Infinite Competitive Dungeon Society Chapter 112-114

Chapter 112. Requirements of a Dimensional Mercenary (5)

[The two G.o.ds are very prideful. Hesitation is not allowed with their true names on the line! If you don't make your decision in the next 10 seconds, you will miss your opportunity to obtain either name!]

"W-Woah! Let me get out of here first!"

No, no matter how fast I was, there wasn't enough time to ask Loretta! d.a.m.n it! Should I choose Thor, known for his strength? Or Should I choose Zeus, known as the king of the G.o.ds? d.a.m.n, without any knowledge of the dungeon, I didn't know which was better in the long run! No choice, I'll flip a coin! Heads will be Thor, and tails with be…!

"It's tails! Zeus!"

[You obtained the true name of Sky G.o.d Zeus! As you've already adapted to the true name of Hermes, you can adapt to Zeus' power more quickly.]

[The G.o.d of Thunder, Thor, is shocked that you did not choose his true name. G.o.ds close to him have begun to observe you.]

[Your strength and charm increase by 15%. All stats increase by 5. Affinity to all elements increases. Additionally, your affinity to the lightning element increases greatly.]

[Your body seethes with magic. Your magic increases by 20!]

[Once per day, you can use 'Sky G.o.d's Play.' While Sky G.o.d's Play is active, you can freely transform into anything you have seen with your eyes and will 'absolutely' not be discovered. You will still maintain your abilities, but equipment effects cannot be used if they are unequipped. The skill will last for one hour.]

[Once per month, you can use 'Sky G.o.d's Rage.' You can manifest Zeus' lightning bolt of punishment, forged by Hephaestus and the Cyclopes, into your weapon. Its power is absolute and may even slay a G.o.d, but when the lightning bolt is used against an unsuitable opponent, you will have to pay the price of your actions.]

I became dizzy and couldn't help but kneel in place. My body was unbearably hot. Pzzt. A spark flickered from my body. Kuk, it was painful… It was incomparable to the feeling of leveling up. It felt like someone was forcefully pulling on me. I, who was confined in a small and narrow body, was being spread out into a bigger and wider realm. All my energies were going wild in all directions. Although I couldn't perceive it before, because Hermes' power had gotten stronger, it was even worse.

'I see, so this is what Loretta meant…!'

In the past, when I obtained Hermes' power, she was relieved that it wasn't the true name of a G.o.d related to battle, war or violence. She said I wouldn't have been able to handle it. Now, I fully understood what she meant.

If it was the past me, my vitality would have hit zero the moment I received Zeus' true name and I would have been kicked out of the dungeon. I might have even received heavy injuries after returning to Earth. Zeus' power was that fierce, large, and violent.

For the next few dozens of minutes, I circulated Peruta Circuit with my hands on the ground, trying to adapt to Zeus' power. Although the wild energies around me raved without yielding to Peruta Circuit, the more I circulated Peruta Circuit, the more they began to listen to me. I felt relieved and finally became stable enough to read the messages I had gotten.

First, Zeus' transformation ability and lightning. The transformation ability seemed to have countless uses. As for the lightning, although it had a tricky condition and could be used only once per month, its power was undoubtedly something I could look forward to. Not to mention, since it was a lightning attribute attack, it could be amplified with Peika's power. It suited me perfectly.

Next were the effects of Zeus' true name. The increase to all stats was the same as Hermes' effect, but the 15% strength increase was astounding. Just like the Hermes t.i.tle increased the speed of my body by 15%, the Zeus t.i.tle increased the strength in all my movements by 15%. It was incomparable to my strength stat increasing by some amount. With this and the other abilities I received…

Couldn't I call myself an SS-ranker?

When the thought crossed my mind, my heart began to pound. It was possible. With Zeus' true name, the amount of mana I had shot up and my affinity to lightning increased to the point that my Elementalist powers could not keep up with it. Fighting with Ruyue previously, I felt that my connection with Ruyue was deeper than my connection with Peika, but it seemed it was instantly reversed.

I could feel with my body that Peika's destructive power had increased significantly. As I was now, I felt like I could deal a critical blow to Brightman, that lovable b.a.s.t.a.r.d.

"No, first, I have to save s.h.i.+na…"

Don't rush it. I didn't have to hurry to beat up Brightman. Not to mention, I wasn't completely sure I could win against him. Plus, I wasn't sure if Brightman was evil enough that Sky G.o.d's lightning would work on him. No, since he tried to kill me, he had attempted murder. Maybe it would work on him?

I cooled my vengeful mind and focused on Peruta Circuit. While reading the rest of the messages, I found something strange.

"Charm? Why did my charm increase?"

A thought then flashed in my mind. Zeus was known for cheating on his wife Hera and having children with other women. Was that why my charm increased…? Doubtful, I held my spear blade up and looked at my reflection. Thankfully, I didn't look or feel any different. I found it absurd that I was even considering it, but I would be troubled if any more girls said they liked me. My head was already a mess from Loretta and Ye-Eun.

'Next is… Dimensional Travel.'

The reward for Wendigo's first achievement, Dimensional Travel Magic Book! Its name clearly revealed its ident.i.ty. I picked up the magic book without much thought, and in that instant, I felt a new power being vested in me, along with a tingling sensation. If obtaining Zeus' power felt like standing on a hill where lightning fell like rain, the feeling from just now was like dunking my feet into icy water.

[You learned Dimensional Travel magic. Once every three months, you can travel to the dimension of someone on your friend list. Once used, you cannot use this magic again during the cooldown period no matter what. It is recommended that you prepare a precautionary measure. The number of people you can bring with you increases and the cooldown time decreases with skill level.]

[You can become a Dimensional Mercenary. Ask the Residential Area administrators for more info!]

Yes! I clenched my fists. I obtained the qualifications to become a Dimensional Mercenary too easily! Plus, I had even received unexpected powers. Although I told myself not to get overconfident, I couldn't calm down. It was dangerous. Was it because Hermes' power and Zeus' power were going wild? This d.a.m.ned sense of omnipotence wasn't disappearing, even though it wasn't my real self that got stronger!

Now that I thought about it, I had not even checked Hermes' new power, Caduceus. I checked the description for Caduceus and my eyes opened wide.

This was… a cheat!

I left the Floor Master room. I wanted to report to Loretta about obtaining a new G.o.d's true name, about the cla.s.s upgrade for becoming Gold Ranked and also about the additional subcla.s.s I could obtain. However, when Loretta saw me, she acted strangely. The moment she looked at me, she slowly got up from her bed, then let out a short sigh. Then, she approached me.

"… Huu."

"Loretta?"

"s.h.i.+n-nim, tell me straight out. What happened to you?"

"L-Loretta? I should be asking what happened to you! Why are you approaching me?"

"Tell me quickly. My self-control as the Elf Queen is being disrupted. Keep in mind that this is not normal."

As she directly said her self-control was being disrupted, Loretta was approaching me with the eyes of a beast following its prey!

"Come on, tell me. We're both going to be too busy to listen in a bit, so I want to at least hear what happened before I completely lose my reason."

"No! You sound like you're more than capable of maintaining your reason! What do you mean we'll be too busy to listen!? What are you trying to do!?"

This woman, she lost it! For a moment, I considered using Orc Lord's Warcry. Thankfully, after Loretta had forcefully taken off my armor, I managed to bring her back to reality with a full-force whack on her head.

"Huk! What did I just do?"

"Don't hold onto my collar as you say that! Let go!"

"No, since we've already come this far…"

"Do you need me to hit you again?"

"Tsk, you coward."

"Loretta, that's enough. It's really scary."

"So? How are you emitting so much charm that you can even pierce my mental defense? It's even continuous and not a one-shot."

I told Loretta everything that happened. Her expression when I told her I got a second G.o.d's true name was quite a sight. When I told her I chose Zeus between Thor and Zeus, she let out a long sigh.

"That's good… I'm relieved."

"Is Thor that bad?"

"Yes. Objectively speaking, he falls a step behind Zeus. If you obtained Thor's true name, you might have gotten stronger in the short term, but that would be it. In the long run, Zeus' true name will be several times stronger. Olympian G.o.ds are generally above Asgardian G.o.ds. It's because they are immortal."

"Ah…!"

Right. G.o.ds from Greek Mythology were immortal. However, G.o.ds from Norse Mythology were fated to die from Ragnarok, and only a small number of G.o.ds survived Ragnarok. So the fates of the G.o.ds from mythologies affected their power…

"You did well. You just have to continue like that. Here's a question. If s.h.i.+n-nim had the opportunity to choose between Odin and Ares' true name, whose should you choose?"

"Ares, right?"

"No, it's Odin."

"Why!?"

"Because the kings of G.o.ds are different. How can you compare Ares and Odin? s.h.i.+n-nim already has Hermes and Zeus' true name. If you get another chance to choose between two G.o.ds' true names, you need to thoroughly compare their abilities and affinity to you. Ah, this doesn't mean s.h.i.+n-nim can obtain Odin's true name. There's already an explorer who has Odin's true name…"

"… Loretta?"

Loretta's complexion turned dark for a moment, so I couldn't help but call out her name. At my worried call, Loretta raised her head and smiled.

"Alright, next was… your cla.s.s?"

"… Yes."

My main cla.s.s as an Elementalist could be strengthened. I thought it was like the 2nd cla.s.s advancement in games. However, just like how there were requirements for one to get their 2nd cla.s.s advancement in games, there were requirements I had to fulfill to advance my Elementalist cla.s.s. The biggest requirement was my skills. Regarding this, Loretta said I didn't need to be impatient, as my ability would automatically improve when the requirements were met.

More important was the subcla.s.s. According to Loretta, explorers did not get many chances to obtain subcla.s.ses. As such, we had to try to get them when we could. As such, I chose Tamer as my second subcla.s.s.

[You obtained the 'Tamer' subcla.s.s. Your charm and luck increase by 10 through the cla.s.s advancement bonus.]

[You obtained the cla.s.s active skill, 'Taming.' Taming is based on your charm. The higher the skill level, the higher your charm, the more weakened your target is and the greater the disparity between you and your target's strength, the higher your chance of success will be. The chance of success also increases if your target is the opposite s.e.x. When Taming succeeds, you can command your target as a subordinate, and you can completely turn your target into your follower by deepening the bond and giving the target a name.]

[You obtained the cla.s.s pa.s.sive skill, 'Spirit of the Tamer.' It becomes easier to alleviate your target's hostility and to increase their disposition towards you. The potency and number of tamable targets increase with skill levels. Current tamable targets: 2]

[Your tamed subordinates can accompany you in Event Dungeons and the normal dungeon. However, your subordinates cannot come back to life once they die, so be careful.]

Feeling the Tamer's power being vested in me, I opened my eyes. I had made all the preparations that I could. I took care of the matter with the Floor Master, the G.o.d's true name, and my new subcla.s.s. All that was left to do was to become a Dimensional Mercenary. When I was about to head to the Residential Area, Loretta grabbed my shoulders. Her eyes were flas.h.i.+ng fearfully.

"Where are you going in that state?"

"Huh? Why?"

"You need to do something about that charming aura. If you go out like this, you'll bring about a total calamity."

That's probably not right. Because Loretta liked me… Though it was a bit embarra.s.sing to say, it was because Loretta saw me favorably that she went crazy. However, no matter what I said, Loretta would not let go. In the end, I gave up.

"Okay! Fine, I'll do it!"

Just like that, I had to take 30 minutes out of my busy schedule to learn how to conceal my charm. Like the old saying went, good news always came with bad news!

Author's note:

A lot of people chipped in their opinions, and many made great points. Although Thor seemed to be better in terms of brute strength, Zeus' immortality and his main weapon (lightning) suited s.h.i.+n well. In truth, I thought Thor and Zeus were both a good match, but an overwhelming number of people wanted Zeus… cough. It has nothing to do with the fact that he's a womanizer!
s.h.i.+n will become a Dimensional Mercenary in the next chapter! Wait, s.h.i.+na!

For the record, Thor's true name's effects were: 25% strength increase, 10% intelligence decrease, summoning Mjolnir, etc…

Chapter 113. Requirements of a Dimensional Mercenary (6)

30 minutes later, I headed to the Residential Area's trading center with Loretta, who was too worried to send me alone. At the trading center, I saw a hobgoblin looking over doc.u.ments as always. Explorers moved busily, trying to sell their items directly or through auctions and also registering themselves on the noticeboard. Feeling the numerous gazes that fell on us the moment we appeared, I walked toward the trading center's administrator.

"Oh if it isn't Kang s.h.i.+n! … And Guild Master?"

The one in charge of the trading center today wasn't Meladel, but Eladel. Although I couldn't really tell them apart, Loretta was there to whisper to me.

"She's linking arms with Kang s.h.i.+n…. Hu, right. I remember."

"h.e.l.lo, Eladel. I'm sorry, but there's something I'd like to ask."

As he was grinning while looking at Loretta, I turned his attention toward me.

"Are you two getting married?"

"Yeah, we're doing it now!"

"No, we're not!"

At the word 'married,' Loretta became overly excited and pulled on my arm. I flicked her head lightly and calmed her down.

"I want to become a Dimensional Mercenary."

"… You, aren't you a Hero?"

"Yes. I know what a Hero is too. I want to become a Dimensional Mercenary."

"That's… something I can't recommend. A Hero working as a Dimensional Mercenary… I've never heard of it before. Although Dimensional Mercenaries work in a certain degree of safety, if you, a Hero of a world, dies in another world…"

"I won't die. Plus, imagining myself with a collar on my neck just because I'm a Hero gives me gooseb.u.mps. If you say no, I'll give up being a Hero."

"If it's something you can give up so easily, Heroes wouldn't have agonized for such a long time…"

"Eladel, do as he says. s.h.i.+n-nim has the right to do as he wishes, and you don't have the right to stop him."

Loretta bluntly spoke to Eladel who seemed to be hesitating. Perhaps Loretta followed me because she knew Eladel would be troubled at my request.

"Guild Master… Is that what you think?"

"Yes. It's not like s.h.i.+n-nim asked to be the Hero. Plus, s.h.i.+n-nim said he would be a Dimensional Mercenary. Dimensional Mercenaries are existences that both the dungeon and worlds need. As dangerous as it is, the reward is also big. We should respect s.h.i.+n-nim's courage."

"Even if you say that, being a Dimensional Mercenary is dangerous. I can only see his courage as foolish. … You, are you not projecting someone else onto him?"

"Do you want to die, Eladel?"

Startled, I unlinked Loretta's arms from mine. I felt that Loretta had said something that didn't suit her in the slightest. The Loretta just now did not seem like the Loretta I knew. I couldn't stay still, as she seemed too unfamiliar. I could tell that Eladel's body also froze when he heard her.

When I was about to instinctively distance myself from Loretta, she had gone back to her smiling face. It was the Loretta that I knew.

"Don't say such a cruel joke. There's no way I can compare s.h.i.+n-nim with anyone."

"I-It was my bad, Guild Master."

"Don't say that from now on, okay?"

"Yes."

As Eladel answered, still trembling from before, Loretta linked her arm back onto mine tightly, as if to prevent me from running away. I hesitated a little, then softly stroked her arm.

Loretta was Loretta. She had things she didn't want to tell me and appearances she didn't want to show me. Without a doubt, some of them would provoke a certain degree of repulsion from me. However, the Loretta that didn't know what to do because I had discovered it was the Loretta I knew.

"I won't run away, so you don't have to grab onto me so strongly."

"… Really?"

Loretta turned toward me and asked with worrying eyes. I lightly smiled and nodded my head.

"Of course."

"Then do you want to go to the wedding hall like this?"

"No."

"Tsk."

After confirming that I had met the requirements to become a Dimensional Mercenary, becoming one was easy. I just had to submit an application.

[You became a Dimensional Mercenary! You can now accept requests and receive rewards as a Dimensional Mercenary!]

When I was blankly listening to the message that I had become a Dimensional Mercenary, Eladel gave me an additional explanation.

"In the First Dungeon, there are currently 57 active Dimensional Mercenaries. You will, of course, become the youngest of them. Dimensional Mercenaries can accept requests from the Residential Area's request noticeboard."

"Where do requests come from?"

"Most of the time, an explorer in need of Dimensional Mercenaries submits a request application to the administrative guild, and if the guild see that it is appropriate, the request will appear on the noticeboard. Then, any Dimensional Mercenary can accept the request. In some cases, the requests come from the dungeon. In this case, the job will be extremely difficult, so you'll have to prudent when accepting such requests."

"What about the rewards?"

"Isn't it obvious? Depending on the results and the level of one's contribution, the dungeon will provide gold, stat points, skill points, skills, or magic. You can even obtain special equipment. There are also cases where the requester gives additional rewards as thanks."

The rewards were indeed attractive, especially the stat points and skill points. I could see why others worked as Dimensional Mercenaries. I then asked.

"What happens if you give up and return?"

"Simple. You won't be able to accept another request for half a year. It's the duration of Dimensional Travel's cooldown time."

Dimensional Travel's cooldown time was half a year? Mine was undoubtedly half of that, three months. Plus, the cooldown time would decrease when the skill level went up. It was then that I remembered that I was the first explorer to defeat Wendigo alone on my first try. That was probably where the difference came from.

That said, didn't that mean there was practically no penalty?

"That's it?"

"Remember this, Kang s.h.i.+n. Dimensional Mercenaries are in a dominant position over the requesters. They're only working to get the skills and stats the dungeon will provide. Unless the requester provides an extremely attractive reward, they will do as they want."

Feeling my image of Dimensional Mercenaries as superheroes shattering, I continued.

"One last thing. How do I check the requests?"

"As long as you're within the Residential Area, you can call the request noticeboard at any time and check it there. That's also a special right given to Dimensional Mercenaries."

With that, I had heard everything I wanted to. I nodded my head, thanking him, then immediately opened the request noticeboard. Ludia most likely did not put in a request. However, Ludia and Shuna couldn't be the only survivors of Luka continent.

As I thought, there was a recent request by a Luka continent explorer. After reading it, I nodded my head. The contents matched what I hoped to do. To save the Luka continent's kidnapped princess.

[If you accept the request, you will arrive at the Ehuir Empire. Upon completing the request, you can take any item from the Imperial Palace's treasure vault. I, Ehuir Empire's Kiros Knight Commander Bellode, promise. The Demon Lord has been gravely injured by the Hero, so I can guarantee that you will not need to fight the Demon Lord. However, you may need to fight high ranking demons, so only those confident in their abilities should come. On the day of Pallia, six in the afternoon, we will depart together.]

Reading the request, I took a deep breath, then accepted it.

[You accepted Bellode Iraus' request. Including you, 12 Dimensional Mercenaries have accepted the request so far.]

I was relieved. Perhaps it was because they did not need to fight the Demon Lord, but quite a few Dimensional Mercenaries had accepted the request! Of course, if the situation became dangerous, they would leave Luka continent, but I was relieved that there was still so many of them. With a cheery voice, I messaged Ludia.

"Ludia, I became a Dimensional Mercenary. I'm going to your continent to save s.h.i.+na."

[Stupid, it's dangerous! Don't come!]

"… Don't come? Don't tell me, you…?"

Ludia answered after a bit of silence.

[Right. I returned to the Luka continent.]

"You…!"

[Even if my world will collapse, I can't just stay still when my sister's been kidnapped. If I run, I won't be able to live a proper life… so I'm going to go save s.h.i.+na.]

It seemed she had already made up her mind. Although she was trembling after the Hero fell, she was now burning, as if she was prepared to die. Not looking after her own safety was foolish, yet it was incredibly beautiful and worthy of respect. Rather than being touched, however, my sense of unease was greater. It was becoming more and more like the situation from my dream.

I asked.

"Are your parents fine?"

[Yeah, they're both armed, fighting against the invading demons with the empire's knights and magicians. After all, they're both First Dungeon explorers.]

"That's the first time I heard about that, but that's good to hear."

It seemed not everything was like my dream. A dream was a dream. Not everything from it could be the truth. After all…

"The Ludia from my dream had big b.r.e.a.s.t.s…"

[T-They're going to get bigger! I'm still growing! Plus, the size of my b.r.e.a.s.t.s has nothing to do with you! N-Nothing at all! Not even a little!]

Ah, I accidentally sent that as a message! But Ludia, I don't think there's any chance that your b.r.e.a.s.t.s will get any bigger… In any case, I raised my voice to cover my mistake.

"Anyways, I'm going. Let me help you."

[Don't come! If it's doable with just you, then it's fine even if you're not here! And if we're going to fail… You being there won't make it a success…]

"No, I'm coming. I can't leave you alone."

It seemed Ludia was still underestimating me. I had many trump cards in my a.r.s.enal. I doubted I could do anything against the Demon Lord, but I at least had ways to turn the battlefield around completely.

However, Ludia didn't respond.

"… Ludia?"

[Uk! You stupid! I'm Ehuir Empire's crown princess. No one's going to leave me alone! Y-You're self-conscious!]

Her voice was shaking slightly as she responded. I may have made her angry. Even so, I had no intention of backing down.

"I'll be there soon, wait for me."

[You can come if you want to come so much! It's not my problem if you die though. I don't care about your world at all!]

After shouting, Ludia hung up. I grinned and checked my equipment. Next to me, Loretta was standing there with worried eyes.

"If it gets dangerous, you have to use Return without hesitation, okay?"

"Of course."

"Do you have enough potions? You might have to sleep outside, so should I let you borrow my bed?"

"You want me to sleep outside on a bed? It's fine. I have a sleeping bag and tent in my inventory."

"Are you missing anything? You should check one more time."

"Ah, now that you mention it."

There was something I decided to do before I left. Since I didn't know what would happen, I wanted to make myself as strong as possible. There was one thing I could do now.

It was to raise my skill levels.

Author's note:
The one evidence no one expected, showing s.h.i.+n's dream wasn't absolute! d.a.m.n, I at least wanted that part to be true!

Chapter 114. Avarice Swallows Everything (1)

Using skill points, I could raise the level of a skill by 1. According to Loretta, however, every time you used skill points to increase the level of a skill, you would need double the amount of skill points the next time you wanted to raise its level.

It may not seem like a big deal, but it was. The first time it would be 1 skill point, but it would then be 2, 4, 8 and so on. To raise a single skill by 5 levels, you would need 31 skill points. As such, I had decided to save them for when I felt my growth was stunted.

Of course, now was an exception. I currently had 20 skill points. Even if I needed to exhaust them, I needed to make myself stronger.

"First, one into spear technique."

My spear technique recently became high-rank level 6. With one point, it would become high-rank level 7.

[Spear Technique skill became high-rank level 7! External mana will naturally flow into your attacks without the use of your own mana. The chance of critical hits increases greatly when stabbing with your spear.]

[As you forcefully raised your level of attainment with a skill point, it may take some time for your body to adapt to the skill level.]

I felt like my body was being pressed strongly, like someone was trying to forcefully stuff me with the concept of getting stronger. To be honest, it wasn't a good feeling. If possible, I wanted to rely on my own strength to increase my spear technique levels…

"No, I just need to completely learn it with my body."

Perhaps it was the flaw of using skill points. I got the feeling that I couldn't fully utilize the power of my high-rank level 7 spear technique. Like it said, it seemed I needed some time to adapt. I fell deep into thought. I originally wanted to master my spear technique, but if it was like this, there was no meaning to mastering my spear technique with skill points.

This sense of unfamiliarity and distance would only increase if I raised my spear technique level more, and it would take even longer for me to adapt to the level of attainment a true spear technique master should have. I would at least be unable to fully utilize the power of a spear technique master during the request.

In that case, it was probably better to raise other skill levels. Otherwise, the results might be worse than throwing away the skill points.

I wanted to raise my Elemental Contract skill to contract another elemental, but my Elemental Contract skill was currently mid-rank level 4. Even if I used all my skill points, I could not bring it up to level 9. As such, this was not the best idea.

I had to think of another method. A skill that could have immediate effects with increased skill level, something that I did not need to adapt to… A thought then flashed in my mind like lightning.

Divine Speed.

"Alright, one for now."

[Divine Speed became level 7. When used, it uses 14% of your mana to multiply your speed by 750% for 1.5 seconds.]

"Huk."

No way. At level 6, in multiplied by speed by 700% for 1 second. The increase was just too big. Plus, just like I thought, this skill didn't take time for me to adapt to it! This was it! As if I was possessed by something, I continued to use my skill points.

[Divine Speed became level 8. When used, it uses 13% of your mana to multiply your speed by 800% for 2 seconds.]

[Divine Speed became level 9. When used, it uses 12% of your mana to multiply your speed by 900% for 2.5 seconds.]

With the point I used to raise my spear technique level, I had used 8 skill points so far. I still had 12 left. I only needed 8 skill points to master Divine Speed. There was no need to hesitate. I could clearly see the shocking increase every time the skill level went up. I then used 8 skill points on Divine Speed.

[You mastered Divine Speed. When used, it uses 10% of your mana to multiply your speed by 1,000% for 3 seconds. Your affinity to the wind element increases greatly!]

I let out a long sigh. Using 10% of my mana to multiply my speed by 1,000% for 3 seconds. It was worth, no, more than worth the skill points I had spent. Plus, mastering it also raised my affinity to the wind element greatly!

"This… This might even be stronger than all of my other abilities combined."

I had a 145% base speed increase, which became 1,450% when multiplied by 10. With Divine Speed, the destructive power of my attacks would not be as simple as my speed increasing. Of course, it would be difficult for me to adapt to the speed that was 14.5 times faster. My opponent might have a defense skill or a skill that increased their own speed, so I couldn't say this skill would be invincible.

Even so, it was clear that this skill would become one of my main skills. It would let me output an overwhelming destructive force, and if it only used 10% of my mana, I would be able to use it without much burden.

Alright, now I had 4 points left. First, I put a point into Peruta Circuit. I suspected that it was similar to spear technique in that putting another point in was discouraged.

[Peruta Circuit became level 6! You can more easily maintain Peruta Circuit during battle. Your circulation speed increases and draws in more mana. While Peruta Circuit is active, rotational force will be added to all your movements, greatly increasing their destructive power.]

[As you forcefully raised your level of attainment with a skill point, it may take some time for your body to adapt to the skill level.]

As expected, it was hard to say Peruta Circuit had grown completely. I had the feeling I was wearing armor that didn't fit me.

That said, there was a clear difference between level 5 and level 6 Peruta Circuit. It became easier to gather mana during combat and rotational force would be added to all movements. I realized why Peruta was so proud of this technique. It even made me consider raising its skill level again.

However, I held myself back. Whether Peruta Circuit or my spear technique, any more would make it hard for me to handle their change. I was afraid that it might even harm my techniques.

Most importantly, there was a skill I wanted to raise with the remaining skill points.

[Soul Guard became level 4. Your soul's league grows higher, making you unfazed by standard mental attacks.]

[Soul Guard became level 5. Your soul's league grows higher, making you overwhelm others naturally and giving you a small resistance against mental and even magical attacks. The chance of receiving critical hits decreases.]

"Huhu, it really is an amazing skill."

I still wasn't confident in my mental defenses. What I had to watch out for the most in Luka continent weren't things I could not handle with my physical ability, but mental attacks! Of course, if I could completely adapt to spear technique or Peruta Circuit, I would have chosen one to put all my skill points into, but that wasn't the case. As such, I decided to increase my Soul Guard skill.

The result was more than satisfactory. I didn't think I would even get resistance against magical attacks. As expected of a secret reward. Confirming that my choice hadn't been wrong, I checked my stats with all the changes.

[Name: Kang s.h.i.+n Race: Human s.e.x: Male

Level: 51

Strength - 149(+81) Dexterity - 140(+49) Const.i.tution - 129(+51)
Intelligence - 32(+44) Magic - 131(+69) Charm - 87(+84) Luck - 39(+34)

Normal Skills - High-rank Martial Arts (Lv 4), High-rank Spear Technique (Lv 7), Low-rank Crossbow Marksmans.h.i.+p (Lv 9), Low-rank Gale Track (Lv 2), Mid-rank White Lightning Consecutive Strike (Lv 3), Mid-rank Heroic Strike (Lv 8), Mid-rank Provoke (Lv 6), Divine Speed (Master), Return (Lv 4), Heavy Armor Mastery (Lv 3), Mid-rank Dash (Lv 4), Peruta Circuit (Lv 6), Soul Guard (Lv 5), Dimensional Travel (Lv 1), Deific Manifestation, Death Counter, Riding

Cla.s.s Skills - Mid-rank Spirit Mastery (Lv 7), Mid-rank Spirit Aura (Lv 4), Mid-rank Elemental Control (Lv 4), Mid-rank Elemental Contract (Lv 4), Mid-rank Elemental Blade (Lv 2), Mid-rank Elemental Tempest (Lv 4), Thunder Beast (Lv 2).

Subcla.s.s Skill - Endow Skill, Taming (Lv 1), Spirit of the Collector, Spirit of the Tamer (Lv 1)]

[Equipment:

Blood Succubus' Earring (Magic +15, Intelligence +5, Charm +20. Emits a scent that easily attracts members of the opposite s.e.x.)

Crimson Dragon Scale Armor (All stats +10, Strength +10, Dexterity +10. Effect of Charge type skills +60%. Can use Crimson Roar.)

Crimson Gluttony Spear (Strength +30, Fire damage added to all basic attacks, Can inflict burn status effect.)]

[Tatoo:
Giant Wolf's Tattoo (Speed +30%, Attack power of charge type skills +50%)]

[Collector's Pocket Watch:

2 o'clock: Vengeful Spirit's Wail

4 o'clock: Dragon Skin

6 o'clock: Undead Roar

8 o'clock: Shadow Blink
9 o'clock: Gigantic]

[3 Event Dungeon clears, 2 Event Raid clear, acc.u.mulated bonus stats: 7]

[Current skill points: 0]

[Thirteen t.i.tle-effects: (Orc Lord Slayer, Wraith Queen Slayer, Dark Ratman Slayer, Giant Ghoul Slayer, Skeleton Knight Slayer, Dullahan Slayer, Lizard Knight Master, Grim Reaper Master, Giant Wolf Master, Wendigo Master, Hermes, Zeus). Acc.u.mulated effects: All stats +24, Speed +15%, Strength +15%, Charm +15%, Critical hit rate x2 against skeleton-type monsters, Critical damage +50% against opponents with bones, increased affinity to all elements x2, affinity to the wind element greatly increased, affinity to the lightning elemental greatly increased, can summon Talaria once per day, can summon Caduceus once per month, can use Sky G.o.d's Play once per day, can use Sky G.o.d's Range once per month.]

[Contracted Elementals

2. Ruyue (Ice elemental)]

[Tamed subordinates:
1. Plene (Siren)]

Looking at the long list, I felt strange. The fruits of my 5 years of work were shown on my status. However, they were most likely lacking compared to other Dimensional Mercenaries, who must have spent a long time collecting skills points and stats.

Let's get stronger so that I don't have to worry about my lack of ability when I'm trying to go save a friend. I wanted strength that would allow me to freely do as I wished. I wanted strength that would allow me to send anyone flying that tried to kill me just because I was a Hero.

Then, when I was about to use Dimensional Travel, Loretta grabbed me.

"s.h.i.+n-nim, don't tell me you're going right away?"

"I am. I'm leaving Plene behind too. I don't think her mental attacks would be good enough against the demons anyways, and I can't let her die."

"That's not what I mean. You might not be able to come back for a few days, so shouldn't you say something to your parents?"

"Ah…"

I hadn't even thought about it, as my head was filled with thoughts about Ludia and s.h.i.+na. But now that I thought about it, there was cla.s.s today too! After being contacted yesterday by Ludia, I broke through the 50th floor without even getting a wink of sleep, and even became a Dimensional Mercenary. Whoa, mother and Yua had called me several times and sent me countless messages…

"I'll… go say goodbye."

"Yes, you should. Also, remember to put in a good word about me to your mother."

"No, I won't."

"Why!?"

I immediately went home and told my family what was going on. Mother and Yua immediately looked at me with doubtful eyes and Walker bluntly said I was lying. However, I didn't say anything more. Since I couldn't let them worry about me for nothing, I had just told them that I had something important to take care of for a few days.

Then, I told only father the truth.

"I heard about it too. That Luka continent was in trouble."

"Yes, father. I became something called a Dimensional Mercenary. I'm going to go help my friends."

Father was silent for a moment, then reached out and patted my head.

"Yeah, go help your friends. I'm proud of you."

"Yes, father. I will be back."

"Don't come back all beaten up."

"Of course. I'm father's son."

Should I tell Ye-Eun and Hwaya too? No, there was no need to tell everyone about it. I only sent them messages saying I would be busy with the dungeon for a few days, then went back to the dungeon. Loretta, who had gone back to the Floor Shop, blinked her large golden eyes and asked.

"Oh? You came back? I thought you'd go straight to Luka continent."

"Yeah, I thought I should say goodbye to Loretta too."

"How rare of you to say something so praiseworthy… Eit, I'll go for it!"

Loretta flew herself over the counter and dove at me. As expected of an elf, she was incredibly fast. Even while I was fl.u.s.tered, I caught her so that she wouldn't get hurt. When I let out a sigh of relief, Loretta's face was right in front of mine.

"Surprised?"

"Yes! Uup."

The next moment, I was even more surprised. Loretta had suddenly kissed me. Looking at Loretta's eyes in front of me, I blinked. I couldn't understand what just happened. Well, Loretta's lips and my lips touched…. Eeeeeeh!?

[You received the Queen Elf's High Blessing. The effect will last for four days. You are protected against all low-rank and mid-rank status effects. You can maintain your consciousness for 5 minutes after falling into a half-dead state. Your luck increases by 100. All members of the Faerie race will see you favorably. Your vitality and magic recovery rate increases greatly, and you will not get tired easily. Your attacks have an increased chance to land critical hits.]

A message rang in my ears, but I wasn't in the state of mind to listen to it calmly. While I was standing there blankly, Loretta brought her head back and made a 'mmm' noise. Her face was red like it would explode at any time. Thinking about the touch of her lips left on my lips, I was unable to say or do anything. Loretta then said in a quiet voice.

"Don't misunderstand, s.h.i.+n-nim."

"W-What?"

"I didn't kiss s.h.i.+n-nim because I wanted to give you a blessing. I did it because I love you. Got it?"

There were many things I wanted to say. I didn't know we had this kind of relations.h.i.+p, I don't remember accepting you, that was my first kiss, etc, etc.

However, this was what I chose to say.

"O….Okay."

"Good. Then you can go now."

… For some reason, I felt like I was being tamed by Loretta. No, it couldn't be! However, because I didn't initially get mad, talking about it now would be awkward. In the end, I could only use Dimensional Travel while still thinking about her warmth left on my lips. I was the opposite of calm.

My destination was the Luka continent. We would rendezvous at Ehuir Empire's Imperial Palace.

The moment I used Dimensional Travel, I felt a pain like my body was being squeezed dry. The surrounding scenery melted, as did my body. The entire world became black, then turned bright again. My body was torn to shreds, glued back together, then torn to shreds again.

"Mmm…"

"Eh? It's a new face."

"Don't tell me, there's a new Dimensional Mercenary? Haa, I didn't even notice."

"He's handsome…"

After losing my consciousness, I half-opened my eyes from the sounds I heard around me. There were about a dozen people staring at me.

I realized I was lying on the ground and picked myself up. There were knights and magicians lined up in the wide hall I was in. I even saw Ludia who was half-frowning.

There was no doubt. This was the Luka continent.

My first request as a Dimensional Mercenary had started.

Author's note:

My apologies, Your Excellency, but the status window took up 1,000 characters. I was afraid of the reader's wrath, so I increased the amount!

The math in the speed increase might be wrong from my lack of knowledge, so forgive me. Do tell me if it's wrong.

Everyone, I'll just say it again. s.h.i.+n can appoint a new explorer for becoming a Gold rank explorer (this is on top of getting another subcla.s.s).

PS - I get the feeling we've already gone into Loretta route…
PS2 - Today was the first time Loretta used High Blessing. What could this mean?

Translator's note:
Toika, at least make your author's note small… I looked at the number of pages for this chapter and almost fell out of my chair…