Chapter 12

Chapter 12
## Chapter 12: Arcana of the Gilded Metropolis

Kim Seoyeon’s complexion burned with a deep crimson hue of indignation as she sat isolated within the coffee shop.

‘I simply cannot fathom his thought process.’

The detachment had been apparent from the very second they met.

Despite the physical proximity of their table, it felt as though his spirit was drifting in a different dimension.

In stark contrast to the past, when his focus had been an unwavering spotlight on her, Park Hyun-myeong now acted as if her voice was nothing more than background noise.

‘He didn’t even acknowledge the change in my hair.’

She had traded her flowing locks for a sharp bob. She had dedicated two full hours to selecting an ensemble that complemented the new look perfectly. Yet, he hadn’t uttered a single syllable about it.

A complete transformation. It was impossible for him to have missed it.

“You don’t seem to care at all, do you?”

“Is it alright if I depart now?”

To add insult to injury, he had announced his exit before she had even considered ending the meeting.

This wasn’t some petty bluff. He wasn’t performing a dramatic exit to garner a reaction. He had actually stood up, intent on walking away.

This was a persona entirely foreign to the Park Hyun-myeong she once knew.

His gaze held no flicker of sentiment.

It was the vacant look one gives a complete passerby.

‘We’ve gone our separate ways before, haven’t we?’

Their five-year history was punctuated by more than five breakups. But every single time, he had come crawling back, begging for another chance.

This occasion felt fundamentally altered.

Even though she had exerted the effort to travel a great distance for this face-to-face encounter, his demeanor remained as biting as a winter frost.

Such a reception was unprecedented.

‘How can he behave this way while I am sitting right here?’

Fine. She could perhaps rationalize the rest.

She acknowledged that her words during their split had been vitriolic.

What truly ignited her fury, however, was the way he had shifted his attention to another female right in her presence.

We share no connection whatsoever.

He had refuted any link between them with more intensity than anyone, all while she watched.

Not a bit. Not the slightest involvement.

Yet, he had secured her digits and taken her card. He even scheduled a rendezvous. Right there, brandishing the act like a trophy.

“Park Hyun-myeong, of all people…”

Had the other woman been unattractive, she wouldn’t have spared a thought. she would have simply smirked and let them be.

But that woman was a celebrated figure on YouTube, revered as the ‘Goddess of Justice’.

Goddess of Justice. The Virtuous Deity.

The thought was maddening. What could a person of that stature possibly find appealing in Park Hyun-myeong? Surely, it was just a quick drink and nothing more.

Park Hyun-myeong possessed no redeeming qualities.

His lineage wasn’t wealthy, he lacked a steady career, and he wasn’t particularly striking in height or appearance.

Did he possess an elite physique? Was he a fountain of wit?

Aside from essential tasks and their past dates, he was a total recluse who did nothing but immerse himself in digital worlds at home. Who would actually desire a life with that? She was the only one who had ever exhibited the patience to tolerate him.

Bzzz!

The vibration of her smartphone interrupted her spiral.

The name ‘Jinwoo Oppa’ illuminated the digital display.

Kim Seoyeon’s expression softened into a grin at the sight.

The absolute antithesis of Park Hyun-myeong. In every conceivable category, he was the polar opposite.

He wasn’t a mere office drone; he generated massive wealth through his ventures. He was handsome, statuesque, physically fit, hilarious, and energetic. He was essentially flawless.

Save for one minor detail.

“Hello? Jinwoo oppa? What’s this? You’re seeking a reprieve? Another hidden truth? You neglected to mention you could ‘transform,’ so how am I supposed to rely on you? You felt like a total stranger; it terrified me. You promise not to repeat it? Hmm, very well. This is your final opportunity. One more slip and we are truly, officially finished. Now, come and get me. My current location is…”

—

“Hey there, the crown jewel of our network, Kim Won. Landed in another mess, did you?”

“…The name is Kim Hana. I’d appreciate it if you stopped calling me Kim Won.”

Kim Hana slumped into her office chair, letting out a heavy, weary breath.

The constant trips to the precinct had drained her vitality.

She had assumed a single statement would suffice, but they had summoned her back the following morning during business hours for further interrogation.

Seo Jung-ah, occupying the adjacent desk, pivoted her seat to investigate.

“Who was the culprit this time?”

“The head of a cosmetic surgery clinic.”

“A man surrounded by beauty all day—what possessed him?”

“Your guess is as good as mine.”

“Well, our natural-born Goddess of Justice Kim Won doesn’t need any enhancements anyway.”

“Save the chatter. I feel like I’m at death’s door.”

She truly felt as though she were fading away.

Her blissful period as a permanent staff member had been tragically brief.

Since ‘the incident’ occurred, her responsibilities at the office hadn’t just tripled—they had increased tenfold.

“The department head left this for you before heading out on his trip.”

“What? Ah…”

Kim Hana squeezed her eyes shut and exhaled sharply as she accepted the document folder.

“Isn’t ‘Gracia’ from the States? Why is this being handed to me?”

The folder held the dossier for the individual known as Gracia.

A legendary figure who had emerged from obscurity, cleaving a mountain in twain and vaporizing ten behemoths simultaneously.

the recorded clips were breathtaking. They looked like high-budget cinema. Particularly the moment where thousands—no, tens of thousands—of luminous sword-shaped energies converged into a single point and launched.

Eliminating a threat that conventional ballistics and explosives couldn’t scratch in one strike.

What business did a person of that caliber have in Korea?

“Word is he requested a meeting with you.”

“With me? On what grounds?”

“Perhaps he was smitten the moment he saw you.”

“Cut the nonsense.”

“I’m clueless. Regardless, it’s causing a massive stir. Even the Americans are monitoring the situation closely; they say he’ll be treated with the honors of a head of state.”

“……I’m really not interested.”

There was no logical reason for a fresh full-timer to conduct an interview with a global icon like that.

The individual currently dominating every global headline.

Rumor had it that even fellow Dimension Warriors held Gracia in high esteem.

The ultimate powerhouse had traveled to Korea specifically for her.

“So, what’s the status of that fellow? Your partner.”

Seo Jung-ah rested her chin on her palm and gestured toward a photograph resting on Kim Hana’s workstation.

The image captured a man.

To be precise, it was a shot of a man’s back.

A combatant with a robust, powerful frame. Kim Hana had captured the image of the man’s rear as he neutralized a beast in a heartbeat and disappeared.

Kim Hana made a face and corrected Seo Jung-ah.

“He isn’t my partner. He’s more like a celestial charm.”

Since that specific day, her fortunes had turned around completely. To Kim Hana, that individual was a genuine harbinger of luck.

She lacked his name and his address. This lone photograph was her only connection, but that was enough.

“You act like it’s trivial, but you’re practically hovering over that photo every hour.”

“I was merely cleaning off the dust. Your descriptions are terrible.”

Seo Jung-ah gave a soft laugh.

Kim Hana’s snappy comebacks were always entertaining.

“Fancy joining the gossip columnists for drinks tonight? Are you in?”

“I have prior engagements.”

“A gentleman?”

“Correct.”

“Good grief. The bachelors are going to be heartbroken this evening.”

Seo Jung-ah shook her head with genuine disappointment.

But her curiosity was piqued. Kim Hana, who had consistently rejected every romantic advance without fail, actually had a dinner date with a man?

Regardless, Kim Hana returned her focus to her duties.

If she wanted to avoid being swallowed by the mountain of paperwork, she had to make progress whenever her mind was clear.

—

“Execute the turncoat!”

“Slay the treacherous Snake Princess!”

Upon regaining consciousness, the sight of Isabella, soaked in crimson, met my eyes.

The ground was carpeted with the fallen. Every one of them was a Paysalmer soldier.

The conflict was still in full swing.

I adjusted my gaze and noticed the warp gate humming with energy behind me.

Even though she possessed the means to escape at any moment, Isabella had remained true to her word to me.

‘The Queen’s Royal Guard.’

An elite hunting party that included formidable champions.

Had we been delayed by even a few moments, our lives would have been forfeit.

“Has your ‘communion with the stars’ concluded?”

“It has.”

The single stroke of fortune was the absence of the Queen herself.

Naturally, had the Queen intervened personally, Isabella wouldn’t have been able to hold the line for long.

It was nothing short of a miracle.

But we couldn’t gamble on providence indefinitely.

“I shall pave the way.”

Scores of combatants obstructed the path to the warp.

Isabella was drained to her absolute limit.

【Lv.6】

The elite champions were approaching level 6.

Under normal circumstances, Isabella could have dispatched them easily, but she had been fighting in this exhausted state for half a day.

Shielding someone with no certainty of the outcome—she had accomplished the impossible.

Expecting her to also spearhead the escape was asking too much.

‘Star Claw.’

The primary ability I acquired upon inheriting the mantle of the Star Successor.

That power surged to life for the first time.

A deluge of starlight poured into my closed hand. Then, jagged, claw-like protrusions forged from pure stellar energy erupted from my fist.

For a fleeting second, I felt like a comic book hero.

True to its designation, Star Claw was an area-of-effect technique capable of tearing through the heavens themselves. I could have used it in its raw form, but the time limit was too narrow for that.

“Put the traitor to the sword and end the godless heretic!”

“This is the mandate of Her Great Majesty the Queen!”

The traitorous soul was Isabella, and I was clearly the heretic in question.

I threw my fist forward with every ounce of my strength at the legion blocking the warp.

In that heartbeat.

Kwaaaaaang!

Fwooooosh!

A thunderous detonation capable of shattering glass rang out, followed by a surging column of radiance. It wasn’t conventional fire—it was concentrated starlight.

The champions caught within that celestial pillar simply ceased to exist.

“……”

“We move now.”

I directed my words to Isabella, who stood mesmerized by the pillar of light.

Projecting the energy forward created a star pillar that persisted for 41 seconds.

Star Claw consumed all available stellar energy in one go, creating a zone of absolute destruction and defense for its duration.

An impenetrable sanctuary.

‘This exceeds my calculations.’

I was genuinely astonished.

A level 1 ability used once producing this much devastation.

I couldn’t fathom the potential of a level 10 evolved version.

“Stay close. Only the chosen can traverse this ‘Pillar of Stars’.”

I stepped through first, and Isabella took a nervous breath before following into the light.

The remaining soldiers, however, were reduced to ash before they could even attempt the crossing.

Only after a dozen of their comrades perished did the pursuit finally falter.

Now, our only task was to step into the warp.

Isabella’s gaze was unsteady as she looked at the active gateway.

“Isabella. If you wish to retreat now, I will not compel you to stay.”

The autonomy she had fantasized about for so long was within reach.

She had spent her life praying for a chance to cross through to a different realm.

But now, standing on the precipice of leaving the only sands she had ever known, a flood of conflicting feelings took hold.

And yet, despite it all.

“…No.”

“Then this is the hour of your emancipation. Be glad.”

“Yes.”

Isabella made her choice for liberty.

She managed a fragile, uncertain grin.

《Warp has been activated.》

《Warp to ‘Starting Point’ is free.》

《‘Isabella’s’ ‘Limit Curse’ has been nullified by ‘Star Blessing’.》

《Warp destinations from ‘Kaltzman Desert’: 12 cities.》

《‘Arcana’ selected.》

《Initiating warp.》

—

《Warped from ‘Kaltzman Desert’ to ‘Central Continent’.》

《Welcome to the Golden City ‘Arcana’.》

《Tip: ‘Arcana’ is a city of extreme materialism. If you don’t have gold on the level of a great noble, it’s advised not to even set foot here.》

On the other side of the gateway, a sea of people appeared.

Individuals adorned in gilded headwear, traveling in vehicles plated in precious metal.

The subsequent anchor point for the Kaltzman Desert was the grand city of Arcana.

‘One of the primary hubs tied to the Starting Point.’

Starting Points link to several metropolitan areas.

Arcana was the most prosperous of the lot.

‘And it’s a territory the Queen cannot dare to enter.’

The Queen’s hunters wouldn’t stop their search. She might even lead the hunt herself to eliminate us.

However, here in Arcana, the diplomatic ties with the desert realm of Paysalmer were incredibly strained and hostile.

If the Queen or her legion set foot here, it would be interpreted as a declaration of total war.

The irony that the warp gates connected such enemies was palpable.

“The city… it is breathtakingly opulent.”

Isabella surveyed her surroundings with wide-eyed wonder.

She was visibly moved by the soaring towers and the intricate craftsmanship of the buildings.

Having never left the desert, her awe was to be expected.

“In Arcana, wealth is the only metric that matters.”

“I have brought some coin with me.”

Isabella produced a small leather container.

Judging by the heft, it held roughly 300 gold.

It was the sum she had managed to hoard in anticipation of escaping to the Central Continent.

“300 gold will barely secure a single night’s lodging and a meal.”

For a novice, that was a significant sum, but in the context of Arcana, it was practically pocket change.

Isabella stared at me, her jaw dropping.

“Th-that’s impossible. Back in the sands, 300 gold could purchase ten servants…”

That was the reality of the Kaltzman Desert as a Starting Point.

The desert relied on trade and bartering. Any servants obtainable for gold were strictly for survival and hunting.

“Observe that display.”

I gestured toward the menu outside a nearby bakery.

“A loaf… for 50 gold?”

“It is crafted from the finest grains reserved for royalty. That’s why they label 50 gold as a discount price.”

“I will have to part with my dagger then.”

A blade with a pumpkin-themed hilt. Auctioning it off would yield tens of thousands in gold.

Her willingness to sacrifice her prized possession was noble, but I stopped her.

“There is no need for that. We are going to turn that 300 gold into a fortune.”

“…Multiply it? You intend to start a trade with such a small amount?”

“The gambling house.”

“…… I beg your pardon?”

Isabella blinked rapidly, clearly doubting her hearing.

I restated my intention clearly.

“We are heading to the casino.”

“Wh-what are you suggesting…?”

Isabella looked at me as if I had lost my mind.

Increasing one’s wealth through games of chance? Pure insanity!

A Star Awakener, a figure of spiritual devotion, engaging in gambling?

Her expression was a portrait of pure concern.

But I possessed a hidden advantage.

【Golden Grace】.

One of my 13 secret attributes!

“My fortune is quite high today, so have faith.”

“……”

Isabella’s look suggested that faith was the very last thing she was feeling.