Level 1 Superhuman — Part 3
“L-Lady Saintess?”
The employee swallowed hard, her eyes brimming with undeniable admiration and awe.
But the Saintess wasn’t looking at her.
She was walking straight toward , her gaze locked solely on mine.
As she stopped right in front of , murmurs began spreading through the crowd, who had just now realized what was happening.
“What’s going on?”
“Who’s that guy?”
“He just looks like a regular level 1 superhuman…”
“What could the Saintess possibly see in him?”
The Saintess stared into my eyes, her black-gold pupils glowing with divine power. It was as if she were gazing down at
from on high, even though, in reality, I, Warrior Kim, was slightly taller.
“You’re… an unusual one.”
After a long silence, the Saintess finally spoke.
Her eyes, visible through the goggles, had a strange, dreamy quality to them.
For a mont, my heart felt heavy, almost overwheld, but I quickly regained my composure.
It was because of the smile that appeared on the Saintess’s lips.
A deadly smile.
A smile that a predator might flash before devouring its prey—cruel and ruthless.
“Are you… talking to ?”
“Yes. You. You possess a very unique power, Superhuman.”
My heart sank.
Could it be? Did she see it?
Did she see
switch my traits?
“Superhuman, what is your na?”
Damn…
I felt a sinking feeling.
There was only one reason the Saintess asked soone’s na in Arcane Seoul.
‘What do I do?’
There was no way to avoid this.
It wasn’t just because the Saintess was a powerful superhuman or the head of a massive religious group.
My mouth moved on its own, without my control.
“My na is Warrior Kim.”
“Yes, Warrior Kim.”
The Saintess grabbed my hand.
An overwhelming urge surged within .
I wanted to drop to my knees, to bow down before her, to confess all my sins and existence.
Her eyes, glowing vividly through the goggles, pierced through , divine power swirling in her black-gold pupils.
The Saintess spoke slowly, emphasizing each word with power.
“The Old Father, the master of the Black-Gold Throne, always covets rare and unique powers like yours. It is His wish that you find peace and tranquility in this wretched, hellish world, on this wretched, hellish earth, by submitting to Him.”
Whoosh.
A mighty waterfall of divine power cascaded over
from above.
It was the holy energy of the Old Father’s Cult—dark, ominous, yet as solid as steel, flowing through and around .
The employee beside
looked at
with a face filled with awe and envy.
“A blessing… from the Saintess herself? How fortunate you are!”
It wasn’t just her.
Everyone in the plaza on the first floor, the paladins escorting the Saintess, the superhumans who had gathered to witness the spectacle—all eyes were now fixed on .
‘Damn it.’
This was the worst.
If I accepted this power here, I would imdiately gain the [Baptism] trait and [Holy Power].
Once officially inducted into the cult and undergoing priestly training, I’d be classified as a priest-class superhuman. If I took combat training, I’d be recognized as a paladin within the warrior-class superhumans.
At this point, it wouldn’t be a bad choice. I’d have a prestigious path ahead, bolstered by the premium of having been personally blessed by the Saintess herself.
The problem would co after the resurrection of the Old God.
The Old Father’s Cult would reveal their true nature and start a war with the Republic of Korea.
Though they initially succeeded in taking control of half of Seoul and decimating the Korean military, they would eventually be defeated.
That’s when the major powers—the Legion, corporate conglorates, the Mage Tower, and other religious groups—would finally join the fight, leading to the cult’s downfall.
‘Would any fool buy stock in a company that’s about to go bankrupt?’
Fortunately, I’m not that fool.
But refusing the blessing here would trigger a devastating consequence: Divine Fever.
Divine Fever.
It’s an extrely powerful debuff in Arcane Seoul.
Once afflicted, it’s impossible to live a normal life. It’s a non-stop, torturous curse that continues until you return to the temple to accept the blessing.
‘But I can’t accept the baptism.’
There were ways to counter Divine Fever, albeit limited.
It couldn’t be cured with regular elixirs, but rare items like Nectar or Ambrosia—those that break limits—could work.
And since I’m only level 1, I had another thod at my disposal.
I steeled my mind.
Fighting against the urge to kneel, I controlled my body, forcing the words out of my mouth.
“I refuse.”
Clang!
The energy wavered.
The atmosphere shifted dramatically.
It felt as though ti itself had stopped.
The waterfall of power that had been pouring over
ca to a standstill.
It no longer flowed like a river but froze in place, as if water had turned to ice, solidifying and pressing down on .
“Did I… hear you correctly?”
The Saintess’s face showed disbelief.
And she wasn’t the only one.
“Blasphemy!”
“How dare he!”
The paladins were enraged.
“What an idiot.”
“He just threw away a golden opportunity.”
“Wanna bet? He’ll be begging for the blessing in less than an hour.”
“Kid’s too green to know anything.”
The superhumans sneered.
“Wait, what?”
“Isn’t receiving a blessing a good thing?”
“Must be an atheist.”
“Atheist or not, it’s a blessing! You think just anyone can get it?”
“If I could receive that blessing, I’d serve the cult for life, no question.”
The ordinary people were confused.
None of them knew. They couldn’t know.
At this point in ti, who would’ve guessed that the Old Father’s Cult would declare war on the entire Republic of Korea, and that they would be wiped out?
Gathering my willpower again, I spoke once more.
“I refuse.”
Whoosh! The Saintess’s goggles flared with light.
The emotion reflected in her eyes was no longer disbelief or confusion.
It was rage.
Fury.
The divine anger of the Old Father poured through the Saintess, unfiltered.
“Urgh!”
My mind reeled.
My legs buckled beneath , and I collapsed to the ground.
Looking down at , the Saintess asked in a cold voice.
“Are you serious?”
“Yes, I’m serious.”
“What a sha.”
The Saintess bent over, looking down at
as she shook her head.
“Why would you choose to add more suffering to this sea of tornt, this hell, when you could be free? By offering yourself to the Old Father’s Throne, you could be liberated from all your pain.”
Nonsense.
That god, both when alive and now dead, demanded human sacrifices. He wasn’t about to save anyone.
The Saintess stood back up, her expression now calm, but with a faint smile on her face.
“Very well. It is the choice of every human to either serve a god or reject them. Our cult honors the Westphalian Covenant of Divine Annihilation. If you choose to reject the Old Father, we will respect your free will. However…”
The Saintess bent down again, her lips brushing close to my ear as she whispered.
“Do not forget that the Old Father has already marked you. The divine spark is now within you. If you fail to overco even that small spark, your choice and free will an nothing.”
Whoosh!
“Gah!”
Flas erupted.
From my heart, to my lungs, through my throat, past my lips, and throughout my entire body, flas spread.
Black, dark flas.
They didn’t burn my flesh, but they stimulated my nervous system, forcing
to experience the most excruciating pain imaginable, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Clang, clang.
“Good luck. You’ll need it, great soul.”
Was this the Saintess’s way of mocking ?
After delivering her final ssage, the Saintess turned away.
Clang, clang.
With the tallic sounds echoing, the Saintess departed.
The paladins lined up and followed her.
So spat on the ground. Others cursed at , while a few laughed.
“Pah!”
“That wretch dares reject a blessing?”
“We should drag him into the temple and break him.”
“You want to offer such a glorious position to soone like that?”
“Faith grows stronger through trials. The Saintess herself chose him, so we should show so rcy.”
“True, true.”
“Poor fool, might as well call him dead.”
I could hear it all clearly.
It was a bizarre sensation.
My body was burning, consud by pain that made
feel like I was losing my mind, yet my senses were crystal clear, perceiving everything around
with perfect clarity.
“Tsk, tsk.”
“He should’ve just accepted the blessing.”
“I’d take it in a heartbeat if I could…”
“What should we do with him? Just leave him like that?”
“Leave him. Touching him would only bring bad luck. If he wants to live, he’ll crawl to the Old Father’s temple.”
Nobody approached .
Except for one person.
Soone I hadn’t expected.
“Superhuman… What should I do…?”
The employee from earlier, who I had never t before today, was pacing nervously beside .
I curled up like a fetus, groaning in pain.
But inside, I repeated to myself.
‘Get it together.’
If I stayed like this, I was done for.
I forced my eyes open and stared up at the sky through the open ceiling.
Once I confird that the Saintess’s skyship had left the tower and the ceiling had closed, I finally took action.
Trait switch.
[Endurance] [Toughness] [Vigor]
[Wound Recovery] [Regeneration]
And one more.
[Feign Death]
My heart rate slowed dramatically, and my body turned cold.
My skin grew pale, taking on a bluish tint beneath the black flas.
Nobody would notice.
Surrounded by the black flas, no one could see my body clearly anyway.
“Ugh…”
It worked.
The appearance of the black flas hadn’t changed, but the pain had greatly subsided.
Feign Death was a trait that automatically removed all targeting effects.
Divine Fever, like many curses in Arcane Seoul, grew stronger or weaker based on the target’s level. At level 1, Feign Death was enough to significantly reduce its effect.
I combined that with Endurance and Toughness to reduce damage, while Vigor, Wound Recovery, and Regeneration allowed
to heal, little by little.
‘Just hold on a bit longer.’
But it was still agonizing.
It felt like hundreds of branding irons were scorching my body simultaneously.
“Grrr…”
Unable to suppress my groan, I felt soone pour water over my head.
“Hang in there.”
It was the employee who had guided
earlier.
The water wasn’t holy water or a healing potion. Just regular bottled water.
It wasn’t expensive, but the gesture was touching.
While everyone else stayed away, afraid of being cursed, she was the only one helping .
The cold water soaked my head and flowed down my body.
It didn’t extinguish the black flas.
In fact, the contrast between the cool water and the intense pain only made the agony more apparent.
But sothing began to stir within .
A subtle, intangible force spread through my body, resisting the black flas.
Instinctively, I realized.
I had acquired the [Holy Resistance] trait!
“Th-thank you.”
“Are you alright? Should I take you to the temple?”
“No.”
Her eyes were filled with genuine concern and care.
She was the first pure-hearted person I’d encountered in this ssed-up world.
“Grrr!”
I inhaled sharply through the pain.
Though the Holy Resistance helped, I couldn’t just stay like this forever.
Feign Death was only a temporary asure.
I needed another trait.
[Endurance] [Holy Resistance] [Mana Core]
[Mana Recovery] [Deep Breathing] [Mana Absorption]
Rather than defensive traits, I chose ones that would stoke the flas.
Divine Fever was strongest when faced with a more powerful opponent, and it was especially sensitive to mana.
Fwoosh!
“What should I do!?”
The black flas flared up violently, licking at my body like a serpent, as the employee’s face crumpled in worry.
She rushed off, buying more water by the liter, pouring it over
in desperation. But the flas only grew fiercer.
The onlookers clicked their tongues in disapproval.
“She’s wasting her ti.”
“Such a soft heart. That’ll be her downfall.”
“Let her be. She’s only making her own life harder.”
“He just has to pray to the Old Father. It’ll stop imdiately. He could reach the temple in ti.”
“Whatever power he has, it’s clear the gods have their eye on him.”
But in reality, it was different.
To , the water she was pouring felt like nectar from the heavens.
It was because of the contrast.
That refreshing, cool sensation was giving
a spark of inspiration.
Even as I groaned in pain, I focused my mind.
Though the pain sharpened my senses, making my thoughts clearer, it also allowed
to act.
I gathered as much mana as I could, concentrating on the cool sensation of the water flowing over .
The stark contrast between the fire and the water.
I imagined it.
Water spreading.
Waves pushing away the lava.
The contrast between divine power and mana.
Fire versus water.
And with my heightened concentration, all of these elents combined into a powerful new trait.
[Mana Shield]
A must-have trait for any aspiring tank or defense warrior, a Tier-1 universal trait.
Mana surged from my heart, flowing outward.
A perfect, invisible barrier.
A transparent wave.
The Mana Shield spread like a ripple, colliding with the black flas.
For a brief mont, the flas flared violently, as if gasoline had been poured on them.
But that was it. The flas, which had resisted for a second, were pushed back by the Mana Shield and snuffed out.
No, they were expelled.
Out of my body. No longer able to tornt my nervous system.
The black flas rose around , dancing like ghostly will-o’-the-wisps.
Or perhaps like a black dragon, its form wreathed in divine power.
Slowly, I got to my feet.
–TL Notes–
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