Second Awakening (2)

The training with Valderion had come to an end.

Though it didn’t show up directly in his status window, the insight into swordsmanship carved into Kim Jun’s body was something priceless—something he couldn’t have traded for anything else.

“Valderion.”

“Kim Jun.”

The two of them lowered their heads to each other.

“Thank you for your hard work.”

“Congratulations on your second awakening.”

When Kim Jun looked at Valderion, his status window appeared.

The affection score had gone beyond its maximum.

Is that because of the “Authority of the Fallen Royal Line”?

It was the effect of the skill he’d gained from defeating the Minotaur King on the 10th floor—a skill that granted NPCs a +30 affection bonus.

But Kim Jun knew something else too. Even without that skill, Valderion’s affection would already have been at 100.

That much had been clear from their sword training just now, when they had fully acknowledged one another.

Ring-!

“Huh?”

“What is this?”

“Uh… well…”

There was no question that Deus Ex Machina was a skill that could only form contracts with special “transcendents.”

So why was Valderion being recognized as one?

Ah, could it be because of that title?

He checked Valderion’s title again.

Sword Saint.

In other words, he had reached a transcendent realm in the field of swordsmanship.

So even if it isn’t a divine being like a demon or an angel, anyone who reaches a transcendent level in some field can be contracted with?

Kim Jun’s eyes flashed.

This was a completely new discovery.

Until now, he had assumed he could only contract with “transcendent beings” like Asmodeus.

Then what kind of ability would I gain if I contracted with Valderion?

Curiosity stirred within him.

“Valderion.”

“What is it?”

“Could I… ask you to contract with me?”

Kim Jun asked cautiously.

Valderion tilted his head.

“A contract? What sort of contract do you mean?”

“Well… I have a special ability, and I thought if I formed a contract with you, it might help both of us.”

Kim Jun explained Deus Ex Machina in detail.

“If it helps you, I have no reason to refuse. But listen.”

Valderion’s expression grew serious.

“A contract should be something both sides give and receive. I have a request of my own.”

“Please, tell me.”

“Clear the tower.”

There was a desperate ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠note in Valderion’s voice, and Kim ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Jun let out a bitter smile to himself as he listened.

So he’s putting forward as a condition the very thing I have to do anyway.

In other words, this was a one-sided kindness under the name of a contract.

Valderion was offering him his power, using as a condition the task Kim Jun would have had to complete regardless.

“I will definitely do it.”

“And I shall walk beside you as well.”

*

On the outskirts of Thebes, deep in the forest.

Kim Jun headed for a secluded grove far from the city proper.

Dense trees blocked out the sky, and only silence surrounded him. It was the perfect place for a second awakening.

“This should do.”

Standing in the middle of a small clearing, Kim Jun drew in a deep breath.

He took the second awakening core from his inventory. The mysterious orb, glowing with violet light, trembled in his palm like a beating heart.

Then he picked it up.

Ring-!

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

“Dragon Blood Diablo?”

Kim Jun repeated the class name under his breath. It was certainly a long name, but it carried an unmistakable sense of something special.

Before regression, it was Dragon Lord.

Back then, he hadn’t had darkness属性, so it had been a straightforward warrior-fire type class.

But now things were different. This was a second awakening with the power of a demon layered on top, so the result had come out completely different.

“Let’s begin.”

Kim Jun selected [Yes].

Instantly, the core burst into brilliant light and seeped into his body.

Wooooong—

“!”

Kim Jun was startled.

When he had gained the darkness attribute through his contract with Asmodeus and fused it, he had certainly thought the two attributes had become one.

But looking at it now, he realized that had been an illusion.

Back then, the two powers had merely existed side by side.

Now it was different.

At the level of his class, the dragon’s flame and the demon’s darkness were beginning to fuse perfectly.

KWA-AA-AK-!

Explosive energy erupted from Kim Jun’s body.

Black darkness seeped into red flame, and red flame danced inside black darkness.

Kim Jun hurriedly checked the newly acquired skills.

The first was Infernal Dragon Breath.

An A-rank attack skill that unleashed a breath born from the fusion of dragon flame and demon darkness.

Anyone struck by it would be afflicted with hellfire burns, and all recovery would be sealed.

The second was Diabolic Override.

An A-rank buff skill that turned all skills demonic for 30 seconds, massively boosting their power—a trump card of a skill.

And then there were the two most noteworthy skills.

“Wow… no way.”

Kim Jun stared at the skills in a daze.

Dragon Domination was familiar. It was an ability he’d had before regression, back when he was Dragon Lord.

But the real shock was Diablo.

“I can turn demons into subordinates?”

Kim Jun’s heart began to pound faster.

Controlling dragons was an enormous advantage too.

There were many upper floors of the tower where aerial combat was essential, and dragons were one of the strongest races in the tower, right after angels and demons.

But there was a problem.

Dragons only began appearing in earnest from the 80th floor onward, starting with Dragon’s Plain.

At his current progress, with the 15th floor already cleared, that was still a long way off.

The farther up I go, the longer each floor will take to clear.

From the middle of the tower onward, there were plenty of floors that took a truly ridiculous amount of time. Even before regression, some floors had taken a full year.

But demons were different.

“I can use this right away, can’t I?”

Kim Jun’s eyes gleamed.

Because demons were already scattered throughout Hell, the tower’s newly opened underground floors.

Meaning he could head underground immediately and make powerful demons into his subordinates.

And above all else—

“Could I even get Baal or Lucifer?”

Kim Jun swallowed.

Baal, the boss of the 80th underground floor, and Lucifer, the final boss of the 100th underground floor.

What if he could turn even them into subordinates?

“It might actually be possible.”

Kim Jun began sorting through all the cards he held in his mind.

The properties of his equipment, his existing skills, and the new abilities he’d gained.

With Infinite Mana, he had no need to worry about mana. With Diablo, he could command the legions of Hell. And if he combined that with the title Ruler of the Perfect Square…

“The 100th floor isn’t a dream.”

Kim Jun’s eyes were full of certainty.

If he still couldn’t clear the tower with conditions like these, then that nameless being that had sent him back to this world would truly have cause for regret.

It’ll think choosing me was a mistake.

Kim Jun clenched his fist.

That couldn’t happen. In this life, he had to succeed.

For the sake of never again tasting the despair he had felt at the moment he lost everything and died.

As Kim Jun left the forest, he organized his plans for what came next.

He had cleared up to the 15th floor. The next was the 16th.

The 16th floor…

His expression stiffened slightly.

The 16th floor was a special tower-defense-type floor. He couldn’t enter it alone; he absolutely needed a party of ten.

Looks like it’s time to gather my comrades.

Kim Jun already had four people he could go with.

Park Minsu, Lee Seoyeon, Han Suin, and Ryu Jia. With himself included, that made five.

He still needed five more.

“Still… if I’m going to recruit more comrades anyway.”

A smile spread across Kim Jun’s lips.

Rummaging through his memories from before regression, a few more people came to mind besides his current companions—people with “potential.”

Those who hadn’t followed the standard five classes, but had carved out special jobs for themselves. People with hidden talent.

There were a few worth cultivating.

Maybe, in this life, he could build a team even stronger than the one from before regression.

To face that being on the 100th floor, he would need as many strong allies as he could gather.

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