Chapter 72
Chapter 72
Chapter 72 Bet
Among the highest-grade transcendents gathered to watch Han Yeong-min together, Baal made one proposal.
"How about we bet on which constellation our Han Yeong-min will choose to receive a mission from?"
Just watching would be fun, but if such light entertainment was added, they could watch even more enjoyably.
"That sounds interesting. What kind of bet are you talking about?"
Indra, equally soaked in dopamine, also actively agreed to that proposal.
The rest showed reactions of waiting to see what Baal would say, but.
"We just each take out something useful and pool it together, and whoever gets chosen takes it all. Of course, none of us might get picked, so then we'd just take our items back."
"Then what do you plan to do if multiple constellations get picked?"
Yahweh asked about other variables.
"If two get picked, then 4 each, if three then the last person picked gets 4, and the ones picked before get 2 each, how about that? Usually people choose the most important thing last."
Baal was confident. Her self-assurance that Han Yeong-min would absolutely choose her.
But not all transcendents were overflowing with confidence. Especially gods with many worries like Odin even more so.
"This is advantageous to you who met Han Yeong-min on the 2nd floor..."
Baal immediately cut off Odin's words.
"What, scared? The guy who calls himself master of Asgard is going to chicken out here alone? Oh, if there's anyone else besides Odin who wants to drop out, raise your hand. Being a coward isn't wrong, so feel free to raise it. I won't say anything."
No one raised their hand.
Since she had already said that much, dropping out here would really make them cowards.
The beings gathered here were all existences leading many forces.
If rumors spread that they alone backed down like cowards in such a place, their reputation would inevitably be greatly damaged.
Perhaps it could even become an opportunity for their subordinate beings to leave their forces and defect to other transcendents.
"...Let people finish talking, Baal. I meant you're advantageous, not that I wouldn't participate."
In the end, even Odin ended up participating in the bet to protect his reputation.
"Oh, was that it? As expected, there's no way someone as great as Odin would be a coward. I made a mistake. Sorry."
While Baal said she was sorry, not the slightest trace of looking sorry could be felt from her tone, expression, or gestures.
At that sight, Odin's composure was breaking and his face was gradually heating up, but Zeus mediated.
"Baal. That's enough. Odin said he'd participate too. Then I'll take out an item first."
"No, that's..."
Looking at the item Zeus took out, Vasago showed a reaction of not having expected this.
[Ambrosia (Legendary)]
A legendary-grade elixir that grants near-immortal vitality just by eating it.
Together with nectar, it was an elixir that formed a pair at the pinnacle of Olympus.
"Since it's a bet between us, we should wager at least this much. That way we can save some face, don't you think?"
Zeus also had infinite confidence that he would absolutely be chosen.
Since he had taken out such an item first, the other transcendents also had to put out items befitting it.
At minimum, legendary-grade elixirs or artifacts.
'I was going to go first... as expected, Zeus is interesting.'
Since Baal had been thinking of using the same strategy, she was rather pleased that Zeus had stepped up first.
"Of course it should be like this. Then me too."
When Baal took out a belt from her chest, this time Odin bit down hard and trembled.
[Megingjörð (Legendary)]
A legendary-grade artifact that tremendously increases strength.
Originally belonging to Odin's son, the thunder god Thor, it was an item like Asgard's shame that Baal had stolen after beating Thor when he was still a lower-ranking Demon King.
Even while gritting his teeth, Odin took out an item of the same grade, and the other transcendents did likewise.
A huge gambling table with a total of 8 legendary-grade elixirs and artifacts at stake.
Baal was in an extremely excited state.
'I wonder what choice you'll make?'
Baal was thinking of giving the items won from this bet directly to Han Yeong-min.
It wasn't a bet made because he needed something in the first place - dopamine itself was the purpose.
Whether he received 0 gifts if Han Yeong-min didn't choose him, or received 4 gifts by being chosen last, either way seemed like it would be fun.
'Prove how much you think of me.'
Baal smiled mischievously while looking at the screen.
Waiting to see what choice he would make.
*
'Why are my ears so itchy?'
Han Yeong-min was now in a state where he had enough leisure in his battle with Gigas to scratch his ears during combat.
True to being a giant, Gigas's weak points were large enough to aim for easily, and the moment he hit that spot once, the creature had no choice but to continuously be conscious of attacks to that area.
Especially since the Divine Demon Qi and poison that had penetrated the vital spot were continuously destroying the insides, the seeds the giant had created to continue his lineage were certainly being thoroughly destroyed as well.
'I feel a bit sorry...'
As the same man, he knew that pain well, but honestly, to win, it couldn't be helped.
If he felt wronged, he should have matched the weight class.
Whining about getting hit in the balls a bit with that bulk was rather unmanly.
Thinking that way, his mind became comfortable.
He should attack the weak point more aggressively.
He continued to toy with the giant by pretending to attack that spot then coming down to attack the knee joints, or using blind spots in vision to repeatedly attack the Achilles, etc.
Since he kept attacking only other parts, when the opponent thought it was another fake this time, he would really aim for the vital spot.
THUD! CRACK!
Perhaps because the Divine Demon Qi and poison were continuously destroying the insides, the hardness had decreased even more than before.
He could feel it being properly crushed.
[The level of Low-Grade Spirit Arts increases.]
[Low-Grade Spirit Arts proficiency has reached maximum.]
[Low-Grade Spirit Arts is promoted to Intermediate Spirit Arts.]
And as Spirit Arts grew to intermediate level, spirit magic that could deal continuous damage inside the opponent's body was added, so when he used it together, Gigas was absolutely delighted to death.
"GRWAAAAAAAA!!!!!"
Divine Demon Qi, poison, and spirit magic now three forces were simultaneously destroying the insides.
And as he continued to repeat that process, the creature's Achilles was completely severed and it knelt down, while its vital spot was transformed to no longer serve its original function.
In that state, its body became even more sluggish, and from then on it was practically a punching bag.
Due to continuous internal destruction, even its resistance weakened, and curses, debuffs, and poisons began to work better and better.
'It's over.'
Its body became even weaker, unable to maintain even that hardness, and after several attacks, its breath was cut off.
[You have cleared Zeus's mission.]
[Please select an additional reward.]
[1. Gigas's corpse.]
[2. Unique-grade elixir.]
Looking at how they give a unique-grade elixir for a passing reward, not even the final reward, it's truly befitting a Hell difficulty mission.
But I was more drawn to reward option 1 rather than the elixir.
Passing up an elixir and choosing something like a corpse was actually an absurd act, but I had a special power.
'If I eat that with Predation, what kind of potential will I gain?'
The fact that Gigas's corpse was in the reward list meant that if I chose option 2, I couldn't eat the corpse.
A reliable means of spec improvement called an elixir, or Gigas's corpse whose synergy was unknown.
At the crossroads of choice, I made my decision.
[Do you want to select Gigas's corpse?]
[Yes / No.]
I can't stand being curious. As soon as I pressed yes, a new message appeared before my eyes.
[Time remaining until Gigas's corpse collection: 23 hours 59 minutes]
The Tower gave me plenty of time.
[Everyone in Pantheon and Pandemonium is shocked.]
Is choosing a corpse over an elixir really that shocking?
I immediately began absorbing Gigas's corpse through Predation.
The Black Dragon was an artificial transcendent species created by cannibalism among demonic beasts, but this time was different.
A being born as a transcendent species from birth.
Moreover, if according to mythological traditions, Gigas is a race conceived from god's blood.
It means it had no choice but to be compatible with me, who possesses Primordial Blood, a superior version of Divine Blood.
Gigas's potential flows into my body.
And the potential of all monsters that had even a trace of giant blood mixed in begins to intermingle and cause even greater changes.
CRACK. CRUNCH.
The more greedily I devoured Gigas's corpse, the more its potential flowed into my body, the more the giant factor began to awaken inside my body.
The innate strength of the giant race was also dwelling in me.
'Where do you think you're going?'
Its pride was so strong and lofty that it desperately tried to escape my control, but once inside my body, it was already a mouse in poison.
Without missing even a single drop, I stacked it in my body bit by bit. I modified my body with that power.
The body that had begun to transcend humanity was now truly leaving humanity behind.
The moment I accepted all of Gigas's potential, I felt that my body had become dimensionally different from before.
[You acquire the trait: Giant God (S).]
A dragon's heart, a giant's body, and Primordial Blood mixed with the blood of gods and Demon Kings.
An unprecedented body possessing all of that was born.
'...Now it's really hard to call myself human anymore.'
It was a monumental moment when Han Yeong-min himself acknowledged that he had become post-human.