Episode 10
#10
Inside the Tower of Enhancement.
I stood at the center of the Tower of Enhancement and commanded Noah.
“Noah.”
[Yes, Master.]
“Raise everything except Divine Power to 100.”
[1,523,000 points will be consumed.]
That was the beginning.
The next moment, particles of red, blue, green, yellow, pink, and purple flowed up from the floor and began to envelop my body.
The particles flowed out endlessly.
All of those particles were absorbed into my body at once.
A stat of 100 was, simply put, a value beyond the realm of ordinary humans.
Therefore, I could assert with certainty.
Ding-.
Name: Gim Hancheol
Level: 1
Unique Skill: EX-Rank Cheongongseom
Strength: 100 (95↑) Agility: 100 (95↑) Stamina: 100 (93↑) Defense: 100 (95↑) Magic Power: 100 (100↑) Mental Power: 100 (95↑) Divine Power: 0
There was probably not a single survivor in this world capable of defeating me from this moment onward.
* * *
All stats except Divine Power had reached 100.
Originally, these were values one would reach at around level 100.
I had raised them all at once—and at level 1, no less.
“Hoo……”
Faint steam rose from my body.
My entire body burned red-hot, but I quietly closed my eyes and vividly felt the power flowing through me. So this is what it feels like to become a superhuman?
I could feel the intangible energy called magic power swirling throughout my entire body, and a powerful force unlike anything I had ever experienced overflowed from me.
I lightly jumped as a test.
Thud!
It was the sound of the floor ringing despite having jumped lightly.
At the same time, my soaring body was just about to touch the ceiling.
I lightly pushed off the ceiling with my hand and landed back on the floor.
Even after landing from that height, not the slightest strain came to my legs.
I smiled at the pleasant sensation.
“Yes, this should be enough.”
I felt confident that I could win even if one hundred eighth-grade demonic beasts called Predatons rushed at me.
My body had grown that much.
Moreover.
‘At this point, it should be safe to descend to the surface.’
I had obtained the strongest physique among the survivors on the surface.
It meant this was not a body that would fall to mere eighth or ninth-grade demonic beasts.
“Noah, I'm going down to the surface.”
[Understood. Please head to the control room.]
I wanted to test it.
To see just how much power I currently possessed.
Of course, I could have summoned demonic beasts inside the Tower of Enhancement to check, but staying here all the time was boring.
* * *
A pure white light descended from the sky and illuminated an apartment building.
The place I had descended to was my wrecked home.
I briefly looked around the ruined house before shifting my gaze to the veranda.
Fwoosh~.
The blowing wind was mixed with the stench of blood and the smell of burning.
The wind brushing through my hair subtly signaled that the world had truly ended.
The scenery I saw was not so different from what I had seen through the exploration function, but the world felt through my actual body was overwhelmingly unfamiliar.
I shook off useless thoughts, escaped the apartment through the veranda, and leaped across buildings to survey the surroundings. It was then that my gaze turned toward a massive Gate that had opened in the distance.
A Gate—one of the causes that had brought about the world’s ruin.
While carefully examining that Gate, a thought crossed my mind and I opened my mouth.
“That Gate…… seems a bit small, doesn’t it?”
Gates were all massive without exception, but their sizes varied greatly.
Their danger level and rank were determined by the Gate’s size.
However, when I checked with my own eyes, that Gate looked somewhat small.
That meant it was a Gate belonging to the lowest rank.
‘Should I just close it myself?’
It was only natural that my options had broadened as much as my body had grown stronger.
Of course, I wasn’t thinking this out of arrogance.
There were probably numerous Gates open in Ulsan, the area where I currently resided.
However, seeing eighth and ninth-grade demonic beasts wandering nearby, I couldn’t help but judge that the Gate’s rank was low.
Of course, once the Seonghwajeon opened and various functions that aided survival became available, I would be able to grasp the situation more accurately…… but even at a glance, I could tell it was a low-ranked Gate.
‘Should I consider this lucky?’
The Gate that had opened closest to me happened to be on the smaller side.
Normally, the standard approach was to prepare thoroughly and attack a Gate in a raid format; in the first place, attempting to conquer a Gate at this point in time was absurd.
But I was confident that I could conquer that Gate.
That included the strategy information about the changed world in my head, and I had the power to back it up.
I generated the robot-related list.
{Purchase}
[Administrative Robot Tia – 5,000 points]
[Combat Robot Alt – 20,000 points]
[Cheongong Combat Robot Eria – 40,000 points]
[Cheongong Combat Robot Meradon – 90,000 points]
Having plenty of points, it was only natural to feel at ease.
I purchased five more Alts and two more Erias.
With this much, it would be more than enough force to overwhelm the demonic beasts in the Gate.
By my estimate, the highest-ranked demonic beast beyond that Gate would be at most sixth-grade at best. Still, one never knew.
Since I had only roughly gauged the Gate’s rank by sight, unexpected variables could arise, so I had to prepare.
I asked Noah.
“Noah.”
[Yes, Master.]
“Up to what grade can Meradon fight?”
[It can single-handedly exterminate up to fifth-grade.]
From the fifth grade onward in the demonic beast ranking system, they were like calamities.
They possessed massive bodies that brought about various disasters simply by moving.
If it could kill such a monster single-handedly, then even if the Gate exceeded my expectations, it would be manageable.
Moreover, considering my current physical body, I could be considered equal to the robot called Meradon, so the conquest would not fail.
For now, I purchased Meradon and then returned to Cheongongseom.
[Commencing production of Cheongong Combat Robot Meradon.]
[Production time required (24:00:00)]
[90,000 points consumed.]
It would begin tomorrow at 8 P.M.
I would close one of the Gates opened in this area.
* * *
Morning of the fifth day since the Apocalypse.
While Meradon was being produced, I prepared to open the shop today as well to earn points.
I had already reached my target, but shouldn’t one earn while they could?
Besides, customers had arrived even though it was still morning.
Meanwhile, Constellations who had followed the survivors to the cafe were showing great interest in I Sina.
[The Constellation ‘Seeker of Unfettered Knowledge’ is curious when the restaurant will open.]
[The Constellation ‘Little Fairy of Winter’ shows interest in the shop opened by the Nameless Saint.]
[The Constellation ‘Ruler of the Solitary Tower’ asks why that Constellation is hiding his name.]
“Uh, well……”
Of course, they would be curious.
About the identity of the Nameless Constellation who had appeared yesterday.
Of course, I had no intention of telling them.
Even if they belonged to the good side, they would be displeased to learn that a human was impersonating a Constellation.
Then one Constellation answered the words of the Ruler of the Solitary Tower.
[The Constellation ‘Fairy of Pure Flame’ says that since he hides his identity, he is surely an unimportant fellow.]
[The Constellation ‘Fairy of Pure Flame’ asks if you are the owner of those robots.]
The Fairy of Pure Flame asked I Sina.
However, I Sina simply shook her head with a bewildered expression and answered.
“Huh? Me? No. Those robots belong to the Nameless God.”
[The Constellation ‘Fairy of Pure Flame’ laments, asking if you have already contracted with the Nameless Constellation.]
“Huh? A contract? Uh…… no. I haven’t made a contract.”
[The Constellation ‘Fairy of Pure Flame’ tilts her head with a bewildered expression at your words.]
The Fairy of Pure Flame was not the only one puzzled by I Sina’s words.
Numerous Constellations heard her and could not understand the situation for a moment.
The next instant, all the Constellations gathered before her began to tremble in shock.
[The Constellation ‘Seeker of Unfettered Knowledge’ asks if you truly have not made a contract.]
“Yes…… if you mean the contract made with those deities, then I haven’t.”
[The Constellation ‘Fairy of Pure Flame’ drops her jaw at your words.]
[The Constellation ‘Ruler of the Solitary Tower’ clears his throat and leaves his seat.]
[The Constellation ‘Little Fairy of Winter’ trembles in fear.]
I let out a hollow laugh at their reactions without realizing it.
I knew why the Constellations were showing such reactions.
Originally, Constellations could not interfere with the world using their immense power.
That was because of the restrictions created by the ‘Greatest Ones,’ and those restrictions were enforced upon the Constellations.
The only means by which they could use their power was to contract with humans, but rarely, there existed Constellations who endured those restrictions and used their power.
Existences with a massive rank that could not be compared to the Constellations before my eyes now.
In other words, they were mistaking me for a Constellation with such a massive rank.
[The Constellation ‘Fairy of Pure Flame’ begs for mercy with a face deep in thought.]
The Fairy of Pure Flame began to beg me for mercy.
It seemed she thought the sarcasm from earlier had offended me.
How had the situation turned out like this…… even I found it rather absurd.
I opened my mouth to clear up the situation.
[■■■ says he does not mind.]
[The Constellation ‘Fairy of Pure Flame’ expresses her gratitude for your mercy with sparkling eyes.]
It was a truly burdensome situation.
In reality, I was just a human not so different from those below.
Ignoring the Fairy of Pure Flame’s words, I opened my mouth to I Sina.
[■■■ says he will open the resting place.]
“Ah! Yes! I’ll prepare right away.”
* * *
Time passed, and it became 8 P.M.
A smile naturally flowed out at the points I had earned today.
[6,835,970 points]
6.8 million points…… truly, I couldn’t even begin to imagine where to spend these points now.
Was earning points always this easy?
I could hardly believe I had earned this many points before the Seonghwajeon had even begun.
Well, I’d think about where to spend the points later.
I exited the control room and looked toward the workshop.
Thud! Thud!
Something massive in the workshop was pounding the floor—thud! thud!—and approaching me.
Its form was similar to Alt’s, but its frame was about twice as large, and attached behind its back was a pair of mechanically constructed wings.
From its sharply honed eyes, a blue glow radiated, exuding a threatening atmosphere.
Cheongong Combat Robot Meradon.
It approached me and knelt.
[I greet the Master.]
A deep voice flowed from its mouth.
Even at a glance, it radiated a sense of intimidation that couldn’t be compared to Alt or Eria.
As expected, it wasn’t for nothing that it could single-handedly kill a fifth-grade demonic beast.
I looked at that sight with satisfaction, surveyed my surroundings, and opened my mouth.
“Everyone, gather before me.”
At my words, three Erias that had been flying in the sky patrolling Cheongongseom landed before me and knelt, and six Alts that had been nearby came running—thud! thud!—shaking the floor, and knelt before me.
Their voices echoed across Cheongongseom.
[[[[Master, your command.]]]]
It was a voice containing a fierce will to carry out any order I gave.
I smiled proudly as I looked at the robots kneeling before me.
All preparations were complete.
Now was the time.
“Everyone, let us descend to the surface.”
[[[[Yes, understood.]]]]
It was time to close the Gate.