Chapter 1 : Prologue

Impossible.

Everyone said so.

No, I too once thought that way.

“A little, just a little more…….”

Rumble!

Bang! Kaboom──!

The eternal flames of karma that burn everything poured from the sky, and lava surged from the cracked ground.

Each and every one was an absurd pattern, close to an instant-kill move that could drive a character to death in a single blow.

However, I narrowly dodged all of them by a hair's breadth and thrust the divine sword Levatein towards the beast’s reverse scale.

Stab!

[You have dealt 3,421 damage!]

[A critical blow has succeeded! Damage has increased by 200%.]

Despite attacking the Destruction Dragon’s only weak spot with a weapon called a divine sword, the damage dealt was not that great.

Furthermore, I had already paid everything I could as the price for magic, a situation where no miracle could occur.

‘Still…… I just need to go a little further.’

World of Justice Online.

An online game with a medieval fantasy setting, based on the motto that everything has a price.

Although it was not a hugely successful game, it had a very solid fanbase worldwide due to its unique gameplay, and it was a game I had been crazy about for over 8 years.

I looked at the being that had sentenced the World of Justice to its demise.

The Promised Ruin.

The Red Dragon of the Apocalypse.

The Guide of Death.

There were countless other names to call the beast, but among them, there was one name that described it best.

Destruction Dragon Tiamat(Tiamat).

The prophetic Destruction Dragon, said to bring unavoidable ruin to this world.

Since the Destruction Dragon's appearance, all sorts of factions in the World of Justice had stepped up to take down Tiamat.

Major factions like the Punishment Order's Holy War Knights, the Hall of Subjugation, and even the Empire all took action.

But so far, none had succeeded in hunting the Destruction Dragon.

I was no different.

True to its name of bringing promised ruin, the Destruction Dragon seemed like an impossible being to hunt.

“The Destruction Dragon is not a monster that can be caught. It should be seen as a phenomenon, like a natural disaster, that brings unavoidable ruin to this world.”

Those were the words of the Holy War Knights' commander who led the Destruction Dragon raid.

As if to prove those words, the Destruction Dragon gradually expanded its range of action, destroying everything on the continent.

Therefore.

I too tried to give up several times.

There were many times I questioned if hunting the Destruction Dragon was even possible.

But what held me back each time was the fact that this was always the last chance.

‘If I can’t catch it this time…… I’ll never be able to.’

It was already the twelfth time I had challenged the absurd task of a solo raid on the Destruction Dragon.

Although I had prepared an incredible amount for this solo raid, including all sorts of consumables and equipment like the legendary elixir, it wasn’t that I couldn’t prepare again.

Nevertheless, there was another real reason why I considered this my last chance.

End of service.

If people have died, online games like World of Justice Online have an end of service.

3 months ago, a single, unexpected line of announcement was updated on the official World of Justice Online homepage.

The appearance of the Destruction Dragon and the end of service.

As if a massive update that would cause an uproar on its own wasn't enough, there was the shocking news that World of Justice's service would end in 3 months.

Naturally, the users of World of Justice were in an uproar.

Although World of Justice was not a massively popular game, it was a game that boasted a fairly solid user base due to its unique gameplay.

“No, why would they end the service with a massive update? Isn't the Destruction Dragon just an excuse to shut down the service?”

“Right, then I guess the Destruction Dragon is a mob that can’t be caught. I heard the Five Stars failed this time too.”

In the past, there were online games that ended their service naturally by having the world be destroyed, so it was a very plausible hypothesis.

But a hypothesis is just a hypothesis.

Without any official statement, and amidst all sorts of rampant rumors, the end of service was now just one day away.

The idea that the Destruction Dragon's existence itself brought unavoidable ruin to the World of Justice was no longer an absurd claim.

But, even so.

I did not stop.

With the end already decided, there was no need to save what I had anymore, and I poured out everything I possessed without holding back.

If I needed an Elixir, I sold off all sorts of expensive items in my warehouse to get it, and if I needed a price for magic, I used it even if it meant offering up my precious stats that I had raised until now.

“Just…… die, already!”

Perhaps my desperation reached it.

Or perhaps it was the reward for having figured out all of the Destruction Dragon's patterns.

[Contract Magic, ‘Advent of the Permafrost’ is activated.]

[In accordance with the fair contract, ‘all toes of the left foot’ are paid to the ‘Demon of Severe Cold’ as the price for the magic.]

[You have suffered a critical physical loss! Movement speed is greatly reduced, and HP continuously decreases.]

Or was it thanks to using all sorts of magic, accepting the enormous penalties that would be inflicted on the character.

[Due to the effect of ‘Advent of the Permafrost’, the Destruction Dragon Tiamat’s movements are slowed.]

[You have dealt 8,421 damage!]

[It is a critical blow! Damage has increased by 500%.]

At last, I was on the verge of clearing the Destruction Dragon raid.

“Finally, finally……!”

Everyone thought it was impossible.

I even thought it was impossible.

But, even so.

[0%]

I had finally done it.

[The Promised Ruin, Destruction Dragon Tiamat enters eternal rest.]

[You have overcome the unavoidable ruin! The second hand of fate points to you.]

The Destruction Dragon Tiamat.

The prophetic red dragon that was said to destroy the Lagna Continent had finally fallen.

“Haa…….”

I don't know how focused I was, but the hand holding the mouse was drenched in sweat.

My heart, still pounding perhaps from excitement, just wouldn’t calm down.

[You have postponed the unavoidable ruin!]

[You have acquired the trait, ‘Postponer of Ruin’.]

──────────────

[Postponer of Ruin]

Grade : EX

Type : Passive

O' one who can stand against ruin.

You gain absolute type advantage against opponents with the Demonic attribute.

You will possess a mind of Clear Mirror and Still Water, becoming immune to all types of mental attacks.

Furthermore, this trait cannot be nullified or removed by any means.

──────────────

“……Crazy.”

I doubted my eyes.

An EX-grade trait.

In truth, the highest grade for a trait considered in the World of Justice until now was the S-grade trait.

Naturally, S-grade traits all had cheat-like abilities and having just one was enough to reign as a powerful player.

But now, not an S-grade, but an EX-grade trait had appeared before me.

Indeed, its abilities were also on a level befitting the name of an EX-grade trait.

‘Absolute type advantage against the Demonic attribute……. On top of that, mental attack immunity? Fucking insane.’

In World of Justice, targets with the Demonic attribute were all major boss monsters or transcendent beings like demons.

Gaining an absolute type advantage against such beings had to have enormous meaning, especially in World of Justice where the compatibility between magic or skills was important.

‘Plus, immunity to trait nullification? This is also absurd.’

Among the myriad of magics in World of Justice, if one were to pick the most deadly and advantageous magics in terms of compatibility, it would definitely be those related to mental attacks or those that nullify traits.

To think it nullifies all such magic…….

It was enough to make my jaw drop just by looking at it.

‘……Ah, this isn't the time for this.’

I had to put aside the joy of obtaining an EX-grade trait for a moment.

The most important task still remained.

“Then…….”

I slowly approached the corpse of the Destruction Dragon.

‘I wonder what will drop…….’

There had been countless speculations about the rewards for hunting the Destruction Dragon.

From rumors of a mythic-grade item that had never appeared before, to guesses of an EX-grade trait that surpassed the current highest S-grade.

Surprisingly, one of those guesses turned out to be true, so it was worth having high hopes for the other guesses.

However.

“……Hm?”

After checking the Destruction Dragon's corpse, I couldn't help but be taken aback for a moment.

What was there was neither a mythic-grade item nor even a legendary-grade item.

[Ascension Stone]

Instead of the incredible reward I expected, there was a single, unfamiliar item named Ascension Stone.

This was the entirety of the reward dropped from defeating the Destruction Dragon.

“……What is this?”

It was an item I was seeing for the first time, even for a veteran of World of Justice like me.

But as it was a reward from defeating the Destruction Dragon, it was surely no ordinary item.

‘I can just check it.’

Seeing is believing, as they say.

Without needing to hesitate, I immediately checked the information of the Ascension Stone.

────────────

[Ascension Stone]

Classification : Consumable

Grade : ??

■■■ ■■■ ■■■ ■■■ ■■ ■■

────────────

“……What is this?”

Grade unknown.

An item description that was obscured as if covered by static.

The only piece of information I could glean was that it was a consumable.

That was all the information shown for the item called Ascension Stone.

‘What on earth is this used for?’

This was a reward from defeating the Destruction Dragon.

In addition to that, just by looking at the name Ascension Stone, or the fact that its grade and description were not visible, it was certain that this was no ordinary item.

The problem was that it was a consumable.

What if I used it inappropriately without knowing its purpose, and the item was consumed in vain?

‘……No. That's not right.’

I shook my head.

In any case, there was only one day left until the end of service for World of Justice.

Even if the Ascension Stone was consumed in vain, there was no need to hesitate.

‘……Alright.’

The moment I was about to use the Ascension Stone.

[Upon using the Ascension Stone, the character will lose all levels, stats, skills, traits, and items.]

[Would you like to use the Ascension Stone?]

[Y / N]

A sudden notification appeared.

And the contents written on it were anything but ordinary.

What on earth happens after using the Ascension Stone that it takes not only the items you possess but even your level?

It was an absurd condition, practically the same as a character reset.

However, the deliberation was not long.

“Well…… it’s the end anyway.”

8 years have already passed since I started World of Justice.

A lot had happened during those times of laughter and tears.

In a way, an item like the Ascension Stone might be the most fitting way to conclude those years.

“Above all else…….”

A very powerful grand principle exists in the World of Justice.

A very powerful grand principle, where even slightly bending it is treated as a feat capable of changing the laws of the world.

─Everything has a price.

In that sense, there was no need to explain the value of an item like the Ascension Stone.

To make one lose everything.

In World of Justice, those words were the same as saying one could also gain everything.

“……Alright.”

There was no need to hesitate.

The moment I moved my hand towards the use button for the Ascension Stone.

[Using the Ascension Stone.]

A brilliant light began to emanate from the Ascension Stone, instantly engulfing the entire monitor.

「If I must discard, I will discard everything.」

Along with an unknown voice that whispered in my ear, the light that shot out from the monitor completely engulfed me.