Chapter 116: Special Event, Hold Out (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 116: Special Event, Hold Out (1)
A void of absolute nothingness existed.
It was a foreign space where neither the axis of time nor space held meaning. In that twisted dimension where life could not survive, she was rolling around.
Her pitch-black hair was disheveled like a bird's nest, and her small body flailed about restlessly.
She was the Administrator of Earth.
The Administrator let out a groan that sounded more like a strangled scream.
"Ughhhhh..."
Boredom was etched into every line of her face.
"I'm so bored..."
She had nothing to do. The only time she could intervene on Earth was during the official Tests, and the 2nd Test had only recently concluded. There was a tedious gap before the 3rd Test would begin.
"I'm even tired of watching the universe..."
She wanted to intervene directly. She wanted to play pranks. She wanted to have fun.
Staring blankly into the air, she suddenly bolted upright.
"Why shouldn't I just intervene myself?"
Her eyes sparkled. It was the gaze of a pure child—the kind that would innocently rip the limbs off a doll or snap its body in half just to see what happened.
"I should create an event."
A very interesting, delightful event.
Giggling to herself, she snapped her fingers.
* * *
[Congratulations. Your Feat Stat has reached 100. This is a magnificent achievement!]
[A special benefit will be granted according to your achievement.]
[Reward for reaching 100 Feat:]
[You may increase the rank of one skill by one level.]
[Skills eligible for rank increase are limited to those up to Mid-Rank.]
A predatory grin spread across Kang Jun-hyeok’s face.
The reward for reaching 100 Feat was indeed a skill rank upgrade. For example, he could upgrade an Intermediate Active Skill like Instant Acceleration to an Advanced rank.
Its value was beyond words. The gap between skill ranks was immense. Currently, his Low-Rank attack skill was Thrust, while his Intermediate-Rank attack skills were Sword Ki and Sword Wind. Their power and range existed on entirely different levels.
And now, he could elevate such a skill by an entire rank.
Of course, there were restrictions. Only skills up to Mid-Rank could be upgraded; it was impossible to push an Advanced skill to the Highest rank. In his past life, this restriction had been quite a disappointment.
But not this time.
Among the skills he currently possessed—excluding things like Authorities or Unique skills—his highest-ranked skills were Intermediate. The restriction was practically non-existent for him.
The skill to be upgraded was already decided.
"Arcana Gem Magic."
The value of Arcana Gem Magic was incredibly high. As it was the most potent magic he could use at this stage, it was the perfect candidate for an upgrade.
[The rank of Arcana Gem Magic has increased from Intermediate to Advanced.]
[Passive Skill: Arcana Gem Magic]
[Rank: High-Rank]
[Proficiency: C]
[Description: A magic that utilizes gems created by Tia Lirinet as catalysts. The magic has reached a higher level of mastery. Mana consumption is almost non-existent when using this magic. It does not require innate magical talent. By using gems as catalysts, the power contained within them can be amplified and controlled with near-perfection.]
The skill description stated that it had reached a higher level of mastery. Kang Jun-hyeok let out a low whistle.
"Nice."
He had finally obtained an Advanced skill. Considering that in his past life, he hadn't acquired an Advanced skill until after the 50th Floor, his progress was more than twice as fast.
After processing the reward, Kang Jun-hyeok called for Pixie. Having seen the memories of the 21st Floor, she let out a weary groan.
[You're showing us our memories? Zelesi... that guy did something insane. Fortunately, my memories aren't in there.]
Sighing in relief, Pixie looked at Kang Jun-hyeok as if seeing him in a new light.
[But... aren't you a bit too fine? I thought even you would be affected at least a little.]
The memories of their defeat. They were desperate, horrific, and soul-crushing. Even Pixie, who had only read Kang Jun-hyeok's memories, felt a lingering chill.
Yet Kang Jun-hyeok was perfectly calm. He had cleared the trial as if he were immune to the emotions that even she, who had given up on everything, couldn't laugh off. A look of wonder crossed her face.
[If it's you... if it's really you, then maybe...]
Swallowing the rest of her words, Pixie waved her hand.
[Take it.]
[280 Starlight.]
"Thanks."
After finishing his business, Kang Jun-hyeok checked his phone.
March 21, 2031.
Winter was fading, and spring was arriving.
It's about time.
Kang Jun-hyeok's eyes grew cold.
A few hours later, a strange system window appeared before everyone on the planet.
[Earth Announcement.]
[Hello! Kids!]
* * *
The announcement appeared literally out of nowhere.
It was a foreign message, unlike anything they had seen before, dripping with a child's playfulness and underlying malice. Kang Jun-hyeok wore an expression that suggested he had been expecting exactly this.
[I'm the Administrator of Earth. I'm sure you've all seen me before!]
[It's nothing major, but there's quite a bit of time left between the 2nd Test and the 3rd Test. So, I'm really bored right now, you see? Watching you guys isn't fun anymore.]
[So, I've created a special event!]
[The special event is an individual event, not a group one.]
[Do your best! Good rewards await those who overcome it. It will start in three days. Good luck, everyone!]
People who saw the announcement were dazed, unable to fully grasp the content. Some even wondered if they were dreaming. However, the system window that appeared shortly after cruelly hammered home the reality of the situation.
[Oh. But it would be too boring if I only gave rewards, so I'll add one penalty.]
[The bottom 10% in this event are scheduled to die! Work hard!]
A moment of stunned silence followed.
Then, chaos erupted. Screams and cries of confusion began to echo around Kang Jun-hyeok's neighborhood. Inside his home, the Master of All Weapons let out a groan.
[What is this?]
"It looks like an event is about to take place."
[But this is strange.]
The Master of All Weapons spoke in a tone of pure disbelief.
[It was an Earth Announcement, not a Universe Announcement. As far as I know, such events do not exist between Tests. Above all, the tone of the announcement was... bizarre.]
"Then there's only one explanation."
[The Earth Administrator's arbitrary decision?]
There were many Administrators. Each had their own thoughts, ideologies, and personalities. The Administrator of Earth was one with a particularly broken personality—to the point of holding events solely based on her whims and prejudices. Realizing this, the Master of All Weapons let out a hollow laugh.
[You've been caught by a strange one.]
"But it's also an opportunity."
This event would only be held for Earth. It meant that depending on the results, one could claim rewards that others in the universe could not. For that, preparation was necessary.
"It should be about time. Blacksmith."
Vwooom.
A rift in space opened. Stepping through, Jun-hyeok was met with sweltering heat and the rhythmic sound of hammering. The blacksmith looked up.
"You've come."
"Is it finished?"
"Yes."
Ten days had passed since he last visited. The blacksmith brought out a piece of equipment.
"This is the gear you requested. Check it for yourself."
* * *
Kang Jun-hyeok had commissioned the blacksmith to craft equipment using the Void Gem and the Gem of Eternity.
The production was finally complete. Kang Jun-hyeok slowly accepted the item.
"Is it an orb?"
"That seemed like the cleanest form for it."
It was an orb of a very peculiar shape. The Void Gem was condensed in the center like a miniature black hole, while fragments of the Gem of Eternity orbited around it like satellites. It had a strange appearance and an eerie, powerful aura.
He had an intuition. This would be the best piece of equipment he had obtained in this life.
[Orb of Eternity]
[Slot: Weapon]
[Rank: High-Rank]
[Mana +50]
[Equipment Ability: Can store an infinite number of gems. Stored gems accumulate mana and are refined to high purity. The longer they are stored within the orb, the more their mana and purity increase.]
[Description: Created by the Heaven-Endowed Blacksmith by combining the Void Gem, the Gem of Eternity, and equipment from the Magic Tower. He is a blacksmith, not an enchanter; he cannot create new abilities. However, he was more than capable of bringing out the full potential of the materials' existing properties.]
"Ooh."
Kang Jun-hyeok couldn't help but let out an exclamation of admiration. This was High-Rank equipment, and it possessed a very unique ability.
"Gem storage."
"The power of the Void Gem contains all things in the world. And the Gem of Eternity supplies energy for near-eternity. Combining those two abilities to their fullest resulted in this," the blacksmith grumbled, sounding as if he were making an excuse.
Storage and refinement of gems. To an ordinary player, it was a completely useless ability. From the blacksmith's perspective, he felt he had taken legendary materials and made a niche piece of gear.
However, Kang Jun-hyeok expressed his sincere gratitude.
"Thank you very, very much."
He possessed Arcana Gem Magic. He was the one player who could utilize this equipment's ability better than anyone else in existence.
When Kang Jun-hyeok appeared genuinely pleased, contrary to his expectations, the blacksmith hesitated for a moment. He quickly wiped the emotion from his face and resumed his usual gruff expression.
"Come back again next time. I'll make you something like this again."
"Yes. Thank you."
Kang Jun-hyeok noticed the change in the man's demeanor but didn't mention it, simply offering his thanks.
Returning to Earth, he immediately headed to the training center. There, he took out his gems. He had used all his high-quality gems to clear the 19th Floor. Since then, he had received additional gems through Baekdusan and Kim Tae-yeon.
However, unlike before, their quality and size were significantly lower. In terms of value, they were barely a tenth of what he'd had. If he used them as they were, even with his increased skill rank, they wouldn't produce even half the power he had previously wielded.
He placed those gems into the Orb of Eternity.
Twelve hours later, Kang Jun-hyeok marveled as he took the gems back out.
"The purity definitely went up."
The dull colors of the gems had become vivid. Not only that, but the quantity and quality of the mana contained within had also increased. After fiddling with the gems for a moment, Kang Jun-hyeok grabbed a ruby and threw it. The magic formula activated, and an explosion occurred.
KABOOOOM!
The training center shook violently. Cracks formed in the walls, and the ceiling looked ready to collapse. Seeing the power, Kang Jun-hyeok whistled.
"Is it this much?"
The power had increased noticeably. Combined with the orb's own mana boost and the effects of the Advanced Arcana Gem Magic, there was little difference compared to the high-purity gems he had first received.
Obtaining the gems themselves wasn't the hard part; obtaining high-purity gems was the challenge. Considering that, the Orb of Eternity was an incredible piece of equipment that could be used continuously.
Furthermore, there was no limit to the gem storage. He could store and refine gems as soon as he obtained them.
And one more thing. Kang Jun-hyeok stared intently at the orb.
[The longer they are stored within the orb, the more their mana and purity increase.]
The orb's description didn't mention a limit.
If so, to what level could they be refined over time? Kang Jun-hyeok tucked one ruby deep into the orb's core. He didn't know when he would need it, but the day to use it would eventually come.
All preparations were complete. Time flowed slowly.
And finally, the special event began.