Chapter 205: Emerging Variables (2)
As days passed by, the importance of individual players within the international community kept growing. Naturally, each country was exerting their utmost efforts to prevent players from defecting to other countries.
And then.
The call that just came in was subjected to the highest level of security.
Tu-oo… Tu-oo…
A red message was constantly flashing.
‘It means there’s something very important…’
I had no choice but to check it out.
After briefly apologizing to Cheon Yuseong, Jinhyuk answered the call:
[Hello, Player Kang Jinhyuk, this is Han Sangjin. I’m sorry to contact you during your busy time, but an urgent matter has come up.]
A familiar voice came through.
Han Sangjin began with a very tense tone.
“I’m listening.”
[A person possessing internal information about ‘the Empire’ has come to our Awakened Association. They insist that they must speak with you in person before sharing details… You’ll need to come to Korea immediately.]
Hooh.
‘Internal information about the Empire?’
Jinhyuk’s eyes narrowed.
This wasn’t Penheimer whom he met at the cafe before.
‘If Penheimer had come directly, he would have contacted me directly, not the Association President.’
This meant that the person currently at the Association was a stranger with no previous acquaintance.
Limited information made it impossible to further identify the individual, but it was certain that an interesting development was unfolding.
His decision didn’t take long.
“I’ll be there right away.”
Jinhyuk responded curtly.
＊＊＊
An abruptly concluded after-party.
Having explained the situation to his companions, Jinhyuk boarded a flight to Korea from Rome’s international airport.
Thanks to Han Sangjin, who had arranged a first-class ticket just like last time, a smooth journey was anticipated.
Except for one thing.
That is, if you discount the bundles of baggage sticking to him like gum.
“Oooo! So this is what an airport looks like.”
“How fascinating. Look, sister! That looks delicious over there.”
Elris and Andria’s voices were octaves higher than usual.
“Why are you even following me onto the plane? We’re not going on an excursion.”
“This too is a kind of learning. To become an excellent boss, varied experiences are also important, are they not?”
“You’re right. It’s definitely not for personal gain; we’re studying to help Jinhyuk later.”
Elris had flown on a plane with him before, but she was asleep inside a ring, so she hadn’t witnessed the whole process.
Andria was amazed by all the worldly novelties outside of her tower.
I knew it.
Their excitement was palpable…
And it made me want to tease them even more.
“Is this your first time boarding a plane in your actual bodies?”
“Indeed. However, this appears to be a worthy vessel of our magnificent stature. Not bad at all.”
“Yes.”
The two nodded innocently.
“Then, you must have studied what’s necessary to do when flying for the first time, right?”
“There’s something we have to do?”
Andria asked with apparent confusion, but Elris quickly stopped her.
Elris was quite adept at handling such situations, having been with Jinhyuk for more than a day or two.
“Of course, we are aware. Would we ask you to fly without checking that information?”
“Sister?”
“Just be quiet. I’ll handle everything.”
Elris was confident for a reason.
And that reason was Vtube.
Known as the sea of all information, there had to be content on how to fly on an airplane.
1. First, when boarding a plane for the first time, you must take off your shoes.
2. Before takeoff, unbuckle your belt, stand up, and clap your hands.
3. Restrooms are pay-to-use, so make sure to bring plenty of coins.
4. If you feel seasick, ask a flight attendant to open the window.
“See?”
Elris, with a satisfied smile, carefully wrote down the information she found on paper.
“You really are amazing, sister.”
“That’s what I’ve said. Trust me. Humans’ customs are nothing compared to the glorious civilization boasted by vampires.”
Elris’ pride soared.
And Jinhyuk could not help but smile at this sight.
‘A black history well captured to sell at a high price later.’
The fan base for Elris had been slowly growing, especially around the Tower of Trials community.
Recording these moments would be very useful in the distant future.
Moments later.
Jinhyuk, who had boarded the plane, was guided to the innermost first-class seat.
A lengthy period of time was assured.
During this breather, he intended to organize the levels and skills he had gained after dealing with Bairothum.
Jinhyuk activated his personal status window.
Ding!
Name: Kang Jinhyuk
Gender: Male
Age: 27
Level: 80
Strength 71 Agility 25 Stamina 34 Magic 181 Boundary 100 Luck 10 Adaptability 78 Essence 30.53
Stat Points: 18
Coins: 600,125
Profession: Rune Interpreter
Unique Abilities: ‘Fusion’, ‘Tomb of Swords’, ‘Auspice of the Stars’, ‘Anubis’s Judgement’, ‘Blood Magic’, ‘Mandala’, ‘1-Second Invincibility’, ‘Thousand Poisons’, ‘White Beast’, ‘Manxiang Gongxiu’, ‘Sanctuary of the Sun’, ‘Black Heaven Demon Emperor’s Art’
Skills: Too many learned skills, converted to ‘Folded Status’.
Barriers: Too many learned barriers, converted to ‘Folded Status’.
Total of 6 levels gained.
18 stat points were available.
Considering a level above 70, this was an absurdly high amount of experience for hunting a single boss monster.
His heart throbbed rapidly.
The pleasure of continuous growth was incomparable.
This growth would be the driving force to stand on top of the Tower once again, ensuring the hegemony of all the significant chances.
‘It’s about time to invest in agility or stamina too.’
While magic remained the priority, he couldn’t neglect the other stats.
Especially with the impending comprehensive war between Martial Realm and the Empire looming, achieving a more perfect balance was essential.
‘The next opponents aren’t going to be nobodies.’
Whether it’s the highly trained martial artists including Baek Seolrin.
Or the imperials who had dedicated their lives to swords and magic.
Underestimating them would be a mistake.
Especially since the Dark Emperor and the Thousand Demon Church were involved, even a small variable could lead to catastrophe.
[Agility 25 → 30 increased.]
[Stamina 34 → 60 increased.]
[Magic 181 → 188 increased.]
Jinhyuk invested points into each stat.
A bright light surged, and a warm sensation filled his entire body.
Agility, stamina, and magic all improved.
He could feel sharper senses and the intensity of the magic coursing through his veins than ever before.
‘Good, next is…’
[Please select one of Bairothum’s skills to copy.]
It was time to choose which skill to replicate.
Considering they belonged to a high-ranking lich like Bairothum, the decision of what to copy was difficult.
[Lv19 ‘Elemental Magic’, Lv18 ‘Dark Magic’, Lv18 ‘Necromancy’, Lv18 ‘Undead Creation’, Lv17 ‘Curse’]
There were five skills available for copying.
‘I won’t have the opportunity to gain the powers of a high-ranking lich until I reach the 30th floor of the tower.’
…The decision had to be careful.
Jinhyuk’s eyes narrowed.
All the skills were useful, but one, in particular, stood out to him.
It was something he couldn’t possibly pass up.
“I’ll copy Undead Creation.”
[Lv1 ‘Undead Creation’ copied successfully.]
[The copied skill is stored in ‘Memories of the World’.]
As the latter stages approached, the scale of a faction’s forces became increasingly important.
‘Currently, I’m only a small faction, but I’ll need a legions commensurate with that status for the future.’
Given that, copying a skill like Undead Creation to create his own soldiers seemed vital.
Jinhyuk glanced around briefly.
Being in the most secluded first-class seat, there was no risk of attracting attention from others.
Besides, the partitions ensured he wasn’t easily seen.
‘Well then, let’s give this a try.’
After asking a flight attendant, he gathered the bones of the T-bone steak he had eaten and concentrated his magic on them…
Fizz, fizz!
The bones began to be carved away.
[You have successfully created a Skeleton Soldier ‘Lv1’!]
[Your first undead soldier joins your forces.]
[Giving them a name can lead to greater loyalty and slightly impact their growth rate.]
Clatter!
A small skeleton soldier, the size of a puppy, appeared on his knees.
Seeing the popped-out black eye sockets felt…
Less like a horrific undead monster, more like a small, cute miniature.
The limit was due to the skill’s level still being low.
‘As for the name…’
Names definitely helped with endearment and forming bonds.
After a moment of thought, Jinhyuk flashed a smile, seemingly having an idea.
“T-bone. Your name will be T-bone from now on.”
He was created from a T-bone steak, so the name T-bone seemed most fitting.
The ritzy, high-class connotation was a bonus.
“Clatter!”
The bone made a sound as if it had a complaint, but Jinhyuk was already filled with self-praise.
‘I have an amazing knack for naming.’
He slightly regretted giving such a perfect name for free.
That’s when it happened.
“Mogi!”
Sweet Potato, who had been hiding underneath his chair, suddenly popped its head out.
Like a predator hunting prey, it lunged and clutched T-bone’s leg bone.
“Clatter!”
Sweet Potato nibbled, savoring the flavor of meat deep within the bone.
“Hey, that’s not to eat.”
“Mogi?”
“Since we’ll be working together, you should teach it well. Tell the spirit waters, too.”
“Mogi!”
Sweet Potato responded energetically.
Hmm.
It’s hard to say why it continued to taste T-bone’s bones while seeming to understand, but…
The intelligent creature must have caught on well.
…Probably.
‘Now, the grand finale.’
Jinhyuk’s gaze dropped.
The greatest reward of the raid.
A robe of pitch-black belonging to a great sorcerer.
Honestly, he had not expected this to drop from Bairothum.
And for good reason.
In the past, he had only received items like staves or accessories, but never just a robe.
Meaning.
This was the first time.
Jinhyuk checked the staff’s information with trembling hands.
