Chapter 6

Chapter 6

[Episode 02] Unique (1)

[Goblin Warrior’s Greatsword]

-Item Grade: 「Normal」

-Effect: Physical Attack Power +18 / Strength +2

I struck it rich.

‘How much will it go for?’

Since the physical attack power of the Tutorial equipment sword and shield was +10, it should be at least several times more expensive.

Even that alone is already several million won.

‘I’ll have to search later.’

For now, that’s not what’s important.

Rumble—

The altar rising from the floor.

There, along with the exit, two things that could not normally be seen had been added.

One was a wooden box.

And a vending machine.

First, I approached the vending machine.

The menu there was only one.

[Single-Person Survival Right]

(Salvation Points: 100p)

This was the reason there was the harsh phrase ‘Prohibition of Private Use of Salvation Points’ in the Explorer contract.

And.

‘It was also the reason points were always insufficient.’

As long as you held this, even if the accumulated Salvation Points of the corresponding country were 0, survival was possible.

Literally a survival right.

I didn’t know, but the number of Explorers purchasing this would be quite large.

For their own and their family’s survival.

For the people they love.

And decisively.

‘To earn money.’

The money the country pays is 100,000 won per point.

However, I know the price of the Single-Person Survival Right starts in the ‘hundreds of millions’.

It means it exceeds 1 million won per point.

Although the Single-Person Survival Right also evaporates together when Salvation Points are settled at the end of the year, demand still overflows.

Especially in a situation like this.

‘That post was probably true.’

It was a post uploaded with none other than Kang Hyuk’s own verified account.

The probability that it was true would be very high.

And one of the comments attached to that post stuck in my mind.

‘If the other Unique-grade Explorers really also lost their lives...’

It meant the Republic of Korea had reached a crisis of national existence.

In a situation where it had become known as much as news articles coming out, the Management Bureau keeping its mouth tightly shut was also suspicious.

The movement of the national stock market was the same.

With one Unique-grade Explorer dying, the country wouldn’t collapse.

If they tightly controlled point supply, it would be sufficiently manageable to cover that hole.

But.

‘If it’s multiple people, the story is different.’

This year-end.

Hell would unfold.

As much as Salvation Points were insufficient, people would turn into monsters.

Hundreds of thousands? Millions?

Perhaps even tens of millions.

Like in Africa, the Middle East, or India, the entire country would turn into one massive hellscape.

To prepare for that time, this was necessary.

Anyway, it was a situation where I had earned too many points and couldn’t even go to the Explorer Center to report.

There was no need to worry.

Click—

When I pressed the button of the vending machine,

[Salvation Points (100p) have been consumed.]

Along with the system notification, one sheet of paper coming out from the vending machine.

[Single-Person Survival Right]

-Tear to unlock

It was the first time seeing the real thing.

A texture similar to receipt paper.

Looking at the front and back, I tore it just like that.

[Single-Person Survival Right has been applied.]

[You have been liberated from the Salvation Points settlement on January 1st of next year.]

Checking the Status Window, the remaining points were 39.

Since I had just hunted the Goblin Warrior, 3 points would be added if I went outside.

‘42 points.’

It roughly matched the case of rising to the 3rd Floor right after Awakening and then continuously fully clearing the 3rd Floor.

With this much, it became sufficiently realistic points.

‘Shall I stop by the Center?’

If I went to the Explorer Management Center right now, I would be able to receive settlement for the added amount of points.

But.

‘There is no need to rush, I guess.’

Having organized my thoughts, I approached the next reward.

A wooden box that looked crude.

When I lifted the lid, one book was placed there alone.

‘A skill book.’

The reward for the first clear of the 5th Floor.

A reward that came out definitively only when clearing for the first time.

When I opened the book wrapped in brown leather, a system notification window appeared in front.

[Skill Book: Energy Blade]

-Item Grade: 「Normal」

-Use Effect: Acquire skill ‘Energy Blade’

[Will you use ‘Skill Book: Energy Blade’?]

[YES/NO]

‘I will use it.’

At the same time as I expressed my intent, the skill book began to emit a faint blue light.

Woom—

Soon after, it evaporated like foam, and

[You have acquired the skill ‘Energy Blade’.]

The second magic acquired following Energy Bolt.

In reality, it could be called the main skill of a Normal-grade Mage.

I tested the magic toward the stone chamber wall.

“Energy Blade.”

Shrrk—

Blue light gathering at the tip of the staff.

‘1, 2, 3, 4-.’

A little past 4 seconds.

Shwook—

Along with the blue light lengthening horizontally.

Crackle—

With a chilling sound, a long sword mark was created on one side of the wall.

‘It’s fast.’

I heard that Energy Blade right after acquisition originally has a delay of about 7 seconds.

Compared to that, I was about 4 seconds.

‘Probably thanks to having hit Mana Sensitivity at 60.’

Also using the [Rare] grade staff.

Approaching the stone chamber wall closely, the mark left by Energy Blade was quite long.

With this range, if done well, it might be possible to handle about three goblins at once.

‘Is it because the Mana value is high.’

Since the stat directly connected to the power of magic was abnormally high, even a Level 1 skill was this powerful.

Having finished checking the skill moderately, I immediately left the dungeon.

[You have cleared the Normal Dungeon (5th Floor).]

[Level has increased.]

[Salvation Points are being settled.]

The message I always checked.

However, this time, achieving Level 6, a new notification was added.

[You have acquired Skill Points.]

Skill Points.

Level 6, Level 11, Level 16, etc.

Precious points that could be acquired every 5 levels.

The problem was.

‘I don’t know if this can also be acquired multiple times like stat points.’

Originally, the standard was to invest Skill Points into ‘Energy Blade’ here.

In the case of ordinary Mages, they invest all the Skill Points acquired later into this magic as well.

It was that good in utility and that powerful a skill.

It was not for nothing that it was called the main magic.

But my case is a bit different.

‘I don’t know when I might acquire a more precious class.’

Even the [Rare] grade class Ice Mage I obtained recently was like that.

If Skill Points were not infinitely provided unlike Bonus Stat Points, I had to invest carefully.

Because once invested, it could not be canceled.

{Skill Points}: 1

‘For now, let’s keep it.’

Today I have to move busily.

Because I still had to clear the 5th Floor three more times.

[Mana value has become 85.]

After investing all the bonus points I had just obtained into Mana, I immediately proceeded with the 5th Floor clear.

[Entering the Normal Dungeon (5th Floor).]

About 30 minutes later.

“Energy Blade.”

Slice!

[You have defeated the Goblin Warrior.]

This time as well, I was able to catch the Goblin Warrior in one strike, and I could confirm the wooden box on the altar.

Carefully opening the lid, I couldn’t help but smile.

Because.

[Skill Book: Energy Blade]

The skill book, a privilege given only for the ‘first clear’, was there.

[You have acquired the skill ‘Energy Blade’.]

Acquiring the skill was also possible.

‘Then...’

I quickly headed toward the exit and left.

[You have cleared the Normal Dungeon (5th Floor).]

[Salvation Points are being settled.]

I checked the Status Window immediately.

There, as I expected.

{Skill Points}: 2

I could confirm the increased Skill Points.

Skill Points could also be infinitely supplied just like Bonus Stat Points.

Thanks to that, I was able to invest Skill Points without burden.

[The level of skill ‘Energy Blade’ has increased.]

The moment I consumed 1 Skill Point like that, a slight change occurred in the Status Window.

[Class Skills]:

Energy Bolt (Lv. 1)

Icicle (Lv. 1)

Power Strike (Lv. 1)

Energy Blade (Lv. 1)

Energy Blade (Lv. 2)

Two Energy Blades had appeared.

‘Ah, so it was this kind of thing.’

The fact that I could shoot 6 Energy Bolts at the same time.

It was because I possessed 6 Level 1 Energy Bolt skills.

It appeared overlapped as one in the Status Window, but as the levels differed like this, it divided.

‘Then...’

I tried investing a Skill Point once more.

The target was the Energy Blade that had become Level 2.

It was a confirmation of whether it was possible to pile the acquired Skill Points onto one skill.

[The level of skill ‘Energy Blade’ has increased.]

Checking, it was properly the Energy Blade that had become Level 3.

Success.

Immediately upon confirming that, I challenged the Level 5 dungeon once again.

The Energy Blade skill that had become Level 3 had become clearly more powerful than before.

Like that, one hour later.

[You have cleared the Normal Dungeon (5th Floor).]

[You have cleared the Normal Dungeon (5th Floor).]

I had completed the 5th Floor clear two more times.

Energy Blade (Lv. 5)

I was able to achieve Energy Blade skill Level 5.

***

The next day.

Right after waking up, I could perceive that my body had changed quite a lot.

‘Muscles... is it?’

It was still in a state buried in fat, but nevertheless, the outline of muscles had formed.

The stats raised all at once were gradually changing the body.

‘Perhaps...’

Today was an outpatient clinic day.

I arrived at the hospital early in the morning and did blood tests, X-rays, electrocardiogram tests, and heart ultrasound.

After waiting a bit for the test results to come out, I faced Professor Lee Ju-seok.

“Hmm.”

The professor was looking at the monitor with a serious expression.

I sat quietly in my seat and examined the side of his face looking at the screen.

‘Did something go wrong.’

He was the professor who had been looking at my condition ever since I was born.

Aside from family, he was also the adult I trusted the most.

“Jaehyun.”

“Yes, Professor.”

“Did you Awaken?”

Since I hadn’t expected to be caught like this, I was briefly stunned.

A tone full of conviction.

Thinking that making excuses here would be useless, I answered.

“...How did you know?”

“The electrocardiogram rhythm has returned to normal, and the arrhythmia findings have disappeared. The estimated pulmonary artery pressure and other values have all returned close to normal. Moreover, the size of the right ventricle has also clearly decreased compared to last time.”

The professor, who had been examining these and those values on the monitor, continued.

“There are only two cases in the world where this can happen. Either you obtained and drank an Elixir, or you Awakened and raised the Stamina value.”

It was accurate.

The professor smiled toward me and said.

“You couldn’t have obtained an Elixir. The remaining is only Awakening. Congratulations.”

“...Thank you.”

“It was heavenly luck. The bodies of Awakened ones are fixed by the system. Even if it’s a terminal cancer patient, it doesn’t get worse anymore. The hole drilled in your heart is still there, but it means it won’t get worse from here. Rather, it will get better if it gets better. As much as you raise the Stamina value.”

“Then...”

The professor spoke with a face rejoicing as if it were his own matter.

“Yes. It will be hard to see your face from now on. Let’s meet in about 6 months next time. With the feeling of doing a light health checkup.”

“······!”

Complete recovery judgment.

An unexpected gift.

After the examination ended, I spent time moderately and went to the hospital bathroom.

Because the time was ambiguous and it seemed it would become 12 while taking a taxi, I decided to perform the Tutorial here.

The equipment I brought was cloth clothes, shoes, wand.

I only brought things that fit inside the bag.

The bulky Ice Crystal Staff was too eye-catching.

Entering the toilet stall, locking the door, and changing into the equipment I had brought in the bag.

‘Being called to the Tutorial outside is the first time.’

Like that, noon.

I was dragged to the Tutorial without fail.

And.

[Lightning Staff]

The single weapon sprinkling a soft light on the altar.

This.

‘...It’s a Unique-grade dungeon.’

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