Chapter 5: Using the Privileges
Chapter 5: Using the Privileges
The Hall Plain was a world where power—or more precisely, “Player Status”—was given the highest priority. It judged a person’s worth by combining everything about them: their years of experience, Alignment, stats, and abilities.
Perhaps that was why I was being so meticulous. I certainly hadn't expected to be granted privileges, and it was impossible to create a perfect character build in such a short time. But I had ten years of experience.
I wanted to live. And to live, I needed power. The desire for survival led directly to a thirst for strength. Which abilities should I raise? How could I become stronger? I had agonized over and researched these questions countless times. Reaching Master rank with a mere 48 points in Magic Power wasn't something I had achieved by sheer luck.
I never imagined my knowledge would be used like this, but the privileges I received were the perfect opportunity to apply everything I had researched.
The randomly selected Latent Abilities were just as I had predicted. Reading the names of the abilities that filled the two empty slots, I was able to breathe a sigh of relief. All that remained were one Unique Ability slot, one Special Ability slot, and two Latent Ability slots.
After long and careful deliberation, I finally made my choices for the Unique, Special, and Latent Abilities. Only then could I let out a true sigh of relief.
“Phew. I’m done.”
“……”
Just then, I felt a peculiar gaze on me. Since there were only two of us in the Summoning Room, I knew who was watching me without even looking.
My final farewell with Seraph had been poignant, but the resentment that had built up over ten years hadn't completely vanished. Moreover, now that I had some understanding of the internal affairs, it was difficult to look at the angel before me with any fondness.
I deliberately avoided looking in Seraph’s direction. I feigned indifference for a while, but there was a limit to that. Unable to bear her uncomfortable stare any longer, I decided to speak.
“What are you looking at?”
I asked in a deliberately petulant tone, but her gaze only grew more intense. Seraph met my eyes for a moment before speaking, her voice slightly animated.
“User Kim Soohyun’s stats. And the Unique, Special, and Latent Abilities you selected from the privileges. I have synthesized the information from these two areas, along with your choice of Sword Specialist. In doing so, I was able to draw a conclusion.”
“And who gave you permission to do that?”
“At this Helper’s discretion.”
I was a little dumbfounded by her immediate retort. Was the angel joking? Or was she serious? It might have been a bit of both, but I found myself nodding in spite of myself.
“Fine. So what did you find?”
“I felt that your research into stats and abilities is incredibly deep. It’s as if you are a User who has experienced the Hall Plain for a very long time.”
“Haha. That’s ridiculous.”
A sharp pang of guilt shot through me. I feigned composure and asked again, but Seraph slowly shook her head.
“It’s nothing.”
“I’ll admit I have a bit of a peculiar personality.”
“I’m not talking about your actions. The efficiency you’ve demonstrated by using your privileges has far exceeded the angels’ expectations. One could never make such choices without having directly experienced the Hall Plain.”
“Hold on. No take-backs, right?”
“No take-backs. As I’ve said repeatedly, you need not worry about the privileges. Angels are different from humans. We do not go back on our word. Well, anyway. I believe I have a rough idea of what User Kim Soohyun is aiming for. That is all.”
Seraph’s voice was laced with genuine admiration, but her words were heavy with meaning. With my conscience already pricking me, I couldn't feel entirely proud.
To be honest, even with all my research, the build I was aiming for was based on the Class of one of the most famous Users from my past.
He was famous, of course, but I remembered him in greater detail because he had the same name as me. The Sword Specialist, Jin Soohyun. His Secret Class was so devastatingly effective against mages that it was called their nightmare.
Jin Soohyun had entered the Hall Plain later than I did, by about a year. Yet, with a single word—effort—he closed that one-year gap in an instant. And with another word—talent—he surpassed me in a flash. Considering how hard I had tried myself, the sense of loss I felt back then still made my chest ache.
Anyway. Getting back to the point, it was nearly impossible to replicate Jin Soohyun’s build perfectly right now. For one, we weren't close, and he wasn't the kind of crazy User who would share his personal information with others. Even if I inherited the essential core elements, they would only account for about twenty percent of the whole. The remaining eighty percent had to be built from scratch, fleshing out a skeleton with my own unique interpretations. As I’d decided earlier, I would have to trust in my ten years of experience and seasoned judgment.
“Anyway, stop staring at me like that.”
When I showed my discomfort openly, Seraph quietly fell silent.
I’ll be taking the Sword Specialist class.
It wasn't that I felt no guilt, so I offered a brief prayer for Jin Soohyun. You’re talented enough to succeed with any other class, so don’t worry too much. After finishing my prayer-that-wasn't-a-prayer, I immediately turned my thoughts to the next privilege.
The fourth privilege.
‘4. You may receive a Body Modification Procedure one time only.’
The procedure wasn't anything too special. Of course, I had seen cases where people replaced body parts with machinery or summoned an extradimensional being to serve as a limb. But those were for people who had unavoidably lost limbs. As long as I had a healthy, whole body, I had no desire to give up any part of it. I could become strong enough without resorting to such measures.
What I had in mind was a Tattoo Procedure. This process was an essential element for the completion of my plan. If, by some chance, the Tattoo Procedure wasn't available, the plan’s success rate would be dangerously low, not even thirty percent. The item I was going to request with my fifth privilege was just that powerful and dangerous.
Since I had already spent a considerable amount of time on the third privilege, I decided to request the Tattoo Procedure right away.
“Hmm. Let’s see. Rather than some grand modification, I’d like to get a simple tattoo.”
“That is possible. I will display the tattoo catalog chart. Please wait a moment.”
“Ah, it’s fine. I already know the name. I’d like the tattoo called the Inscription of the Ancient Priestess.”
“Where would you like the tattoo to be inscribed?”
With a calm expression, I raised my right hand. As Seraph’s gaze followed it, I used my finger to point to my left breast.
“My heart.”
“Your heart…?”
“Why?”
“……”
Seraph’s face was placid. She said nothing, but I was certain her mind was racing at a speed I couldn't possibly imagine, trying to figure out my intentions. I felt a little sorry for her, but I had no intention of telling her yet.
Most tattoos were etched onto the skin. The idea of using ancient magic to perform a mana inscription on the heart itself seemed to displease her.
The core organs that governed a User’s mana were the heart and the circuits. Inscribing a tattoo on the heart, which could directly or indirectly affect mana response, carried the inherent risk of unknown problems arising.
However, the Inscription of the Ancient Priestess was different.
If I had requested a normal tattoo, I probably would have had to argue with Seraph for a while. Standard tattoos—those that amplified or affected the amount of mana—would have given her plenty of reasons to object.
But the Inscription of the Ancient Priestess was in a league of its own. It had two functions. First, it automatically stabilized mana if it went berserk. Second, it helped guide the flow of mana more efficiently.
Given these purely beneficial effects, Seraph must have been deeply conflicted. Feeling a little tense, I watched her lips. This procedure was the final, crucial key that could turn my high-risk plan into a success. At last, Seraph’s delicate lips slowly parted.
“Yes.”
Bingo.
“User Kim Soohyun’s request is accepted. The procedure will take approximately 5 minutes and 7 seconds. We will begin immediately.”
“Okay.”
The moment she finished, ancient characters radiating a bright blue light materialized in the air before me and began to circle my body in an oval. At the same time, I seemed to hear the solemn voices of priestesses echoing all around me.
Five minutes later, the ancient characters that had been circling me slowly seeped into the area around my heart, one by one.
Even though it was my heart, I didn't feel any pain. On the contrary, with each character that entered, I felt a surge of vitality. Finally, the last character in the line was absorbed, and the procedure was complete.
I couldn't immediately feel what had changed, but I knew I would as soon as I tried to circulate my mana. I began to check my mana at once.
Oho.
I had thought I might struggle a bit to control the explosive increase in my mana, but I felt no strain at all. The mana flowed smoothly along its circuits. The procedure was a success. I felt a deep sense of satisfaction at its unexpectedly good performance.
“Not bad. Seraph? How much time is left?”
“48 minutes and 39 seconds remain until you reach the Rite of Passage.”
48 minutes and 39 seconds. I licked my lips. From her lack of comment, Seraph seemed to think it was plenty of time. But in my opinion, it was tight. The remaining fifth privilege was a gamble, an adventure with no guarantee I would survive. It was fraught with immense danger. But considering how necessary it was, it was a step I could not avoid. Steeling my wavering heart, I thought of the fifth privilege.
‘5. User Kim Soohyun may select one piece of equipment of his choice, with no restrictions on type. However, EX-grade equipment cannot be selected.’
In a way, this privilege offered an incredibly wide range of choices: swords, armor, elixirs, accessories, and so on. But if I chose something so conventional, the Inscription of the Ancient Priestess would have been pointless. The fifth privilege was absolutely essential for me.
“The Eternal Flame… yes, the Eternal Flame would be better. I’ll use my fifth privilege on that.”
“User Kim Soohyun’s request is approved…?”
Her voice trailed off strangely at the end. Turning her statement into a question, Seraph frowned slightly.
Did she figure it out?
It was highly likely she had guessed my intentions. Still, the approval request seemed to have gone through, as Seraph held a small orb wreathed in red light in her right hand.
“……”
“……”
Neither of us spoke, but I could tell from her eyes. She had no intention of giving me the orb. Just as I suspected, Seraph’s expression turned stern, and she shot me a reproachful look. Not to be outdone, I hardened my own expression and met her gaze head-on.
“User Kim Soohyun.”
“Tanay.”
“Of course. But this is a different matter. Even if it is your Tanay, I can offer advice if it could harm you.”
“Advice that’s just a guise for interference. Cut the crap and hand it over. I need the Eternal Flame. Do you think I’m crazy? Why else would I have gotten this strange ancient priestess tattoo instead of some other, better procedure?”
This was why I disliked Seraph. She would always give in eventually, but not before a fight that left both of us with frayed nerves. Remembering those times, harsh words habitually rose to the tip of my tongue. But then, the image of her poignant gaze just before we parted flashed through my mind. I reflexively shut my mouth and decided to listen. I might as well hear her out.
“I pay my respects to your creativity. It is truly astonishing that a human could conceive of such an idea. But that is all.”
“……”
“User Kim Soohyun. I am curious as to how much you know about the Eternal Flame.”
“…Just that it can burn anything?”
“Close enough. Another name for the Eternal Flame is the Ever-Burning Flame. The most destructive fire known to the world is said to be Hellfire. Yet the Eternal Flame, a pure embodiment of fire, contains power just as dangerous. It is, quite literally, a flame made for destruction.”
“I know. I know all that, which is why I’m asking for it.”
“Durability stat 92. Magic Power stat 90. Estimated success rate: 21%. Including the Inscription of the Ancient Priestess, the estimated success rate is 42%. In other words, there is a 58% chance of failure—more than half.”
Seraph was desperately trying to persuade me. But no matter how hard she tried, the privilege was ultimately Tanay-grade. As she said, she could offer advice, but she couldn't stop my decision. So, I held out my right hand, palm open, and boldly demanded the Eternal Flame.
“Then I just have to succeed.”
The words sounded so simple, even to me. Seraph must have been furious by now. After all her pleading, her words were falling on deaf ears. She was now practically begging.
“Failure is one thing, but even success will be a problem. If you fail, you will lose everything and be left a broken wreck. Even if you succeed, there will undoubtedly be unforeseen disadvantages.”
“I’m pretty sure I read that you would provide any equipment except for EX-grade. Was the Eternal Flame EX-grade?”
“The Eternal Flame was originally EX-grade. It’s an item that exists in the Hall Plain but was never meant to appear. Although it was downgraded to S-grade through a balancing process because it was so difficult to obtain, that doesn’t mean the danger has….”
This would go on forever. Feeling exhausted, I raised a hand to stop her. I wanted to hear her out, but I was running out of time. A sudden thought struck me: what if Seraph was stalling, trying to run out the clock until the Rite of Passage?
“I don’t want this to turn ugly.”
“It’s difficult even with Durability and Magic Power over 90, but your Stamina is only 78. I understand your confidence, but please face reality.”
Of course, I knew what she was worried about. Her concern was so genuine that any normal person would have been moved by her earnest plea. But I couldn't be. I would have conceded on anything else, but this was something I had been planning for a long, long time. If I gave up on the Eternal Flame now…
“The recovery time is no joke either. If you drag this out any longer, I’ll be entering the Rite of Passage half-dead.”
“User Kim Soohyun.”
“I’m done talking. I am officially requesting the Eternal Flame.”
In the end, I had to cut her off coldly. Whether she sensed the grim atmosphere or simply could no longer defy the Tanay, Seraph slowly wiggled her fingers. Her face was still full of dissatisfaction, but she finally extended the Eternal Flame toward me. However, she didn't give it to me gracefully.
“Even if you succeed, I assure you, a day will come when you regret this.”
“I know…”
It floated over.
The Eternal Flame. A pure embodiment of fire. The Ever-Burning Flame.
No preparation was needed. I had made up my mind long ago, and considering the aftereffects, I didn't have much time left.
The Eternal Flame traced a thin, crimson arc through the air and flew straight into my mouth.
Gulp.
I finally had it. The Eternal Flame was finally mine. Taming the surging relief and elation, I quickly turned my awareness inward.
Slide.
As I swallowed, I could feel the round orb sliding down my throat.
This was the beginning of the true ordeal.