Chapter 103 : Chapter 103

Chapter 103 - Growth (1)

Come to think of it. There was something I had been greatly neglecting recently.

When you think about it, it was my foundation. The very reason for the existence of the ‘character’ Kim Gyu-sik.

[ Remaining Skill Points: 15 ]

“...”

I’ve accumulated a hell of a lot.

<Skill List>

[ Menacing Blow ] + [ Barbarian’s Strength ] = [ Double Pulse ]

[ Hawkeye ]

[ High-speed Maneuver ]

[ Observation ]

[ Bullet Time ]

[ Mana Vacuum ] - Enhanced: [ Beholder ]

[ Sensitive Senses ] + [ Mana Accumulation ] = [ Qi Accumulation ]

[ Attribute Support (Water) ]

[ Descendant of Mermaids ]

[ Underwater Breathing ]

[ Formless ]

[ Source ]

[ Martial Arts / Martial Arts (MAX) ]

( Dexterity )

( Mastery: Sword )

“The balance is good for now, but...”

I scratched my head and scanned the skill window.

The skills attached to my main body, not item actives, were quite solid even just looking at them like this.

But, honestly, that was a little insufficient.

In truth, I hadn't paid much attention to it because, until now, all the stages could be cleared with various techniques and wit even without it.

But thinking about the third ordeal that would open soon, it was highly likely I wouldn't be able to afford that kind of leisure anymore.

‘Because that thing...’

It was really annoying.

I could clear it somehow. In the first place, I was a fossil who had seen the ending of this game in every possible way.

No, if anything, the clear itself might be easier than the Second Ordeal.

The problem was that.

[ Current Alteration Points: 2 ]

Alteration Points, which only accumulate when you break through the ordeal with a hidden method, not the normal one.

It served as a turning point to the ‘ending route’.

The method of accumulating this, for the third ordeal, the conditions were particularly harsh.

The stage composition itself was a bit... dirty.

Should I say it felt like human malice?

So anyway, the fact that I had to bring everything available was the same as the previous stage.

But this time, I had to prepare something a bit more conspicuous.

And there was definitely a ‘material’ that could become that.

Thinking so, I swiped the status window.

[ Skill Share Slot Status by Target ]

[ Seo Ah-in: 2 ]

[ Seo Hye-in: 1+ ]

[ Lee Si-yeong: 2 ]

[ Darien Anfeld: 100 ]

[ Kim Kang-in: 1 ]

[ Yoo Ho-jun: 3 ]

[ Unused Slots: Seo Ah-in (1), Darien Anfeld (100), Yoo Ho-jun (2), Lee Si-yeong (2) ]

Look at this. Not just anything, but there were this many unused skill share slots.

If I used all of these, something cool would definitely pop out.

The problem was.

“...It’s ambiguous.”

To be honest, it wasn’t an exaggeration to say that among the guys with unlocked slots right now, I had all the ones that were useful even when used alone.

To utilize these remaining slots, unless I drilled one more for each or there was a different way to use the shared skills, I couldn't really think of anything either.

[ Notification ]

[ Information update for an important skill is available. Do you want to check? Y/N ]

And as I was pondering, an information window popped up before me, as if it had read my mind.

‘...But, an important skill?’

There had been notifications about slots and such until now, but I didn't think there was anything great enough to use the words ‘important skill’.

Tilting my head, I touched Y.

[ You have met all the conditions for the stage 2 update of the ‘Share’ skill. ]

[ Upon satisfying special conditions, the skill will be upgraded to the next stage. ]

[ You must pay 10 skill points to undertake the quest, and it cannot be canceled once started. ]

[ Do you want to check the related quest details? Y/N ]

Oh my.

Crazy.

For real?

I pressed Y with a trembling hand.

10 skill points? It was a cheap bargain. Considering how much I was benefiting from the Share skill right now, it was practically a freebie.

Alright. Bring it on.

I will overcome any quest.

And my impression after checking the quest window was as follows.

[ Special Quest: Share Skill Upgrade ]

[ Subdue 2 SS-rank Demonic Beasts. ]

“...The level of this trash game is real.”

As expected of Conqueror.

It was an expert at pissing off players.

***

There are various standards for classifying Demonic Beasts. Most of them set the rank based on the limit that a team of 4-5 Climbers of the same rank can hunt.

If a team of D-rank Climbers can catch it, it's a D-rank Demonic Beast. Something like that.

And if you think about it with that standard, from SS-rank Demonic Beasts onwards, it would be fair to call them asymmetrical warfare power.

The highest rank for classifying Climbers is EX-rank, but that’s practically just a celebrity list where they’ve shoved in the untouchables from the S-rank.

That list would probably never change unless they fought among themselves and died.

Generally, the realm that geniuses who have all three beats of talent, luck, and effort can reach is the S-rank Climber.

This was even more so considering that even Mr. Kim Kang-in, who lived up to his name as ‘The Almighty’ in the latter half, couldn't enter the EX-rank.

And, SS-rank is a rank that even 4 S-rank Climbers gathered together can't catch.

An EX-rank could catch it, but an S-rank team couldn't. A crazy, ridiculously powerful Demonic Beast.

If they were telling me to catch that.

And not just one, but two of them... honestly, it was a bit too harsh.

Q. So, are you going to give up?

A. That’s a word you only use when counting cabbages.

If I couldn't overcome a hurdle of this level, I wouldn't be carrying the title of a top-tier veteran.

There's a way, is what I’m saying.

“Ah, hello. Ahab?”

First things first, a phone call.

There was someone I had to meet first to take the steps.

***

“...Strange.”

Ahab muttered, with a genuinely puzzled expression.

“Weren't you the type to avoid the [Wanderer] on purpose?”

“If a person has business, they see them, that’s all.”

To be precise, I was going to see him myself because I was finally confident I wouldn't die.

[ !Important Notification! ]

[ The ‘Wanderer’ has started to take an interest in your existence. ]

[ Executive ??? is watching you closely. ]

[ The probability of a random encounter when entering a black market owned by the Wanderer has greatly increased. ]

I was a little worried because of the guy mentioned here.

But the person I was seeing now was someone I had to contact to clear the upgrade quest.

So I was deliberately contacting Ahab to make contact first.

It probably wouldn't be difficult to meet him, given his characteristic of being cooped up at home all day.

“There are a few principles you must follow inside. She’s a bit of a peculiar person.”

Ahab opened his mouth with a troubled expression.

No. Actually, calling her peculiar was being generous.

Wasn't she a person who could be called eccentric without any problem?

“Never turn on the lights first. Don’t nag. Don’t open the curtains. I think those are fixed. What’s ‘today’s peculiarity’?”

“...”

A look that said, ‘how on earth do you know that,’ came from Ahab, but I just smirked and let it slide.

No, well.

No matter how you look at it, Conqueror was a game where many baffling characters appeared, but among them, that person was at the top when it came to the level of difficulty in dealing with her.

There were quite a few characters in this world whose personalities were so strong they seemed to be mentally unstable, but still.

“Ah, I pressed it! I said I pressed it! Why won’t it dodge, you fucking piece of trash game-!”

“...Lady Leila. You have a guest.”

A ‘vampire’ abusing her keyboard, having lost all reason, well.

No matter how you looked at it, she didn't seem like someone you could easily get along with.

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