Rogue Monk: Resonance Fist Unleashed
It had been ages since I'd last laid eyes on such an explosive cluster of galaxies. As always, the stars winked out one by one until only a single one remained, its brilliant light drawing ever closer. Then came a deep, resonant voice, accompanied by a shimmering golden glow.
"I abandoned the mortal world in pursuit of enlightenment, yet I could not turn a deaf ear to the cries of those in agony. Thus, I shall gladly become a sinner to embrace them all."
A gleaming bald head. Eyes burning with unyielding resolve. A sturdy frame draped in monk's robes. And prayer beads dangling from his waist, snapped in two. Glimpses of his skin revealed countless scars.
His name was none other than...
"The Rogue Monk who abandoned enlightenment, Park Jeonghyeon."
My first 3-star consciousness would be the Rogue Monk.
My vision snapped back to normal, but I couldn't quell my excitement.
"Finally."
Rogue Monks always conjured images of brutal hand-to-hand combat, right? At long last, a true combat consciousness. Not some non-combat class like sculptor, fisherman, or actor—this was the real deal.
Sure, the bald head was a bit of a letdown, but I wasn't in a position to complain about that now.
Without bothering to calm my racing heart, I synchronized with the Rogue Monk consciousness.
Rogue Monk who Abandoned Enlightenment, Park Jeonghyeon
The consciousness level overwhelms the flesh.
Until Limit Break is complete, all stats of 'Rogue Monk who Abandoned Enlightenment, Park Jeonghyeon' consciousness are reduced by 40%.
My body readjusted, morphing into the form of the Rogue Monk consciousness. The specs were overwhelmingly superior compared to before. Even against the sculptor consciousness, my physical body and mana were at least 1.5 times tougher.
But hold on—this was with stats reduced by 40%?
I stared in shock at the belated message. Was this the true power of a 3-star combat consciousness? Unlike the magical girl one I'd tested via trial ticket, I'd forced a higher-grade sync this time, triggering the penalty.
Yeah, power like this warranted a nerf.
"Once Limit Break is done, I could even take on Karen."
That's how potent this Rogue Monk consciousness was. And its true value went beyond raw physical stats.
"What an intriguing power."
The knowledge and techniques from the Rogue Monk consciousness flooded my mind, whispering that this trial was a guaranteed clear.
"No reason to hesitate."
Will you challenge the 1st Trial?
[YES] / [NO]
I jumped out of bed and accepted the trial. My vision shifted again, revealing the barren wasteland without a single blade of grass. Slowly raising my head, I saw the massive giant.
Its visuals always crushed me with helplessness, but no worries—I'd never have to face that mug again.
Defeat 1 Erosion Giant.
Time Limit: 30 minutes
"Here I go!"
This time, I charged the giant first. Moments later, it fixed its hollow eyes on me and lumbered forward, swinging a fist loaded with immense mass.
BOOM!
No way I'd fail to dodge an attack I'd evaded as a sculptor—now even stronger. I stepped back sharply, avoiding it cleanly.
"Hup!"
Using the Rogue Monk's techniques, I channeled mana into my fist and smashed his forearm. The limb looked unscathed—hell, stabbing it with the sculptor's chisel might've been more effective.
Or so it seemed on the surface.
Thump!
A wave rippled from the impact, spreading through its body like a stone dropped in a still pond.
Thump!
Another punch unleashed a second wave. They collided, birthing more waves in an endless chain reaction.
If I detonated them all at once, the shock would be beyond comprehension. Build up enough waves, then unleash in one strike. That was the Rogue Monk's unique ability: Resonance Fist.
I dodged its attempt to stomp me.
"Sluggish movements."
But waves dissipate without constant renewal, like stagnant water gone foul. Two waves won't multiply on their own—they'd vanish like a summer night's dream. I had to keep pummeling relentlessly.
Thump!
Smashed its Achilles tendon.
Thump!
Dodged its grasping fingers and countered into its nails.
Mana drained in chunks with each hit. Five more minutes, and it'd be empty.
Sustained fights aren't my forte.
Greedy to expect endurance on top of this performance. Time to end it quick.
I cleared my mind, focusing every sense on the battle. Dodged kicks. Smashed shins. Battered thighs. Evaded fists. Kicked knees. Punched. Struck. Struck. Struck!
As mana dwindled, waves proliferated exponentially across the giant's body.
Thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump!
A storm of vibrations deafening my ears. Instinct told me: now was the moment.
!!!
The giant bellowed, swinging its massive fist like a meteor. I didn't dodge the incoming cataclysm.
Whummm!
I gathered all circulating mana into my fist—not just to propagate waves, but to detonate every one I'd built.
"Take this!"
I hurled my fist at the giant's with everything I had. They collided.
The countless waves swimming through its body chain-detonated.
.........!!!!
Its body exploded completely. Debris scattered like fireworks.
This was the pinnacle of the Rogue Monk consciousness's potential. Dizziness from mana overuse hit hard, but the sight was so beautiful a smile crept onto my face.
Not just satisfaction with the performance. The helplessness gnawing at me shattered in an instant. I felt my limitless potential anew. That tangle of emotions birthed my smile.
Feels damn good.
Limit Break is now in progress!
A message appeared, followed by...
Clank!
The sound of chains snapping free. My body felt lighter, as if I'd shed invisible bonds.
3-star consciousnesses are now available in gacha.
Shop level has risen to 'Novel'.
The wasteland littered with giant chunks faded. When I came to, I was back in my cozy bedroom.
"Hoo~ That was good!"
I released the synchronization, flopped onto the bed, steadied my pounding heart, and sorted my thoughts. Trial cleared. 3-stars now in gacha, plus shop upgrade. Strike while the iron's hot—I checked the rates right away.
- 1-star: 79.9%
- 2-star: 20%
- 3-star: 0.1%
"...0.1%?"
I doubted my eyes. Decimal point? Was the system messing with me? Even if my base body was trash, this was ridiculous.
Did I clear the trial too early?
Appearance rates auto-adjust based on user capability. In short, at my level, 3-stars were a pipe dream.
Fine. Game on.
Forcing the shop with Forced Promotion was world-blocked. But it didn't say no to consciousness synchronization.
I targeted the skill and activated Forced Promotion.
- 1-star: 75%
- 2-star: 20%
- 3-star: 5%
Normalized. Watched for glitches like with the shop—none. Shop blocked, but this flies? Makes sense: shop was pre-Limit Break, impossible for 3-stars. Sync promo doesn't enable higher than 3-stars, so no ban. Higher stars blocked, but rate boosts allowed.
Jackpot for me. Boost high-grade odds penalty-free.
Pump rates with Forced Promotion every gacha from now on.
Forced Promotion ends in 4 minutes.
Question: Pull now? Answer: yes.
Higher rates improve over time theoretically, so delaying maximizes efficiency. But not safe. Future unpredictable, dangers lurk anywhere.
That 'World' could screw me over somehow.
Knowing divine beings could harm me directly or indirectly—can't hoard Fate forever. What if World alters the future, twists the story, or blocks my moves like now?
I need power. Flexible power for any crisis.
Blind hoarding is wrong.
1350 Fate now. Enough for 13 pulls. All-in risks missing shop buys later—save some.
"Exactly 10 pulls."
Decision made, I hit the 10-pull without hesitation.