Episode 9
[Eye of Truth]
-Grade: Unique Trait
-Effect: Sees through what is hidden.
A brief description.
Seeing it, Dohyeon couldn't help but tremble with emotion.
"A Unique Trait...!"
A type of trait he was seeing for the first time in his life.
He had never seen a type called 'Unique' even in Demrok.
However, Dohyeon wasn't foolish enough to fail to recognize its value.
'Honestly, I'm not exactly sure what this ability does. But it's definitely something incredible.'
Weapon Master? Hero? Slayer?
They were good traits.
But they weren't one-of-a-kind traits.
While there might be no one who possessed all of them, if you looked at them one by one, there were quite a few people who owned them.
But what about the Eye of Truth?
'At the very least, I've never heard of a trait like this existing.'
Unique.
Literally, the only one of its kind in the world.
It meant that among the one billion players in Gatose, Dohyeon was the sole owner of this trait.
Putting its prowess aside, its rarity was beyond comparison.
'Come to think of it, there were rumors like that.'
He had seen discussions on the community about the word 'grade' attached to traits.
People asked why it was called a 'grade' rather than a 'type' or 'category' when they were all traits anyway.
It was a valid doubt.
Dividing tiers like Normal, Rare, Hero, and Legendary was a grading system, whereas distinguishing between traits and skills was a matter of type or category.
Many opinions went back and forth, but the discussion eventually fizzled out with the consensus that it might just be a translation error.
When Dohyeon read that post, he had shared a similar thought.
No, honestly, he hadn't really thought much about it.
Whether it was a grade or a type, it wasn't a particularly important element.
He had simply brushed it off as just the way things were.
But now, he understood the reason.
'To think it was literally a grade...'
Unique Trait and Trait.
These two were the names of the grades.
Thinking about it, it was naive to assume that an AI said to be superior to AlphaGo would make such an error.
Although his question was resolved, that wasn't what truly mattered right now.
'The important thing is that I just hit the lottery.'
And not just any lottery, either.
A one-of-a-kind trait, five other traits, and even titles on top of that.
It was an absolute jackpot.
[First Slayer]
-Grade: Legendary
-Description: A title granted to the first to slay a Legendary-grade Named Boss.
-Effects
Wrath: Deals 10% additional damage to Boss monsters.
Predation: Upon a successful first attempt in combat, all stats increase by +6.
The 'Predation' effect does not apply to bosses of the same type as previously slain bosses.
All Stats +10
[Stats acquired from Predation: +6]
If traits alone were sweet enough, a Legendary-grade title was the icing on the cake.
Its performance was monstrous, befitting the Legendary grade.
The base option of +10 to all stats was already a jackpot, but Predation could raise his late-game potential as well.
On top of that, there was Wrath, which dealt 10% additional damage to Boss monsters.
A single title was effectively doing the work of three.
'Ha... So sweet...'
It was such a sweet start that he wondered if he might get diabetes.
'To think an opportunity like this would come to me, a guy with absolutely trash luck...'
Having been cursed by the world in Demrok, it felt all the more valuable to Dohyeon.
How many days had he spent green with envy?
Back then, he had started out making a fuss with a Normal-grade trait while everyone else was getting Rare grades...
'This time, it feels good.'
A player starting off with six traits, along with Legendary and Rare titles?
If he posted this on the official forums, the place would explode.
He might attract the attention of players who would roll their eyes trying to recruit him, as well as those who would want to kill him out of sheer jealousy.
'Though they probably wouldn't even believe it.'
After all, even he wouldn't believe it if someone else claimed this.
'More importantly...'
Dohyeon, having finished checking his rewards, surveyed his surroundings.
He saw the floor and walls reduced to ruins by the Iron-Blooded Magic Dragon Seed, and on the opposite side, an interior that remained perfectly intact, as if divided by a line.
Seeing this sight, Dohyeon tilted his head in confusion.
'Why hasn't the tutorial ended?'
As far as he knew, a goddess was supposed to appear, reseal the boss monster, send the adventurer to the main continent, and the game would properly begin.
Yet, none of those events were occurring.
"Wait... Reseal the boss monster?"
Something suddenly crossed Dohyeon's mind.
'The point where the goddess appears is...'
The moment the player dies.
But what about him?
Instead of dying, he had slain the Magic Dragon Seed and monopolized all the traits and rewards.
Because of that, the entire situation had changed.
'What happens in a case like this?'
He was momentarily flustered, but soon regained his composure.
And that composure quickly morphed into a hint of anticipation.
If the scheduled event had changed...
'This could be a Hidden Piece.'
He had already milked it for all it was worth and was brimming with greed, but it didn't hurt to hope.
As he approached the door he had entered through, a message popped up.
[The boss's death has been confirmed.]
[Would you like to return to the entrance?]
"Yeah."
The moment he answered quickly, his vision inverted.
The corridor was in even more disastrous ruins than the filthy room, littered with the corpses of demonic beasts.
During the entire five hours and thirty minutes Dohyeon was inside, a grueling battle had been taking place here as well.
Charlie was staring at Dohyeon with a startled expression from the blood-stained battlefield.
Despite being drenched in the blood of countless monsters, his spirit had remained unbroken—yet now, he wore a dazed expression, as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing.
When their eyes finally met, Charlie's lips trembled.
"Ah... A-ah..."
"..."
Dohyeon instinctively sensed it.
This guy was about to spout another gem of a line.
Sure enough, he asked with a trembling voice.
"I clearly heard the sound of a monster being summoned... Did you truly slay it?"
"Yes, well..."
"Yet you don't have a single scratch on you. Just who on earth are you..."
Unlike before, his tone was practically reverent, his voice polite, and his eyes were filled with admiration.
It was all already overwhelming, but Charlie didn't stop.
"No, it does not matter who you are or where you came from."
"?"
"Heroes are meant to bloom in times of chaos. I, Charlie, believe without a doubt that your existence will bring great change to this turbulent world."
With a resolute expression, he dropped to one knee.
"O Hero... I wish to walk that glorious path alongside you. Would you permit this humble knight to become your heart and sword?"
Ring—
A message appeared at the same time.
[The Knight Commander of Arlen Castle, 'Charlie,' wishes to become your heart and sword.]
[If you accept the Knight's Oath, he will swear his loyalty to you.]
'...Is he crazy?'
He had secretly been hoping for a Hidden Piece, but he never expected this.
A Knight's Oath meant that he would trust and follow him even if it cost him his life.
It was not just a simple metaphor.
[Upon acceptance, Charlie will no longer be the Knight Commander of Arlen Castle, but a subordinate of Kaiser.]
[The benefits he would receive will instead be granted to his liege.]
A knight who formed this oath would relinquish everything, regardless of their standing, and submit to their liege.
Furthermore, they would offer up all the rights and benefits they had accumulated to their liege.
It was an oath of total devotion.
'Jackpot.'
Being the Knight Commander of a castle meant there would be plenty of elements to aid his growth in the future.
He would be treated well by NPCs wherever he went, and he could easily grow through his high position.
However...
[But he is a person who died long ago. Even if you become his liege, you cannot receive these benefits.]
"Ah."
At the follow-up message, Dohyeon let out a deflated sigh.
No wonder things were going too smoothly.
Honestly, starting as a Level 1 and becoming the liege of a Knight Commander would be way too unbalanced.
'Right, the tutorial was a recreation of the past tragedy of Arlen Castle.'
The true nature of the tutorial was a stepping stone and a stage for adventurers from another world to reach the main continent through the goddess.
That was also why the setting resembled the distant medieval era, unlike the timeline of the main game.
'I guess it's just a formal oath. Something like an event...'
Honestly, expecting more than this would just be greedy.
Still, it put him in a good mood, so Dohyeon nodded without any further hesitation.
That very moment.
[You have accepted the Knight's Oath.]
[You will remain as his liege within the memories of Knight Commander 'Charlie.']
[The war that would later be recorded as the Terror of the Abyss and the Tragedy of Arlen Castle has now ended in victory within 'Charlie's' memories.]
[He will rest in peace, eagerly anticipating the future he will share with you.]
[The tutorial has ended. The Hall of Gods is now open.]
[You will be warped to the Hall of Gods shortly.]
Messages appeared, and the area where the boss room had been transformed into a warp gate.
It was a different route from the original one, but he had successfully completed the tutorial.
'...Rest in peace, huh.'
Dohyeon glanced at Charlie.
His eyes were drawn to the sheer loyalty and resolute expression on his face, as if he were looking at his true liege.
That would be this man's final memory.
Thinking about it made him feel a little bitter.
He might just be an NPC, but perhaps he had grown somewhat attached after seeing his reactions...
"My liege, what is our next destination?"
That must have been why.
Looking at him—his resolute eyes harboring a faint hint of expectation—Dohyeon decided to give him an answer before taking the warp.
"...We go where we are needed. It is a turbulent world, after all."
"Ah..."
It was a bit cheesy, but Dohyeon felt that this was the answer Charlie would have wanted the most.
Charlie, who had been staring blankly with his mouth agape, slowly closed his mouth.
There was no grand response, but it was enough.
His eyes proved that Dohyeon's assumption was right.
[Using Warp.]
[Moving to the Hall of Gods in 5 seconds.]
[5...]
Just as Dohyeon, feeling more at ease, stepped into the warp.
Charlie approached, nodding as if he had resolved himself to something.
"...Please, take this."
Charlie pulled something from his breast pocket and politely offered it to him.
[3...]
[2...]
It was a necklace.
A necklace of rather plain design, embedded with what looked like a red ruby.
Dohyeon couldn't help but be surprised upon receiving it. However, before he could even react, the warp transition ended.
[You have acquired '...'.]
[Moving to the Hall of Gods.]
"Thank you, my liege. Please, save '...'..."
The message was swallowed by a blinding light.
And with Charlie's faint voice echoing behind it, Dohyeon's vision faded to black.
[Welcome to the Hall of Gods.]
[This is the place where you choose a deity and determine your path forward. I pray that divine blessings descend upon you.]
[You cannot access your Inventory here. If you forcefully log out, a choice will be made automatically.]