Chapter 9

I Became a Newbie Favored by the Transcendents Chapter 9

“What...!”

After hearing Gye Sohui’s serious analysis, Kim Hyeonuk’s eyes widened.

“Did you just say Dragon Heart?”

“Yes. This man probably—no. He definitely has a Dragon Heart inside his body.”

“...”

If those words had come from anyone else, he would have thought, ‘What a load of bullshit.’

But who was Gye Sohui?

A mana engineer acknowledged by everyone both domestically and abroad.

When it came to the field of ‘mana,’ she possessed insight and knowledge that no one else could rival.

“Please explain in detail.”

“You remember the Evil Dragon Raid from eight years ago, right?”

“Of course. How could I forget such a catastrophic event that nearly brought humanity to extinction?”

2018.

The year when the United States, a powerhouse among Player nations, failed to meet its Gate contribution quota for the one and only time, causing an outbreak.

The monster unleashed into the world then was the Evil Dragon—‘Kuhn Draqui.’

It was the first great dragon to appear since the Great Cataclysm and the strongest monster in history.

And such a monster appeared not inside a Gate, but in reality.

Naturally, the scale of the damage was indescribable.

There were even many who believed Earth would meet its end because of Kuhn Draqui.

“Twenty-two Players from our country alone died in battle against that creature... Every year on the anniversary of their deaths, I reflect on their noble sacrifice.”

A crisis threatening the end of Earth.

In an effort to somehow resolve it, high-level Players from all across the world joined forces regardless of nationality.

It marked the beginning of the great incident known as the Evil Dragon Raid.

The result?

The raid was only half successful, and more than two hundred Players died in total.

Yes. Half.

No one evaluated the Evil Dragon Raid as a complete success.

It wasn’t simply because of the enormous number of casualties.

“After making so many sacrifices, the result wasn’t killing it, but merely ‘sealing’ it... Truly lamentable.”

“Yes. And it’s a seal like a ticking time bomb that will inevitably break someday.”

At the time, they succeeded in subduing Kuhn Draqui, but they failed to kill it.

No matter how many times they severed and crushed its head, it regenerated instantly, and even after they ripped out its heart, the Dragon Heart, it ‘continued to live and breathe.’

Humanity realized.

That existence was immortal.

In the end, the only option humans had was to take advantage of its weakened state and seal it.

Freezing a dragon with ordinary liquid nitrogen was unthinkable.

The United States poured all of its latest technology and hundreds of tons of Mana Crystals into special equipment, barely managing to seal Kuhn Draqui before dumping it into a deep trench in the Pacific Ocean.

Up to that point, things were fine.

The problem was that no one knew when it would regain consciousness, smash apart the sealing device, and emerge above the Pacific.

Ten years later? Five years?

One year?

Or perhaps even tomorrow.

“So what does the Evil Dragon have to do with the man in the video?”

“The important part isn’t the Evil Dragon itself. The key point is the Dragon Heart extracted from it at the time.”

“Why?”

“The United States studied the Dragon Heart in preparation for the day the Evil Dragon would eventually escape. The first step was measuring the mana contained within the Dragon Heart.”

“Measuring... Ah! Don’t tell me?”

“Yes. They used a crystal sphere for determining mana grade.”

The crystal sphere used to determine grade was an item that measured the mass, purity, and properties of mana.

American researchers at the time believed that analyzing the mana contained within the Dragon Heart might provide a clue to killing the Evil Dragon.

“Do you know what result they got, Director?”

“I don’t. What happened?”

“They concluded that measurement was impossible because the crystal sphere overloaded and released an enormous voltage at the same time.”

“...!”

“Can you guess what I’m getting at now?”

Kim Hyeonuk felt goosebumps rise along his spine.

Wasn’t that exactly the same phenomenon that occurred when Junbeom touched the crystal sphere earlier that day!

“They experimented with mana extracted from the cores and hearts of countless other monsters besides the Evil Dragon, but the Dragon Heart was the only thing that caused the crystal sphere itself to refuse measurement.”

“That can’t...”

“Because of that, the established theory in academia became that ‘the only mana even the crystal sphere cannot contain is dragon mana.’ That’s the basis for my analysis that the man in this video possesses a Dragon Heart.”

“B-but a Dragon Heart... This man is unmistakably human.”

“Well, there are occasionally Players who undergo physical mutations when they awaken, aren’t there? Or even if it isn’t literally a Dragon Heart, his core itself could contain dragon mana.”

Perhaps her interest was growing the more she explained.

Gye Sohui stared at Junbeom on the screen with a subtle smile.

“One thing is certain. Whatever the case, this man possesses mana with the exact same properties as that Evil Dragon.”

“...”

“I can hardly believe it myself even as I say it. Who exactly is he? Ah, don’t tell me he’s the one who took first place in the Tutorial Battlefield this time...”

“Please refrain from baseless speculation.”

“Hoho, understood.”

“I would like to ask for your expert opinion on just one more thing.”

“What is it?”

“Assuming your analysis is correct―.”

Kim Hyeonuk unclasped his hands and straightened his back.

“Could this man eventually become a countermeasure against the Evil Dragon when it breaks free?”

“A countermeasure, you say. I can’t go so far as to say that for certain. Still...”

Gye Sohui’s smile deepened.

“Couldn’t he at least become a joker card?”

“A joker...”

Kim Hyeonuk mulled over those words.

Then, as though he had made some kind of decision, he gave a small nod.

______________

I shouted for help in the gallery! and trade requests flooded in.

Why?

[‘Anon (211.993)’ requests a trade!]

[‘IMadeExcalibur’ requests a trade!]

[‘ChiefChiefBlacksmith’ requests a trade!]

[‘ChiefBlacksmith’ requests a trade...]

Even now, the trade request notifications showed no sign of stopping.

“What the hell is going on?”

At this rate, it would never end, so I hurriedly made a post.

=====

[Title: Please calm down already;]

Author: Anon (111.111)

You guys keep sending trade requests nonstop to the point that I can’t even use the gallery;

What could you possibly want from a broke guy like me whose only possessions are Mana Crystal equipment that got split in half

=====

-AnvilMutt) Why the fuck is this bastard suddenly advertising how attractive he is

-Stop wasting time making posts and just accept already lol

-ChiefBlacksmith) Br?oke?

-Why are you ignoring me? Why are you ignoring me? Why are you ignoring me? Why are you ignoring me? Why are you ignoring me? Why are you ignoring me?

-Humblebragging master;

-If you’re not going to trade then at least tell us the story about the acquaintance who supposedly gifted it to you

-MeowMeowPunch) For real, if you tell us, I’ll post a swimsuit verification pic in the gallery as thanks. For reference, I really am a woman

└ChiefChiefBlacksmith) (Green ghoul emoticon with its eyes popping out in delight)

└ChiefChiefBlacksmith) Species?

└MeowMeowPunch) Beastfolk!

└ChiefChiefBlacksmith) (Vomiting green ghoul emoticon)

“I wasn’t humblebragging, I was genuinely asking because I was curious...”

I hadn’t expected much anyway, but as expected, not a single bastard gave me a clear answer to my question.

Still, judging from how desperately these guys reacted like cats who had just found treats, I could infer a few things.

‘Looks like Mana Crystals don’t exist in their world.’

Mana Crystals.

Stones containing mana.

On Earth, they were fairly common minerals that could be found whether you entered Gates or Towers.

But things seemed to be different in Pantheon.

The reason they were going so crazy over processed Mana Crystal products was obviously because they had no way to obtain Mana Crystals.

‘That’s why they’re trying to get the equipment from me through trade requests.’

Suddenly, I became curious.

Just what exactly were Mana Crystals to those guys for them to make such a fuss?

Simply because they were rare?

‘They seem way too desperate for that to be the only reason.’

There was no point agonizing over a question I couldn’t answer by myself, so I stopped.

Anyway, one thing had become certain.

‘At the very least, it seems worth accepting a trade.’

What was a trade?

Give and take.

If Mana Crystal equipment was that rare, then those guys would have no choice but to give me something of corresponding value.

On top of that, this was the Blacksmith Minor Gallery.

I might get something pretty decent... no, depending on what I did, I might hit the jackpot.

‘The problem is who I trade with.’

If possible, I wanted to talk to the most skilled guy here.

The better their skills, the more likely they were to own valuable things too.

But how the hell was I supposed to figure out who was the most capable one here?

If I asked the gallery, obviously every single one of them would claim they were the best.

As my deliberation dragged on.

[‘IMadeExcalibur’ requests a trade!]

One nickname suddenly caught my attention.

More precisely, my eyes were drawn to the tiny ‘orange star’ symbol beside the nickname.

“Orange star... Orange... orange... Don’t tell me, an orange badge?”

Following a logical chain of reasoning, I reached a conclusion.

‘Orange badge’ was shorthand for the orange administrator badge,

and in Earth’s online communities, it was something like a qualification given to gallery administrators.

They were also called moderators.

Since the Pantheon Gallery was currently being visually filtered according to my knowledge, that orange star probably had the same meaning as an orange administrator badge.

‘If this guy is the admin of the Blacksmith Minor Gallery, that means his skills must be recognized, right?’

They wouldn’t have given moderator authority to someone with no ability.

Good. I choose you!

“Accept trade request.”

-IMadeExcalibur) Kyaaaahooo!!!! Finally!!!!

-Me) Hello. Since you’re the admin, I figured you must be pretty capable, so I accepted your trade request

-IMadeExcalibur) Oho, oho, someone who knows how to appreciate a dwarf? Good kid lol Come here for a kiss

-Me) Ah, a kiss from a dwarf is a little haha... I’ll just gratefully accept the sentiment

-IMadeExcalibur) What? You fucking bastard, are you looking down on dwarves? I’ll have you know I’m considered the greatest beauty in the dwarf world!!

“...”

Compared to SaviorOfTheEmpire, the way this guy talked was repulsive in several ways.

No.

Who cares if he talks frivolously?

As long as the results are good, that’s what matters.

-Me) You requested a trade because of my split-in-half equipment, right?

-IMadeExcalibur) Yeah

-Me) It seems like not just you but basically the entire Blacksmith Minor Gallery wants it. Why?

-IMadeExcalibur)?? Are you seriously asking because you don’t know? Or is this some kind of roleplay?

-Me) Not roleplay, I genuinely don’t know...

-IMadeExcalibur) Hmm, well, I guess if you’re a newbie who just ascended to Pantheon, it makes sense that you wouldn’t know

I was actually a human living on Earth rather than in Pantheon, but I pretended not to know.

If I honestly revealed my identity, there was no telling how things might get complicated.

-IMadeExcalibur) Anyway, to answer you, Mana Crystals are a precious resource that help us regain our identities

-Me) Our identities?

-IMadeExcalibur) Yep yep. The life force contained in Mana Crystals lets dead people like us gradually recall memories from our previous lives

“...What?”

Dead people?

Then these guys weren’t residents of another world...

They were beings who had already died?

And Pantheon was the afterlife where they lived?

‘So that’s why they use the word ascension?’

I was somewhat bewildered after unexpectedly learning Pantheon’s true nature.

But I didn’t show it through the chat.

For now, let’s keep talking as if nothing happened.

-IMadeExcalibur) You suddenly got quiet, so I guess this is the first time you learned we lose our memories lol Newbie so cute ><​

-Me) lol Yep haha; It is a little shocking

-IMadeExcalibur) The longer we stay in Pantheon, the more we forget who we were in our previous lives, what we went through, and how we died. We call this the Curse of Oblivion

-Me) Damn;;;;;;

-IMadeExcalibur) The only memory that remains preserved is where we came from

-IMadeExcalibur) Ah, there’s one more thing that stays preserved! We don’t lose our individual talents, knowledge, or bodily experiences ingrained in us

Hmm, turns out they were pretty pitiful.

Gradually forgetting who you were as time passed.

I couldn’t even imagine how enormous a sense of emptiness that must bring.

-IMadeExcalibur) Anyway, the life force in Mana Crystals allows amnesiacs like us to recover at least some of our memories

-Me) I understand perfectly now

-IMadeExcalibur) Good. Then it’s my turn to ask a question. You said an acquaintance gave you the Mana Crystal equipment, right? Was that true?

-Me) Yes

-IMadeExcalibur) Who is that acquaintance? If they’re a resident of Pantheon, that means they aren’t a living being

I thought for a moment, then answered.

-Me) Sorry, but that’s private, so I’ll keep it secret

-IMadeExcalibur) Come on, are you seriously doing this?

-Me) Haha;; Sorry... lol!!

-IMadeExcalibur) It’s just you and me here anyway. Can’t you secretly tell only me? Pleasepleaseplease;_;

-Me) Looks like we don’t have much time left, so how about we start the trade?

-IMadeExcalibur) Fucking damn five-minute limit. Fine...

-Me) If I give you the Mana Crystal equipment, what are you going to give me?

-IMadeExcalibur) Well... I was so excited that I didn’t really think that far ahead.

-IMadeExcalibur) Ah, but didn’t you say earlier that circumstances force you to use the equipment your acquaintance gave you? Is it okay to give it to someone else?

“Ah, right. I did say that.”

Earlier, someone had commented that I should just replace the equipment, and I replied that my circumstances wouldn’t allow it.

Well, I could probably gloss over that part somehow.

-Me) Still, if I can get better equipment, then it doesn’t matter. I’ll apologize to my acquaintance later yeah

-IMadeExcalibur) Oh, so you need equipment? Armor?

-Me) Yes

-IMadeExcalibur) Okay, then let’s do this. If you give me the equipment that got split in half, I’ll upgrade it to be nice and sturdy and return it to you. How does that sound?

“???”

-Me) Wait; you said you needed Mana Crystals. What’s the point for you if you give it back to me afterward?

-IMadeExcalibur) I need the Mana Crystals used in the equipment, not the equipment itself.

-IMadeExcalibur) Looking at the verification photo you posted earlier, the armor and helmet weren’t made entirely from Mana Crystals. They were only used in certain parts like vital areas. By proportion, around 50%?

Really?

That aside, this guy was pretty incredible too.

He could tell just by looking how much Mana Crystal had been mixed into the armor.

-Me) Ah, so you mean you’ll remove only the parts containing Mana Crystals, then do something or other to the rest and upgrade it?

-IMadeExcalibur) Correct! I’ll upgrade it so it’ll never get split in half again. How about it?

How about it? Was this even something I needed to think about?

-Me) Sounds good. Let’s do that

-IMadeExcalibur) A very wise decision

-Me) Ah, right. And

-IMadeExcalibur)?

I almost forgot.

I had only posted proof of the armor in the gallery, but armor wasn’t the only thing I had.

-Me) I also have a sword and shield. They’re made with Mana Crystals too

-IMadeExcalibur) Oh really? Did you break those too?

-Me) No, they didn’t break, but their performance is fucking awful. Could you upgrade these somehow too...?

-IMadeExcalibur) Hmm, show them to me first so I can check their condition

I immediately registered the sword and shield in the trade window.

Doing so allowed the other person to at least inspect the items’ appearance.

-IMadeExcalibur) Ah, the sword and shield are the same as the armor. Only part of them contains Mana Crystals

-Me) Oh, then?

-IMadeExcalibur) I’ll remove only the Mana Crystal portions from these and upgrade them too

Eureka!

Everything was going smoothly.

While I was inwardly cheering, the other side suddenly presented something first.

[‘IMadeExcalibur’ has registered the ‘Seal of Nidavellir.’]

It was an object resembling a stamp engraved with a unique pattern.

Why was he giving this to me?

-IMadeExcalibur) Verbal promises aren’t possible through the trade system, so I’ll give you this for now

-Me) What is this?

-IMadeExcalibur) A token symbolizing the honor and pride of dwarves. Taking this and still running off with your stuff would be the same as renouncing being a dwarf

-Me) Ah, then that’s reassuring haha

I had actually been about to say that entrusting my equipment without any collateral would be difficult.

Perfect.

After registering the armor, shield, and sword, I asked.

-Me) So roughly how long will it take?

-IMadeExcalibur) Hmm... Three hours should be more than enough?

-Me)?? That’s all it takes?

-IMadeExcalibur) Who am I? The universally acknowledged admin of the Blacksmith Minor Gallery! Don’t worry. I swear on Nidavellir that I won’t make it half-assed.

Even so, upgrading all my equipment in just three hours, not even a full day?

I was a little doubtful, but for now, I had no choice but to trust him.

After the conversation ended, I killed some time watching TV.

And.

[‘IMadeExcalibur’ requests a trade!]

“Gasp.”

A trade request came in exactly three hours later with frightening precision.

So it wasn’t a bluff?

-Me) You really finished in three hours. Damn

-IMadeExcalibur) Would a master craftsman speak with two tongues? The result is perfect, so check it with your own eyes lol

-IMadeExcalibur) Give me back the seal I gave you earlier. That will complete the trade

-Me) Yes, thank you. Have a nice day

-IMadeExcalibur) Yep, you have a nice day too!

The moment the trade concluded, particles of light gathered before my eyes.

Thud!

The armor set, along with the sword and shield, dropped down.

Naturally, the armor had been perfectly repaired rather than still split in half.

But what mattered wasn’t whether it had been repaired, but how it had been upgraded.

“Let’s see. The appearance itself doesn’t seem that different...”

It still had the same crappy, awkward design whose original creator’s intentions were impossible to understand.

That guy IMadeExcalibur too.

Would it have killed him to make the design look cooler while he was working on it?

‘Well, whatever. As long as the performance is good.’

I immediately checked the item information to see just how much it had improved.

And.

“IMadeExcalibur...”

After checking the detailed information, I unconsciously muttered.

“She is a god.”

Improvement?

No.

This was evolution.

It was truly an ‘upgrade’!