Chapter 288: Escaping Stamina Deficiency!
Chapter 288: Escaping Stamina Deficiency!
After I finished organizing my equipment in the third-floor warehouse, I had to shake off a pestering Ahn Sol and a whining baby unicorn who were trotting along behind me. At last, I managed to arrive at the temple with Kim Hanbyul. To be honest, I was going because I had business there, but Kim Hanbyul had been summoned by her designated helper, so our schedules just happened to overlap.
We walked slowly to the temple, and upon arrival, we were each guided by a priest to a room with a portal. Now, with the priest having closed the door and left, I found myself staring blankly at the portal shimmering with blue light.
I thought of the angel waiting for me inside and calmly suppressed the anger that reflexively boiled up within me.
Of course, the angels were incredibly dedicated when acting as helpers. Even so, this time, I was the one in the position of asking for a favor. I hadn't been able to find an answer to my stat problem on my own. As such, I needed to avoid letting useless emotions get in the way and ruin things.
After composing myself with a few deep breaths, I took one last large inhale and leaped into the portal.
As my body entered the space shimmering like the ocean, an indescribable energy enveloped me. I surrendered to the pulling sensation and closed my eyes. When I opened them again, I had arrived. A familiar scene came into focus as I blinked. I was in the Summoning Room.
The scenery here was always the same. I glanced around before turning my gaze forward, where I saw the familiar rectangular altar. An angel would be sitting on it.
I lifted my head, and sure enough, a beautiful angel with shimmering, transparent wings was looking at me. And, as always, a face full of mischief and sparkling, golden-pink hair… Huh?
What?
Before I could even voice my confusion, the angel sitting on the altar waved a hand flirtatiously.
“Oh, you’re finally here? Hi~.”
“?”
“I was going to summon you soon anyway, so this is perfect~. Nice to meet you! I’m your new helper, Sandalphon…”
“Hey.”
I cut her off mid-sentence. Sandalphon, who had been wiggling her fingers at me, widened her eyes. But she quickly flashed a gentle, smiling expression and shrugged. For some reason, I found the sight incredibly displeasing.
I quickly but calmly analyzed the situation. The most likely possibility was that my helper had been replaced while I was away. It wasn't unheard of, so that seemed the most plausible explanation.
I pressed my throbbing temples a few times before speaking in a low voice to the angel with the mischievous smile.
“You guys switch out helpers without the user’s consent? Change it back to Seraph. Now.”
“My, my. Why the rush? Don’t be like that. Come sit over here. It’s our first time meeting, let’s have a little chat. Hm?”
“Get lost.”
“Don’t be like that~. I really want to be your helper~. Besides, didn’t you hate Seraph? I’ll be different from that inflexible thing. Okay?”
“I said, get lost. Ah, Seraph? I know you’re listening, so get out here in five seconds. If you don’t, I’ll never come to the Summoning Room again. Your choice.”
“Yes.”
The moment I finished speaking, a brilliant light flashed next to the altar where Sandalphon was sitting. An angel emerged from the cluster of light, and as expected, it was Seraph. She looked at me with her usual serene face before turning her gaze to Sandalphon. Then, in a voice that sounded triumphant(?), she spoke.
“Sandalphon, Seraph of the First Order. Unfortunately, the User’s request for restoration has been confirmed. As we agreed beforehand, you must return to your original post.”
“Wait a minute! This isn’t fair! We haven’t even had a proper conversation yet!”
“That is your problem. Weren’t you so confident? Sandalphon has failed to meet everyone’s expectations.”
“No! I won’t go back like this! Hey! Hey! Wait! This is too much!”
Sandalphon tried to resist, but with a light wave of Seraph’s hand, she was instantly engulfed in light.
“What is too much? I am simply fulfilling the contract as we first agreed.”
“……!”
Sandalphon seemed to be saying something more, but her voice was barely audible as the reverse summon was already complete. In an instant, Sandalphon vanished completely. With what looked like an expressionless but pleased(?) gait, Seraph stepped onto the altar and gracefully sat down.
“My apologies, User Kim Soohyun. It has been a long time, and I have caused you to experience such an unpleasant incident.”
Seraph bowed her head slightly in apology. I was a little taken aback, but I had a rough idea of what had happened, so I calmly shook my head. In a way, I wasn't entirely blameless in this matter.
“It’s fine. It looks like the other angels took issue with my attitude… Anyway, just don’t switch my helper without my permission from now on. I might consider it if it were Archangel Gabriel or Michael, but who would want a klutz like that…”
“Thank you for your understanding. But, by any chance… are you saying you would be willing to change helpers if it were Lord Gabriel or Lord Michael?”
“If I say yes, is another angel going to pop up?”
“Lord Gabriel is currently on standby.”
“Tell him not to come. Don’t they have their own users to look after?”
“Yes. I will relay the message immediately.”
Seraph’s expression became one of clear relief. She then began to move her hands busily. I wasn’t sure if it was my imagination or an auditory hallucination, but I thought I could hear faint humming from somewhere.
After a short while, Seraph seemed to have finished her work and looked at me with her sacred, jade-colored eyes.
“Honestly, I was surprised that you came to see me first, User Kim Soohyun. I was planning to summon you soon, but matters related to the helper role caused a slight delay.”
“Ah. There’s something I need your advice on.”
“Something you need my advice on? In that case…”
Seraph wore a thoughtful expression for a moment before it changed to one of realization. “Ah.” I quickly studied her face. Seeing her eyebrows arch slightly and her lips part into a triangle, I knew another round of nagging was inevitable. So, I decided to strike first.
“I think I know what it is…”
“Hold on, Seraph. Just close your mouth for a second.”
“I believe I know without you having to say it. Did I not tell you from the beginning? If you continued on this path, you would certainly have problems with your Stamina…”
“Yeah, I get it. I know that already. I’m here now because a problem has occurred.”
Though she looked dumbfounded, Seraph finally closed her mouth. However, the worried look in her eyes suggested she was ready to unleash a torrent of nagging about raising my Stamina at any moment.
I took a cigarette out from my pocket. Before putting it to my lips, I muttered quietly.
“I already know what you’re going to say. But the reason I specifically sought you out is because you’re the only one I can get advice from about Eternal Flame.”
“……”
“If you’re really my helper, then listen to what I have to say, just once. Don’t just state your position for my own good. You’ve always been… Anyway, just once. Just once, you could try to think from my perspective.”
I almost blurted out, “You always do this,” but I managed to swallow the words.
Seeking a moment of calm, I put the cigarette in my mouth and lit it. I could feel Seraph’s piercing gaze soften slightly.
Flick. Fsssh.
“Hah.”
The moment I exhaled a thin stream of smoke, Seraph’s soft voice drifted over from in front of me.
“…Yes.”
“Good. No interrupting, okay?”
“No interrupting. Very well. I will first listen attentively to what User Kim Soohyun has to say. And I will do my best to think from your perspective. However, this time, I have no intention of backing down either. No matter what I hear, the fact that you must raise your Stamina will not change.”
“Okay.”
Angels always keep their promises. Now that she’d said that, I would at least be able to say my piece. Her last comment bothered me a little, but since I partially agreed with it, I could only nod.
I took another deep drag of the cigarette, and feeling a bit more at ease, I slowly began to speak.
*
I didn’t know what Seraph would think, but my mind was a complete mess. My current dilemma regarding my stats. And my personal thoughts and future plans related to it.
I wanted to raise my Stamina a moderate amount and get my other stats to 101. But Eternal Flame was the problem. On the other hand, if I invested everything into Stamina, I couldn’t let go of my desire for 101 in other stats. Or maybe I could try to hold out a little longer. If I kept my Stamina in the 80s, I might be able to benefit from an elixir one more time. But my body was currently a wreck. I was like a ticking time bomb that could go off at any moment.
Yes, in the end, Eternal Flame was the problem.
After I finished explaining everything, I looked at Seraph with a ‘what do you think?’ expression.
“I have listened to everything you’ve said, User Kim Soohyun. I believe I can certainly understand how you feel.”
“You do? Then I’d like to hear your thoughts.”
“I only said I understand, not that I am convinced. Are you sure you want to hear it?”
“…Go ahead.”
“Very well. Then, User Kim Soohyun, what on earth are you talking about? Do you have any idea what condition your body is in, and what consequences will follow if you raise your other stats to 101 in this state? No, you do know. Based on what you just said, User Kim Soohyun, you were clearly aware. That makes it worse. Did you want to see me worry?”
“……”
“I shouldn’t have given you Eternal Flame in the first place. That’s why I tried to stop you, but for goodness sake…”
Her words came out in a torrent.
I was an idiot for having any expectations.
Chewing on the bitter taste rising from the back of my throat, I took out another cigarette. The number of cigarette butts on the floor around me had already surpassed ten.
As if sensing my mood, a faint sigh came from across me.
“User Kim Soohyun.”
“Yeah.”
“As promised, I have listened to everything you had to say. May I speak now?”
“Then what was all that just now… No, never mind. Yeah, go ahead. Do as you please. Tsk.”
“Thank you. Then please look at this.”
Snap!
With a light snap of her fingers, a rectangular graph began to materialize before my eyes.
“I will now render User Kim Soohyun’s body within the graph.”
“This is the state of my body?”
“Yes. You will probably see that your entire body is filled with the color red.”
A rectangular graph with a human body formed inside it hovered in the air. I’d seen this a few times in the first playthrough, so it wasn’t that surprising. However, the fact that, just as Seraph said, every part of it was stained red made my eyes widen.
“I apologize for speaking a bit incoherently in my haste earlier. To start again from the beginning, User Kim Soohyun, you are a swordsman. You cannot be compared to classes like mages or priests. The very way you fight is fundamentally different. In other words, since a swordsman is a class that moves the body directly, Stamina is extremely important. Yet you want to raise your other stats to 101 in your current state. Fine. If you raise your Stamina to 90 and promise to never use Eternal Flame again, you may do so. And raising your Stamina to 80 to increase it again with an elixir. Fine. Cease all future expeditions and all combat. And if you dedicate yourself to recovering your Stamina for at least one year, or two to be safe, and do not use Eternal Flame until you can create another elixir, then do so. I will not stop you.”
“……”
I just listened. Seraph seemed to glance at me for a moment before finally adding another comment.
“Though it is uncertain whether you can create such an elixir again. In any case, I will think from your perspective, User Kim Soohyun. But I, too, have a bottom line.”
Listening to Seraph, I fell deep in thought. First of all, not using Eternal Flame was out of the question. I hadn’t chosen it as my privilege for nothing.
After tapping my foot on the floor for a while, I asked in a weak voice.
“Is it that serious? Really?”
“I am not lying. For what malicious reason would I interfere with a user achieving a higher divinity by increasing their stats? There must be a good reason for it, would there not…? I have told you the plain truth. User Kim Soohyun, your body should have collapsed long ago. It is a miracle that you are holding on in your current state. Do you perhaps remember when you first accepted Eternal Flame?”
I remembered. Accepting Eternal Flame had cleansed every corner of my body, but as a consequence, I had suffered a permanent decrease in Stamina. Not a temporary debuff with a minus sign, but a literal, permanent stat reduction. Recalling that moment, a thought suddenly flashed through my mind.
“Don’t tell me…”
“That’s right. I can guarantee that if you use Eternal Flame just one more time, something similar will happen. It may not be a permanent reduction, but the possibility of a debuff occurring is extremely high. Is that truly what you wish for?”
“What? So in the end, you’re saying I have no choice but to raise it.”
“Even I did not anticipate that your condition would deteriorate this quickly. No, I mean, unless you were deliberately overusing Eternal Flame…”
A corner of my chest stung as Seraph grumbled. The situation was far more serious than I had thought. It seemed the battle with Mavolo had acted as a catalyst, causing all the accumulated damage from overuse to explode at once.
“I wish to see you healthy again, User Kim Soohyun. I can understand your greed as a user, but I would advise you to pursue present safety over an uncertain future.”
“Hmm…”
I didn’t answer. My mind was still a mess, but it was gradually clearing up. My own thoughts weren’t entirely wrong, but there was a difference in degree. The vague ideas I had were slowly taking concrete shape as I listened to Seraph.
It was then that I heard a fluttering sound from the altar. Soon, I felt a sacred energy drawing closer. I lifted my gaze slightly to see Seraph, who had approached me and was now looking at me with affectionate eyes. She reached out with both hands, wrapped them around my left hand, and gently brought it to her chest. Then, in a voice bordering on a plea, she spoke.
“It may have sounded a bit rude, but thank you for listening to me. I believe I have been misunderstanding you until now, User Kim Soohyun.”
“……”
“I am truly happy, but I would still like to ask one more favor. Please, raise your Stamina. Your body is in a truly dangerous state right now, User Kim Soohyun. It’s like a motor on the verge of exploding. If you don’t raise your Stamina now, you really will…”
Seraph’s voice trailed off faintly. But seeing her grip my hand tighter and pull it closer, I could guess the depth of her sincerity. A warm, soft sensation that could make one lose their mind emanated from my left hand, but I managed to come to my senses and pull it away.
“User Kim Soohyun…”
“Phew.”
After a little more deliberation, I was finally able to make a decision.
With a sigh, I nodded and immediately called up my Player Status window.
*
[Strength 96(+2)] [Durability 92] [Agility 98] [Stamina 90] [Magic Power 96] [Luck 90(+2)]
(Remaining stat points: 6 free points.)
‘If it were up to me, I would have you put all remaining stat points into Stamina.’
‘Please keep this in mind. You are still not in a completely safe situation. Although you have set your Stamina to 90, the moment you raise any other stat to 101 or higher, the burden on your body will increase accordingly.’
‘Of course, it will be difficult to expect any future increases from elixirs. But it is not as if there are no other methods. Think about it. There are achievement rewards, and there is equipment, is there not? Of course, that too is an uncertain future. But for now, have you not secured your immediate safety?’
‘In any case, if you can scrape all of that together, you might be able to create an additional 5 points. That would give you a total of 11 remaining points. If you invest all of that into Stamina, you will be able to completely escape the shackles of Eternal Flame. Besides, even if you don’t raise your other stats, you are…’
After my conversation with Seraph ended, I returned to the Hall Plain through the portal. A priest was waiting outside. As I followed him out, I couldn’t take my eyes off the Player Status window.
In the end, I had raised my Stamina. I had decided to accept Seraph’s advice and agreed to raise it as she suggested.
Of course, it wasn’t a complete agreement. I hadn’t put all the points into Stamina; I had left 6 points. I didn’t know what situations might arise in the future, so these 6 points were a buffer for emergencies. There was a bit of an argument about this as well, but we managed to reach a compromise after I promised to allocate the stats appropriately when needed.
And doing as Seraph said wasn’t all that bad. If I could use Eternal Flame to its full potential, it would be like gaining a stat of 101 and an incredibly powerful weapon at the same time.
Besides, it’s not like my physical stats are lacking, anyway…
“Phew.”
In any case, since I’d already raised it, it was foolish to have any more regrets. And, just as Seraph said, if my condition was serious enough to cause a stat reduction, then raising my Stamina was a necessary choice.
The effect was immediately noticeable. My body, which had felt heavy all morning on the way to the temple, now felt significantly lighter. As such, I was quite looking forward to seeing how I would feel tomorrow after a night’s sleep.
After passing through the corridor, I was seen off by the priest and stepped outside the temple. I was just about to step down the stairs.
That’s when I saw the slender back of someone sitting on the steps, looking out at the view. Sensing my approach, the woman slowly turned her head, and our eyes met.
It was Kim Hanbyul.