Hong Ichan approached Sin Hyeok, who was rambling on, and waved his hand.
“Hyung, what is this?”
“Put it away. I’m not that crazy yet.”
“Huh?”
“Just stand back for a sec.”
Sin Hyeok actively utilized Insight, which had entrenched itself as a trait.
‘Let me check Mapping.’
[Observing sub-skill Mapping.]
[Mapping (Mapping)]
Rank: S-
Attribute: Soul (靈魂)
Classification: Sensory Expansion / Projection Technique
=========================
[Description]
A technique that, based on a unique constitution in which mana condenses, loads one’s psyche into mana to perceive and project onto external space.
Not an expansion of the senses, but a unique ability that severs a portion of the soul to recognize the structure of space and the flow of life ‘like a map.’
Its essence lies in the ‘externalization of psyche’ (外化) and the ‘sensory projection of condensed mana.’
Primary Composition: Condensed Mana / Psyche Separation / Soul Trace / Sensory Projection
Primary Effects: Spatial Detection, Life Sign Recognition, Mana Structure Visualization
=========================
[Warnings]
Risk of ego collapse if psyche separation deepens.
Possibility of soul fissure upon excessive sensory projection.
Reality confusion may occur when used in a mentally unstable state.
=========================
He had checked Mapping through Insight.
He scanned in detail the skill he had always used so familiarly.
‘Psyche, huh...’
He was slightly shocked to learn that the reason he had been able to use this skill all along was quite advanced and high-level.
‘This was such a high-level technique?’
Sin Hyeok pondered as he looked at Mapping.
“If I increase my psyche, that means the detection orbs increase.”
The two watched Sin Hyeok muttering to himself and made puzzled faces.
“Hyung, at least tell us something.”
“Mister, so what should we do?”
Sin Hyeok flapped his hand and said.
“Shh.”
‘To increase my psyche... it doesn’t have to be my soul, right?’
He naturally thought of the most ignorant guy in the universe, who carried ghosts around like stars in the night sky.
“Ichan, you’ve got plenty of ghosts, right?”
“Plenty. Why? How many do you need?”
“Okay.”
‘One problem solved. Then if I load mana into it and connect it sensorially, isn’t that Mapping?’
“Connect them...? There was something like that.”
Sin Hyeok took out all ten subspace pouches stuffed in his inventory.
He shook them out onto the floor and checked them one by one.
“Not this one. Where was it? There’s a little left.”
He rummaged through the floor and found it.
“Here it is, the Manghonsu!”
He lifted up a small amount of remaining black liquid.
[Grave Moon’s Soul-Summoning Water] [Legend]
===================
An elixir for summoning spirits completed in a graveyard beneath moonlight. It calls forth spirits and purifies the boundary between life and death, simultaneously enhancing the user’s mana and vitality.
Merely possessing it partially activates spiritual senses and one’s connection with spirits.
※ If a Moon Elf is present, consuming the Soul-Summoning Water briefly transcends all boundaries to summon whoever you desire.
※ Restores and strengthens spiritual power; strengthens connection with spirits.
※ Possessing it partially activates spiritual senses and spirit reactions.
※ After use, skin may become pale and body temperature may drop for a certain time; possible exposure to wraithsight.
====================
“Hyung, why that?”
“This connects the spirits’ senses, right?”
“Right?”
“Then it’s perfect. Okay, done.”
Sin Hyeok finished selecting his materials with an excited face.
‘Extract the psyche. Then add an attribute through Enchant to grant a function.’
Thoughts and recipes quickly formed in his head.
‘First, I have to materialize this thing called psyche.’
He immediately reached out to Ichan.
“Hand it over.”
“Huh? What?”
“Bring out a few ghosts.”
Sin Hyeok laughed sneakily and glared at Ichan as if he would devour him.
Ichan produced a few ghosts in the air.
Sin Hyeok focused and swiftly scanned the ghosts.
His hand simply passed through.
“Hoo.”
He swept through the empty air again.
Only ordinary atmospheric mana condensed and remained in his hand.
The ghosts looked at Sin Hyeok with puzzled faces.
“Ha, annoying.”
Sin Hyeok grabbed the remaining Grave Moon’s Soul-Summoning Water.
Then a strange sensation awakened.
‘Why is he like that?’
‘Did he eat something weird?’
……He heard the ghosts’ conversation.
In this state, Sin Hyeok reached out.
Then something was caught and remained in his hand.
‘Huh?’
‘It stings!’
‘What is he?!’
A handful of transparent fragments was caught in Sin Hyeok’s hand.
“Okay.”
[Soul Crystal] [Heroic] [Soul] [Material]
=======================
A precious material created by converting a portion of a soul into matter through a special method; used in necromancy and Ego crafting.
Partially enhances spiritual perception.
=======================
[Caution]
Possessing an excessive amount clouds the mind.
=======================
“Good. One thing solved.”
Now it was time to solve the rest.
Sin Hyeok grabbed the small amount of remaining Soul-Summoning Water.
‘Since the quantity is small, I’ll raise the performance as much as possible through reinforcement.’
He grasped the meager Soul-Summoning Water and focused.
“Here goes.”
“What?”
[Attempting reinforcement.]
[Reinforcement successful.]
[Attempting reinforcement.]
[Reinforcement successful.]
Reinforcements triggered in rapid succession.
Repeating success and failure, he raised performance instead of quantity.
“Hoo...”
A Soul-Summoning Water with a clearly darker hue than before was created.
Along with a distinct spiritual sense, concentrating on some ghosts even gave him the illusion that he was dominating them.
“Perfect.”
Sin Hyeok summoned Mapping’s detection probes in the air.
‘Let’s reproduce the detection probes.’
[Initiating Mapping.]
Sin Hyeok closely observed the detection probes.
He reached out and checked them through waves and resonance.
“This one matches for now.”
He considered the combination and ratio of materials, and even the attributes.
“I think I should put in some mana crystals instead of mana.”
He immediately took out mana crystals from his inventory and overlapped them to check.
‘Not enough. One more thing.’
He carefully checked the waves of the insufficient material and confirmed through successive resonance.
‘Blue potion?’
He immediately took out the scarce Blue Magic Herb and pressed it against to check.
“That’s it!”
“Done! It’s almost done!”
Sin Hyeok immediately attempted synthesis.
[Attempting synthesis.]
Sin Hyeok kneaded the two substances while opening a book with one hand.
“Runes, runes!”
He had to add one attribute.
‘I have to dominate the psyche and connect it sensorially!’
He searched for the appropriate rune.
‘This is it.’
There was a rune meaning domination and binding.
Sin Hyeok immediately attempted Enchant.
[Attempting the mystery that captures and contains all things.]
[Attempting Enchant through self-realization.]
[Acquiring main skill Enchant.]
[Class change quest completed.]
[Changing class to Alchemist.]
[Realizing the Alchemist’s Authority.]
[Authority: Acquiring Transmutation.]
[New stat: Mental Strength added.]
[Main skill and some sub-skills are integrating.]
Sin Hyeok was engulfed in a strange sensation.
It was the sensation he had felt not long ago.
‘That sensation the Earth Dragon had bestowed... that’s it!’
It was the sensation from that time that made him feel omnipotent.
[Material transmutation successful.]
[Observer] [Heroic] [Soul] [Artifact]
=======================
A consumable artifact formed by combining a Soul Crystal and the Soul-Summoning Water that awakens spirits; it can receive everything a scanner detects as sensory input.
Sensory connection utilizing mana.
Amplification and precision of perception.
=======================
[Caution]
Single-use artifact.
Weak individuals may suffer a wraith’s curse or a clouded mind upon use.
Excessive use may cause mental overload.
=======================
A transparent glass marble was gripped in Sin Hyeok’s hand.
“Done.”
A prototype had come out.
Sin Hyeok immediately handed it to Baek Arin.
“Try it.”
“Huh?”
Sin Hyeok pressed it into her hand for now and headed toward a nearby Gate.
“Hey, at least explain!”
“Just use it! Flow your mana!”
Arin tried it for now.
Then the Observer trembled and floated into the air.
She was engulfed in a strange sensation.
“Huh?”
The Observer moved according to her thoughts.
It slid into the Gate and thoroughly revealed the interior.
“Mister, I think that’s a D-rank. The monster is a Black Goblin, and the core is roughly in the middle?”
Sin Hyeok grinned broadly.
“Ichan, how many hours left?”
“Nine hours?”
“Let’s return to base. I found a way.”
‘With this, we don’t have to enter, and we can check several Gates at once.’
Sin Hyeok, having found the method, immediately headed to the National Assembly building where the Capital Defense Commander was.
“All done.”
* * *
Awakener Association, top floor.
The Association Chairman was looking down at Seoul with a relaxed face.
“I look forward to tomorrow. The moment peace shatters and is dyed in chaos and confusion will be entertaining.”
He hummed and checked the current movements of the awakened forces with his secretary.
“How is the Seoul side where the Gates are concentrated?”
“The Gates are increasing smoothly. There are no unexpected movements from the Capital Defense Command either.”
At those words, the Association Chairman laughed madly, delighted.
“Kkkuk! Hahahaha! Good! Exactly! Those pig-like bastards must scream! They must revere and serve us!”
The Association Chairman cackled unpleasantly and looked out the window.
“Brigadier General Lee Gangyeol, sir. How will you solve this one? Huh? In the end, they are fated to kneel to me.”
He tapped on the glass and watched the Gates appearing everywhere.
While gazing in anticipation at the sight that would soon fall into chaos, he witnessed a strange scene.
“Hmm?”
The military units were already moving.
‘Did they give up? Or are they trying to protect only key points?’
The Association Chairman predicted the Capital Defense Command’s judgment and smirked.
“They have no way. They can’t even identify all the hundreds of Gates.”
Vrrr.
The waiting secretary took out a ringing phone.
The Association Chairman turned around, feeling uneasy at the sound of her phone.
She showed the screen with a stiff face.
“It’s the Capital Defense Command.”
“They probably just want us to lend a hand.”
“It’s too early. If they ask us for help, it’ll spread through the media in an instant.”
“Damn.”
The Association Chairman watched with an anxious face at the situation that seemed to have gone wrong.
“Answer it.”
She answered the phone.
“Yes, the Association Chairman is here.”
The secretary spoke while looking at the Association Chairman.
“They say the grade assessment and primary reconnaissance of the new Gates that have occurred in Seoul are complete, and emergency closure is required. Yes, yes... I will relay it immediately.”
The Association Chairman made a dumbfounded expression.
“There are hundreds of them. Fuck! Hundreds!”
Only a little over a day had passed since the work began.
They had scouted all the hundreds of Gates that had appeared in the meantime.
“What crazy bastard! Shit!”
The Association Chairman, whose anger had reached its peak, shattered the glass in front of him.
“Damn!”
‘Who is it, how did they do hundreds...!’
“Lee Gangyeol? No, even he would have trouble with his ability. Then who?”
A demon’s warning surfaced in his mind.
‘You will know before long.’
“Bu Sin Hyeok...?”
The Association Chairman gestured to the secretary standing behind him.
“Check if Bu Sin Hyeok, that bastard, has entered Seoul.”
She sent a text to someone and immediately got a reply.
“We have a report that a group of three young people departed from Hongik toward Seoul. Their appearances match.”
“It’s him.”
The Association Chairman muttered while facing the wind blowing through the broken glass.
“Alright, let’s see how much he can interfere. The momentum has already shifted anyway.”
He ordered the secretary.
“Abandon the operation targeting politicians. Instead, tell them to plant seeds throughout the country.”
The Association Chairman said with a wicked smile.
“I’ll have to give up on obtaining it whole. I’ll overturn Korea and turn it into ruins. Lead it to ruin.”
The secretary nodded.