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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Hestia]
[Proofreader - Kaya]
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Chapter 19: The Path Not Taken (1)
A middle-aged man with slicked-back hair.
A long scar etched between his eyebrows marked the face of the man who sat behind a nameplate made of ivory.
[Baek Seonghyeon, Arhan Vice President]
The number one guild in Korea.
Arhan's second-in-command, and one of the few 7 Star Hunters in Korea, slowly opened his lips.
"A commercialized Intermediate Potion, you say?"
"Y-yes, that's correct."
Jeong Jinsu, who had been struck by an unexpected attack from Yoojin and had ignominiously rolled around the ring.
After the spar ended, he immediately reported to his superiors as soon as he received Yoojin's contact information.
And before he could even erase the bruise on his face with a healing spell, he was summoned to the vice president's office.
"In your opinion, Team Leader Jeong, how effective was it?"
"It healed broken bones instantly, so it's similar to the potions that come from Gates."
"Indeed. That aligns with the analysis of the recording from the spar."
Baek Seonghyeon indirectly confirmed that he had seen everything that transpired in the sparring field.
Jeong Jinsu lowered his head.
"I-I apologize, Vice Guild Leader."
"For what?"
"For tarnishing Arhan's honor. I will accept any punishment."
Scoff—
Baek Seonghyeon let out a sneer.
"How does your loss, Team Leader Jeong, tarnish Arhan's honor?"
"I was defeated in the guild training ground by a 1 Star Hunter with no background..."
"I didn't realize Arhan's honor was so fragile that it would be tarnished by the loss of a mere 3 Star Hunter."
Baek Seonghyeon's icy voice cut Jeong Jinsu off.
Jeong Jinsu trembled, and as if bowing his head wasn't enough, he fell to his knees.
"Do you understand what you did wrong now?"
"I-I dared to speak carelessly about Arhan's honor."
"I hope you won't be so frivolous with your words again."
Baek Seonghyeon waved his hand dismissively.
Jeong Jinsu bowed at a 90-degree angle, then backed out of the office, careful not to turn his back.
Beep—
His secretary rushed into the office as soon as he was summoned.
"Look into the source of the Intermediate Potion."
"Understood."
"And..."
Baek Seonghyeon trailed off.
Tap— Tap—
His right index finger repeatedly tapped the armrest.
The secretary knew this was a habit he had when lost in thought and waited patiently.
'That man... He's not ordinary.'
Before summoning Jeong Jinsu, he had already reviewed the recording of Yoojin's fight from the CCTV installed in the training ground.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that nothing happened in the Arhan Guild without Baek Seonghyeon's knowledge.
The reason he summoned Jeong Jinsu was to compare the CCTV footage with the account of the person involved.
'Even with a unique trait, is it possible to possess power that transcends one's rank?'
The faces of rankers from around the world flashed through Baek Seonghyeon's mind.
Arthur, the American Hunter who controlled the phantom beast Phoenix.
Diana Sting, who had a unique trait related to spirits.
He thought of several other rankers, but...
'There's no Hunter who can surpass their rank by two levels.'
Fafnir's power was so extraordinary that it was unprecedented.
Tap—
His index finger stopped tapping the armrest.
'He said he was a Priest. Then could it be a divine beast?'
A subtle smile played on Baek Seonghyeon's lips.
The Romanov family, one of the seven great clans with Odin as their guardian constellation, also commanded Einherjar as summons.
If...
If Yoojin had extraordinary talent as a Priest…
'He might have received a sacred beast, or even a divine beast with the potential to grow.'
Baek Seonghyeon smiled faintly at the plausible hypothesis.
Fafnir's combat abilities were beyond comprehension.
If he had been bestowed a divine beast, or a sacred being like an Einherjar, everything would make sense.
"Investigate that man, Cheon Yoojin."
"Understood."
"Anything, no matter how small. Find out everything, down to the color of his underwear."
"Yes, sir."
"And demote Team Leader Jeong Jinsu and transfer him back to being a team member."
He had to be punished thoroughly for losing to a 1 Star Hunter
and for daring to speak of Arhan's honor without knowing his place.
Finally satisfied, Baek Seonghyeon smiled brightly.
＊ ＊ ＊
His business at the Arhan Guild was finished.
He had promoted the Intermediate Potion, tested the effects of the new divine spells acquired from the Pantheon, and even had Fafnir's first real combat experience.
'Wow. This is almost too profitable.'
Mr. Park Seongwook, it was unpleasant working with you, and let's never meet again.
【I apologize for turning the body you painstakingly crafted for me into a rag.】
"Don't worry about it. It's just a bit of wear and tear."
An Eldritch Dragon.
Like a lich, as long as there was enough life force, it could be restored to its original form no matter how badly damaged.
Although he couldn't utilize that regenerative ability yet because he hadn't created a Life Force Vessel
'I just need the Darkness Orb I ordered from my partner to arrive.'
Darkness Orbs weren't common items, and since 'Warlocks' were an unpopular class, they weren't traded often.
He should be able to get it soon.
"How was your first real combat experience in 35 years?"
【I admit it. I was too arrogant and inexperienced.】
In the early days of the Great Cataclysm, very few Hunters had surpassed the 6 Star barrier.
Only exceptionally skilled 5 Stars, and those who had survived countless battles, could reach that supreme level.
Fafnir, before his death, was a talented Hunter who led the way among countless others.
It wasn't for nothing that he was mentioned in the same breath as the 7 Stars.
【Master, what's the highest rank among Hunters in the world right now?】
"9 Stars."
Dmitri, the Mage King of Russia.
Chang Wufei, the Martial King of China.
Currently, only two of the heads of the seven great families had reached the 9th rank.
【A lot has changed while I was clinging to a tree and lamenting. How merciless time is.】
Fafnir's thoughts were laced with self-deprecation.
"If you're not confident, just say so. I'll release you anytime."
【Heh. You have a strange sense of humor. Do you think I'll back down because of this?】
Hearing Yoojin's provocation, Fafnir replied confidently.
"Good. That's what I expect from my minion."
Bzzt—!
His phone vibrated. He took it out and saw a message from a familiar number.
[Little Runt Kang Minho]
Boss, we sold all the items from the last hunt.
[Cheon Yoojin]
Good job. Want to grab dinner tonight?
[Little Runt Kang Minho]
Sounds good to me. I'll send you the money right away.
The money was transferred to his account within 10 seconds.
Yoojin smiled softly.
"150 million won in three days."
【You're not adding an extra zero, are you?】
"Why would I do that?"
【If you're bluffing, I'll let it slide.】
"Look at this guy. After 35 years of being out of touch, he has no sense of money, does he?"
Items from Gates were all expensive.
Even low-rank magic stones contained mana, so corporations were buying them up.
The Gate inflation trend wouldn't die down for the next five years or so.
【I can't believe it. Back in my day, Hunters lived with only the pride of risking their lives to protect people!】
"Minion, what ancient times are you talking about?"
【The fleeting nature of time...】
"It's easy to earn, but just as easy to spend."
Strengthening undead required herbs found only in Gates or the border region.
He would earn a lot of money, but...
To maximize the effects of necromancy, he would have to spend a lot as well.
"Oh, Fafnir, do me a favor."
【You could just give me an order. It's ominous that you're asking instead.】
"You have the Eyes of the Martial God, don't you?"
【Indeed. It's a trait that allows me to grasp the core of any martial art.】
Unlike the Martial Mage trait, this was Park Haneul's S-rank trait that had been inherited even in his past life.
It wasn't bestowed by the system,
but an innate sense that Park Haneul possessed, which was why it was inherited.
"I know your specialty is hand-to-hand combat, but if you put your mind to it, couldn't you quickly learn spear techniques?"
【Master, bare-handed combat suits this body best to maximize its power. I don't think there's a need to use a spear.】
"Ah, about that. I want you to learn it and teach me."
Fafnir stared at Yoojin with a dumbfounded expression.
Could the expressions of the dead be so varied?
Or was Fafnir's thought process so intense that it moved his stiffened muscles?
Upon hearing Yoojin's request, countless words filled his mind.
With superhuman patience, Fafnir expressed himself with the most polite thought he could muster.
【That's insane!】
His blazing blue irises glared at Yoojin.
＊ ＊ ＊
Yoojin's next destination was the Hunter Market.
The payment for the hunt had come in, and since it wasn't far from Yeouido, it made sense to stop by.
【So you're serious.】
Fafnir, who had entered the Ring of Darkness, didn't hide his displeasure.
— I've been serious from the start.
【I don't know how often you'll be wielding a spear, but...】
— It's always best to be prepared for the worst-case scenario.
Indeed.
Even in his past life, there were several enemies who broke through his undead army and aimed for Yoojin's life.
He had been through so much that he had developed the skills to easily subdue goblins.
【If you're going to learn spear techniques, what about stat allocation?】
— My physical abilities are comparable to those of martial arts Hunters of the same level.
【You don't have a unique trait like [Martial Mage].】
— There's a divine spell called Life Drain.
A peculiar divine spell that enhanced physical abilities by stealing and absorbing the life force of monsters.
Its original purpose was to use the stolen life force for healing, but Yoojin was mainly utilizing its secondary effect of strengthening his body by accumulating biomatter.
【There's such a spell among Priest skills?】
— Since my stats are increasing anyway, it would be good to have a way to use them.
【That's a reasonable point.】
— If it gets to the point where I can't use it even after learning spear techniques, let me know. Then I'll stop.
【If you're saying that, Master, I can't refuse any further.】
Fafnir was finally convinced.
Although he could give orders as Fafnir's master, he intended to respect Fafnir's wishes as much as possible.
'From high-ranking undead onwards, combat power varies depending on the soul's autonomy.'
Indeed.
Just as people's efficiency differed depending on their condition, high-ranking undead with distinct egos were also subtly affected.
This was evidenced by the fact that Yoojin's main undead in his past life all had clear self-awareness.
'I will earn their heartfelt loyalty.'
The undead Yoojin created were basically imprinted with a sense of intimacy or obedience.
This meant that with a little effort, the bond between their souls could be quickly strengthened.
Even if that wasn't the case, he didn't want to arbitrarily break the will of a forgotten hero who had risked his life to save others.
'Now that I've persuaded him, all I need to do is find that skill book.'
Yoojin headed to the skill book store.
Countless skill books found within Gates were lined up on the bookshelves.
Before purchase, each skill book was locked to prevent unauthorized use, but...
All Hunters could check item information, so there was no problem in confirming the contents of the skill books.
【Master, do you have any spear techniques in mind?】
— Not particularly, but it has to be one without class restrictions.
Occasionally, auxiliary magic or less common martial arts didn't have class restrictions.
Although they were less efficient, there were some surprisingly decent skills among those that could be learned without restrictions.
'Take Light magic, for instance, or Naryutagon, a martial art focused on evasion. Though known for its comical rolling maneuvers, Naryutagon proved incredibly useful for dodging attacks in a pinch.’
Even in his past life, Yoojin had learned it and used it several times in critical situations.
It was quite useful, except for its lack of elegance.
'In this life, I'll learn a martial art that's both dignified and powerful.'
As he quickly scanned the skill books for sale in the market, Yoojin's eyes stopped at a certain point.
"Found it."
A faint joy resonated in his voice.
A semi-transparent item description window appeared before his eyes.
[Verdian Basic Spear Technique]
Rank: Common
Classification: Skill Book
Durability: 1/1
A book that records the basic spear techniques passed down in the Verdian family from another world.
Even a child can learn it if they understand the contents.
'Yes. This is it.'
The item description made it seem like a self-defense technique at best, but...
Yoojin smiled.
— If you perfectly master the Verdian Basic Spear Technique, you can learn Death Spiral, an Epic rank spear technique.
Those were the words of James Rothschild, the Spear Ghost of England.
A hidden element that would be revealed only in the distant future.
'I'll gladly take advantage of this opportunity.'
〔That bad habit of yours is showing again. What's so funny?〕
This was the privilege of a regressor.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Hestia
[Proofreader - Kaya]
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