Chapter 259

Chapter 259
## Generation Shift

A brilliant radiance burst forth, centered on the ten individuals who had secured the most legendary feats and results.

Out of one hundred thousand aspirants, only this elite decemvirate was permitted to advance toward the ‘Holy Star.’ Every witness watched them with expressions of pure veneration. There were no exceptions; the path these ten had carved was nothing short of miraculous. They were the pioneers destined to command the upcoming era—warriors fundamentally different from the established ‘Dimension Warriors’ of Earth. Because of these ten, the world was about to undergo a total cataclysm.

“Ah……”

Kim-bujang let out a broken groan as he stared at the space above his head. No light greeted him there. Only a hollow, freezing gust of wind drifted by with total indifference. His intense hunger to outpace the masses and become the heart of this ordeal had withered into nothing but hollow greed. After his right arm had been mangled, his capability vanished. Far from being the focal point, he was now barely clinging to life at the edge of a bottomless chasm.

‘That spot was meant for me……’

With eyes burning with resentment, Kim-bujang watched the ten spheres of light hovering in the firmament. He understood it instinctively: those figures were the masters of the next age. Every ounce of the world’s attention would now be recalibrated to center on those ten.

‘It was within my reach……!’

He’d had his chances. On several occasions, he had the opportunity to take command and ascend to a higher plane. Yet, a solitary blunder had rendered every effort meaningless.

“Out of the way, you slob. You’re blocking the view.”

Thud!

A massive man delivered a sharp kick to Kim-bujang. Falling ignominiously to the dirt, Kim-bujang began to shake violently.

“Got a problem with that? If it bothers you, do something. I’ll put you in the ground for good.”

Kim-bujang didn’t dare meet his eyes. This decline had begun the moment his right arm was destroyed and others started to overtake his progress. Because he had hoarded every growth opportunity during the initial forty-eight hours, a tide of bitterness had risen against him. Since he had attempted to step over the corpses of others to reach the top, not a single person felt sympathy for him. On the contrary, the crowd looked at his broken state and felt he was finally receiving his due.

A reckoning of cause and effect. He was simply drowning in the karma he had generated.

Crunch!

The large man ground his heel into Kim-bujang’s head. It was the ultimate degradation. Still, Kim-bujang kept his gaze fixed on the soil. Even if he wasn’t among the ‘Top 10,’ this giant was a powerhouse who had nearly breached that rank. A single wrong word could result in his actual death.

“By the way, what was that guy’s name again?”

The giant spoke while staring in one direction with eyes full of reverence. A column of celestial light was pouring down upon the spot where his gaze landed. The recipient of that light—the man approaching the Angel, the very one who had reduced Kim-bujang to this state!

“It’s P-Park Hyunmyeong……”

Squeeeeze!

In that instant, the giant increased the pressure of his foot on Kim-bujang’s skull.

“Aaargh!”

“Use a respectful title. Do you think he’s your equal?”

“It is P-Park Hyunmyeong-nim……!”

“That’s right, you pig. If it weren’t for Park Hyunmyeong-nim, you’d be a corpse. I’d be dead. We’d all be gone. From now on, you don’t speak his name without ‘-nim.’”

“Y-Yes……! I’ll never forget it!”

“Tsk.”

The giant clicked his tongue in disgust. The man under his boot was a parasite not even worth the effort of killing. But that other man was different. Park Hyunmyeong. The wonders he had performed over the last six days would be etched in the giant’s memory for eternity.

Ten monsters had been chosen. However, the giant was certain that even if the other nine joined forces, they couldn’t hope to rival Park Hyunmyeong. He was a fundamental anomaly who had shattered every established rule of reality.

‘He suppressed those things they call Followers through sheer presence alone.’

The ‘Followers of the Heavenly Mountain Demon Cult’ who had appeared one after another took their own lives the moment they stood before Park Hyunmyeong. These ‘Followers’ were entities of such power that resistance seemed impossible. It was a logical absurdity, a fever dream, for novices who had only just undergone Awakening to face perfected combatants who could dismantle a standard Dimension Warrior with ease. Hundreds of challengers would have surely perished just trying to stop one.

Yet, those titans all reacted the same way when facing Park Hyunmyeong. They ended their own existence through self-determination. How could one even categorize such a sight?

‘……It was pure awe.’

They were struck with terror and reverence, offering their own heartbeats as a tribute. They surrendered themselves to Park Hyunmyeong. To that man who was now stepping forward into the light of triumph! It was like a mortal making a sacrifice to a deity. At first, the spectators were bewildered, but as the pattern repeated, the truth became unavoidable. That man, Park Hyunmyeong, was no mere human. He couldn’t possibly be.

—A mindless servant has committed a transgression!
—I shall pay for this insolence with my life!
—Cheon-se, Cheon-se, Cheon-cheon-se!

……An absolute sovereign, much like the god those followers worshipped. Perhaps he was that God himself. He had dominated the cultists by simply planting his foot and casting a glance. Who would believe the tale if he told it? It was a miracle. He had walked in the presence of a miracle.

‘And it wasn’t just his pressure.’

The most terrifying aspect of Park Hyunmyeong wasn’t just the aura that drove his enemies to suicide. It was what he had revealed during the ultimate trial on the sixth day.

“Mmm!”

Just visualizing that scene made the giant man shudder.

—

Holy Star.

The celestial body granted as a prize alongside the Island of God. I finally arrived before it. In that moment, I recognized it.

‘The Star that Consumes Nebulae……!’

The most magnificent star among those possessed by Wilhelm. That star, which I presumed was locked away until I hit Level 10, was pulsing right in front of me. Yet, simultaneously, the ‘Angel of Blessing’ was residing within its core.

Ssssssss!

As I extended my hand, my flesh began to sear with sharp, agonizing heat.

‘I can’t claim it yet.’

The realization struck me then. I understood why this star hadn’t come to me naturally. It was a reward intended only for those who reached Level 10. Since I hadn’t hit that milestone, it remained out of my reach.

“Is this really the ‘Holy Star’?”

“Does that mean there’s actually an Angel inside?”

Including myself, there were nine others encircling the star. These were the ten who had dominated the scores in Main Quest 1, Survival. However, the reason for our gathering remained a mystery. It was just as the confusion began to settle in.

「It is a pleasure to meet you.」

A voice resonated directly within my mind. It was a strange, genderless tone—impossible to pinpoint as male, female, old, or young.

「I am known as ‘Gabriel.’」

The entity identified itself.

「Mighty warriors, you must now struggle.」

A demand to struggle? Did this mean the ten of us were expected to turn on one another?

「To the victor, I shall grant the ultimate chronicle, the ‘Transmission (Jeon-seung).’」
「Furthermore, only the champion shall be permitted an audience with me.」

……My intuition was correct. As soon as the Angel Gabriel finished speaking, the group scattered to create distance. Those present were the ten most formidable survivors out of a hundred thousand. Their prowess was self-evident. Moreover, this arena was designed to crown the strongest of the strong.

“I apologize, but you’re all going to be my stepping stones.”

“Bring it on, you bastards!”

Several people roared with newfound bravado and confidence.

‘The greatest warrior.’

I was the only one who didn’t retreat from the ‘Holy Star.’ This was the final calculation. With this confrontation, the ‘Survival’ phase would likely conclude. After weighing my options, I came to a decision.

‘I’ll show them exactly what I’m capable of.’

I intended to see this through to the absolute end.

—

“Island of God. What in the world is happening out there?”

“The number of missing persons has climbed into the tens of thousands!”

“The theory that the ‘Island of God’ forcibly abducted the missing is currently the most widely accepted explanation.”

“Various authorities are claiming there is a strong chance that an ‘Awakening’ process is occurring on that island.”

Global media was in a state of frenzy. News outlets were saturated with reports on the individuals who had vanished since the Island of God manifested. Everyone had witnessed the ‘Message’ that had previously been exclusive to players. The notification that a tutorial had commenced. That prompt asking if they would enter the Island of God.

“If common citizens can also undergo Awakening, could the existing ‘Dimension Warriors’ be replaced?”

“……I suspect it’s a real possibility. Given that only non-Awakened—meaning current ‘Dimension Warriors’—are barred from the ‘Island of God,’ many believe a total shift in generations is underway.”

“Then the status of current ‘Dimension Warriors’ is under threat!”

“To be honest, we’ve been forced to ignore their transgressions for a long time. However, the emergence of newly Awakened Earthlings will trigger massive societal shifts.”

“Could this just be a one-off occurrence?”

“Regardless, the appearance of a 2nd Generation of Awakened represents a staggering shift in power. We will need to re-evaluate the privileges the 1st Generation has claimed until now.”

Self-proclaimed ‘experts’ debated endlessly on television, speaking with a fervor that suggested they were finally venting years of repressed frustration. Dimension Warriors. They were already being labeled the 1st Generation, while those who entered the island were being categorized as the 2nd Generation. The undeniable fact was that no 1st Generation player had set foot on the ‘Island of God.’ What did that imply? Was it a celestial mandate to change the guard?

Perhaps that was why public sentiment had turned so sharply against the 1st Generation. Naturally, the veteran players viewed these newcomers as a nuisance.

‘What can a bunch of fresh recruits actually accomplish?’

‘They’ll still be wet behind the ears compared to those of us who survived Pangaea.’

‘Replacing us? Don’t make me laugh, tsk.’

Even if they did Awaken, they were still amateurs at the starting line. The gap between those who had faced the horrors of Pangaea and those who hadn’t would be insurmountable. Consequently, many veteran players mocked the situation.

However, when the seventh day since the island’s appearance arrived, the next phase of change began.

《The Tutorial is now complete.》

The moment the ordeal on the Island of God ended, a ‘Message’ flashed before the eyes of every player across the globe.

《The aspirants are returning home.》
《720 hours remain until the start of the 2nd Tutorial.》

Those who had vanished without a trace began to reappear. But they were fundamentally altered. Awakening. They had returned possessing the same monstrous strength as Dimension Warriors. Furthermore, they had Awakened through their own merits, a stark contrast to the 1st Generation who relied on external transformations for their power.

But the real shock was yet to come.

《A shift has occurred in the ‘Hall of Fame’ standings.》

The rankings within the Hall underwent a transformation. It wasn’t just a minor shuffle; it was a wholesale upheaval. The veteran players were paralyzed with confusion. They couldn’t understand how individuals who had just finished a tutorial were being ranked alongside them in the Hall of Fame.

That confusion, however, rapidly spiraled into sheer terror. An event occurred that made the ranking shifts seem trivial.

“W-What?”

“This is insane!”

“Randolph’s record was topped……?!”

From Main Quest 1 all the way through 11. Randolph had held the top spot in every single Hall. That name, which had never tasted defeat since its debut, had been relegated to 2nd place for the very first time.