Chapter 88
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 88
Chapter Title: End of Round 6
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Hermes's Feathered Hat had an option called Invisibility.
As the name suggested, it was an ability that made the caster invisible.
‘An unparalleled skill for an assassin.’
Assassins learned the Invisibility skill at level 20.
But this item allowed anyone to use it, not just assassins.
And there was no difference in performance.
‘It lets anyone use the Invisibility skill. That’s the advantage of this item.’
Right now, Ryu Min needed a utility skill like this more than a damage boost.
‘I can do a lot with Invisibility.’
It could be used to evade CCTV cameras or to ambush enemies.
Hearing this, one might think Invisibility was an incredibly overpowered skill, but…
‘The downside is that it can be countered by Presence Detection. It only makes your body invisible; it can’t silence your sound.’
Presence Detection was a common skill.
Ultimately, this meant anyone who learned Presence Detection could see through Invisibility.
Furthermore, Invisibility was a skill that deactivated upon attacking or being attacked.
It also had a long cooldown, making its drawbacks in combat quite clear.
Yet, there was a specific reason why Ryu Min rated Invisibility so highly.
‘If I get the rune that conceals presence, Invisibility becomes almost invincible.’
Among the runes obtainable in the 9th round was one called the [Rune of Stealth].
It was an overpowered rune that prevented detection by Presence Detection and eliminated the cooldown of Invisibility upon a successful ambush.
It was even on the list of essential runes to acquire.
‘I was planning to buy an item with the Invisibility ability after getting the Rune of Stealth…’
For now, he had secured one of the two.
Later, when the 9th round began, all he had to do was obtain the Rune of Stealth…
‘And I’ll be able to use a perfect form of Invisibility that even a max-level player couldn't notice.’
As he equipped the feathered hat that had entered his inventory, a message appeared.
[You have equipped Hermes's Feathered Hat.]
[You can now use the 'Invisibility' skill as an option.]
[Temporary Skill – Invisibility]
-Effect: Allows you to completely hide your appearance from an opponent. However, only your appearance is hidden; sound cannot be suppressed.
Duration is 30 minutes. Automatically dispels upon attacking or being attacked. Can be deactivated at will and has a 30-minute cooldown.
A temporary skill called [Invisibility] appeared in his skill list.
It would disappear again as soon as he unequipped the feathered hat.
‘Even if I get better gear later, I should hold onto the feathered hat. Invisibility is a useful skill in many ways.’
There was no need to wear it constantly.
He could just equip it whenever he needed to use the skill.
And if he ever needed to sell it, he could get a high price.
‘Items with skills as options are popular, regardless of their grade.’
This time, Ryu Min used the Special Reward Selection Box.
[You may choose one of the following special rewards.]
[Please touch your desired reward.]
└ 1. Material Item Selection Ticket
└ 2. 14,000 Gold
└ 3. Information about Round 7
Normally, the first option was either an experience buff or a stat buff.
The fact that it was neither of those meant…
‘It means a quest is coming in Round 7 where neither of those is needed.’
If any other player were choosing, he would have recommended the third option without a second thought.
Of all the rounds so far, the information for Round 7 was the most crucial.
‘Someone might be tempted by the unusually high amount of gold and choose number 2. But.’
No option could beat number 3.
The information was that important.
‘At least, for this 7th round.’
But Ryu Min's greatest weapon was the experience and information from his 99 regressions.
‘Naturally, I’ll skip number 3 and choose number 1.’
A Material Item Selection Ticket entered his possession.
He used it immediately without any hesitation.
[Choose one of the following materials.]
└ 1. Broken Ironwood Branch
└ 2. Bubbling Solution
└ 3. Hardened Mana Shell
………………
…………
└ 10. Angel's Golden Powder
There were a total of 10 options.
For someone who didn't know the uses of these material items, the choice would be meaningless.
‘But for me, who knows the use of every single one…’
The choice was already made.
‘I’ll take the 10th one, the powder.’
Upon receiving the item, its information appeared.
[Angel's Golden Powder]
-Classification: Possessions
-Description: A powder that scatters from an angel's hair. It is not dandruff.
Among the 10 options, it was the only item used as a God-grade material.
‘Now I just need to gather one more material to craft a God-grade item.’
The remaining material could only be found in Round 8 or later, so there was no need to expect it for a while.
◀ END OF ROUND 6 ▶
[All Zones]
└ Survivors: 8,060,295
[Current Zone C-ESKS007]
└ Survivors: 505
[Your soul will now be transferred to your body in the original dimension.]
[Round 7 will begin at midnight on July 1, 2022. We look forward to seeing you in the next round. Congratulations on your survival.]
***
*Tap, tap, tap, tap—*
The moment he opened his eyes, Ahn Sang-chul ran.
He headed for the CEO's hotel room.
*Clank— Clank— Thump, thump, thump!*
“CEO Ma!”
Anyone else would have berated him for making such a commotion in the middle of the night, but…
*Click— Squeak—*
Ma Kyung-rok, who opened the door, was merely puzzled.
“Manager Ahn? What’s the matter? Why come find me the moment you returned?”
“C-Can I come in and talk?”
“Please do.”
Once inside, Ma Kyung-rok lifted the glass of whiskey he had been drinking.
Before he could even offer a seat, Ahn Sang-chul spoke with an excited face.
“Sir, my level has gone up tremendously.”
Ma Kyung-rok swirled the whiskey in his glass.
“Did it go up from partying with Black Scythe? From hunting for six hours?”
Having heard the same prophecy, Ma Kyung-rok was aware of the situation.
“So, how much did it go up for you to come running here in such a state?”
“I went from level 20 to 34. That’s a whole 14 levels!”
“…”
Ma Kyung-rok’s hand, which was about to raise the whiskey to his lips, froze in mid-air.
“34? Are you sure?”
“Yes. Isn’t that an incredible increase?”
“…That’s worth getting excited about.”
Ma Kyung-rok downed the whiskey with a bitter expression and asked.
“You gained 14 levels in six hours?”
“That’s right. Black Scythe, that man, did all the hunting. Our party members could barely keep up.”
“He must have monopolized the items in exchange for power-leveling you.”
“Correct. But I don’t regret giving up the items at all. I never imagined I would level up this fast.”
“Neither did I. To think that you, Manager Ahn, would surpass me in level…”
“Sir, what level are you…”
“29.”
“Ah.”
Ahn Sang-chul decided to keep his mouth shut.
Anything he said now would only sour the CEO’s mood.
“Then Actress Seo must be the same level, I presume?”
Ahn Sang-chul glanced around and nodded quietly.
“Ha, to think I’d end up at a lower level than Actress Seo. I guess I need to step up my game, don’t I?”
With a bitter smile, Ma Kyung-rok refilled his whiskey glass.
“Tell me, Manager Ahn. Was Black Scythe really that fast?”
“Yes. The Centaurs were dying in a single hit.”
“So that’s why it was fast. Our team wasn’t that quick, even with five of us.”
Having heard the prophecy, Ma Kyung-rok had also formed a party and hunted Centaurs first.
It took some time to persuade his party members, but the hunt went smoothly, and he managed to rank first in the zone.
“As expected of Black Scythe. The results said he killed the Minotaur in one second… Is that true?”
“Yes. He used some kind of flashing skill and beheaded it in a single stroke. It was a skill I’d never seen before.”
“Must be a skill he learned at level 40. Seeing as you’ve never seen it before.”
As the 2nd and 3rd ranked player, Ma Kyung-rok was confident in his own abilities, but…
‘Killing a Minotaur with a single skill? In one second?’
He had no confidence he could kill a boss that quickly.
‘To think the gap between me and the number one rank is this wide…’
It was more bitter than surprising.
‘Will I be that strong when I reach level 40?’
The Dark Knight’s skills were powerful.
Ma Kyung-rok was satisfied with them.
But.
‘Not as much as Black Scythe.’
He wasn’t sure if he could display such prowess even after reaching level 40.
He couldn't be certain.
‘I should focus on leveling up instead of worrying about such things.’
A situation where his subordinate was a higher level than him.
His pride wouldn't allow him to remain complacent.
A motivation he hadn't felt before surged within him.
“I suppose I’ll have to try a bit harder.”
“…”
Ahn Sang-chul remained silent as he watched Ma Kyung-rok down the full glass of whiskey in one go.
What could he say, having unintentionally bruised his boss’s pride?
He felt like he was sitting on pins and needles.
“I should thank Black Scythe. I’ve been getting lazy lately, but he’s given me some newfound motivation.”
“…”
“And he even power-leveled our Manager Ahn and Actress Seo. I should probably thank him when I see him next.”
“Sh-Should I also find a way to thank him personally?”
“No. You gave up the items in exchange for experience, didn't you? And since my subordinate received help, it's my duty as the CEO to express gratitude.”
“…”
“I’ll have to ask the Prophet when he comes by when I can meet Black Scythe.”
“Do you think the Prophet survived?”
“It would be faster to call and check than to ask me that. That’s your job, after all, Manager Ahn.”
“Ah, I was being thoughtless. I apologize. I’ll check right away…”
“No need to apologize, just let me know as soon as you confirm. Oh, did you learn the skills I told you about before?”
“Yes, I’ve definitely learned the two you mentioned, Tracking and Erase Traces.”
“Then come out later to do some cleaning, and you can try out your skills. It’s been a while, so I plan on taking out some trash.”
“A-Are you going to work at this hour? The sun is about to come up…”
“It’s fine. I’m not planning on killing them outside, anyway.”
“Ah, I understand, sir.”
As Ahn Sang-chul gave a deep bow, Ma Kyung-rok turned to look out the window.
The hazy weather was perfect for blowing off some steam.
***
Seo Ah-rin was grateful to Black Scythe.
Although she had given up items as payment, she had gained a far greater amount of experience and gold.
‘I feel like I’m always indebted to him.’
There was the power-leveling this time, and the time he saved her life before.
Compared to all the help she had received, she felt she hadn't been able to repay him in any meaningful way.
‘I want to be a big help to him too, but it’s not easy…’
At best, she could offer him the lowest-grade magic stones or just say thank you.
‘No matter how I think about it, I don’t know how I can help. It’s not like he’s someone who needs help…’
Ah, on second thought, that wasn't true.
Black Scythe did need help from others.
Wasn't there a woman who constantly gave him buffs?
‘Was it Minjujuui? The woman in a contract with him…’
Comparing looks was meaningless since it was an avatar, but she had a pretty face and a lively personality.
‘On top of that, she has buffs that are second to none.’
She could understand why Black Scythe kept her around.
Just being with her would be a great help.
‘I want to be that helpful too…’
She had a fairy's buff, but it was just a thin protective shield at best.
As a Summoner, there was much she lacked in terms of being helpful.
‘I need to think about it.’
Putting on a hat, Seo Ah-rin left her house and got on the elevator.
She was thinking of stopping by the convenience store to grab a simple bite to eat.
*Ding—*
The descending elevator stopped at a lower floor.
“Oh? Actress Seo Ah-rin?”
She ran into Ryu Min, her neighbor and a business partner of CEO Ma Kyung-rok.
And also the Prophet.
“Ah, hello.”
Seo Ah-rin bowed her head politely.
There was another person besides Black Scythe she needed to thank.
“Thanks to the information you gave me, Prophet, I was able to get through Round 6 safely. Thank you.”
“It was nothing.”
Ryu Min, who had spoken dismissively, fell silent.
Seo Ah-rin stared at him quietly.
‘He’s a strange person. He’s only 20, so he shouldn’t have any social experience, yet he can be so confident in front of CEO Ma Kyung-rok. And his business acumen, too…’
Seo Ah-rin was afraid of Ma Kyung-rok, but Ryu Min didn't seem to be.
Of course, being the Prophet allowed him to act confidently, but…
‘If I were the Prophet, could I have acted like him?’
No.
Even with the same ability, she didn't have that kind of nerve.
“Where are you headed, Prophet?”
“Ah, I was just going to the convenience store.”
“The convenience store? Me too.”
Just then, an idea of how she could help popped into Seo Ah-rin's head.
She couldn't help Black Scythe, but she could help the Prophet.
“Since I’m on my way, you can have me run your errand. We’re neighbors, so I can drop it off on my way back up.”
“No, you don’t have to do that.”
“But I feel like I should do something to repay you for what I’ve received.”
Ryu Min seemed to think for a moment, then shook his head.
“I can’t have a celebrity run my errands.”
“But it’s something I want to do…”
“If word gets out that I made you run an errand, I’ll get cursed out by your fans, you know?”
“Ah…”
Seo Ah-rin’s head drooped.
Though his face was hidden, she could imagine the expression he was making.
“If you really want to help, just give me an autograph.”
“Huh? An autograph?”
“My younger brother is a fan of yours, Actress Seo Ah-rin.”
‘Ah, he wants to give it to his brother.’
After saying that, the Prophet turned his head away.
Seo Ah-rin was most popular among men in their twenties, but it seemed to have no effect on the man before her.
“O-Okay, I will.”
For some reason, Seo Ah-rin felt a pang of disappointment.