◈ 5. Logging Into the Ruins Alone
‘One of your sealed skills will be unlocked.’
The meaning of the system message was clear, leaving no room for second-guessing.
It implied that one of Nikellus’s unique skills—extraordinary abilities I couldn’t access because they were locked—would finally be available for use.
Could it really be true?
Determined to verify, I threw myself into the hunt with even more fervour.
And after relentless effort, I was now on the brink of completing the Oracle at 100%.
‘Almost there. Just one more to destroy.’
I fixated on the final magical core before me.
So far, I have hunted ten monsters and destroyed nine cores.
Opening the Oracle screen revealed my progress:
Sub-Oracle (1): Hunt 10 monsters in the western forest of the Blonka region! (10/10) [Complete]
Sub-Oracle (2): Destroy all suspicious magical cores in the western forest of the Blonka region! (9/10) [Incomplete]
By pressing the ‘Complete’ button next to the first Sub-Oracle, I could have already seen which skill had been unlocked.
After all, the system clearly stated that slaying ten monsters was sufficient to unseal a skill.
But I resisted the temptation to press the button.
Instead, I wanted to finish everything, leaving no loose ends.
I planned to destroy all ten cores before checking the skill.
The magical core in front of me would make it a perfect ten, fulfilling the second Sub-Oracle’s requirements as well.
With a mix of anticipation and excitement, I raised my sword and—
Crash!
The grotesque core, resembling an alien egg, was cleaved in a single strike.
As the shell cracked, viscous, sticky fluid oozed out, pooling onto the ground.
This was the essence of a magical core.
True to its name, it was an object brimming with potent magical energy, serving as the very source of power.
Most of the monsters roaming this world originated from such magical cores.
‘Disgusting…’
I almost gagged as I noticed odd, clumped masses within the viscous fluid seeping from the destroyed core.
Were these unhatched eggs of yet-to-be-born monsters?
Although they would all eventually turn to ash, I didn’t want the current mess of liquid and chunks anywhere near my shoes.
I took a cautious step back, putting some distance between myself and the grotesque remains.
Standing in a cleaner spot, I opened the Oracle window to check my progress.
Sub-Oracle (1): Hunt 10 monsters in the western forest of the Blonka region! (10/10) [Complete]
Sub-Oracle (2): Destroy all suspicious magical cores in the western forest of the Blonka region! (10/10) [Complete]
Both objectives had now reached their targets, with the numbers in parentheses showing a satisfying (10/10).
Basking briefly in a sense of accomplishment, I tapped the completion buttons for each task.
Instantly, the familiar ‘Ding!’, the sound of quest completion rang out, accompanied by a series of messages.
[As a reward for completing the Sub-Oracles, you have gained 150 Karma points. Your current Karma balance is -2,982 points.]
Current Alignment: “Evil (惡)”
“You, who stood idly by while an entire world collapsed! You are now a villain on par with a traitor to your nation! Unless you hurry to clear your debts, you will transform into a demon!”
[Time remaining until species transformation (Human → Demon): 789 days, 14 hours, 29 minutes.]
Seeing that my Karma points had finally dipped below -3,000, I let out a long sigh.
I had once mocked Argelio for having negative Karma and called him every name in the book.
Yet, I was in no position to judge.
My Karma balance was plummeting toward rock bottom at a speed that might even pierce Earth’s core.
If left unchecked, my accumulated sins would inevitably lead to my transformation into a demon.
Worse still, the reason my skills were locked was directly tied to my negative Karma.
In <CRW>, if your Karma is too low—meaning your accumulated sins are high—the system penalizes you by locking your skills.
‘Unfair. I wasn’t even a troublemaker in my previous life; I lived fairly decently.’
The blame for standing idly by during the world’s destruction lay entirely with the original Nikellus.
Before the possession, I was just an ordinary, conscientious person.
Now, not only did I inherit his physical abilities, but also his monumental karmic debt.
At that moment, a long-awaited system message finally appeared:
[You have restored Karma by completing the Sub-Oracle at 100%! One of your locked skills has been unlocked!]
[Skill “Blasphemy! (S)” has been unlocked!]
Finally, the opportunity to use another skill.
And not just any skill—an S-rank skill!
Feeling like a kid unwrapping a Christmas present, I eagerly opened the skill info window.
[Nikellus Van Lucidmiller (S)]
[Possessed Skills]
― Blasphemy! (S) (New)
― Holy Inviolability Pact (S)
― (Currently unavailable)
― (Currently unavailable)
― (Currently unavailable)
The originally locked skill count had been four, but now one of them, ‘Blasphemy! (S)’, had truly been unlocked.
Seeing the shining (new) tag next to the skill name made me feel genuinely thrilled for the first time in a while.
‘Let’s see… It looks like an offensive skill, but how exactly does it deal damage?’
Its name was bizarre enough that it was hard to guess its effect just from that.
I clicked on the skill to view its detailed information.
“Your Holiness, here you are! I’ve been looking for you.”
Suddenly, Luciana’s voice called out from behind.
Reflexively, I moved to cover my information screen—specifically, the part displaying my karma points at -2982.
Then I remembered, belatedly, that others couldn’t see my screen in the first place.
Slowly, I let my hand drop.
The mechanics were simple: only players could view their personal status window, not NPCs.
However, from Luciana’s perspective, my fumbling in thin air must have seemed odd.
Her expression turned strange.
“…What are you doing?”
“Oh, just swatting at a bug. Anyway, how’s the preparation coming along? Is it ready?”
“Yes, that’s actually what I came to tell you. Everything is ready. Shall we proceed with breaking the seal on the ruins?”
“Good. Let’s get started before sunset.”
The plan was straightforward.
Unseal the entrance to the ruins, purify the final source of mana inside, and complete the fifth main quest.
That would earn me more karma points as a reward.
Additionally, I’d be able to collect valuable items inside the ruins to settle the compensation I owed the Count.
‘I’ll figure out more about the new skill later when I get to use it directly. It’s an offensive skill, after all, so I’m bound to test it soon.’
There was no need to rush.
After breaking the ruin’s seal, I’d naturally have an opportunity to test the skill.
With that thought in mind, I approached the ruins, feeling a subtle sense of anticipation.
Towering before me were five colossal crystalline pillars.
Standing next to each crystal was a priest—five in total—waiting solemnly for my arrival.
I cleared my throat and issued a command to the priests.
“Begin.”
At my order, the priests began channeling divine energy into the crystal pillars.
A low hum, much like the sound of a computer booting up, resonated as the crystals absorbed the sacred power.
Finally, when the crystals had been sufficiently infused with divine energy, a projection lit up the air:
[This service requires identity verification. Please enter your ID and password to proceed.]
ID:
Password:
[If you are not an existing user, please click the button below to proceed with registration.]
<<Sign Up>>
A holographic interface, reminiscent of a game system menu, shimmered into view.
It was a relic of the advanced ancient technology—a ‘Ruins Login Screen’.
In the past, computers powered by divine energy displayed these login and registration screens for visitors.
Only those who completed the registration process and confirmed their identity were granted access.
To the locals here, however, this identity verification system was simply seen as a mystical seal on the ruins.
As the glowing screen floated before them, everyone, including the priests, stood slack-jawed in stunned silence.
Finally, one of the priests murmured,
“What does it say?”
No one answered.
It was no surprise; this was likely the first time any of them had encountered the login interface of the ancient ruins.
Besides, the text displayed on the screen was in an ancient language that no ordinary person could read.
Fortunately, I was not an ordinary person.
For reasons beyond my comprehension—whether divine intervention or some cosmic prank—the ancient language of this world felt as natural to me as my native tongue.
Thanks to this inexplicable skill, I could easily pass myself off as a learned scholar of ancient languages.
Moments like this were precisely why I cherished this ability.
“Step aside, let me sign us up.”
I walked past one of the priests who stood frozen in place and approached the screen.
Without hesitation, I lightly tapped the <<Sign Up>> text displayed on the screen.
Immediately, a new message appeared:
[Do you truly wish to proceed with registration?]
— Yes
— No
The phrasing, with its insistence on ‘truly’, felt ominous—like it was subtly advising me to reconsider. But I couldn’t afford to back down. Without registration, I couldn’t gain access to the ruins.
Resolving myself, I selected “Yes’.
This time, the message that appeared was even more unsettling:
[Commencing qualification assessment for registration! Prove your worth to Nerbloka, God of War and Victory!]
I barely had time to process the text before the ground trembled heavily.
RUMBLE.
This wasn’t an ordinary earthquake.
The vibrations felt like something immense clawing its way up from deep underground.
An ancient monster?
Or perhaps a spirit?
I couldn’t say for sure—there was nothing in the quest log, or rather, the oracle window, that specified what would emerge.
But one thing was clear: whatever it was, it had been slumbering here for a very, very long time.
As the ground continued to quake, the Holy Knights waiting nearby swiftly assumed combat stances.
Luciana, bound by her duty as the Knight Commander tasked with protecting me, ran toward me without hesitation.
“It seems the guardian of the ruins is about to appear. Please retreat behind—”
“No.”
I interrupted her and, instead of following her advice, sent her behind me.
“I’m not planning to retreat right now.”
“…You won’t evacuate?”
“Yes, I’m staying here.”
The moment I said that, Luciana’s face crumpled with frustration.
“This isn’t the time to be stubborn!”
Why was she suddenly so upset about me choosing to stay and fight?
As I mulled over her reaction, the answer became clear:
‘Ah, she must think I’m acting like the old Nikellus again.’
The original Nikellus was infamously obstinate—if someone told him to retreat, he’d dig in his heels even harder.
In Luciana’s eyes, I was still that same Nikellus, doing the same reckless, thoughtless things.
Her clenched fists trembled, her knuckles white, as she fought to suppress her anger.
Eventually, her pent-up frustration erupted.
“I know—you never listen to anyone! I know that. But please, just this once, I beg you…”
Her voice cracked, and her lips, bitten hard enough to draw blood, released a desperate shout.
“Please, could you just for once do as you’re told?”
Her simple question carried the weight of countless reproaches.
‘What’s your problem? Why are you like this?’
To her, I was just a fool clinging to pride, even in the face of danger—a pathetic person.
Though I was aware of her perspective, hearing her voice break with emotion still stung.
Yet even amid her anger, Luciana refused to give up trying to convince me.
“When the seal is broken, the gatekeeper monster will appear. It’s nothing like the trivial monsters we’ve faced so far. This is an ancient creature, infused with immense, ancient magic.”
“I know. I’ve seen ancient gatekeeper monsters before.”
“Seen them? Hah… And just how could someone who’s always stayed safe within the temple claim that?”
She clearly wasn’t about to believe me no matter what I said.
So, instead of wasting time on explanations, I opted to show her.
‘Inventory, open.’
The command echoed in my mind, and my inventory materialized.
Reaching inside, I pulled out a weapon:
An S-rank longsword, “The Fallen Pope’s Last Conscience.”
It had been in Nikellus’s inventory even before my possession.
Despite the bizarre name, it was a fine sword and leagues better than the E-grade blade I’d been using earlier.
“Your Holiness?”
Luciana’s eyes wavered when she saw me draw the weapon, clearly preparing for battle.
“I’m not lying. I know exactly what an ancient gatekeeper monster is. I know how dangerous it is.”
I said, locking eyes with her.
I’d encountered plenty of gatekeeper monsters while exploring dungeons, so I was familiar with their traits and strategies to deal with them.
“That’s why I’m stepping up. You, however, should stay behind me. It’s dangerous, so don’t step forward until it’s over. Have the other knights retreat as well.”
Luciana’s expression, which had been hardened by anger all this time, finally began to soften—if only a little.
An everyday update?!🥹 we were never shown what the heck blasphemy was though😭