does exist. My prediction was correct.
It appeared that even Aleon had never experienced what would happen from this point onward.
That made me feel somewhat nervous.
Should I simply give up?
If something went wrong after I accepted the challenge, I had no idea what would happen to the record I had already achieved.
Perhaps it would be safer to decline—
‘As if I would ever do that. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.’
How could I possibly resist?
This meant that a Hidden Stage had been unlocked.
Whenever a Hidden Stage appeared, the unwritten rule was to charge forward without asking questions.
Hoho. An admirable attitude. I was prepared to reprimand you if you chose to surrender.
Aleon laughed like an old man trapped inside a child’s body.
Good.
I had Aleon’s approval as well.
Then it was time to deploy.
“I accept the challenge.”
[Your courage is worthy of praise.]
[The Additional Ritual will now begin.]
The instant the messages appeared, lightning suddenly fell from the cloudless sky.
KRA-KOOOM!
My vision flashed and briefly turned blue.
BOOOOOOM!!
The sound of an enormous object crashing into the ground rang out.
W-What was that?
Overcome by an ominous feeling, I hurriedly opened the eyes I had instinctively closed.
A colossal silhouette stood before me.
It was easily more than three meters tall.
A thick brown mane grew from its back all the way to its head.
It walked upright on two legs like a human.
Its face resembled that of a gnoll.
“GRAAAAAAAAH!”
The creature directed an intense murderous intent toward me.
‘T-This is insane!’
My face went pale at the creature’s roar.
I could not help screaming internally.
That was because the creature standing before me was—
‘Why has a Level 10 Gnoll Captain appeared here?!’
The monster had reached Level 10, the level limit of the Sky Tower’s first floor.
It was not a boss-class monster, but it was an elite.
It was stronger than an ordinary Level 10 monster.
[You have been exposed to the Gnoll Captain’s Fear.]
[You have been afflicted with <Abnormal Status: Immobilization>!]
The moment I was exposed to its Fear, my entire body stiffened.
“GRAAAAAH!”
Seeing me frozen in place, the monster immediately raised the long spear in its hand.
THUD! BOOM! THUD! BOOM!
The Gnoll Captain charged toward me like a mad beast, shaking the ground with every step.
I was doomed.
At this rate, I was dead!
‘Aleon! Do something!’
Tsk. Why do you possess the Tome of the Sage if you are not going to use it?!
The moment I heard Aleon’s voice, salvation arrived.
[The Tome of the Sage’s <Status Effect Resistance> has activated.]
[Immobilization has been removed.]
SHIIIIING!!
Golden radiance enveloped my body.
The Immobilization disappeared.
My body was free again.
‘Ugh!’
I immediately threw myself to the side.
[The Tome of the Sage’s <Movement Speed Increase> is permanently active.]
BOOM!!
With the assistance of my increased Movement Speed, I narrowly avoided the Gnoll Captain’s spear thrust.
TUMBLE!
‘Huff, huff.’
After rolling across the ground, I struggled to steady my ragged breathing.
“Grrrrrrr!”
GRIN.
The Gnoll Captain curled the corners of its mouth into a long smile as it stared at me.
Anyone could see that it was openly mocking me.
……?
You filthy mutt.
* To think that the inheritor of my legacy would be scorned even by a mere gnoll. How deplorable!
Aleon released a sorrowful lament.
His voice was filled with genuine emotion.
‘You damn mongrel.’
Grinding my teeth, I immediately extended my hand toward the Gnoll Captain.
Thanks to the Mana Recovery of the <Tome of the Sage>, much of the Magic Power I had exhausted while using <Sage’s Sight> had already recovered.
I still had enough mana to fire another two or three Thunderbolts.
‘If they all hit, I should be able to kill it.’
Admittedly, the idea of a Level 1 Ascender defeating a Level 10 elite monster was absurd.
Of course, thanks to the Tome of the Sage, my Stats were closer to those of a Level 3 Ascender.
Even so, I believed.
I believed in the combination of a ten-star Trait’s skill and a Mythic-grade skill!
“Thunderbolt!”
Die, you damn mutt!
Thunderbolt surged toward the creature, carrying all my fighting spirit.
“GRRK, GRRK!”
As though it found the attack laughable, the Gnoll Captain did not even attempt to evade.
Its attitude made it clear that it felt no need to fear magic cast by a low-level opponent like me.
‘Why isn’t it afraid? Is my attack not going to work?’
The Gnoll Captain merely snorted when it saw the Thunderbolt I had unleashed.
For a moment, my heart nearly sank from nervousness.
KRA-KA-KA-KA-KRAK!!
“YIPE-YIPE-YIPE-YIPE-YIPE!”
Emerald lightning wrapped around its body.
A pitiful, agonized howl echoed throughout the battlefield.
A moment later—
SCREEECH… THUD!
Its body, burned completely black, toppled backward.
“Huh…?”
W-What was that?
I killed this one in a single hit too……?
I remained frozen in the posture I had taken to cast another Thunderbolt and merely blinked.
Good heavens.
Was Sage’s Aura really this powerful?
Who would believe that a Level 1 Ascender had killed a Level 10 elite monster in a single strike?
I could vividly imagine the uproar that would erupt if this became known to the world.
Gulp.
Faced with such an unreal situation, I repeatedly swallowed against my dry throat.
At this rate, perhaps I might eventually be able to kill even floor bosses in a single strike.
Should I invest everything in Mental Power from now on?
Doing so would further increase the amplification of Sage’s Aura.
Once my Mental Power became high enough, I might genuinely become a One-Punch Man.
[Congratulations. You have achieved an impossible feat that transcends all limits.]
[You are the first in the history of the Sky Tower to reach the pinnacle of the Sacred Ritual.]
The messages from the Sky Tower instantly brought me back to my senses.
Ah.
I had done it.
Breaking the tutorial’s first-place record—something I had only half believed was possible.
I had genuinely accomplished it!
Hmph. Remember that this was all thanks to the greatness of this noble one.
Yes, Master.
I sincerely apologize for ever doubting you, even for a moment!
As I celebrated, countless messages appeared before my eyes.
[The Sky Tower pays tribute to the Ascender who has reached the pinnacle of the Sacred Ritual.]
[Once again, it wishes for you to climb to the summit of the tower.]
[You will receive the <Talisman of the Celestial Dragonkin> for having reached the pinnacle of the Sacred Ritual.]
[The Ascender’s name will be added to the <Sacred Ritual> Hall of Fame.]
[Would you like to reveal your name?]
Huh…?
The Talisman of the Celestial Dragonkin?
What was that supposed to be?