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‘This system message window is red.’
Unlike the usual semi-transparent system message window, the background color of this message that directly warned Seong Jihan was red.
Maybe because it’s a message related to the stat ‘Red’.
[Time remaining 23:58:57]
And the remaining time was ticking away until he came to the Void training room.
When he came to the training ground, it didn’t decrease.
‘Can the Great Constellations not detect the inside of this place?’
If that’s the case, it’s no different from having no time limit.
‘Of course, the end of May is coming soon. The schedule is tight, but…’
The Void training room where time keeps flowing, it’s just that it can’t be detected by that timer.
As a primary goal, he had to absorb and conceal the ability of Red until digesting the schedule at the end of May.
However,
‘If absorption doesn’t work, I’ll have to miss about one game of the Space League.’
If he tries too hard to attend all the games for the sake of humanity and becomes the target of the Great Constellations, it would completely ruin things.
Even if he had to give up the May schedule, for now, perfectly obtaining and concealing Red was the priority.
“Then…”
Whoosh!
Seong Jihan ignited Red like when he drew out Crimson Thunder or Dragon Flame before.
When imagining Crimson Thunder, the power of lightning was prioritized.
When imagining Dragon Flame, the power of fire was prioritized and the power of Red surged.
This authority encompassing both attributes felt like just an enhanced version of the previous abilities for now.
‘Let’s handle it in earnest.’
Seong Jihan, who began training Red like that in the Void training room.
‘First, with the feeling of drawing out Crimson Thunder and Dragon Flame simultaneously.’
The stats had already been integrated into Red.
Seong Jihan judged that the reason the powers came out separately was because of the perception he had before.
Especially Crimson Thunder, as it was a power he had operated for a long time.
The fixed notion about the power of lightning was deeply rooted in his mind.
‘I have to use both.’
Draw out the power of Red itself, not Crimson Thunder or Dragon Flame.
To change his perception system like this, Seong Jihan endlessly manifested the power.
Starting weakly at first.
Later, he tried to integrate as much as possible by drawing it out with all his might.
[The power of Red has been exhausted.]
A message saying that the power of Red had run out appeared in the red system window.
“Hmm.”
Seong Jihan looked around.
The Void training room where the background can be changed.
The background map of the lush forest that was raised this time had already been devastated by the authority of Red, leaving no trees.
Looking at the red flames continuously rising on the charred ground, Seong Jihan thought.
‘Red stat 5…In terms of firepower alone, it’s at least 250 Dragon Flame, or even higher.’
The Red stat that can draw out more power the more it is used, It was indeed worthy of being called a gradeless stat.
Furthermore,
[Absorbing the sunlight to replenish the power of Red.]
Maybe even the sun raised in the training ground background map contained power.
The Red stat began to quickly replenish the exhausted ability by absorbing the power of the sun.
The first Breath that became the opportunity to acquire Dragon Flame also poured down from the sun.
Is there really a connection between the ability of Red and the sun?
Both in power output and replenishment.
The Red stat that definitely advanced compared to the previous abilities.
Seong Jihan repeatedly replenished and used his power like that.
In the end, he was able to draw out the power to the limit of the Red stat.
The power of flames and lightning that became more than twice as strong as the previous 200 era, even though the stat value was only 5.
‘But the condition to clearly absorb and conceal it has not been met…’
The timer indicating the remaining time was still displayed in a stopped state.
It seemed that something more than freely handling the power output was needed.
Seong Jihan, who had been handling the power of Red for who knows how many days.
‘This won’t do.’
Decided to look for another way.
‘Let’s replay the last game.’
The hidden code of the Spear Of Judgement that appeared when he obtained the Red stat.
Seong Jihan decided to examine it again.
When smoke rose from the spear, the code that appeared.
[Target condition have been partially matched]
[Destruction code manifested]
After the unknown letters appeared.
[Target stop code execution in progress]
The red letters that were hidden below it floated.
However,
‘Hmm?’
Unlike when he saw it last time, in front of the red letters.
A strange symbol resembling the sun was briefly revealed and disappeared, catching Seong Jihan’s eyes.
‘It definitely wasn’t there last time… Did it become visible because I can handle the Red stat now?’
Seong Jihan replayed the scene as slowly as possible.
Once again, the sun mark appeared and disappeared.
And upon seeing that mark, Seong Jihan instinctively realized its significance.
‘That’s the key to concealing the code.’
He didn’t know why the sun mark was responsible for concealment.
He simply understood it upon seeing it.
‘Is this also the effect of the Red stat?’
Thinking so, Seong Jihan revisited a past match where he was first hit by the Spear Of Judgement.
Even then, the sun mark existed identically, including the target stop code.
It just wasn’t visible because he didn’t have the Red stat.
‘Hmm… The Spear Of Judgement is ultimately linked to the Iron Blood Cross.’
Iron Blood Cross.
Drawing a cross, then piercing the center with a spear after absorbing blood and steel.
This martial art, where all living beings at the center are instantly killed, ultimately lacked practicality.
So even Seong Jihan rarely utilized it these days, just using Crimson Thunder Cannon or separating the Iron Blood Cross to use as a cross shield.
‘Since I obtained the authority of Red, let’s analyze this martial art again.’
Seong Jihan crossed his sword and spear.
Fundamental Divine Arts, Annihilation God’s Secret – Blood Cross.
The horizontal stroke of iron.
And the vertical stroke of blood.
While the Iron Blood Cross was engraved on the ground like that, no code appeared.
However,
Poof!
When Seong Jihan raised the Phoenix Flag and struck down the center.
The sun mark that hid the red letters a moment ago was revealed and disappeared in an instant.
[Prerequisite condition completed]
[Destruction code manifested]
Red letters were revealed.
‘As expected, there was a code in the Iron Blood Cross too.’
The code that can finally be seen after obtaining the stat Red.
‘The prerequisite condition refers to this unnecessary procedure of drawing the cross.’
Seong Jihan had remodeled the Iron Blood Cross in various ways, but he couldn’t properly implement the instant death effect it possessed.
That was because the core of the instant death effect was in that code.
However,
‘If I can input this code, there’s no need to be bound by the framework of the cross.’
Code input made possible through the upgraded Martial Soul.
Of course, even if the conditions were met, the code input itself was put on hold because he didn’t know how to use it.
“Hmm…”
Looking at the letters that were engraved in red and disappeared along with the sun mark.
Seong Jihan felt the power he obtained this time, the ability of Red, wriggling.
Unlike during the replay, maybe because Seong Jihan directly manifested the code through the Iron Blood Cross.
‘When the Martial Soul was upgraded, it said that the code could be input through this… But what’s actually moving is Red.’
A clue about code input was slowly being grasped.
‘Good…’
Seong Jihan, who reset the background.
Once again used the Iron Blood Cross and displayed the letters.
Red wriggling each time.
‘I’ll skip one game of the Space League.’
In order to securely capture the clue he obtained this time.
Seong Jihan decided not to care about the flow of time.
Repeating it countless times like that.
Manipulating the Red, and displaying the Iron Blood Cross, Seong Jihan.
‘Is this it…’
After a long time, he finally manifested his power.
* * *
The Void training room with a plain area as the background.
There, Seong Jihan stood alone, extending his index finger.
Then,
Chiiing!
Red flames rising from the fingertip.
While it appeared to be just flames on the surface, within it, countless abilities were mixed. Seong Jihan’s Martial Soul, the Red, and even the void were combined, encapsulating all his abilities within the flames.
As he moved his finger.
Chiiing…!
Letters were engraved in the air.
[Destroy]
The ‘Destroy’ of the Destruction code that Seong Jihan had seen countless times.
Even before completing that letter, the flames rapidly lost power, but…
“It worked…!”
In the end, the ‘Destroy’ letter was completed.
And
Shaaaa…!
The air where the letter was drawn turned black.
It changed into a space completely disconnected from the surrounding plains.
“…This is.”
Seong Jihan, who opened his eyes wide, looked at it.
He changed the background of the training ground.
From plains to forest.
From forest to sky background.
No matter what background the world changed to, the air that had the ‘Destroy’ drawn on it and turned black maintained its annihilated state.
“Is this the power of the Destruction code?”
Seeing that, Seong Jihan sat down on the spot with all his strength drained.
Code input.
He only wrote a single letter, but all the strength in his body was drained.
Not only Red but Void and Martial Soul, all the power in Seong Jihan’s body was completely exhausted.
Writing the code demanded that much powerful strength.
‘…I know how to use it, but Engraving it is difficult.’
Even though he had become a player who transcended humanity and even rose to a Constellation candidate.
Writing the code demanded strength beyond that.
‘I need to level up more.’
Seong Jihan felt the desire to grow while sitting down.
If he grows more and becomes able to freely handle this code, there would be nothing to fear.
To do that, he would have to participate in the promotion match.
‘Shall I go back to Earth now.’
In a situation where he couldn’t even sense how many days had passed to complete a single letter.
Seong Jihan decided to return now.
“Ah! Before that…”
Seong Jihan looked at his chest.
The red spot shaped like a crescent moon.
It was a pattern that appeared after obtaining the Red stat.
He stared blankly at it and recovered his strength, then.
“Phew…”
When the energy gathered again, he ignited the flames in his hand once more.
The flames capable of code input, He brought it close to the crescent moon engraved on his chest.
“Ugh…”
An intense pain that made it difficult to maintain consciousness came, but he gritted his teeth and engraved a pattern on his chest with the flames.
What he engraved was the sun mark that hid the red letters.
When it was drawn on top of the crescent-shaped spot, a message appeared.
[Stat ‘Red’ is concealed.]
[Except for the administrator, no one can detect the power of Red.]
[When inputting a code, the concealment will be temporarily lifted.]
The crescent moon pattern disappeared.
The sun mark also flashed for a moment and disappeared from Seong Jihan’s chest.
‘The timer disappeared too.’
The remaining time message that was continuously floating in the air.
The final time was 23:58:57.
‘I should only use the Destruction code in real battles when it’s decisive.’
Right now, time is stopped like that.
But if he uses the Destruction code, the detection of the Great Constellations will operate again.
Seong Jihan, who concealed even the Red stat like that, left the training ground with a light heart.
‘This place is… the BattleNet Center?’
The scenery that appeared as soon as he logged out of the training ground.
It was a familiar place to Seong Jihan, the BattleNet Center.
Come to think of it, after the Russia match ended, he entered the training ground without even going home in a hurry.
‘For now, I have to go home.’
Thinking that, Seong Jihan left the BattleNet Center.
The timer that doesn’t appear even after coming to Earth, confirming that the Red stat was properly concealed.
‘It’s annoying to take the elevator.’
Seong Jihan used Flashing Steps to the extreme and arrived at the penthouse rooftop in an instant.
Creak!
Lightly pushing the window, Seong Jihan entered the living room.
“Ah… Gosh, you surprised me! When did you come, Uncle?”
“Just now.”
Yoon Seah, who came out after washing her hair, was startled to see Seong Jihan like that and greeted him.
“Oh. You should have come a bit earlier. Too bad.”
“Is the Space League match over?”
“Yeah… Yesterday.”
Maybe because the performance of the training ground improved.
He thought he had stayed for quite a while, but not many days had passed than expected.
“How did it go?”
Seong Jihan asked about the game result.
“We lost. You weren’t there, Uncle.”
“Who was the opponent? Don’t tell me it was the World Tree Elves?”
“I wish it were… No. Then would we have been executed, right?”
Yoon Seah scratched her cheek as if she had no face.
“The opponent was the Zojins.”
“…The last place in the league?”
“Yeah…”
Seong Jihan frowned.
The Zojin.
The race that had caused him trouble on the planet colonization map.
They were also the last-place race in the Space League.
Despite not participating himself, losing to the last-place team in the league was embarrassing.
“…Do you want to watch the match news?”
“Sure. Let’s see how humanity lost to the last-place team.”
“Ugh… But it was a close match.”
Beep!
Yoon Seah turned on the TV.
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