Chapter 92

Chapter 92
## Chapter: 92

## Chapter Title: Peerless Genius

—

Despite the circumstances, the information felt strangely intimate.

Whenever I encountered such a situation, my choice remained constant.

《Commencing the hidden quest.》

《Granted the achievement ‘Adventurer Aspiring to Become the God of Proficiency’.》

《Fresh constellations from ‘Subjects’ War’ are beginning to track your movements.》

“Captain, we should head back.”

The archer, Malibu, spoke directly to Joaquin.

The idea of remaining in this place for an additional 30 days was preposterous.

They wouldn’t survive it even if they possessed a dozen lives each.

It was essentially a death sentence.

“Money is a great motivator, but this feels wrong,” Summoner Sean added his voice to the protest.

They had narrowly escaped death multiple times just to reach this point.

“How many individuals can just casually throw around 1.1 million gold?” Joaquin countered, his thoughts moving in a different direction.

That man was far from ordinary.

It wasn’t merely the vast wealth he commanded; his very presence radiated a terrifyingly calm authority.

The woman accompanying him wielded a divine power that could easily rival a high-ranking saintess.

‘He didn’t display a shred of alarm when the monsters ambushed us.’

Reflecting on it, the man’s composure had been absolute from the start.

Typically, even the most seasoned warrior would show some reaction when faced with a swarm of grotesque predators.

Yet, his pulse never quickened.

His gaze never faltered.

At the very least, he wasn’t of common stock.

In truth, his demeanor sat squarely in the realm of a true genius.

“Furthermore, he isn’t just a pampered noble with a deep purse. He likely hails from a top-tier knightly lineage.”

“Like the Darcan house, the empire’s masters of the blade?” Sean inquired, receiving a firm nod from Joaquin.

Both Sean and Joaquin had encountered the descendants of the Darcan family in the past.

“Darcan… yes, he has that same aura. This situation might involve something far more valuable than a million gold.”

A three-million-gold bounty split three ways meant a million each.

It was enough to live comfortably in a major city, but it wasn’t the kind of sum that fundamentally altered one’s destiny.

But what if there was an intangible value that eclipsed the currency?

—Decide for yourselves.

The phrase resonated in his mind.

The word ‘decide’ carried a specific weight.

If Joaquin’s intuition was accurate.

“That individual handed us an opportunity. A chance to ascend to a new level.”

This could be their only path to breaking free from the stifling grip of the cartel.

However, the rest of the group remained unconvinced.

“Captain, our rations are dwindling. Why don’t we return after the 30-day mark?”

“He’s right. Practically speaking, surviving here for another month is impossible. Besides, they won’t realize if we make a quick trip to the city and come back.”

It seemed more logical to retreat, restock their supplies, and then relocate the entrance.

The clients would be none the wiser.

It was the most sensible path forward, yet Joaquin shook his head in disagreement.

“I suspect that the act of enduring is the actual trial. Those who wish to depart are free to do so.”

“Captain, that’s cold.”

“Come on, I’m just testing your resolve. How many times have you guys pulled me out of the fire?”

They were, after all, brothers-in-arms within the same mercenary unit.

They were worlds apart from Maxim and his band of scum.

‘He is no simple person. He dwarfs even the Darcan heirs I’ve seen.’

Joaquin kept that specific comparison to himself, but the pressure emanating from the man surpassed even the elite youth of the Darcan house.

It was possible his judgment was skewed.

But Joaquin had survived on blood-soaked battlefields since he was a child.

A mercenary’s average career lasted maybe a decade.

Most met a violent end long before that.

The fact that he was still breathing and active meant his survival instincts were razor-sharp.

Joaquin placed absolute faith in his gut feelings.

And his gut was screaming that this was the moment.

—

Following the suppression of the Abyss Labyrinth.

Once the world’s erosion level climbed past 15%, strange phenomena began to manifest globally.

“The rate of monster incursions through warps is accelerating.”

“The creatures are evolving and becoming increasingly powerful.”

“Where have all the warriors gone?”

Panic gripped the populace.

Only Dimension Warriors possessed the capability to eliminate these threats.

Yet, for some reason, their presence on the front lines was thinning.

“Union Chief. A ‘Vampire Clan’ has been spotted at the Gangwon warp. The local dimension is begging for reinforcements.”

“A ‘Death-Horn Shark’ has been sighted off the coast of Busan Haeundae…”

The reports of invasions were relentless.

The Union Chief grimaced at the data.

“Dammit. Our shard reserves are dangerously low. Is there anyone left to send?”

“We’ve reached our breaking point.”

“Shouldn’t our focus be on collecting Fragments of the Broken Golden Rule?”

The Hero Union of Korea was facing a massive crisis.

They had exhausted a staggering amount of ‘Fragments of the Broken Golden Rule’ just to gain entry into the Abyss Labyrinth.

The Union Chief rubbed his temples in frustration.

“With what resources?”

“By advancing the main quest…”

“Is it possible to harvest them by clearing dungeons at the Transcendent level?”

It was a fair suggestion.

However, most high-level players had already pushed their main quests to the absolute limit.

Advancing further invited catastrophic risk.

The dungeons presented a similar hurdle.

Clearing level 11 or higher dungeons did provide Fragments of the Broken Golden Rule in significant quantities.

But the efficiency was abysmal.

A recent raid on the level 11 ‘Sky Whale Dungeon’ resulted in enough shards for 40 man-hours—essentially 2 hours of power for 20 Union members.

Considering the month-long preparation and execution time, the return on investment was pathetic.

Charging in without meticulous planning would only lead to a pile of corpses.

It simply wasn’t a viable strategy.

“For rapid shard collection… the only option that comes to mind is PK. Hell.”

Player Killing.

Preying on other players who were stockpiling shards.

It was a direct violation of the Hero Union’s code of ethics.

Suddenly, a guild member spoke up.

“Wouldn’t Phantom have an answer?”

“And where exactly is Phantom?”

“At the Aspirant’s Mountain, obviously.”

“Is there anyone in our organization capable of making the climb?”

“…At this moment? No.”

Once a player hit level 7, they could attempt the ascent.

Most had already used their opportunity.

While everyone suspected Phantom was there, nobody could verify it.

“We have that one member still at level 6. Why don’t we power-level him and send him up?”

“Force him to level 7 and kick him up the Aspirant’s Mountain? Even if he tracks him down, do you honestly think Phantom will just hand over his secrets?”

“Phantom has likely maximized his restrictions. If we enter without any, we could engage him without fear of death.”

“Max restrictions? Who in their right mind would do that?”

Aspirant’s Mountain was a known quantity since nearly everyone had climbed it.

Setting restrictions to the maximum was viewed as a form of suicide.

Only those with a death wish attempted it.

Furthermore, the bonuses to proficiency gain were rendered useless by the crippling penalties—the net result was negative.

If the body cannot function, the buffs are meaningless.

Phantom had to be aware of that.

Trying to force a meeting would likely only serve to antagonize him.

“Is there truly no other path?”

As the Union Chief asked the question, another member raised a hand cautiously.

“What about those new constellations from the Subjects’ War?”

“The ones that appeared so suddenly?”

“Yes. One of them reached out to me regarding an ‘Apostle Contract’. They promised a supply of shards.”

“What? What are the conditions?”

“10 hours’ worth of shards and a specific class skill, but they demand 30% of all future shard earnings.”

“…30%? Those are predatory terms.”

“True, but the skill offered is exceptionally powerful.”

This was the first time the constellations of the Subjects’ War had initiated apostle contracts.

These new entities seemed fundamentally different from their predecessors.

A 30% tax was harsh, but the Union was desperate.

Immediate access to shards and a new skill could be seen as a fair trade depending on the perspective.

“Wait. It also mentioned that providing a ‘Perfect Golden Rule’ would waive the 30% requirement.”

“A Perfect Golden Rule?”

It was a term they hadn’t encountered before.

Not a mere shard, but a complete unit.

“I have no idea what it is. But a contract would solve our immediate problem, wouldn’t it?”

“They aren’t offering it to just anyone, though.”

In 그 순간.

A notification materialized in front of the Union Chief.

《The Constellation of the Tidal Wave holds you in high regard.》

《The Constellation of the Tidal Wave proposes an ‘Apostle Contract’.》

《Accepting this will grant you 20 hours of Fragments of the Broken Golden Rule and the ‘Spear of the Wave’ technique.》

《In exchange, 28% of all future ‘Fragments of the Broken Golden Rule’ must be surrendered to the constellation.》

《Presenting a ‘Perfect Golden Rule’ will nullify the tribute requirement.》

—

My vision began to blur.

My limbs felt as though they were encased in lead—unbearably heavy.

I had pushed every restriction to its absolute limit.

These settings were designed to test the very boundaries of human endurance.

Vision, hearing, touch—every sense had been dampened by 99%.

I was barely tethered to reality.

I could just barely make out shapes and hear muffled noises, but I knew even those would soon vanish.

“Max restrictions? It’s been a long time since we’ve seen a suicidal aspirant.”

The voices drifted from nearby.

It was likely an ascetic of Aspirant’s Mountain.

These were NPC guides stationed there to assist the climbers.

Since ascetics could monitor a climber’s chosen settings, their shock was understandable.

Under maximum restrictions, every stat was reduced by 99%, and senses were stripped away.

With stats effectively reduced to 1, even basic movement was a monumental task.

The ascetic spoke again.

“Hey. Take some friendly advice: leave now. If you try to climb like that, you’re going to die.”

He was genuinely concerned, but I had already accepted the hidden quest—there was no turning back.

Dragging my unresponsive body forward, I pulled a blade from the racks.

“Fine… do as you please. If you die, don’t blame me.”

The ascetic could only watch in disbelief.

“In that state, you’ll struggle to even stand. Try hitting a ‘Training Dummy’. It might knock some sense into you.”

“Se-ah.”

“I’m on it!”

Se-ah cast her spell over me.

《The Saintess’s Blessing has mitigated your restrictions by 5%.》

My stats climbed from 1 to 5.

It was still a pathetic level of power, but it provided enough mobility to function.

I tightened my grip on the sword and began a slow, deliberate strike toward the ‘Training Dummy’.

It was a simple wooden target, the first obstacle every climber faced.

It was the standard yardstick for those under restrictions to gauge their current ability.

“…Using a blessing to bypass the restrictions. You certainly have a powerful backer.”

The ascetic stared, his jaw dropping.

A blessing capable of countering self-imposed system restrictions could only come from someone at the level of a saintess.

Was that woman truly a saintess?

But no saintess had ever set foot on Aspirant’s Mountain.

‘Regardless…’

The ascetic continued to doubt.

Even with that slight offset, it wouldn’t be enough.

To climb was to court death.

This was not a place for the weak.

‘This is far more intense than I imagined.’

My body felt massive, and the sword felt even heavier.

It was like trying to swing a hundred-kilogram block of solid iron.

But my mind was set.

I brought the blade down in a slow arc.

*Thud!*

《Sword proficiency has increased to Lv7.》

*Thud! Thud!*

《Sword proficiency has increased to Lv8.》

It took only a few movements to reach level 8.

My proficiency gain rate was at 450%.

When combined with my base stats, it approached 550%—an unparalleled rate of growth.

But there was another factor at play.

‘The experience of Sword Saint Riley is making a massive difference.’

I had previously channeled the spirit of Sword Saint Riley, pushing my sword proficiency to Lv26.

That wasn’t just raw data like Wilhelm’s memories; it was muscle memory etched into my very being.

Because of this, my levels were surging even faster than the gain rate would suggest.

*Huff. Huff.*

The real issue was the sheer physical toll.

The exhaustion was staggering. Every muscle fiber and cell in my body was screaming in agony.

I lifted my right hand.

“Let me fix that for you!”

A flash of light erupted.

As the radiance enveloped me, the crushing fatigue evaporated instantly.

She really was the perfect support.

With this, I could keep going. I resumed my training.

“…What… what am I seeing…”

The ascetic’s eyes were wide with shock.

He had observed countless seekers over the years, but never a pair like this.

A saintess-class healer paired with an aspirant who had maxed out every possible restriction.

Moreover, the speed at which his proficiency was leveling up was visible to the naked eye.

The way he held the sword and the flow of his strikes were becoming more refined with every passing second.

‘If he keeps this up, his mind will snap.’

Healing the flesh does nothing for the spirit—human willpower has its breaking point. Constant magical healing during high-intensity training usually leads to a mental breakdown.

There had been others who attempted the climb with healers by their side.

They would ramp up the restrictions and try to push through.

Most of them eventually surrendered.

The body stays fresh, but the mind burns out.

The mental fatigue accumulates until the person simply collapses.

*Thud! Thud!*

*Whoosh!*

*Thud thud thud!*

*Whoosh!*

*Thud thud! Thud thud thud!*

*Whoosh!*

“……”

However, this aspirant was a different breed entirely. There was something fundamental about him that defied the norm.