Transcendent

Transcendents, beings who could break through the ceilings of a world.

## **Overview**

Even when walls existed, there were existences who could break through the ceiling and grow. People who had the right to break through the limits set by the world and go above and beyond. This right was completely up to one's potential. People who weren't born with this couldn't even dream of such a thing. When someone transcends, those below won't be able to go against them.

Those born with the **Transcendent Star** are those who have the right to transcend in a world with ceilings. Hansoo and Tiamet are those who were born with the Transcendent Star. Hansoo's trait, Seven Stars, is one of the many forms of it. It gives him the right to break through the ceiling that stopped everyone else. He is the sole human who had the potential to become a Transcendent in the Otherworld, before the Abyss descends.

Those who have the Transcendent Star must then acquire a seed of a **Skill of Annihilation**. They're also called Zero Numbering Skills by humans. These are skills one could only gain by proving themselves. There are 2 conditions to gain it: Fight until you get annihilated or destroy the entire world and swallow it whole. These are why they are called Skills of Annihilation. A tremendous amount of strength that one could only gain after overcoming various trials both internally and externally. Upon mastering a **Skill of Annihilation** is one able to fully transcend.

Hansoo was able to acquire his Skill of Annihilation by fighting to the brink of death in the Otherworld. He was able to obtain the Demonic Dragon Reinforcement by killing a weakened **Demonic Dragon** in the Tutorial, the Pandemic Blade by killing the Five Calamities in the Red Zone, the Nine Dragons Spear by killing the Gael-Tara in the Yellow Zone, and the Immortal Soul by killing Tiamet in the Green Zone.

## **Method**

Adventurers who are able to reach the Violet Zone have the strength of a Transcendent while not being a Transcendent.

There are 2 known methods for becoming a Transcendent.

**1. Obtain and master a Skill of Annihilation.**

* **Fight until you get annihilated**. This is the fastest and most efficient method. If one discarded the dangers.
* **Destroy an entire world and swallow it whole**. Though it would take longer, it was safer and more fun to do so.

**2.** **Absorb Abyssal Crystals dropped by Abyssal creatures**. Abyssal beings came from outside the Otherworld. They are beings who already had the power to go past the limits. The crystals they drop are a code. Mixing the code of humans who could not go through the limits with the ones of the Abyssal beings allows the human body to forcibly reach the level of a transcendent, without any enlightenment or physical strain. One would grow stronger with each crystal collected. This is one of the more efficient and weaker ways of becoming a transcendent. It is one of the fastest ways to raise one's strength.

## **Personality**

When a Transcendent is born, it's hard to be a righteous person. Before Transcendence, it was hard to survive alone, so groups were naturally formed. Since maintaining the group was the only way to survive, there were rules and laws for everyone to abide by. They respected each other since they needed each other. Even if one made another unhappy, they held back for the greater good of the group. But a Transcendent realizes the moment they're born that they can escape these bindings. They are different from weak humans.

Upon being born, a transcendent carefully and slowly experimented. They would test how their newfound strength impacted their surroundings, and wait for feedback. And surprisingly, there is no resistance. Even if a transcendent did something to make the other party unhappy, they did nothing to harm him. Or rather, they could no longer fight back. Because one had become a transcendent, all their relationships would change and begin to crumble apart. The people they had fought with so far are no longer comrades, they were weights holding them back. At this point, greed begins to fill a Transcendent's mind. A Transcendent would then view humans are resources to do their bidding such as farming Abyssal crystals or creating weapons to combat powerful Abyssal creatures.

## **Powers and Abilities**

Transcendents are rated on a stars system. The difference between 1-star Transcendents and 2-star Transcendents is like the difference between a 1-star Transcendent and a normal adventurer.

The Seven Zone system of the Otherworld was made to strengthen humans to the point where they could reach the level of the Abyss. Upon reaching the Violet Zone, one gains the strength of a 1-star Transcendent while not being a Transcendent. The existence of the Transcendents meant that the system created by the fairies to raise the people's strength just wasn't enough anymore. Upon becoming a Transcendent, one cannot view the system panel that lists one's stats, skills, and artifacts. Upon becoming a 2-star Transcendent, solo numbering artifacts reach their limits and just aren't enough anymore. In order to gain a suitable artifact, one must recreate weapons using the corpses of the Abyssal creatures.

However, recycling the corpses of beasts to create artifacts that Transcendents can use is difficult. Only those who'd raise their mastery of **alchemy**, **metallurgy**, and **crafting** abilities to the same level of the Violet Zone, as well as acquired countless knowledge and created efficient methods to handle such materials can create artifacts that Transcendents could use by recycling the corpses of beast.

Upon becoming a Transcendent, a person's 8 runes breaks down and mixes and merges with each other into one. When this happens, a person's soul is forcibly sucked up to a higher place. Transcendent can manipulate and use the eight different types of runes in any way they wanted. Those able to completely control the merge runes are many times stronger than those who can't.

There is a refining period. A step for Transcendents to prepare for before going up to the next level. Though the total amount of strength is important, refining is even more so. Refining is focusing on a single skill. This is the core reason for the strength behind the Transcendents. Transcendents who fully mastered a skill are stronger than those who merely bulk up using crystals, even within the same star level.

When a Transcendent becomes too powerful in their current zone, their body starts to throb and fills the person with anxiety. As if one's body is telling one that one doesn't belong here. It is an uncomfortable feeling that'd cause one to never be happy until one goes up and climb the Abyss.

## **Known Transcendents**

* Hansoo was able to become a Transcendent through the first method. By straining himself against beings stronger than himself and against a harsh environment, he was able to nearly master Demonic Dragon Reinforcement. Only after being beaten to inches of his life was he able to master it and break through.

* The creator of Pandemic Blade was able to fully master his skill by killing everyone in an entire world.

* The creator of Nine Dragons Spear was killed after he attempted to turn his body into a container for his skill and trying to survive through it.
* Tiamet was close to becoming a Transcendent. After suppressing a vast amount of mana within his body for a thousand years, he was close to mastering his seed of annihilation. Before he could master it and fully transcend, he died.
* The Fairies.
* Nepallem, previous owner of Mjolnir.
* Everyone else transcended through crystals.