Chapter 137
Chapter 137
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 137
Chapter Title: Unexpected Gift (4)
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‘Ten times the investment, sure.’
What Kang Hyun-soo had provided to Venom King Cecilia included far more military might than money.
‘That’s not something you can convert to cash.’
But to receive compensation?
It had to be quantified in money, no exceptions.
‘Cecilia told Rodius I that she’d received three hundred billion gold from the Dark Knights.’
In reality, Kang Hyun-soo had only supplied one hundred billion gold.
Which meant she’d inflated it by an extra two hundred billion.
In truth, if they padded it even more?
‘It could easily be three trillion gold instead of three hundred billion.’
But that was risky.
‘Rodius I isn’t an idiot.’
He’d have a rough idea of how much money and force Cecilia had expended to seize control of the neutral faction.
And on top of that.
‘If it looks like she’s too much in my pocket, that’s a problem.’
Rodius I didn’t want to see the next emperor of the Rokto Empire being led around by someone else.
Decisively.
‘This game ends once Cecilia takes the throne anyway.’
Rodius I had only a few months left to live.
‘No need to risk losing big for small gains just because he can’t wait those few months.’
Once Rodius I died and Cecilia ascended to the throne?
‘Money won’t be the issue.’
The emperor of the Rokto Empire wielded disproportionate power, and it would all fall straight into Kang Hyun-soo’s hands.
Considering that?
‘No need to get greedy too soon.’
Which was why.
‘This is the sweet spot.’
Even at three hundred billion gold.
‘Ten times that is a whopping three trillion gold.’
Enough to buy a small city outright.
If not for the emperor of the Rokto Empire, who commanded countless vassal states?
‘It’d be an impossible sum to pay.’
Frankly, even Rodius I couldn’t hand over three trillion gold in cash.
‘If it were official business, he could tap the national treasury.’
In that case, he could’ve spent not three trillion, but thirty quadrillion gold— a hundred times more.
But this was unofficial.
‘And a private deal from Rodius I personally.’
He couldn’t touch the Rokto Empire’s national treasury, naturally.
So it’d have to come from the emperor’s personal wealth.
He wasn’t short on funds, but.
‘It’d drain his personal coffers dry temporarily.’
That was why Kang Hyun-soo opted for goods in kind instead of money.
‘Money doesn’t mean much to begin with.’
He had the bottomless money pit that was Guopi.
And Golden Lord Saemael was steadily growing his wealth based on the future intel Kang Hyun-soo provided.
In terms of personal assets alone?
‘I’m richer than Rodius I.’
However.
‘No amount of money lets you buy items from the imperial treasury.’
Sure, once Venom King Cecilia became emperor of the Rokto Empire, they’d roll in on their own.
‘But that item? I can only get it now.’
Because.
‘The emperor, Rodius I, hands it over to Crown Prince Rodius II.’
If it were a normal item?
Even if Rodius II owned it, Kang Hyun-soo could snatch it back anytime.
But.
‘Not this one.’
Because.
It was a one-time consumable item.
‘Though that flaw means its effect is insanely potent.’
So he had to grab it now.
‘With the successor changed, there’s a chance he gives it to Cecilia instead of Rodius II.’
But it wasn’t certain.
‘It doesn’t have to go to the successor anyway.’
And ideally, Kang Hyun-soo getting it himself.
‘Would help more in the battles ahead.’
Kang Hyun-soo scanned the imperial treasury.
And.
‘There it is.’
He spotted his target.
[Essence of the Poison Dragon - EX-Rank]
-Consumable item.
-Consuming it increases poison resistance by 500%.
-Consuming it grants the special stat Toxicity.
‘Huh?’
Kang Hyun-soo’s expression turned peculiar.
‘It’s not just a massive boost to poison resistance?’
Kang Hyun-soo had thought the Essence of the Poison Dragon was a consumable that massively raised the user’s poison resistance.
‘Thanks to consuming the Essence of the Poison Dragon, Rodius II was free from assassination by poison.’
A full 500%.
Limited to poison resistance, sure.
‘That’s insane efficiency.’
It outstripped typical EX-Rank items by at least double.
And.
He thought that was it.
‘There’s a bonus.’
It even included an option to grant a special stat.
This was unknown before his regression.
The reason?
‘Because Rodius II wasn’t a player.’
Normal people could learn skillbooks.
And benefit from item effects.
But.
‘They can only acquire them.’
Not use them freely.
‘Without a status window as non-players.’
They couldn’t activate skills.
‘That’s why they usually equip items that boost stats or apply passive skills.’
Passive skills activate constantly.
‘So no penalty even if the wearer isn’t a player.’
That was probably why Rodius I wore the Ring of Health.
Moreover.
‘The reason he gave the Essence of the Poison Dragon to Rodius II was similar.’
However.
‘This crosses the line.’
It didn’t just boost poison resistance—it created a special stat.
‘If Sword Saint Duke Rohas had consumed this?’
His Saint title might’ve become God.
‘Well, maybe not.’
Special stats were rare to acquire.
‘But not all are good.’
Many offered no combat help.
Like.
Charisma, Charm, Luck stats.
‘Kinda meh.’
Nice to have.
But irrelevant if you only cared about combat power?
However.
‘Toxicity looks like a huge combat boon at a glance.’
Well, that was.
‘Easy enough to check myself.’
Kang Hyun-soo picked up the Essence of the Poison Dragon.
“Th-that item already has an owner designated, sir.”
Sword Saint Duke Rohas said with a slightly flustered look.
‘So he planned to give it to Rodius II after all?’
Even if he was human trash.
Even if he’d been dethroned as crown prince.
‘A son’s a son, huh?’
It was almost natural.
No matter how worthless the scum.
No matter the unfilial disgrace.
Even if the child abandons the parent.
‘Parents can’t abandon their child.’
Not always, of course.
There were plenty of exceptions.
Rodius II himself, Cecilia’s birth father, hadn’t just denied her—he lusted after her.
But unlike Rodius II, Rodius I.
‘Must have exceptional paternal love.’
He clearly doted on his only son.
However.
‘This isn’t for that human scum.’
And Kang Hyun-soo had anticipated this possibility from the start.
“Didn’t His Imperial Majesty say anything in the imperial treasury was fine?”
He’d gotten firm confirmation from Rodius I in advance.
“W-well...”
“Surely the emperor of the great Rokto Empire isn’t going back on his word?”
Sword Saint Duke Rohas’s eyebrow twitched at Kang Hyun-soo’s words.
As a loyal servant of the Rokto imperial family.
He could hardly tolerate Kang Hyun-soo’s mocking tone toward his liege, Rodius I.
But.
“No, of course not. I merely spoke out of excessive concern.”
He’d already felt the power gap from a light handshake.
And knowing the Dark Knights had made generous concessions to the Rokto imperial family.
Sword Saint Duke Rohas had no choice but to back down.
‘Can’t blame him for a bit of pique.’
Truth be told, he didn’t need to add that snide remark.
But.
‘If you want to eat for free without giving an inch, you take the bitter words.’
If Kang Hyun-soo didn’t have the One-Man Army class?
If Venom King Cecilia hadn’t joined under him but stayed a mere colleague bound by a soul contract?
‘I’d be the dog staring at the roof while others chase chickens.’
Ten times the investment as reward sounded nice.
But compared to spotting the gem in the mud that was Cecilia and providing intel to avert the Rokto Empire’s fall?
It was a paltry sum.
“Then I’ll take this one.”
Kang Hyun-soo pocketed the Essence of the Poison Dragon.
‘Wonder what else is here?’
Kang Hyun-soo examined the items in the Rokto Empire’s imperial treasury.
EX-Rank items had immeasurable value.
But.
‘They do trade rarely.’
In those cases, prices ranged from tens of billions to hundreds or thousands of billions of gold.
‘Not all EX-Rank items are equal in value.’
Top-tier ones like the Sword of Gluttony or Ring of Protection?
Not even trillions—you’d need quadrillions to match their caliber.
The Tear of the Goddess?
‘If its hidden value stays secret, around one billion gold.’
Maybe even less.
But if the hidden options leaked?
‘At least hundreds of billions.’
Once full war with the demon army hit?
Prices would skyrocket like the Sword of Gluttony or Ring of Protection.
‘Though even hundreds of quadrillions wouldn’t tempt me to sell.’
For Kang Hyun-soo, who lacked for nothing?
He had zero intention of selling his EX-Rank items.
‘If anything, I’d buy more.’
He was even eyeing some EX-Rank items that might hit the market later.
But right now, the key point was.
‘Five left.’
Kang Hyun-soo had negotiated with Rodius I for ten times the investment in goods, resulting in.
‘Six EX-Rank items.’
He’d asked for ten at first.
They settled on six.
In exchange.
‘Any I chose were fine.’
So he could confidently pick the Essence of the Poison Dragon.
‘Nothing worthwhile.’
He’d checked thoroughly just in case.
But Rodius I hadn’t agreed to the deal for nothing.
No usable EX-Rank items in sight.
‘Well, makes sense.’
The truly good ones already had owners.
‘Guess the remaining five will have to do.’
Kang Hyun-soo turned his gaze to one spot.
A suit of armor was on display there.
[Cursed War God Armor Helmet – EX-Rank]
-Physical attack power increases by 100%.
-Skill attack power increases by 100%.
-Strength stat decreases by 100%.
-Set item.
‘As peculiar as ever.’
For armor, the main options were.
‘Pure offense.’
And massive gains.
A full 100% boost to physical and skill attack power each.
Plus, a set item.
Five pieces made 500%.
Add the double set bonus?
‘Physical and skill attack power up 1000%.’
But.
‘It has one fatal flaw.’
The “Cursed” in the name wasn’t for show.
‘Strength stat reduced by 100%.’
If that said increased by 100% instead?
‘It’d rival the Sword of Gluttony.’
For a magic swordsman player owner?
It might even surpass the Sword of Gluttony.
Without the strength reduction?
‘Still caused a huge stir.’
Tons would’ve coveted it.
If the options were defensive?
‘Even with the strength penalty, it’d be top-tier for tanks or healers.’
However.
With pure offense options plus the strength 100% drop.
‘It became a white elephant.’
Only magic class players could minimize the penalty.
‘But even then, 100% skill attack power feels meh.’
If it were an EX-Rank attack robe set for mages?
‘Skill attack and magic power up 100%.’
But EX-Rank items weren’t common, and the options were still desirable.
Half-baked, sure.
But full set meant 1000% skill attack power.
Sadly.
‘The penalty also gets the set bonus.’
So strength too.
‘Down 1000%.’
The problem.
‘Mages already have low strength—they’d become even frailer.’
Plus, the Cursed War God Armor was metal.
‘Insanely heavy.’
So a mage wearing it?
Mobility zero.
‘Ambiguous.’
Full-body plate not for melee warriors or tanks.
Useless for magic swordsmen.
For mages, half the efficiency of an EX-Rank set.
Wear it anyway?
Mobility gone.
That was.
‘Why it’s still here.’
But for Kang Hyun-soo with his Superhuman Strength skill.
‘Just 1000%? Piece of cake.’
His now E-Rank Superhuman Strength turned 1 strength into 50.
A whopping 50x multiplier.
In percentage terms?
‘4900%.’
A 1000% drop?
Wouldn’t even register.
Decisively.
‘And this curse can be dispelled.’