The battlefield was silent now. Only the faint crackle of fading embers remained.
Jae-won sat cross-legged in the cooling aftermath of the Infernal Herald's death, the obsidian walls of the arena cracked and scorched around him. In front of him hovered a small box wrapped in dancing flames, completely untouched by the destruction.
> "From the Monkey Who Defied Heaven, huh…"
His hand hovered over the gift.
The Trickster Constellation was infamous. Known across worlds and Tower cycles. In his past life, Jae-won had seen dozens of climbers fall apart after accepting "gifts" from that chaotic bastard. But a few… a rare few, were changed forever.
He grinned.
> "Let's see which one I'll be."
He opened it.
The flames vanished, and inside lay a shimmering red-orange shard. Not an item. Not equipment.
A core fragment—pure concept, distilled and wrapped in impossible heat.
The system clicked in.
---
[You have received a Constellation Gift.]
[New Trait Acquired: Immortal Misfire (Passive)]
"Death isn't real. Not if you laugh first."
Effect: When HP drops below 20%, there is a 25% chance to completely negate incoming fatal damage. Cooldown: 3 hours.
---
He felt it anchor into his core. Wild. Untamed. As if reality itself bent around him, just a little, unwilling to finish him off on the first blow.
> "...You really are insane."
Above, the Constellations stirred.
---
[Constellation: "The Monkey Who Defied Heaven" slaps his knee in delight.]
[Constellation: "The Iron Lawbearer" mutters: 'Another fool corrupted.']
[Constellation: "The Thread-Cutter Beneath the Moon" watches with interest.]
> "You'll all see soon enough," Jae-won muttered, standing. "I'm no fool."
---
The air around him shifted.
[You are now entering Floor 4 – Temple of Forgotten Stars.]
A rift tore open below his feet.
The world changed.
---
He landed softly on cold marble.
A towering chamber opened around him—dark, ancient, and silent. Celestial murals stretched across the walls, depicting constellations no longer visible in the skies above. Giant statues lined the halls, broken and eroded by time. Each held weapons carved from stone—some shattered, some still glowing faintly with starfire.
This wasn't just a trial. It was a grave.
The Temple of Forgotten Stars.
Jae-won exhaled sharply, his breath fogging.
> "Last time, this floor killed dozens of high-rankers. Traps. Illusions. And the boss… no one ever figured out what it was."
> "But I've seen its ending."
His Absolute stat surged, his body light and fluid. No more class chains. No divided builds.
He was built to adapt—to conquer.
---
[New Objective: Awaken the Temple's Core.]
[Optional: Discover the identity of the Forgotten Constellation.]
[Rewards scale with performance.]
---
As he walked deeper, the temperature dropped. The silence wasn't natural. It listened.
He passed rows of prayer stones, each one bearing a name in forgotten language. Occasionally, one flickered with dim light—still whispering devotion after countless cycles.
In the center of the first chamber, a massive celestial mirror hovered, suspended by chains of starlight.
It cracked—just slightly—as Jae-won approached.
From behind it, runes bloomed to life on the walls. The stone floor beneath him glowed.
Then he heard it—
clink.
clink.
clink.
Dozens of stone-armored figures stepped out from the shadows. Their eyes lit with cold, white flame. They raised halberds and swords etched with constellations.
Sentinels of the Forgotten.
Jae-won clicked his neck, rolled his shoulders.
> "Let's see if my new trait works."
He sprinted in.
---
[SYSTEM INTERFACE – KIM JAE-WON]
Level: 10
Class: Apex Conductor
Core Stat – Absolute: 70
Stat Points Available: 0
Skills:
Adaptive Flow (Unique)
Predator Eye (Active)
Heaven-Shaking Step (Active)
Traits:
Bone Plate (Passive)
Emberheart (Passive – Flame Sigil)
Immortal Misfire (Passive – Constellation Gift)
Titles:
First Breaker
Bone-Fused
Arena Challenger
Fire-Eater
Status: Unbound
EXP to next level: 0/150
---