Chapter 91 : Chapter 91

{"type":"doc","content":[{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"Chapter 91. I Can't."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"When Hyunwoo came to his senses again, he was in complete darkness."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"Whoosh―"}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"Even when he swung his arm, he hit nothing."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"It just felt like he was stirring the empty air."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"The mystery of this unfamiliar world remained completely unsolved."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"‘This place… where am I?’"}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"His voice wouldn't come out."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"He understood that this was the trial for getting the tattoo."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"But beyond that, it was a domain that even he, the developer, knew nothing about."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"Because what he had created were the results of succeeding or failing to get the tattoo, not the process itself."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"‘Van told me not to be swayed.’"}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"In a space with nothing in it, it was impossible to be swayed even if he tried."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"His advice wasn't very helpful."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"Instead of inspecting his unseen surroundings, Hyunwoo began to feel his own body."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"He felt his firmly trained body."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"…Which meant he wasn't wearing anything."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"Literally, a primal state."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"No clothes, no Cheonbyeondo, no earrings, and no Footsteps of the Abyss."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"Just then, he began to feel something on his bare feet."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"Coarse, yet soft, and also damp, this was…."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"‘Soil?’"}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"The moment Hyunwoo looked down, his vision began to brighten."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"He could see the black soil that had squeezed between his toes."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"And, looking around, he saw that the area was filled with numerous tombstones."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"Countless tombstones on an endlessly stretching black land."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"He quickly realized he was in the middle of a massive graveyard."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"He approached one tombstone."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"Looking at it up close, he was uncertain and tilted his head."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"‘Is this… a tombstone?’"}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"Its appearance was clearly that of a tombstone."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"But the most important thing was missing."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"The inscription that should be on a tombstone."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"On the cleanly maintained-looking tombstone, not a single phrase was written."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"No, looking closely, something was written in the corner."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"‘Jame…s?’"}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"It was a name."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"Not only the tombstone before him, but the other tombstones also had names written in the corner."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"‘Aaron, Brandon, Corbin, Damian….’"}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"They were common names that seemed like they would be automatically generated if one were to choose names at random."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"Then, he paused in front of one name."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"Rafael."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"‘……It’s a familiar name.’"}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"He felt a sense of déjà vu, as if he could almost remember it but not quite."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"Grab―!"}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"Just then, something grabbed his ankle."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"He was startled by the feeling of rough leather on his ankle."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"What grabbed his ankle was a hand that had shot up from the ground."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"Terrified, he tried to pull his foot away, but the tightly clenched hand wouldn't let go."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"‘Damn it…… what the hell is this!’"}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"A hand that was half-rotten."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"Like a zombie's hand, its grip was incredibly strong."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"Guhhh―"}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"As Hyunwoo grabbed the rotten hand wrapped around his ankle with both hands and struggled, a low cry reached his ears."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"The dead, rising one by one from the tombstones, welcomed him."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"When they all turned to look at him at once, goosebumps erupted all over his body."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"“I… cur…se… you….”"}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"‘What…?’"}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"His voice still wouldn't come out, but he felt that sense of déjà vu again."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"Words he had heard often somewhere."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"Hyunwoo soon recalled the source of the déjà vu."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"[…I curse this damn world.]"}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"The familiar line echoed slowly in his ears like a round."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"It was the line he had heard most often while simulating "},{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"code"}],"text":"Masal"},{"type":"text","text":"."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"The moment he realized the source of the déjà vu, he thought he knew what the names on the tombstones were."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"‘Don't tell me… the dead characters?’"}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"The countless characters who had died, cursing the world."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"They were the ones who had failed to reach the ending and were discarded to the grave."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"Shuf― Shuf―"}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"The swaying dead swarmed to his side in an instant."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"The closer they got, the clearer their disjointed voices became."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"[It’s all… your fault.]"}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"[For creating this damn world.]"}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"[For making us run in circles on a path of failure.]"}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"[For making us despair in endless death.]"}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"[Everything is an atrocity committed by you.]"}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"The emotions in their despair-filled cries seeped deep into his chest."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"‘Ugh…!’"}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"Hyunwoo clutched his head and sank to the ground."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"He began to instantly synchronize with the emotions of the dead in the grave."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"Depression."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"Regret."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"Resentment."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"The endlessly rising negative emotions enveloped his soul like a vortex."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"Touch―"}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"As the dead, who had approached before he knew it, placed their hands on Hyunwoo’s body, those emotions began to amplify even further."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"Despair beyond sadness."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"Misery that burrowed into despair."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"The helplessness that was a combination of it all."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"The endlessly penetrating negative emotions gnawed at him."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"A bottomless pit from which he could never escape."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"Hyunwoo's consciousness sank endlessly into it."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"Just then."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"Viiiing―"}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"His consciousness returned slightly at the sound ringing in his ear."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"The ‘Earrings of Sephiros’."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"The earrings that had disappeared were somehow back on his ear."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"And, a moment later."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"Paching―!"}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"The Earrings of Sephiros shattered."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"A blue wave that spread from the broken earrings pushed back the black-stained darkness."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"The briefly pushed-back darkness quickly returned to its place."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"But this much of a reprieve was enough."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"“…Get lost.”"}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"Perhaps thanks to the earrings, his voice began to come out."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"The endlessly swarming dead were screaming that this was all his fault."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"But it wasn't."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"“You bunch of losers.”"}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"In that moment."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"The emotions of the enraged dead seeped into Hyunwoo again."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"But he was no longer swayed."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"Because he had come too far to be shaken now."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"“The task you all failed at. I’ll do it for you.”"}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"Therefore, Hyunwoo did not waver."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"Because he knew all too well what kind of hardships and desperate situations lay ahead."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"There was no need to renew his resolve."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"He had already finished making that resolve long ago, on the first day he fell into this world."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"“Just leave it to me and piss off, all of you.”"}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"Perhaps the shout containing Hyunwoo’s will was conveyed to the dead."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"Pssshk―"}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"The countless hands of the dead touching his body turned to ash and scattered."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"Not only the bodies of the dead, but also the negative emotions that filled them."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"They vanished, and vanished again."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"The dead vanished, and the tombstones vanished."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"And, when even the black earth beneath his feet had all disappeared."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"Flash―!"}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"With a bright light, Hyunwoo’s consciousness returned."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"***"}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"Gracia looked down at Hyunwoo with a cold expression."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"“A failure, is it.”"}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"A black resentment starting from his solar plexus began to stain his entire body black."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"It was a symptom of when one failed to overcome the trial and fell into an eternal sleep."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"The pitch-black body seemed hopeless."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"The Guide."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"Even for one who finds and leads the way, it seemed he could not transcend his species."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"“Tsk….”"}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"Just as Gracia clicked his tongue and was about to withdraw his hand, a change began to occur."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"Paching―!"}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"The blue earring Hyunwoo was wearing shattered into pieces."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"A strong, pure energy emerged from the earring."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"It was only enough to halt the black energy for a moment, but that seemed to be sufficient."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"Fwoosh―"}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"Hyunwoo's blackened body gradually returned to its original color."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"“Hoh… this is quite something.”"}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"To recover after the black energy had covered him up to his neck was a sight even he had never seen before."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"As Gracia observed closely with interest, a new change began to emerge."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"The black energy that had receded from Hyunwoo's body spread out again."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"But it was different from before."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"Instead of spreading over his body as if scattered, a tattoo with a clear will began to be engraved."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"Kagagak―!"}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"A black tattoo, carved into Hyunwoo’s body, chipping away at his soul."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"The tattoo of ‘Vigor’."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"As that power was engraved and black flames soared."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"Flash―!"}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"At the same time, Hyunwoo’s eyes opened."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"“Even for a Guide, this is surprising. Kek, kek….”"}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"“Hyunwoo—!”"}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"“……”"}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"His mind, not yet fully awake, was hazy."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"But he felt a power overflowing throughout his body."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"‘So this is the power of the tattoo….’"}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"Just as Hyunwoo tried to get up and move right away."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"“In all my life, to see such an interesting sight—”"}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"“Are you al—”"}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"The voices of Gracia and Van that rang in his ears scattered like echoes."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"Perhaps because he had exhausted all his mental strength in the tattoo’s trial, he couldn't control his body even with the overflowing power."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"The scattered echoes did not return."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"Anyway, it was fine since he had succeeded in getting the tattoo."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"⌜Trait: Mana II"}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"Description: ‘The footprint of power engraved upon the world.’"}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"This is the stage of understanding and using the power called mana. Mana is a power that stands wholly on its own. You can establish your own domain.⌟"}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"Thud―!"}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"His head tilted back, and the last thing he saw was Van running towards him."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"With a familiar sense of déjà vu, Hyunwoo smiled and lost consciousness."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"***"}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"The next day came."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"‘Ugh….’"}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"Hyunwoo grabbed his throbbing head and sat up."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"At the same time, his hips sank down sharply."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"It was because the hammock his body was in had sagged."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"Amidst his throbbing headache, he remembered that this was a High Orc's tent."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"He was alone in the tent."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"Van and Lucas were nowhere to be seen."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"Hoo―"}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"Hyunwoo let out a sigh, blinked his eyes, and began to clear his dizzy head."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"‘I got the tattoo… and succeeded.’"}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"Although, he never expected the discarded characters to show up."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"Swish―"}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"Hyunwoo lifted his clothes and checked the tattoo engraved on his body."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"The tattoo on his solar plexus was a form of various metaphysically intertwined shapes arranged irregularly."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"Hyunwoo checked his status window."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"⌜Name: Kim Hyunwoo"}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"Title: Champion of the Bellatus Arena, Calamity Hunter, Trinity"}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"Skills: ■Volones Swordsmanship (4-Star)―12%, ■Skirma Swordsmanship (2-Star)―100%(M), □"}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"Unique Traits: Swordsmanship Synthesis, Master of Copy, Swordsmanship Genius, Pain Tolerance, Oxygen Tank, Mana Circulation, Hoshea's Five-Colored Shield"}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"General Traits: Physique II, Swiftness II, Balance II, Mana II (New!)⌟"}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"He was finally able to raise his Mana to Tier 2."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"Mana going from 1 to 2 didn't simply mean the amount of mana he could handle had increased."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"‘The quality of mana. It means that itself has changed.’"}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"It meant he could now properly use the 4-Star swordsmanship he had been using clumsily until now."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"Hyunwoo’s only 4-Star swordsmanship, the Volones Swordsmanship."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"His hands were itching to try it out right away."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"Hyunwoo stretched his body once and got down from the hammock."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"Thump―"}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"His body swayed as he stood on the floor."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"It seemed his body hadn't fully recovered yet."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"As he slowly loosened his body and was about to step outside the tent, the entrance flap opened."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"Flap―"}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"Conrad entered through it."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"“The shaman calls for you. Follow me.”"}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"“……How did you know to come as soon as I woke up?”"}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"“There is nothing he does not know.”"}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"Hyunwoo nodded and stared blankly at the strangely friendly Conrad."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"Did this guy, who had been so prickly until now, eat something wrong overnight?"}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"“I heard you succeeded in getting the tattoo. A tattoo is the symbol of a warrior. All warriors are brothers.”"}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"“…It’s nice how simple you are.”"}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"“Is there a need for any more reason than that?”"}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"Hyunwoo shook his head."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"That was enough to explain his changed attitude overnight."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"For High Orcs, a tattoo probably wasn't on the same level as the bond between gangsters."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"After those words, he followed Conrad out of the tent."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"He didn't particularly need a guide, but when meeting with important people, procedure was always important."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"They soon arrived at the tent, and he was able to face Gracia alone."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"Light greetings were exchanged, and a friendly atmosphere continued."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"“I have given you the tattoo, so now it is your turn.”"}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"“……”"}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"“I am thinking of forming a force to catch the Harpy Queen. Will you join us?”"}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"He had gotten what he wanted, and now it was his turn to repay the favor."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"Hyunwoo’s answer was."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"“I can't.”"}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"A firm refusal."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"},"content":[{"type":"text","text":"Gracia forgot to even add his usual "},{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"code"}],"text":"kek, kek―"},{"type":"text","text":" sound at the end of his sentence as his expression hardened in an instant."}]},{"type":"paragraph","attrs":{"textAlign":"left"}}]}