Chapter 55
Chapter 55
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 55
Chapter Title: Commander Appointment (3)
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"Good."
"I'll think about it."
Song Ha-na and the Beast Emperor's responses crossed paths.
Song Ha-na gave a straightforward yes.
The Beast Emperor held off.
"Hey! If you say that, what does that make me?"
The Beast Emperor shouted at Song Ha-na with a look of disbelief.
"It's a path to getting even stronger. And you might not know this, but I've always planned to stick with Hyun-soo from here on out anyway."
To Song Ha-na, Kang Hyun-soo was her lifesaver.
Not only that, he was like a master who had elevated her to her current level.
As such, Song Ha-na had no intention whatsoever of parting from Kang Hyun-soo.
Honestly, she was scared.
She had grown much stronger in terms of combat ability.
But that was it.
The Atlantis dimension was still a foreign place to Song Ha-na.
Up until now, she had moved with Kang Hyun-soo, so she hadn't felt any fear.
But what if she parted from Kang Hyun-soo?
Her situation would be no different from a lost child.
Kang Hyun-soo was the one and only person she could trust in this unfamiliar Atlantis dimension.
Without Kang Hyun-soo?
She absolutely wouldn't have survived this long.
And that would be the same going forward.
To Song Ha-na, life in Atlantis without Kang Hyun-soo was.
A nightmare she didn't even want to imagine.
That's why she was actually glad about Kang Hyun-soo's proposal.
Because she thought the Commander Appointment skill would bind her and Kang Hyun-soo even more firmly together.
"I'm going to stick with Hyun-soo too! But still, you should think about it carefully before deciding."
"Yeah, it's better to think carefully and decide. Once you accept the skill, you can't cancel it."
Kang Hyun-soo backed up the Beast Emperor's words.
Of course, it wasn't sincere.
Kang Hyun-soo had been with Song Ha-na since the tutorial.
And he had created a situation where she had no choice but to rely on him.
The Beast Emperor might provide her with some support.
But the Beast Emperor was a native of the Atlantis dimension.
He didn't share the goal of returning to Earth.
They didn't share any pain.
Nor did they have memories of enduring by relying on each other.
To Song Ha-na, the Beast Emperor could never replace Kang Hyun-soo.
"I've already made up my mind. Do it right now."
She had heard all the explanations.
And made her decision.
"Got it."
Kang Hyun-soo used the Commander Appointment skill on Song Ha-na.
[Player Kang Hyun-soo has used the Commander Appointment skill. Will you accept?]
[Yes] [No]
Song Ha-na selected Yes without hesitation.
Whoosh!
[You have been appointed as a Battalion Commander.]
[All stats increase by 10%.]
A brilliant light enveloped Song Ha-na's body.
Along with it, she felt her stats rise.
That wasn't the end.
'We're connected.'
After receiving the skill.
Song Ha-na became aware of an intangible thread connecting her and Kang Hyun-soo.
-How is it?
Kang Hyun-soo's voice echoed in her mind.
-Good.
Song Ha-na responded not with her mouth, but with her will.
-Is there no distance limit or anything?
-From what I know.
Kang Hyun-soo was connected to his summons through his spirit.
However, normal summons only carried out Kang Hyun-soo's commands.
They couldn't convey their own will to him.
The reason was simple.
'Summons don't have egos.'
They merely fought according to Kang Hyun-soo's orders, based on the residual memories of the monsters or players they were modeled after in life.
'But Song Ha-na is different.'
Because she wasn't a mana puppet—she was a living person.
"Why are you two suddenly silent? Did something go wrong?"
The Beast Emperor asked with a worried expression.
"Nothing went wrong. We were just talking with our minds."
At Song Ha-na's words, the Beast Emperor tilted his head with a 'What nonsense is that?' look.
"So, what happened is..."
Song Ha-na explained to the Beast Emperor everything she had gained from receiving the Commander Appointment skill.
"It's impressive."
Her stats had increased by a full 10%.
If the Commander Appointment skill's rank rose?
She could promote to a higher rank under the commander, with even more stat boosts.
And if she received the Commander's Blessing skill?
Another 5% stat increase.
A total of 15%.
Plus, if skills like Commander Appointment or Commander's Blessing ranked up?
An additional 5% each, for a total of 10% across all stats.
"It's totally broken."
And these were just C-Rank and E-Rank skills.
If both reached EX-Rank?
All stats would rise by 45% each, totaling 90%.
Nearly double the strength.
"What even is that class? How does it have two such cheat skills?"
The Beast Emperor asked in bewilderment.
'It is a cheat, but it originally comes with massive penalties.'
The One-Man Battalion's core skills are based on stats, not mana.
Battalion Formation, Commander's Blessing, Commander Appointment.
And as skill ranks rise, the stat consumption increases accordingly.
The player once called the One-Man Legion had a level that ranked among the top three across the entire Atlantis dimension before his regression.
But his personal combat power was.
'Basically no better than someone who had just awakened.'
Why?
Because all his stats had to be invested into his summons.
'He was strong. But his weakness was too glaring.'
That's why he lost his life so pointlessly.
Fortunately, he had a special unique skill.
Allowing him to possess 3,000 summons.
'And earn the title of One-Man Legion.'
Without that special unique skill?
'He might not have even become a named player.'
That was how severe the penalties of the One-Man Battalion class were.
But Kang Hyun-soo was different.
Thanks to Replica, he could perfectly cover the class's weaknesses.
"If you're jealous, you take the Commander Appointment skill too."
Song Ha-na teased the Beast Emperor.
"Urgh."
The Beast Emperor closed his eyes and pondered.
'It'll definitely help a lot in achieving my goal.'
Becoming a commander?
Had huge benefits.
Stats increasing was one thing.
But he could also benefit from Kang Hyun-soo's other skills.
Become an immortal being through Battalion Formation.
And limited spatial movement via Battalion Summon.
'For now, that's it.'
But as Kang Hyun-soo grew and gained more class skills?
They would directly contribute to his own growth.
The Beast Emperor also aimed to shatter prejudices against the Toin tribe.
Receiving the Commander Appointment skill?
Would let him achieve that goal faster.
"Are the downsides just what you mentioned earlier?"
"Yeah."
Kang Hyun-soo answered the Beast Emperor's question immediately.
The biggest downsides were just two.
First, once appointed, it couldn't be revoked until death.
Even if he died, Kang Hyun-soo could revive him via Battalion Formation.
So effectively, the rest of his life would be eternally bound to Kang Hyun-soo.
Second, if Kang Hyun-soo died, he would die too.
They would literally share life and death.
Or, more precisely, his life would be subordinated to Kang Hyun-soo's.
'What the hell is in that woman's head?'
Even knowing such huge penalties, Song Ha-na had accepted instantly, which made her seem insane.
Of course, the Beast Emperor trusted Kang Hyun-soo too.
Without Kang Hyun-soo's help?
He wouldn't have grown this fast.
He wouldn't have obtained his beloved Beast King's Gauntlets either.
Decisively.
If he hadn't met Kang Hyun-soo, the Beast Emperor would still be wasting time trying to enlist in Muran Kingdom's regular army, clinging to false hope.
But even considering all that.
Entrusting his life and death entirely to Kang Hyun-soo was.
Something he could never decide lightly.
"You can take more time to think about it."
At Kang Hyun-soo's words, the Beast Emperor nodded.
Frankly, just hearing the penalties made rejecting outright seem reasonable.
But the temptation of an immediate 15% stat boost across all stats held his ankle.
If Kang Hyun-soo raised both skills to EX-Rank?
A total 90% stat increase.
The Beast Emperor was confident in growing stronger through his own efforts.
But with Kang Hyun-soo's Commander Appointment?
'He could get even stronger.'
It wouldn't erase the strength from his own efforts.
It would be a bonus on top.
With that bonus?
The Beast Emperor would grow stronger.
Meaning he could hunt higher-level monsters more easily.
Which meant his growth speed from effort would accelerate too.
Growing faster?
Would let him achieve his goal faster.
"But if you wait too long, the spots might fill up."
Kang Hyun-soo could currently appoint only four Battalion Commanders.
There were 12 Platoon Leader spots left, but.
Battalion Commanders got 10% total stat boosts, while Platoon Leaders got 5%.
And as skill ranks rose, that gap would widen further.
'Two spots left.'
But if the war between Zhonghua Guild and Kabal Guild intensified?
Named players like Sword Ghost or rankers would die left and right.
'Then those two spots would fill up fast.'
The Beast Emperor let out a hollow laugh.
"Alright, I'll accept."
The Beast Emperor made his decision.
"Aren't you being too hasty?"
He had jumped up at Song Ha-na's decision just moments ago.
Yet now he decided right away.
"I'm not an idiot. I know what would happen if you offered that restriction to others."
If he offered this to named players or rankers?
'Most would accept.'
Their lives would be bound to Kang Hyun-soo.
But that didn't mean becoming puppets obeying his every command.
Those with that level of power?
'Would ally with Kang Hyun-soo.'
They'd even help Kang Hyun-soo grow faster.
Because they could only grow stronger if he did.
And they could only survive if he preserved his life.
But they would definitely impose restrictions.
'Try to control him.'
They'd ally, but always seek to hold the reins.
One misstep?
And he'd end up as a living totem providing buffs.
That's the risk.
'So the opportunity came to me.'
Kang Hyun-soo wasn't someone to be subordinated or led around.
He'd use his power to build his own independent force.
That's why he offered this to them, not named players.
Even if he refused.
It wouldn't be a loss for Kang Hyun-soo.
It might even be a gain.
Kang Hyun-soo could just turn named players or rankers into summons and appoint them as commanders.
The fact that Kang Hyun-soo, at just level 400s, offered this to him was a huge gamble.
Not only revealing his biggest secret.
But investing one of his last two spots in him, instead of summons based on named players.
And decisively.
"I trust you."
The Beast Emperor trusted Kang Hyun-soo.
They hadn't been together long.
But to the Beast Emperor, who had lived alone in loneliness for so long.
Kang Hyun-soo was a closer, more reliable comrade than anyone.
"Thanks."
Kang Hyun-soo smiled and cast Commander Appointment on the Beast Emperor.
[Player Kang Hyun-soo has used the Commander Appointment skill. Will you accept?]
[Yes] [No]
The Beast Emperor selected Yes.
Whoosh!
[You have been appointed as a Battalion Commander.]
[All stats increase by 10%.]
"Oh ho."
He could really feel all his stats amplifying.
It might seem like just 10%.
But to someone like the Beast Emperor, it was a full 10%.
A 10% stat boost didn't mean just 10% combat power increase.
With the Beast Emperor's battle sense, he could leverage that 10% to amplify his combat power even further.
"Once the skill cooldown is up, I'll cast Commander's Blessing too."
At Kang Hyun-soo's words, a bright smile bloomed on the Beast Emperor's lips.
Just a 10% stat boost gave him this sense of fulfillment.
'And this is just the beginning.'
As Kang Hyun-soo's skill ranks rose, the amplification would increase.
'At this rate?'
Forget shattering prejudices against the Toin tribe.
He could reach the pinnacle of strength no beastman in history had ever achieved.