Unique Skill, “Avatar.”
A supernatural ability that allowed me to create and operate duplicates identical to myself.
It was the ability that had made me who I was now—the beginning and end of Han Seonghyeon.
‘If my Unique Skill had been something else... even thinking about it now sends a chill down my spine.’
If it had, then naturally I wouldn’t have gained such explosive amounts of Karma Points in the early stages, and I would have been thrown defenselessly into another world while still unable to properly hold myself together because of my trauma.
I probably wouldn’t even have made it to the village that had been a den of black mages. I’d have died alone, trembling in the forest before I could even get out.
‘To think someone like me ended up like this.’
As I thought that, a faint, involuntary chuckle escaped me.
The coward who had once feared the outside world could now go out whenever he pleased, and had even become the eye of a storm attracting worldwide attention.
No, now that I thought about it, even that was putting it modestly.
In Auterica, another dimension entirely, hadn’t I become an enormous figure capable of moving that world according to my will?
‘And all while I stayed holed up somewhere safe.’
I coolly gulped down a drink I had just taken out of the refrigerator and shrugged.
In truth, that was the most crucial part.
No matter what I had done so far, or what kind of trouble I would cause in the future, I had the absolute certainty that my main body, Han Seonghyeon, would remain safe.
That, more than anything, was the source of my confidence, which had barely changed from the beginning until now.
‘It also helped a great deal in calmly judging the situations I faced.’
Because I had that advantage, I had been able to charge forward through any hardship without shrinking back, seizing the results I wanted.
Even if an unbearable crisis came upon me, I always had a final bastion left, so there was no need to fear anything.
“Whew, I got sentimental for no reason.”
That very skill was now, once again, on the verge of growing another level.
After excessive growth, its enhancement had been blocked for a while, but perhaps the growth of the individual known as Heinz II had served as some sort of trigger.
In any case, for me, with a major battle soon ahead, it was undeniably good fortune that had come at just the right moment.
“Let’s see, then...”
Having lightly composed myself, I followed my usual routine and sat in the massage chair, entrusting my body to it as I opened the system window.
Then the items I had grown used to seeing every day unfolded before my eyes once more.
『Karma Shop Ver.2』
『Enhance Unique Skill (1,500,000)』
『Enhance Other Skills
–View Details』
『Enhance Status
–View Details』
『Purchase Items
–View Details』
『VIP Market
–View Details』
『Ease Dimensional Barrier (6,000,000)』
『Karma Held - 4,691,326』
Among all those lines, the first thing I checked was, of course, “Karma Held.”
At some point, it had already soared well past four million and was nearing the immense figure of five million.
Just looking at that ample balance, which filled my heart with abundance, made me feel full. I nodded in satisfaction.
‘Even though no small amount is being regularly drained, it’s already this much.’
Ever since I confirmed the effects of the 『Elixir of Growth (7 Days) (200,000)』 available for purchase in the VIP Market, the cost of buying it had long since become a fixed expense.
On top of that, these days not only latecomers like Hesperon, Howard, and Horus, but even proven powerhouses such as Heinz II and Heinrich used it from time to time, so what more needed to be said?
‘And obtaining rare materials that aren’t easy to acquire also contributed to my spending, if only a little.’
Nevertheless, perhaps thanks to the effort I had put into sticking straws all over Auterica, the Karma that streamed in without pause was steadily increasing my balance.
When I caught the revolutionary giant in Tarak, nearly two million points had come in all at once.
It was, quite literally, a reliable field of riches.
‘...Right. I can’t let that bastard, the Buncheonhoe leader, ruin a gold mine like this as he pleases.’
Facing that number, my motivation flared up again like wildfire.
Even if I mobilized all of Auterica’s power in the process of dealing with him, in the very end, this side would have no choice but to step in personally. In that sense, Karma Points that could strengthen me were the most reliable war funds of all.
‘I’ve come this far, so there’s no reason to hesitate. First, the Unique Skill enhancement I’ve been waiting for.’
The points required for it were 1.5 million.
But to the current me, that was trivial.
Zziiing—
As I selected the item without hesitation, my nerves sharpened along with a familiar headache, and my field of perception began to expand.
“Mm.”
After a bout of pain that even “Mind Hub” could not filter out passed through me,
I took a deep breath, adjusted to the sensation that had changed yet again, and checked the message that appeared before my eyes.
《The effects of abilities derived from your Unique Skill have further increased, and the area in which Avatars can be summoned has expanded.》
《Your Unique Skill has grown and blossomed in possibility. You have acquired the Special Skill “Entity Assembly.”》
The first was an enhancement of existing abilities.
From “Mind Hub” to “Soul Firewall,” the efficiency of every auxiliary skill I had obtained while enhancing my Unique Skill improved, and their performance rose.
On top of that, the range of remote summoning I had obtained not long ago increased by about twice as much, from a radius of roughly thirty kilometers to around sixty kilometers.
‘...Not bad. Now, even from the middle of Seoul, not only Incheon International Airport but most of Gyeonggi-do will be within range.’
But that was only a small beginning.
The real prize was “Entity Assembly,” the new skill that had emerged along with the enhancement.
As expected of something said to evolve in the direction its user needed, it possessed performance that splendidly satisfied the hopes I had secretly held.
‘I wondered if it could be, but it really is Assemble!’
A skill that gathered other duplicates in one place around a specific individual.
For me, it was a simple yet supremely efficient ability.
With this skill, I no longer needed to waste time and effort moving Avatars around by mobilizing all sorts of troublesome means.
As long as even a single individual was on-site, the situation could transform from one-on-one to one-versus-many in the blink of an eye!
‘...This is the ability I need most in the current situation. With this, I’ll be able to operate the Avatars much more freely. There’s still a bit of a cooldown, but...’
That was a problem that would be solved once my proficiency rose.
And if I wanted to save time, there were other methods too.
As I pondered how best to use “Entity Assembly,” my gaze slipped toward 『Enhance Other Skills』.
‘Because I can enhance other skills with that.’
Starting with “Mind Hub” and including Avatar-type derivative skills up to the “Entity Assembly” I had just gained, I could also enhance general skills such as “Super Recovery” and “Xenoglossy.”
‘The skills possessed by each individual don’t apply, so until now I’ve only sampled it little by little...’
But now was not the time to be sparing with Karma.
If I wanted to raise my odds of victory even slightly, I had to pour in everything I could use.
I still had 3.2 million points left, so wherever and however I invested them, I should see a considerable effect.
‘Further enhancing my status wouldn’t be a bad choice either... Hm?’
But as I was scanning down the system window,
my eyes naturally narrowed at a change I could not simply overlook.
『Enhance Unique Skill (2,000,000)』
The number in that item, which had been steadily increasing by units of one hundred thousand until now, had suddenly risen by five hundred thousand.
It had been 1.5 million just a moment ago, and now it had jumped to 2 million in one go?
‘Are they getting cocky because it sells well?’
What was with this sudden inflation? What tyranny was this!
In any case, another enhancement restriction had been placed on it, so I couldn’t use it right away anyway, but seeing the price leap like that still left a bitter taste in my mouth.
‘...Tsk, it can’t be helped. It’s not as if there’s anything I can do about it.’
After glaring at it for a moment, I eventually shook my head and forcibly turned my gaze away.
There were still many ways left to use the remaining points.
Status enhancement, other skill enhancement, purchasing extremely expensive items, or if not that...
『Acquire Random Other Skill (500,000)』
There was also the method of testing my own luck.
“...Sss. Should I try it once this time too?”
“Xenoglossy,” which I had obtained through that, had been far more useful than expected, unlike what I had regretted immediately after acquiring it.
Without that skill, I would have faced more than a few restrictions in various ways while operating.
Surely drawing it that day had been an act of foresight.
‘So, one more time!’
Thus, filled with faith and trust, I selected the item without hesitation—
《A random possibility is forcibly blossoming. You have acquired the Skill “Robustness.”》
And at the window that appeared immediately afterward, my eyes squeezed shut of their own accord as I sank.
‘Come to think of it...’
After the Karma Shop had been upgraded to Ver.2,
there was something I had thought of before using that random draw for the first time.
Since multiple Avatars shared skills, the practical price was less than fifty thousand each, and even if a skill like “Robustness” came out, just having it would help somehow, so it would be fine.
And right after that, after drawing “Xenoglossy,” I had vowed never to touch gambling again.
‘...Is this a payoff for that setup?’
Feeling several Avatars who had received “Robustness” share it and absorb it in full, I opened my eyes again.
It wasn’t a bad thing, since it had become nourishment even for Avatars that already possessed higher-level abilities increasing the durability of their bodies, but...
‘It feels strangely subtle.’
The remaining points were about 2.7 million.
As expected, it seemed best to invest this in status and other skill enhancements.
‘Something feels off today. I’ll try this again next time. Next time...’
It was sad, but I couldn’t bring myself to say, even as empty words, that I would never do it again.
Since I had already started, I had to at least recover my principal.
***
Bucharest, Romania.
A private room that had likely once been decorated in an antique style, but had now, in just a few days, become a complete mess filled with all sorts of junk.
“Hmm, hmm~ So it looks like he absorbed Gomorrah again this time without killing that beast. Just like with the tyrant before. This is extremely interesting!”
There, having just finished reading the report to the end, the Doctor stroked down his scruffy beard and tilted his head.
The Duke regarded his opponent as nothing significant, but as a researcher sensitive to even minor variables, he had been receiving and analyzing information in real time ever since Phantom appeared in Europe.
This matter had not gone according to his expectations from beginning to end, so he had no choice but to react even more sensitively.
“Well now, there’s a limit to how far one should deviate from expectations... He came all the way to Europe, only to ignore the banquet laid out for him and play at building power. On top of that, I have no idea what those two are thinking, following Phantom.”
Originally, by now, he should have been enjoying a feast to his heart’s content and walking into this place on his own two feet.
Since the Doctor knew nothing about Heinz II’s “Refined Blood Crystal” and “Hybrid Evolution,” he had no choice but to be unable to understand the actions Heinz had shown and their results.
“Huh? Aha! Well, to begin with, the reason I chose him as a test subject was because of how special he was! If everything had gone exactly as I thought, there would have been no value in experimenting on him! Dear me, uhyahyat—!”
Muttering to himself like that, the Doctor soon smacked his forehead and burst into loud laughter.
As he said, this was an operation planned immediately after they obtained information that Phantom... no, the vampire named Heinz had devoured his own kind and remained perfectly fine.
They had even gone to the trouble of luring the target to Europe, beyond the reach of Hahoe Mask, who had interfered with them at every turn, in order to minimize variables.
“Still, if I’d managed to get more blood from the Duke back then, I could have made this more certain! Tch, what a petty miser.”
Suddenly cutting off his laughter, the Doctor now jutted out his lips in dissatisfaction.
It was thanks to the Duke, whose blood was power itself, yielding even a little that they had been able to do this much, but to him, an embodiment of greed-filled egoism, such circumstances were none of his concern.
“Ah~ I hope he comes soon! I’ve prepared so many surprise gifts for him! When will he come~? Hurry and come~!”
The middle-aged man with ash-brown hair had now begun whining like a child.
Amazingly, this filthy and insane man was one of the highest commanders of Buncheonhoe, the largest secret organization on Earth.
But had his wish reached the heavens?
At that very moment, inside a plane that had just entered Romanian airspace,
there was one person smuggling himself aboard without anyone’s knowledge.
The day after he took over Gomorrah, the vampire clan of Italy.
Heinz II—
Phantom entered Romania.