Chapter 76
Chapter 76
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 76
Chapter Title: Reawakening (3)
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An unfamiliar ceiling.
Well, that was to be expected.
There was no reason the ceiling of a cave he'd only seen for the first time today would feel familiar.
He hadn't anticipated it at all before entering the cave.
That he'd end up sprawled out flat on the floor, staring up at the ceiling like this.
"......"
Even through the excruciating pain, Kim Gunja hadn't lost consciousness.
Yet he didn't get up right away because the aftershocks lingered so intensely.
His memories had changed.
His body had changed.
The repercussions couldn't be minor.
Like the phrase "shedding one's bones and stealing a new fetus," it felt just like being reborn.
Kim Gunja savored the energy of the Wish-Fulfilling Pearl permeating every corner of his flesh.
As if adding steam to perfectly cooked rice.
At the same time, he sifted through his altered memories.
— Do you like the night sky that much?
It was the memory of sitting in the grand hall of Jeokunsa Temple, gazing up at the starry sky.
A man had been beside him.
A face too seasoned for youth, yet too young for middle age.
— Yeah! I love the twinkling stars!
No child hated the stars in the night sky.
Young Kim Gunja had been no different.
The man murmured softly at the innocent reply.
— Stars, huh... Yeah, no need to overthink it. Star or O Mangseong feels off. ...Pentagram. That sounds better.
— Pen-ta-gram? What's that?
The man chuckled faintly and ruffled his hair.
A hand warm enough to chase away the chill of the night breeze.
— It means becoming a hope everyone can look to and rely on. Like those stars in the night sky.
The man—Kim Gongja—replied like that.
His expression was sentimental and tinged with sorrow, unlike his usual charismatic demeanor.
Back then, he hadn't understood.
Just being together had been enough to make him happy.
But now, as an adult, he could see it.
The heavy sense of duty weighing down that man's shoulders.
"Pentagram..."
Kim Gunja muttered while lying down.
Before regaining his memories, he hadn't known.
That it carried such meaning, that it had been created that way.
The first emotion upon learning the truth was irony.
It wasn't like anyone had ordered him to.
Yet out of all the guilds in the world, he'd ended up joining the one his father founded.
'Does fate really exist...?'
He couldn't help but think that.
Beyond that, countless memories surfaced, rippling through him.
Some surprising facts, others shocking depending on the person.
Kim Gunja carefully tucked those memories away, cherishing them.
Anything lost and regained becomes all the more precious.
Especially when it concerns family.
"Hoo..."
With a light sigh, he brushed away all lingering thoughts.
Either way, they were memories of the past.
Reclaiming forgotten truths brought joy, but it didn't change his immediate goals.
'Hero Guild and Kang Inhyeok...'
For the current Kim Gunja, that was the top priority.
He couldn't afford even a moment of sloth until he achieved it, nor did he plan to stray from his path.
"Up we go."
Having sorted his memories, Kim Gunja sprang to his feet like a coiled spring.
His body moved light as a feather.
"...Whoa."
The exclamation slipped out unbidden.
It was the moment he truly felt his physical balance perfectly aligned.
Kim Gunja tested his body with light movements.
Whoosh, swoosh!
The whistling of air was unbelievable for mere punches and kicks.
He circulated the Heaven-Shattering Divine Art, simultaneously drawing up dark mana and holy lightning.
Wooong, crackle!
Red, black, and golden auras intertwined around him.
For anyone else, their mana circuits would overload and tear from the strain.
Yet he summoned the energies as he pleased without pain or burden.
Smooth as oiling a rusty chain.
'It's completely different now.'
Kim Gunja concluded.
Repeated customizations had granted immense power, but at the cost of shattered balance.
Even the Absolute's bodies, despite costing 10,000 points each, had only improved it slightly.
'I couldn't even calculate how many more points I'd need...'
Balancing it precariously with points had its issues.
Customizing other parts would just recreate the problem.
But those worries vanished in an instant.
The Wish-Fulfilling Pearl, which he'd thought only restored memories, had fully restructured his physical balance and mana circuits.
'That's why the system called it a forced reawakening.'
The process had been completely backward.
Normally, reawakening restructures mana circuits, but his restructuring came first, forcing the system to recognize it as reawakening.
— Mana circuits are like natural fate. Unchangeable before reawakening, like a porcelain bowl. But Uncle, you...
Recalling the time shortly after meeting Yeji, the corner of Kim Gunja's mouth lifted.
'The Wish-Fulfilling Pearl is truly remarkable.'
When its power first surged toward his customized parts, he'd been shocked.
An unexpected outcome, and he feared losing his painstakingly built power or body parts.
But seeing the results, those worries seemed unfounded.
The pearl was intelligent.
It discerned benefit from harm to the user and crafted the optimal outcome on its own.
'Not a Mythic-grade item for nothing.'
Having organized his thoughts, Kim Gunja opened his status window to check the changes.
And once more, he was astonished.
By how drastically it had transformed.
<Kim Gunja>
His Body and Magic levels had risen.
He'd finally reached S-rank.
But there were more than one or two oddities.
Putting aside the unprecedented '+' symbols, the entire fusion tissue list was gone.
It was reflexive.
The moment he confirmed it, he tried opening his dormant gills.
"......"
And he was certain.
The Wish-Fulfilling Pearl had removed all organs it deemed unnecessary to optimize his body.
Under the guise of "adjustment."
'Fair enough...'
It wasn't a wrong call.
Since focusing on upgrading the Customizing Room, he'd ignored other customization materials entirely.
A faint unease lingered, but the results pleased him immensely, leaving little room for complaint.
'Even a simple calculation shows astronomical gains.'
The points spent on those auxiliary organs totaled mere thousands.
In contrast, the perfect balance the pearl created would have been impossible to buy.
Next, his gaze fell on the new unique trait from reawakening.
"Well, now..."
Wasn't this destiny?
The incredibly familiar word reappeared.
Customizing.
The difference from his existing trait? No "Room."
"Hm."
Did that mean he could customize without entering the room?
He pondered briefly, but the answer was obvious.
Seeing is believing.
Nothing beat hands-on experience.
Kim Gunja focused mana on his recently cut palm to test the trait.
And a window popped up.
"......Cough."
A cough escaped him.
He felt foolish.
Why had he assumed it was for the body?
In games, customizing often meant altering a character's appearance, but its true meaning was different.
Custom order.
Modifying or altering items to the user's specifications.
"Haha..."
What could he say?
Realizing he could now customize artifacts too, after his body, brought a hollow laugh.
He truly was inseparable from customizing.
And the dormant instincts of a customizing addict stirred within Kim Gunja.
He itched to test artifact customization immediately.
If not for the people waiting outside, he would have.
"...No rush."
He calmed himself.
Despite all the changes, his sync rates showed little variance.
Probably because sync rates depended more on proficiency than physical issues.
Or perhaps...
'...The Wish-Fulfilling Pearl's power fell short?'
That was possible too.
Balancing his body and mana circuits—things that defied point calculations—in one go, triggering reawakening, might have left no power to adjust the Absolutes' bodies.
'Even if it's Mythic-grade.'
Assuming its energy wasn't infinite, the prior points invested in balance might have helped slightly.
Other hypotheses like the Majesty Ring surfaced, but nothing was certain.
Ending his brief deliberation, Kim Gunja scanned the room with his eyes.
It wasn't large.
But the gains were immense.
Enough to accelerate his plans dramatically.
'And besides...'
In this state, he was confident.
He could handle the two privileges now.
Doom Dragon Kaisir's heart.
Great Mage Belshutain's mana vessels.
59,728 points.
Points from mana stones after clearing the S-rank gate.
The remaining 800 million in ad fees, 300 million reward from Baek Jincheon, and proceeds from selling the gold toad from Asura Guild, all poured in.
'About 10,000 points short of the next upgrade at 70,000.'
Once he safely upgraded the Customizing Room again...
All that remained was facing Kang Inhyeok on the prepared stage.
Now, it was truly close.
Having tallied his gains and tasks, Kim Gunja headed outside.
#
Groooan—
Kim Gunja pushed aside the statue blocking the entrance and emerged from the cave.
Jeonghye, who had been meditating while rolling her prayer beads, opened her eyes.
She rose and greeted him.
"Amitabha... Seeing your bright expression, it seems all went well. Truly fortunate."
"Yes, thanks to you, Head Monk."
Their gazes crossed briefly after the simple exchange.
The atmosphere differed greatly from before he entered the cave.
And there was good reason for it.
"Head Monk—or should I say, Hwang Siho?"
An unfamiliar name left Kim Gunja's lips.
The name she'd used in the secular world before devoting herself to Buddhism.
Jeonghye rolled her beads silently, awaiting his next words.
She had prepared for this.
Seeing her not deny it, memories from before entering the cave flashed through Kim Gunja's mind.
— In my secular days, I committed many sins. A lifetime of atonement wouldn't suffice for them.
— Rather, I should apologize to you, benefactor.
Only after reclaiming his memories did it make sense.
Why she'd said that.
Kim Gunja's lips parted slowly, his restored memories clear.
"One of the eleven alchemists of the past, called the Alchemist of Lies... and the one who distorted my memories. Right?"
Jeokunsa's head monk, Jeonghye.
He had been a homunculus in the past.
Or perhaps still was.
"Namu Amida Butsu..."
Jeonghye recited the Buddha's name in response.
And admitted it plainly.
"...Yes, benefactor."
Decades of asceticism seemed for naught.
Jeonghye's—homunculus Hwang Siho's—hand trembled faintly as she rolled the beads.