Unlike ordinary artifacts or skills, Hidden Pieces were items so powerful that they could disrupt the balance of the Core. Because of this, obtaining even a single one made an adventurer vastly superior to others.
The Hidden Piece, Status Window Plunder, was a relic-grade artifact that Laum obtained after narrowly passing one of the trials in the Deep Realm. It also granted him the skill that secured his third-place rank and elevated him to the position of Legion Commander.
Though not born on Solomon’s Altar, Laum managed to surpass most of Solomon’s demons, becoming second only to Agares, all thanks to the Status Window Plunder skill.
“Plunder,” Laum called out.
With the activation of the skill, a certain amount of magical energy was consumed, and a glow emanated from his hand. But that was all. Nothing else happened—except for an unfamiliar message that appeared before his eyes:
[You may not dare to use this skill on this target.]
[You may not dare to use this skill on this target.]
[You may not dare to use this skill on this target.]
An adventurer had entered the Six Blood Valley, and he carried neither armor nor weapons, except for a plain black coat that looked useless for defense.
Laum descended from his Thunder Horse, and a spear of violet light appeared in his hand. Magic condensed with a hum, causing the spear to grow larger.
Although it was unclear why Plunder wasn’t working, there was no need for concern. A mere adventurer would surely die upon impact from his attack.
With a loud, almost explosion-like sound, the spear flew from Laum’s grasp, leaving a trail in its wake as it shot toward Do-Jun.
Despite all of this happening in a fraction of a second, the spear halted abruptly, just inches from Do-Jun’s eyes, refusing to advance further. As Laum’s eyes widened in disbelief, Do-Jun reached out and grasped the magic-infused spear with his bare hand.
Laum thought this could be explained if the adventurer somehow possessed incredible power, but what shocked him was that Do-Jun remained completely unharmed.
Even the Transcendents never dared to touch another’s magic constructs with their bare hands, as doing so would cause their hands to disintegrate or burn away.
“So, I take it that you’re Laum,” Do-Jun muttered as he flicked the spear back toward Laum with a slight flick of his wrist.
In the blink of an eye, Laum summoned his magic to form a barrier. A deafening explosion erupted as the spear struck the barrier, shattering it like glass and sending Laum flying hundreds of meters backward.
“Urgh!” The impact caused him to cough up blood as he crashed into the terrain, staining the valley floor.
But more than the shock of injury, Laum was paralyzed by the fact that his attack had failed and that he, a Legion Commander, had been wounded by a mere adventurer.
Laum, lying on the ground, panting and grunting, managed to lift his head. The trauma from the earlier shock caused his vision to flicker briefly before returning to normal. As his gaze settled on Do-Jun’s wrist, he saw the writhing, snake-like Status Window coiled around it.
Grinding his teeth, Laum growled, “What are you...?”
Do-Jun approached with quiet steps, his eyes cold as if looking down on something insignificant. When he stopped in front of Laum, the latter caught sight of his own pitiful reflection in Do-Jun’s eyes—an expression of pure terror.
Seeing himself so frightened infuriated Laum, and he clenched his teeth, shouting in rage, “Who the hell are you?!”
Scrambling to his feet, Laum retreated several dozen meters, spitting blood from his mouth and wiping his lips with the back of his hand. His eyes then locked onto the colorless Status Window coiled around Do-Jun’s wrist, a sight so foreign it almost felt haunting.
It wasn’t purple, navy, or blue. It was truly colorless.
The Status Window snakes obtained in the tutorial zones, which helped adventurers survive against the Core-born residents, were supposed to be powerless when colorless.
“Plunder, Plunder, Plunder! Plundeeeer!” Laum’s scream was almost a shriek, but nothing changed.
Only the persistent message, “You may not dare to use this skill on this target,” was repeated endlessly.
He formed another magic spear but quickly dispelled it, and there was a good reason for it.
I’ll die, he realized.
Throughout his life, he had never once doubted the instincts warning him of danger. Now, that same sense of danger spread through every inch of his body, urging him to stop.
If I attack one more time, I’ll die, screamed every cell in Laum’s body in alarm.
Acknowledging that fact helped him regain his composure. Laum stared at Do-Jun with fearful eyes. His Plunder skill didn’t work on this opponent, and there was only one possible explanation for this.
“You... have the Blessing of the Deep Realm, don’t you?” he asked. Get full chapters from novelFɪre.net
The Blessing of the Deep Realm granted free movement between the levels of the Core and also lifted the restrictions imposed by the Status Window Snake. Most importantly, it nullified the Plunder skill.
Only seven adventurers were blessed this way—the Transcendents.
But... what is this message?
Laum had once tried using Plunder on several Transcendents. In every case, the same message appeared: This skill cannot be used on a target under the blessing.
“Does it matter?” Do-Jun replied in a dry tone, removing the Status Window Snake from his wrist and placing it on his palm.
The tiny serpent wriggled across Do-Jun’s hand, then raised its head and flicked its tongue toward Laum.
“Either way, you’re going to die.”
A chill ran down Laum’s spine.
“That was decided the moment you chose to aim your spear at me,” Do-Jun remarked.
It was only then that Laum realized this adventurer intended to kill him, no matter what he did next. But that didn’t matter anymore, and he couldn't help but laugh. Removing the Status Window Snake in the Core was tantamount to suicide.
The adventurer likely didn't realize this as he calmly held the snake in his hand. Without the snake, he was as powerless as a speck of dust.
Now’s my chance to kill him. As Laum snickered and prepared to leap at Do-Jun for a killing blow, he suddenly froze in place.
His body wouldn’t move.
The Status Window Snake had vanished from Do-Jun’s palm without a trace. Laum tried channeling his magic to move, but it felt as if something was holding him back. His body became unbearably heavy, making even the slightest movement, like twitching a finger or opening his mouth, impossible.
Nearby, the Thunder Horse trembled violently. It had never shown fear before. What could possibly terrify a divine beast ?
Darkness slowly spread over the area, like the beginning of a total solar eclipse, as something enormous loomed overhead and blocked out the sky.
With great effort, Laum raised his head. When he saw what was darkening the heavens, his mind went blank.
Words could not express the magnitude of what he saw. It was a colossal snake that seemed to occupy the whole sky and earth.
Wherever the serpent passed, the Six Blood Valley was gouged deeply with the sound of the earth being crushed underneath.
It was the mythical creature—Ouroboros.
Laum couldn’t fathom why Ouroboros had suddenly appeared in the Six Blood Valley. Not until he saw the snake lower its head in reverence to Do-Jun.
Fragments of past messages flickered through Laum’s mind. You may not dare to use this skill on this target.
It was only then that Laum realized why Plunder hadn’t worked. “H-how... is this... possible...”
Ouroboros was not a creature that could be captured or tamed, or at least, that was what Laum had always believed. However, the sight before him proved otherwise.
What was more, Ouroboros only appeared in the Tutorial Zone. This meant the adventurer before him had possessed the strength to subdue Ouroboros since the Tutorial.
“Im...pos...sible...”
Do-Jun gently stroked Ouroboros’ head. Then, as he withdrew his hand, he murmured something barely audible, and Ouroboros opened its massive jaws wide.
Meanwhile, the World Tree, Marf, and the other adventurers stood silently, looking at the spot where the entrance to Six Blood Valley once was. It had already been half an hour since Do-Jun had gone in, and he still hadn’t returned. Their expressions were full of despair. Both the World Tree and Marf believed that the odds of Do-Jun having fallen to Laum were high.
However, at that moment, a deafening noise erupted as a massive figure burst out of the ocean, soaring into the sky. Even from several kilometers away, the sheer size of the creature emerging from the sea was unmistakable.
Ouroboros! The World Tree’s eyes widened.
The adventurers, too, stared in shock at the enormous snake that now dominated the heavens. Then, a streak of light began gathering next to the World Tree.
The light became brighter and bigger, eventually taking on the form of a man.
The World Tree’s expression lit up with relief.
“You’re back! Alive!” she exclaimed.
“Thanks for the artifact,” Do-Jun said after returning with the help of the leaf.
But the joy was short-lived.
A shadow crossed the World Tree’s face as she wondered why Ouroboros had appeared on the eighth floor of the Core. The massive serpent opened its huge jaws, and something started to fall. A skeletal corpse, stripped of all flesh, dropped into the Sea of Death with a splash. Even the remaining bones dissolved in the water, unable to withstand the poison.
Everyone was frozen, staring blankly at the scene—everyone except one.
“It’s shrinking...?” an adventurer murmured as they watched Ouroboros.
Sure enough, as the adventurer noted, Ouroboros’ colossal form was gradually shrinking. It then flew toward them. Although the adventurers initially panicked and prepared to flee, it quickly became apparent that there was no need.
The now small, snake-like Ouroboros landed gently on Do-Jun’s wrist. With a faint screech, it coiled around his wrist, wrapping tightly like a bracelet as if it had always belonged there.
The World Tree stared in disbelief and muttered, “You... don’t tell me you’ve...”
It sounded absurd, but having witnessed it with her own eyes, she couldn’t help but be astonished. She recalled the skeletal corpse that had just sunk into the Sea of Venom and dissolved, and could only assume it had been Laum, the First Commander of Baal’s Legion.
“Did you tame it...?” she asked.
Do-Jun shrugged and replied nonchalantly, “It just kind of happened.”
“Just... who are you, really?” The World Tree swallowed hard.
This adventurer from Earth, Do-Jun, was far beyond anything she could consider normal.
“Seriously... what are you?”