Chapter 73: The Great Army (1)
Kwaaang, kwaaajijijik.
Sparks swirled around the rune stone.
Engraved on that rune stone was a lightning-shaped pattern.
Lightning!
Seeing it,
I realized my trait had strengthened the thunder attribute.
Nice?
No, not just nice—extremely nice.
Among various attributes, the ones with the highest destructive power were thunder and fire.
Thunder had been strengthened, so from now on, my thunder magic would boast destructive power differentiated from other thunder magic.
Flash—!
I immediately reached out toward the rune.
Pajijijijik!
Thunder energy began flowing into my outstretched hand.
Ah.
A lightning storm raged in my mind.
I opened my eyes, feeling a thrilling pleasure.
Pajit, pajijijijik.
Sparks flew as thunder energy wrapped around my body.
Your potential has risen, awakening the power of the Thunder God.
You have acquired two traits.
Lightning Attribute Enhancement
Armor of Thunder Clouds
Two new traits had emerged.
Their meaning was clear.
Until I acquired other attributes, the path I should pursue from now on...
Was that of a thunder attribute mage.
One star shone brilliantly.
Not only had I awakened the thunder attribute trait, but my overall power felt increased.
Now, my strength surely surpassed that of a regular level 80 at the same level.
The next thing to do is clear.
To find the next Dragon's Lair, I needed to boost my combat power.
To boost combat power, gather ★ and steadily level up.
My tasks were straightforward.
First, aim for level 100.
Currently, I'd reached the 8th hierarchy.
I knew that raising even one hierarchy from here was truly difficult.
In my estimation, reaching the 9th hierarchy would require hitting level 100.
A clear short-term goal had emerged.
And Azkai's leveling has resumed.
Thanks to the increased ★, Azkai's level, stuck at 400, was slowly rising again.
Once he reclaimed the Lava Emperor Stone, the restriction would lift, returning him to his original level.
This meant Azkai could grow even stronger than his original level.
Good.
I curled up the corner of my mouth.
Preparations for recapturing the northern Dragon's Lair felt one step closer.
Then.
Hm?
A message incoming via Superhuman Net.
Checking it, it was Section Chief Lee Jeong-won.
Oh.
A reply already.
Section Chief Lee Jeong-won.
Whatever else, his work speed was exceptionally fast—truly outstanding.
I liked it.
I checked the organized content he'd sent.
Commission: 0.5% of transaction value.
Compared to Superhuman Net's 10% system fee, it was practically free.
The rest was standard terms.
Nothing caught my eye.
His tone brimmed with fighting spirit.
Let's see how well he handles the task I've assigned.
Then...
I glanced up.
My gaze headed toward...
Having hit level 80, time to check if the Guardian Room and other passages had opened.
But.
Before that.
There was something to do first.
"Master! The party is all prepared!"
The party prepared by the guardians!
There's a saying that even the Diamond Mountains are judged after the meal.
Let's eat and enjoy first.
"Whoa, this table is overflowing."
All the spiritual herbs, elixirs, and crops in the lair were gathered in one place.
Bellerin, now skilled with cooking tools, showcased her talents: from Nagatara meat soup to steamed and grilled meat.
Using mandragora, Seondo, Lunadria, Baekyang Herb, and millennia stone fungi—roasted, steamed, boiled, prepared in every form.
"Let's eat well!"
"Popo!"
"Chu chu chu!"
"Awooooo!"
With our cheers, the meal began.
Steamed cabbage topped with boiled Nagatara meat...
I took a big bite.
Agrak!
The moist steamed cabbage was sweet with a slight bitter finish, releasing a subtle fragrance the more I chewed.
The boiled Nagatara meat on top was tender, juicy, and savory, harmonizing perfectly with the cabbage.
Oh!
Delicious.
Truly delicious.
I'd worried it might be bland without kimchi or seasonings, but that made the textures and flavors of the ingredients stand out more clearly.
With each chew, the cabbage's softness intertwined with the meat's chewiness, like eating natural bossam.
It might feel a bit bland, but that lightness cleansed the palate, making me want more.
Even without kimchi or sauce, it was utterly satisfying.
Agrak, ajak!
I devoured it mindlessly.
The ingredients were top-notch, but Bellerin's touch was masterful too?
As expected, hands-on work suits her.
I looked at Bellerin with eyes of admiration.
"Hehe, does it suit your taste?"
Bellerin, munching a handful of Shine Muscat, grinned broadly and asked.
I silently gave her a thumbs up.
The highest praise for her.
『Nyam. Nagatara meat is sooo good!』
Even Dania, usually obsessed with Hanbinggwa, was hooked on the Nagatara meat today.
"Chomp chomp! Gulp gulp!"
Azkai was inhaling the Nagatara meat like crazy.
The guy was a total meat lover.
"Awooooo!"
Fenril joined the meat lovers too.
Thus, the four of us rapidly polished off the Nagatara meat.
But there was a problem.
Chuchu said this was the last of the Nagatara meat.
No more after this—tears welled up.
Time to hunt for more Nagatara.
Since it appeared twice here, there might be more nearby.
Hm.
A sudden thought struck me.
Should I share some with that guy too?
The presence felt beyond the Gongcheong Oil spring.
No idea why, but it kept leveling up the Gongcheong Oil—might as well share some food as thanks for the hard work.
I packed some Nagatara meat, cabbage, Shine Muscat, and kiwi, placing them atop the stone wall by the Gongcheong Oil spring.
I was quite curious what it could eat.
Depending on that, I could narrow down its species in a broad sense.
The moment I prepared a share for the Gongcheong Oil spring resident.
An incident occurred.
『Keron— Multiple presences detected.』
Archeron, absorbing mana from a magic stone instead of eating, suddenly lit up his eyes and shouted.
"What? Multiple presences? How many?"
This wasn't a playground—what kept intruding so relentlessly?
Still, no worries.
Even if dozens—no, hundreds— of monster hordes charged, our forces had nothing to fear.
But!
Archeron's following words made me realize my thinking was far too complacent.
『At least ten thousand. Estimated higher.』
The scale far exceeded my imagination.
***
How was mithril supplied in Korea's superhuman market?
Some used Superhuman Net, but with its 10% fee, most distribution infrastructure was physically built nationwide.
The group monopolizing mithril distribution: the Mithril Distribution Union.
Their margin: a whopping 7%.
For mere intermediate distribution, it bordered on usury, but 3% cheaper than Superhuman Net, so many gritted their teeth and used it.
How sweet it must be.
Sucking blood from ordinary superhumans, living on honey.
"What? Conductivity 100%?"
News that made their ears doubt.
Mithril with a full 100% conductivity had been revealed.
They couldn't help feeling displeased.
Why?
"Mithril prices have dropped!"
Existing mithril prices had dipped slightly due to the news.
So they immediately countered.
They started media play immediately.
People didn't sway at first.
But with sustained media push, more began thinking, Maybe?
Moreover.
The reason they could be so confident.
No more Madoje-brand mithril was being released.
"See! What's the issue with that 100% mithril? Even if real, it can't flood the market in bulk!"
Mithril Distribution Union Chairman.
Na Seon-uk.
He was certain.
100% conductivity was a lie, or if real, unobtainable now.
"So, fan the media flames more—make sure no more price drop talk!"
Na Seon-uk thought.
The dream 100% conductivity mithril.
A fleeting issue, soon erased from this market.
***
Kugrrrrrr!
A massive insect legion swarming black from afar.
"Whoa, that's a lot."
Stepping outside, I couldn't close my gaping mouth at the sight.
As Archeron said, at least over 10,000.
"Azkai, frontal assault too much, right?"
No matter how strong Azkai,
Could numbers be overcome?
I thought direct confrontation impossible.
"Hm. At that level, seems doable?"
"...?"
But Azkai's response exceeded imagination.
Frontal clash against that number was feasible?
As expected of Azkai.
Incredible guts.
No, maybe it really is possible?
I glanced at Lulumiel beside me.
If Azkai, buffed by Lulumiel, dropped into the horde's center...
Hm.
Yeah, they probably couldn't handle him.
But.
No need to court danger.
So...
We'll go full guerrilla tactics.
With my cover fire from range, hit-and-run will be easier.
During that cover, I'd likely level up massively too.
Well-utilized, this was a massive leveling opportunity for me.
"So."
Let's prepare properly.
Pajit, pajijijijik.
With my resolve,
the newfound lightning power began seeping from my body.