The Essence of Shoggoth
The black book in my hands felt heavier than it looked.
Devouring Shoggoth's essence.
Essence Grade: Ancient
Essence Devoured: 100%
You have perfectly absorbed the essence of one species.
Strength +8
Endurance +15
New skill acquired — Liquefaction.
Liquefaction
Grade: ★★★
Type: Active
Transforms the user's body into a viscous liquid. Grants significant resistance to physical attacks but increases vulnerability to elemental attacks.
While liquefied, the user can consume food through their entire body.
It was a skill that turned the body into something like a slime. Similar to the Fluidization I’d obtained from the Imoogi, but with clear pros and cons.
Fluidization let me completely ignore physical attacks and terrain, while Liquefaction only let me shed part of the damage. On the other hand, I could still exert physical force in this state.
“Not bad.”
Gills. Free Water. And now Liquefaction. At this point, I could say the penalties for underwater combat had essentially vanished.
Shoggoth's essence resonates with your Devour ability.
Stats gained from Devouring increased by 20%.
The same synergy I’d had before the regression. A satisfied smile crept across my face.
Liquefaction was a skill that perfectly captured the essence of a slime — a monster interested only in devouring everything in sight. The act of “eating” was deeply connected to my unique ability, Devour. Just like how the slime essence called Dissolution I’d encountered in the tutorial had given my Devour an advantage.
“Lucky me.”
Gates that projected the outer universe were rare. My encounter with Shoggoth had come far earlier than it had in my previous life. The additional 20% increase in Devour efficiency from the synergy would also apply to the stats I accumulated through the Primordial Dragon Heart.
Good. I liked it.
All monsters within the Deep One's Lair Gate have been defeated.
Closing the Gate.
Clear reward: Fragment of the Necronomicon (Copy) granted.
The black tome looked remarkably similar to the Ars Goetia at first glance, but the aura it emitted was far more sinister. The text contained the power of the outer universe — of the void itself.
“This is…”
“The Necronomicon. A forbidden tome that records the beings of the outer universe.”
“Just looking at it makes my head throb.”
“That is because the outer universe operates under entirely different laws.”
I quickly stored the fragment of the Necronomicon in my subspace. There was no point staring at it for long.
Shoggoth’s essence and a fragment of the Necronomicon (copy). Not a bad haul. On top of that, my level had skyrocketed.
“They say good deeds are rewarded. Guess it’s true.”
“Your expression does not match the words ‘good deed’ in the slightest…”
“What did I do wrong this time?”
“Look in a mirror and you shall understand.”
Nyx let out a long sigh. That goddess always reacted like this whenever I smiled.
“Youngsoo-hyung, did you get the recording?”
“Of course. Though I’ll need to do some editing.”
Kim Youngsoo waved his hand. A small crystal orb — a video recording crystal that had captured the entire Gate raid process. Before the Tower began live-streaming, these were commonly used for analysis. Nowadays, they were mostly used to record Gate clears.
“Why edit it? It’s fine as is.”
“That would reveal all of the team leader’s capabilities.”
“Everything’s going to get exposed once I start climbing the Tower anyway. No need to hide it.”
“Understood.”
I took the crystal and skimmed through some of the footage. Deep Ones endlessly leaping out of the sea. Shoggoth’s horrifying form. The desperate battle my party had fought was all there.
“You filmed it well.”
“Raising a child made me quite familiar with cameras.”
Youngsoo-hyung chuckled warmly. I hadn’t known he had a talent like this. I might ask him to record for us whenever we clear Gates as a team.
“Let’s go enjoy our VIP treatment.”
I grinned and stepped through the Gate. I was curious to see how the Indonesian government would react once they saw this footage.
* * *
After clearing the Gate, the Yeokcheon team handed the recording crystal Kim Youngsoo had filmed over to the Indonesian government.
The Indonesian government invited various experts and analyzed the raid process, estimating the scale of damage that would have occurred if a Gate Break had taken place.
“This kind of monster isn’t even in our database?”
“Hah… how vicious. No wonder there were no survivors.”
“If a Gate Break had occurred, it would have been catastrophic.”
“And the location was right by the beach. If those monsters had spilled into the sea…”
Monsters that could move freely underwater, an ocean protected by an Outer God’s power, and even Shoggoth on top of that.
“Even with Latoor, handling a Break situation would have been impossible.”
“If those monsters had poured into the Banda Sea…”
“At the very least, Buru Island would have been completely transformed into another dimension.”
The face of the association president in charge of all Indonesian players turned pitch black. In contrast, a faint smile spread across the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs’ lips.
The two had been sharply opposed on how to handle the Deep One’s Lair Gate. The Foreign Ministry had insisted on requesting help from foreign players to eliminate the threat, while the association president had argued they should wait for a Gate Break and then mobilize their own players.
A Gate Break would abnormally amplify mana density, making the area uninhabitable for several months. But since Buru Island’s population was small, it had been a feasible suggestion.
“The Foreign Ministry’s decision was wise,” Indonesian President Maruf said, finally speaking.
“It is thanks to Your Excellency’s bold judgment.”
“The idea of entrusting our nation’s safety to foreigners was not easy to accept.”
The Foreign Minister gave a short, polite laugh.
President Maruf scanned the ministers gathered in the room.
“I believe incidents like Buru Island will continue to occur.”
“That is…”
The players’ association president trailed off.
“Our country’s player level is not high. Therefore, increasing the budget should be our priority.”
“We will live up to your expectations, Your Excellency.”
“Furthermore, when Gates appear that are beyond our ability to handle, we must not hesitate to accept support from other nations.”
The conference room stirred.
Gate management was directly tied to national security. This was a statement from the nation’s leader suggesting they entrust their country’s safety to others — a concept that had become common sense worldwide after the first Great Erosion.
“If you give us just a little more budget and time, our players will…”
“And end up like this?”
The president let out a deep sigh.
“What matters is the safety of our people. Besides, this choice could become an opportunity.”
“What kind of opportunity do you mean, sir?”
“By treating Korean players well, we can spread our position to the rest of the world.”
He smiled as he spoke.
* * *
Bogor Palace.
A building constructed during the Dutch colonial period when they ruled over several islands near Indonesia. It had continued to serve as the presidential residence even after British rule and Indonesian independence, functioning as the center of national administration.
Jiyoung’s eyes widened as she looked around the palace.
“Wow, oh my god.”
“You could fit all of Paris in here.”
“Master, aren’t you surprised?”
“Why would I be?”
I answered indifferently.
“This is a presidential commendation! From another country!”
“We saved an entire island. This level of treatment is only natural.”
“No, but still! We’re not even from this country! And they’re treating us this well?!”
Jiyoung was getting worked up. Once she reached this state, there was no stopping her, so I decided to just let her tire herself out.
I acted like it was nothing, but the Indonesian government really had gone all out. A presidential commendation wasn’t something given to just anyone.
“He’s got a pretty sharp mind.”
“Master, what did you say?”
“Nothing. Talking to myself.”
It was bold. Whether the president himself or his staff had planned this, it was an unconventional move. Using the information from clearing the Deep One’s Lair Gate to draw the world’s attention while simultaneously declaring Indonesia’s position — a sharp political play. And utilizing my fame on top of that? The icing on the cake.
Whoever came up with it, it was impressive.
Before receiving the commendation, people from the Korean embassy had given us a brief etiquette briefing.
“You represent the face of Korea. Please do your best.”
“I’m not Korean, I’m the great—”
SMACK!
Ping Lei’s head snapped forward.
“That’s how you greet them.”
“Ughhh…”
He glared at me with bloodshot eyes. What was he going to do about it? I ignored Ping Lei’s resentful gaze and stepped forward.
A grand hall. The Indonesian flag hung behind the president, who stood waiting. Men in suits lined up on both sides. On the press platform near the entrance, cameras flashed nonstop.
“Ugh, I’m so nervous my stomach hurts.”
Jiyoung whined.
“This is exactly when you must stand tall and walk with confidence.”
“That just doesn’t suit my constitution.”
I glanced at Nyx and Jiyoung bickering, then looked forward again.
As expected. The president himself had prepared this stage. According to the materials provided by the Korean embassy, most of the men in suits were at the ministerial level. Proof that the president had called them in personally.
Countless gazes poured toward me, but I walked forward without a hint of tension until I stood before the president.
“My name is Yu Jinho. It is an honor to meet you.”
I bowed at the waist.
“To think I would meet the hero of the Spice Islands like this.”
“Pardon?”
“The islands you saved were once called the Spice Islands in the old days.”
I already knew that. What caught me off guard was that, unlike in my previous life where they were associated with tragedy, they were now being called the islands of a hero.
“I don’t think what I did qualifies me to be called a hero.”
“Nonsense. You saved both our citizens and our territory. That is more than enough to call you a hero.”
“You flatter me.”
I lightly shook my head.
In addition to the commendation, the Indonesian government offered various benefits. They promised VIP treatment whenever we visited, at any time. They even gave us an uninhabited island under the team’s name — though it didn’t mean much. On top of that, they sent an official letter of gratitude to Korea and provided a generous reward.
“A bit excessive, isn’t it?”
“Doesn’t that just mean what we did was that impressive?”
“Well, you’re not wrong.”
I trailed off.
This was part of their player-friendly policy. Since they were using our team as their banner, we might as well enjoy the benefits to the fullest.
The Indonesian Players Association was also friendly.
“Clearing that Gate… I was truly moved by Player Jinho’s sense of justice.”
The association staff member’s eyes sparkled. I figured it was better not to correct that misunderstanding.
Even while receiving VIP treatment, I continued clearing Tower missions and Gates. Thanks to raising my level to 145 inside the Deep One’s Lair, it didn’t take long to meet the promotion requirements.
When the Silver promotion match was only two days away—
Level increased.
You have reached the maximum level. You can no longer gain experience.
You must advance to the next rank to continue leveling up.
I had reached the Bronze rank cap — Level 150.