Chapter 136
Chapter 136
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 136
Chapter Title: Refusing Investment
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But Park Sookja doused the delighted Pastor Lee with cold water.
“But aren’t you misunderstanding something, Pastor Lee? We’re Scavengers~ We were surprised about the human factory, but that’s that, and buying equipment or parts is separate.”
[…Hmm, Park Sookja, are you rejecting my proposal right now? Even after hearing about this grand plan?]
“The thing about us Scavengers is… we just want to live moderately fun lives and that’s it. We put up with your shitty temper because you’re strong and you pay up properly. Forgot already? We brought you to Pyongyang and set up the facility under Kim Il-sung University in exchange for strict payment. But now you’re suddenly asking us to invest? No way in hell. Puhahaha! Even those great apostles of yours all went down~”
Park Sookja’s logical words had the surrounding Scavengers chuckling along.
Just as she said, whether it was a human ranch or a human factory, if they wanted to do whatever, they had to pay up.
Pastor Lee’s face twisted in displeasure, but he held it back.
Without these trash-like bastards, his own work would be impeded.
‘Once this great research is complete, the world will belong to Him! I overlooked their temper in the joy of the research.’
“Oh, and don’t forget to pay our silence fee~ Puhahaha, this is the kind of thing you’d swear on your constellation’s name for. If word gets out… you can drop everything else; the whole world will march on Pyongyang~”
[Hmm, no. We could flip the deal instead. The world’s struggling with a shortage of Awakener talent right now. Using this as bait for negotiations wouldn’t be bad. Ethics or whatever… in this era, we can discard them for survival.]
Park Sookja and Pastor Lee locked horns, neither willing to lose control of the negotiations.
Park Sookja didn’t know much about science or technology, but this cloning tech Pastor Lee had pulled off probably wasn’t pure 100% biotech—it had surely drawn on the know-how from building the human ranch, the Slaughter King’s authority, alchemy, and magic all together.
And as he said, with endless wars everywhere causing population decline and Awakener shortages, this cloning tech was perfect bait for desperate nations, and there were plenty of unethical countries nearby willing to deal out of desperation.
“But at this level, it’s impossible to even list it in the trading window, right? You’d at least need to produce 2-3 normal human clones to show investment value? Puhahat!”
[Mu-hum, indeed. So what you’re saying is, do the work and earn it yourself.]
“That’s right. There’s no such thing as free in this world.”
[Fine. I’ll consider this another trial for the sake of the divine. I have plenty of time left anyway.]
“So, who should we rip off in Russia?”
And so, Pastor Lee joined for his own goals, and the Scavengers began moving while picking which Russian group, local Scavengers, or cities to plunder.
***
Iron Fortress.
“Let’s see, the current situation is like this…….”
[Lv.72 Yoo Seongwon]
Status Growth: 21/21/21/21
Str: 3,052(SSS+) Dex: 3,048(SSS+)
Vit: 3,052(SSS+) Mag: 3,024(SSS+)
[Possessed Skills]
Path of the Great Knight (SSS)
(Unique) Myeong's Knight Grandel's Martial Talent
(Unique) Spirit Knight ‘Silleion Forest Blade’ Secret Art
(Unique) KMG TECH Master Device
(Unique) Tyrant Emperor Knight Yuchun’s Lost Legacy, Tyrant Heavenly Sword Style
(Legendary) Tyrant Emperor Knight Yuchun’s Heavenly Sword Army Summon
(Legendary) Dimensional Gate to the Sanctuary of the Nameless Knight Order
(Legendary) Fallen Phoenix Essence
(Unique) Magic Knight Kylride’s Summoning Art
(Legendary) Command (EX)
(Legendary) Riding (S+)
(Legendary) Fortitude (EX)
(Unique) Knighthood is Everything
[Applied Effects]
Divine Beast’s Power (All stats +1 rank (2x))
Yoo Seongwon and his group had come to the training grounds to acquire new skills and rewards.
With new knight summons and various other considerations, Yoo Seongwon pulled up his status window on the monitor. Seeing his stats and skill list, everyone gasped in shock.
“…It’s grown even more.”
“No way, is this even a human’s status? All stats at SSS+! And it’s plastered with Unique and Legendary skills?”
“I’ve been a Hunter for a long time, but I’ve never seen anything like this! What… what the hell are you?”
All three paled as they stared in unprecedented awe at Yoo Seongwon’s skill window, a first in Awakener and Hunter history.
Not a single basic, mid-tier, or high-tier skill—just flooded with Legendaries and Uniques—and on top of that, the true power of the golden divine beast armor. It would’ve been weirder if they hadn’t been amazed.
“No matter what you say… it just ended up like this somehow. I showed it to you thinking you’re comrades, and now look~”
“Somehow? This isn’t a ‘somehow’ level! Even if a specific constellation showered you with affection and blessings… no, hold on! Your own power is this much already! And the knights you command? My god…….”
“At that point, aren’t you just a ‘constellation’ yourself? Mister, are you actually an incarnation of a ‘constellation’?”
It was just Ayoung’s wild guess, but the absurd notion made Yoo Seongwon grimace.
No matter how you sliced it, a bottom-feeder scum like him being a constellation’s incarnation was ridiculous.
Anyway, shocked or not, he decided to get on with his business.
‘Better than boring, headache-inducing paperwork, at least.’
Compared to dealing with the flood of emails, proposals, and documents chasing his absurd 30 trillion fortune, this was way better.
Anyway, he had a total of 4 skill and reward points.
One skill was already locked in as confirmed.
“…It’s for Heavenly Sword Army cost reduction, but this feels too unreasonable. How many skills do I have to invest in just for this? And that’s not all…….”
[(Unique) You have acquired Tyrant Emperor Knight’s Strategy.]
[Element reducing mana cost for Heavenly Sword Army summon added.]
[Tyrant Emperor Knight’s Strategy Acquired –20]
“Why do I have to learn strategy when I already have Command (EX)? It makes no sense!”
Yoo Seongwon sighed as he stared at his status window.
Learning overlapping skills in the same category felt like a waste, so he grumbled, but Shin Somi, her mother, and Elder Baek Gayeon immediately shot him down from behind.
“You’re so full of it, you glutton! Other people go through hell to get even one Unique or Legendary skill! And this guy’s like!”
“Learning sub-skills to unlock higher ones seems standard? Even mages level up Magic Theory and Mana Control before learning affinity spells… but this is extreme.”
“That’s why normal methods are a hassle… so people obsess over constellation blessings and rewards that open advanced skill trees directly. That’s why skill books are so expensive.”
In the end, Yoo Seongwon’s whiny complaints crumbled, and he quickly started eyeing the next skill to invest in.
This time’s skill investment direction. Originally meant to pair with knight summons, but the goal was somehow expanding the Heavenly Sword Army’s scale.
“Is that it then?”
“No. Not yet. Picking another skill to add now. Let’s properly crash those costs.”
Yoo Seongwon kept hunting for skills to further reduce Heavenly Sword Army summon costs.
With the upcoming clash against Blue Dragon Guild forces, and in case of another large-scale subjugation like last time, what they needed was troops to hold territory and defensive personnel to protect the masses.
No matter how strong an individual was, these were jobs only an army could do—essential for future battles.
“Since we’re hated across all of Korea, gathering people as a Hunter guild won’t be easy. I don’t even know how to manage people well… and I don’t trust them easily, so this is just better.”
“The fact that this is ‘better’ is what’s shocking.”
“…Found it. (Hero) Heavenly Sword Army Martial Arts, (Hero) Heavenly Sword Army Discipline and Combat Directives. Perfect.”
(Hero) Heavenly Sword Army Martial Arts let soldiers up to elite knights use their combat styles and martial skills—normally a skill with huge stat bonuses, but sadly, no bonuses here due to higher martial talent skills.
(Hero) Heavenly Sword Army Discipline and Combat Directives covered unique army discipline and guidelines from soldier to knight—didn’t teach modern warfare or Hunter combat knowledge, but both gave massive bonuses to Heavenly Sword Army summons.
[Element reducing mana cost for Heavenly Sword Army summon added.]
[Heavenly Sword Army Discipline and Combat Directives Acquired –20]
[Heavenly Sword Army Martial Arts Acquired –20]
“Ooh, it’s dropping steadily.”
Three skills for a 60-point cost down. A huge leap forward.
What used to cost 90 points per elite soldier was now –60, so 30 points per soldier.
With current mana at 3,024, that meant up to 100 elite Heavenly Sword Army troops, plus 500 goblin elites for a total of 600.
“Perfect. Now it feels like an army.”
“Three skills for 100 C-rank Hunters? Total cheat.”
“No. Actually more in practice. And we’ll keep getting rewards to cut costs further.”
“But I have one question: why not summon the Heavenly Sword Army knights? I heard their summons also reduce costs?”
“Even one Yuchun gives me headaches—imagine 2, 3, or 4 of them. Even if proxy summons lock it in… just thinking of one with a similar personality nagging me from both sides…….”
It was a horrific reality just to imagine for Yoo Seongwon.
And since those skills gave even higher mana cost reductions, despite the overlapping feel, he’d picked those passive ones.
Anyway, Heavenly Sword Army numbers were up, goal achieved. Now Yoo Seongwon planned to upgrade goblin soldiers’ gear and give them more systematic combat capabilities.
“We’ve got money and magic stones, plus small production facilities, so good for R&D too. Watching gear development and testing beats dealing with leeches after my money.”
“Yeah, dealing with people is what it is. Hmm… Looks like it’s about time to greet guests. Got word they’ve arrived outside.”
At that moment, Baek Gayeon glanced at her phone and pulled Yoo Seongwon back to reality from pondering goblin armaments on his terminal.
Yoo Seongwon, who hated meeting people, scowled in annoyance, but he couldn’t this time.
He’d ignore regular guests by claiming work, but this guest was on another level.
“Thought there was still time till the appointment… Haah~ Why’d they come so early?”
“Coming early is normal. Get up, check your outfit, call the others, and prep. It’s Olympus Guild, and two S-rank Hunters came in person.”
“Got it.”
Unless it was something like Blue Dragon Guild where bad blood might excuse it?
He couldn’t snub two S-rank Hunters who’d come straight to his base, so despite grumbling, Yoo Seongwon moved to prepare for the guests.