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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
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Chapter 14: D-Rank Promotion (3)
Thunk!
“Ugh... Huff... 40 people left…”
[You have gained 1 Kill Point. - Current Kill Points: 4]
One more person down.
I’ve reached the magic tower I was aiming for...
Looking at the map, there are no Awakened nearby.
40 people, huh...
The end is in sight.
If I linger here, I might miss the chance to earn additional stats and end up with nothing.
I approached the lock on the magic tower.
Contrary to its medieval aesthetic, the lock was a touchpad.
When I entered 6976, the lock clicked open, and the door swung ajar.
So, the strategy guide was correct.
I stared at the opened tower for a moment before turning my back on it.
I had only entered the code to confirm if the strategy guide’s information was accurate.
I couldn’t give up on the extra 3 stat points.
I resumed running, spotting a light in the distance.
The light illuminated a single-story guard post.
Is someone hiding there?
The wooden door was firmly shut.
“Fireball. Fireball.”
You wouldn’t happen to have armor that nullifies magic too, would you?
Bang!
The first fireball smashed the door to pieces.
Bang!
The second fireball detonated inside.
“Argh!”
“Lightning Bolt.”
I unleashed an electric spell on the man who bolted out of the flames.
His body immediately convulsed before collapsing into the fire.
Judging by the bow he was holding, he was probably an archer.
[You have gained 1 Kill Point. - Current Kill Points: 5]
Casting a second-circle spell three times in a row, I felt my mana drain rapidly.
Still, I felt relieved at achieving my goal.
The minimap showed 31 people remaining.
Everyone seemed to be converging toward the central area to avoid the orc army, so the end seemed near.
Judging by the map, I was on the outskirts.
I briefly considered heading back to the tower, but the area was already overrun by the orc army.
Their marching speed was increasing, and if I didn’t run hard now, I’d be devoured.
I opened the map and ran in the direction with the fewest people, avoiding other Awakened.
There was no need to kill more after taking down five.
If I got ambushed by an Awakened who had already settled in, it’d be troublesome.
“Ahhh!”
“Mon... Monster!”
In the distance, I could hear the screams of humans being attacked by orcs.
A defeated battlefield.
A massacre of humans.
The endless wave of the orc army.
Were there any Awakened among those screams?
26 left.
The number was dropping bit by bit.
Meanwhile, the pressure from the orc army behind me grew stronger.
Axes began flying my way.
They hadn’t hit me yet, but their speed was alarming.
Thud.
Thud-thud.
Thud-thud-thud.
The drumbeats of the orc warband grew louder and closer.
I now ran straight toward the center, disregarding the Awakened ahead.
Taking a detour would only get me caught.
“Firebolt!”
“Shield.”
A hidden mage attacked with a spell, but I blocked it with a shield and kept sprinting.
It would’ve been great to have a haste spell, but that’s third-circle magic, unfortunately.
The mage who attacked me seemed to be trying to escape as well, but how fast could a mage really be?
“Ahhhh!!”
22 left.
The number dropped again.
And the orc drumbeats now roared like thunder.
My vision blurred red as a burning pain erupted on my back.
“Wind! Shield!”
Without looking back, I cast Wind and Shield simultaneously.
But clang!
A powerful impact slammed against my back.
Boom!
“Ugh!”
I clenched my teeth.
Ugh... It hurts.
But if I collapsed here, I’d die.
A quick glance behind me revealed that, thankfully, the axe hadn’t embedded itself into my back.
Whether it was the Wind effect or my Shield that saved me, I was just glad it didn’t stick.
I ran without looking back.
At this point, I feared the orcs behind me more than the Awakened ahead.
As I got up and sprinted again, I heard thud, thud sounds coming from behind.
If I’d hesitated even a moment longer, that axe would’ve sunk into me.
Cold sweat dripped down my back.
Whoosh!
The sound of something slicing through the air.
It came from ahead.
Someone was shooting arrows... But why didn’t my danger sense go off?
With my two-handed sword strapped to my back, I couldn’t block anything while running full speed.
Damn it.
I raised my arms to shield my head and chest.
Two left.
Just hold on a little longer.
I gritted my teeth, bracing for the imminent impact.
An arrow flying at high speed was getting closer.
Face or chest?
I was ready to lose an arm.
Clang!
Contrary to my expectations, the arrow grazed past me.
And then, the sound of something colliding came from behind.
What?
As I mustered strength to keep running and looked ahead, I saw a familiar silhouette waving a hand.
That expensive armor covering the entire body—Kang Shia!
“Not bad, right?”
“I love you.”
She said she wouldn’t go easy on me, yet she saved me at this moment.
The girl crush vibe I felt when I first saw her hit me all over again.
Wow.
Am I too emotional?
It felt like a halo was shining behind her, making her look like an angel.
Then my body began to glow white... Wait, what?
[You have entered the top 20 final survivors. The mission is now complete.]
[You earned five kill points. By achieving both objectives, you receive additional rewards.]
[You gained three bonus stat points.]
I cleared it!
I actually cleared it!
And I got bonus stats too!
As the world paused, Kang Shia and I blinked white.
Before she disappeared, she chuckled lightly.
“I saved you, so treat me to a meal.”
“Yes, ma’am. Even though I owe you 500 million, I’ll gladly treat you.”
Yeah, I had to borrow money at the last minute to learn that 2nd-circle spell...
“I’ll make it 600 million for you.”
With that, Kang Shia disappeared.
It must have been a joke, right?
I mean, no matter how rich you are, a meal costing 100 million?
There’s no way such a world exists.
It doesn’t.
It just doesn’t.
The light faded, and my vision returned.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
Join our Discord for release updates!
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I was alone in a dark space.
In front of me floated a glowing book, suspended in the air.
[You have ascended to a D-rank Awakened.]
As the book flashed, a calm, monotonous female voice echoed.
[Your class is NOVICE. Unlocking hidden class.]
[Your class is Beginner. Unlocking hidden class.]
[Assessing the user’s stats...]
[Your stats are perfectly balanced. Unlocking special class.]
[Your stats are perfectly balanced. Unlocking special class.]
Suddenly, a chill ran down my spine.
The message repeated twice.
Even the class—NOVICE and Beginner—was repeated.
Could it be that I can choose two classes?
[The hidden classes available for the Order faction are as follows:]
[Sword Mage.]
[Spirit mage.]
[Sharp Shooter.]
[Word Weaver.]
[The hidden classes available for the Neutral faction are as follows:]
[Giant.]
[Overlord.]
[Master of Flames.]
[Regenerator.]
Wow.
I really can choose both.
The Neutral faction classes seemed... unique.
I wanted to take a closer look at them, but...
I balanced my stats in the first place for the Special Class.
Let’s look at those.
[The special classes available for the Order faction are as follows:]
[Angel.]
[Soul Mediator.]
[The special classes available for the Neutral faction are as follows:]
[Dragonkin.]
[Soul Reaper.]
Angel, Dragonkin?
Wait... does this mean my species will change?
I checked the description for Angel.
[Angel.
The highest-ranking species of the Order faction and messengers of the divine.
The first creations of the celestial god, they embody celestial beauty, immortality, and invincibility.
Angels wield the power of light and gain luminous wings.
They can fly and transform into radiant forms.
They can exclude and seal the powers of all factions except Order.
They can command all subordinate species within the Order faction.
As a human, you have earned the chance to ascend as an angel.
The celestial angels bless your achievements and will sing them as heavenly hymns.
You gain two wings of light. As your strength grows, additional wings will appear.]
My species really does change... so does that mean the same for Dragonkin?
[Dragonkin.
The highest-ranking species of the Neutral faction and guardians of the earth.
Descendant of the Dragon God, inheriting the blood of the divine.
Excluding the interference of the heavens and chaos, you maintain the identity of the earth.
You dominate the neutral factions and protect the planet you belong to.
You control the mana of the earth and can perform dragon speech.
As a human, you have the opportunity to become a dragon.
The dragon race will watch this with interest and will protect you with all its power.
Your body begins to transform, and you will change into a hatchling, a baby dragon. A guardian dragon will be summoned.]
Well, my race is changing, huh?
Suddenly, the scale of things has grown so much that I’m speechless.
Ah, right.
Let’s check the guidebook.
[Even as I write this, I can’t help but doubt if my past self succeeded. Can I advance to a D-rank with balanced stats? This page is only accessible if it’s possible... but I’m not sure if this page will ever appear again. Anyway, if you see this page and can choose a class, you’ll probably go for either Dragon or Soul Reaper.]
Right. It was tough.
Finally, I want to rid myself of the suffering of not having a class.
What should I choose?
[If you choose Dragon, Earth will be freed from the dungeon portals. The affection and obsession the dragons have for their descendants are beyond imagination. If I become a hatchling, the dragons will send dragons to Earth, and chaos will retreat. However, Earth will have to yield many territories to the dragons and serve them as rulers. But, I guess, at least the destruction will be prevented.]
So, choosing a class suddenly changes the scale to that of Earth?
Well, it’s good that it prevents the destruction, right?
[But I will disappear. My persona will vanish. I will ascend with a soul and identity that befit the dragons, and my current self will remain only as a trace. If you want to save the world, choose the dragons. But your current self will cease to exist.]
Hmm.
Would I rather die and save the world?
Or would I rather live and doom the world?
Is that what it is?
Hmm.
My own self is the most important.
Even if I save the world, what’s the meaning if I disappear?
The fate of Earth and the life of Kim Jiho, if they disappear, I won’t care after that...
If I die and the world perishes, how is that any different?
I won’t live a lie.
If I die, it’s all over.
I’ll live on as myself until the end.
Yeah.
Until I smear poop on the wall!
[Of course, that’s not what will happen. I’ll live on until I smear poop on the wall. And a world ruled by dragons won’t be a happy ending either. I’ll choose Soul Reaper so that I can survive and Earth survives too.]
Yeah.
A world ruled by dragons sounds terrifying.
Now that I think about it, even angels change their races.
Wouldn't I also disappear?
I’m an atheist through and through, so I don’t think I’ll be singing eternal hymns to praise gods.
I’ve examined both the Soul Mediator of the Order faction and the Soul Reaper of the Neutral faction.
[Soul Mediator.
A special class of the Order faction. It facilitates the acquisition of spiritual power by the apostles from their guardian gods, and in the process, it gains spiritual power as a mediator.
The SP stat becomes active.
Your spiritual capacity increases, allowing you to break through the human limits.]
[Soul Reaper.
A special class of the Neutral faction. It absorbs part of the soul. By absorbing spiritual power, you can enhance your spiritual capacity.
You can absorb some of the abilities of the spiritual power.
You can absorb the unique traits of other races.
The SP stat becomes active.
Your spiritual capacity increases, allowing you to break through the human limits.]
Soul, spiritual power?
It was a vague explanation.
The Devourer absorbs, but the Mediator isn’t even a merchant...
It didn’t seem like there was much to gain.
Is this why I struggled to balance my stats?
Compared to angels or dragons, this doesn’t seem like a good class, especially not a hidden one...
But anyway, since I decided to trust the guidebook, I’ll push through.
“I choose Soul Mediator and Soul Reaper.”
[You have chosen the special class Soul Mediator.]
[You have chosen the special class Soul Reaper.]
[You have realized spiritual capacity from D-class. SP increased by 1,000.]
[You have acquired the Soul Mediator skill LV1.]
[You have acquired the Soul Reaper skill LV1.]
[You have acquired the Absorption skill LV1.]
[You have acquired the Spiritual Enhancement skill LV1.]
[Now, you can enhance your stats with SP and expand your limits.]
A series of messages came up.
It was the most chaotic I’ve seen so far.
Suddenly, something about souls.
It felt like I was fighting with medieval weapons and suddenly switching to an exorcism story.
[The guardian gods are showing interest in the Soul Mediator.]
[Pollux wants to meet you. Would you like to accept the meeting?]
Pollux?
That sounds unsettling...
[Pollux says not to worry.]
Ah, that makes me more uneasy.
It should be fine, right?
[Pollux asks when he has ever forced someone to do something.]
Well, that’s true; he always made suggestions...
Alright, let’s see the face of our guardian god.
As soon as I agreed, the book vanished, and a massive figure appeared.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
Join our Discord for release updates!
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