Chapter 199: The First Universe Quest (9)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 199: The First Universe Quest (9)
Once a crack forms, even the slightest pressure can force it wide. The dagger ground forward slowly, and before long, it had sliced through half of the Black Being’s neck.
The Black Being didn't just stand there and take the hit. It seized Kang Jun-hyeok’s shoulder and slammed a heavy fist into his stomach.
[Anti-Field.]
He deployed a barrier, reinforcing his abdomen with blood to brace for the impact.
It shattered instantly. A violent shockwave rocked his entire body. Kang Jun-hyeok gritted his teeth and poured every ounce of his strength into the dagger.
Skreeeeeeek!
The crack continued to spread.
However, the Black Being fought back with a frantic barrage of attacks. Jun-hyeok shielded himself with blood as best he could, but the damage he couldn't fully block began to take its toll.
At this rate, it would be a race against time.
His health would bottom out before he could finish severing the creature's head.
He had to take a risk. Kang Jun-hyeok gathered his internal energy, pushing it to its absolute limit.
The first form of the Divine Art of the Master of All Weapons: Hot Wind Sky Slash.
The dagger already hummed with power amplified by the technique.
He amplified it again.
Creeeeeak.
His muscles felt like they were screaming, ready to tear under the strain. His health plummeted, unable to withstand the sheer burden of such a powerful martial art.
But then—
Clang!
Finally, the Black Being’s head went flying.
In a final, desperate struggle, the headless torso swung its fists blindly. With his health completely exhausted, even a glancing blow would be fatal. Jun-hyeok immediately activated Rift Movement to put as much distance between them as possible.
Rumble!
The ground gouged out and collapsed, forming a massive crater from the creature's final death throes.
As the dust settled, all that remained was a headless corpse.
The body teetered for a moment before collapsing heavily to the ground.
[Level Up.]
[Level Up.]
[Health +50]
[Strength +3]
[Speed +2]
[Internal Energy +3]
[Mana +2]
[Psychic +1]
[Dagger Technique proficiency has increased from D to C.]
[Charge proficiency has increased from E to D.]
[Instant Acceleration proficiency has increased from E to D.]
[True Ancestor Awakening’s...]
[Passive Skill: Counter has been acquired.]
“Phew.”
He had won.
Kang Jun-hyeok let out a long, ragged breath. The Master of All Weapons spoke in a tone of genuine surprise.
[You won. And quite easily at that.]
“I struggled quite a bit, actually.”
[Considering the gap between you and that thing, you can hardly call that a struggle. The Black Being was foolish, dull, and lacked any special abilities, but it was still an opponent of a higher rank than you.]
Even within the Second Rank, the gap was as wide as the heavens and the earth. There was a clear difference in power between the mid-tier Kang Jun-hyeok and the high-tier Black Being. To take it down like this was, without a doubt, a decisive victory.
[Your response was perfect. Your distribution of power was excellent as well. It was as if you had faced that opponent tens of thousands of times before. You really are interesting.]
The Master of All Weapons spoke with amusement. Kang Jun-hyeok simply shrugged and sheathed his dagger.
He returned to the interior of the barrier.
The players were staring at him, faces blank with shock.
For a long moment, no one could find their voice.
But the silence didn't last. Someone finally whispered.
“...He won.”
“We won.”
“He... he actually took down that monster.”
As if a dam had burst, the murmurs swelled. Soon, a wave of emotion surged like a waterfall. They thrust their fists into the air.
“Hooray!”
“Long live Kang Jun-hyeok!”
“Woooooah! We... we actually survived!”
They had cleared the First Universe Quest perfectly.
Shouts of joy echoed from every direction.
* * *
Every single person, without exception, was overjoyed.
Their faces were radiant with happiness and newfound hope.
The sight gave Kang Jun-hyeok a strange, hollow feeling.
Universe Quests were held multiple times. In his past life, there had been several instances where they had cleared a quest near-perfectly.
However, the players back then couldn't simply enjoy the achievement.
They knew that even greater trials were constantly looming on the horizon.
In contrast, this was only the First Universe Quest. To those who didn't know the future, it felt as if they had conquered the world.
In a way, it was foolish, but it wasn't bad. It was a sight he had never witnessed in his previous life.
Pushing through the cheering crowd, Tuvalt appeared before Kang Jun-hyeok. He spoke in a trembling voice.
“Kang Jun-hyeok.”
“What is it?”
Tuvalt stared silently at him. His eyes were no longer filled with arrogance, but with deep respect. He lowered his posture.
Kang Jun-hyeok’s eyes widened. The players from Planet Volanta gasped in unison.
The arrogant, haughty Tuvalt Shadowstar—the genius who appeared once in ten thousand years—was kneeling.
He knelt before Kang Jun-hyeok in front of everyone.
“I admit it. You are greater than I. You are stronger, and you are more outstanding. I was foolish and failed to recognize your true essence. I repent from the bottom of my heart.”
“...Uh.”
“You have given me a lesson. I shall follow that teaching. I will let go of my obsession with being a black mage and follow behind you as a player. So, Kang Jun-hyeok...”
“Yeah, what?”
Kang Jun-hyeok tried his best to hide how flustered he was. Tuvalt asked in a cautious, reverent tone.
“May I serve you as the master of my heart? I beg of you.”
“...Do whatever you want.”
“Thank you!”
Tuvalt smiled brightly.
Kang Jun-hyeok found the change in attitude bewildering. It was a complete 180-degree turn from the stubborn man he had known in his past life.
The current Tuvalt was still young; his mind hadn't hardened yet, making him highly susceptible to his surroundings. But for Kang Jun-hyeok, who only knew the older version of him, it was jarring.
Still, it wasn't a bad thing. Tuvalt's perspective had shifted on its own without Jun-hyeok having to lift a finger.
The players had changed, and so had Tuvalt.
What kind of impact would this have compared to his past life?
He couldn't be certain, but at the very least, it wouldn't be for the worse.
The duration of the First Universe Quest was one month.
Even though all the enemies had been defeated, three days still remained. This gave him some unexpected free time. The players rested and interacted with those from the other planet, while Kang Jun-hyeok took the time to check his skills.
Dagger Technique had reached C-rank. Charge and Instant Acceleration had both reached D-rank.
[Active Skill: Charge]
Rank: Low-Rank
Proficiency: D
Cooldown: 30 minutes
Description: Charge powerfully toward an opponent. Influenced by Strength and Speed stats. Upon impact, it deals a strong shock and can knock the target back.
[Active Skill: Instant Acceleration]
Rank: Mid-Rank
Proficiency: D
Cooldown: 60 minutes
Description: Increases all speed by 1.5 times for 20 seconds.
The newly upgraded effect of Charge allowed for continuous pressure even after the initial collision.
As for Instant Acceleration, the duration had doubled. Since both were highly efficient skills, these were significant improvements.
He had also gained a new passive skill.
[Passive Skill: Counter]
Rank: Low-Rank
Proficiency: F
Description: A counterattack against an opponent's strike. If the counter is timed with near-perfect force, the damage dealt is doubled.
Counter.
It was a magnificent passive skill that literally doubled damage when executed successfully.
Of course, activating it wasn't easy. He had only been able to land counters repeatedly because the Black Being was a simple, brutish opponent. Against a typical enemy, it would be difficult to trigger even once during a battle.
Even so, it was a skill powerful enough to turn the tide of any fight.
Satisfied, Kang Jun-hyeok went to find Vibraham. The god looked down at him with eyes full of admiration.
[Impressive. You defeated a high-tier Second Rank Black Being without much trouble. Above all... your primary tools were skills, not the power of the universe. Is that the power of a Player? Remarkable. But what is truly remarkable is your ability to wield it.]
Vibraham’s praise was relentless.
[It has only been about ten years since your kind began climbing the Tower. That means you've only had that much time to master those techniques. You should be inexperienced, yet you were perfect. How long have you been climbing the Tower?]
“Roughly... two years.”
[...That level of proficiency in just two years?]
Vibraham let out a hollow laugh.
[Splendid. If it weren't for Eldiria, I would want to make you my Apostle even by force.]
[I have already set my sights on him. I will not yield.]
[I know. You have cleared the quest magnificently. Therefore, I shall bestow my grace upon you.]
A powerful light descended toward Kang Jun-hyeok.
[Passive Skill: Grace of Protection has been acquired.]
[Passive Skill: Grace of Protection]
Rank: Authority
Description: An Authority bestowed by Vibraham, the God of Protection, to a favored believer. Defense increases by 10%.
“...Are you serious?”
Kang Jun-hyeok’s eyes widened.
A flat increase in defense without any conditions. And the ratio wasn't low—a full 10%. It was a skill that would become even more efficient as he grew stronger. It was truly a skill bordering on an Authority.
[You have done well. Normally, this is an Authority I only grant to my Apostles, but I shall personally bestow it upon you. By the way... so that is what a Player is.]
Vibraham muttered with renewed interest.
[Until now, I didn't have the slightest bit of interest. I thought of them as toys for the Victors. But seeing you has changed my mind. I should look for some useful fellows myself.]
[It will be difficult to find someone like this one.]
[That is likely true. But perhaps I can find someone reasonably useful. It would be fun to raise them.]
Vibraham seemed to be plotting something.
Kang Jun-hyeok offered his thanks to the pensive god and stepped back.
Finally, after three days had passed, the system window announcing the end appeared.
[The First Universe Quest has ended.]
[Checking achievement rate...]
[100%]
[Amazing! You are the only planet in the entire universe to have perfectly cleared the Universe Quest!]
[Universe Announcement]
[Please offer your congratulations! A planet that has perfectly cleared the Universe Quest has appeared. This is a unique and peerless feat. We hope you will follow their example and continue to climb the Tower diligently!]
[MVP: Kang Jun-hyeok]
[Splendid! A perfect clear would have been impossible without you. A special reward befitting your magnificent achievement will be granted.]
[Please select one of the following rewards.]
1. Gold befitting the clear rate.
2. Powerful Unique Equipment.
3. Powerful Unique Skill.
4. A very special material item.
5. A massive increase in a specific stat.
“Now then.”
Which one should he pick this time? Just as Kang Jun-hyeok fell into thought, space split open and a black-haired girl popped out.
“Yahoo!”
“Administrator. What brings you here?”
“To praise you, obviously!”
The Administrator of Earth patted Kang Jun-hyeok’s shoulder with a beaming smile.
“You did incredibly well! The reason we were able to successfully clear this Universe Quest is all thanks to you! Not because of some half-human half-demon that that damn jerk is so proud of!”
“I'm glad you're happy.”
Administrators existed for each planet, and the relationships between them were far from friendly. Since they were essentially competitors, she seemed delighted that Kang Jun-hyeok had achieved such results. The Administrator nodded vigorously.
“You really did well. So, here is the reward for that!”
With her words, the system window flickered and changed. Kang Jun-hyeok’s eyes widened.
[Please select two of the following rewards.]
1. Gold befitting the clear rate.
2. Powerful Unique Equipment.
3. Powerful Unique Skill.
4. A very special material item.
5. A massive increase in a specific stat.
“Two?”
It wasn't just one. He could now choose two. The Administrator grinned.
“It’s a gift from me to you! Pick whatever you like!”