Wave Five: Symbiosis and Sanctuaries
"What are you recommending this time?"
"S-s-s-t. There is no recommendation list anymore."
"Excuse me?!"
"S-s-s-t. Directives have descended from above. I am strictly forbidden from volunteering merchandise details to Kim Saebyeok unless specifically asked. Sh-s-s-k."
Saebyeok tilted his head, his brow furrowing.
"In short, you may no longer browse the catalogue. S-s-s-t."
"...Haha."
"Ask questions. S-s-t! I take no pleasure in this either, s-s-s-t, but my hands are tied."
"..."
Saebyeok's mind kicked into overdrive.
She practically spoon-fed me recommendations until now, and suddenly this? Why?
Tap. Tap. Tap.
He tapped his combat boot in rhythmic agitation.
First, consider Shasha. What is she? Her true origin remains unknown, but she's a merchant. She peddles goods. And standing behind her is that damn System. Ah... fuck... That hundred thousand CP wasn't a free handout after all. Directives, huh? Are they throwing a wrench in the gears because I'm advancing too fast? Or is it simply because they find it amusing?
Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.
Then again, these bastards ruined a perfectly functional Earth. I don't know their ultimate motive, but entertainment is undoubtedly part of the equation. So for now, I should treat this as a balance patch. Ha... fuck. Barring me from buying entirely would probably violate their own sacred rules, so their compromise is throttling my access to information...
"S-s-s-t! You truly are a participant worth investing in!"
"Pardon?"
"Sh-s-s-k."
"Are you reading my mind?"
"Advanced deductive reasoning. Mind-reading is beyond my capabilities. However, s-s-s-t, I merely synthesize the intelligence and circumstances at hand, factor in your visible reactions, and infer the rest. As a reminder, I can no longer present you with an open menu like I do for others. S-s-s-t."
"Ugh... this just got complicated."
"Wait, what kind of ridiculous nonsense is this?!"
Heejin and Jian bristled, ready to protest, but Saebyeok raised a hand to restrain them.
"Shh, it's fine... I think I understand what's going on."
Saebyeok deliberated for a moment before meeting the serpent's slit-pupil gaze.
"In that case, I want to upgrade my existing abilities first."
"S-s-s-t! Strengthening your baseline capabilities before the Wave concludes is always a commendable choice."
Ch-r-r-r-rk.
"This is the absolute ceiling your vessel can endure in a single upgrade cycle. Shall I process the transaction?"
"What about cultivation arts?"
"Impossible at present. Your physical frame would collapse under the internal strain."
"Understood. Let's do it."
Saebyeok accepted the terms without further debate.
"S-s-s-t."
Shasha flicked her tongue in evident satisfaction.
"Gayoung mentioned that planting a World Tree grants divine blessings and establishes a Sanctuary of sorts. Do you have any guidance on where to plant it, or what steps need to be taken during the process?"
"Your resident Druid is fully capable of handling those specifics on her own. S-s-s-t."
"I see. Strike that, then." Saebyeok paused, considering the compound's logistics. "Could we perhaps expand the restroom facilities? The current amenities are a bit tight for comfortable living..."
"S-s-s-t... I shall look into sourcing some. Unfortunately, there is no existing inventory."
"Haaah..."
A heavy, collective sigh drifted from the women behind him.
"In that case, do you have armor or combat gear suitable for battle?"
"Sh-s-s-k! That, I possess in abundance."
"I feel like I've relied on ordinary tactical uniforms for too long. If possible, I'd like something that hardens through mana or resonates with my own energy to amplify its defensive strength. Do you have anything along those lines?"
"S-s-t. Yes... Sh-s-s-k! A moment, if you will."
Shasha froze mid-sentence. Tilting her gaze toward empty space, she began speaking into thin air as though fielding a nuisance call from an overbearing bureaucrat.
"S-s-t, this is within allowable parameters! S-s-s-t, strictly within protocol... Any further interference on your part constitutes administrative overreach, s-s-t..."
Lowering her head, Shasha fixed her golden slit eyes back on Saebyeok.
"S-s-s-t."
Snap!
She flicked her forked tongue and snapped her long fingers.
A transparent glass vial materialized in midair, floating gently down before Saebyeok. Suspended inside was a glossy, pitch-black sphere resembling an herbal medicinal pill.
"A pill? An elixir? Some kind of oriental medicine?"
"An organism. S-s-s-t."
"Pardon? Is this... a parasite?"
"Sh-s-s-k. A parasite... One could frame it that way, but symbiont is far more accurate. It subsists on your mana and manifests as protective raiment shaped entirely by your will. Ah... given that it stores surplus mana within itself, your overall magical reserves will experience modest growth as well. Once ingested, it will take root and incubate. As you familiarize yourself with its manipulation, you will be able to alter its morphology into an ever-expanding variety of armaments."
"It's hard to picture."
"S-s-s-t..."
"Still, I choose to trust you, Shasha."
At his words, Shasha summoned a compact status window before him.
◈ Price: 120,000 CP
◈ Origin: Fallen World Xenobiological Relic
"It is the magnum opus of a brilliant polymath from a fallen world—a scholar who began in magical engineering before pivoting to xenobiology."
Shasha stroked the glass vial affectionately.
"It must be nurtured on your mana, and you must imprint your desired form through repeated mental engraving to manifest it. It matures alongside your own magical pool, and the upper limits of its structural durability remain uncharted. Because it starts at the lowest grade, the entry price is remarkably affordable. However... its rate of maturation is decidedly sluggish. S-s-s-t."
"...I'll buy it!"
"Sh-s-s-k! A discerning decision!"
Out of his accumulated 373,520 CP, Saebyeok expended 373,000 CP, retaining a mere 520 CP. It had been an unapologetically selfish shopping spree, devoted entirely to his personal growth.
"S-s-s-t. I strongly advise ingesting the Microparticle Mana Symbiotic Organism Incubation Core only after completing your ability upgrades."
"Understood. Thank you."
As Saebyeok stepped back, Jian approached the counter.
"S-s-s-t. An item tailored precisely to your profile has just arrived. S-s-s-t."
"Huh? Iron Fist Saintess's Mana Hand-to-Hand Combat?"
"Sh-s-s-k! Whether in terms of mana circulation or practical application, it serves as the ultimate catalyst to integrate everything you have learned into an instinctive martial foundation."
"I was actually hoping to purchase defensive garments or armor as well..."
"S-s-s-t. Mana itself can become your armor. The Iron Fist Saintess's hand-to-hand combat treatise will illuminate the path toward that threshold. S-s-s-t."
"I see... Wow, Shasha. You claim you can't read thoughts or peek into minds, but how do you always manage to match our CP down to the exact coin?"
"S-s-s-t. A merchant has her trade secrets."
"Well, thank you."
"Sh-s-s-k. Until next time..."
Leaving the dimensional merchant's chamber behind, they stepped outside to find the market floor abuzz with chatter, reminiscent of a bustling bazaar. Song Gayoung came bounding over, her horn-rimmed glasses sliding slightly down her nose.
"Saebyeok oppa!"
"Oh! Gayoung-ah!"
"Did your shopping go well?"
"Yeah... well enough. How about you?"
"Mine was great! It wasn't a massive haul, but I made smart use of the CP left over from last time when stock was empty... Ah, wait! That's not what's important! Oppa, I think this place is a prime leyline site!"
"What? You said we had to locate an Earth vein or something first, didn't you?"
At Saebyeok's question, Gayoung darted toward a nearby wall and returned clutching what looked remarkably like a military mine detector.
"Gayoung-ah, what on earth is that?"
"I bought it from Shasha!"
"Ah... so that's where she got..."
"Pardon?"
"Nothing. Go on."
"It might not be a flawless hundred-point location, but it easily scores an eighty-five or higher!"
"Shouldn't we hold out for a hundred-point spot?" Saebyeok asked, brow furrowing with skepticism.
"No way... How long would it take to stumble across a perfect spot? Are we supposed to scour all eight provinces or trek across the globe? Once the Sanctuary expands, everyone will receive its blessings! Rations, crops, living creatures—everything thrives under its influence!"
"Crops are one thing, but... living creatures? Did someone say something to you?"
"The butcher uncle! He spent his CP on live chicks this time around! He says they're omnivores, so they'll eat anything and grow like weeds!"
"Good grief... You mean Uncle Ho-seok?"
"Yes! He said he's going to raise them and butcher them himself!"
"Fried chicken...?!" Heejin gasped beside them, her eyes gleaming with predatory hunger as she swallowed hard.
"We don't have cooking oil to fry anything. No deep fryer, either..."
"I'd gladly devour it grilled!" Jian chimed in with military precision.
"Haha... Anyway, your point is that we should plant the World Tree as soon as possible?"
"Exactly! But to do that, we need to bore a hole straight through the mart floor until we hit the bedrock beneath the basement. So I need oppa's approval... and I was wondering if we could use that golem to dig..."
"Right... Let's call a general meeting with everyone in the mart."
A base-wide assembly was convened, dragging even the soundly asleep from their beds. Song Gayoung took the floor, presenting the tactical advantages of the World Tree and detailing their operational blueprint. The survivors responded with resounding enthusiasm.
"Hold on... It's a World Tree, right? Don't those things grow monstrously huge? At least, that's how it is in web novels and manga. How tall does it actually get? People say they scrape the sky!"
"Look, it's not like we can hole up inside this mart forever! If a Sanctuary is established, it will carve out a livable perimeter! And seeing that we already have a golem on our side, who knows what other tools might turn up down the line?!"
Amidst the spirited exchange of opinions, the consensus settled firmly on excavating the bedrock. The practical benefits promised by the Sanctuary held immense appeal for the survivors; in an apocalyptic wasteland, giving up on a fortified haven was simply unthinkable.
With the matter settled, Saebyeok retreated once more to the mart staff break room. This time, Jian opened her skillbook first: Iron Fist Saintess's Mana Hand-to-Hand Combat. Because it was an instructional grimoire rather than a soul-level mental engraving, she weathered the informational inundation with nothing more than mild nausea and dry heaving.
"Jian-ah, are you alright?"
"Pant, pant... Yes. Compared to what you endure, this is nothing."
"Fair enough..."
"Then it's my turn... Keep an eye on me, as always."
Approaching the interface with solemn reverence, Saebyeok focused on the prompt and spoke aloud: "Initiate."
Immediately, his body violently contorted. Viscous black liquid began oozing from every pore and orifice as the multiple skill upgrades took hold at once.
Yet something went drastically wrong.
Saebyeok remained comatose from morning deep into the evening, and Jian's anxiety mounted with every passing minute.
"Heejin-ah, what time is it now?"
"It's six-thirty in the evening."
"He's taking far longer than usual today..."
"Yeah, he really is."
"Heejin-ah."
"Yes, unnie?"
"Go find Doyoung oppa. Let him know that Saebyeok oppa won't be able to stand duty today... Tell him they need to organize the defensive roster carefully."
"Gasp! A full-blown mart emergency!"
"No... they can manage. You know how hard everyone has been training."
"Understood! I'll be right back!"
As Heejin dashed out the door, Jian stepped closer to the writhing man. Saebyeok was shivering, groaning under tremendous agony. With tender caution, she reached down to brush the matted, sweat-soaked hair from his forehead.
"Oppa... What's happening to you all of a sudden? You're scaring me..."
Hurried footsteps echoed outside the corridor.
!
Jian immediately stepped out into the hallway, pulled the door shut behind her, and planted herself before it like an unyielding gatekeeper.
"Jian-ah... what's going on?"
"Is Saebyeok alright?"
"Is our brother gravely ill?"
Voices clamored at once, but Jian stood resolute, her expression brooking no entry.
"He is fine. His recovery is simply taking a bit longer than anticipated."
Rather than offering detailed explanations, she held the threshold through sheer force of will.
"Well, if you say so..."
Concern weighed heavily in the eyes of Doyoung, Seoyeon, Sister Agnes, and the theological acolytes. Yet Jian maintained that Saebyeok needed time and solitude. Everyone in the mart had fought fiercely to survive, she reminded them, and they were more than capable of overcoming any trial in his temporary absence.