The Unspoken 10 Percent

In Epic World, they had offered three professions that let you raise characters in a support role: blacksmithing, alchemy, and cooking.

That was real grueling work back then.

I went through all sorts of hell just to uncover twenty thousand recipes.

And it wasn't just me—players who jumped in late started digging up this and that alongside me too.

In the end, the recipes we uncovered numbered 19,852.

Even after pouring twenty thousand hours out ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of my fifty thousand, that was all we had to show for it.

Which was exactly why I hoped to uncover at least a fraction of them here.

Call it a collector's obsession if you like.

So I began my lectures here.

Might as well raise my profile while I'm at it—and spread a little influence around.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠In terms of the Black Divine Martial Arts, you could say it was no exaggeration to call it the process of forging a black cauldron and filling it with the energy of Reverse Heaven.

In any case, after finishing twelve hours of lectures, I returned to the real world.

*

The response was explosive.

Seeing that reaction, I lightly rose from my seat.

……About fifteen hours have passed, I'd say.

It was already past noon. I headed downstairs to get some food.

"Oh my, there you are?"

"Yep."

The kids were already settled at their tables eating downstairs. Kim Seohyun was twirling spaghetti around her fork and popping it into her mouth, while Hong Yuhwa elegantly sipped her black tea.

"You're back?"

"Mm."

I drank the black tea waiting on my table. The warmth was just right.

"You put on quite the show yesterday."

"Please. You guys were the ones who suffered. From what I heard, not a single person got hurt."

"I suppose not."

The corners of Hong Yuhwa's lips crept upward. She forced down the expression, then spoke in her most aloof tone.

"W-what about it? You were pretty impressive yourself. You took down two Villains, didn't you?"

"That's right, I am pretty impressive."

When I said it jokingly, Hong Yuhwa's eyes narrowed into slits.

I took another sip of my tea. A pleasantly bitter taste washed across my tongue.

"Are you heading back tonight?"

"Tonight? The rest day runs until tomorrow, though."

Yesterday had been far too long a day.

Then again, I'd put off my conditioning for so long that I was actually itching to do it.

"What about you?"

"I'm going back today. I have to study."

Now that she mentioned it, the final exams were approaching.

Last time, I had taken first place with overwhelming scores in both the written and practical portions. Kim Seohyun was second, and Erciel third.

"I won't be losing to you this time."

Erciel said it as she settled into the seat beside me.

"Because I recently completed a secret technique of my very own."

"……Is that so?"

"Yes. Kim Seohyun is no pushover either, but this time, I'll be the one pressing her down."

Her eyes met mine.

The star-shaped pupils within reflected me back.

"And I'll be crushing you, too."

"Sorry to disappoint, but the one beating her is me?"

Hong Yuhwa cut in with a flaring voice.

"Hmm, that would be you, would it?"

"Of course."

I took another sip of my tea.

It would probably be difficult. The secret technique Erciel had created was none other than Dream Within a Dream—an illusion that encroached upon reality. At this point in time, Kim Ara was the only one who could stand against it.

As for whether Hong Yuhwa had a chance—well, she did.

She doesn't seem to know about the Usurper trait yet, after all.

I'd have to stick close to Hong Yuhwa for a while.

The talent of the Usurper.

It was an extraordinarily special ability—on par with the talents of Kim Ara or Erciel.

Which was exactly why I intended to devote time to Hong Yuhwa, to help that talent bloom.

Kim Ara needs to start touching on Primordial Force soon, too. And I need to be moving alongside Kim Seohyun as well.

There was so much to do.

But the limit of what I could do at once was painfully clear.

"Yuhwa."

"Hm?"

"Are you free tomorrow?"

Clack.

A strange sound came from beside me.

It was Erciel, who had been raising her teacup to her lips for a sip, abruptly setting it back down with a dazed look on her face.

"……What's wrong?"

"Are you okay?"

"N-no, I'm fine. But wh-what's this ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠about?"

"I want you two to train with me."

"Training?"

Erciel and Hong Yuhwa both tilted their heads.

"C-could it be... are you trying to p-pull something on Hong Yuhwa?"

Erciel said, the corners of her mouth lifting. Her lips were trembling like leaves in the wind.

I shook my head.

"Yuhwa has a hidden talent of her own."

"On me?"

Hong Yuhwa cocked her head.

"Yeah, you do."

I took a sip of tea.

Not quite on Seo Gayeon's level, but hers was a talent impressive enough to stand shoulder to shoulder with hers.

"If only that awakens, you'd have a real shot even against Kim Seohyun or Erciel."

"……And you?"

Hong Yuhwa asked.

"Me? Not a chance in hell."

I said it with a shrug.

The Usurper was undeniably a tremendous talent—a power bordering on the miraculous. She would be able to steal even my own ability, no question.

And yet she couldn't beat me.

Because the greatest power I possessed was the Reverse Heaven Celestial Body and the conceptual stat of Reverse Heaven itself.

If anything, you could say I was the most troublesome opponent imaginable for someone like Hong Yuhwa or Erciel.

Conversely, Kim Ara and Kim Seohyun are the ones who give me trouble.

Their attacks couldn't be negated by Reverse Heaven.

I could deny them conceptually, sure—but when raw physical force came at me, dealing with it was another matter entirely.

"Then why would I ever need to train with you?"

"Because that's the fastest path to getting stronger. And aren't you curious? If you train with me, you'll get to learn my weak points and all."

"Confidence looks good on you."

Hong Yuhwa curled her lips into a crooked smirk.

"Fine. Let's train together."

"Then what about me? I'm curious about your weak points too, you know."

"Erciel, too?"

Erciel was in a slightly delicate position.

If she learned about the Usurper talent, the one most troubled by it would be Hong Yuhwa herself.

This won't do.

Are you seriously fine with exposing your weakness to her?

No, that's not it. If that talent blooms, Erciel will be the one with the biggest headache.

……Fine. Then I'll refuse too.

At Hong Yuhwa's words, Erciel's gaze settled on me.

It was the look of someone demanding: are you really going to do this?

I shrugged.

***

We made our way to a training hall at Korea Hero Academy.

Not because the facilities here were good.

Purely on facilities alone, plenty of places out there topped it—but a strange spiritual dragon vein ran through Korea. That was why heroes born on Korean soil tended to have a high probability of becoming exceptional ones.

A colossal dragon vein beneath the peninsula.

The Greatest Hero had sensed it, built an island atop the East Sea where the vein ran strongest, and relocated the Tower of Ordeals there.

Because of that, no matter what facilities were available, talents from all over the world flocked to Korea Hero Academy—or to the academy in the United States—where heroes of every kind gathered.

The American school had its own array of mechanisms, which let it hold its own against Korea Hero Academy.

"So what form will this training take?"

Hong Yuhwa asked, looking at me.

Both her eyes smoldered with competitive fire.

Let's start with light conditioning first.

That much was nothing to me.

And thirty minutes after the training began.

"Haagh... haagh..."

Hong Yuhwa was dying.

In truth, she was nothing more than a mage. She hadn't neglected her stamina, but compared to a warrior, the gap was unmistakable.

The efficiency of the Black Divine Martial Arts is just absurd.

There's a saying: improve yourself a little each day.

Day by day, to keep moving forward.

Even now, I could feel my body strengthening, little by little.

Heukcheon and Yeongcheon traded words back and forth.

I stopped my stretching and turned to look at Hong Yuhwa.

She was gasping from exhaustion, yet she panted with all the dignity she could muster, clearly unwilling to give me the impression that she'd lost.

I really have changed, haven't I.

It struck me anew. If things were as they used to be, I would have been over there panting right alongside her.

Of course, that didn't mean I was going easy on her.

"Then let's move on to the next round of conditioning. This one's physical training too."

"Eeeek."

At my words, Hong Yuhwa let out a small, tearful whimper.