NOTICE: Many of the novels have been removed because they might cause violations, which we were not aware of earlier.
65
Today, as usual, Nietzsche connected to the predator network and opened a chat from the nickname ‘Tori’.
Since the two had previously exchanged messages about targeting Sang-Hyeon, they had kept in touch.
▶ Tori: When are you going?
▶ Nietzsche: Now, tell me. Didn’t you see the Unsu Station incident last time? You shouldn’t take him lightly.
▶ Tori: Something feels fishy. Are you delaying this so you can eat it all by yourself?
▶ Nietzsche: What are you talking about? Also, although it is unofficial information, I have also obtained information that Shin Sang-hyun participated in the North Korean field suppression war.
▶ Tori: Such high-level information? What are you? Are you an association employee? How do you know such inside information?
▶ Nietzsche: There is a way to do it. Anyway, right now is not a good time to target Shin Sang-hyun. Let’s wait and see a little longer.
▶ Tori: Hmm, no matter how much I think about it, you seem too scared. Sorry, but I’ll have to eat it.
▶ Nietzsche: Let’s be careful.
▶ Tori: Okay. If you leave it for too long, the rice will lose its flavor. I’ll take the spoon.
After that, we lost contact.
Nietzsche sent several more messages, but there was no sign that Tori had acknowledged them.
“Even a wild beast thinks carefully several times before targeting its prey. Tsk.”
Nietzsche clicked his tongue.
Every time there was an update about Sang-Hyeon, it was all about his growth.
According to information collected by Nietzsche, Sang-Hyeon participated in the Gaeseong suppression war and received quite good reviews.
In particular, it is said that he captured the heart of Lee Se-hwa, one of the main dealers of the association’s three teams.
Nietzsche has seen many promising prospects so far. But there has never been a prospect like Sang-Hyeon.
First of all, what made Nietzsche feel special about Sang-Hyeon was his skill expandability. Even though he had many skills, he had too many.
If it only had a lot of useless skills in battle, it wouldn’t have been a threat at all.
However, the skills that Sang-Hyeon equipped were all skills that could be useful in battle.
Demon Bash, a well-known stiffness-inducing skill, was just one of many options.
According to information obtained from Lee Se-hwa’s entourage, there is also a skill that resets the skill cooldown.
The moment he heard that, Nietzsche cursed sincerely. Was this a skill that was even possible for a player in the inspection world?
Even though there was no evidence of purchasing a skill book, Sang-Hyeon’s skills continued to swell like an inexhaustible spring.
“Predation isn’t that easy, my friend.”
Nietzsche blocked and deleted Tori, who had been added to his friends list.
There seemed to be no chance of reconnecting.
A careless predator will eventually fall victim to its own greed, be eliminated, and collapse.
* * *
“Seoul is beautiful no matter where you look at it. There is no need to say anything about Seoul now.”
At that time, Sang-Hyeon was looking down on all of Seoul from Namsan Tower, which he had climbed up while driving.
The wind was blowing coolly, and the weather was clear and sunny without any fine dust, so there was nothing lacking in the view.
The era of players that began with the advent of the system was truly an era of great prosperity.
Like all big cities, Seoul was changing rapidly.
Facilities utilizing magic stones began to increase here and there, and the fuel needed for industry also began to be quickly replaced with magic stones.
The magic stone was worth it.
Above all, it was a completely eco-friendly energy source that did not cause air pollution or environmental destruction.
Moreover, thanks to the magic stone, medicine and science are also making remarkable progress!
Everyone was optimistic that this era would be an era of abundance and was enjoying its benefits.
“… … .”
At that moment, Sang-Hyeon began to see the view of Seoul from 2040 overlap. It was an interference of memory.
Clearly, Seoul in 2040 was not the prosperous and affluent city that everyone had optimistically predicted.
It was a veritable battlefield where the conflict between constellations and gods, good and evil, black and white, red and blue continued.
‘The last vote also proved that the seeds of conflict were already sprouting.’
Sang-Hyeon remembered that the Goddess of Fortune had previously put the Dimensional Plane to a vote to banish the Dark Hunter.
[With 62% in favor and 38% against, the motion was passed, making it impossible to banish the Dark Hunters from the constellation.]
Sang-Hyeon clearly remembered the phrase written at the end of the message.
It symbolizes the ratio of constellations and deities whose approval is good and whose disapproval is evil.
Although evil-leaning constellations are now considered fringe, the gap is gradually narrowing.
And the point at which things completely turn around is 2040.
“Poverty amidst plenty. The monopoly of a few winners breeds despair among the many losers. It was a disaster that was foreseen.”
Sang-Hyeon muttered one of the words of a historian who would later be recorded in the player chronicles.
It’s the same now.
The benefits of rapid growth and acquisition of artifacts are exclusive to a very small number of skilled players.
Sang-Hyeon, just like you.
And most of them are in the same position as Yoon Dae-kyung, who was the team leader of the team that Sang-hyun was a member of in the past.
Even if you try, growth doesn’t happen very well, and of course, it’s hard to get decent artifacts or rewards.
“Perhaps the balance between good and evil is starting to break down from now on.”
I had no desire to look into the distant future and take action with a sense of mission, because I was not a hero.
However, I decided that it was necessary to always be aware and prepared for the fate that was to come.
“I think it would be better to strengthen skills now.”
Sang-Hyeon made a decision.
I was thinking of saving the skill enhancement perk I got when I reached level 100, but I changed my mind.
The more you save, the less upward momentum you have.
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If you are at risk or your growth is slowed down due to skills that are not strengthened, that would be a bigger loss.
“Psychedelic.”
The skill enhancement target chosen by Sang-Hyeon was Psychedelic.
I was worried about Demon Bash until the very end, but I decided that it was sufficient in its current form as a skill piece.
Psychedelic is currently the only buff skill for Sang-Hyeon.
Also, since it is the best means to increase combat power, it seems that strengthening it will have much better synergy.
[Would you like to select the skill 『Psychedelic』 as the skill strengthening target?]
[When reinforcement is done, the skill reinforcement privilege given at level 100 is automatically lost.]
[The next privilege can be obtained at level 200.]
“Reinforcement begins.”
As soon as Sang-Hyeon selected a target for reinforcement, a purple light began to flash in the skill window.
Then, it immediately covered the entire name and content text of the psychedelic skill, giving it a new color.
It was similar to the effect you would see when strengthening in a game. Although the systems have many similarities.
[The Psychedelic skill has been enhanced. The new enhanced skill is called 『Over Psychedelic』.]
“and.”
Sang-Hyeon’s eyes widened.
At first glance, it was a form of enhancement where the skill’s advantages were strengthened and its disadvantages were greatly reduced.
『Over Psychedelic』
■ Skill Level: Stage 1 (0.0%)
■ Skill Introduction: When you use this skill, all stamina is instantly restored and you enter an awakened state over 480 seconds.
(……syncopation)
Instead of being exhausted or losing stamina immediately after the psychedelic effect wears off, you will once again fully recover stamina.
Additionally, while Over Psychedelic is applied, Overdrive will be activated when your health falls below 10%.
When Overdrive is activated, you will be in a state of complete invincibility for 3 seconds. Overdrive can be activated once per Psychedelic.
Cooldown: 30 minutes.
“The taste of Gangwha mulberry is amazing.”
Sang-Hyeon expressed his joy over the changed skills in a straightforward manner.
A lot has changed.
The penalty has been completely removed, and the duration has been doubled from before: 480 seconds is now 8 minutes.
If you use the skill reset here, you can achieve an over-psychedelic state of up to 16 minutes.
In addition, the number of times you can fully recover stamina has increased from once to twice.
Overdrive was a perfect gift.
If you can utilize the invincible state well, you can create various variables.
This is because the invincibility that the system can provide is practically close to ‘absolute invincibility’. It cannot be neutralized.
“This makes me want to grow to level 200 again quickly. Yes, this is the joy of growth.”
The system certainly rewards growing players accordingly.
In my previous life, I thought the system was really unreasonable, but now that I think about it, it seems like it was just an inferiority complex.
The system gives certain privileges to those who can do it, just like it does now.
In the skill window, the Over Psychedelic skill glowed purple instead of the usual white letters.
Is it a motivating feeling?
I’d like to give other skills a purple tint like this one in the near future.
* * *
After finishing the drive and returning to Player Town, Sang-Hyeon received a call from Kim Mi-So just outside the elevator.
“Oh, it’s a smile.”
“already?”
“Are you also planning to break through the Plains of Rest?”
“Except for other guilds?”
In fact, it was an expected result.
The Gaeseong Field is a place where even the seemingly insignificant small insect monsters are well over level 100.
If it weren’t dangerous, it would have been eradicated long ago.
It was a dangerous place, but it was actually a place that was worth a try for Sang-Hyeon, so it was a place that was a perfect fit.
“Okay, I’ll join.”
“… … That guy is unusual. Really.”
“I’ll think about it.”
“4-person attack?”
“Okay. I’ll participate in that too. Just prepare the briefing materials thoroughly. I don’t want to use staged attacks.”
Soon after the call ended, the elevator that Sang-Hyeon was riding went up to Sang-Hyeon’s floor without any problems.
As the elevator doors opened in an instant, a white wall greeted Sang-Hyeon as usual.
Since it was a town with only one generation per floor, there was no trace of anyone other than Sang-Hyeon.
however.
‘There’s an uninvited guest.’
A subtle change was detected in this layer, where Sang-Hyeon always creates a regularity with the same pattern.
It was a sign of an intruder… something that could only happen if someone other than oneself touched it.