The Association's Rank Measurement Has Never Been Deceived
"The Association's rank measurement has never been deceived."
"Ho..."
As soon as I said that, the Association President raised his energy.
Battle Aura — the power possessed by only one man in the world.
A strength of his own making, forged by the President's own two fists.
A technique and a stat he had created to compensate for his congenitally weak mana.
Later on, the President will make its usage public knowledge.
Before the full-scale war against the demons began, President Bang Hak-shik had revealed the workings of his ability, Battle Aura, to every awakener across the globe.
A hero, just like Han Min-joon.
And yet, in the end, he had failed to escape death, consumed by rage.
He was the one who met the most tragic demise of anyone before my regression.
He was also one of the people I had resolved to save this time around.
"It would be best to answer honestly."
Of course, that was something I could only say after getting out of this situation.
I had never once deceived the Association's tests.
It was the supervising examiner's fault for failing to run the mana and stat examinations.
"Let me say it again — I have never deceived anyone."
"Feeling my Battle Aura and still speaking this freely... and you claim you've never deceived anyone."
From this point on, my future would be decided by how I chose my words.
Someone at the President's level could invalidate my Awakener Certificate outright.
As it happens, there's something perfect for this.
Thinking that, I concealed my mana and drew up my Taoist energy just a little.
"Like you, Mr. President, I use a power other than mana."
The perfect excuse here was to claim I was the same case as the Association President.
Of course, what I intended to reveal was not mana, but Taoist energy.
"The same case as me?"
"Yes. When I first awakened, I wasn't this strong."
Now, attaching a story to it would complete a rather convincing alibi.
"While wandering the mountain behind my house, I discovered an elixir and consumed it."
An elixir.
The perfect material for explaining an anomaly.
"After taking that elixir, I was able to gain this power."
I carefully raised my Taoist energy.
I made it visible so the President could see it as well.
"That's...!"
Cases like the President's were vanishingly rare in this world.
And if he believed I was the same case as himself, then even this explosive growth would make sense to him.
Make it seamless.
I had to package it as if I'd possessed this power for a long time.
Since my stats were still at 1, I had to move with delicate precision.
I used a simple Taoist art.
"Haha. So you've gained a fortuitous opportunity."
With those words, the President asked no further questions about my abilities.
Looks like I slipped past him.
A man like the President wouldn't go around talking about my power to others.
"Then, now that the suspicion is resolved, let me explain the Special Detachment to you."
Saying that, the President handed me a set of documents.
Just from the cover, the paperwork practically screamed classified.
"Take a look at the materials."
Urged on by the President, I flipped through the documents.
Inside were the location of the demons' stronghold, their numbers, and information on Ramen and Envy.
Goyang City, huh...
Beyond that, the documents detailed the specifics of the operation.
The execution date was one week from now.
Awakeners from the Association and Awakeners from Geumgang would launch a surprise assault on the demons' stronghold.
"As you can see from the documents, the operation begins at 9 PM, one week from today."
"Yes..."
As I read through the material, something didn't add up.
Nowhere in the operation briefing was there a single mention of the Special Detachment.
"And now, let me explain the Special Detachment you will be joining."
As if to answer my unspoken question, the President spoke up.
He was deliberately explaining the plan verbally rather than letting me read it.
Is there a spy inside?
Normally, issuing orders by word of mouth instead of documentation only happened when there was a traitor or a spy within the organization.
"The Special Detachment will infiltrate the interior covertly, thirty minutes after the main force launches its assault."
"What's our objective?"
Honestly, judging by its personnel alone, the Special Detachment could fight an entire war.
Even setting me aside, there was S-rank Han Min-joon and Team Leader Woo Sang-shik, an A-rank known to be closer to S-rank than anyone in the country.
We could probably erase a small nation off the map, no?
Every member of the Special Detachment was a powerhouse on that level.
And yet, even with this much manpower, we couldn't kill Envy.
The President has to know that too...
It wasn't widely known, but a few years ago, the President had come into contact with Sloth, one of the Seven Great Demons.
And despite Sloth not even taking him seriously, he had been driven to the brink of death.
If it hadn't been Sloth, he'd be dead.
It was precisely because it was Sloth that she hadn't killed him.
A man who had witnessed that Sloth firsthand would never hand such an impossible mission to the Special Detachment.
"The Special Detachment's objective is to tie her down."
"Tie her down?"
"That's right. While the main force handles the other demons, you will pin the queen — Envy — in place."
Binding Envy's feet.
On paper, it sounded plausible enough.
Of course, that was only possible if Envy never got serious.
If Envy goes all out, no one can withstand her.
Not even Han Min-joon could manage it.
But letting this opportunity slip away was too great a loss.
We have to deal with Envy before she grows any stronger.
The Envy of today was the weakest of the Seven Great Demons, but in time she would climb all the way to the fourth seat among them.
So it's a poisoned chalice, is it...
I had no choice.
It had always been that way.
I was forced into decisions, and no alternatives ever existed.
And the first real choice I've ever been shown turns out to be a poisoned chalice...
If I refused the operation right here, nothing would actually happen to me.
I could simply join the main force instead of the Special Detachment.
Nothing I can do about it, then...
And if it came to it, I still had Limit Break.
After deliberating for a long while, I finally spoke.
"I approve of the operation."
"I'm grateful."
The President extended his hand with a resolute expression, and I took it.
Starting today, I'm diving into gates.
I had planned to rest for a bit, but with the operation executing in a week, there would be no time for rest.
Every spare moment had to be spent devouring the elixirs scattered through the gates and growing stronger.
Best get moving.
I hurried out of the President's office and headed for the gates.
"So why exactly are we here?"
Five whole days had passed since my meeting with the Association President.
I had devoured a great many elixirs in the meantime, and at level 109, I had managed to push my mana and base stats up to 179.
After clearing out all the gates I could and returning home, there was the secretary, sitting in my living room like she owned the place.
"First, we're heading to the Geumgang headquarters."
With those words, the secretary hauled me out of my own house and dragged me to the Geumgang Guild's main building.
The expressions on my parents' faces as I left the house nagged at me, but I couldn't for the life of me figure out what had been said.
What on earth did they talk about with my parents...?
What kind of conversation could it have been, that my parents saw us off wearing such oddly cheerful expressions?
A chill ran down my spine for a moment, but I said nothing.
"?"
And the secretary's expression seemed to be asking why I was looking at her like that.
It's because of you. Because of you.
I wanted to shout it at the top of my lungs, but instinct held me back.
So the secretary led me to the training hall inside the Geumgang headquarters.
And at last, she opened her mouth.
"I've obtained the elixirs you requested last time."
With that, she began pulling elixirs out of her inventory and setting them down.
One glance told me they were a mixture of several different attributes.
"Ten Rare-grade elixirs and one Unique-grade elixir."
Eleven elixirs in total.
The elixirs I usually consumed were mostly Common-grade.
Rare-grade and Unique-grade elixirs were hard to come by even for the wealthy.
Well, look at her — she actually managed to get elixirs of this caliber.
A Rare-grade elixir alone could easily clear a billion won.
Not that I had a choice — since elixirs were the only way I could raise my stats, I had to consume them regardless.
"These elixirs are all payment for joining the Special Detachment."
I examined the elixirs slowly.
Five Earth-attribute elixirs, three Water-attribute, two Fire-attribute, and one Blood-attribute Unique elixir.
"Consume them here, and then you're free to go."
Saying that, the secretary left the training hall.
In novels and the like, consuming an elixir supposedly required some grand breathing-and-circulation ritual afterward, but in reality, nothing of the sort was needed.
Perhaps thanks to the power of the System, most elixirs took effect the moment they were consumed.
"Well then, let's dig in."
I began with the Rare-grade elixirs.
Mana increases by 2.
Mana increases by 1.
Mana increases by 0.5.
.
.
.
Once I'd consumed every last Rare-grade elixir, my mana reached 190.
All that remained now was the Unique-grade elixir.
If this pushes me up by 10, that'd be perfect...
At 200 mana, I could gain a new special ability.
I drank down the blood of the Unique-grade elixir.
Gulp!
The blood sliding down my throat carried a distinctly unpleasant feel to it, but I suppressed the revulsion and swallowed.
"Kehak!"
And then blood burst from my mouth.
A side effect of the Blood-attribute elixir.
Elixirs bearing special attributes, unlike ordinary ones, did not take effect immediately.
Similar to the Blood Stone.
I could feel the flow of blood through my body.
The difference from last time was that the Blood Stone had carried a vampire's lingering resentments, while this blood elixir held no such residue.
Let it seep in evenly.
I moved my mana to aid the elixir's absorption.
And just like that, as if by magic, the absorption began to flow smoothly.
You have consumed the blood of ???.
Mana increases by 9.
Blood Qi increases by 9.
Mana rose by 9, bringing my total stats to 199.
Blood Qi also climbed by 9, reaching 10.
Shame I didn't quite hit 200.
Just as I was lamenting that, a new message appeared.
Blood Qi has reached 10.
You can now use Blood Manipulation.
"Oh."
This was an unexpected windfall.
My Blood Qi stat reaching 10 had granted me a new ability.
Elixir Addict is gathering the faint residual energy of elixirs remaining within your body.
"Oh?"
Hardly had the message about Blood Qi vanished before a new one appeared.
Could it be... 200?
With a flutter of anticipation, I waited for the next message.
And a moment later, it came.
Along with the message, agony seized my heart.
The thing I had forgotten.
Every single awakening came accompanied by excruciating pain.