Yujun Opens His Status Window

Yujun opened his status window, and even as he did, he never stopped moving, slipping clear of the enemy's attacks.

He had 382 unallocated points banked. It would be a mistake, though, to take that figure as the end of it. Between the many Mythic-grade items he wore and the effects of his titles, those 382 points would swell far beyond their face value. He began spreading them evenly across Strength, Agility, and Constitution. The spirits of darkness gave him no chance to stand still and raise his stats, so he had to keep moving in a frantic blur, and before long every last unallocated point was gone.

Yujun closed his eyes and opened them again. So many stats had climbed at once that the dissonance was severe—his kinetic vision, his reaction speed.

KRA-KOOM!

The spirits of darkness unleashed another bombardment. Yujun dodged, took in the shape of the fight, and shouted.

"Paranet!"

"Yes, Master!"

Paranet, who had been hanging well back, came scrambling over.

"When I tell you to use Space Movement, use it."

"Yes. I understand."

Yujun surged forward. With his various percentage bonuses applied, every one of his stats now cleared a thousand with room to spare, and the followers of darkness could not match his speed.

The result was immediate. Shhk! One Demon God Worshipper's head came clean off. It happened in the blink of an eye, and the remaining three scrambled to open the distance.

Yujun's spell locked one of them in place. The moment the Worshipper realized he could not move—thuk!—the sword punched straight through his skull.

Hm?

My power as the Primordial Player increased, if only a little?

A quick read suggested it had something to do with the Demon God Worshippers.

Increased how, exactly?

Even looking at his status window, he couldn't see anything that had obviously changed. What mattered right now lay elsewhere.

Two Demon God Worshippers remained. Two spirits of darkness had vanished the instant their masters died, which left two spirits as well. The Worshipper who had been fighting Jo Su-a glanced around—and went pale.

"Wh-what? What just happened?"

No one was left to answer him.

Shhk! The third Worshipper's head parted from his body.

Yujun ignored the hologram blooming before his eyes and charged the last one standing. The Worshipper shot skyward together with a spirit of darkness. The membrane enclosing the forest kept them from climbing any higher, so they simply fled, streaking away toward the far distance.

"Paranet. You know."

"Yes. Shall I take you there, Master?"

"Yeah."

Yujun appeared directly in front of the Worshipper and led with his sword. The dark spirit hastily raised a Black Shield.

KRAAANG! Crack! The shield shattered without mercy. There was no need to pull the blade back; its destructive force had not diminished in the slightest.

Thuk! Meeting no resistance at all, the sword drove through the last Demon God Worshipper's skull.

The message had appeared again. Did it trigger every time he killed one of them? If his power as the Primordial Player truly grew stronger for it, that was nothing but good news. He still couldn't see the change on his status window, but the System did not lie.

"......"

"......"

And so the battle came to an end. Yujun landed safely and let out a thin breath.

"You okay?"

He asked Jo Su-a. She nodded, looking dazed.

"And you...?"

"As you can see."

There wasn't a single wound on him. Not only that—his armor didn't even bear an ordinary scratch.

"You look perfectly fine."

"Yeah."

Jo Su-a couldn't bring herself to say anything more. Past disbelief, what settled over her was a hollow sense of inferiority. She stole a glance at the party window.

Level 429, and he's this strong...

How could he outclass her when she was level 610? And not by a little. He was overwhelmingly stronger. People said the world was vast, but with a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠level gap that stark, wasn't this too much? If their levels had at least been equal, the unfairness would have been easier to swallow. They weren't, and a corner of her chest felt tight and bleak.

"Well now!"

The two Hon, by contrast, were radiant with joy.

"To slay four Demon God Worshippers—and high-ranking ones, at that."

"You are truly extraordinary."

Rayl and Yotolban fussed over him, piling on every compliment they could find.

"You said the Demon God Worshippers were a large organization?"

"Yes."

Yotolban answered.

"So there are packs of ones like these?"

"Not every last one of them, but most Demon God Worshippers are strong. Think of them as a cut or two above the players of the Continent."

"They shouldn't be a different race to begin with, so how is that possible? The ones just now were dark elves, too."

"You are asking why the Demon God Worshippers are strong?"

"Yes."

"It is simple. Once one joins their ranks, tremendous power is bestowed—no matter the race."

"Tremendous power? From whom?"

"I do not know. I only know that becoming a Demon God Worshipper means receiving power."

"I see."

"That is why some who have reached the limit of their realm long to join them. In truth, even among the Hon, there is one who became a Demon God Worshipper."

"Just for the power?"

"Yes. Aside from humans and a scant few other races, there is always a ceiling on how strong one can become."

He already knew that humanity's potential stood the highest.

"Are there humans among the Demon God Worshippers?"

"So I have heard."

"Why do they become Worshippers? Just to get stronger?"

"That may well be part of it. I do not know the precise reason."

Whatever the case, they had weathered the assault. Everyone knew, though, that this was not the end.

"Before they attacked us, they almost certainly sent word by some means. They are quietly well organized."

"So you're saying they'll keep hunting us from here on."

"...Yes."

Yotolban answered with a grim face. No matter how strong Yujun was, he could not survive against the Demon God Worshippers as a whole. Of all places, they had become entangled with them in Sourtul Forest, infamous as a place from which there was absolutely no escape. That the situation was bad went without saying.

Yujun's expression, however, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was bright.

If my power as the Primordial Player grows every time I kill a Demon God Worshipper, then running into them might actually be a stroke of luck.

A crisis, turned into an opportunity. The more of them that came, the better. His growth would only accelerate.

They were catching a brief rest when Paranet approached.

"Master."

"Hm? What?"

"My level has, at long last, reached four hundred."

"...Already?"

"Yes."

"And?"

"I know not whether I ought to say this, and yet..."

Paranet hemmed and hawed, letting the words trail off.

"......"

"What."

"Ahem..."

"Say it. It's fine."

"Then I shall speak! Master! Do you not treat me far too much as one kept from the fight?"

"......"

The words stopped him cold. Paranet, of all people, saying something like that?

"Kept from the fight? When have I— I just asked you for Space Movement. I need you."

"That is not what I mean, Master! Please, let me fight!"

"...The Demon God Worshippers?"

"Yes! Anyone at all! Of late you bid me do nothing but Space Movement!"

"If that were possible, I'd have done it long ago."

"Master. I fear you underestimate me. I am confident I can best even the Demon God Worshippers."

"Hmm..."

The Mythic-grade ring he had given the summon carried options more broken than any item Yujun himself owned. In a sense, it was a bugged item. But could that single item really let him face a Demon God Worshipper?

"Believe in me! I am strong now!"

It was true he had rarely sent Paranet into battle of late. He used the summon for one thing only—Space Movement—so of course the dissatisfaction had set in.

Even so, I can't force him in if he won't actually help...

For the first time in a long while, Yujun decided to check Paranet's status window.

"......"

So many points had gone into Magic with every level that the overall spread was absurd.

Stats like these...

They were high.

I really did underestimate him.

On top of that, he had gained a Legendary title, and a fine trait called Mana Control besides.

And here I thought he'd just been sitting around.

A summon's traits and skills did not simply appear. The summon had to repeat some action, or reach some insight, before an ability could be gained. Which meant Paranet had not merely been idling.

"You'll actually do."

"Won't I? Won't I? Ahem."

Paranet thrust his broad chest forward.

"Then henceforth, I beg you employ me more freq—"

"Still, I don't think you're quite at the level to beat a Demon God Worshipper. Can you even handle a spirit of darkness? When you fight spirits, high stats aren't the whole of it."

"......"

Paranet's problem, first of all, was that he simply didn't have many abilities—especially ones related to combat. Failing that, he would have needed an all-purpose trait like Swordsmanship, and he didn't have that either.

He does have Survival Instinct, but...

At best, that only meant he was good at dodging. In the end, winning a fight meant cutting off the enemy's breath. Dodging forever was no answer.

"Master! Then pray lend me a few items!"

"Items?"

"Yes! You have them in abundance, do you not!"

"True enough. And what, exactly, have you left with me?"

"...Nothing."

Paranet visibly wilted.

"I wasn't trying to scold you. It's a good idea."

If there was one thing he had to spare, it was items. Paranet's base stats were higher than Yujun's own, so what he equipped mattered a great deal. If Yujun let him wear Mythic-grade gear, couldn't he beat a Demon God Worshipper with ease?

Yujun opened his inventory. Paranet couldn't keep still, already anticipating whatever might come out of it.

What would suit him?

Yujun sank into thought. Mythic-grade items fit for level 400 were beyond counting. He had obtained nearly everything available back in War of the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Gods, so of course he had.

His base stats are high, so I should give him options that play to that.

Items that raised all stats by a percentage. The Mythic-grade Horidan's Ring Paranet already wore received only the effect of his raw Magic, so there was no need to equip anything with a Magic option. The choices were settled. All that remained was to find the items and draw them out, and Yujun's hands grew busy.