Level 1 Superhuman — Part 2
Seokchon Lake.
In the original world, there used to be Lotte World and Lotte World Tower.
I lifted my head and gazed up at the towering structure before me, piercing the sky— the Superhuman Tower.
The triplet towers.
This place was a hub for all things related to superhumans: the Superhuman Association, Superhuman Certification Center, Superhuman Union, Western Army Liaison Office, the Shinwha Group branch, the Sun Mage Tower offices, and even the sanctuary of the Old Father’s Cult.
Each of these towers was larger than Lotte World Tower from the original world.
The surrounding skyscrapers weren’t any different.
Just a quick glance revealed over 20 skyscrapers shaping the skyline of Songpa District in Seoul.
The roads were expansive, boasting a total of 40 lanes. Not a single broken sidewalk, no potholes in the streets, and even the perfectly trimmed trees lining the avenue were beautiful.
This was a world apart from the grimy back alley where I fought Roe Deer and his gang.
Whisshh! Whissshhh!
I watched the flying cars zooming directly into the Superhuman Tower, then began walking toward it myself.
One of the burly security guards adjusted his sunglasses as I approached.
Then he smiled gently and stepped aside.
“Welcome to the Superhuman Tower, Candidate Superhuman.”
“Thank you.”
Magic-sensing sunglasses.
I gave them a glance as I stepped inside.
A vast space opened up before me.
It was incredible. A football field-sized area stretched out with not a single column to support it.
It didn’t look like a gymnasium either. The fact that the first floor of this massive skyscraper was such an open plaza… how on earth did they build this?
“Ah.”
The most unusual thing, though, was the magic.
Everywhere I looked, magic flowed like circuits or complex three-dimensional magic circles, streaming through the space.
It seemed like the buildings in this world weren’t supported by steel and concrete, but by magic.
I kept walking, marveling at the sight, and a slender employee who looked like a model approached me.
Something about her face seemed familiar…
“Hello, thank you for visiting. Are you here to get your superhuman certification?”
“Yes. Where do I go?”
“I’ll guide you. Is this your first time getting certified?”
“It is.”
“Looks like you’ve been through some rough training.”
She was also wearing a pair of slim glasses.
It seemed those glasses were also enchanted with magic detection.
They must’ve sensed the mana within me but couldn’t verify my identity, which was why she kept getting closer.
But training, huh?
Judging by her comment, she had likely picked up on my superhuman class.
If I had been from the Reinforced class, Mage class, or Priest class, she probably would’ve phrased it differently.
We arrived at the center.
A circular, turquoise platform over 10 meters in diameter, with a giant floating magic circle drifting above it.
From the ceiling, which seemed to stretch endlessly upward, clear and transparent beams of light fell like a Milky Way of stars.
As my eyes fixed on that sight, the employee politely gestured with her arm.
“That’s the Mana Circuit Measurement Device. Once you step inside, the computer will comprehensively assess your mana circuit level and compatibility.”
“Is it accurate?”
“This magic circle was personally designed by Sir Merlin, an Archmage of 9th level. There’s no way it could be wrong.”
Oh, Merlin.
The Heavenly Demon of the magic world.
If he built it, I couldn’t argue.
Step, step, step.
I walked toward the measurement device.
People milling around the vast first floor paused momentarily to glance in my direction.
“A superhuman certification?”
“Haven’t seen one in a while.”
“Look at that! His mana level is way over 1.0, but he’s not registered!”
“Oh, he’s not just some random. He’s a candidate superhuman?”
“Should we recruit him? Our mercenary squad has some openings.”
“For a mere level 1? I’d rather take a seasoned special forces soldier over a kid fresh off his certification high. The real ones start at level 3.”
Curious and expectant gazes, or ones filled with contempt and disregard, all converged on me.
Just as I was about to step into the measurement device, into the pillar of light—
Vroooom! Woooong!
The entire tower shook, and light poured down from the ceiling.
It rained down, drawing countless vertical lines like laser bombardment, creating a scene as if a divine light show was happening.
Beams of light in various colors painted the sky.
While I was just blinking in surprise, the employee standing behind me shouted out in shock.
“The Saintess has arrived!”
Saintess?
Who is that?
I couldn’t think of anyone immediately.
It was a title you’d expect, sure, but there wasn’t a character called Saintess among the SSR Priest-class characters in Arcane Seoul.
Screeeech.
Ignoring my confusion, the ceiling opened.
Not completely, but a part of the wall descended like a drawbridge, exposing the sky.
Through the flood of refreshing blue light, an airship hovered in place.
An airship?
No, that’s a flying ship. It’s more accurate to call it a skyship. It looked like a ship that belonged on the sea, equipped with magitech engines and floating magic circles, a showpiece of wealth and extravagance.
Vroooooooom.
The skyship was enveloped in a powerful aura of mana.
Even someone without any mana sensitivity would have been able to feel it.
Gentle winds swirled around its sleek body, like a vortex caressing it, and the metallic surface flickered with bursts of blue starlight.
The skyship descended slowly into the tower.
As it approached, strong winds whipped through the first-floor plaza, scattering the light with magic, causing blue, red, and green halos to bloom like morning glories.
“Are they even allowed to bring a skyship into the tower?”
Half-dazed, I asked, and the employee, distracted by the sight, finally responded.
“Of course! It’s the Saintess!”
“The Saintess?”
“Yes! The Saintess!”
Who could it be?
There was definitely a character with that nickname… but I was drawing a blank.
I furrowed my brow slightly and looked up at the skyship.
Vroooom.
The skyship came to a halt just above the first-floor plaza.
The ramp at its head opened upward like a shark’s mouth.
Clang, clang, clang.
The ramp unfolded, forming a massive incline connecting the skyship to the plaza below.
The entire ramp was pitch black. Not just black, but the kind of abyssal black that seemed to absorb all light, like a bottomless pit.
Engraved on the black surface were ominous golden holy inscriptions.
They looked like a mix of Latin and oracle bone script.
Seeing that, I started to get a feeling.
‘Oh… could it be?’
Just as I was pulling a chunk of memory from deep within my subconscious—
Clang.
A metallic sound echoed.
Clang, clang, clang.
In succession.
My eyes widened instinctively.
I had heard that sound before.
To be precise, they were footsteps.
‘Is it really?’
Why is the boss monster showing up here!?
As I swallowed my scream internally, she appeared through the open entrance.
Someone let out a sharp, shrill scream.
“The Saintess!”
A slender figure stood under the intense magical light.
A solid black suit of armor.
A thick steel skirt.
A giant war hammer strapped to her back.
An oversized shotgun mounted on her right arm.
A pair of red, translucent goggles covering her face.
And a black and gold crown adorned her head.
The Saintess descended the ramp, her armor clanking with each step.
Behind her, black-gold-clad paladins followed, shaking their hammers and guns in a display of force.
There was no doubt about it.
I finally managed to pull a piece of my memory from the depths.
The Saintess of the Old God.
Often referred to as the Old Father’s Cult, a pseudo-religion.
In this world, though, it’s a legitimate religion.
Though the [Old Father] had died during the War of the Gods, he was once a mighty deity who roamed the earth and ruled humanity.
‘And she’s a boss monster.’
Arcane Seoul progresses in episodic story arcs.
Episodes 1, 2, and 3.
The Seoul Terror, the Zombie Crisis, and the Resurrection of the Old God.
In all of these events, the Old Father’s Cult and the Saintess of the Old God were deeply involved.
The final boss of Episode 3, Resurrection of the Old God, was none other than the Saintess.
I remember how absurdly difficult that fight was when it first came out.
She was so hard that I barely made progress after dozens of tries. I even considered spending money to win.
Later on, as stats increased, she became more of a stat-check boss.
‘But why is she here now?’
The story takes place several years before the game even begins.
At this point, the Old Father’s Cult is still regarded as a legitimate religion.
You could go to their temples for blessings or purification.
There were even priest and paladin characters from the Old Father’s Cult, though they were only N-rank.
That’s why the reveal during Episode 3 caused such a big stir.
Clang, clang.
The Saintess marched straight toward the power measurement device.
The employee gasped in awe.
“Is she updating her level?”
Updating her level?
Wasn’t the Saintess already level 8 from the start?
Ah, maybe not yet.
The Saintess stood before the measurement device.
The magic circle was already responding. Mana particles materialized, scattering in the air, as the magic circle vibrated, spreading its resonance throughout the entire tower like a tidal wave.
Flash! Pop! Whirrr!
Before I knew it, the news had spread.
Hundreds of flying cars streamed in through the open ceiling.
High-level superhumans stood atop their vehicles, watching the Saintess closely.
Mages began teleporting in one by one.
The fabric of space itself rippled as divine beings descended one after another.
Under this concentrated attention, the Saintess spoke.
“I shall begin.”
Her voice was husky, almost androgynous.
A shiver ran down my spine.
I remembered the crazed, maniacal laughter that used to reverberate through my eardrums during the boss fight.
Thud.
The Saintess took a step forward.
The magic circle screamed under the weight of her presence.
The pillar of light flared up like a blazing torch, and an immense vortex of mana whipped around, crashing into me.
“Ugh!”
A groan escaped me.
My insides felt like they were twisting.
I barely managed to swallow the bile rising in my throat.
The employee beside me had already rolled her eyes back and collapsed, unconscious.
The others in the plaza weren’t faring much better.
Every non-superhuman had passed out. Even the 1st and 2nd level superhumans were on the verge of fainting.
If I hadn’t switched my traits in time, I would’ve ended up like them.
[Endurance] [Toughness] [Vigor]
[Regeneration] [Wound Recovery] [Mana Recovery]
I had fully loaded myself with defensive and recovery traits, barely managing to endure.
The light continued to flicker for what felt like an eternity.
Just when I was on the verge of losing consciousness, the mana storm finally began to subside.
In its place, glowing letters appeared.
Majestic and radiant, they burned brightly in the air, stamping their mark upon the world.
[Saintess]
[Female]
[27 years old]
[Priest Class]
[Level 8]
[Sixfold Circuit]
The Saintess, a priest-class superhuman who had even given up her name to the Old Father.
Level 8. Level 8, huh.
In the world of Arcane Seoul, that’s comparable to an entire fleet of aircraft carriers.
They call that level the “Transcendent Realm.”
Though it’s one step below the 9th level, known as the “Constellation,” a level 8 was still like a walking, nation-level military force.
‘So she’s already reached level 8 by this point.’
Combine that with the power of the Old Father’s Cult, and you’ve got a real nightmare on your hands.
Knowing that I’m the only one here who understands she’s a boss monster and a villain makes it even worse.
Clap, clap, clap, clap!
Thunderous applause erupted like a waterfall.
Even those who had fainted started waking up and clapping fervently.
“Congratulations, Saintess!”
“To think you’ve reached level 8 at such a young age!”
“You might become the fifth Constellation of the 21st century!”
“Glory to the Old Father will soon be restored!”
“Oooh, Saintess!”
Officially, only four people in this world are 9th level.
The Heavenly Demon, Leviathan, Merlin, and Gabriel. That’s all.
There may be dozens of 8th-level transcendents, but fewer than a hundred in total.
In a world where everything revolves around superhumans, being in the top 100 was a monumental achievement.
“Thank you.”
The Saintess responded briefly and turned away.
Thud!
The paladins formed two lines, facing each other.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
They slammed their war hammers into the ground with great force.
Amid the ominous pulse of mana spreading through the air, they raised their guns in salute to the Saintess.
“Eternal glory to the Old Father’s first daughter!”
“Eternal glory to the Old Father’s first daughter!”
The Saintess walked confidently back toward the skyship.
Each time she passed under the crossed gun barrels, a heavy explosion of energy, whether it was mana or divine power, reverberated.
Screeeeech.
The ceiling of the tower, which had partially opened before, now fully unfolded.
It was like watching a flower bloom.
As the magic cannons fired, the sky above was painted with dazzling mana patterns.
Not just the sky above the Superhuman Tower— all of Seoul was bathed in light.
“Wow.”
An involuntary exclamation escaped my lips.
That’s worthy of a level 8 celebration.
They even gave her a fireworks show for the entire city.
If someone reaches level 9, I guess they’d throw a nationwide festival.
Someday, I’ll reach level 8 or 9 too, won’t I?
Actually, it might be hard even at level 9.
The Celestial Demon, Leviathan, Merlin, and Gabriel all got crushed in the later episodes.
Maybe if I reached the theoretical level 10, the level of Ascension, I’d have a chance.
‘Still a long way to go.’
They say the first step is half the journey, and a thousand-mile journey begins with a single step.
For today, I’ll be content with getting my level 1 certification.
I swapped my traits.
[Strength] [Toughness] [Smash]
Something simple.
I left three of the trait slots open.
Just enough to get certified as an average warrior-class superhuman.
It was right at that moment.
Clang, clang.
The Saintess, who had been walking confidently, suddenly stopped.
She slowly turned her head and stared in one direction.
“Saintess?”
“What’s the matter?”
The paladins were puzzled, and the employee beside me tilted her head in confusion.
Not only did the Saintess turn her head, but she turned her entire body.
And then… she started walking.
Straight toward me.
–TL Notes–
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