Duel (2)
I leisurely felt the numerous gazes directed at me as I slowly descended the duel arena.
"Kyaa~! Player-nim! It was perfect!"
Angel fluttered her wings and flew over, raising her tiny hand.
"Hut. This is a treat, but '[Gigan]' is the one you added for me, right?"
"Yes! As long as you meet the conditions, I can add it within my allowance!"
Gigan (Energy Sense)
Sharp senses sharpen and become sharper.
I quietly muttered "Status Window".
With the familiar "beep" sound, the interface window appeared before my eyes.
And one of the latent ability slots marked with question marks now had an entry.
Gigan (Energy Sense)
Sharp senses sharpen and become sharper.
"Oh."
"Hey... over there!"
From far away, someone called out to me.
I turned my head and saw Violet running toward me, her long purple hair swaying.
"Wha... what did you do?!"
Her skin was snow-white with not a single blemish, her nose elegantly straight, and her eyes intelligent and round.
"Ha...!"
My breath caught for a moment at her beauty.
Up close, she was even more annoyingly pretty.
"Why did you do that?"
She raised her voice slightly, thinking I had ignored her.
I knew her personality better than anyone else because I had never spoken to the heroines in Ero Ability Shooters before, and I had dug through countless YouTube videos and wikis out of obsession.
So I knew the exact answer that fit Violet perfectly.
"Why should I tell you?"
"...?! What?"
She made a blank expression.
"See? You still don't get it?"
I smirked and provoked her.
"This... this eeek...!"
Violet's brows furrowed as she glared at me.
"If you have nothing to say, just scram."
I shook my head, and Violet bit her lip hard.
"Yeah? Anyway, this variable is nothing."
I watched Violet turn and walk away, and I let out a triumphant laugh inside.
This is it.
Unlike with Alice, the first meeting was perfect.
To conquer Violet, the first step is to make her a 'variable'.
Fill her always-calm thoughts with me as the variable, starting the conquest.
Glancing over, Alice was staring at me from afar, and our eyes met.
I made an apologetic face, rubbing my hands, and Alice gave a 'Hmph!' expression that suited her, turning her head away sharply.
If it weren't for that worst first meeting, Alice would have been a heroine rolling in.
How am I supposed to resolve this relationship?
I have to get the first erotic scene with Alice, the fellatio!
This kind of obstacle is nothing in front of fellatio!
Beep!
A heavy mechanical sound rang out, and the screen displayed the list for the next duel.
Both names were unknown to me.
It wasn't a particularly important match.
What I needed to focus on was the combat power of the heroines 'Alice' and 'Violet'.
Lee Shin had shot mana bullets 'uncommonly' in the previous duel, but that was just 'coincidence'.
How could an extra start shooting mana bullets from the beginning?
That skill is learned when stats exceed 40.
Beep!
Again, the heavy sound announced the start of the duel.
"?"
And a bizarre landscape unfolded before my eyes.
It was a fight between a shooter and an ability user, but the problem was...
"What is that?"
"Pl.. Player-nim... this seems a bit strange."
Like previous duels, the 'shooter' immediately shot mana bullets, and the 'ability user' channeled mana into their ability.
"Mi.. insane?!"
No, I could accept it as coincidence.
I reassured myself.
Coincidence could happen twice.
But when I looked at the next duel, my thought was completely shattered.
Bang!
Again, an unknown 'extra' shot a mana bullet.
"Insane!"
This was definitely something wrong.
Everyone could handle mana.
That meant 'everyone except me' had stats over 40.
"Angel, what's the difficulty rating?"
"Wa.. wait a moment, Player-nim. I'll contact the higher-ups."
Angel 'pung' and disappeared, and 10 minutes later she appeared with a pale face.
"Pl.. Player-nim, this... failed?"
"What failed?"
"Th.. that, the causality they get from clearing normal mode for a monster like you is not even worth it, so they made me test the new 'Hell Difficulty' version and extract causality?"
"What?"
Hell Difficulty.
Hell Difficulty.
What kind of nonsense is that?
Beep!
At that moment, the heavy sound rang, and the next duel began.
And this time's target was 'Violet'.
Her ability was 'Telekinesis'.
Whoosh!
The opponent ability user waved their hands, spraying a large flame at Violet.
Violet didn't move an inch, grabbed something in the air, and swung it.
Zwaaak!
A large shockwave sounded, and the flame barrier tore in all directions and burst out sideways.
The flame ability user panicked and tried to use their ability again, but Violet swung something again, and her body was thrown back.
Beep!
Thus, the duel ended.
".... Hey Angel, this isn't right, is it?"
"Shit."
Angel, who had never used harsh words before, saying this meant the balance was off.
The skill Violet used was 'Telekinesis Whip', which requires the sum of total stats over 50.
The stat difference between me and Violet was at least 20.
Think of it as the strength difference between a child and a bodybuilder with bulging muscles.
"Hey you bastard! Why send me to this difficulty?!"
I grabbed Angel by the hand next to me and swung her in the air.
"Kyeek!! Player-nim! Player-nim! Calm down! I'll do my best somehow!"
Angel screamed pitifully, as if wronged.
"No, I'm just a single 'Operator' dispatched to observe and support Player-nim, ugh..."
Honestly, I didn't blame Angel.
But how to vent this frustration! How to relieve this anger!
Is this even possible! This isn't a level created by humans! These bastards! This fucking shitty game!
"Don't worry, Player-nim. I'll get something back."
Angel said with a determined expression and 'pung' disappeared.
10 minutes passed, 20 minutes passed.
And during that time, I watched Alice's duel and despaired again.
Bullet Time.
A shooter skill that activates all senses and slows the flow of time.
Alice had been using it from the very first scenario.
Even I would find it difficult.
If the stat gap is this large... I can't guarantee victory.
Pung!
Angel appeared beside me in despair.
"Player-nim!"
"Wh.. yeah! Angel! Did you get something?!"
Angel said with an energetic expression.
"Of course! I found the corruption in this shitty management team!"
"Eh?"
Corruption?
"These shitty management team bastards said even monsters like you can clear Hell Difficulty without the special reward, so they cheated!"
These... these inhuman bastards!
"In our pure and kind 'Planning' team, we try to help Player-nim somehow, but this rotten management team tries to suck out causality! These bastards!"
Angel poured curses on the management team while proving her purity.
"Yeah! Angel! So!"
"So! They blackmailed me into reporting the cheating, so they spat out special reward plus extra causality!"
"Cough! Angel! You're the only one."
"What? Player-nim! We're growing together by helping each other!"
Ah... I'm ashamed for doubting this pitiful Angel for a moment.
From the first meeting, we were 'comrades'.
"So what is the special reward?"
"The management team didn't want to give this because it would make Player-nim's difficulty plummet geometrically, but anyway."
Beep!
Angel tapped the air, and the status window appeared.
"Eh? What is this?!"
The status window was not the current one, but the one from when I cleared the previous 'Shooter'.
"The special reward for Hell Difficulty. It's taking one 'latent ability' from the status window when I cleared the previous hard mode."
"Wow shit."
They blackmailed for this big thing?
Yeah, honestly, receiving this makes the difficulty plummet geometrically for 'me'.
It's one of the reasons I cleared hard mode without the sword class.
"And with the causality I blackmailed, I converted it to stats, so I got 10 remaining stat points!"
Ah... ah...
Angel...
What kind of evil deeds have I done so far...
To my 'comrade' who dedicates herself for me... I... I...
I looked at Angel with teary eyes, and she sniffed her nose.
"As much as me, I will sincerely cheer for Player-nim."
Now, a halo was shining behind Angel's wings.
"Player-nim, of course you'll take 'that', right?"
"Of course."
I knew what the 10 stat points meant.
Minimum stat 40 to use mana.
"10 points all to mana. And latent ability, I'll choose [Enchant]."
Angel nodded as if she knew, and moved her hands busily, with a 'beep!' cheerful sound, the status window appeared.
Latent Ability: [Gigan], [Enchant]
Skill: ????
This is enough.
With this, it's over.
The stat difference with Violet and Alice is large, but with this [Enchant] latent ability, the game is over.
[Enchant] is the latent ability that literally bestows attributes on weapons.
The 'core ability' why I chose Shooter over ability user.
Enchant
Any attribute can be infused into one's weapon, and affinity for all attributes increases.
Concise explanation and effect.
Thus, it can have the greatest effect.
I infused mana into the sword sheath, and it 'woong' happily trembled.
Ah, this cool and familiar sensation...
It had been a long time since the era of humiliation and oppression.
Thank you, Angel!
At this moment, I am returning to 'old fart' Jeong Jojun!!