Chapter 339

Chapter 339
## Chapter 339

The arena was populated by beings far more formidable and bizarre than she had anticipated. Among them were “Souls” whose origins and natures were entirely foreign to her.

She had assumed he had simply succumbed to her taunts, yet a nagging sense of dread took root in her mind. He had agreed to the terms with an unsettling lack of hesitation.

“Even if he’s holding something back, there is no path to victory for him here,” she reassured herself.

Growth and evolution were bound by the constraints of time. In contrast, the “Soul” of the Forgotten God had been her companion since the moment she first arrived in this desolate place. No matter his level of effort, bridging that gap was a physical impossibility. Time was the ultimate architect that refined a “Soul,” elevating its rank and tempering its power. He simply hadn’t had enough of it.

“He won’t even manage to bypass the Primeval Dragon,” she thought dismissively.

In her estimation, he wouldn’t even witness the merging of the thirteen beasts. The “Supreme Soul” that awaited completion was a tier of existence beyond comparison—a truly peerless entity. Of course, she intended to finish him long before that form ever manifested.

*Guaaaaaaaah!*

The conflict erupted. From the opening second, the Primeval Dragon forced the Dianax onto the defensive. She recalled from their previous encounter that the Dianax possessed a physical density capable of withstanding extreme heat, which usually made for a difficult matchup.

“But the Primeval Dragon’s strikes aren’t stopped by mere hardness,” she mused.

The beast possessed an innate ability for physical penetration. More importantly, while it lacked the elemental breath or sorcery of its kin, it was fueled by a raw, ancestral savagery.

*Goooooooooo—!*

《The ancient malediction, ‘Dragon’s Roar’, is unleashed.》
《All defensive resistances are lowered by 50%.》
《Vitality is reduced by 20.》
《Psychic endurance is severely taxed.》

This was no mere display of draconic intimidation; it was a curse of a different order. It forced the victim to confront a primal terror that bypassed all conscious thought. It was designed to shatter an opponent’s will before the physical fight even truly began.

However.

《The Dianax triggers ‘Curse Reflection’ at 40% efficiency!》
《The duration of the affliction mirrored onto the ‘Primeval Dragon’ is extended by 30%.》

The weight of the Dragon’s Roar suddenly rebounded, striking the Primeval Dragon with nearly half its own strength.

“The Dianax can reflect curses?” she wondered, stunned.

She knew for a fact the creature lacked such a trait.

“…It’s him. He’s the source,” she realized. “To think that one favored by the goddess would carry an affinity for such dark arts.”

This wasn’t a power born of holiness. On the contrary, it suggested a profound, intimate mastery of the mechanics of hexes and maledictions. It was an exceptionally rare talent, proving he had delved deep into the study of curses.

“I can’t identify which school of dark magic he follows,” she noted.

Ultimately, it didn’t change the outcome. If he wanted to play with curses, he was only making her job simpler. A lesser curse always withered in the presence of a superior one, and the Forgotten God was the undisputed sovereign of catastrophes and ill-fortune.

## 《‘Cursed Soul (Nullify Blessing)’ is unleashed.》
《‘Weaken (Sensory Impairment)’ is unleashed.》

《‘Sluggish (Agility Degradation)’ is unleashed.》
《‘Life Force Extraction (Persistent Hemorrhaging)’ is unleashed.》
《‘Natural Recovery Suppression (-10,000%)’ is unleashed.》

A relentless barrage of hexes followed. The hemorrhaging alone should have been fatal, especially with his ability to heal himself almost entirely erased.

“High defense won’t save you from bleeding out from within,” she thought, settling back to watch.

Only she commanded a curse capable of a ten thousand percent reduction in recovery. Even an entity blessed by a deity of life shouldn’t be able to counteract such a staggering debuff.

At least, that was the theory.

“The bleeding… why isn’t it working?”

As the seconds ticked by, the Dianax remained steady. Such a phenomenon only occurred if the target’s internal regeneration was so massive it rendered the bleeding negligible. It was statistically impossible. It implied a recovery rate far exceeding ten thousand percent—another trait the Dianax definitely didn’t have.

As the duel dragged on, it was the Primeval Dragon that began to show signs of strain as the reflected curses piled up.

*Grr, grrrr!*

The beast was flagging. It was inevitable.

“The reflection…!”

He possessed a passive, innate ability to mirror curses that she had never encountered before. It wasn’t a triggered spell; it was woven into his very essence. Every hex she threw only added to the burden on her own creature. The Primeval Dragon’s health was plummeting far faster than its opponent’s. That incomprehensible regeneration, combined with the duration-boosting reflection, was a lethal combination.

“So that’s why he was so bold,” the Forgotten God muttered, finally conceding the point. She saw the logic behind his confidence now.

“…Then I will simply have to overwhelm him with sheer force.”

《‘Mad Dragon (Total Vitality Sacrifice for Empowerment)’ is unleashed.》

She had hoped to avoid this, but she was tired of this contest. She had no desire for a rematch. If she wanted to end this permanently, there was only one path left.

*Guoooooooooo!*

A blinding radiance erupted from the Primeval Dragon. It was a suicidal hex, a final strike that traded the user’s entire existence for a single, world-ending blow. Since the Dianax was already tethered by her previous curses, there was no escaping the blast radius.

*Shiiiik!*

The dragon ascended into the clouds. Then, it descended like a falling star.

*Shuuuuuuuuuuung—!*
*Kwaaaaaaaaaaaaaang!*

The beast ignited its very soul, slamming into the Dianax with the force of a supernova. The entire colosseum groaned under the impact of the point-blank detonation. It was a strike nothing could survive.

“A draw doesn’t matter,” she thought coldly. “If we both fall, he is eliminated. There will be no next round for him.”

That was victory enough.

Shortly after.

【The ‘Druid of the Golden Rule’ is the victor!】

“—…—?”

The announcement left the Forgotten God paralyzed with shock. How could he have survived the total annihilation of the Primeval Dragon? There was no ability in existence that could facilitate such a survival.

As the wall of dust began to settle, she strained her eyes. The Primeval Dragon had already dissolved into its spirit essence, merging back into the collective Soul. But someone—or something—was still standing in the center of the crater.

It wasn’t the Dianax.

As the air cleared, the figure became visible.

“—An Angel… Behemoth?”

She was lost for words. Had it really evolved in that microscopic window of time? It was Infinite Evolution in its purest, most terrifying form.

—

*Gulp!*

Hudson’s palms were slick with sweat as he squeezed his hands into fists.

*Boing! Boing!*

Down in the arena, he watched his “Poring” bounce. It was a simple slime-class creature he had painstakingly developed from a basic Monster Soul. While it looked unassuming, its natural ability to dampen and nullify physical impact had carried it surprisingly far—all the way to the top twenty.

But now, he had hit a wall.

“Of all the luck… a harpy.”

The matchup was a nightmare. The Poring was agonizingly slow and lacked any appendages to strike with. Against a flying opponent, it was little more than a living punching bag. He racked his brain for a solution, but the slime only knew how to endure and how to dissolve what it touched.

“Hah! You really brought a slime to a real fight? Just quit now and save us the time,” jeered his opponent.

The summoner was a werewolf—a lupine beast standing tall on two legs, draped in wolf pelts. He didn’t hide his contempt for Hudson or his pathetic monster.

But Hudson couldn’t walk away.

“I have to take some of the pressure off him,” Hudson thought.

The third-floor trial was a test of one’s ability to nurture and transform a “Monster Soul.” It was a challenge that put the “Knight Order of the Golden Rule” at a severe disadvantage, save for Albino. Usually, when they hit a wall, Randolph or Park Hyunmyeong would step in to bridge the gap.

“I keep promising myself I’ll grow, that I’ll be the one to step up this time… but I’m still just standing still,” Hudson thought, grinding his teeth.

How much longer was he going to lean on them? How long would he hide in their shadows, praying for a miracle he didn’t earn?

“Hyunmyeong isn’t weak. He took down the Giant of Ruin-Demolition by himself.”

A wave of shame washed over him. He felt like he wanted to vanish into the earth. He had been so incredibly wrong. He had harbored the foolish thought that Park Hyunmyeong, stripped of the legendary form of Randolph, would be vulnerable. But a man who could slay a titan single-handedly was anything but weak.

“Hyunmyeong proved his worth again. But what have I done?”

He felt pathetic. He had made countless vows to get stronger, only to retreat the moment he hit his perceived limits. But a limit was just a boundary he had drawn for himself—a lesson he should have learned long ago from watching his comrades.

*Boing!*

The Poring let out a pained sound. The harpy was playing with it, treating the duel like a game. It would swoop down, kick the slime across the stone floor, or carry it high into the air only to drop it. Despite being battered and coated in grit, the Poring kept trying to fight back with everything it had.

“Even this little slime hasn’t given up.”

*Risk everything. Give your all.*

The phrases were easy to say, but Hudson realized he had never truly lived them. Aside from the desperate moment he rescued Serengeti, he had always held something back.

“This is getting boring. You’re supposed to be part of the Golden Rule? You’re a joke,” the werewolf said, licking his fangs.

He had expected a challenge from a member of such a prestigious order, but the reality was disappointing. He looked at Hudson with a sneer.

“It looks like the Druid of the Golden Rule has terrible taste in allies. Why would he ever recruit a loser like you?”

“…O God of Merchants.”

Hudson’s jaw tightened until it ached. He could handle the insults directed at himself. He could endure the mockery and the feeling of failure. But there were two lines no one was allowed to cross. One was disparaging Serengeti.

The other was this.

“I won’t let him insult Hyunmyeong.”

He would not tolerate a slur against the leader he followed. And for a merchant, there was only one way to change the tide of a losing deal.

“I offer up every ounce of ‘value’ I own. I make my pledge.”

To a merchant, value was power. Whether it was coin, steel, or property, power could be purchased through sacrifice. Hudson was now preparing the ultimate transaction—a method strictly forbidden to his kind.

“The Vow of Victory!”

*Swaaaa!*

In an instant, a spectral set of scales manifested in front of him. Hudson began piling his possessions onto the tray. Every gold coin, every blade, every tool, and even the very clothes on his back were surrendered.

But the scales didn’t budge.

He would have offered his soul if the rules allowed, but the “Scale of Value” only recognized tangible assets and rights. He had to dig deeper.

“I stake the casino… and every contract and deed under my name!”

Even the assets he didn’t physically have on him were fair game. He was offering them as collateral to the God of Merchants to secure the Vow.

*Shuuung!*

Shadowy scrolls appeared in the air, landing on the scale.

“…Have you lost your mind? You’ve already lost!” the werewolf shouted, looking at Hudson in shock.

It was a bizarre sight. Hudson stood there, literally stripped of everything. He had bet it all. And yet, the scale remained balanced. The God of Merchants did not deem his worldly wealth sufficient to overturn the inevitable defeat.

There was only one thing left.

“…The bone necklace.”

Hudson’s hand went to his throat, touching the simple, hand-carved ornament. It possessed no magical properties, but it was the first thing Serengeti had ever given him. To Hudson, it was a treasure that outweighed all the gold in the world. It was his most precious possession, which was exactly why his hand trembled. Once it hit the scale, it was gone forever. And if the God of Merchants didn’t see its worth… then everything else he had sacrificed would be for nothing.

“No turning back now!”