Chapter 94
Chapter 94
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 94
Chapter Title: Hero
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Hero.
Soyeonhwa stared silently at Han Yuseong as he headed toward the black market.
'What is it.'
The Prime Minister had said it.
Find out about Han Yuseong.
The famed Sword Hero candidate from [Cradle].
Even for that reputation alone, she had to look into him.
Soyeonhwa wasn't particularly interested.
There were just too many people whose rumors were all hype.
She'd once tracked down a guy after hearing he could replicate any sword style after seeing it just once.
But he couldn't even block one of her strikes.
After so many such disappointments, Soyeonhwa didn't put much stock in rumors.
As she grew, her [Eyes] and [Sword] began to evolve further.
She gained the ability to make an opponent's sword her own just by watching their technique.
As the years passed, that talent grew even stronger.
Now, she could judge people simply by looking at them.
And so, Soyeonhwa was the next big talent that all the Empire's nobles had their eyes on.
If the Prime Minister said so, it must be true.
However.
Soyeonhwa couldn't read him.
Most people, she could figure out with a glance.
But not him.
A man she couldn't understand just by looking.
'......'
Soyeonhwa watched Han Yuseong.
Her first impression was 'fast.'
He was shaking her off at a speed she couldn't hope to match, maintaining that blistering pace the whole time.
Her next feeling was.
'I don't get it.'
Han Yuseong showed only his back as he slipped deeper into the alley.
And.
'......Amazing.'
She watched his footsteps.
For some reason, he vanished and reappeared in an instant. Even her eyes caught blurry afterimages several times.
She'd come here on the Prime Minister's orders.
And that's how she'd ended up seeing this man.
But the Prime Minister's mission was fading from Soyeonhwa's mind bit by bit.
Now was the time to focus.
She recalled the steps he was showing her.
'I can't understand it.'
Everything in the world could be understood.
Swords that cleaved the heavens, spears that pierced the seas.
Even watching the Empire's proud dukes in action hadn't given her this feeling.
She'd felt like someday, as she grew older and stronger, she could do the same.
But.
'......Even if my level rises and my rank climbs.'
She had no confidence she could ever match those steps.
'Who are you.'
Soyeonhwa thought, picturing the back of the man who'd shaken her off.
At that moment, Han Yuseong.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Skill: Footwork's level has risen by 10.] '......More helpful than I thought?'
He slightly upgraded his assessment of Soyeonhwa.
*
Let's rewind the clock a bit.
To when he'd caught those guys called soul plague victims.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [You have leveled up.] It was right after taking them down with the holy sword's power.
As he leveled up.
His soul grew stronger, and he felt like it was ascending upward.
......Level 5.
And he acquired one ability.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Due to [Steal Strike], the pre-grown [Sword Master (A+)] and [Bow Master (A+)] will grow.] [[Sword Master (A+)] absorbs the Mana Control gift.] [[Sword Master (A+)]'s proficiency has reached its peak. Checking stats and swordsmanship aptitude......] [[Sword Master (A+)] evolves into [Sword Ghost (S+)]!] [Skill: Footwork has been unlocked.] Becoming a Sword Master leads to one fixed outcome, like gaining a class.
One of Volkan's nicknames was Sword King.
That meant he'd acquired the Sword King class.
'Am I a Sword Ghost, then.'
This was actually a result he'd half-expected.
If speed and technique reached their peak, you could become a Sword Ghost.
And since he used speed-focused swordsmanship.
He'd learned orthodox hero swordsmanship from the holy sword midway through, so he'd been a little unsure.
'Sword Ghost......'
There were classes that matched each stat.
If this was his first class change.
There would be a second one too.
Sword Emperor, Sword Sovereign, Sword Saint, Sword Heaven.
Those were the four.
And.
He turned his gaze to the first window that had popped up.
'Gifts pre-acquired through Steal Strike.'
Those who knew even a little about this gift spoke of Steal Strike.
They called it a devil's technique.
Even the holy sword, which had been with the first hero, couldn't say for sure.
So he couldn't confirm it either.
As he started to ponder.
A blue window filled his vision.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Recommend synthesizing Gift: Composite Gift, Purple Lightning (A) with Skill: Thunderclap Strike (A).] [Recommend synthesizing Gift: Composite Gift, Charging Shot (B) with Skill: Shadow Dance (B).] Looking at it, he thought.
'Synthesis is way too versatile.'
It recommended gift syntheses without him even asking.
No wonder his friend had recommended it.
'Synthesize.'
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Synthesizing Gift: Composite Gift, Purple Lightning (A) with Skill: Thunderclap Strike (A).] [Acquired Gift: Supreme Thunder God · Purple Lightning (S).] [Skill: Running (D) merges into Gift: Supreme Thunder God · Purple Lightning (S).] [Synthesizing Gift: Composite Gift, Charging Shot (B) with Skill: Shadow Dance (B).] [Acquired Skill: Phantom Dance (A).] ⚔ SKILL ⚔ Supreme Thunder God · Purple Lightning (S) Your body is one with lightning. From now on, lightning dwells in your will and strikes your foes. ◇ Correction to all speeds. ◇ Immunity to lightning-attribute attacks above a certain tier; recover mana and vitality when hit by lightning-attribute attacks. ◇ Correction to all lightning-attribute attacks, and lightning-attribute correction to normal attacks. ⚔ SKILL ⚔ Phantom Dance (A) Having pierced the essence of Shadow Dance, you now see beyond it. From now on, when infusing arrows with mana, you can grant two powers. ◇ Can grant Piercing, Explosion. ◇ Can grant Stealth in darkness when using Phantom Dance. '......Oh.'
He admired the new gifts and skills.
But one thing puzzled him.
'Heroes all get at least one S-grade.'
In his case, he now had five S-grades.
Sword Ghost was a bit different, but no hero candidate would have this many.
The thought crossed his mind.
*
'......Can't help but sigh.'
Once he was sure he'd shaken off Soyeonhwa.
He could finally enter the black market.
Not to meet the Hao Gate Lord he'd seen before.
'This time, I need to buy something.'
There was something he needed to get.
He'd heard about it so long ago he'd forgotten, but it had come to mind recently.
To master synthesis, gifts and skills were good.
But even better was synthesizing items.
'Name was Retinal, I think?'
It was something he could make, with great synthesis efficiency.
If that guy said so, it had to be right. Then.
'I could make what I'm thinking of.'
With that item, striking it rich would just be a matter of time.
He chuckled inwardly as he walked forward.
"......"
An unexpected face.
Or maybe not so unexpected. He lived around here.
"Oh, long time no see."
A man approached with a bright smile upon seeing him.
Level 5 knight.
Diago.
He'd come looking for him.
'Feels like trouble's brewing again.'
Instinctive hunch.
But he trusted it pretty well. Every time he ran into Diago, some incident followed.
"Come on, how can you frown the second you see my face?"
"Think about everything that happens every time we're together."
"......Hm."
Diago nodded slightly and looked at him.
"No such thing this time. Unless the genius slayer ran into you and you had to run away or something."
"......"
What?
This guy.
Did he know everything?
He narrowed his eyes at Diago.
"......No way, right?"
Diago stared back with a dumbstruck look, asking for confirmation.
Han Yuseong sighed deeply.
'It was gonna come out eventually.'
Might as well make maximum use of it now.
"Sorry, but I don't wanna get involved."
"More importantly, I have a question."
"A question?"
"I'm looking for something called Retinal."
"That's crazy expensive. You got the money...? Oh, right, you do. How much do you need?"
Han Yuseong told him the amount he'd planned for.
"About 10kg, I think."
"That might be tough......"
Diago trailed off with an 'ah' of realization.
Something had occurred to him; his eyes turned sly.
"If you take a small loss, there's a route to get it."
"Guess I'll look into it myself."
"Don't worry too much. It'll help your connections too......"
"You'll take the biggest cut, though."
"We haven't met that many times, and you already see through me."
Diago cackled. Han Yuseong eyed him.
"By the way, is that rumor true?"
"What rumor?"
"Word's spreading that you've hit level 5."
"......"
Thinking that far.
He remembered he hadn't registered his level at the Adventurer's Guild.
'......Totally forgot because of that Soyeonhwa girl.'
He looked at Diago. He didn't know what Diago was arranging, but he needed to stop by the guild.
He was getting a lot from them, but the benefits he enjoyed came from the rights he'd granted them.
Before that.
"Fine. I'll do as you say."
"Whoa, what's this? You're actually reasonable......"
"But in exchange, let's spar."
"......"
Diago looked stunned.
Maybe because he'd grown so much lately. His body felt itchy.
The first time he'd gotten Hyeoncheon, he'd won because Diago had gone easy.
But if they fought again, he hadn't been sure of victory back then.
So.
'How about now.'
It was strange.
But he felt absolute confidence that he would win.