Chapter 146
The moment the final boss fell, the world messages appeared one after another.
[World Boss Primal Humanity has been defeated.]
[The raid event has now ended.]
[The power of Ruin contained within the fragment that fell to the ground is beginning to dissipate.]
Everyone who had fought to the very end on that battlefield erupted in cheers the instant they saw the messages. Those who still had even a shred of strength left threw their heads back and screamed at the sky, pouring out everything that remained in their lungs. Others who had nothing left to give simply collapsed where they stood, staring blankly at the colossal corpse of the dead boss. All the chaos, the exhaustion, the triumph was broadcast live through Do-Jin’s stream.
└ Fuuuuuuuck yeah!
└ Humanity woooooon!!
└ This! This is what a real boss fight looks like!
└ Where’s that clown who kept saying it was impossible to kill the boss with that many people? Huh? LOL
└ No joke, if we check the damage meters, our raid leader probably did half the total damage.
└ He is actually insane. He is a fucking damage-spewing machine. Holy shit.
└ Mage ceiling just got broken again.
└ Meanwhile, every mage still stuck at rock-bottom is crying their eyes out right now.
Even those who hadn’t fought in the raid couldn’t contain their hype. Just watching the kill live on Do-Jin’s channel was enough to flood their veins with adrenaline. The chat exploded with excitement, overflowing with pride and vicarious thrill.
Their favorite streamer, the one who’d always played recklessly but somehow made it work, had just become the hero of the very first World Boss Raid in history. That kind of energy didn’t fade easily. Even after Do-Jin ended the broadcast, his fans stayed in the chat long after, celebrating the victory like it was their own personal afterparty.
***
The stream might have ended, but the situation hadn’t. Although they took down Primal Humanity, the event wasn’t over until the final phase, the part everyone secretly looked forward to.
[Calculating raid rewards.]
[Your contribution to the World Boss Raid is overwhelming.]
Since Do-Jin ranked first in contribution, he received a third notification.
[Your event rewards will be adjusted based on contribution score.]
The reward window flashed three times in rapid succession, a clear sign that his base rewards had been upgraded three whole tiers.
[Top Contribution Bonus: Choose your Relic Item Random Box.]
Relic Item Random Box (Weapon)
Relic Item Random Box (Armor)
Relic Item Random Box (Accessory)
It was a privilege no one but Do-Jin received.
[Top Contribution Bonus, Random Trait Point, has been upgraded to Mysterious Trait Point.]
[You have obtained 1 Mysterious Trait Point.]
The second reward had been upgraded as well, becoming a point that could unlock a unique trait unavailable by normal means. Once the notifications stopped flooding in, Do-Jin finally let himself fall flat on his back.
They can handle the rest on their own...
That was it. Do-Jin was done. He couldn’t even be bothered with the monsters still lingering nearby. Someone else could deal with them.
He was taking a break, even if it killed him. With that thought, Do-Jin declared an unofficial strike, closed out of the game, and let his consciousness fade right along with it.
***
Several days had passed since the fall of the World Boss. While Do-Jin was taking a well-earned rest, Theresa had been back on stream since the very next day, clocking in like it was her full-time job.
└ Raid leader entering. Everyone, bow your heads.
└ Make way for the Kingmaker, Lady Theresa!
└ All hail Her Majesty, the Queen of the Front Line!
Since the World Boss Raid, Theresa’s popularity had skyrocketed. Her heroic moment, throwing herself in front of Do-Jin and dying a spectacular death, had left an unforgettable impression. It had become a meme in her community to worship their “raid leader” on stream.
“Ehem.” Theresa, of course, was basking in every second of it. Appearing on camera with a smug little smirk, she cleared her throat and said proudly, “Alright, let’s do a quick review before we start.”
└ Everyone, take your seats.
└ Let us watch with reverence.
Theresa played a clip showing her point of view from the final battle.
—Now!
Do-Jin’s voice came through, and the video showed her throwing herself into the boss’s attack without hesitation. The clip was short but impactful.
└ Damn...
└ This still gives me chills.
└ Yeah, she’s the GOAT for that one.
As the compliments poured in, Theresa’s lips twitched upward in barely contained satisfaction.
└ Haha, look at her! She’s trying so hard not to grin.
└ Let her enjoy it. After all the crap she got during the event, she’s earned it.
└ Facts. Everyone flamed her for being a useless tanker who always backed off, remember?
Theresa remembered that too well. People had mocked her for being a cowardly, incompetent tank who bailed at the first sign of danger. She’d swallowed all of it because she believed in Do-Jin. She’d believed that if she stuck with him, her moment would come.
I guess they were right when they said patience pays off.
Theresa basked in the glory as the chat hailed her with titles ranging from “Kingmaker” and “Human Shield Queen” to “The Suicidal Tank.”
“Yeah... that was badass,” she said with a satisfied nod.
└ We’re opening it today, right? You promised.
Her shoulders flinched and she pretended not to notice the message that popped up, but the chat wasn’t having it.
└ Yeah, open it already!
└ How long are you gonna stall?!
They were talking about the Relic Item Random Box, the one given only to the top ten contributors in the raid. Theresa had earned hers thanks to her sacrificial move, the one that let Do-Jin land the final blow.
In LOST, “sacrifice” awarded massive bonus points, especially when done in such a dramatic, game-deciding way. Faithfully following Do-Jin’s strategy had paid off big time. She’d proudly shown off her Relic Box on stream, promising to open it live, but after several days had passed, it still sat unopened. She was too scared to open it.
“What if I open it and it’s trash?!” she cried. “Last time I pulled a useless trait point and you guys roasted me for a week! You just want to watch me fail again so you can throw a party about it!” Theresa refused, standing her ground.
But resistance was futile. Her viewers, fed up with her endless stalling, started piling on expensive donation missions. In the end, capitalism won, and Theresa had no choice but to give in. When all was said and done, the chat was devastated.
└ Oof, that’s rough.
└ What the hell, man.
└ This isn’t what we wanted...
They had hoped for something funny, maybe a massive war hammer or an oversized axe she could never wield.
“It’s... a shield!” Theresa cried in disbelief.
It was a translucent blue crystal relic that absorbed part of incoming attacks to charge up a defensive barrier. Theresa held it high and glowed with joy while the chat collectively groaned. She was unstoppable now. And as her viewers wallowed in mock despair, a new question began to surface in everyone’s mind.
└ If Theresa got something that strong... then what the hell did Do-Jin get?
└ He’s already a monster. Just how much stronger did he become?
***
Paralyzed by indecision, Do-Jin hadn’t opened his reward either. Since he could actually choose the item type before opening it, the pressure was ten times worse.
Should I go for armor... or accessories?
He already had a weapon, so that was out of the question. Having to choose between armor and accessories, though, was torture. He thought about it while eating, exercising, gaming, and even as he was drifting to sleep. In fact, he’d been dreaming about it.
Finally, after days of internal debate, he muttered to himself, “Alright... fine. Accessories it is.”
He accepted the pending reward at last.
[You have obtained Relic Item Random Box (Accessory).]
That was it. He was at a point of no return. Now came the real gamble, and Do-Jin didn’t hesitate. After obsessing over it for days, he didn’t want to drag it out any longer.
As long as it’s usable, I’ll take it, he thought, opening the box and bracing himself.
[You have obtained the Relic-tier item, Final Confrontation.]
A necklace made of deep blue gemstones shimmered into view. The name was unfamiliar, and its design was completely new. Curious, Do-Jin immediately pulled up its details.
[Final Confrontation]
Grade: Relic
Requirements: None
The heart of a war engine forged in ancient times.
All Stats +136
Unique Active Skill: Transcendence
[Transcendence]
For a brief period, you can surpass your limits. Once unleashed, the power of Transcendence burns until the user’s strength is completely consumed.
After reading through the effects, Do-Jin let out a relieved sigh. “Alright... that’s not bad.”
It wasn’t a broken, always-on passive like his Rune Gauntlet, but it was still solid. Even the flat increase to all his stats was great, especially since it scaled with level. For a mage, Strength and Agility were usually throwaway stats, but with this necklace, he could even cover those weaknesses. They might seem useless at first, but for someone using Psychokinetic Artistry, those stats could make all the difference.
Transcendence, huh... it’s risky as hell, but it’s gotta be powerful when it’s active.
From the description, it sounded like a skill that would literally burn him out once activated, hardly practical for normal use. However, it was perfect if used as a trump card.
Alright, that just leaves the trait.
[You have obtained 1 Mysterious Trait Point.]
A Mysterious Trait Point? I’ve never seen that one before. I guess we’ll find out.
He took a deep breath and used the point. There was no “choose” prompt this time, just an empty slot on his holographic display that began to swirl with streaks of light. Letters and symbols twisted together until they finally settled into words.
[Fate guides you.]
[You have acquired the trait, Time Traveler.]
[Time Traveler]
Once per day, return to a point not far in your own past. Only your personal time can be rewound.
Do-Jin stared at the screen in silence. The relic had been decent, but this was on another level entirely. He couldn’t even measure it in terms of good or bad, average or jackpot. All he could do was let out a breath and mutter, “Holy shit.”
This was no longer about his luck. It was about changing fate itself.
