Kanna Blitz (1)
512,000 AP. The reward AP hadn't increased this time either; it stayed the same. Given how much AP it now took to raise even a single stat, it didn't feel like a massive sum anymore.
In that sense, there was some welcome news.
The Agility he'd absorbed via Predation had grown to B rank. And there were still over 60,000 points left over.
Yun-seok first checked the weapon he'd acquired from Namgoong Cheol.
◈ Mana fixed at F- rank, but all stats +1.
◈ Inflicted wounds cannot be healed for 60 seconds.
It was worth a whopping 150,000 AP. But for Yun-seok, it was a weapon he absolutely couldn't use. His mana dropping to F- rank? No way.
What the hell was Namgoong Cheol thinking using this? Or more fundamentally, how had he accomplished anything with mana at just F-?
The answer lay in his unique skill.
Dragon Soaring Qi (Rank C)
◈ Rank C: Dragon Soaring Qi accumulation speed +300%.
◈ Rank D: Dragon Soaring Qi consumption -50%.
◈ Rank E: Dragon Soaring Qi can be projected outside the body with physical force.
◈ Rank F: Continuously accumulates Dragon Soaring Qi. Agility + up to 2 based on accumulation.
It was similar to Blood Demon Divine Art, but different. A downgraded version, maybe?
Dragon Soaring Qi wasn't mana-based; it was a completely separate energy. The stat boosts were lower, and there were conditions attached. Then again, Blood Demon Divine Art was forged from merging three unique skills, so it would've been unfair if they were too alike.
So he ditched mana and went all-in on Dragon Soaring Qi.
Not a bad call. For Earth challengers, maybe, but for someone like Namgoong Cheol, raised on martial arts, this would've felt more natural and efficient than shop-bought "skills."
Without hesitation, he fed the Taeguk Jicheon Sword into the Iron Armor Herb. That pushed his Durability to C-. Considering he'd never invested a single AP directly into Durability before, this was an enormous gain.
With all the Predation rewards checked, it was time to spend AP properly. He had 542,400 AP in total, including leftovers from the previous duel.
Let's upgrade Predation first...
He'd planned to drop 150,000 AP on Predation right after this duel anyway. But as always, it wasn't something that helped immediately in battle, so he hesitated. Elle's warnings about Unique difficulty missions weighed on him.
But I'll have to duel again after the mission anyway...
He made his choice.
Unique skill Predation has grown to Rank C.
Predation (Rank C)
◈ Slap your cheek with the back of your left hand to designate one challenger and challenge them to a duel. Target cannot refuse, but cannot target the same person twice.
◈ Cooldown: 720 hours.
"......"
He'd been dying to know what it'd steal next—skills, gear stats... All his guesses missed the mark. Yun-seok smiled in pleasant surprise. Sure, there was a 30-day cooldown, but now he had a way to grow stronger without promotion trials.
Good call upgrading it.
Satisfied, he reopened the shop and dumped 288,000 AP to raise Strength to B- rank too.
That left 104,400 AP. Stamina and Durability were lower priority, but Strength, Agility, and Mana—all at B rank now—couldn't grow further. Yun-seok turned his attention elsewhere.
Time to synthesize some skills.
He'd picked up plenty from the Great War. Most were useless now, but he had a way to recycle them. No guarantees they'd improve, but worth a shot.
Please select skills to synthesize.
Shaman's Law made Eye of Truth obsolete, and Appraisal seemed like a good match for it. He'd spent 6,000 AP on Appraisal out of curiosity about the Hydra heart, but most gear from Predation was shop-checkable anyway—no regrets.
Acquired Executioner's Eye.
◈ Any being meeting the user's eyes cannot lie.
◈ Loses effect if mana ranks differ by 1 or less.
He'd been excited to see what it'd produce, and it turned out pretty unique. Shaman's Law covered the mana gap issue, but this wasn't bad. It opened new ways to leverage authority—or at least let him detect lies constantly.
After some thought, Yun-seok invested 96,000 AP to raise Sword Mastery and Axe Mastery to C- rank. He needed their ranks matched for the combo he wanted.
Please select skills to synthesize.
Sword, Spear, and Axe Mastery. What would those three make?
Acquired King of Ten Thousand Weapons.
◈ Receives bonuses regardless of weapon type.
◈ Attack speed +300%.
◈ Power +200%.
◈ Cannot benefit from weapon-related mastery skills.
Yun-seok's brow furrowed. Everything was fine except that last line. He'd planned to repurchase Sword Mastery no matter what, but this threw it off. Even with 3x attack speed, losing traits like Berserker and Preemptive Strike was a huge loss. At least the 2x power made it salvageable.
Guess it'll depend on how good the trait picks are later. If he hated it, he could synthesize more to reshape it—like he was pondering now.
...What to do?
His first goal was reaching the 10th floor to shake off Blood Demon Divine Art's side effects. But maybe he could do it right now—synthesize Dragon Soaring Qi and Blood Demon Divine Art. Ranks matched perfectly.
The only issue: unpredictable results. Synthesis didn't always improve things; it could worsen them. And Blood Demon Divine Art was the core of his strength.
After agonizing, Yun-seok shook his head.
No. It'll resolve on the 10th floor anyway— no need to rush.
Even as a downgrade, Dragon Soaring Qi's +2 Agility had value. Plus, he'd coincidentally found a WP source—no long waits post-10th floor. Unless he failed this mission, no urgency.
Alright, let's do this.
He closed the shop, keeping the remaining 8,400 AP. Purchases now cost tens of thousands anyway—nothing worth buying.
ZZZzt!
◈ Receive a trial for a mission matching your current floor's difficulty.
◈ Rewards available, but no promotion.
The 500 LP directive tore in half, emitting pure white light.
Used Mission Directive.
8th floor mission: "Escort High Priestess Kanna Blitz."
Select difficulty.
[Apprentice]◁ [Normal]◁ [Skilled]◁ [Expert]◁ [Unique]◀
He didn't know the difficulty gaps between levels, but his choice was set. The moment he'd picked Unique to fulfill some nameless administrator's wish.
Light flashed once more in the dim waiting room.
Moving to mission location.
With that, Yun-seok stepped into another world.
* * *
Selected Unique difficulty.
Special challenges activated.
"Escort High Priestess Kanna Blitz for 45 days. Mission fails if target dies."
The trial began. A sigh escaped Yun-seok's lips.
Ha, didn't expect a long-term mission...
45 days. If time flowed 1:1 with the outside, that was a huge waste.
Adventures were 3 days inside for 1 outside—hope it's the same here.
Praying so, Yun-seok surveyed the room.
Medieval vibe...
About 6 pyeong. Like Elle's cabin, the structure and antique furniture screamed old-world.
Creak.
He opened the room's lone window. A medieval street straight out of a movie stretched below.
But escort? What now?
No sign of High Priestess Kanna Blitz—or anyone.
Closing the window, he rummaged and found an ID on the table.
— Rick Gersey (24) —
This certifies the above as a registered F-rank mercenary with the guild.
Medieval ID card? Looks like a modern resident card—even has my photo. Age matches too—coincidence?
Pocketing it, Yun-seok spotted a notebook below.
[Various past commissions logged here.]
Despite the unfamiliar script, it read smoothly.
No worries about getting lost.
Flipping through, he found what he wanted.
- Escort High Priestess Kanna Blitz. Rendezvous at north gate by 9 AM. Total pay: 89 silver.
- Why hire mercenaries instead of paladins?
Simple details and a brief question.
First, what's the time?
No info just sitting here. Grabbing ID and notebook, Yun-seok headed out.
Inn hallway? Doors lined the corridor.
"Rick Gersey! Asked to wake you at 8, but you're up already?"
Descending to the first floor, a mustached innkeep greeted him.
"What time is it?"
Seemed before 8 from his words, but...
"Hmm, let's see... 8:30!"
30 minutes to rendezvous. Something wanted to burst out, but Yun-seok asked for north gate directions instead.
"Out and right all the way!"
He hurried that way, half-wondering if the innkeep was pranking him. Thankfully, no need to backtrack.
"Any apprentices looking for a party?"
"Skilled here! Mage class. No betrayal—seeking party to clear challenges!"
At the gate: one carriage, surrounded by about a hundred people in varied garb—all challengers, from their chatter.
Not solo...
Duels were competitive, save the Great War exception. Seeing them party-hunt felt awkward—then a question hit.
Why parties for an escort mission?
Asking a nearby challenger got him a weird look, like Where've you been, rube?