Chapter 24
Chapter 24
Chapter 24 Plan
‘Naturally, I had no intention of staying in the tutorial for thousands upon thousands of years this time around either, making equipment for others.’
"Ran and Ryeon would know, but I'm a more outstanding artisan than you'd think. While Unique-grade might be difficult, I can mass-produce Heroic-grade equipment using magical engineering."
Setting up a factory in the tutorial that automatically produces Heroic-grade equipment through magical engineering isn't easy, but it's not impossible either.
"Something like that... is possible?"
Yoo So-eun made a surprised expression.
Many people can't even believe that you can make risotto for 100 people in 20 minutes, so believing that you can mass-produce Heroic-grade equipment would be very difficult.
If it had been someone other than me saying this, rather than being surprised, they would have cursed and told them to stop talking nonsense.
"Yeah. In the 48th cycle, I even made Legendary-grade artifacts. When I made them, I even got an A-grade trait called Master Craftsman."
"No way, you made Legendary-grade too?"
This time even Baek Ran was surprised.
When she last saw me, I could barely manage to make Heroic-grade equipment.
Baek Ryeon's reaction of just accepting it without surprise was actually stranger.
"Ryeon-ah. Aren't you surprised?"
"Since you abandoned me in the Tower and trained alone, naturally you would have achieved at least that much."
I could tell it was a joke from the smile on her lips, but it felt like thorns were being stabbed into my chest one after another.
"Anyway, the reason I asked about magical contracts is this. While I want to prevent the massacre of Earthlings, it's not because of some sense of duty as a fellow Earthling that I must save all Earthlings without exception."
While I do have some sense of belonging to Earth, it's not something I want to protect by sacrificing my life.
I'm not a pushover, and I'm not altruistic enough to decide I must save everyone.
If I could protect the people around me and myself, that would be enough. It's just that saving Earthlings would be more helpful for that, so I'm trying to do it that way.
"So I won't provide the same equipment to everyone. I'm thinking of differential distribution based on what choices they make. Listen and help me judge if this is possible."
I explained my grand plan.
"First, I'll give Heroic-grade equipment to people who contract to choose Demon Kings as their Constellation. They'll be the most helpful to our plan."
If I distribute equipment based on which starting faction they choose, they'll have a lot to think about.
Earthlings who contract with Demon Kings will join the Demon King's forces, so I could establish Earth as a focal point for them.
And with the additional common point of 'having received equipment support from Han Yeong-min', it would be a great help in rallying the Demon King's forces later.
"Next are people who contract not to choose any Constellation. I'll give them Rare-grade equipment sets and basic advancement martial arts I created."
Earthlings who don't contract with any Constellation will naturally join neutral forces.
The number of Earthlings in forces like the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult or Black Magic Tower will gradually increase, making persuasion easier later.
"Then, for people who contract to choose gods who weren't actively involved in massacring Earthlings, I'll support them with Advanced-grade equipment sets."
If the proportion of Earthlings in such gods' forces increases significantly, they'll hesitate even more to attack Earthlings after the prophecy falls later.
"Finally, I'll give Common-grade equipment to people who don't make any contracts at all. If I set it up this way, won't people choose Demon King-affiliated Constellations more often?"
All three people who heard my plan had their mouths hanging wide open. Their expressions suggested they'd never even thought of this kind of approach.
'I suppose it's natural since there doesn't seem to be anyone else who can mass-produce Heroic-grade equipment like me.'
"And I'm also planning to mass-produce and distribute a Newbie Encyclopedia using magical engineering. I've raised all the skills in the tutorial to Intermediate Level 1, you know?"
I don't plan to raise the level of Earthlings with just equipment alone. I plan to significantly increase their basic capabilities compared to the first cycle.
"So based on that, I'll write down tips on how to learn skills depending on what weapon you use or what path you walk."
Something impossible to even dream of unless you're an All-Master.
This was a strategy guide that only I could create.
"How did you come up with such an idea... Or rather, is your thinking flexible because you didn't enter the Tower? What you're saying right now is that you'll use all three major forces of the Tower, isn't it?"
As expected, Yoo So-eun was quick-witted. She understood exactly what I was trying to say.
"Right. Gods, Demon Kings, and neutrals - I'll use them all for our survival. It's a good plan, right?"
While I prefer the Demon King side more, I don't unconditionally reject gods either.
Appropriately using both sides' forces while also growing the size of neutral forces to create new variables.
That was my plan.
And if my plan goes as intended, even after the prophecy falls, the gods' forces won't be able to carelessly attempt to massacre Earthlings.
If they did that, the Demon King's forces and neutral forces, which rapidly expanded their power with quality Earthlings, would absolutely not stand by.
Also, they won't be able to easily purge the Earthlings within the gods' forces.
Even Common-grade equipment makes a big difference compared to having nothing, and with the Newbie Encyclopedia too, the number of Earthlings who climbed the Tower would have increased significantly compared to the first cycle.
Purging all of them would be practically impossible.
At least some of them would survive and move to forces with many Earthlings, and I could obtain quality information about the situation of the gods' forces from them.
It was an innovative plan that would even use Earthlings who chose the gods' forces as double agents.
Of course, someone might ask if I don't plan to save the people who will die in the gods' forces.
Then I would boldly say:
*'It's their own doing.'*
I provided them with the best choice, the second-best choice, and even created a choice to avoid the worst outcome.
Despite all that, it was they who chose the worst option. So should I do my utmost to save even such people? No.
It's not like I'm treating anyone like a pushover.
Rather, they should be grateful that I increased their survival rate by distributing the Newbie Encyclopedia and Common-grade equipment.
I might not have given even that.
To be honest, if I only wanted my own survival, it might be better to just focus on my own training and reach Transcendence rather than doing these altruistic actions.
But I chose the path for everyone rather than the path that increases my own survival probability. If anyone demands more than that from me, I'd have no choice but to tell them to get lost.
"Then what about other worlders who might target Earthlings' equipment? If they have Observation skills, won't they drool seeing a newbie wearing Heroic-grade equipment? Especially if it's an Earthling, the weakest race."
Baek Ran asked a very important question.
"That's a very good question. I would have been quite disappointed if that question didn't come up."
I'm not an idiot either. Since I myself have mastered Observation skills, I didn't have the optimistic thought that other worlders wouldn't have Observation skills.
I naturally prepared countermeasures for those who would try to kill others and steal their equipment.
"With Unique-grade and above equipment, it's hard to perfectly induce the desired performance, but it's possible up to Heroic-grade. So I'm thinking of adding a binding function. It breaks the moment the owner dies."
This way, if they have Observation skills, it actually becomes harder to kill Earthlings.
Rather than killing a newbie wearing a full set of Heroic-grade equipment, they'd try to recruit that force into their own faction and plan expansion instead.
When the technology the faction has meets the equipment the newbie has, they'd become combat personnel who can pull their weight at a very fast pace.
And they'll ask who made that equipment. Since it's something a newbie couldn't possibly have originally.
Since I plan to put my name as the creator in the magical contract contents, the name of the artisan Han Yeong-min will spread through word of mouth in each faction.
Here too, I could get a win-win effect where Earthlings gain backing and become stronger faster, while I gain recognition.
"As expected, Master has it all planned out."
This was possible because I had Estelle, who broke through the limits of my thinking.
*'Ah, thinking of Estelle makes me suddenly miss her.'*
I wonder if she remembers me? Or has she completely forgotten about me?
I hoped she remembered, but I thought the probability of her not remembering was high too.
The Earth's god regressed 10 regressors, not including all the angels.
Still, I wanted to believe. That she would remember our memories together. That all those emotions wouldn't be swept away by the regression.
So rather, I did what I had to do now.
"Then shall we make the plan more concrete?"
The current plan was something I created on the spot after just hearing a bit about the Tower's political situation. I needed help from them, who were actual experienced players.
So through discussion, we adjusted the plans I had made in more detail.
"Is there any other information I should know?"
I think this is enough for the plan to raise the overall military level of Earthlings.
The plan to balance each faction is also nearly complete, so I asked if there was anything else I needed to know.
"About the Tower's trials..."
When So-eun tried to spoil me about the Tower's trials, I stopped her.
"Ah, it's better if you don't tell me that."
"Why?"
Honestly, if I knew about the Tower's trials in advance, I could clear them more easily, but I didn't want that.
"It would be harder if I went in knowing nothing at all. That would be more helpful for getting stronger. And I'm at the Transcendence level, so would I really die in the trial floors?"
I plan to use even the Tower's trials as tools for my growth. While I decided to live an altruistic life, I don't plan to neglect personal growth either.
Yoo So-eun's expression now held doubt beyond surprise.
"No way, so you not only learned all skills in the tutorial up to Intermediate Level 1, but also reached the Transcendence level through martial arts? You even made Legendary-grade artifacts and can mass-produce Heroic-grade ones?"
Looking at it all gathered like this, it's a collection of words that wouldn't be strange to see posted in a pathological liar gallery. Honestly, who would believe this? Even I couldn't believe it.
Especially since Yoo So-eun is someone who remembers when I was the worst talentless person. It would be even harder for her to believe.
Even when I first entered the tutorial, if someone had approached me and said 'You'll later learn all skills, become a Transcendence master, and make Legendary-grade artifacts,' I would have told them to stop talking nonsense.
"That's how it turned out..."
*'But what can I do when all of that is true.'*
I didn't know I'd be capable of this much either.
"I wasn't trying to interrogate you. It's just that too many unbelievable things overlapped. You abandoned me in the tutorial, so naturally you would have been capable of at least that much. Well."
Following Baek Ryeon, even Yoo So-eun landed an effective hit on me.
It felt like a large nail was hammered into my chest. Especially since, unlike with Baek Ryeon, I had only done wrong to Yoo So-eun.
"You also told me to leave because you were someone who couldn't take responsibility for anyone right now. I naturally believed Yeong-min would do well to that extent."
Even Baek Ran delivered a three-hit combo. I definitely did say that back then. When she asked if she shouldn't go, I told her I couldn't take responsibility right now.
"Sigh..."
It felt like the nail in my chest went even deeper. I knew it was a joke, but there were thorns in their words. It seemed like it wasn't entirely just a joke.
*'Haha. Everyone sure unites well when it comes to beating me up.'*
I was happy that my companions seemed to have quickly become close.
But why does my chest hurt so much?
If someone told me I'd become a Demon King while getting beaten up like this, that would be truly vicious.
Maybe those three are actually Demon King candidates?