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 me, her gaze locked solely on mine.
As she stopped right in front of me, 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 me 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 moment, my heart felt heavy, almost overwhelmed, 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 me?”
“Yes. You. You possess a very unique power, Superhuman.”
My heart sank.
Could it be? Did she see it?
Did she see me switch my traits?
“Superhuman, what is your name?”
Damn…
I felt a sinking feeling.
There was only one reason the Saintess asked someone’s name 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 name is Warrior Kim.”
“Yes, Warrior Kim.”
The Saintess grabbed my hand.
An overwhelming urge surged within me.
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 me, 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 me from above.
It was the holy energy of the Old Father’s Cult—dark, ominous, yet as solid as steel, flowing through and around me.
The employee beside me looked at me 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 me.
‘Damn it.’
This was the worst.
If I accepted this power here, I would immediately 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 come 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 conglomerates, 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 extremely 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 method 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 time itself had stopped.
The waterfall of power that had been pouring over me came 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 me.
“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 time, 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 me, and I collapsed to the ground.
Looking down at me, the Saintess asked in a cold voice.
“Are you serious?”
“Yes, I’m serious.”
“What a shame.”
The Saintess bent over, looking down at me as she shook her head.
“Why would you choose to add more suffering to this sea of torment, 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 overcome even that small spark, your choice and free will mean nothing.”
Whoosh!
“Gah!”
Flames erupted.
From my heart, to my lungs, through my throat, past my lips, and throughout my entire body, flames spread.
Black, dark flames.
They didn’t burn my flesh, but they stimulated my nervous system, forcing me 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 me?
After delivering her final message, the Saintess turned away.
Clang, clang.
With the metallic sounds echoing, the Saintess departed.
The paladins lined up and followed her.
Some spat on the ground. Others cursed at me, 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 someone like that?”
“Faith grows stronger through trials. The Saintess herself chose him, so we should show some mercy.”
“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, consumed by pain that made me feel like I was losing my mind, yet my senses were crystal clear, perceiving everything around me 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 me.
Except for one person.
Someone I hadn’t expected.
“Superhuman… What should I do…?”
The employee from earlier, who I had never met before today, was pacing nervously beside me.
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 confirmed 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 flames.
Nobody would notice.
Surrounded by the black flames, no one could see my body clearly anyway.
“Ugh…”
It worked.
The appearance of the black flames 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 me 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 someone pour water over my head.
“Hang in there.”
It was the employee who had guided me 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 me.
The cold water soaked my head and flowed down my body.
It didn’t extinguish the black flames.
In fact, the contrast between the cool water and the intense pain only made the agony more apparent.
But something began to stir within me.
A subtle, intangible force spread through my body, resisting the black flames.
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 messed-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 measure.
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 flames.
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 flames 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 me in desperation. But the flames only grew fiercer.
The onlookers clicked their tongues in disapproval.
“She’s wasting her time.”
“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 immediately. He could reach the temple in time.”
“Whatever power he has, it’s clear the gods have their eye on him.”
But in reality, it was different.
To me, the water she was pouring felt like nectar from the heavens.
It was because of the contrast.
That refreshing, cool sensation was giving me 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 me to act.
I gathered as much mana as I could, concentrating on the cool sensation of the water flowing over me.
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 elements 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 flames.
For a brief moment, the flames flared violently, as if gasoline had been poured on them.
But that was it. The flames, 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 torment my nervous system.
The black flames rose around me, 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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