Chapter 33
Chapter 33
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 33
Chapter Title: Am I Unlucky in This Life?
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Is this life just unlucky?
Or is my one-room apartment cursed?
I can't believe I actually drew a 1-in-4 chance.
⚔ STATUS ⚔ ⚡ Strength: 11 💨 Agility: 12 ✨ Magic Power: 14(+100) 💪 Stamina: 90 🎯 Skills: Burning Vitality (S), Lava Shield (B) 📈 Remaining Stats: 16 ⭐ Level: 25 I couldn't help but frown.
Total Magic Power: 114.
What's the point when there's nowhere to use it?
I flopped onto the bed, spreading out like a starfish, and stared at the ceiling.
Should I learn an active skill right now?
Was it a mistake to give [Dragon's Claw] to Lee Eun-joo?
What can I even do with Magic Power?
I racked my brain, pondering where to best invest this Magic Power so people would praise my wise decision.
'None of it feels right.'
Nothing satisfied me.
The moment I fought using Magic Power, it'd be like conceding ground in a war against the Demon Realm.
Lost in those thoughts—
"Ah!"
I bolted upright in bed.
I'd forgotten about that guy after so long.
"Park Il-su."
He could solve this.
"He's probably still doing that job right now, huh?"
The problem was it would take me forever to track him down.
I pulled out my phone and immediately called Cha Jin-hyuk.
At this point, it was basically like rubbing a magic lamp.
Cha Jin-hyuk's voice came through. I cut straight to the chase.
"Find someone for me."
"Last time you asked me to dispose of a body. Now you're suddenly calling to find someone? We're friends, right?"
First call since handling the Resurrection Church matter.
Cha Jin-hyuk vented his hurt over my sporadic contact.
But I knew him well.
"Please. It's important."
He was weak to appeals to emotion.
"Please...?"
"Yeah. You're the only one around me I can ask for this. I'm seriously begging you."
That's why I couldn't believe Jeong Ji-un's betrayal until the very end.
No—honestly, I mostly denied it.
He was one of my few friends and comrades.
"You didn't even say 'please' when I handled the Resurrection Church. How important is this?"
"My life's on the line."
Well, it was true enough.
My life was at stake in everything I did, along with Earth's fate.
"Your life? Who do I need to find? Just say the word...!"
At the mention of his life being on the line, Cha Jin-hyuk's voice grew agitated.
"Name's Park Il-su. Age 24. Probably running a loan shark operation in Seoul right now."
"24-year-old loan shark. Park Il-su. That's all?"
"And she's extremely cunning."
"Cunning female loan shark... Sounds like it'll take a while."
Everyone misunderstands when they just hear the name Park Il-su.
"Not a guy. A woman."
Her being a guy? No way.
"Woman? Park Il-su?"
"Her parents are loan sharks too. That's why they named their daughter that."
Cha Jin-hyuk burst out laughing at my explanation.
"Hahaha! What a family. They decided from birth she'd be in the loan shark business?"
"Something like that."
But the person herself wasn't living an amusing life at all.
She was trapped in her own kind of hell, different from mine.
"If you know her family background that well, aren't you close? Why don't you know where she is?"
"Lost contact ages ago."
"Then why look for her now?"
I couldn't tell him yet that I needed her trait. He'd pry endlessly.
"I'll explain later. After we meet."
"Hmm... Fine. A woman named Park Il-su? Shouldn't take long."
With that, I handed off the Park Il-su search to Cha Jin-hyuk.
But seriously, doesn't this guy level up?
"You never go to Utopia?"
He always seemed to be on Earth.
"Why? I always pick up when you call?"
"That's... a secret, but should I tell you?"
"Ah! Hold on! Okay, I'll tell you. Don't get cold on me right after the favor!"
Where does he get off trying to play hard to get with me?
"Truth is, I know exactly where you are. So I wait on Earth whenever you come back."
He knows where I am?
Did he plant a tracker on me?
Why?
Prepping to betray me already?
Thoughts racing, I hurriedly got off the bed.
If there was a tracker, it had to be on the red jacket I always wore.
As I reached for it, frowning—
"Isn't this the power of friendship? I just sense you. Hahaha!"
Click.
I hung up. I should've known something dumb like that was coming from Cha Jin-hyuk.
'Gotta check in with her too.'
I immediately called Jeong Sia.
Needed to keep up periodic check-ins, and she'd hear about me from Cha Jin-hyuk anyway.
Unlike him, I couldn't let resentment build.
Moments later, Jeong Sia's bright voice answered.
"Yeah, Big Sis. I stepped out of Utopia to take the call."
"Working hard, huh? Leveled up a lot?"
No need to hide it anymore.
"Level 25 now."
"Huh? Already 25? How?"
Jeong Sia sounded shocked at my sudden level spike.
"Got lucky."
Of course, no intention of explaining in detail.
"Luck doesn't cover that gap. You hiding something from me?"
Did she study the system after joining the guild?
Knowing no one levels that fast no matter what?
"What? I'm not hiding anything."
"Be honest now, Han. I'll let it slide. I trust you."
'No helping it.'
She'd caught on somehow. Time to share some truth.
"Actually..."
"I already know, even if you don't say."
So she had suspected I fudged my level from the start.
"You drank the carrot juice I gave you, got powered up, and leveled fast, right? That was organic. Organic."
These idiots.
It pains me that these two live in the world I saved by killing Solomon.
"Sure, let's say that. What're you up to?"
How was the Sun Guild treating a legendary healer like Jeong Sia?
Helping her heal the people she wanted?
"Shopping."
Out-of-left-field answer.
"Shopping? For what?"
"Items to equip for Utopia. Heading in for a hunt tomorrow."
"Hunt...?"
"Yeah. Talked with Jin-hyuk. To save more people, I need to level up first. My Magic Power's too low."
"Fair point."
"So the Sun Guild members are funneling me EXP."
Unlike how I share EXP with my skeletons.
Only the one who lands the killing blow gets it.
So the Sun Guild was pitching in to speed up Jeong Sia's leveling.
'Classic Cha Jin-hyuk. He already figured her out.'
He'd grasped her 'priority principle' and knew how to handle her.
Level her up to save more people...?
This hunt was team-building for the Sun Guild and Jeong Sia.
That way, guildmates she'd hunted with would rank higher in her priorities than some random Earthling.
'I'd dangle bait.'
What if a guildmate got "accidentally" hurt? Badly injured?
Jeong Sia would feel too guilty to leave Utopia.
She'd learn they only survived because she stayed by their side.
"Sounds good. Go level up hard, Sis."
A legendary healer stuck on Earth without leveling was a huge loss.
I approved of Cha Jin-hyuk's plan.
"Good? Sigh... Someone told me, once I get my trait, we'd hunt together. Feeling hurt."
Why did so many people get sulky with me? Cha Jin-hyuk too.
"Level up a bit, Sis, then we'll really go together. I'll find us a dungeon."
"Dungeon?"
"Yeah. Gotta be worth escorting our legendary healer."
"Heh. True that?"
That should suffice for courtesy.
"Talk later. Level hard, Sis."
Time to hang up.
"Got it. Call when you find the dungeon. Promise?"
"Yeah. Be careful in Utopia. Hanging up."
I ended the call with Jeong Sia, then headed to the fridge for water.
Now to check Cha Si-won's skeleton, pushed back by the Great Reincarnation Pill.
A black swamp formed on the one-room floor, and a black skeleton slowly crawled out.
What rank would its trait be?
I immediately checked the info.
⚔ STATUS ⚔ ⚡ Strength: 1 💨 Agility: 1 ✨ Magic Power: 1 💪 Stamina: 1 🎯 Trait: Magic Sword of Depravity (Rare) 📈 Unique Skill: Transaction The descriptor [Magic Sword of Depravity].
It meant Asterisk wasn't a mere will-possessed magic sword but one that had become a constellation itself.
Hence the need for life force as payment.
A human couldn't easily contain a constellation's dignity.
That restriction kept its immense power at mere Rare rank.
Magic Power of 1, though?
Humans usually started above 10.
Cha Si-won was unusual.
'Maybe that's how he got [Magic Sword of Depravity].'
Never invested in Magic Power until level 41.
In other words, [Magic Sword of Depravity] aligned perfectly with my goal of fighting foes with pure physical might.
'I like this.'
Barring someone with a trait that better suited me, he could stick around indefinitely.
The issue?
'Gonna have to carry him to level him up?'
Unlike Kkaebi, level 1 with no usable skills made combat tough.
'Wonder what happens if he uses Asterisk's power at level 1.'
I was curious.
I'd seen Cha Si-won's power, but I wanted to witness the raw boost with my own eyes.
How much did the stats rise?
I ordered the skeleton to transact with Asterisk.
"Summon the magic sword."
The skeleton nodded.
Like with Cha Su-yeon, it pulled a massive magic sword from thin air on the right.
A silvery greatsword fully revealed.
"Swing it once."
As soon as I spoke, the skeleton swept the greatsword horizontally from the room's center.
Whoosh!
No sign of the blade's weight. Some skill lightening it?
Strength 1, yet no issue swinging a greatsword.
Seemed fine for me to use until the transaction.
I held out my hand.
"Hand it over."
The skeleton passed the hilt right away. Then—
Thud.
"Hey. Take it back quick."
The insane weight dropped it to the floor, nearly dislocating my shoulder.
Apparently only [Magic Sword of Depravity] holders could wield it freely.
Anyway, time to check the [Transaction] skill.
'Hmm? Wait.'
But an unexpected snag.
Cha Si-won always slammed the greatsword into the ground for transactions.
My one-room floor couldn't handle that.
"Does [Transaction] require stabbing the greatsword into the floor?"
I asked the skeleton hopefully. Slamming that weight down would greet the downstairs neighbors.
It shook its head.
'What a poser Cha Si-won was.'
Just for show, then.
"Do it. [Transaction]. No damage to surroundings."
At my command, black haze rose from the greatsword instantly.
The silver blade turned ominous black in a flash.
"Kekeke? What is this? Who summoned me? Cha Si-won's dead?"
Asterisk awoke in the sword.
"Kekeke. Ridiculous. A mere summon calling me?"
Time to satisfy my curiosity and speak to Asterisk.
"Asterisk. Can my skeleton transact with you?"
Asterisk laughed, grasping the situation instantly.
"Kekeke. You used this odd summon to call me? [Transaction]? First time with a summon, not sure, but this one might work?"
"The price?"
"Looks like death energy will do. Kekeke."
Uncertain since first with a summon, but possible.
Death energy instead of human life force.
"What happens to the skeleton if it uses up the death energy?"
"Dies like a human out of life force—your summon dissipates. Kekeke. Think carefully before using me."
Tough call.
Even with constellation power, dissipation meant wasted leveling time.
'Check first.'
Anyway, gauge the power post-transaction before deciding.
Keep growing him or swap soon?
"I want five swings of the greatsword."
"Kekeke. Testing my power? Fine. Price: 3 minutes."
With Asterisk's reply, black haze enveloped the skeleton.
Ominous black haze rising from the black skeleton.
Looked strong already. Pass.
"Kekeke. Here go the five."
Before all five swings, I quickly checked stats.
⚔ STATUS ⚔ ⚡ Strength: 1(+1) 💨 Agility: 1(+1) ✨ Magic Power: 1 💪 Stamina: 1(+1) All stats except Magic Power boosted. But what did +1 mean exactly?
Double? Or level-dependent?
"Asterisk. Stats went up. How does it work?"
Asterisk, mid-swing, replied casually.
"Doubles your current stats, obviously. Just a fraction of my power, but impressive, right? Kekeke."
Annoying laugh, but honestly shocking.
Doubled Strength, Agility, Stamina guaranteed.
'That's why Cha Si-won's Magic Power was 1.'
This guy just needed levels—no end to his strength, especially as levels rose.
The catch: eventual death energy depletion and dissipation.
Final skeleton slots capped at 5 anyway. By Solomon time, all Mythic and Legendary.
But what's he doing?
Five swings done per deal, yet—
"What? Don't stop. Deal's over, right?"
Asterisk kept swinging like faulty brakes.
Then suddenly halted the greatsword.
The skeleton's empty sockets stared at me.
"Kik? Can't get out of this body...?"