Heo Sungshik's ability, [EX Rank] Consumption, allowed him to acquire additional traits.

―‘Rune of the Full Moon’ and ‘Key of Heaven’ are resonating.

―Perk confirmed. [EX Rank] Consumption activated. Absorbing the power of ‘Rune of the Full Moon.’

That’s why he couldn’t help but be shocked upon hearing the notification.

‘It was the same when I acquired Future Vision from the Heaven-Splitting Divine Sword.’

Just like before, he was once again receiving a notification about absorbing abilities from an item.

―…Processing… Consumption complete! Congratulations! You have acquired the trait [S Rank] Fragment of Light!

“A trait?”

Seeing the notification, Sungshik was stunned. He had expected to gain a skill like last time, but instead, he obtained a trait.

‘Can traits be obtained like this?’

Feeling a bit dazed, he immediately checked the newly acquired trait.

[S Rank] Fragment of Light
―A trait obtained from the essence of light. If more fragments are gathered, the trait’s rank can be elevated.
―Allows the user to learn all light attribute skills.
―Light Attribute +30 / Darkness Resistance +30 / Light Attribute Attack Power +30%

“Wow.”

After checking the trait, Sungshik let out an exclamation. He had essentially absorbed the exact power of the Rune of the Full Moon.

“It’s even better than when it was the Rune of the Full Moon.”

Indeed, after absorbing the power of the rune, it had become a specialized trait. The light attribute, darkness resistance, and light attribute attack power had all increased slightly compared to before. On top of that, he had gained the ability to learn all light attribute skills.

‘This is incredible.’

His eyes sparkled as he read the newly added line: Allows the user to learn all light attribute skills.

Acquiring skills was already difficult, but the real challenge was that if one did not possess the corresponding trait, they could not fully utilize a skill. Even if they managed to acquire it, the skill’s effectiveness would be significantly reduced.

‘Just like when I got "Explosive Strike" before.’

When he had obtained the Explosive Strike skill in his fight against Kim Hoyun, it had been downgraded to [C Rank] due to his lack of a martial arts trait. However, once he obtained a martial arts trait, the skill had been promoted to [S Rank].

Because of this, the phrase Allows the user to learn all light attribute skills was incredibly appealing. Acquiring multiple skills would significantly increase his overall combat power.

“I should start thinking about how to acquire light attribute skills.”

The light attribute was a high-tier power. It wasn’t just effective for powerful offensive attacks but also included exceptional healing and buffing abilities.

‘If I collect enough light attribute skills, I might end up fighting like a holy knight.’

The thought occurred to him suddenly. If he gathered a wide variety of light attribute skills, he could wield power comparable to a holy knight.

In fact, before his regression, one of the 11 Thrones had been a holy knight named Quellin. Though Quellin had the lowest ranking among the 11 Thrones, his light-based powers placed him among the strongest. Especially during the Trial of the Night, his abilities had shone the brightest.

“If any light attribute skills appear in the system shop, I should buy them immediately.”

With that thought, Sungshik accessed the system shop.

“Search: [Light] attribute skills.”

―Search results: 17 skills found.

‘What? Seventeen?’

Sungshik was taken aback by the search results. He had expected to find, at most, two or three. Normally, skills were rarely sold in the system shop and were instead traded privately between users.

Curious, he searched for other skill categories as well.

“Whoa, they're selling a lot more skills than usual.”

His surprise was justified. Even before his regression, he had used the system shop countless times. However, he could confidently say that he had never seen so many skills available for purchase.

‘What’s going on here?’

He thought about it for a moment but couldn’t figure out the reason.

Unbeknownst to Sungshik, the increasing intervention of the Revolution Knights had caused an unusual rise in Mutated Gates. As a result, the system shop had adjusted to provide more opportunities for superhumans to level up.

Though he had no idea what was happening, Sungshik simply grinned.

“Might as well buy everything.”

He decided to keep it simple. There was no need to overthink a problem he couldn’t solve. No matter the reason, the fact that more skills were available was a welcome surprise.

“But… what’s with these prices?”

[E Rank] Basic Heal
―Slightly heals wounds.
―Provides a minor recovery effect.
―Price: 3,000,000 Coins

“An E-rank skill costs this much?”

Before his regression, E-rank skills were typically priced under two million coins. If an E-rank skill cost this much, higher-tier skills would be even worse.

Right now, Sungshik only had 300,000 coins. Even an E-rank skill was beyond his reach.

“Hmm.”

After thinking for a moment, he recalled a Gate where he could level up and earn coins at the same time.

“I guess I’ll have to head to the Bear Cave.”

The Bear Cave was located on Jeju Island. Since he was already wary of Li Xiaoguang, it seemed like a good idea to go somewhere far away and focus on hunting.

And so, his next destination was decided.

The next day, after getting ready to apply for his Superhuman License, Sungshik glanced at the yellow gemstone in his hand.

“Since I absorbed its power… I guess the original item loses its strength.”

The gemstone he was looking at was the Rune of the Full Moon that Kim Subin had given him. Its once vibrant golden glow had significantly faded, now barely shining like an ordinary jewel.

[Rune of the Full Moon]
―Rank: Common
―A fragment of the Moon’s essence, crafted into a rune by the Goddess Luna.
―Once contained the fundamental power of the Moon, but now only an empty shell remains.

Having transferred its power to Sungshik, the Rune of the Full Moon had seemingly exhausted its energy. It had even been downgraded to a Common item.

After staring at the rune for a moment, Sungshik carefully stored it in his inventory.

‘I’ll turn it into a necklace later.’

Heo Sungshik did not forget what Kim Subin had told him—to keep it safe and not lose it.

‘Since the power of the rune has become my trait, I guess there’s no way to lose it anymore?’

With a slight chuckle at his own thought, Sungshik stepped outside.

The process of receiving the superhuman registration certificate went smoothly.

Armed with his academy graduation certificate, Sungshik visited the Seoul branch of the Superhuman Association, where he was able to immediately undergo a rank evaluation. The process included a mana assessment and a virtual battle in a test room against an augmented reality monster.

Throughout the evaluation, the examiners’ gazes were filled with shock.

“You just graduated, and you want to take the 5-star test?”

When he requested to be tested for a 5-star rank, the examiner looked at him as if he were out of his mind.

“Whoa… no way. He’s really 5-star?”

That initial disbelief quickly turned into astonishment and admiration.

Next was the test room battle against a 5-star monster. The news of a newly certified 5-star superhuman spread quickly, and staff members gathered to watch.

The virtual monster Sungshik had to face was an Ape, one of the 5-star creatures. This beast resembled a massive gorilla.

It was known for its monstrous arm strength, capable of crushing anything it got its hands on. In jungle terrain, it would use its powerful arms to swing between trees, executing ambushes. As a result, even 5-star superhumans often avoided jungle-type gates where Apes appeared.

Because of this, the gathered staff members were eager to see how Sungshik, a freshly ranked 5-star, would handle the fight. True to their nature, they even started placing bets on whether he could defeat the Ape.

“He’ll probably pass, but I doubt he’ll take it down. I’m betting on ‘not defeating it.’”

“Come on, he’s got some serious presence. I’m betting on ‘defeating it.’”

The wagers were initially just for lunch money, but more people joined in, and soon the pot had grown large enough to buy a full steak dinner. The majority bet that he wouldn’t be able to defeat the monster.

It made sense. Most newcomers were too nervous and inexperienced to perform at their full potential during their first test. Even when facing a monster of equal rank, they usually struggled to take it down.

Because of this, the test regulations allowed candidates to pass as long as they could last for fifteen minutes against the monster, even if they didn’t defeat it. That’s why most believed Sungshik wouldn’t be able to bring it down.

Once Sungshik entered the test room and activated the device, the environment around him transformed into a dense jungle filled with towering trees.

“Huh, it’s been a while since I’ve seen an Ape.”

Since jungle gates rarely appeared in Korea, Apes were not commonly encountered. Sungshik had only seen them a few times during the early stages of gate breaks.

“Kwooooh!”

The gorilla-like beast roared at Sungshik before leaping onto a nearby tree. It began swinging effortlessly between the branches, circling him. After a brief moment of observation, it noticed Sungshik was neither reacting nor moving.

With that, the Ape launched itself at him from behind.

Only then did Sungshik turn around to face it.

“Too slow—”

“He’s gonna get hit.”

The spectators assumed Sungshik was too late to react and would be caught off guard.

The Ape charged straight at him, using its long arms to grab hold of his body. It then began exerting its monstrous strength to crush him.

“Damn, he didn’t even react. So… if he fails, what happens to our bets?”

“I thought he’d at least pass.”

Since failing against a monster of the same rank was rare, disappointment spread across the spectators’ faces.

“Kwoooohhh—!”

Confident of its victory, the Ape let out a triumphant roar and increased its grip. However, Sungshik’s expression remained calm.

“Kwooh?”

The Ape sensed something was wrong. No matter how much force it applied, Sungshik wasn’t budging an inch.

“Hmm… Body Protection Barrier is pretty good.”

That’s right. Now that he had reached 5-star, Sungshik had gained access to one of the Heaven-Splitting martial arts techniques—Body Protection Barrier. He had deliberately let the Ape grab him to test its effectiveness. While it wasn’t as strong as Body Protection Aura, which required qi infusion, it still provided excellent defense.

‘The mana consumption rate is solid, too. As expected of an EX-rank martial art.’

Nodding in satisfaction at his first use of the technique, Sungshik shifted his attention back to the struggling Ape.

Crack—

As he exerted his strength, the Ape’s arms began to separate. Sungshik pushed even harder, prying the monster’s arms apart before stepping into its guard.

Its exposed torso was left completely vulnerable. Sungshik extended his right hand, fingers splayed wide, and placed it against the creature’s solar plexus.

“Explosive Strike—”

Paah—

“Kuweeeek—!”

With a final, piercing shriek, the Ape’s torso was obliterated, bursting apart into nothing but dust and debris.

The scene was nothing short of spectacular. The upper body had been completely pulverized, scattering into the air like mist. The sight was so astonishing that it left the entire audience speechless.

Thud—

The remaining lower half of the Ape’s body collapsed backward, making a heavy impact that echoed through the room.

“Holy—”

“What did I just witness?”

“Damn, look at my arms. I’ve got goosebumps.”

“What was that? He just touched it, and it got shredded?”

“Insane. Is he really just a 5-star?”

The delayed reactions from the audience erupted in excitement. They marveled at Sungshik’s performance, their voices filled with admiration.

‘Too easy.’

Sungshik’s own assessment of the fight was that it had been easier than expected. He hadn’t even needed to use his sword against a 5-star monster.

It made sense. He wasn’t just an ordinary 5-star—he was a 5-star+ ranker. On top of that, he possessed EX-rank martial arts techniques. In reality, his combat power had already reached the level of an A- 6-star.

As he stepped out of the test room, Sungshik turned to the examiner, who was still staring at him in shock.

“That’s the end of the test, right?”

With a grin, Sungshik looked at the examiner and smiled.