Chapter 50
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 50
Chapter Title: Reunion (2)
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「[Status Window]
Name: Lee Min-jun (Gold, Platinum Promotion on Hold)
Title: Proxy
Survival Time (ST): 18,548 hours
Karma: +14.2
Stats
[Strength Lv.20] [Vitality Lv.20] [Agility Lv.20] [Star Power Lv.10]
Passive Skills: [Apostle's Nemesis Max], [Apostle's Predator Lv.15(M)], [Pesticide Lv.11]
Active Skills: [Space Domination Lv.8], [Time Discrepancy Lv.3]」
The most eye-catching part was the phrase ‘Platinum Promotion on Hold.’
Checking the records, there was an entry about killing the Sicarius and leveling up Star Power, followed by clearing the promotion quest upon reaching level 10.
‘But Outer God’s Star? What does it mean that this is holding back my promotion?’
It was probably referring to the countless stars that had fallen on the day of the apocalypse. The black stars that birthed Arktine, Hornet, Atlnak, and the like.
The system message stated that this star restricted promotion to Platinum.
‘This is fucking annoying. Seriously.’
In every way, the Apostles and Star Lords were like the root of all evil.
The ‘Proxy’ title too—it almost seemed like the system was egging on the fight.
‘In the end, we can’t coexist peacefully under the same sky, huh?’
I wanted to put it off as long as possible, but it seemed fate demanded I fight eventually. Hoping against hope, I opened the Space Market, but the item list for sale was identical to when I was Gold rank.
Letting out a deep sigh, I pushed aside my disappointment and checked the next record.
[You have succeeded in the first solo raid. A new title is awarded as a reward.]
[The user ‘Lee Min-jun’ who destroyed the dungeon core becomes the owner of a new camp.]
Messages about acquiring a new title and camp. I first opened the ‘Title Window.’
「[One Man Army]
Rank: Unique
Effect: Stats levels increase by 1.5x when conducting a solo raid.]」
‘Argh, ptoo! Ptoo!’
The moment I saw the new title, I furrowed my brow.
It was a completely useless title.
I had no intention of foolishly ignoring the system’s warning twice and nearly crossing the River Styx only to come crawling back.
‘Still, just in case another situation like that arises… I really never want to go through it again, even in my dreams, but if I absolutely have to, it might help save my life….’
With that self-consolation bordering on pity, Min-jun opened the second reward, the ‘Camp Situation Room.’
There, in addition to the previously acquired ‘Songpa Base Camp (1)’, a new tab had been added.
「[Camp Situation Room]
Name: Garak Base Camp (1)
Camp Leader: Lee Min-jun
Rank: Lv. 1
Durability: 5000/5000
Personnel: 9/40 people
Productivity: 50/day
Remarks: None」
The list was largely no different from ‘Songpa Base Camp (1)’. But something new had been added on the last line.
‘Productivity?’
What could that be?
From the name, it seemed to produce 50 per day, but no matter how much I clicked, it wouldn’t specify what was being produced. I had no clue.
The difference between the two camps was that last time I had closed a ‘Rift’, and this time its evolved form, a ‘Gate.’
That difference was probably related to ‘Productivity.’
‘I’ll have to visit the camp to find out…. Anyway, isn’t there a potion or something to antidote the bastard’s poison? That was the whole reason I started this in the first place….’
I had caught the monster, but I hadn’t achieved the original goal of fighting it to get the antidote.
I gazed at the middle-aged man, Gun-ho, and So-hee, still lying side by side, unconscious.
Even though I had killed the thing, if I couldn’t find a way to wake them, there was nothing else I could do. Of course, I needed to look for other methods, but the anxiety was unavoidable.
In my worry, I even rummaged through the reward list from the completed raid quest window.
There, Survival Time, Karma, and one skill were listed.
‘Sicarius’s Blood? Isn’t that the poison itself? What kind of skill is this….’
「[Sicarius’s Blood Max]: Grants an antivenom that surpasses human immunity, strengthening resistance to poison.
The blood of the skill holder can also be used as an antidote for various poisons.」
‘This is it!’
This was exactly what I had been looking for.
Now a walking antidote, I hurriedly drew my dagger to feed my blood to the three lying side by side….
“…Huh? Where’s my dagger?”
I felt the leather sling that served as its sheath, but the spot where the dagger was always strapped felt empty. I searched my whole body in case I had sheathed it elsewhere, but it was gone.
It wasn’t an item of immense value anymore, but it was a weapon like a talisman I had carried through this hell for so long.
The ‘Silent Fairbairn-Sykes’ that held the painful memory of my first kill.
‘Did I drop it at Jamsil Girls’ High?’
The situation had been so urgent that losing one dagger from my pocket wouldn’t have been strange.
It wasn’t a huge loss, but with an inexplicable sense of regret, I kept rummaging around nearby.
“Uncle, whatcha looking for?”
“Ah! Seowoo, have you seen Uncle’s knife?”
“It’s over there.”
The weapon Seowoo pointed to with those words was the [Ownerless Great Sword].
“No, not the big one—the small one. Haven’t seen that?”
“Oh, that? Brother took it.”
“Danwoo did?”
“Yeah! I told him it’s bad to use other people’s stuff without permission, but he said borrowing it for a bit is fine and took it. Should I go beat up Brother later?”
I stroked Seowoo’s head as she scowled fiercely and waved her hand.
“No. I actually told him it was okay for him to use it.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, really.”
It was a relief it wasn’t lost. Thinking about it, for Danwoo who mainly did ambushes and stealth, no weapon suited him better than that dagger.
I could gift it to him in return for saving his life.
Having made up my mind to let the dagger go to him, I reopened the Space Market to find a suitable replacement weapon.
Since I was buying a new one anyway, intending to get a dagger one rank higher than before, I checked the dagger list and scrolled down, spotting a few standouts.
「[Nakjuk Jango]
Price: 4,700 hours
Rank: Uncommon
Required Stat: Agility Lv.13
Info: A short sword with bamboo sheath and guard. Protective runes are engraved on the bamboo, which activate when Survival Time is charged. (Charge: 0/2,000 hours)」
「[Shadow Panther’s Karambit]
Price: 4,300 hours
Rank: Uncommon
Required Stat: Agility Lv.13
Info: Dagger made from a shadow panther’s claw. Imbued with the shadow panther’s traits, holding it allows blending into shadows. (Consumes 1 hour of Survival Time per minute)」
「[Septic Stiletto]
Price: 4,500 hours
Rank: Uncommon
Required Stat: Agility Lv.12
Info: Steel awl-shaped dagger. Tiny holes at the sharp tip allow injecting poison. Poison strength proportional to Survival Time consumed. (Max 2,000 hours)」
Three tempting items.
Buying the Nakjuk Jango to boost safety sounded appealing, and since I had lost my stealth ability, the [Shadow Panther’s Karambit] to fill that gap seemed good too.
Or, now that I had poison resistance with no risk, the [Septic Stiletto] was an attractive option.
Though I now had some leeway in Survival Time, item purchases always required caution.
Time passed like that.
After agonizing over the three choices, I soon selected one and bought it.
With the purchased dagger, I sliced my palm and dripped blood into the mouths of the three.
* * *
‘It has to work….’
Contrary to my anxious heart, the three’s ashen faces rapidly returned to normal shortly after drinking my blood.
“Uncle, what’re you doing?”
As I collapsed in relief, Seowoo, who had been watching intently, spoke up.
“Treating Uncle and the sisters.”
“Really?! So they can wake up now?”
“Yeah.”
“Wow!! Uncle’s the best!”
Clap clap clap.
Overjoyed, Seowoo ran around the room clapping, and in sync with her applause, dozens of tiny sparks flickered in the air.
I hadn’t mentioned it, but having lived together for a week, I had already noticed Seowoo’s ability and wasn’t surprised, just soothed her.
“Seowoo, playing with fire indoors is dangerous.”
“Oh right! Sorry….”
“By the way, Seowoo, Uncle has a few questions. Can I ask?”
“Yeah!”
I hadn’t met many people, but this was the first with abilities in this direction.
Of course, skills had no limits.
I even had skills that manipulated time. But most skills I and others had were clearly purpose-driven.
‘Killing enemies or boosting the user’s survivability.’
They often combined with the person’s past life and those conditions.
But Seowoo was a bit different.
A child this young couldn’t have some intense fire-related trauma, and unlike other survivors, it felt like she handled the element itself.
Watching Seowoo use fire gave no sense of a standardized skill.
Moreover, Seowoo didn’t have enough Survival Time to spam skills.
“How did you end up able to summon fire, Seowoo?”
“Hmm… Whenever Brother went out, it was so cold. I desperately wished it wouldn’t be cold, and suddenly I could use it.”
“You got a skill to handle fire?”
“Skill? No…. It’s something else?”
“Title?”
When I asked back, Seowoo fumbled through her memory and continued.
“[Child of Fire] The Survival Time consumed varies by fire intensity. That’s what it says. So Brother said it’s okay to play with small fires like this….”
As Seowoo spoke, she opened her palm, and a small flame whooshed into existence before my eyes.
“Now playing with this much is no big deal. …But if I do it too long, I get sleepy.”
“A title, huh….”
A title that handles fire—by Seowoo’s account, it was like superpower stuff from movies.
It shared the root of gaining it through desperate wish like skills, but whether So-hee was special or it required unique conditions.
In any case, no one would dispute that this girl’s ability was extraordinary.
‘Is there a way for me to get an ability like that?’
Lost in thought like that.
A rustling from the bed made me reflexively turn my head, and there was an unfamiliar man with a dazed expression, having woken up.