NOVEL WEB Chapter 290: Reaching the end.
"Just keep walking straight on the road you've been through, and the end of the trail shall be reached." That was the in-game description of this place.
But…
I've been walking for at least an entire day now, and there's still no sign of the road ever ending.
The faint, guiding light ahead flickered softly, illuminating the trail in front of me.
Yet it seemed to stretch endlessly, as if the end wasn't something I was meant to reach at all.
"Are you indirectly telling me to take another trail?" I muttered, my voice carrying a mix of frustration and weariness as I glanced at the unnaturally bright skies overhead.
For reference, ever since I woke up here, I've been trying—constantly trying—to re-establish a connection with my other self.
And let's not forget the Goddess of Light, who, according to the system notifications, has been trying to get my attention for some time now.
But, as always, when I asked directly, no answers came.
I sighed deeply, feeling the weight of this strange, otherworldly place pressing down on me.
"I should rest for now,"
The distortion of time here only added to my unease.
Days could pass on this side, and barely a second might have moved in the real world—or so I hoped. There was no way to know for sure.
Lowering myself to the ground, I sat on the dusty trail once more, my legs aching from the relentless walking.
I reached into the fragmented messages I'd been trying to piece together all day, scanning through the jumbled words and cryptic hints left behind.
My fingers traced invisible lines in the air as I sifted through the details, desperately searching for clarity.
There were three major things that struck me as odd after finishing my trial.
First—and the most glaring—was the absurd number of bonus status points I'd been awarded.
[Status Info:]
[Name: Riley Hell]
[Race: Human]
[Level: 132]
[Strength: B [0/80]]
[Agility: B [0/80]]
[Endurance: C [0/60]]
[Luck: 0 [????]]
[Power: C [0/60]]
[Available Status Points: 174]
The trial was designed to significantly boost stats, ensuring players had a much easier time in Act Three and were well-prepared for the epilogue chapters in Act Five.
But this?
This felt excessive.
The ridiculous number of level-ups I gained during the trial.
Jumping to Level 132 wasn't exactly normal progression, even by the trial's standards. As well
If my memory serves me right, characters—even minor ones like myself—weren't supposed to receive such a windfall of status points.
Riley Hell, the supposed low-tier, disposable NPC of this world, getting showered with this level of generosity? It didn't add up.
I mean, sure, my stats were pretty abysmal before this, so I needed the help.
But even so, this felt suspicious.
The system hadn't been this kind to me before. I couldn't help but compare it to Lucas, the one and only protagonist of this world.
When he finished his trial in the game, he received a similarly massive boost—almost identical to what I'd just gotten.
But that didn't make sense either.
The trial wasn't supposed to be equal.
It was adaptive.
Each person received bonuses tailored to their strengths and weaknesses.
Snow, for example, only got a measly +10 bonus points after completing her trial.
She didn't need much more because her stats were already leagues above the average player's.
So why was I, a so-called trash-tier character, being treated like I was on Lucas's level?
I glanced back at my stats.
The sheer number of available points almost mocked me.
Sure, it was a welcome surprise, but it left a sour taste in my mouth. Knowing my Luck so far…. I'm sure there was some kind of catch with this kind of generosity.
"Well, considering my garbage stats, I should probably just be grateful and move on,"
[Name: Riley Hell]
[Race: Human]
[Level: 132]
[Strength: B [0/80]]
[Agility: B [0/80]]
[Endurance: C [0/60]]
[Luck: 0 [????]]
[Power: C [0/60]]
At this rate, I'll soon hit the level cap of 150.
It was always my goal to reach it before Act Four, so I guess I should feel accomplished.
Reality wasn't exactly giving me a free pass, even with all this progress.
No matter how absurd the status bonuses were, the numbers didn't lie.
At best, if I calculated everything right now, I'd probably only be able to max out one of my stats to S rank. Only one. Unless, of course, I somehow received another ridiculous bonus down the line.
But trusting my luck?
Yeah, that was like expecting a rock to float—it wasn't going to happen.
I did have another option: focus on leveling up both of my current B-ranked stats, Strength and Agility, into A rank instead.
It'd give me a more balanced build overall, one that would keep me versatile in tight situations.
But if I went that route, I'd have to abandon the idea of getting an S-rank stat altogether.
It was a tough call. S-rank stats were game-changers, no question about it.
But spreading out my growth across multiple areas could prove more practical in the long run, especially with how unpredictable my path had been so far.
And then there was the bigger picture—the people I needed to depend on.
Sure, I still held out hope for turning Liyana to my side.
I hadn't lost sight of that possibility as of the moment.
But pinning all my survival on her—or anyone else, for that matter—felt like the height of selfishness.
Especially after the news about my relationship with Snow spreading the chances of her ever letting me live was at an absurd low now….
Snow, Rose, Senior Alice, Lucas, and the others… they were destined to defeat her.
With the way things were unfolding now, the flow of fate seemed almost predetermined.
Their growth had been nothing short of absurd, spiking at a pace that practically screamed inevitability.
Reaching their maximum potential wasn't a question of if but when.
Especially Rose.
She already seemed to be grasping the core of Celestial magic—a feat that would have taken others years, if not lifetimes.
Watching her rapid ascent was a stark reminder of the sheer gap between myself and those destined heroes.
But destiny wasn't infallible.
If something unexpected were to happen—if fate itself decided to throw a curveball—I needed to be ready.
I needed insurance.
And an S-rank stat would provide exactly that.
I couldn't afford to rely solely on others, no matter how strong or destined they were.
My own strength had to come first, above alliances, favors, or trust.
When the time came, I couldn't be dead weight.
"Considering that I'm still on track to claim the Tempest Sword after reaching the end of this road…"
The [Tempest Sword.] A forgotten weapon of legend in this world.
It started as a legendary-ranked item but had the potential to evolve into a mythical-rank weapon—the highest class.
A blade that grew alongside its wielder, sharing their strength and amplifying it.
If I was going to wield it effectively, leveling up my Strength stat had to be my priority. I couldn't waste this chance.
Taking a deep breath, I focused on the system interface, feeling a faint sense of hesitation before committing to my decision.
[Available Status Points: 174 - 80]
[Strength: B [0/80]] → [Strength: B [80/80]] → [Strength: A [0/100]]
[Available Status Points: 94]
"Just two more levels, for an S rank stat"
Once I hit the S rank, the possibilities would open up.
An S-ranked stat wasn't just about raw power; it also unlocked potential access to S-ranked skills.
I couldn't help but let my mind wander to Kagami's Meteor Fist, a skill that could shatter mountains with a single strike.
If I could learn it… no, if I could somehow convince Kagami to teach me…
But knowing Kagami, that was a pipe dream.
He wasn't exactly the type to hand over his trump cards willingly.
Well, it wasn't like Meteor Fist was the only S-ranked, Strength-based skill out there.
The academy had plenty of options to choose from—each powerful in its own right and, most importantly, within reach.
Senior Celine and Dean Gale came to mind.
Since I was already acquainted with Senior Celine, the idea of asking her for guidance wasn't far-fetched.
She had always been approachable, though I knew better than to take her goodwill for granted.
On the other hand, Dean Gale was quite the generous person and he wasn't the type to ignore a student showing potential, especially someone willing to dedicate themselves to mastering his technique.
For now, though, I pushed those thoughts aside.
Closing the status notification, I opened another system message—the one that had been bothering me since I first noticed it.
"I've really acquired a new skill…"
This wasn't just any skill.
It wasn't something I'd seen before—not in the game, not in any guide, and certainly not something any other character had access to.
[Skill: Divine Will (Ultimate)]
[Effect: Unleashes the divine might of the user, cutting off 90% of enemy status effects within a certain radius.]
[Evil Entity Enhancement: When facing an Evil entity, the user receives a 500% stat boost.]
[Commanding Presence: The user's words become absolute. All within the area of effect are compelled to obey the user's commands, regardless of their will.]
[Divine Ascension: The user's divinity skyrockets to 100%, amplifying all divine attacks. All power sources within the area of effect are converted into divine energy.]
I stared at the description, reading it again and again, my mind struggling to process what I was looking at.
This wasn't just strong. It was absurd.
A combination of my current [Monarch's Will] and [Hero's Will] skills, but with none of the usual restrictions.
No cooldowns, no situational limitations.
Pure, unfiltered power.
The realization almost made my brain short-circuit.
I could feel my hands trembling slightly as I read through the effects again, each line sinking deeper into my thoughts.
The sheer utility and devastation of this skill—it was the kind of thing you'd expect from a final boss or a god-tier character, not someone like me.
And the best part?
I could use it.
No restrictions.
No conditions.
At least, not in here...
I'd already tested it, though there were no subjects around to fully gauge its effects.
But the fact that I could activate it freely without any apparent drawback was a game-changer in itself.
The implications were overwhelming.
With this newfound power, cleaning up Emilia's demon arc should be straightforward—almost too easy, in fact.
Still, there was a bigger picture to consider.
Emilia wasn't just a random side character; she was pivotal to Lucas's growth.
Her involvement in the storyline was essential for his development, particularly in unlocking and mastering his Divine abilities.
It was something the system had made abundantly clear back in the game.
If I disrupted that balance, it could send ripple effects through the entire narrative.
"I'll just have to keep my distance, for some time."
The question of whether I'd need to interfere in their fight against the demons lingered in the back of my mind.
It wasn't a matter of if the situation would escalate, but when. And if things went off-script, I'd have to step in, like it or not.
I clenched my fists, glancing back at the notifications that floated in front of me.
A cheat-like ability should've filled me with excitement—or at the very least, relief.
But instead, I felt a gnawing sense of wariness.
Sure, I finally had something that could tip the scales in my favor, but caution was still a necessary ally.
There was no telling what kind of price I'd pay for using a skill as overpowered as [Divine Will].
Even now, the lingering effects of [Monarch's Will] hung in the back of my mind like a shadow.
The skill amplified more than just physical strength or presence—it heightened my ego, a subtle but insidious effect that made it harder to see others as equals.
Every time I activated it, there was a temptation to view those around me as nothing more than insignificant worms or flies.
It was a dangerous mindset, one that could easily spiral out of control if I wasn't careful.
Shaking the thought away, I scrolled through the notifications and finally clicked on the archived file that had been nagging at me for hours.
It stood out immediately—a golden file shimmering within the translucent system interface.
The color was the same as the mission notifications, though this file carried an entirely different weight.
Even before opening it, I could feel the absurdity of what it was about....
[Heaven's Passage]
[Note: An Evil God is warning you to ignore the invitation.]
Especially since this Evil god is reacting this way...