The Cheat Seed

Chapter 17

The statue stood motionless before Marcus, its face expressionless yet somehow challenging. Golden light continued to seep through the cracks along its surface before suddenly fading away, leaving the statue whole and untouched.

"God Of God Slaying, huh? What type of crazy s**t are you guys making me go through?" Marcus glared at the massive figure.

[I know right!! But this is just the beginning of what you have to go through]

"Haizzzz... Whatever." Marcus crossed his arms, tapping his foot impatiently. "Now when is the boss monster gonna break free from that statue?"

[It's not going to]

"Heh?"

[It's not going to break free from the statue]

"I heard that," Marcus snapped. "Then what do I have to do? Where's the boss that I have to kill to finish this friking task?"

[It's right in front of you, Marcus]

"Eh?"

Marcus studied the tall statue more carefully. It depicted a woman in flowing robes holding a fire torch high in her right hand, the flame nearly touching the rocky ceiling. A crown rested atop her head, and her left hand clutched a heavy chain. Despite being made of stone, the statue possessed an unsettling beauty.

Marcus peered straight into its eyes and froze—the statue seemed to glare back at him.

"Aaahhh, s**t!" He tripped over his own feet and fell backward, landing hard on his a*s.

"Ouch... I remember seeing a statue like this in a Devi comic, and it had a hella scary smile."

The statue's lips appeared to curve upward slightly, as if proud of this comparison.

"And it got overpowered and utterly destroyed by the MC later on," Marcus added.

*Glare intensifies*

"So..." Marcus met its gaze again, this time with his GS aura cloaking his body like a second skin.

The statue seemed to shiver.

"I got to defeat this to advance and get out of this hell?"

[Exactly, but it's not going to be an easy job to defeat this sta...]

*BANG*

Marcus's fist connected with the statue's midsection before the system could finish. Cracks spread across the stone like spider webs, expanding rapidly as Marcus blew on his knuckles. For a moment, he thought the statue would crumble into a million pieces.

But the crown on its head suddenly glowed bright orange, and the cracks vanished in the blink of an eye.

"Eh?"

[That was what I was trying to say, Marcus. The crown on its head is the Crown of the God Slayer. It has a special perk which allows the wearer to take any type of damage to any extent until its threshold is broken]

"So can't I just destroy the artifact?"

[No, you can't. Damaging the statue equals damaging the crown, and damaging the crown equals damaging the statue]

"Oh, so I have to deal some insane level of damage which is more than its threshold, right?"

[Yes, and its threshold is insanely high with a regeneration rate of 100% per nanosecond]

"....."

[So, that means it's literally impossible to destroy this statue with the abilities you have now. Even with your Nihility attack range]

*BANG*

Marcus struck again with his Galactic Fist, but the result was the same. The crown glowed, and the statue healed instantly.

*BAM*

This time Marcus used Galactic Kick, which proved equally futile.

*BANG* *BAM*

Even a double punch-kick combo failed to leave a lasting mark as the statue recovered in a split second.

Marcus backed away and sat down, his mind racing. After a moment's contemplation, he jumped up and opened his inventory. He grabbed one of the battle axes and infused it with his Galactic Fist aura.

[Skill Created: Weapon Wielding]

[Skill Perfected: Weapon Wielding]

[Skill Improvised: Galactic Axe]

With all his might, Marcus swung the axe at the statue.

*BLAST* *CRASH*

The battle axe exploded into fragments, but the statue remained intact and unscathed.

"f**k!" Marcus lost his cool and unleashed a barrage of punches at light speed. His fists moved so fast they created afterimages, but the statue recovered at the same rate. With a final desperate blow to its leg, Marcus collapsed in exhaustion.

The crown glowed once more, healing the damage slowly as if mocking him.

Rage consumed Marcus. With a primal screech, he rushed toward the statue for one final attack. But his legs gave out, and he fell face-first onto the stone floor at the statue's feet.

His vision blurred, then went black.

Within seconds, Marcus was snoring, deep in exhausted sleep.

When he finally woke with a jerk, Marcus found himself still at the statue's feet. Irritated, he crushed one of its toes with his fist. It recovered instantly, drawing a groan from his lips.

"System, for how long was I out cold?" Marcus asked with a stretch.

[The User is banned from knowing the time, but damn, that was some record sleep time]

"Haizzz." He groaned and shifted his gaze back to the statue.

"Time for Round 2, bitch."

Hours—or perhaps days—later, Marcus found himself in the same position: utterly spent and gasping for air.

"Wheeze... huh... huh... huh..."

"What the hell is wrong with this fricking b***h made outta stone?" He gulped down air, trying to refresh himself. With one final effort, he attacked again before collapsing to the ground.

The floor cracked under the impact of his body, then regenerated immediately. But Marcus was already deep in his second power-sleep, snoring loudly.

When he awoke again, Marcus sat cross-legged before the statue, staring at it with narrowed eyes. His earlier rage had been replaced by cold calculation.

"I've been going about this all wrong," he muttered. "Brute force isn't working."

[That's what I've been trying to tell you]

"Yeah, yeah." Marcus waved dismissively. "But there's always a way to win. Every game has a solution."

He circled the statue, examining it from every angle. The woman with the torch, the chain, the crown—they all meant something. This wasn't just a test of strength; it was a puzzle.

Marcus stopped suddenly, his eyes widening as realization struck.

"System, what exactly is a God of God Slaying?"

[It's the highest existence in the power hierarchy, capable of defeating even those who kill gods]

"No, I mean fundamentally. What makes someone or something a God of God Slaying?"

The system remained silent for a moment, as if processing the question.

[Interesting approach. A God of God Slaying isn't just about power—it's about authority. The power to judge even those who judge gods]

Marcus snapped his fingers. "That's it! This isn't about destroying the statue. It's about proving my worthiness to it."

He approached the statue again, this time with reverence rather than hostility. The statue's stone eyes seemed to follow him, perhaps with curiosity.

"I understand now," Marcus said, kneeling before the statue. "You're not my enemy. You're my judge."

The crown began to glow, but differently this time—not the defensive orange of before, but a gentle golden light that illuminated the entire chamber.

Marcus removed his Oni mask and looked up at the statue with clear eyes. "I don't need to defeat you. I need to show you that I understand what being a Guardian means."

The statue's expression shifted subtly, becoming less severe.

"It's not about power," Marcus continued. "It's about responsibility. About protecting those who can't protect themselves."

The chains in the statue's left hand began to move, rattling against the stone as if alive.

"I accept the burden," Marcus declared. "I accept the chains of duty that come with this power."

The stone woman's lips curved into a smile—not mocking, but approving. The chains in her hand uncoiled and slithered toward Marcus, wrapping around his wrist without weight or constraint.

[Objective Recognized: Acceptance of Guardian Duty]

[Progress: 100%]

[Congratulations, User! The 3 Guardian Trials have been cleared]

The statue began to dissolve, not in destruction but in transformation. Its essence flowed into the chain on Marcus's wrist, forming a simple bracelet of interlocking links.

[Guardian Artifact Acquired: Chains of Judgment]

[All Trials Completed. Returning User to Origin Point]

The world around Marcus began to shimmer and fade. As reality dissolved, he heard one final message from the system:

[Remember, Marcus—true power isn't about destruction. It's about carrying the weight of responsibility without breaking]

Marcus closed his eyes, a smile playing on his lips. He was ready to return home, to face whatever awaited him with his newfound understanding.

"Dave, my friend," he whispered as the void claimed him. "Wait till you see what I've become."