Chapter 262
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 262
Chapter Title: Special Energy Vein
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Would you like to move to the Special Energy Vein?
Here it comes.
Jackpot.
Special Energy Vein.
Those bastards were running all their biological experiments for that energy alone.
As long as it didn't rebel inside the body upon entering, it granted mana beyond imagination.
'Alessandro and Sophia took over this vein, right?'
Alessandro Braiden.
Sophia Stephanie Agalet.
The two of them seized the energy vein and massively boosted their mana.
Of course, that wouldn't happen this time.
'It's mine.'
Jeong Hoon accepted, and his body was sucked into the portal.
His vision went dark, then brightened again, revealing a massive stone before his eyes.
"So that's what it looks like."
He'd only heard about it before, so facing it in person felt surreal.
It was the first stone he'd seen brimming with this much energy.
'It's incomparable to anywhere I've been so far.'
The closest thing was Origin Village's hidden theme.
It resembled the Mana-Rich Field, but this stone held an overwhelmingly greater amount of energy.
And they were doing insane biological experiments, injecting energy directly to force adaptation.
This energy wasn't something to mess with lightly.
Absorbing it without a certain amount of mana built up would cause a backlash in the body, turning one into a cripple.
Jeong Hoon brought his hand close to the stone.
Immediately, a massive surge of energy rushed into his hand as if it had been waiting.
Throb
In that instant, agony wracked his entire body.
Jeong Hoon grimaced and circulated his mana to control the energy.
'If I had to pick my worst experience, it'd be Bern.'
'I agree. I really thought I was going to die back then.'
Alessandro and Sophia shuddered as they recalled the memory.
They had gained tremendous power, but the process had been far from smooth.
Just like right now.
"Cough!"
Jeong Hoon spat blood from his mouth.
His muscles twitched uncontrollably, and his organs twisted like a whirlwind.
Master! Are you okay?!
'Pull your hand away now! It's dangerous!'
Jeong Hoon shook his head.
He couldn't give up after coming this far.
Alessandro and Sophia had succeeded at this too.
Did he really think he'd crumble at this level?
'Rage all you want. I'll win in the end.'
Jeong Hoon grinned and kept circulating his mana.
The energy rebelled furiously, surging wildly and constricting him.
Even mana struggled to control it.
It had to be tough.
Even Sophia had stuck out her tongue, saying it was only possible because she and Alessandro absorbed it together.
But Jeong Hoon was alone right now.
He had to accomplish what barely succeeded with two people, all by himself.
Yet his face brimmed with composure.
'Good. I think I get how to control it.'
Jeong Hoon used his mana to confine the energy in one spot.
Whenever more energy flowed in, he cracked open the pathway to guide it, then sealed it tight to prevent escape.
The trapped energy slowly converted to mana, settling into his body.
Mana 1!
Mana 5!
Mana 3!
Messages flooded in front of Jeong Hoon.
As the energy turned to mana, his mana stat shot up rapidly.
That wasn't all.
Absorbing tremendous energy raises the grade of 'Black Field' by one level.
His spells rose a level from absorbing the tremendous energy.
Absorbing tremendous energy raises the grade of 'Brainwashing' by one level.
Absorbing tremendous energy raises the grade of 'Lightning Bolt' by one level.
Spells that had reached Legendary didn't budge, but those below climbed quickly.
Black Field, Unique grade, shot straight to Legendary.
Brainwashing went from Rare to Epic.
Lightning Bolt advanced from Epic to Unique.
'Jackpot?'
Black Field had started at Rare and grown to Unique.
But its leveling had slowed so much afterward that Legendary seemed distant he hadn't expected it to jump here so fast.
Jeong Hoon kept absorbing the energy.
-Mana: 1,211(121) - 1,332
Once he'd absorbed every last bit, Jeong Hoon's mana soared past 1,000 to an astonishing 1,332.
"Jackpot."
Jeong Hoon pulled his hand away from the stone with a satisfied smile.
Having lost all its energy, the stone dulled, no different from ordinary rock.
So this jackpot boosted mana.
'My mana feels incomparably fuller than before. It won't pale compared to our race's either.'
Of course.
Once stats passed 1,000, raising them got incredibly tough.
Especially from here on even a level up wouldn't auto-boost stats anymore.
'You need three levels for a single stat point.'
And that was assuming full bonus stat investment effectively six times harder.
That's why they called 1,000 the endurance phase.
High-level enough that leveling was brutal, yet even then, stats barely rose.
But surpassing 1,300, not just 1,000?
Unheard of.
No wonder "jackpot" slipped out.
"Alright. First plan in Bern: success."
Time for the next plan.
When Jeong Hoon emerged, the situation was already wrapped up.
"Master! As you instructed, I let everyone escape."
The captives had all fled, leaving only the alchemist's corpse behind.
"Shame. Should've made it more painful."
Siegfried smacked his lips regretfully.
That psycho streak never dies.
Mukho muttered.
Jeong Hoon swallowed a laugh.
"Was he always like that?"
Memories aren't crystal clear, but... worse.
"Yeah?"
Anyway, don't mess with his temper. Bad for your mental health.
"Wouldn't dream of it."
Jeong Hoon nodded at Siegfried, who tilted his head.
"Master, who're you talking to?"
"My clothes."
"Your clothes?"
"Yeah."
"Fascinating. Talking clothes. Mind if I rip 'em?"
"Go ahead."
"Haha, kidding."
Siegfried laughed heartily.
Jeong Hoon grinned back.
Mukho couldn't laugh.
What the hell's this psycho saying?
'Wants to rip you.'
He's lost it. Can't we just kill him?
'He's pretty useful.'
Argh! Just kill him already?!
Jeong Hoon ignored Mukho's whining.
"Master, what about this place?"
Michael pointed to the now-empty lab.
"Leave it."
With the jackpot gone, no reason to stick around.
Jeong Hoon sent Michael back and left the building.
Outside, a few hadn't fled they were waiting for him.
"The benefactor's here!"
"Woooah!"
They cheered loudly at the sight of him.
'What the?'
Jeong Hoon tilted his head.
One of them had a red question mark blinking over his head.
Red meant hidden quest.
Hidden Quest: The Missing Third Prince
-Restriction: Rescue Third Prince Karban
-Reward: ?
-Description: You rescued the missing Third Prince. Escort him safely to the Imperial Capital.
The third prince was among those he'd saved.
'A third prince... Never knew about this quest.'
He was in critical condition, receiving Jeong Hoon's top-tier healing a boy just over ten.
A bit later, and he'd have died.
No info pre-regression because he perished.
'Perfect, since the Empire's next anyway.'
Jeong Hoon's goal piercing Darvis was monopolizing jackpots.
Devour them to grow faster.
Complete the episode, then move on.
Same route anyway, no plan disruption he accepted the quest easily.
'Lucky, might even complete a hidden episode.'
Hidden episode.
Darvis was a collectible episode, so it had one.
But if no one completed it, it was probably impossible.
Likely because the NPC died, blocking the quest.
Jeong Hoon was sure this tied to the episode.
"I'm heading to the Imperial Capital now. Anyone want to join?"
He asked them.
Most were frontier folk.
Then a boy raised his hand boldly.
Third Prince Karban.
"Can I join?"
"Sure."
The quest began.
The road to the Imperial Capital was far from smooth.
You cannot proceed without clearing the dungeon in this area.
Quest required clearing designated dungeons to advance.
Each was over level 350, swarming with abnormally high monster numbers subjugation took ages.
"Whoa...."
Karban, traveling with Jeong Hoon, marveled endlessly at his skill.
Each monster oozed intimidation.
Overwhelming even from afar.
How could he not gape, watching him slice them effortlessly?
"Let's go."
After slaying the boss, Jeong Hoon exited the dungeon with Karban.
He'd have preferred solo runs, but quest progress needed Karban for clear credit.
Dozens of dungeons later, they reached the Imperial Capital.
The gates were heavily guarded.
"Halt."
Guards approached as they neared.
"I'll handle this."
Karban, who'd just been spectating, stepped forward.
"Huh? Prince Karban?!"
"The Prince is back!"
The guards recognized him, panicking and checking him over.
"I'm fine. Open the gate."
He commanded with dignity beyond his years.
"Yes, sir."
"Come in!"
They flung the gates wide.
But suspicion lingered on Jeong Hoon.
"He's my benefactor. Show respect!"
Karban barked, and they finally bowed.
"My apologies...."
Thus entering the capital, Jeong Hoon headed to the palace with Karban.
To report his safe return.
'History's changed from pre-regression.'
A third prince who shouldn't exist, returning.
How would the episode unfold?
Jeong Hoon recalled the pre-regression episode as he walked.