Chapter 114
Chapter 114
Chapter 114: Platinum-rank Debut Match (2)
Translation: godtl
Even as two people collapsed before her eyes—
"Hiiing!"
The angelic child merely blinked her teary eyes, gazing solely at one man.
And that man, too, seemed to pay no mind to the fallen pair.
"Haa......"
He pressed his fingers to his forehead and let out a deep sigh.
And who could blame him?
While he'd been busy dealing with one Player not far away—
Hadn't Si-yeon, who'd been quietly waiting behind him, suddenly vanished?
'They say kids can dart off anywhere in a blink. But to think she'd come all this way just because I took my eyes off her for a second...'
And by "a second," he meant literally thirty seconds at most.
For her to disappear without a trace in that brief moment—how could he not be startled?
'Whew... At least the Imprint—or is it the Bond?—connecting us is still intact. Thank goodness for that.'
Thanks to the Imprint and Bond procedures he'd performed,
He could sense Si-yeon's location even with his eyes closed, which was why he'd caught up so quickly.
Otherwise, things could've gone seriously wrong.
At that thought, Si-mun paused.
'Wait. Would it really have been that bad?'
His gaze shifted to the sniffling child.
Judging purely by the materials he'd infused during her creation, she shouldn't lose to most Platinum-rank Players.
Even during the earlier battle, it had been the same.
'It was clearly in the 30-second range, wasn't it?'
No matter how skilled the participants of a Platinum Debut Match might be, none could hope to rival the current Si-mun.
He'd beaten them down unilaterally, and that had taken all of thirty seconds.
For this tiny child to have moved all the way here in that same span—
'Doesn't that just prove Si-yeon's base specs are incredible?'
That seemed about right, didn't it?
Si-mun rested his chin on his hand with a rather grave expression.
Perhaps misinterpreting his demeanor—
"Si... Siyoni sowwy......"
Si-yeon's round eyes grew even more watery.
"Huh? Ah."
Startled, Si-mun let out a small sigh and crouched down.
"Si-yeon, I'm not angry. Come here."
With a gentle smile, he casually spread his arms.
And then—
"Daddy!"
Tears still glistening in her eyes, Si-yeon immediately burrowed into Si-mun's embrace.
He held her lightly in his arms.
'Hmm? If her base specs are that high, shouldn't the impact be considerable?'
Si-mun tilted his head, having braced himself for some recoil, but felt nothing.
"Si-yeon no go 'way! Stay wif Daddy!"
As the child nuzzled against him, shaking her head vigorously, all his doubts melted away.
'Ah, what's the point of worrying about any of this?'
Not when she was this adorable.
For a moment, he even felt a faint pang of guilt for scrutinizing her base specs and whatnot.
Si-mun gave a slight shake of his head and stroked Si-yeon's hair as she clung to him.
—Aahhh! So cute!
—Look at our Si-yeon crying TT_TT. Uncle wants to give her candy!
—Uncle... You'll get arrested at this rate...
—Mr. Si-mun! How could you make our baby cry?!
The chat exploded at the sight.
The Arena had barely begun,
Yet viewers were already falling for Si-yeon.
Naturally.
—The Si-yeon moms are raging.
—By the way, can a kid even participate in the Arena? Isn't the minimum age 15?
—True. But she doesn't seem like a kid?
—Didn't she just call him "Daddy"? Maybe a hidden daughter?
—Uh, dude. Didn't you see earlier? Under-15s are Arena-banned. What daughter, lol.
—Non-Awakened folks talking about daughters should just leave.
The sudden appearance of a child sparked even more questions in the chat.
—Maybe she's some kind of summon?
—Right. Summons sometimes call their masters "Mommy" or "Daddy."
—True. Mr. Kim did synthesize a Golem last time. Could it be that?
—So you're saying she's a Golem? Oh my god... But she looks completely human?
—Can't be a Golem. Have you guys never seen one? They can't be that emotionally expressive.
—Agreed, bro. I have a Golem too, and that kind of behavior isn't programmable.
The stream of questions about Si-yeon continued.
With many international viewers tuning in now,
Debates raged over whether she was a summon or not.
But with his chat turned off, Si-mun remained blissfully unaware.
However.
[The Constellation Black Goat gazes at Kim Si-yeon with affectionate eyes.]
[The Constellation Odin wishes to play house with Kim Si-yeon.]
[The Constellations Zeus and Heavenly Demon look at Odin with disdain.]
The Constellations' unrelenting attention was impossible to ignore.
It was literally right before his eyes.
Si-mun let out a deep sigh and dismissed their reactions.
It wasn't simply because their antics were annoying.
'My original plan was to hide Si-yeon somewhere safe and finish the Arena as quickly as possible...'
Not that there was truly any "safe" place in the Chaos Realm.
As long as the celestial and demon factions weren't at war, he could have transmuted a bunker to hide her in.
But that wasn't what happened.
The reason he was traveling with Si-yeon like this was simple.
[Mission]
-Four Constellations have shown intense curiosity toward Kim Si-yeon, whom you transmuted.
Achieve first place in this Platinum-rank Debut Match alongside "Kim Si-yeon."
Reward: 10,000 Achievement Points
It was because of this mission.
Immediately after meeting Si-yeon, who had joined him in the Debut Match, this mission pop-up had appeared from the Constellations.
'I was trying to avoid missions like this if possible...'
But the reward of 10,000 Achievement Points was too tempting for Si-mun.
Having already suffered a significant loss of Achievement Points from Si-yeon's transmutation,
and with the increasingly steep costs of transmutation,
he couldn't easily pass up a reward of this magnitude.
His original plan had been to transmute a bunker or similar fortress,
hide Si-yeon safely inside, and sweep through the Debut Match alone.
[This mission must be completed "alongside Kim Si-yeon."]
As if seeing right through his intentions,
the Constellations demanded that he participate in the Debut Match with Si-yeon.
Si-mun rubbed his forehead.
'Not only do they want me to bring her along, but they expect me to take first place too.'
It wasn't impossible if he really put his mind to it,
but as someone trying to conserve Achievement Points as much as possible,
these conditions were far from ideal.
'Though from a general perspective, taking first place with Si-yeon might actually make things easier.'
She was a crafted golem, heavily dependent on materials.
And Si-yeon was no ordinary crafted golem—she was made from exceptionally rare materials.
If her current form had been built according to her original massive parts,
she would have already swept through the Debut Match long ago.
Si-mun looked down at Si-yeon nestled in his arms with a complicated expression.
'Seeing how the Constellations are acting, she must have some hidden ability...'
The four high-ranking Constellations weren't fools.
They probably already knew about some capability of Si-yeon's that he hadn't noticed yet.
That must be why they issued this mission.
'Well, even if Si-yeon doesn't have any special abilities, 10,000 Achievement Points is worth the effort.'
Though the materials invested in her were precious,
he had no desire to drag such a cute child into battle.
With intelligence far surpassing even the mithril golems, wasn't it enough to have her assist in the lab, crafting potions or handling research?
'If I need a combat golem, I can always make another one.'
As Si-mun shook his head, he stroked Si-yeon's hair and spoke.
"Si-yeon, you don't have to push yourself. Just stay close to Daddy, okay?"
"Mm! Got it!"
Si-yeon nodded vigorously, her tiny fist clenched tight.
As Si-mun patted her head, his gaze drifted to the center of his chest.
'Speaking of which, when is that Philosopher's Stone going to wake up?'
Ever since transmuting Si-yeon,
whether due to transmutation backlash
or because its grade had risen from D to C,
the Philosopher's Stone had remained dormant.
Not that he was particularly worried.
'Now that I can transmute Mythic-grade equipment without its help.'
After reaching C-Grade,
Si-mun no longer needed the Philosopher's Stone's assistance to transmute Mythic-grade equipment.
'And my title has leveled up too.'
He opened the title window to check the effects of [Pioneer of Alchemy].
[Pioneer of Alchemy] - Growth-type
A title granted to an alchemist who has successfully transmuted all mythical alchemical products.
-Receives standard bonuses related to transmutation.
-Transmutation Power consumption reduced by 25%.
-Transmutation effectiveness increased by 15%.
The standard transmutation bonus remained unchanged,
but the Transmutation Power reduction had increased from 15% to 25%,
and the newly added transmutation effectiveness had jumped from 5% to 15%.
'Guess transmuting Si-yeon was a pretty big deal after all.'
The title "Pioneer of Alchemy," unlike its previous 5% incremental growth, had now increased its overall options by 10% each.
'With this, even without the Philosopher's Stone, I should be able to smoothly clear the Debut Match.'
Satisfied, Si-mun nodded to himself.
"Si-yeon, come here."
"Mm! Daddy~!"
"Hold on tight, okay?"
"Mm!"
As Si-yeon leaped into his arms, he hoisted her onto his back and kicked off the ground.
The globally renowned arena channel, TWC.
—Ah! Southeast Asian players are being wiped out in droves!
—There's nothing they can do! The European side has already rallied over half their players!
The broadcast was heating up under the energetic commentary of caster Michael and analyst Jonathan.
—The Southeast Asian players did try forming small teams of two or three, but they've already suffered too many isolated defeats.
—This is exactly why respawn locations are so crucial in Platinum Debut Matches. No matter how strong you are, if you're overwhelmed by sheer numbers, there's just no way out, right?
The two commentators couldn't hide their dismay—and for good reason.
The screen they were watching showed players from the Chaos Realm, perfectly coordinated in formation, mercilessly slaughtering those who weren't.
"Gahk!"
"Cough—!"
"R-run! Prioritize your own survival first!"
"No! It's the barrier—!"
"Dammit! Break it, quick!"
These were Southeast Asian players who had formed small teams of one, two, or three.
But against a united force of over ten European players, they stood no chance.
"The barrier's up!"
"Now they can't even run. Kill them all!"
"Don't let a single one escape!"
"Eliminate them here and now!"
Though individual skill varied, weren't these all players of similar strength participating in the same Platinum-rank Debut Match?
When evenly matched opponents clashed, numbers inevitably decided the outcome.
"Break! Just break already!"
"Damn it! What kind of barrier is this tough?!"
The barrier cast by the European players—likely by a Magic Class player—was a translucent black shield that didn't even crack under the Southeast Asian players' relentless assaults.
In the end...
"Aaaagh!"
"N-no! If we die here, we're—!"
Trapped against the wailing wall, the Southeast Asian players were picked off one by one.
Only after the last of them had fallen...
Whooom.
The impenetrable black barrier finally dissipated.
"Heheh! We've got ourselves a feast. Perfect."
A pale-skinned man with deep dark circles under his eyes smirked as he shuffled forward.
Jonathan let out a sigh upon seeing him.
—Aah! So this overwhelming barrier belonged to Faust!
—Isn't Faust one of the top contenders in Europe's Magic Class this time?
—Indeed. In fact, under the right conditions, he's practically unrivaled!
—Jonathan, I'm dying to know—what exactly are these "conditions"?
Michael's eyes sparkled as he asked.
This wasn't just to pass the commentary baton—as a Platinum Ranker himself, he was genuinely curious about another player's capabilities.
Recognizing Michael's sincerity, Jonathan chuckled.
—Haha! Come to think of it, you're a Magic Class player too, Michael. No wonder you're curious.
He played along amiably.
After all, a broadcast truly shone when the hosts' genuine interest shone through.
As Faust's sinister face filled the screen, Jonathan continued without missing a beat.
—As those in the know are aware, Faust is an exceptional black mage. On top of that, he possesses Death Energy, allowing him to wield necromancy.
—Wow! He has both Demonic Energy and Death Energy?!
Michael's eyes widened to the point of nearly tearing.
And who could blame him?
Demonic Energy and Death Energy—both were rare stats, weren't they?
Jonathan laughed again at his stunned expression before continuing.
—Exactly! This means he can conduct Black Magic's unique sacrificial rituals not just with the living, but with the dead as well.
—Wait a second, Jonathan. Are you saying...?
Had Michael realized something?
He turned to Jonathan with eyes full of disbelief.
—That are you saying is correct. Faust can offer all those fallen Southeast Asian players as sacrifices...
Jonathan stared straight into the camera, his expression deadly serious.
—And as a master of Black Magic, he can summon demons through sacrificial rituals. Right here in the Chaos Realm!
The moment those words left his mouth—
"ANSWER ME!!"
With Faust's maddened scream—
Swoooosh!
The void split open, and a chilling wave of Demonic Energy poured forth.