Cost-Performance Peaks at the Second Transcendence
Ichinose Jun saw it in Rohan.
The precarious conviction rooted deep in his core.
The justice and principles of action he wasn't even aware of himself—something that, in a way, could aptly be called madness.
To put it coldly, Rohan lacked the strength to push through that stubbornness and madness.
'He must have lived making dangerous moves without hesitation or second thoughts, like a bad habit.'
Ichinose Jun could tell just by looking, something even Juyeon, who had trained him up close, hadn't spotted.
It wasn't a matter of skill—neither what Juyeon missed nor what he saw. Juyeon was an exemplary educator.
The reason only Ichinose Jun could spot it so casually wasn't anything grand.
'As Momo said, is he walking the same path I did back then?'
This faint feeling, something like kinship.
Wasn't it because Ichinose Jun himself had walked that same road in the past?
'The difference... I escaped the shadows thanks to Momo and Yui, but you're still trapped.'
In truth, Ichinose Jun wasn't the type to draw on his experience and insight to offer advice.
Yet his mouth had opened anyway.
Simply because if something happened to this cadet named Rohan, his daughter would grieve.
That was the biggest reason he broke his own rule that silence is golden.
'And.'
Ichinose Jun knew that type of person.
Perhaps because of the unique aura and the overlapping traits, or maybe because he vaguely resembled a certain man who came to mind.
'This man named Rohan...'
He might crumble and fluster if a crying child tugged at him on the street, getting dragged this way and that.
But standing on the front lines, he wouldn't cower or bow his head to villains no matter what they did to him—a stubborn breed.
That was fine.
In this chaotic world, more upright people was a good thing.
No complaints there.
If he were alone in the world, it might be different, but for the world his family lived in, it had to be that way.
"If you need to sort out your thoughts, do it cleanly and come back."
With Ichinose Jun gone, Rohan was left alone.
'...'
Ichinose Jun had merely pointed out one path, based on his own experience and insight.
To Rohan, dizzy amid countless forks in the road, he had pointed with conviction: this way is good.
The establishment of direction.
No matter the intent, it delivered a massive impact to Rohan.
Every word from Ichinose Jun felt like a fateful encounter.
Shatter!
Different from the last transcendence, yet similar.
'Wonder what it'll show me this time.'
It was a space blacker than night.
No moon above, not a single point of light.
"Flame illuminates the ugly things hiding beneath the darkness."
A small flame sparked in Rohan's palm.
Light spread, revealing to Rohan his surroundings.
Grotesque monsters encircling him.
"... "
Not particularly surprising. Nighttime ambushes were a dime a dozen.
Just frustrating that his body wouldn't move as he wished.
All he could do was gently extend the hand with the blooming flame.
─ Grrrrowl...
As the flame drew near, the monsters backed away, retreating.
From that alone, Rohan knew.
These hideous things feared fire.
The monsters fled in droves into the distant darkness.
Rohan clenched his fist. The flower-like flame folded inward.
The ember settled into his soul and heart.
A surging fullness.
The emotion gifted by an enriched soul.
'My work here is done.'
He realized it naturally.
Flames spread from where Rohan stood as the origin.
Monsters hidden in the dark screamed as they burned.
─ ...
─ ...
Silence fell as the grotesque monsters died.
The shattered world of fragments rewound and repaired.
Ssshh─.
All the broken pieces returned, reflecting Rohan's form like a mirror.
Back to reality.
Weakness Infliction can now target multiple subjects.
The Shop skill now has a chance to feature special items.
Heavenly Sun Holy Judgment Sword now applies critical damage to Weakness Infliction targets.
'Nice. All good.'
Rohan let out a long breath and got cold water from the vending machine.
Reading the alerts closely, he felt the growth sink in.
The growth that came to Rohan wasn't just the transcendence.
The jumbled thoughts he'd piled up haphazardly—what he thought he needed—seemed a bit more organized now.
Crack! He twisted open the water bottle and chugged it down.
The cold rush sharpened his cleared mind even more.
'Overall, transcendence cost-performance peaks at the second one.'
This was from the Abyss City perspective. Among users, there was the concept of "value transcendence."
It was ridiculous to call pulling a character twice "value," since transcendence itself required dupes.
But up to the second, the efficiency was solid.
The rest dragged a bit, peaking again at the sixth.
'Wonder how mine stacks up.'
No idea. Whatever. No need to overthink.
If something was lacking, he could accept it as is.
He could build overwhelming power, or borrow the hands of the comrades always by his side.
'Ah, gotta check the main story too, and what the perpetrator condition is for that achievement.'
Those needed real-world time, so hard to wrap up here.
Rohan dusted himself off and stood.
..
..
In the parking lot, where everyone chatted about their own topics.
As Eungae Nose finished swapping numbers with Sion and Clara at Momo's urging.
Ichinose Jun returned first.
And just a few minutes later, the man the girls had been anxiously awaiting approached.
"...Oh my?"
"!"
Juyeon and Momo were startled to see Rohan coming.
The other girls might not notice yet, but Juyeon and the Ichinose couple, having crossed a certain threshold of skill, could sense the change.
"Ho, not bad at all."
Even Ichinose Jun was considerably surprised. He unwittingly let out an exclamation, moving his usually heavy lips.
Rohan's face and eyes looked much better.
'Even if I gave him a push, enlightenment is his own merit and talent.'
It wasn't just mental growth, from what he could see.
Along with the realization, he'd grasped a new framework for mana distribution—overall growth.
Genius among geniuses to pull off even one from listening to others.
To achieve two, regardless of method, put him in a higher league.
'He said proper training started after enrolling in the academy.'
Compared to his own daughter or Noah, daughter of the Snow Tiger Emperor, his growth speed was unprecedented.
How long would it take those running ahead to reach this point?
'Soon our generation will be the old guard.'
His shoulders already felt lighter.
A fine sense of liberation.
And.
If his daughter wanted to grow independently, this was the place to be.
No matter the relationship, having an extraordinary figure like that nearby provided motivation and pushed limits just by existing.
Ichinose Jun controlled his rising smile.
And placed a hand on his daughter's head, stroking it.
"...Father?"
"Eat well. Sleep plenty. Have fun and be happy—that's enough."
Finishing, he gave his daughter a faint smile.
Yui, eyes open, beamed and nodded. She shared a rare hug with her emotionally awkward father.
"Momo. Time to head back."
His daughter was back from the dungeon, safety confirmed.
Nothing more to want.
As a father with a daughter, he'd learned things he hadn't wanted to know, but surprisingly, it wasn't bad.
With that feeling now, it was time to return to Samhwa Nation and handle the backlog.
Ignoring the phone practically on fire had reached its limit.
"Dear, feeling relieved now?"
"... "
Momo asked with a smile, and Ichinose Jun fell silent.
"Ughhh...!"
Back at the dorm after seeing off her parents, Ichinose Yui groaned and writhed.
Hugging her stuffed animals, rolling this way and that.
Before Noah, belly full and asleep, woke for a surprise visit, she wanted to sort her thoughts.
But it wasn't easy.
'How did it come to this...'
Looking back on the day, there was joy aplenty, but regrets outweighed it.
Blinded by jealousy, blurting out that she'd kissed him.
Then flailing in damage control, insisting it was just emergency first aid.
'If I'd subtly hinted at my feelings, it could've been a golden opportunity.'
With all the shame and confusion leading to near-denial behavior, wasn't this a deduction instead?
Far from marking her territory with "he's mine," it felt like bragging to rivals then backpedaling.
"Ha... "
By now, was Rohan spending time with those two beauties?
She thought of messaging, but casually reaching out like before wasn't so simple anymore.
'I like him too...! I want to be by his side too...'
The girl hugged her plushie like she was choking it.
Reliving meaningless regrets and happy moments on repeat, she rolled wildly on the bed.
Ding!
The phone chimed.
Ichinose's rolling stopped.
Not the message she'd been waiting for.
Rohan's notifications had a different sound.
Ichinose reached out, grabbed the phone, and checked the message.
"...!"
She bolted upright from her reclined position.