#130
Interlude (2)
“Oh... that was cutting it rather close.”
I leisurely leaned back in my chair and quietly gazed at the window floating before my eyes.
『Karma Shop』
『Unique Skill Enhancement (1,100,000)』
『Status Enhancement – View Details』
『Karma Held - 1,120,122』
It had only been a few days since Howard was born, yet he had somehow managed to acquire over five hundred thousand karma in that time and meet the enhancement requirement.
It was a speed no Awakened from Earth would believe, but in truth, this was only natural.
‘No matter how small a race vampires are, he devoured Sacred Blood standing at the very pinnacle of them, and even usurped the throne.’
Thinking of it that way, one could even say the amount was stingy, but this wasn’t all the karma from the recent matter.
The figure earned now was merely an advance payment for the events that had immediately occurred.
After he took over the Ufersh Clan, expanded his forces, and exercised his influence as Sacred Blood, separate karma would be awarded for that as well.
‘Still, now it takes 1.1 million just to enhance it once. I really hope it proves worth the cost.’
The points required for a transmitted Awakened to return to Earth were one million.
Considering that it took them around ten years on average to gather that much, it was an absurdly enormous amount to spend on a single skill enhancement.
‘Even so, for me now, this much is nothing.’
As the avatars grew and began playing in bigger waters, karma now poured in by the hundreds of thousands whenever something happened.
Once the full-fledged “home theater” began later, it would only increase from here, not decrease.
‘It’ll all gather again soon even if I spend it all now, so there’s no need to be frugal.’
It was truly the mindset of the bourgeoisie.
If those who barely scraped together karma while surviving all sorts of life-threatening crises found out, they would probably clutch the back of their necks.
Just in case, I checked the “Mental Power Enhancement” category again, but the required karma points written there were a staggering 640,000.
Unlike “Unique Skill Enhancement,” status enhancements doubled in requirement each time, so even though I had only strengthened it six times here and there, it had already reached that state.
‘As expected, increasing Mental Power through Unique Skill Enhancement is far more cost-effective. Even when I made up my mind and spent 320,000 on Mental Power Enhancement, the efficiency wasn’t as good as I’d expected, and I regretted it.’
Steeling myself once more, I took a light breath and immediately selected “Unique Skill Enhancement.”
Throb—
And after the headache that had now become familiar passed.
System notification windows appeared one after another before my eyes.
《The avatar’s potential increases. Growth will accelerate further.》
《The Unique Skill grows and blossoms with new possibilities. When creating an avatar, you may select one of three random skills.》
The result of investing a full 1.1 million points.
Fortunately, the “increase in the number of avatars” and “great increase in Mental Power” that I had expected came along naturally.
Aside from that, what was additionally granted was the now-familiar phrase “the avatar’s potential increases,” and a limited right to choose from the skills that had previously been given at random.
And.
...That was all.
“Phew— I was hoping at least one usable skill would come out.”
Unlike “Status Enhancement,” which granted increasingly stronger corrections in exchange for exponentially increasing required points, “Unique Skill Enhancement” did not increase in effect proportionally just because the amount needed for one enhancement grew larger.
Whether I spent five hundred thousand or one million, it was still just a single stage of enhancement.
But even though I had already known that, it couldn’t be helped that actually facing it left a bitter taste.
‘There are days like this. A skill selection right isn’t bad either. If anything, I’ve just been lucky until now. ...Still, next time, it might not be a bad idea to aim for Mental Power Enhancement.’
Seeing that the next required points had now increased to 1.2 million made me sigh involuntarily, but I was probably the only one who had enhanced a Unique Skill this much, so this was just the grumbling of someone with a full stomach.
As if shaking off my disappointment, I immediately began creating an avatar.
At the same time, the 「Customization」 window appeared before my eyes so I could alter appearance and adjust ability values.
However, in the space where the new avatar’s skill would normally be displayed, a new sentence had been added.
‘So I choose one from these.’
Since the initial skill had a considerable impact on determining one’s path, it needed to be chosen carefully.
Of course, now that the avatar’s potential had increased, it would be able to grow quite quickly even without a related skill, but there was no reason not to make use of something that was available.
Still, unlike before when I could only accept whatever was given, my range of choices had broadened, so there was nothing bad about it.
Though, true to the word random, there was not a shred of consistency among the skills presented.
‘I can tell what 「Penetrating Vision」 and 「Freezing Resistance」 are just by their names, but what is 「Thread of Bond」?’
Fortunately, perhaps the system had some flexibility, because even at the selection stage, brief information about the skill was provided.
The basic effect of 「Thread of Bond」 was to grant an “additional bonus when forming contracts.”
And with just that single line of explanation, I could tell the identity of this skill.
‘It’s a skill that would be nice for Harris, since he’s a spirit master.’
It was an ability that seemed suited to the “summoning” category, strengthening affinity and bonds with contracted targets.
Since I already had Harris, it could be seen as an overlapping ability, but...
‘A summoner... That sounds fun.’
In this world, spirits were not the only summoned beings.
Hadn’t Harley already clashed with the summoning mages of the Oath of Reversing Heaven in the northern mountain range?
From phantasmal species like unicorns and phoenixes to demons and extraterrestrial life-forms, the paths one could take even within the summoning system were endless.
‘No matter how I look at it, this seems better than 「Penetrating Vision」 or 「Freezing Resistance」. To be honest, I was thinking of making the new avatar a traditional mage, but this direction doesn’t seem bad either.’
If necessary, I could later keep the summoned beast for protection and switch to being a mage, so in many ways, it seemed like a decent choice.
“Then... this is decided.”
After finishing all the status adjustments, the new avatar finally revealed himself.
He had a gentle impression, slightly drooping eyes, and an intellectual gleam in his gaze—the very image of a model student.
‘Good. That’s one worry off my mind.’
I smiled contentedly as I looked at that aspiring summoning mage, “Hesperon.”
The very first thing Hesperon would do was.
To input the knowledge that would be passed on to Howard, succeeding Hubert in that role.
Continuing until a suitable place for his growth was prepared in Auterica.
***
A private training room deep within the Great Temple of Roselia.
Wooooong—
The holy sword vibrated softly in Heinrich’s hand as he stood at its center.
At the same time, the sharp energy contained within the blade gradually amplified, until it finally overflowed and began seeping into the body of the one holding it.
‘This is incredible no matter how many times I experience it.’
The energy of the holy sword, which he had become able to wield after obtaining 「Blessing: Holy Sword」—commonly called “Holy Sword Energy”—was similar to divine power, yet possessed an even more aggressive nature.
When applied to a weapon, it increased cutting power and destructive force to the extreme, and when clad around the body, it raised physical abilities and bodily toughness beyond their limits.
It was an ability befitting the holy sword, forged to destroy demons, punish evil, and protect the world through strength. However, apart from its outstanding performance, in order to properly handle that energy, one troublesome process was essential—.
Communion with the holy sword.
Wooooong—
The sword vibrated again, and its emotions were transmitted to Heinrich in their entirety.
Rather than clear expressions of intent, it was a will based on primitive emotion, but it clearly contained an ego.
‘It’s not as distinct as when it presided over the holy sword’s trial. Back then, I thought it was an ego sword capable of communication.’
Perhaps there had been a condition limiting that to the trial for selecting its master.
Once he actually drew the holy sword and was acknowledged as its master, he realized its intelligence was not quite at that level.
If he had to describe it... perhaps it felt like a smart puppy?
Buuuuung—!
At that moment, the holy sword shook violently and began to resist.
It seemed a bit of his thoughts had leaked out through the channel he had opened for communion.
-‘No, no. I mean you’re that friendly and reliable! I don’t really think of you like a puppy, Rosia.’
Heinrich hurriedly composed his mind and soothed the holy sword.
“Rosia” was the pet name the first wielder had given the holy sword, and Heinrich was using it as it was out of respect for his senior.
More than anything, a skill called 「Rosia Holy Combat Art」 had even been created, so there was no name more fitting than that.
-‘Yes, good girl, right? As expected, our Rosia is always so dependable. Aww, how cute.’
Wooong—
The holy sword’s vibration slowly calmed down.
Thinking about it carefully, perhaps rather than a puppy, he should say it was like a five- or six-year-old child.
‘To think such a pure will has remained after existing for such a long time. Is this also possible because it is the holy sword?’
However, even as he communed with it in his heart, there was something Heinrich was paying particular attention to.
Naturally, it was preventing his own secret from leaking to the holy sword.
‘I have taken measures in my own way, but it would still be best to be careful in everything so there’s as little sense of incongruity as possible.’
By linking 「Mind Hub」 and 「Persona」, both of which had reached peak proficiency, he had set things up so that “my” personal emotions and thoughts would not flow backward into “Heinrich” at all.
So that in any situation, he could immerse himself more perfectly in “Heinrich.”
Dividing thought processes into several stages like this increased mental power consumption, but with the considerable margin gained from enhancing the Unique Skill this time, he could apply it much more comfortably.
‘The Lord God has already accepted it, so even if the holy sword knew, it might not matter. ...No, on second thought, it’s better to continue like this.’
After feeling the holy sword’s purity through communion, he now could not bring himself to betray that heart.
Its very reason for existence was to fight wicked beings, and it must have fought against countless demonic forces all this time.
If it found out that the hero it had acknowledged as its master this time happened to be on the same side as the Demon King...
‘A pure child must be protected. Since ancient times, the sages have taught that ignorance is bliss.’
There was no need to introduce an uncertain factor.
After some time passed like that, when the thoroughly controlled “thoughts of Heinrich” and the holy sword finished their communion and opened his eyes.
The divine power flowing within his body and the sharp Holy Sword Energy harmonized, and a torrent-like momentum began to surge from him.
Rumble—!
A tyrannical energy continued to extend in every direction.
Only when that violent presence, so intense it was hard to believe he was a saint, reached the point where even the private training room protected by a divine barrier began to shake...
“Phew—.”
He slowly subdued his momentum and, with a deep breath, gathered his energy back in.
‘Still, I think I’ve become fairly proficient now.’
Because he had grown far too rapidly in a short time while passing the holy sword’s trial, he needed quite a long while to fully bring that power under control.
Moreover, hadn’t the 「Great Blessing: Knight of Light」 bestowed immediately afterward forcibly raised his very rank?
Fortunately, thanks to 「Martial Bones」, his initial skill, he had been able to become accustomed to matters involving the use of his body quickly, but he still needed steady effort all the same.
After finishing his light morning training, Heinrich washed himself briefly and headed toward the central temple.
He was going to attend the service presided over by the saintess.
“Mm, good day. Saintess.”
...And that saintess was here.
As always, crouched in front of the flowerbed.
“Ah! Hello, Heinrich! Good morning!”
Even though it was already nearing noon.
It was enough to tell how long she had been out by the flowerbed.
She must have come out in the morning and stayed here, losing track of time.
“Saintess. I mention this just in case, but the noon service is about to begin.”
“...Really?”
“Yes, fortunately, you are not late yet—”
But before he could even finish speaking, the saintess sprang up from her spot and hurriedly sprinted at full speed toward the chapel of the central temple, disappearing from sight.
‘Is this a side effect of being buried in work for so long? She seems to be showing particularly sloppy sides of herself often these days.’
Recently, the saintess had practically been living in the garden, spending her days pouring her overflowing divine power into tiny insects.
It seemed to be her way of relieving stress, so he had no intention of stopping her, but...
‘The sight of those tiny insects unable to control their overflowing power and rampaging like mad... I really don’t want to recall it.’
Heinrich shook his head and slowly headed toward the chapel after her.
As could be seen from the saintess’s current state, she had finally been freed from all her duties and had regained the freedom she had so desperately longed for.
All that remained was for the working staff to move diligently according to the tight schedule.
And so, the “Continental Summit” to oppose the Immortal King was now just around the corner.