King of Crows
Dimension Warrior.
Heroes who protect the world from attacks of other dimensions!
After they appeared, the world fell into shock and fear greater than ever before.
Monsters that suddenly emerged, and descent bodies that transform into superhuman!
Fervent cheers and worries, distrust about the future drove the world economy down to the floor, and countless conspiracy theories were spoken as if they were truth.
Naturally, related internet communities had no choice but to spring up like mushrooms after rain.
But among them, there was one place that achieved the most explosive growth worldwide.
<Interdimensional Community>
In barely a month, a super-mega dinosaur community that roared out the feat of reaching 1 billion total visitors, the Interdimensional Community!
Behind the driving force that made the ‘Interdimensional Community’ grow this fast, there were many ‘Dimension Warriors.’
-Warriors! Is the world really going to be ruined? (Lv.0 monsters)
-As long as we exist, this world will not be ruined. (W.VV Master)
-I heard Dimension Warriors can see a status window like in games! (Lv.0 Halzen)
-Korea is a strong gaming nation, so you have fun ideas, huh? (W.8 Sera)
-How many Dimension Warriors are in this community in total? (Lv.0 pelltra)
-The number of warriors active with us is 53. (W.V DarkStar)
Who is the strongest warrior in the world! (Lv.0 angel15)
-Of course, it’s Lord Master, the owner of the Interdimensional Community! (W.8 Sera)
Because renowned Dimension Warriors were stationed directly in the Interdimensional Community, leaving replies themselves.
The (W) in front of their nicknames was short for Warrior, and the numbers or letters after it were closely tied to the warriors’ ranks.
They were informing people in advance when threats approached the world, and even guiding in detail how to respond when monsters appeared.
It got to the point where countries around the world recommended the Interdimensional Community. Since in front of the ‘unknown,’ all of them had been powerless.
But that was only limited to the ‘general pages.’
--
High-ranking officials of the world government, and world-famous celebrities were given separate VIP IDs.
When they logged in, they could see hidden boards.
-<Monsters of Other Dimensions>-
-<Special Items of Other Dimensions>-
-<Elixir Auction>-
-<Prophet’s Journal (VIP.7)>-
--
Even VIP IDs had different levels depending on the person.
Depending on that level, the boards they could see were limited as well.
Among them, the most popular was, of course, the ‘Elixir Auction’ board.
VIPs showed explosive interest in ‘Elixirs,’ which heal all wounds and, depending on grade, can even regenerate dead nerves or missing body parts.
Also called an elixir of immortality, it became the foundation that kept and grew the Interdimensional Community.
What about the Prophet’s Journal?
You can read the prophet’s handwritten records that foretell major events to come. Only heads of state-level figures could check it.
But an even higher grade than that, the qualification to call the Master, the owner of the community, existed for only five people in the whole world, including the U.S. president.
However, no matter how high a VIP ID level was, there was an area they could not see.
--
That was the Warrior board.
Fifty-three warriors selected through thorough verification, belonging to the Interdimensional Community.
A separate area existed that only they could view.
-<Bounties (+New!)>-
-<Alliance Integrated Board (+New!)>-
-<Talent Awakening by Class>-
-<Recommended Hunting Grounds by Level>-
-<Research Log on the Correlation Between Talents and Attributes>-
-<Main Quest Strategy and Summary>-
-<Hidden traits Confirmed So Far (+New!)>-
Click!
The owner of the Interdimensional Community, and the top-tier ranker, Master.
He clicked his mouse.
-<Bounty Status>-
— Totem Shaman Banyark (Danger Level 3) / Elimination Complete
— Blood Fiend Weizhang (Danger Level 4) / Elimination Complete
— Madman Massacre (Danger Level 6) / In Progress
— Overkill Isaac (Danger Level 7) / In Progress
— Dragonslayer Barmush (Danger Level 9) / In Progress
— Phantom Randolph (Danger Level 10) / Must Be Captured Alive
……….
Nearly a hundred players on the bounty list.
A board that gathered those with high danger levels, who risked harming both reality and Pangaenia.
‘So Totem Shaman Banyark was removed.’
Not that dangerous a guy, but since he kept saying pointless things in reality, he was put on the bounty list.
There was no need to tell ordinary people things like how the warriors came from a game called Pangaenia.
That would only damage the warriors’ mystique and dignity.
‘Other than that, there are no changes.’
Just checking the status was enough.
Click!
Master looked around another board.
-<Hidden traits Confirmed So Far (+New!)>-
— Emptiness
— Dexterity
— Weapon Master
— Beast Lord
— Giant’s Magic Resistance
— Golden Grace
— Glutton
Hidden traits discovered over five years were a total of six.
But a new hidden trait was added.
‘Glutton, huh.’
Interest overflowed in Master’s eyes.
A hidden trait, not a simple talent, is a key that pierces through two worlds.
It was like authority given regardless of level growth.
'There is a gap even between Transcendents of the same rank depending on whether they possess hidden traits.'
To exaggerate a bit, one hidden trait is like one star.
That’s how enormous the authoritative power and privilege of hidden traits are.
Because it was revealed that as levels rise, as one transcends, hidden traits also ‘grow,’ unlike ordinary talents.
So, for top-tier rankers, knowing related knowledge was essential.
‘Since you can newly gain talents with privileges and awaken hidden traits too.’
Talents can be awakened with SP when creating a character, but most players were possessed into the game without even a few talents.
But that doesn’t mean you can never gain talents forever.
Through training, through hunting, even special elixirs and such, you could awaken talents sufficiently.
However, even that has a limit on how many you can obtain.
The surest way was to awaken talents using privileges gained while progressing the Main Quest.
‘To do that, you must thoroughly learn the talent tech tree that opens hidden traits.’
But ‘hidden traits’ were literally hidden, so almost nothing was known about what talents you need to awaken to open them.
This was a place to share the ‘talent tech tree’ and uses for obtaining hidden traits.
For top-tier rankers like Master, it was a board you couldn’t help but go crazy over.
Because realistically, raising all talents is impossible.
Even top-tier rankers only possessed a few dozen talents at most.
Yet the number of talents reached into the hundreds.
Click!
<Glutton>
— Among known hidden traits, the most useless one.
— A trait by which you ‘devour’ the core of an ‘evolved’ boss monster to gain the devoured monster’s qualities.
— The problem is that the monster’s poison addiction and mental contamination proceed together.
— As a result of restraining the person with this hidden trait and conducting various experiments, it reacts to the evolved core of a boss monster. After devouring it, the subject died within half a day in a delirium.
— Bodily transformation and some of the boss monster’s qualities were acquired, but a complete change was not achieved.
— The monster’s poison also seems to be further strengthened and evolve when devoured. Judged that even a transcendent body with poison resistance cannot endure it easily.
— Mental contamination is the same. Even after granting the skill ‘Wall of Mental Armament’ to max level, the subject’s mind could not hold out.
— Judged that this hidden trait manifests when the talents ‘Health,’ ‘Constitution,’ ‘Endurance,’ ‘Fire,’ ‘Darkness,’ ‘Void,’ ‘Adaptability,’ ‘Taste,’ ‘Sensitivity,’ ‘Expressiveness’ are all raised to max.
Master frowned.
‘Even among hidden traits, there’s trash like this.’
A hidden trait that definitely kills its possessor.
And there are far too many talents you have to raise.
Do you really need to raise them? Some of the required talents even felt like that.
To raise all those talents just to manifest a hidden trait whose performance isn’t even certain, the burden is too huge.
“Tsk.”
Shaking his head, Master turned off the computer.
Thinking he had only wasted time.
***
<The powerful poison energy of the devoured Corpse Crow core is crushed by ‘Giant’s Magic Resistance.’>
<The curse and powerful mental contamination of the devoured Corpse Crow core are neutralized by ‘Heart of the Iron-Blooded Monarch.’>
<The dominance power of the evolved traits rises through ‘Beast Lord.’>
<Transformation and adaptation are completed through ‘Mutation.’>
<The ‘Glutton’ trait evolved into ‘King of the Corpse Crows.’>
I slowly looked down at my body.
Black feathers and a sharply protruding beak.
‘I became a Corpse Crow.’
Right now, I became a Corpse Crow.
Everywhere I looked, there were Corpse Crows.
‘So this is Glutton’s trait.’
Glutton. A hidden trait that had never once manifested until now.
We never knew its conditions for manifestation, but it seemed the condition was an ‘evolved core.’
But to think I could ‘transform’ this perfectly. It was far more perfect than anything a shapeshifting shaman could imitate. Right now, I was the Corpse Crow itself.
‘King of the Corpse Crows.’
Not an ordinary Corpse Crow, either.
When I rubbed my head, I felt a small crown.
After evolving, I had ended up as a king.
Monsters named ‘king’ were on a completely different level from ordinary boss monsters.
‘Related skills also appeared.’
For example, skills.
I could use more advanced skills of the Corpse Crow.
<You use ‘Corpse Crow Summon.’>
<The number summoned differs according to your star power.>
Among those skills, I used Corpse Crow Summon.
Kkaak! Kkaaak!
From my chest, two Corpse Crows burst out and circled around me.
Boss-monster Corpse Crows, slightly larger than ordinary crows.
Summoning boss-monster Corpse Crows was a privilege only a king could use.
Watching the summoned ones with satisfaction, I slowly lowered my gaze.
‘This core is the medium for camouflage.’
In my chest, like Iron Man, a purple core was embedded.
If this breaks, the camouflage seems to be undone.
Conversely, as long as it doesn’t break, I should be able to keep this form, or camouflage whenever I want.
“……!”
Isabella Von Dersian’s eyes, looking at me, were in turmoil.
“It’s not dangerous, kkaak.”
“L-Lord Star Bearer……?”
“It’s me, kkaak. Getting to Kramdel became much easier, kkaak.”
Why am I ending every sentence with kkaak-kkaak?
Even if I try to hold it in, I can’t.
If I don’t kkaak, it doesn’t feel like I ended the sentence properly.
Isabella still opened her mouth with an uneasy expression.
“Are you saying you’ll go to Kramdel alone… in that state?”
“You’re coming too, kkaak.”
Thud! Thududud!
Looking at the equipment I had dropped on the ground, Isabella tilted her head.
“Aren’t these Lord Star Bearer’s armaments?”
“It’s the Michella set, kkaak. If you wear all three, you can gain the wings of a Celestial Dragon, kkaak.”
Ah. This is driving me crazy.
Anyway, the method I had planned to enter Kramdel was simple.
The Celestial Dragon effect of the Michella set was the hidden entry ticket into Kramdel.
But now that I had become ‘King of the Corpse Crows,’ that Celestial Dragon effect wasn’t needed.
“Let’s go, kkaak.”
Kkaak!
Kkaaak!
The two crows cried together.
“…….”
Watching that, Isabella was staring with an indescribably complicated look.
***
After walking for half a day along the dungeon’s hidden path through the Mutation trait, we found a huge bipedal rat wearing a black helmet.
【Lv. 8】
That rat, too, was an evolved boss monster.
“Hm? This path is a path only a ‘guide’ can see?”
The monstrous rat raised its claws in suspicion.
Did it notice I was human?
But the aggressive moment didn’t last long.
Because after seeing me and Isabella up close, the monstrous rat immediately tucked its claws away.
“Ah! I’m sorry. My eyesight is bad. To think you are ‘King of the Corpse Crows’ and a ‘Half-Dragonkin.’ This is also incredibly rare…… Are both of you heading to Kramdel?”
“That’s right, kkaak.”
“Follow me. If you take a wrong turn, you may fall into the ‘Abyss.’”
My transformation into a monster was a success.
Even a guide couldn’t tell. Proof that I had become a perfect King of the Corpse Crows.
Soon, the guide monstrous rat took the lead and began guiding us to Kramdel.