Chapter 103
Chapter 103
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 103
Chapter Title: The Secret of the Rank System
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‘Fast.’
Kang Hyun-soo looked at the achievement window floating before his eyes.
‘It hasn’t been long since it grew from SS-Rank to SSS-Rank.’
And yet, it had already become EX-Rank.
‘Who would’ve thought growing from SSS-Rank to EX-Rank would be faster than from SS-Rank to SSS-Rank.’
In the case of the Beginner Hunting Ground Guardian, it wouldn’t grow even after killing it at SSS-Rank, but it shot straight up to EX-Rank in one go.
And that wasn’t all.
He’d also earned an additional A-Rank achievement.
‘As expected, unraveling the info through Dark King Cecilia was the right call.’
Thanks to the information spread by Dark King Cecilia, a boom in exterminating human traffickers erupted across the entire Atlantis dimension.
The system seemed to judge all of it as thanks to Kang Hyun-soo’s information.
‘Cecilia must have earned a pretty high achievement too.’
Currently, mid-to-high-level players in the Atlantis dimension were obsessed with hunting human traffickers.
As a result of mobilizing countless players to exterminate human traffickers.
Quite a few people earned achievements.
And as word of that spread, even more jumped into exterminating human traffickers and rooting out human trafficking.
‘I’m the one who got the players moving first.’
The more time passed, the more players would dive into hunting human traffickers.
And when that happened?
‘The title Atlantis Human Trafficking Exterminator will grow on its own for sure.’
From Kang Hyun-soo’s perspective?
It was pure honey.
He’d essentially created an auto-achievement booster.
‘Since Cecilia’s continuing the investigation.’
It seemed possible to root out the slave traders and buyers as well.
‘If things keep going like this, it’s plenty doable.’
He could completely eradicate human trafficking in the Atlantis dimension.
And when that happened?
The title Atlantis Human Trafficking Exterminator reaching EX-Rank was a done deal.
And if he played his cards right.
‘He might even snag an additional title.’
A satisfied smile crept across Kang Hyun-soo’s lips.
* * *
Time flowed by like running water.
Kang Hyun-soo’s prediction hit the mark perfectly.
And the result.
[You have achieved an astonishing feat.]
[The title Atlantis Human Trafficking Exterminator SS-Rank has grown into the title Atlantis Human Trafficking Exterminator SSS-Rank.]
The title Atlantis Human Trafficking Exterminator steadily grew from A-Rank to its current SSS-Rank.
‘Just one more step now.’
One more growth?
‘EX-Rank.’
And the accomplishments Kang Hyun-soo gained didn’t end there.
[You have achieved an astonishing feat.]
[The title Savior of Atlantis’s Slaves S-Rank has grown into the title Savior of Atlantis’s Slaves SS-Rank.]
‘As expected, the additional achievement popped up.’
While eradicating human trafficking, he’d boosted the Atlantis dimension’s overall strength and snagged a whopping four extra achievements.
From Kang Hyun-soo’s perspective?
It was killing two birds with one stone—eating the pheasant and the egg too.
‘And by now, it should’ve grown to EX-Rank.’
Finally.
The time had come to harvest the Ice King’s Necklace.
‘Brigade Commander’s Gaze.’
Kang Hyun-soo activated the skill.
‘All good.’
There were no anomalies.
The summons were hunkered down in their snow pit without issue.
And in one summon’s hand was the Ice King’s Necklace.
‘Let’s check the info.’
With Squad Commander’s Gaze, it only provided vision.
But now with Brigade Commander’s Gaze, it offered player-level vision.
Item info checks were now possible.
[Ice King’s Necklace – EX-Rank]
-EX-Rank skill Ice Arrow can be used.
-EX-Rank skill Ice Storm can be used.
-EX-Rank skill Ice Shield can be used.
-EX-Rank skill Ice Fortress can be used.
‘Nice.’
A bright smile bloomed on Kang Hyun-soo’s face.
‘Brigade Summon.’
Kang Hyun-soo called forth the 20 summons that had been buried in the northern snow pit for so long.
Swoooosh!
The 20 summons appeared before Kang Hyun-soo.
Thud!
They knelt in unison, offering the Ice King’s Necklace to him in a reverent posture.
‘Finally got the finished product in hand.’
An EX-Rank necklace boasting the highest value among EX-Rank items.
The Ice King’s Necklace.
‘Combined with Devouring Sword and Guardian Ring.’
Three in total.
These three EX-Rank items.
‘Were rated as the absolute best among pre-regression EX-Rank items.’
Moreover.
‘They practically forced their owners onto the pedestal of the absolute.’
Sword God Lee Kwang-ho?
He went around bragging that without Devouring Sword, he wouldn’t be where he was today.
Guardian God Lee Cheol-min?
Without Guardian Ring, the guy didn’t have a single EX-Rank skill from his own power or effort.
Ice Queen Jena?
She was your run-of-the-mill mid-to-low-level player until she got the Ice King’s Necklace and skyrocketed to queen status.
If a ranker or named player had gotten the Ice King’s Necklace?
They’d have seized a god title for sure.
Items with unrivaled power even among EX-Rank gear.
Devouring Sword, Guardian Ring, Ice King’s Necklace.
Kang Hyun-soo now monopolized all three.
‘Gotta get Devouring Sword and Guardian Ring to EX-Rank ASAP.’
Only then could they fully unleash their pre-regression might, just like the Ice King’s Necklace.
‘Time to contact Golden Lord Saemaal.’
In a mere two years, Golden Lord Saemaal had become a figure spanning the entire Atlantis dimension.
He wasn’t yet the top merchant in Atlantis.
‘But he’s gotta be in the top five.’
Give it a few more years?
Top spot was just a matter of time.
Two years ago, Kang Hyun-soo had instructed Golden Lord Saemaal to stockpile high-rank items and defensive skillbooks.
If a top-five figure in Atlantis had gathered them for two years?
‘It’s more than enough.’
More than enough to evolve the SSS-Rank Devouring Sword and Guardian Ring to EX-Rank.
* * *
‘A lot.’
Kang Hyun-soo gazed at the pile of items and skillbooks forming a small hill before him.
After telepathically contacting Golden Lord Saemaal, he’d immediately received the stockpile.
The method was simple.
Have the summon attached to Golden Lord Saemaal hand over the items, reverse-summon it, then resummon.
‘Let’s get started.’
Kang Hyun-soo poured mana into Devouring Sword.
Swoooosh!
Devouring Sword devoured high-rank items indiscriminately.
Each one worth at least millions of gold, up to tens of billions for the pricier ones.
But Kang Hyun-soo didn’t care.
[Devouring Sword SSS-Rank has grown.]
[Devouring Sword SSS-Rank has grown.]
[Devouring Sword SSS-Rank has grown.]
……(omitted)……
‘Insane.’
Even after the item hill visibly shrank, no growth.
‘Golden Lord Saemaal said he poured in half his fortune, and this is it?’
Unease crept in.
If it failed to grow?
Aside from boosting Devouring Sword’s exp, he’d lose everything gained.
‘If this doesn’t work, feed it the gear on my summons next.’
If that failed too?
Starting with Fenrir’s Fang from Demon-Exterminating Spear King Jin Gu-pyeong, he’d even raid Mid華 Guild’s item vault.
‘Once you start, see it through.’
Kang Hyun-soo gritted his teeth.
How much time passed.
Just as the item hill bottomed out.
[Devouring Sword has grown from SSS-Rank to EX-Rank.]
Finally, Devouring Sword completed its growth to EX-Rank.
But then.
[Devouring Sword EX-Rank has grown.]
‘What?’
Kang Hyun-soo hadn’t stopped injecting mana even after growth.
As a result?
The now-EX-Rank Devouring Sword devoured one more item.
‘And grew.’
Shock painted Kang Hyun-soo’s face.
‘Is this even possible?’
The max growth for all skills and items was EX-Rank.
That was common knowledge to Kang Hyun-soo.
‘Maybe it’s not?’
Skills didn’t show messages past a point, so who knew.
And pre-regression, he’d never had growth-type items.
‘If EX-Rank isn’t the end?’
Then what came next?
‘Is it just Devouring Sword, or Ice King’s Necklace too?’
Doubts mounted.
‘Testing will tell.’
Pushing Devouring Sword further was impossible.
Even SSS to EX took astronomical items.
For beyond EX?
‘Even Golden Lord Saemaal dumping his whole fortune wouldn’t cut it.’
S-Rank and up didn’t even have fixed prices anyway.
But.
‘Might be possible later.’
And right now, one testable item remained.
‘Ice King’s Necklace.’
Keep it embedded in the northern zone?
‘Plenty testable.’
With summons guarding, he could fetch and use as needed.
‘Go.’
Kang Hyun-soo assembled a team of summons made from named players, handed them the Ice King’s Necklace, and sent them north.
Now left was.
‘Guardian Ring.’
Evolve Guardian Ring to EX-Rank and check for the same message.
‘That’ll confirm if Devouring Sword’s special or if all skills and items have ranks beyond EX.’
Decision made, Kang Hyun-soo picked up a defensive skillbook.
[You have acquired Active Skill Guardian Saint’s Shield S-Rank.]
[Active Skill Guardian Saint’s Shield S-Rank has been absorbed into Guardian Ring.]
[Guardian Ring SSS-Rank has grown.]
[You have acquired Active Skill Barrier of Conviction S-Rank.]
[Active Skill Barrier of Conviction S-Rank has been absorbed into Guardian Ring.]
[Guardian Ring SSS-Rank has grown.]
……(omitted)……
High-rank defensive skillbooks melted away like snow.
The skillbook hill shrank rapidly.
But Kang Hyun-soo felt no anxiety.
‘Similar volume got Devouring Sword to EX-Rank.’
Meaning?
‘Guardian Ring can definitely hit EX-Rank.’
What mattered to Kang Hyun-soo now wasn’t if Guardian Ring reached EX-Rank.
It was whether items could grow beyond EX-Rank.
That was key.
[Guardian Ring has grown from SSS-Rank to EX-Rank.]
Finally, Guardian Ring reached EX-Rank.
Normally, that’d be it.
But Kang Hyun-soo grabbed another skillbook.
[You have acquired Active Skill Flame Shield S-Rank.]
[Active Skill Flame Shield S-Rank has been absorbed into Guardian Ring.]
[Guardian Ring EX-Rank has grown.]
This time too.
‘Growth message appeared.’
Kang Hyun-soo’s eyes flashed.
‘What’s beyond EX-Rank?’
He wanted to know.
And.
He wanted EX-Rank-plus items.
‘I’ll get it for sure.’
Pre-regression, he’d only maxed 1-Second Regressor to EX-Rank.
Couldn’t even get his unique Replica skill to SSS-Rank.
But this time.
‘It’s different.’
This time, he’d acquired skill enhancement via Replica.
And the One-Man Brigade job.
Combine those two for endless loops and level-ups.
Plus.
‘Skill ranks rise fast too.’
If Replica had beyond-EX-Rank?
He had to have it.
‘No clue when, but.’
He triggered skill enhancement every cooldown.
Yet Replica skill lingered at S-Rank.