Chapter 39
Chapter 39
Chapter 39: Foundation (1)
Translation: godtl
Si-mun immediately opened his status window.
[Status Window]
Titles: Pioneer of Alchemy (and 3 others)
Class: Magic Class
Level: 30
Affiliation: South Korea
Strength: 6 (+3)
Agility: 6 (+3)
Stamina: 7 (+3)
Transmutation Power: 33 (+3)
-Demonic Energy: 18
Remaining Stat Points: 8
Traits - Philosopher's Stone (E), Stigmata
Achievement Points - 9,500
Thanks to his overwhelming arena clears, he had already reached level 30. But Si-mun's gaze was fixed on one thing alone.
"It really is a Stigmata......"
There it was, boldly listed under his traits—the very same Stigmata he had seen in his younger brother Si-hyeok's status window.
And he wasn't the only one shocked.
-What? A Stigmata? You mean an actual Stigmata?
The voice reverberated from the center of his chest.
The Philosopher's Stone sounded so agitated that not only its voice but its very core, nestled against his heart, trembled faintly.
-Show me! Let me see! Ha...... It's real, isn't it?
Its tone then shifted to one of utter disbelief.
-Those damn bastards. What the hell are they thinking?
The Philosopher's Stone seemed thoroughly bewildered.
Si-mun furrowed his brows.
"Philosopher's Stone, you seem to know something about this?"
-No, I don't know the inner workings of the Galaxy Arena either. But to just hand out a Stigmata like this... It makes me think they've got some ulterior motive.
"Hmm. I have to admit, that part puzzles me too."
Si-mun rested his chin on his hand, glancing at the worktable where a Spirit Elixir was still maturing.
"As far as I know, a Stigmata is supposed to be a unique-tier trait."
-That's right. I can't give you details because of restrictions, but by design, there should only be one in this world.
"Exactly."
So what could be the reason for distributing two of such unique traits?
'Come to think of it, there's been a lot of talk about councils and meetings lately.'
The Galaxy Arena had repeatedly informed him that discussions concerning him were being held.
'Personally, I expected some kind of restriction on my abilities......'
It sounded arrogant even to his own ears, but—
Creating Mythic-grade equipment.
Performing most transmutations with just his fingers.
Even Si-mun himself had to admit his abilities were downright broken.
Of course, if you considered completion rates, Achievement Points, and other factors, there were limitations.
But in terms of sheer potential?
He believed it rivaled any trait out there.
And yet—
'Instead of restrictions, they gave me another trait? And a unique-tier one at that?'
The Galaxy Arena, known for its strict internal regulations, had broken its own rule—that a unique-tier trait should exist only once—and granted him a Stigmata?
Well, he could somewhat understand that.
His performance in the arenas so far had been undeniably irregular.
But.
"Philosopher's Stone, can you answer just one thing for me?"
There was one point he couldn't just let slide.
-What is it? I'll have to hear it first.
"This Stigmata trait—it's related to the qualifications of a Constellation, right?"
Si-mun remembered clearly.
Before the regression.
On the day the Galaxy Arena's protection was revoked.
[Confirmation of death for holder of Constellation qualifications.]
[There is no longer any reason to continue the Arena on Earth No. 274.]
[The Arena on Earth No. 274 will now be permanently terminated.]
The system had sent those exact messages.
Given what Mal-suk had said, it was probably broadcast to all remaining players on Earth.
-Yeah, that's... Argh! Those motherf—! They give it to you and then gag me from explaining?!
The Philosopher's Stone suddenly erupted in fury.
-Sorry, Oppa. I can't answer that. But I can tell you this much—having a Stigmata makes it impossible to become another Constellation's sponsored candidate.
At that, Si-mun allowed himself a small smile.
"That's enough."
That answer alone told him what he needed to know.
Still.
'Considering what happened before the regression—including that crimson-eyed bastard's interference—the Stigmata must have been what Jong-ri Chu wanted so desperately.'
A trait that grants the qualifications to become a Constellation.
Looking back at how fiercely Jong-ri Chu had tried to kill Si-hyeok—
It was highly likely that only one person could ascend as a Constellation.
Just as the Philosopher's Stone had said earlier.
'If I recall the words "There should only be one of these in this world," then it's certain.'
Yet the fact that the Galaxy Arena, after careful deliberation, granted him the Stigmata meant—
'Does the Arena want me to compete with Si-hyeok?'
Soon, Si-mun shook his head with a hollow laugh.
'That can't be. If they didn't want me to become a Constellation, it would be meaningless.'
The opposite was also true.
If he were to tell Si-hyeok,"Hey, I'm gonna become a Constellation. Step aside,"
The kid would immediately reply,"Sure! You do it. Need any help?"
Either way—
'Only one Constellation can emerge.'
But then why?
Why go so far as to break their own strict regulations to grant him the Stigmata?
'Unless... they want me to go to another world and become its Constellation or something?'
Nah, no way.
A bitter laugh escaped him.
Even when the official Arena begins,
Traveling to other dimensions for reasons unrelated to the Arena is nearly impossible.
"This is so absurd I'm coming up with all sorts of crazy ideas."
-You said it. What the hell are these lunatics thinking? This would require approval from the very top of their hierarchy...
The Philosopher's Stone trailed off, as if unable to believe it.
Si-mun also shook his head and asked,
"Philosopher's Stone, are there any drawbacks to obtaining the Stigmata?"
-There is. As I mentioned earlier, you can no longer become a sponsored candidate of a Constellation.
"Well, that's..."
From an ordinary player's perspective, it would be a clear disadvantage.
'But not for me.'
Not when he could already transmute Mythic-grade equipment,
And now, having even obtained the title [Pick of Kings], being bound to a Constellation would only be an absolute loss.
"Got it. I'll think about this later."
Si-mun scratched the back of his head and sighed.
'With the Galaxy Arena blatantly silencing me, overthinking this will only hurt me.'
He'd figure it out when the time came.
Having lived over thirty years, Si-mun knew this principle of life well.
"Let's sort out the rewards."
As he'd always done,
He invested all 8 remaining stat points from his Status Window into Transmutation Power.
'That brings pure Transmutation Power to 41.'
With the +3 bonus from the [Pick of Kings] title, his total Transmutation Power reached 44.
Demonic Energy, being half his Transmutation Power, was now 22.
Calculating just Transmutation Power alone, it was equivalent to a level 44 stat.
Combined with Demonic Energy, it matched a level 66 stat.
And this was without investing a single point into any other stats, focusing solely on these two.
"Damn, this is insane..."
No wonder the Hidden Boss got one-shot.
Of course, Astrapē and the Heavenly Demon Divine Arts played a significant role,
But even they required a strong stat foundation to unleash such power.
"At this point, I can go toe-to-toe with mid-tier Platinum players."
Even excluding the cheats from the Philosopher's Stone,
His all-in offensive stats were nothing short of monstrous.
And with his lacking Strength, Stamina, and Vitality compensated by Human Body Transmutation,
He was confident he wouldn't be outmatched even against Platinum players.
"Stats are sorted for now."
Closing his Status Window, Si-mun immediately opened his inventory.
"This is the Hidden Boss reward?"
[Corrupted Seed Fragment]
Grade: F
A fragment of a seed tainted by something.
For an item dropped by a Hidden Boss, this small, black seed fragment was...
Pathetically underwhelming.
Which was exactly why—
'Suspicious.'
Just then,
-Well, well. Look what we have here? Got something interesting, huh?
The Philosopher's Stone's cheerful voice chimed in.
-Hey, this was deliberately messed up by someone.
"Messed up? You mean it's broken?"
-Yep. Doesn't seem like an ordinary seed... I can tell what force was used to wreck it, though.
"What was it?"
-Dragon Power. And not just any—an insane level of Dragon Power was used to smash, refine, and... well, just utterly destroy it.
Dragon Power.
Like the commonly used Mana, it was a type of energy.
Only—
'The problem is, it's an energy only Dragonkin can wield.'
The dragonkin—they were like that in the last Special Arena too.
For some reason, the Constellations also despised that race.
Therefore.
'It stinks. A suspicious stench, thick and heavy.'
And his gut feelings were rarely wrong.
Without hesitation, Si-mun pressed the fragment against his chest.
"Philosopher's Stone, can you appraise this?"
-Hold on.
A stream of Transmutation Power flowed down his arm and gathered into the seed.
Soon.
-Yep, it's possible. Looks like it was wrecked by all kinds of methods. Luckily, one of them was alchemy.
A welcome reply reached him.
"I'll leave it to you."
-Leave it to me~!
With that energetic response, the Transmutation Power surged out in a flash.
Like peeling rust off metal, the blackened surface of the seed fragment gradually darkened into a deep brown.
Then.
A modified information window floated above the seed fragment.
[Broken World Tree Seed Fragment]
Grade: X
Description
-When used during Arena matching, grants entry to Nature's Fall.
-Maximum participants: 1.
-Only Gold-rank players may enter.
"This—!"
Si-mun's eyes widened as he checked the information window.
It wasn't just because he had obtained an entry item for the notoriously rare Special Arena—not once, but twice now.
"The World Tree?!"
In his past life, the heteromorphic race known as elves had appeared.
Behind their beautiful exteriors lay cruelty that rivaled the fanatics of history.
And wasn't the root of that fanaticism the World Tree itself?
No matter what they did, they always invoked the World Tree.
At the time, the nickname "World Tree Zealots" had been more tragic than comedic.
And now, a seed of that very World Tree—
'An entry item?'
The suspicious stench had only grown stronger after the appraisal.
"Philosopher's Stone, you said this seed fragment was destroyed using Dragon Power, right?"
-Yep.
The Philosopher's Stone's reply was brief.
Si-mun's eyes gleamed faintly.
"I can't discuss the details because of the Galaxy Arena."
-Mm, as expected of you. You've always had sharp instincts.
Sharp instincts?
Where in the world did it even pick up that kind of phrasing?
Si-mun sighed shortly and swept his bangs back.
"Sigh. I'll think about it later. We'll only know for sure once we enter anyway."
Right now, there was only one detail worth noting.
The entry restriction—Gold-rank.
'I'll need to hurry and rank up to Gold.'
Having settled his thoughts, Si-mun stored the [Broken World Tree Seed Fragment] in his inventory and stood up.
There was something he had to do before jumping into the Arena.
"Are you really going to do this? I never thought the Night Hunter would look down on us like this."
"You're the ones looking down on me. How many times do I have to say it?"
A rough voice, paired with a somewhat menacing face.
Yeah.
The textbook definition of a gangster—both in looks and build.
Park Jin-uk spoke with undisguised irritation.
"I don't owe you an explanation, so piss off."
"Just one thing—for old times' sake. Is it true that Ranker Kim Si-hyeok... Ghk!"
"You fucking bastard."
Jin-uk's face twisted in an instant.
But the man in front of him wasn't startled just by his expression.
"Just because I've been inactive for a while, you think my words are shit now? Get lost, you little fuck!"
Whoooosh—!
It was because of the pitch-black energy surging out alongside his fury.
"H-He was serious... He really did recover from Mana Sclerosis!"
The Blessing of the Night—an SS-rank trait.
Feeling its uniquely chilling aura, the man hastily fled the office.
In the past, Jin-uk would've smashed his fist into that bastard's skull.
"Sigh... What a pain in the ass."
But knowing the man was backed by the Scorpion Guild, Jin-uk could only exhale and suppress his anger.
"'Old times' sake' with the Scorpion Guild? Senior, you must've had some wild days back then, huh?"
At the same time.
"Old times' sake, my ass! They just want intel on my Mana Sclerosis recovery, so they're spewing all kinds of bullshit."
As he watched his annoyingly handsome junior sprawled across the office sofa like it was his own bed.
"Damn, I really should've just punched that bastard square in the back of the head when I had the chance."
That's what Park Jin-uk found himself thinking.
"And it's not like the Scorpion Guild was always like that from the start."
"Oh?"
"What's with that suspicious look? I don't lie. Before the previous guild leader kicked the bucket, they were a decent enough guild."
At those words, Kim Si-hyeok slowly nodded.
As Park Jin-uk said—
He wasn't the type to lie.
'Which is exactly why I stick close to him.'
Kim Si-hyeok smirked as he watched Park Jin-uk pour soju into a glass.
"Senior. Drinking in broad daylight? It's business hours."
"How many times do I have to say I'm quitting this business? And now that my abilities are fully restored, you think I'd get drunk off this?"
Well.
He was a Diamond-ranked player, after all.
Unless it was liquor made from Arena byproducts, it'd be hard to get properly drunk.
Just like the chilling aura he'd used to intimidate that Scorpion Guild executive earlier.
"Senior, you really have recovered."
Kim Si-hyeok looked at Park Jin-uk with renewed interest.
"You little— Weren't you the first to know? Why the sudden surprise?"
"Honestly, I didn't think Mana Sclerosis could be perfectly cured. You know, there are usually aftereffects."
"So what, you doubted your godlike hyung-nim's abilities, is that it?"
"Ah! That's not what I meant!"
Kim Si-hyeok's voice immediately rose in protest.
His unfamiliar reaction made Park Jin-uk's eyes widen briefly.
"If not that, then what? Why didn't you think it was possible?"
Park Jin-uk's eyes curved mischievously.
"You little punk, you keep calling him 'hyung-nim' but secretly looked down on him, didn't you?"
"Senior."
"Admit it! I mean, you're an unprecedented rising star who reached Ranker status. Even if he's your hyung, if he's just Bronze-Silver-Gold tier, it's understandable."
"Senior? Keep this up and you'll really die."
Chills.
A shiver ran up his spine.
At his junior's instantly frosty demeanor, Park Jin-uk awkwardly scratched his cheek.
"Can't even take a joke?"
"If it's a matter of life and death, you can make one. Your life, senior."
"You little shit, so uptight."
Park Jin-uk took a step back.
But he didn't seem cowed.
'This brat, our VVIP really is his weak spot.'
Who would've thought Kim Si-hyeok—the man who embodied words like "perfection" and "machine"—could show such varied reactions.
Heh heh!
'I should mess with him more often from now on.'
Though he'd have to draw the line carefully based on his junior's reactions.
Used right, this could be the only weapon to land a hit on that insufferable monster.
"Why are you smiling so creepily?"
"What, I can't even smile freely in my own office?"
"Because it's creepy, that's why. By the way, seriously?"
"Damn brat. Seriously what?"
"That you were completely cured with just one bottle of hyung's medicine."
"Hey, you still don't get it even after seeing this?"
Park Jin-uk spread his arms demonstratively.
Whoooosh.
Despite the bright sunlight streaming through the window—
Only his surroundings remained dark as night.
Night Hunter Park Jin-uk.
He had fully returned to his prime as a Diamond-ranked Assassin-class expert.
"It's true. As expected... that's our hyung."
Kim Si-hyeok beamed at the sight.
His smile brimmed with pride and satisfaction.
"Your hyung-nim made it, not you. Why the vicarious satisfaction?"
"It's not vicarious. Of course I'd be happy if a family member accomplished something amazing."
"Oh please? Since when do you get moved by others'—"
"Senior."
At Kim Si-hyeok's expression turning frighteningly cold in an instant—
Park Jin-uk had no choice but to swallow the rest of his words.
'Damn brat. He really should've stayed a filthy low-ranker.'
What could he do?
For players, power was practically everything.
Then—
Whoosh!
The murderous look on Kim Si-hyeok's face vanished in an instant.
A few seconds later.
"Huh?"
Park Jin-uk's expression brightened too as he turned toward the same direction.
The office entrance.
Whoooosh.
A wisp of dark energy rose from the entrance before transforming into Park Jin-uk.
He'd teleported using his SS-rank trait, Blessing of the Night.
With utmost politeness, he opened the office door and bowed deeply.
"Welcome. I've been expecting you."
"Oh? You knew I was coming?"
"For our VVIP, I'd tear apart the nation itself to find out. Come, come! Please come in."
"Eh? Since when did I get an extra V?"
Now greeting Kim Si-mun—their newly upgraded VVIP client.