Chapter 85

Chapter 85
## Chapter: 85

### Chapter Title: Baal’s Helmet

“Baal’s Helmet.”

“A helmet… My Lord? To my eyes, it appears more like a mask modeled after a dark goat.”

“That is merely its external presentation.”

It was labeled a helmet, though its design leaned heavily toward a mask.

Despite the look, the fit was remarkably pleasant.

It possessed a weightlessness that made it feel almost nonexistent while providing superb airflow.

This was a selection from the two Mythic-tier treasures I had claimed as rewards for the survival settlement—the very Baal’s Helmet I now wore.

—

**【Baal’s Helmet (Ultimate Mythic)】**

* An archaic headpiece once belonging to Baal, a member of the ‘Four Evils’ who formerly cast the world into a state of terror.
* **’Curse Enhancement’:** Amplifies the power of curse-type abilities.
* **’Ultimate Curse’:** Grants an ultimate-level upgrade to a single curse-type ability.
* **’Heir of the Curse’:** Increases Magic Power by 10 when performing curse-type abilities (non-stacking).
* **’Reverse Side of the Curse’:** Increases the growth rate of all proficiency levels by 50%.
* Effect becomes permanent upon being worn.
* Binds to the soul of the wearer upon equipping.
* **Equip Requirement (1):** Must possess the ‘One Who Has Completed a Myth’ title or higher.
* **Equip Requirement (2):** All base attributes must be 90 or higher.
* **Set Item (1/3)**
* Attributes are bolstered when worn with Baal’s Armor.
* Attributes are bolstered when the Baal’s Talisman is applied.

—

Who could possibly ignore such a profile?

Every descriptor was a masterpiece. There wasn’t a single wasted attribute in the bunch.

The primary motivation for selecting Baal’s Helmet, however, was ‘Reverse Side of the Curse.’

A 50% boost to proficiency!

‘This is a multiplicative factor, not a simple addition. It works in perfect harmony with Dexterity.’

The concealed ‘Dexterity’ trait already doubles the rate of proficiency accumulation.

When paired with the 50% gain from the helmet, the total efficiency triples.

It was enough to force the word “Ridiculous” from my lips.

This was an absurd piece of equipment that birthed a dream-like synergy with Dexterity.

While Shatiros’ Curse allowed for stacking, it lacked any truly remarkable secondary traits. This item, however, existed in a completely different realm of power.

It was an absolute requirement for seizing control of the upcoming main quest.

Furthermore, its aesthetic was that of a ‘goat.’

‘The Silver Fox Mask instructed me to don a golden goat visage, but this should suffice.’

Whether the goat is golden or black, it remains a goat, doesn’t it?

It was an ideal fit for traveling toward the Empire, given its association with the Death God Church.

The supplementary statistics were equally magnificent.

Any practitioner of the curse arts would gamble their life to possess this set.

The conditional increase of 10 Magic Power was a staggering bonus for a solitary piece of kit.

Classes specialized in curses are deeply dependent on skill proficiencies, and no other gear aside from Unique-grade items offered a 50% acceleration.

Adding more components of the set would only push this performance to greater heights.

Because the effect was permanent, it would remain active even when I assumed the form of the King of Crows.

After all, the abilities of the King of Crows are categorized as curse-type.

Most importantly:

‘Baal’s Armor and Baal’s Talisman. I have a strong inkling of their locations. The Mountain of the Trainee and the Empire!’

One resided within the ‘Mountain of the Trainee.’

Why else would Baal’s Helmet focus so heavily on proficiency?

It was a subtle nudge toward a link with the Mountain of the Trainee.

I had a specific location in mind within that mountain where I suspected the Baal’s Talisman lay dormant.

As for Baal’s Armor, it was undoubtedly within the Empire.

By a stroke of luck, both were destinations I was already destined to visit.

‘Assembling all three components of the Baal set will produce a performance level that rivals or exceeds the Unique-grade.’

I had wrestled with the decision regarding the pureblood Doan for a long time.

However, even with Doan’s help, I couldn’t forge anything immediately, and collecting the necessary components would consume far too much time through various loops.

There was no certainty that such fortune would strike twice, or that I would find the materials at all.

It was far wiser to take gear that granted immediate strength rather than relying on a gamble.

‘Simply being named after Baal makes these items feel like a cheat code.’

Naturally, the inherent quality of Baal’s Helmet was so high that it silenced any lingering doubts.

Obtaining the remaining pieces would only serve to incrementally unlock its true potential.

Given the grueling nature of my leveling process, this set was a beacon of hope.

Furthermore, completing the trio would push the gear beyond Unique-grade limits. The lore tied to Baal—one of the Four Evils and the greatest thorn in the Empire’s side—alluded to its finished glory.

The ancient Empire collapsed under the combined weight of the Four Evils and the forces of decay, which spoke to their immense standing.

‘The Four Evils of the past seem to mirror the status of the current White King.’

The White King ruled the north, and the Black King held the south.

The Four Evils commanded a level of infamy that was equal to, if not greater than, theirs.

A small grin touched my lips as I reviewed the Magic Power bonus on Baal’s Helmet once more.

‘A conditional boost to Magic Power. That 10-point jump will push me over the legendary 100 Magic Power threshold.’

I hadn’t picked it solely for the proficiency buff.

A single item providing +10 Magic Power was unheard of.

Regardless of the conditions, it would break the ‘100 Magic Power’ ceiling!

‘I have zero regrets about choosing Baal’s Helmet and Uroboros’ Brand.’

I was thoroughly pleased.

I could walk away from Unique engravings, but never from a legendary name.

Particularly one that ‘had never manifested before.’

Uroboros.

It was a name capable of igniting the spirit of adventure in any man.

*Splash, splash, splash!*

“Gasp! H-HSuccessor?!”

Isaac’s voice rang out in a panicked shout once more.

He had good reason.

Without warning, I was drenching the saintess’s head with the sacred waters of the Holy Grail.

“Mmm.”

In short order, Saintess Sea let out a soft moan and slowly peeled her eyes open.

Even after the application of holy water, a crimson tint remained in her gaze.

However, the stagnant remnants of the curse had surely been purged.

The conscious Saintess Sea spoke.

“Who are you?”

It was only logical that she failed to recognize my face.

“Randolph. The Successor of the Knight King.”

But what of Wilhelm?

If she truly was Saintess Sea, that name should carry immense weight.

“The Successor of the Knight King… what is that exactly?”

…Wait.

That was a far cry from the response I had anticipated.

It wasn’t that she was ignoring it; she genuinely seemed to have no idea what I was talking about.

There was no sign of deception.

Had every memory associated with Wilhelm been wiped clean?

Sensing something was amiss, I pressed her further.

“Do you have a recollection of who you are?”

“Me?”

Saintess Sea blinked several times.

She then pointed a tentative finger at her own chest.

“Who… am I? Ahh…! Why does my head feel so heavy and my throat sting so much?”

She had no memory of her own name or station.

But… her throat and head were in pain?

I shifted my gaze toward Isabella.

“…!!!”

In that same moment, Isabella’s eyes began to tremble violently, as if an earthquake were occurring within them.

—

After the initial chaos settled.

I looked at the situation through a positive lens.

She might have lost her history, but her innate talents were still there. I had effectively secured a saintess.

‘A blank slate is better than a brainwashed ally.’

While I had purged the curses and the Demon King’s influence, the threat of subconscious brainwashing had been a lingering worry.

Even with my unique abilities and the Holy Grail, deep-seated psychological conditioning is difficult to erase.

It would have been foolish to assume the Demon King only left behind minor magical traces before discarding her in the labyrinth.

He likely programmed specific behaviors triggered by certain events.

For instance, she might have been set to strike if she encountered the Goddess Church or the Holy Knights.

‘If I were in the Demon King’s shoes, I would have certainly set a trap related to the Goddess Church.’

There was no chance the Demon King missed something so obvious.

“Should we… venture through here?”

Saintess Sea gestured toward the crimson warp standing before us.

“Yes.”

“Warp gates are required for traveling between the great cities of the continent… Gasp! Sudden explanations are appearing in my mind.”

“Those are memories you already possessed.”

“Oh, I see. But… it feels very dark. This gate feels different from the ones I recall.”

Currently, the two of us stood at the threshold of the warp.

Specifically, we were facing the portal manifested by ‘The One Who Is the Abyss Itself’ to facilitate erosion.

The erosion had been halted, but the connection Hell had frozen remained.

The one leading back to Earth.

It pulsed with a sinister energy that even a memory-wiped saintess could detect.

‘It was constructed for the sole purpose of erosion.’

It was fundamentally distinct from standard travel warps.

It felt more like the interdimensional bridges Ahram utilized during the primary invasion.

‘It’s a coin flip.’

Either we could cross, or we couldn’t.

If successful, the saintess would be able to mend Oliver’s failing heart.

Hudson in Pangeniar and Oliver on Earth—both were essential assets.

‘I cannot manage the labyrinth city on my own.’

Isabella and Isaac were not suited for civil administration.

His assistance was mandatory for the future governance of the city.

He was the only person I could trust to manage things while I was away.

Hudson had constructed a casino bearing his name in the Golden City through raw business talent. Had he been level 10, he would have been a member of the city council years ago.

His talent for generating wealth was undeniable. The success of the largest casino was proof enough.

If the warp failed, I would have to find an alternative.

‘Is it possible?’

Beyond that, I was curious if this specific avatar—Randolph—could even manifest on Earth.

To my knowledge, no player had ever brought their character directly to Earth.

But perhaps this unique warp would provide the exception?

‘A gate left behind by The One Who Is the Abyss Itself. It is worth the attempt.’

A warp designed to trigger ‘Forced Erosion’ upon its creator’s success.

Hell had stalled its disappearance with intent.

The potential reward for trying was immense.

*Kyakya?*

“Hell. Initialize the warp protocol.”

*Kyakyakya!*

Hell began to circle the portal.

*Whoosh!*

A swirl of blue radiance ignited as the gate hummed back to life.

However, the portal began to contract with every passing second.

With its master gone, the warp was naturally destabilizing.

Remaining time: thirty minutes at the absolute most.

Without Hell’s intervention, it would have collapsed instantly.

“Let’s move.”

I stepped into the abyssal warp alongside the saintess.

—

**White King’s Summons**

Edinburgh, the soul of Scotland, United Kingdom.

On the fringes of the city, before a shimmering warp.

In a location usually crawling with military personnel, only two individuals stood.

“Young Master. This is far too risky.”

Melson watched Oliver, his face etched with profound anxiety.

However, Oliver simply shook his head with quiet conviction.

“I gave my word that I would wait.”

“Who did you promise, and when? Is this about that man again?”

*That man.*

The one currently inside the manor—Park Hyun-myeong.

Melson still struggled to make sense of it.

Initially, he assumed it was merely a companion from a game.

But now, he was certain there was a deeper layer.

The man hooked to the life support systems hadn’t moved for days.

That in itself was one thing, but the recorded ‘vitals’ were the real shock.

‘This defies human biology. Every single reading.’

The levels of vitality and physical restoration were astronomical.

Muscle fibers were in a constant state of being destroyed and rebuilt with greater strength.

All metrics shattered the limits of normalcy.

It was data that simply didn’t belong to any known species.

‘It’s as if he’s a Dimension Warrior.’

That was the only logical conclusion—a Dimension Warrior who had descended and undergone transformation.

He had encountered such data before; it was a near-perfect match for Park Hyun-myeong.

He had assumed it was a temporary state of descent, but those were supposed to have time limits.

Maintaining that state for over five days was theoretically impossible.

Could it be the natural strength of a non-descended Dimension Warrior?

He wanted to investigate further, but the man was Oliver’s personal guest.

‘Oliver is also a Dimension Warrior.’

Melson was privy to the secrets.

He was aware of every occurrence within the manor and across the UK.

He simply chose to respect his master’s privacy by not asking.

The reason they were at this warp was likely tied to the same mystery.

Still, the curiosity was a dull ache.

What could possibly be coming through this gate?

*Creeeak!*

At that precise moment.

The surface of the warp began to ripple, and a silhouette started to form.

“Ahh…!”

Oliver began to shake uncontrollably at the sight.

It was as if he were looking at something that should not exist.

He stood trembling in the presence of a miracle manifesting before his very eyes.

—

**《Logged out.》**

I opened my eyes within the manor.

I sat up from the life support pod and took stock of my surroundings.

I let out a quiet click of the tongue.

‘I figured this might happen.’

It had been a gamble to try and enter Earth as Randolph in hopes of saving the Fragment of the Broken Golden Rule.

But the passage was barred.

The forced logout had triggered a disconnection event.

‘What about the saintess? Did Saintess Sea fail as well?’

The absence of Oliver and Melson suggested they had already departed for the warp site as we had planned.

In that very heartbeat.

**《’Erosion’ is occurring at the specified coordinates.》**

**《If ‘???’ is not dealt with within 30 minutes, ‘Forced Erosion’ will commence.》**

Suddenly, those notifications flared into existence alongside a tactical map.

‘That spot…!’

It was a location I recognized instantly.

…The exact warp gate I had just attempted to traverse.

It appeared the system was identifying the saintess—who had successfully crossed through the abyss warp—as an ‘erosion’ event.