A city district near Nonsan.
Hundreds of soldiers were firing nonstop at the monsters swarming toward them.
“Fire! Keep firing!”
Every last one of them was unawakened, and they were holding the line through sheer desperation.
At the front, the commanding officer, Lieutenant Lee Hyeongchan, shouted at the radio operator.
“Support! When the hell is support coming?!”
When there was no response, the radio operator yelled at the top of his lungs.
“They’re not even answering the radio anymore!”
“Damn it! You filthy bastards!”
Contrary to his raging emotions, he acted with composure.
His head was burning hot, but his aim was precise as he targeted orcs, goblins, and large monsters.
“Throw grenades!”
“Throwing!”
At his shout, grenades flew through the air.
Everyone ducked down, bracing for the blast.
Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwang!
The moment the explosions ended, they rose and stared ahead.
“Fuck.”
Most of the large monsters were unharmed.
Only a few small monsters had gone down.
“Healers, stand by! Give us buffs, at least!”
Lieutenant Lee Hyeongchan waited, set down his rifle, and drew his sword.
“Company Commander, sir, don’t go with us.”
“Hoo.”
Soon after, buffs poured in from the soldiers who had subscribed to the holy power service.
Along with a brief rush of exhilaration, strength surged through his entire body.
His expression did not brighten.
“We’re dead, aren’t we?”
“Even if you go, Company Commander, I’ll go first.”
The 1st Platoon Leader answered him.
The Company Commander let out a faint laugh and shouted.
“Selectors to automatic! Keep the front in check!”
Everyone steeled themselves and kicked off the ground.
“We are not letting them through, you sons of bitches!”
[……The system Yggdrasil is being upgraded.]
The moment Lieutenant Lee Hyeongchan charged in, Yggdrasil announced it to everyone.
[The Night World Tree, Notdrasil, is additionally linking with the system.]
[Some functions are being added to the system.]
[The added functions are MAP and Fame.]
[Due to the additional World Tree link, the scope of awakened individuals is expanding.]
[New classes related to the Netherworld are being added.]
[A new stat, ‘Spiritual Power,’ has been added.]
[Congratulations. You have awakened.]
Even greater strength overflowed within him.
With a bewildered expression, Lieutenant Lee Hyeongchan cut off a black orc’s neck.
“Huh? That was easy?”
His status window appeared in midair.
[Status Window]
Name: Lee Hyeongchan (LV.1)
Class: Shadow Guide
Strength: 14
Agility: 11
Stamina: 16
Spiritual Power: 8
Trait: Leader
[Possessed Skills]
====================
[Main]
Dead Shadow Capture (死影捕集)
====================
“Dead Shadow Capture?”
The moment the lieutenant read the written skill, it activated on its own.
The shadows of the fallen monsters were sucked in.
Soon, the monsters seeped into Lieutenant Lee Hyeongchan as shadows.
“Ah……!”
He felt a powerful force filling his entire body.
Just as he was about to rush forward, feeling that seething power, the platoon leader beside him also had an extraordinary aura.
“You too?”
“You as well, Company Commander?”
When he looked back, he saw dozens of soldiers about to charge out.
“Company Commander! I awakened!”
“Me too!”
“You too?!”
“Me as well!”
[The Primordial World Tree, the World Trees of Day and Night, are encompassing the universe and forming intertwined branches.]
[The blessing of the World Trees descends upon all places where the system exists.]
[Where the blessing of the World Trees exists, the blessing of an overall ability enhancement buff and a monster debuff shall be bestowed.]
They experienced the blessing in real time.
“Krk……!”
A smile formed on Lieutenant Lee Hyeongchan’s lips.
“All units, charge! Go kill them!”
“Waaaah!”
The atmosphere shifted.
The monsters that had been pouring in endlessly all became flustered at once.
“K-Kruk? Krrr!”
“Kill every last one of them!”
Phenomena like this were happening everywhere.
* * *
When the new system was announced, Sinhyeok and the residents of Fergana who witnessed it were bewildered.
“W-What in the world is this?”
Everyone was hearing the same explanation from the system.
“It’s back.”
Sinhyeok checked his inventory first.
“Whoa, my canteen!”
The canteen he had shaken so excitedly had returned.
“The system’s up!”
Hong Ichan fiercely welcomed the system that had finally come back.
“Huh……?”
Soon, he stared in confusion, wondering if something had changed.
“What is it?”
“A lot of things about me changed.”
Sinhyeok was about to ask in puzzlement, but there was no need.
[Opening ‘Hong Ichan’s’ status window with administrator authority of the Notdrasil system.]
[Status Window]
Name: Hong Ichan (LV.56)
Class: Spirit Guide
Strength: 532
Agility: 654
Stamina: 431
Spiritual Power: 2456
Trait: Moon Elf
[Possessed Skills]
=================
[Main]
Spiritual Eyes (LV.99)
Necromancy (LV.55)
Shadow Manipulation (LV.1)
=================
Sinhyeok was just as flustered by Ichan’s status window, which was clearly visible.
‘Why can I see this?’
[Because you are my master.]
He heard the voice of the fairy from earlier.
“Pardon?”
[Your touch has reached this tree and the system. It is the result of that influence.]
“Ah!”
At those words, he checked his own status window as well.
[Status Window]
Name: Bu Sinhyeok (LV.43)
Class: Alchemist, Notdrasil Administrator
Strength: 326
Agility: 213
Stamina: 435
Mana: 788
Mental Power: 67
Traits: Mana Coagulate, Supreme Dragon’s Blessing, Insight
‘One thing’s been added.’
Everything was the same, but one thing had been added.
The class called “Administrator.”
For now, he closed the status window.
“What in the world is this!”
Jegal Seun pointed at the thing floating in midair with a startled expression.
“Something utterly bizarre is appearing before my eyes! Have I finally gone mad?!”
[Status Window]
Name: Jegal Seun (LV.1)
Class: Martial Artist
Strength: 14 +123
Agility: 16 +245
Stamina: 16 +254
Internal Energy: 1 cycle
Trait: Scholar
[Possessed Skills]
=================
[Main]
Formation Arts (LV.75)
Heavenly Secret Silent Deduction Heart Method (天機默演心法) (LV.55)
=================
‘I can see his too.’
However, his status window was quite different.
‘Internal energy? And a heart method among his skills?’
[Insight, the system’s functions, and authority are activating in combination.]
[The trait Insight evolves one stage.]
[Insight evolves into Akasic Pocket.]
[Akasic Pocket links with Notdrasil.]
[Akasic Pocket]
==========================
Automatically records and organizes information or experiences encountered through Insight, and each time a certain amount accumulates, the ability “evolves.” Recorded information can be shared with the system.
==========================
‘This is exactly what I really wanted.’
[A category regarding ‘martial arts’ has been added to Akasic Pocket.]
[If additional unique techniques related to martial arts are secured, a new class can be added.]
[For an individual’s secret teachings, information collection is recommended with the consent of the person concerned. However, if there is an administrator’s instruction, information can also be collected without permission. In this case, the accuracy and enlightenment of the acquired technique will be imprecise.]
After hearing this explanation, he quietly asked the startled Jegal Seun.
“By any chance, did someone ask if you consented?”
He answered in shock, his eyes wide.
“Y-Yes! How did you know?! Someone was curious about the martial arts of the Jegal Clan, so I promptly answered, ‘I consent!’ It is rare for anyone to be curious about the martial arts of Jegal, hahaha!”
‘This crazy attention seeker.’
“Surely this isn’t the whispering of the Heavenly Demon, is it?”
He whispered to Sinhyeok with a fearful expression.
“It is not anything like that. Hmm…… How should I explain this?”
Sinhyeok thought for a moment, then slowly explained it to him.
After hearing the extensive explanation, Jegal Seun understood it at once.
He was truly worthy of being a member of the Jegal Clan.
“Aha, so that is what it was.”
“Then have I swiftly ‘awakened’ like you all?”
“That’s right.”
“Heoheoheo, how marvelous. To think martial arts can be learned so easily. It would have been good if the people of our clan had known of this as well…….”
Sinhyeok asked him cautiously.
“Are you not displeased?”
“Haha, Young Hero, I am fine. I cannot speak for other clans or sects, but Jegal is open. Knowledge is not something to be shut away, but something to be thrown wide open! Only then can there be progress.”
‘Thank goodness he’s open-minded.’
Jegal Seun laughed heartily and left to ponder the design of the fortress.
“Young Hero, then I shall be on my way. Ideas are overflowing so much that I can hardly endure it!”
Sinhyeok watched him leave for a moment, then took something out of his inventory.
“Opsir.”
Also known as Observer.
[Hel……lo……]
“Is it the battery?”
[Char……ging……]
He hurriedly rummaged through his inventory and checked his mana stones, but there were hardly any left.
‘If I use them up, then…….’
Sssssk.
He quickly grabbed mana from the air and condensed it.
As he kept shaping it round and round, a fairly large crystal of mana was created.
When he fed it to Opsir, it trembled and smoothly rose into the air.
[Charging complete.]
[It has been a long time, Master.]
“Yeah, good to see you.”
[What would you like me to do?]
“Scout the surroundings. For now, I need information on hostile entities more than resources. I’d like rough information first rather than detailed data.”
[Understood. I will move immediately.]
“Yeah, thanks!”
Sinhyeok felt relieved as he watched Opsir drifting through the air.
‘Ah, now I finally feel at ease.’
Seeing it move properly, something he seemed to have forgotten circled in his mind.
‘What did I forget?’
He was standing with his arms crossed, thinking, when Namgung Sohye was playing with a rabbit that had appeared from who knew where.
“Oh my, how cute. Ah~!”
Sinhyeok immediately realized what it was.
“Blue!”
[Pet, Blue Jjambap Tiger, is leveling up.] x 214
Notifications that had been delayed came pouring down in a row.
[Status Window]
Name: Blue Jjambap Tiger (LV.215)
Strength: 3518
Agility: 3329
Stamina: 3219
Mana: 7490
Traits: Fusion, Predation
[Possessed Skills]
=========================
Fusion (LV.80)
Internal Synthesis (LV.67)
Regeneration (LV.112)
Proliferation (LV.92)
Clairvoyance (LV.64)
Aura (LV.74)
Breath (LV.42)
Steel Skin (LV.82)
Hellfire of Perdition (LV.56)
Poison Mist (LV.35)
==========================
“What, what have you been doing out there?”
His pet had become far too strong……!
‘At this rate, when he comes back, Blue’s going to tear me apart.’
Because his pet had become stronger than its master, unnecessary worry began to surge in him.
“Young Hero! I have a rough design! Come and hear me out!”
“Yes! I’m coming!”
* * *
A burning world.
Amid the hellfire that burned the world, a giant wolf wreathed in blue light was staring into the air.
“Krrr, D-Dad….”
He awkwardly called out to someone and repeated the word.
All manner of demonic beasts lay strewn around him.
Blue had no interest in the fallen demonic beasts.
“Hey, spirit beast, isn’t this a bit much?”
Behind Blue, a balrog approached with its wings spread wide.
Its wings were wreathed in blazing flames.
“Look over here, would you?”
Angered by the way Blue did not turn around, it unfurled its whip.
Slaaaash!
The moment the whip touched Blue’s body, his body turned gray.
Thanks to that, no wound was left on him at all.
The flustered balrog screamed and swung its whip.
“Damn it!”
No matter how many times it lashed out, Blue did not react.
He only stared blankly somewhere.
“I said look at me! You son of a bitch!”
The balrog raised fierce flames and drew a greatsword.
“Die!”
Kwaaaang!
With a violent impact, the greatsword sank in.
“Kekekekek! Hahahaha!”
The excited balrog, still gripping the greatsword, was about to mock him when it froze.
“Krrr.”
Blue turned around.
“You interrupted. I kill you.”
A terrifying killing intent flowed out.
At that overwhelming pressure, which broke its will to fight in an instant, the balrog shrank back.
“Y-You damned wolf!”
The balrog gripped the greatsword tightly and pushed it in deeper.
When it sank in smoothly, it mocked him madly.
“Kahahaha! A mere dog is just—Kgh?!”
It had gone in far too smoothly.
The balrog, driven straight into the ground, looked up at Blue.
“Krrr.”
Blue stepped on the balrog on the ground.
Thud!
An intense blue aura pressed him down heavily.
“Krrrgh!”
The balrog blocked Blue’s foot with its greatsword and endured.
“Y-You!”
Blue looked down at the being beneath his foot and pressed down harder.
“Kraaaagh!”
Crunch!
A scream rang out from the one being crushed.
Blue moved his foot away and checked the ground.
The balrog, whose limbs had been bent and shattered, looked up at Blue in a wretched state.
“……Alive.”
Seeing that it was still alive, Blue opened his mouth.
When the balrog saw blue flames gathering inside his mouth, it hurriedly crawled away.
“H-Hurry…… to Lord Paimon!”
Fwoosh.
The hellfire that burned all things condensed small within his mouth.
Then it poured out swiftly.
“Kraaaaaah!”
Just like that, the master of this world and demon race crumbled away.
When even the core it possessed shattered, the world began to collapse.
“I saw him. Dad is there.”
Blue walked through the collapsing world and strode across dimensions.