Chapter 40: Chapter 40

[Translator - Night][Proofreader - Gun]

Chapter 40: Invitation from the Pantheon (2)

As soon as I stepped out of the portal gate, I found myself in a world of pure white clouds, standing on a floating marble floor.

Though my vision was misty, Liana moved forward confidently, completely unfazed.

I followed her lead.

After walking for a few minutes, marble statues began to line our path on either side, like a ceremonial guard.

The statues depicted various races—humans, dwarves, elves, and others—each one lifelike and in a variety of sizes.

“These marble statues are incredibly realistic.”

“Among those of Legendary rank, individuals with particularly high achievements are immortalized as marble statues here at the entrance to the Pantheon.”

“Legendary rank is equivalent to B-rank, right? Does that mean we might find a statue of you here, Liana?”

“I’ve never achieved anything that grand… But considering how quickly you’re growing, Soul Mediator, there may be a statue of you here someday.”

So even among B-rank, only those at the very top are honored with statues here.

I’d always thought B-rank was more middle-of-the-road, but it seems rarer than I imagined.

As we continued walking, the statues began to change in size.

Suddenly, I found myself dwarfed by towering statues that reached up to my knees.

The once-flat path transformed into a series of wide, stepped platforms.

On each step stood a single colossal statue, one on either side, as if marking our progress.

“Are these people A-rank? Why are they so massive?”

“A-rank individuals are considered demigods. They transcend physical limitations and, as you can see from these statues, possess the ability to grow in size.”

So, demigods can actually become this gigantic.

We continued marveling at the enormous statues for tens of minutes until Liana came to a stop.

“We’ve arrived at the entrance to the Pantheon. A teleport portal has appeared. Awakened Kim Jiho, you’ll have to enter alone.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. Since you’re not yet at Hero rank, the official entrance is inaccessible. The gods have prepared a separate space for you.”

I stepped into the portal.

Unlike earlier, this new space was dimly lit.

And then…

“Welcome.”

“Pollux?”

The golden-haired, ruggedly handsome man, Pollux, was seated on the ground, looking up at me.

As he clapped his hands, the space suddenly brightened.

The walls, made of black soil, were illuminated, and light streamed in from the ceiling above.

“I had no choice but to bring you here because of the Chaos Lord’s watchful gaze.”

That reminded me—the Lord of Death was keeping an eye on me.

“What happens if someone catches the Chaos Lord’s attention?”

“Plenty of bad things. First, because you’re a Soul Mediator. Second, because you’re a Soul Plunderer. And third, because you’re simply too powerful.”

Pollux counted off on his fingers as he spoke.

“Fortunately, you’re not strong enough yet to be a full-blown threat, so they’ll probably just think something’s off. The phoenix stunt certainly drew some attention, but as long as you’re careful moving forward, you’ll be fine.”

“What happens if I’m fully discovered?”

“Well… If it’s the Lord of Death, he’d make you neither dead nor alive, breaking your soul until it submits. His soul torture is easily in the top ten across the universe.”

Pollux sighed, as if disappointed, before continuing.

“Originally, you were supposed to mediate for three gods. But since you’re drawing too much attention, we’ve agreed to limit it to one for now.”

“One? When can I take on the remaining two?”

“Once you clear the main quest to defend the fortress for a hundred days. Until then, you’ll have to make do with just one. Even if the Neutral Gods say it’s fine to add another, don’t listen to them.”

“The main quest to guard the fortress for 100 days? What changes once I clear it?”

“A lot. Let me show you.”

Pollux, still seated, pressed a finger to the marble floor and began drawing.

He created three tiers of steps and circled the lowest one.

“The battlefield of Kevrian’s Trein Fortress is technically the first stage. The Chaos Lords and we have agreed that only D- and C-rank individuals can participate in the main stages of the first phase. But since you have two status windows and monopolize divine blessings…”

He drew a line from the bottom step to the second and marked it with the word "Impotent."

“That’s not me, is it?”

“Oh, come on. You totally are. Wasting a vitality skill on trivial things? Tsk, tsk. It’s like putting pearls on a pig.”

“…Fine, let’s say I am. Are you saying my current abilities are already beyond the C-rank threshold?”

“Exactly. That phoenix stunt was the deciding factor. Even if Aurelia claims you’d have been caught eventually, it definitely sped up the process. Without the phoenix, I’d say you’re at the upper 20-30% of C-rank.”

“Without it, the fortress would’ve fallen.”

“And so what? That just means we’d send you to Eshtar. Don’t get too attached to ruined worlds—they’re doomed planets, anyway.”

I’d put my all into it for the 100,000 SP reward.

Who’d have thought it’d put me under the Lord of Death’s gaze?

“Why did you even agree to such terms in the first place?”

“For the sake of Earth’s new Awakened. If the Chaos Lords went all out, even B- and A-ranks would struggle. They’ve already conquered entire worlds.”

“Ah, so the restrictions were set to adjust the difficulty level for Earthlings.”

“Exactly. While Kevrian’s challenge is disproportionately hard early on, other places are manageable at the start.”

“That makes sense. But what’s in it for the Chaos Lords?”

Pollux drew a circle next to the stairs and added lines radiating out from it, alongside sound effects like Bang! Crash! Boom!.

…This seems like it represents ruined worlds.

Turns out not all gods are artistic.

This drawing looks like something a kid would make.

“They agreed to two years of these stage restrictions in exchange for our approval to completely annihilate the ruined worlds after that.”

“Complete annihilation?”

“Yes. Even a broken world still carries some influence from the Great Gods. This two-year agreement allows us to act as we wish, but after that, we’re out.”

Pollux marked an X over the circle before returning to the stairs, pointing to the second step.

“Once you clear the main quest, you’ll ascend to the second stage. At that point, the rank restrictions increase to B, which solves the problem. This was set as a compromise with the Chaos Lords, who argued that the C-rank limit was unreasonable. For you, it works out as a blessing in disguise.”

“I see. So it’s best to keep a low profile until then.”

“Exactly. That’s why the gods prepared low-key or sealed rewards for today.”

He tapped the ground, and four golden pillars rose, each topped with a reward.

A small dagger, a golden gem the size of a fist, a thick book, and a white fruit.

“Go check them out. A message window should appear when you get close.” S~eaʀᴄh the Nôvel(F)ire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

I decided to start with the small dagger closest to me.

[Amplification Blade, Yeoui]

[Item Grade: A]

[A masterpiece created by Hephaestus, inspired by mythology. The sharpness, strength, size, weight, and form of the blade can all be freely adjusted as long as the user’s abilities permit. Additionally, it amplifies the efficiency of all energies infused into the blade, including mana, spiritual power, and divine power.]

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

This feels similar to the Ruyi Jingu Bang!

I want it.

“Yeoui is one of Hephaestus’s recent masterpieces. It could have been graded as S-tier, but it fell just short because of a minor mistake he made at the end. If you take it out of here, it’ll be sealed until you complete the main quest.”

“How about trying it out here?”

“That’s fine. Let’s take a look together.”

With Pollux’s permission, I immediately grabbed the blade.

At first glance, it looked like an ordinary dagger, but the red jewel embedded in the center of the blade was striking.

Hmm…

Make it bigger.

Make it thicker.

For now, let’s make the length similar to that of a greatsword.

Whirrrrr.

At my thought, the blade vibrated lightly before growing to the size of a two-handed greatsword I often used.

Wow!

Amazing.

Let’s extend it to the ceiling.

The blade shot up, its tip touching the ceiling.

I tested changing it into a single-edged sword, weakening its strength until it broke, and various other experiments—all of which worked exactly as I imagined.

Each transformation consumed mana, but not an excessive amount.

I already needed a replacement for the sword Kang Shia gave me...

Ha! I really want this.

Ugh.

Even if it’s not today, one of these items will absolutely be mine.

Reluctantly setting the blade back in its place, I moved on to check the gem.

[Fragment of Astrape]

[Skill Grade: A]

[A fragment of Zeus’s lightning, Astrape, crystallized into a gem. Absorbing it grants the skill Thunder God.]

“This one looks amazing too. Thunder God?”

My question made Pollux look alarmed.

“Thunder God? Father Zeus’s? Why is that here… Don’t pick that one. If you gain that skill and leave, the attention of the Lord of Death will turn into certainty. It’ll be a disaster.”

What?

Not even sealable?

Pollux muttered about how the item shouldn’t even be here, complaining that it must be another prank by Zeus.

As tempting as it is, it seems like a no-go.

Next, I examined the book.

[Magic Encyclopedia]

[Skill Grade: A]

[A book written by Athena, the Goddess of Wisdom, to organize order-based magic for mortal use. It allows the user to instinctively understand magic and mana manipulation corresponding to their capabilities. It even provides automatic education during sleep, making it suitable for less adept individuals.]

This book looks great too.

With this, I wouldn’t have to worry about learning magic anymore.

I already have plenty of mana, and the self-education feature is incredible.

Since it teaches magic matching my abilities, it’s unlikely I’d become overwhelmingly powerful all at once.

“Is this one sealed too?”

“Magic Encyclopedia? Instinctive understanding? Teaching you while you sleep? What kind of absurd skill is that… It completely removes the downsides of needing a good mind for magic. If you don’t use high-level spells, it should be fine...”

Pollux stared at the book with his mouth agape before glaring at me suddenly.

“This looks like something Athena herself made. She must have had a good reason to create this despite her busy schedule... To think you’re favored by the Goddess!”

Why is my guardian spirit jealous of me?

“If you ever meet Athena, you’ll understand why I’m acting this way.”

After some grumbling, Pollux decided this one didn’t need sealing.

Now I’m suddenly leaning toward the Magic Encyclopedia...

Still, I had to check everything.

[First Fruit of the World Tree]

[Item Grade: A]

[The first fruit harvested by Demeter, Goddess of the Earth, from the World Tree. Greatly expands the user’s potential stats.]

This is similar to what Diana gave me.

A bit underwhelming now.

I’m still gaining potential with the leaves; there’s no need to eat this so soon.

“By the way, Pollux.”

“What?”

“Do you know my potential stats?”

“What were your initial stats?”

“555.”

“Huh. So that’s why you succeeded…”

Pollux muttered something cryptic, then approached me and poked around my body, eventually chuckling.

“Your limits... they’re the worst. Getting 555 was a miracle. Wow.”

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]