The trait that emerged after obtaining a fragment of the Phoenix’s Heart. Originally, Heo Sungshik had been unable to fully absorb the power of the ‘Fragment of the Phoenix’s Heart.’ Because of that, the power of the trait he had acquired had remained sealed.

[B-Rank (Sealed)] Phoenix’s Heart
— A trait that emerged from absorbing the Phoenix’s Heart.
— Grants the ability to wield the power of the Flame of Purification.
— Fire attribute resistance +10 / Fire attribute attack power +5% / Can imbue attacks with fire / ? / ?

*Currently, only 30% of the Phoenix’s Heart’s energy has been absorbed. As a result, the original [SSS-Rank] trait’s power is severely limited.

*If the power of ice is supplemented to achieve balance, it may be possible to fully absorb the remaining strength.

The ‘Phoenix’s Heart’ that had emerged in this way was a B-Rank trait. Even at that rank, it was useful in raids. However, when the trait fully absorbed the power of the Phoenix’s Heart, it underwent a dramatic transformation.

[SSS-Rank] Phoenix’s Heart
— A trait that emerged from absorbing the Phoenix’s Heart.
— Grants the ability to wield the power of the Flame of Purification.
— Fire attribute resistance +40 / Fire attribute attack power +30% / Fire attribute power +40 (Can imbue attacks with fire) / Fire attribute skills can be acquired without restrictions / Revival

It had ascended dramatically to an SSS-Rank trait.

“Oh.”

A spontaneous exclamation escaped from Sungshik’s mouth. This was the first time he had obtained an SSS-Rank trait.

“A fire attribute resistance of 40…”

An incredible value. He had never even heard of an item or trait that increased resistance this much on its own. If he could raise the attribute power by just 10 more to reach 50, he would likely take no damage from most B-Rank or lower fire attribute attacks.

‘Having high fire resistance has a lot of advantages.’

Fire was one of the most common elemental attributes. Possessing high fire resistance would grant him a significant edge in many battles to come.

On top of that, there was a +30% increase in fire attribute attack power, +40 in fire attribute power, and the ability to acquire fire attribute skills without restrictions. He could practically hear his fire-based attack power skyrocketing.

‘At this level, I might even be on par with the Blazing King.’

The Blazing King, one of the 11 Thrones. He wielded an SSS-Rank trait called ‘Infernal Flame.’ A supreme being whose mere gesture could set vast lands ablaze!

To Sungshik, this trait seemed in no way inferior to that. Though he didn’t know the exact numerical values of the Blazing King’s trait, he remembered that it had been estimated to be around this level.

That meant that if Sungshik dedicated himself to acquiring the right fire attribute skills, he could unleash a level of firepower rivaling that of the Blazing King.

“And then…”

[Revival]
— Rank: Mythical
— By absorbing part of the Phoenix’s Heart, the power of immortality can be manifested once.
— When reaching complete death, the Phoenix’s power will allow resurrection.

*If the complete Phoenix’s Heart is obtained, could true immortality be possible?

The ‘Phoenix’s Heart’ trait had ascended to an SSS-Rank, granting a new ability: ‘Revival.’ This was, quite literally, a trait that allowed resurrection after death.

“…Revival?”

As Sungshik confirmed the option, he was left speechless. He couldn’t believe he had actually gained this power. ‘Revival’—this was a power he had never even heard of before.

He had seen Hyper-Regeneration before. There had been Superhumans with the ‘Hyper-Regeneration’ trait, displaying troll-like recovery abilities.

Even when their arms and legs were severed, they would quickly regenerate. Yet even those seemingly immortal beings had ultimately died when their heads were severed and their hearts pierced.

And yet, even with ‘Hyper-Regeneration,’ death had remained inevitable.

“It exists.”

Yes, true resurrection was real. Even if it was only once, Sungshik had effectively gained an extra life.

“Then… if I obtain the complete Phoenix’s Heart, would I really become immortal?”

It was hard to believe. Immortality… Wouldn’t that be the ultimate form of invincibility? The very fact of being unable to die implied unparalleled strength.

— Immortality doesn’t necessarily mean invincibility.

Just then, as if reading his thoughts, Heaven-Splitter spoke.

“Hm? If you can’t die, how are you not invincible?”

Sungshik’s reasoning seemed sound. If one couldn’t die, how could they ever be defeated?

— Immortality is indeed a powerful ability. If you can come back to life after dying, it may seem like you can never lose, right?

“That’s right.”

— But if simple immortality granted true invincibility, then the Phoenix would be the supreme being in the Divine Realm. Yet, it’s not even the strongest among the Divine Beasts.

Now that he thought about it, that made sense. The Phoenix was considered one of the highest-tier Divine Beasts, but it wasn’t the strongest.

At the same time, a question arose. If it possessed the power of immortality along with overwhelming strength, how could it not be the strongest?

— The answer is simple. The ability to revive isn’t something that can always be used effectively in battle. When a Phoenix dies, it takes time to revive. If it’s killed repeatedly in quick succession, the revival period extends even further.

So it wasn’t an instantaneous resurrection. Sungshik nodded in understanding.

“Even with the power of immortality, you can’t immediately resurrect and continue fighting?”

— Exactly. Another reason immortality isn’t all-powerful is that there are ways to prevent resurrection altogether—such as sealing the body by dismembering it.

“…Dismembering and sealing the body?”

— Yes. Sealing each body part separately. This has been the most common method of dealing with beings possessing immortality since ancient times.

Sungshik was stunned by the revelation. He had never considered such a method.

“If… if a body is severed into parts, it can’t regenerate? Like a troll…”

— Of course not. Immortality is about resurrection, not regeneration. If that happens, they can never revive and are effectively dead.

“Have there been cases where someone was actually sealed this way?”

— A few. Immortality isn’t as perfect as you think. So instead of obsessing over it, you should focus on mastering Heaven-Splitting Divine Arts. In the end, all answers lie within Heaven-Splitting Divine Arts.

As expected of Heaven-Splitter, the spirit of the Heaven-Splitting Divine Sword—he concluded the conversation by urging Sungshik to devote himself to Heaven-Splitting Divine Arts.

Of course, he wasn’t wrong. The EX-Rank martial art, Heaven-Splitting Divine Arts, was undoubtedly the key to guiding Sungshik to the 9-Star level.

“Still, having the power of immortality is great, isn’t it?”

It wasn’t as if he planned to die repeatedly just because he had this power. However, the very idea of a trait that would allow him to revive—it stirred a deep sense of desire within him.

‘I must have it.’

The Phoenix's Heart. Heo Sungshik desperately hoped he could obtain it.

Whooooosh—

The raging snowstorm howled. Amidst the tempest, the sword wind unleashed by Sungshik carried the chilling aura of ice.

Crack.

A portion of the training room’s wall, struck by the sword wind, was lightly coated with frost and began to freeze.

“Not bad.”

What Sungshik had gained this time wasn’t just the [SSS-Rank] Phoenix’s Heart.

[A-Rank] Ice Crystal
— Grants the ability to wield the power of ice.
— Ice Attribute Resistance +15 / Ice Attribute Power +15 / Allows the acquisition of ice-related skills.

With the newly acquired Ice Crystal, he had now gained the ability to manipulate ice as well.

“I need skills.”

Compared to his ever-growing traits, his skills were lacking. Sungshik wanted to acquire more abilities.

— Do you truly need skills? The answers to everything already reside in the Heaven-Splitting Divine Arts.

Here we go again. Heaven-Splitter’s obsession with the Heaven-Splitting Divine Arts was already ringing in his ears like a broken record.

“Even though I can infuse Heaven-Splitting Martial Arts’s power into skills?”

— What? That shouldn’t be possible. That would only be feasible at the level of the Supreme Realm...

Sungshik quietly activated a skill while listening to Heaven-Splitter’s words.

“Heaven-Splitting—Wind Scar.”

Crack-crack-crack-crack~

The swirling blades of wind carried a distinct trace of Heaven-Splitter’s energy.

“See?”

— …How?

Pausing mid-sentence in shock, Heaven-Splitter was left speechless. Sungshik shrugged.

“I just tried, and it worked.”

— Hah… What a bizarre phenomenon. To intertwine the power of Heaven-Splitting Martial Arts with something else requires an understanding of its essence, something only achievable at the Supreme Realm...

In truth, this was the result of a few unique coincidences.

First, there was Sungshik’s Consumption trait—his innate ability to absorb other traits. In other words, all of the powers Sungshik possessed were rooted in his Consumption trait.

The same applied to his skills. Since they all stemmed from Consumption, the remnants of the Supreme Realm he had once reached in the illusory world were lingering within his subconscious, allowing for this unexpected fusion.

— Hmph. Do as you wish. Not that you'd listen to me anyway.

“Hmm, but it’d be nice to get a trait that enhances wind attributes. The wind blades feel a bit weak.”

— …

Heaven-Splitter fell silent as he looked at the devastated ground, utterly wrecked by the wind blades, and heard Sungshik complain that their power was too weak.

“By the way, did the Heaven-Splitting Divine Sword originally have a scabbard?”

— Of course. It had numerous scabbards, but they all crumbled with time.

“Really? Then let’s take this opportunity to make a new one. I happen to have the materials.”

Not long ago, he had obtained black bear leather and a Mammutus tusk. With these, he could craft a fine scabbard.

— Now, that’s something worth hearing.

Heaven-Splitter’s tone lifted slightly, indicating he was pleased. Sungshik originally planned to participate in more gates and raids to earn coins for purchasing skills from the community, but before that, he wanted to craft the scabbard for the Heaven-Splitting Divine Sword.

His destination was Paju. He was heading toward the workshops gathered there.

But as Sungshik made his way to Paju, someone was watching him.

— This is Black Bird 9. Target sighted. He is currently heading south.

— …Understood. Do not let the target out of your sight.

— Affirmative.

Sungshik drove toward Paju in his recently purchased car.

It wasn’t an expensive vehicle. Using a portion of the 200 million won prize money he had received from the tournament, he had bought an Arbang—a model known as the ultimate budget car. This compact yet highly fuel-efficient vehicle, powered by mana stones, was extremely popular.

— Fascinating. This machine gains power by using mana stones as fuel?

Heaven-Splitter had a gap in his knowledge. Having slumbered for a long time, he was unfamiliar with modern technology. Naturally, a car running on mana stones was a first for him.

“Oh, that’s right. How did you know? Impressive.”

— Hmph, I have a certain level of dignity. I can tell at a glance.

Heaven-Splitter seemed to have a weakness for compliments. If Sungshik could see his face, he suspected the spirit’s lips would be curling into a smirk. Amused by Heaven-Splitter’s simple nature, Sungshik decided to ask a question that had been on his mind.

“So, the Supreme Realm is classified as a 9-Star level. Do you know if there’s a stage beyond that?”

He was asking whether the 10-Star rank existed. Now that his ability to foresee the future had disappeared, he had no way to confirm it, so he turned to Heaven-Splitter for answers.

— Hmm… What made you wonder about that?

“Well…”

Sungshik recounted to Heaven-Splitter everything that had happened when he first used his foresight ability.

— I see. So the power of Genesis fused in such a manner...

Heaven-Splitter seemed to know something. This piqued Sungshik’s curiosity even more. Momentarily forgetting he was driving, he turned to look at Heaven-Splitter, resting on the passenger seat.

“Do you know something?”

Seeing Sungshik’s eager expression, Heaven-Splitter chuckled.

— Haha, you truly have a deep desire for strength. That’s a good trait. Such an obsession with power often becomes the driving force that leads one to the highest realms of martial prowess.

After a brief pause, Heaven-Splitter continued.

— What you saw was real. There is a realm beyond the Supreme Realm. A Superhuman state known as Demigod. That is the ultimate state of Life and Death.

“Life and Death Realm…”

— As the name suggests, it is a stage where one transcends life and death. It is also known as the Spirit Convergence Realm. Trying to glimpse into that stage just because you've reached 7-Star is dangerous. To truly perceive its essence, you must at least reach the 8-Star Harmony Realm...

Heaven-Splitter continued his explanation. Just then, as Sungshik was driving along an isolated mountain road—

Bang!

A massive tree suddenly collapsed onto the road ahead, blocking his path.

Screeeech—

He slammed on the brakes, swerving sharply to narrowly avoid a collision.

“Ah, damn it—what the hell?”

He cursed instinctively. As he stepped out of the car, he saw a man standing atop the fallen tree. A face he recognized.

“It’s been a while, Sungshik. You still have my business card, don’t you?”

Yes. The man was none other than Li Xiaoguang. Sungshik immediately realized—this was not a friendly visit.

“Oh, that business card? I tore it up and threw it away ages ago. It reeked too much for me to keep it.”

“Hah… Hahaha… That’s quite unfortunate.”

The man let out a burst of eerie laughter before grinning wickedly.

“I find it unfortunate as well—because the person you’re facing now is not who I used to be.”

Facing the man, Sungshik also grinned ferociously.