Chapter 89
Chapter 89
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 89
Chapter Title: Pushover King Recruitment Operation
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Time flew by relentlessly.
In the meantime.
[Your unique skill Replica has grown from A-Rank to S-Rank.]
The Replica skill had finally reached S-Rank.
‘I thought it would happen sooner.’
It had taken longer than expected.
‘Still, this is something.’
If he hadn’t obtained skill enhancements through Replica?
‘He’d barely be at B-Rank by now.’
Maybe even C-Rank.
Replica was far more powerful than other skills, which meant its growth rate was slower.
‘Still a long way to go.’
It was only S-Rank now.
‘I need to hit EX-Rank soon.’
Only then could he enhance skills to EX-Rank.
If he raised both Replica and Skill Enhancement to EX-Rank?
‘Making other skills EX-Rank would be a breeze.’
The amplification rate of the now S-Rank Replica skill was 160%.
At EX-Rank?
‘300%.’
With Skill Enhancement amplified by 300%?
Even a B-Rank Skill Enhancement would pack the punch of an S-Rank one.
‘Plenty of time.’
Kang Hyun-soo was growing fast enough.
He had far exceeded the plans he’d made right after regressing.
If he kept pushing steadily like this?
‘He could achieve every goal.’
It wasn’t just Kang Hyun-soo who had grown stronger.
Song Ha-na and Fist Emperor, who had hit level 600 in the Demon Dragon Karas raid, had recently surpassed level 700.
Purely in terms of levels, they were high-level players now.
‘Factor in achievement stats, and they’re on par with named players.’
If they performed decently?
They’d snag some flashy titles.
‘The problem is Fist Emperor’s weapon, the Beast King’s Gauntlets.’
It showed no signs of growing.
Given Fist Emperor’s level?
He needed at least an A-Rank weapon.
‘Is there some special condition?’
They had run every test imaginable to upgrade the Beast King’s Gauntlets.
Yet it never grew.
‘It can’t be that tricky.’
If it were, Fist Emperor— a lone wolf pre-regression—couldn’t have raised it from B-Rank to EX-Rank alone.
‘I need to try again properly.’
Otherwise?
Fist Emperor might ditch the Beast King’s Gauntlets first.
* * *
Boom! Booooom!
Kang Hyun-soo’s party was hunting hard again today.
Even with Replica reaching S-Rank and Song Ha-na and Fist Emperor hitting level 700.
They didn’t get complacent.
They didn’t slack off.
If anything, they hunted even harder.
Roooooar!
With the monster’s pitiful death cry.
The hunt paused briefly.
Kang Hyun-soo’s summons collected the items and magic stones.
“Let’s eat!”
Fist Emperor’s shout signaled lunchtime.
“Sure.”
Kang Hyun-soo’s party ate their packed lunches.
“Can I see the gauntlets for a sec?”
When Kang Hyun-soo held out his hand to Fist Emperor.
Fist Emperor took off the Beast King’s Gauntlets and handed them over.
“Gonna test them again?”
“Yeah.”
“You sure those are growth-type?”
After so many failures?
Fist Emperor had nearly given up on the Beast King’s Gauntlets growing.
“You never know.”
Kang Hyun-soo infused mana into the Beast King’s Gauntlets as he spoke.
Mana infusion, item contact, item destruction, learning various skillbooks, splashing monster blood—everything.
They had tried it all.
Nothing worked so far.
‘If he really seems ready to quit, I’ll tell him I foresaw it growing.’
That might keep Fist Emperor from tossing them.
‘But what the hell is it?’
Kang Hyun-soo frowned.
Lunch was over.
Still nothing.
“Here.”
Kang Hyun-soo handed the Beast King’s Gauntlets back to Fist Emperor.
“Let’s call it quits.”
Fist Emperor said to Kang Hyun-soo.
“I’m not tossing them, of course. They’re the first gift you ever gave me, something precious. But they’re no good as a main weapon anymore.”
“Got it.”
Kang Hyun-soo nodded in agreement.
‘As long as he doesn’t sell them, it’s fine.’
He could keep searching for the growth method.
If Fist Emperor wanted to sell?
He’d bring up Future Foresight to stop him.
But otherwise?
No need.
‘Realistically, for hunt efficiency, Fist Emperor using a proper S-Rank item would be better.’
Song Ha-na had swapped her main weapon from an A-Rank sword to an S-Rank one after hitting 700.
Fist Emperor, who bought a B-Rank weapon around the same time?
‘He’d stuck with the Beast King’s Gauntlets without switching.’
Their options were good, sure.
‘But without growth, no 10-second invincibility skill.’
The Beast King’s Gauntlets without that were like red bean paste-less buns.
At best, their options were A-Rank weapon level—nowhere near S-Rank performance.
And crucially.
‘Fist Emperor recently got an S-Rank martial arts weapon from a hunt.’
Standard S-Rank performance.
Fist Emperor was itching to use his new S-Rank gear.
“Give the old ones to a summon.”
Kang Hyun-soo’s summons were item and magic stone collectors, pack mules, and soldiers.
“Gotcha.”
Fist Emperor handed the Beast King’s Gauntlets to a summon gathering items and stones.
The summon put them in the bag holding the magic stones and items.
That instant.
Flash!
A bright glow burst from the bag.
“What the—?”
Fist Emperor, who’d just handed them over, was shocked.
Kang Hyun-soo and Song Ha-na, prepping for the next hunt, were too.
“Let’s check.”
Kang Hyun-soo opened the summon’s bag.
Inside: just the Beast King’s Gauntlets and a few items.
The magic stones that had filled it? Gone without a trace.
“The magic stones are gone?”
Kang Hyun-soo checked the Beast King’s Gauntlets info.
[Beast King’s Gauntlets – A-Rank]
-Direct hits have a chance to increase all stats by 1%.
-Direct hits have a chance to increase physical resistance and skill resistance by 1%.
-Stats and resistances can increase up to 25% max.
“It grew.”
At Kang Hyun-soo’s words.
“Really?”
Fist Emperor jumped, quickly checking the info himself.
“No way, it’s true.”
The Beast King’s Gauntlets had grown.
One change.
Contact with magic stones.
“No way, magic stones?”
Kang Hyun-soo called another pack mule summon and had it dump magic stones on the ground.
“Grab one.”
Fist Emperor clutched a magic stone at Kang Hyun-soo’s word.
Flash!
It vanished in a bright glow.
“Well?”
Kang Hyun-soo asked.
“Got a system message—it grew!”
Fist Emperor beamed.
‘Magic stones, huh.’
Kang Hyun-soo was a bit dumbfounded.
Such a simple method, and he’d missed it?
‘My bad.’
On reflection, it was his fault.
Kang Hyun-soo’s party let summons handle all the chores.
No reason for them to collect magic stones themselves.
They’d touch items or skillbooks to check info, but magic stones?
‘Straight into the bag and off to the shop.’
No direct contact.
“Let’s hunt.”
Fist Emperor’s eyes gleamed as he spoke.
Now A-Rank, he clearly wanted S-Rank fast.
“Yeah.”
No sooner said than Fist Emperor tore into monsters at top speed.
Months later.
Fist Emperor finally got his S-Rank Beast King’s Gauntlets.
* * *
Word came from Golden Lord Saemaal.
‘Finally.’
The man once called Lone Legion pre-regression.
Had arrived in the Atlantis Dimension.
‘Time to check it out.’
Recruit the former Lone Legion.
And send a warning to the Rokto Empire as Dark Knight.
Three points in the warning.
First: expose the Demon King’s minions lurking at the heart of Rokto Empire power.
Second: end control and closure of national hunting grounds.
Third: abolish bans on dimensional gate travel between nations.
‘They won’t comply just because of a warning.’
They’d probably scoff and call him crazy.
Might even rage and declare Dark Knight an enemy of the Rokto Empire.
But.
‘Once they see what happens next, they’ll change their tune.’
Kang Hyun-soo wasn’t planning to sit back and reap events passively.
He’d trigger incidents to spark crisis in Atlantis nations.
‘Got a good card for it too.’
Demon Dragon Karas.
Using him?
‘Could create just the right crisis without revealing myself.’
But first.
‘Recruit that guy.’
That evening.
Kang Hyun-soo left Luzabenu in Mightor Kingdom for Mitos, Rokto Empire’s metropolis.
* * *
‘Haven’t moved solo in ages.’
Tutorial with Song Ha-na.
Atlantis Dimension, then Fist Emperor joined.
Always three together.
Kang Hyun-soo had stepped away sometimes.
But solo like this? First time.
‘Wasn’t easy.’
Song Ha-na and Fist Emperor wanted to follow to Rokto Empire.
But this trip wasn’t a big event.
No mass leveling or achievements to gain strength.
So Kang Hyun-soo left them behind.
More efficient that way.
‘Plus, they need to learn to stand on their own without me.’
Fist Emperor had soloed plenty before meeting them.
Song Ha-na?
Never once separated from Kang Hyun-soo since the tutorial.
‘She needs hunt experience without me or summons.’
That’s how she’d grow more.
He did leave her one healer summon.
‘Proper high-level parties need a healer.’
No healer?
Hunt efficiency tanks.
‘Both are fired up.’
Song Ha-na and Fist Emperor vowed to shock him with results on return.
‘It’s not that they’re too weak to bring.’
Just no need.
But they seemed to think it was because they lagged.
‘Whatever, they’ll learn something.’
Kang Hyun-soo arrived at Mitos’s training center.
‘Graduation day, huh.’
Wonder what class the guy got.
‘Said he’d join the Rokto Empire army?’
He graduated top of training.
Naturally, Rokto army and mega-guilds courted him.
He chose the army.
‘Not a bad pick.’
Easiest way to Rokto free citizen status.
‘Top grad, so good contract terms too.’
For Kang Hyun-soo, army beat mega-guild.
‘It’s a three-year contract gig anyway.’
After three years and citizenship?
He’d discharge for sure.
From Kang Hyun-soo’s view.
‘Rokto raises prospects then sets ’em free.’
Not always.
But if he pushed? Possible.
Mega-guild? Harder to escape.
‘Here he comes.’
The guy, fresh from training center graduation, stepped out.