The transparent item card had turned dark as if it had absorbed my energy wave.
In an instant, the card had turned completely black.
‘…It’s not materializing?’
Item cards usually materialize right away once a player wills it to.
But the Fate of the Unknown did not respond.
The item card only changed in color, but it was still in my hand as it was.
Perhaps it’s not possible to materialize this special item card just by my will?
‘The Fate of the Unknown card changes name, rareness, and effect depending on the user. Mok Wooram’s teacher said he fights with a weapon item card that has the ability to transform.’
Shouldn’t the Fate of the Unknown card reflect the image of its user?
I tried to conjure up an image of a specific weapon, but it wasn’t working.
‘I want to materialize the most powerful weapon that I can have right now.’
It seemed that such a vague idea alone wasn’t enough.
Should I open up a weapon guide menu and check the specific stats of a specific weapon?
I thought of a potential weapon, but it still wasn’t working.
“…”
I felt a stinging gaze on me, so I looked up and saw White Tiger staring at me from the other side.
In his eyes, I must look like a fool holding a card.
“Is that all you wanted to test?”
“No.”
Now that it has come down to this, I decided to seek White Tiger’s advice.
White Tiger is well-versed in martial arts and has extensive knowledge of weapons.
He ought to know something.
“What do you think is the most powerful weapon I can use?”
The first two candidates were the magic rod and the Sangbosimgeumpa.
But I didn’t understand why.
There is a UR-rank “ancient” rod that can be obtained from the second world.
And the Sangbosimgeumpa was also a UR-rank weapon.
However, I already tried the Sangbosimgeumpa, and the Rod weapon was difficult to obtain.
“You are the one who knows your powers well. Consider the thing that you can do best and the ability that only you possess, and use that to choose what you can use.”
The thing I can do best.
The ability that only I possess.
I thought about “Using Objects” ability.
However, there’s something even better than “Using Objects” among the abilities unique to me.
There are many strong beings in this world that cannot be dealt with by pure force, but I had the best weapon to counter them.
The knowledge and experience that I have as the gamer who never gave up on PMH, and the ability that I have to use the characters that I farmed to the fullest.
My most powerful weapon would be my energy wave, and the light skill that lets me embody the characters inside the game.
‘My most powerful ability. The best weapon for me is the Player Identity.’
Fwaaaa!
The moment my light skill Player Identity came to mind, the blackened Fate of the Unknown card shone again.
The light made some kind of thing and moved around the item card as if it was engraving something.
After a few moments, the light disappeared.
The Fate of the Unknown card was still black, but unlike before, a pattern was on it.
The pattern on the back of the card was very familiar.
The moment I saw it, I was completely startled.
‘Don’t tell me… This is… This card is…!’
On the back of the card, the game title logo of the Nation’s Failed Game, “Player Master High School” was engraved.
I’ve seen cards with this logo many times before.
I decided to check it immediately.
<Light skill Player Identity activated.>
With the system message, thousands of cards floated around me.
After getting used to using my light skill, I was able to summon only the cards that I needed.
But this time, I took out all the cards.
A myriad of cards shone like stars.
I reached for the nearest one.
I placed it side by side with the Fate of the Unknown card.
‘It’s the same!’
The size of the card and the PMH logo on the back of it were exactly the same.
“It looks like you’ve found the answer.”
The White Tiger looked at me and decided to draw his weapon again.
Swoosh!
The White Tiger took out the White Fang again.
A white energy wave overflowed around him, and the shadow power Yeongho (Shadow Tiger) was summoned.
“Test it out.”
Seeing that he’s using the White Fang and the Shadow Tiger at the same time, he seemed to be inviting me to do my best.
Just as White Tiger suggested, I decided to test the newly obtained piece immediately.
‘If this unknown card is the kind of weapon I think it is, it will be a very useful piece.’
Using the Player Identity skill is tantamount to changing into the character even if my appearance as Jo Euishin is maintained.
It’s impossible to trigger two identities at the same time.
For example, it’s impossible for me to use Kwak Gyunggu’s “100 Seconds of Silver Gun” and Jeon Muyeong’s “Time Without Shadows” at the same time.
It is possible to use it consecutively if I have enough time, but it is possible to use it together.
But what if I assumed the identity of one player, and use the signature weapon of a different one?
<Using character’s light skill, Summoning the White Fang.>
I first activated White Tiger’s light skill with my Player Identity skill.
And…
<Using character’s light skill, Summoning Hongryong.>
At the same time, I used Yeom Junyeol’s light skill with my Fate of the Unknown card.
The card had PMH’s logo on the back and an empty front.
But for a split second, Yeom Junyeol’s image appeared.
Flash!
As I carried the White Fang, a gap in the space behind me opened and the Fire Dragon appeared.
When I looked over at the White Tiger, he didn’t have much of a reaction.
But it didn’t seem like he wasn’t surprised at all.
I could see the corners of his mouth raised a little.
‘Is he smiling?’
He immediately wiped the expression off his face and aimed the White Fang at me.
The Shadow Tiger soon moved.
Fwaaa!
White flashes covered the view when White Tiger’s White Fang and the one that I’m using collided.
We were blinded for a split second, but the White Tiger called the Shadow Tiger and tried to go for my shoulder.
He doesn’t intend on going easy on me at all.
The Shadow Tiger flashed its teeth, but I couldn’t respond to it now.
‘If I take my eyes off the White Fang, its blade will penetrate my vital point.’
But the White Fang isn’t something that I can’t handle.
Clash!
I swung the White Fang widely to push off White Tiger.
I kept my eyes on him as I whipped my finger.
<Using character’s skill ‘Remote Ignition’>
Fwaaa!
A flame burned brightly and swallowed both White Tiger and the Shadow Tiger.
White Tiger took a big leap backwards to avoid the flame, but he dug in without looking where he was going.
He made a move that almost pinned him directly to the fire.
However, the skill that I was using right now belongs to a character that has the Dragon King’s order, “My Fire Will Not Burn You”
Amid the blazing flames, I aimed at White Tiger’s neck with my White Fang.
The White Fang became enveloped in fire.
“…”
The White Tiger didn’t back down despite my heavy attacks.
He seemed to be gazing at the Hongryong who was behind him.
“Impressive.”
The Shadow Tiger disappeared completely in the flames of Hongryong.
Behind him was Hongryong, and in front of him was the White Fang that I wielded.
“You won for the first time.”
The White Tiger has a considerable handicap, but I haven’t won against him in any battle until this point.
The Fate of the Unknown could be considered as an OP (overpowered) skill, but using it with Player Identity simultaneously led me to beat White Tiger in a match for the first time.
“You exceeded my expectations. You’ve grown much.”
Woof! Woof woof!
Following the praise from White Tiger, Olmu came running toward my side.
He barked really hard as if praising and congratulating me as well.
I gladly accepted the praise given by White Tiger and Olmu as I deactivated my Player Identity skill.
* * *
In my dorm room.
The room felt spacious as usual, but I didn’t get useless thoughts today.
I received recognition from my playable character and congratulations from my angel Olmu.
‘I think there’s still some other way I can use the Fate of the Unknown card… I have to figure out how to make this piece useful.’
It lets me use two characters’ light skill at the same time.
The skill duration and time limit are still a problem, but I had nothing to fear now that I can use two of my playable characters’ skills at the same time.
Dingdong.
As I was about to fall asleep, I saw a pile of messages in my inbox.
I thought about checking them tomorrow, but the sender seemed to be planning on bugging me until I answered.
Even if I put the device on silent mode, it kept blinking on and off.
The matter seemed to be quite urgent.
I stopped contemplating and decided to check the messages.
[Ok Toyeon] Hey, benefactor.
[Ok Toyeon] Savior…
The culprit was Ok Toyeon.
[Ok Toyeon] Benefactor… Are the descendants doing well these days?
Not too long ago, Ok Toyeon told me that the Silver Tiger’s descendants played a serious prank on her.
Ok Toyeon omitted the detailed explanation.
She said it was a horrible joke that is hard to express in words.
Considering the situation, I assumed that the prank was the corpse play that they used to trick Hwang Jiho and Red Tiger before.
They seem to be estranged these days because Ok Toyeon cried so hard because of the descendants playing such a bad joke.
[Ok Toyeon] Are the descendants eating and sleeping well? Are they playing well?
[Ok Toyeon] Do they promise not to make strange pranks now?
[Ok Toyeon] What about the crazy tiger?
[Ok Toyeon] The kind-hearted kids didn’t learn another ugly game, did they?
I’m not sure which exactly of the tigers living in the mansion she was referring to as crazy, but it’s probably Hwang Jiho.
[Ok Toyeon] Hey, benefactor?
[Ok Toyeon] Heyyyyyyyy!
[Ok Toyeon] Why aren’t you reading my messages?
[Ok Toyeon] That crazy tiger doesn’t check his messages recently too.
[Ok Toyeon] Did the crazy tiger teach you some weird tricks, benefactor? — —
[Ok Toyeon] I’m asking if he taught you some weird tricks!
The crazy tiger must be leaving Ok Toyeon’s messages on delivered too.
If I ignore her now, I would need to make an excuse once I decide to message her again.
We talked for a while.
After exchanging a lot of messages, the topic changed from the descendants to the TC Knights’ baseball story.
It was only September, but TC Knights seemed to be heading in a miserable direction.
The “tragic number” still hasn’t disappeared yet, so they seem to be being tortured with false hope at the moment.
‘…If the tragic number reaches 1, they’d have to win all the remaining games that they have. I think it’s better for them to give up the playoffs.’
TC Knights fans ought to consider changing teams.
There won’t be any games for them from mid-October once the autumn season for baseball begins, so I hope Ok Toyeon would be able to focus on her work with the satellite.
I made her a promise that I’d see a baseball game with her someday.
After our long conversation, I was really preparing myself to sleep…
But I received a call.
[Caller: Jang Namwook]
Late at night, I got a call from Jang Namwook
