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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
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Chapter 18: Obtaining a Class (4)
Ah, come on.
This is too much.
A special class, you say?
But no matter how low-tier it is, why is it a chick?
"Peep! Peep!"
Are you saying it's too much too?
A flying chick.
Covered in bright yellow feathers with a few red ones here and there, its entire body faintly ablaze.
The previous phoenix body was entirely engulfed in flames, which made it feel less like a living creature.
But this chick form had feathers and flesh, making it genuinely look like a real chick.
The phoenix stared at me, furrowing its brow, and then darted straight to my forehead.
“Peck! Peck! Peck!”
"Ow! Hey, cut it out!"
The tiny beak of the phoenix relentlessly jabbed at my forehead.
This wasn't the playful nibbling you'd expect from a chick.
It hurt so much it felt like my forehead was about to crack open.
After five pecks, it backed away, angrily chirping at me.
Ah!
What am I supposed to do without mana?
We’ll grow together, okay?
Hmph.
“…So cute…”
Next to me, Liana gazed at the phoenix with a dazed expression.
Well, it is cute.
Chicks are pretty much the top-tier in cuteness, aren’t they?
Add in the little wings flapping, the elegant red markings, the self-igniting flames, and the glow it emitted—yeah, it’s adorable.
“Peep… Peep…”
Noticing Liana staring, the chick lowered its head and let out timid peeps.
Its gesture looked like it was saying, “Take me with you…”
Ah.
Could this turn into a nighttime escape situation?
“Phoenixes don’t run away, do they?”
“Oh my, how could you say that? To the phoenix, you’re practically a parent. It’s just sulking a bit because it suddenly lost its strength. Worrying about it running away? That’s too much.”
“Well, I was wondering if there’s something like a pet system…”
“A pet system? Raising creatures isn’t a game, you know!”
This coming from the woman who’s the Earth’s strongest B-rank and hands out skills—pot, meet kettle.
Anyway, seems like it won’t run away.
“Hey, phoenix, come here. Daddy will enhance your mana.”
“Peep?”
“I’ve got some leftover stat points. I’ll dump them all into mana.”
Guess I don’t need to distribute stats evenly anymore.
I dumped all three points from the Order category and four points from the Neutral category into Mana.
The chick phoenix’s body suddenly burst into bright flames.
“Peep! Peep!”
The red chick flapped its wings excitedly, its eyes sparkling with joy.
Ah, so cute.
The flames subsided, but the faint burning that originally surrounded its body grew a little stronger.
It also got a bit bigger.
Is this how it grows?
Looks like my mana levels are important here…
“Oh my, you did wonderfully.”
“Hang in there, Peep. Let’s grow up quickly together, okay?”
“Peep? Is that its name?”
Liana gave me a sharp glance.
She looks pretty no matter what expression she makes.
“A phoenix is a divine beast. An A-rank divine beast. Practically a demigod. It might be young now, but it’ll grow quickly. And you’re naming it Peep?”
“When it grows up, I’ll give it a grand name. For now, it’s just Peep.”
Liana bit her lip, clearly holding back something she wanted to say.
“…Fine. If its owner insists… Peep, grow up quickly so you can get a proper name, okay?”
Liana gently stroked Peep’s head, speaking softly.
Peep chirped happily in response.
I’m the owner here, but why do I feel left out?
The two were cuddling and nuzzling each other like there was no tomorrow.
It wasn’t until the elves checked the time and cleared their throats that the lovefest finally ended.
“Oh dear, it’s gotten so late. We should be heading back now.”
Yeah, it was fun watching your beauty, but I was starting to think you’d really run off with Peep.
Time to go.
“Thank you for Apollo’s gift.”
“Apollo advises you to focus on improving your intermediary skill as your top priority. He also suggests paying attention to your spiritual rank, as you’ll soon hit the limits of human potential, Kim Jiho.”
Advice from the gods, huh?
Considering how much I’ve gained from this intermediary skill, I was already planning to pour everything into upgrading it.
If I can form contracts with more gods and earn more SP, life would be so much easier.
More SP means more interest, after all.
And if transcending human limits requires raising my spiritual rank, does that mean there’s a max stat limit?
For now, I’ll focus on leveling up and aiming for higher ranks.
I can’t afford to fail like the other Kim Jiho in that other world.
“Thank you for the advice. I’ll keep it in mind.”
“Yes. Until we meet again, stay healthy. And Peep, be well!”
“Peep! Peep!”
I thought Peep might whine about saying goodbye, but it just waved its wings at Liana like a grown-up and perched atop my head.
Then it plopped down with a thud.
Despite the flames on its body, my hair didn’t catch fire.
That was strange.
Maybe it wasn’t real fire but some kind of effect?
“Peep! Peep!”
“Yeah, let’s head home.”
After the auction ended, I caught a ride in an Association vehicle to get back home.
Before the car took off, the driver spoke to me.
“Kim Jiho, is your current living situation uncomfortable?”
“My one-room apartment? Well, it’s a bit cramped.”
“If you’re uncomfortable, you’re welcome to stay in one of the luxury officetels near the Association building. We’ve received an official document with the president’s seal of approval.”
“Haha, the president’s really attentive. I guess I should accept such generosity. Can I move in today?”
"Yes, of course."
Is this also one of the benefits of being in the special class?
The chauffeur stopped the car in front of a luxury residential complex a block away from the Association.
He guided me to the top floor of the building, having parked in the underground parking lot.
A vast window offered an unobstructed view of Gangnam Avenue.
The duplex structure featured four bedrooms and two bathrooms on the first floor.
It even had a terrace, perfect for sipping wine while gazing at the forest of buildings.
The living room boasted a wall-mounted TV so large it covered the entire wall, and the king-sized bed was to my liking.
Man... A day like this calls for a drink.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
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It’s sad that the only people I can call to celebrate getting such a nice house are all men.
-Hello?
“Jinseong, what are you up to?”
-I’m having a drinking party in Gangnam with guild members. Are you having dinner with Kang Shia? Haha.
“What’s with the 'haha'? Nothing’s going on between us. The Association gave me a house to use for free, so I thought I’d have a drink, but I’ll save it for another time.”
-What? I didn’t get anything like that. We’re both D-rank! What gives?
“If you’re curious, I’ll tell you at the next drinking session. Hehe.”
-Wow! I’m going to file a complaint with the Association!
“It’s because I’m special. I’ll explain at the party.”
-Don’t tell me you got a novice special class? Ugh… I’m curious, but I can’t leave right now. See you offline.
Sigh.
Looks like I’ll be drinking alone.
Reflecting on my pitiful social life, I left the house in the care of Peep and went to the convenience store on the first floor of the building.
I bought two bottles of soju and five large bottles of beer.
Soju mixed with beer is the way to go.
Even dwarves approve.
I drank alone in front of the TV, mixing drinks while watching a music program.
A sexy girl group was performing a provocative dance.
“Come to think of it, how is summoning a Flame Chariot and Infinite Stamina rated the same at A-level?”
“Peep?”
“Peep, doesn’t that seem odd? How can the awe-inspiring Flame Chariot and Infinite Stamina be the same grade skill?”
“Peep.”
Others might see me as a lunatic talking to a chick, but this phoenix chick could actually understand me.
It would tilt its head or shake it, reacting in ways that made it feel rewarding to talk to.
“Alright. Let’s try turning it ON.”
After all, there were no women around.
Honestly, even the sexy dance didn’t excite me much after seeing Liana.
I was curious about what would happen if I activated Infinite Stamina.
[Activating Infinite Stamina Level 2 skill.]
There wasn’t much change at first.
Then suddenly, the close-up of the sexy dance on the screen seemed even closer, and a surge of blood rushed to a certain lower body part.
Wait.
Hold on.
Is it supposed to work this fast?
And... this isn’t my usual size.
It’s bigger...!
[Tranquil Mind activates.]
The blood that had surged like a tide receded just as swiftly.
Desires vanished in an instant.
A calm mind.
A feeling of enlightenment.
For a moment, I remembered the unfamiliar size and girth I’d just experienced, but even those thoughts settled peacefully.
Wow!
Tranquil Mind can control desires.
I can keep it ON then.
Now I’m curious what training would be like with it activated.
“Piiiiiyak! Peep Peep!”
Suddenly, Peep flew into the air from above me.
The chick was surrounded by flames, which grew more intense by the second.
Could this also be affected by Infinite Stamina?
[Pollux suggests it’s a natural reaction, as the phoenix represents life and Stamina.]
[Aurelia advises that maintaining the skill will accelerate the phoenix’s growth.]
Wow.
Who knew Infinite Stamina would be useful in this way...!
Watching the flying Peep, I got excited and drank more soju mixed with beer.
As I flipped TV channels, I felt the ebb and flow in my lower body.
Yep, that size I felt earlier wasn’t my imagination.
Another use for Infinite Stamina discovered...
Hmm.
But the repeated surges and declines felt a bit tiring, so I stepped out onto the terrace.
The view of Gangnam Avenue sparkled with artificial lights but felt strangely desolate.
Not a particularly great view…
Sipping the soju-beer mix from a glass, I wondered what to do next and pulled out the strategy guide from my inventory.
New information was listed inside.
When I woke up, my stats had increased again.
My Order-aligned stats had risen by a total of 3, while my Neutral-aligned stats, like Physical C-- and Skill C--, had also improved.
The SP accumulated that day was about 100.
With Apollo’s contributions, 80 SP was from the Order alignment and 20 SP from Neutral.
I decided to save the SP for premium shop use.
I was hoping to find hints to enhance the Soul Mediator skill there.
With improved abilities, better equipment, a phoenix companion, and various skills, I felt ready to explore a dungeon.
I wanted to test the Soul Reaper skill as well.
At the Association, about 20 other new D-rank hunters were waiting to enter a dungeon.
As we waited together, a staff member appeared to guide us.
They took us up a hidden elevator in a signless room to the very top floor of the Association.
The top floor was one vast open space, not divided into rooms.
The ceiling resembled a star-filled night sky, sparkling like the cosmos.
The floor was also black, dotted with stars, giving the feeling of standing in outer space.
Around 30 elves and dwarves sat at five large round tables, divided into groups of six.
They were staring at a large yellow gemstone on the tables, engaged in serious discussion.
“The new D-rank awakeners have arrived.”
“Ah, welcome.”
A female elf stood to greet us.
Just seeing her almost activated Infinite Stamina, but Tranquil Mind kicked in at just the right time to prevent it.
Thankfully, my control was getting faster.
“I am Alena, the head of the Dimensional Management Division for the Broken World, Korean branch. Before we begin, I’d like you to sign these agreements.”
The agreements detailed that we must not disclose any of the discussions here to anyone outside the D-rank hunters, with penalties for violations.
“The agreements I’ve distributed are magical contracts. They were created to prevent chaos and unrest in this dimension. If the situation is not resolved by the time we leave, it will naturally become known to the world.”
Chaos?
That sounds serious.
The elves and dwarves had grave expressions.
Association staff seemed to be completely absent, likely for confidentiality.
No wonder there was so little information about D-rank hunters; it must be due to these agreements.
Once we all signed, Alena collected the agreements and placed them on the desk.
“Thank you all for your cooperation. Now, let me explain the D-rank dungeon, or rather, the Broken World.”
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
Join our Discord for release updates!
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