Chapter 205: Emerging Variables (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 205: Emerging Variables (2)
In the international community, the importance of individual Players was growing by the day.
Naturally, every nation was doing everything in its power to prevent their Players from naturalizing in other countries.
And...
...the call coming in right now was protected by the highest level of security among them.
Ring... Ring...
A red message flashed continuously on the screen.
'This means it's something extremely important...'
There was only one way to find out.
Jinhyuk briefly excused himself to Cheon Yu-seong and answered the phone.
[Hello, Player Kang Jinhyuk. This is Han Sang-jin. I apologize for contacting you when you must be busy, but something urgent has come up that I need to tell you immediately.]
A familiar voice came through the receiver.
Han Sang-jin spoke with a tense, rigid tone.
"I'm listening."
[Someone claiming to have internal information about the 'Empire' has just visited our Awakeners Association. They insist that they must speak with you directly, Jinhyuk, before sharing any details... so I think you need to return to Korea right away.]
Oh?
'Internal information about the Empire?'
Jinhyuk's eyes narrowed.
It wasn't Penheimer, whom he had met at the cafe before.
'If Penheimer had come himself, he would have contacted me directly, not the Association President.'
That meant the person currently at the Association was a stranger he had never met.
With such limited information, it was impossible to pinpoint who it was, but there was no doubt that something quite interesting was about to unfold.
He didn't hesitate for long.
"I'll head over immediately," Jinhyuk replied briefly.
* * *
The after-party came to an abrupt end.
After explaining the situation to his companions, Jinhyuk headed to Rome's international airport to board a flight back to Korea.
Thanks to Han Sang-jin booking him a first-class ticket just like last time, a smooth journey was expected.
Except for one thing.
That is, if he excluded the dead weight clinging to him like glue right next to him.
"Ooh! So this is what they call an airport."
"It's so fascinating. Sister! Look over there. That looks delicious."
Alice and Andrea spoke in voices that seemed two octaves higher than usual.
"We're not going on a picnic. Why on earth are you guys trying to follow me all the way onto the plane?"
"This is also a form of learning. To become a great boss, is it not important to have a wide variety of experiences?"
"That's right. We're absolutely not doing this for personal gain. We're studying so we can be of help to you later, Jinhyuk."
Alice had been on a plane with him before, but back then, she had been asleep inside the ring, so she hadn't witnessed the entire process in detail.
As for Andrea, anything from outside the Tower was a source of wonder.
He knew.
He understood their excitement, but...
...that only made him want to tease them even more.
"This is your first time boarding a plane in your actual bodies, right?"
"Indeed. However, it is an object of a size and majesty befitting Us. Not bad."
"Yes."
The two of them nodded with innocent faces.
"Then, surely you've studied what you absolutely must do when boarding a plane for the first time?"
"Th-there's something like that?" Andrea asked back in a fluster, but Alice quickly cut her off.
Having spent quite some time with Jinhyuk, Alice was now fully capable of handling this kind of situation smoothly.
"Of course I know. Do you think I would ask to board a plane without researching at least that much?"
"Sister?"
"Stay quiet. I shall handle everything."
The reason Alice could be so confident was none other than ViewTube.
Since it was called the ocean of all information, there was bound to be something about how to ride a plane.
"Do you see?"
Alice smiled with satisfaction, carefully organizing the information she had found on a piece of paper.
"As expected... you're amazing, Sister."
"That is why I told you to trust me. Human customs are nothing compared to the vampires who boast a brilliant civilization."
Alice's nose held high, her pride soaring to the heavens.
And watching this unfold, a bright smile also spread across Jinhyuk's face.
'I should record this dark history well and sell it for a high price later.'
A fanbase for Alice was already starting to form around the Tower of Trials community.
If he recorded these moments one by one, the day would surely come when they would be extremely useful in the distant future.
A short while later.
After boarding the plane, Jinhyuk was guided by a flight attendant to the innermost seat in first class.
It was a rare moment where he was guaranteed a long stretch of uninterrupted time.
He planned to use this opportunity to organize the levels and skills he had gained after defeating Bayorodum.
Jinhyuk activated his personal status window.
Ding!
--------------------------------------------------
Name: Kang Jinhyuk
Gender: Male
Age: 27
Level: 80
Strength: 71 / Agility: 25 / Stamina: 34 / Mana: 181 / Gap: 100 / Luck: 10 / Adaptive: 78 / Essence: 30.53
Stat Points Available: 18
Coins: 600,125
Class: Rune Interpreter
Unique Abilities: 'Fusion', 'Grave of Swords', 'Blessing of the Stars', 'Judgment of Anubis', 'Blood Demon Qi', 'Mandala', '1-Second Invincibility', 'Thousand Poisons', 'White Beast', 'Shared Senses', 'Sanctuary of the Sun', 'Black Heaven Demonic Emperor Art'
Skills: The number of learned skills is too high; switched to 'Collapsed' state.
Barriers: The number of learned barriers is too high; switched to 'Collapsed' state.
--------------------------------------------------
He had gained a total of 6 levels.
He had 18 stat points available.
Considering he was already over level 70, he had acquired an absurd amount of experience for hunting a single boss monster.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
His heart beat rapidly.
The thrill of continuous growth was incomparable to anything else.
It would widen the gap between him and others, allowing him to monopolize all the crucial opportunities and ultimately serve as the driving force to reach the top of the Tower once again.
'It's about time I invest in Agility and Stamina.'
While Mana remained his top priority, he couldn't afford to neglect his other stats.
Especially with a massive war between Murim and the Empire on the horizon, he needed to achieve a more perfect balance to prepare for it.
'Because from now on, I won't be dealing with mere small fry.'
Whether it was the highly trained Murim warriors, including Baek Seol-rin...
...or the citizens of the Empire who had spent their entire lives honing their swordsmanship and magic...
...neither could be underestimated.
Especially with the Heavenly Demon Cult, including the Dark Emperor, getting involved, even a single small variable could lead to catastrophe.
[Agility increases from 25 to 30.]
[Stamina increases from 34 to 60.]
[Mana increases from 181 to 188.]
Jinhyuk allocated his points to each stat.
Hummm!
A warm energy enveloped his entire body along with a bright light.
Agility, Stamina, and Mana.
He felt his senses grow sharper than before, and a heavy flow of mana coursed through his veins.
'Good. Next is...'
[Please select one of the skills possessed by Bayorodum.]
It was finally time for the long-awaited skill copy.
Since these were skills possessed by a high-grade lich like Bayorodum, deciding which one to copy required careful consideration.
[Lv19 'Elemental Magic', Lv18 'Black Magic', Lv18 'Necromancy', Lv18 'Undead Creation', Lv17 'Curse']
There were five skills available for copying.
'I won't get another chance to acquire a high-grade lich's abilities until I reach the 30th floor of the Tower.'
...He had to choose wisely.
Jinhyuk's eyes narrowed.
Every single one of them was useful, but there was one that caught his eye the most.
He absolutely couldn't pass this up.
"I'll copy Undead Creation."
[Lv1 'Undead Creation' has been copied.]
[The copied skill has been stored in 'Memory of the World'.]
As he progressed further, the scale of the forces under his command would also become crucial.
'Right now, I'm just a small-scale force, but later on, I'll need an army worthy of my influence.'
Considering that, copying a skill that allowed him to create his own soldiers through Undead Creation was absolutely necessary.
Jinhyuk glanced around.
Since he was in the most secluded corner of first class, there was no risk of drawing anyone's attention.
Besides, the partitions blocked most of the view anyway.
'Well then, shall we begin?'
After gathering the bones from the T-Bone steak he had requested from the flight attendant, he focused his mana on them...
Crackle!
The bones began to shave down bit by bit.
[You have successfully created a Lv1 Skeleton Soldier!]
[The first undead soldier joins your forces.]
[Naming the target will yield higher loyalty and slightly influence its growth rate.]
Clack!
A skeleton soldier about the size of a small puppy appeared on his lap.
With its bobblehead-like proportions and dark eye sockets, how should he put it?
Rather than a grotesque undead monster, it looked like a cute little miniature.
Since the skill level was still low, this was likely its limit for now.
'Anyway, a name...'
Giving it a cute nickname, just like Goguma, would certainly roll off the tongue better and help build a bond.
After pondering for a moment, Jinhyuk smiled as if something had occurred to him.
"T-Bone. From now on, your name is T-Bone."
Since it was made from a T-Bone steak, naming it T-Bone felt the most appropriate.
The expensive, high-class vibe it gave off was a bonus.
"Clack!"
The little pile of bones made a rattling sound as if protesting, but Jinhyuk's mind was already filled with self-praise.
'My naming sense really is spectacular.'
He almost regretted giving away such a magnificent name for free.
It was then.
"Mogi!"
Goguma, who had been hiding under the seat, suddenly poked its head out.
And, like a predator hunting a herbivore...
...it bit down hard on T-Bone's leg bone.
"Clack!"
Goguma munched away, savoring the meaty flavor deeply embedded in the bone.
"Uh-uh. That's not food."
"Mogi?"
"He's a companion who will be with us from now on, so make sure to train him kindly. Tell the spirit beasts about him too."
"Mogi!"
Goguma replied energetically.
Hmm.
He didn't know why Goguma was still tasting T-Bone's bone while claiming to understand, but...
...the smart little guy had probably understood.
...Probably.
'Now, for the grand finale.'
Jinhyuk's gaze drifted downward.
The greatest reward of this raid.
The pitch-black Archmage's Robe.
To be honest, he hadn't expected this to drop from Bayorodum.
And for good reason.
In the past, Bayorodum had only ever dropped staffs or accessories; the robe had never dropped even once.
In other words...
...this was the first time.
With trembling hands, Jinhyuk checked the robe's information.