Chapter 50

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Translator: MadScientist

Chapter: 50

Chapter Title: Leak (1)

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'Looks like it's working.'

I kept my mouth shut and thought that while watching the spirit stare at me blankly.

The online game I received as a reward for contracting with the Creator God wasn't just a simple cooking game—it was an MMORPG.

That's why it had everything: jobs, levels, skills, and more. In the 13th world, I even took over a company and remade it to my liking.

Someone who could use that online game's system and abilities had taken over the company?

At the time, I worked hard to incorporate every kind of system imaginable, and fortunately, I succeeded.

The Collection Cuisine Summon I'd used up until now was just one of the countless skills registered in that online game.

In any case, I used one of the game's systems—[Job Change]—and switched to a spirit-related job, Spirit Master, before asking the spirit.

"How do you feel now?"

The spirit grinned broadly, its initial prickly demeanor thrown out the window somewhere.

It was clearly affected by the Spirit Master skills I'd changed into, though I didn't know exactly which one.

'Even the passive skills number over twenty, so it's probably one of those.'

For reference, jobs in the original game had a max level of 99.

But after I took over the company, I raised the level cap to 1,000.

I massively increased the number of skills to match, so I couldn't pinpoint exactly which one ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠it was.

"Let's test it out for now. Attack the sky up there."

[Attack? You mean burn it up? Got it!]

The spirit stretched its adorable little hands straight up.

Kwaaaa!

A massive flame shot out in a straight line, like a flamethrower.

The firepower was way better than I'd expected, and the mana consumption was tolerable enough.

'Definitely more convenient than magic.'

If I contracted with spirits of every element like this, they could replace magic entirely.

Of course, magic had its own advantages, so I wasn't about to stop learning it now.

-Mr. Lee Seongmin. How did you do that? The power seems several times stronger.

Lee Seojun, surprised, asked outright despite Joo Ha-yeon being right there.

"Mr. Lee Seongmin. What did you do? There's no way it should have this much power."

But Joo Ha-yeon, standing beside him, had her eyes wide open and asked the exact same thing.

I couldn't exactly explain my abilities, so I shook my head like I had no idea either.

"Beats me."

With that, I canceled the job change.

'Job Change Release.'

For reference, releasing a job change in the online game reverted you to Jobless Level 1.

People wondered why that feature existed, but some enjoyed pretending to be noobs with it.

Anyway, once I released the job, the spirit's flames rapidly thinned out until they were too weak to even burn a single log.

On top of that, my mana vanished in an instant, hitting rock bottom, and I felt that familiar post-magic-training drowsiness from mana exhaustion.

[What? Where'd that full feeling go?]

"Explain it first. What do you mean by 'full'?"

[No restrictions. Way more comfortable than the spirit realm. And my power got several times stronger.]

I recalled the Spirit Master skills as I listened to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the childlike spirit's explanation.

'A few come to mind.'

'These skills are probably what's doing it.'

Plus, the power of this online game wasn't my innate ability—it was the Creator God's.

I was borrowing the Creator God's power, and crucially, its divine rank was infused into it.

That rank made any skill with "spirit" in the description apply to spirits from any world.

"Mr. Lee Seongmin, you keep surprising me every time I see you."

"Just luck. More importantly, can you help me contract with other spirits too?"

"Spirit contracts?"

Joo Ha-yeon tilted her head at the mention of spirit contracts.

"I already helped you once. If you want more help, translate for me from now on."

Surprisingly, Joo Ha-yeon didn't miss a chance for personal gain.

"Not forever, but I'll do a week."

"A week's too short."

"Fine then. I can just ask my spirit to bring others."

"..."

When I spoke without hesitation, Joo Ha-yeon pondered for a bit before nodding in defeat.

"...Fine, a week it is."

Should've said that from the start.

After that, with Joo Ha-yeon's help, I contracted with fire, water, wind, and earth spirits.

I named them simply after their elements: Fire Spirit, Water Spirit, and so on.

Naturally, I chose all female-type spirits to my taste.

"We've got a schedule. Two days from now."

Hero Association President Jeon Il-seop quietly called in S-Rank hero Seo Do-kyung and Im Yeo-sol to explain the plan.

"Planning to wipe out the Destroyer in two days."

"Is that possible?"

Seo Do-kyung asked Jeon Il-seop bluntly about eliminating the Destroyer.

Having clashed with the Destroyer directly, he doubted anyone could win.

"Assigned him an S-Rank Gate. Best if he dies there, but he accepted confidently."

"With that level of skill, he can clear an S-Rank Gate. So you'll hit him after?"

Jeon Il-seop shook his head at Seo Do-kyung's guess.

"Planning to use a Special Mana Bomb."

"..."

Seo Do-kyung's face hardened at the mention of the Special Mana Bomb.

"That should do it."

"Exactly."

"But can you even use it?"

The Special Mana Bomb exploded in a spherical barrier within a fixed range, annihilating everything without aftershocks or shockwaves. It was barely permitted for gates deemed impossible to clear.

"Got permission. Just looking at the damage the Destroyer's caused makes it a no-brainer."

"So, detonate it when the Destroyer comes out after clearing the S-Gate."

"Right. But just in case he survives, that's why I called you two."

Seo Do-kyung and Im Yeo-sol finally understood their role.

"If the Destroyer survives the blast, we finish him?"

Jeon Il-seop nodded affirmatively.

"I leave it to you. Can't let the Destroyer live."

If the Destroyer rampaged, there'd be no stopping him.

The nation's foundation would crumble.

"What if he storms the Hero Officer Academy outright? Who could stop him? The casualties would be unimaginable."

Jeon Il-seop subtly mentioned the Hero Officer Academy, where Seo Do-kyung's son Seo Ji-ho attended.

But as Jeon Il-seop said, no one could stop a determined Destroyer assault, so Seo Do-kyung accepted.

"Understood. I'll lend a hand."

"Thanks. Hero Im Yeo-sol, will you help too?"

"..."

Im Yeo-sol honestly didn't want to fight the Destroyer.

But she remembered Seo Do-kyung introducing her to a healer who fixed her body.

Feeling some debt of gratitude, Im Yeo-sol let out a small sigh and nodded once.

Jeon Il-seop thanked her for the response.

"I pass on my thanks too."

"But... if the Destroyer survives, two of us won't be enough."

Seo Do-kyung, listening, nodded in agreement.

If the Destroyer survived, they'd throw everything at him.

'One hit from the Destroyer, and you never know what happens.'

In the worst case, every waiting hero could die.

If key heroes all perished, the Hero Association's collapse was inevitable.

"Not just you two—I've asked Hero Kang Ju-young for cooperation too. Compass Guild's Grand Mage Na Seo-ha agreed to help."

Both S-Rank heroes.

That made four total, but still short.

"Anyone else?"

"Trying, but no luck. Everyone's making excuses about being busy."

Jeon Il-seop knew the reason easily enough.

"They're scared of the Destroyer."

The Special Mana Bomb operation had to stay secret.

He'd ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠told trustworthy ones like Kang Ju-young, but not others.

If word leaked to the Destroyer, the plan ended before it began.

"Could convince more by mentioning the Special Mana Bomb."

"You're considering betrayal."

"Yes. Only told those who won't betray, so only convinced two."

In simple terms, he'd only pitched it to those unlikely to betray.

"But we'll have about 30 A-Rank heroes."

"Won't help much... but understood."

Seo Do-kyung figured success odds were high if the Destroyer entered the S-Rank Gate.

The problem was if he survived the Special Mana Bomb and attacked.

"..."

Then, the healer who cured him came to Seo Do-kyung's mind.

If the healer was there when the Destroyer attacked, at least the injured might survive.

Most would die in one hit, but the lucky ones might cling to life.

"President. I have something to say."

"What is it?"

Thinking the healer treating near-death cases would be fine, Seo Do-kyung made a proposal to Jeon Il-seop.

"I'd like to recommend someone."