Meanwhile,
The skill stolen from the boss was âCollapseâ.
Although my mind was preoccupied with acquiring the Clone Technique, the efficiency of the Collapse skill was quite satisfactory.
In the case of Collapse, it was possible to temporarily create a sinkhole on dirt or sandy ground.
It worked on any terrain that wasnât hard. The hole wouldnât be very deep, but it was a skill sufficient for creating variables.
Among other spoils, a few magic stones were yielded to Yun Sang-mi.
The amount was embarrassingly small, even to offset the cost of a dungeon license.
Thus, reaching level 100 came to an end. Now, it was time to decide what to do with the hematite.
I had been pondering it from time to time, but this would be the first time to seriously consider it.
After parting ways with Yun Sang-mi, I planned to drop her off at her home with the intention of observing.
She had a second house in Tanbang-dong, Daejeon, where she stayed.
The original plan was to drop her off at her home and then check into a hotel to rest, butâ¦
I changed my mind seeing Yun Sang-miâs unusually pale complexion.
It seemed to be a problem that she had fainted due to the troubleshooter and then immediately continued with the dungeon assault.
So, after laying her in bed, I wet a towel thoroughly and placed it on her forehead, although it was an old-fashioned method.
I didnât forget to provide her with emergency medicine and warm water.
Being emotionally numb doesnât mean I donât know how to care for someone, though Yun Sang-mi seemed surprised.
âYou know how to nurse someone back to health, thatâs unexpected.â
âI knew you would say that.â
âIt must have been too much for my body, being subdued and knocked out by that lunatic.â
âI wonder if I rushed the dungeon assault too much.â
âNot at all. I was the one who suggested we go in. Itâs just the situation. You donât need to blame yourself.â
âAnyway, rest up. Iâll stay by your side until you wake up.â
âWow⦠Thatâs so unlike you.â
âMy blood may be cold, but Iâm not frozen. Instead of babbling, why not just sleep?â
âHeh, then can I be in your care?â
Yun Sang-mi tried to act fine, burying herself in the blanket with a playful expression.
Kang-hoo could feel it.
She definitely wasnât in good condition.
It was just an act; she wasnât okay. At the very least, she needed a proper sleep.
And sure enough,
In less than 10 seconds, Yun Sang-mi fell into a deep sleep, evidently exhausted.
Stepping out onto the terrace for a moment, Kang-hoo called Jung Yuri.
Having reached level 100 and with no Mad Solarkium left, there was now a definite reason to meet K.
I had thought about stopping by Osan Station on the way, but it seemed better to take care of necessary things first.
-Hello⦠Ugh.
Jung Yuriâs voice on the phone sounded like that of a dying person.
Of course, 6 a.m. wasnât exactly a suitable time for a call.
âDid I call too early?â
-No, itâs okay⦠Iâm fine, just give me a moment.
Immediately after, the sound of her washing her face vigorously could be heard. It was a real-life example of the expression âsplish splash.â
Then, a fully awakened Jung Yuri continued the conversation.
-I donât know why Iâm still tired even after sleeping so much. Maybe itâs because I changed my bed?
âIs it okay to talk?â
-Yes, itâs fine. Brother, have you started missing grandfather now?
âYeah. I need to go to Ground Zero. I have things to buy and questions to ask.â
How about we meet at Seoul Station tomorrow morning and go from there? Grandfather is closing up shop today.
âWhat does âclosing upâ mean?â
-Itâs also the day for harvesting Solarkium and organizing the stock!
âAh, then I definitely need to avoid today.â
-Right. Thatâs why I said letâs meet tomorrow morning.
âShall we take the train from Seoul Station?â
-No! Iâll arrange the transportation! You just need to come to Seoul Station. Is 7 a.m. okay?
âNo problem.â
-Then, tomorrow morning at 7, Iâll be gone!
The call ended with Jung Yuriâs playful voice.
It was slightly puzzling that she insisted on arranging transportation instead of taking the train.
This was because, once you leave Seoul and head towards the northern part of Gyeonggi, public safety becomes quite unstable.
Not only was the Abyss present in the north, but numerous criminal organizations were also stationed there.
Passing through the areas under the control of the Abyss was as safe as being in Seoul, thanks to Lee Hyun-seokâs management.
However, traveling through regions not under their control, which were lawless lands rife with kidnappings and attacks, was a different story.
It wasnât surprising to have a bazooka fired at cars moving on the road.
Jung Yuri couldnât be unaware of this, so she must have meant that she could arrange for a ride that ensured safety.
This would require a significant amount of money, making me curious about who she had in mind.
Perhaps it involved an enigmatic figure, possibly with the assistance of her grandmother.
Anyway, that was for tomorrow to reveal.
Kang-hoo decided to examine the Hematite upgrade while enjoying the cool breeze on the terrace.
It wouldnât do to proceed in the living room where Yun Sang-mi was sleeping, in case a bright flash occurred and caused a nuisance.
âLetâs set aside 2 of the 7 Hematites, just in case I come across a skill with good efficiency.â
He decided to use only five.
This was because it was possible to acquire skills later that were more compatible with Hematite. It was necessary to have reserves.
The first thing Kang-hoo invested Hematite in was a grade 5 item ring specialized in toughness, the Martial Godâs Play.
Normally, items canât be upgraded with Hematite.
However, items marked as âpossibleâ for upgrade, like the Martial Godâs Play, existed.
Since it was an item related to one of the valuable stats, toughness, the investment value of Hematite was sufficient.
The value of investing in Hematite for an item was maximized when upgraded to grade 2 or grade 1.
ãWould you like to proceed with the upgrade to a grade 4 item?ã
ãThis item can be upgraded with Hematite, consuming a total of 1 piece.ã
ãUpgrading to a grade 3 item will consume 2 pieces of Hematite.ã
Kang-hoo immediately confirmed.
Although he couldnât invest all the Hematites today, it was clear that investing one in advance was necessary.
ãMartial God's Play - Ringã
ãGrade: Grade 4ã
ãToughness +150ã
ãThis special item can be upgraded one grade higher using Hematite.ã
âNice.â
Thanks to the upgrade, the toughness stat increased from 50 to 150.
His current toughness is 495.
Normally, exceeding 500 toughness significantly reduces basic attack damage from hunters below level 75.
Ordinary attacks would hardly scratch him, making it difficult to even cause a scrape.
âTo reach grade 1, I need 2, 3, 4⦠a total of 9 pieces. Well, thatâs something to work on gradually.â
Though the efficiency of Hematite might feel low for now, Kang-hoo saw it as an investment for the future.
Preparations for the future were sufficient.
Now it was time to bring about immediate and definite changes.
Kang-hoo unhesitatingly chose Self-Defense â Stage 2 next.
It was an essential skill for Kang-hoo, who wanted to minimize investment in defensive movements or psychology.
ãWould you like to use 1 piece of Hematite to upgrade Self-Defense to Stage 3?ã
Minor messages continued to appear, but Kang-hoo deleted all the unimportant notifications.
The upgrade was completed instantly.
The disappearance of a single Hematite significantly changed the skill tooltip, making Kang-hoo wonder if it should really be this simple.
Seeing this, he thought about how much the hunter system resembled a game system.
ãSelf-Defense â Stage 3ã
ãSkill Proficiency: Lv. Maxã
ãPassive Skill. When activated, it takes 1 hour to reactivate.ã
ãBy activating Self-Defense, you can nullify all attacks from outside for 0.5 seconds.ã
ã33% of the owned mana can be used to reactivate Stage 2.ã
â0.5 seconds of absolute invincibility. And itâs saying that I can nullify two attacks non-selectively.â
Kang-hoo nodded, understanding the tooltip.
0.5 seconds could block any attack, and afterward, it could block two more attacks.
The word âabsoluteâ in item or skill evaluations always signifies a significant benefit.
Of course, itâs a skill that canât be used consecutively, requiring a time-based cooldown.
It seemed really useful for do-or-die moments or when a strategic counter is needed.
Relying on the invincibility judgment, itâs possible to rush in boldly. A very reliable insurance for an assassin.
Next, Kang-hoo invested a Hematite into the Illusion skill.
Originally, the skill had a 0.2-second absolute induction of illusion, making it a very useful skill.
After the upgrade, the absolute induction time of Illusion increased from 0.2 seconds to 0.75 seconds.
An increase of 0.55 seconds.
It might seem short as itâs less than a second.
But in that brief moment, a lot can happen in the world of hunters.
A minor injury could become severe, and a severe injury could lead to irreversible death.
Knowing the significance of that time, Kang-hoo felt the increase was substantial.
Next was Shadow Step.
Originally, it was possible to move to the position of one of five shadows.
Through the upgrade, it became possible to utilize all remaining shadows.
From the opponentâs perspective, they need to be cautious of not only the main body but also the positions of all five shadows.
It becomes a headache. Of course, for Kang-hoo, who enjoys outsmarting his opponents, this was exciting.
And the last Hematite was invested in the Clone Technique.
With just one Hematite, the skill firepower evaluation of the clone increased from 33% to 50%.
The ultimate goal is to have both the clone and the original yield 100% firepower.
Itâs a story for the distant future, but Kang-hoo believed he could eventually make it a reality.
âSigh. It feels like all the old blockages are being cleared away.â
After investing all Hematites except for the spare two, Kang-hoo let out a hot breath.
He had held his breath unconsciously while carefully examining the changed skill descriptions.
With the current configuration, it seemed much easier to compete with hunters at the level of Jeon Jong-du or troubleshooters.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
Of course, this was just speculation.
Lifting his gaze slightly and thinking about someone like Kang Dong-hyun made him feel constrained again.
However, even Kang Dong-hyun couldnât ignore and break through the judgment of absolute invincibility.
Kang-hoo felt good about using the Hematites efficiently across the board, anticipating significant benefits to come.
Just then,
ãThe Constellation 'Master of Shell Games' offers you the opportunity to spin a wheel without a miss.ã
He finally paid proper attention to the constellation message alert, which he had neglected due to being preoccupied elsewhere.
The message that caught his eye was left by the Constellation âMaster of Shell Gamesâ.
Yes. It was time to spin the wheel of fortune.