Rank 1.
When Jijoncheonma entered the world within Ventair, the benefit he received was a Hidden Trait.
Among three randomly acquired traits, the one that suited him best was granted as the Hidden Trait—
“Violence is Forbidden!”
Rank 3.
A benefit given to Airlights was the choice of traits.
Although the skill “Enthrallment” was an advanced skill, it could spread without any range or number limits because she personally chose the trait, and it matched “Enthrallment” perfectly.
That means Airlights had planned the Enthrallment skill from the start.
Its synergy was surprisingly powerful, and if she hadn’t intentionally concealed herself, Enthrallment would have spread endlessly.
It was an ability that could have surpassed Atawolf and manipulated the continent like a villain.
However, Airlights chose to reveal herself for her lifelong goal rather than prolonging a meaningless life, and she met her death.
Her pitiful yet guilty soul now rests quietly inside Hio’s lantern.
Rank 5 belonged to Sirbert von Ernhem.
Known in Korea as Nam Tae-min, Guild Master of Taeryong.
His benefit was that one of his three basic skills began as an intermediate skill.
That was how Sirbert obtained “Psychokinesis,” a subskill of “Telekinesis” that symbolizes him today.
It was also a tremendous advantage, meaning he started at a different baseline and could monopolize what he desired if used well.
Yet, compared to the benefits granted to the top four ranks, it was true that his peak was relatively low.
They had received benefits each worthy of standing at the pinnacle of the world.
‘So then, what about Rank 4, Daphne?’
Famous here as the Guild Master of the Adventurer’s Guild, what was the benefit she obtained?
The hill where the Abyss Gate was located.
In the game, it was called the Hill of Hell because it was where the apocalypse began.
Now, it was perfectly controlled by the elite of the Adventurer’s Guild.
Every one of them was incredibly powerful, and all were Bingija.
Known globally, famous enough that no one on Earth didn’t recognize their names—heroes revered as the first Awakened, earning respect and admiration.
Daphne was the pinnacle and the fulcrum among them.
She was uniquely overwhelming in strength and charisma, with a cold aura paired with an unmatched beauty.
The Adventurer’s Guild rapidly grew in influence thanks to the Bingija who were captivated by Daphne and gathered around her power.
Daphne stood halfway up the Hill of Hell, silently gazing at the Abyss Gate.
Her long dark blue hair fluttered in the wind, yet she did not move a muscle, just quietly watching the gate.
The entrance, like an abyssal chasm, a gate that could plunge the world into hell at any moment.
Silence surrounded them, without a single noise.
Guild members who knew Daphne well kept their distance to avoid disturbing her contemplation.
“Lady Daphne.”
A guild member cautiously approached from behind and called her, and only then did Daphne slowly turn her head.
When her deep ocean-blue eyes met his, the guild member bowed deeply.
“Hio Pavlenko has arrived.”
That was surprisingly good news.
After all, the cooperation request sent was like grasping at straws.
“Jijoncheonma.”
“Yes. He carries the emblem symbolizing the Guardian Knight, so it’s definitely Hio Pavlenko.”
“Let him in.”
Hio Pavlenko.
He was the top-ranked player across all servers—Jijoncheonma.
There had been no news of him for nearly three years, so many had thought him a coward, but his recent movements had been anything but ordinary.
He first appeared in the succession war over the throne, one of the great catastrophes, and personally crowned the emperor.
He stopped the invasion of Imenia and, seizing momentum, even sparked a war against the Black Mist, eventually defeating Atawolf, one of the continent’s strongest.
Rumors about that had been quietly spreading.
Of course, he fought alongside the Sword Saint, but even so, it was enough to prove his power.
What was puzzling was where he had been and what he had been doing all this time.
Without fame points, growing stronger was impossible.
‘So how did he gain power?’
‘Was it true, as Sirbert said, that he inherited the in-game abilities of Jijoncheonma intact?’
‘Or more than anything, what kind of person was he?’ That was the biggest mystery.
Soon, a figure began to appear, climbing up from below the hill.
A strange black cloak that absorbed all surrounding light, a staff in his hand that looked like it could drip blood at any moment, and a large pointed hat sat atop his head as he trudged up.
“…Is that really him?”
For the dignity expected of the number one rank, it was quite ambiguous.
There were many points to criticize, but first was the staff.
It looked decent at first glance.
A terrifying appearance as if blood dripped down it.
But in the game, staffs were items favored by show-offs—mere bluffing tools.
For him to use it so confidently was enough to question his sanity.
‘And what about the robe he wore?’
“If you want to wear a robe, take off the cloak. If you want to wear a cloak, take off the robe.”
Wearing both was baffling—no idea what fashion sense or values were behind it.
And the clown-like pointed hat on his head—no need to say more.
A chaotic mix of colors and clothes with no sense of efficiency, the worst look imaginable.
That was the first impression of Hio Pavlenko.
“Oh, so you’re Daphne. It’s my first time meeting you in person.”
Yet he spoke to her warmly.
If they had met on the street, she might have ignored him or even looked down on him for his appearance.
But anyway, he was Jijoncheonma.
Although Daphne doubted whether he truly was, now was not the time to question it.
Many eyes watched them.
Numerous Bingija standing on both sides, all focused here.
She was their leader and responsible for managing this Hill of Hell.
Her lips slowly parted to address the top-ranked player who had come to her.
Her voice was cold yet beautiful, carrying on the wind.
“You’ve heard the situation, Jijoncheonma.”
The labyrinth that appeared on the Abyss’s 10th floor.
Daphne, also a top-tier player until the game’s end, knew well how complicated labyrinths were.
There wasn’t much time left, so they had to hurry.
“I heard. A labyrinth that normally only appears after the 50th floor has already appeared.”
“There’s no abnormality on other floors. The anomaly began on the 10th floor.”
“Are you sure it’s a labyrinth?”
Daphne nodded.
“Franco and Kriton confirmed it, and both are ranked within the top 100, so you can trust them.”
“What about those two?”
“They got lost in the labyrinth and logged out, waiting.”
‘Why was it called a labyrinth?’ Because it was difficult to find the way.
Moreover, the Abyss’s labyrinth was a space that numbed the senses even more than Ba’al Forest, ruled by Atawolf.
Since labyrinth-type forms began appearing in the game, the success rate for clearing them plummeted.
“Well, no one has mastered the related skills to advanced levels yet.”
To find a path through the dense darkness of the labyrinth, at least advanced pathfinding skills were required.
‘But who would raise such support skills to advanced levels?’
In the past, since it was just a game, some raised them for fun, but this was no game—this was reality.
It was a power they had just obtained. Everyone wanted to be the protagonist; no one wanted to be just a guide for others.
“There were those raising guide skills for the labyrinth, but at best, they were intermediate level. If that’s a real labyrinth, it won’t help much.”
So Daphne’s gaze shifted to Hio.
Her deep, ocean-like eyes asked him silently.
“Do you have what it takes to overcome this crisis?”
Hio answered.
“I roughly get it, so let’s just get in quickly.”
He showed no hesitation in his reply.
He had grasped the situation and acted as if everything would be resolved by just entering, as if he had all the solutions.
“…There is a way, right?”
“I have a plan.”
That was enough to confirm.
Because time left to clear it was indeed short.
If they failed, not only this place but the original world would be flooded with Abyss energy again through the Abyss Gate.
And if the difficulty of the released Abyss was that of the 50th floor…
Imagining the indiscriminate chaos that would ensue was terrifying.
So Daphne turned her back without hesitation.
She took a step toward the yawning abyssal chasm.
“What about the assault team?”
A question from Jijoncheonma behind her.
Daphne didn’t stop walking and stretched her right hand to the side.
“Do you think we need anyone else?”
From her outstretched hand appeared specks of light.
The light condensed, forming a large shape.
“Jijoncheonma, you just need to find the path.”
It was a huge bow.
Held in Daphne’s hand, it shone blue, radiating a sacred chill.
It was the Divine Bow Rafflesia, a legendary weapon symbolizing the Kingdom of Ice and Snow, Fioria—a godly weapon passed down in legend.
In the past, Jijoncheonma had freely wielded flames, the opposite of the glacial ruler’s power.
“The rest I’ll handle myself.”
That was the privilege of the Ice God Daphne.
In the world of Ventair, legendary weapons were truly legends.
They were said to be as rare to see as legends themselves.
Only two had ever been released before the server ended.
One was held by Jijoncheonma, and the other by the second-ranked player.
That was all.
The Divine Bow Rafflesia was one of those unreleased legendary weapons.
And it certainly lived up to its name.
Kriiik—
The sound of the bowstring pulled taut with all her strength.
Daphne was drawing Rafflesia, a bow larger than her own body.
But there was no arrow nocked at the string’s end.
Instead, four petals bluer than the bow itself bloomed around it.
When Daphne, having pulled the bow to its limit, slightly released her grip, Kwaaang—!
Something shot forth from the center at an almost imperceptible speed, obliterating everything in its path with petals of ice.
Sacred cold air pushed away the surrounding darkness.
Soon, the scene revealed only the gruesome remains of Abyss Monsters that had surged inside the labyrinth.
Behind Daphne, Hio clapped quietly.
“As expected of the Ice God…”
To be honest, he had missed the moment the arrow of cold energy shot forth.
His agility stat was too low.
What he confirmed was the overwhelming power of a legendary weapon.
Daphne hadn’t even used a skill. In game terms, it was just a normal attack, albeit a bit different.
If Daphne used all the skills she had learned plus the ones embedded in Rafflesia, how strong would she be?
Compared to other top-ranking players, Sirbert’s lack of physical power was clearly exposed, and this was what true top-tier strength looked like.
“No need to flatter me. Even then, it’ll probably still look lacking to your eyes.”
Daphne, originally from a foreign land, had just learned the meaning of “Ice God” and explained it as the God of Ice, responding humbly like that.
In Ventair’s game world, Daphne had another nickname among NPCs.
Wherever she appeared, the area would be covered in ice, and everyone revered the beautiful yet merciless sight by calling her the Ruler of Glaciers.
The title Ice God Daphne was one only Hio used.
It fit her perfectly.
“Anyway, is this really the right path?”
“Just a moment.”
The reason Hio could confidently find the way through this dreadful labyrinth was simple.
“Skill activated: Dark Authority’s Staff — Insight of Darkness.”
At the same time, his pupils dilated fully, and the thick Abyssal darkness felt more comfortable than anything else in the world.
Darkness became sunlight, and all he had to do was watch the path leading to the core.
“Yes. Just keep going straight.”
If you clearly know the way, a labyrinth isn’t so hard.
“Got it.”
The Ruler of Glaciers, Daphne, was with him.
And the Divine Bow Rafflesia, resembling the powers she had wielded freely in the past, was there.
No matter if monsters of 50th floor difficulty appeared, it made little difference to Daphne whether it was the 1st or the 50th floor.
Kwaaaang—!
Blue petals bloomed again, shooting a freezing arrow from their center.
All that remained was a scorched battlefield.
Hio just followed behind.
The destination was visible, and the arrow piercing the path was too powerful.
Nothing stood in their way, and it looked very easy to clear within the time limit.
Hio clapped behind Daphne, cheering her on.
“As expected of the Ice God!”
Daphne responded with a face dripping coldness.
“Excessive praise only hinders growth.”
Then, turning her back again, a faint smile crossed her lips.
“Let’s move quickly.”
She seemed quite pleased with Hio’s compliment.
Premium Chapter
Login to buy access to this Chapter.