Chapter 21
Chapter 21
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: Changes from My Trivial Actions
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Changes in the future due to my trivial actions.
But I never imagined it would bring about a change so massive that Lee Seojun wouldn't even appear.
A sudden thought crossed my mind.
Perhaps this was the cause of Lee Seojun's death before my regression?
Before my regression, I had lived as quietly as possible, worried about changes like this. But unless I hid away in some corner of my house, my trivial actions must have influenced someone. And the person influenced by me must have influenced someone else.
Could that chain of influence truly have never touched the main story over those seven years?
I didn't think the odds of that were high.
"Hoo."
My head was a mess. Of course, there was no concrete evidence. It was just a hunch. Still, I cautiously speculated that this might be connected to Lee Seojun's death.
That thought brought another worry.
The "Jang Han rampage" incident, which Lee Seojun was originally supposed to resolve, had ended up being handled by me. This wasn't a trivial change.
It was a massive shift that could profoundly impact the story ahead.
How big would the butterfly effect from this be?
I couldn't even imagine.
"Haa."
'But what should I do with this spear?'
I looked at the Crimson Dragon's Soul in my hand.
Carrying a spear bigger than me all the way back to the dorms would draw way too much attention.
If the students saw it, rumors would spread in no time, and Lee Seojun's group might figure out that I was Kim Jinwoo.
Then all the actions I'd taken to dispel their suspicions would be for nothing.
At that moment, the smart student handbook in my pocket chimed with an alert.
[Demon subjugation reward of 15,000,000 won has been deposited.]
"Huh?"
The reward money had come in. I'd thought it would arrive the next day since it was late, but they processed it much faster than expected.
And it was a whopping 15 million won.
I grinned at the sight.
'I've got money now—maybe I should just crash somewhere outside?'
That seemed like a solid plan.
It was far better than heading back to the dorms with this eye-catching spear and getting tangled in annoying misunderstandings.
Plus, I had business in Seoul tomorrow anyway, so it would save time.
"Yeah, I'll stay out tonight."
Seoul had all sorts of lodging options—hotels, motels, inns. It wasn't all that different from the real Seoul where I'd lived. But this world had one special type of accommodation that didn't exist in reality.
Wizard-exclusive hotels.
These had popped up to accommodate wizards carrying their weapons, since regular lodgings didn't allow them.
"Hello."
Upon arriving at the hotel, a front desk staffer greeted me with a polite smile.
The place I'd come to was Hotel Hanseong, a five-star wizard hotel under the Hanseong Group—the largest corporation in this world.
The Hanseong Group was a major player here.
Power, authority, and money.
This organization possessed all three and would influence Lee Seojun's path in the future.
"I'll verify your wizard certification."
At the staffer's words, I handed over my license. They checked it and launched into an explanation of the hotel's amenities—what kinds of rooms were available, checkout times, room service options. The rundown went on and on.
In the middle of it, the staffer suddenly stood up. They bowed deeply toward somewhere behind me.
Turning around, I saw a tall man in his thirties, dressed in a sharp suit, entering the lobby.
A crowd that looked like secretaries and bodyguards trailed behind him.
'...Hanseong Sejin.'
The man was Hanseong Sejin, the eldest son of the Hanseong family and the top heir apparent to the Hanseong Group.
And far in the future, his endless greed would lead him to ally with demons, turning him into a villain worth watching out for.
"Now, now, don't mind me—everyone, just keep doing your jobs."
Hanseong Sejin gestured with a kindly smile for them to sit.
But beneath that kindly smile lurked a ruthless nature.
"Vice Chairman, the matter you mentioned has been resolved."
"Good work. Oh, right—what about Seyeon? Is she joining us for dinner tomorrow night?"
"Yes, she's confirmed her attendance."
"Hmm, is that so? It'll be nice to see my cute little sister's face after so long."
As he chatted with his secretary, Hanseong Sejin sensed my gaze and turned toward me. Our eyes met for about a second. But then, as if he'd lost interest, he looked away.
Opening the door revealed a luxurious room.
I took a quick look around before heading to the shower. I turned on the water and washed off the sweat-soaked grime. The fatigue from the day's events seemed to wash away with it.
After showering, I threw on a robe and flopped onto the bed.
Sleep tugged at me, but I still had something to check.
I hadn't looked at the messages that popped up during the Jang Han subjugation.
[Unique trait, 'Outsider's Benefit,' activates.]
[Retrieving previous message logs.]
[B-Grade villain, 'Jang Han,' successfully subjugated.]
[A minor change in the story has been detected.]
[Causality increases by 0.2.]
['First Demon Subjugation' achievement unlocked.]
[Your subjugation contribution: 92%.]
[Reward: 5,300 points acquired.]
[Character 'Jang Hyunsoo' takes notice of you.]
[Reward: 500 points acquired.]
A barrage of messages floated before my eyes.
As expected, intervening in the main story had netted me hefty rewards.
Slowly reading from the top, one part caught my eye.
"...Causality?"
It was a type of reward I'd never seen before.
Causality—what I was thinking of, right?
［Causality］
—Acquired by resolving key events in the main story. The amount gained depends on your level of intervention and the magnitude of story changes.
—Spend causality to use powers.
［Powers］
Deus Ex Machina ［Causality 100］
—Makes your desires come true.
??? ［Causality 30］
—Unlocks when causality exceeds 30.
??? ［Causality 20］
—Unlocks when causality exceeds 20.
??? ［Causality 10］
—Unlocks when causality exceeds 10.
From what I could tell, it was like points—a currency for buying things.
But the powers listed seemed a cut above regular point purchases.
'Makes your desires come true?'
Just how far did that extend?
Could I wish to become a god or something?
......Powers.
Whatever it was, this causality ability felt anything but ordinary.
All the others were locked, but 'Deus Ex Machina' stood out, wide open—like it was telling me to aim for it.
As if it were a message from someone...
A sudden thought hit me.
What if this 'Deus Ex Machina' power was the one and only way to send me back to the real world?
Gulp.
I swallowed dryly.
'...What if.'
Just suppose.
If Deus Ex Machina was my sole ticket home...
Then my entire direction from here on out would change drastically.
I'd have to upend every main story event ahead to rack up causality.
When I woke in the morning, a flood of messages awaited.
['Little Hero' achievement unlocked.]
[Reward: 5,000 points acquired.]
[2 million citizens feel gratitude for your courage.]
[Reward: 10,000 points acquired.]
[Numerous characters you haven't met yet feel curiosity toward you.]
[Reward: 3,000 points acquired.]
[Numerous characters you haven't met yet regard you warily.]
[Reward: 3,000 points acquired.]
"Whoa."
I'd slept like a log and woken up 21,000 points richer.
This was the first change stemming from yesterday's demon subjugation.
I grabbed the remote and turned on the TV.
［Yesterday around 9:30 p.m., a demon rampaged just 30 minutes before the Han River fireworks festival was set to begin. The incident claimed 9 civilian lives and injured 23 others. The demon was identified as 'Jang Han,' who three weeks ago was conducting the Seoul Opera...］
The anchor was reporting on Jang Han's rampage. Soon after, CCTV footage played, showing the rampaging Jang Han—and me fighting back against him.
[The wizard who subjugated Jang Han has been identified as C-Rank Wizard 'Kim Jinwoo.' Displaying wizardry skills hard to believe from a C-Rank, he took down the demon single-handedly. The Wizard Association is reportedly discussing a rank adjustment for Wizard Kim Jinwoo.］
"Rank adjustment meeting?"
Was I getting promoted to B-Grade?
Makes sense—I'd gotten offers for B-Grade before my regression.
I'd turned them all down out of fear they'd affect the story, sticking to C-Rank just in case.
But now that I planned to mess with the story anyway, a B-Grade promotion was welcome.
Higher wizard ranks came with better welfare—tax breaks, fees waived, that sort of thing.
［...Wizard Kim Jinwoo was already drawing major attention among some wizards after conquering the 'hidden floor' of the Tower of Proof yesterday before subjugating Demon Jang Han.］
The long news segment finally ended. I clicked the remote to turn off the TV.
"Hoo."
With this, my other identity as Wizard Kim Jinwoo had made a name for itself in the world.
Getting this much attention at once meant I might've caught the eye of this world's hidden villains.
In the original story, one demon who grieved Jang Han's death even ambushed Lee Seojun out of hatred.
"...Gotta be careful not to let my dual identities slip."
Now that my name was out there, a demon might tail me without me knowing. A mere B-Grade demon? I could spot and shake them easy. But if a higher-rank one followed me, things would get messy fast.
"Should I just buy a trait?"
Come to think of it, the demon subjugation and Tower climb had piled up a decent amount of points.
Buying one trait for emergencies wouldn't hurt.
［Entering Point Shop.］
［Using search function.］
［Filtering by 'Traits.'］
［'Detection' search results.］
►［Trait］Killing Intent Detection (A)
►［Trait］Instinct Awakening (S)
►［Trait］Eyes of God (SS)
Searching 'detection' brought up a list of traits.
Scanning them, I spotted S-Grade+ stuff like Instinct Awakening and Eyes of God. But those were way out of my league right now—S-Grade and up started at 100,000 points minimum.
"Pass on those."
Without enough points, my options were limited anyway.
I selected 'Killing Intent Detection.'
［Killing Intent Detection (A)］
Category: Trait
Description: Detects killing intent directed at you.
［Passive Effect］
►Killing Intent Detection
Detects killing intent aimed at you, regardless of the opponent's power. Effective up to 500m range.
Price: 50,000
"...Ugh."
A-Grade traits didn't mess around with the price.
I had 50,500 points on hand—buying this would wipe out nearly everything. But Killing Intent Detection was exactly what I needed right now. No way I could pass.
'Alright, let's buy it.'
Hoards of points meant nothing if I got assassinated.
With this trait, at least the odds of dying out of nowhere would drop sharply.
And since I planned to shake up the main story ahead, it was even more essential.
"Yeah, survival comes first."
[Killing Intent Detection (A) purchased.]
It stung to burn 50,000 points, but for my safety, it was the best choice.
After checking out of the hotel, I stepped outside.
The cool breeze felt refreshing. I hopped in a taxi and rode for about 20 minutes.
I'd arrived in Gangnam, Seoul.
Packed with massive guilds and corporations, this was Korea's economic hub.
I stood before one towering building amid them.
The sign at the entrance read:
［Hanseong Pharmaceuticals］
Hanseong Pharmaceuticals was a core affiliate of the Hanseong Group megacorp and the world's largest pharmaceutical company by scale.
It wasn't an exaggeration to say most elixirs and potions used by wizards came from here.
I had one reason for coming.
To sell the Sacred Herb I'd gotten as a reward from the hidden floor yesterday.
Stepping inside, I saw crowds of people—wizards here for herb trades, researchers in white coats.
Then a staffer approached me.
"Hello. How can I assist you today?"
"I'm here for a herb trade."
"Ah, do you have a meeting scheduled?"
"No."
"Then what herb are you looking to trade?"
"It's called Sacred Herb. You probably haven't heard of it."
At my words, I could see the light fade from the staffer's face.
"Sorry. We're booked solid for meetings today. How about three days from now?"
They'd already written it off as unimportant.
"This herb? I got it as a reward from the Tower. You see the news? The hidden floor of the Tower of Proof got cleared. That's me."
"...Huh? You're the one who subjugated the Han River demon yesterday?"