The Unyielding Staff and the First Regressions
Cha Hyunho lunged forward with a vicious snarl, teeth clenched tight. “Ugh… damn you!”
He had no chance to cast his usual magic, so he was counting on spamming instant-cast spells to slam Seojun’s pathetic body into the ground. But that was exactly when the floodgates opened.
[The Eye of Providence analyzes the opponent’s spell.]
“Dispel.”
-Pak! Paang! Pak!
The mana Cha Hyunho had frantically condensed exploded like soap bubbles the instant it left his hands. It never even formed a proper shape.
-Twirl.
“Ugh…!”
The flow of mana cut off instantly, and Cha Hyunho’s vision blurred. The sudden vertigo was almost enough to drop him. By the time he forced his eyes open again, Seojun stood right in front of him, staff raised high.
“Ah, crap…!”
Whoosh!
The heavy staff slammed down with terrifying force. “Ha, hit the…!!”
Cha Hyunho threw both arms up to shield his head and gave up without a fight.
-Piiiiiing!
Almost simultaneously, Kim Joohee’s whistle rang out, signaling the end of the sparring session.
[Constellations admire your honorable duel.] [Constellations admire your appropriate strategy.] [The Wise Old Snake sponsors dimensional currency to you.] [The Indomitable Shield sponsors dimensional currency to you.] [The Sage of the Distant Mountain Ridge sponsors dimensional currency to you.] [The Brightly Shining One sponsors dimensional currency to you.]
Seojun’s victory had been clean.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
-Clang! -Craaang!
After the sparring ended, the cadets’ lively matches continued, but Kim Joohee stared at Seojun with sparkling eyes. ‘Instant-cast Dispel…’
As an A-rank hunter who had worked with many field teams, the performance she had just witnessed from Seojun was nothing short of astonishing.
-Flush.
‘He’s… too cool!!’
Kim Joohee. Her type was definitely men who were actually capable.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
The sparring session concluded with Seojun’s win, and the first hurdle was cleared. But mountains still loomed ahead. This small rise had been nothing more than a warm-up. They had overcome the cramped training space, but a real dungeon or field mission would have been an instant wipeout with his current stats.
────────《Status Window》────────
▶ Name Kang Seojun
◆ Stats [Strength: 3], [Agility: 4] [Endurance: 3], [Magic: 3] [HP: 5], [MP: 6] [Sense: 3], [Intelligence: 9] [Will: 30], [Luck: 50]
◆ Traits [Eye of Providence Lv. Transcendent], [Dimensional Shop Lv. Transcendent], [Favored One Lv. Transcendent], [Mana Slime Lv. Rare], [Obesity Lv. Low], [Allergic Dermatitis Lv. Low], [Allergic Dermatitis Lv. Low], [Mana Insensitivity Lv. Low], [Hunchback Lv. Lowest], [In-turned Foot Lv. Lowest], [Twisted Arm Lv. Lowest], [Cannibal Parasite Lv. Lowest], [Terminal Cancer Stage 3 Lv. Lowest], [Squinting Eye Lv. Lowest], [Severe Tinnitus Lv. Lowest] ………
◆ Skills [Time for Counterattack Lv. Epic], [Parasitic Growth Lv. Epic], [Basic Mana Cultivation Lv. Low], [Dispel Lv. Normal] ─────────────────
‘If I want to survive the upcoming real training, I need to fix these physical debuffs fast.’
◆ Traits [Hunchback Lv. Lowest], [In-turned Foot Lv. Lowest], [Twisted Arm Lv. Lowest]
The three debuffs Seojun had chosen to eliminate this time.
With the goal set, he started with the twisted arm, driving a white injection needle straight into it. It was the “Flourishing World Reconstruction Serum” he had bought from the Dimensional Shop.
-Shuuuush!
The vacuumed liquid was sucked into his body. “Umm…”
The effect was instant. The disc crushed by the tumor felt far lighter, and breathing became easier. If it had been Stage 4 or terminal cancer, the serum wouldn’t have been much help, but with Stage 3, consistent use would eventually drop it to Stage 2.
Seojun took a few deep breaths, then tossed three large pills into his mouth and washed them down with water.
[You have ingested the Flourishing World Parasite Killer!] [The cannibal parasite has entered a state of lethargy!]
Even the parasite had slowed its growth this way, so it was still safe—for now. But the fixed dimensional-currency cost was already piling up.
He had also applied the “Flourishing World All-Purpose Moisturizer” to his skin and used the “Flourishing World Cleanliness Spray” to prevent bedbugs, so the fixed expenses were higher than he expected.
◆ Traits [Hunchback Lv. Lowest], [In-turned Foot Lv. Lowest], [Twisted Arm Lv. Lowest]
The Dimensional Shop didn’t lack a single tool that could treat all three at once, but the daily fixed costs made it unusable.
He would have to find another way.
Tomorrow was the weekend. “By the end of the weekend I’ll finish two of the three.”
That was his plan. He would catch a demon and steal its necklace. The necklace itself wasn’t valuable, so he would buy various materials from the shop, combine them, and inflate the price. The combination success rate was abysmal, but with Luck 50 it was feasible. Then he would sell the finished product back to the shop for dimensional currency to buy the reconstruction serum.
“Two for the in-turned foot, two for the twisted arm, three for the hunchback.” The total required for the reconstruction serum was seven vials. Seojun calculated he would at least get three or four with this plan.
“Even if I only fix the hunchback and half of the twisted limb…”
◆ Heavenly Demon Divine Art ※ This product is not yet available for purchase. [Reason: Insufficient dimensional currency, insufficient stats, unmet prerequisites.]
To learn the ultimate late-game skill, Heavenly Demon Divine Art, he first had to remove the debuffs blocking physical growth and raise the required stats.
-Tutututut.
At that moment a dry ringtone sounded from Seojun’s smartphone. The sender was Seo Eunha.
-Kkuk.
“Hello?”
“Yes, what can I do for you?”
< I’ve been looking for a way to keep in contact. I received such a great favor last time, and I haven’t been able to repay it yet. How about we meet…>
“Ah, that’s great.”
< Huh? >
Seojun thought, It’s my lucky day.
“Kill two birds with one stone. While we’re at it, can you help me with one thing?”
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
A small café near the academy. Seojun had suggested they meet so he could give her something to deliver.
Not long after, Seo Eunha delivered a shocking message. “……The administrative director, Mr. Kim… is a… demon?”
“Yes. More precisely, a spy sent to steal internal information from the Sungjin Group.”
He had delivered shocking news: one of Sungjin Group’s executives was a demon spy.
“No… th-that’s…”
No matter how outrageous Seojun’s previous feats had been, this was beyond belief.
“I know it’s hard to believe. That’s why I prepared this.”
Seojun handed Seo Eunha a beautifully crafted glass bottle. It was the “Holy Water of the Beloved Saint” he used constantly.
“What is this?”
Seo Eunha stared at the sparkling liquid inside the bottle and asked.
“To normal people it’s just water. To a demon, it’s like hydrochloric acid. If you splash this on Mr. Kim Hak-yong, you’ll see whether I’m telling the truth or not.”
Seo Eunha sprinkled a few drops on the table, then carefully touched them with her fingertip. The droplets on the table sparkled beautifully, but when she touched them they felt exactly like ordinary water.
-Shuuuush!
Seojun took a large breath of the Flourishing World Asthma Inhaler and continued. “Mr. Kim Hak-yong will be working on Saturday and probably leave at 8 PM. The best time to approach him is right after he leaves the parking lot.”
“Eh, how do you know even that…?”
Executives of the Sungjin Group showed up on the company website, but how did he know their exact patterns?
‘I’ll eliminate the guy who’s going to stab Sungjin Group in the back right here and now.’
With his current stats it was hopeless, but with Seo Eunha and her security team it was doable.
“Here, take this too.”
Seojun slid a mana-empty sheath across the table.
“What… is this?”
“When the demon appears, use it. The sheath is filled with mana to activate it. Ah, and it’s a sword, so be careful.”
Seo Eunha carefully blew mana into the sheath. A pure white blade materialized from the scabbard.
“Huh, what?!”
Seo Eunha hurriedly scattered the mana and placed the sheath on the table. “W-where did this relic come from?!”
It was the artifact Seojun had made by combining materials from the Dimensional Shop the previous night.
“That’s not important. What I need you to do is expose Kim Hak-yong’s identity and hand me the necklace he was carrying.”
Seojun looked at her. “May I ask for a favor?”
“Umm…”
The request was absurd, but sprinkling holy water on a person was easy.
If he really turned into a demon, he would handle it per Seojun’s instructions. If not, a simple written apology would suffice.
It was the request of a man who had saved his life once from a mute-iron trap and once from the Demon Buddha, and who possessed information that was suspicious on its own. It also felt like an obligation to at least verify the claim properly.
“I won’t arrest him from the start. Just sprinkle the water first, as you said. Understood.”
Seo Eunha gripped the sheath and tucked it into her belt.
“Your team should accompany you with at least three people. And please deliver the necklace as quickly as possible.”
With the necklace in hand, Seojun would finally be able to fix his grotesque body.
He smiled, already imagining the necklace in his palm.